Date night, church pews and owls.....things that made me smile this week!

Well, this week was a pretty good week!  Hubby was out of town most of the week and I managed to keep the fort held down without any major issues.  That is always a challenge!  I ordered tile for the kitchen this week.  Stay tuned for before and after pics coming very soon.  We had planned on building in about a year or two, but it is looking like we might be ahead of schedule.  I have been scouting all the house plan sites online looking for the "perfect" house.  Unfortunately I haven't found one yet that I wouldn't tweak.  I guess it's a good thing my sweet husband is a professional at drafting, because I have a feeling the search for "perfect" will end with us designing something of our own. 

I was really looking forward to the weekend all week, too.  I had a date-night planned for Saturday night.  Those are few and far between in our house, and I was looking so forward to getting away!  We spent the night out with my sister and my brother and sister-in-law.  We watched the UK game and, while my sister and brother were happy with the outcome (they are die-hard Louisville fans)......I wasn't so thrilled.  Go Butler!!!

We also celebrated my brother and sister-in-law's first anniversary this weekend!  I  told them I would refrain from bugging them about having me a sweet niece or nephew for a whole year........TIME'S UP!!!!  Ha!

Happy Anniversary Adam and Niki!  Love you guys!  <now get started with the baby-makin!!!>

On another note, I have been on the search for a church pew for several months.  It seems like if I find one I don't like the style, it's 12 ft. long, or it costs way too much.  I plan on putting the pew in the mudroom of the house we are going to build.  I want one that is worn, but more the size of a deacon bench.  My husband became my night in shining armor Friday!  He stopped by the local antique store and found me the perfect pew!  He texted me a photo and I fell in love!  I called the store and told them to hold it for me and we would be there on Sunday.....but I couldn't wait!  We ran down there Saturday morning to pick it up and I LOVE it!  It was at one time a long pew, but it has been cut down to the perfect length.  It has a slight curve to it that I love.  I plan on cleaning it up and rubbing it down with some wood wax, just to protect it.  I love the way it is worn!  I can't wait to see it in the mudroom with baskets underneath it!  It is perfect!

I thought I'd give you a little preview of an upcoming blog subject, too........I got these super-cute earrings this weekend and wore them for my date night......

I am loving owls right now, right along with everyone else.  They are kind of nostalgic for me, though.  My mom apparently LOVED owls at some point in her life.  I remember our house having owl figures everywhere!  She even had a 4 foot tall owl figure.  I don't know what happened to her owls, or her owl fetish...but these owls take me back to the good ole days!  I bought these earrings from a local jewelry designer.  I also bought an owl necklace that is to die for.  I can't wait to wear it!  I hope to get some photos of some of her other beautiful pieces and feature her work soon!

Busy as a bee......all week long!

Wow!  We've had a busy week!  I barely had time to breathe.  But we made it!  And I've got highlights to share!

First, my daughter was honored this week at the Oscars!  She scored 'Distinguished' in every category of her state testing last school year!  That is not easy to do, but more and more students in our school system are doing it each year!  They started the Oscar ceremony two years ago and she has been honored every year so far.  The first year, there were only 40-something students honored.  Last year there were 80-something.  And this year, they honored almost 200!  WOW!  We have some awesome students.....and some spectacular teachers!  Keep up the good work!

Here is my beauty all dressed up and ready to go!  She's getting so big.  Sniff....sniff.

We had some beautiful weather last weekend, and the Easter flowers are out in full force.  Well, I can't help myself and I always have to pick a bunch to have in the house.  It is like a promise that spring is, indeed, on it's way!

Sorry the pics aren't the best.  I was in a hurry....remember I had a crazy busy week!

Also this week, I got to watch my son's wrestling team bring home a second place finish in their tournement!  This is Pierce's first year as a wrestler and we are so proud of him!  Considering just a few short years ago after a severe head  injury, we weren't even sure if he'd be able to participate in any sports, it feels so good to watch him grapple!  I'm a gracious and proud momma!  Hats off to the coaches, too!  This really was a wonderful program!

We also worked on a remodel project this week.  I came home from work one night to find my dear hubby ripping up the linoleum from the bathroom floor.  Not exactly what I had in mind for that particular night, but I'm never one to back down from a challenge.  So, I spent most of that night pulling staples out of the floor.  Then, we made a quick trip to Lowe's and bought tiling supplies.  The next night we layed down the hardi-backer board and screwed it down.  I put every screw in myself, and my hands were so sore the next morning.  But it was worth it.  My sweet husband must have felt sorry for me because while the daughter and I were out shopping Saturday morning, he laid all the tile.....all by himself!  We finish grouting the tile just this morning.  I still have to run a mop over it tomorrow to get the film off, but it looks so good!  I didn't get a true "before" because half the floor was already ripped out when I got home and I didn't really think about it. But here is what I did capture.....

This is when I thought my hands were going to fall off.  And my back was in a lot of pain, too.  I know....I'm a whiner.

And here  it is......finished!  I'm not in love with the green walls, but I don't really feel up to painting right now.  So sue me. 

Well, those are just the highlights of my crazy, busy week.  I'm worn out just telling you about it.  But I can't wait to get a headstart on this busy week, too.  I just hope the weather cooperates! 

Add: After publishing this post, I realized that the photos loaded differently.  I didn't do anything different, so not sure why this happened.  If you click on the little photo spot you can see them.....just not on the blog.  Wierd, and I'm not techno-savvy so I have no  idea how to fix it.  I'm going to figure it out before I post another entry, though!  Sorry!

Ok...I just deleted all the pics and reloaded them and it is still not working.  For some reason it is uploading them as links.....anybody know how to remedy this?  I am at a loss.  UGH!  Frustrating!!

Recipe Rescue

Sometimes I feel like I'm cooking the same things over and over and over and.....you get the picture.  I really love cooking, but sometimes I struggle to come up with a  new recipe that my entire family will like.  They aren't picky eaters, but they usually have an opinion on everything I make.  "It needs more...."  "It would be better without....." You would think I have a house full of chefs.  I don't, for the record.  Every now and then I get some help with supper, but the kitchen seems to clear out right when dishes need to be done.  Coincidence?  I think not. 

Well tonight we tried a new recipe and it's one of the best kind- only 4 ingredients.  It only took about 30 minutes to complete, too!  We all liked it, so it's a keeper!

Chicken Primavera with Pasta

1 lb skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups frozen stir-fry veggies
1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Cooking Cream Italian Cheese & Herb
2 cups cooked fettuccine

Cook chicken in a nonstick skillet on medium heat until done (I also cooked with some olive oil to prevent sticking).  Add veggies, cook until heated thoroughly, stirring occasionally.  Add cooking cream, cook and stir 3 min.  Stir in pasta.  How simple is that?

I used the Great Value brand Broccoli Stir-fry and Fettuccini.  Our Wal-Mart does not carry whole wheat fettuccini, and I usually get all my pasta products in whole wheat.  That was really the only complaint from the kids.  They are so used to whole wheat, they weren't thrilled with the texture or flavor of the noodles.  I'm going to look around some other stores for some whole wheat!

The recipe didn't call for any seasoning.  Well, I've never  been one to follow recipes to a "T". In fact, I only have one recipe that I follow (I'll share it someday).  I pretty much tweak every recipe every time I cook it.  That's how I roll.  And I don't know how to cook without seasoning, so with this one I seasoned with sea salt, dried minced onion, and Paula Dean's "The Lady and Son's Pepper Mix". 

The stir-fry mix had all kinds of veggies.....sugar snap peas (one of my faves), broccoli, carrots, corn, mushrooms, water chestnuts, red peppers....I may have missed something.  It was a good mix!

Here is the finished product....I was pleasantly surprised!  It was very good!  Plenty of flavor!  This  is the second  recipe I have  tried with the new Philadelphia cooking cream, and so far.....momma like!  Try it...I'm sure you'll like it too!

My Favorite Things

Now, I'm no Oprah.  But, today I am going to share with you a few of my favorite things.  Only when we get done you are not going to have a pile of goodies under your chair.  Sorry.  I'm not that good.  These items have been tested by me and I'm not getting paid any money to tell you about them.  I just love them.  It's that simple.  Here we go!

I wear Bare Escentuals make-up and I love it, but I specifically LOVE this product.  It is called Well-Rested.  It goes around your eyes and easily makes a crappy 5 hour night of tossing and turning look like 8 hours of sleeping like a baby.  It lives  up to it's name!  I  have dark circles anyway, so I wear it everyday even if I don't wear make-up.  You can get it online at their website, or on the mall at Sephora.  $18

Circle E Candle in the scent of Bird of Paradise.  This candle smells so yummy.  You will want to get a spoon and eat it.  But I wouldn't recommend that.  It will smell up the entire house. It has a sweet fruity smell.  I get the 28 ounce candle and it runs about $21 and lasts 155 hours.  This is also a great gift for someone!

Bath and Body Works Shea Cashmere Hand Cream.  It smells delish.  It will make you want to lick your fingers, but I will caution you....it does not taste good.  It is not greasy at all and makes your hands so super soft.  It runs about $12, but I usually catch it on sale for $10 or under.

Strawberrry flavored Chapstick.  I use this product EVERY DAY.  It is my lipstick.  I have about 6 tubes of it all over the place.  I like the way it feels, smells, and tastes.  $1

The joie scraper.  I got this little jewel at T.J. Maxx.  I had no idea how much I was going to love it.  I use this little piece of joy to scrape all the stubborn food off dishes, pots, and pans.  All my dishes go through the dishwasher and they just keep making the run through it until they get clean (no matter how many times they may have to go through a cycle....1, 2, or 10).  This little tool greatly reduces the amount of times my poor dishes have to suffer through cycle after cycle.  Once I notice a little stuck on food, I just scrape it off and run it back through....voila!  I also use this for scraping dried on food off my countertop.  Works like a charm. $3!!

Last, these are my Sperrys.  I only have six pair. I have a shoe addiction, so to pick out a favorite shoe is tough.  But I love these Angelfish Sperry's  in graphite.  They match almost everything and are so comfy.  I wear them in winter, spring, summer, and fall.  I lucked up and got these babies on sale for $42. Now, that was a sweet deal.  So sweet, in fact, that I had to get the brown pair, too! 

Well, those are a few of my favorite things right now.  And  like I said....don't be looking under your chair because you are going to be disappointed.  But you really should go out and get these things because I think you would love them too.

What are some of your favorite things?



Appealing to your senses.

So, I have been blind for most of my life.  Not literally blind, but close.  I wear contacts or glasses so that I am not totally handicapped, but I don't love either one.  I have been thinking about getting LASIK for.....oh......about 6 years now.  Every year I would say "maybe this year",  but I always came up with a good excuse to put it off.  To be honest, I was terrified. Just the thought of somebody messing around with my eyes freaks me out.  But guess what?  I finally did it!  And there are a few things I learned in the process.

1.  They will give you a double shot of valium if you ask for it.  I could not have made it through the procedure without it.  It did not make me loopy, just took the edge off and relaxed me.....a few glasses of wine would have probably worked, too, but the valium worked quickly and no hangover!

2.  I am the first person to have a "come-apart" in the waiting room before the surgery. It wasn't pretty.  I'm talking tears, chest pain, trouble breathing....etc.  Hence the double valium. 

3.  When they are putting the little suction thingy on your eyeball, you will temporarily go blind.  I was warned this would happen, but you just don't get it till it happens.  To have your eyes wide open and only see black is a little scary, even if you have been warned.  Again, double valium was a life saver.

4.  The actual laser part of the procedure was completed in a little over one minute and it stinks.  Literally.  It smells like burning flesh.  But only for a minute.  And the valium  took my mind off it.

5  I could see almost perfect immediately after the procedure.  It  was a little foggy and sensitive to  light, but my vision was near perfect.  I started crying again because I was so overcome with emotion.  Or maybe it was the valium.

6.  Most people told me that they didn't have any pain at all related to the experience.  This was NOT the case for me.  I was fine during the surgery (they numb your eyes with drops). However, I woke up about two hours later and I felt like my eyes were on fire.  It kind of felt like someone had  poured salt in my eyes.  This lasted about three hours,  and the valium had already worn off.  I toughed it out, though.  To be honest, if you've even scratched your eye it feels like that....maybe just a little worse.  Very uncomfortable, but it was worth it. 

7.  You have to use eye drops like crazy afterward......antibiotics, steroids, tears......and the steroid drops taste really bad.  They drip down the back of your throat after you use them and they are gross.  But my trusty Samoa Girl Scout cookies seem to cure that problem.

8.  I went in to get the surgery with 20/500+ vision.  Then next morning I tested  at 20/10.  I am seeing things I've never seen before.  I saw 4-5 bird nests up in the top of some trees that were way off in the distance.  I have never seen that in my life.  It  is like a whole different world. 

9. I waited for years to finally follow through with LASIK and  the one thing I know for sure:  it is the best thing I've ever done for myself and I could kick myself  for not doing it sooner.

On a side note....I had a little helper in the kitchen tonight.  My sweet boy, Pierce is quite the cook!  He was helping me make his favorite supper, goulash.  Thought I would share it tonight...to appeal to your other senses!  It smells fantastic and tastes even better!!  It's a favorite  in our house.

First, brown ground beef (I used 2 pounds) with 1/2 an onion and a whole chopped green pepper.

Cook macaroni elbows (I use whole wheat),  and after draining meat, add 1 can petite diced tomatoes and about 3/4 can tomato sauce, then about 3/4 can of water.  I season with salt,  pepper, garlic salt, and sugar to taste.  I like it to be really sweet, so I use quite a bit of sugar. Maybe 1/4-1/2 cup.  Then add macaroni and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Here is the final product....it is so good!  And we used the good china tonight, as we do most nights around here.  Hope you enjoy!

"Master" Bathroom.....

Well, I think to call this room a "master bathroom" would be a stretch.  It is by definition an en suite bathroom, but when we first looked at this house I didn't see anything "masterful" about it.  In fact, it was almost a deal breaker. I just couldn't see anything positive about it at first.  I begged and pleaded with my dear husband to just knock down the wall between this bathroom and the other one (right next door) to make one huge jack/jill type bathroom.  He quickly reminded me that every penny spent in this house is a penny not spent on the house we plan to build.  Ok.....regroup.  So I made a list of the things that HAD to be changed and we just went down that list.  Which in the end resulted in ripping out the vanity, flooring, lighting, and wallpaper.  I know that I'm a tall girl, but the height of the vanity was ridiculous.  It barely came above my knees. I'm not exaggerating.  (Ok....maybe I am a little)  If you compare the before and after photos and look at the door latch in the door frame for reference you can really see how much shorter the old vanity was.  Holy cow!  The wallpaper made me nauseous.  Now let me be honest.....I am not anti-wallpaper. In fact, there are some patterns that I LOVE!  But, after all the wallpaper I've been scraping off the walls of this house, I'm not sure I will ever hang any in my house for the rest of my life.  It is not a fun job.  And there is NO easy way to do it.  I have one more room to go.  I thought of having a little "wallpaper peeling party" with my best girls and getting some pizza and some (10-12) bottles of wine.  Expect those invites soon.  Hehe!  But, I digress.....!  We plan to sell this home in a year or two, so we are trying (very hard for me) to stay boring neutral with most things that we pick out.  The wall color in here is Sherwin Williams Latte.  We ripped up the laminate  floor and laid a neutral brown tile.  We traveled to three different Lowe's stores before finally finding the right vanity.  I  love the quartz countertop that we picked out!  I am wanting to someday possibly have quartz countertops in my kitchen, so I thought this was a good opportunity to see what I thought of it on a daily basis.  So far, I LOVE it!  We still haven't put the molding back up yet, I haven't gotten around to painting it.  I also plan to hang a bamboo shade.  Well.....here's the tour.....what do you think?

Before

After!

Our fabulous tile job!  (And yes, we did ALL this work ourselves.  Didn't hire anyone to help....putting more pennies in the "housebuilding fund"!!)

Shower curtain from Wal-Mart and I love the pattern on it.  This bathroom also has some amazing built-in storage.....definitely a plus!

Sand from Hawaii.  I didn't go there....my mom did.  But I HAD to have some of that georgous pepper sand to motivate me to start saving for a trip!

This soap makes me want to eat my hands after I wash them. 

Sweet Tooth

Every now and then I get a sweet tooth.  I'm not much on sweets, but once in a blue moon, I get hungry for something sweet and I can't think about anything until I get it!  I've been thinking about this recipe for a few weeks and I've had the ingredients sitting in the pantry, but I haven't really been hungry for it yet.  Well, I guess the stars alligned today, because my sweet tooth was in full force and I had two precious girls who were really itching to get their hands dirty!  The recipe is super simple.....a box brownie mix and a package of oreo cookies.  Mix the brownie mix according to the box,  then dip the oreos and cook in a muffin tin pan.  Be sure to spray the pan really good and pop the brownies out of the pan before they cool all the way.  They were really good........they barely lasted long enough for pictures.  And now I have  a mess to clean.....but my sweet tooth is satisfied for a little while!  Enjoy!

This is my daughter Presley on the right and her friend Lauren on the left.

Oreo  surprise in the center!!