Inspired

I think I've said it more than once, I'm not crafty. But I try. I'm always inspired by people's ideas. Especially when I sit and go through Pinterest, for hours and hours. That site is just so darn addicting!! So is Lola's blog! Either she's making something, or blogging about something she wants to make. That's where I seen this picture....

And now, I feel like our door NEEDS a wreath just like this! So much so, I wobbled to Hobby Lobby. Picked up some fun polka dot material. And some felt. And lace. Oh, and the wreath form. Now I'm going to sit under the AC, and try to make some crafty miracles happen. If all goes well, we should have a wreath. Hopefully by tomorrow! ~Chels

Taco Tuesdays in a Crock Pot!!

I can't lie. Around here, "Taco Tuesdays" are a MUST!! I tell you, don't mess with our Tuesdays. When my hubby and I first met, we were poor college kids. Man, money was so incredibly tight! Most of the time, we'd hangout at the 4H house. Because everyone would just bring a few things, and we'd cook up a meal.

But on Tuesdays, it was "Taco Tuesday." We'd sometimes splurge, and go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. But most of the time, we'd go to Taco Bell. Get us a few cheapo tacos, and sit and talk. Some days, we'd head to the local park. Other times, we'd head to one of our houses, and catch up on our favorite shows. And when one of us was pulling an "All Nighter" at the library, the other would bring dinner. :)

When we got married and moved in together, not much changed. Other than, it's been a heck of a long time, since we went to Taco Bell! Now hubby has a better job. But we're still a 1 income family. Cooking is not just something I should do....it's almost necessity. To cut down on costs. And I'm totally cool with that. It's my way, to provide for my hubby. Since he works so darn hard!

I've been pretty good. We still eat our tacos every Tuesday. It's that one thing, that makes both my hubs and I, very happy!! Almost 90% of the time, we have ground beef tacos. I'm just not too skilled in cooking. Once in a while, we'll have leftover roast. I'll shred it, and cook it up with onions, peppers, and jalapenos. And if I'm being really lazy, I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken. I shred it up. And those tacos, usually get more "fancy" toppings than the rest. :)

But I feel like I'm in a rut! I want to keep our "Taco Tuesdays" going. But I wanted something a little different. And honestly, I haven't been wanting to cook much. I know I say this a lot, but it is so HOT here!! Living in the desert, sorta sucks the life out of you at times.

Well, you know what? Good friends are awesome! And not long ago, Rach blogged about this blog. She was working on a craft, for her boys. And had tried out some recipes. I thought, that this recipe sounded good. And super easy! Heck, Rach has 3 kids. Under 3!! And Mike is away, fighting that fire. If she can make these, so can I!

Life changing folks! So good!! I almost NEVER use my crock pot. I just don't know what to cook in there. And it takes up so much space. That it spends 98% of the time, tucked away under our kitchen sink. I know. Weird huh? But my hubs refuses to put cleaning supplies under there. Like most people. We've never had anything under there, except all the appliances, that we rarely use.

Thanks Rach! For sharing this blog with me. And helping me find this recipe. Something tells me, these are going to be regulars in our meals. They're easy, cheap, and so tasty! Heck ya! Things that we have on hand, all the time, chicken breasts and salsa. This is what we ate on Tuesday night. With fresh corn tortillas.You have to LOVE the local Mexican bakeries. :) Try this out! You won't regret it. Plus, clean up was super easy!! That's always a bonus in my book. ~Chels

Fruit Fun!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! We had so much fun! We had a bunch of friends over. And then, late in the evening, we headed over to J's house. For a little swimming and fireworks. :)

J had told a bunch of friends, that he was going to have fireworks. So we all planned on it. And I wanted to make some yummy treats. It was totally last minute. Since hubby came home Tuesday, with the news. :) But I knew, there just had to be something out there, that I could make.

Oh yes! Made It. Ate. Loved It. didn't disappoint! I'd seen these fruit pizzas a while back. And really wanted to make them. They look and sound so delicious!!

I was on a bit of a time crunch. Not going to lie! So skipped making the cookies. I actually used the mix in a pouch. You just add water. :) But I made all the rest. And these sweet treats were so good! I need to make them again. And soon! But this time, I'm going to follow this recipe. All of it! Who knows, I might just gain 10 lbs this week!! ~Chels

Can't Wait!!

My hubs and I decided to have some friends over. For the 4th of July. Which means I need to figure out something to cook. Oh my! I've been hunting down some good recipes. I thought maybe some kabobs would be good. But when I started thinking about that, it's a lot of cutting! My expanding pregnant belly and I, figured we'd like a much simpler route. Maybe for baby girl's 1st birthday...we'll do kabobs. :)

I kept hunting. And hunting. Hubs wanted to do burgers and hotdogs. But I wanted something much easier. I didn't want for my hubs, to have to be at the grill all day! Who wants to cook that much, when you have company over? Not me! That's when I found this recipe!!

Yes, it all sounds AMAZING!! The oven does most of the work. Oh, and I did buy the bagged coleslaw mix. 3 bags! Our fridge is now full of pretty ribs....waiting to be cooked. :) Pretty much, I just need to make the dressing for the coleslaw...and the sauce for the ribs.

Easy peasy. No? We also bought lots of fruit! Some hotdogs for the kids. And a few friends are bringing a salad or dessert. Man, I'm getting excited for Wednesday! Who's with me? Oh, and you have to check out this cooking blog. AMAZING recipes my friends!! ~Chels

Green Space

We're having a "hotter than usual" summer. That is saying a lot for the desert. You know what I mean? And it's only June! It doesn't help that I'm pregnant. Or that all I want to do, is make our yard, a green oasis. Just like Cari's yard. Oh, it's gorgeous!!

I want a green place, to relax in. To get away from all of this heat!! Something that's beautiful and inviting. I took to Pinterest for a little inspiration. And I just can't get over this space!!

That vertical box thing, just makes me smile! All these beautiful potted plants, make me happy! This whole space is so fresh. So green! I want a space like this!! Maybe add in a little water fountain, some comfy seating, and some good shade. Yes, we NEED a space just like this!! ~Chels

Thin Mint Heaven!!

Every year, I count something down. Something that you won't expect. Girl Scout cookie time! And let me tell you, it's tough to find those little guys. Around here anyway! We must not have a troop around here. I'm not sure. But without fail, my hubby brings home 10 boxes. Every year. Bless my Lova'!!

Right now, those sweet delight, are long gone. I'm a little ashamed to admit, that hubs only got 3 cookies. 3 cookies people!! I ate the rest. Me and baby girl. :) And they were darn good! But I got real sad, when I found this recipe last night. Oh. My. Goodness! What am I going to do now??

Well, nothing gets by the man I love. We're completely out of thin mints. Hubs took to hunting out something similar today. Didn't even know he was going to the grocery store. I would have asked him to pick up some ice cream. And maybe some bagels with cream cheese. :) Can you tell what I'm craving?

Hubs did find a yummy cookie. I think they're made by Keebler. I'm not even positive. And a little too lazy to go look right now. But as we speak, I've got a batch of these in the oven. And our home smells AMAZING!! I can't wait to try them out.

On a side note, hubs bought 3 packages of those cookies. And I've already eaten 6 cookies! It's bad. And the Andres mint chips....from the baking aisle....are so good! Darn Lola!! You got me hooked on eating them, with vanilla ice cream. And by themselves. :) Can you tell that I like chocolate and mint? ~Chels

Our Easter Treats :)

How was your Easter? Ours was nice. Actually, it was just what we needed!! It was totally "low key." My hubby and I went to church. And then had a fun afternoon with friends. It was so nice to see Lola again! Glad she came out for a few days.

And because Lola and her man hosted Easter, no one had to worry about cooking. Lola is the best cook I know! Sorry to my momma and MIL, but it's the truth! I still wanted to make a little something. So I took to my new favorite blog. And made a triple batch of these sweet treats!! Which were gobbled up in record time!! :)

Oh, yes. They were delicious!! Not only were these Rice Krispies treats delicious. But they were fun. Last week, while buying some groceries, I found some Easter Sprinkles. And that's what I used. So fun! The kids really enjoyed them. Most of all, we just enjoyed the good times, with our dear friends. When you live so far away from family, good friends are so important! Not only did God give us his son. But he's blessed us, with some AMAZING friends! ~Chels

GREAT Idea!!

I've been hanging out on Pinterest. It's seems like, that's all I do now. But the fact of the matter is, my nausea is so bad, I really can't do much else. I read blogs. And search through Pinterest. I force a meal down, 3 times a day. And I feel like death! My dear friend insists, that means I'm having a girl!!

While hanging out on Pinterest, I've been looking for nursery ideas. I know we're still 10 days away from finding out if we're having a boy or a girl. But we need to start getting some ideas. I've seen tons and tons of beautiful nurseries. But this one, just caught my eye!!

I personally LOVE these colors. The navy is so rich and gorgeous! The white is just the perfect lightness for a nursery. And that orange....it's so fun! I think this would be perfect for a boy's nursery. Although, I'm almost 100% positive, that this is a girl's nursery. I think this would also be great for a girl. But I'd use a bright pink! How fun!! Who knows, we might just be going this route, in a few short weeks! ~Chels

Earring Making....

We are invited to a few weddings this summer. Oh, only 5! And I don't want to go out and buy 5 separate outfits. Especially fancy maternity clothes. It just seems like a waste of money. If I wasn't pregnant, than I might feel differently. But that's still a lot of dressy clothes....

Being that most of the people going to all these weddings....are the same people, I need to change things up!! I've decided on 3 dresses. That should cover me for the weddings, a few Bridal Showers, and a few Baby Showers. :) It's going to be a busy summer for our friends!!

But I figured I could have fun with my accessories. Heck, I thought, I could even make a few things. First, I bought some really inexpensive shoes. 3 identical pair, brand new, for a total of $15! I glittered a fun pair....for a really fun wedding! Not too hard. Spray glue, lots of glitter, than my hubs sealed them....with some sort of clear spray. Fun, easy, and inexpensive!

I've also been making trips to Hobby Lobby. Pretty regularly. Using lots and lots of 40% coupons. I've made a bracelet, a necklace, and a fun hair accessory. See were I'm going here? I've been trying to make some fun stuff, to liven up my "fancy" outfits.

Then I took to Pinterest. And found this fun picture. Unlike most "Pins" on Pinterest, this one had a link. That worked. And took me to this website. Where I fell in LOVE!!! Hello!!! P.S.-I Made This....I LOVE YOU!!

I really liked the look of these earrings. I know, they're totally over the top! But for one wedding that we're going to, they're perfect! I just so happened to have some rose earrings. Very similar to these. Our local 99 cent store recently went out of business....and for no good reason at all, I stocked up on their flower earrings. :) I don't know when I'll use 30 pairs....but for $2.50 I couldn't leave them behind. :)

I also had a rhinestone necklace, that had broke. It sat in my jewelry box....for 6 years. Well, I dug it out. It's very similar to the trim in the picture. I also dug through my hubby's tackle box. And I found some new fishing string. And Krazy Glue! Score. All I had to do, was find the bottom rhinestone things. I actually just went to Wally World. And found some beautiful rhinestone buttons. I think I got 2 buttons for $3. Not bad!

This is what I'm working on right now. I've actually got a few other projects from P.S.-I Made This. I can't wait to share them with you! But you should definitely take a look around this website. I'm so glad that Pinterest lead me there. :) ~Chels

Mexican Cornbread Bake

I tried out a new recipe today. Lola is always blogging about these yummy Gooseberry Patch Free Recipes. And there is a free one every week! I seen this one on Wednesday. And finally made it to the store today. To buy a few of the things I really needed to make it.

It's been really hot around here. So my hubby grilled up some chicken, I made a Mexican salad, and this yummy cornbread bake. Dinner was heaven today! A little much. But I really think you should try it out too! I will definitely be checking the free recipes from now on. ~Chels

Mexican Cornbread Bake

1 lb. ground beef
4-1/2 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 onion, chopped
2 t. Mexican seasoning
1 T. chili powder
8-oz. can Mexican-style tomato sauce
8-1/2 oz. pkg. cornbread mix

In a skillet over medium heat, brown beef and drain. Add chiles, onion, seasoning and chili powder; cook until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and simmer. Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions; pour half the batter into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Spoon beef mixture over batter; top with remaining cornbread batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cornbread is golden. Serves 4 to 6.

Much Love Illy Giveaway

Lola saves the day again! She posted about this giveaway! I mean, what woman doesn't want something from this shop? Hello! Cakies is also a cute blog! So I've learned about 2 new blogs and a cute shop! You can enter too. But hurry! You've only got about 2 hours. ~Chels

A Little Treat

So there are a few things you should know about me:

1. I'm in college.
2. This week was "Finals Week."
3. I've been terribly stressed out.
4. I don't ever really spoil myself.
5. I really wish I was good at makeup application. But I'm not!
6. I don't have much makeup. Just very basic things from the drugstore.
7. I lust after some of the makeup my friends have.
8. I like to shop at Walgreen's.
9. I'm happy about summer. It's been in the mid 90s all week!
10. I have friends who are makeup artists, hair stylists, or performers.

Leads me to my splurge yesterday. I finished my last final in the afternoon. And I was completely stressed out. Because honestly, all week, I've been stressed with finals. I left school and figured I would go to Walgreen's. I wanted to pick up a few things that we needed. Which also happened to be on sale this week. Oh, and I had to pick up a prescription.

Just as I parked, my hubby called me. Just to check on me. He knew that the week had been a tough one for me. So we're talking. And I get real excited when I pass one of the many makeup displays. He asked me what I was looking at. I told him that I was looking at some makeup. My hubby, being the sweet man that he is, told me to pick up a few things. Like a little reward for finishing up the semester. :)

Remember I told you that I have a friend who is a MUA, and one that is a performer? They both had told me about these Wet n Wild eyeshadows. They said they were good quality. Like the more expensive makeup that I lust after. :) And just my luck, Wet n Wild is on sale this week! Buy 1, get 1 half off!

Now just look at these yummy eyeshadows:



This is the packaging. Cute!



This is Vanity. My favorite of the 4. I can see myself using this every day. :)



I also like this one. It's Greed. I think this would be nice to wear for date nights with my hubby.



This is 1 of the 2 that I bought that are a bit more...exciting and adventurous. This is Lust.



And this one, Pride, is very unusual for me. Something that I wouldn't normally buy. But I thought it would be fun to experiment with. :)

But I got these 4 eyeshadow palettes for $15. I also picked up 2 blushes, 2 bronzers, and 4 lipsticks. I spent a total of $18 plus tax. Well, it would have been $28, but I had a $10 coupon for Walgreen's. You know, that was a good deal. And I got a lot of fun things.

I had asked Manders a while back if she would help me get better with my makeup application. I've been watching tons of YouTube videos. So this was a good little haul for me. Now that I'm on summer break, Manders and I are setting up an afternoon to play with some makeup. I'm really excited! ~Chels

Mod Podge Glass

I was just doing a search for colored glass. Last night, we went out for Cinco de Mayo and J's birthday. Lots of fun. Some friends of ours were performing. And the decor was beautiful! I really wish I was more risky. You know, to buy some of those bright accents. They sell them everywhere around here! But the glass, it was just gorgeous! The candles from inside made the glass glow beautifully. :)

Back to my search...all the glass was really expensive. Because most, if not all was "Depression Glass." You know, the antique stuff. In fact, Lola has a bunch of that stuff. And it really is beautiful. But really out of our price range.

But when I did I search on Flickr, I found these cute jars. And Hello! They're old glass jars. Like salsa, jelly, and spaghetti sauce jars. :) They were painted with Mod Podge. Um, I'm not crafty. So I have no clue. I'll probably call Lola before I start my project. But take a look...



Hanging in your garden. Oh that would be so beautiful for a cookout! Or just on a pretty evening.



Glowing along the fence. They would look gorgeous with our new hearts. :)



Could you imagine the collection that you could come up with? And they're not opaque. So I'm sure my hubby wouldn't mind a few pink and purple mixed in with the blue and green. :)

Honestly, I can't wait to start this project. You just never know what you're going to get when you do a google or flickr search. But I'm glad I found these little gems. :) ~Chels

The Garden Set Giveaway

Lola is the best friend around. She finds great blogs and people, and then she shares them!

Enter in, Newly Wife. Right up my street. Gals, I'm just dying to make this chocolate cake they keep posting about! But this is the best part of it, Newly Wife is hosting a giveaway. For this cute little package of goodies. There's seeds, an apron, some starter soil thingys, and even some sticks to mark your garden.

Man too bad, I'm 2 days late for this giveaway! I just love this necklace! It would go with my new boots. :) Anyway, go to Newly Wife and enter for your chance to win too! Oh and Happy Birthday Megan! ~Chels

Too Adorable

The weather got real crappy today. And now we don't have any TV. So I decided to come and work on my blog and all it's issues. I've decided to put all my post on private. Individually, I'll repost. Stupid me! It's going to be a lot of work! But I'm going to get it done. Hopefully this weekend. Our entire weekend is supposed to be filled with rain and wind. :(

But Lola sent me an email, that had this picture in it. She's planning some kind of party or something. And she thought I'd get a hoot out of the center pieces. Oh ya! They're so cute! Now I want to hit all the garage sales looking for old boots. I would LOVE to make a few of these for our BBQs this summer. So cute!



Would you make something like this? I even thought it would be cute to buy some rain boots. Those would be really easy, because you wouldn't have to worry about the water leaking out. Darn, these are cute! I'm going to have to go check out the Goodwill this week. :) ~Chels

Darling Earrings

Lately, I've been so fascinated with jewelry. The other day, I ran into my friend, Manders
at the grocery store. And she had on these earrings. Aren't they cute? I like that they're 2 toned too! But I can't find them anywhere. :( And to me, they're just a classic pair of earrings. Simple, elegant, and ladylike. I hope I'm able to find them somewhere. If you've seen these earrings, please let me know where you can get them. ~Chels

Cute Favors

So a bunch of our friends are getting married. And one of the couples wants to have a "Western" themed wedding. My friend was asking me about all of our decorations and favors. Unfortunately, the company that we ordered from, they've gone out of business. But they had the cutest things!

But I wanted to help my friend. She wanted some unusual, but fun favors. I found these. You get the little tub, 2 soaps (any color), and the little rope for only $3.50 a piece! And since it's a small wedding, I think this is completely affordable. They also come wrapped up. So you don't have to worry about any extra costs.

I hope that I can find some more things for her. My mom told me that she's going to go search through her computer. Because my parents help a lot with our wedding too. Hopefully we find some nice "western" stuff. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments. ~Chels

Much Needed

Lately, we've been all stressed out. You know, tax season. And we're first time homeowners. And I think you can say it, we're still "Newlyweds." Plus this stupid Census! Life has just been a little stressful lately. But we're holding it together. Our taxes are pretty much done! Yay! And I've filled out the 3rd Census. I'm pretty sure it's the 3rd. What's with all these papers?

Anyway, I was feeling stressed out. And desperately in the need of a laugh. Or some good news. So I googled "Longhorn food." OK, I was also in need of some good food. And you can't deny it. Football food is good. And very comforting. Insert these gems.



Aren't they cute? They're cake pops. Just decorated like Longhorns. OK, so I'm not all crafty. My Longhorns probably would look horrible. But, I would like to try and make plain cake pops. After doing a quick search, and calling Lola, they don't sound too hard to make. Basically, you bake a cake. Then you mix together the frosting and the cake. And roll into balls. Insert a stick and dunk in chocolate. Sounds yummy! ~Chels

Happy Easter

I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter! My hubby and I are going to church this morning. And then we're just going to lounge around. We're planning a little BBQ. But it should be a laid back day. Not too much fuss.

You know, the whole point of Easter is going to church and worshiping. We've got that in prospective. We just wish that we had our family here. But I guess you can't have it all. But I hope everyone has a nice day. I'm ready for some chocolate bunnies! How about you? ~Chels

We're Going Home

Wow! We had such an exciting weekend! We went to the rodeo this weekend. It was a few hours of a drive. But my hubby and I really wanted to come. :) So we came. We don't get to go to a lot of rodeos anymore. So we really took advantage of the opportunity.

All of our friends are here. And it was really fun to be able to just hangout and have a good time. But sadly, our fun weekend has come to an end. We're on our way home. Yup, right now. But it was still a really fun weekend! I hope that we get to go to Vegas this year too!

Well, I'm typing this on my phone. So that's it folks! It's not really easy to blog from your phone. I hope you had a good weekend. I know we did. It might take the entire week for me to recover. :) ~Chels