friday favorites: the oh my rodeo one

Favorite Song

Radio by Darius Rucker.

Rodeo starts this weekend so geeeeeeeeet reeeeeeeeady, Teeeeeeeeexas!

*I still have no idea what Rodeo really is. I'm just acting as excited as every other Texan around me is acting.

Favorite Food

Have you picked up on the fact that holiday candy is my jam? My jim jam, yummy yum favorite thing ever? Well today I would like to introduce you to my favorite Easter candy. 

Ugh, sorry brb gotta go grab a handful before I can keep typing. Too. Weak. 

While I run and grab another couple, you plan your next outing to Walgreens or CVS or Kroger or wherever the heck ya can get yo'self some of these. 

Favorite Pilates Move

We got behind last week when I didn't post with our Ab Series of 5 we've been practicing this month. Am I using the right pronoun? We?? And if you haven't been practicing, might I suggest stop reading this sentence and dropping to the floor and doing your single and double leg stretch. 

Because today we are moving on to Single Straight Leg Stretch. 

Pro-tips: all the same as the others. Imagine your belly button sinking deeper towards your spine with every switch of the leg. Keep your chin off of your chest. Find that little "kiss" of your glute when you leg is hovering over the floor. 

Favorite Gift

Remember when I/everyone that participated in the Christmas Blogger Exchange with Olya and Mattie begged for a Valentine's gift exchange?

Great success. Ashley from The Wandering Weekenders (who also lives in Houston and probably is excited about Rodeo) gave me the best Galentine's Valentine's gifts ever. Do you know how I long I have wanted the Essie color Ballet Slippers? Because hello, ballerina tattooed on my body over here, but for whatever reason I have never purchased said needed Essie color. Which Ashely obviously knew when she sent me that nail polish along with a bunch of other presents that perfectly define the word, "cutesies."

Favorite Not Favorite Moment Of The Week

I've been having some tests run for some stomach issues I've been having recently. Note: stomach issues is not code for I'm pregnant, so sorry 'bout ya. A-n-y-ways, there I was yesterday on the way to the studio to teach post-doctor appointment. On the way to the studio to teach post-doctor appointment with no exercise pants to change into. On the way to the studio to teach post-doctor appointment with no exercise pants to change into, and a must-be-refrigerated bag of probiotics and a sterile bag with empty tubs meant for my future stool samples. 

Eff. 

My. 

Life.

Don't worry, guys, grown-up Emily managed to buy exercise pants from the studio, put the probiotics in the studio fridge, and carry around my empty stool sample containers all afternoon. Yolo. 

FML. YOLO. TMI and all that, right? 

LOL?

No?
Still stuck the TMI part?

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Karli and Amanda.

bowl cut babes

I'm sure by now that most of you know that Freddie is a twin (and by now you also know that Ricky and Freddie are the same person). 

Meet Jimmie, Freddie's twin.

I know what you're thinking. Emily, you big fat liar. They don't even look like brothers, much less twins. And to that I say...

I agree. But they are twinsies for realsies and thick as thieves and honestly, it's the cutest thing ever. I don't care that they are two grown bleep men---I still use the word cute because it accurately describes their twinsie-ness and I love it. 

But here's something you probably didn't know. 

Freddie and I are also twins.

What?! Ew. Gross. Y'all are married. Don't get strange. And to that I say...

We're not twins twins, but we are haircut twins which makes us twins in a way. Let me explain. 

Example A

Example B

Have you ever had a bad haircut before? You have? Okay, great. Well mine and Freddie's cut-to-perfection bowl cuts can crush your regular bad haircuts straight into the mud. I often wondered if people ever actually placed a bowl on one's head to create the bowl cut look, and you know what? I almost don't see any other way that Freddie's hairdresser could have achieved that edge-of-the-bowl-line on his hair other than to have put an actual bowl over his head. 

Let me finish up this gem of a post with two thoughts:

1- Why didn't we have matching haircuts at out wedding? Hashtag fail. Hashtag wedding re-do. 

2- I can't wait to bowl cut the crap out of future little Emily's and little Ricky's hair. 

May all your future haircuts be beautiful and free of any bowls on your head. 
Over and out. 

pie lattes

Well hel-a-freaking-lo. A big ol' MY B for zero posts last week. 

Oh, what's that? You didn't even notice. Perfect!

You see, last week I was much too busy finishing up my Pilates training to play the role of a so-on-top-of-it-this-is-the-bird's-eye-view-of-my-clothes blogger. 

But just in case you're curious, I was rocking the whole homeless fashion look last week. 

WAIT WAIT WAIT!

Back up, home girl. Did you say finishing up Pilates training?

I. KNOW. Aren't the cool kids these days just saying ikr? Anyways what the what what what. Yesterday was my last training day for my comprehensive Pilates certification. I spent the past week doing and learning to do this...

And this...

And this...

And this...

That is a whole lotta pictures of me back to back. Sorry 'bout it.

I slept a little and complained a lot. Just so you are aware of all the juicy deets from my past week. But seriously, I've been making some puhretty suggestive noises while foam rolling out my back and shoulders these past few days. 

A year ago my group started our comprehensive Pilates training, and since then we've met every eight weeks to continue on to the next system of movement and learning. Here we are in February 2016, and I have eight weeks to cram my brain full of all the Pilates knowledge, history, movement, background, and principles I can possible recall (and all the Pilates movements that I can possibly make my muscles strong enough to actually do) before I fly to Florida in April and test out. 

So, that being said, I'm off to go study joint capsules and figure out how to get the lower abdominal strength of Thor's bigger, stronger, and lesser known brother, Sore. Be back when I finally learn how to spell everything anatomy related. 

!

friday favorites: the lurve one

'Twas the Friday before Valentine's Day and all through the house...

Emily had candy stored. For her, not for a mouse. 

While rhyming is oh so fun, let's get on with it.

Son. 

Favorite Song

Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton

This. On repeat. Non-stop. All I want in life (right now...) is to slow dance in the kitchen to this song. LIKE FO' REAL, Freddie. Come on. 

Favorite Food

This was taken pre-oven time. Trust me, they look a lot more blog worthy post-oven time. 

The first Valentine's we were dating I made Freddie Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries. (spoiler alert: one of my good friends in college actually made them, but technicalities). The second Valentine's Day we were dating I made Strawberry Nutella Pop tarts. Then it kind of became a thing where each Valentine's Day I make him some kind of strawberry treat. Here we are now about to celebrate our fourth (?) (math is hard) V-day together and all he talks about are those dang pop tarts. So this thing where I make him strawberry treats is about to become a thing where I only make him Strawberry Nutella Pop tarts. I can dig this thing, and I can also eat all these things. 

Now go make some things and start your own pop tart V-day thing.

Favorite Valentine's Day Decor

My sister sent me this in the mail yesterday. I feel like no other statement should have so much meaning to my husband. I love me some candy. 

...

I also love my husband.

But candy.  

Favorite Pilates Move

In keeping with our February is the month of eating chocolate working abs theme we are going to move from Single Leg Stretch straight into Double Leg Stretch. There are several variations of this move, but let's just focus on this one for now.

  Pro-tips: same as before..Keep your tailbone heavy.  Your lower back does not get to imprint on the floor. Gaze down at your low belly while reaching arms and legs out on diagonals to make sure it's staying flat across and not pooching up. B-r-e-a-t-h-e. It's good for you. 

Favorite Valentine's Day Card

The amount of time I have spent browsing Etsy for funny Valentine's Day cards is not embarrassing at all. Because it is hashtag necessary and fun. This shop is my absolute favorite shop from which to get cards, and I'm not even getting paid to say that! ! ! That's how freaking fantastic these cards are.

But this one takes the Valentine's Day cake...

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Karli and Amanda. 

on having a husband and not having a boyfriend

It has come to my attention that there is some confusion going around. Some big time confusion.  Some Emily has a boyfriend and a husband? confusion. Some Why doesn't Emily have her own TLC show yet? confusion.

Meet Freddie. 

Formerly known as Freddiefriend, Freddiefiance, and Freddiehusband. 

In legal terms, known as Frederick.

Frederick. 

Rick.

Ricky.

Get it?

When my grandmother met Freddie the first thing she said was, Oh! Frederick! A family name! It's true. We've got some Fredericks running around the hills of Tennessee, and one of those Fredericks goes by Rick. When I realized the creativity behind such a nickname I knew Freddie needed that nickname, too.

Are posts done through gifs instead of words still a thing? Can we pretend they are a thing for the next ten to fifteen seconds?

Start the timer...

Enter me calling him Rick and/or Ricky all the time. And yes, it doesn't count unless you say it like it's said in this video (srsly, watch the video. You won't regret it). 

Enter his response to his new name.

Enter him finally responding to said rickname (heeeey-oh, see what I did there? Wink).

Enter everyone in my family calling him Rick.

Enter his own father, Fred Sr., calling him Rick. 

Enter my greatest success yet. 

End timer.

And that's the story of how my husband has five million names and I don't have a boyfriend on the side. The end. 

from the deep, dark archives, round 2.

**Originally posted May 22, 2013. A.K.A. the day my wedding dress became a dog toy. 

How many of you have dogs? Oh, all of you? Thought so. I think I am the only person in this planet who doesn't want a pet dog right now, but that's for a whole other post. 

This post is a story, a really great story. A story that one day I might tell the grandkids--ya know, that kind of story. 

Meet Dagi and Boone, my mother's dogs. Wait, not her dogs, her baby boys. Her precious angels. Her perfect pups. You get the idea, my mom lurves her some Dagi and Boone. 

Meet me, Emily, my mother's middle child. Wait, not her middle child, her baby girl. Her darling daughter. Her marvelous mini-me. My moms lurves some Emily.

Which is why when I found a beautiful, gorgeous, custom made wedding dress (for the cheapo) on Etsy, my mother told me to go ahead and order it. Do it, she said, and that's one less thing you'll have to worry about. Plus it screamed my name. Like Hello, Emily, I am your dress. I was made for you. Put me on! Do it! Do it! Oh alright, perfect dress and MC, I'll cave. And I did, I bought a wedding dress on Etsy.

Sketchy?

Super sketchy. 

This was my guilty dialogue that went on and on in my head after that purchase:

This is sketch.

Oh my God. What did I do?

There is no way this is coming.

Wahhhh, but it's so perfect.

Why why why.

Why did I do that?

What is my plan B?

Oh my God, I am never getting this dress. 

But I love it.

Get the picture? I am crazy, the end. I did a crazy thing and I knew it was crazy and I did it anyways. Crazy crazy. 

GUESS WHAT?

Well, don't guess yet. Just listen. 

Last Friday my sister gurl was home alone (just like Kevin Mc-ster). She wanted to shower and let the dogs outside because hey, rather them chew on grass then important stuff inside.

At some point during that day, my wedding dress was delivered...in an envelope. To the front door. An envelope. A big 'ole dress in an envelope. Sounds like a big mistake to me. 

Ann pops downstairs later, all clean, and notices a torn up package and something white in the yard.

Oh hey, MY WEDDING DRESS, so nice to meet you finally...and the mud and holes that encompass you. 

Oh hey, THE DOG'S NEW CHEW TOY, so nice to meet you finally. I mean, wait, no no no no no. 

NO!

Long long long story short, the dress was/is salvageable. No one told me this story until 4 days later when the tailor had confirmed she could magically fix my dress. And when they told me, they laughed because it's not too soon to laugh about the dogs using my dress as a chew toy, right?

Well, right. Because it is so beautiful that I almost didn't even notice the mud. And that's a complete lie, I totally noticed but I cared way less because I was staring at it with my mouth open.

Wow, crazy Etsy Emily, you win. 

I win. 

Time to go wait on the front doorstep for our invitations...

friday favorites: the one with the chocolate food baby

Yadda yadda talky talky insert interesting opening paragraph here.

Was it interesting? Good. 

Favorite Song

Johnny Cash Jackson cover by Carolina Chocolate Drops

I guess I should correctly title this Favorite VIDEO because you can't NOT watch this video when listening to the song (sorry, father, for that there double negative). Freddie had me get out of bed the other night to watch it and let's just say hashtag worth it. 

Favorite Recipe

In keeping with our Bond movie/date night/cooking extravaganza marathon we Freddie made paleo chicken fingers with a golden slaw. What the bleep is golden slaw? you ask. Golden slaw is a fancy way of saying we threw everything that was of the orange and yellow color family into a giant bowl, added some homemade mayo and vinegar, and stirred it up. The end. Oh and obviously the movie on deck this week was Goldfinger. Oh and obviously we I cracked five million too many jokes about the character names Oddjob and Pussy Galore. 

Favorite Pilates Move

Single Leg Stretch

Nothing like a terrible, morning light, blurry GIF to get your morning going. Wink. 

Since this is the month of eating way too much chocolate love, I figured we would spend the four weeks in February focusing on abdominals/how to tighten them when your chocolate food baby is full term. Pro-tips: keep your tailbone heavy during this move (a.k.a. do NOT imprint your lower back onto the floor). Draw in your abdominals as if you were wearing a corset. This connection will protect your lower back. Breathe. 

Favorite Picture (for the next five seconds)

My sister finally sent over pictures she took of our big fam-a-dam Christmas 2015. I say finally because it only took me asking/begging her three times a day since December 26 for her to send them to me. That's an exaggeration---it was probably only three times every other day. Anyways, this one is the winner, winner, Christmas dinner. 

Favorite Picture (now that those five seconds are over)

Okay, okaaaaaaaay. You caught me.  I have two favorites. 

Happy Friday!
Linking up with Karli and Amanda. Duh. 

currently: the christmas songs in my head edition

sending //
Remember my New Year's resolution to send handmade birthday cards this year? Well, two of my friends have already had birthdays and I 100% failed on sending a handmade card, but I did 100% send them both a card---so that kind of counts. Ish. To make up for my -ish of an attempt I put my Christmas present Cuttlebug to use and made some Valentine's cards. Coming to a mailbox near you. Soon.

Hashtag I love crafting! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Hashtag one million more exclamation points. Hashtag still act surprised when you get one in the mail, friends. 

eating//
I get pretty sad on December 26 because that means all the holiday candy is gone...but then by about 9am on December 26 my sadness vanishes because the Valentine's Day candy is already out and in my belly. And here we are, 39 days later, and I am still quite enjoying the Valentine's Day candy. Thanks for asking.

dreaming//
I'm dreaming of a Whiiiiiiite Christmas! Oh, wrong time of the year, my b. I had to think long and hard (read 3 minutes) on this one because when I hear dreaming I automatically think of the song White Christmas.

Okay, got it. I'm dreaming about the Italy trip that Freddie and I are going to take at some point in our lives. It could be next year. It could be in several years. It could be in fifty years. But, by golly, we will get to Italy and we will have fun.

smelling//
Still got my Marshmallow Fireside candle out. Still smelling it. Still loving it on this February day. Moving on.

hearting//
This time of year. It's the time of year when, five years ago, Ricky and I met and kissed...and then went on a date. SCANDAL. It's the time of year when, three years ago, Rick moved to our beloved Chucktown. It's the time of year when, last year, Ricky was interviewing for this bomb dot com job in Houston. It's the time of year when I look on the fridge and see a million kajillion (read four) save the dates for all our friends in luuuurve getting married this year.

It's the second most wonderful time of the year!

This post can be summed up as: Currently there are Christmas songs stuck in my head.  

Linking up with Jenna and Anne!