KENTUCKY DERBY AND CINCO DE MAYO TRADITIONS

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Being a Kentucky girl, we ALWAYS celebrate Derby day! But when it falls on Cinco De Mayo, it is a super duper extra special treat for us here at The Ever Co!

 

Skirt: Francis and Benedict

 

Blake, our Ever Co papa bear, LOVES LOVES LOVES him some Mexican food, and for Derby I always make an antipasto platter with Kentucky bourbon sliders! 

 

Rug: Rugs USA

Table Runner: Anthro (similar available at Target!)

 

So today, we're having our traditional Derby food for lunch and our taco bar for dinner! 

 
 

This morning we started the day with a milk bath for the girls and let them both take their horses in! They loved it so much cause typically their horses stay downstairs in the toy bin.  They're both not old enough yet to understand the Kentucky Derby, but they do both love horses! 

MILK BATH RECIPE:

  • 1-2 cups milk of choice (breastmilk, cows milk and powdered milk all work)
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1-3 drops lavendar oil
 

Hair Clip: Ryan and Wren

 

We then turned on our ALL TIME FAVORITE show, SPIRIT: Riding Free on Netflix! Everly is absolutely obsessed with the show and Hadley just ADORES dancing to the intro song!

After some screen time, we always try to go outside to play before naps. We let the girls take their horses outside (something we also typically don't let them do) and it was precious watching them play with the horses after watching the show.

 
 

We gifted Everly her very first Spirit + Lucky set today and we think we've started a new tradition of giving the girls a new toy horse every Derby! It'll be so fun to see their collection grow over the years and it'll be something they look forward to every year...that is until they start asking for a real horse! :) 

 
 

During nap time, Blake and I watched Seabiscuit, one of our favorite movies! Tonight we plan on watching Warhorse to end the night after the girls go down to bed. 

A couple hours before bed we FINALLY got to watch the main event! The Derby!!! It is always so much fun watching the horses every year, and I can't wait to take the whole family to the Derby in real life one day!

After the Derby, we finished the night with the girls watching CoCo and eating our dinner which you can read about below! Our dinner was all about Cinco de Mayo. We just love making these traditions with our family. 

Now on to the food! 

For lunch, we made our traditional Derby appetizers/ lunches: antipasto cheese platters and Kentucky Bourbon sliders! (with a side of margaritas. :) 

Here's what I always get for my cheese boards! 

  • Smoked Gouda Triscuits
  • Ritz Crackers
  • New York Garlic bagel crisps
  • Salame
  • Proscuitto
  • Minced Garlic
  • Roasted Red Peppers
  • Capers
  • Kalmata Olives
  • Garlic dip
  • Mozzarella balls
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Feta
 
 

Here's the ingredients + instructions for the sliders!

  • Roast Beef or Beef Brisket (I used the Jack Daniels Beef Brisket from Walmart!)
  • American Cheese
  • Mayo
  • Hawaiian Rolls

For dinner, we made our traditional Cinco de Mayo taco bar! (with a side of margaritas yet again. :) 

 
 

Here's what I always get for our taco bar! 

  • Hard and soft taco shells
  • Multigrain tostito chips
  • Green Peppers, onions, red peppers (for fajitas)
  • Fajita chicken and beef
  • Ground beef or turkey
  • Corn
  • Salsa
  • Hot Sauce
  • Sour Cream
  • Guacomole
  • Refried Beans
  • Mushrooms
  • Mexican Rice

We sure do hope you've had just as much fun with your family celebrating both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby! Next year, if you don't already, maybe you can incorporate some of these traditions with your family! We're big believers in celebrating everyday like it's a holiday and creating traditions that'll last forEVER! 

I'll end with some cute pics that we got of our little Hadley bug wearing her Derby gear. :) 

 
 
 

Hat: Target last year

Outfit: Thrifted

Shoes: Old Navy

 

xx, Amy + The Ever Co

BALLOON ARCH DIY TUTORIAL

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The wait is over! My most asked for tutorial is finally here!!! Yippee!!! 

 
balloon garland tutorial copy.jpg
 

It's no lie that I have such a passion for celebrating people, and there's no better way for me to do it than create a backdrop and beautiful scene for their celebrations! 

I'll be sharing pictures from both Hadley's first birthday party and from a recent baby shower I hosted! I love that you can see two different color scheme options, but I also love showing you this because the exact same DIY method was used for both!!

Can't wait to see your creations!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

STEP ONE: GATHER MATERIALS

  • greenery (i used eucalyptus leaves and silk flowers from Hobby Lobby)
  • staple gun (we used a staple gun because we are redoing the wall that I've been using for these arch garlands. We've also used heavy duty painters tape as well, but it's not guaranteed to stay up.)
  • balloons (I gather balloons from various big box locations like party city, walmart, target, hobby lobby, michaels and joanns, but I also love shop sweet lulu and etsy shops for more specialized colors!!)
  • washi tape (to cover the ends of the floral wire)
  • cloth floral stem wire (buy the heaviest gauge available and around 18" for length.  There are Hobby lobby, walmart and amazon versions available! Just google search "cloth floral stem wire" and many come up; I bought ours at our local Hobby Lobby)

STEP TWO: COVER FLORAL WIRE ENDS

  • for this step you will use your washi tape to cover the floral wire stems.  cover the ends of all the floral wires you plan on using. the length and number of wires will be based on the size of arch you need (get this measurement by laying them out along the wall to get a visual for how large you want the arch).
  • the purpose of this is to ensure that as you're messing with the wire (which is sharp) it doesn't accidentally poke and pop one of the balloons; it equally acts as a barrier for your skin too! 

STEP THREE: BEGIN TO TIE BALLOONS TO THE WIRE

  • you want to first use your limited colors.  If you are using a pink, red and white color scheme for instance, but you want pink to be the dominant color, I'd start with placing limited reds and white along all of the floral wires spreading them out evenly. then I'd go back in and fill in all the open areas with all the pinks remaining so that there's mostly pink in the arch.  similar to the blue and gold arch, I started with the gold first and then filled in with all of the blue. 
  • to tie the balloons to the wire, I didn't tie them off to themselves first. It's easier to tie them to the wire as you're tying the balloon off.  Does that make sense? haha! 

STEP FOUR: FILL IN ALL SPACES

  • add in all of the filler balloons (the dominant color) and lay the arch flat on the ground to make sure there's no open areas.
  • also remember that once it is on the wall, many of the open areas will fill in because the pressure against the wall will push the balloons out.  

STEP FIVE: STAPLE WIRE TO WALL

  • again, you may want to use another method that is a little less damaging to your walls. we are only doing it because it's a wall we are going to redo. BUT, if you can do it-do it! It's the best way to keep them secure! if you have a space that can be easily covered up by a large picture, then a staple gun will work!! 
  • you want to staple right above where you put the washi tape. 
  • once the wire is stapled to the wall, the best way to secure the wire is to wrap the end with the washi tape around the wire to fully secure the arch to the wall! that'll keep it from slipping or sliding at all! 
  • repeat this step with each end of each wire to form an arch on the wall.
  • we learned that it's best to do each piece in segments because it's much easier to work with the smaller sections. once you put them all together on the wall it'll look like one fluid piece! 

 STEP SIX: ADD FLORAL

  • once the full arch is on the wall, add in all of your pretty greenery and floral to make the arch come together! THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART!!! IT ADDS SOOOO MUCH! 
  • you'll have to mess around with different angles and placements until it looks the best, but feel free to use my pictures as inspiration for where you should place yours! I also use flowers and just stick them in between balloons to hold them in place! 
  • if the balloons are secured to the wall well (i.e. with a staple gun) you don't have to attach the flowers or greenery into the wall at all! mine are all just placed in between the balloons which hold them on the wall just fine! 

I canNOT wait to see what you all come up with! Be sure to tag us @theeverco and #theeverco so we can see and possibly feature it on the blog or IG!

Here's some pics from my instagram @amylouhawthorne from the two parties I made these for! I'm pretty sure they're my all time favorite DIY now! 

 
 

xx, Amy

VALENTINE'S MOVIE DATE NIGHT IDEAS

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We are HUGEEEEE movie buffs.

When people ask what Blake and I miss most about life before kids, the answer is always GOING TO SEE MOVIES!!!

But we've also learned that movie date nights-in are just as fun! We can't wait until the girls are old enough to go to the theater, but until then-we are soaking up this time at home! There's nothing more we love than to all curl up on the couch with popcorn, blankets and our coziest pajamas and play Star Wars, The Land Before Time or Planet Earth. We're nerds, I know!!! 

During the week of Valentines, we always make an effort to watch the cute, sappy stuff (which pretty much means: hellooooooooo chick flicks + Disney movies allllll weeekkkkk longgggg) The best! 

Get ready to swoon over this daddy + daughter duo. (insert heart eye emoji here!) 

You can shop their matching shirts here (daddys) and here (babies)

 

 

And then our little ham and her pup, eating all the popcorn she can get her hands on! 

 
 

We've rounded up our all time favorite family friendly Valentine's movies that are great for kids and also our all time favorite romantic dramas/comedies for you and yours!!!

We hope you take the time to relax, sip some wine or coffee and watch movies that spread joy, hope and love this Valentines!

And yes, make it a tradition. You'd make us so so proud. 

 
 

For you + your love 

valentines movies adults copy.jpg
 

happy movie night!

xx, Amy

SPEAKING THEIR LOVE LANGUAGE

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This Valentines I've chosen to give more with less.

 

I'm a gift giver naturally, it's how I most comfortably show my love language.  But I've realized that not everyone feels loved the most in receiving gifts. And that's a hard concept to grasp! Our love languages aren't all the same, which is totally fine, but it can be a difficult concept for couples to figure out when we feel like we're desperately showing love and it's not being received. 

It's not only important to learn how you show love best, but it's equally as important to learn how your significant other receives love the best! Luckily, Blake and I have figured this out pretty well over the years and I know that while he may not need tangible gifts to feel loved, there's one tangible gift that goes straight to his heart.

And tummy. :) 

 
 
 

Food and sweets are the way to my man's heart. He got that sweet tooth from his momma. :) And while I may not be the best in the kitchen, I've learned so much from my mom and his mom over the years with recipes that they've handed down, and now I've become a self proclaimed chef! Now, I get lost in the kitchen (both literally and figuratively, ha!) but it's because I know just how much a good home cooked meal means to him. It's because I know baked goods speak straight to his soul.  His eyes light up at the smell of homemade apple crisp.  His smile widens at the sight of homemade cream cheese icing for his cookies.  He's such a foodie, so I've learned to show him love this way. 

 
 

You may have seen that I am transitioning out of Active Duty Army service to the Army Reserves this summer.  And with that comes a huge pay cut - a $6,000 one to be exact.  We've been revamping our budget over the last year, and have learned that happiness isn't found in our bank account. I've been learning that I don't need all the things all the time, and have mastered the fill the cart up but put it all back at the checkout line with one final pep talk with myself. (the cashiers hate me haha!)

So for the last year I've been strategically and diligently living with less, needing less, buying less and giving less.  Which honestly is super hard for me, because it's naturally what I love to do.  But I've realized that the decisions I make with our money now are going to have lasting impacts on our future. In the last year, we've realized the truth behind one cliche phrase after another.

 Money can't buy our happiness, but our memories can.

Hence, why we created The Ever Co. 

 
 

Writing is a lost art, and it's an art that my sweet daddy did such a beautiful job of teaching me.  I never want to lose the passion I have for writing, and I'm passionate about instilling the art of writing in our girls.  A handwritten note goes a long way. 

For Valentines I created these "I love you Most" printables (found here) for him.  All week long I'll bake tons of yummy goodies for him to come home to after work.  With each yummy surprise there'll be a card, and on the back a note that reminds him why I love him more.  A note that reminds him all the reasons that I fell in love with him in the first place. I've printed off a ton of these and have hid them all throughout the house for him to find throughout the week of Valentines, but also even long after! Cause I know just how much a note of love means when it's least expected.  There's something so special about the subtle surprise of words that pull on heartstrings. 

And now, I think we have a new Valentine's tradition. 

 
 

We're learning to live a more abundant life with less in our bank account. 

So we challenge you this Valentines (and for holidays after) to not necessarily go out and buy all the things, but to make something-create something-go somewhere, to do something that creates a tradition and that makes lasting memories for you and yours truly.  Sure they'll remember the coolest techy gadget, but will they remember a trip to the place your first met and a picnic even more? 

We challenge you to do things that have tons of meaning and make tons of memory.

I have a good feeling it'll be just as special. (your bank account will thank you too) ;)

 

With the printables purchase from our shop, you get all three of these designs for just $2.99 to print as many as you'd like at home or at an office store! We want to bring you affordable, modern + hip designs in all that we create! We guarantee you can't find these at Target. ;) 

 

Printables- you can find the printables here for just $2.99 in our shop! 

Our cookie cutters were found at Home Goods for just $3.99, but here's similar ones from Target for $8.99! 

Here's my all time favorite rolled sugar cookie recipe! 

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups softened butter
  • 2 cups white sugar (I use 1 1/4 cup and we still love them!) 
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 tspns baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions:

  • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Here's my all time favorite cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract

Directions: 

  • Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
  • Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.

Happy baking and note writing, loves!

xx, Amy

Redefining Profit

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Owning your own business typically brings one common theme to mind: money. 

So understandably, when you're making a lot of it-it's generally thought that the business is boomin'. And conversely, if you're not, it's generally thought to be hanging on for dear life.  

But I want to throw a concept out that may come as a surprise to some: what if starting, owning and running a "for profit" business wasn't all about the money? What if the dollar signs in our bank accounts weren't our success stories?  We can be the wealthiest business owners, but completely lose our passion and drive in an instant if we aren't careful. And not everyone will agree, but for us-money can't buy our genuine happiness. 

There's so much more. And we choose heart over hustle. 

Profit: to obtain a financial advantage or benefit, especially from an investment.

What if we shifted our culture away from thinking the word profit was directly tied to a financial advantage, and instead that it was tied to a benefit? What if our "profit" was whether or not we were serving the people we are running the business for? What if our "profit" was whether or not our purpose and mission are being fulfilled? Now, don't get me wrong-we want to put a roof over our head, we want to put food on our table and we want to build a happy and healthy upbringing for our girls, but the dollar signs that show up on our monthly financial statement don't define us. 

WE WON'T LET THEM DEFINE US.

What will define us is if we are serving "The Who" and "The Why" of The Ever Co?

The Who: It's about you. Our people. Our tribe. Our community.

The Why: It's about our mission. Our purpose. Our calling. Our legacy. 

We, as small business owners, must get back to the heart over the hustle. 

I think so often as entrepreneurs and creatives, we focus on the what, where and when of our business endeavors instead of the who and the why.  And THAT is what burns us out. We get so wrapped around the logistics of growing our following, of making more money, of getting bigger and better and having more, instead of worrying about how we can serve YOU better and how we can serve our purpose more.  It takes the fun out of small business, and I never EVER want us to get there.  I hear so many stories of entrepreneurs getting burnt out, and we don't want that.  We are in the infancy of Ever Co, and we are setting our priorities on people + passion over financial profit.  

When we take out the unnecessary logistics and marketing pressure of entrepreneurship and instead focus on our passion and purpose, joy fills our office space.  It reminds us that we are serving our given "market" for a reason.  That is, in fact, what initially sparked your interest, right? You saw a gap or a need that you wanted to fulfill.  But here's the kicker: If we are serving our audience well, and if we are serving our purpose well, then the financial profit will come. I truly believe that refocusing our energy on our people and our passion will allow us to grow financially.  But, our priorities must be right for that to happen.  

 We never started our business to get rich. Let's face it; we entered a saturated t-shirt market and threw a cute graphic and our brand on a piece of cloth. Spoiler alert: you probably won't be seeing us on Shark Tank for this! But, we also aren't "just another t-shirt company." It's so much more than that for us.  Just as much as we are a brand, we are also just as much a community.  A community to inspire you to celebrate holidays with those you love most.  A community to inspire you to create traditions right where you are. At home, at work, in your backyard, at your favorite restaurant. Wherever your feet are planted.  A community to inspire you to capture memories that will last forever.

The deeper we get with growing our business, the more I realize how much this same concept applies to my own social media platform @amylouhawthorne.  

I spent five years growing the following I now have.  Yet, for the last year-I've continued to watch the number next to my name go down by the hundreds every single week.  What was once so easy to grow has now become a nightmare for many social media bloggers-especially on Instagram.  The algorithms for platform growth continue to change on the reg, which makes it extremely difficult for bloggers to grow their community. We're competing with actual coded in algorithms that hide our content from our long time followers, and that's just plain discouraging.  To be honest, for most of us it's INCREDIBLY stressful.  I'm in a ton of small pod groups and we talk about it daily. "What do we do?" "What do we not do?" "What did we do wrong?" And it puts SO much pressure on us, as if our lives don't already give us enough! 

But this week something in me shifted.  (Hence this blog post) I got rid of my business profile, and I switched back to a personal profile. I now can't look at the statistics of everything I post.  I now can't watch the numbers fluctuate up and down on my account.  I now can't see how many people my posts are reaching.

Instead, now I'm focused on you.  I'm focused on why I share and who I share for.  

Cause here's the scoop friends:

I get messages every week that say "thank you for saving my marriage." "Thank you for giving my marriage hope and promise for tomorrow." "Thank you for being vulnerable in your own failures to remind me that nobody's perfect." 

I get messages every week that say "you reminded me that I don't have to give up on life when things get rough. You reminded me that putting this knife to my wrist or gun to my head wasn't the answer." 

I get messages every week that say "you lead me to find Christ." "You saved me from a life of destruction by teaching me about our God who loves us so."

I get messages every week that say "my kid doesn't measure up in the eyes of the world either, but you reminded me that they are all unique and beautiful in their own ways. Just as they were chosen for us, we were chosen for them." 

And friends, THIS is why I do this.  Because if I can save one young couple from signing divorce papers and giving up, if I can stop one person from slitting their wrist and ending their life, if I can lead one brother or sister to the goodness of Christ Jesus our Lord, if I can remind one mama that their child's diagnosis doesn't define them as a parent, then that's all that matters.  And that's what I want my legacy to be.

When the day comes that I leave this world earth side to be reunited with my daddy, I want to be remembered for creating a legacy and building a heritage for my daughters to live on and live in.  I want them to be proud to call me mama. I want my husband to be proud to call me his wife.  I want my parents to be proud to call me their daughter.  I want my Soldiers to be proud to call me their leader. I want our Ever Co community to be proud to call me a friend. 

We truly truly love you so. 

xx, Amy

p.s. pin this image below on pinterest or share it on social media to spread the word! We want to change the culture in small business. Help us get back to the heart over the hustle. Help us redefine profit. 

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Bonus: A few notes about our business plan! 

We just packaged our 500th shirt and shipped our 400th package in just over a month of sales, but we are just about breaking even financially with what we invested into our website with Go Live HQ, our family video with Heart Stone Films and our inventory.  For our business, we wanted a no shipping + no extra fees model and we also wanted to create affordable shirts for your families to wear.  With that, our margins are not through the roof, and we are okay with that! Mark Cubin may be disappointed, but he'll get over it. ;) We love going to check out from a shop and seeing the words "Free Shipping" pop up, so we wanted to implement that in our shop too! 

DIY FLOWER CROWS

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The picture that broke the internet. 

Just kidding.

Just a really cute pic I found on pinterest while spending an hour trying to find the perfect pic to announce this blog post tonight. So, I found a cow. And it may very well be my favorite picture of all time. But now to find this cow's owner and give credit where credit is due! If you find the source, let me know!

So here we are! I've been so excited to share this blog post on DIY flower crowns! Throwing a crown party is not only the BEST idea for a GAL-entines bash, but it's also such a perfect activity for a bridal shower, baby shower or other all ladies gathering! The whimsical, bohemian feel of them just makes my heart melt.  

Here are a few of my favorites (with tutorials) that I found today while spending 89,722 minutes trying to find the flower cow owner! ;)

This adorable one from Maker's Society! 

This gorgeous one from Delia Creates! 

This precious one + Rock My Wedding! 

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This darling one from Little Inspiration Blog! 

But wait, there's more! 

I am so excited to introduce you all to Marrissa and Amanda of The Wild Revival! 

We truly wanted to find blog contributors who shared the same passions as The Ever Co.  We wanted genuine souls who were on fire to build legacy and create tradition. 

And that's exactly what we found in these two ladies. 

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Here's a small exerpt from their blog post on their DIY Flower Crown Gathering!         

"The heart + soul behind The Wild Revival Gatherings is creating a space where the walls can drop and real, honest conversations can happen.

This is about connection.

On the last Saturday of August, we finally held our first gathering: Flower Crowns + Food! It was amazing to see our heart’s desire come to fruition right in front of us.  It was an ideal end of summer soiree.

There were 16 of us at the event and we each brought something different to the table. Our stories are different, as are our struggles + our joys. We created, we laughed, and we engaged in conversations we wouldn’t have had, had it not been for the gathering. There is something to be said about what God does when He brings people together in that way."

“The heart of hospitality is about creating space for someone to feel seen and heard and loved. It’s about declaring your table a safe zone, a place of warmth and nourishment.” 

― Shauna Niequist, Bread & Wine

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Honestly, I could not be more grateful that The Wild Revival are our very first EVER blog contributors.  I'm so grateful to be surrounded by women who encourage and uplift other women. Who cheer each other on. Who lift each other up. Who inspire.  

Thank you ladies so much for sharing your hearts with us and for GATHERING! 

Be sure to share your flower crowns with us on Instagram and tag us @theeverco ! 

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." PC: pinterest, source unknown

Happy crafting!

xx, Amy

NEW YEARS BREAKFAST

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Every New Years Eve breakfast, Blake makes us homemade biscuits and gravy.  It's a tradition we've shared for six years, and we are so excited to continue it with the girls as they get older! 

 

Here's the recipe for Blake's favorite biscuits + gravy:

Biscuits:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons cubed butter
  • 3/4 cup (more or less if needed) milk

Gravy:

  • 1 lb. sausage (we use maple sausage, but if unavailable use maple syrup to taste)
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2.5 cups of milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 °F.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Cut butter into mixture until it begins to look like cornmeal.

Make a well with flour mixture and slowly add milk into the middle. Knead dough with your fingers and add milk when necessary. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to desired thickness. Cut with small biscuit cutter.

Butter bottom of skillet and place biscuits in pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cook sausage until there's minimal red remaining.

Pour in milk and flour.

Stir well, turn to medium heat until boiling then simmer. Let sit until thickens to desired thickness.

 

Enjoy!!! And Happy New Years from us to you! 

 

NEW YEARS 2017

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2017. We bid farewell.

Tonight we celebrated one of our favorite new family traditions. 

We decorated masks, made noise makers and marched up and down our neighborhood-making lots of loud noise-to the beat of our own drum. 

All with one goal in mind-to inspire others to celebrate life and remember the joy that comes in the morning. 

A few days ago, I shared this on my Instagram, but it was such an emotional tribute to this year that I wanted to share it again here.

I’ve watched Dancing with The Stars for over a decade since i graduated high school in 2005. I’ve grown up with the show. every year, every season, there’s one episode that i love the most. it’s the episode when every contestant gets to choose their “most memorable year.” some years are beautiful. some years are full of heartache. some years are a mixture of both. and in over 25 seasons, I’ve always wondered why I’ve never been able to say i had a “most memorable year.” until this year. 
2017 will forever be my most memorable year. . . 💗

a year of life. we spent our first year as parents of two. 
a year of redemption. the year i shared my testimony for the first time. 
a year of welcoming. we welcomed Blake back home from a nine month rotation overseas. 
a year of uncertainty. plagued with a roller coaster ride of health ups and downs for both girls.
a year of new. we launched The Ever Co. 
a year of change. i made the decision to transition from active duty to army reserves in summer of 2018. 
a year of celebration. the year i turn 31 on the 31st. 
a year of loss. on September 25th, i lost my best friend. my daddy. .

This year’s been memorable for so much God given goodness, but it’s also been memorable for heartache. . .

So here’s to 2018. here’s to hope for a better tomorrow. Here’s to living out my daddy’s legacy. Here’s to change. good change. And here’s to love. I declare 2018 my year of unfailing love. 

 

POST DETAILS: 

CHRISTMAS MORNING

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The spirit of Christmas lies in our hearts. May we never be too old to share in the joy and gladness this season brings. Merry Christmas to all, from our family to yours! 

Here are a few of our favorite pictures from Christmas morning-including my mama getting excited over some bingo money and taking Hadley for a ride on her new luggage! hehe! 

 
 
 
 

HOLIDAY HOME TOUR

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We've never had a blog to share our home during the holidays, but finally the time has come! We are so excited to make this our inaugural holiday home tour! The one that we will link back to 15 years from now (on a way more techy site that basically controls itself for you with a sneeze-ha!). So here she is-from our home to yours-Merry Christmas! 

Living Room 

Presents

Kitchen

Shelfie

Mantel

Favorite Books

fall and Halloween traditions

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During the month of October, we love finding fun ways to celebrate the spirit of Halloween and fall throughout the month! We baked sugar cookies and cut them into pumpkins, painted fake pumpkins from the craft store and cooked pancake stacks with orange and black sprinkles! 

 
 

Here are some of our favorite fall activities:

·      Boo’ing our neighbors
·      Creating family costumes
·      Baking pumpkin pie
·      Butternut squash soup
·      Decorating with bats and webs
·      Trick-or-treating
·      Hay rides
·      Apple cider/hot cocoa
·      Roasting pumpkin seeds

·      Raking and jumping in leaves
·      Apple picking
·      Pumpkin patches
·      Halloween pancakes
·      Painting pumpkins
·      Pumpkin carvings
·      Baking Halloween cookies
·      Watching spooky (family friendly) movies
·      Reading spooky children’s books

 
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Below you'll see our two costumes this year! Charlotte's Web and Jurassic Park-family edition! We also went to the farmer's market, played in crunchy leaves and Boo'd our fairy garden! 

Halloween Dress Up

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Never knew how much I’d enjoy playing dress up with little humans, but Halloween time and October give us all the excuses to buy fun wigs and pretty accessories to do just that!

 
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The girls, even at the tender young ages of 10 months and 2.5 years old have such a blast seeing mama wear funny things.  We try hard as parents to inspire our littles to use their imagination, and I’m a firm believer that the encouragement of creative thinking enhances cognitive development in our children. 

Albert Einstein once said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”  Right on, Al.  We couldn’t agree more.