Hannah Morrison

Getting Ready for FALL

Happy September, from The Cake Team! In our book, there is no shame in the fall game starting today *even though we started a couple weeks ago.* Enjoy a post rounding up some of Carleigh’s fall favorites! If you’re new around here, Carleigh is my amazing Media Manager/Assistant/Sanity. (But really.) Give her a follow on IG (here) and give some love! You can also read all of her posts on the blog with the filter “From Carleigh” to the right. xoxo, Han

Every week that goes by, it gets a little harder to believe we are still in quarantine. I truly didn’t think we’d still be here going into September, and it’s an almost daily battle to choose joy as we head into the sixth month of navigating this pandemic. That being said, we have to keep fighting and finding ways to enjoy life! I find joy in all things fall. I mean, seriously… does it get better than a crisp morning, a pumpkin candle burning, a hot cup of something in hand, and a sweatshirt (especially if it’s from The Cake Shop). I think not! So I am choosing joy and getting ready for fall in my house, my wardrobe, and my soul 🙂 I’m sharing and linking all of my favorite things to get cozy and ready for that cool fall weather, even if it is still 95 degrees outside right now… Texas probs, y’all.

xoxo, Carleigh

Fall Home Decor

The new fall line from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia is at Target, and it’s amazing as always! I love adding some warmer pieces to my home to help transition into fall, like throw pillows, wreaths, candles, etc.

 

Pumpkin Bread

I’m getting ready to bust out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe! A slice of pumpkin bread and a cup of hot cider (or coffee for all you normal people who love it hehe) with a candle burning, a cozy sweatshirt, and a good book = the perfect fall morning. You can check out my pumpkin bread recipe that I shared last fall on the blog here!

 

Cozy Fall Wardrobe

Even before the temperatures drop, I bust out all my sweaters, sweatshirts, joggers, etc. so I can feel cozy! Especially with being home so much more right now, I’m living in my comfies pretty much 24/7. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite new cozy pieces for fall!

 

Fall at Bath and Body Works

Fall is here and I am R E A D Y. I stocked up on new soaps, candles, and all the things with the new fall scents and it brings me joy every time I smell them. Some of my favorite new scents are:

  • Cozy Cashmere
  • Honeycrisp Apple
  • Vanilla Sage
  • Linen & Lavender
  • Welcome Home
  • And anything pumpkin scented!

IG Outfits & Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

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:

Summer Dresses (Great for Newborn Pics!)

Holy smokes, y’all. How am I still pregnant? Who the heck knows… hehe. I am technically 38 weeks now, however my body has been prepping for weeks. At 35 weeks I started having pre-labor signs *super painful evening practice contractions!* and now I am about 2 cm dilated and over 50% effaced… so I am just a walking ticking time bomb at this point. Currently having contractions… pray my water breaks lol.

To be honest, my anxiety has been pretty high the closer I get to delivery. I have had a couple breakdowns about how different this hospital experience will be from Knox’s birth. I will have to wear a mask at any point a doctor or nurse is present, which makes me really anxious to be honest. I have a really hard time with a mask on my face, which is why I have generally just chosen to stay home so much through the last couple of months. Second, I decided months ago that in order to hopefully have a successful VBAC, I will be getting an epidural to calm my body once I arrive at the hospital. I am incredibly anxious about this. I don’t do well with needles or hospital settings in general, so I am just really nervous. I will be laboring from home for as long as possible, though, as long as things progress well! If you weren’t around here for Knox’s birth, I had a birth plan for non-medicated birth in the hospital. I labored for 9 hours with almost no progress, so I was forced to get an epidural. I still ended up with an emergency c-section and we discovered Knox was cord wrapped THREE TIMES and would have never come vaginally. So, God was incredibly sweet and protected us all 29 hours of labor to bring that boy into the world. Lastly, I can’t have my mom present this time around and Knox can’t come meet Baby R.  I have dreamed of that special moment my son walks into the hospital room with a gift to meet his brother. I know it’s small in the grand scheme of things- but it’s still a dream I have to let die. It’s just all really different and nerve-wracking, and I am having to let myself grieve it all. But, at the end of the day, however this boy decides to come and whenever… I just want a healthy baby in my arms when its all said and done. I have to keep reminding myself that.

Today, as I am prepping for labor (and praying it’s TIME) I am also thinking through all things post-labor, including newborn pics! I rounded up some favorite summer dresses currently available in my favorite shops that will photograph well AND be perfect for postpartum. ALL of these are non-maternity and great for everybody! I just made sure to pick ones that are friendly to that postpartum belly. 😉

The Dresses:

Baby R’s Nursery:

Hello 28

Well, like that, I am 28! How crazy to think 10 years ago I was graduating high school and looking ahead to moving to the city that would become my home/where I met my husband/where I would build the rest of my life.

In a lot of ways, 28 is oddly similar to 18.

This year was seriously insane. The last 6 months have been life-altering. The next 6 months have me both terrified and thrilled. We have so much to share soon with y’all, but for now… I will just leave some cliff hangers hehe.

27 brought me a lot of joy, hurt, disappointment, tears, parenting wins, parenting fails, and -thank God- growth. I think 27, arguably, brought me the most heartache and disappointment I have experienced in my life. I learned what I value at my very core more than ever, both for my family and personally. We took a lot of risks. We jumped – We fell a few times – We rose victorious a few others. It’s truly been a ground breaking, put a flag in it kind of year. This is a year I will look back on when I am old and say, “Oh yeah, that was a great age. Great year. Risky and imperfect, but a GREAT year.”

For 28, we are looking to some huge shifts and changes as a family. We are gaining Baby R (any day now!) and beginning some massive new adventures. I believe this year will be one we step into promises and callings God told us we would do a very long time ago. A fulfillment of sorts. 

There are a lot of question marks over us right now, yet I have never felt so confident in my family, who we are, and what we are called to. I am honestly so pumped for 28! Thanks for being here, as always. I am so grateful for each and every one of you!

Photos by Cottonwood Road Photography at The Lumen Room Plano

Date Nights At Our Favorite Spots

Heya family! How you doing these days? Oddly enough, I can say I am doing alright! We’ve been so intentional about getting out and doing things since all this Corona stuff, and it’s been so good for us. It’s honestly been neat that we are in a season of life and transition right now that has allowed us to truly be so present and all-in as a family through these last couple of months. With Paul in transition and home all day, we’ve had so much fun soaking in these final weeks as a family of three. He’s also been helping me run all things The Cake and managing clients, and he’s killing it at stocks which has been fun to learn.

As Texas is slowly re-opening, I am SO ready to get back to normalcy and am already planning our next date nights. This momma needs A DATE. We went a couple weeks ago when restaurants first re-opened to 25% capacity to our favorite spot, Sixty Vines, and it was so life giving. Not to mention, we were so impressed with their above and beyond service to protect guests and keep them comfortable in these odd times of transition. I wanted to share with y’all a couple of our favorite date night spots in the area + our favorite dishes we order. BUT, even if you aren’t local, I hope this encourages you to make intentional time with your special somebody EVEN when things are odd. this is applicable in the current state of circumstances… but also just LIFE in general.  Whether you’re ready to start adventuring out or prefer to stay home a bit longer, I hope you are making date nights happen.

Our Favorite Dinner Spots

  1. Sixty Vines: Y’all, this is for sure our favorite date night spot. Plano is closest, but we also love to adventure down to the Uptown location in Dallas from time to time. It’s the most beautiful restaurant and their menu is so dang good. They have WINE on tap (and other drinks). But, their specialty is wine, hence the name Sixty VINES. We always without a doubt order the Crispy Zucchini, and last time we were there the chef even printed off the recipe for us to make at home. WHAT?! I have ordered just about everything on this menu at this point. But, my favorite is the Fig & Prosciutto Pizza, Orecchiette Pasta, and Half Chicken. Any of these are GREAT choices. Pair with a red wine or the Vine Huggers Rose for a delicious dinner.
  2. Fireside Pies: This is our go-to if we just really want pizza. They have multiple locations, too, but we love the Plano location at Legacy. I order their Burrata Pie and add Prosciutto with gf crust EVERY SINGLE TIME. Paul orders the Balsamic Chicken Pie.
  3. Mesero’s: This is our favorite place to go to for Mexican lately. It’s yummy, not overpriced, and the environment is great. I often order their tacos! But, honestly, just usually eat too much of their variety of salsas and chips to finish my meal… hehe. They have fantastic margaritas, too, if you’re looking for something fresh and tasty to sip on!
  4. Haywire: This restaurant is SO FUN. If you love environment, this place is lacking zero of it. It’s three stories of fun, delicious food, locally sourced food, and all the things. I highly suggest the pork chops or any of their steaks. Their house salad has goat cheese from heaven on it, and as silly as it sounds … their simple House Salad is one of my favorite salads I have ever tried!
  5. Tupelo Honey: This place is delicious, cute inside, AND at a fun location in The Star by the Cowboy’s Practice Facility. There is just a fun environment all throughout this area, and the restaurant furthers the fun. We come here a lot… hehe. When in doubt, Tupelo Honey. Paul says they’re the best ribs he has ever had and he order them every single time. They do seasonal switch-ups, but the Blackberry Habanero are by far his favorite to date. I switch up my order often here, because I love trying new things! But, the Sweet Tea Brined Chicken with cheesy grits is a WINNER CHICKEN DINNER in my book. I have actually ONLY ever eaten grits here. Never had any other grits in my life, and I honestly don’t know if I want or need to. These are GOAT CHEESE GRITS, people. SO GOOD.

I rounded-up my top sellers and most asked about items lately for you, too, for a quick reference if you’ve asked for a link recently!

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