{Weekend Recap} Two of a Feather

While my husband is off pheasant hunting for awhile, my mom was sweet enough to drive all the way to my house (a four-hour trek from her place!) and keep me company. I've been looking forward to it for weeks!! We enjoy many of the same things—watching movies, shopping, getting pedicures, cooking, drinking wine and being creative. Birds of a feather, so to speak. (Wonder where I got it all from!?)

Needless to say, the weekend has already been a good one. We got up this morning and took our time getting ready, eating breakfast—mom brought homemade pumpkin spice muffins, yummmm—playing with the dogs and pausing for a few photos before we headed out the door. Despite the high 70s temps we had today, I still managed to pull on my boots. Fall in Texas doesn't allow for much cold weather, so I do what I can!

Isn't my momma cute?

We went to Stein Mart since they were having a super sale with tons of coupons. Recently, I'd done quite a bit of shopping at Old Navy, Target and Express, so I was just looking for a few good sale items for fun. Stein Mart is NOT a place I used to frequent. I thought it was mostly a store for older women and never dreamed they'd have anything I'd like in there. One day, though, I happened to walk into one because a friend mentioned they had lots of turquoise jewelry. That turned out to be true, and they also had Steve Madden shoes, Jessica Simpson and Michael Kors handbags, bling watches, Seven jeans, super cute home wares and more! Plus they always give such great coupons via email and online, and I'm always one for a deal!! I picked up a new outfit there today that'll be great with leggings and boots for an easy, breezy winter getup.

Long tunic top, $14

Shearling vest, $20

Both purchased on sale + coupon

Not bad, huh?

I also found a surprise find at Lowe's recently, when I dropped by for some supplies. I picked up painter's canvas drop cloths, which I'll be using for curtains in our dining nook in the kitchen—photos to come on that next week!—and some super soft faux fur pillow covers. As it happened, I had two 18-inch down pillow inserts from my mother-in-law and they fit perfectly in the new covers. For now, they're on the bed in our master along with a matching faux fur throw that was also a gift from my mother-in-law.

I realized you can see my hand prints on the lighter pillow on the left from when I fluffed it up after stuffing it, ha.

Mom and I stopped off for lunch at La Madeleine...

...then hit up craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Garden Ridge (pictured below) to scout the Christmas decor and trees. I'll be purchasing a new one for our home at the end of next week, just need to decide between two I've found that I love!

After shopping, we came home and walked two of my dogs (the third is hunting with the husband) and then put on movies while I worked on dinner. I couldn't wait for mom to try the peach whisky BBQ chicken I've been fascinated with, which I made with garlic mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. We also had homemade rolls sent by way of my step-dad. Think I ate my weight in food!

Now I've got a sleeping puppy in my lap, and I'm about to begin working on my Christmas cards. Yes, I know it's early!!! I've actually finished pretty much all our holiday gift shopping for the year, something I'm quite proud of. I started working on it early so I could find presents that were just right for their intended receivers, as well as not be stressed out at the end of the year trying to cram it all in during one week. The added benefit is having the time to wait for sales and coupons to use as well, making it all even more budget-friendly.

I think my mom and I might be pulling out all my holiday decorations in a couple days, too. While it's a little bit earlier than I normally deck our halls, the husband and I will be spending Thanksgiving in Italy!!!! We are going for his work and arriving several days beforehand, over the holiday, to enjoy some travel and leisure time. It was one of our favorite places while living abroad and you can read about our excursions in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. For this visit, we'll be staying near the latter and are contemplating visits to nearby Verona and somewhere coastal around Cinque Terre. I cannot WAIT!!!

It'll be December when we return and I'd love to come back to my house all decorated for the holiday. Not to mention we'll be hosting a big Christmas party just five days later, so it's one less thing I'll have on my to-do list. I am so excited for Christmas this year, and now Italy—it's going to be a season to remember.

Hope you've had a nice weekend and take time to enjoy all the little things!