Good morning! I’d like to start by wishing you all a happy Veterans Day! I’d like to send a heartfelt thank you to each and every person that has served or is currently serving our country. We’re forever thankful for you!
Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to over the past week or so.
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Home Projects & Updates
I was pretty active on my Instagram Stories last week, and did a video walk-through of some Christmas greenery. I then wrote this post based on the feedback and requests for even more info!
SOURCES: Left Stem | Middle Stem | Right Stem | Jingle Bell Filler | Footed Bowl (small) | Coffee Table | Raffia Coffee Table Tray | Striped Rug
I also did a video on Stories comparing the Save/Splurge rattan Christmas trees from last week’s Wednesday Watch List. I saved that video here if you’re interested in re-watching it.
SOURCES: Save Rattan Trees (small, medium, large) | Splurge Wicker Trees
I had to re-order a new runner for our kitchen so I’m bumping my Christmas home tour until Thursday this week. The red one I ordered ended up being more maroon than red, so I think it will be worth the wait! But I’m loving this little spot in our loft on our new picture ledge wall! Can you believe I’ve had the O Holy Night canvas for twelve years now?! My parents gave it to us as a housewarming gift when we first moved into our Omaha home! Lindsay has since modernized it slightly (and you can select from a multitude of colors and framing options) but it’s still one of my all-time favorite pieces.
SOURCES: O Holy Night Canvas | Wreath | Velvet Ribbon | Picture Ledge Shelf | Gallery Frames
We also got fully moved over to our new property manager, Stay on 30A, for Hola Beaches this past week. It’s the same manager we use for Hola Beaches Casita, and they’ve been wonderful and get rave reviews from our guests! If you’re looking to stay along 30A, we’d love to host you! We also had all new photos taken, as well if you want to check it out here.
In Case You Missed It
Following are the posts I shared over the past week, in case you missed some days!
Around Town & For Fun
Tuesday morning, the cats had their annual check-up at the vet. It’s hard to believe they’re already 16 years old! With their advanced ages, they do a more in-depth senior wellness check. Henley was all clear, but Hawkeye has been losing weight recently and we were hoping to get some answers on that. He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism so we’re back on the two-times-daily medication train we were with Bailey before she passed. Another alternative is radioactive iodine therapy, which would likely be a one-time thing but the closest facility is Auburn University in Alabama. So, we plan to do some more research and weigh the pros and cons of both. If any of you have had a similar experience with your cat, I’d love to hear! For the most part, Hawkeye is relatively unbothered by it so far, other than when we have to hold him down for pills.
Once I returned from the vet, Kurtis and I ran into town to vote. I’m probably biased but we might have the cutest polling station in America!
Here’s Henley intently watching the news that night. We had thrown a roast in the crockpot that morning, and realized four pounds was a bit much for the two of us (even with planned leftovers) so we invited our friends over for dinner, as well.
Thursday night, we headed into Sandestin for dinner with one of Kurtis’ peers and his wife. They recently bought a condo in the area, so we’re excited to get to see them more frequently in the future! I typically only see his wife on Kurtis’ annual trip, so it was really fun to catch up with them. And I’ll say it again – I just really enjoy the Tommy Bahama restaurant! Their food never disappoints!
Friday morning, my friend Marissa and I had plans to go to the Urban Grace Interiors/Erika Powell Textiles warehouse sale. I have followed Erika for as long as I can remember but had yet to ever see her around town (even though I’ve seen her kids a few times and recognized them from her stories)! Needless to say, we were total amateurs, arriving only about 5 minutes before “doors” opened. When we arrived there were already 25-30 people in line to checkout and products were already moving crazy fast. I walked away with $29 of fabric scraps, but we also worked out a game plan for next year – which basically means arriving much earlier. I tried to play it super cool and not fangirl the few times Erika walked by me. Ha!
We were bummed we missed out on so many great things, but made up for it with brunch at Havana in Rosemary Beach (Havana isn’t picture in either image below, but these were the only snaps I got while in town). People tend to be curious how busy it is here in the off-season. If you’ve been to Rosemary in the summer, you know it looks very different than this!
In new recipe news, I made this tortellini soup recipe over the weekend and we both really loved it! It’s very similar to the chicken noodle soup recipe I shared recently, but basically subbing the tortellini (we used cheese) for the chicken and noodles. We also added spinach because we had some on hand that we needed to use up. We’ll definitely be making this one again!
We were about to head out the door last night for dinner plans, and we saw a mama deer and her baby crossing to the woods between our house and our neighbor’s. Then another fawn went through, followed by its mom. They still have their spots and were so, so cute! We gave them some space before we left so they wouldn’t get too scared. We didn’t want them to get separated!
Our friend Rachel is in charge of the turkey for two different Thanksgiving meals this year, so she asked us to be guinea pigs and try one since she hadn’t cooked one in a few years. Twist our arms! She went all out and even set the “real” dining table (we usually just gather around their kitchen island). We had turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, and squash and it was all so good!
Dune jumped up on their dining bench when the kids left, and just stared at one of the kid’s plates and then me like “wow, it’s really sad I didn’t get that turkey leg.” Look at his face just staring me down. Ha! He knows a sucker when he sees one. Needless to say, he got a few pieces of leftover meat.
I can’t believe Thanksgiving is just two and a half weeks away! It also falls on my mom’s 70th birthday this year, as well, so we’ll be traveling to Utah to celebrate. This year is just flying by way too quickly!
Recent Buys & Sales
Following are some sales from the weekend that have carried over and are still going strong! Some have actually even improved today with the holiday.
- AMAZON has a number of deals today! You can shop their site here.
- ANN TAYLOR is offering 40% off your purchase plus and extra 11% off at checkout. You can shop their site here.
- ANNIE SELKE is offering early Black Friday access with 25% off sitewide with code VIP25. You can shop their site here.
- ANTHROPOLOGIE has added additional items in their sale section! You can shop their site here.
- BALLARD DESIGNS is offering up to 50% off sitewide during their Early Black Friday Event! You can shop their sale here.
- BODEN is offering 22% off everything sitewide (excluding sale) for Single’s Day. You can shop their site here.
- CRATE & BARREL is offering 20% back in rewards dollars if you’re a cardmember. You can shop their site here.
- GAP is offering 50% off your purchase. You can shop their sale here.
- J CREW is offering 40% off full-priced styles with code SHOPFAST. You can shop their site here.
- J CREW FACTORY is offering 50% off everything plus an extra 70% off clearance with code FALL70. You can shop their sale here.
- LOFT is offering 44% off your purchase plus an extra 11% off at checkout. You can shop their sale here.
- LULULEMON has a number of new items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
- MARK & GRAHAM is offering up to 50% off gifts we love and free shipping on orders $150+ with code SHIPFREE. You can shop their site here.
- MARSHALLS has a number of deals sitewide plus free shipping on orders of $89+ with code SHIP89. You can shop their site here.
- NORDSTROM is offering savings on select Free People, Vince, rag & bone and more, and get 15% off selected beauty. Plus, cardmembers earn 3x points. You can shop their site here.
- OLD NAVY is offering 40% off everything as well as $11, $14, and $15 puffers for babies/toddlers, kids and adults. You can shop their sale here.
- POTTERY BARN is offering up to 50% off end of season savings plus free shipping on 1000s of items. You can shop their sale here.
- REJUVENATION is offering up to 40% off home update finds. You can shop their site here.
- RUGS USA is offering up to 20% off with code HOLIDAY20. You can shop their site here.
- SERENA & LILY is hosting their Sale of The Year, with best pricing and free shipping – with the shipping included it really is the best time to buy a lot of their furniture. You can shop their sale here.
- TARGET is hosting Deal Days with a number of sales including multiple home deals like up to 60% off indoor rugs, 50% off select faux Christmas trees, 50% off select holiday decor, up to 50% off Dysons, and more. You can shop their site here.
- TJ MAXX has a number of deals sitewide and is offering free shipping on orders $89+ with code SHIP89! You can shop their site here.
- TORY BURCH has a number of new items in their sale section. You can shop their site here.
- TUCKERNUCK has a number of new items added to their sale section, as well as free shipping and free returns on everything. You can shop their site here.
- WEST ELM is offering up to 50% off sale styles and free shipping on 1000s of items. You can shop their site here.
- WILLIAMS SONOMA is offering up to 50% off Thanksgiving must-haves. You can shop their site here.
I hope you all have a great week!
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Our long haired orange tabby, Lionel, was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism at age 17 and died at home shortly after we started treatment. He had lost a lot of weight by the time he was diagnosed. Still really miss him! But it was his time and we didn’t want him to suffer any longer. What I wanted to tell you is that you can get the meds in pre-measured doses in a cream, which you rub in their ears. Cats don’t fight it like a pill. So much easier on everyone. We bought a bag of finger cots on Amazon to administer it with to make it easier. Love and hugs to you guys, we know what you’re going thru. I really enjoy seeing the pictures of your cats. Since we are in our 70’s this was our last pet but love seeing other people’s pets.
Hi,
One of my kitties has hyperthyroidism. She is nearly 18. I decided against the radioactive iodine treatment because the closest place was about 3 hours away in another state, you would have to leave your cat there for a week, they would be isolated in a cage in a special room, and it is not 100% positive it will work. I’ve had her since she was a tiny baby and she has never been away from home so I couldn’t put her through that-the stress of it could have killed her. I had her on pills but it was a struggle to trick her into taking them. I switched to a cream that goes on the inside of her ear twice a day. I get it from a compound pharmacy with the doctors prescription. Much less traumatic for both of us!
Hi I think you might have smaller units to rent as well than the 5 bedroom. If so can you send a link? Thanks. I Love your blog and everything you do.
In the pic you took of the Tommy Bahama restaurant it looks like you captured Starlink and a comet or two?
Our 3 kitties lived to be 16, 19 and 20, so I know that journey well.❤️ One thing that helped them gain weight was feeding them canned kitten food. Lots of calories and they loved it! Not for every meal, but as a supplement. Wishing you the best of luck navigating this stage. Your fur babies are adorable.😻😻