// Things I Love Thursday v.234

♥ i just want to stare at this all day ♥
this summer camp taxidermy ♥
♥ this place! ♥
♥ this. ♥
this gal's hair! ♥
these interesting DIY planters ♥
this perfect home in autumn ♥
this total BABE! ♥
♥ this is just TOO good! ♥


// Meet Shrek: The renegade sheep that avoided shearing for SIX YEARS (!!!) by hiding in a cave. (We could start a discussion on ethical raising of livestock, but... that's not what I'm doing)









// How freakin' cute is this girl?! Go follow her adventures in Europe! I'm so jealous!

// Have you joined our "Toddler Support Group" yet?! It's really just a Facebook group of gals who want to chat, ask questions, and virtually "hang out." You're welcome to join even if you don't have a toddler!

What are you loving this week?

xo KB

// PS; I'm thinking about doing a downloadable print shop. Is that something y'all would have any interest in? I want to make it super affordable and easy to use, so you can print them directly at home. Let me know your thoughts! 

// Girls Night In + The Importance of Good Friends

Wine Night
When we first moved back to our (very) small town, I was really heartbroken because I left so many rad friends behind. I was worried I wouldn't have anyone to hang out with since it's kind of difficult being a bright blue dot in a big red state if you know what I mean. Of course you add a small baby to the mix and friends feel farther and farther away. Luckily I'm blessed with the friendship of two really rad ladies here in town, and we make it a priority to try and get together as often as we can. One of them is our neighbor (Amy) and we hang out almost every single night after we put the kids to bed. We walk to the bus stop together in the morning and afternoon, and we've become really good friends over the past several months. The other is Whitney and she's the mom of Toby's best friend. She is an absolute riot and she feels like my twin. Having friends with kids the same age as yours makes things so much easier because they understand last minute conflicts or scheduling hurdles. They can also commiserate with you over a bottle (or three) of wine. Whitney and I always make very good use of the wine stash when we hang out. That's totally the basis for a great friendship, right?!
Wine Night
Wine Night
I had a little girls night at our house this past weekend and it was the perfect mix of good company, good wine, and good snacks. I kept it super simple with two types of wine, some fruit and some sliced cheeses with pasta chips (yum!) Some nights it's pizza and wine, while other nights it's pecan pie and cokes haha We don't get too worked up about the fixins as it's more about the quality conversation and the reprieve from being "ON" as mom all the time. 

We drank on a bottle of Caposaldo Sweet Sparking Peach Moscato Saturday night and oh my gosh it was good! The perfect amount of fizz and flavor. Pinot Grigio and sweet Moscatos are my favorite types of wine because I'm not really a fan of the heavy bite dark wines can have. The Peach Moscato seriously just slides right down your throat and is so smooth. I could probably drink a bottle of that every night. (But I promise I won't haha!) I had never heard of Caposaldo before this campaign but I've already shared the love with my mom and mother-in-law (both being self-proclaimed winos). As if being from Italy wasn't enough, each bottle is packed full of hand-harvested fruit. Yum. Caposaldo Wines blends a handcrafted, artisanal approach to winemaking with cutting-edge quality standards and techniques, so it stands as a benchmark of iconic Italian wines, which translates to food-friendly and appealing flavors. The Sparkling Peach Moscato is bright gold in color and delivers intense pear, peach and spice armoas and flavors and is overflowing with fresh, vivacious bubbles! It's $15.99 a bottle and worth every penny!
Wine Night
Wine Night
While I did plan a fun girls night in for this campaign, I made sure to snap the photos before the gals showed up because I didn't want to volunteer them to play models for me and my camera haha! Just gotta be honest about that! Luckily the wine was very well received. Even Mike got in on the moscato action (even though he wasn't technically invited ha!) Apparently August is National Peach Month so it felt appropriate to break open the moscato first. I'm going to need to replace that bottle soon though because I've got some hectic days coming up and mama needs to unwind at night!

If you're interested in checking out Caposaldo and learning more about them, check out their website and Facebook page. Then go scoop up a bottle so we can organize a virtual girls night in, yeah? (You can find a local retailer HERE!) Seriously though, I'm so grateful for Amy and Whitney (and all my best gal pals that I text morning, noon, and night). Good friends make a world of difference.

xo KB

This post is in partnership with Caposaldo via One2One Network. All opinions are my own!

// That One TIme I Got Stuck In A Corset...


So this one time (Tuesday), I tried to wiggle my way into a corset, only to get stuck for an alarmingly long amount of time. Seriously, it felt like forever. Truth: I've never worn a corset before. I've always admired how they looked on others, and I've always wanted to try one, but my body shape scared me off. My hip to waist ratio is redonk. My hips are basically the width of Texas (it's true). I would look at corsets and think "That'd be so fun to try, but my bottom half would never work". I could just envision the corset squeezing the daylights out of me and then causing a weird muffin top at both ends. Errrr, no thank you! Luckily that wasn't my reality when I finally tried some corsets, but it was certainly a fear.
I attempted to put on this latex corset from Corset Story by myself in the privacy of my own bathroom right? Well, I totally went about it the wrong way. Instead of unhooking the corset and putting it on like a jacket, I started by trying to put it over my head like I would a dress. HA! Y'all, I was stuck in that thing with my arms flailing over my head. Like, STUCK! I couldn't seem to wiggle out of it. I kept thinking to myself "OMG OMG OMG NO. Don't holler for Mike. Don't holler for Mike. No." Mike is my best friend. Goodness knows he has seen me in some compromising positions. Stuck in a corset would not be one of them! He's the type of guy who would look at me in utter disbelief, and then laugh at me. After taking a few pictures of course. (Though looking back I really do wish I had proof of how ridiculous this was haha!) After quite some time I managed to wiggle out. PRAISE! I put it down and walked away for a bit. After I regained my composure, I attempted this Corset Story waist taming corset. That went a wee bit better haha. I was totally squeezed in that sucker, but could see the visual difference. The waist reduction wasn't my favorite part though. My fascination with that corset came from how dang good my posture was! I have terrible posture. I slump and slouch and I'm likely destined to be the next Hunchback of Notre Dame. But when I put on the corset, I instantly sat up straight (believe me, I tried to slouch). While I don't see myself waist training any time soon, I might pop that bad boy on when I need to fix my posture or look smoking in a fitted dress. 

I did finally work up the guts to get back into the latex one, and I actually loved how it smoothed everything out. It only has a waist reduction of 2 inches, so I didn't feel as squished right off the bat. The waist taming corset has the added bonus of the hip panels though. Those helped squash the fear of my hips being too wide to use a corset. Anyway, while I may not lace one up every day, I definitely plan on utilizing them for when I wear my favorite vintage reproduction dresses. It just adds that pin up flare, I think! I'm also looking up some fun Halloween costumes to wear it with.
1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Above are a few of my favorite designs from Corset Story. If you're the type of person who rocks a corset as an outfit, these 4 above could be awesome! I'm in love with the ivory and rose one especially. I plan on sharing an outfit soon with the corset so stay tuned!

Have you ever tried a corset? What about waist training?

xo KB

// Things I Love Thursday v.233

this is the coolest photo ♥
this would be a nice place to wake up ♥

♥ i really want these bag charms ♥
this teddy bear dog! ♥
♥ this! ♥
this! oitnb as simpsons characters! ♥
this is dreamy! ♥

♥ love this umbrella! ♥
this desk! ♥
♥ tina is my spirit animal ♥
♥ this is so true. ♥

♥ love this clutch! ♥



// Facing doubts and resistance with courage and grace.

// Getting an early start on Holiday shopping? Here are some handy resources: Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for the Home, Gifts for $100 and under.




// Summer Standby Tomato Salad (Welcome back to blogging, Carrie Anne!)



// Roxy got the best surprise for her final (sadface!) roller derby bout!

// Part of me wants to get married all over again so I can relive the excitement. This wedding boutique gave me all the feels!



// Just buy the freakin' minivan.

// Only 8 days left to support Fla-Ver on Kickstarter! I have a sample of the candies and omg. Sooo good! Now I just need to get me a dispenser!

// Kotur is speaking my language right now!






// Did you see our photos from Mexico?! I want to go back so bad!

 What are you loving this week?

xo KB

// Mexico - v.1 (Snapshots)

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mike and I took an impromptu trip to Mexico back in May. And by impromptu I mean we bought our tickets on Sunday and left out Monday night. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but we had wanted to go for a bit... we just never got around to doing it. Then we did. We spent 9 days in Mexico and it was the most amazing trip, honestly. We really needed that vacation. This past year has been exceptionally hard with a new baby, new schedule, new school and career goals, etc. I certainly haven't made that a secret. Mike and I needed to just be together and reconnect. We basically relived our honeymoon and I still think about it every single day. I have no idea why it's taken me so long to get it up on the blog, but finally here are some photos! I definitely plan on sharing our favorite spots, places to eat, things to do, etc. soon! If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask! 
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
We stayed in Playa del Carmen (between Cancun and Tulum, the two cities we spent our honeymoon in) and it was a great "close to everything" place. Plenty to do, loads of transportation options, and still affordable. Our luggage stayed in Nashville a while longer so the first two days we had to wear what we wore down, but it wasn't too bad. We rented a place via AirBnB again and we utilized the colectivos (basically like a taxi van, but way cheap!) and we ate more Mexican food than I can describe. It was awesome. We snorkeled with sea turtles, sting rays, and all kinds of fish. We saw Cirque du Soleil (Joya) together. We drank a whole lot, made some new British friends, got sunburned beyond belief, and fell in love all over again. I can't tell you how tempted I am to pack up my entire family and just move down there. I feel like Mexico will always have a special place in our hearts. I can't wait to take both boys one day (soon, I hope!). I want to relive this trip over and over. It was basically a dream come true.

The next part of our trip recap will include a list of our favorite sites and bites. Stay tuned! 

xo KB

PS; If you want $25 toward your first AirBnB rental, here you go! It's our favorite way to travel.