EastCoastLove

Don't know about you but during this last year I have spent a lot time in the kitchen trying to feed my locked inside family. Made great use of Pioneer Woman and Magnolia cook books. Tried different slow cooker meals and even searched online for new ideas. Even had to pull out some of our favorite meals from years back.  Doing this I found an old copycat recipe we love! Don't know if you know my tex-mex obsession, but I have one! Could eat it every meal in so many different ways! I digress... One night when making quesadillas I stumbled on Chipotle Corn Salsa copycat recipe. YUM!  Back in my single days me and a group of friends would grab lunch after church and it was more often than not Chipotle. I don't know when it happened but when someone suggested I try their corn salsa, but I did and never looked back! Changed my Chipotle life hahah So when we got married and budget reasons meant no more eating out weekly I found this recipe. IT IS SOOOO GOOD!! There is something re...

Interior design is something I have been into since I took an class back college. HGTV back in the day was my jam. Watching all the Design on a Dime, Love it or List it, and Sarah's house and of course recently Fixer Upper. Helping you create your own space that fits you and your budget. Now that we are in our forever house I always have a design plan running in the back of my mind.  Can't believe its been six years since we have built and moved out here in the country. We are so thankful we did it and having a blast. Our first house was 2400 square feet and this one is a 1200 square foot home. Talk about down sizing :) We didn't do much of decorating or building except for the boys beds and some small DIY stuff but really we just hunkered down and used whatever furniture we had at the last house. Which of course was too much and too big lol  before: We had this beautiful rectangle table from World Market that Kimmel and I picked out when we first got married. It had 4 chai...

There is only so much rough house and wrestling this momma can take before I loose my mind! With all the rain we had last month I had to get some puzzles and games for these wild boys! We don't want the screen time to go up just cause its raining, even though that's the easy answer. We try to let their imaginations fly and create but sometimes they need guidance. I am not a crafty person. The thought of glitter makes me twitch. So thankfully we can find these puzzles and games to help us through the wet days. I even saved up toilet paper and paper towel rolls for them to build with. They built eye glasses, spy glasses, binoculars and telescope. As well as boats and floats they tested in the tub which failed and ended the fun. When COVID restrictions hit Kimmel and I got some new games to try and entertain them. We have lots of fun playing all of these and even a few they can do on their own!  The newest one we tried is Scrabble Junior. I saw a family on insta...

Our baby countdown has gotten in the single digits now. Only 7 more weeks til we add baby boy #2. So its only appropriate that we begin phase two of our dream house process. Today i placed a for sale sign in the front lawn of my townhouse. I say my cause it is. About six or seven years ago i purchased the town house cause i was advised to stop throwing money away in rent and invest in a small house.  I got all nostalgic and kind of sad! So many fond memories here not only from my life before kimmel with students and other single girls, but the year of dating and our first year of married life. There was many tears shed here over the years.  Also had two different friends be able to live here at different times. cause we kept it for rental property, when we moved to another house. This has been a great house! A huge blessing too.  This is the first step for phase two: sell townhouse and budget out flooring, kitchen and baths. We will use the equity fro...

Yesterday we had our first meeting with the builder we have chosen to build our home! She met us out there and we walked around and stood where we envision our home sitting. We talked thru the whole process and was able to make some decisions and plans. One of the most exciting parts about the whole thing to me is she said once building starts it will only take 3 months! We are wanting the builder to build our house to dry wall. No painting, trim, floors, or cabinets- kitchen or bath. There aren't many builders who will do that. This does mean more work for me, researching all sorts of fun things. But this is what we enjoy. Me picking out projects and Kimmel making them happen! I am having to tell myself that a lot of the details and things i like might be expensive. So i am preparing to do loads of internet searching and also tweaking once i find out how much all these pretty things on pinterest really cost! AND my coastal love is going to have to be tamed somewhat cause i ...

This spring break has been a busy one for Kimmel. He had a couple jobs he wanted to accomplish while off from school. First our yard is amazingly all just WEEDS!!! its annoying and he tackled this problem. He started with our two back flower beds and then cleaning out our front one of some unsightly gross green "plants". Then cutting the grass and putting weed killer and seed on it was the final step to beautifying the outside! I think he slept really well these two nights...that wears a man out!  The other project Kimmel tackled was our faucets in the house. The tacky ones the builders put in just wasnt' cutting it anymore for him. So off to Lowes and Home Depot we go. ( I prefer Lowes and He prefers Home Depot) In the end we got new faucets for our bathrooms, and kitchen and a new light fixture for the bath.  I love home improvements! Even little ones...they make things look pretty and these suckers function so well!! I love the new kitchen one for su...

I have realized that my blogging entry amount each week has really slowed down. I love reading blogs and writing fun stuff to share with you so i was curious as to what has happened. I figured out there are several reasons why. 1. NO JOB-I am no longer working at computer for half the day. Since i have quit work the only time i really sit at the computer is for editing photos. Before i would have my email up all day and researching something for someone. Not anymore. 2. ITS THE IPAD'S FAULT- Since Kimmel got me the iPad i don't need to go to my desktop. I find blogging difficult on the ipad ...no flash. But once i finish checking email and looking at two sites i am done. 3. FIRST TRIMESTER- Was really sleepy and nauseous. The only things i would have to blog about is being sick and tired and the extremely HOT weather....MISERY! haha ( i know i am a wimp) So i am hoping to change this a bit. I am starting to teach piano again so my brain will be stimulated a bit, and i a...

This is the second week of keeping my niece. This is the week i saw Beckham act strangely. She was sort of snobbish the first week, like who is this and why are they taking all the attention. She sniffs the car seat when she is out. Sniffs me when i am holding her. It seems the curiosity has turn into some what of a protector. When Eleanor was crying the other day after a nap i walked in her room and Beckham was on the dresser watching her and when i walked in looked at me like...Help her! She lays close by if i place Eleanor on the floor like "i am still watching" My sweet kitty does great with her. She just isn't sure she likes the distraction for me :)

Little fun fact about me...I LOVE TO DO LAUNDRY! :) I think cause you wash, you dry, you fold then put away. Things smell clean and for about 3 days you aren't thinking about laundry, its all clean. So i am super excited to say that my laundry room/pantry is complete. So thankful that my husband too likes things neat and organized. Thankful that he is a handyman and can build things i dream up! I got excited today thinking that we get to walk thru the nice laundry room all the time now...its off our garage into the kitchen, so it is an entryway for us! haha anyway i don't have a real good before picture but this one is in the process of it all. Kimmel put all the paneling up and now working on the shelves. This corner had nothing in it. We had just thrown boxes and stuff on the floor and it was very overwhelming and annoying. We talked about shelves and hooks and stuff. kimmel designed the perfect solution!  Now everything has a spot...and i can see what i have...only do...

I have shared my obsession with HGTV and all sorts of design stuff. I have a list for each room of ideas, paint colors and wall trimmings. Its fun having a house and decorating it, especially with Kimmel! We are making our house an HOME, both by decoration and by prayer. Both take concentration, patience and hard work. Taking time to sit with Jesus to listen and obey doesn't come natural to me...my mind spins and i think of everything else some days...i have to concentrate and focus in on HIM and the goal of why i sit, to draw closer to the heart of God.  Making our building a comfy place to live is fun and time consuming but the goal is for people to feel welcomed even comfortable to be themselves. For our kids to bring their friends over cause they like it here, and when our kids aren't home their friends still come over! For our neighbors to wonder what makes this house different and ask questions cause they are comfy to do so. The author of Hebrews gives a charge at t...

SO excited to say we have finished one of our first projects for our house! About a month ago i blogged about us going to ikea to get some shelves and legs for a desk, for a cubby in our front room. Andrew was going to make the desk top from scratch and i got something to put decorations on and it will open the front room! So excited!! tis done!! :) I paused for a second to capture the moment :) Andrew making sure the shelves are level and below is our supervisor. She runs a tight ship but i think we did it all to her liking! We finished it today will all the decor and the cork boards. Yesterday we fixed the desk top. Thanks to his Dad for helping us cut the wood and drill the cord holes! We are very thankful!