These are My Confessions

You guys ready for this??  I always love doing these posts and I looked back and had not done one since July so it was time for a new one!   Please join in and share your own!

- I took Sterling to the dentist about 2 months ago and we discovered he had 5 cavities.  I mean WTF.  I was beyond shocked as Matt and I brush his teeth every night and I really don't buy too much candy.  I felt like the worlds worst mom.  His dentist told me his his teeth are really close together which makes him more prone to cavities (or maybe that is what they tell all the parents of kids with cavities).  We are having them filled next week (hello mortgage payment) and I am freaking out about the laughing gas.  I am so scared he will have a reaction or something horrible.  I always think of the worst things.  It haunts me every night, I am dreading it next week.  I am more freaked than Sterling.

- Instead of buying our pumpkins at the pumpkin patch this year we bought them at Harris Teeter.  Horrible I know but Harris Teeter had huge ones and you got 2 for $10 and the big ones at the pumpkin patch were $30!  I feel like it was a good idea since our pumpkins already had to be thrown out because of all the flies.  Lesson learned don't carve them so early.

- I have been sick on and off for two months straight.  Bronchitis twice that lasted a good two weeks each time.  My immune system seems to be failing me.  I blame the kids.  and I still have a cough. 

- Because I have been sick and wheezing I have been unable to run and while I miss it I also don't miss it.  It has been nice to sleep in in the morning.   It has been dark out when I normally run and I don't like to run in the dark.  Plus I lost a few pounds, I swear I weigh more when I exercise more because I eat more.  My appetite is crazy when I work out.

- I can't wait to box up all the Halloween crap around our house - there I said it.  Saturday morning all that stuff is going right back in the attic.

- I bought holiday pillows at Target this week, yes I am that person buying Christmas stuff in October, but I swear the good stuff gets gone fast. #christmasobsessed.

- I kind of like Taylor Swift now.  She used to annoy me so bad but now I like her.  Her music is good and I appreciate the fact that she doesn't slut herself out.

-  15 minutes into our car ride back to Charleston yesterday Sterling told me he had to pee and poop.  This is so typical even if I make him use the bathroom before we hit the road.  We stopped at a gas station that had so much random crap for sale and I bought blankets.  I know this is gross on so many levels but I really liked the blankets, they were big, and only $6!!  I mean they are kind of awesome right??  I will wash them first don't worry!

- I have not slept thru the night in at least 3 weeks.  I wake up with weird dreams about the world ending or being stuck in a foreign country. 

-  Frances Moon turns one in less than a month and I have done nothing to plan her party.  I think it must be a second child thing.  With Sterling I had it all planned out at this point.  Her birthday will definitely be more low key than Sterling's. I have found the party is more for the adults than kids, I mean she won't even remember the day.

- I can't find a sushi place I just love in Charleston, any recs?? The only time I seem to eat sushi these days is when I go to Charlotte.  I love Sushi Guru!!

- My house is a constant mess and it stresses it me out.  I am trying to be at peace with this and it is just how it is with two young kids but it drives me crazy.  They both pull things out as soon as I put them up.

- Sometimes I worry I like wine too much.  I swear I drink more wine now than I did before I had kids.  I am a hypochondriac so I worry about my liver.  But I do swear the wine helps keep me sane and relaxed.  I don't take any meds, but the wine helps my anxiety- unless I drink too much and then it causes anxiety.  I do know my limits being hungover is not option with kids:)

-  I used to really like Breakfast and now there is nothing I ever want to eat.  I am sick of every single breakfast I used to love.  Lately I have been having green juice and turkey bacon- one good one bad:)

- I throw away plastic bags from stores.  I am so good about recycling everything else but those bags!  I feel guilty about it too but then I still toss them.

- My least favorite chore is emptying the dishwasher and I swear I do it everyday.  Its all the parts to the bottles and sippy cups that make it take forever!

- I am a complete type A personality.  I like to be in control always.  If Matt has the kids or a babysitter comes I always bath and feed them dinner first because I am worried they won't do it right (aka my way).  I am trying to loosen up but its hard.

- I have trouble just sitting down and relaxing.  I feel like there is always something I need to be doing.  I cook most nights to have something to do, I am not good with down time.

- I never skip a night washing my face or brushing my teeth ever.

- Fridays are my favorite day of the week.  

Have a great weekend!

 

Thoughts For Thursday

Lets dish.

I made a quick trip home to Charlotte this week and stopped in West Elm.  I just love that store.  I wanted to actually look at the chandeliers in person before I bought one and I am so glad I did.  I went with a completely different one than the two I was considering.  The one waterfall one I like most was actually plastic not glass and I didn't like that.  I wanted basically everything in the store, I so wish Charleston would get a West Elm Store.  Such great home and entertaining stuff.

 If you need lighting West Elm is having 20% off all lighting right now.  I went with this Chandelier for my dining room and I hope to install it this weekend!  I would have never considered this one because online it looked so small but it was actually a perfect size in person and the price is incredible. Plus I loved the modern feel of it.  I went with large globe bulbs, not the frosted ones.

|| Mobile Pendnant

 I also snagged this Throw.  It is so gorgeous in person.  All throws are also 20% off.

|| Knitted Sequin Throw

I stopped in JCrew as well this week, I always love to browse their new arrivals in person.  Loved both of these blouses.  I ended up buying the Tassel Trim Blouse in the black color- it runs on the large side, I am wearing a size 2.  Use code STYLETREAT to get 25% off your purchase.

Shadow Diamond Blouse | Tassel Trim Blouse

I also loved it in the Royal Blue Color.  Such a gorgeous blouse and it comes to $75 with the discount.

 I have been using my Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask for almost 2 months now and I have to say it is my favorite mask.  I can really tell a difference in my skin.  I use it about 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes.  It gets really tight while you are wearing it which I love, makes me feel like it is tightening and smoothing my skin.  I highly recommend it and it lasts for awhile I have hardly put a dent in mine, a little goes a long way.

|| Tata Harper Mask

I just downloaded The New Shopaholic book to read.  I always love the books in this series such a light easy read.

 

I also just picked up my girl Ina's new cookbook, Make It Ahead.  I own all  her cookbooks and they never disappoint, always my favorite go-to cookbooks.  Anyone else notice how good her skin always looks? 

How great does this spin on Avocado Toast look?  It is called Autumn Toast and it is Avocado, Pears, Blue Cheese, and nuts. Yes Please!

Two new wine recs one red, one white both delicious.

My friend Sarah at Social Dress Shop is having a major sale right now to make way for new merchandise. You can take 40% off the entire site with code SALE40.   If you don't own a Pink Stitch Maxi Dress, it is a great time to buy one, it will be like $50 with the discount. I love mine.

My favorites:

If you still want a pair of Rag and Bone Newbury Booties, this style was just marked down on Shopbop.  I love the gray color.

|| Newbury Booties

and this quote, its just so true.

Barbacoa Beef || Tacos + Nachos

If you follow me on instagram (snoopnattynat) you saw me post this beef on Friday and Saturday night.  We ate it both nights,  it was insanely good and easy!!  I can't take credit for this recipe, I lucked out and found it on Pinterest but it is a real winner.  Trust me we will be making this beef often.  The hardest thing you have to do is chop an onion and then you just throw it all in the crockpot and it does the work for you!  I bought a whole chuck roast and trimmed it myself but you can buy the meat already cubed if you prefer.  I like to leave some fat on it for extra flavor.  If you don't have a Crock Pot, I highly recommend this one.  We got it as a wedding gift 7 years ago and still use it often, I swear it is the best Crock Pot.

The first night we made tacos with the beef.  I made them true authentic Mexican style on corn shells, with diced onion and cilantro. Simple but full of flavor.  We also added a drizzle of salsa verde and shredded Monterrey jack.  They were just perfect.

Saturday night we decided to use the leftover beef and make nachos.  The nachos were out of this world good.  We baked the chips with shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese for about 10 mins to crisp them up.  Then we layered on the beef, onions, and jalapenos and cooked another 5-10 mins.  Sprinkle with cilantro, salsa and sour cream and enjoy!

|| B A R B A C O A  B E E F ||

Recipe via Gimmie Some Oven

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs chuck roast (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chiptoles in adobo sauce, chopped (or more to taste)
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves ( I left this out because I didn't have any cloves)
• 1/2 cup beef broth or water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss gently to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender and falls apart easily when shredded with a fork.
Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces inside of the slow cooker. Toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for an extra 10 minutes. Remove cover and use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to serve the barbacoa beef.
If not using immediately, refrigerate the barbacoa beef with its juices in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Styling Colored Denim Three Ways

I am a huge fan of colored denim.  Come fall I love a fun colored jean, it is an easy way to spice up an otherwise boring outfit.  

The common theme in these pictures is the jeans.  DL1961 was sweet enough to send me a pair to try and I am hooked.  I have to admit I am a creature of habit when it comes to jeans I love JBrand or Rag and Bone and know they fit my body right.   But these DL1961 jeans rocked my world in a good way.  Ladies,  these jeans fit amazing.   They suck you in all the right places and are flattering plus comfortable. I am wearing the Florence Style which fits my body type best.  They are mid rise and a skinny leg.  I love the Fall colors.  I choose Pinot and Safari- a deep burgundy and an army green that are really gorgeous for Fall!  They run TTS.

Use code DLFRIENDS to get 25% off your order thru this weekend!  A great time to try out the DL1961 Jeans if you never have!  They also make a kids line that is adorable.

I decided to put together three different looks for colored denim because sometimes it is harder to style colored denim than your regular old blue jeans.  I have to give Matt props for the back drop of these pictures.  He found this amazing Graffiti Alley on James Island and thought it would be a cool backdrop for pictures and I think he was right!

\\ ONE 

Rag and Bone Tee | Missoni Scarf  | DL1961 Florence Jeans c\o | Chinese Laundry Flats Sunglasses | Gigi New York Clutch in Navy

\\ TWO

Tory Burch Horse Blouse | DL1961 Jeans in Safari c\o | Rag and Bone Booties | Sunglasses |

Rebecca Minkoff Quilted Mini Affair Bag

\\ THREE

Rag and Bone Tee | DL1961 Jeans in Safari c/o | Chinese Laundry Flats | BR Wool Jacket

English Norman Necklace | Sunglasses (on sale )

Shop all my looks below:

Scenes From Our Weekend

Did everyone have a great weekend?  We certainly did!  It was pretty busy but with fun plans!

We started the weekend off early on Thursday with happy hour at the Yacht Club.  Caught a gorgeous sunset.  Sterling has been all about wearing his witch hat everywhere!!

I hit up Old  Navy on Friday and found the most adorable stuff for Frances Moon and all on sale!

Stripe Sweater | Bow Leggings | Leopard Sweater | Fox Shoes

Friday night I whipped up some awesome Barbacoa Beef Tacos in the Crock Pot- recipe coming this week!  I love using my Crock Pot in the Fall.

Saturday morning we had Sterling's last soccer game.  I am sad the season is over, I loved his team and his coach was so awesome.  He got his first trophy and was so proud.

Wearing: Equipment Blouse | Jeans |  Sunglasses 

Saturday afternoon we headed to Sterling's friend Andrew's birthday.  

Frances Moon had quite the time with the corn hole table.

We turned our leftover beef into the most delicious nachos ever for dinner that night.

My jacket I ordered from Banana Republic about two months ago came and I love it!!  Such a great jacket for the price- stay tuned for a fun outfit post tomorrow, little sneak peek below.

|| BR Wool Jacket

 

 We found a cool area with graffiti to take some pictures.  Such a true art!

Sunday we cooked a feast for breakfast.  I will be eating clean today after all I indulged in this weekend!

I felt like such an adult because I bought I some major appliances this week- a new washer and dryer and fridge and they both were delivered Friday.  Words can't explain how excited I am about this fridge and all the space it has.  The snack drawer sold me for the kids.  and please note it is already covered in fingerprints after just being delivered, the kids were all over it.  Next up I am having some built ins done around the fridge hopefully before Thanksgiving!

Happy Monday.