Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Weekend

 What a weekend!  I feel like we've been moving into a new house!  We're having the main room of our house painted today.  It's two stories and has lots of twists and turns and it's just too high for Husband and I to do ourselves (plus, we REALLY dislike painting).  So it's being painted by professional contractors.  They are also painting the entire exterior or the house so I'm super excited about our new paint job!

However, that meant that the weekend was filled with chaos as we moved furniture out of the room and into our formal living room and dining room (which is now so cluttered, it's driving us nuts!).  We removed all the window treatments and drapes, took down all the pictures and removed area rugs and decor.  It was a big job!  Husband then patched and drywalled all the holes and applied Kilz where necessary.  We don't like painting but Husband loves to do drywall himself, because then it's done the way he likes and is to his personal liking.  After all, once it's painted over, it's hard to fix the flaws if not done right the first time.  I agree and am glad he found the time to do the work! 

So, for the next two days, we are operating in a chaotic house and our main room, which is large, sounds like an echoing cave!  It's pretty loud in there, especially when Mr. Dog barks!

And speaking of Mr. Dog, he's losing his eyesight.  *tear*  Now, y'all know I've never been much of a dog person, but U.K. is a member of the family and he is loved!  In the past couple of weeks, some things have been strange with him.  He barks at us when we're near the door, running to herd us outside of the house.  Once he gets close and sees and smells us, he acts embarrassed, like he mistook us for a stranger.  The other day, Husband said a bunny rabbit hopped right past his nose and he didn't even see it!  If there is a piece of food on the floor, he completely misses it.  Yes, he's becoming Old Dog.  Other than that, he's in great health.  He's still sprite and plays with his toys and that tail of his never stops wagging!  So that is wonderful news and we're happy he's still with us.

That's all on the home front today!  Hope y'all are having a great week!

Happy Tuesday Y'all!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Tag!

It's been a while and it's a known fact that bloggers like to know other bloggers, so here it goes.  I was tagged by the lovely Madras N Pearls (whom I've actually met, a delightful person!)  

The Rules:
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4.Tag eleven people and link them on your post
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Fun Facts:
I met George Clinton in the Amsterdam airport my freshmen year of college.  He drew a dog on a large piece of paper that said "Woof, Woof", spelled my name wrong and then kissed my cheek.  I'm still kind of weirded out by the experience but we did take a great picture!

I was talking about this one yesterday: I have a bad habit of saying "Serious" before making a statement.  Lallie has picked up on this and she'll say "Serious" but with much more attitude, look with a hand on the hip and the other in the air.  It's quite cute and funny.

My hair is naturally curly (and I mean, '80s style kinky curls that get so frizzy and big, I feel like I need a large Cindy Lauper chiffon bow in my hair).  I straighten it everyday and have since 8th grade.

I despised math in school.  As a philosophy person in college, I needed to know WHY x-squared was the derivative of 2X (or vice versa)....I needed to understand the gazillion page proof.  It just wasn't in the cards for me.  So it's strange that I'm now an asset manager, managing people's money in commercial real estate as a career.  Things that make you go hmmmmm.....

I LOVE Lilly Pulitzer....SURPRISE!!!

This one is about Lallie.  She's super tiny.  She's 4.5 years old and 27 pounds and has been stuck at 27 pounds for about a year now.  She's normal, just tiny.  So it's really funny when people tell me I have a very advanced two-year old.  I just let them think she's a genius (which really she is.....she's just a 4.5 year old genius!)  ;) 

My house is FINALLY being painted starting next week!  Just in time for Stella and Dot party I'm having at my house!  By the way....anyone want to buy under my account?  Hey, doesn't hurt to ask!

Everything on my desk is pink.  My stapler, my business card holder, my box thingy that holds various items, my Lilly pencils and paper.  The only items that are not pink is my computer.

I recently found an all organic farm where I buy most of our fruits and veggies among other things like olive oil, chicken etc.  With more and more research out these days, we're becoming more selective as to what we put in our bodies.  We still have a ways to go, but we're working on it.  And BONUS - the food tastes better!

Thank goodness for blogging and facebook because I haven't printed a picture of us or Lallie in goodness knows how long.  And between the two, I can catalog all of Lallie's little wittisms as well.  I plan to print a book eventually.

And last but not least, one more Lallie moment.
Daddy:  "Did you know you're going to lose your baby teeth some day?"\
Lallie:  Cue freak-out
Daddy:  "But that's okay because you'll get your adult teeth and the tooth fairy comes and leaves a dollar under your pillow!"
Lallie:  Elated.  "And a diamond!"
(Note:  that was not a question, it was a statement).

Now, 11 questions from Madres N Pearls I'm supposed to answer:

1) What was your favorite first date? 
Dinner and Johnny Cash.

2) If you could have dinner with any famous/historical figure, (past or present) who would it be?
Albert Einstein

3) What is your favorite book and why?
Sense and Sensibility.  Because everyone needs a little pure romance in their lives and I just love that time period and the prim and proper lifestyle.

4) What kind of car do you drive?
BMW 530i

5) What was your first job?
A hostess at the pasta house

6) What was your major in college?
Applied Music - Violin 

7) Do you have a favorite style icon, if so who is it?
Style icon would be Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis or Audrey Hepburn

8) What cosmetic can you not live without?
LUSH Tea Tree Water, LUSH Imperialis face lotion, LUSH Enchanted eye creme 

9) Who is your favorite designer?
Again, surprise....Lilly Pulitzer

10) Coke or Pepsi?
I'm actually indifferent

11) How have you cultivated followers for your blog?
I haven't actively sought out bloggers.  My blog was started to keep out-of-town family apprised of our family happenings and then other bloggers helped my cultivate my own blog.  I started blogging about things in which I'm interested as well as the family happenings and my crafts.  It's a hodge podge and I'll post what I want, when I want.  It's my happy place.  If this gains followers, great.  If not, I'm not sad.  After all, this is for me, not them!  :-) 

TAGGINGI tag whoever wants to follow along and let us learn a little something about you!  Let me know you do so I can come check you out and see what fun things you're doing in your life!  I actually like Wendy's questions that I answered above, so let's keep this going!

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Herbed Butternut Squash Apple Soup

About 16 months ago, the lovely Suburban Princess posted her recipe for Butternut Squash Apple Soup here at Southern Living: Preppy Style.  Recently, I tried out a different Squash Apple Soup and here is this recipe, which varies quite a bit from Suburban Princess'. 

I was introduced to the recipe through a friend a couple month's ago.  I had been invited to a home cooking girls' night out where several girlfriends get together at my friend's mother-in-law's home.  Mother-in-law then taught us to make a couple of dishes, this one being one of them.  She purchased all the ingredients, each one of us chopped and diced and we enjoyed each other's company over a glass of wine and hot pot of Butternut Squash Apple Soup.

I later gave the recipe a whirl of my own at my in-laws over Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:
1.5 quarts chicken stock
2 lbs. butternut squash (one large squash)
2 tsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 medium Granny Smith apples.  Peeled, cored and cut into 2" pieces
1 large onion.  Diced.
2 medium shallots.  Diced
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 tsps finely chopped thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Creme Fraise
(Ignore the lime juice, that was for a completely different recipe and I accidently added to this picture.  Oops!)

Directions:
Heat chicken stock in 6 quart casserole pot until simmering.
Cut squash, remove seeds and roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes with 1 tsp. butter and 1 tbsp brown sugar per side.  
Meanwhile, add cut apples, onion, shallots and herbs into chicken stock and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.

Cut roasted squash into pieces and add to the soup.  Simmer for a few minutes.

Puree the soup with a stick blender or in a food processer.  Return to pan if used food processor.
Add the half and half, salt and pepper and simmer a few more minutes, tasting for seasoning.

Garnish with spoonful or creme fraise and extra herbs and enjoy!


Now that it's cold in Florida, this is warming my bones just thinking about it!

Happy Tuesday Y'all!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Books Read 2011

It's about that time for a book review!  I usually give out my list in January and update the prior year.  You can read 2010 and 2011 HERE and HERE

If you don't follow me on Goodreads, please do! I love to recommend books and check up on everyone elses lists for great reads.

My goal for 2011 was 24 books and I read 34.  And that includes taking a three month break from reading during the month's of August and October (I love to read but sometimes, I just need a break. Do you ever take a break from constant reading?)

I also only read 14 of the 24 books I planned to read in 2011.  There were so many other books tempting my palette!  The ones I didn't read are still on my list, however.

I have a five star rating, one star being the worst recommendation, five being the best.  If my reviews sound a little vague, well it's because I'll admit that I am not a book review writer and am not going to put a huge amount of time into it.  Also, I don't want to give away any spoilers.  But maybe these will interest you enough to check them out and see if they are a book for you.  Well, without further ado:

Before I Go To Sleep - S.J. Watson  ***
This book had an interesting plot and it did keep me on my toes, but I did find it to be a little predictable and boring at times.  About a women who lost her memory after an accident, she receives a clean slate every morning, barely remembering even her childhood.

ROOM - Emma Donoghue*****
Wow, what an interesting book.  Released around the time that Jaycee Dugard had her first interviews, this book is about a young boy of age 5 living with his mother in captivity in a small room.  Written from the perspective of a five year old, including verbal skills and communications, the writing keeps you detached from the real situation.  This keeps you reading without having to think until the end of the book.  I will leave it at that as to not release any spoilers, but I do highly recommend this emotional book.

The Paris Wife - Paula McLain****
I admit, I really did not like this book.  I'm not sure if it was the style of writing or what, I'm still contemplating it  (as I just recently finished it).  I have found that this is either a "love it or hate it" type book.  It is an interesting book about Hemingway's wife, just not my style.  I would however, recommend it as so many others have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sundays at Tiffany's - James Patterson **
Just an easy read with a simple plot.  If you have something else on your list, I'd go ahead and move on.

The Hunger Games Series (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay) - Suzanne Collins *****
Loved it, loved it, loved it!  Written for the teenage crowd, I absolutely loved this series and everyone I know who's read it has loved it.  It's riveting, keeps you on your toes, well written and really makes you think about the world as it stands today.  The plot is very well thought out and can be quite chilling at times.  Read it, I know you'll love it!

South of Broad - Pat Conroy ****
I had heard mixed reviews on Pat Conroy.  I've never read one of his books and was told that again, you either love or hate his books.  Though this one was slightly depressing, I really loved it.  It was well written and very descriptive and I just enjoyed it and the characters and the southern setting.  Though there were lots of different personalities which made the core group a little over-the-top, I liked that feel.  Some people do, some people don't but I love interesting characters.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont - Lauren Weisberger**
A quick and easy read and that's just about it.  I didn't like it or dislike it, just indifferent.

Bride Series (Savor the Moment, Bed of Roses, Vision in White, Happy Ever After) - Nora Roberts ***
What can I say?  Everyone needs to read some romantic books every once in a while.  However, these are not Harlequin....a little less, well, Harlequin!  I read these while working on a fundraiser since they were books I could read without having to think.  I did enjoy them as they are just plain "feel good" books.

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen *****
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!  Loved everything about this book. The plot, the characters, the relationships, the thorough description of circus life, hierarchy and travel during this time period.  I still haven't seen the movie, but I'm interested in seeing it!  Though I am having a hard time seeing Reece Witherspoon as Marlena.

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes -  Diane Chamberlain****
A great book about the relationship between mother and daughter from birth to adult.  The story line, while disturbing at times, flows very well and captures the unspoken and traumatic events of CeeCee Wilkes' life and intertwines those events with the character relationships.  Sound confusing?  It is because I can't say anymore without giving it away!  Read it!

Barefoot, The Castaways, The Blue Bistro - All by Elin Hilderbrand***1/2
I love Elins Hilderbrand books.  These are the first three I've read and I enjoyed all three greatly, especially The Blue Bistro.  I love the plots as much as I love hearing about the Nantucket lifestyle.

Waking Up In Dixie -  Haywood Smith***
Reminds me of the movie Regarding Henry with Harrison Ford except in a southern preppy socialite world.  A woman with grown kids finds herself in a loveless marriage until a traumatic event causes her husband to have a change of heart.  And from there, the story begins.  An easy read, I enjoyed this book because I enjoy all southern prep novels!

The Lincoln Lawyer - Michael Connelly**
I read this book before watching the movie and honestly, I was disappointed overall.  I expected the novel to have a bit more action and a more nail biting experience given the subject matter.  Rather, I found it quite predictable.

Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah*****
Written by the same author of Firefly Lane, this book did not disappoint.  Get out your tissues and be prepared to cry, but not for any other reason you could possibly think.  Walking through the strained relationship between two daughters and their mother, this book is extremely compelling.  It is well written and researched and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.  I apologize for the vague review however, I do not want to give away any spoilers.  

The Weird Sisters - Eleanor Brown **
I could not complete this book.  I hated it.  I hated the ungrateful characters, hated it.  Every single person in my book club hated it as well.  Sorry to the author.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet  Jamie Ford*****
LOVED this  book!  This book is about a Chinese father recounting his experiences as a boy, begrudgingly, with his son.  Being Chinese during World War II, the boy lived near and befriended a Japanese girl when the Japanese were not to be fraternised with or tolerated.  We often hear the Jewish side of the World War and the stories.  This book takes a different spin on the World War and is quite eye opening.

The Informationist  - Taylor Steven***** 
Wow!  The author is just as interesting as the book.  About a girl who grew up overseas learning combat training, she also becomes extremely proficient in gathering information about other people.  Very classified and expensive information.  She is hired out to locate a missing girl, and while at it, re-discovers the life she tried desperately (and unsuccessfully) to leave behind.  I am SO excited about her new book, The Innocent.  If you have a chance, you should read up on the author as well.  She has quite the interesting story herself.

First to Die (Women's Murder Club) - James Patterson**
I read this at the recommendation of a friend.  While I enjoyed the plot, I'm not a fan of James Patterson.  I've read three of his books and am just not interested in reading any more.  I also leave his books feeling either disturbed or just weird (as in Sundays at Tiffany's).  Also, I'm not a fan of long series.

Falling Home and On Folly Beach - Karen White****
I loved both of these books.  I loved Falling Home and the relationship story between sisters and I loved Folly Beach for the same reason.  Both are drastically different in plot and settings and I really enjoy White's style of writing.  I read these back to back.

Sizzle - Julie Garwood***
I picked this book up at a used book store and when I shop used, I read the flaps quickly and pick up what I can in a short amount of time.  I'm usually not too disappointed in my quick decisions.   This book didn't disappoint.  I enjoyed the plot and the mystery behind a documentary film college student who finds herself accidentally stuck in the middle of a crime.  She discovers that there is a hit on her life out there somewhere and a handsome FBI agent comes to her rescue.
My only complaint is that there were a couple of extra little side stories that I feel, really didn't fit with the book and could have been left out.

Georgia Bottoms - Mark Childress**
I found this book through a recommend on Pintrest and the jury is still out.  It was well written and the plot well thought out, but the story line was filled with lies and deceit, indecent relationships and mixed-up priorities.  While I didn't dislike it as much as The Weird Sisters,  it is definitely in that category of "I don't like the characters."

Ain't No Sunshine - Leslie DuBois**1/2
Hmmmm, what to say about this book.  The relationships between father and son were strange in this book.  When I finsihed the book, Ashleigh and I discussed it over email and well, it's almost as if the author was trying to play a trick on the reader.  It was a quick and interesting read and I really don't want to give away a spoiler.  The jury is still out.

Perfect on Paper - the (mis)Adventures of Waverly Bryson - Maria Murnane***
I picked up this book at CVS on the sale rack.  A quick and easy read, a romance book about love lost and love re-gained and the journey from one to the other.  It was cute.  Like the Bride Series cute.

Stealing Faces - Michael Prescott****
John Cray has been stalking and killing women for twelve years without incident.  Suddenly, a woman starts stalking him!  As he turns the situation around, to find out who she is and why she's following him, he discovers something he couldn't even imagine.
A thrilling and disturbing book, it is very well written and definately keeps you on your toes!

Murder on the Boulevard - Kori Donahue***1/2
Written by fellow blogger, Kori Donahue, I picked up this book when she first released it on Amazon.  She is self published and this is her first book.  I did enjoy the book.  It's an easy, thrilling and romantic read, all-in-one.  And I'm interested to see what she does with her next book.  I do think that the plot moved too quickly with people in love one day and not the next and clues to the mystery did show up suddenly, but I think for a first book, it's an excellent read.  Honestly, I couldn't put it down because the story-line is great.

Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang, Bang - Chelsea Handler***1/2
This women is hilarious though the first few chapters of the book were (what is the right word here)....shocking, maybe nauseating.  I actually put the book down and picked it back up a few weeks later.  It is a collection of essays about her childhood, family, love and work.  It is definatly a riot.


So, what books have you read that you would like to recommend and what's on your list for 2012?  Follow me on Goodreads and I'll follow you back!

Happy Monday Y'all!
 

Friday, January 13, 2012

New Sewing Designs!

 I bought and cut up tons of new fabric for skirts, pants and shirts.  Here's what I completed last weekend.

Valentine's Day ruffle skirt. 
I'm also making a pair of ruffled bottom pants and a shirt with the cupcakes on it to match.  The skirt can be work alone or with leggings, depending on how cool it will be down here in February.

Here's one pair of ruffled pants.

I have three other skirts and two more pairs of pants in the works!  I LOVE sewing!! It's my favorite hobby!

Next project....curtains!  When we purchased our house, all the window treatments were already in place however, they are nearing a decade old and are getting dirty, some are stained (but not in noticeable places).  Husband and I wanted to live in the house for a while and get a feel for our decorating style before changing anything.  Now that's it's been 2.5 years, we're ready to change. We are having the interior painted (fingers crossed) in the next couple of weeks and thereafter, it will be the ordering and making of curtains.

Now, we have two story tall ceilings and LOTS of window treatments.  So I'm going to need 40 to 50 yards of fabric and trim (in different styles depending on the room, though our main room will need at least 20 yards)!  Good thing I can sew and make these myself as the fabric alone is going to be pricey!  I really can't wait to start working on them.  It's really not a difficult project, just more time consuming.  But we're not going anywhere so I have all the time in the world!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

One Room School House Desk Renovation

My mother-in-law has a one room school house desk in her home that she uses in her kitchen as decor.  Her mother (Husband's Granny) had stripped and stained the desk years ago and it is just beautiful.  Husband and I have always loved it and would like one of our own.

My mother-in-law came across another desk a few years ago, which has been stored in her garage until we could bring it back home to Florida for our own home.  This desk was in serious need of stripping and staining as it was in not-so-great condition.  We were finally able to bring the desk home this Christmas and Husband went to work right away, stripping all the old layers of paint to get down to the bare wood.  I neglected to take a before picture, but here it is in pieces.


Top of desk.  I love the etched letters.  Gives it character and a sense of true history.
Bottom side of the desk top.

Underside of the desk seat.

Top of the desk seat.

It took Husband about two hours just to get all the pieces apart.  It's a delicate process because you don't want to damage the wood and the iron legs would shatter and break if dropped.  The grooves you see on the underside of the desktop is where the iron legs where attached.  No nuts and bolts here, just very tight grooves.

First, he stripped the old paint using Klean Stripp Strip-X Stripper from Home Depot.  You paint this on and leave it to bubble up for anywhere between five and fifteen minutes.  Always use gloves when applying this as it's strong and will eat your skin (I mean....it is paint stripper!) 

You can see the bubbling, the stripper is working!
Then you use a plastic scraper and strip off the paint.  Husband stripped the desk multiple times, at least three that I can remember.  This is the first coat.

He then gently sanded the desk to get down the the bare wood.

***Note: Is is important to take precautions when sanding older furniture or dealing with anything that has older paint.  Use a respirator (not just a facemask) to protect yourself from breathing in the lead-based paint materials.***
This is why I didn't get any pictures of the sanding.  Husband didn't want Lallie or I anywhere around.  After he finished, he completed a thorough cleaning of the garage before we were allowed back in as dust was everywhere.

As you saw in the before pictures, the desk had been painted yellow and green over the years. Even after lots of stripping and sanding, Husband wasn't able to get the yellow paint completely off the top part of the desk.

Now you can see the bare wood on the seats.  Gorgeous!

Now it was time for stain. 
Husband first used Polyurethane Gloss in Dark Chestnut.  The results were not to his liking as the coverage was very spotty given the inconsistent colors of the wood and the lagging yellow paint  In addition, the Chestnut color was not as red as he intended as he was going for more of a Mahogany. 

So he went over it again, but this time with a Polystain (not polyurethane) in Mahogany to achieve the red color.  The Polystain also gave the coverage Husband desired while looking shiny and consistent.

Here is the finished product.  It is being used as a nightstand in one of our guest bedrooms.
 I love the shiny red color and you can still see the wood variations.
The desktop is perfect for a nightstand and the etched letters give the piece some history.  The polystain made the etchings clearer and they certainly stand out.  I love that!
As with all school house desks, the seat folds up.  Perfect for guest rooms for an extra seat or luggage rack which can be put up for storage or during the night.
Husband originally wanted to paint the iron, but I'm glad he just cleaned it up and not paint. 
I love the rustic character of the legs.

 It looks great and the many, many hours Husband spent (close to 20 hours if not more) on the desk certainly paid off.  Great job honey, it's beautiful!  And please....correct me, honey in the comments, if I stated anything incorrectly.

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Art of the "Thank You"

I can remember my mother sitting me down at an early age and having me write thank you cards and notes.  The habit has stuck with me over the years (thus my obsession with stationary in general). 
Admittedly, I've slacked over the years and have neglected to write thank you notes to close family and friends.  I've always felt guilty of this even though Emily Post states it's not necessary to thank such close people.  I have however, always written thank you notes to those such as co-workers or acquaintances that might purchase a gift "just because" or for weddings and baby showers.  These type of hand-written thank you notes is a must, no exceptions.

Now that I'm a mother, I'm attempting to pass the art of the thank you card down to my daughter.  At least for now, Lallie doesn't see it as a chore (and hopefully she never will).  Rather, she sees it as an opportunity to be creative, picking out her own pink cupcake cards and writing her "thanks" in a rainbow of colors.  I hope Lallie's little rainbow notes give the receiver a huge smile.  Husband and I have certainly enjoyed watching her write them with such adorable enthusiasm and creativity.

Happy Tuesday Y'all!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Alive & Well!

Good morning fellow bloggers.  Rather, Happy New Year (considering it's been over a month since I've blogged).  I'm sorry for my extreme lack of posts.  December was a very hectic month with travel, plans, holidays....well, I'm sure you ALL know that drill all too well!  I'm looking forward to catching up on all your blogs and seeing what y'all did during your December holidays.

As a photo snapshot, here are few pictures from our December, Christmas and early January.  Please ignore my picture quality and blurriness.  My camera died the week before Christmas, so all of these are from my cell phone!  Not always the best quality.

Christmas Dance Recital - The Nutcracker
Taking a quick snooze on the lawn while Daddy hangs Christmas lights on the house.
Front porch (outriggers and all!)

Love decorating palm trees for Christmas!

Waiting in line at the Children's Museum to see SNOW!!  (On a 75 degree day!)


Tuckered out from all the Christmas fun!

Really neat book Christmas tree at a local used book store we frequent.
Ready for an Advent service at Church (I made the skirt).
Our tree (sorry, didn't take ANY pictures of the rest of the interior house this year!  I'm a slacker!)

After Christmas Eve service at Church at a friend's house.  The best picture I could get of the
extremely excited Lallie!

Christmas morning....82 degrees!
Christmas dinner at a friend's house.
Opening presents with best buds.
Up north in Kentucky (in much colder weather), hanging out with cousins.
More cousins!
Back home in Florida on New Year's Day, playing Lallie's new Wii Dance Kids game.  She got the hang of it but not before daddy accidentally punched Lallie in the eye while practicing Jingle Bells!
Cupcakes from the Easy Bake Oven!
Lallie's favorite princess (since they both have green eyes and blond hair).  Lallie arranged
all her Rapunzel dolls to show off the different sizes.
We arrived home to LOADS of fresh lettuce and tomatoes in our garden!

Rooting for the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl.  We still love them though!  :(
NOW, it's cold in South Florida!  Down to the 30's at night!  My little fashionista
in the pink sparkly CVS sunglasses Lallie picked out for me in early 2011.

I have some really exciting blog posts coming up!  Over the holidays, Husband and I brought home a desk from a one-room school house, an antique.  It was in pretty rough shape, but Husband has been stripping and staining it and it's gorgeous!  I can't wait to show you the before and after pictures.

Also, in the next week or so, I'm going to be cooking for an entire day and making a month (+/-) of frozen dinners.  All healthy too!  I've researched and prepared the shopping list....so now it's just shopping and cooking!  I can't wait to share the recipes and results with you.

And of course, for my fashionista followers, I'll be sharing all my latest and favorite beauty products and clothing including.....my Lilly Rue La La and New Year Cheer sale finds!  I have to say, Husband didn't do too bad in Christmas Lilly either ;-)

Happy New Year y'all!