Fall Inspiration Board

Hallie here. I have a confession to make. While every other basic white girl is getting her daily pumpkin spice latte, dreaming about sweater/legging/boot combinations, and singing the praises of the Fall weather that is upon us..... I'm slowly sinking in a heap of desperation. I am not a fan of Fall or Winter. I would take scorching 100º days year-round over a week of cloudy weather or one single day of snow.

 I'm being pretty dramatic, but I have self-diagnosed myself with a little thing called SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. It's real. Look it up. "It's worth a Google." (name that movie)

 I'll get over it once this silly storm from the Pacific that has kept normally-dry Lubbock cloudy and wet for going on two weeks now passes. I'm just solar-powered and missing my sunshine. While I could live in sundresses and cut off denim shorts year-round, the only thing giving me any hope this time of year is thinking about how I can switch up my wardrobe to *cope* with the cooler weather.

I have narrowed it down to the few basic pieces that I use to mix up my outfits throughout the cooler months. Layers are my best friend and my worst enemy. Being only 5'1, too many layers can make me look like a Teletubby real fast! (Fur vests, I'm looking at you!) But being as hot natured as I am, I like bundling up in the morning and then having the option to strip down later. You will never catch me in a big thick sweater!!

 I made a Fall inspiration board to help hone in the items already in my closet and how to pair them. I know I can pretty much grab any two of these items and throw it together for a fun and effortless fall outfit that can be made appropriate for work or going out with a few simple tweaks.

Start with one of these: bold graphic tee, denim button down or plaid button down.

Add: leather jacket or vest, fur vest, denim jacket or vest, military style or camo jacket, fringe vest or jacket.

Complete the look with: badass boots, holy bootcut jeans or colored or black skinny jeans and a crap ton of mixed jewelry (bling + turquoise).

In My Ears: Nikki Lane

Nikki Lane is one ballsy, badass babe. Her latest release All or Nothin' has been on repeat in my car and at my desk for a couple weeks now. And when it's not being played, I'm most liking singing along to it in my head. Sometimes out loud too. I swear these songs get so stuck in my head and that's not always a good thing. I find myself singing "tonight would be a good night to sleep with a stranger" out loud in public sometimes. Like at work. Or walking into my family reunion. Totally appropriate places like that.

"Sleep With A Stranger" was the first song to hook me, and I don't care how much of a prude you are, you can't help but chuckle at this one and kind of wish you were ballsy enough to admit that you just sometimes have those days. Lane's honesty in every song is so forthright that it grabs you when you least expect it. Every song is so raw and real. A different song tends to grab my attention every time I play this CD and it's one of those that I can listen to front to back, over and over. Not just pick and choose a song. I can relate to so many and then others just have this dreamy, vintage quality that I can't get enough of. The songs range from sad and lonely to setting your man straight and everything in between.

Seriously check this out. I can't get enough and I think the more I listen, the more I love it. I have a feeling this chick is about to get huge.

Oh and PS - it even passes the Elizabeth test. I'm pretty open minded to music, but Elizabeth is not. ESPECIALLY when it comes to female country music. She seriously likes like ONE female singer. So this is HUGE.

Texas Cookin': Chalupa Grande

"If you ever want a man to marry you, just make him chalupa grande." That's what my mama has been telling me for years. I can't personally say this theory is tried and true, but my mom and Nana seemed to have some pretty happy men in their life and they both made this on a regular basis so they may be on to something.

It's always been a hit. I like to make it in the crockpot in the winter and eat on it for a few days, then freeze the leftovers to make soup later (it makes a HUGE batch). Or make it in the summer because it doesn't require slaving over a stove for hours and it will feed a crowd!

My mom is actually famous for this recipe as it was published in Taste of Home wayyy back in 1992 and then later in the Taste of Home cookbook a couple years ago. Mama and Nana used to make it and take it to the fields for the workers during cotton harvest. The recipe is still posted online here! The little description cracks me up - it was back in their only-child days!

Photo from tasteofhome.com

If you've ever eaten or ordered a chalupa in a restaurant, this recipe is going to confuse you. I have no idea why it is called Chalupa Grande because it is NOT a chalupa. It's more of a Mexican roast recipe. I like to eat it in a bowl like stew with chips, or in a tortilla with the juice strained out. I always pack on plenty of extra cheese, avocado and hot sauce too!

Bunch of hungry crop dusters!

 Ingredients:
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 boneless pork loin roast (3 pounds)
7 cups water
1 chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons cumino
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can chopped green chilies (OR 2 diced fresh jalepenos if you like it hotter - my preference)

Garnishes:
Corn chips, tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese
Diced avocado
Diced tomatoes
Chopped green or regular onion
Diced jalepenos
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions:
Place first 10 ingredients in a large kettle (crock pot works great). Beans do not need to be soaked. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 3 hours or until beans and roast are tender (about 6 hours in crock pot). Remove roast; cool slightly. Remove meat from bones; shred with a fork. Return meat to kettle. Cook, uncovered, until thick, about 30 minutes. Serve over corn chips or in a tortilla. Pass remaining ingredients as toppings. Yields 10-12 servings.

We're proud to be an American



Throw back 4th of July circa 1994. Selfie Fail.
Pre-Pinterest outfit awesomeness.

For us, Fourth of July has always been a family affair. Well, who am I kidding; anything is always a family affair with our family. But I am totally okay with that. Whether we were rocking amazing pre-Pinterest homemade stars and stripes apparel or crowed around in a backyard watching fireworks with giggly grandmothers and screaming children, Independence Day has always been a fun holiday for us!

 

I don’t know if it’s due to being a Marine’s daughter, a soldier’s grand-daughter or a seaman’s niece, but we have a lot of American pride deeply rooted in us. Whenever people ask where we are from (like, “from-from”, our heritage, not our hometown) I say America. We’ve been here long enough, and take a lot of pride in our family’s American history. Not a day goes by that my Daddy or Nana isn’t flying an American flag in the yard- and you sure better not let that thing touch the ground, you better fold it correctly, and then dispose of it properly. So this 4^th of July, let’s remember that the day isn’t about the party, the fireworks, the drinks or the food. Let’s do remember what Independence Day means, where we’ve come from as a nation, and love those who fought to get us to this point. But, let’s do this with a party, fireworks, drinks, food, family and friends.

We generally have a 3^rd of July celebration and ring in the 4^th with fireworks. We’ll do that tonight, and celebrate through the weekend. So, have a safe and fun 4^th of July weekend!

Food & Family. Our sweet cousin enjoying her Uncle Jeff's famous chicken leg last year on the 4th.

DIY: Pallet Texas Flag

I think it's hilarious that pallets are all the Pinterest rage these days. Growing up half my life on a freight dock and the other half in a hangar, pallets were EVERYWHERE. Seriously they were more like a pest than DIY material. I now see how versatile these things can be, but I can't believe some people PAY for the things, even before they have been repurposed. Seriously - if you need some pallets, just go drive around in a more industrial part of town. More than likely, there are plenty lying around and if you ask nice, I bet folks would be more than happy to let you to haul off a few.

This little project was so so so easy. I just slapped on some paint I had on hand. I didn't measure anything. I am NOT a perfectionist whatsoever, especially when it comes to projects, so everything I do ends up rustic looking because I like it rough around the edges. I used interior paint in white, a cherry red and a deep turquoise. I liked how the turquoise "girled" it up a bit, but if I had navy or royal blue on hand, I probably would have used that instead.

As you can see, these pallets are not the standard size ones you find lying around which are normally more square in shape, maybe a little longer on one side to make it barely a rectangle. The vertical one on the left actually came to our house when we had some parts delivered and it was already that size. The White and Red part was a regular-sized pallet that my dad had that we trimmed I think two slats off of to make it line up with the blue. I think you could play around with whatever pallets you have and just do whatever is easiest. Don't think too hard - don't do math. That's my DIY motto.

Vintage 7-Up cooler stolen gifted from the neighbors. Jalepeno and tomato plants in homemade dollar store planters and the lovely Fran the Flamingo from Coyote Candle Co.

 You could use any kind of paint, even craft paint would work. If you want to seal it (overachiever), it would probably last longer in the elements. Me? I think the more wear it gets, the better. The star was just an old rustic metal thing we happened to have that I hung on with just a nail. I shot it with the same white paint as well, however I may eventually have to go over it with some Rustoleum to keep it from rusting. Or maybe I'll just like the rusty look.

The actual cutting and painting part of this project took a solid ten minutes. Easy peasy lemon squeezey. Now for the hanging... if my roommate Emily and I had been left to our own devices, it would have taken around 10 minutes, been super rigged, but probably worked good enough for us. BUT, we made the mistake of letting boys be involved, so suddenly we had five ameteur engineers who just knew they could get this thing hung better than us. And about two hours later, it was done.

Just a little visit to the hardware store for some chain and hooks and this bad boy was flying pretty. I love how it adds a little something extra to the backyard. It would be even easier to hang on a fence or just lean on the corner of a patio or something. So fun, practically free (minus about $5 on hardware that I deemed completely unnecessary) and about a 20 minute project (if boys don't step in and ruin the fun ;).

Hallie's First Trip to Round Top and Junk Gypsy

I have been on the road for work going on 20 out of the past 24 days. It's been a whirlwind of hotels and miles behind the wheel. But I ain't complaining because I get to see parts of Texas I previously didn't know existed and hit up some places I have been dying to get to but never came very close to before.

One of those place is the legendary Round Top, Texas. Round Top hosts a bi-annual antiques fair where 100,000 or so people come to shop. Can you imagine? Of course I heard about Round Top and Antiques Week through my beloved Junk Gypsies. I have been following them for around seven or eight years and to say they have defined my personal and home style is an understatement. My high school bedroom, college dorm, apartment and current house have all been 100% inspired by their style. So when they opened up their world headquarters, a visit was at the top of my bucket list. But it's not like I can just mosey over to the opposite side of our state and pop in. It would have to be worked into another trip. Luckily, I had some time to kill on this work trip, so driving about 1.5 hrs out of the way wasn't a big deal. Let me tell you, it was totally worth it. If you are ever close, you must find a way to go!

I didn't get to see the sisters, but I did see Archie. All of the staff there was super friendly and helpful and of course dressed to the nines.

Excuse my feet. I was trying to not be so obvious that I was taking a pic of this legendary spot!

From Blake and Miranda's wedding

"I'll take the whole outfit, thanks."

It's no secret where I get my "dump glitter on everything in sight" decorating philosophy.

 It was absolutely heavenly. I could have spent hours walking around in there and never have seen everything. Can't wait to go back!

Texas Cookin' - Pineapple Pie

"Oh my, momma ain't that Texas Cookin' somethinOh my, momma it'll stop yo' belly and backbone bumpin'" -Guy Clark

I'm betting you've never had pineapple pie and are probably thinking it doesn't even sound good! I thought the same exact thing when I first heard of it. But it's our dad's very favorite pie that I make - yes, I'm the pie lady - so what did he get for father's day? Pineapple Pie.

He first had it when he was working down in Dell City, Texas and the wife of one of his friends made it. He asked her for the recipe but she is not the type to just give a recipe away, but after begging and begging, she caved. She probably never imagined it would wind up on the Internet, so let's just not tell her, Ok? Ok!

After making it the first time, I understood why it was so good. It's kind of like a coconut cream pie, but with pineapple instead. The original recipe calls for canned pineapple, but I have been wondering what it would be like with fresh. I mean it HAS to be better right? I decided to have a little experiment this time and make one of both.

The verdict?

Fresh. Not surprised at all. The canned it still good, but the fresh pineapple just adds a whole new level of flavor to it. I didn't even think to take a picture of the finished product until after it was already partially devoured. And it's a dang good thing I even got one then, because it didn't last long!

Pineapple Pie:

-1 stick of butter, melted
-2 Tablespoons flour
-1 Cup sugar
-1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla (regular extract works too)
-3 eggs
-1 flat can (15 oz) crushed pineapple OR 1 1/2 Cups fresh pineapple

Beat eggs. Add in flour, sugar, vanilla and butter and beat until smooth. Add pineapple.* Mix until smooth.
Pour into unbaked pie crust (store-bought is fine, but homemade is better). Bake at 250ºF for 40 minutes, then adjust heat to 350º until the tops are brown.

*If using fresh pineapple, add pineapple chunks to clean mixer (before everything else), blender or food processor and run machine until the pineapple is crushed. Strain out the juice. Add pineapple to egg mixture. Pour some vodka or rum in the left

over pineapple juice and go sit on the porch and drink it while the pie is in the oven. This step is very important.

Cheers!!

Meet Elizabeth

 

hello



 

Is this thing on?

That’s me. Circa 1993. One of the only problems with always being the chick behind the camera, is that I am rarely ever in front of the camera. Especially for a semi-decent-professional-ish photo. So, you get a throw back. Use your imagination. I might still have the pig tails and the overalls. Or I might not.

I am Elizabeth. The older, more mature, smarter, more beautiful, nicer, sweeter, shyer, more emotional, typical big sister. And I couldn’t be any more different from Hallie. But, over the years as we have worked through our hair-pulling, stiff arming, freeze-outing, ignoring, scratching, biting, or just anything sisterly, and we have realized that we balance each other out more than we ever realized. And also depend on one another more than we thought, but don’t tell her that. She’ll never admit it.

Custom Graduation Party Invitation

I love design and photography. And honestly I am a design snob, but at least I own up to it. I am constantly looking at design and critiquing it. Both good and bad. I wish the Bleeding Cowboy would go ahead and DIE already. I wish people could recognize a blown out sky. I wish people knew how NOT to crop out body parts/pieces in photo composition. I wish people knew not to center align body copy text. I could go on and on, but I will spare you.

I know design and photography is a constant learning process, and I love to learn more about design and technique, and that is one thing I want to accomplish with this blog. I am also a perfectionist. I either do something 100% & perfectly, or I won’t do it at all. I am also my biggest critic. This is where Hallie balances me out. She flies by the seat of her pants and “wings it” and things generally work out. She always tells me that something is better than I think it is, and I just need to show it off.

I love photography. I am still an amateur so I am hoping this blog will be an outlet for me to show off my work as well as help me practice! It’s a work in progress.

Not my boots. Just my photography.

Recently, I have gotten really interested in style, both clothing and interior design. I am not as much of a DIY’er, but it is something I would like to delve into.

I love Santa Fe and Fred Harvey inspired style, with a fling of Cowboys and Indians. I literally drool over any and every Squash Blossom I see. And the more serape the better. I have an iron cactus in my bedroom, I love silver jewelry (the more the merrier), I love big, big Texas hair (and I’ve got a whole lot of it), and I have to put on “my face” to go anywhere (including the mailbox).

I will soon be moving and Hallie and I have so many things we can’t wait to style in my new place. Hopefully this blog will be an outlet for that. It’s going to have Freda Kahlo inspired dining/kitchen area, a Cowboys and Indians living room, and who knows what else, all with Spanish flair scattered throughout. Cattle skulls, cow hides, serape, cacti, armadillo, more serape, rosary, glitter, etc. I can’t wait to see it all come together.

Here are some random tidbits for ya:

 

God fearing woman

I love to cook

I am a planner

Clutter drives me crazy

I wouldn’t say I’m a clean freak, but I like everything to be tidy

Steve Earle and Merle Haggard hung my moon

But-

Gary Stewart and George Strait roped my moon

Josh Weathers. Enough said

Please give me a beer and throw away the wine

Take me to the lake

Or the river

My version of the perfect night is driving around in the country listening to music or sitting on a porch or patio somewhere

Diamonds are not this girl’s best friend, please get me a squash blossom

Life is better with big hoop earrings

            I am a home body, and 100% okay with it  

            But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to go places, I just like to be at home too

 

That’s all I can think of to say about myself. I am very excited to see where this little blog can go. I hope it can serve as the perfect creative outlet for Hallie and me.

Meet Hallie

I thought it would be appropriate for our firsts few posts to take a turn introducing ourselves. I'll go first!

Hallie Susannah

Nicknames:
Hallie-lujah, Halliepeña, Hallie Berry, Star, Hallie Su

Favorite activities:
-DIYing. Dumping glitter by the gallon on anything I can find and painting everything I own a horrid shade of purple, pink, turquoise or red that should only be reserved for playground equipment. I love it. I'll share my best and worst crafts here and I hope some of you have the same tacky taste as me.
-Cooking and baking. I love having like 20 people over and cooking a full spread for all my friends. However I'm a total kitchen bitch and my anxiety goes straight to a 10 if you get in my way or watch too close. I also get high anxiety if everyone goes too far away that I can't hear everything they're saying. Damned if ya do, damned if ya don't.
-CrossFit. I promise not to talk about it too much here because I know crossfitters get a bad rap. Just know that I am obsessed and it keeps me sane.
-Gardening. My flowerbeds are perfectly imperfect. My half grass/half sticker weeds yard is about as good as it's gonna get. My teeny tiny little vegetable garden is hilariously out of control. But it makes zucchini and okra like you wouldn't believe. I have no clue what I'm doing but I LOVE it. It runs in my family and I hope someday my yard is half as gorgeous as my Nana's and Mama's are.
-Music. When I was in college, I spent more nights at the Blue Light than I did at home. I would still do that if I could 1) afford it and 2) wake up and smell good and be productive at work the next day. I LOVE hanging out with my friends, watching live TEXAS music and drinking beer. Being at the front of the stage with my rowdiest friends, all soaked in beer, tunes, and mutual affection is my happy place.
-Water. The ocean (Cabo has my heart), a boat on the lake (surfing behind a boat), floating the river with my girls (#DamnBabesFloatin'Fandango), sitting by the pool or heck, even putting the sprinkler under the trampoline. Summer is my jam. I only wish the sun loved this little fair skinned girl as much as I love it.

Style Inspiration: Dwight Yoakum is the epitome of cowboy cool. Miranda does Texas glitz like nobody else. Kacey Musgraves has coined my new favorite term "acid western" which I think is going to define my style more and more over the next few months. Iris Apfel is a badass - look her up. This old lady my Nana is friends with named Virginia that wears denim broomstick skirts with boots and all the turquoise jewelry you can imagine and shoots rattlesnakes off her front porch. Dolly Parton's hair. Willie Nelson, just everything about him. In fact, all the Highwaymen - Johnny's all black, Waylon's leather vests + aviators, Kris's timelessness. Thelma and Louise - I mean hello THUNDERBIRD. And I seriously looked at my sister the other day and said "where would anyone be without the Junk Gypsies." They're right up there with Jesus and George Strait for me.

My intentions for this blog are to give myself a creative outlet, share my love of Texas and document my life and travels as I discover what it's like to be an "adult" in the real world. I've been out of college for six months if you haven't figured that out. I used to have a music blog where I blogged religiously about Texas music. I loved it, but I can't keep up with it or go to as many concerts as I used to. I plan on writing about that some here. I think I'll be pulling the load in the music and DIY (aka dump glitter'n'shit on everything you buy at a thrift shop) departments. I think Elizabeth will focus more on photography and design (she's awesome). And we'll both tackle food, travel, and style. I'm so so so excited to see where this goes!

I'll leave you with my favorite quote from the great Ray Wylie Hubbard...
"The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days."