Catching Moments: {4/52}:

*Finding Forts around the house

We have had a lot of lazy days this week and when I walked by the playroom one morning I saw a mound of chairs and blankets and this is what I saw inside. Charli constructed a fort for her and her brother to play in! I am so thankful they have each other! 

Recipe: Gluten Free Pizza Crust:

Happy Friday Friends! 

I don't know about you but Friday's in our house usually call for pizza. Though when you have Celiac Disease "pizza night" can turn into pizza for everyone else and a salad for mommy. Thankfully over the years a ton of places have started carrying Gluten Free pizza. While that is so awesome you have to remember that people who actually have the disease have to be extremely careful with cross contamination. I can't tell you how much I have gotten sick because of this (which is why we do not eat out all that often). So Pizza Night in our house may be a little different than most families but it is just as delicious and we know exactly what is going into our tummies, because I make it fresh! 

If you remember I have talked about Pamela's Gluten Free flour a lot because it is the only GF Flour we keep in the house. We find it to be much more cost efficient by buying it in bulk through Amazon so we always have it on hand! We have their Bread Mix as well as their Baking Mix. I make all of my bread fresh with their flour, muffins, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, donuts, and yes even pizza crust! So if you are feeling crazy tonight and want to try something different here is how you can make your very own fresh Gluten Free Pizza Crust.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups Pamela's Bread Mix

1 packet of Yeast

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups warm water

Preparation: (This makes 2 12 to 14 inch crusts)

In a Stand Mixer with whisk attachment

Combine dry mix, yeast, oil, and water. 

Mix on medium for 2 minutes.

Take 1/2 the dough and place onto heavily greased baking sheet.

Spread dough into crust shape (you will need to pour some oil into your hands and a little onto the dough to keep it from sticking)

Let rest one hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 30 minutes on lower rack.

Add sauce and toppings. Continue baking 10 minutes, until toppings are melted.

Dough will puff while baking.

This is seriously the best gluten free pizza I have had and it is so incredibly easy to make. What I love about it even more is that you can freeze them after partially baking them for 20 minutes! Just wrap them after cooling and freeze! Then you can always have homemade GF crust on hand! 

Such an easy nap time prep! 

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend and Happy Pizza Making! 

Charli's Chapter: Writing my Name:

From Charli's Chair:

At the young age of three

Mommy & Daddy taught me

To write out these letters

That spelt CHARLI

We worked and we practiced

On each little letter

It didn't take long

My handwriting got better!

Now we are working

On handwriting at school

I think what I'm being taught

Is pretty darn cool! 

Note From Mommy:

The above picture in purple crayon was the very first time she ever wrote her name which was back at the beginning of October. I am just now getting around to posting about it since her very first "handwriting practice" sheet was sent home in her folder today! We couldn't be more proud of how well she is doing in school and this just continues to prove it to us! 

We are so proud of you Charli Adele, keep up the good work! 

***

Until my next adventure...

Thanks for stopping by!

xo charli

Our Home Decor: Winter Edition:

I hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend and is staying warm with all this Winter weather we are having! 

The big Blizzard up north and our frigid temps here in Florida (we even saw snow flurries...) Yes people, you read that correctly... Snow Flurries, in Jacksonville... I'm not gonna lie, I was not excited about it like everyone else. I saw WAY. TOO. MUCH. SNOW. last year in Newport. I was more 

"Go home snow, you're drunk... You don't belong in Florida!" I don't mind the chilly temps though. They are a nice change in pace here and there but I am looking forward to the warmer weather that is coming this week for sure! 

But before I start changing things up again for Valentine's Day I wanted to share a snippet of our Winter Home. I don't do too much for "Winter Decor" but I just love the look and feel of Winter pieces still around through January. I keep it clean and simple.

I hope you enjoy!

Front Porch:

Front Sitting Room:

Dining Room:

Family Room:

Happy Decorating! 

Catching Moments: {3/52}:

*My Mini-Me

One of our three year old's absolute favorite things to do is clean and organize (just like her mama). She will follow me around the house with all of her little cleaning supplies and dust, sweep, and mop right along side me.

*One-on-One time is rare when you have an older sibling

But the mornings that big sis has school are the mornings that it's just the two of us. The house is quiet (ish) and this little guy gets the play room and all of the toys to himself! 

Crew's Corner: Ol' Blue:

From Crew's Crib:

Every where that I go

And every thing that I do

I am never without

My boy Ol' Blue

In my bed as I sleep

At the table as I eat

In the car as we drive

He's right by my side

I've grown quite attached

To this puppy you see

I always make sure

He is right next to me

***

Until my next adventure...

Thanks for stopping by!

xo crew

Charli Adele: 3.5 Year Update:

Happy Half Birthday to our sweet little princess (yesterday)!!

Something we have been doing for both kids since they were 6 months old has been celebrating their half birthday's (because why not?) and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon! Especially after the look on Charli's face yesterday morning when I jumped into bed with her and said Happy Half Birthday!! We giggled, we sang, and all day she said "I'm a WHOLE HALF today, woohoo" hahaha! One thing our sweet girl wanted was a birthday crown so Momma went to work and crafted up this crown by using some of my card stock paper and some gold metallic spray paint I had on hand. Those two minutes of crafting made one little girls day!!

 My plan from here on out is to celebrate Charli and Crew's half's together since they are only 3 weeks apart but since Crew still really doesn't know we celebrated yesterday and boy was it fun!

I still can't believe we are this close to having a FOUR year old... Where in the world have the past 3.5 years gone? I know I say it all the time but I wish time would just slow down a bit. One of my all time favorite quotes (and I say it out loud all the time) 

"The days are long, but the years are short".

It couldn't be more true. Even the hardest of days I try to soak in every little thing I can because I know I won't get these days or time back with our babies. 

Charli's intelligence is amazing and she is still just as sweet and spunky as ever. Some of her favorite things to do right now are to Sing & Dance, Play House, Cook in her Kitchen, Read, or sit at the table and play with little figurines (Minnie Mouse, Sheriff Callie, Frozen, etc.) and make up her own story lines. It is my favorite thing she does, I love watching her imagination at work! 

Charli's Stats:

*Height: Just over 42 inches (one inch for each month old she is! Since she is literally 42 months haha)

*Weight: 44 lbs

*Clothes: 4T and 5T

*Sleep: Bedtime is still 7PM and she wakes around 7AM. She still goes down around 1PM for "rest/relaxing time". Somedays she ends up falling asleep for an hour, somedays she just lays in her bed or in her teepee until it is time to get out. I feel so incredibly grateful that she is still so good during this time and stays quiet and listens because Crew still takes about a 3 hour nap. 

*Food: Charli has become a lot pickier of an eater within the last year. She "needs" ranch to eat her chicken (whatever, it works and I literally give her the smallest dab... pick and choose your battles right.) It seems like every night we are asking her to eat her dinner. I still don't cater to her, she gets what I make (and clearly I know she is not starving). Some of her favorites though are: Breakfast: "Nana's favorite fings" (belvita's); Lunch: Apples with peanut butter on them; Snacks: First let me start by saying that girlfriend would snack, ALL.DAY.LONG. if I let her... But some faves are cheese sticks, apples, grapes, applesauces, oranges, goldfish, rice cakes, pirate booty, crackers; Dinner: Chicken & French fries if I let her, Pasta is her absolute favorite, Taco Tuesday, and breakfast for dinner (eggs, bacon, etc).

*Social: Charli is as social as they come! She loves school and all of her friends and they all love her. Her absolute favorite thing to do is to perform. She will sit everyone down and sing and dance for as long as you let her. It is hilarious and adorable. Don't dare talk though during a performance... You will get scolded. Charli truly just loves life and the joy and happiness she has radiates! The love she has for her baby brother is also amazing. They love rough housing and wrestling (though mommy has tried making it a new house rule... No Rough Housing... Too many bruises). 

I still can't believe we have a 3 1/2 year old 

(and yes, I know you were wondering, her 4th Birthday is already planned!) ;) 

Happy Half Birthday Charli Adele!

We love you!

Catching Moments: {2/52}:

*Our very first weekend visitors

Being back in Jacksonville means that we are now only a short drive away for Steven's Grandfather (Daddy). Seeing our children snuggle, love on, and making memories with their Great Daddy and Great Maw is something we will cherish forever.  

Crafting Chronicles: Pinecone Wreath:

Happy Thursday and Happy almost weekend! 

I hope everyone has had a fabulous week! 

Are you in a funk on what you should do with those bare walls or spots that your Christmas wreaths and decor once hung? Are you like me and enjoy to keep a "Winter" feel in your home after the holidays? Well have no fear, I have a super simple DIY for you! Pinecones are my go-to winter-y decor item, if you remember from Last Year. With moving so much and changing around your decor and where everything goes because each house is so very different you end up with areas that will need a little TLC. So in our front sitting room the mirror looked very bare when I took down my Christmas Wreath so I knew I needed to make a Pinecone Wreath of some sort. I had plenty of pinecones on hand and figured out a super simple DIY that took about 5-10 minutes to make! 

Things You Will Need:

Pinecones (I used 18) 

Twine

Wire Hanger

First, take an old wire hanger (I happened to find ONE wire hanger from Steven's uniform dry cleaning, score!) and start pulling the wire hanger down so that it makes a circle (leaving the hook). Continue to just work with it until it looks like a circle you like.

Second, take strands of twine and wrap them around the pinecone and tie tightly (but not too tightly that it breaks)

Next, I put the pinecone to where the wire hanger went inside of the grooves of the pinecone and tie a couple of knots with the twine tightly around the hanger.

Continue with each pinecone until wreath is filled! 

I also did every other pinecone in the same direction just to switch it up. 

You could end up using the hook part of the hanger to actually hang the wreath if you wanted! I ended up cutting it off because I knew I would always use ribbon.

I love how it turned out! 

I will have the rest of our Winter Home up on the blog soon so stay tuned! 

Happy Crafting! 

Crafting Chronicles: Christmas Card Booklets:

I don't know about you but I always wait until after the New Year to take my Christmas decor down. This year was extra hard because I busted my butt to get it up so fast in the first place so I wanted to enjoy it for a few more extra days! 

Christmas is officially down as of yesterday and it is all packed away. 

What do you end up doing with all of those beautiful Christmas Cards you received that adorned your home during the holiday? I hope you don't throw them away, knowing how hard your family and friends worked to mail them out to you! Well here is the perfect solution if you find yourself in a rut when it comes to all of these amazing cards... Christmas Card Booklets! I started making these a few years ago and I absolutely love them. I always have one or 2 extra of our Christmas card (which I do on purpose) and I use ours as the top card for the booklet. It is as simple as using a hole punch at the top corner, stringing a piece of rope straight through, and tying a knot! You can stack them in your trunk, photo box, or wherever you keep photos/keepsakes. 

I love looking back on all of our family and friends each year and seeing how their family's have grown! 

  

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! 

Happy Sunday & Happy Crafting! 

Catching Moments: {1/52}

*A New Year, Another Home... 

Someone asked me recently how many times we have moved in the past year and it made me stop and think, because for most people this is not normal. So to put it into perspective for you... Crew is 16 months and in his first year of life he has now lived in three homes (this is Charli's 4th). Our children never cease to amaze us. 

They are tough, they are resilient, and they seem to never skip a beat when we move. 

Welcome Home again babies, Welcome Home again! {Hopefully for a very, very long time}.

Happy 3 Year Blogiversary:

A very Happy 3 years to The HALLway! 

I seriously can not believe that three years of writing has already passed by.
I have never steered away from what I intended this blog to be and that was to be our family's journal. I do however feel incredibly grateful that little things such as my love for Party Planning and Decorating was noticed due to this little space of the internet and that I have an official place to send my ideas and pictures for a little recognition (Thank you again Evite!) Other than that it truly is a place for us to look back on and see just how much our lives have changed and how much we have grown!

I can't tell you how truly thankful I am for this little space, for the friendships I have made from it, and for each and every one of my readers. It truly means the world to me to know you care so much about us and that you love reading along in all of our fun (and not so fun) adventures! I feel so blessed to have you all in my life and for the constant support and reminder that I'm not in this whole mommy gig alone and that I'm doing alright, so thank you! 

So here's to you The HALLway, for being our journal, for being the place all of our family and friends can visit to keep up with our ever changing lives and adventures, and for being the place I can express some of my most beloved passions & hobbies; Photography, Interior Design, Party Planning, Crafting, Fashion, & Poetry. 

A Few Fun Facts about The HALLway

Number of Posts Written: 513

Total Number of Views: 134,154

Average Number of Views per Post: 400 (with a handful around 1,000)

Top Viewed Posts:

Preparing For Surgery

Coping with Crohn's & Cancer

Bed Rest
Introducing Our Son
Freshly Picked Moccasins Giveaway
Aunt Jettie's Wedding
A Breastfeeding Battle

Top Topic: Charli & Crew (I mean would you expect anything else)

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for all of the support, love, encouragement, and friendships I have made since starting this little blog! 

Here is to many more years of writing!

***

And what better way to celebrate another year but than a little blog re-fresh! 
So a new look for the new year it is! 
Thank you to my best friend and her absolutely amazing talent and for always creating everything for me! She seriously is so amazing and I am loving the fresh look! So pretty! 

Cheers to 2016:

Hello 2016! 

I still can't believe we are a few days into this New Year. Last year was a bit of a world wind and though it brought us great struggles with my Health and a Big Surgery I had to undergo we still had such an amazing year and so many wonderful things to celebrate. Even though it was a tough year health wise, I always say it could have been worst and we have been given so much to be grateful for!

Starting the year buried in feet of Snow to ending it on the beach, all the new friends we made who will forever be a part of our life, watching our children grow and Learn each and every day, celebrating Crew's First Year of Life, me turning Thirty, Charli turning Three, to every moment and memory caught in between. But what we feel truly blessed with this year were new orders for Steven which meant moving back home to Jacksonville, and the ultimate gift of buying our very first Home together! 

Now that 2015 is in the past, we have a lot to focus on this coming year as a family. I pray that it is going to be an amazing year for us, our family, and all of our friends! 

So cheers to you 2016 and everything you have in store for us!

Catching Moments: A 52 Week Project:

Happy 2016! 

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year! 

I am so excited to announce something that I will be participating in to kick off this New Year. One of my very good friends Sarah, over at Sincerely, Sarah Anne is an amazing blogger and mommy photog and she is starting a Photography Project;
Catching Moments: A 52 Week Project. 

The idea is simple, to capture one photo each week for 52 weeks of your child or children (or spouse, or family). I get teased a lot because I always have my camera in hand, and I'm not "there" or "in the moment". I feel I am more than there and even more in the moment because what I see through my lens is a beauty I cherish and details I remember forever!
So I have a feeling this project will suit me and I am so excited to be joining Sarah and to
Catch these 52 Moments of my babes!