Simple Mushroom Onion Soup

We are almost a month into 2017, how are you looking for your new years resolutions? I’m doing ok, I wouldn’t say great. I started a new job and it has got me traveling the next 3 weeks, so it’s been hard to keep on a steady schedule, but it has allowed me to go to the gym each night because I’m away and have nothing else to do haha! Stay focused and remember tomorrow is a new day and you can always start again from there.

Thanks for stopping by friends. Keep it Messy.

Only 5 more days till Christmas! yay! Every year on Christmas Eve, my Mom and Dad come over and we play “Reindeer Games” (card games, board games, or minute-to-win-it style relay races etc.) and the winning team gets a super awesome Santa trophy along with bragging rights for the year, while the losers have to have their pictures taken with light-up reindeer antlers! The lastthree years – it has been guys vs. girls and THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR!I already gave my Mom a pep-talk, because we have never won! Last year, we came close and tied, but it wasn’t an official win and the boys won’t let us forget it! This year I bought a card game that my friend, Elle, from Elle-Talk told me about called Exploding Kittens: A Card Game About Kittens and Explosions and Sometimes Goats! I think it is going to be a big hit and can’t wait for the games to begin LOL.

Affiliate Links: | c/o Sweater | c/o Purse (similar)| Shoes | Earrings (similar)

Photography : Dede Raad

On another note, it has been SO cold here in Houston this week, so I finally got to bust out all the sweaters and have been wearing this convertible sweater non-stop. It can be worn two ways and I honestly can’t decide which way I like better. It can be worn like a regular cowl neck sweater or OTS ( off-the-shoulder,) which has been such a big trend this year! The sweater is also super cozy, comfortable, and comes in several other colors. It is long enough, you might be able to even wear it as a dress with OTK boots too!

You can use my code OURMESSYTABLE15 for 15% off regular priced items until 12/24/2016! In case you missed it, I also shared this Bell Sleeve Lace dress from Anjoulis Boutique last week that I can’t wait to wear again for NYE!

Thank you all so much for stopping by OMT! We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and enjoy this time with your family. Leave me a comment and let me know what some of your favorite games are to play with the fam!

Note: Many of the links below are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase a product after clicking an affiliate link we receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you, at no extra cost to you. Just something we do to keep the lights on.

| c/o Dress | Shoes | Earrings | c/o Lipgloss |

Photography : Dede Raad

Y’all I have officially jumped on board the bell sleeves train ( what have I been waiting on?!?) I couldn’t help myself when I saw this dress with the lace details! It has been such a lifesaver this month and totally saved me a couple times when I needed to look nice and didn’t want to put very much effort in ( we all have those days, right?) The sleeves just have that dressed up look, where I could just throw on some booties and go. I have already worn this so many times, I have lost count.

One reason I love it so much, is that it can be worn for the holidays, but the color doesn’t limit you to just Christmas time. It gives you more options to wear it throughout the rest of the winter too. Plus it allows me to wear a wine colored lip, which I have been all about this season!

I got this dress and the CUTEST sweater ever ( I will be sharing it next week) from Anjoulis Boutique. I had the best experience shopping with them. My order was delivered so quickly and the quality of the clothes I received werevery nice – especially for the price ( This dress is only $42!) If you still need to pick up a gift or two or if you just want something for yourself, you can useOURMESSYTABLE15 for 15% off until 12/24/16. John and I have been running around like crazy trying to finish up some projects before Christmas! I am honestly ready for the hustle and bustle to slow down a bit and to be relaxing in our PJ’s with hot cocoa watching Christmas movies!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday season!

TwineOrnament Garland

All you need for this is twine and mini ornaments. I loved the pink and gold color combo, but choose any colors you want! I bought the ornaments for 50% off at Michael’s in a tube. The amount of ornaments you need will depend on how long you want your garland.

I lined up all of the ornaments in the order I wanted them on the garland. Then tied a loop on one end of the garland and strung them on. I didn’t mind that the ornaments moved around a bit, but if you want them to stay in place you can tie a little knot before and after each ornament to keep them from sliding.

Ta-da! You are finished! This twine ornament garlandwouldbe so cute on your tree, on the mantle, even to dress up a Christmas barcart for a holiday party.

Hope you all are having a great holiday season! Can’t believe Christmas is so close – we still have a couple more Christmas DIY’s coming your way!

Affiliate Links: c/o Cowl Neck Poncho|c/o Purse | Long Sleeve Shirt |Jeans | Earrings (similar)| Shoes

Photography: Dede Raad

Happy Holidays! The weather is freezing in Houston right now y’all. ( Okay, not literally and to some you will laugh out loud when I say it is 47 degrees, but to us here in Houston – that is COLD.) I am trying not to complain too much though, last Christmas it was in the 90’s and this year, I ACTUALLY get to wear cute and cozy sweaters and ponchos(cue the happy dance!)

This cowl neck poncho has been on repeat since I got it and is so comfy and warm. I plan on wearing it this weekendwhen out Christmas shopping (fingers crossed that I can get all the shoppingdone – I haven’t even started yet!)I love that this ponchocan be dressed up or down ( like with these slip on shoes) and that I can wear it with so many different colors!

Hope you all love this outfit as much as I do! I am sorry we have been MIA here the last week or so. It has been a crazy couple weeks and we will fill you guys in on everything that has been happening very soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Anyways, today’s post is short and sweet – and showcases two of my current favorites. Hint: they are both MARBLE

February Favorites: Marble Edition

I have fallen head over heels for any and everything MARBLE. (I know I am not alone in this obsession.) When I saw this Marble Platter, I knew I had to have it to put on my dresser to hold all my favorite perfumes and most used jewelry.

My other favorite are theseKendra Scott Earrings. I have not stopped wearing themall Winter! They have a marble pattern and are just gorgeous! My go-to look to wear them with is a blue/white plaid flannel shirt. These earrings really dress it up!

This little Marble platter looks so pretty on my dresser! This may sound silly, but it has made me enjoy the last steps of getting ready so much more.

Hope you enjoyed this short post! Stay tuned for John’s Paris trip recap!

XOXO

Lindsey

Plaid Blanket Scarf

I really am loving this scarf.Even though Christmas is over, I still plan on wearing it the rest of Winter. I am just going to nix the green/red and wear it with black, blue, white etc. There are so many colors in this scarf, it has a lot of options!

When I first got this scarf, I honestly wasn’t sure how to wear it! It is HUGE! Luckily, youtube saved me on this one.

I’m really liking blanket scarves right now. They have them in so many colors. This one from Altar’d State and I couldn’t find the exact one to link, but I’ve also seen some cute ones at Target & on Jane recently for a good price.

I was on my way out to go ice skating the day I wore this.. let’s just say when we got to the rink, there was literally a puddle of standing water and they were selling snow cones in December!! I actually was able to get away with wearing it, because as the evening came it did get a little breezy.

Me- pretending its cold and thinking of hot cocoa, mountains, snow, basically anything that represents what Winter should be like.

& that’s a wrap! I’m really liking blanket scarves right now. They have them in so many colors. This one fromAltar’d Stateand I couldn’t find the exact one to link, butI’ve also seen some cute ones at Target & onJanerecently for a good price.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you are gearing up for a Happy New Year! We are so excited about 2016. John and I have been brainstorming all week about ideas and goals for this next year for Our Messy Table.

We also just want to say thank you to all who subscribe and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We appreciate your support so much! Looking forward to 2016!

Lindsey

I found this birchwood ribbon at a local boutique and it was the inspiration behind this tree. Then I found the little birchwood tree ornaments on sale at Crate and Barrel and it really tied it all together.

Cozy socks and Christmas trees are two of my favorite things!

Woodland Winter decor on my dresser. John made this giant light-up snow flake last year. We used the tutorial from A Beautiful Mess. 

Quick peak at my office all Merry & Bright for Christmas!

Adding a wreath around the deer head is so simple, but adds so much to the gallery wall.

Filling a glass vase or jar with pine cones and sparkly glitter ornaments or decorative balls is such a simple centerpiece.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I can’t believe it is already over. I am sad to have to take down my Christmas decor now, but I am excited to try some new decorating ideas and look forward to sharing them all with you in 2016!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Lindsey

Winter Woodland Wreath

Start with a blank canvas ( or in this case a blank grapevine wreath!) You can find similar wreaths at craft stores like Michael’s Art Supply. I really loved the larger branches in this wreath. It gave it that “woodland” look, I was going for. The right side of the wreath started to unravel – I’ll show you later what we did to fix it.
Supplies:

• Greenery – How many branches you need depends on what size wreath you get. My wreath was a medium size, so I went with two frosted picks with small pinecones (top left)and then two larger picks that had a lot of sparkle and glitter ( on the right!) Check your local Hobby Lobby, Michael’s Art Supply, or design shops to find similar picks of greenery.
• Woodlands Critters – I choose a large owl – that had a frosted, snowy covered tail. I also picked up a snow squirrel ( but didn’t end up needing it in the wreath.)
• Wired Ribbon – I got this ribbon from Michael’s Art Supply. Always make sure the ribbon is wired. The trick to a good bow is the wire that helps it stay in place.
• Scissors, Glue Gun, Wire Cutters, & Wire

Hereis a close up so you can see just how cute this little owl is!

I thought these greenery picks were just gorgeous! I loved thevariety of greenery they had in them and of course I love anything that glitters & sparkles!

This is not a glamorous picture, but it’s real life, behind the scenes wreath making. It’s easier to work & see the placement of everything when the wreath is propped up. So, we used our paper towel holder to prop the wreath up to give us a better angle to work with.

Notice the wire at the top of the wreath. We used wire to tie the side of the wreath that was starting to unravel a bit, to help hold it into place. At this time, you need to look at your wreath and if there are any awkward areas (sometimes the wreath will not be symmetrical) you decide which area will be the top of the wreath and which will be the side that is hidden. ( I chose the unraveled side to hide.)

You want to start with the biggest pieces on the wreath first. So, I started with the larger glittery greenery picks. Once you have found the placement, wedge your pick into the grapevine and then hot glue the jointsto keep intact.

This is the bottom view of the wreath, with the first greenery pick in place.

Then we took the second large greenery pick and put it up high on the left side of the wreath. There will be a gap in the middle of the two greenery picks. (Tip:Set the picks in place on the wreath at the same time before hot gluing to make sure they are not too far apart.)

Now, go back and add your Owl (or the Woodlands critters in) I didn’t mention this above, but since I used a larger owl I only needed one animal as the focal point. If you chose a smaller animal you may need to get two and I would make them different sizes, to give it dimension. Regardless, of what you chose, figure out where you wantit to sitinside of the wreath. This owl had a really pretty frosted tail, so I wanted to make sure that the tail showed and wasn’t hidden in the wreath.

Then hot glue him in place.

The next step is to take the smaller greenery picks and fill in the spaces that need to be fuller. We used wire cutters and cut the branches apart and then hot glued the ends into the areas of the wreath that looked sparse. Once you place the branch, you will need to hold it down to make sure it secured.

Be really careful to not burn yourself – you can use an extra branch or stick to hold down the end, so you don’t accidentally burn your fingers! That glue gets HOT.

Now its BOW time! ( My favorite time) You want to take your ribbon and make sure to leave a tail ( see the piece that is laid flat on the table) about that long. Then create a lope and twist before starting another loop (larger on the outside and as you start to move to the inside of the bow, make them smaller) Once you feel like your bow is full enough, use another pice of ribbon to tie the bow onto the wreath. This is kind of complicated to explain, so I decided I will post a video next week to show how I make the bows, so stay tuned!

Place the bow into the empty space that was on the left side inbetween the two greenery picks. This is a side view of the bow on the wreath.

If you have any gaps left, you can use a smaller piece of ribbon to fillin. I cut a small piece and then used wire to attach the ribbon to the wreath and hold in place. ( Notice the ribbon tails – I like to cut the tails like this)

The final touch was to add even more sparkle and glitter. These little balls came in a pack from Michael’s Art Supply and really were a nice finishing touch!

I just hot glued the little snow balls throughout the wreath.

The snow balls just added that wintery feel, I was going for ! They really made this wreath.

Here is the finished product!

This was such a fun wreath to make! My Mom and I had a blast. She put up with me throughout the entire process stopping to take pictures and to document each step! I hope you enjoyed this diy. If you decide to tackle making a Winter Woodland Wreath, I would love to see pictures. Tag us on Instagram and Facebook and use #ourmessytable.

Lindsey

Cold Weather Chili

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of beef or turkey

1 white onion

1 bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1 large can of diced tomatoes

1 large can of tomato sauce

1 can of rotel

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

3 tablespoons of chili powder

3 tablespoons of either splenda or sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)

(Optional)

1 can of kidney beans

Fritos corn chips

Brown rice

In a large skillet, cook 1-2 lbs of beef or turkey and cook it until it is no longer pink.

You can save a little time by chopping all your veggies while the meat is browning.

Once the beef is brown, place it in a bowl and drain the excess grease from the pan. Then add the veggies, along with either pam spray or some OVOO, to the same pan the beef was in. This allows them so soak in some of that beef flavor and just adds the dish.

The onions will become a little brown, when this happens add the meat back into the pan. Stir andadd all of the remaining ingredients then mix it well and bring the chili to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a medium-low and let it simmer for 1-2 hours, depending on your time but I lean towards the 2.

Stir the chili every once in a while, partially to mix it up but mostly to smell how amazing its going to be.

After the chili is done on the stove you have some options, you can serve it over fritos corn chips or one of my favorites, brown rice but hey get creative, it’s your life. Then you can add cheese and sour cream as a nice topping! There is also a very hard held belief and legend by an unnamed Father-in-Law, that if you let the chili sit for 2 – 3 hours then it will taste the best but I have yet to be able to wait that long to eat it.

I think I’m learning that one of my favorite parts about this whole blogging thing is that not only do I get to make and share my favorite foods with you guys but better yet, now someone has to eat all this chili! Thanks for stopping by and I really hope you enjoy this family classic. Let me know if I can help in any way.