2013 - New Beginnings

 

Happy New Year from us!

 

We had a low key new year with shrimp creole and some apple dumplings. We could barely stay awake for the new year but we did and then sealed it with a kiss.

 

Remember that Christmas package from Hoteiosho, well we put them to use last night. Well actually, we faked it for the picture because I wasn't ready to start trying all these new things at once. I am not a seafood person so for me to really like the shrimp creole my mom prepared came as a shock for all of us.

 

I don't have a word or even any resolutions for the new year. But I hope I really embrace all the change and stay open minded to new things coming our way.

 

Lauren

 

Love Affair and Treat Sacks

I never told you how our first date ended. 

Well we are madly in love. 

And we will be heading home tomorrow..arm in arm. 

I was ready to sew instantly and sew I did. Haha.

My mom was taught to sew on old flour sacks.

Sure enough, I learned the same way. 

I hemmed all four edges and it was a little rough.

But the practice was good and I can tell my kids someday how I was taught, just like her.

I wanted something harder, more of a challenge.

An apron. I watched mostly but did sew several of the pieces together. 

It became a bit tricky so I let mom finish it & don't consider this my first project.

Then I lowered my expectations just a tad.

I started a project on my own and I'm a  little extremely excited about them.

I hit the fabric store to pick out something new.

I found myself touching every bolt of fabric in sight. 

I can see this being a problem in the future. I wanted it ALL.

I settled for a turquoise, pink plaid, and some muslin. 

I whipped up these adorable reusable treat sacks.

These bags will be perfect for Valentine's Day coming up and every other holiday.

Fill them up with you favorite sweet treats! 

It feels SO good to have made a project on my own! 

So simple and adorable. 

Linkin' up with I {heart} Naptime's Sundae Scoop and Tatertots & Jello

Boogy Woogy BUGLE snacks!

I fell in love with this little delight last week when we received a bag of Christmas goodies. 

Although peak holiday baking season is over, you may be able to garnish your NYE party table with this dainty snack.

Ingredients: 

Bugles

Creamy Peanut Butter

Dipping Chocolate.

Fill your Bugles with peanut butter. I used a Ziploc bag, cut the corner off and used it like an icing bag.

Then dip the end of Bugle in Chocolate.

Lay on parchment or wax paper. 

Refrigerate until chocolate hardens. 

Enjoy.

Not joking here. The first pan was gone that quick.

So easy a cave man can do it. 

Chex-mas Cheer {A Recipe}

I've been hit by Christmas fever! 

And so has everyone else. The stores were a disaster this weekend. 

My fault for not going earlier in the week.

Anyway..I spent an evening in the kitchen, made homemade broccoli cheese soup and red velvet whoopie pies (separate post). Then I made some Chexmas Cheer, I want to share this concoction with you here.

There may be a recipe somewhere online just like this, but I honestly didn't use one and just threw it together.


Chex-mas Cheer

Ingredients

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 stick of butter/margarine (1/4 cup)

2 cups Chex rice cereal

2 cups cinnamon Chex cereal

2 cups popped popcorn

1 cup dry roasted peanuts.

Confectioners sugar aka powdered sugar

Dash or 2 or 3 Cinnamon

Holiday sprinkles

First melt the white chocolate chips and butter for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.

Mix cereals, popcorn, and peanuts in large bowl.

Pour melted butter and white chocolate mix over the dry ingredients. Stir to cover all pieces. 

Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Mix.

Repeat again with only powdered sugar. 

Add sprinkles to your discretion. The more the merrier.

Pour out on a pan covered in wax paper or foil to dry. 

Package for giving if you haven't eaten all of it yourself. 
I etched PEACE on the side of this jar from the dollar store and embellished with some Christmas colored ribbon. My first ever win on a blog giveaway was this etch all cream from I {heart} Nap Time. This is the first time using it and now I am obsessed.  I quickly realized I should have used the words COMFORT & JOY cause any food or snacks going in this jar will probably provide both.

Anyways...consider yourself warned is delicious. 

Or as Fergie would say, D to the E to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S! 

Linking up here:

Christmas Challenge

This Christmas will be our first as a married couple. Since we have our own place together I realize there is no longer all of my favorite decorations that I have gotten used to over the past 24 years. And this made me sad. I absolutely love Christmas decorations. We have had none.

I was in town and I was going to look for some new decorations for the house. As of late, I have been investing quite a bit in my new shop and therefore came to the realization that it might be smarter to save the money. I had some help with this realization...(ahem) thanks hubs. Let me be clear. He never said, 'you can't buy any decorations.' He kindly reminded me that neither of us are working at this point and we won't have any income until this spring. Reality, yes. Guilt trip set in. I wasn't the happiest, but he was right. What is the point of spending lots of dough on decoration for will stay up for about thirty days?


This created a new challenge for me and an opportunity to take lemons and make lemonade as they say. I headed to the house and began right away pulling things to transform into our Christmas decor.  I didn't spend a single cent. I created our Christmas shelf from ONLY stuff I already had. I also created a HUGE mess. But we all know that messy spaces are productive spaces. 


This was my result. I'm pretty much in love and catch myself staring at my sweet little Christmas haven. Ahhh. Christmas.  

Now, I challenge you my crafty, creative friends. I'd love to see what you can come up with! Happy FREE Decorating. 

P.S. Can you believe I didn't use Pinterest ONCE to make this little shelf. I'm so proud of myself for that. I love it as a resource but I'm glad I used my own ideas this time. 

Linking up with Sundae Scoop
& 

$10 HOLIDAY SALE HURRY

$10 + shipping

10 CUSTOM SIGNS.

A STEAL. 

Need I say more?

{Giveaway}

Hi friends. Just want to tell you I'm GIVING away a custom made sign over at the adorable Ruthie Hart's - Chronicles of Ruthie.

Something like this...

Like my kitty hehe?

I'm currently working on a sign that is SO cute. I can't wait to show you and add it to the shop. 

 Even if you hate my signs (I hope you don't) go check out Ruthie's blog she is seriously so cute and I can't forget her best bud Ernie! 

I think from now til the new year I will be doing a giveaway hoping to giveaway five. Also I'll be running some hot deals in the shop so make sure you check those out.

Happy Holidays.  

Thanksgiving 2011

This was Brandon and I's first Thanksgiving together ever. We stayed in Alabama with his family. The four ladies helped pitch in for an amazing meal and desserts. I was prego with a food baby. YUM! Twins actually. 

After lunch we decided to start shooting guns. You read that right, we shot guns. If you've never shot a gun well, I can't explain it. Exhilirating. Challenging. Liberating. Anyways we spent the afternoon wasting bullets and I'll just go ahead and tell you now I'm a pretty good shot. 

That was about the extent of our Thanksgiving  then we headed back to the house and I concluded the day by cleaning and organizing the bathroom at nine o'clock at night.  Its been driving me bonkers since I moved in and NONE of my stuff was put away. I can't do clutter and I couldn't take it one more day. Plus I love coming home to a clean and organized house. 


We are sloooowly getting things put away, cleaned, and organized. I feel like we will be doing this for a while though. 


I was thankful to spend the day with people I love. Other things I'm thankful for: family including my husband, God, faith, friends, love, craft supplies, food, our home, Mountain Dew, internet, pinterest, our freedom, troops fighting for  country, baseball, cell phones, clothes on my back, my amazing parents, my siblings, children, education, running water, my new business, this blog, all the people I've met through this blog and so much more. 


Although this is a time of year we are reminded to talk about what we are thankful for, let us be thankful each and everyday. 

Gift Guide - Quality Time

There is a book called The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I was introduced to this book before my husband and I knew each other. I read it and as soon as I was finished realized just exactly why my previous relationships hadn't worked out. I had been speaking the wrong love language and so had they. 

The love languages are:

Quality Time

Words of Affirmation  

Receiving Gifts  

Physical Touch  

Acts of Service 

I've decided to share some of my own ideas for gifts based on the five love languages.

Quality Time

Easily described as undivided attention. How often do you make sure this quality time is spent together? Once a week. Once a month. Once a year. This takes effort to make it happen. I'm not saying it's easy. It's time to put down your phone or better yet turn it off. In fact, turn off all electronics or distractions. Engage in one another and a conversation.

Gift Ideas

 These aren't ideas for gifts you can go buy in a store. They are homemade coupons. 

1) The Red Card -  Think soccer. If the red card is pulled - electronics go off. Time to drop everything your doing and spend time together. I suggest something other than movies because this doesn't really allow for much interaction. Maybe work on a house project together or hit up the driving range. Use the red card for quality time only. Set boundaries or rules to go along with the Red Card.

2) The DD. DD = Dinner Date, with a twist. Make dinner together. Pinterest offers TONS of ideas for recipes. Pick out your favorites and get to cooking. If you have wait time play a game of twenty questions.

3) The Fitness Friendsy. Hit the gym together. Now you have someone to sit on your feet for sit ups, toss the medicine ball with, or race next to you on the treadmill. Make it a challenge, everyone loves a friendly wager. 

For HIM: If Quality Time is HIS language

4)The Man Date. Be his best buddy girls. Hunting. Golfing. Hoop Shooting. Football Tossing. They might not ALWAYS want you along and you may not ALWAYS want to go but if they've ever hinted they want your company - here's your chance. Maybe your his caddy, his cheerleader or watergirl but together you'll have a good time. 

For HER: If Quality time is HER language

5) The Grocery Getter. Go with her grocery shopping. Ladies get excited when they have a shopping partner or when they don't have to go at all, but we won't push it, so just go with her. Together you can pick out new foods to try and he can push the cart.

6) The MAN-icure. I know many guys will use any of the others above but just in case you really messed up or just need a really great gift this is the coupon for you. Offer up a mani or pedi. Don't doubt yourself that you can't do it. Its about the quality time spent together. If all she gets out of it is a foot rub you still won her over. 


Key to remember. Undivided attention = quality time. 


Not sure if this is your love language? Grab a copy and in the meantime stay tuned for the rest of the languages. Make sure that you pass along this one of a kind gift guide if this is your love language.