Gardening for beginners

I started to become interested in gardening when I moved in with my boyfriend in 2009, mainly because I moved into a house with no grass or curb appeal. The first spring that I started planting, I picked out whatever plant or flower looked the prettiest at Lowe's which was a huge mistake. Let's just say those plants lived a short and noble life. Since then I've learned a thing or two from my mom, who is a Master Gardener. These are the rules I go by when choosing plants:

1. Look at the sunlight requirements. Since I live in Texas, I can't buy anything that can't stand full sun.
2. Look at the water requirements. Again, since I live in Texas, I can't buy anything that needs to have moist soil. I need plants that are drought tolerant, or that like dry soil.
3. Once you've chosen the plant, choose good soil. I buy Miracle Grow potting mix for plants are going in a pot. If I plan on putting the plant in the ground, I make sure to fertilize the area well before and after planting. Don't over fertilize though you can fry the roots, just do what the package recommends.

I strive to make my garden unique and stand out from others. One way I've accomplished this, is by hanging pots. 

Silver Pony Foot

Here's how I did it:

• I bought the hooks that you drill into the fence from HangAPot.com. You can choose the color of the hook you want (mine are brown), and it takes 2 seconds to drill it into the fence post.
• I bought the pots on the cheap from Michael's, as well as the terra cotta paint. Each pot just has 2 coats of paint.
• I have the pots hanging on my 2 side fences in the backyard, one side has a pot on every other post, and the other side has a pot on every third post.

This is a unique, cheap, and easy way to add some character to your backyard.

Here are some shots of other plants I have:

Silver Pony Foot

Texas Sage

Mushroom intruders

Rainbow Chard

Sweet Potato Vine

Happy Planting!

Baby strawberry that I'm about to eat

Memorial Day Weekend

On Friday night Jim and I went to his brother's wedding. I originally fell in love with this dress on the Ruche website, but wasn't willing to spend $65 for it. I came across the exact same dress on the Lulus website for only $46 so i snatched it up. I used a ribbon I had from another shirt and I think it made a pretty nice outfit. I also wanted to do something different with my hair so I went with a low side bun. I curled all my hair using a 3/4" curling iron then made a side ponytail and just pinned sections until it came together into a bun, it took a few times. When you are planning on being in 90 degree heat, and dancing all night...hairspray is your best friend. My hairstylist told me about the brand 'It's a 10', I can buy it at my grocery store and it is amazing, the best hairspray I've found yet. 

Jim's step mom and I

Jim and I

Jim and our friend Ty

Joksters

Liz and I

It was a fun night that included lots of dancing, which is probably why I felt like I was hit by a train the next morning. We took it easy on Saturday and grilled steaks in our backyard with Ty and Liz that night. They brought fillets to grill and omg... best steaks ever!!!!

Grilling steaks is a super easy meal to plan and execute. Start with a charcoal grill, put most of the coals on one side so you have a hot side and a cold side. We usually let the grill warm up for about 30 minutes. I didn't have time to marinate these steaks so I just seasoned them well and threw them on the hot side of the grill for 90 seconds on each side them finished them on the cool side of the grill. I really think this gives the steaks a nice crusty outside and juicy inside. I love baked potatoes so I bought some potatoes, pierced them with a fork, and threw them in a 400 oven for about an hour and 10 minutes or so. We cooked the asparagus on the grill by making a little foil pack with seasonings and olive oil. The grocery store I go to sells awesome garlic bread that you just throw in the oven, couldn't be easier. These steaks were literally better than any I've had at restaurants, so tender!

Sunday night was the night we celebrated our anniversary at Uchiko, amazing.

4 year anniversary

Tonight Jim and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. 

When we first met, I lived in North Austin and Jim's house was in South Austin, so I usually only saw him on the weekends. We made a habit of cooking steaks every Sunday night on Jim's tiny little smoker in the backyard, and one night Chloe stole a bacon wrapped filet right off the grill and ate it in about 2 seconds. That's still my favorite story to tell to new friends, haha ohh Chloe. 

It's crazy to think that the first time I went to Jim's house to watch a movie and cook dinner I thought, "man, this is a dirty stinky bachelor pad". Little did I know, only a year later my pugs and I would be living there, and we would turn it into a home. When I first met Jim I was still in college and working part time at Massage Envy. Alot has changed for me since then; I've graduated, found a great job, got the sweetest bulldog ever, helped renovate and redecorate a 30 year old house, and most of all I fell in love with someone who turned out to be my best friend, and partner in crime.

I remember a while ago when my cousin Abbi got married, I asked her how she knew her husband was the right person for her. She told me because their love evolves the longer they are together, that she loves him more everyday. I think that really is true, my relationship with Jim is different than it was when we were first dating. Not better, just different. I feel closer to him today than I did yesterday, and I know that I will still feel that in the years to come.

Celebrating our 4 year anniversary at our favorite restaurant, Uchiko

The first picture we took together in 2008, Jim's making his 'Blue Steal' face

At my dad's wedding in 2009

2009

Winter 2010

Our 2 year anniversary dinner, 2010

2010

2011

Our 3 year anniversary dinner at Uchi , 2011

First Outfit Post

I think I need to start this post by saying a lil something about myself. 

I can remember being 6 years old, watching my legs jiggle while riding in my parents car and thinking of ways to lose this disgusting leg fat. I was mortified that my thighs jiggled. I can also remember being in high school and feeling so insanely guilty for eating those fries for lunch, I should have skipped lunch all together.

Looking back on those thoughts, I was crazy. I was a stick when I was little, and I'm pretty much the same size now that I was in high school. I'm never going to be a size 0, and that's ok because this is what I look like. 

I have fat, I have curves, I like to eat, and I also like to exercise. I accept the way I look, and I accept that if I want a dress that actually fits from Modcloth, I'm going to have to order a size large even though it is ridiculous that a size 8 is considered large. 

Anyway, the point of these outfit posts is to hopefully give you some inspiration when staring at your closet in the morning and feeling like you have nothing to wear. 

Outfit details:

Where I wore this: to work (I work in a pretty casual office environment)
Top: Forever 21 
Belt: Target
Skirt: Ruche (I think)
Cardigan: Target
Necklace: Nordstom
Shoes: Aldo

I am loving stripes right now, they really add interest to an outfit with other solid pieces. This time a year ago, 1. I wouldn't even own a high waist skirt, and 2. I would not have paired it with anything other than a plain white tee. I like this combo though, it reminds me a lil of a sailor. 

Trip to Vegas

Earlier this month my bf and I went to Las Vegas with another couple to celebrate him turning 30. A few things I wish I knew before I got there:

1. It is super hot. I can handle humid heat all summer long, but dry heat it different.
2. Everything is crazy expensive. Seriously, I ate an $8 banana.
3. There are way too many people there. It's crowded all.the.time.

 We were there for 3 days and had a blast. We saw the Cirque du Soleil Ka show which was incredible, we saw the Cirque du Soleil Beetles Love show which was very interactive and fun, and we went in all the hotels we could.

Lexi