the office.

Slowly, but surely we are getting around to each room as we continue to make the house our home. A couple weekends ago, I finally got to the office. The office has kind of been the holding pen for items that we were just not sure where to put, too busy to deal with, or just too stubborn to get rid of. To be fair, a good amount of this was my stuff. So, this project made Mere very happy. Other than the work involved organizing the room, the only other task was painting. For this room, we chose Sherwin-Williams “Serious Grey” in a semi-gloss, which definitely made the room a bit more masculine. This is perfect since Mere has her own "girly room" and now me and the bikes have this room! On another note, Bella wanted to make an appearance, since this is her favorite chair in the house. We got the Vaughn Chair in wool at Crate and Barrel, and it might have been the first totally awesome decision as a married couple. It is so comfortable!!! One of my pieces from Houston street artist "Dual" finally found its place on a wall. *Disclaimer- since these pictures were taken at night it was hard to get a great idea of the actual wall color. The shot with the bikes is probably the best representation.

Before Pictures:

After Pictures:

life lately according to my blackberry.

oil and gas.

Like I have said in the past....poor Meredith. I’m a man that finds many things interesting. Combine this with me being excessively observant and I become down right annoying on road trips. Just like my Grandfather, I can repeat stories with the best of them. To top it off, I can’t even finish talking about one thing I see before interrupting myself about the next. Luckily, for my sweet wife, she is usually asleep while I talk to myself on these car rides.

A perfect example was our drive to Austin for this past Christmas. Every time we drive down I-10 past Brookshire, Texas, I talk about all of the oil wells on the side of the road. She makes sure to remind me each time that I have already told her all about them….I still feel the need to talk about them every. single. time. . Living in Houston, it is hard not to hear about the energy industry. Me being the inquisitive type, I have decided to make learning about it my newest hobby. From investing in energy stocks, to listening to company conference calls, observing monthly drill rig status reports, monitoring the price of crude and natural gas prices daily…the list goes on and on. Back to those oil wells. On the drive back to Houston, we decided to stop and snap some pictures. The pumpjacks pictured are located in the Eagle Ford Shale area near Brookshire, and are made by Lufkin Industries. Pumpjacks are used when the pressure of the oil reservoir below becomes too low to push the oil to the surface by itself. Enjoy the pics!

Dino, one of my roadside attractions

wellhead valves, aka "Christmas Tree"

monthly favorites.

 ♥  Z Gallerie Hudson Jewelry Box  My Dad gave me this for Christmas and it's so special to me.  I will definitely hold onto this for the rest of my life. 

 ♥ Tarte LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Tint in color Exposed.  This is the ULTIMATE nude lip!! It tingles a bit upon application and helps with plumping the lips as well.  

♥ Bumble and Bumble BB. Shine On (And On...) Finishing Spray.  This is excellent for frizzies and flyaway control.  And, of course, it gives fantastic shine!

♥ C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries "My Favorite Lip Balm" 100% Natural Shea Butter.  I got this for Christmas from my Mother-In-Law & Father-In-Law and cannot get enough of this stuff.  It's wonderful in the winter (or in Texas with all of these crazy weather changes, leading to chapped lips.)  I apply this in the morning and before bed every day.

♥ YSL #13 "Le Orange" & YSL #24 "Praline Delight."  These are my two favorite lipsticks of the month.  Le Orange is perfect for a big pop of color, while Praline Delight is another great nude.  In comparison to the Tarte nude lip mentioned above, this one has a much creamier texture (yet a lot more pricey, naturally ha!) 

♥ Benefit Hoola Bronzer. Sorry, this one is a tad dirty as it has been in my makeup bag for quite some time.  I'm really getting into contouring and have trouble finding the right bronzer with my light complexion.  I'm a ghost.  I have found Hoola to be the best color for my complexion. You don't have to worry about applying with a light hand.

♥ Nars "Oasis" Blush.  This picture will NOT do this blush justice.  You have to see this one in person and actually apply it to get the real effect.  It's absolutely gorgeous and comes across very natural. Although this one does have sparkles, it's not nearly as "dewy" or "shiny" as the Nars "Orgasm" blush.  I cannot decide which look I love more and tend to switch back and forth between these two, depending on the day or what I'm wearing.

What products are you loving right now?

Have a wonderful day!

happy new year.

Two years ago today, she said "yes." As I heard that word I still had no idea how lucky of a man I was. Fast forward two years and I am still amazed how I can love my wife more and more with every passing day. I still feel as giddy as I did when we first talked on the phone, met again face to face after not seeing each other for 7 years, when I picked up the engagement ring, and when we walked down the aisle together. I can't say I have made a better decision in my life than marrying Meredith. Some people thought after just 9 months of dating, that it was way too early to propose. I'm glad I can be one of those to say, "When you know, you know." Happy New Year everyone. I would be interested to hear some of your resolutions!!

January 2nd, 2010

bella, books, and blankets.

Today was the first day of 2012 and it was absolutely gorgeous outside.  Cool yet incredibly sunny. Blake and I decided to take some books, Bella, and a blanket to our backyard to soak up the incredible afternoon.  It's hard to believe we got engaged exactly two years ago from this evening.

Oh happy day! Happy 2012!