Sunday, October 31, 2010

Heaven

When most of us think of heaven, we think of fluffy clouds, pearly gates, and maybe even God judging us for telling that little white lie to get out of jury duty.

Heaven may be all those things, but I love how author Randy Alcorn describes what WON’T be in heaven in his book  “Heaven”.

“What Won’t Be in Heaven” by Randy Alcorn

No death, no suffering. No funeral homes, abortion clinics, or psychiatric wards. No rape, no missing children, or drug rehabilitation centers. No bigotry, no muggings or killings.

No worry or depression or economic downturns. No wars, no unemployment.  No anguish over failure and miscommunication.

No con men.  No locks. No death. No mourning. No pain. No boredom. 

No arthritis, no handicaps, no cancer, no taxes, no bills, no computer crashes, no weeds, no bombs, no drunkenness, no traffic jams and accidents, no septic-tank backups.  No mental illness.  No unwanted e-mails.

Close friendships but no cliques, laughter but  no put-downs.  Intimacy, but no temptation to immorality.  No hidden agendas, no backroom deals. No betrayals.

Imagine mealtimes full of stories, laughter, and joy, without fear of insensitivity, inappropriate behavior, anger, gossip, lust, jealousy, hurt feelings, or anything that eclipses joy.

That will be Heaven.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

Here are some creative & relatively inexpensive ideas for a Halloween costume if you get a last-minute party invite.

*All images from www.coolest-homeade-costumes.com. Click on costume names for further instructions.

Calculator Costume

calculator

Homemade Elmer's Glue Bottle Costume

Elmer’s Glue Bottle

Loofah Costume

Loofah Sponge

LOVE this idea. I may do this for myself.

Homemade Flip Flop Party Costume

Homemade Flip Flop Party Costume

Flip Flop

Homemade Four Seasons Group Costume

The Four Seasons

Homemade Laundry Basket Halloween Costume

Laundry Basket

Homemade Cotton Candy Halloween Costume

Cotton Candy

Homemade Salt and Pepper Halloween Costume

Salt and Pepper

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Can a Sista Get Some Chicken Up in This Place?

Anyone that is around me for longer than 5 minutes, knows…..I sure do miss Chick-Fil-A. 

 

Sparrows and Sparkles shared this next video. We’re in the same boat on the “Chick-Fil-A free” ocean. 

Dear Chick-Fil-A, if you’re reading this, please Fed-Ex me a box of these.

K? Thanks.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Boots on a Budget

I’m in boot-wearing overdrive right now.  This is the golden time in the Midwest to wear cute boots before it snows and you have to wear these.

photo: demicouture.ca

There are so many stylish boots out right now, but as we all know…..boots can be pretty expensive.  If you’re on a budget or just looking to save money, here are some cute boots under $100:

strappy high heel platform boot

Go Jane Strappy High Heel Platform Boot

$39.40

I LOVE gray boots. These would look great with skinny jeans and a chunky cream cardigan.

Matisse Knit Wedge Boots from Victoria’s Secret

$89.00

I love wedge boots, especially for daytime, when I want a dressier look,  but can’t wear a heel.

Slouchy Cuffed Boots

Charlotte Russe Slouchy Cuffed Boots

$40.00

Aren’t these fun?

 

Product Image Women's Mossimo Supply Co. Katherine Leather Engineer Boots - Black

Mossimo “Katherine” Leather Engineer Boots

Target- $49.99

Remember my post about these boots? I’m still loving them. Check out all the great reviews on the Target website.

Hive and Honey “Marlen” Boot

$89.50

These boots also come in black and gray. I like the nod to Western style, without saying “Yee haw!”

Have a great day!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

This and That and Total Randomness

Check out these great products I found while flipping through magazines this week.

How cute are these cotton totes from Maptote? You can chose from a list of major cites, and they’re only $17. Check out all their cute items that include map onesies. wine totes, and lots more. These would be perfect for gift bags for your attendants.  You could fill it up with goodies that are indigenous to the city.

small_New-Orelans-Grocery-Tote2.jpg

Next up is The Socket Pocket from Organized A to Z.  You just remove you old electrical plate, and replace with this handy pocket. It eliminates all the messy cords on the counter, and can go anywhere.

Last is the Cupcake Courier.  This holds up to 36 cupcakes, closes securely and allows you to easily transport your yummy cupcakes to my belly school for the kiddos.

Random Tips From October 2010 “Parents” magazine:

  • If your nose gets shiny during the day and you forgot your face powder, grab one of the brown paper napkins from your lunch.
  • If you find yourself struggling for a Halloween costume for your little one, run to the Dollar Store and buy a bunch of white mess bath puffs. Safety pin to a white sweatshirt, and voila--- you have a poodle.
  • To save time cutting waffles or pancakes for your child, use a pizza cutter.
  • When packing your hospital bag for the “big day”, include a few local restaurant delivery menus. If you end up staying for days, you can have a few special meals and your hubby doesn’t have to leave the hospital. And, um…you don’t have to eat mystery pot pie 2 days in a row.

Totally random stuff, huh?

Have you found any cool gadgets lately? I’m always looking for handy things for organizing and cooking.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Halloween Bark Candy

This weekend on Twitter, a friend posted a link to  a great Halloween bark candy recipe.  It’s a recipe that’s similar to one I made years ago but had forgotten about.  I’ve been wanting to make a small gift for my new neighbors and the girls’ teachers.  This is the perfect recipe to dress up in cute treat bags. 

 

Halloween Bark Candy

Ingredients:

  • 14 whole Oreos, broken up (use the orange Halloween Oreos if you can find them)
  • 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels, broken into pieces
  • 1 lb white chocolate pieces
  • 1 cup candy corn
  • Brown and orange colored sprinkles
  • You could also substitute M&Ms or Reese’s pieces for the candy corn or Oreos.

Directions:

  • Place waxed paper on large cookie sheet.
  • Spread cookies, pretzels and about 3/4 cup of the candy corn into a 13x9-inch rectangle on the waxed paper.image
  • Place chocolate in glass measuring cup and heat in microwave for about 1½ minutes.
  • Stir and then microwave for about another 30 seconds until melted and smooth.
  • Drizzle melted chocolate immediately over cookie mixture, spreading with spatula (if needed) to coat evenly.   image
  • Top with reserved candy corn and colored sprinkles.
  • Work quickly before chocolate hardens.
  • Place into refrigerator until firm.
  • Remove and gently break apart into small pieces for serving.
  • Store in airtight container or Ziploc bags.

Gift Bag Directions:

  • Place cooled bark in quart size Ziploc bags.
  • Put gift shred in the bottom of a Halloween themed lunch bag.
  • Place 1 or 2 bag(s) of bark in lunch bag.
  • Add in any extra fun stuff. I added some “creepy critters” Silly Bandz.
  • Fold top of bag over, making a crease.
  • Using a hole punch, punch 2 holes about 2” apart.
  • Put ribbon through the holes and tie.

**I found some cute Silly Bandz knock-offs on an end cap at Wal-Mart for $1.00 a package. I opened the package and put them in with the bark, the tied one on each end of curling ribbon.  I used the curling ribbon/Silly Bandz combo along with fabric ribbon for a festive touch. Before tying, put a pinch of gift shred in the center of your bow, then tie.

Here’s the finished product.

image

 

image

Close-up of the “Creepy Critters”

This project was fast and super easy. I was done start-to-finish in about 30 minutes.

Enjoy! Now you go do some barkin’!

 

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fever Drawings

Sassypants woke up with a fever yesterday morning, so we’ve snuggled and read lots of books. I had bought her a tiny composition notebook at the book fair earlier in the week, so I thought she might enjoy drawing in it.

In less than 24 hours, she’s filled up the whole notebook with the most random & mysterious drawings. The funny thing is……I can tell the “Fever Drawings” and the “Normal Temp Drawings”. 

NORMAL TEMP DRAWINGS:

4hih.jpg

image

image

 

FEVER DRAWINGS:

image image

image

Aren’t these hilarious?

I wonder if Van Gogh had fevers too. HA!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Tibi Leather Shorts- Worn 3 Different Ways

I’ve been wanting, searching, and longing for a pair of leather shorts this fall. Sadly, some are more appropriate for a college rave ….not so appropriate for a woman in her ((ahem)), 30’s.

Last week, I scored a pair of leather Tibi shorts for 1/2 of retail. Still expensive, but I can see them being a true investment piece.  What drew me to these particular shorts is the fact that they’re an appropriate length, cuffed,  & have pleats. I feel I can pull off leather shorts that look dressier versus  flat front short-shorts.

So I  have the shorts in my grimy little hands…..how do I style them and not look like Hoochie Hoocheta? For me, the key is to wear tights, especially for daytime, and I’ll probably try a sheerer black hose for night (yeah, the 90’s semi-sheer hose are back!) My other thought is to make sure I wear a more conservative or relaxed top or sweater with the shorts.

Here’s a few ways I’ve worn my new shorts. Yep, I wore them 2 days in a row. You betta believe this girl is gonna get her money’s worth.

image

Tibi Leather Shorts

Jessica Simpson sweater –bought at Dillard’s. Sorry-can’t find anywhere online.

Cheapie ankle booties from gojane.com

Spanx tights (Praise the Good Lord for Spanx)

image

image

Forever 21 Cardigan

Jessica Simpson  platform pumps from 2 years ago

image

(Close up)

image

Modcloth Taupe Couture Cape Sweater

Tory Burch Sally Wedge

Target Tank

Forever 21 Cardigan

Love this look! I bought this shell pink cardigan when I went to Memphis. 

I love the softness and femininity of the pink ruffles combined with the leather shorts. As in interior design, fashion is all about having contrast, yet balance, right?

Will you fashionistas be trying leather shorts for fall?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Mediterranean Omelet

I came up with this recipe by accident one morning. I was going to make an omelet, and was out of the usual red peppers, onions, & mushrooms.  After digging around in the frig, I put these ingredients together and came up with a winner. I even served this to my husband on Father’s Day because he likes it so much;-)
INGREDIENTS:
*This serves 1, but you can easily double or triple the recipe.
  • 2 egg whites & 1 whole egg, whisked together with salt & pepper (to taste).
  • Handful (I use 2) of fresh organic spinach, washed & patted dry. This will not even be 1/2 cup once cooked.
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • Sweet cherry tomatoes, diced 
  • Sprinkle of feta cheese-I use Athenos w/ cracked black peppercorns
  • Cooking spray
In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic & sauté for about a minute.  Add spinach and cook until very soft and most of liquid is absorbed.
image
 image
You can also drain it to speed up the process.  If there’s a lot of liquid left, your omelet will be runny.
Remove spinach from skillet.
Wipe out skillet with paper towel, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Return to medium heat, and add eggs. With a wooden spatula, lightly push the egg from the outer edge of the skillet toward the center. This allows the runny egg on top to spread out to open skillet space and cook. You can also tilt the pan so that the egg runs to open areas. Continue to do this until the egg starts to turn white and the edges get a little crispy.
image
Once the eggs are done to your liking, add the cooked spinach, tomatoes, & feta.
 image You can also put the omelet on a plate and then put the ingredients on top. (I like lots of pepper if you couldn’t tell)
This omelet may look a little time consuming and complicated, but it really only takes a few minutes.
This is a great way to start your day with a healthy portion of protein, iron, and calcium.
*1/2 cup of spinach has 15% of the recommended amount of iron and 25% of RA of calcium.
Enjoy!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Five For Friday

As a busy mom, I really struggle with living in yoga pants & t-shirts vs. looking like I tried too hard.

I’m trying to find a few chic, but casual outfits that I can wear to drop the kids off at school or to run errands around town. I would like to have basic neutrals so that I can mix and match pieces quickly in the morning. 

For these outfits, the number one criteria is comfort, and secondly, I want the outfits to look “effortless”.

On my quest…I found five casual outfit inspirations:

image

photo source: Kelly Stuart

I really like the gray sweater above and found a similar one at Victoria’s Secret.

photo source: Stockholm Street Style

image photo source: Vanessa Jackman

 

image

photo source: Kelly Stuart

image

photo source: Stockholm Street Style

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

 

 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Weekend in Memphis

This past weekend, I traveled to Memphis with Tonda, my best friend from college.  Back in the late 90’s, she visited me a lot when my hubby and I lived there.  We have lots of great memories in Memphis, so we thought it would be perfect for a long girls’ weekend.

We arrived on Thursday, and after a long day of travel, we decided to trug down to Huey’s for dinner. I forgot how much I missed those burgers. 

These are so good, you’ll want to slap yo’ mama, then go get a stent in your heart.

On Friday, I had my beloved Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Why, oh why….can’t we have one where I live? I just don’t get it!  If I’m in the general vicinity of a Chick-Fil-A, I sniff it out like a bloodhound.

image

We met up Pretty in Pink Megan and Paisley Pearls for dinner. I never would have dreamed I’d make friends for life via blogging and Twitter! I absolutely love these girls.

 

Look how stylish and beautiful they are! Don’t mind me and my plain old brown dress. ha ha

After dinner, we all headed to Muddy’s Bake Shop to have cupcakes.  They are seriously the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten!

image 

image

Tonda and me at the infamous Raiford’s AFTER the cupcakes.

On Saturday, we shopped all day, then had dinner at Houston’s.  We decided to go see “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps”.  This movie critic says, “Pass it on up girlfriend. Thumbs down.”

Sunday morning, Tonda and I had breakfast downtown at Blue Plate Cafe. Nothing like a little grease in your bellah before you board a plane.

photo

As we were walking back to the hotel, I spotted this fine, lush tree.  I wish I knew how to bring this exquisite specimen back to the Midwest.

image

 

image

I couldn’t resist striking a pose with “Nubby the Tree”. After close examination of this picture, that may be a urine stain on Ol’ Nubby.  Lovely.

Yeah, the breakfast crowd was looking at me like I’d lost my mind.

Oh, how I love Memphis!