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Archives for May 2016

builder, home building, interior design, the Designer, the Shopper | May 19, 2016

#TITYNBUILDSAHOUSE + Invitation

It’s been a while since I’ve been on this blog because we’ve started to build a house!  I hope you are on Instagram or Facebook and I hope you are enjoying the progress/process I’m sharing there!

In short, we demolished our existing house (we’d been living there since 2008) and moved into a rental right next door while we build on our lot.  
Our builder is Horace Homes (this is how we met) and our architect is Travis Mattingly with Architectural Solutions, Inc..  I could go on and on about how pleased I am with both of them but I’m trying to write fast and the purpose of this post is to share the plans!
We met with Travis for the first time about a year ago.  He came up with 4 schematic plans based on our needs, wants and ideas for our lot.  It was hard to decide but we picked our favorite and began the process of developing it into our final plans.
Fast forward several months and here’s the rendering of what our house will mostly look like!  I say “mostly” because there are several things that will be different stylistically, for example there won’t be any arches.  So the porch and garage will be straight across.  The brick will be slurried so you’ll see less brick pattern and it will look kind of like painted brick.  The chimney is smaller and has only one flu at the top.  The front door and garage door design will be different as well.  AND we have a big tree in our front yard, hiding a lot of the chimney!
Oh how I love this floor plan.  This is the first floor.  Take a look!  I told Travis I like to be inside a house and see the outside of the house, I experience this at my sisters house and for some reason I like the feeling.  So he created a courtyard, my favorite part of the whole house!  Perfect for a ping pong table don’t you think?!  Oh and I have to mention the Art Room, dream come true!
And the second floor!  I told Travis I wanted a window in every bathroom and also in the utility room and he made it work!  I also wanted closets located in bathrooms because I believe this will keep the rooms tidier and he made that work too!
I helped design the master bath and closet and it’s been humbling because it’s the space we’re most concerned about things fitting. Ha!  In my former life before kids, I space planed work spaces in office buildings, residences are a little different. 😉  I hope you’ll follow along on social media under the hashtag #titynbuildsahouse to see more things like this.
Before you go I’d like to invite you to join me next Tuesday at the Grand Opening Party of Alice and Olivia in Houston at River Oaks District.  The opening is honoring The Children’s Fund and 20% of the evenings proceeds will benefit them!  Please see the invite above for more information and RSVP.  I hope to see you there!

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Hello Neighbor! I’m Erica Smith and this is where I share discoveries and tell a few stories!

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  • Recent Shopping Finds
    Recently, I went to a few stores to help a client get ready for a funeral. Side-note, if you don’t have a go-to funeral look in your closet, it’s a good thing to have. No one really wants to go buy something new for a funeral, and when you have to go to a funeral […]

Currently on Instagram

This is if your mom isn’t here any more or if yo This is if your mom isn’t here any more or if your mom isn’t the person you wish she could be or could have been for you. If she was here, if she could be or could have been that person for you, I think this is what she’d say 👆. It’s certainly what I’d say to us! 🤗 
Have you heard @andygrammer’s song, She’d Say? It is beautiful. His mom isn’t here any more, his kids didn’t get to meet her and the song is what she’d say to them if she could “use words”. I’m quoting the chorus in the visual but another favorite part is: “Remember God is like the sun, he always comes out
Just when you think the dark's here to stay" 🌇 If you haven’t heard the song, I’ll link it in my bio and play it in my stories. Happy Mother’s Day, love to you! 🤗♥️ #mothersday #mom #alateen #mentalhealth #andygrammer #shedsay #ladyblacksmithmambazo #titynquote
How goode is this?! Two Houston favorites (@parist How goode is this?! Two Houston favorites (@paristexasco x @goodecobbq) have come together and designed a bandana for the new A Texan Can Survive collection to help @feedthefrontlinehouston! 👏👏👏 You can find it online, at @goodecobbq restaurants or at the @paristexasco retail store! Go to their pages for more details. Tag your Texans!👇🤠🌵♥️💙😍#atexancansurvive #goodegoesaround #feedthefrontline #frontlineheroes #supporthouston #supporttexas #texasbbq #bbq #tityn
ICYMI: @goodecogrocers is GIVING AWAY an expanded ICYMI: @goodecogrocers is GIVING AWAY an expanded Family Dinner for 4 🥘 with a pecan pie 🥧, a bag of coffee ☕️, a cocktail kit🍹and next day delivery or pick-up (at @armadillopalace)! We’re drawing TWO WINNERS!! And it ends tonight! See two posts back to enter! Good luck, this is Serious Comfort Food! #goodegoesaround #houstontx #houstoneats #houstoncurbside #familydinners #supportlocalhouston #supporthoustonlocal #houstonstrong #coffeeandpie #pecanpie
Hi neighbors! Here are several Mother’s Day gift Hi neighbors! Here are several Mother’s Day gift ideas, some need to be ordered today, some soon and some last minute at the store. Swipe left and tap the picture to then tap shop for more info.👆 Or scroll down to do the same.👇
1) The spring @mostessbox is $25 off for Mother’s Day. I just opened mine and I’m most excited about the indoor garden kit!
2) Pie and coffee gift set from @goodecobbq.
3) Topo Chico succulents from @anvilcards.
4) The new Volume 2 of @joannagaines Magnolia Table cookbook from @paristexasco.
5) Flowers delivered from @heydayflowerco (order today).
6) Package from @festivities_tx includes a big balloon, flowers, skincare and a donation to the Women’s Center.
7) Coffee table book(s) and/or acrylic stand from @lambespoke.
8) The Moccamaster coffee maker from @beringshardware. 
All of these are #shoplocalhouston ideas! Act fast, because corona shipping delays! 
#tityngift #houstonstrong #shophouston
This giveaway is closed, thank you! 🎉 Happy May This giveaway is closed, thank you! 🎉 Happy May, we’ve got a 🍀⭐️Serious Comfort Food⭐️🍀 GIVEAWAY! 🎉 With @goodecogrocers!!! Two of you will win an expanded Family Dinner for 4 🥘 with a pecan pie 🥧, a bag of coffee ☕️, a cocktail kit🍹and next day delivery or pick-up (at @armadillopalace)! 🎉 
I knew I’d be a customer the minute Goode Company shared their new grocery concept. I thought it was genius, I trust them, it maintained jobs and they were contributing to @feedthefrontlinehouston! 🙌 I also knew that before I could fully recommend it to you, I would need to place my first order, so I made it big enough for free delivery and we’ve been eating off it all week! I’ve also been taking care with hand sanitizer and toothpaste because they sell that stuff, too! 🧻 I’ll be sharing the process and my experience over the next few days on stories. In summary though, I’m very happy and I’m more comfortable with groceries in a simplified way right now because there’s less people handling everything. 💯 So, you might give some serious thought to entering this Serious Comfort Food giveaway with #goodecogrocers and experience it for yourself! And there’s a better chance to win because it’s for 2 of you! ✌️Here’s how to enter, y’all 🤠:
1) Follow @goodecogrocers ,
2) follow or make sure you’re already following me @tellittoyourneighbor and
3) leave a comment tagging 1 friend.
4) For extra entries, tag additional friend(s) in separate comments. 
Each comment counts as an entry! (This is not affiliated with Instagram.) 🍀Good luck!!!🍀 This giveaway ends at 11 pm cst on Sunday night 5/3 and I’ll announce the winner on Monday morning! #goodegoesaround #familydinners #preparedmeals #houstoneats #houstoncurbside #houstondelivery #houstonblogger #groceryshopping #houstonstrong #supporthouston #tityngiveaway
As you might be able to tell from the heart shadow As you might be able to tell from the heart shadows, I took this photo in February for a @liketoknow.it post. I had just bought new kicks for our new treadmill, I loved them and wanted to tell you all about them because they’re black and white, TORTOISE shell and light pink! 🤍🖤🤎💗 Turns out these shoes had another thing coming! So many glorious spring walks outside. 😃🌳 Joseph and I took a 4 mile walk yesterday and we hadn’t done that since before kids! 🙌 During this time, are you, too taking more or longer walks than you have in a decade?! If so, do you need new shoes for these great walks? Because I noticed these are currently on SALE with free shipping and 60-day free returns. 👌 Long live the long walks, definitely a bright side!!! 👏 For a link to my sneakers, use the #liketkit app with a screenshot of my photo or go to my my bio 👉 @tellittoyourneighbor. http://liketk.it/2NRS0 #LTKsalealert #StayHomeWithLTK #LTKfit @nikewomen @nike #nike #longwalks #kotd #kickstagram #justdoit #fitness #nikefit #tortoiseshell #nikejoyride #titynhealth
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