great blog entry!

this brought tears to my eyes!! how simply and beautifully written!! a must read for mommy's!

http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/02/in-this-chair.html

the love of my life....

Yep, you guessed it!! A DYSON! I have been (very impatiently!) longing for one of these for about a year now.. and finally my incredible husband gave in and came home with one. Talk about FABULOUS!! I told him that i wanted the "purple" one. Haha! Basically, it's for animal owners.. it takes care of all the hair. I love animals and I understand they shed, but there's nothing i hate more than seeing someone's carpet and furniture covered in pet hair!! NO THANKYOU! Well, he got me the "purple" one (DC25) and even surprised me by getting the one with the ball! YAY! I am a happy girl!! I gave it a test run last night and let me tell you... it was by far the most manuverable and light-weight vaccum I've ever used and there is not one pet hair in my carpet!! (Did I mention that I have practically WHITE carpet and a CHOCOLATE lab... yeah, her hair is a little noticable!) I am totally and completely IN LOVE!! (with my husband, of course, for buying it!!) :) I know they're expensive, but in my book.. worth every penny!! Tonight..... the couches!!

King Ranch Chicken

My mother-in-law (the worlds best cook!) passed along a great recipe to me! This is super easy and super yummy! Great for you moms with picky little eaters!!

King Ranch Chicken

1 lb chicken, boiled

1 chopped onion

1 chopped bell pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can Rotel

8 oz. Mexican cheese

4-6 tortillas, broken up

Saute onion and bell pepper in small amount of butter. Add soup and rotel, mix and simmer. Once chicken is cooked, cut into cubes and add to mixture. Line pan with tortillas. Layer chicken/sauce, cheese, tortillas and repeat. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees (or until bubbly).

My sweet sweet Haley

Ok, so for those of you that know my dear friend Haley, you know that she and I are strikingly similar. To strangers we look as though we are sisters (can not tell you the number of times we've heard that!) and to our friends and family, we're just alike in the way we think about things and do things. Well, for almost a year now we've talked about starting up our own little "Mommy" business. So, we've been working on some things and she recently sent me these pictures of some applique work that she's done. She's GREAT!!! I mean fabulous! (Yes, i'm bragging on her a bit!) Take a peak at her work! (and order from her!!!) :) I'm sure you'll start to see ALOT more from us in the near future! I'll try to get some pictures up soon of the invitations and stationary that i've created!

Talk about ADORABLE!!! LOVE the puppy set!! :)

Start of a new week!!

I can not tell you how excited I am to begin this new week!!! HOORAY!! It's not because anything special is going on or anything is planned. In fact, NOTHING is going on in our lives this week.... that's what makes it SO GREAT!! Last week was crazy for us! And i mean crazy...

A week ago Saturday Ethan broke out with little red bumps all over his back and "bends". He has very sensitive skin and eczema and suffers from allergies, so at first this did not alarm me. But when they didn't go away after a few hours or by the next morning, I knew something was up! We took him to the doctor Monday morning and he was diagnosed with CHICKEN POX!! Seriously.. my child.. chicken pox?! This did not make me happy to say the least!

Then later Monday, both my husband and I came down with the stomach bug! It's bad enough when one parent is down with a bug.. but BOTH?! It was definitely rough!

Luckily the kids did not come down with the bug! Thank goodness! And even more lucky... Lilly Kate has shown SO FAR no symptoms of the pox! She still has about a week and a half of possibly breaking out with it, but with all hope she won't!

LK went to the ENT on Thursday afternoon and is scheduled for surgery on March 4th for tubes in her ears! Yet another doctor's appointment for the week...... (Have I mentioned that in the last month I have spent about $300 on doctor visit co-pays for my kids?! RIDICULOUS!!!)

So, by Friday our week was finally starting to look up a little! We were at least going to finish it off well! Or so i thought.....

Friday morning I was getting ready to leave home and as i got half way down the street I remember that I left my phone. You know, the little red blackberry that has somehow become more important to me than even my purse?! I could probably do without my entire purse or even money for a whole day... but that phone... forget it! It's essential! So, in a hurry I pulled back in the drive way, opened the garage, opened and closed the car door.... and BAM!! it closed right on my finger!!! Yep, my right hand, middle finger. It immediately looked about 4 times the size it normally is. It was gushing blood because some skin had been pulled off the front. Needless to say, it was not pretty! Being to brave "mom" I am, I of course could not show tears... but believe me I wanted to cry!! Not to mention the complete embarrassment of having to tell my husband what i had done.... i felt like i was 7! I mean, seriously... who does that?! I got through my day, but it was definitely one of pain! It's still in a splint today and changing diapers is not such an easy task these days!

SO...after chicken pox, a stomach bug and a broken finger... we are beginning a NEW WEEK!!! I am taking a deep breath (maybe holding it a little....) and basking in the glory! Lord, please be with us!! :)

Know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time. Matthew 28:20

Berry Cobbler to die for!

I'm not really one to share recipes with someone, but this has to be one of the easiest things i've ever made! (and absolutely delicious!!) I found it one of my Southern Living magazines and couldn't resist to try it. You must try it too! I hope you find it as easy and yummy as I did!

Ingredients
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Whipped cream (optional)
Garnish: fresh mint sprig

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°. Place blackberries in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with lemon juice. Stir together egg, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Drizzle melted butter over topping. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired. Garnish with fresh mint sprig, if desired.

For a neat presentation, bake for the same amount of time in 6 (8-oz.) ramekins on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

speaking of great finds...

Check out my new desk!! I fell in love with this one in the Pottery Barn store (just like everything else in that store!) Well, they were having a "Floor Model Sale" and i ended up snagging it for 75% off!!! What a deal!! And look at the super great drawer. That's what i love about it! Just one long drawer with built-in compartments. A "crafty" girl's dream!! :)

February Favorites

Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things with you. I am definitely one of those people that falls in love with something and falls hard!

*clearance finds.. esp at Target! I love searching the “ends” of aisles to find something that I definitely do not need, but can’t resist to buy! Like today, I found picture frames for $3 and $4! Can’t beat it!!

*ethan's eyes.. so mischievous and playful! Nothing better in the world that his little toothy grin and silly eyes to make you smile! He such a sweet and bashful boy.. but hell on wheels!!

*hearing my favorite song on the radio and singing aloud! LOVE it!

*being southern! I feel that I am truly blessed to have been brought up in “this way of life”. I love the lazy afternoons, the hot summers and the “yes mam’s” and “no sir’s”. I take pride in my accent (though I do not notice it until I’ve been across the country), my “belle” ways and my constant use of the word ya’ll!

*the color green

*lilly’s sweet spirit. She’s like a wild horse… unpredictable, stubborn, free-spirited and brave. I’ve never met anyone like her in my life. She’s destined for great things and I can’t wait to see her spread her wings. It’s a journey that will be a great one!

*painting and writing. I’ve done neither in entirely too long and I miss it. I think I shall start again!

*the Acura MDX… oh, how I want one!!! (hint, hint husband!) :)

*black and white pictures. Nothing captures expression like black and white.

*a good glass of wine with my husband and a chance to catch up. Daily life gets so crazy and hectic that you can sometimes forget about each other. 20 min to laugh and talk is indescribable for words.. it’s just great!

*my grandfather. I miss him everyday. My grandmother. I’ve never met someone with a bigger heart. They’re love was eternal and I strive to make my marriage like theirs. Amazing role models.

50 years and counting..

Pictures from Grandma and Bompa's 50th Wedding Anniversary party!

(yes, i made this cake too!!) :)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Proverbs 3:5

Invitations!

Along with a friend of mine, I have recently began to make my own stationary products. Below is the invitation I created for my grandparent's anniversary party! If you need any work done, please don't hesitate to let me know! I can do invitations, note cards... anything! I'll try to get more examples of my work up soon!

The Golden Years!

Today is quite a day... my grandparents are celebrating 50 years together. 50 years.. wow, i cant even imagine that at this point in my life. At my age, i think more in the terms of the next 2-5 years! I am so lucky to have been a part of such a wonderful life together. I'm not saying it was easy... nothing ever is. I'm sure over the course of 50 years there were times that they just wanted to kill each other, but through it all they remained in constant love and support. That's just incredible to me! My parents divorced when i was really little, so it's always been my grandparents marriage that i've looked up too. In fact, BOTH sets of my grandparents have been shining examples for me. My mom's parents also would have celebrated 50 years together, this year. Although, my grandfather unexpetedly passed away in May, we will still celebrate his life and their love, on what would have been their special day. I can't wait to get to 50 years with my own husband. I want to be old and wrinkly and still think he's the most handsome man alive!

Congrats Grandma and Bompa!

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8

Elvis has left the building!

HHHUUUUUUGGGGGEEEE SSSSIIIIIGGGGHHHH..... whew!

The month of Lilly Kate's birthday is now officially over! THANK GOODNESS! Don't get me wrong. I love more than anything to see her enjoy her big day .. or week! But it's exhausting. Two parties, two Elvis cakes, and 60 guests later... we are finished for the year! Thank you to all who attended and helped celebrate the big day! Here's a few pics!

Delight yourself in Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4