six years

my bracelet, ring, earrings & Zach's watch

photos by RaeTay Photography


Today marks exactly 6 years since the day Zach and I said "I do" and I can't believe how quickly time has flown! It's been a fast and fun ride so far, full of adventures and laughter. If there's one thing Zach knows how to do, it's make me laugh. It was so hard for us to be serious in some of these pictures because he's always saying the funniest things and I can never keep a straight face. His ability to make me laugh is only one of the many things I love about my husband- I call him "Zach of all trades" because the man can pretty much do anything. There's no wooden creation he can't make and no animal he can't tame; In our family, he's known as the woodworker and animal whisperer. You can also file him under "most likely to sunburn" and Wanna-Be Gold Miner, as he has big dreams of striking it rich in Alaska one day. No matter the title, there are two that he pours his heart and soul into: Daddy and Husband. And I'm one lucky girl. Our anniversary is a very special date to us as for more than one reason as June 25th also happens to be my grandparents' wedding anniversary. 3 months before our wedding, my grandfather passed away. We want to always honor Mamaw & Papaw Clayton and the truly inspiring love they shared for almost 60 years. 

When it comes to anniversary gifts, we believe in splurging on one another for the occasion. We view anniversaries as the time to show our love and appreciation to one another through a truly special present. As soon as we read the history behind Shannon Fine Jewelry, we knew we wanted to support the family-owned local business (read more here). When I stepped into the store for the first time, I thought I'd died and gone to diamond heaven. So many gorgeous, sparkly pieces! From Michele watches to the stunning Jude Frances earrings I'm wearing above, Shannon Fine Jewelry has the most incredible selection of fine jewelry you'll find anywhere. And it's not just for the ladies! I love Zach's watch pictured here, which also came from Shannon's. The jewelry store, with two Houston locations, specializes in everything from watch battery replacement to crafting intricate custom designs incorporating the finest diamonds and gemstones. Between the unbeatable prices (they just held a Diamond Jubilee last week where almost all engagement rings were 40% off!), personable and friendly staff, and vast selection of jewels, Shannon Fine Jewelry is our one stop shop for investment pieces. As much as I love my giant tassel earrings, it's important for me to pass on fine jewelry pieces to our kids and grandkids someday. And thanks to Shannon's, we can do just that.

While we may splurge on gifts, we took it the other direction in the meal department this year. Whataburger for anniversary lunch, Taco Bell for anniversary dinner. Nothing says "I love you" quite like a Cheesy Gordita Crunch and side of Cinnamon Twists.
Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend!
xo, Britt


Thank you to Shannon Fine Jewelry for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting those who support Hello Honey!

independence day inspiration

photos by Ban Avenue


One of my very favorite holidays is Independence Day, probably right up there behind Christmas. Growing up, every summer we traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for 2-3 weeks to camp and spend time in both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. We were there every single 4th of July and I can't think of a better way to spend the holiday than watching the parade in the town's famous square, eating ice cream cones from Jackson Drug, fishing in the Snake River, and ending the night with an epic firework show shot off the side of a mountain (the echo is amazing!). Our July 4th looks a little bit different now, as we've started our own tradition with Bear of driving the 7 hours back home to spend the holiday with all of our family in our hometown. I play golf in a tournament with both of my brothers and it's usually the one time a year I play anymore, so we always have a great time. I don't get to see my brothers enough and we cherish those rare moments together! Zach's family always has a big firework exhibition out on their farm and we look forward to that every year, too. There are no mountains in West Texas but you can still hear the echo for miles.

Now onto the outfit! I love a good patriotic look and I feel like my new favorite shoes from Jewelry Shoes Pasha pretty much steal the show. They're like fireworks on my feet with how much they sparkle and shine. Pictures honestly don't do them justice- the jewels on these sandals are absolutely stunning. I couldn't believe the quality when I opened the box- these sandals are incredibly durable and so comfy! Each shoe is designed by a professional gemologist and the soles/straps are made from genuine high grade leather. I was even blown away by the shoe box- it's golden with these fancy handles and way too pretty not too keep. Jewelry Shoes Pasha has a variety of wedges, heels, and flats, all of which are so beautiful and one-of-a-kind; I'm especially dying to get my feet into this pair. The slogan "jewelry for your feet" was never more fitting than for these shoes- I promise you will love them! And the best part? These classic, eye-catching shoes never go out of style.

I'm headed to bed on this fine Friday night- it was a pretty uneventful one in Casa de Fullwood. We watched some Spongebob in our jammies, ate McDonalds, and I caught up on about 938 emails. A far cry from my college days but you know what? I much prefer Fridays now. I'm still eating fast food, just at 6pm instead of 2am (though if Whataburger delivered we might could change that). 
Hope you have the best weekend!
xo, Britt

cookie butter cake

Here's the thing. I love cookie butter. You may remember this recipe, which is still one of my favorite salty sweet snacks to whip up for a party or just because. I'll eat cookie butter by itself with a spoon any day of the week (hiding in the pantry from Bear), but I also love finding excuses to put it in a yummy dessert. I originally stumbled across this easy cookie butter dump cake and it was my full intention to recreate it verbatim but alas, I messed up. On a 6 ingredient recipe. Oopsie. Luckily the mistake proved to be a blessing because this cake is delicious, y'all. 

Like most dump cakes, the original recipe requires you to mix together all the ingredients except the cake mix (or cookie mix in this case) and sprinkle that on top with melted butter. I messed up by stirring the cookie mix into the other ingredients so when I got to the sprinkle step, I realized it was too late to correct what I'd done. I ended up adding the butter (softened) to the mix and the cake came out amazing!! So rich, full of that yummy cookie butter flavor, and super moist. It also kept for days, which is nice because surprisingly it takes us a few days to get through a cake around here with just three people. I decided to top it with some store bought vanilla frosting and sprinkles, per Bear's request. We loved it and will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients: 
1 container cookie butter (14 oz.)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix (17.5 oz.)
1 can vanilla frosting
sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Add cookie butter, cookie mix, butter, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and cinnamon to mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish.
3. Bake for 35 min. or until golden brown and a tooth inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Cool for thirty minutes before spreading on a layer of frosting and topping with sprinkles.
Enjoy!

I hope you're all having a great week and staying dry! We've been hearing a lot of talk about Tropical Storm Cindy and the 15+ inches of possible rain and flooding coming our way here in Houston, which is somewhat terrifying. We've had a lot of flooding over the past year so naturally any talk of such rainfall is scary and puts a literal "damper" on our plans for the next 6-8 days. My parents came to visit at just the right time- if they'd waited a few more days we would've missed out on Splashtown and our neighborhood pool which are our very favorite things to do when they come in the summer. So glad we were able to hit them both up!

If you're close to the gulf, please stay safe the next few days. I never heard this saying until I moved to Houston but it applies here quite often: "turn around don't drown". Over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water. I was in a really, really scary flood situation back in August that's much too long to type but let's just say I never want to be on the road in conditions like that ever again. Water is so much more powerful than we realize!

Okay, stepping off my soapbox for the night. Sending you all a big Hump Day hug!
xo, Britt