.For Pop.

Happy Father's Day to a man who has been such a great example of Christ in my life..my Pop. When I was a little girl, my dad would say "I love you," and in response I would say, "I love you more." I am so very blessed to call this man my father:

I adore these "little" looks our photographer captured of my father and I. 

He has smiled at me with that smile my entire life.

"I love you more."- Squirt

.Little Things Bring Smiles Part 7.

The name of my blog is

Little Things Bring Smiles.

I chose this title because it is so important to remember the little things in life and to rejoice in them. My reason for blogging is to share my life, all parts of it {including the good, the bad, and the ugly} along with some of the little crafts I make. Each month I want to focus on a few little things that brought smiles to me and my family. I would love for you to share your little things and see if they bring a smile to me, or another reader :)

 Here are a few of my little things from May:

(I'm a bit late this time around!) 

- Dinner dates with the hubs

- Organizing and cleaning out the duplex

- Coffee dates with my mother-in-law

- Phone conversations with old friends

- Sam's Club Run 

- Visit to NJ to see my family

- Thunderstorms

- Herbal Tea (Sleepy Time Vanilla = DELISH!)

- Watching Monster Inc. with the girls

- Going to Adam's Premiere at LU

- Exercising

- Eating fresh fruits and veggies EVERYDAY!

- IKEA Trip

- Enjoying quality time with Adam and Colden

- Sleeping in with Adam

- Having NO plans just relaxation!

Now it's your turn. Always remember,

Little Things Bring Smiles!

.Weekending.

I love spending weekends with my hubs!

Adam and I treated ourselves to a few things for the new house..some items more practical than others..can you guess who bought the items that do not fit into the category of "necessities"?

Take a look!

Adam's shopping picks:

Katie's shopping picks:

We are both extremely happy with our purchases and overall had successful shopping trips together! Time to plan the next one ;)

Happy Weekending!

{lawn mower and blower from Home Depot. rug from Target. pillows from Pier 1. lamps from Big Lots.}

.Bruschetta.

Adam does not like tomatoes.

This is how I get him to eat them: 

BRUSCHETTA.

I chop up some of his FAVORITE, FRESH INGREDIENTS:

                                             - Red Onion

                                             - Garlic

                                             - Basil

                                             - Salt n' Pepper

                                             - Bread (Thank you Panera)

                                             - Tomatoes!

 Spread a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the bread, place it on our panini press and..

VOILA!

 Tomatoes have never tasted so good! Bruschetta is a perfect, healthy, refreshing lunch for a hot summer day like today.


Enjoy! 

.I Dream of IKEA + Target.

I always thought of myself as a "big fan" of IKEA and Target but after visiting IKEA for the second time ever and stopping at a Super Target for the first time I came to a new conclusion:

I am obsessed. 

Yes, that is right. I could spend hours upon hours just roaming these stores and could literally spend every penny I have on their amazing things for your home..luckily, I have a husband who keeps me on track ;) (And even luckier for him--we do not have an IKEA or Super Target anywhere within 3.5 hrs of Lynchburg.)

These two fabulous stores do have something I can access however..

A website. 

I am having an absolute blast this afternoon while the girls are "napping" (aka the older one is sooo not sleeping but needs to spend time alone to relax) perusing the websites. My mind has not stopped dreaming about our new house since the first day we saw it..every time Adam and I look around our new home, we daydream together and share our realistic to do list as well as our "some day" to do list. I love hearing what Adam's mind is brewing about the house. Unlike most guys (in my opinion), my husband actually cares what we plan to do to the house. He lets me decide on colors, fabrics, and so on BUT he actually has input about furniture and especially the outdoor living space. (Are your husbands like this?) I love the way our brains work together..we are better together.

As sad as I am to leave our current home, I am excited to do something different in the new house. Adam and I love nature and I tried to tie in modern + rustic in our rented duplex. We love it and will miss it deeply! (Please check out our house tour located here) Oh--that kitchen--I miss it already..Okay moving on..In the new house I'm thinking about being bold and a tad f u n k y--Funky? Yes. F U N K Y. Bright colors, intricate fabrics, modern furniture, original artwork..fresh and fun! We are young and I feel like now is the time to do this with our home. As we grow older together and our family develops, we can always "calm" down our decor simply with paint colors. So..

I am going to share some things I love from my two stores..nothing is purchased (except for a certain rug, hehe) I'm simply planning and dreaming of IKEA + Target..

Couch for living room (possible color choices include green, brown, or tan):

source

Rug for living room or master bedroom: PURCHASED!

source

2 chairs for living room (same possible colors choices as couch):

source

Living Room lamp idea (there were 2 lamps at Big Lots I fell in love with that have a burlap lamp shade and a turquoise base):

source

I have one question for you...

Target

or..

IKEA?

P.S. I am still feeling lousy and I am so sick of saltines and tea! Arg..there's always tomorrow :)