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Surprise Proposal, I said YES

Engagement photos dallas

How we met

Justin and I have been dating for 3 and a half years and it all started with a swipe right. Isn’t that how everyone meets now? Our first date was a total flop.  I don’t know why the date was so bad. It was a Tuesday and we had decided to get dinner after work, maybe it had been a long day for both of us. We decided to give it a second try and go on another date…. obviously I’m glad we did!

Planning the Surprise

This past weekend my boyfriend, now fiance, planned the perfect proposal. I had mentioned I wanted a photographer to capture the moment and luckily Justin was listening when I had suggested that. He had planned for my friend Sarah, from Sarah Kelly Photography, to drive to Dallas for a day and take photos of the proposal. For them to surprise me took a lot of planning. They came up with the idea of making the photo shoot seem like my idea. Sarah told me she was trying to build her portfolio and asked if she could take photos of me and Justin. Without a doubt, I wanted a photo for a Christmas card and I said yes. I had asked Justin if he was available Saturday to take photos…. of course, he was free, he had planned it. He faked being reluctant to take photos and said he could only spare 20 minutes. read more

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Life update: Puppies and Holiday Plans

Thanks for following along as I continue to grow my blog. This is my first “life update” post. Comment below if you enjoyed it and want to see more. Today I’m talking all about life as a “Dog Mom” and my holiday plans.

Dog Mom Life

If you’ve been following along on Instagram you know I adopted a puppy in August and since then I’ve had my hands full. Literally full… Like picking up Reagan, the puppy, or picking something out of her mouth lol. She is a sweetie, but a lot of work. We adopted her from Shasta Flat-Coated Retrievers out in California. She came home to Dallas right at 8 weeks and that is the minimum age to be separated from the litter. She was 10 pounds in August and is now 30 pounds! Fully Grown she’ll be about 50 pounds. read more

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Instagram Story Highlight Templates

I love the Instagram story highlights and when I went to create an “About me” I couldn’t find any Instagram templates that I liked so I created my own on Canva.

I hope you enjoy these free templates!

Click on each graphic, then download and upload to your Instagram story. Let me know if you have any design requests.

Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Pinterest ! Also, don’t forget to sign up for my email list to get notifications about the latest blog posts.

Best,
Rachel

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Vertical Garden Inspiration

This spring we started gardening with a vertical garden and have enjoyed the fresh herbs and produce. Here’s a guide to set up your own vertical garden and tips for successfully growing produce.

What to Plant

In our garden, we are growing tomatoes, peppers, green onions, chives, thyme, mint, basil, and strawberries. Check what grows best in your climate depending on the season before planting seeds. Urban Farmer is a great resource for learning about farming and understanding the best planting schedule based on your climate. read more

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Saranghae Skin care: Stop & Skincare, It’s Simple

Skincare ROUTINE, stop right there. Who has time for a “ROUTINE”? Most nights I find myself working late and falling asleep with my contacts still in and the lights still on. I made it a goal for this year to find more time to take care of myself and establish a routine so I wouldn’t wake up with dry contacts and an oily face.

A month ago I discovered Saranghae. Thank goodness I did because not only has this skincare helped my oily skin, it’s helped me become more intentional about my “routine” before going to bed. read more

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5 Reasons Why I love Essiac Tea

Real life- I haven’t been taking care of my body as well as I should. I would tell myself: I’m young, I’ll worry about it later I’ll workout tomorrow I’ll eat healthy next week I’ve been inspired by friends that are making their health a priority and I have decided to do the same. I had been prioritizing happy hours, my career, and other things before my health and have finally started to take steps to make my health a priority. Drinking Eassic tea is just one of the many ways I’m taking control of my health. Here Are 5 Reasons Why I love Essiac Tea
1. It helps keep my digestive system functioning
How many times a month do you think about your digestive system?? For me, never. I don’t have any food allergies or digestive problems so I’ve always taken my digestive system for granted.  I’ve been traveling, eating ice cream, and deep dish pizza without once thinking about what I’m putting into my body. Now that I’m getting older, I realize the importance of taking care of your health before you have a serious health concern.

2. It reduces my cravings for sugar read more

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9 Best Dog Spots in Dallas

Meet Winston, he’s a Flat-Coated retriever adopted from the Golden Retriever Rescue Alliance.  He’s 5 years old and has brought so much joy to my life. Every morning he wakes up happy with his tail wagging ready for a walk. The real fun is on the weekends when we go explore dog parks or new trails. If you live in Dallas and have a dog, I hope you find this blog post helpful!

Top 9 places to take Winston:

1. Mutts Canine Cantina

Mutts Canine Cantina is located in Uptown. This dog park is geared towards humans and dogs. It has a bar and limited food menu. It’s so relaxing to grab a beer and watch your dog play. There is an entry fee of $6. read more

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DIY: Mother’s Day Cards

Mother’s Day is less than a week away and there is still time to make your mom a custom card. I made my mom this card and got her a bunch of goodies from Trader Joe’s because she loves Trader Joe’s but doesn’t live near one. I already know the blueberry scone mix will be her favorite.

This card design can be re-used for any occasion, just add your own text! To make the card, you’ll need a Silhouette Cameo or other craft cutter and construction paper. I snagged this construction paper at Target last weekend- link here for the paper. read more

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How to make a Boxwood Backdrop

Boxwood backdrop

The Boxwood backdrop was so fun to put together for my sisters Bachelorette party and the perfect photo booth opportunity. I saw a lot of options on Pinterest and decided to make my own.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how I put a Boxwood backdrop together:

1. Order Supplies

To start you’ll need to order the supplies. I ordered the supplies on Amazon and then went to Lowes to get the PVC pipe.

  • Boxwood
    • Option 1: Boxwood set
      • If you use this option it’s cheaper, but you’ll need different dimensions for the frame. Start by measuring so you know what size you need.
      Option 2: 4 Pieces of Artifical boxwood
      • This is the option I ordered.

      Five: 10-foot pipes that are 1-1/4″ thick
      Four: T connectors
      Four: caps
      Two: elbows

      2. Cut the PVC pipe

      At Lowe’s, I bought 5 pieces of 10ft long PVC pipe and then cut them to the lengths shown below. I was glad I made the frame out of PVC because it allowed me to break it down and put it in the back of my car versus making the frame out of wood and then needing a truck to drive it to the event. read more

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Simple Royal Icing Cookies

#cookies #royalicing #blog #royalicing

I’ve always loved sugar cookies but thought royal icing cookies were difficult to make. Turns out, making royal icing sugar cookies is obtainable if you find a simple recipe! Read below for the cookie and icing recipe that I love using for the holidays. Note: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my disclosure by clicking here.

Baking Gadgets

Before you start your baking adventure you’ll need a few handy tools. I linked my favorite baking tools below:

  • Icing coloring kit  – Don’t skip and using food coloring from the grocery store. This concentrated color kit is perfect for baking and comes with 12 colors!
  •  Hand mixer – Or if you already have one:  Kitchen aid mixer
  • Wilton squeeze bottles  – These are the best squeeze bottles for royal icing. Don’t try to create the icing bags… that will create a mess fast.
  • Cookie cutters  –  I linked my favorite set of cookie cutters. I know.. it’s 101 cookie cutters, which sounds like a lot, but it has the whole alphabet, all the numbers, and cookie cutters for every holiday. I went ahead and bought it to avoid buying extra sets later.
  • Cookie bags– You’ll want these for after the cookies are completed- they make a nice finishing touch.
  • And some of the more basic baking items- cookie sheets, rolling pin… etc.

Besides these products, it’s not necessary for beginner bakers to get all the bells and whistles. Believe me, after reading many royal icing recipes online I could have bought a hundred product like a brush set or scribe tool. Stick to the basics for your first time making royal icing cookies and then expand as needed. read more