My Creative Brightside

Warm and Cozy: Outfit Post

2012-01-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

Jacket: Love Tree, Scarf: Thrifted, Jeans: Vigoss, Boots: Hunter, Fleece inserts: Hunter, Undershirt: H&M.

love..

New York's Magical Light Show

2012-01-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hey friends I am so excited to show you this video I took in NYC. This was a light display on the side of a beautiful building. I hope you enjoy. My hubby is yelling "MCB" in the background because he is a huge fan of my blog and loves me a lot. In the background (when I turn the camera on me) is Rockefeller Center with its ice rink and huge tree!!

love...

Bright Lights Big City

2012-01-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

New York: Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of

2012-01-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

New York: Glimpses Around The City

2012-01-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

My Life: The Adoption Story

2012-01-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Hey my dear dear friends. How I have missed writing to you. I guess I should explain where I have been and I have been debating whether to share what I have been up to or how to write it. I guess I will just start from the beginning.

I found out I was adopted when I was 17. Yes I figured it out. When I was in Anatomy class we were doing genetics and it all just seemed weird to me. I never looked like anyone in the family and began to ask questions. It turns out I am adopted and my parents were not supposed to tell me until I turned 18.

My biological mom was very very very young and the timing was perfect for my parents (not being able to have kids) to adopt me. My biological grama was best friends with my adopted mom and they figured out a way to make it work.

At the time this all came out I wasn't a Christian and kinda rebelled against my parents a bit. Dont worry, I ended up apologizing to them a few months later. After that I really wanted to meet my biological side but it kind of upset my parents to talk about it so I stopped talking about it.

Flash forward to last year. My biological uncle who is only 9 years older that me, contacted me by mail and expressed how upset he was about not knowing about me until a few years ago and that he really wanted to meet me. We started talking on facebook and planned to meet around Christmas time in New York (where my whole biological mom's side resides).

So that brings us to the present. My husband and I took the plane off to Walden, New York and from the moment we got there my uncle was so awesome!! There was a lot of things going on in the family when I got there and really needed prayer from my church family so I sent out a prayer request. Here is the email I sent:

"Hey Family,

As some of you may know, Adam and I are in New York where we are meeting my biological family for the first time. I am in need of a prayer request and some love right now. I am staying with my uncle and his wife and kids. I have met my grandma and will be meeting about 15 relatives tonight at my uncles house. My mom will not be one of them. It seems that she is unwilling to meet me and I am having a little bit of a hard time with this. It is hard not to feel angry and I really would like to be compassionate about the whole situation but it is really hard when she is right down the street yet I can not see her. We are debating whether or not to just go over there and knock on the door and make her meet me but I havn't decided yet. I would like this whole experience to be one of joy and excitement but I am among unbelievers and it's just really hard. Please pray for me in any way. Sometimes I just want to cry and feel sorry for myself but God has already blessed me with so much it is such a blessing to know i have an amazing family back home and a church family that really cares about me. Thanks so much."

I was flooded with emails and it really helped me get through the whole thing. This is what happened next.

"Dear Family,

I dont really know where to start with this email but I am flooded with love and encouragement from you. You have no idea how amazing you all are and receiving those emails throughout my stay here really helped me be positive about the whole situation.

God is so amazing that it is even hard for me to think about without crying. His timing is absolutely PERFECT with this whole trip.

Yesterday I ended up facebook messaging my biological mom and telling her I would really like to see her on her terms but I would be leaving early sunday morning and will not be coming back anytime soon. The whole situation was kind of a misunderstanding between a lot of family out here and in the end no one told her the dates I would be here until Wednesday night. She said she was thrown under the bus and felt really betrayed from the rest of the family. No one had known I even existed until this week. Her main concern was her daughter, who is 14, and how she was going to explain the situation to her.

I felt like she did not want to meet me when in fact she had always wanted to see me. To make a long story short I ended up going to her house last night from 10:30pm-2:30am NY time.

She had never wanted to give me up and felt like I was stolen from her. She was only 14 at the time and the whole situation was out of her grasp. She had signed paperwork without really understanding what she was agreeing to that said she was not aloud to contact me until I turned 18 and that I had to initiate it. The part that was left out to me was that I had to make the first move. She has a lot of issues with her mom over it and told me she even thought of ways to get me back after I was taken to California. This was extreamly hard for me to hear and I know you all know I cry easily but for some reason God allowed me to be really light hearted about the whole thing. Her daughter was with us the whole time. She had told her just a few hours earlier about me and she was the one who said let her come over and meet us. WOW. She kept asking me what else what else ask me more and it was just a really good experience. I dont know what I would have done without Adam by my side. It was a sweet memory I will always cherish. You know Adam is good at asking the questions no one else will and he really helped me find out more about how things ended up the way they did. I can say everything ended really amazing and when she drove us back to my uncles house she didnt want to leave. She told me she loves me and will visit with me and wants to have a relationship with me as well.

She has all the same hobbies and raises her eyebrow when she talks just like me. Adam thought it was really funny. I pretty much look like everyone I have met and there has been a lot of aunts and uncles that said they were upset because they would have taken me as there own."

Yes I know this is a novel I am writing here but I just thought I would share and clarify where and why I have been gone. You guys are the best for bearing with me and I really appreciate your support!! I'll be posting pictures and updates about all this in the next few days.

love always.....

Happy 3 Year Anniversary to Us

2011-12-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

So yesterday marked our 3rd year wedding anniversary and I can honestly say things are just getting better. Adam is the first person I call when something goes wrong and he always has an answer. It is so comforting to know how much he loves me. We had a lot of fun with this anniversary and spent it among friends who share the same anniversary weekend. We headed down to Coranado and ate at the Brigentine enjoying some delicous food!! We walked over to the beautiful Hotel Del and watched people ice skate right next to the beach. It was definately a sight to see. If I hadnt been wearing a floor length dress I would have jumped right in and skated the night away. We snuck around the hotel trying to get to the top tower but it happened to be an actual hotel room haha. It was fun anyway though. Here are just a few pictures of our fun night.

I'll be back with a What I wore for our date and more pictures!!

love...

What I wore: Steal His Clothes

2011-12-17T22:49:00.000-08:00

* Shirt: I stole the hubby's shirt because it was a little small on him. Just wrap a belt round and there you go. Jacket: love tree, Jeans: Hollister, Boots: American Eagle for Payless.

Week of DIY's/ Holiday Christmas Tags

2011-12-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hey friends make some handmade Christmas cards this week and make them cuter than ever!! Just build with little pieces of scraps and add some glitter. Have an awesome day!!

love...

Week of DIY's/ Holiday Hot CoCoa

2011-12-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hey friends enjoy some of this delicious Hot Cocoa you can make from scratch. The hubby and I went over to his sisters house and she made us an amazing hot cocoa I just had to share. Everything was organic too so I felt good about guzzling it down. Have a warm and fuzzy evening.

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup unprocessed sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (whipped)

Directions

Combine the cocoa and sugar.. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the whipped cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.
Oh and if you wanna have something to snack on at the same time try making some popcorn with coconut oil and add some chocolate chips. Delicious.

Week of DIY's/ Holiday Frosted Glasses

2011-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hey friends hope your day was amazing!!! Here is fun little holiday DIY for those of you who like to collect glasses. I had some extra wine glasses and wanted to use them for something.

Heres the how to:

1. Strip labels from all glasses.
2. Bring everything outside and get your spray snow ready.
3. Spray the glasses from a foot or two away and let dry.
4. Place glasses around some garland and lights. They look magical!!!

love...

Week of DIY's/ Holiday TEA bags

2011-12-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

TEA BAG DIY

Hey friends I guest posted here a how to when making tea bags. Go check it out and have some fun!! I will be back later on today with another fun DIY holiday project for you to enjoy.

love...

Week of DIY's/ Holiday Art Guest Post with The Pepper and Her Pups

2011-12-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a stay at home mama to a beautiful little girl with another on the way (it's a boy!), Fiance to a dashing fella, full time web design student, and full on craft enthusiast.

You can always catch me blogging about our family adventures, drool worthy recipes, handmade lovelies, and so much more.
I'm so thrilled to be guest posting for Steph, she's such an awesome chicka (I'm sure you all already know that though:))

To get you all in the holiday spirit, I thought I'd give you a fun diy subway art christmas print that your more then welcome to print out and frame it's little heart out!

Download.

Like what you see? Feel free to email me at pepperandherpups@gmail.com if you'd like me to make any others for you (the sky's the limit babyy!).

Thanks so much for letting me stop by and I sure hope to see you all over on my side of the webisphere soon!

Blog. Facebook. Twitter.

THANKS LIZ I KNOW I WILL BE PRINTING THIS ONE OUR TO MAKE AN ORNAMENT!! Hope ya'll are having a great week and I can't wait to share more DIY projects with you.

love...

Week of DIY's/ Holiday Napkin Rings

2011-12-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!! Are you in need of something festive for your holiday gatherings? I have just the thing to add a little ease and jolly into your festivities. These napkin ring holders are as easy as pie. Check it out and play around with all the fun twigs you can find at Micheals.

Take your holiday spring.

And roll it. So easy!!

love...

Week of DIY's/ Holiday Glitter Nails

2011-12-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

Hey friends first up on my week of DIY's is some nice glittery nail art for the holidays. Enjoy this one and choose some fun color combos. Baby blue and silver would look great too.

See you back with more DIY's.

love..

Cat and Jared Wedded Bliss

2011-12-11T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hey there friends hope everyone is having a lovely weekend full of warmth and love. I had the pleasure of doing flowers for a wedding this weekend and I could not have been happier with the outcome. This wedding was truely unique and all the centerpieces were made from antique/vintage artifacts hand picked by the couple during their engagement. The bride gave me full authority on the flowers and just said I trust you I know you'll do great. I started by picking flowers that would match the classic vintage theme they were going for and know a lot of them would be going into mason jars. Here is a picture taken from my phone at my wholesalers.

I went with plenty of cream roses and threw in some pink and yellow as well. I usually dont do carnations by the fullness of the flower really felt dreamy. Lots of greenery was added along with curly willows and stumps for the stage. The brides bouquet has to be one of my favorites I have ever done. I loved throwing in cat tails in the arrangement's.

The reception was a a cute red barn in the town I grew up in. We filled it with cheer by adding banners made by the bride.

It was so unique and special. I really loved working with these two!!

There will be more to follow along with my week of HOLIDAY DIY'S starting tomorrow.

love.

Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hey friends hope your having wonderful holiday season and making lots of hot chocolates and goodies!!! We finally got our Christmas tree and I could not be happier it is so perfect. We went with the douglas fir and it is really thick and smells amazing. Here are some fun pictures the hubby took of me last night went we went to pick it out. Some are blurry and overexposed but I really like them that way.

*I am wearing jeans and hoodie from the Hollister 40% off sale woohoo get in there!!! The jeans are comfy and made really well.

Enjoy the rest of your day I am off to work til tonight.

love...

Christmas DIY Round Up

2011-12-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

Find great recipes for fun gifts here

Check out this awesome blog for 25 crafty ideas.

Love this deer pillow tutorial.

Check out these adorable bracelet how to's for the perfect handmade gift!!

I can not wait to make this!!

Hope you are feeling inspired I can't wait to see what you come up with. I know I am super excited for a day off of work so I can get to crafting. Have an awesome day lovlies and take lots of pictures for your December Daily.

Glimpses around the house

2011-12-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and welcome to December!! I don't know about you but I can't get these Christmas songs out of my head I just keep singing them all day long haha. It's fun to have a day off and play Christmas music on pandora while you're decorating!! Here are just a few shots around my house of what I decorated yesterday. Hope you enjoy!!.

The hubby's mom made this!!! Wow so cool. I want to make my own one of these days.

love...

Feeling Christmasy/ December Daily mini

2011-11-29T07:51:00.000-08:00

Hello Lovely friends I hope your having an amazing week so far!! I finally went and saw Breaking Dawn with my awesome friend Carrie and I have to say It made my day a little. I was feeling a little down about some things and this was just what I needed, a movie date and a German Chocolate mocha.

Anyways, I was feeling like a Christmas craft and knew I needed a December Daily to write down all my fun activities for next month so I decided on a mini album. I am going to add my instax pictures with paper clips and staples. Hope you enjoy the little sassafrass characters really make me smile.

love......

Potato Smash Cake/ Leftover recipe

2011-11-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

Hey friends here is a great recipe for those leftover mashed potato's you have from Thanksgiving!!! These were so delicious this morning for breakfast!!!! Wow you will really enjoy this one and have another way to jazz up leftovers.

Potato Smash Cakes

In a large bowl, combine Thanksgiving leftover mashed potatoes, 2 cups panko, 1 egg, cheese, bacon, onion (i didnt use any), butter, sour cream, 2 garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Form potatoes into 3-inch patties; dredge in remaining panko.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add potato patties, and cook, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown and crisp. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

love....

Thanksgiving Part 2

2011-11-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

Hey lovies I just wanted to share a few more picture from my colorful Thanksgiving feast yesterday. The food was a success!! I made two turkeys. One i made the day before and it was coated with lemon juice all on the inside and stuffed with apples, onions, carrots and celery. We cooked it breast side down which made the most juicy turkey I have EVER had!!! AMAZING. It was a success needless to say and I was a little more confident when making my second turkey ever yesterday. We cooked that one tented in foil and stuffed it to the brim with celery, lemons, parsley, apples, onions and carrots.

Our menu consisted of : Two great turkeys, Two stuffing's, Two sweet potatoes dishes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, Two great salads, kabasa, perogies, gravy, roasted root vegetables and dinner rolls.

I made two really great stuffings which were quickly gobbled up. The first which is pictures is the chibatta and walnut stuffing and I really enjoyed making this one. The second one I made was an apple sausage and walnut stuffing which the men really enjoyed it had just the right amount of kicky from the Italian spicy sausages. I have just enough of the chibatta stuffing to make the stuffing fritatta recipe at the bottom of this post. I'm so excited!!

Roasted Root Veggies

This would be great if you had some leftover vegtables you didnt use in your feast!!

1. 2-3 Peeled yams, 4-5 peeled red potatoes, 4 peeled yukon gold potatoes, 2 pelled and chopped white/yellow onions.
2. Throw everything in a crock pot and coat with olive oil or vegetable oil. Season with any steak seasonings you have on hand. Toss and coat and cook on high for 3 hours.
3. Enjoy!!! They were so amazing!

Ideas for leftovers ( I am attempting all of them)

Ham and Cheese Crescent Sandwiches

Day-After Dip

Stuffing Frittata

Emeril's Two-Bean Turkey Chili

Potato Croquettes

Smashed Potato Cake

Mashed Potatoes Au Gratin

Turkey Bolognese

Turkey Corn Chili

love...

Our Colorful Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovely friends I hope you had a filling Thanksgiving yesterday and enjoyed some much needed family time. I know I really needed it!! I have been sick the past week and a half and it was just terrible. I have not been able to get on the computer and let you know I'm still alive and kickin. Well I have been working 40 hour weeks and its going to be crazy around here for a little while but I promise to still bring you the fun creativeness of my every day life and the recipes and outfits that go along with it.

I hosted my first ever Thanksgiving with a whopping 21 guests!! It was my first turkey ever as well and I made two just to make sure we had enough for everyone. I made one breast-side down and the other one breast-side up. They both came out amazing and I had a lot of compliments which made the stress that went into it worth while.

Everyone loved my Cranberry Party Drink and Pumpkin cookies so here are the simpliest recipes ever for some easy entertaining.

Cranberry Party Drink

2 2 liters of Sprite
2 frozen cranberry juice concentrates
1 large bag of frozen cranberries
*Throw it all together and enjoy*

Pumpkin cookies

1 15oz cn of pumpkin puree
1 box of spice cake mix
*add it together and bake at 350 for 15 min an enjoy*

My sister-in-law brought over really fun crafts for the kids to do while the cooking was being done (and so they wouldnt dirty up their dress clothes before we took a family picture) and they came out so adorable. They made Indian headbands and wore them while they ate!! They also made adorable tissue paper cards with trees and turkeys on them. Needless to say they were entertained and the picture came out great!!

This is Adams side of the family aren't we adorable?!! I'll be back later to share more recipes and tips for what to do with your great leftovers!! Have an amazing day. I am so thankful for all of you brightening my days!!

love...

Fall Photo Shoot Guest Post/ Eight

2011-11-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hello! I'm Kaytee Lauren and I blog on Eight. I'm so honored to have the opportunity to guest blog here on My Creative Brightside! I've put together a fashion photo shoot for you, which samples my photography work, and also shows off my beautiful friend! My friends Leney agreed to be my personal ginnie pig and model for the shoot. I hope you like her outfit!

Leney

Outfit Details:
lace headband - handmade by Leney
top - thrifted
belt - grandmother's vintage
skirt - thrifted
bracelets -target, thrifted, &handmade rings - charlotte russe gold wedges - rue 21

Thanks Leney!

blog//twitter

Harry Potter 7 mini album

2011-11-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here is my Harry Potter 7 mini album!!! It was my design team project a few months ago and I never got to share I love how it turned out. It's all chipboard and took me forever to make. It doesn't look to complicated but i backed all the pic's with chipboard as well. Hope you like it!!

Victoria Secret VIP status

2011-11-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

Hello out there lovely blog readers!!! Here are my long overdue photos from the Victoria Secret VIP event!! I should have taken some of the crazy DJ set up and the massive line but my hands were full the whole time. I received the invite via e-mail and RSVP'd with my fun friend Rachelle. The event took place at Fashion Valley mall in San Diego and I could hear the music blasting from the parking lot. I had no idea what to expect. I knew I was getting a tote and double rewards but I didn't realize that there were going to be so many people.

They had the cutest little water bottles being distributed by cater-waiters and all the ladies were dressed in black and red Asain attire. It looked like they were all having a lot of fun. There were plenty of raffles which I unfortunately did not win but it was fun to see people get excited about the whole thing. By the end of the night my feet were killing me so I decided to walk without my shoes to the hubbs that were picking us up in the parking lot. NEVER walk down an escalator that is turned off when you have no shoes on. I had to stop 3 times because I thought my feet were bleeding and it was making me nauseous!!! But I had a lot of fun anyway. Here are some more pics from that lovely day in SD.

Lots of posts lined up for this week!! Your comments mean the world to me you guys are amazing!!!

Fun with Friends

2011-11-10T19:10:00.000-08:00

Hello lovelies!! What a beautiful day we had here in sunny San Diego. It has been raining and chilly for a few days now but today was nice and warm. Weird weather and tomorrow it's supposed to pour!! Oh no I highly dislike driving in the rain I pretty much pray the entire time I have anxiety about the whole deal.

Here are some fun pictures the hub's took of my friend Rachelle and I before we went to the Victoria Secret VIP event at the Fashion Valley mall. We had a lot of fun with these pic's and I have another post coming with the rest of them.

*shoes:F21, jeans:vigoss, shirt:clothing exchange, sunnies: target, watch: gifted

Have an amazing night!!

Fall & Winter DT Projects

2011-11-09T19:14:00.000-08:00

*Hey there lovely friends here is my promised design team assignments for Ever After Scrapbooks!! I could only finish two pages and but I really like how they turned out. The first one is by Bella Blvd and I love the cute little owl's don't you?

*The second page is a Christmas line by BoBunny and I tried to add glitter touches here and there.

The hubby and I have been watching Wonder Years on Netflix and it really brings me back. Hope you all have a wonderful evening full of memories.

DIY Felt Flowers

2011-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Hey there friends hope your having a lovely day mine is in the form of a day off but I have 6 design team projects to complete and cleaning ect. to do.

Well I know a lot of you have been waiting for the DIY on those felt flowers in my outfit post the other day and Im happy to tell you the guest post is up right http://keighttee.blogspot.com/2011/11/guest-post-by-my-creative-brightside.html ! Go check it out and say hi to Kaytee she is awesome !!

I promise I'll be back today to share some of the completed design team layouts for fall/winter.

Fall Fashion Guest Post/ The Edge Blog

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

*Hey friends today I have the pleasure of introducing one of my new friends for this guest post on Fall Fashion. Taryn over at The Edge is a rock and roll sweetie with a passion for fashion. She's an awesome bargain hunter and also a newlywed!! Thanks love for sharing with us some of your fashion finds :)

You'd think that since I live in the Northeast that I'm a winter type of gal. Nothing could be further from the truth! But while I'm not a fan of cold weather or snow, I am a fan of layers, scarves, and boots- so it works out in the end.

Here are some of my favorite looks for fall and winter. The best part is that a lot of the items in each outfit can be mixed and matched with other things to easily (and cheaply) create a whole new look! If you like these, I pin a whole lot more onto my Lovelies with Style board on Pinterest - so you can join me over there as well.

Anyone else ready for a little retail therapy?!?

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

**WOW now I want to go shopping!!! Thanks so much Taryn :) Go check her blog out I'm doing my Fall Fashion finds guest post over there today!!!

Week in the Life/ Day 5

2011-11-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

* Hey friends hope your having fun in the rain like I am!! Yesterday was a great time to get bunddled up and throw on my Hunter's man I love those things!! Totally waterproof boots make waliking around in the rain no problem. I always walk through streams and jump in puddles with these babies :)The hubster and I ran lots of errands in the morning and it was nice to just hangout during the day together.

*When we got home It was the last day on my Amish Friendship Bread starter so I mixed all my ingredients up and split it between four bags (to give to friends) and baked the rest :) It came out different than the ones I've tasted in the past but I ran out of sugar and used agave instead so it did taste more like bread than cake but I'm okay with that :) I'm going to be making another batch and adding different spices in the end. I'll be doing a How to make Amish Friendship Bread on my Sunday post so lookout for that. It's really fun to pass them out and see how it circulates between friends. I think everyone at my church has gone through the same starter bag and kept passing it along!!

*Last night I had work 3-10:20pm and it is always fun. We had a lot of super awesome customers and it's always nice to see familiar faces and get to know each one of them. These cute punk rock kids came in and I gave them the samples and asked them how they got their hair so blue and yellow :) They came back to the store and asked if I would take a picture with them because they thought I was cool haha awww they totally made my day!! We are selling our gift boxes like hot cakes which means people are trying to get some Holiday shopping in before the crowds and I think that as a very clever idea you never know if someones going to buy the last one of what you want before you get there ;)
*I love working the tea counter and showing people the 99 teas we have and letting them smell all the delicious flavors.
The cast iron teapots are awesome too. I just got my first one and let me tell you it was an experience!!! I knew they stayed hot for a long time but WOOO!! We were watching a movie and I had my cast iron on the burner (which is a little tea light holder) and it stayed hot until the candle burned out. I mean really hot and steamy it was great!! So I highly recommend getting yourself one of those. It's the easiest way to brew your tea and it seasons over time just like your grama's cast iron skillet. It's an awesome family heirloom you can pass on to your kids :)We sell everything online too check it out here.

Have a warm and cuddly day loves!!!

Week in the Life/ Day 4

2011-11-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

* So my day started out by sleeping in til 8:30ish which was awesome!!! I popped in "Funny Face" the interesting movie about Audrey Hepern and how she starts as a librarian infatuated with impaticalism and ends up loving the fashion industry.

*The movie was super long so I jumped on the eliptical and worked out for an hr watching all the beautiful images in this movie. It's really random at times and has a lot of dance scenes that never seem to end but its a good romance all in all.

* I worked on a DIY for a guest post I'm doing next week and made some cute Christmas cards only using my scrap stash. The adorable stickers were from the dollar section at Target and I couldn't wait to use them.

*Hubby got home from work and started installing our 72 inch ceiling fan for downstairs. We have the same one in our bedroom and love it!!! It's nice having vaulted ceilings :) There was lots of tidding up and blogging along the way. Yesterdays meals were easy as can be. Nachos for lunch and Pizza for dinner. I know I'm a terrible wife but I didn't want to grill chicken I wasn't in the mood for something elaborate. Oh Well it was a nice relaxing day and we got to sleep early. Hope you have an amazing day can't wait to hear about it :)

Week in the Life/ Day 3

2011-11-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

* My hubby made me pasta so when I got home I didn't have to make anything which was so sweet of him. It really helps when I can come home knowing I don't have to come up with something to cook or be standing for any longer. Doesn't the kitchen look great?? So happy I have floor now :)

* After an extra long day at work there was a crazy amount of traffic was more stressful than my entire day and I was so excited to get home and put my feet up lol

* When I came over to the couch my Juicy charm bracelet that I've been looking for was sitting right there!!! I thought for sure I'd lost it and was contemplating buying another one because my mom bought it and what happens when she gets me a charm and I have nothing to put it on ? :) Needless to say I'm very happy!!

* We just started watching 17 and counting on Netflix streaming and It's kinda addicting they are so awesome :)

Have an amazing day!!

Week in the Life/ Day 2

2011-11-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends so my day 2 week in the life started bright and early to help unpack that 90 box inventory we received the other day. We hustled so hard I was sweating to try and get things cleaned up before we had to open shop at 10am. It all ended up fine with pretty little stress. I should have taken a picture of what it looked like with all those boxes but I was too busy unpacking them :)

*From work I ran to Target to see if they had some flats that were padded enough to wear for work. (Standing all day I need a nice cushy shoe and Im tall so wedges are out ) I found some great Merona flats and wandered around looking for deals and boy did I find them!!! They had clothes marked down to 70% off and I found some really cute stuff for Christmas gifts :) Shirts for 3-6 bucks I say "Yes" !!

* Look how adorable these knee highs are for my boots!!! Oh man they were only $2.50 and they had such cute styles :)

* My in-laws took us out to dinner last night for my hubby's bday dinner and he chose one of our favorite restaurants Mi Guadalahara in Escondido. I wore one of the sweet t-shirts i got at Target for $3 bucks!!

*I had to embarrass him a little :) Isn't he the cutest?! The big 2 6 sheesh

*Grande delicious house margarita :) WOOaHH they were strong :)

Hope you had an amazing day loves!!

Week in the Life

2011-11-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends!! Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween and ate lots of candy ;) This is my first "Week in the Life" and it's sure to be a fun one. Play along and track the fun things your doing in your life. I would love to see what a week looks like for you. Comment with a link to your blog and get going taking pictures. These are fun to create mini books with and look back on next year.

* Monday started off with lots of cleaning, 4 loads of laundry and vacuuming. I always try to color organize my clothes and I find it's easier to get ready if i know where everything is. I got a lot of cute stuff from my church's clothing exchange they have twice a year. All the women bring clothes that are too small or too big or just not their style anymore and it's set up like a store with everything in size categories. I scored some sweet dresses and great work clothes. This is a really great idea to try out with your friends and have them invite their other friends as well. You meet loads of fun girls at these get togethers!!

*painted my nails a pretty ice blue color :)

*Oh man I was so excited Destined just came out!! Its the 9th book in the House Of Night series Im so in love with right now. Check out their wedsite here. I dont think the pictures of the characters look anything like I was picturing :( but these books are so GREAT!!

"House of Night is a thrillingly engaging book series that follows 16-year-old Zoey Redbird, who gets “Marked” by a vampyre tracker and begins to undergo the “Change” into an actual vampyre. She has to leave her family in Tulsa and move into the House of Night, a boarding school for other fledglings like her.It’s within the school’s walls that the heart of the action takes place as Zoey meets new friends, finds love, comes to terms with how her life will be different now and begins to realize her awesome new powers.Here’s the deal though: Yes, Zoey’s a vampyre now. But she’s still a teenager – with all the humor, angst and confusing feelings any other teenager has."

*Made my famous Salsa Chicken in the Crock pot

Ingredients & Directions

*chicken thighs or breasts (as much as you want)

*Large salsa

**Place chicken in crock pot and cover with salsa. Cook for 5-8 hrs on low :)

Serve in tortillas with any toppings or eat it like a soup which I LOVE!! Nothing goes to waste.

*What I wore to work: h&m shirt, clothing xchange pants, cr flats, betsey johnson necklace, f21 bracelet and undershirt.

*I had work 4-10pm last night and when I came in all of our lovely tea that is stored in the back was packed in our huge bags behind the tea counter. What was this? The entire back room was filled with boxes and there were men working on tearing the wall down. I found out that the jewelers next door had a water line break and the whole wall was wet and needed to be fixed.Fortunately, all of our tea is stored in safe airtight light free bags and it was not harmed but, we did get a shipment of new product which was 90 boxes in all!! WOOO so needless to say I didn't make my sales goal which wasn't high at all being Halloween and having millions of trick-or-treaters running around asking for candy. No one wanted any delicious tea. Sad :( But as always I had fun and tried to get things squared away for today.

Hope you all have a Tasty Tuesday and hop over to FTLOB where every Tuesday you can link up with fun recipes and share with others :)

Calling November Sponsors

2011-10-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

Medium ad (300x145 pixels) - $10

includes:

an individual feature post showcasing your blog and or website during the peak part of the week.
feature posts will now be a fun interview filled with questions to help us all get to know you better!
if you have a giveaway you would like to offer, this will be part of a separate post for additional exposure

Small ad (145x145 pixels) - $5

includes:

a group feature post showcasing your blog or website during the peak part of the week.
if you have a giveaway you would like to offer this will be made part of a on the hour individual giveaway offering extra exposure.

More Details: I am proud to accept and promote sponsors who fit with the ethos of MY CREATIVE BRIGHTSIDE. Sponsors are rotated mid-month so that everyone gets maximum visibility. I often post long posts, so all sponsor buttons are viewed by readers. I accept (wearable) items for fashion posts from sponsors. This is a great way to maximize your sponsorship and connect with My Creative Brightside readers. Please email me at Stephaniekelley12 (at) gmail (dot) com for all sponsor related questions and other inquiries.

I'm Starting Week In The Life today so come on back for my post later on tonight (well I close at work so maybe 11pm lol)

Autumn DIY Roundup

2011-10-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

*Find some twigs and wrap ribbon around to make pops of color. Add some cute birdies and place the twigs in a vase and you have a magical display.

*check out DIY here.

* I love this sooo much!!

*Dont throw away those old sweaters. This seems easy enough (no source found)

*so excited to make a photo wreath :) (found on pinterest which is on the sidebar)

Hope you cozying up it's getting pretty nippy out there :) I'll have more of my Ever After DT assignments to share coming soon!!!

Loooooveeee you guys....

Autumn Memories Mini/ Ever After DT

2011-10-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey friends hope your enjoying the lovely Fall weather!! I picked up my assignments for Ever After Scrapbooks the other day and just fell in love with the new lines they have out. This Autumn Splendor line by We R Memory Keepers just screamed mini book to me. I cut out all these pictures from my calender because my sister-in-law took them and they are just precious. I like to recycle the family calender pics as much as possible because I dont have them saved on my computer and they are smaller than 4x6 which I normally print out. I hope you enjoy this super cute mini and get to craftin!!

Tasty Tuesday/ Breakfast Burrito

2011-10-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hey friends welcome to another Tasty Tuesday!!! Hop on over to FTLOB where they have it every Tuesday and check out all the fun links :) Here is my recipe for a really easy and delicious breakfast burrito.

*3 eggs
*3 strips of bacon
*grated sharp cheddar cheese (Monterrey jack is really great too)
*tortilla
*salsa
* 1 garlic clove minced

1. Cut bacon in 1/2 inch pieces and fry in skilllet
2. Drain bacon fat and add eggs
3. Scramble and toss with the bacon
4. Add garlic and cheese
5. I like my cheese crispy a bit so while thats cooking microwave tortilla for 15 sec so its pliable.
6. Transfer egg/bacon concoction into tortilla and fold like a burrito
7. throw it back on the skillet and brown

Enjoy a burrito that would let you down and spill out the back side :)

looovee...

Fun Photos/ Julian

2011-10-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hey friends these are just some silly photos from Julian my friend took of me. This is me with maybe 3 hours of sleep and not feeling like dressing up haha. Just a quick post to let you know I am still here. Im planning a few crafty, cooking and DIY posts coming up so stay tuned and have a great weekend!!

PS I have been loving Pintrest Oman follow me with the button on the side bar :)

looovee....

Things that caught my eye / Julian

2011-10-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

How awesome are these guys?? So cute I want to try to make some myself it would be a really great DIY sometime in the near future :) Have a great day Friends :)

loooveee...

What I wore: Womens Retreat

2011-10-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

*dress on me: new H&M, leggings: stole from my mama, shoes: Ecco from Norstroms.On Rene: dress: Target, leggings:Old navy

Hey friends sorry for my absence it has been too long :) I would love to say that I am well rested but I am so pooped and kinda feel like im sleep walking hehe. Friday after work I drove up to lovely Julian for my church's annual womens retreat. This is the first one I have been to so I was excited to say the least. We uppacked our bags and checked in to get our schedules and I see my lovely crafty friend Rene walking down the hill. I just start laughing....we are pretty much twins wearing black and white dresses with black leggings!!! Sooo funny and we were both the photographers for the retreat so it couldnt have been more perfect :)
I had a wonderful Friday and saturday in Julian and returned home on Saturday night. I woke up for church the next morning went to first service, taught Sunday school and headed home to do some chores. I had work 7pm-1am which was supposed to only be two hours but restocking and setting up all the new merchandise took a really long time. I only broke one Yixing teapot so it wasn't too bad. I did turn bright red though but everyone said the have broken plenty of things to make my mishap not seem so bad haha. I worked Monday 9-3ish and had family over for dinner, Tuesday 9-5 and went over to the in-laws for dinner, and today 9-3 :) so I havnt been able to blog/scrap/download pics/sleep in a few days haha but tomorrow I have off and Miss Carie is coming over to craft up a storm with me!! Tomorrow i'll share some of the fun activities from the weekend and a new tea for thirsty Thursday :)

What I Wore: Feelin Fall

2011-10-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

*sweater: Old Navy, dress: H&M, tights:Gifted, boots: Chinese Laundry, locket: f21, rings: Vintage

Im off to a ladies retreat tonight and will be back on Sunday :) Have an awesome weekend lovies!!

loooveee...

Thirsty Thursday: A Teavana Mix of Chai's

2011-10-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends and welcome to thirsty Thursday!! Yes Yes I know I wanted to do a video to :) But I would rather my hubby hold the camera than try to find a spot where i can film myself making some delicious tea and I looked to silly today to make it work..one of these days I promise :) Okay so today I would love to share a mix of two tea's we have at Teavana right now that are perfect for a Fall drink. You can serve this Hot or cold (for cold just double the tsp = 4 tsp) Here are the step by step pictures of how to brew this correctly!!

White Ayurvedic Chai

Journey to India and take in all its exotic pleasures with this modern twist on a sweet and spicy classic. High quality white tea combines with cinnamon, coconut, pineapple, ginger, cardamom and cloves giving this tea a complex, sweet, full-bodied flavor. This proud chai's aroma and spicy flavors deliver a melange of deliciousness sip after heavenly sip. CONTAINS NUTS
Tea Benifits

A delicious source of antioxidants & low in caffeine
May support healthy skin & complexion
Promotes detoxification & body hydration
Features Ayurvedic spices cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cardamom & cloves
Contains soothing lemongrass
Contains invigorating ginger
Contains 1% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee

Mixed with Samurai Chai Mate

The way of the warrior is strength, skill, fairness, mercy, power, energy and balance. Samurai Chai Mate captures all this and more. Made mysteriously more delicious with a caffeine-rich green mate & green rooibos blend. Cinnamon, anise, coriander, cardamom and almond are fortified with candied papaya & pineapple, orange peels, lemongrass and bright blue cornflower blossoms, all combined to help you face every new day full of strength and energy. SUPERFRUIT ENHANCED CONTAINS NUTS

Sweet and spicy infusion of cinnamon and citrus undertones

Tea Benefits

May be energizing
May support appetite suppression
A delicious source of vitamins & minerals
Superfruit enhanced with papaya
Features Ayurvedic spices anise seed, coriander & cardamom
Contains pineapple
Contains 100% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee

**Check out more tea at Teavana**

looovee....

WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY: Baby Shower Style

2011-10-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Hey friends Happy Wednesday!!! I'm sharing my What I wore Wednesday over at A Perfect Dose Of Life today. Go on over and check out Kristina's blog for the full post and make sure to say "Hi" !!

I just started a new job that I am really excited about at Teavana :) If any of you are in So Cal I work at the North County mall make sure to come in and grab some goodies and a tea to go as you shop!!

Look at how beautiful this iced tea gift set is!!! I love the graphics and the collectable tins :) This would be the perfect Christmas present don't you think? I'll be bringing you video tea lessons for brewing the best loose leaf tea at home and introducing a new tea every week on Thirsty Thursday!!

loooveee...

Guest Post/ A Perfect Dose Of Life

2011-10-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

HELLO HELLO! :)

I'm Kristina from A Perfect Dose of Life.

I have been blogging since 2007, but went more public with in last year.

I had no idea what the blog world was about before then and I LOVE it.

I'll say that I have met some of the coolest, more genuine people via blogging.

Genuinely.

I honestly like some of them better than I like some of my real friends.

So what is this little blog of mine about?

Life, of course, couldn't you tell by the name? ;)

I'll be honest with you.

Brutally honest with you.

I'm terrible at these guest posts, and talking about myself.

Seriously.

I know, its confusing - how can I blog and not be any good at talking about myself.

Go check out my blog - you'll see.

I'm mostly kidding about the last part.

But I'm really rather serious about the whole talking about myself thing.

I could tell you that my blog is X, Y & Z - but the truth is, I'm not sure that I can capture exactly what my blog is about in a post.

My blog is kind of all over the place.

Kind of like my mind.

Let me tell you a little about me, and that might fill in a few gaps.

Like I mentioned before, I'm Kristina.

I'm a heart surgery survivor and am blessed every day.

I live in the beautiful state of Colorado with my husband Ryan, with our two pups - Rudy & Wyatt (and our 3 cats).

I'm originally from the phenomenal state of Kansas, can you sense the sarcasm there?, but always dreamed of moving to CO. Ryan, however, was a native. We met through a friend on summer when I was in CO. Became close friends over myspace. Fell for each other. Did the long distance thing for 10 months. Dec of '06 I moved my booty to CO and into an apartment with Ryan.

The rest is history! :)

I'm self-employed.

Somedays that really means I'm a blogging housewife.

Other days, that really means I'm working with my massage clients, my women's networking group that I am the Regional Manager for, and running my etsy shop.

Ryan is an amazing manager with a business degree, and a culinary degree.

And nope, he isn't managing a restaurant.

After a 3 month internship in the Bahamas living the life at the end of 2005 - he decided he didn't want to cook.

That does mean that occasionally {and I mean occasionally - cobblers wife has no shoes remember...} I get an amazing 5 course meal with things I've never heard of in my life. That sometimes means it's amazing, best thing I have ever eaten, and other days that means that frankly, I eat it, smiling and maybe mentioning it isn't my favorite thing...or even close.

Marriage is about honesty, right?

We do however, want to open our own restaurant/small coffee shop/cafe though!!

When we aren't working, we love spending time cooking, spending time in the mountains (hiking, fishing, camping, etc.)

My favorite season of the year is Autumn. The cool brisk air, beautifully colored leaves, bonfires, cool enough for jeans and a jacket. It's love.

I'm a Taurus. Pretty much to a "T" but I don't like conflict and I can be a little shy.

I'm an optimist.

I love business - helping people with their business, building mine. I was born to be self-employed and although it's not always easy I'm living that dream.

Ryan and I have been married since Dec of '09 - although

I'our first year was rough, but I couldn't be more blessed and we are pretty rock solid now, thank goodness! :)

I have a serious weakness for peanut butter and chocolate.

And I LOVE people.

I love meeting new people, I love getting to know people, I love watching people and mostly, I love listening to people.

I'm a problem solver, and I have a heart that is a bit too big for my own good sometimes.

And honestly, I'm not sure what else to tell you about.

Maybe by now I have put you to sleep.

But if I haven't -

I would love for you to come by and visit me sometime.

Enjoy some laughter, some tears, lots of love, some random rants & tangents, try some food, find a little inspiration, and enjoy this beautiful life with me - won't you?

Tasty Tuesday/ Instant Thai

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends welcome to another Tasty Tuesday!!! I've been on a Thai food kick lately and just cant get enough. When your on the move you need to have a go to instant to make life just a little bit easier :) I found these while wondering in the Thai market and was so excited!!! These are two things I always order when I go to the restaurant and to have them at home is the best!!

The directions are simple with as little as three steps and both the Thai iced tea and the Tom Yum soup came out perfect!! I added mushrooms and shrimp to my soup and I make the tea on ice. I hope you adventure out and grab some instants from the asain, Thai or what have you section and just try them out!! It was a simple recipe today but I was really excited to share my finds.

.looovee..

Rockin Fall Pretty Images

2011-10-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

*Free people images via we heart it

This is a rockin Fall style!! I want to try to do my hair like that with wash out hair dye :)

loooveee...

Random Photo's/ We all have them

2011-10-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends happy saturday hope you woke up bright and early and hit up lots of garage sales :) I know I did but more of that to come.

I don't know if this happens with you but when Im looking through my folders of pictures I come across photos that I've totally forgot about and would love to share :) Well at least I think this gives a little bit more info into a bloggers life. The random photo files i would like to name it. The photos we didn't pose for blog purposes but the one's we take when we are just having too much fun with the camera!! I hope you enjoy some of these because each one holds special memories to me ;)

It was so sweet of my hubby to stop when I saw these dinos!!

I like to order the most interesting sounding thing on sushi menus and I am always more than delighted!! This was the BEST sushi I have ever had!!

My birthday at Ponte winery it is so magical and tasty (and a tradition)!!

My nephew coming out of the house wearing a Peter Pan outfit and wanting me to help him hit a ball off the construction cone haha Yes auntie played D1 softball and hit off cones as well :)

My husband being the best uncle ever and showing all the kids how to ride a motorcycle without training wheels.

2am after finding out my hubby's best friend was getting married in Vegas that night...driving out there...helping find the wedding dress...getting the bride to her hair appointment...booking the place...finding a room...taking pictures for the wedding...dinner...shananagans....and too tired to stay out :)

I would love to see your random photo's!! Link them in the comments :)

House REMOD: Kitchen Updates

2011-10-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hey friends I have been meaning to show you our remod projects to our house but there are so many!! This is the kitchen before construction and it is actually cleaned up!! Gross I know when I look at some of these pictures it brings me back to the cleaning and the smell of things eww!!

We took off all the cabinets and cleaned, sanded, primed and painted them.

My husband has done all of this what a great job!! I love him so much :)

All that is left is finding a wine/energy drink refridge that will fit where the old trash compactor was, putting bling on the cabinets (knobs) and lining baseboard.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I have haha. I love my appliances they are awesome!! Can't wait to show you more!!

looveee...

Homemade Salted Carmel Mocha

2011-10-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Hey friends I just had to share this post from Mom Advice look how amazing this drink must is I cant wait to make one. Check out her page for all the details!!

loooovee...

Thirsty Thursday: Homemade Green Tea Limeade

2011-10-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is so delicious for Thirsty Thursday!! We have so many limes on our tree and have a great juicer so I made a day out of it and came out with 3 pitchers of limeade for the fridge and 7 frozen batches in the freezer. I like to freeze lime juice in ice trays as well for margaritas!!

Directions
1. Mix 1 cup of lime juice with 1 cup of sugar (you could substitute a different sweetener if you like or not use as much sugar)
2. Fill remaining space with water and add 2 green tea packets.
3. Let sit overnight...serve on ice in a pretty glass!!
**You can make this as a cocktail/spritzer by adding white wine :) it is very tasty!!

looovee...

Enjoy the rest of your day I'm off to create with miss Carie and enjoy the blessings of Fall :)

WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY: Almost Famous

2011-10-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

Its cold outside and I want to be comfortable. My hair is crazy fun and my jeans are green today. I feel like this is an outfit a guy would wear if he was a roadie with an oldschool rockband. Thought I would show you the many layers of Stephanie. I pretty much like every style there is. This one happened to come to me through the new free people rocker glam style they have going on right now so I cant take full credit of the band t shirts and fun mix.

Have a rockin day lovies and get some warm and cozies on!!

*jacket: anchor blue, tshirt: jedidiah clothing, pants: clothing exchange freebie

Tasty Tuesday/ Mixup Medley

2011-10-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends and welcome to another Tasty Tuesday!! This concoction was not only presentable to the eye but to the pallet as well. I have been trying to ease up on my seasoning of things lately and this baby here has no seasonings whats so ever!! The hubby really liked it which was saying something because he really dislikes asparagus so I was thinking my ears had deceived me but sure enough he went back and put more on his plate!!

Ingredients
*small handful of asparagus chopped into 1 inch sections
*4 strips of bacon cut into 1/2 inch sections
*1 1/2 cups frozen peas defrosted
*1/2 cup chopped red onion

Directions
1. Throw in chopped bacon and let cook until it is a little crispy.
2.Throw in onions and let cook 2-3 min
3. Throw everything else in and cook until everything is browning just a bit.

***So simple and its fun to just toss things together. The bacon seasons everything else its delicious. I made this with white onion and Chinese broccoli as well and it tasted great. Go experiment with what you have around the house!!****

looovee...

Magical Monday: DIY Fall Wreath

2011-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and once again Congrats to my giveaway winners!! Hope your having a lovely day so far and are up to a quick and easy Fall/Halloween inspired wreath. This was really fun to make and I love how it turned out. I kept with my theme of using only scraps and what I had lying around and came up with this. I think this can really go with a vintage inspired Halloween and will probably overlap as a Thanksgiving decoration as well. I love hanging things on our doors. It's funny because we are still in construction mode and the doors have no trim and some still need to be re-painted but I figure why should I let that stop me? I would love to see how you use this idea and come up with something amazing!! Leave a link in the comments and play along :)

P.s That picture is not the best. But I will be sharing updates from the remod this week and you'll see what Im working with :)

Quick and easy the glue gun makes it happen. I cut some strips of the black and white and leaf shapes out of the orange. Cut the white out of your doilie and cut into sections to glue on. Wrap the yarn and string around and there you go and new decoration or gift for a friend.

loooovee...

Giveaway Winners!!

2011-10-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you guys so much for entering my giveaway for the 5 sponsor ad spots for this month!! I really loved all the comments you wrote and enojoyed checking out all the new blogs. You really made my day with all your kind words and Im so excited to bring you more of my creative brightside :)

I could only pick 5 winners and here they are....drumroll...................

1. Hayley from the weekend file.
2. Tiffani from thoughts from tiffani
3. Kim from accidental encounters
4. Ashley from illuminated heart
5. Laura from creativity unmasked

Please email me with a 145x145 button link to stephaniekelley12 (at) gmail (dot) com.

If anyone is super sad they didn't win and would still like to sponsor me for the month of October please email me as well for rates :)

You guys are amazing I hope you have a wonderful rest of your night!! I am pooped and need to hit the hay so I can wake up and edit some lovely photos and work on a DIY video for your viewing pleasure!!

looovee...

Hosting a Baby Shower

2011-10-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hey friends hope your having a lovely weekend!!! Today I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower for my two dear friends from Church. I am in charge of the baby/bridal shower ministry at my church and it has been such a blessing throwing shower's for my lovely friends. Today started for my husband and I at 6:20am and we headed out toward his sisters house so we could go garage sailing :) My hubby was sweet enough to watch her 3 boys while we sailed around town trying to score some sweet deals. The shower was supposed to start at 11am so we figured be back at the house to pick up her baby at 9:30am would work just fine. Leaving me with enough time to run into the market and pick up some extra goodies and hurry over to my in-laws to decorate the place with fun shower happiness. Well we made it to my in-laws at 10:40ish and I booked it in and out grabbing all my supplies and managed to set up in 15 min or less. Knock Knock Who's there? Oh I haven't changed or put my makeup on yet!! So running to grab my dress and everything else I got ready in less than 5 min I know Im proud of me too..

So without further delay here are some tips and fun shots of today's baby shower.

#1. Make those mommies feel special: I like to try to make something for the moms to wear at the shower because they carried these babies 9 months and I think fancy pins are much cuter than a medal.

#2 Try to go with a theme: When decorating it is a lot easier for myself if I have a color scheme to work with. I had red napkins and blue cups already and it was a boy/girl double shower so I think the colors worked great!! Mix and match your plates, cups, straws, tablecloths and throw in some type of colored candy :)

#3. Have lots of interaction: This seems so easy but with showers your bringing a lot of people together that don't always know each other. It's important to have fun and try to get people to laugh. I thought this "Hey baby" blurb did the trick just fine. Ladies laughed as it was passed around the room and the atmosphere seemed to be getting light and relaxed.

#4:Games: I always think it's important to do at least 2 games at a shower!! They are really simple and I find a lot of fun ones on google. This time around I actually found a book with tear out sheets at the dollar store with really fun shower games. We played a matching game where there are lists of boy and girl names on one side and a list of meanings on the other side. Ladies tried to match up the names and meanings and even went into teams to try to figure it out. We also played famous T.v and Movie children where you try to remember all the names of the Brady bunch kids and so one and so fourth. I get most of my prizes at Dollar tree or make them. I think it's a hit when people are excited to win something!!

#5 Have a gift list: Make sure someone writes down each gift given to the new mommy or mommies because cards usually get placed together and in the whirlwind of things its hard to remember who gave what. Plain and simple yet effective when it comes time to write thank yous :)

#6 Have Sweets!!!: If your doing a brunch style shower I think its always a good idea to have a little sugar lying around. The best time I have found to pass out cake or what have you is when the presents are being opened. Sweets, happiness and smiles is what it's about people!!

#7 Keep those Babies happy: Make sure to have a spot for naps (just in case). Our babies did great today and were being passed around like hot potatoes!! Take loads of pictures Mom's love their kids right? Of course!! I like to get them all the pictures in a little photo album so they can remember all the fun they had!!

Those are just a few tricks I have learned over several showers and I hope I have perfected the baby shower thower gig by the kid I have kids :) *****Everything I used to decorate was from my scrap stash so clean out your bins friends and make something special!!!!*****

I'll be back with a post on What I wore and how to make baby shower bruchetta within the next few days!!Enter my giveaway from my post yesterday to win an ad spot for this month!! Winners chosen tomorrow night.GOOD LUCK :)

looove..

Sponsor Ad's for October Giveaway!!

2011-09-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Isn't she adorable?!

Hey there friends!! I'm doing a Giveaway for 5 145x145 ad spots for the month of October and want you to join in the fun!!! For the original post go check out For The Love Of Blogs where I did a sponsor shout out. That blog is awesome!!

Rules:
The Rules are so simple
*Be a Follower of my Blog
*Leave a comment with "hopeful sponsor" somewhere in the text and what you like about the post (any post will do I know you wont like all my posts hehe)
***********I'll choose 5 lucky hopefuls by Sunday Night*************
Gotta give people some time :) You guys Rock have an awesome day!!

I'll be back later for the September Challenge wrap up!! Lots of photos to edit :)
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Looovee....

Thirsty Thursday: Homemade Chai Recipe

2011-09-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hey friends hope your thirsty today on this beautiful Thursday!! I am happy to be sharing this delicious Chai tea recipe with you. You can drink this hot or cold, with water or milk, or put some scoops into your favorite frappe like I did here. This is also a wonderful present anytime of the year!!! Mine has lasted since last Christmas :)

Here are the Ingredients
*1 cup nonfat milk dry powder
*1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
*1 cup french vanilla powdered creamer
*2 cups instant tea (like unsweetened Lipton found at Wal-mart in a glass jar)
*2 tsp ground ginger
*2 tsp ground cinnamon
*1tsp ground cloves
*1/4 tsp ground cardamom (your house will smell amazing)
*1/2 tsp nutmeg
*2 cups white sugar
*1 tsp allspice
*1/4 tsp white pepper

Directions
1. Using a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients into a fine powder. You can do several batches.
2. Use the Lipton glass jar to store your chai mix or put a ribbon and tag around it to give as a fall present.

To serve
Stir 2-3 heaping tablespoons into hot water or milk. Or, create your own drink :) Have fun with it!!

looovee...

WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY: Give me an "A"

2011-09-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I saw this sweater at Forever!! My hubby's name is Adam so I said heck yes and grabbed it off the shelf. I found this yellow plaid shirt to go under it and have been wearing it non stop. I have only had one other plaid shirt and I think I'm hooked on the idea of them. It was drizzley outside so I couldnt wait to put this on and surprise Adam. He thought it was really funny and I am his #1 cheerleader so the look I was going for wasn't to far off.

* Sweater and Plaid shirt: F21, Jeans: American Eagle, Shoes: Vans, Earrings: one of those kiosk at the mall, Ring, umbrella and clutch: thrifted, Sunnies: Hubby's company giveaway. 

I hope you guys are looking forward to wearing your sweaters and tights this season. I know I am!!

loooveee...

Cooking Thai Style: Pad See-Ew

2011-09-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

Good morning friends I am so excited to share this recipe with you!! This is the one dish I always order when I go to a Thai restaurant and I never thought I would be able to make it as well as they do but WOW!! My sister-in-law introduced me to this Thai cooking blog call She Simmers and even made the Pad See-Ew for my hubby and I for a dinner date. It was so amazing I had to try it. A lot of the ingredients are hard to find unless you know of a little Thai grocery store in the area. Just my luck my sister had found one. The workers in the store were really helpful and even gave me time saving tips on cooking this dish.

Click here to watch the video on how to make this dish over at She Simmers and make sure to check out her other recipes. I know I can't wait to dive into Thai cooking. Oh and P.S the ingredients will last a long time and were pocket change to buy!!!!

Ingredients

*Vegitable oil
*8 ounces of flat rice noodles (will be in refrigerator)
* one large egg
* 2 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce (it has red on the sticker and says what it is on the back of the bottle)
*A mixture of 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of thin light soy sauce (it has blue sticker), 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons white vinegar, and 1 medium clove of garlic (peeled and minced)
*4 ounces of meat marinated (I used shrimp but chicken is also great!) in 2 tablespoons thin light soy sauce and a teaspoon of baking soda.
*1 1/2 cups chopped Gai-Lan broccoli florets (found in refrigerator)

Directions
Watch the Video

Use lots of oil and keep your wok or pan really hot :)
You can do it!!! It tastes amazing!!

looovee....

Fall Decor using scraps

2011-09-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends Happy Fall to you!! I have been accumulating lots of pretty scrap pieces of paper over the months and decided to only use those for my crafts until a significant amount is turned into something adorable. I took out all the Fall colored pieces I love and cut triangles out to adhere to orange yarn which is now hanging in windows, frames and ceilings.

The smaller banners were scraps of the scraps used to make the larger banners :) I thought it was a nice touch to add owl portraits in the frames on the table. Yes there is a black sparkly mustache on the hubby owl.

I hope you get creative with what you have at home because it really gives you a great feeling not having to go out and buy anything new!!

Almost all of my other decorations are either thrifted, gifted or from dollar tree and I bought nothing new for this year...yet :)
*Thrifted: glass desert holder, yellow table runner (fabric), doilie table runner, green vase on mantle, white frame, white set of birds (which were spray painted) and old candle stick holder.
*Gifted: Kelley name plate (from our wedding), Large owl, smiley pumpkin, black frame, love sign, little owl and green mushroom.
*Everything else was from dollar tree or the dollar section at Target.

looooveee....

Pretty Fall Images

2011-09-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

*all images via weheartit :)

Who doesn't love Gold for Fall?

looooveee....

Cooking Adventures: Amped up Grilled Cheese

2011-09-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

*1 can Great Northern beans (white beans) drained and rinsed
*2 tbsp diced green chilies
*1tbsp cumin
*1 cup shredded Monteray Jack cheese
*4 slices sourdough bread

1. Throw everything into a pot and cook, mashing the beans and everything together. 5 Min and done
2. Spread mixture on toasted sourdough bread :)

Family Vacation: Wiskeytown, Redding

2011-09-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

loooveee....

What I Wore: Bright Splashes Of Color

2011-09-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Add a pop of color. It's so much fun!! Yes I did do my toes myself. They were a lot of fun to play with but not the easiest thing I've ever done. The pink hair extension goes well with the pink splatters of paint on the shorts :)

*Sweater: Old Navy, Shorts: F21, Sandles: Windsor, Sunnies: Target $1 section!! Clutch: Thrifted, Pink Hair Extension: Sally's

looovee...

Fall Drinks for Coffee Lovers/ Chocolatey Chai Frappe

2011-09-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends I hope your having a lovely Fall day :) This is a drink I make way too often and i really love the chai chocolate combo. Its really simple for me to make because my hubby bought me a frappe maker last year but you can also make this in the blender.

1. Brew your regular coffee and chill it (if your using a blender)
2. Throw 2 cups of ice, half a cup of chai mix (I use a homemade/ recipe to come)
3. Drizzle chocolate sause like hershey syrup and blend
4. Enjoy and drink responsibly

looooveee...

DIY Lanterns from Free People

2011-09-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

How amazing is this?? And crazy easy!!! Go here to see full tutorial video. You can really have fun with this im thinking thanksgiving or Christmas decorations for our vaulted ceilings :)
Happy Wednesday I'll be back for my September pix and a yummy drink recipe for fall coffee lovers :)

loooovee...

Tasty Tuesday/ Seafood Couscous

2011-09-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends I hope your having a great Fall day!! Here is a little something I whipped up for my hubby and I and I think it turned out really yummy!!

Ingredients
*1 cup Crab cut into chunks of flakes
*1 cup cooked Salmon cut into chunks
*7 cherry tomatoes quartered
*1 cup Couscous
*1 Cup water
*2 tbsp butter/EVOO
*pinch of sea salt and Italian seasonings

Directions
1.Cook Couscous following package directions (boil water, butter and salt then add couscous and remove from heat 6 min)

2. Meanwhile saute seafood and tomatoes in EVOO and Italian seasonings until desired

3. Mix in Couscous and continue to saute for a few min

4. Serve up and enjoy!!!

looovee...

September 19- Where I slept (sleep)

2011-09-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

19. Where I Slept: Well this is my lovely bed.where I sleep with the hubby and we recentley bought this awesome bedframe from Jeromes. We were very particular in what we wanted...Flat black, Cal King, High Headboard....really high!! This is just what we wanted and it was a great deal!!! I cant wait to share our bedroom makeover in our new house with you soon :) The Bedspread was a gift from my mom from Bed Bath and Beyond It goes great with our overall look and the grey color we chose for the walls. Im thinking about hanging starbust mirrors above the headboard what do you think?

looovee....

September 18- In my bag

2011-09-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

18. In my Bag: Yes I carry lots of things around!! So here is what is in my purse today :)
*Free People catalog *Teavana catalog*Date book w/pink pen* 2 chap sticks cherry and french vanilla*Mexican Spicy lollipop* 3 braided headbands* Toga Party invite from Saturday (it was my hubby's company party at Harrah's casino)*2 pairs of sunnies (the black one was the gift from the party and we took a whole box of these home lol)*flashlight*Necklace from Franchescas my favorite store ever) *Ring* Q-tips which are found in every purse, i use them to wipe excess mascara off my eyelids)* Coach pouch which holds my camera*Comb because I hate messy hair * and my phone which I barely use :)

Whats in your bag?

loooovee....

September 17- On the Shelf

2011-09-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

17. On the Shelf: This is some of my beautiful shoe closet my hubby built me. I love the shelf's of shoes i just need to wear them more :)

Looovee..

September 8-16

2011-09-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!!! Boy did I miss you!! I hope you enjoyed miss Caries blog posts while i was away she is super awesome and super creative too :) My hubby and I had lots of quality time together driving the 20+ hours to Norcal and back this week and I will be doing a special post of where we went camping and all the fun stuff that goes along with it :) But for now i need to get caught up on my September photo challenge so without further ado here are my days 8-16 whew!!!

8. technology: Well i wanted to do something different with this photo prompt and my baby nephew presented the perfect moment for me to snap a picture. While computers, cameras and tvs are great we wold be lost without our transportation!! I think the technology that goes into making cars is priceless and a lot of us would be lost without them. P.s Don't worry we were parked and boys just love driving!!

9. faceless portrait: nothing to be said lol

10. Something I made: I saw this vintage calender at the thrift store for a dollar and thought it would make an excellent scrapbook!! I will do a whole post on this baby when im done. It will have all 7 nieces and nephews in it each with their own section.

11.Something fun: Well my nieces know how much I like taking pictures and always have me do their make up and outfits for a photoshoot so of course this is a lot of fun for me. I always love how the pictures come out. They direct it themselves to I swear they should be models. More to share on their photoshoots soon :)

12. Close up: This is my nephew JoJo and this picture was actually taken when my sister in law was holding the camera. I found lots of fun surprises when i looked back through my pictures :)

13. From a Distance: My hubby and our nephew Austin out in the lake at Wiskey Town. They were the mean pirates and were going to take out island hehe.

14. Flowers: My niece smelling the flowers

15. Shoes: So here are my new camping shoes!! It turns out I have no idea what to pack when it comes to camping and only bought my new cute sandles which instantly got dirty. You need to wear your sandles in the lake when you are walking around because the rocks and algae.So lets just say the camp store made a lot of money of me being a first timer :)

16. Something I ate: Wait cant a Pumpkin Spice Latte count?!! I think so especially after eating fast food way to many times on our road trip. All i want to do is drink fall flavored treats!!

Hope you are having an amazing September and are super sicked for Fall !!!

looooovee...

Week In The Life - Skeleton

2011-09-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hello lovely blog readers! It's Carrie again from Blume & Grow, and today I have one more guest post for you before Stephanie returns. It's the skeleton of a Week In The Life book I handmade for my mother-in-law for her birthday. If you're not familiar with "Week In The Life", it's a fun week long project from the talented Ali Edwards. The base page of my book is 6x6, and all the pages are bound together with binder rings. To make all the different types of pages more uniform, I sewed cardstock on the edge of each to use as a base for punching the holes for the binder rings.....

Then I added a fabric trim border with a flower at the 4 inch mark of the first page so a 4x6 photo fits perfect. I placed a photo on the first page as an example for Monday.....

Each day has a letter inside a punched circle for the day of the week to divide page 1 and 2. For the second page, I trimmed the ATC size page protector, adding in a few embellishments, and a slip of white cardstock for mounting a wallet size photo or journaling. Here it is with the photo example.....

Page 3 is for more journaling, wallet size photos, or misc. items you might save like receipts, ticket tubs, tea bag wrappers, etc.....Page 4 I left blank for whatever you have left over.....

Here's Wednesday.....

As you can see I made homemade confetti out of punched vellum and glitter, sewing the top of the pouch closed on the upper right of the trimmed ATC size page protector.....

I think this day is Tuesday. I alternated Hambly and vellum to separate pages 1 & 2 for each day.....

And I ended up leaving the punched tag in the upper left blank for adding in the actual date.....

And that's pretty much the jist of it. This was so much fun to make, and I hope you enjoyed looking! Happy Wednesday!!! <3 Carrie

{day 10} something i made recipe, with carrie

2011-09-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Carrie from Blume & Grow, and today I get to share with you my recipe for an amazing floral ice tea!!!.....aannnd it just so happens that BONUS my photos are the *something i made*, day 10 photo prompt pics from playing along with the 30 day photo challenge that Stephanie and I are enjoying : ) Fun, fun fun!

Carrie's Floral Ice Tea

(Makes 1 gallon of Ice Tea)

Ingredients

8 tea bags of Tazo Rest (tied together with paper ends cut off)
2 quarts water
2 quarts Simply Limeade
Ice

Directions

Boil 2 quarts water in large stove top pan.
Remove from heat and add tea bags by siring them in.
Place lid over pan and seep for 1hr. and 15 minutes.
Add limeade to pan and stir together.
Once cooled poor into glass pitcher with lid to keep fresh in refrigerator.
Serve over ice.

This tea is extra refreshing and tases like you're drinking a flower (it has rose petals in it)! Yummy!!! I know summer is almost over, but here in San Diego it is still really hot.....so I figured that has to be others out there that can enjoying something cool and refreshing ; ) Hope you like. Happy Sunday! <3 Carrie

September 1-7

2011-09-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends!! Has anyone else been having trouble with photobucket?? I know there are lots of other image hosting sites but thats my favorite right now for editing in a flash and it has been down a lot lately. Here are my September photo challenge photos from the 1st to today the 7th. I hope you enjoy and take on this challenge for September :)

1. Self portrait: I wanted to take a full body shot while still holding the camera. I gave it a different angle and ended up liking how it turned out.

2. What I Wore: I love this outfit because my aunt gave me the bebe skirt she found at a garage sale for a dollar. The sandals are from my mom who got them on clearance. The shirt i have was 3 for 10 bucks so i think highly of inexpensive items that can turn into a cute outfit :)

3. Clouds: I took this while the hubby and I were walking along the harbor down town. I love clouds period. I could make a whole scrapbook album of clouds they are just so amazing!!

4. Favorite Color: Right now purple is my favorite color. I only have 2 shirts and a purse that are purple but i just love that color. Im on a mission to find and awesome purple lace dress. What are your favorite colors right now?

5. Someone you love: My Hubby!!! I love this picture!! He was sanding the ceiling where he knocked down a wall in our house :) See no floor still almost there. I'll share some pictures of the new door we put in soon.

6. Childhood Memory: Hanging out with my parents any time was a good time. We went everywhere and had the best vacations. I love going out with them they are the sweetest people i know :)

7. Something New: My new Steve Madden Sandals and my pedicure. I thought it would be a fun twist for fall mixing white with brown :) These sandals match everything and for $20 bucks clearance at Marshall's!! Alright!! My sister in law got the same ones in the Steve Madden store a few months back for around $80 so i say i cleaned up pretty good here :) Have you found any good sales lately?

I cant wait to see everyone's pictures :) Stay cool its so HOT here!!

Loooveee...

Heads up September Challenge

2011-09-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hey my friends happy September!! It's one more month closer to all the fun fall festivities and I could not be more excited :) My friend Carrie mentioned she was doing this photo challenge from Oh So Lovely. Obviously it is over but September seems like a good time to try this challenge. I know it will be a little difficult the 10th-14th because we will be out camping in Wiskey Town hmmm.. my sister in law has an iphone i will try to post from so just a heads up or I will do a collection of the challenges and post when I get back to reality. I hope you join in it should spark your creativity in whatever area your focus is. I know these pictures will be great for my design team layouts for Ever After :) Have fun!!

WHAT I WANT WEDNESDAY: Kitchen fun

2011-08-31T11:07:00.001-07:00

Hey friends i have been drooling over ModCloth's kitchen accessories lately and thought i would share some of my favorites!! They have the cutest things i have ever seen :) Im telling everyone to look at my wishlist on their site for Christmas lol It's a perfect idea and the price ranges are perfect starting form just a few dollars. Check them out!!

loooovee....

Cooking Adventures: Fig Crumble

2011-08-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hey friends hope your having a Tasty Tuesday!! For my cooking adventure today I wanted to use some of our Black Mission figs which have been weighing our tree down for the last week. Im not a huge fig fan but everyone loves a good crumble right? Well I googled fig crumbles and the recipes out there didn't really catch my attention so i used an apple crisp recipe and substituted saute figs. Here is my recipe to enjoy at your pleasure.

*16 black mission figs
* 3 tbsp honey
*1 1/2 sticks butter :)
*1 cup flour
*1 cup sugar + 1 tbsp
*1 cup rolled oats
*1 tsp vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 350
2. saute quartered figs (no stems) with 1/2 stick butter, honey and tbsp sugar until soft
3. In a separate bowl mix flour, sugar, oats and melted remaining butter until crumbley
4. Place fig mixture in 8x11 baking dish and cook for 45-50 min
5. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY :)

LOOVEE....

We Heart it Wednesdays

2011-08-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some lovely images via weheartit and enjoy this beautiful Wednesday :)

looovee...

Cooking Adventure: Pad Thai with Shrimp

2011-08-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello friends it's Tasty Tuesday and I would love to share this delicious dish i made last night for the hubby and I. He kept going back for more so you know it's good :) I had bought these Pad Thai noodles for one of the Sam the Cooking guy cooking adventures I was planing, but decided to try my own thing with raw shrimp. *This was the first time I have cooked with completely raw shrimp and to tell you the truth it was not that bad!! Well anyway here is my recipe for "My Pad Thai"

* 1 box of rice noodles
* as many raw shrimp as you like :)
* peanut oil
* green onions
* chopped garlic
* oyster sauce
* soy sauce

1. cook noodles according to package (it said to cook for 6-8 i would say do 6min so they dont get soggy)
2. drain noodles
3. heat cooking oil in a wok or large frying pan
4. add green onions, shrimp, peanut oil, garlic, oyster sauce to your liking
5. fry about 2 min
6. add noodles slowly mixing ingredients together.
7. add soy sauce and more peanut oil and oyster sauce (pretty much to turn the noodles a light brown color*it took a lot more than i thought it would but the noodles need to soak it up:)
8. cook until the noodles are a little crispy or not totally up to you
9.*************ENJOY**************

I also made fried rice to go along with this and tea to make the meal complete. Play around with it and add different things you never know how delicious it will turn out :)

loooveee..........

Crafty Mini House

2011-08-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hey friends hope your Monday is Magical and if it is why don't you go and link up your blogs at FTLOB and make new friends :) Today i thought i would share a craft project that was really fun to make and super easy as well. This little chipboard house did come pre-cut but it can easily be replicated with a 12 x 12 piece of chipboard. You can choose a house style (mine is a more pointed roof) and draw your outline on your board. Starting from the left this house style would have a rectangle with a pointed top which then goes down to the rectangle with no top, back up to the rectangle with a top and then back down to just the rectangle. *I drew up a rough sketch see below* To hold the house together just add a ribbon where you hole punched :) Hope you enjoy oh and you can make this out of regular paper also is you don't have chipboard lying around.

loooveee....

Cooking Adventure's: Roasted Butterfly Chicken

2011-08-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hey friends i thought it was time again to share another recipe i tried out. My friend Lori is an amazing cook and i like the presentation factor of cooking a whole chicken so she started sharing some ideas. This recipe is a general recipe for any roast chicken and I pretty much added anything i had laying around. I had never butterflied a chicken before and the thought kinda freaked me out but as long as you have some good kitchen sheers you will be fine. The beast is really hard to cut through so i decided to follow along the spine. It was a little freaky but in the end im glad i could do it. Heres the recipe for a summer Roast Chicken

*1 whole chicken
*any veggies you have (i used carrots, onion, celery, red potatoes)
*2 heads of garlic halved
*2 oranges
*any seasoning you like (i just used salt and pepper)

1. preheat oven to 450
2. chop up all ingredients and place in a large roasting pan
3. toss ingredients with seasoning and EVOO
4. Butterfly seasoned Chicken and place in pan on top of everything
5. place garlic heads directly under
6. cook for 1 hr

*your house will smell really yummy and inviting. Make it easy on yourself with sides that can also go into the oven. I did a cauliflower and asparagus dish and some easy crescent rolls.
Hope you try it out i would love to hear your recipes for a whole chicken :)

loooovee...

Bubblegum Life Appointment

2011-08-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends time for another Bubblegum Life photo prompt!! This week's prompt is really fun and easy too. I think it will have to get your creative juices flowing :)
The Prompt is to "Tell a story with something Handmade"

"When you go to take your photo, you can use any handmade item as your subject.....maybe it's a scrapbook you created for your daughter and you shoot a pic of her looking through it.....you can really do anything you want, but I think when you are done you will have a wonderful memory to do with as you please."

Carrie brought over these adorable dino's and told me about the prompt and how she thought we should spray paint them!!! I has like heck yes my two favorite things dino's and SPRAY PAINT!! Im in!! Originally i painted GIGI baby blue but i ran out at the very end and decided to go with baby pink. From there it seemed my dino was turning into a prime princess so it only seemed right to make her a scrappy hat. I thought it would be fun to make it look like she was eating a tree which is kind of an ironic happening due to the fact i recently turned vegetarian. Just a little tid bit i thought funny. Well here you go guys i hope you think its adorable and play along with Carrie over at Bubblegum life. We will use the picture from the prompt to make a project with!! I would love to see what you come up with :)

loovee...

You Color my World Blog Mini Album pt 2

2011-08-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

here are some more pix from the mini album i just did. I think it turned out super cute i hope you enjoy :)

loooveeee...

You Color my World Blog Mini Album

2011-08-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends I am so excited to share with you this lovely little mini book thrown together with colorful scraps and silly pictures each from posts i have done this year :) Im not much of a journalist on my scrap projects so i thought i would give it a shot and at least scribble what each picture was for or when it was taken. I hope you enjoy and get inspired to clean out your scrap stash and make a mini. I would love to see what you make link it in the comments :)

loooveee....

Bubblegum Life: Project Monday on Wednesday :)

2011-08-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends!! Its been a mass clean up week here at the Kelley household with new tile being put in and lots of things getting ripped out!! I had done this page last Friday and was supposed to post it Monday for Bubblegum Life's Project Monday. Remember the photo prompt for last week was to paint your nails with your favorite color combo and take some sweet pictures. Well here is my page i made using lots of Sassafrass scraps. I had loads of fun scraping these polaroids i highly recommend getting one of these cameras :)

There is this awesome class coming up called This & That it is a three week online class with lots of unique challenges, journaling prompts, and techniques designed to get your scrapbooking mojo flowing. Mix and match prompts and challenges to create thirty plus pages! Choose one journaling prompt and one technique idea from the group and combined ideas to create something awesome

The class runs from August 15th-September 2nd, where you will receive access to a private blog, 30 journaling prompts, 30 technique prompts and ideas, a tutorial for creating vintage handkerchief albums, a printable embellishment sheet, 2 instructor videos, email access to Kara, Giveaways, and a PDF of the entirety of the class.

CHECK IT OUT IT LOOKS SO AWESOME AND BUBLEGUM LIFE IS GIVING IT AWAY!!

looovee...

What I Wore: WORK STYLE

2011-08-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

Hey friends i just thought i had to share this outfit i wore to work. I really love this shirt and have always wanted to wear it with a high waisted skirt and i finally got a color that worked well and came with a cute skinny belt :)

shirt: kische
skirt&belt: h&m
watch: channel
shoes:franco santos
bracelts: charolette russe
necklace: present from my hubby

Ever After: Basic Grey "Oxford"

2011-08-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here is the new Oxford line by Basic Grey!! I thought the paper was just perfect for these pictures. It already has an awesome distressed feel to it so i thought it was a quick and easy page to make. It lends itself to an array of picture themes and colors. Hope you enjoy :)

*yes those are mini airplanes

looovee....

Bubblegum Life Appointment

2011-08-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hey there blog readers!! I just had to play along with my good friend Carie over at Bubblegumlife today. Every Friday she has a really fun photo prompt to get your creative juices flowin and its followed by Project Monday where you use the photo and create something wonderful. This week the prompt is "Paint your nails your favorite color combo!!" I mean who doesn't want an excuse to do this. I had just the colors from this time of year.

*light blue/green & yellow :)
makes me happy and i cant wait to make something with these photos. There's something about Polaroids...they are instant gratification. Have a great weekend. I have a crop date tomorrow and hope to get a few mini books done as well as pages of all sizes.

loooveee...

Ever After: NEW Rockstar paper!!

2011-08-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

looovee...

What I Wore: La Jolla Shores

2011-08-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

*dress: H&m
*sweater: old boys Hollister
*shoes: vans that i up-cycled
*necklace: Franchesca's
*sunies: vintage

loooove....

Cooking Adventure: Eggplant Parm Sandwhich

2011-08-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hey friends hope you having a wonderful day!! This cooking adventure meal is a winner in every way. It is not only healthy but tastes like something from an Italian restaurant :)
All you need is:
*1 eggplant
*shredded mozzarella cheese
*bread of your choice
*panko crumbs
*marinara sauce
*Evoo

1. Slice eggplant in half an inch thick horizontally *circle pieces* and toss with Evoo.

2. Coat eggplant lightly in panko crumbs and toss into a frying pan with a little bit more Evoo. (Use a large frying pan so you can cook all the eggplant in one go)

3. Cook until middle is tender while outside is still a little hard.

4. Cover with mozzarella and let melt.

5. Cover with sauce :)

6. Place a piece of eggplant on toast and enjoy for lunch.

loooveee....

Ever After: BAZIZLL BASICS

2011-08-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hey there friends!! Long time no see :) i have loads of craft, cooking and styling posts coming up and i am so excited to share. Im really excited to get back into the swing of things and working from home. Today i would love to share a one of my design team assignments for summer from Ever After. They have got in the cutest paper and embellishments and i love that my assignments fit so perfectly with my pictures. I could not wait to use my pictures taken by Carrie of bubblegum life. We headed down to La Jolla shores for a photo-shoot for an upcoming online scrapbook class that she is guest designing for. She is so talented with photoshop and i always have a blast with her. We even did a little craft under this huge tree over looking the ocean to end the day off right :) (i'll share that one later)

This Bazzill paper is called "Two Scoops" and rightfully so. The bottom of the paper where the line is shown is highlighted with the actual color of the paper, where as the paper color is quite deceiving. I purchased the "Two Scoops" sander so show just how cool this paper is. As you sand the paper (which is a darker shade than the highlighted on the bottom) the real color starts to show up. So for my main aqua background i just sanded around the picture to create a light blue frame. The butterflies were originally all hot pink but, when you sand the paper the upraised dots turn light pink. I love the blue flags as well they have an upraised floral pattern that turns to light blue. Hope you enjoy

loooovee....

What I Wore: Floral

2011-07-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

dress: H&M
jacket: thrifted
earings: Franchescas
glasses: $5 somewhere

loooveee........

XFEST 2011 CONCERT REVIEW

2011-07-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hey friends!! Yesterday was Xfest down at the cricket wireless amphitheater and the weather was perfect. We arrived at about 4:15 which means we missed GRAFFI6, which i am super bummed about, but owell at least we got there. Theses bands were all on the Cabo Wabo Next Big Thing Stage (or lack there of) which should have been a real stage with this talented group of musicians. Regardless of the cement area on which they played, i was lucky enough to get through to the very front of the stage so i could take some pictures and hold it down till Middle Class Rut preformed.

415 pm show: Viva Brothers was amazing!! I honestly have never heard of them and im happy i got to see them play. I am going to buy their new album asap and i encourage you to do the same. I loved the accents and the "ello ello's" they gave the crowd. 91.1x needs to play this band more i love their sound. Here's a little info about the band that was in the XFEST flyer. Viva Brothers are an English indie band hailing from Slough. They describe their sound as "Gritpop" and count their inspiration among bands such as Blur, The Stone Roses, and The Smiths. Upon playing their debut release- "Darling Buds of May"- on his BBC radio 1 show, DJ Zane Lowe stated " We like [the song's] classic structure, it harks back to a time of craft in British song-writing, before the edginess. It's classic..."

4:45pm show: Little Hurricane is a dirty blues/rock outfit from SAN DIEGO :), CA. The band was formed in early 2010 when guitarist Tone met drummer CC through an ad on craigslist. They found a common interest in unique and vintage equipment and a love of grimey, down and dirty blues. Little Hurricane released their debut album, HOMEWRECKER, in April 2011, and are currently touring Southern California. Tone amazed me with his guitar playing on the keyboard it was really refreshing and creative (check the pic closely*) Their chemistry on stage was really nice to see. They looked like they were having a lot of fun playing together and their combined vocals were adorable to say the least. CC's style was amazing and she rocked out hard on those drums. I had to keep closing my mouth it was hanging open in shock. Cowbells and tambourines were among the other instruments CC threw into her drumming performance which was Glam rock chic if you ask me. She will definably be my new style icon as well as a new band i have come to love.

5:15pm show: Middle Class Rut, the band we went to see and have eagerly been waiting for. They play a visceral brand of alternative rock that echoes the intensity of Janes addiction and Refused, the pummeling backbone of Rage Against The Machine and he anthemic post-punk core of Foo-Fighters. Zack Lopez (guitar/vocals) and Sean Stockham (drums/vocals) officially born in December 2006. Middle Class Rut's debut album 'No Name No Color' was released on October 5, 2010. You might know them from their song "New Low" which will get stuck in you head all day as you try to sing the correct directional lyrics. I think they killed the show and totally had the best stage performance by far!! They must have been super tired after rocking out and totally wowing the crowd in their 30min time frame. Check out their music videos (which i think are both creative and a little disturbing but have a good message in the end ;) here and here.

*band info via 91.1 x

rock on looooveeee...

What I Wore: XFEST 2011

2011-07-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hey friends!! Wow am i pooped. My hubby and I just got back from Xfest 2011 at Cricket wireless. If you dont know what that is...channel 91.1 fm puts on this huge concert and the majority of bands are from around the area, with the exception of main stage bands. The real reason i went was to see my new favorite up-in-coming band Middle Class Rut . I'll be posting my performance review with pictures tomorrow. But for now i thought i would share what i wore to the concert.

plaid shirt: forever 21
white tank: mossimo
jeans: vigoss
belt: thrifted
moccasins: american eagle
sunglasses: $5 bucks somewhere
rings: lucky, forever21, vintage birds, wedding ring

cheers loooooveee...

Easy Cheesey Potatoes

2011-07-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hey friends its been a while since i have posted a food adventure so i thought it would be fun to post what i made for dinner tonight. I get home from work at 6:30 and i still like to workout for about an hr so i changed and peeled a bag of potatoes. My hubby really likes the potatoes to be cubed so i hustled and chopped them all up and tossed them with *cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) them sliced some cheese to go on top. Added a little bit of salt, pepper and paprika and popped it in the oven for and hour and voila :)

You can throw in some broccoli or whatever veggies you have and your family will love it :)

looovveeee....

What I Wore: Birthday party

2011-07-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend was my nephews 4th birthday party and i thought i would wear something bright and fun :)

looooove...

My neice

2011-07-10T14:08:00.001-07:00

Hey Friends hope your having a lovely day :) Sorry i have been rather absent lately there has been some health issues going on along with our already busy schedule and my mouth surgery lol so needless to say there has not been very much cooking going down in the kitchen. But, most of the tile is down and hopefully the renovation for the kitchen will be complete soon. I have stopped eating meat as well so there will also be changes in my cooking either involving two separate dishes for me and my husband or, just modifications. Hopefully a healthier diet for me will help my health issues :)

This week my husbands sister and family came down from the Bay Area and stayed for 5 days which was great!! I hope to share more pix of all the fun stuff we got to do when we had all 7 nieces and nephews together. It was mayhem!! The ladies always head to the mall for part of a day and take the two girls with us while the boys get a house project done or run to home depot. My little niece is so much fun to dress up and she loves picking out things for me to try on. I made her try on this adorable beanie in forever 21 and i just had to buy it for her along with a bold ballerina necklace of course. I just had to share how stinkin cute she is and how happy i am when i get to see her.

Oh and she also lost a tooth while she was down visiting. Can you spot it?

looove....