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Jess

THE WEEKEND + WEAR 09

I know it’s already mid week but I still want to share this past weekends moments and outfit via some Instagram photos and a snap Dustin took of my new overalls. These days my weekends are somewhat different than they used to be. I’ve realized that when Friday rolls around we are usually more inclined to do things at the house or a friends house keeping it low key so that Saturday we can get up early and get to work on our to-do lists.  I like this adult life that has been evolving over the last couple of years. Partying has slowed down and I cherish nights in like I never thought I would. I appreciate quite time and slow cooked meals. But don’t worry, I still like to get out and about every so often and go dancing with my ladies-some things won’t ever change :)

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Remember those looms in my last post? Well these are some of the pieces I’ve made from them using alpaca yarn, cotton and wool roving.
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Saturday afternoon was spent doing chores, going to the gym and making a Lowes trip. That night we went to check out Evan Leggoe’s art opening at Hodge Podge Coffee followed by board games and whiskey drinks at Christina and Derek’s adorable midtown duplex.
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I wore this Sunday to brunch at Parrish with my long time girl friend Ashleigh and continued to wear it through the day during and event I hosted (details below).  Don’t mind my glowing white winter skin I’m mostly showing off these new Free People overalls I scored at Avalon location! Also wearing- Loft top, Sam Edelman boots, Madewell bag and necklace and TOMS shades.
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This is the inside of Parrish, I don’t know what it is but there’s something about antlers I’ve always really liked, even as a kid.  Currently we have way to many to count in our home and we’re about to get a full deer head!
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Sunday’s event was a doTERRA essential oils class and party. Dustin’s cousin Elizabeth has been using doTERRA for a little while now and asked if I’d be interested in hosting an event for my friends. So I got some wine and snacks and had about 12 friends come over to learn about the ways of doTERRA. It was so fun! Dustin and I walked away with the family starter pack to try that includes bottles of Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Melaleuca, Oregano, Frankincense, Deep Blue blend, Breathe blend, DigestZen blend and On Guard blend.  I’ll report back with which we like and what works!
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Lastly here are some of my closest friends hanging on our little home’s stoop.  Not pictured are the seven stray cats I’ve been feeding every day.  Short story. I moved to this new home, started feeding two and they told their friends and now there are seven. I have such a soft spot for stray animals.  There are only two that enjoy being pet but the others have already started trusting me a lot more.  Dustin wasn’t really on board at first with feeding so many outside animals but has come to enjoy their odd behavior and company. It’s hilarious when we’re in the backyard doing projects and look up and have an audience!

Till the next post (which I don’t know what that is yet) have good days and nights and keep up with me on Instagram @ladyflashback

DIY’S BY DUSTIN

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For the month of January, Dustin was searching for jobs and the days he wasn’t interviewing he was at the new house working away on unpacking and home projects.  He accomplished so much! I can’t say I’m surprised because he’s very driven and extremely handy but I am still impressed!  In this post are some of the things he created not including one project still isn’t done and our headboard that he refinished doesn’t photograph well because it’s nearly black.

Above and below are the light fixtures he made in less than 10 minutes.  They are in our master bedroom above each of our nightstands.  I saw the idea on Instagram and he made it come to life the very next day! He got all the materials from Lowes-his second home-and they were very inexpensive.  We’ve talked about staining the wood to match the headboard but since he started a new job Wednesday, the honey do-list has been put on hold till the weekends.
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This is our new coffee table he made from Ikea butcher block he had from the desk he used at his old apartment.  To make it more suitable as a table he coated it with a butcher block sealer.  We found these hairpin legs on Etsy for about $12 a piece which we thought was a really good deal and he sealed them with Rustoleum metal sealer. We both love the outcome! Minimal with Mid-Century vibes, exactly what we wanted.
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I purchased this little guy at Root City Market from Saga Mountain Workshop. He gave it to me for $5 because it wasn’t finished with a hanger or hooks or anything just told me “do with it as you wish.” So Dustin made it into a key and sunglasses holder for the entrance. Easy little project that comes in handy every day.
16456088441_3b8b67c80d_k15837759903_de3109c188_kLastly my favorite of his DIY’s – my looms! I had wanted to try my hand at weaving and since I had an in-house handy man I figured I’d get exactly what I wanted in a loom if we just made it ourselves.  The original was the larger loom. I thought I’d want a big one for larger weavings but then realized I preferred to weave in bed or on the couch hanging with him and the cats and the large was too much to manage on the reg so he made the smaller one. I’ve created several weavings that I’ll be sure to share soon!

Thanks to my handsome fiance for making so many projects come to life and getting so much of the house done single-handedly! You rock!

WEDDING THOUGHTS- THE CAKE

Lately my mind has been clouded with thoughts of all things wedding related. Which is a good thing because I had that initial rush of “oh my gosh I’m getting married and must plan away” and naturally, the planning and pinning slowed down with the holidays and just enjoying being engaged.  Now that it’s only nine months out it’s time to get things really going! So I’ve been working on the save-the-dates and fine tuning our to-do list. This past Sunday, Mom and I went to a bridal show but unfortunately didn’t accomplish much (besides having fun in photobooths and trying samples) until after we left and went to and upscale bridal boutqiue called Kelly’s Closet in Candler Park.  It was there we discovered and fell in love with the designer Jenny Packham. The beautifully beaded gowns immediately caught our eye!  I tried on 6 or 7 and when we thought we found the one we left to think on it. Later we decided it may not have been THE ONE but the designer was definitely who we wanted to go with. After lots of searching and inquiries we found a sample at a boutique in CT and it’s currently ON IT’S WAY!!! We are super super thrilled and I cannot wait to get it altered and fitted. So now that the dress is picked out it’s time to get other areas covered like catering and the cake. I still haven’t decided on a caterer so if you’re in or around Atlanta and have someone you like-holler at me!

As for the cake, not much is decided except for the fact it’s going to be naked, meaning no outside icing. I’m not a big fan of tons of icing so this trend is perfect for me.  Dustin on the other hand likes frosting-says it’s his favorite part-so we’ll be getting him a grooms cake to his liking.  Here are some photos I’ve pulled as inspiration for when I find a baker around town we like, currently thinking of Highland Bakery, but again if you have a suggestion let me know!

brides23758fad42c3c428adb7c098629a4782fbenandcolleenbrides3local milkbrides1photo credits 1/2/4/7 via Brides, 3 via Ben and Colleen, 5 via Adventures in Cooking, 6 via Local Milk.

HOPE FOR STEVE

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On Sunday I drove up to Avalon shopping district to the Free People store for a morning of yoga and art in celebration of a local couple, Hope and Steve, who are taking on Steve’s ALS with admirable positivity and optimism.  They’ve teamed up with artist Jeremy Brown and started the project , Drive, making art with the wheels of his wheelchair.  The paintings they create are beautiful! They’re all very bright and have a cheerful feel to them, much like the love between Hope and Steve.
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Exhale Studio and Spa hosted the 60 minute yoga class.  It was a blast! We got in all aspects of yoga and even free style danced-obviously my favorite part!  Their Avalon location will be opening in February. They were excellent hosts and very kind, I’ll definitely be trying out some of their classes!
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Hope and Steve’s paintings went so well with the vibes of Free People! And it was especially cool to be doing yoga inside a FP, felt so fitting.  It was truly a lovely way to start a Sunday.
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During the event they took up donations for Hope and Steve. If you’d also like to donate to this amazing couple and help them, click here. 

Thanks Free People for the great event helping a great cause!

RECIPE | QUICK PIZZA

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I’ve always loved to cook and make up my own recipes but you wouldn’t know it reading my blog since I haven’t shared much.  This is mostly due to terrible lighting in the kitchen of my last place but since moving into a large well-lit kitchen, I’d like to post more about food. Meals consume a lot of our daily life and since my blog has turned into more lifestyle, I’d like to start sharing our tasty-and usually pretty easy-meals!

This weekend while we painted the hallway and conquered little projects around the house, I took a break to cook us a late lunch and snap some photos.   One of my favorite foods is pizza and a lot of times, the quicker the better. Using flat bread takes a lot of hassle out of the process and is pretty light and airy.  All ingredients were purchased at Kroger. Here’s what you’ll need:

INGREDIENTS
Flat bread
Meat, I used pork
Italian cheese blend
Marinara sauce
Red onion
EVOO
Seasoning

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First you’ll want to brown the meat. I added a bourbon pork seasoning and onions until all was cooked thoroughly. Spread some evoo on the flat breads, then add sauce, then cheese and top with meat and a little more cheese. There was no way I could have fit all the meat on these so I saved the leftovers and made spaghetti the next day.  We love recycling food! I cooked these babies at 350 for around 10-12 minutes. Then we chowed down while watching the last episode of season 2 of The Americans.
16139394128_0698b936ee_kAnd of course we added Sriracha and Tony Chachere’s as we both put them on everything! Very yummy, sorta lean (?) and filling! It got two thumbs up from Dustin as well which always makes me happy, not that he’s picky what so ever but it’s still rewarding.

The possibilities with these are endless. We’ve made bbq chicken, alfredo chicken and mushrooms and vege flat bread pizzas. Try your favorite combo and let me know how you like it!

Though it’s nearly dark when I get home from work, I’m going to try and do more food posts on the weekend. Next up on the blog: recapping a yoga session at the Free People of Avalon .Stay tuned!