The Perils of Pregnancy...

As of Friday....Baby H is officially at 15 weeks!

According to www.thebump.com, Baby H is the size of an orange this week - approx. 4 inches! So crazy to know that little life is forming inside of me! God is amazing and does such cool things!

Casey and I have been so busy lately with working on the new house, living with our parents, working in general, and so on...that we really haven't done much baby stuff or talked a whole lot about the baby! We just tell eachother how excited we are and all of that...but haven't focused much on it. I really still don't feel like I am pregnant since I haven't been sick or anything (the only thing affecting me at the moment is hunger pains and fatigue) ...........until TODAY.....when my pants officially wouldn't button! I FINALLY had to whip out the BellyBand! I bought it about three weeks ago but never used it because I didn't think I was pregnant enough yet.... but today was a slightly different story!

It's an odd thing to gain a little weight during your first pregnancy. I have always been a smaller person - about 5'1" and 105 pounds. Now it's okay to gain that baby weight but it's still odd when you have always tried to keep yourself FROM gaining weight! There are about 5 girls that I see on a regular basis at church that are as far along as I am, give or take two weeks and are showing a lot more than me - clearly I have been sucking in my baby belly! Is that normal?!?! It's just such an odd thing for me! I'm not ashamed of it or anything....I feel like I should hide it a little while longer and that I'm not far along enough to really have a baby bump yet! HA - I'm four months along!!!!

Oh the perils of being pregnant....I just had to share!

Have you had this issue or one like it?! I would love to hear!!!

XOXO,

Hilary

Friday Fabulous Five - Nail Polish Edition

Do YOU have a signature nail color that you ALWAYS gravitate to? I feel like the same goes with nail polish as it does with perfume - every girl should have a signature color/scent that is yours to claim! Mine? Yeah... I am still debating... my signature has usually always been just to go with a clean, simple, classic french manicure. But...from time to time, I have to change it up a little bit! Yesterday, I had a day off and decided it was WAY past pedicure time for this momma! I decided to run to Ulta and grab some polish to take with me so that I could do touch-ups if I needed to in a week or two. I scoped out all different colors of polish and even asked my Facebook friends what their faves were!

Here is my list of my new top five go-to nail polish colors - minus the french manicure of course!!!

1. ESSIE - FIJI

I really like this because it's a pretty light ballet pink WITHOUT any shimmer to it! I love the opaque-ness!

2. OPI - ROAD HOUSE BLUES

(Touring America Collection)

Why?? Because I have recently gained an addiction for the color navy! This will be great for Fall toes!

3. ESSIE -PANSY

A lot of times I have a dark pink on my toes - especially in the spring!

4. ESSIE - CHINCHILLY

A GREAT color for fall! I love this tone of gray!

5. CHANEL - LOTUS ROUGE

What a timeless red! It's a great color for any season of the year! Southern girls love our red nailpolish!

Now it's your turn!! What are your most favorite nail polish brands and colors to turn to?!

Happy Friday!

XOXO,

Hiary

College Days...

This post is specifically dedicated to ALL of my Ouachita Baptist University friends. May we always be friends forever...no matter where we are and what we are doing!!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Earlier I was thinking back about college, all of the fun we had, and the memories that were made. Here were some of the memories VIVIDLY that came back to me...see if you remember these as well as I do....

• The monsoon/flood of finals week - May 2003 (RIP the blue bug)





• The drowning of Mandy's explorer in the river - finals week/graduation week - May 2006





• Longest EEE meetings ever....





• Any time spent at the Marks' house boat





• Many beer runs to Hot Springs





• The Pink Palace





• Orange juice from a milk jug in the middle of the living room





• Circle of death





• Miss Arkansas - and the parties afterward





• Long nights of weary Tiger Tunes practice and spying...





• Champagne Campaigns





• Lip Gloss Cellys





• Q Dawg Inn





• Any time spent at the V - with or without beer being spilled all over you...

I know that there are many more...but these are the first ones that came to mind! Leave comments with other memories if you think of any! I would love to hear them!

Happy Saturday!

XO,

Hilary

Friday Fabulous Five - Hair Essentials (One Day Late!)

I started this post yesterday and NEVER got a chance to finish! SO..here it is a day late!

Think about the hair stuff that you HAVE to have in order to get your mane looking good every day! What are the things that you cannot live without?!

Well...I put together a little Fab Five list of my top hair must-haves just for you!

Here Goes...

1. BIOSILK - seriously...if you have never tried this stuff...run to Target or wherever right now and splurge a little on this little bottle of miraculous clear liquid! A little bit goes a LONG way...but massage this into your hair while it's wet and when you blow-dry you will notice a huge silky difference in your strands! It's amazing! Go get some...NOW!

2. AUSSIE THREE MINUTE MIRACLE - gone are the days when I didn't care about which conditioner I would use. I LOVE this stuff! At about $3 a pop...how can you NOT? Again...a little goes a long way with this product! I notice a huge difference in my hair when I use this...it makes it soft and shiny but it doesn't seem to weigh my super thick hair down! Plus...it smells good too!

3. MY FAMOUS TEASING COMB - (no...it doesn't laugh at you or tell you jokes...it's used to TEASE your hair) You really cannot tell from this picture, but it actually has three offset rows of bristles. It does an AMAZING job of grabbing your hair and teasing it perfectly! Keep in mind...if you went to Ouachita Baptist University, are from Arkansas, or Texas....we ALL love big hair! This is the perfect thing to have on hand! You can find this comb at Sally Bauty Supply for pennies...no really...I am pretty sure it's under $2! Grab a few and give them to friends...I do! If you don't know how to tease your hair yet....I am sure you can find plenty of youtube tutorials!

4. CHI FLAT IRON - need I say more? If you use a flat iron and haven't splurged on a Chi yet... you DON'T know a good hot flat iron! For example...I didn't dry my hair completely last night, so I woke up with a funky wave to it. Woke up, straightened with my Chi, and now I am at work with perfectly straight hair!
5. AUSSIE INSTANT FREEZE HAIRSPRAY - a must have for sure! I don't like those stupid hairsprays that say that they are a hard hold hairspray and you can't even feel them in your hair! This stuff is not heavy...but you know it's there and it holds REALLY well! I love this! Everytime I buy it, I go ahead and grab two bottles...it's under $4...so it's a great hair product to keep on hand!

Well folks...there you have it! What are YOUR favorite go-to hair essentials?! I want to know! I am always looking for things to add to my collection of must-haves!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I am off to work for the day!

Updates on the house and baby to come later!

XOXO,

Hilary

BLUE DOG

Have you ever encountered the famous Blue Dog paintings by George Rodrigue???

I absolutely LOVE these whimsical prints! I think it might be fun to have a few prints framed in the baby's room! There are ALL different Blue Dog paintings....one where Blue Dog is at the Whitehouse, Blue Dog riding a motorcycle, Blue Dog in a hurricane. Blue Dog with his friends, etc! You could pretty much find a Blue Dog to go with anything!

Blue Dog even has a series of children's books now and they are ADORABLE!

If you have a family of dog lovers...you will definately need to grab these! Check them out on Amazon! They have names such as: Why Is Blue Dog Blue? , Blue Dog Speaks, Are You Blue Dog's Friend?, Blue Dog Man, etc! Love them!

So when you get time....google Blue Dog art work...I know you will fall in love too!

Contemplating tomorrow's Friday Fave Five post... what do you think my topic should be tomorrow? Places to shop? Ingredients to cook with? Toiletry essentials? Favorite websites? Books? I need some help deciding!

What do YOU want to know about?!

Happy Thursday!

XOXO,

Hilary

I Hope To Be...

...i hope to be a cute little prego momma like these celebs...

i am so ready to be out of this semi-pudgy stage and get on to having a

baby bump! i am so sure that when i actually do have a baby bump,

i will be singing a different tune!

hope you have a lovely wednesday!

XOXO,

Hils

Friday Fabulous Five!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

I am sure that you all are looking forward to the much needed weekend as much as I am!

As I was putting on my make-up this morning, I started going through my make-up bag and noticing things that I felt like I just could not live without in my morning routine. I thought that I might put together a little list of my top five make-up picks! Here goes...

FRIDAY FABULOUS FIVE : MAKE-UP MUST HAVES!

My newest and most recent must have item : Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara

I love THICK black mascara! This stuff is perfect since it has two brushes included (and did I mention that they both fit in the tube at the same time?!). One brush is for length and one is for thickness. The lengthening brush is good for a soft day-time look and the thickening brush is good for a night-time look. Let's face it....I use the lengthening first and then the thickening on top of that in order to get the best of both worlds! I love this stuff! It doesnt get gunky and it stays on really well all day long!

My Must Have of All Time : Mac Lipglass in PRRR

I love the thickness of this specific lipgloss. One tube will last a very long time and it is actually a flattering color on everyone! It's a light pink with a little hint of gold shimmer. If it's a windy day...watch out for your hair getting stuck in this thick stuff!

My Super Cheap Must Have : Fabuliner

Okay seriously.....I love the look and they saying power of liquid eyeliner but sometimes it can look realy harsh...right? Well...this easy to use liquid eyeliner pen is PERFECT! It's easier for me to control and it seems a little less harsh than normal liquid eyeliner...almost like it's watered down just a touch. Plus....I find this stuff at Walgreens for a dollar or two! It's amazing!

My Splurge Must Have : The Supernatural by Philosophy

Okay yes......I am not a HUGE make-up splurger anymore like I used to be (pre-marriage and pre-shared bank account days...) but this stuff was worth the money! I think I bought it about 6 months ago at Sephora for $36 and I bet I have about another month or two left in it! It's a loose powder with this great little spongy poof connected to the top of the bottle! I put it on first in the mornings...it just gives a soft airbrushed look and covers small flaws well! I love keeping this stuff in my purse in case I need any touch-ups. It's light enough that I can dab a little over my bronzer mid-day and it doesn't look like a big white powder circle on my face!

My I'll-Probably-Never-Use-Another-Brand-For-This-Unless-They-Quit-Making-It Must Have :

Eyes Lips Face Studio Bronzer Duo

I have been religiously buying and using this for the past 3-4 years probably. At only $3 a pop...I stock up when I order JUST IN CASE they ever decide to discontinue it! It's the perfect bronzer and blush duo. It gives you a perfect glow without making you look orange at all. It's actually a close knock-off to the NARS bronzer/blush duo.

Okay...your turn! What are your five make-up must haves?! I want to know! I am always on the lookout for something new to try!

Have a fabulous Friday!

XOXO,

Hilary

New Home....New Ideas

On Monday, Casey and I will be closing on our NEW house! We are so excited! It's in an old brick street area of town known as the Azalea District. It's the old historic district in Tyler and I absolutely LOVE it! I have ALWAYS wanted to live there. All of the houses are old and most of them have been remodeled on the inside....but it seems like most people keep that old charm to them in some way. It's very much a 1950's television neighborhood, if you know what I mean....everyone is walking their dogs after work and everyone knows everyone.

Our new house was built in the 30's and really hasn't had much done to it. We got it at such a great price, that we are able to do a lot of remodeling before we move in (AND before Baby H gets here!!). I love this because I feel like we are realy personalizing the house for ourselves! Our plans right now are to basically gut the kitchen and re-finish it, re-do both of the bathrooms, re-roof, cut back the trees in the front, re-fence the backyard, scrape popcorn off of all ceilings, re-texture and paint all of the rooms.

My problem with this is....I am having a touch time picking out my paint colors! I want to do something that I haven't previously done in our house! We always have a lot of warm tones...reds, khakis, browns. But I am really wanting to add in some gray, turquoise, and navy!

What do you think of all of this?! What are YOUR favorite color combinations for rooms?? Does EVERY room have to flow with the other rooms or can they be themselves and be different????

I will have to post some pictures I have found as ideas for the new house later and see how you respond to those! Let me know your feelings on all of this! I would love to hear what you have to say!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! I am of to pick up kolaches and head to work!

Oh....and in case you are wondering...Baby H is officially the size of a plum this week!!!!

XOXO,

Hilary

Old Wives Tales

Thank you so much for your sweet comments yesterday!

We are thrilled about Baby H and cannot wait to meet him or her in February!

We haven't quite decided yet if we will find ut the gender or not....I want to REALLY bad...but Casey doesn't know if he does or not!! ARG! Surely the doctor can just tell me....riiiiight? :)

Anyways...people keep asking me about the gender and such...so I thought I would post the old wives tales that other soon-to-be mamas have posted! Here goes...

Urine test: By observing the color of your urine- if it is neon yellow or a dull yellow. Mine was dull yellow in color which indicates GIRL!

Morning sickness: They say that little girls make their mama's sick and I have had NO morning sickness which indicates BOY!

Soft or dry skin? Mine has been a mixture of both but more normal than anything which indicates GIRL!

Are you craving citrus? Nope....just some fruit here and there but nothing crazy which indicates BOY!

Have you felt glowing or less than beautiful and had lots of breakouts? My face has atually been more clear than ever in the last few months which indicates BOY!

Heartbeat indicator: Both our heartbeats were pretty fast which is said to be an indicator of a GIRL!

Craving fruit or meat? I would have to go with fruit which is an indicator of GIRL!

Pendullum test (which my mother-in-law swares by): Indicated a GIRL!

Dreams- I've heard opposite things on this. Some have said that whatever a mother thinks, it is because mother always knows. Others have said that you have opposite of what you have been dreaming about. I'm not sure but last night for the first time I dreamed about the baby and it was definately a GIRL!

I just thought I would share some of these silly and fun tests. Do any of you have tests you've heard of? Please share!! Our family gets a kick out of hearing and trying these crazy tests!

Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

XOXO,

Hilary

Too Much Crazy For This Lady...

So maaaaaaaaaayyyyybbeeee we have had just a

LITTLE bit going on in our lives lately....

I feel like my head is spinning from all of the craziness! I know I ALWAYS say this...but I really wish I had more time to update my blog! It only takes 15 minutes of my time but somehow I cannot EVER sit down long enough to get it done!

Here is just a little update on our lives in the last month.....

• 
  
  we sold our house in the country (plus our potbelly pig...i know...sad.)


• 
  
  we are in the process of buying a cute little 1930's house in the old brick street district of town...which we will then spend a month rennovating before move in...


• 
  
  "oh you mean you haven't moved in yet?" - no....we are living with each of our parents for the next month or so!


• 
  
  i have been working my tail off.... i feel like i really don't do much these days outside of work..


• 
  
  oh AND we got this sweet little surprise on Father's Day weekend......
  

We are SO excited! It was very unexpected....but we are so blessed! Our first doctor's appointment was this week...so we finally got to see our little jelly bean in person! It was the neatest thing!

People keep asking me how I feel....and I have actually felt perfectly normal (aside from my exhaustion!). I was really scared that I was going to get to the doctor and they were going to tell me that I wasn't pregnant at all (even after FIVE pregnancy tests and my constant hunger pains!!) But...nope...I am surely pregnant now!

Baby H is due February 10!!! Mark your calendars and say LOTS of prayers for us!! I will try a lot harder to keep a better update on my blog- especially with all of this going on now!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

XOXO,

Hilary