Hannah Morrison

The Answer for Back to School Meals

August 18, 2020

Whether you are back in an office for the first time in months, have kids homeschooling at the dining room table, kids back in a physical classroom, or… have a toddler and a newborn in the house… hehe, well, meals for the family just feel like a lot of extra hard work. You with me? I have been singing the praises of HelloFresh for over a year now, and more than ever I am so grateful for meals delivered straight to my door. A newborn, a pandemic, and my husband in the beginning phases of starting a new venture (EEEEEEP!)… I need all the help I can get around here. And because my momma can’t live with us for the next 6+ months, HelloFresh is helping me with meals in between Lollie visits. 😉

This month, you can click here to get $80 off your order on me (including free shipping on the first box!) from HelloFresh! We’ve had so many amazing meals with them, but anything Mexican-inspired or the Gourmet Meals are top choices for us.

As for this blush pink slip dress, it’s from R.e.c. Room and they’re a new favorite! First off, they are owned by two girl bosses which is obviously a major perk! Think Lululemon materials for dresses and every day attire. I love that this dress can be worn by itself or with a tee shirt tied on top. Or, with a denim jacket or flannel… the options are endless with every season. Plus… it’s so lightweight and comfortable for around the house! You can grab one for yourself here, available in multiple colors!

Rory’s Puppy Nursery & Name

August 17, 2020

EEEEP! Y’all, I am so excited to share this full post with you today. We’ve had the nursery done for months, but I didn’t want to share it until Rory was here. And now, I can’t believe he’s a month old tomorrow! This nursery is incredibly special to me. I dreamed it up while feeling completely lost after finding out Rory was going to be a boy instead of the little girl I thought so surely God had told me I was having. This, along with a whole bunch of other stuff unfolding in our life, left me confused to say the very least. Rory’s nursery sort of became my project that distracted me from what was happening in our personal lives.

Puppies. Everybody likes puppies.

I am not kidding. That’s where this room started the day after I found out the gender. So I looked up on Etsy “Puppy Prints” and I found these. These prints are what got me excited about having another little boy. Isn’t that funny? God grows His plans and desires within us in mysterious, custom-tailored ways. Mine for Rory came through nursery design. Then, as our life took some crazy turns, the rest of Rory’s story unfolded as I felt God tell me his unique mark and why his name would be what it is. I have shared about this on Instagram a bit, but my pregnancy with Rory was a deeply spiritual time in my life. We’ve had some massive changes happen right smack dab in the middle of my pregnancy, some quite unexpectedly but very necessary while others have been long and drawn out. We made choices for our family that looked crazy to the outside world. And then, while it felt we ought to fight and defend ourselves, we chose to be silent. God told me Rory’s full name was Rory Liam, and although at the time I didn’t know of anything to come in the months ahead, I knew it was what God was telling me He would be for us in 2020. Rory means “King” *Red King to be exact, so we thought it’d be hilarious if he came out red headed!* and Liam means “Protector.” As we labored through an incredibly painful season, one that was necessary to birth something new in us and regrow dead places in our hearts, I grew Rory Liam within me. I was pregnant both physically and spiritually. God taught me through my pregnancy, with Rory as a physical daily reminder of this, that he was my family’s Protector King. That we didn’t have to fight for ourselves, because the Lord alone is our defender, our champion, our warrior. And then, Rory embodied his own name and story when he was born and spent his first week in the NICU. Once again, though it felt cruel and just like more unnecessary pain, God proved himself through Rory that He was our Protector King.

All this to say… Welcome to Rory Liam’s Puppy Nursery.

I love every single little detail. Most notably, this accent wall was done by our dear friends Madi and Jarrett Hall who JUST officially launched their business and blog, The Hall Acres. They are local to the McKinney area and some of the absolute kindest, most genuine people you’ll ever come across. They’re incredibly talented and I cannot suggest them enough for a “follow” on IG AND for any projects in your home you may be looking to hire out to somebody.

Our newborn photos in Rory’s nursery are, of course, Hannah Hagaman of Cottonwood Road Photography.

I have every item linked at the bottom of this post!

Nursery Details:

**Our exact bean bag isn’t available anymore! SUCH A BUMMER. It’s from PB Teen and we bought it specifically with Knox in mind to be part of bedtime for Rory… it turned out to be the seat Paul and I never knew we needed hehe. I linked a swivel chair that is low like a bean bag with the exact same faux leather!

Paint Colors: SW Alabaster and Inkwell

Local and Small Businesses to Support!

August 5, 2020

PHEW, this was quite a task but so worth it! As promised, here’s the list of every single small business in the North Texas area (as well as a couple beyond NTX, but still Texas-based!) that y’all sent me on IG last week. As a small business owner myself who runs social media for small businesses… I know personally the impact that this season has taken on so many. From restaurants to boutiques, everybody has had to get inventive and more creative than ever, changing marketing plans and businesses models to keep their doors open. Everybody has taken a hit. As providers for their own homes along with the weight of being employers to their staff, small business owners have carried such a heavy burden every day over the last four months. It’s my hope that we can all come together and support each other’s businesses.

Help keep doors open. Don’t let this chaos win. Keep small businesses open by being intentional to love on them!

Food and Drink

Up Inspired Kitchen: Frisco, TX (A personal favorite AND allergy-friendly!)

Bolivar St. BBQ: Denton, TX

Artisan Cup: A DFW beverage trailer (Think food truck for drinks!)

Patina Green: McKinney, TX (My favorite grilled cheese of all time is here!)

Bakeries

Unrefined Bakery: DFW Locations, allergy-friendly baked goods (A personal favorite… like, so freaking good!)

The Messy Chef Bakeshop: Denton, TX

Cookie Society: Frisco, TX

Sugar Social DFW: Plano, TX (I did a class with her- she’s AMAZING)

Detour Doughnuts: Frisco, TX

Boutiques

Landry Kate: McKinney & The Colony, TX (Personal Favorite!!)

Hale House: Fort Worth, TX (This is where I got my cute mask!)

Emerson Jane: McKinney, TX

Made with Love, AM: McKinney TX (Personal Favorite!)

Caffeinated Beauty Bar: Oak Cliff, TX

Lottes: Frisco, TX

Hygge Home & Design: Dallas, TX

Rebel Roots Boutique: Bonham, TX

Poppy Street Market: Houston, TX

Miss H Renae: Dallas, TX

Collins and Conley: Roanoke, TX

Seeds of Love Bracelets: Dallas, TX

Designs by Brazzel: Lake Dallas, TX

Cunningham & Co.: Commerce, TX

Clothed in Dignity: Cuero, TX

Winton and Waits: Fort Worth, TX

The Worthy Co.: Fort Worth, TX

Tribe Alive: Fort Worth, TX

Gifted: Fort Worth, TX

Art

Corrinne Bizzle Art: Dallas, TX- Abstract Art

The One With Wanderlust: Dallas, TX- Prints & Photo

Something Vintage Something New: Haslet, TX- Custom Signs & Event Rentals

Lunch Box Gallery: Dallas, TX – Paintings

Busy Little Bees: Dallas, TX – Stitch Appliqué

Explore the Outdoors: Dallas, TX – Children’s Books

Hobo Originals: McKinney, TX- Woodwork and Designs

Photo/Video

Cottonwood Road Photography: My personal photographer!

Kenna Lynn Photography: McKinney, TX

Lauren Junker Photography: Collin County Area

Jeff Brummett Visuals: Dallas, TX

Taylor Salerno Photography: Dallas, TX

Hannah Hays Photography: Dallas, TX

Gillian Oler Photography: Frisco, TX

Aimee Hamilton Photography: Frisco, TX

Kate Marie Portraiture: Dallas, TX

Sarah Channon Photography: Waco, TX

Little Gray Films: Austin/DFW, TX

T Jane Photo: San Antonio, TX

Ann Mark Photography: Austin, TX

Deven D Photography: Houston, TX

Services

La Luna Skincare: Dallas, TX

Maxwell & Gray: TX/CA/AZ- Wedding and Events

Trammell Construction: Frisco, TX

Carleigh Long Designs: DFW- Wedding and Events

RI Studio: Dallas, TX- Home Design

Gracefully Nested: Dallas, TX- Home Organization

Barn at Paradise: Paradise, TX- Wedding Venue

We Rock the Spectrum: Dallas, TX – Kid’s Play Gym

Blue Door Cleaning: Dallas, TX- Home Cleaning *Allocates profits to aging out foster kids!*

ApexNetwork Physical Therapy: Celina, TX

Laurel & Co. Events: NTX – Event planning & design

Catalyst Counseling: Dallas, TX

My Secret to Gluten Free Baking

July 14, 2020

Hey, babes! Honest check-in: How are you doing?

I am… barely hanging on in a lot of ways. I had a breakdown this week. I cried in my bed for an hour and needed my husband to convince me to get out. JUST BEING HONEST. I am so uncomfortable, deeply disappointed I was having contractions for two weeks and still don’t have a baby *and now hardly having any since getting on an antibiotic*, and sad about how divided the world is. SO MANY EMOTIONS. But, all in all, we are good. In the words of Paul, he said, “Honestly, I am shocked you’re only just now crying.” HA! It’s been a stressful few weeks around here.

However, I know there is SO MUCH to be excited about, thankful for, and just generally aware of how lucky we are. To choose joy, I made cookies with Knox yesterday. He LOVES being in the kitchen, and it’s fun as he gets older to see the way he is able to actually help. I had him on mixing duty yesterday. And, aside from sneaking licks of the spatula every time I turned away, he did a really great job! I love including him in as much as possible to help him stay active AND find things he’s good at. I have shared TWO cookie recipes in my IG stories recently that were out of this world. I wanted to re-share here and also answer a few questions!

If you don’t know, I am gluten-free (not by choice). I found out about 5 years ago after years and years of seeing doctors who basically said nothing was wrong with me that I am allergic to yeast and gluten. Like a for real allergy… not just a sensitivity. And I had lived with it my entire life. I had white spots all over my body from yeast overgrowth and my brain was swollen! So many things in my life made sense all of a sudden, and all from a simple food allergy that had gone undiagnosed for over 20 years. Anyways, I love cooking and baking, but obviously things had to change drastically when I found out. It’s been a long journey of figuring out the best brands or how to bake for myself. But, I have a secret that’s been a game changer for all things baking…

Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 All Purpose Flour

Both times I have posted my cookies in the last couple of weeks I have received multiples messages about how the heck I got them thick AND gluten free. THIS IS THE ANSWER. For years, I have struggled to make cookies that are any good. They were either tasteless or crumbly… Plus, gluten free baking can be expensive when you’re trying to do all the fancy recipes with almond flour and potato starch and… all the things. This All Purpose GF flour just basically combines all that for you and you can replace it into any recipe you do/love to make it gluten free. And the best part is that NOBODY will know it’s gluten free. Bob’s Red Mill also has the baking powder and other various ingredients I need, but this flour is what changed my baking game forever. I have also been out of baking soda, so I have discovered you can replace it with baking powder in a 3-1 tsp. ratio. So for example, the Big Fat Cookie recipe below called for 1 tsp soda and 1 tsp powder. So I ended up doing 4 tsp baking powder and they were perfect. I did the same for the regular chocolate chip cookies!

SO, whether baking gluten free or gluten filled… Here are the cookie recipes you NEED TO TRY ASAP.

Big Fat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: With a name like that… how can you refuse? These are SO yummy. I did a batch a little doughy, right on the 13 minutes, and then a little crispy… and they ALL are so good. So no matter how you prefer your cookies, these hold up. I definitely lean toward doughy/just done enough.

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies: I am not a baker by any means. My sister… she’s a professional pastry chef. I didn’t get that gift hehe. BUT, these cookies sure did make me feel like one for a hot second. They taste just like my FAVORITE cookie from Sprinkles Cupcakes! NOT KIDDING. To make them large, I used our ice cream scoop and then flattened them before popping into the oven.

Enjoy baking, friends! If you try these out, let me know. I wanna see!

xoxo

IG Outfits & Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

July 7, 2020

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, y’all! Like… for real. I have been thinking about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for weeks and it’s inching closer. This is the best sale of the year, and one of the only ones I truly cover and go “all-in” on, because it really is just that good. You get to shop the upcoming season’s best and newest releases for MAJOR discounts. We are talking fall’s best new items for 40% off or more. This is the time of year I shop for fall, purchase heftier ticket price items, and think through the colder months. It feels funny to shop for colder weather items when it’s 100 degrees outside… but I just like to set the mood with a fall candle and turn the AC way down with some Season 1 Gilmore Girls on. 😉 If you know… you know. That’s legit my happy place.

You can learn more about the sale here! Previews and early access BEGIN July 24th, but the whole sale goes public on August 19th.

Things to Note:

You get early shopping access with the Nordstrom Credit Card, which is really worth it if you can. But, it’s NOT ever necessary. If you know yourself and know a credit card isn’t wise, don’t do it. The benefit of one is that all the best stuff sells out in the first week with the early access shoppers. And although many items do get restocked for the public access on August 19th, there’s just never any guarantees.
You can create wish lists and looks with a Nordy Club Member account. This isn’t a credit card or anything like that. You can just earn perks and whatnot as you shop, and you can gain Nordstrom status with points (which means you could earn early access without a credit card!)

In other news… I am still pregnant. I have legitimately been in labor for days. But my contractions aren’t close enough to be admitted. Last night, we labored every 7-9 minutes until 3:30 AM. Honestly, I am exhausted at this point and the baby isn’t even here. But, I know we can make it through this and Baby R is worth the fight. I have included a quick round-up of most clicked items and my IG posts for you below just in case shopping with LiketoKnow.IT isn’t for you. You can also always shop without the LTK app through “Shop my Insta” on the main page of my website, here.

Get the Look:

Most Shopped Items:

All this to say… Welcome to Rory Liam’s Puppy Nursery.

LET’S GET SOCIAL