first eats.

First eats for this boy this morning! Ann Bennett had the honor feeding him so that I could take pictures and record his reaction. It sounded like a good idea at the time…

First she spilled it, then she put too much on the spoon, then she spilled it again, then she shoved it in his mouth (which, he did not like), then he grabbed the bowl. It was a disaster. On top of that, to say that he was not a fan of butternut squash is an understatement. I thought that maybe we should try something sweeter, so I heated up the apples. Nope, didn't like those either. At that point he was crying so hard and it was time to get the kids to school, so we gave up. 

Oh, Bug. I'm sorry! Maybe we can try again tomorrow...

house tour: the kitchen.

I'm slowly, but surely getting around to taking pictures of the new, er, newish house. Up first on the "official" tour: the kitchen.

I have absolutely loved having an open kitchen large enough for family and friends to gather in and around. It is truly the heart of the home and turned out to be one of my favorite rooms of the house. 

the kitchen.

I have gotten a few requests, as of late, to continue the home tour. I'm usually not one to start something and not finish it, but yeeps, life gets in the way sometimes! With that being said, thanks for the gentle shove, y'all.

The next room is, by far, one of my favorite rooms in the house.

Meet, the kitchen.

We lived a month-ish without a kitchen while undergoing renovations, so when I was reunited with a dishwasher, garbage disposal, oven, and cooktop, all was right with the world again. 

The kitchen is definitely where I spend the majority of my time. You can always find me in there cooking or washing dishes and sippy cups. It is also where most of our family dance parties occur. So, yeah, it's a pretty great room.

The countertops are Calcutta Gold marble and the walls and cabinets are painted Swiss Coffee, by Benjamin Moore. My mom and I sewed the linen sink skirt and pantry panels. John and I designed the hood and he built the open shelving. The light fixture above the island is from Scott Antique Market in Atlanta. It was a labor of love, but I am so happy with how it turned out! Comment below if you want any more resources. 

first eats.

I totally forgot to post pictures from Ann Bennett's first go with solids. We gave her rice cereal on January 28th and it wasn't a complete disaster. Fist bump. She wasn't really a fan and pushed out every single bite with her tongue, which called for a lot of wet paper towels. Big brother fed her a few bites too! He was so proud. And we were proud of him! Without further ado…

thirty.

Yesterday, John turned thirty. The big 3-0. Over the…hump? Anyway, in true John style, he opted for dinner at home with his babies instead of a night out. Per his request, I made panne chicken, roasted brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, and a salad. That's quite the combo, there, Johnny. 

I surprised him with the most deliciously sinful deep dish cookie for dessert. It was too good not to share.

DEEP DISH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE WITH CARAMEL AND SEA SALT

Side note: Instead of caramel I used heath bar and nutella.

INGREDIENTS

• 17 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2¾ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chunks
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup caramel pieces 
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• coarse sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Soften the 9 tablespoons butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or until partially melted. Soften the remaining 8 tablespoons for 10 seconds or until you can make an indent with your finger.
2. Mix the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until creamed. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix again until smooth. Add the eggs; beat slowly until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt (sometimes it helps to add the flour in batches). Mix until a smooth dough forms. The dough should feel dry to the touch - if it sticks to your hands, add a few more tablespoons of flour. I generally try to err on the side of more flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Melt the caramel pieces and heavy cream in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well until melted and smooth.
3. Press half of the dough mixture into a 9-inch or larger cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper. Pour the caramel over the dough and smooth with a spoon. Cover with another layer of cookie dough. Bake for 15-25 minutes (see notes). Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and allow to rest for at least one hour in order for the pieces to hold their shape when cut.

You're welcome.

John, I am incredibly thankful for your thirty years of life, and the six that I have gotten to share with you. Here's to many more! We love you.

tuesday's ramblings.

We made a decision on the rug for the new bebe's nursery! And the winner is...

...the Key Wool Dhurrie from West Elm! It was pretty much meant to be. I got an email on Friday saying that select rugs were 30% off and guess which rug was one of that lucky (for me) bunch?! This jewel. John and I spent some time up at the Summit on Saturday and dipped in West Elm to see if they had it in the store so we could see it in person, and they did! We both loved it even more up close and personal. The store is going to order it for me in an 8x10 and have it shipped at no cost. So, basically, I came out spending the same as I would have on the Target rug, which is waaaay cheaper than the Land of Nod rug. With the money saved, John and I are going up to Florence this weekend to nab an antique armoire I found on Craigslist! And I even have change leftover to purchase the new crib. SCORE.

And while we are on the topic of Casa de Bryant, John finally built the shelves for the kitchen this weekend! I am so blessed to have a handy hubby. Here is a measly iPhone picture of the finished product:

The wood is antique oak, which is the same material that we built the hood out of. I just love the rustic elements that break up my all white kitchen. A full kitchen reveal coming soon!

As you can see, we had a productive weekend, knocking to-dos off our list. We also had time to enjoy the sunshine and warmer temps. Saturday evening we went on a walk and ended up at one of our local favs, Little Donkey, for dinner and capped the night off at Steel City Pops. John and Brooks shared a Vanilla Bean SCP and Brooks, well, the boy was in heaven. He would close his eyes and open his mouth for another lick until the pop was gone. It was so funny.

On Sunday we did the usual—church, lunch, and naps (a.k.a. mommy cleans). When Brooks got up we took him to the zoo to see the elephants and the lions, both of which he is obsessed with these days.


Yesterday I had my 16 week appointment (at 16 weeks, 6 days). I listened to the baby's heartbeat on the doppler, which was music to my ears. Everything is on track and looking good. I scheduled our 20 week ultrasound for March 31st. Too bad we still aren't finding out the sex and little baby no-name will remain nameless! Though, I finally had a dream last night that I took an Intelligender test and the result said BOY. I guess my subconscious, along with the rest of the world, is leaning towards blue.

After my appointment—this babe loves selfies. 

And here I am at 17 weeks. Please excuse the "no-makeup/lounge clothes" look. I wanted to snap a pic first thing in the morn to accurately portray the bump.

Happy Tuesday, y'all.

Yee to the haw.