Hey, y’all!! It’s Friday, and we are hosting Friday Favorites with my girls, Erika and Andrea!  Today marks the end of my modified posting schedule, and I am so happy to back in full force next week!   Summer has been amazing, and we are all set to ease on in to the school year!   Bring it on! 🙂

J Crew Factory

I am loving  J Crew Factory for our transition in to Fall! So fun! This top is cute, and I love the clean lines paired with the little flare on the sleeve!

And, this little shift dress is adorable! Hello stripes!!

Finally, I love these shoes! What a cute updated leopard flat! These would be darling with skinny jeans! 

Eating Healthy 😉

How many of you can relate to this?  haha!  My healthy eating habits took a little summer break as well, so I resolved to do better on Wednesday…and I almost made it to lunch time!   I’ll need to be taking baby steps for this evidently. 😉

A Quick Recipe

Some girlfriends and I were chatting at the pool about our go to meal when we take dinner to a friend…and this baked chicken wins every single time!

I am not a fancy chef at all, but this recipe is simple enough that it pleases just about everybody!  I cook Split Chicken Breasts (bone-in with the skin) in a CONVECTION oven at 375 for about an hour.  Before baking, I place the breasts on a baking pan, cover them in olive oil and evenly coat in Tony Cacheres cajun seasoning.  There is no such thing as too much of either, so be generous with both. Also, I won’t judge you if you use vegetable oil or another type of oil instead of olive oil.  Spoiler alert: it turns out even better this way, but olive oil is probably the healthier option out of all your choices. haha! ;).  I serve it with Chicken Sausage, wild rice, and fruit salad.  Dinner is done, and everyone is happy! 🙂

Making everyday cleaning a little easier

I posted about the new Robot vacuum that I got this week over on my Instastories, and quite a few of wanted to know my thoughts!  I get great joy from creating a vacuum line or cleaning my floors, so I can’t wait to share what I think of this contraption!

We bought the Deebot N79 based on the reviews–most people tended to like it more than the Roomba.  🙂  So, I tried out the multiple settings on our hardwoods, rugs, and carpeted master in our house this week…and my thoughts are this…This vacuum provided a good overall clean on it’s own, but it missed some spots, and was a little random in the way it covered the house.  I still needed to come behind it to get a few spots, and get all the nooks and crannies. However, I think if you are looking for something to pick up dog hair or just a general  cleaning all over…then this could be super useful for that!!!  Also, I had it run downstairs a few times, and I was SHOCKED by how much dust it picked up off my seemingly clean floors.  So, there’s that too!  Overall, I think it’s a good tool in the neverending job of cleaning floors! 🙂  We are keeping ours for sure!

A little bit of Birthday Fun

This week, I celebrated a birthday, and we celebrated with Mexican and sombreros. 😉

This and That

And, we watched a gorgeous Texas Sunset as well!

One of my favorite parts of Fall is the knockout sunsets.  This one had me wanting more. 🙂

We’ve been riding our scooters around town…

and meeting our awesome Sunday School class for a fun end of summer swim party!  These kids plus the ones who couldn’t make it are my absolute favorites!

Happy Friday, y’all!  On this weekend’s schedule: a handful of sessions, Jackson’s first high school Fall scrimmage, and all the summer fun! Don’t forget to link up below with your favorites!  I appreciate you!  XOXO Narci

Hey, y’all!!   It was a great but busy weekend!   On Friday night, we went out for a little early birthday celebration!  My birthday is on Tuesday, but we’ll be busy with super exciting things like: the  orthodontist and shuttling people to and from football and soccer practice that day!  😉  

I love these three faces so much!

After dinner, Presley and I headed into the studio so I could finish up some work.  She is very into playing school right now…and on this particular night, she was very busy making flash cards!

The next morning, I took this cute boy for a special breakfast date!  I love seeing his personality develop as he grows!

And, then we watched Presley play in a volleyball tourney all morning!

Later that day, we went to lunch, a birthday party, and ordered Chinese food while we enjoyed a rainy night together!  I love those cozy nights at home!! It made me excited for colder weather this Fall and Winter!

After dinner, Presley and I made a few little goodies for our sweet cheer squad

On Sunday, we had church…and these earrings were all kinds of adorable!

And, I finished up this book!!

 Oh my goodness, if you love a good thriller…this is a good option for you!  There are lots of twists and turns!  Last night, I recapped it for Robert, and we had to laugh at how crazy it was!!

Happy Monday!   I will see you back here on Friday, friends!! XOXO Narci

Hey, y’all!! It’s Friday, and we are hosting Friday Favorites with my girls, Erika and Andrea!  I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the weekend!

A WINNER

Last week, we had a huge Stella and Dot giveaway, and our big winner is Elizabeth Rhodes!!!  Elizabeth, I emailed you this morning so you can pick out your bracelets!! Congratulations!! I had so much fun with that giveaway!! I can’t wait do more!XO

All the Sale Tops

There are all kinds of darling tops on sale right now!!  I feel like so many of these will transition nicely during the next month!   You can just click on the item to check them out! 🙂

Keeping Busy!

And, finally, we are over here keeping super busy during these last few weeks of summer!

 I am catching up on work…August tends to be really busy as we are still shooting summer sessions and then also preparing for Fall at the same time! We are also in Back to school mode: this is a big project this year!  Having one starting high school kind of feels like the days when our oldest started kindergarten.  It’s a little overwhelming with the new schedules, the new expectations, the anticipation, the sports teams, the classes, and such!   We’re already going full force and school hasn’t even started yet! High School mamas, feel free to email me and tell me your secrets…I am exhausted, and I still don’t think I have a handle on it all.  hahaha!

Happy Friday, y’all!! We will see you back here on Monday! Don’t forget to link up with your favorites below! XOXO Narci

Hey, Hey, y’all!!  It’s August, and we are in the last “dog days” of summer!   We are clocking in the lazy mornings, as many pool days as we can manage, and all of the fun adventures!   Also, Fall soccer and Freshman Football camp start this week for our boys. We have a full calendar ahead for our family!

In the meantime, our weekends are full of cute girls playing volleyball!

and all the precious babies on my computer screen!  I delivered this cutie’s gallery, and she was just the sweetest thing ever in front of my camera!

Speaking of work, my weekends are full of a little bit of this…

and a little bit of that… 😉

and even a few quiet moments in Downtown McKinney for good measure

Weekends have been all about girls’ only shopping trips for back to school clothes.

and I totally had to laugh at THIS photo that popped up in my memories this weekend…from THREE years ago today. 🙂

Happy Monday!!  A little blog announcement: Over the next two weeks, I’ll just be posting on Mondays and Fridays…that’s just me trying to soak up the last few weeks of summerwith my babies and preparing for a very busy Fall….I’ll be back here on Aug 21 with our normal schedule.  Have a great week! XOXO Narci

Hey, y’all!! It’s Friday, and we are hosting Friday Favorites with my girls, Erika and Andrea!  Today, we are doing something fun!!   As you may know, I am partial to the pretty jewelry over at the Stella and Dot Brand! So, today, we are celebrating my favorite kind of party, an ARM PARTY, with a little giveaway!!

You can enter in the comments to win one Stella and Dot bracelet for yourself and one for your friend!!  Woohoo!

I think that a pretty bracelets can make such a statement!   As always, if you see something you love, you can shop it all by going here!  

Stella and Dot has pretty classic pieces and funkier wrap bracelets!  I wear this set on repeat all summer long!

Happy Friday, friends!! Don’t forget: you can enter to win your free bracelets in the comments!   Contest ends on August 10th at 5 pm cst.  Winner will be announced next week on our Friday Favorites!!

Happy Friday, y’all! XOXO Narci

This week, we are all about summer FUN!   

We’ve gone for all the fun walks!

grabbing starbucks in the middle of the morning just because we can. 😉

We are so thankful for these sweet days!

What’s going on around here?   Just a little bit of this and that, like: sweet sticky notes left on my planner…

and friends who think of you when they have the most precious newborn props to pass along!

These days are silly faces while we are back to school shopping.  😉 

I had to take all 3 to get their feet measured in an actual store, but this was a great reminder of why I prefer to online shop for the kids.  hahaha.

These days include fun trips to the city pool in our town!

And late nights picking up Jackson from youth group.  

Seeing all of the kids parked outside of where the meeting was just made my heart happy.  I love those teenagers and their heart for Jesus.

These are the days!!  Happy Thursday, y’all!!  See you on Friday for Friday Favorites!! XOXO Narci

Hey, y’all!!  Today, I am thinking about Back to School preparations and sharing some of my favorite tips and tricks!!

Start now 🙂School starts in about a month for us,  so I am starting to watch sales, make our shopping lists, and get organized!

Take Inventory of what you need, and make a list for each child! Now is the time that we  pull out the backpacks, lunch boxes, and take stock o of everyone’s clothes.  Make a detailed list of what each child needs, and mark things off as you get them!

Schedule Dental, Vision, and Physical Exams.  We have our vision, dental, and physicals all scheduled!  Woohoo!

Get your paperwork in line.  Immunizations records, Proof of Residency, Birth Certificates, and more.  Let’s all pull that now and put them somewhere safe so we can access them easily!

School Supply Lists.  If your school offers back to school supply packages, then that is always nice!  If not or you forgot to order last year, I like to take our lists to Target or Walmart early in the morning!  It’s not too busy, and I will still have ALL of my patience to find the special brand of #2 pencils and the magenta folders with NO POCKETS and THREE  BRADS ONLY. 😉

Start a back to school tradition.  

We read a special book to the kids, pray over them, and usually plan an end of summer fun activity to shut down summer! 🙂

Establish a routine 🙂 

I love a good routine to help our days run more smoothly!  It makes getting out the door, and the homework/dinner/sports crunch that much easier!

*************

Once we get the kids into school, I feel like it is full time job corresponding with all of the teachers, coaches, and such! 😉  So, here are my top 3 tips on how to keep it all straight!

Write it all down

I write everything down in my Erin Condren planner and on a calendar white board near our laundry room!  This helps keep everything organized!

The planner is mostly for my sanity, and the whiteboard is for the rest of the family so that they can see our month as well! Soccer games, football practices, birthday parties…it’s all there!

Create a separate email account for your kids’ teachers and coaches

Before I did this, the football coach’s emails were getting lost among the Gap ads and spam!   Now, I can easily find all of the emails that I need!

Also, I make sure to email the kids’ teachers first thing in the morning so that they have plenty of time to respond that day!

Prep it all the night before

Lunches, backpacks, and outfits…we prep it all the night before just so that there is very little to do during our morning routine!   This helps things run smoothly, and removes the stress from getting out the door!

What are your best back to school prep tips?  I love hearing all of your great ideas!  Sound off in the comments!  Happy Wendesday, y’all!! XOXO Narci

Hey, friends!! Today is one of my very favorite features!

We did this last month and had so much fun!  So, here we go: 10 Things for your Tuesday! Enjoy!

1.  Royal Update–Prince George turned four, and I am still so obsessed!  I mean, how cute is that pout?? The whole family is just too much!
2. Mission Trip–So, Jackson went on his last middle school mission trip, and we were so happy to hear about all of his adventures!!  They dug flower beds and trenches, painted, mended fences, and threw block parties for different areas down in Galveston!  They worked so hard, and I am so proud of all those sweet teenagers!
3.  Big Brother–Friends!  I have so much to say about this season!  Are you watching?   I love Kevin, but Jessica….oh girl!I couldn’t  believe about how she dropped the bomb about getting the temptation last week during the eviction!   She is probably regretting not evicting a stronger player  last week!  She and Cody need a social game tutorial!  Also, I know that everyone is tired of listening to Josh (#meatball), but am I the only one who is tired of seeing Jason pelvic thrust every chance he gets?  haha!  Jason, stop that! 😉
4. Perfect Dreamy Light Gray paint? In between episodes of Big Brother, I am working on redoing my studio!   When we moved in (almost!) 2 years ago, I was so thankful to have a dedicated studio space for my clients!  For many years, I operated out of my living room with a portable background system!  🙂   Six months after we moved in, we installed a permanent background system, but I am just now taking on the process of painting and adding a few finishing touches!  I can’t go dark in this room, but I love the idea of a gorgeous dreamy, light gray paint!   Right now, my first choice is Classic Gray from Benjamin Moore, but I am grabbing some samples to try today from my local paint store!
5.  I should have named this 9 things on Tuesday, but 10 sounded cuter.  😉
6. These new signs–On top of the new paint, I bought these new signs to display!  I love this one for over my desk!
   and this one for the dominant wall!
   
7. This chandelier–I’m really thinking this light fixture would be the perfect finishing touch as well!  I will keep you updated on the progress as it happens!
8. Can we talk straight for a little bit here? Why are these bathing suit pads even removable? I found myself wondering this  yesterday as I was wrestling with one of my bathing suit tops.  
   I feel like these are there for a reason…Bathing suit manufacturers….let’s just start sewing these puppies in.  I am too tired to be searching for these in the dryer anymore.  The end. 😉
9. I am coaching Presley’s cheer team in the Fall, and I literally can’t even with the uniform!  Good heavens, it is going to be all kinds of adorable!  Uniforms in mini size never stop being cute, do they?
   
10. And, finally, I was able to dig into this book at the pool yesterday, and it was SO GOOD!  If you need a new fun chick lit book, this is your book!  I think this is going to be one of my favorite books in a long time!  So clever and cute!There we go!  10 very random things on Tuesday!  I hope you enjoyed!!  Are you a Big Brother fan?  Tell me your thoughts  about this season in the comments!   Have a great day, y’all! XOXO Narci

Hey, y’all!! We have had a great weekend!  Woohoo!  On Friday, Jackson left for a mission trip with our church…So, I head out to run all the errands with these two before the weekend!

We rewarded all of our hard work with BURGERS, because we’d had a long week! haha!!

This girl still had some birthday money to spend, so we hopped over to the Toy Store too!

After we got home, I worked on some images!  I am just culling images for this baby girl at the moment…but isn’t she the cutest!?!? I sent this iphone shot of my laptop to her mama!

On Saturday morning, we drove Luke and Carter out to Grapevine to meet up with the sweetest boy, Benton!   This is one of Luke’s very favorite friends, and we have been so sad since they moved to the other side of the metroplex!  To put it lightly, these boys were in Heaven!!  They drove the rest of the way to Benton’s house in Fort Worth, spent all day together, and were so happy to be reunited!!

Since we were in Grapevine already, we hopped over to the Downtown area and checked out all of the cute stores and such!

Almost exactly 7 years ago, Presley posed on this building in Downtown Grapevine during our family photo session!

So, we knew we had to recreate this pose!  

Presley and Rob had to get to volleyball practice, so we drove back home and hit up a fun Mexican restaurant along the way!  I think Presley enjoyed all the one on one time! 

My brisket tacos were amazing!

And, I spent the rest of the day shooting sessions!   On Sunday, we swam, grilled, and had so much fun!! 

The perfect end to a great weekend!

Happy Monday, y’all! XOXO Narci

Hey, y’all!! It’s Friday, and we are hosting Friday Favorites with my girls, Erika and Andrea!  This week, I have been battling awful allergies, one hundred million chigger bites, and even a bout of Poison Ivy.   It’s weeks like these that remind me that Nature truly does hate me.  😉  I am crazy allergic to pollen and Poison Ivy!  The good news is that whenever I don’t feel well, I crave things like Fried Pies and large amounts of Salt and Vinegar chips (why are these so good?) .  And, life with fried pie and chips and lots of allergy medicine can’t be that bad, right?   Bring it on weekend!   I am feeling way better today, and I have a lot to catch up on!

A few cute rompers!!

First off is this darling romper, and I am just loving it’s color and shape!

I also love this little romper!

When I was looking for rompers, I had a hard time finding cute ones that didn’t look flimsy or cheaply made!   I love that this one is precious and well constructed!

Nsale Pretties

Speaking of cute things, I just can’t get enough of these flats

and these booties for Fall!

Now, this gorgeous bag is just begging for the leaves to change, cozy nights by the fire, and lots of layers.  So pretty!

I love this dress for work or church this Fall!

these workout tanks are my go to for gym days (or any day ;))

Serums

I just ordered this serum, and I am wondering why it took me so long to find it!

It is moderately priced, and it has been great for my face!   In the summer, I feel like I have to pull out all the stops to keep my skin looking fresh!  I use a few drops with my moisturizer which I also happen to love as well!  It evens out my skin tone, makes it look brighter, and helps my moisturizer soak in a little better!

PS: My mositurizer has a light texture that works great for summer!

So, there you go!   A few of my favorites, just for you, on this beautiful day!  Happy Friday!  Don’t forget to link up with your favorites below! XOXO Narci