Hoot-n-Annie

It's Amber's Birthday!!!!

2012-02-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

Hi gang!

Today is Amber's birthday!! Help me wish her the best year ever!

Amber is one of my BEST friends and I am so so lucky to have her in my life! Wish I could make you a gluten free cake! Maybe in March - I make no promise it will taste good ;)

So a few things about Amber - she has a heart of gold, she's hilarious, super crafty and talented, too adorable for words, the best thrifter I know, patience of a saint, one of the best people I've ever met.....thanks to the interwebs and crafts ;)

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday dear Amber, happy birthday to you!!!!!!! :)

Love, Becky

January Book Review

2012-01-31T15:00:00.000-06:00

I have been on a reading kick lately and thought I would share with you each month what books I have read for that month.

**I was so sad for this triology to end!! I thought all three books were equally as good and I can't wait to see them in the theatre!!!

**A very quick read but beautifully written. It left me wanting more.I was so excited to see that she wrote a sequel!

**The sequel to If I Stay but told through the eyes of Mia's boyfriend, Adam. This book was even better than the first one! I read it in two days! I highly recommend!

**Okay so I actually fell in love with the cover of this book, which made me decide to give it a try. Shameful I know! It didn't get too many good reviews on Goodreads, but I didn't find it that bad. If you like the youth paranormal books, I think you would enjoy this series. It of course is another series, so I will be giving the next book a try!!

What are you currently reading???
XOXO
Amber

February Instagram Photo a Day Challenge

2012-01-31T10:00:00.001-06:00

Here is the list for the February Photo a Day Challenge:

1. Your view today
2. words
3. hands
4. a stranger
5. 10am
6. dinner
7. button
8. sun
9. front door
10. self potrait
11. makes you happy
12. inside your closet
13. blue
14. heart
15. phone
16. something new
17. time
18. drink
19. something you hate to do
20. handwriting
21. a fave photo of you
22. where you work
23. your shoes
24. inside your bathroom cabinet
25. green
26. night
27. something you ate
28. money
29. something you are listening to

If you have an Instagram account I would love to follow you! You can find me under ambercox! You can also tag your photos #febphotoaday If you don't have instagram...please join in and link up in the comment section! Have fun!

XOXO
Amber

January Instagram Photo Challenge: Week 4

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000-06:00

Day 22: Your shoes

Last Sunday I was able to enjoy it while wearing my pj's all day!! I love these owl slippers.

Day 23: Something Old

My thermos collection!

Day 24: Quilty Pleasure(s)

I couldn't pick just one...Nail polish, soundtracks(I have way too many),celebrity gossip magazines, and Starbucks!

Day 25: Something you made

This mess in my craft room... I really wish a cleaning fairy would come and organize it all for me! I really need to downsize(again).

Day 26: Color

I love the colors on my notebooks that I carry everywhere.

Day 27: Lunch

Left over tomato soup, carrots, and hummus!

Day 28: Light

The morning sunlight on our table.

Tomorrow I will post February's challenge! Even if you don't have Instagram I would love for you to join in. You can post your photos on your blog and then link them in my comments!! Would love to see them!
XOXO
Amber

Happy Birthday Becky!!!

2012-01-29T17:07:00.004-06:00

Today is my blogging buddy Becky's birthday!!! (Say that 5 times fast!!LOL)She is one of the sweetest gals I know! I get to go spend some time in Florida with her in March and I can not wait!!! We are going to crochet until are fingers cramp, visit Harry Potter World, and eat lots of yummy food!!! I am sure we will manage a little shopping too! Please stop by her awesome blog and wish her a Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Becky!!! I am so thankful for this crazy blogging world, because without it,I wouldn't of met you!! Hope you had a fantastic day!!
XOXO
Amber

Around Poot Manor...

2012-01-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

A weekly peek into the going-ons around Poot Manor...

1.Consuming lots of soup this winter 2. Listening to lots of old records 3. Catching up on The Vampire Diaries (I am finally on Season 3!) 4. Organizing my scarf collection 5. Lap time with Boomer...this is a rare occurance! 6. New home for my succulents. Poot got me this amazing plant stand for Christmas!!

XOXO,
Amber

Our New Years Celebration...

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-06:00

Every year we host a New Years Eve party! This year we asked that everyone come in their Pj's!!! It was a nice comfy evening with friends and family!!

We set up a little homemade "jam" station while listening to "jams" in our "jammies". Tee hee:)

We posted some paper up for people to write down their New Year's Resolutions...they got pretty crazy as the night wore on. I think the Whipped Vodka might be to blame!

On New Year's Day we have started a new tradition of cooking a big feast for our friends!! It was so amazing this year. I made my first Honey Glazed Gluten Free Rolls from scratch...oh my goodness were they good!!

There is nothing better than ringing in the New Year with the one's you love!!!
XOXO
Amber

Instagram January Photo Challenge: Week Three

2012-01-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

Day 15: Happiness

Organizing makes me happy! My jewelry was in need of some major organization! It looks so much better now!

Day 16: Morning

Most weekdays this is my breakfast! What can I say I like routine:)

Day 17: Water

Eagle Cove at Smithville Lake from our Snowy Owl Adventures!

Day 18: Something you bought

I have gotten really good at shopping the ads!

Day 19: Sweet

Wore a pretty "sweet" Uncle Jesse "Have Mercy" tshirt to yoga!

Day 20: Someone You Love

Big Poot of course!!

Day 21: Reflections

Kerry and I thrifting it up!

I found out there will be a photo challenge for February on Instagram! I will post the daily list here in a few days so you can join in!!!
XOXO
Amber

My Birthday Wish List....

2012-01-25T18:34:00.007-06:00

A week from today I will be turning 35!!!! I can not believe it and I am kind of freaking out a little! To ease my mind about turning a year older I turned to some internet window shopping. Here is my birthday dream wish list:

My old MP3 player finally bit the dust and I would love to have this Ipod!!! I have been talking about this bad boy since Christmas. Needless to say Poot is getting really tired of hearing about it!

This album to add to my vinyl collection!

This adorable sweatshirt.

This tank from Skyline Fever!!!

I would love this hanging in our bedroom!

This little guy would look adorable hanging out on our bed!

And a birthday isn't complete without something from the amazing Laura from Violet Bella and Roots and Feathers! I have been drooling over this ring for some time now!

Isn't it crazy how a little window shopping can make you feel better??? Here's to turning 35!
XOXO
Amber

A Snowy Owl Adventure!!

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we heard rumors of Snowy Owls from the Arctic Tundra making their way to Kansas City! We decided to spend a Sunday afternoon driving around Smithville Lake where several had been spotted recently.

The weather was perfect and the scenery beautiful. After driving very slowly for a couple of hours and finding several plastic shopping bags flittering in the trees, causing us to stop and stare for awhile,we were about to call it quits. That is when we found a huge group of people with cameras mingling in one area. We decided to go check it out for our selves. And that is when we saw him sitting on the ground just nestled in some tall grass...staring at all of us,while we snapped pictures! I am sure he didn't really see what the big deal was!

It is times like this that I wish I had a good camera! See that little white speck in the grass?? Yep that is the best picture I could get. We did think to bring some binoculars thank goodness. I could of stayed for hours just watching him.

Poot's Aunt had been out the week before we went searching and snapped this amazing photo...

Aren't they beautiufl??

Since we were in the Smithville area we thought we should check out the newest winery!!

Such sweet owners and excellent wine! We will definitely be back, especially since it is so close to Poot Manor!

The sunset with breathtaking and we spotted three...yes three bald eagles on our way home. Poot was in awe!! I have decided that I am going to make him Bald Eagle patches to put on his Bald Eagle Snuggie!!! Each patch will represent where he saw each Bald Eagle. He is pretty stoked about that idea! Ha!

Days filled with adventures like this are priceless!!
XOXO
Amber

Instagram January Photo Challenge: Week Two

2012-01-24T10:00:00.000-06:00

More photos from the daily Instagram photo challenge:

Day 8: Your Sky

I love this old tree in our front yard. He is home to a very large hoot owl that has woken me up at night on several occassions.

Day 9: Daily Routine

One of my favorite parts of my daily routine is actually putting on makeup. Is that strange??

Day 10: Childhood

My childhood days on the plantation...or maybe it was Universal Studios??

Day 11: Where you sleep

Our messy but super comfy bed. I rarely make it, except for on the days I change the sheets.

Day 12: Close Up

A close up of our fridge. It is covered in pictures and mementos.

Day 13: In your bag

I didn't want to actually take out the contents because it is full of junk. This makes it look organized.

Day 14: Something your reading

I have already finished If I Stay and am almost done with Fallen. Both are very good. I have been on a major reading kick lately. I would love to hear what you are reading right now!

XOXO
Amber

A Day Date for Two Poots!

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

This semester is going to be pretty hectic for Big Poot. He is getting closer to his PhD which is so exciting!!! He is teaching at two different Universities this semester and directing a show. I decided to take a day off from work, before the madness started so we could have one more full day of fun!

We decided to head down to the Country Club Plaza for lunch at PF Changs...

We stopped by our favorite antique store...

and found this pretty cool painting of Dexter!! I think it would of looked pretty sweet in our living room!

I ran from this corner of the store pretty quickly! Talk about freaky!

Our date ended by seeing this...

It was such a beautiful film. I had a smile on my face the entire time!

Our day date was the perfect way to finish out Poot's winter break!!
XOXO
Amber

Instagram January Photo Challenge: Week One

2012-01-22T19:24:00.010-06:00

Instagram has become my new favorite past time. Just ask Big Poot...sometimes he thinks he has lost me to my Iphone and that is only because I am on Instagram. It is addicting! If you have an Iphone come find me on Instagram, my username is ambercox.

I decided to join the January Photo-A-Day challenge and thought I would share them with you too. I usually take photos everyday, but I like the idea of having a theme. It has made me branch out a little on what I photgraph. I feel like I have captured our lives this past month in unique ways.

Here are my daily photos from Week One of the challenge:

Day 1: You

Day 2: Breakfast

Day 3: Something you adore

I have had Boomer since the day he was born. His little face just melts my heart!

Day 4: Letterbox

Our letterbox isn't that exciting to look at, so I took a picture of all the fabulous bills,etc we get in our letterbox. I do admit that I LOVE getting the mail everyday, but usually don't go through it until the weekend.

Day5: Something you wore

I wore my old RVA Holy Cute tshirt to yoga class!

Day 6: Makes you Smile

Wearing stripes and getting kisses from Poot!

Day 7: Favorite

Creating on a daily basis!

If I join in for a February photo challenge, I will post the challenges here in case you would like to join in!!

XOXO
Amber

New Year...New Do...

2012-01-11T18:33:00.004-06:00

There is nothing like getting a new look for the new year. I finally decided to head in for a haircut and an eyebrow wax. I don't know the last time I had my eyebrows shaped and it was scary. I feel like they went from a catipillar to a butterfly!! They were unruley...lol!

So here is the new look...

I am very happy with it and am so amazed how a fresh haircut and waxing can make you feel so special and fancy!

Does anyone else wish you could bring their hairstylist home with them to blow dry your hair for you?? I can never get mine to look like after I wash it.
XOXO
Amber

Our Christmas 2011...

2012-01-09T22:41:00.007-06:00

Wow... I can't believe that is already the second week in January!! These past few weeks have been a blur filled with house guests, laughter, consuming lots of yummy foods, and battling nasty colds! This year was the first time I have ever taken time off before Christmas. My plan was to give myself some extra time to finish up last minute gifts. My body had other plans and I came down with a terrible cold. But I was a trouper and didn't let it ruin our Christmas. And what a Christmas it was!! Two Poots were definitely spoiled this year!

*Poot loved the fancy bald eagle snuggie I made him!*

*The labels are my favorite part of the wrapping*

*Becky send us the most amazing box of goodies!*

*My mom crocheted us these adorable stockings!*

*Got me some fancy snow boots...now where is the snow??*

*Poot suprised me with the entire series of Friday Night Lights! Texas Forever!!*

*Suprised our friend Mark with some sexy pictures of Jason Bateman...his man crush.*

*Who killed Toby??*

*Fanciest cowl I ever did see thanks to my momma!*

*My parents got us a new flat screen tv and Bluray dvd player! We are fancy now!*

*Kjirsten made me this scarf which is exactly like the one I had been in love with on etsy for years!! She is the best!*

*My mother in law gave me the cutest owl mug ever which got lots of use that weekend. It was always full of hot tea.*

How was your Christmas? Did you or your loved ones catch a nasty bug?? What was your favorite part of Christmas?? Mine was definitely being able to spend quality time with friends and family! I always feel so blessed this time of year for all the amazing people in my life!

XOXO,
Amber

Our Neck of the Woods

2011-12-20T17:59:00.010-06:00

We have been busy busy Poots around here trying to get ready for Christmas! I can't believe it is only 5 days away!!! It always goes so fast. Every year I vow that I will start my gift making early, and then it just seems to creep up on me. Well, I am making a plan for next year and going to stick with it. I want to be able to relax and enjoy my time away from work! With that being said, the past few weeks we have been:

*Driving around and looking at all the pretty lights around Kansas City

*Crafting...

*Baking...

*Reading of A Christmas Carol...

*Watching Christmas Movies...

*Consuming massive amounts of caffeine...

Tomorrow is my last day of work until next Tuesday!! I can NOT wait! Are you ready for Christmas??
XOXO
Amber

If you need me...

2011-12-06T18:07:00.003-06:00

I will be laying under the covers reading this...

Oh my goodness! I have never read anything so good! If I am not reading it I am thinking about it! ahhh... Crocheting? What is that? Showering?? Overrated? Dinner? I think we have leftovers! Yep! I am totally consumed!

What are you reading these days? I think I will have this trilogy done pretty quickly and can get back to my Sookie books. I set a goal to read 24 books this year and I am so close. I will do a recap of what I have read at the end of the year.

Well, better get back to reading...
XOXO
Amber

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

Poot and I have a little pact with our Christmas Trees. We alternate each year between a real one and a fake one. This year is the year for my girly white tree! I love putting up all the old ornaments. I don't think you can ever have too many vintage ornaments. Here is a peek into Poot Manor...

You will pretty much find Boomer under our tree until January. He is so cute! He will just lay under there and look up at the lights!

Now I just need to get to wrapping and finishing all my handmade gifts. This year is definitely going to be a handmade Christmas!
Do you put up a fake or a real tree?? Have you starting making or shopping for gifts??

Only 24 days left!!
XOXO
Amber

Crochet Madness...

2011-11-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

I have been crocheting like a mad woman lately and loving it! I am trying to bust through my Christmas list so that I might for once be done early! It probably won't happen, but it is a nice goal!

My hands have been busy!!

My mom has been busy too! She finished her afghan for her bed and I am in LOVE!!!

What have you been crafting lately??
XOXO
Amber

Tuneful Tuesday...The Civil Wars

2011-11-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

The Civils Wars debut album Barton Hallow is one of my favorite albums of 2011. This duo is going to be around for a long time. Here is a sampling of a couple of my favorites from this album...

What have you been listening to lately??
XOXO
Amber

Our Turkey Day!

2011-11-28T10:00:00.001-06:00

We had such an amazing Thanksgiving this year! We were able to see almost our entire family and ate some tasty grub too! Here are some pictures from our weekend...

**One must start off the holidays by watching Elf. That movie never gets old!**

**Looked through old family photos! One of my favorite things to do!**

**Made gluten free cornbread stuffing!**

**I am going to be a great mom someday. The sleeper hold works wonders! Lol!!!**

**Scott's dad is offering horse drawn carriage rides over the holidays and we got to be the first riders!**

**I love eating all the yummy leftovers!**

I hope everyone had a safe and happy thanksgiving! I can't believe that Christmas is right around the corner!
XOXO
Amber

Owlet Vintage Shop Update!!

2011-11-27T17:50:00.003-06:00

I updated the shop today with lots of dresses and skirts that will be perfect this holdiay season. Here are a few of my favorites...

So stop on over and see if there is anything for you or someone on your shopping list!
XOXO
Amber

Dressing for Fall

2011-11-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

My fall clothing essentials:

1. Scarves...you can never have too many.
2. Dresses and skirts
3. Tights
4. Boots
5. Flannels
6. Not technically clothing, but red lipstick!!

Last week I tried to wear a dress every day to work! It was fun way to reach for something new instead of always going to my tried and true! Here is a look at what I wore...

On Saturday we went to a family lunch and my brother, dad, and I pretty much wore the same shirt!!

What are your Fall clothing staples??
XOXO
Amber

I'm a cheap date...

2011-11-20T17:42:00.008-06:00

Last weekend we were looking for something fun but cheap to do! We found a giftcard to AMC theatres and JcPenneys and decided that it was time to use those bad boys! To fuel ourselves up for our cheap night ahead we headed to Wendy's! (I think I could live off of their fries...but probably not for very long!)

After some clothes shopping for Poot we headed to the theatre to see Puss in Boots:3D

Such a cute movie!

So what do you like to do when you are looking for an inexpensive night on the town?? Would love to hear some ideas!!
XOXO
Amber

Broomstick Lace Stitch

2011-11-08T19:28:00.006-06:00

Last week I found one of the prettiest crochet stiches on Pinterest. I decided to try and teach myself by watching this video...

Here is how it turned out:

I started out crocheting onto a small knitting needle and did nto like the look of the stitch. I think the hardest part is trying to figure out how to hold the knitting needle while crocheting.

The pattern calls for a bigger knitting needle but this was as big as I had. I still think the stitch turned out pretty, but want to try it with a bigger needle next time.

I ended up making a bracelet for Kerry's birthday!

Not gonna lie, I wanted to keep it for myself! Maybe she will let me borrow it sometime!
XOXO
Amber

Evil Dead: The Musical

2011-11-02T19:46:00.004-05:00

Halloween night we spent it in the blood zone of Evil Dead: The Musical. It was an amazing show and hand downs one of the best ways to celebrate Halloween!

I ended up with the most blood on me!! Just a little splash! Ha!

The songs are so funny in this show! I think I need the soundtrack! If you ever have a chance to see this on stage...Go!!! You won't be disappointed!
How did you celebrate Halloween??
XOXO
Amber

Happy Birthday Kerry!

2011-11-01T19:08:00.003-05:00

Today my cousin and dear friend Kerry turns 29....again!!!

Thank you for...
*always making me laugh
*being an amazing Kubb partner
*exposing me to some great music
*being an amazing thrifting buddy
*having the cutest baby in the world!!
*always being there for me!

I love you and hope you have an amazing day! Let's celebrate together soon!!!
XOXO
Amber

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T18:42:00.008-05:00

This year Two Poots dressed up as "Birds of Prey"...

I was an owl and Poot was a bald eagle!

Here are some pictures from our Halloween Party on Saturday!

Happy Halloween! As you can see lots of laughs were had!!Oh my!! My brothers mask was a big hit!
We are off to see Evil Dead: The Musical...we have seats in the blood splash zone! Sweet!!!
XOXO
Amber

Party Prep...

2011-10-30T18:48:00.007-05:00

On Friday we had a nice evening eating yummy soup and making Poot Manor spooky for our Halloween Party on Saturday!

**Bloody Towel for the bathroom...check!

**Cute Frankenstein Chandlier inspired by Becky...check!

**Cutest baby in the world???...check!

**Spooky carved pumpkins...check!

**Vampire bitten cupcakes...check!

Thanks to Pintrest we had one spooktacular party! I will be back to post pictures of all the costumes tomorrow! Did you attend a Halloween party this weekend? Did you dress up? I would love to hear how you celebrated! Halloween is quickly becoming my favorite holiday! I am sad that it is almost over!
XOXO
Amber

Weekend Fall Fun!!

2011-10-24T21:24:00.015-05:00

This past weekend was so beautiful, allowing us to enjoy some of our favorite Fall activties. Friday night, we headed out after dark to the Liberty Corn Maze.
Here is an ariel view of what the maze actually looks like...

It is huge and a little freaky in the dark!

After we completed half of the maze I wanted to try and take some celebration pictures of us jumping for joy! They didn't turn out very well...Lol!

Look at all that dust! No wonder my allergies were so bad the rest of the weekend!

Saturday we did a little country driving and stopped to enjoy some of our favorite Cherry Wine and the weather.

Sunday Poot did some yard work and I did some crafting!

We lost a huge tree during a storm over the summer and Poot starting chopping it up for firewood!! Yay!

I worked on my halloween costume and of course crocheted!

What did you do this past weekend?
XOXO
Amber

Baby It's Cold Inside...

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

What do you need on that first night of cold winter like weather and you refuse to turn on your heat??

Warm Flannel Pj's

Lots of blankets!!

A Roaring Fire

A kitty to snuggle with!

And of course some Hot Apple Cider and Donuts!

Yep... I think we are prepared for winter!
XOXO
Amber

Candy Corn Yarn Trees DIY

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Supplies Needed:
*Orange, Yellow, and White Yarn
*Several foam trees in different sizes
*Push pins
*Scissors

1. Start with the orange yarn and pin to the bottom of the tree with a push pin.

(I put several pins around the bottom of the first strand of yarn to hold it in place securely)

2. Wrap yarn securely around until the desired height. I was not prescise when wrapping the yarn around the tree. Just make sure to cover the foam up so you can't see it peeking through. When you are ready to start with the yellow yarn, pin down the orange yarn and cut.

3. Repeat with the yellow yarn and then the white.

4. To finish off the top of the tree I just swirled the white yarn around to cover the foam and pinned in several areas.

Easy peasey!!! I hope you enjoy!! I think the best part is that since you are just pinning the yarn on, you can change them out for the seasons with different color schemes!

XOXO
Amber

Fall is for Crocheting

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

It seems that once the weather cools off I could spend all day with yarn and hook in hand.
This past weekend I made a cowl with my fancy yarn that I purchased from Renegade.

And a new hat...

I even started on some Christmas gifts! Now if I could only figure out a way to get paid to crochet all day!
XOXO
Amber

Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

One food that I have missed immensely since going on my gluten free diet was Apple Cider Donuts! We use to always go to the apple orchard each fall just so we could have some fresh cider donuts! Well...we decided to try a go with making some gluten free! We modified a recipe that I found here.

Gluten Free Apple Cider Pumpkin Donuts
2 cups of Pamela's Gluten Free Pancake Baking Mix
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps cinnamon
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
3 tbsps organic canola oil

Directions:
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat pan with nonstick spray or oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

*In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together egg, brown sugar, pumpkin, maple syrup, cider, yogurt, and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide half of the batter among the cavities of the prepared pans. Don't fill them to the top or your donuts will lose their holes. (we did this but oh well!)

*Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched lightly. Turn pan upsided down onto a cooling rack to cool.

*Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

*Enjoy with a cup of hot apple cider.

XOXO
Amber

American Horror Story

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else watching this?? It is so haunting and engrossing! Plus the cast is amazing!

I really hope that it has a long run. It always seems that the shows Poot and I end up loving get cancelled!

What new Fall show(s) are you loving??
XOXO
Amber

Eureka Springs Fall Getaway

2011-10-16T18:35:00.013-05:00

Over Poot's Fall Break from school we always like to get away for a long weekend. Eureka Springs, Arkansas seems to be our destination of choice and will become an annual trip. This year my parents and several friends joined us! We had a blast. Here are some pictures from our getaway...

We went on the Crescent Hotel's Ghost tour which was spooky and so interesting!

Do you see the ghost of our friend Patrick in the last picture?

My favorite part of the day was just all of us hanging out back at our cabins...

When we weren't relaxing at the cabin, we were browsing the shops downtown,eating, and being pampered at the Palace Bath House!

Our drive home was so pretty and of course we had to stop and have dinner at Lambert's!

I am ready to plan our next Fall trip to Eureka!
XOXO
Amber

Hello there!!!

2011-10-13T19:00:00.005-05:00

I have been so out of the loop with things "online" lately! I miss everyone and I hope that things are going to start slowing down and I can get back into a normal routine! The only thing I have been doing is Instagraming! It is seriously addicting and Poot is always teasing me about it! Lol!

So what have I been up to lately??
Hmmm....

*Work...blah! It has been insanely busy and I am exhausted when I get home. Like brain dead tired!

*I have been sticking to my gym routine! 5:30am hasn't actually been too bad. Plus it feels so good to have it out of the way.

*Crocheting up some new projects!

We also spent a fabulous long weekend in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I will make sure to post some pictures of our trip tomorrow. We love this town so much! It is a small little artsy town nestled into the Ozark Mountains. It has become our favorite little fall getaway.

Do you feel like you have been out of the blog loop lately??
XOXO
Amber

Tuneful Tuesday... Incubus

2011-10-04T20:12:00.003-05:00

I have loved Incubus for years! I don't think I will ever tire of seeing them live and I always have their music on my playlist! And well lets face it... Brandon Boyd is pretty easy on the eyes!!

I think this song will always be my favorite of theirs:

This one is a close second:

They recently released their new album If not now,when?,and I have read a lot of criticism about it, but of course had to get it! I understand that some are upset because the album is alot softer and doesn't sound like their old stuff, but I love it! It is different and I love to see them branching out in new directions. Don't get me wrong though their older albums Make Yourself and Morning View will always be in my top 10 albums!

But the title track to their new album is beautiful...

I highly recommend downloading the album today! What have you been listening to lately??
XOXO
Amber

It starts today...

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have been struggling with getting into a regular work out routine. I always seem to find an excuse in the book to not make it to the gym after work. So I have decided to go a different route and try getting up a little earlier to hit the gym before I head to work. Now let just get one thing out in the open.... I am not a morning person.

I am ready for a change though. I really think that getting into this new routine will help me:
*deal with stress better at work
*get to work on time (Hello!!! that is a big one...LOL)
*get more sleep
*lose weight
*have some "me" time

I know if I can make it past the two week mark it will hopefully become a little easier! Plus with my new Iphone I can watch my Netflix while I am on the elliptical! I am gonna rewatch Felicity!!

I would love to hear any tips or tricks to getting this routine to stick. I posted the above calendar on our bathroom door to motivate me! But any other words of advice would be great!

XOXO
Amber

Fall is here...Hooray!!

2011-10-02T20:35:00.008-05:00

This past weekend Poot and I celebrated Fall by heading up to our favorite little town, Weston, MO. They were having their annual Apple Fest. It was too crowded for us, so we decided to do a little country driving instead. We also stopped at a local pumpkin patch to have some apple cider slushies! Yum!

I also did a little decorating around Poot Manor...

This past week:
I finally had my first Pumpkin Spiced Latte of the season...

I wore lots of tights and boots...

Celebrated Oliver's 1st birthday...

And I got a cute new Black Kitty Iphone case for my new Iphone 4!!

Great way to start off the Fall Season! How have you been celebrating this beautiful Fall season??
XOXO
Amber

Craft Night

2011-09-19T20:08:00.009-05:00

Every other week I get together with my mom and my aunt and spend an evening crocheting! I have learned so much from these amazing ladies over the last year and always look forward to our nights of crafting,snacking, and talking!

Here are some pics from our last Craft Night!!

My Aunt finished these adorable granny square tops for her granddaughter! Now I want one in my size!!

My mom is working on a huge floral pillow! I can't wait to see it when it is complete. The colors are so fun!!

I found out what I would do for a Klondike Bar!!

I will stop crocheting for one!! **Gasp** I can't say what I am working on right now because it is for a certain little guy that turns 1 on Wednesday!!

Also I forgot to post a picture of the afghan I made for Lindsay and Kyle's wedding!

With the Fall chill in the air all I dream about doing during the day is crocheting. I have a list a mile long of projects I want to start! What have you been crafting lately??
XOXO
Amber

Riding the Rails to Chicago...

2011-09-18T20:51:00.012-05:00

Last weekend,Becky and I took the train from Kansas City to Chicago to attend the Renegade Craft Fair! Becky and I became pals via our blogs a couple of years ago and then met up when Poot and I went to Florida on vacation. We instantly became friends and pretty much talk everyday:) She is seriously one of the sweetest gals I know and I soooo wish we lived closer!!

Neither of us had ever traveled by train, so we really didn't know what to expect. Well....we LOVED it and can't wait to do it again next year!! We spent almost 19 hours total traveling and talked/crocheted non-stop!!

Renegade was awesome and we meet so many talented artists and shopped until we literally couldn't shop anymore!!

My favorite thing I came home with was this beautiful necklace from Yellow Grey. It is made from sea urchins!!

Before we headed home on Sunday we did some shopping on Michigan Avenue and saw The Bean!!

We were stoked when we saw we would be traveling home on a double decker train that had a viewing cart and a dining cart! We arrived back to Kansas City in style!!

Hands down this was the best girls trip ever!!! I can't wait to visit Becky soon...because I already miss her!!
XOXO
Amber

I am so stoked!!!

2011-09-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today I will get to see the face in person...

Tomorrow we are taking the train to Chicago to attend...

We plan on crocheting the whole way there and then of course doing some major craft shopping all weekend!!
Are you going to Renegade in Chicago this year?? If so let me know! We would love to meet up with you!
XOXO
Amber

Weekend Wedding

2011-09-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend we went to a family wedding! It was such a sweet little ceremony at the most beautiful farm house right next to a river!

It was the perfect backdrop for their day!

Doesn't Kerry look like a retro pinup girl?? She looked so pretty!!

Poot and I had a blast with their little photobooth corner...

Congratulations Lindsay and Kyle!!!
XOXO
Amber

Tuneful Tuesday...Lukas Nelson

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

We heard Lukas Nelson for the first time at Farm Aid this year. He blew us away with his voice and his guitar skills! Honestly, he was my favorite act for the entire day! Of course you might of heard of his dad Willie Nelson??? Here are a couple of my favorites...

And just because I love Willie and this cover he did sooo much I thought I would share this song too...

Enjoy!!
XOXO
Amber

Sock Bun Fun!!!

2011-09-05T19:19:00.005-05:00

I have a lot of talk recently about this so called "sock bun". Last week when I was over at my moms recouping from my root canal, she pulled up this video...

I was pretty skeptical, but thought I should at least give it a try!!

Since this bun is really high on your head it is super comfy to sleep on! It was actually better for me since I usually get tangled in my hair at night! Ha!
Here were my results the next morning...

I have done this three times now and it has worked every time! I am sold!! I am so excited to finally find a quick, simple, and healthy way to curl my hair! I will be rocking the sock bun curls for months to come I think!I am not one that likes to spend any time on my hair, which is why it is usually up in braids!

XOXO
Amber

Around Poot Manor...

2011-09-01T18:47:00.008-05:00

They say things come in waves of three...and boy do I hope "they" are right. I have been busy this week with the news of 1. Needing a new roof 2. needing a new transmission in my Jetta and 3. a root canal!!

In order to not get too down I have been doing some of the following:

**Made gluten free ice cream cookie sandwiches!**

**Finished my Two Peas in Love afghan**

**Found a new home for some succulents. I also put my dad's old radio out on display. He use to hide this radio under his pillow when he was little so he could listen to baseball games.**

**Starting reading the Sookie Stackhouse books and I am hooked! I read the first one in 4 days, which is not like me**
**Got my hair cut. Poot kept sneaking in my pictures of my new haircut...so silly**

**Painted my nails a new pretty teal blue and of course topped it off with some glitter!**

What have you been up to this week? I so glad tomorrow is Friday and we get a long weekend!
XOXO
Amber

Tuneful Thursday...Matt Nathanson

2011-08-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

I recently started listening to Matt Nathanson when I found his most recent album on Amazon for $5! I pretty much have been listening to it since then nonstop!

Here are a couple of my favorites...

Enjoy!!!
XOXO
Amber

Pintrest/Crochet Love!!

2011-08-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

Fall is just around the corner and I always find myself dreaming about crocheting. Not that I ever stopped crocheting over the summer, but there is something about fall and yarn that just go together!

I found some amazing eyecandy the other day on Pintrest and thought I would share...

**All Images found via Pintrest**
I think I need pretty much need all those crocheted clothes! Wow they are breathtaking! Maybe I will branch out a little more with my crocheting this Fall and attempt an article of clothing.

Have you tried crocheting clothing before? If so any tips??
XOXO
Amber

Stella & Dot

2011-08-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

A few months ago I saw this necklace and fell in love! I found out it was from a company called Stella and Dot. I just so happen to have a friend that works for Stella and Dot and I have the honor of hosting a party this Wednesday!! I can not wait! There are so many beautiful pieces that I want!

I wanted to extend my invitation to my readers so that you too can check out their adorable collection. All you have to do is go here to browse. If you see something you just have to have...and I am pretty sure you will...you can order right there and it will be shipped directly to your home. All I ask is that you please put my name, Amber Cox, in as the hostess of the party!

If you do purchase something, please post a comment here so I can see what you picked!

XOXO
Amber

Farm Aid 2011

2011-08-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

When I heard that Farm Aid was going to be held in Kansas City this year I knew that Poot and I needed to go! Then when I saw the line up I was sold!! You can't have a bad concert with Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, John Cougar, Neil Young, and Willie Nelson. It was held at the brand new Livestrong Soccer Stadium and a great venue! We didn't have close seats,but we still enjoyed the day!

Instead of your typical "junk" food they had local vendors and all organic food. There was also several interactive tents set up to browse through in between sets.

**I picked up some pretty sweet temp tattoos!**

It was such a good show and Two Poots agreed that of all the acts our favorite was Lukas Nelson, Willie's son! He sounded just like Willie except more rock-n-roll. If you haven't listened to his music, you should check it out!

XOXO
Amber

Silly T's and Moustache Party!!!

2011-08-21T15:51:00.006-05:00

For Scott's birthday this year I decided to go with a theme! We both love buying silly t's and I have a small obsession with faux moustaches,so I thought it was only necessary that we have everyone show up in both to celebrate!! We were also sending our dear friend Jeremy off to grad school in Pittsburg, PA and we needed to do that in style!

Here are some of favorite pics from the night...

Scott and I wore lovely matching wolf t's from Wal-Mart (sadly they had so many awesome t's to choose from) and we were so excited to see someone else with such good taste!

It was such a great night! I made moustache chocolate moustache "pops" for everyone to take home along with a kitty cat wearing a moustache pin!

XOXO
Amber

Willie and The Boys...

2011-08-13T10:49:00.003-05:00

Today we will be spending our day here...

I have been pumped all week! Nothing like hanging with these guys...

Not too shabby if you ask me!

XOXO
Amber

Save the tomatoes!!!

2011-08-04T19:19:00.002-05:00

Tonight Poot was looking out the window at our little garden while doing the dishes (He is such a good husband),and he started screaming "Squirrel!Squirrel!Tomato!Squirrel!" I came rushing into the kitchen to see him pointing and trying to form a complete sentence and he finally spit out "Go get HIM!!"

I ran out our backdoor to find a squirrel carrying an almost ripe purple heirloom tomato away in his mouth. I threw my hands up in the air and charged towards him screaming for him to "Drop it NOW!". He seemed to understand me...dropping it very quickly and scampering away!

With the scorching heat this summer, our tomatoes are pretty much the only crop we have remaining, and we are NOT going to have it destroyed by squirrels! Ha...we showed him! Hopefully he went back to his family and told them "You know those tomatoes really aren't worth it and those people are crazy! Let's head down the street where they have a huge crop growing!"

If nothing else I am sure our neighbors got a good laugh!

XOXO
Amber

Happy Birthday Poot!!

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Big Poots birthday!!! And to celebrate we are going to endure the extremely intense hot weather and go to a local water park!! I hope it is as exciting as seeing a Bald Eagle!!

Poot... Thanks for being the man of my dreams!! You truely are the jelly to my peanut butter! Words can not express how much it means to me that I get to wake up with you by my side every day! I love you!

Happy Birthday!!
And just because this picture makes me smile...

This was us on our Senior Trip in High School! Who knew that we would someday be husband and wife??
XOXO
Amber

Crocheted Apron Giveaway...

2011-08-01T19:41:00.003-05:00

In July I was a sponsor on one my favorite blogs ever!! Laura of Violet Bella is such an amazing artist and a true sweetheart!

I made a crocheted apron to giveaway on her blog...

To enter all you have to do is go here and follow the simple instructiosn!! While you are there make sure to say "Hi!" to Laura too!
XOXO
Amber

Pesto, Peaches, Preserves...Oh my!!

2011-08-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

We picked up tons of peaches last week so we could preserve them for the winter! We were able to freeze six bags by using this method.

Who needs a vac machine when you have your husband, a straw, and ziploc baggies??

Poot also made the most amazing peach jam I have ever tasted! It made so much that we should have enough until the next peach season!

We also needed to do something with the massive amounts of basil that we had growing in our garden. We decided to make and freeze sun dried tomato basil pesto and regular basil pesto.

Poot Manor sits on three acres and this year we discovered that where our yard meets up with the woods are hundreds of wild raspberry bushes growing! Most of them have been eaten by the birds, but we were able to grab enough to make some Black Raspberry, Thyme, Lemon Jam. I love toast and jam for breakfast and won't have to buy any for a long time!

(These are our wild raspberries!)

I can't wait to enjoy the fresh taste of summer all year long!
XOXO
Amber

We heart Harry Potter!!

2011-07-31T20:20:00.004-05:00

Last week we finally saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 3D and it was amazing. As soon as it ended I was ready to watch it again! I made sure to wear my new Johnny Cupcakes Harry tshirt!! (His scar glows in the dark!!!)

Have you seen it yet??? I hadn't made it through all the books yet so I had no idea how it ended and it gave me good closure!It left me feeling sad that it was over though. Now I definitely need to read them!!

XOXO
Amber

A Peachy Escape...

2011-07-26T18:08:00.012-05:00

This weekend we were able to do a quick day trip to Waverly, MO to pick up a couple bushels of our favorite peaches! These peaches are the sweetest around and taste too good to be true. We always buy extras to freeze for peach cobbler throughout the winter, and this year I am going to try canning some also! Despite the 100 plus degree heat we picked up some peaches and of course stopped at a couple of wineries! It was indeed a peachy escape!

**Mixed cds are a must for long country drives!**

The best thing about getting peaches is that some of our favorite wineries are nearby! Missouri has some of the best wineries around...well we think so anyway!

Oh...I almost forgot! We saw two of the cutest baby raccoons out in the country.

It was the perfect little day trip!
XOXO
Amber

Gluten Free Soft Pretzels

2011-07-25T17:28:00.006-05:00

I think the last time I ate a soft pretzels was almost 7 years ago! They have always been one of my favorite snacks but I had given up even thinking about them since I found out I was allergic to gluten. Well, for some reason this weekend I was determined to try making some! I searched the internet and found a pretty simple recipe here.

They turned out amazing and didn't really take too long to make!

My favorite part was dropping them in the boiling water and baking soda before baking them!

We ended up making half with cinnamon and sugar and the other half with salt and fresh parmesan cheese!! Needless to say they are all gone!

I told Poot I was going to make them every week, but I think I would have to buy myself a whole new wardrobe!!

Have you tried making homemade pretzels?? I can't wait to try different toppings next time!

XOXO
Amber

A Camping Adventure...

2011-07-19T22:29:00.008-05:00

For our anniversary we headed to Eminence, MO to camp and tube the Jack's Fork river!! We had a blast and can't wait to go back. This little town is filled with beautiful springs and rivers to explore and we just didn't have enough time to take it all in. Minus losing our keys in the river and having to have a locksmith drive 3 hours to make us a new one,it was perfect!!

I have never seen water this blue!

And we finally got to see the famous Alley Spring Mill which is typically the picture they use in calendars to represent Missouri.

We ended our trip by stopping by Laura Ingalls Wilder's home and having dinner at Lamberts!

I can't think of a better way to celebrate two years of marriage than this!!
XOXO
Amber

A Magical Day...

2011-07-15T12:16:00.002-05:00

Today is a pretty magical day around Kansas City! Do you want to know why???

Because....

Trader Joe's finally opens!! I think we will try and fight the crowd sometime this weekend!

And...

Harry of course!!! Although I think we will wait until the middle of next week to go see this and maybe the crowds will lighten a little! Do you have plans to see it tonight? Or did you maybe see a midnight showing?? I did a midnight showing once of the last Batman and I was sooo tired at work the next day. I am too old to do that I think!

Well, whether you spend your weekend with Harry or Joe I hope it is a magical one!
XOXO
Amber

Happy Anniversary!!

2011-07-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today I married the man of my dreams! Thank you Poot:

*for loving the open road
*always opening the door for me
*cooking me the most amazing meals
*for believing in me
*for always making me laugh
*serenading me every day
*wanting to spend your life with me!!

I love you heaps!!
XOXO
Amber

Tuneful Thursday...Ray Lamontagne

2011-07-07T22:30:00.004-05:00

Last month we were lucky enough to see Ray Lamontagne live. I don't think I have ever been to a show where I think the artist sounds even better live. His voice blew me away!! Needless to say ever since that show he has been on constant repeat on my ipod.

Here are a couple of shots we snapped at the show. It was was the first time I had ever seen an artist stand off to the side of the stage and have his band front and center. By the end of the show we had snuck down to the front!!

Here are a couple of my favorite songs...Honestly, I don't think he has a bad one.

This last song he closed his show with and I don't think I heard one sound from the crowd! Everyone was mesmorized by his performance. His voice gives me chills everytime I hear it!

What have you been listening to lately?
XOXO
Amber

Where there is water, we will follow...

2011-07-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

Our vacation through Texas and Oklahoma ended up being centered around water because it was so hot! Here are all the watering holes we found:

Krause Springs

We loved:
*the fern covered cave that you could swim back into
*the rope swing
*a secret waterfall that we found by hiking
*delicious snowcones!!
It made me want to move to Texas right away so I could visit it every weekend.

Barton Springs

We loved:
*that it's a constant 68 degrees...brrr
*that it was a life saver for us after our car air conditioner stopped working
*that it is right in the middle of downtown Austin

Medicine Park Bath Lake

We loved:
*how beautiful this small cobblestone town was
*that this lake was smack dab in the middle of town
*that it was the only cool spot in Medicine Park, Oklahoma(it was 115 degrees while we were there)
*super cheap!! only $2 per person! Woot woot!

We also made sure to hit up Schlitterbaun Water Park in New Braunfels...

and we floated the Guadalupe River there also, but I didn't take my camera along. This was the only picture I snapped after we were done floating.

We got addicted and will be floating in Eminence, MO to celebrate our two year wedding anniversary! I can't wait!

XOXO
Amber

Our 4th of July Weekend...

2011-07-05T19:07:00.011-05:00

Our weekend was perfect! We got to spend it with our friends and family, ate lots of delicious and fattening foods, saw pretty fireworks, and laughed alot!! It all started with my brother finally arriving home from Spain!! We hadn't seen him since last September and I was ready to see his face in the flesh not on a computer screen!

We hosted the first annual "Cox Fest" at our house. Since we have almost three acres we had several people camp out, enjoyed a bonfire, and stayed up into the wee hours of Sunday morning!

I had seen a news segment on planking this past week and couldn't stop talking about it. I decided to give it try myself...not as impressive as some of the planking I have seen, but of course I knew that it could be dangerous thanks to the news report!

Have any of you planked before?

Sunday we went up to our hometown to a bbq and fireworks fiesta! We were served so much delicous fried food. I had never heard of deep fried bacon before let me just tell you it is delicious!!! They also had homemade french fries, hush puppies, and fresh trout all fried to perfection for our taste buds!!

Kerry and I got special "Mickey" tshirts in honor of Becky, plus we just thought they were too funny to pass up!

I also got in lots of Oliver snuggles...

We even managed to have a little downtime until the next round of fireworks on Monday! I finished my book and started a new afghan!

It was all ended by cuddling on a blanket and enjoying the final fireworks for the holiday!

How was your 4th of July weekend?
XOXO
Amber

52 Lists/ List 2: What I have learned traveling...

2011-06-29T21:36:00.011-05:00

Since we have been on vacation I got a little behind on Kellie's 52 Weeks/52 List Project. List 2 couldn't come at a better time since it is all about travel.

List 2: What have I learned from traveling?

1. There is nothing better than the open road, mixed cds, and the wind in my hair. Scott and I prefer driving to flying. While I do love to fly, I have learned that going through small towns usually hold the best kept secrets!
Here are some of finds on our roadtrip through Texas and Oklahoma last week:

The Gristmill Restaraunt in Gruene, Texas served some of the best food on our trip!

Pops in Arcadia, Oklahoma house over 600 flavors of soda!

This adorable whale was found in Catoosa, Oklahoma.

2. VRBO is the only way to go when trying to find a cheap and unique place to stay while traveling. We have used this site for almost every trip we have taken. We have not stayed in a bad place yet and have met some amazing owners too!!

3. Visiting National Parks can keep you entertained for hours! We spent almost an entire day exploring the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Take a look at what we saw:

4. Always ask the locals where to eat. They will always lead you to the best places. We try to avoid most chain restaraunts while traveling since we can eat there anytime back home. We had lunch at Meers,home of the best burger in Oklahoma. In fact the Food Network voted it the third best in the US! 100% grass fed local longhorn beef=heaven on a plate!!

(That is a giant bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream!!)I really wish I could eat there everyweek!!

5. Overall I have learned that traveling renews my soul. I don't ever want to stop discovering what this world has to offer. Thank goodness Poot feels the same way!

What has traveling taught you?
XOXO
Amber

Our Vacation is Over...

2011-06-28T21:30:00.003-05:00

I have been mia around Hoot-n-Annie recently, because we were in Texas and Oklahoma on our summer vacation. We arrived safely back to Poot Manor last night and will be posting lots of pics over the next few days. We visited so many beautiful place over the past week. I can definitely say that I am missing the water!!

I am off to unpack and get back to reality...that pile of mail is calling my name!

XOXO
Amber

Howdy Partner!!!

2011-06-16T17:36:00.005-05:00

I am so blessed to have such a fun loving hubby! He can have fun no matter where he is at. Who knew that browsing a Western Wear store could be so entertaining? Bring my husband along and you are sure to laugh until you have side stitches.
As a child, Scott, was an avid Country Music fan. He could be seen wearing the latest concert tshirt of Reba McIntire, Ricky Van Shelton, or Kenny Rogers most days. To prove that he still had a little "country" in him, he decided to model several cowboy hats.

Now...last week Chelsey requested a picture of Scott in a straw hat while working in our yard. While we do actually own a big straw hat, I haven't been able to capture Scott mowing in it yet. So in the mean time Chelsey...I hope these will do!

And to show my husband how much bigger his head was than mine, I decided to try on the size that fit him best...

It was a little on the big side!

There is never a dull moment and I wouldn't want it any other way! Thanks Poot for always filling my days with love and laughter!
XOXO
Amber

Summertime

2011-06-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about summer is laying outside and reading. I wish I was able to do it everyday! Since Poot and I have almost three acres we love heading down to our backyard to relax and read a little.

Babakeenya enjoys lounging with us too!

What are some of your favorite summertime activities??
XOXO
Amber

Backyard Gardening At Poot Manor

2011-06-09T21:40:00.011-05:00

This summer we were determined to really be dedicated to our gardening. We spent months drawing up our garden plans and researching the best ways to do it organically. Every night we come home from work and are outside until the sun goes down. Here is a glimpse of some of our progress around Poot Manor...

We have had soooo many sweet strawberries...

Lots of wine is consumed around here, so we recycle the bottles by lining our flower beds with them!

My mother-in-law bought Poot four fruit trees for his birthday. We got two cherry trees, a peach tree, and an apricot tree!

We started a new garden bed where we planted corn, watermelon, summer squash, and zucchini! The great thing is that we actually had all the fencing that was left here from the previous home owners! Yes!!

And of course I have planted a few more succulents! I just can't get enough!!

Our front yard flower beds are filling in nicely too! I love walking around seeing how much every thing has grown.

I think we are finally able to sit back and look at the fruits of our labors!!!
Are you gardening this year? What are you looking forward to eating the most?? I think mine will be our watermelon!!!
XOXO
Amber

Owlet Vintage Shop Update..

2011-06-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

More goodies have been added to the shop.

XOXO
Amber

Tuneful Tuesday: Angus & Julia Stone

2011-06-07T22:48:00.003-05:00

Today's tunes are brought to you by Angus and Julia Stone. They are a brother and sister duo from New South Wales, Australia,and perfect for a lazy Saturday morning!

I have had these songs on heavy rotation lately...

What are you listening to these days?
XOXO
Amber

52 Lists in 52 Weeks/ Week 1...

2011-06-05T22:15:00.006-05:00

Kellie from Get's The Word Out is doing a fun little project over on her blog! I decided to play along because I too LOVE lists! So if you like lists, you should join in on the fun. You can get the scoop here.

Today I....

**made a healthy breakfast

**did lots of weeding in our garden

**almost finished reading my book

**ate some homemade icecream and caught Poot going back for seconds!

**caught up on the Bachelorette (a quilty pleasure of mine!!)

**worked on a fancy dishcloth for a good friend:)

What did you do today?? If you decide to play along leave me link to your lists in the comments!
XOXO
Amber

More Owlet Vintage Goodness

2011-06-01T21:21:00.003-05:00

I listed a few new items tonight in the shop. Here is a little sneak peek...

I love wearing vintage dresses during the Summer months. If you do to,and see something you love...grab it now before it is gone!!!
XOXO
Amber

Weekend Thrifting

2011-05-31T22:01:00.013-05:00

This past weekend my parents treated us to a quick weekend getaway for a little thrifting. We woke up early Friday and headed to Wichita, KS for the night. We made sure to stop off for some lunch in the cute little town of Peabody, KS.

These chairs were just hanging out on the sidewalk outside of the town diner, and I wanted to take them home with me so bad! I was good though!

With such a long car ride, Mom and I of course packed some crocheting to keep us entertained. I worked on a shrug for myself...

And mom worked on the most adorable granny square apron...

Once we checked into our hotel, we were off hitting as many antique stores that we could! One of my favorite things to do while thrifting is of course taking some silly pictures...

We even took a normal one ...

Wichita has some amazing antique shops and we will definitely be heading back soon. We didn't come back with too much. We started a collection of vintage children's books for our future lil' poot.

One of the main things I was looking for on this trip was a plant stand. I had seen a picutre of a vintage one recently that I was hoping to come across. We searched for almost two hours and only made it half way through one antique shop and I didn't really see any in the style I wanted. We decided we would head back the next morning and to go through the rest of the shop. On our way out, we came across the exact plant stand I had in mind!!! And it was 10% off of an already super cheap price. Needless to say I was extremely happy!

I promptly came home and put all my pretty flowers on display! Now I smile everytime I walk out my front door!

Thanks Mom and Dad for a fun little getaway! We had a blast! Love you bunches!
XOXO
Amber

Celebration At The Station...

2011-05-30T21:26:00.009-05:00

We have made it an annual tradition to celebrate Memorial Day with friends at Union Station. It is Kansas City's 9th year to host this free event and we always have such an amazing time. We pack a cooler full of delicious food and sit back and enjoy the Kansas City Symphony with fireworks!

Scott, Jeremy, and Oliver were our entertainment when there were breaks in the evening.

The fireworks are my favorite part of the night...along with Poot serenading me with God Bless America.

We decided to dance to Katy Perry's Firework for Oliver before we headed home. He was NOT impressed...in fact I think he was kind of embarrassed. Ha!

Happy Memorial Day!! Hope you were able to relax and enjoy some time with your friends and family!
XOXO
Amber

Summer Reading List...

2011-05-18T12:35:00.003-05:00

Summer to me always means reading lots of books! I recently became hooked on a new website Good Reads. I love love love this website! If you love to read than you should definitely join! If you do look me up! I would love to be friends on there!

Here is a list of the books I hope to read over the upcoming Summer months:

And I won a free copy of this book on Goodreads! They have tons of giveaways!

What is on your reading list?
XOXO
Amber

The ABC's of Me!

2011-05-17T13:00:00.001-05:00

I decided to play along with Becky and Olivia and share some facts about myself. If you decide to join in leave me a comment so I can read your list!

Age: 34
B. Bed size: King
C. Chore that you hate: cleaning the bathroom
D. Dogs: none...but my parents have two Annie and Jersey and I love them like they are my own.
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee!!! and a kiss from my Poot:)
F. Favorite color: mustard yellow
G. Gold or Silver: silver
H. Height: 5'2"
I. Instruments you play: None
J. Job title: Office Assistant
K. Kids: none...yet:)but hopefully we will have a little Poot someday
L. Live: Missouri
M. Mother's name: Cathie
N. Nicknames: Poot, Lil Poot, Pootie, Bersie,Raquel
O. Overnight hospital stays: None... I have been very lucky!
P. Pet peeve: snoring
Q. Quote from a movie: "I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!"
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: Eric who is 27
T. Time you wake up: 6:45 or 7:00am on the weekdays
U. Underwear: yep... I wear them:)
V. Vegetable you hate: cucumbers...and that is seriously the only one I hate!
W. What makes you run late: my snooze button! which I hit at least 5 times every morning! I am NOT a morning person.
X. X-Rays you've had: I had my kidney's scanned does that count?
Y. Yummy food that you make: Roast and Potatoes, gluten free pizza
Z. Zoo animal: Elephants

Our Weekend Adventures...

2011-05-16T22:13:00.011-05:00

I knew the weekend was heading in the right direction when I came home to find these waiting for me on my doorstep Friday afternoon!

Friday night we attended Scott's theatre department banquet to celebrate the end of the school year! We ate lots of food and then headed to a party that had a bounce house! Yes a bounce house!

Scott and I have been walking around 3 hilly miles nightly and that still did not prepare us for the bouncing! That thing wore us out in less than 5 minutes. Ha!

I wish I would of taken a picture of my entire outfit, but the heels were the best part! I did take them off when I bounced.

Saturday was soooo cold but we braved the weather and went to the farmers market. Our tomato seeds really didn't take off like we had wanted so we went to pick up several tomato plants and some local honey.

We treated ourself to a little lunch at Lulu's after our cold shopping adventure.

That night Scott headed to a retirement party for a fellow professor, I stayed home and relaxed!

Sunday we did a little yard work and I hit the gym!

It was such a nice weekend!!
XOXO
Amber

Owlet Vintage Shop Update!

2011-05-10T22:40:00.003-05:00

I will be adding a lot of beauties this week in my Etsy Shop. This evening I added some of my favorite dresses...they are really hard to part with! Ha!

I think they are just perfect for the upcoming Summer season!
XOXO
Amber

Jewelry Crush....

2011-05-10T17:09:00.008-05:00

I recently happened upon a couple of websites that carry some pretty stellar jewelry! I have been looking for a simple, delicate, and shorter chained necklace for some time and this necklace is perfection:

You can find it here from Stella & Dot.

Kris Nations has so many pieces I want it is hard to choose.

**I want this because Arkansas is where we got engaged and married. Plus, I love how it spaced out to look like ar-kan-sas!**Ha!

**I need to get this one for my dear friend Becky. You can get these in any state and they are made from recycled metal!!

I don't typically wear alot of gold tone jewelry but these have really made me change my mind!
XOXO
Amber

Snippets Around Poot Manor...

2011-05-04T19:37:00.010-05:00

I have been trying to document some of the "little" things here around Poot Manor and I thought I would share them with you!

**I planted some new pretty flowers and some herbs!**

**The current state of our living room. You can definitely tell that a crocheter and PhD student reside here**

**Poot very excited about using a tiller. We were able to borrow one from a friend for the week to help spruce up our little garden!**

**Trying out some new recipes from my Sugar Free & Gluten Free Cookbook!**

**Finally framed and hung up some new prints and embroideries**

**Starting a new shrug for ME!! and I have been my favorite owl earrings ALOT!**

**And of course I have to share some cute pictures of our cats...being lazy of course!**

XOXO
Amber

Tuneful Tuesday...Alexander!!

2011-05-03T20:55:00.003-05:00

One thing I do remember doing last week was downloading some new music. I love listening to music on Amazon. They always have great daily deals in their MP3 store. Last week I found this albumfor only $5!!!

You might of heard of Alexander Ebert if you follow the band Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. He is their lead singer. This album is his first major solo release and I can honestly say I love every single song.

I recently read that he plays every instrument on this album, even the violin which he had never played before. When I told Poot this he said "Alexander Ebert is my new hero!" I think he might of been mocking me! LOL!

Take a listen for yourself and let me know what you think! This is my favorite song on the album:

What is your favorite music for the summer?? I always seem to have certain bands for certain seasons! I would love to hear if you do the same thing!
XOXO
Amber

Spring Goal #3

2011-05-02T20:20:00.008-05:00

Wow...where did last week go? I seriously don't even know what I did, but I know I missed blogging! I am determined to get our Spring Goals up this week!

Last year Poot and I put in a square foot garden. We kind of just dove right in without doing to much research and learned some great tips along the way. This year we were determined to set some time aside to draw out or plans and start some seedlings indoors.

Here is a look at our garden plans...

The weather is finally started to cooperate and we have been able to actually work outside for a little bit! I am so ready for our veggies to start growing so I don't have to make such a big veggie/fruit run each week:

I will be sure to post our garden as it starts growing! Our strawberry patch has almost tripled in size from last year! We are going to have so many sweet strawberries... I can't wait!

Are you planting anything this season? If so I would love to hear about your garden plans!
XOXO
Amber

Zombie Blood... Beware!!!

2011-04-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we were at a birthday party for a friend and they were serving Zombie Blood! Who knew the stuff would actually work??

The affects hours later are even worse!!! Look how we dressed to get french fries in the wee hours of the morning!!! At least we have the Zombie Blood to blame!

Thanks boys for taking me to get my beloved french fries!!! Ugh... I will have to cave in sometimes no matter what diet I am on! Ha!

XOXO
Amber

I am in LOVE...

2011-04-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Almond Butter! Yep! I have almost gone through this entire jar in less than a month! I literally wake up craving it! Ha! If you haven't tried it I suggest you run to the store now! You don't know what you are missing out on!

Do you have any food that you just love?? I would love to hear what they are!!!

As for now.... I think I hear that jar calling my name!
XOXO
Amber

The cutest little Nugget!

2011-04-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

Oliver came to visit me last week and I couldn't get enough snuggles in!! What a cutie! He was so mesmerized by our kitties. I am happy to report that they let him pet them and they didn't freak out too bad! They haven't been around kids too much so it was nice to see them behave! Ha!

He loved looking at our sock monkey pillow I made, so I think I am going to have make him one of his own.

This picture melts my heart. He was getting soooo sleepy!

Thanks Kerry and Keith for bringing the little Nugget over! I am going to need all the practice I can get for when we have a little Poot of our own someday!

XOXO
Amber

Spring Lovin'...

2011-04-19T18:53:00.009-05:00

I love Spring! I love the blooming trees and bulbs popping up everywhere. I love the storms that put me to sleep at night. And I of course love the sunshine. The weather around these parts has been kind of gloomy lately, so when we got a little bit of sun on Saturday we made sure to enjoy every second of it!

We decided to finally purchase a patio set for our porch!!

I can't wait to have game nights out here and enjoy summer meals from our garden at our new table with friends!!

Our lilac bush is in full bloom...

I clipped off several sprigs to put throughout Poot Manor and they smell so lovely!

I planted some more succulents which I am obsessed with right now!

Saturday night was Girls Night Out and we celebrated my friend Lisa's birthday! We were able to sit outside and enjoy some drinks before it got too chilly! We had a blast! Happy Birthday Lisa! I love you!

You know you have had a good night when you end up with a permanent marker knuckle tattoo! Thanks Kerry! We found this adorable sock monkey drinking a Papst and of course had to pose with him!

This week is suppose to be cool and rainy. I plan on doing a little Spring Cleaning around the house. Then I am going to reward myself by eating a bowl full of Cuties and finishing Water for Elephants. I read it a few years ago and decided I needed to read it again before seeing the movie! I am can't wait!

How is your Spring going so far? I will be back later this week with more of our Spring Goals!!!
XOXO
Amber

A Single Serving Fruit Smoothie...

2011-04-13T20:01:00.004-05:00

Lately I can't seem to get enough of these blueberry smoothies. I thought I would share the recipe with you because I promise you that they are delicious! The best part is that the recipe is for one serving, which makes it easy for a quick breakfst smoothie. I need quick because I tend to always wait until the last minute possible to get out of bed!

Okay so here is what you need:

1/4 cup of milk (I have been using So Delicious Coconut Milk, but any milk alternative would be good I am sure!)

1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup of yogurt (I am currently using Brown Cow Fat Free vanilla)

1/2 cup of frozen fruit (I am using blueberries because we have so many right now)

1 tbsp of quick oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats)

Put all ingredients in a cup and blend together. I have been using the hand blender and it is so simple with not a lot of cleanup.

**The oatmeal is the key ingredient here I think. I have never had a smoothie with oatmeal before, but it makes it taste like a blueberry oat bar. YUM!!!

If you try any yummy fruit combos I would love to hear how they turn out! I literally made myself one of these every night for a snack last week.

Enjoy!
XOXO
Amber

Crafty Peep Swap!

2011-04-11T20:37:00.004-05:00

I'm excited to announce Crafty Peep Swap hosted by Becky and me!

So here's the scoop:

1. ANYONE, anywhere can participate in the Crafty Peep Swap!

2. You will only have to make one AWESOME craft to swap!

3. You have til Friday April 15th to signup! If you'd like to participate all you have to do is comment with your name down in the comments below AND email Becky at StrumpetsCrumpetsCrafts@gmail.com!

4. Your creation will need to be completed by Friday April 29th.

5. By Sunday April 17th Becky and I will pair you up with your swap partner and email you! Then you email your partner letting them know who you are and ask for their address! So you'll receive a very awesome Spring handmade item and have a new crafty friend! You do not need to be a blogger to participate, I know there's a bunch of you out there (I use to be one)- come on! Comment! Play with us! :) Your Spring Craft can be any medium; crochet, sewn, felt, buttons, paper, fabric, ribbon, string, etc. Now since you are only making one, make it extra awesome! I think that's it!!

***If for any reason you are not able to meet the swap date let me and your swap partner know, things happen, but just let us know so they can get a new partner!***

You can post your progress and finished crafts here at the Strumpet's Crumpets Craft flickr group! Ok spread the word (tweet, blog, etc. with this art) about the Crafty Peep Swap!

Ready, set, sign up!!!

Sunday... Really?

2011-04-10T22:28:00.010-05:00

I can not beleive how quickly the weekend came and went! I guess that is what happens when you are having fun! Friday I met up for dinner with one of my BFF's from grade school. She lives in Atlanta now so we hadn't seen each other in a few years. We are both on this new diet so we decided to have dinner in Lawrence at Local Burger.

Saturday we had lunch with my family and enjoyed the amazing Spring weather. My parents neighbors were wanting to get rid of their old record player cabinet, which is something I have been looking for on Craigslist for awhile!

It needs to be cleaned up a little. The fabric needs to be replace on the front and the record player kicks on but has a hard time turning. My dad is going to take it apart and hopefully get it working, because the radio sounds amazing!

We also celebrated my mother in laws birthday! I finally finished her afghan and will definitely have to make one for myself. I love the colors!

We went to a new winery that is one of the spookiest buildings I have seen. It was built in 1900 and in it's history has been an orphanage, nursing home, and hospital.

Today we went and saw a matinee play, cooked out, and picked up some "new" chairs for our living room. I am moving some thing around and getting rid of an old love seat. I found a set of these chairs on Craigslist and plan on placing them on each side of our new record cabinet!

I knew I had to have these chairs as soon as I saw them. They are the same fabric and color as a chair we currently have that use to be my parents. I love the style of these too!

I think I need just one for day to relax from all the running we did! How was your weekend?
XOXO
Amber

Legendary Weekend in Photos...

2011-04-07T21:46:00.008-05:00

We saw Kenny Rogers last Friday evening and what a character. He had the crowd laughing all evening. He made sure to sing all his biggest hits and sounded great even though he was trying to get over a cold! On the way there we treated ourselves to a little Starbucks...

It was a great show and a perfect way to start off the weekend.

Saturday morning we hopped in the car and headed to Oklahoma to see Meatloaf! We were so shocked when we saw how small the venue was! We ended up in the 18th row! Meatloaf is a real entertainer! I can not believe how much heart and soal goes into one of his concerts! We were on our feet the entire time!

We bought ourselves an autographed copy of his book...

I wore my new feather dress that I had purchased from Modcloth when they had their winter sale. I LOVE it...

Without a doubt I would see Meatloaf again and again...and again!
XOXO
Amber

Spring Goal #2...New Afghan Designs

2011-04-04T21:56:00.004-05:00

I love crocheting afghans, especially the giant granny squares! I wanted to give myself a challenge and decided to crochet two new styles of afghans to actually keep for Poot Manor!!

Here are the two designs that I have chosen...

I have actually started this one and have decided to use white and black. I have only done a couple of rows, so I as I progress a little more I will show some pictures.

The colors scheme I picked for this afghan is one of my favorites this Spring...aqua, peach, orange, and cream. I know that this is more "squares", but it is a little different.

I found these patterns in Tender Lovin' Care Afghans book. The cool thing is that book was less than $4!!

I can't wait to complete them.

XOXO
Amber

P.S. I will be posting pictures of our legendary weekend soon!! Meatloaf was amazing!

A Legendary Weekend...

2011-04-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend we will be seeing two legends in the music industry. Tonight we are seeing Kenny Rogers!

Tomorrow night we will be traveling to Oklahoma to see Meatloaf!!! I can not wait!

Should be an entertaining weekend for sure!
XOXO
Amber

Spring Goal #1... Revamping our Diet

2011-03-28T21:35:00.007-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have been doing a lot of research on different diets. Two Poots try to be very mindful of what we eat, but let's face it...life gets crazy and our diet drops off our radar. I knew I wanted to follow a diet that didn't have me in the kitchen 24/7. I also knew that I wanted to stay away from as much processed foods as possible and to get back to eating "real" food.

A dear friend of mind told me about Dr. Axe and this amazing Gluten Free Blog. I couldn't believe how simple and easy their suggestions were!!

Today our cookbooks finally arrived!!

I can't wait to start making some of these recipes. Poot made me these amazing Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes and I could seriously eat them everyday!!

Don't they look delcious? I used a Vanilla Honey Agave syrup to top them off!

We are slowly taking baby steps to clean out our cabinets and get rid of the sugar and dairy. (We already avoid gluten due to my gluten intolerance.) I bought some coconut milk creamer for my coffee and coconut milk to cook with and we love them! I also bought some Steevia and Agave to replace sugar in any recipes we make. I know that is going to a lifestyle change for us, but I can't wait!

As we try out recipes I will be sure to share the good ones with you! I want to be held accountable for this new goal, so I will be sharing my ups and downs also. Now I want to know, have any of you tried these diets? Or have you eliminated sugar, dairy, and or gluten from your diet? I would love to hear any suggestions and stories you might have!!I will be back to post more of my Spring Goals through out the week!

XOXO
Amber

I must confess...

2011-03-25T12:06:00.002-05:00

I am addcited to Friday Night Lights! Even though I am not a teenager and have no interest in football, I can't stop watching. You will find me most nights watching via Netflix instant que and crocheting. This new addiction has me up late and falling behind on focusing on my Spring Goals! It also makes Scott laugh at this teenage drama I can't stop talking about!

I promise to stop watching enough this weekend to post about my goals!!

What tv show are you addicted too? Any quilty pleasures? I would love to hear!
XOXO
Amber

Tuesday's Tunes Dead Man's Bones

2011-03-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

I came across Dead Man's Bones after seeing the movie Blue Valentine. Ryan Gossling sings in the movie and I remembered hearing something about him being in a band. I decided to check them out on Amazon. I sampled two songs and knew I had to have the album.

Ryand Gosling and his friend Zach Shields teamed up with the Silverlake Conservatory Children's Choir to record an eerie and magical record. Based on the love for the Disneyland Haunted Mansion ride, they wrote an album about ghosts, zombies, monsters,and graveyards. The album is brilliant from beginning to end.

Check out a couple of the songs...

And my favorite...

This song is in my head constantly. Poot and I go around walking like zombies and saying "My Pootie's a zombie for me!" We are silly.

So what do you think?? My copy on vinyl arrived last week. It will be the perfect music for our next Halloween party!

XOXO
Amber

MIA

2011-03-21T21:47:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to pop in and say that all is well at Poot Manor. I have taken a short hiatus from blogging over the last week to kind of revamp my life a little. Nothing drastic, but I am really looking forward to Spring. I have some goals that I can't wait to accomplish!!! I will be back later this week to share my Spring Goal List.

Have you made any goals for yourself this Spring?

XOXO
Amber

Our weekend getaway...

2011-03-15T20:49:00.009-05:00

Our trip to Minneapolis was a blast. We met lots of new friends, ate yummy food, made new connections, shopped, and did some sightseeing! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our weekend...

Of course I had to shop at this fancy two story Target and we did some vintage shopping!

We shopped at Trader Joe's for the first time and loved it!!! We shared a jug of hot mulled apple wine with the most amazing German dinner at The Black Forest Inn.

I spoiled myself with some new Lush product,yummy candy,new boots,and a Hagrid lego keychain!

At lunch at Ikea (love the Lingonberry drink!!) and hit up the Mall of America's aquarium!

We ended our trip at Bubba Gumps!

I can't wait to go back and visit Minneapolis when it is warmer, because man it is cold there! Whew! Plus we have to see the Spam Museum!!

XOXO
Amber