Sunday, April 21, 2013

In The Market For Some Inspiration

Went to the Main Street Arts Festival in Fort Worth this weekend. Sooo many cool artists, but scandalously I went to scope out ideas for my next project. (Hey, no judgement please!) Saw a few really cool ideas, but of course I don't want to start from scratch with all new material, that gets WAY too pricey. So I used this weekend's thrift-store hop to search for stuff to "improve" found a cheap faux painting in a frame that's in pretty decent condition considering it was secondhand. Now to just put some ideas together and see what inspires me...Modge Podge and Book Pages and Sharpies, oh my!!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Project For A Rainy Day


 
Got this idea off Pinterest awhile back. So when I stumbled upon a free day I decided this would be my project. Do you want to know the best kind of project? One where you have all the supplies you need leftover from other projects you've done! It was really easy, the end piece isn't perfect, but since this was my first time working with spray Modge Podge I can't be too disappointed. So here it goes:

Step One: Got all supplies ready - Canvas, Spray Paint, Magazines, Modge Podge, Sponge Brush, Spray Modge Podge(Optional)



Step Two: Spray painted canvas black.



Step Three: Cut magazines clippings (all gold/silver colors) into leafy shapes, and one bigger gold circle.
Step Four: Decided best way to arrange the clippings on the DRY canvas.


Step Five: Modge Podge all the clippings down in my design.

 
Step Six: Sprayed a layer of spray Modge Podge over everything. (Didn't have  desired effect, BUT if done in the right way would've looked very cool!)






Friday, April 12, 2013

My Mission: To Perfect Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe To Rival On The Border's

So I am in LOVE with On The Border's soup. My friend and I have had weekly "Taco Tuesdays" for about 3 years now and most the time I'm ordering that. I googled, I Pinterested, I Binged, and I Yahooed but no recipe seemed to be my cup of tea, and no pictures from the creator's attempts seem to satisfy my hungry eye. So I took a few different recipes and combined them into what I was hoping was going to be the perfect intimidater.

I came close.

I have a few tweaks I'll make the next time around, but overall it came out pretty delicious. Here's what happened this time around:


The Not-Quite-On-The-Border Chicken Tortilla Soup

32 oz. Chicken Broth
3 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
24 oz. Salsa (I choose mild because I'm a wimp)
15 oz. can Diced Tomatoes (Drained)
1 Red Onion
15 oz. can Whole Kernel Corn (Drained)
1 Squash
1 Zucchini
3/4 cup uncooked Rice
Shredded Mexican Cheese
Avocado

 
Step One: Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium heat in a large pot.


 
Step Two: While waiting on broth to boil, chop your fresh veggies...I was bawling with the onions so good luck, even my SlapChop was no match to the fumes! Set aside the veggies for now. 

 
Step Three: When broth boils, add chicken breasts, lower to Medium-Low heat and let simmer until chicken cooked through.

 
Step Four: Remove cooked chicken from broth and cut into pieces...if you know how to shred have at it!
 
 
Step Five: Add salsa, tomatoes, and onions to broth and simmer for 15 minutes.
 



 
Step Six: Add corn to broth mixture and continue simmering for more 15 minutes.

 
Step Seven: Add sliced(shredded) chicken, squash, zucchini, and rice to broth mixture and simmer all ingredients for 30 minutes, or until veggies and rice are tender.
 
 
Step Eight: Serve in a adorable black zebra bowl (or your choice of dish) and sprinkle cheese on top! Unfortunately Wal-Mart was lacking any ripe avocados so I'll have to wait until my leftovers to enjoy any of that in the soup.
 

It was REALLY good, and made a TON. So I shall be having soup leftovers for a few days:) Good for the diet I suppose. Like I said I am going to tweak the recipe and I'll post whatever changes I make. I know for sure I am going to only use half the squash and half the zucchini next time. There wasn't enough broth to cover it all so it was more time consuming on the final simmer.


And I'm going to add tortilla strips. DIET BE DAMNED!
 

Thursday, April 11, 2013

VoluntEaring

My arms are getting stiffer and stiffer as I type this, so I'm going to try and keep it brief. Got a chance to volunteer out in Balch Springs today. ESPN, Disney, and a ton of volunteers gathered at Woodlands Park, which this morning was nothing more than this:

A muddy vacant lot. We definitely had our work cut out for us. And looking around I had my doubts about it being a one day project.We signed up and got our nametags with different stickers on them that later would divide us in our seperate groups. Luckily I had the smarts to match up with Annette's orange sticker. We got into a group together, with our manly team captain Clay...who was OVERLY joyed to have the loudest in the bunch paired with him. We very quickly changed his mind about us (I think) when we jumped right in!




We were in charge of "The Shader"...which we found out translated into "The Hardest Project Onsite That is Missing Pieces and Got Incorrectly Cut Making Any Idea of Flushing the Wood Perfectly Go Out The Window"...but I can see why "The Shader" would role of the tongue a little easier. But at the end of the day it was going to be a horseshoe shaped bench seating area, shaded and surrounded with different wooden planters. Now I'm no sissy girl...but swinging the mallet and nailing in wood for 7 hours wears a girl out. Luckily I had Annette and Erica to make the day fun...and they had a DJ playing everything from Toby Keith to Michael Jackson.



Josh was the guy in charge of the whole shebang, he was with Ka-Boom who made this whole playground happen. We all did an amazing job and the transformation from muddy vacant lot to stellar playground was amazing.



With my sorer by the second arms and the nagging voice in my head reminding me of my homework due in a few short hours, we dragged our dirty butts out. I can't imagine what it will look like once all the last minute things are finished and kids christen it! I'll update y'all on the ending product when I get a chance to go back. I need to volunteer more! With how busy we were today I didn't have a chance to think about anything else! Which was a great change of pace:)


Oh yeah...I have a sunburn that will turn into a very awful tan line from the work gloves...and I thought my high school band-tanned feet were bad! Blah!

Sunday, April 7, 2013

A Refreshing Refurbish

Nothing is more refreshing to the sole the a weekend away from the "real world". Whatever your version of the "real world" is. Mine is full time job, part time job, 4 classes, and two very needy pups.

The weather (for those not around northeast Texas) was AMAZING yesterday. A true spring day, and I wanted to suck up every second of its beauty. So what else was there to do than to craft out of doors? However, after over an hour browsing my Pinterest feed and searching through the million pins I had no clue what my little heart was set on doing. Luckily fate (ha) stepped in and dropped a beat up looking stool(?) in my lap...or trunk. So I took this very outdated piece of furniture under my wing and did a very easy makeover on it. Now my mother is the proud owner a dual use outdoor coffee table. Ottoman on one side and a chalkboard/beer holder on the other (or tea if you're into that sorta thing).

Before:
 
 
 Step One: Took off hideous faded fabric, removed about 30 staples from wood and scrubbed it all clean.
 
 
 
Step Two: Figured out which side of the wood was less damaged (I could have sanded it down at this point, but there was only one visible scratch on the side I choose, and the paint filled it in nicely). I used Chalkboard Spray Paint and covered on side completely with two coats (allowing to dry maybe 30 minutes in between).
 
Step Three: Washed down base of stool and got rid of any loose old paint or dog fur. (Again I could have taken the time to sand it). Then covered in a dark brown metallic Spray Paint, I'll update later with the actual name, but I unfortunately left my supplies in Tyler. But it covered up any bumps or bruises the piece had previously.
 
****Sorry I didn't get pictures for steps, I'll include pictures of my supplies later****
 
 Step Four: Stapled cushion(foam piece) directly to wood so it wouldn't slide around. Covered with new adorably cute fabric (on sale at Hancock's). Staple gunned in a few choice areas (not too many though, starts to look tacky.


Step Five: Wait until all paint dries. Piece together table....
 Bust out the sidewalk chalk and ENJOY! Figured you can play tic tac toe or let the little ones just draw on it. We don't have a really good area for sidewalk chalk so this is definitely an idea for a replacement.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

And I Hope It's Someday Soon

Saturday night in means latest Blockbuster previously viewed buys and the internet. Sounds pretty perfect to me:) Got this survery courtesy of CountryGirlzzz tumblr page...it's my current addiction. So enjoy...definitely kept me occupied!

1:Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Closed of course! The boogie man comes from there:/
 2:Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?
No way, that stuff is no bueno to my hair.
 3:Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
Out. My feet usually end up sticking out.You know, to keep my temp nuetral.
 4:Have you ever stolen a street sign before?
No, but I'm still young.
 5:Do you like to use post-it notes?
Little too much, I would sticky everything.
 6:Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?
Ohhhh yeah.
 7:Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?
Bear, hopefully the smell of my dogs would make him think I was one of the animal kingdom
 8:Do you have freckles?
I do, the perks of being an outdoorsy gal
 9:Do you always smile for pictures?
Yes, sometimes it's fake but it's a smile :)
 10:What is your biggest pet peeve?
Having to repeat myself because the other person is only half listening.
 11:Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
Haha all the time!
 12:Have you ever peed in the woods?
Yep, used to go camping with my dad alllll the time.
 13:What about pooped in the woods?
Girls can't talk about such things.
 14:Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing?
If the mood strikes...or a song is stuck in my head and no one's around :P
 15:Do you chew your pens and pencils?
Pens yes, Pencils are disgusting and I do not use them,
 16:How many people have you slept with this week?
The big slut that I am haha None.
 17:What size is your bed?
Queen, and I enjoy every inch or it!!
 18:What is your Song of the week?
"The Falling" by Eli Young Band
It ain't the falling in love I'm scared of, it ain't the moonlight shining in
Your eyes, it ain't the falling baby cuz the Fallin' I've always liked.
I'm good at being lonely, Lonely's all I got
It ain't the Fallin' in love That'll kill me, it's the sudden stop.

 19:Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
Definitely, specially button ups...so sexy
 20:Do you still watch cartoons?
Disney Movies never go outta style. Also secret Family Guy addiction
 21:Whats your least favorite movie?
American Psycho....he kills a dog and a kitten!!!! WTF Hollywood!?!
 22:Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?
I'll never tell.
 23:What do you drink with dinner?
Diet Pepsi....or wine...
 24:What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
Nothing usually, but when the mood strikes Honey Mustard
 25:What is your favorite food?
Steak. Big, juicy, tender, bloody Steak *drools*
 26:What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
Pride and Prejudice
 27:Last person you kissed/kissed you?
This pretty awesome country boy. And I would do it again!
 28:Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
I was a Brownie...kinda the same thing.
 29:Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
No, my daddy would kill me after he killed me....after killing me.
 30:When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
Love note to an Ex-Boyfriend. Aww...memories.
 31:Can you change the oil on a car?
Nope.
 32:Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Two...but worked them off...what? I was seventeen!
 33:Ever ran out of gas?
Haha yes, thank god for Cristina
 34:Favorite kind of sandwich?
Grilled Cheese or PB&J...food of my childhood.
 35:Best thing to eat for breakfast?
Eggs and Sausage
 36:What is your usual bedtime?
10ish...I'm an old lady
 37:Are you lazy?
I definitely have my moments, but I get bored WAY too easy.
 38:When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?
So many things: Bumble Bee, Dalmation, Pochontas, Belle, Genie, Spice Girl
39:What is your Chinese astrological sign?
Snake I think
 40:How many languages can you speak?
One and 1/8....I'm okay at French
 41:Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
No, I don't check my mail half the time
 42:Which are better legos or lincoln logs?
Legos hands down, I liked the BIG ones from childhood...these new fancy things are getting ridiculous.
 43:Are you stubborn?
God yes.
 44:Who is better…Leno or Letterman?
Leno from those two choices...but I really like Jimmy Fallon
 45:Ever watch soap operas?
Nope.
 46:Are you afraid of heights?
Step Ladder/Second Story HeightsYes. Rollercoaster/Mountain Heights No.
 47:Do you sing in the car?
When I know no one can see me
 48:Do you sing in the shower?
No. My neighbors suck at life.
 49:Do you dance in the car?
When I sing (see above)
 50:Ever used a gun?
No...I really want to learn though.
 51:Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
With the family a few years ago.
 52:Do you think musicals are cheesy?
Of course...but I LOVE cheesy :D
 53:Is Christmas stressful?
Not at all! I get to be with the family, nothing stressful about that.
 54:Ever eat a pierogi?
I'm Polish for Pete's Sake, I COOK pierogis!!!!
 55:Favorite type of fruit pie?
My Bamma's apple pie, from her apple tree.
 56:Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
A Vet for a very very long time.
 57:Do you believe in ghosts?
Not ghosts necessarily but spirits.
 58:Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?
Yes! They freak me out.
 59:Take a vitamin daily?
No, I have some...just the whole everyday thing is hard to remember.
 60:Wear slippers?
No, I am ALWAYS barefoot in my house.
 61:Wear a bath robe?
No, I air dry.
 62:What do you wear to bed?
T-shirt and under things
 63:First concert?
Spice Girls
 64:Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?
Target mostly...but when I'm feeling cheap Wal-Mart fo sho.
 65:Nike or Adidas?
Adidas
 66:Cheetos Or Fritos?
Cheetos
67:Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?
Cashews
 68:Ever hear of the group Tres Bien?
No...has anyone?
 69:Ever take dance lessons?
Tap and Ballet as a kid, now I wanna learn to Country Dance!
 70:Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?
Something in a uniform...Firefighter, Cop, Military Man...I'm not picky!
 71:Can you curl your tongue?
Yeth.
 72:Ever won a spelling bee?
Definitely not, English is not a strong ability of mine.
 73:Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
Definitely
 74:Own any record albums?
I do have some, but nothing to play them!
 75:Own a record player?
Refer to previous question.
 76:Regularly burn incense?
I went through my awkward middle school stage, but no. Scentsy all day long.
 77:Ever been in love?
Oh yeah. Ouch.
 78:Who would you like to see in concert?
Chris Young again! Luke Bryan or Jason Aldean would be cool too.
 79:What was the last concert you saw?
Chris Young *sigh* be still my beating heart.
 80:Hot tea or cold tea?
Neither, that's one southern trait I did not inherit.
 81:Tea or coffee?
Coffee...every day!
 82:Sugar or snickerdoodles?
Peanut Butter
 83:Can you swim well?
Oh yea, favorite past time!
 84:Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?
Not succesfully but if I concentrate I'm sure I could.
 85:Are you patient?
Not even slightly.
 86:DJ or band, at a wedding?
DJ, I want a lot of differnt music...
 87:Ever won a contest?
Proably
 88:Ever have plastic surgery?
Nope and I never would! I love me too much.
 89:Which are better black or green olives?
Eww neither! Olives suck at life.
 90:Can you knit or crochet?
Crochet kind of.
 91:Best room for a fireplace?
The wall between Master Bath and Bedroom
 92:Do you want to get married?
Oh yea:)
 93:If married, how long have you been married?
n/a
 94:Who was your HS crush?
Oh there were a few...I was boy crazy.
 95:Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?
Not since I was a child.
 96:Do you have kids?
Nope...unless dogs count
 97:Do you want kids?
Definitely, but that's not an issue right now.
 98:Whats your favorite color?
Brown and Pink...weird right?
 99:Do you miss anyone right now?
Refer to number 27:(

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Trading in Nick Carter for Chris Young

 
I have (finally) succeeded in seeing my current country obsession in concert last night. Honestly from the moment I heard his voice I was hooked, he has this growl that just sends shivers down my spine and he sounded just as good live. The only thing to compare my excitement in the days leading up to last night would be the excitement I had to see Backstreet Boys perform back in the 90's. Of course my twenty-three year old self toned down the melodramatic squeals and caffeine induced stooper, and instead swapped these for "single lady" woes and a mellow tipsy off Amaretto Sours. Either way Chris managed to rock my world at Winstar, and even though I'm down $10 from playing the slots, he managed to pull me out of the blues I've been traveling in for awhile.

 
 
And while I wish I could've heard my favorite song, he did play something off his new record which I'm on pins and needles waiting for. But none the less I'm going to share my favorite lyrics:
 
Center of My World
My whole life changed the moment I met you
And here we are like Heaven only knew
There could be ten thousand people fillin’ up this room
But in my mind, far as I’m concerned, it’s just me and you

White Lighting Hit the Family Tree
Well cousin Johnny was a gator
Jimmy was a UT fan
And that football talk
was quickly gettin out of hand
Granny told Uncle Dave that she hated his guts
Got right up in his face said, your whole famn damily's nuts
Chicken legs got to flyin'
And the whoop started hittin' the fan


I'm also completely in love with his two cover songs "Rose in Paradise (Feat. Willie Nelson)" and "Rainy Night in Georgia".




Okay, I might have let a few squeals out.