come sit awhile

on the menu

i find that i do my best at the grocery store and with preparing our meals in general, when i make a specific menu, grocery list and stick to it...this way i don't spend money on what we don't need or won't eat

and i know what's ahead, i'm a planner like that...can't help it

once again most everything for the upcoming couple of weeks is from Pinterest

here are a few!

Buffalo Chicken Grill Cheese

and I'm serving Baked Zucchini Fries with Sweet Onion Dip with that yummy sandwich above!!

i'm excited about this one...Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

Honey Sesame Chicken...in the crock pot

Steakhouse Pizza from Pioneer Woman

and Greek Quesadillas...these will be mostly my own recipe, so i'll let you know how it goes!

and how could i possibly forget...PF Chang's knock-off Lettuce Wraps which are now on the menu weekly, they are so good! 

i'll update you throughout the week, let you know if these are keepers or not...cross your fingers!

 

and i know what you're thinking...can i come over? 

 

do you have any recipes for me to try? 

leave me a comment and tell me your favorite!

 

 

everything's better with burlap

my blog gets a ton of hits on "burlap" alone

want to see more burlap? 

here you go!

burlap lamp shade...oh so cute!

invitation

bunting

decor

table runner

ruffled lamp shade

party decor

burlap tote

 

until next time...

 

 

 

microwave popcorn in a brown paper bag

photo via pinterest

for jackson, popcorn is considered a food group...he would eat this stuff all the time if i would let him!  and i would rather him not eat all that microwaved, chemical-y stuff, if i can help it

i believe this happened when we ran out of the 'normal' popcorn and we just so happened to have a bag of plain kernals just waiting to be popped

i put about a 1/4 cup in a paper bag, folded the top over and hit the popcorn button on the microwave...yes, the microwave...but its not the chemicals

it burned of course, and the house stunk...i quickly threw the tainted corn on the back porch and i attempted another bag

you must listen for the "pop" to slow down...that was the ticket!  just a small piece of advice

we opened the bag and there it was...nice WHITE not yellow, popcorn!  we added some real melted butter and salt to taste...it DID taste real good and really cheap too $$

jackson was in love with the good stuff...in fact, he said it was better than the 'original'

 

kale chips

i made kale chips and i liked them!

if you ask the other members of the family about these...they will most likely say that they are highly stinky and there is no way they would give them a try...ever.  i overhead comments such as "barf"..."who farted?" and "where's the spray?"

i just laughed to myself...i do live with boys remember?

those people are a work in progress

but for me, i actually found them quite good!

i've seen "kale chips" all over the internet, pinterest and various fitness/health blogs.  everyone kept saying how good they were and smelled yummy while cooking...well, that part, not so much BUT i will agree on the taste!

kale, first and foremost, is so healthy for you it's ridiculous...loaded with vitamins and nutrients, you really can't get much better than kale

here is my version:

preheat your oven to 375 (you may be able to bump this down a bit, i may try 350 next go around), i lined a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. 

to prepare the kale...first wash and dry completely using paper towels (or however you would normally dry your lettuce) you want it completely dry, it needs to crisp in the oven, NOT steam.  remove larger stems and break into small, bite size pieces

toss kale with 1 tbsp of olive oil and salt as desired

spread kale pieces onto cookie sheet in a single layer, bake for around 10-12 minutes.  i shook my pan every 4-5 minutes or so...you will hear the pieces getting crispy.  be careful not to burn, it don't think it would take much for this to happen

*the bitterness is completely gone and they are pretty tasty!  i'll be making these again for certain, may try to spice them up in the future!

 

i'll let you know as the other verdicts are in...

 

{skin care} food on your face

sometime back in august, i noticed...i couldn't help but notice...that my face was breaking out more than the normal

with all that was going with our good friend i had come to the conclusion it was stress related

now, back in the day i had the occasional zit pop up but nothing too crazy!  it just had to be a "stress" thing.  so what does any person do...google it!  and i believe pinterest had something to do with it as well

i found this great blog Crunchy Betty written and hosted by none other than Crunchy Betty herself, a former model who now believes that putting junk on your face is not a good thing, less is more and what our skin needs is right there in the kitchen!

 i read and re-read her blog.  her entire blog, i think?  or so, it seemed...there was just more and more info that sucked me right in and i needed to know it!  i found that none other than stress + the fact that i was trying to 'dry' out my oily skin was indeed what was making my skin break out!  now, as far as the stress was concerned, i really couldn't do much for that BUT i could do something about what i was putting into my body and on my skin.  the junk that was suppose to 'dry' my skin was indeed making it too dry, therefore the natural oils were working overtime to compensate!  it was like God spoke, only it was Betty...

i decided to give her remedies a try...i mean, what could it hurt?  certainly didn't seem like it could be bad?  i even threw away my drug store products so there was no cheating.  i found the baking soda, honey, tea tree oil, witch hazel, milk and some oatmeal.

sounds exciting, doesn't it? 

i am happy to report that each of these things work individually and along side each other, if need be!!  my skin has become much clearer and the breakouts have slowed waaaay down.  did i mention, it's cheap too?

i'm going to share with you what i've tried so far, what has worked for me and what i'm currently using...

 baking soda - baking soda works as an exfoliate...a microderm abrasion, if you will.  it works.  plain and simple, it works.  make a paste with the baking soda and water (purified or distilled...or the faucet you must begin somewhere) and gently rub on your 'clean' face and neck.  gently is key here, you don't want to over do this.  i use this atleast once a week. 

honey - i'm loving the honey!  Crunchy Betty challenged her readers to a Honey Challenge...i accepted, and i liked it.  so much so, that i do this every. single. day. religiously.  honey is antibacterial and antimicrobial.  it is highly moisturizing but in a good way for us oily skin folks...and it's great for all skin types!  and it helps in healing scars. 

tea tree oil - tea tree oil is awesome but for me, i must use this very sparingly!   it works for getting rid of those pimples at the moment you feel or see them.  i dab a drop of tea tree oil on a Q-tip and then dilute it with water, then press the Q-tip into my green clay mask powder and apply it (all) to my 'start of a pimple'...basically, i'm making a mask.  leave it on over night.  in the morning, you're like...what pimple? 

witch hazel - i've had this in my medicine cabinet off and on, forever.  and now, it is where it will stay.  i use witch hazel as a toner/astringent.  simply apply it to a cotton ball and gently wipe your face.  it smelled weird to me in the beginning, but i'm ok with it now.  i use this morning and night. 

milk - milk is great for oily skin and can be used in getting rid of blackheads.  "the lactic acid in milk helps to break down old skin cells so they disappear when you rinse your face".  you can mix this with the baking soda above etc. etc. 

oatmeal - another great staple found in the kitchen is oatmeal and for me, i'm either eating it for breakfast or putting it on my face!  it works as an exfoliate combined with other wet ingredients, depending on your skin type.  i have used it in the mornings.  

 
photo pinterest

 water - we all know water is good for you but i can't say it enough...water, water, water...drink as much as you can!  yes, 6-8 glasses a day...or more.  i highly recommend it.  in fact, the more i drink the more i want to drink

what you put in your body, must come out of your body...including french fries

trust me

i know this was an extremely long post...thanks for sticking with me and letting me share!   i would love to know your thoughts...i may be revealing more natural skincare goodness in the future!  and be sure to check out Crunchy Betty's blog i think you'll like it

 

until tomorrow!

{Christmas} setting the table

i love dishes!  i mean, like really LOVE dishes...i have way too many, if there is such a thing and i love them each and every one of them

setting the table at Christmas-time is a pretty big deal at our house, well...atleast for me it is

here are some photos from our old home, i'm still working on our table for this year!

my favorite part of setting a table any time of the year is mixing everything up!  here i used my galvanized metal charges and topped them with a black and cream swirl plate from Hobby Lobby and then my ALL TIME Favorite black and cream check plate from Marshalls and TJMaxx!  i then placed a folded tartan plaid cloth napkin for added color...and some plaid!

the actual tablescape is made of the same tartan plaid napkins laid diagonally down the middle of the table with greenery loaded up with pinecones and berries.  in the center is a very large hurricane globe filled with a few of my favorite Christmas decorations from Potterybarn...big mercury glass ornaments!  i also placed a brown metal reindeer on each side of the hurricane globe for a little something extra!  you can see them in the photo below

here's a peek of everything put together!  gotta love me some black...

hope you enjoyed a little of our Christmas! 

i'm linking up over at Centsational Girl 

 

{Christmas} via Pinterest

just sayin...

 i wanted to share some recent Christmas-y finds with you...ENJOY!

definitely a favorite!  i have a similar metal piece that i'm thinking of doing this with...just not entirely sure how yet?  jackson is pleading Christmas decor as of two weeks ago, so stay with me for this!

not your typical red and green...but i love it!  the brown buffalo check is cozy and beautiful

a simple centerpiece...with burlap

lanterns...i love lanterns anywhere!

adding some color outside...i'm liking this table too

all photos via pinterest...come check out my Christmas board!

and lastly, mason jars...does it get any better than mason jars? 

hope this inspires you to get those decorations out...personally, i'm trying to psych myself up for it!  it's a bit of a project around here, you know!

 

{thankful for}

17.  pinterest...it sucks me in everytime!

18.  time spent at home

19.  Sunday lunch with friends

20.  clean laundry

21.  pedicures and hair color

 

make this

as you already may know and feel the same as me, Pinterest is my new found LOVE!   the entire site is dangerous when it comes to time well spent but you know how that goes...

i will say that i have pinned a ton of recipes and i'm slowly trying them out, some meals are becoming part of our regular menu and some...let's just say they get deleted

however, this my friend...WILL NEVER GET DELETED, if anything it will be MEMORIZED!

Lighter PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

Holy Smokes!

they are to die for and once i tasted them i didn't want to share, i wished i had made double...or triple!  it's a lot of chopping but nothing too weird except for garlic chili sauce, that i had to purchase.  now i'm not a big fan of chinese food or whatever you may call it, but this will be a regular at our house from now on

unlike the orange crockpot chicken...gross

 

 

it was only a thought...

due to the EXTREME HEAT here in GA, i really haven't been much in the mood for a cup of HOT coffee.  in fact, i have switched to this

 

it has caffeine and some B vitamins to boot and evidently does enough to get me through my day, like my coffee did!

until this...

 

Pioneer Woman's Perfect Iced Coffee  photo via pioneer woman

looks so easy and i love the fact that you can make it ahead and in a large dispenser and keep it around for awhile...right there in the fridge!  she even added sweetened condensed milk for a twist...good Lord, help me!  

what was i thinking, giving up my morning and/or afternoon coffee jolt?  and with only a day or two left of summer and those 4 year olds soon to be on my heels...i think not! 

i've now decided to buy a case of mason jars...

and maybe some square ice?

 

vingette

 

VINGETTE

This week's edition of Wednesday Window Shopping is all about 'vingettes'.  I once thought it was a funny word or a word that only decorators used in a fancy i-could-never-afford-anything-in-this-store store but now i know it's a word that i can use too!

 

"A vignette is an area (indoors or outdoors) you use to create a scene/set. It can be as small as a table top or as large as a stage area. The area is decorated in a specific aspect of an overall theme."

in other words...or in my words...pretty things grouped together in one place that look pleasing to the eye

 

via pinterest

honestly, this entire space is beautiful and very pleasing to the eye but i love the grouping on the table

 

snacks in the kitchen

 

here on a shelf, and this looks like it's doing double duty with some organization thrown in!  L.O.V.E

 

yes, please!  to this entire space...and i believe the shutters just make it!

 

simplicity...for a guest bedroom?

 

(i love this galvanized rack thing, so if anyone knows what it's called will you please let me know?)

 

via pinterest

small outdoor space

 

via pinterest

 

via pinterest

bedside tables 

 

Vingettes come in all shapes and sizes.  As you can see from the photos above most of them include a large and small piece and they range in textures.  For a smaller vingette, i prefer to use the odd number rule..."grouped items look better with grouped in odd amounts".  I'm not sure how true this statement is but it works better for me...and next time you arrange a few flowers together, check to see how many you have...3 or 5 large hydrangeas look better than 4, trust me!  

Creating vingettes can be a lot of fun but i think any decorating is fun!  Definitely think outside the box!  Group pieces together that might not necessarily 'go' together such as a vintage camera, old photographs and a container of flowers

or perhaps a stack of books or magazines and a pair of reading glasses

group similar items under a cloche or four (here, the odd number rule doesn't fit but what i believe makes it work is the difference in size) but i still might need one more cloche to make me feel better

 

via pinterest

Use what you have around the house!  Re-arrange a few pieces and group them together in a new space...or a completely different room for that matter! 

Let me know what you come up with...

 

Happy Window Shopping!