Our Simple Life

It's Red Hot!!!

2011-12-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

I had to post this recipe in time for all of your holiday parties you may be hosting! It's a really good apple cider that my principal made last week! I couldn't get enough!Red Hot Apple Cider2 quarts apple juice2 cups red hots- the tiny little candies, not the cinnamon disksUsing a coffee pot, put the red hots where you would normally add your coffee and make sure to use a filter. Pour the apple juice in like you would add your water. Brew! You will absolutely love that you made this yummy treat!Now, I halved the recipe and did make it in my coffee pot, because well I don't have one anymore since I got my Keurig. I just used the stove top to heat the juice to a boil and added the red hots and stirred like crazy until they melted. Let me know if you try this out!

Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

2011-12-07T18:24:00.001-06:00

I have been tweeting about my Random Acts of Christmas Kindness and my attempt to do 25 things this month. I've been asked about my method and what all I'm doing so here is my schedule and how I went about things.

I started off creating a list of people that I deal with each day. Everyone from the crossing guard at work to the Salvation Army bell ringer made the final cut! Then I created a numerical list 1-25 and made my notes of kindness that I would do each day.

1. Take Ms. Joy (the crossing guard) breakfast.
2. Buy coffee for the person behind me in line at Starbucks
3. Pump gas for someone while they sit in their car
4. Buy the Salvation Army bell ringer a cup of hot cocoa
5. Deliver homemade cookies to the neighbors
6. Send cookies/treats to T's coworkers
7. Order pizza for the neighbors- I know they have lots going on Wednesdays so I thought it would be helpful to already have dinner ready for her. She was very thankful!
8. Send my brother who lives in Tennessee a box of his favorite cupcakes from a local bakery
9. Drop off a few poinsettias for the lady at the post office
10. Take donuts to a friend
11. Tape a dollar to the front of the coke machine at work- I have done this before and it always makes someone's day
12. Leave candy canes and holiday cards on the cars in the parking lot at the grocery store
13. Adopt a family/child for Christmas. We do this every year and I love it!
14. Drop off hot cocoa for the kids who wait at the bus stop in the morning
15. Leave holiday books in the play area at the mall
16. Make Christmas treats for my volunteer moms at school
17. Make a donation to the animal shelter.
18. Leave a gift for the mailman in the mailbox
19. Take my husband's car to work today have it washed on the way home! (yes, I have to work on this day and he doesn't)
20. Take Christmas treats to the nursing home
21. Meet our pool man outside with a cup of coffee and breakfast- he always comes early and I'm never home to do anything for him.
22. Clean out our closets and make a donation to Helping Hands
23. Hand out Starbucks gift cards to people in line. Just a fun twist on buying someone coffee!
24. Deliver Christmas treats to people working late on Christmas Eve. (drugstore, gas station, etc.)
25. Deliver treats to the hospital employees who have to work on Christmas day.

I'd love to hear any other ideas you may have! Hope you have fun speading Christmas kindness and cheer!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-01T11:10:00.002-06:00

I found this 20 questions survey on something a while back and thought it would be fun to post it on the blog. Feel free to copy it to your blog and let me know so I can see how your answers compare to mine!

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Since I’m not really an egg person unless it’s in a cake plus I only eat the white actually if it’s cooked. I’m just gonna go with hot chocolate. I love to drink hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and some sprinkles. However, I’d prefer caramel apple cider any day or my favorite Espresso Truffle (hot cocoa with a shot of espresso)!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Wrapped of course, unless they are too big to wrap, then they need to be hidden. I love a good surprise!

3. Colored lights or white? Just a personal preference but I prefer the white.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No - but I might this year.

5. When do you decorate for Christmas? As soon as I can! Usually the day after Thanksgiving but I love Christmas so much and since we are on the go so much, I often don’t get to enjoy my decorations so I would love to decorate November 1 if my husband would let me. He doesn’t like to rush the holidays!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish, excluding dessert? I love when my mom makes a pumpkin roll. However, I guess that is considered a dessert but it has pumpkin in it! I also love my Aunt Jan’s macaroni and cheese. It’s very different than what you are probably used to.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Probably spending Christmas at my grandparent’s house. We would always go over there on Christmas Eve and open gifts right at 6:00. My Nanny is German and that was a tradition that they had when she was growing up so we stuck with it. Christmas morning we would open gifts from Santa as soon as I woke everyone up bright and early then we would head back to my grandparent’s house for lunch!

8. When and how, did you learn the truth about Santa? What? Santa isn't real? He's still bringing me presents.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Since I have grown up and gotten my own house, I like to have themed trees. The first year we lived in our house I put up 2 trees, it was a beating and I said never again. I do have one main tree in the family room that is decorated in gold and brown and animal prints. I also have smaller trees all throughout my house that are decorated with sentimental ornaments.

11. Snow. Love it or hate it? LOVE IT - but I don't want to have to drive in it.

12. Can you ice skate? Really slowly holding on to the wall. :-)

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Gosh, there have been so many favorites throughout the years. I can’t really narrow it down to one.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Spending time with family and remembering why we are celebrating. I'd also say that I'd rather find ways to help others or give to the needy more than I enjoy receiving gifts. I think this time of year helps you to remember how very blessed we are.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Chocolate delight. What’s better than chocolate, cream cheese, pecans and cool whip?

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Heading to church on Christmas Eve for the candle light service. That is my favorite service of the year!
17. What tops your tree? A bunch of glittery sticks and stuff.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Definitely giving. I love finding just the right gift for someone and truly surprising them!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? I have SO many I don't know if I can name just one but I guess I would chose Silent Night. I remember singing this when I was a kid at our church Christmas program.

20. Candy canes. Yuck or yum? Yummy! I love peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks and peppermint ice cream! Plus, Bob’s peppermint candy is the BEST!

Helping Out Society

2011-11-30T11:46:00.000-06:00

Over the Thanksgiving break, we went out and did a little shopping. We ran across this adorable little coffee shop and stopped in for a treat. Next door to the shop was the cutest little bakery, Society Bakery to be exact. Apparently, the bakery is well known and was even voted Top 10 Cupcakes by The Ellen Degeneres show. Well, we had the gluten free brownie and a chocolate chip cookie. Both were absolutely incredible. I didn't really want the gluten free brownie but the sales lady who happened to be the owner's mother, convinced us that it was really the best thing under the counter. I believe she was absolutely right! The cookie was amazing but that brownie...Oh My!!! It was to die for! So if you are ever in the area, stop by Society Bakery and help yourself to a treat. One thing that I also love about this bakery is that they donate back to the community. I will definitely be stopping in to help out society and my sweet tooth!

Staple Item

2011-11-29T11:45:00.000-06:00

I think everyone has that one staple wardrobe item that they could wear with anything and everything. I have found my fall/winter staple this season and I have just fallen in love with these.

I was in desperate need of a new pair of boots for the fall and after many hours of searching and trying on and trying to figure out what pair looked just right and felt great, I decided on these. I have two pair of Frye boots in my closet that I have had for roughly 10 years and they still look wonderful so I knew the brand was great but I wasn't 100% sold on the style. I tweeted about them and received some great comments on how well they would look with jeans and dresses/skirts so I knew I could dress them up or go more casual with them. I've had them for a couple of months now and have worn them every chance I have had. In fact, I love them so much, I went and got a black pair too!

It's What You Have To Do Sometimes

2011-11-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

I have always enjoyed the Real Housewives shows. I like them all..Orange County, New York, Beverly Hills, New Jersey so basically if it says housewives in the title, I probably have it on my DVR. Well, I watched RHofNY and Bethany kind of stuck with me so I watched Bethany Ever After too. I decided to go out in search of her Skinny Girl margarita and found it and liked it. Then I heard that there were two more in the Skinny Girl line that I needed to try. Before the Amica Gala, we all met the night before to decorate and set up the ballroom and we each brought snacks and wine to share. I brought the white cranberry cosmo and sangria. They are equally as yummy as the margarita and maybe even a tad better. I think I've found some new favorite beverages!

Mud Pie!

2011-11-27T10:56:00.000-06:00

My friends on Twitter have always talked about Mud Pie and I have seen these cute baby things in stores and have even bought some for gifts. However, I have always been thinking about what my first Mud Pie purchase would be for myself and I actually got something recently that is absolutely perfect. Here it is...Santa Paws by Mud Pie

Maggie has her very own Santa Claus collar courtesy of Mud Pie. I'm happy and so is she!

Deck the Halls

2011-11-26T10:50:00.000-06:00

As much as I love Thanksgiving, I also love when it's over because that means I can decorate for Christmas! I actually cheated a bit this year and got my tree up earlier in the week. It's just nice to get it done while I'm off during the week and not have to stress about getting it finished the day before I go back to work. Growing up, we always decorated the day after Thanksgiving but since I've been on my own, I always have slowly started putting up my decor inside during the week of Thanksgiving. I think I can enjoy Thanksgiving and my Christmas decorations all at the same time! Here is a sneak preview of my decorations. I'll be back later on with more detailed pictures!

Black Friday

2011-11-25T04:45:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I know our Thanksgiving was wonderful. I got to spend time with my niece who is expecting her little boy in April. I can't wait to hold that sweet baby and spoil him. I also ate and ate and ate but luckily for me, I will be working it off really soon. I'm about to head out for some Black Friday shopping. I have no idea what I'm looking for but I just love the rush of getting up early and heading out to find that awesome deal. I do not camp out in front of stores like I've seen other people do though. A lady and her mother and little boy have been camping out in front of Be$t Buy since Monday here in Dallas. That is just crazy to me! I don't think there is any deal worth that but maybe there is! Well good luck to all of you who are fighting the crowds, I hope you end up with some great finds!

Christmas Photo Shoot Sneak Peek

2011-11-24T19:19:00.007-06:00

We set out after Thanksgiving lunch for my step dad to take a few pictures for our Christmas cards. We toured my parents neighborhood and I think we ended up with some great shots given the short amount of time we had and the fact that we all were freezing! Here are a few shots from today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:40:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. I love the no pressure to have the right gift or send the perfect card. I love that we just can enjoy each other's company and eat some awesome food. I have hosted Thanksgiving once. I decided it was way too much for me. I will now stick with making some yummy sides and going to my parents and in laws for lunch and dinner. Thanks to blogs and Pinterest, I've found some great recipes that I have tried out over the year and I'm actually taking some for lunch/dinner today. However, I'm also sticking to some family favorites and traditional dishes that we have always had. I'm including a recipe for one of my favorite family traditional dishes that we usually have at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This is my Aunt Jan's famous, well almost, baked mac and cheese. It's very different from your traditional creamy mac and cheese but it's equally as good.

Aunt Jan's Macaroni and Cheese
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 egg, beaten
1 large can evaporated milk
12 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil macaroni until al dente but do not drain (this is important). Meanwhile, grate cheese. Combine milk and beaten egg and add cooked macaroni. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add cheese and mix well. The mixture should be incredibly soupy, if it is not, add water from pasta. Bake for 30 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Enjoy!

Well, Well, Well

2011-11-23T10:31:00.002-06:00

After a few of my twitter friends and a few emails and even some real life friends begged and pleaded for some new posts, I have finally made room on my crazy busy schedule to blog a bit. So, here you have it, words from the wise!!! Ha!!!

What I have been up to in the past month...apparently taking tons of iPhone pictures. I had 637 pictures to download before I could blog. I will not post them all or maybe I won't post any of them. Many of them are school stuff that I'm sure no one cares to see but it's things that I wanted to remember. Also, there are several Pinterest projects and ideas that I took screen shots of because that app dislikes me...alot! If I take a screen shot, I can easily go back to it without having to fight that app to work. Anyone else have this problem?

Other than that, I've just been working. Working at school, working at home and working on all kinds of junk. I've been told I have a hobby in every room of the house! Which unfortunately is a little bit true.

I plan to do a little more blogging. I haven't blogged much because I don't bring my laptop home from work very much anymore because it's on it's last leg. It makes a horrible noise and I've been told to back it up because it may go out at any time. Awesome!

So, I'm hoping to blog as much as I can from my iPad and we shall see how well that works! Thanks for sticking around through my many weeks of no words!

Christmas Time Is Here...

2011-10-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

Okay well not quite yet but almost! Christmas decor is out at many stores. I think Hobby Lobby had their items out in July! I went to Hallmark recently to pick up a few things and saw these...

They are a wireless Peanuts band. Each character will be released at different times and each plays a different instrument and 2 different songs which means you get a total of 8 songs. How it works is, you press a button on one character and it will begin playing and then the others chime in. It is so cute! I should have taken a video of the whole band. I have my first character and am anxiously awaiting the rest. I have my calendar marked for the premiere dates so I can go pick mine up! I love Christmas time!

Happy 32nd

2011-10-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

Well it's official. I am now 32. My birthday weekend started off nicely. At school on Friday I got several nice gifts from my students including 2 beautiful flower arrangements. Friday night we went to T's parents house and had dinner and cake. I also opened up gifts, including the one that was in this bag.

I ended up with a Keurig from the in laws which I am so thankful for. I have already used the heck out of that thing!
Okay, I got several tweets about what was in the bag. I opened the bag and inside was a box then a another bag and this was the beauty inside all of that!

I am very happy about having a new handbag and can't wait to pair it with some great fall outfits I've been pinning!
So, Saturday morning, my actual birthday, I got up and got ready to take this little girl to the vet for her weekly shot.

Then we went to my mom's and had lunch out with her and ran a few errands. I was actually suffering from a horrible headache so we headed back home so I could nap. I ended up napping for almost 3 hours! I did finally wake up in time to go and grab some dinner at a local Italian spot. I had the manicotti and it was so good! Afterwards we made a trip to Home Depot so I could get some hooks for a project at school. We made it back home to catch the last few innings of the baseball game! I got the best gift ever...the Rangers are headed to the World Series for the second year in a row!!!! I'm totally thinking they are gonna win it all this year! It's a great time to be a sports fan in Dallas, well except for the Cowboys!

5 Senses- Teacher's Post

2011-10-16T18:30:00.000-05:00

So, this post is for my teacher friends. Recently, our Kindergartners participated in a culminating activity for 5 senses. This day is filled with various stations that the children can participate in. We block off the library and the hallway and recruit parent volunteers to run the stations. This day is the brain child of our team leader.
I can't remember all of the stations but a few were:
tongue tasting- students tasted salty, sweet, bitter and sour items
salt/sugar tasting
playdough- we used koolaid scented playdough
extract smells- we used different extracts and the students had to identify them
texture collage- various items pasted on a sheet of construction paper
sidewalk paint- made from cornstarch
colorblindness testing- done on the computer
walk the line- use binoculars to walk a tape line
koolaid painting- koolaid and elmers glue
glurch- elmers glue and liquid starch
sound shakers- film canisters filled with different items and students have to match the sounds
listening bingo
make a kazoo using toilet paper tubes
tasting white foods
smelling vegetables
smelling fruits
hide and seek with items on a tray
sight shoe boxes
tin can telephones
mystery bags

If you want details on these activities, feel free to email me.

Happy Birthday Big Brother!

2011-10-10T17:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my big brother!

We have had our ups and downs. We have seen each other through good times and rough ones too. We have had times where we were the best of friends and others when we couldn't be in the same room together. However, we have gotten through it all together and I want you to know that you are one of my best friends and I hope today is a fantastic day for you!
Just a note, my brother despises the camera! These are the most recent pictures I have of us together- and they are almost 7 years old! Yikes! We have both changed a lot since these pictures!

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-09-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

Today's Top Ten is all over the place. I can't think straight...it could be the 20 kindergartners that have taken over my life the past four weeks! I have thought about lots of things so here it is...the top ten things on my mind!

1.School- I live there so it should be on my mind.
2. Dinner- I am trying to come up with new things to cook, especially in the crock pot. I love coming home to dinner already made.
3. Shopping- my birthday is coming up next month so I'm creating my list.
4. Working out- I used to work out with a neighbor but that went downhill so now I'm trying to find something to keep me motivated.
5. Housework- I need a housekeeper...the end.
6. Laundry- does this ever end? I love the 20 seconds a day when ALL of the laundry is done!
7. Christmas- I went to Hobby Lobby in July and they had their Christmas stuff out. I may have bought a little something :)
8. The State Fair- I love the fair. We get an entire school day off just to attend along with a free ticket! Hello corny dogs and fried snickers- see why I need to workout!
9. Sewing- I have several friends who have asked me to work on some projects for them and I just need to sit down and do it.
10. Friends and Fun- I need a day to hang out with my friends and do some of the things on this list. I miss my friends!

Shake, Shake, Shake it up!

2011-08-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

I usually eat a fairly good breakfast each morning but sometimes I run late and don't have time to make my egg white omelet! So, a few weeks ago I discovered something pretty yummy, Almond Milk! So, I added a few items and made myself a quick breakfast!

Almond Milk Shake
2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup almond milk- I use vanilla flavored
1 cup frozen strawberries

Blend and enjoy! It's full of protein so it will keep you fuller longer and it's low fat!

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I would like to take a minute and wish my BFF Lisa a very Happy Birthday!

Lisa and I became friends when I had her son in my class a few years ago. She is the most generous, kind and considerate person I know. She would do anything for you and make sure you had what you needed even if she had to do without. Lisa is the type of friend that would drop whatever she was doing to come and help you. She is an excellent cook. I can't count how many times I would get a text to come over and share her latest creation. Freshly baked bread, yummy cakes and delicious brisket are all part of my days at Lisa's.

Lisa- I hope you have the best birthday ever! You are truly the most wonderful person ever and I appreciate your friendship! Hope you have an awesome day! Love ya!

Top Ten Tuesday- School!

2011-08-16T16:29:00.002-05:00

This week's top ten is all about School! I started back last Friday, yes teachers went back on a Friday...I only follow the rules, I don't make them, well not that one. So here are my top ten favorite things about school!

1. New supplies! I love the smell of crayons!
2. My class list- I love seeing the names of my new friends!
3. School lunch. While I may steer clear of the mystery meat, I love the squash casserole and mac and cheese!
4. Being on a schedule- I crave schedules and timelines!
5. New clothes- there is just something about school clothes that makes me smile!
6. Fun spirit nights- hello Chick-fil-A spirit night!
7. Friday after school meetings- Happy Hour with the girls!
8. Reading, Writing, Math- I love seeing my friends learn and knowing I taught them, makes it that much more special!
9. Lesson planning- believe it or not, I love to write lesson plans and create new ideas on how to teach something pretty boring!
10. Fall! When school starts, I know fall is just around the corner!

Make Me Over

2011-08-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks ago, I got an email from Becky Branch letting me know that I won a makeover! I went yesterday morning and got treated like a queen! I had my hair colored and cut and my makeup done. I wanted something a little shorter and more sophisticated. I also decided that I wanted to go back to my natural color. So, here is the finished product minus the lipstick (I forgot to take a picture when I got home and had a snack)...

I'm not sold on the cut/style just yet. I think it'll take me a few days and once or twice of doing it on my own before I like it completely. Either way, I appreciated the opportunity and the little relaxing afternoon before school gets underway!

Top Ten Tuesday- Places To Go

2011-08-09T17:56:00.002-05:00

I'm back with another Top Ten Tuesday. Today's top 10 is about places I like to go. Some of these places are my local stops and others are favorite vacation spots!

1. Target- no explanation needed;)
2. Chick-fil-A It's next to Target and they know me by name
3. Hobby Lobby- if they don't have it, Target probably does
4. Alaska. We did a cruise last summer and are planning our next trip!
5. Hilton Head, SC- my family is there and I love the beach any time of year
6. Work- I know, I know! I do love my job most of the time. I could handle less paperwork some days but I love seeing my friends learning new things!
7. Sporting events. Nothing beats the atmosphere of a sports event. I'm lucky to have a good friend with great seats to several teams so I get to go pretty often.
8. Chiloso- it's a great little Mexican restaurant here in DFW. I love it! They have the best tacos and tortilla soup!
9. Farmer's Markets- I love to get my fruits and vegetables from the market. It's always so fresh and taste wonderful!
10. Bakery- any bakery really. I love a good cookie or cake that I don't have to make, even though I love to bake!

Top 10 Tuesday

2011-08-02T15:01:00.000-05:00

When I was in high school, my best friend moved away and back then we used to write letters to one another and I always looked forward to reading her top 10 list just as much as she probably looked forward to mine. So, I'm bringing back the top 10 list this week. Hopefully it'll make me blog a bit more...even if it's just on Tuesdays!

So, feel free to join in on the fun and list your Top Ten Favorite Time Wasters! I would totally make a linky thing but I haven't figured out how.

1.Blog stalking- I enjoy reading about other people and their lives...you could say
I'm a bit nosey!
2.TV Watching- I love most reality shows (Big Brother, Survivor, Jersey Shore, etc),
especially if it includes the word "wives" in the title. Housewives of wherever,
Basketball Wives, Desperate
Housewives...you get the picture
3. A good afternoon nap
4. 2 words..Celebrity Gossip
5. Baking and cooking
6. House Hunting- No, we aren't moving, I just like looking for new decorating ideas
and future house plans.
7. Reading- I love to a good book especially those by Nicholas Sparks!
8. Pinterest- my newest addiction
9. Twitter
10. Hanging out with my family and my babies!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-08-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

After a pretty busy week and weekend, I am now working on putting together some meals that I can freeze the leftovers for use during the first couple of weeks when school starts back when things are 12 kinds of crazy! So, here is what we will be having this week.

Monday: Pasta Primavera with grilled chicken
Tuesday: Baked potatoes with chipotle barbeque
Wednesday: Turkey Chili- crockpot love
Thursday: Barbeque meatballs, mashed potatoes and a vegetable
Friday: homemade pizza
Saturday: Rangers game night!!! Nothing beats a hot dog at the ball park!

What are some meals that your family loves?

When It Rains

2011-07-19T07:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was just one of those days. It started out okay but got progressively worse as the day went on. I had what I thought was going to be a quick orthodontist appointment and usually they are about 10 minutes, this one was half an hour at least. I left there and made my way to the car dealership to get the oil changed in my car. That took an hour and half seriously. It was past lunch time and I was so hungry. The dealership has fresh cookies and a soda and tea bar but I am trying to be better at what I'm eating so I ate the strawberries I had packed but they didn't fill me up. I had plans to meet a friend for lunch but had to change plans since it was way past lunch time when I left the dealership. Then I finally make it home and decide to catch up on some chores. I started laundry and then filled the dryer only to find that the breaker had flipped. I went out to see what was going on and discovered the breaker is broken. So, this morning I sit with a washer full of wet clothes, a dryer full of wet clothes and myself on a search for an electrician. Today has to be better...right?

TipToe Through the Tulips

2011-07-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

My Mom and step dad came over Monday to help me plant some flowers in my front bed since I haven't been able to get anything to grow there. They purchased several flats from their favorite nursery and brought them over. We pulled up all of the existing plants or really what was left of them and then Larry and I headed over to my local nursery to purchase some compost and some more plants. We started about 9:00 on this project and were finished about 1:45. However, we worked in extremely hot conditions (it was 104 degrees) so we took a few water breaks! The pictures aren't the best but you can see that we put out lots of plants. I love that you can see both Maggie (on the right) and Ham (on the left) looking through the window in this picture!

I now have beautiful lillies!

After all of our hard work, I just hope these plants survive!

You Are My Sunshine

2011-07-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

I got to visit my Nanny while I was at home. She recently fell and broke her shoulder and arm but is doing so much better. She was so excited to see me and even more excited for me to take her out on a little drive. She quit driving recently so a chance to get out of the house was super nice for her.

My Nanny always called me her sunshine and I can say now, she is mine! I love her so much and I hate that I am so far away and can't visit her more often. She always makes me feel special when I talk to her and I know she is proud of who I have become. I Love You Nanny!

Wash, Dry, Repeat

2011-07-12T18:22:00.005-05:00

So I got back in town and got the news that we had to get a new washer and dryer. We technically only needed the dryer but knew the washer wasn't doing too well either so we went ahead and got the set. The delivery crew called this morning and told me they would arrive between 1-3 so I finished up some chores and decided to nap since I had a headache. I am pretty sure my eyes had not even shut and the delivery guys were banging on my door 30 minutes early. We haven't ever had a delivery/repair service show up on time or early, we are usually the last ones. So they brought in an installed these beauties.

I really wanted front loaders but I had my parents install cabinets in my laundry room last summer and front loaders wouldn't fit. Also, all the research that I have done says that while they do use less water, they have had many complaints about mold and mildew so I decided I really didn't want those problems! The new machines have been running non stop this afternoon. I think I've done 4 loads which is a lot for 2 people. Plus, I didn't bring any laundry back from my trip cause I did it all before I left my grandmas. Good planning on my part I think! Now comes the chore I am not fond of...putting all the laundry away! Ick!

Have You Seen These?

2011-07-09T09:13:00.000-05:00

Not sure if I'm behind in times or what but on my SC vacation I recently discovered these fun shoes called snapshoes. They are by Lindsay Phillips and are basically shoes that can have the snaps changed to change the whole look of the shoe or you can purchase the Switch Flops which you can change out the strap of the flip flop to develop a whole new look. I purchased the wedges in a white gold color and so far, I'm very happy! I can't wait to find some more snaps to match different things. Plus, I'm ordering the black wedges too but shhh...don't let my husband know!

I'll Be Seeing You

2011-07-08T09:42:00.001-05:00

My trip to my second home was nice and I have to admit I shed a few tears as I left the driveway and headed out. I love the time I get to spend with my Aunt Jan, Uncle Hal, Chandler and Halee. I just wish the time didn't go so quickly when I am there. Chandler and I spent lots of time together Wednesday since everyone else was heading out of town- more to come on that! We went downtown to a wine tasting, did a little shopping and hit up our favorite spot, The Chocolate Tree. We also stayed up super late and put together a puzzle that seemed to have a million pieces. Those are the memories that I'll always treasure. I have the best cousins in the world and those two girls are more than just my favorite cousins, they are my best friends!

Frogmore Stew

2011-07-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

I tweeted this picture Saturday night and got many comments about it so I thought I should share the recipe here.

Frogmore Stew is a dish that is very popular in South Carolina. Frogmore is actually a little town where this dish is known to originate from. Frogmore Stew is an easy dish that will feed many people and is so, so, so good! Let me know if you try it!

Frogmore Stew
6 quarts water
3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
2 pounds new red potatoes
2 pounds hot smoked sausage links, cut into 2 inch pieces
12 ears corn - husked, cleaned and quartered
4 pounds large fresh shrimp, unpeeled

Directions
Bring water and Old Bay Seasoning to boil in a large stockpot.
Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes more. Add corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes. Drain immediately and serve.

Hanging with the Cousins

2011-07-06T08:08:00.000-05:00

I got to South Carolina Thursday afternoon just as my cousins were coming back from the beach. I was really sad I missed out on that day with them so we decided to go back on Friday.

We took off mid morning Friday with all the beach essentials, peanut butter sandwiches, chips, chocolate chip cookies and kool aid! All of those items remind me of the summers I spent with my family in South Carolina. My aunt would always pack exactly those things whenever we went to the beach so I knew we couldn't break tradition.

We got to the beach about noon and stayed until almost 5:00. We had fun splashing in the waves and laying out in the warm sunshine. All three of us ended up with nice tan lines and memories to last a lifetime!

Chomp, Chomp!

2011-07-05T08:02:00.000-05:00

As you know Amanda and I went to college together and were sorority sisters. Well, I have created many things for her little boy Nicholas since before he was born and lucky for me, Amanda has loved them all. Well, I knew Nicholas was turning one and I would be attending his birthday party so I had to come up with something new for his gift. His family is planning a beach vacation soon so I wanted to do something beach related and for some reason, a gator seemed to be perfect especially since they are planning to visit Florida. So, I sat down and created this little number

I plan to make a few more little shorts and tee's outfits and I'm sure Nicholas will be on the receiving end of several of those!

Miss Stephanie

2011-07-03T07:55:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I don't have any pictures of Miss Stephanie but just think cute and that's her! I wanted to post a little something about her anyway.

In 2005 I came to work for the school district I currently work in and I was asked to host a high school student volunteer to which I happily agreed. Miss Stephanie joined my class that fall and we discovered we had so many things in common and became close friends. She helped my students with work and even taught lessons. I couldn't have completed a lot of projects without her help. At the end of the school year, Miss Stephanie wrote me a very heartfelt note and let me know that although her earlier plans had not included a teaching career, she had now changed her mind and knew that she wanted to make a difference in the lives of children and become a teacher! My heart melted!

Fast forward to 2011. Miss Stephanie has now graduated from college and is having to search for a teaching job in the most difficult time due to recent budget cuts and restrictions. I am hopeful she will get a job and I would love nothing more than to have her teaching right next to me at my school. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she searches for that perfect place and begins a rewarding career!

Off to the Beach!

2011-06-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm off to the beaches of South Carolina this morning. I am going to visit my mom's side of the family for a few days specifically my favorite Aunt, Uncle and cousins. I can't wait to see everyone and spend a few days on the beach soaking up some sun, having the sand between my toes and hearing the waves crashing on the shore.

What are you pinning?

2011-06-29T09:06:00.000-05:00

So, I now have a new addiction...pinterest. Have any of you joined this site? I love it because I can now organize all of my awesome web finds and immediately go to one without having to search through all of my bookmarks. If you are curious, let me know and I'll be happy to send you an invite. But beware, it's quite addictive! Happy Pinning!

A New Place

2011-06-26T09:54:00.005-05:00

I decided to take a trip home to Tennessee for a while. There were several reasons why but one is my grandmother fell and broke her arm and I wanted to be close enough that I could go help her out if she needed it.

Another perk of being home is I get to see old friends from college and high school! I had brunch with my good friends Alisa and Andrea Sunday morning.

Afterwards, I headed to Amanda's house to celebrate little Nicholas' first birthday!

I met up with several old friends and met some new ones too! This a picture of the ADPi sisters that were at the party.

It was a fun weekend and I am looking forward to the rest of my trip being equally as exciting!

Don't Forget about the SALE!

2011-06-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

Don't forget about my blog sale. See the awesome finds below and let me know if you are interested in any of them! Happy Tuesday!

Blog Sale begins NOW

2011-06-13T09:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, here are some items I'm selling from my closet. If you are interested in any of them, please email me at cheaward at sbcglobal dot net All prices include domestic shipping.

Vintage Dooney and Bourke handbag. Like New, barely used! All leather. $70 with shipping.

Ann Taylor Loft dress never worn. Ruffled neckline, fushia color. Size 4. With shipping $45

Cute grey side tie top. Never worn. Size Medium. $30 shipping included.

This skirt is from Ann Taylor Loft. Obviously never worn. Size Small. $35 includes shipping.

The following pants are very silky and again, never worn. I bought them at White House Black Market for $40 on sale and will part with them for $25 which includes shipping. They are size 4 and are from the Legacy line.

This pair of jeans were never worn. They are Grace in LA size 5. With shipping $35

New and Used Blog Sale

2011-06-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

I wanted to give a quick update on what I'm planning to do this week. I am going to host a blog sale. I have many new and gently used (worn once or twice) clothing items and accessories for sale. I hate to let these cute things go to waste so I will be selling them at super ridiculous prices! I will post pictures and prices including shipping beginning Monday. If you are interested in any of the items, you may email me at cheaward at sbcglobal dot net.
Please tweet about the sale and send people my way! I may post some things up tonight as well so be on the lookout!

Brain Dump

2011-06-11T09:47:00.002-05:00

Alright, I seriously need to update more but I really have had quite the boring summer life going on recently.
I have started working out again and I'm really planning to stick to a real diet this time. I get one cheat day a week, yesterday was my day and I tried to live it up but honestly, nothing really sounded good. I had my usual bran cereal for breakfast followed with some Dr. Pepper pork tacos for lunch and then we went out for dinner and I had chicken and dumplings and fried okra with no dessert. I did much on my current favortie chocolate raisins all day though.
As far as what my workout plan contains, it's a lot of cardio. I went with a friend to a week long trial membership at a gym and we tried Zumba and I loved it! I bought the Wii version and did that yesterday. I am so in love with it! I would probably join the gym if they offered Zumba every single day at a time when I could make it in but unfortunately, school will start back soon and I won't be able to go to the gym at 9:30 every morning. So, I'm on the lookout for Zumba classes.
I am getting ready to take a road trip by myself. I am going home to visit some friends and family. I can't wait to finally meet a few friend's babies too!
I am going to try to post more often since my summer plans should start to pick up. I know that no one wants to hear about me waking up, working out and laying by the pool all day every day! Have a great Saturday friends!

Meal Planning Monday

2011-05-09T13:39:00.002-05:00

Monday- steak salad
Tuesday- crock pot roast
Wednesday- Survivor dinner with friends
Thursday- chicken and rice
Friday- ham and cheese roll ups, fresh fruit
Saturday- take out
Sunday- PW spicy dr. pepper pork butt
I'll post the recipes this week.

TAKS!!!

2011-04-28T19:55:00.000-05:00

In Texas, it's state mandated standardized testing time for third graders and up. TAKS is Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. Which means, my 5 and 6 year old friends are cooped up in the classroom for the testing days and have to be super quiet since our class is next door to test takers! We've been in our room with no breaks except for lunch since Tuesday. I'm about to go crazy!!! Good thing teacher appreciation week is next week! Which reminds me, if you have a child who is school age, remember to thank their teacher next week. The treats and surprises are nice but my most treasured gifts are the notes and cards that I receive from parents and students alike about what a difference I have made in their child's life. I have my notes on a blessing ring and I do read them every so often when I need a good pick me up. So, make sure to thank a teacher next week! In fact, I have written letters to some of my former teachers and plan to mail them out so that they know I really appreciate them even now!

A Day at the Dermatologist

2011-04-27T16:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I've had an appointment with the dermatologist since oh August. I originally scheduled my appointment for October then changed it to Christmas break then Spring Break, well, I finally made it to the office and had a unique experience. First let me state, I'm such a needle phobic and can barely stand to look at a needle. So, when I walk in to the office and there laying on the little tray is a needle, I freaked out a bit. I told the nurse that I don't do needles and she let me know that every room has the equipment ready. That was supposed to ease my fears I guess but it didn't. The doctor, who was extremely nice, came in and I showed her my problem areas and she put my fears to rest and said they were all normal things but she would remove them. Eek!!! With a needle? I asked. Yes, she said it would be quick and it was. I didn't even feel it and she stuck me twice! It was afterwards that got me. I was sitting on the table talking to her and out I went. I passed out not once, not twice but three times. When I finally woke up, there were several nurses around me and a cold cloth on my neck. I was mortified! However, now I know what to expect next time I go and I think they do too!

I Think It's Time I Update

2011-04-26T19:37:00.006-05:00

So school has consumed my very existence. I stay late at work every day trying to come up with new ways to keep my crew engaged and teach them a little in the process. I have come up with a whole new routine and changed my classroom around a bit to take advantage of our new schedule. The kids are really loving it and I am too!

See that look on his face. Can't you just tell how excited he is about being in my class? Seriously, I LOVE this kid!
And look at this student's writing. I think she loves her teacher...what do you think?

I've also been doing a little cheering for my Dallas Mavs and the Stars! Courtesy of my friend Lisa who has front row tickets to both Stars and Maverick games. I mean right on the glass for the Stars games. I actually bent my platinum wedding band from banging on the glass so hard! Too bad the Stars didn't go very far in the playoffs. I was hoping for the Stanley Cup. Oh well.

I've also been doing a little eating of these wonderful goodies.

They are genuine cake balls from this little store called the cake ball company here in Dallas. So Yum! I had to go to the dermatologist a few weeks ago and stopped off afterwards for a little treat for being such a good patient. I actually need to blog about that whole experience too. Oh well, next time I guess!

Guess Who?

2011-02-08T20:26:00.002-06:00

Yeah, it's ME!!! I'm back! I am back and ready to blog again. It's been a rough few months and I've had to deal with a lot of things and some of those things I am still dealing with. I just ask for patience and peace and one day, I will reveal everything. But for now, let's catch up shall we?

I guess the last time I blogged was right after my 31st (eek) birthday and I got a nice gift...a new car! I also, went home to visit my friends in Chattanooga which was a blast. It's something about being home that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Now, I didn't really do much but visit friends and just sit and stare at the mountains and take in all the glory that being home brought. It was nice.

November, I spent Thanksgiving here in Texas with my family. It was good.

December, I went home again and actually had the time of my life as I traveled alone and could listen to myself think. I left the day school got out and caught a flight to Atlanta, arrived 9:45pm and drove to South Carolina. I got in town around 2 in the morning at my favorite aunt's house. Then the next day I went to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family. That was fun! Sunday, I hopped in the car and drove all the way to Huntsville, Alabama to surprise my grandmother. That was great. I had coffee with her the next morning and she loaded me up with tons of German goodies, read snacks, cookies and the like. I then spent Monday and Tuesday in Chattanooga and left Tuesday to head back to Dallas via Atlanta airport. That is when things got sketchy. You know how they always tell you to get to the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure...they mean it now with Delta. I got to the airport 2 hours before and when I checked in, they offered me a deal. It sort of went like an auction. Name your price for giving up your seat on this flight and if you are the best bidder, we will give you a voucher for your said amount and you are off. Guess who got lucky? Ding, ding, ding. Yep, me. However, it wasn't just myself. Turns out, 15 of us where booted off the flight for some strange reason. I didn't care though. I earned a free flight, a hotel and 2 meals out of that deal. Score!!! Good thing I always pack spare clothes in my carry on.

January, school is back in session. Nothing new to tell.

February. Oh February. Have I mentioned I live in Texas where the most winter wardrobe one might need is a sweatshirt? Not true this year my friends. We were bombarded with snow days...4 to be exact where the temperatures were in their teens. I stayed in pajamas the entire 4 days. It was colder in Dallas than in Alaska. What? Yeah, well tomorrow, they are calling for more of the white stuff. If only I could go and pick up some students to teach. I need to be in that classroom!!! The only good thing, I can get some laundry done and my house cleaned and catch up on my DVR'd shows, if only I wouldn't have accidently erased all of those. Hmmmm..

Until next time...and I promise it won't be months:) Thanks for hanging in there with me!

I'm Alive!

2010-10-24T14:57:00.002-05:00

I haven't blogged in quite some time and my twitter friends have been asking if I'm okay. Yes, I'm doing okay. My birthday was last week and I had an amazing day/weekend. I'll try to post all about it this week, nothing like being late. I've been a little down lately and I know I'm going to be okay but I have lots of things going on. I know I will be fine eventually and I'm not going into details here until the time is right. I'm just asking for lots of prayer for peace and understanding at this time in my life. Thank you all for being so supportive.

Charity and Advertising Opportunity

2010-10-13T18:59:00.003-05:00

I am priviledged to be a member of Amica, a wonderful organization of 40 women in the Rockwall area who work to give so much to our community. Last year, we gave back over $107,000 to different organizations around the area including Helping Hands, The Rainbow Room and scholarships to high school seniors. One special high school senior had an amazing story that brought me to tears because it mirrored my story. She lost her father in the same way that I lost mine and I couldn't believe how meeting this girl would effect me. I was so happy to put my arms around her and just tell her how much I truly understood. She is actually in college right now to be a teacher.

It's stories like hers and mine that make me realize that all of the work that Amica does for our community is for a great cause. I'm sharing this with you so that you can help. Our annual gala is November 20 where we will have a silent and live auction as well as a casino, dj and other fun events throughout the evening. If you would like to showcase your business by donating an item for the auction, please leave me a comment letting me know your contact information. Or, if you are in the area and would like to attend our 34th annual Denim and Diamonds Gala, please let me know as well! I would love to meet you!

Fall Spruce Up

2010-10-06T06:01:00.000-05:00

I have most of my fall decorations and candles out. I am still waiting for my monogrammed pumpkin to be completed and then my decorations will be complete.
Welcome to our house

I have my cornucopia on my formal dining room table

I found this little luminary recently and I love it

I have pumpkins and my favorite fall candle, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin on our coffee table.

There are also plenty of jars of candy corn around.

My favorite sign graces my pantry door

This is the cute little sign I got at the homeshow last week.

I'm still not sure where I want to display them. Right now, they are in the family room on the end table but I don't think that is where they will stay. The only decoration left is my new monogrammed pumpkin. I will share a picture of it when it gets it's home!

Home Show Shopping

2010-10-05T06:26:00.000-05:00

Lisa and I went to a home show recently at a friend's new house. There were tons of things that I could have totally broke my budget for but I ended up with a couple of shirts and a little Halloween sign. When we first walked in, we had to check out the rules..

I love rule number 3!
One of the shirts I got is this one...

This shirt is definitely my motto. After all, I moved to Texas because my mom was here!
I'll share my Halloween sign that I picked up in my Fall decorating post. It's very cute!

I Scream, You Scream

2010-10-04T06:14:00.000-05:00

We ALL scream for ice cream!! I love ice cream. I could eat it every single day! I don't think there is a bad ice cream. I have recently found the joy of Culver's ice cream. It's actually frozen custard and I think it tastes more like homemade ice cream. The Culver's store in our town has a name of the day thing they do and anyone who has that name gets a free dish of ice cream. Well, last Thursday was my turn...

I stopped in and got my free dish! I tried chocolate this time and it was good but I love the vanilla!

I can't wait to see my name in lights again soon!

Movie Review

2010-10-03T17:04:00.002-05:00

Saturday is usually date night at our house and we again held true to our routine this weekend. We started off by taking my car in Saturday morning for maintenance then hit a few stores while it was being worked on and ordered our newest fall decoration- a monogrammed pumpkin- that I had to fight tooth and nail over the store employees about, another story, another time! Saturday night we went to dinner and decided to go to the late showing of the movie, The Social Network. This movie wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. It was more of a documentary style show. I found myself fidgeting about an hour into it and continuously checking my watch thereafter. It was good to know the background of FB but I don't believe this movie was worth all the hype that it has gotten. I would probably see it again if I was at home in my pjs maybe! Have you seen it? What did you think?

Am I Being Chased?

2010-09-28T06:42:00.005-05:00

Okay, who is watching the new NBC/Jerry Bruckheimer produced show Chase? I love it! But, I have a great reason to, it was filmed in our neighborhood! These pictures are from the house down the street from us. Our neighborhood is growing but there are still lots of empty lots. One of the houses they filmed in was vacant at the time.

The pictures aren't the best I get it but you can see how close we were to the action. One of the directors parked his car in my driveway! I went out at 1am to chat with him! I was hoping to get more information on the stars that were in the neighborhood but not much luck there. I was so disappointed when I found out Jesse Metcalfe was hanging out down the street and this guy wouldn't tell me about it!

Weekend Review

2010-09-27T18:29:00.003-05:00

I usually work late on Fridays because I can manage to get quite a bit done since there isn't anyone for me to get distracted by so this past Friday afternoon, I left work at 6pm and went to Hobby Lobby to pick up a few things. Tom called and told me to pick up dinner so I decided to make it a Subway night. Once I got home, I ate and then settled down to catch up on my DVR that is overflowing with shows. It was nice to know that all of my school chores were done and I could focus on relaxing for one night.
Saturday, we decided to spend the morning at home since it was pouring down rain. I had planned to take my car in to the shop and then hit the State Fair but with the weather, I got to get lots of rest in. The rain was gone around lunch time and Tom and I made plans to got to the movies after we watched some football! Notice who I was cheering for! I had on my Tennessee shirt earlier and it brought them some luck so I was hoping! Anyway, we decided to get a quick dinner at Chick-fil-A and then eat popcorn later. So, we headed on over to my favorite place and guess what?

We were the 100th customer! Free dinner night! (pardon my tired look- this picture was taken after midnight Saturday night and I'm used to being in bed early)
We headed on to the movie and we saw The Town with Ben Affleck. I have to admit that I griped beforehand about going to see it but I take all that back. This was an awesome movie. I would definitely pay full price to go see it again! We then headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things however, when I take Tom with me, it always takes me twice as long at the store and this time was no exception! Hence why our picture above was taken after midnight.
Sunday was a lazy day for me. I did laundry, took naps and did a little baking. I made some delicious desserts. One for Tom to take to work and some sugar cookies for us at home. I'm ready for more lazy fall weekends!

Can You Smell The Fried Food?

2010-09-23T06:37:00.000-05:00

Corny dogs, cotton candy and fried oreos are some of my favorite foods this time of year. It simply means it's time for the State Fair of Texas! I love the State Fair! I love to try all the newest fried foods and check out the exhibits and people watch of course. The fair begins this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. The sad thing is that the newspaper had to put a damper on my food excitement and publish a story about the nutritional contents of their latest fried creations. Oh well, it's one day and I honestly don't think a person could find anything healthy at the fair to eat. I mean, they even have a fried salad this year that has more of a fat content than the fried frito pie!

Schedules

2010-09-22T06:45:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to be more aware of my weekend time at home and not spend it doing things that I don't have to do so I'm working on a house keeping schedule. I have decided that instead of coming home on Thursday nights which is my regular house keeping night, I will do a bit each day so that the whole house is spotless each day. I know this is a good plan but we shall see if I can keep up with it all. What tips can you share with me on how you keep up with the workload?

You Can Find Me In The Club

2010-09-21T18:51:00.002-05:00

Mom and I went to "the club" on Saturday, the sewing club that is.

We were definitely the youngest ladies there! It was fun though! Mom and I sat in the back and made little comments to one another during the entire meeting. It was a great day to just kick back and relax. I bought a new software program that allows me to have many more fonts for monogramming. I'm excited about trying that out. If you are a close friend of mine, be expecting some monogrammed goodies real soon!

Premieres and Finales

2010-09-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

My name is Chea and I'm a tv junkie! I love tv or shall I even say, reality tv. Wednesday night was a sad, sad night at the Ward's. Big Brother was ending. How will I ever survive without 3 nights of sitting on the sofa watching people I don't know vote each other out of a house none of them permanently reside in? I just love that show and have convinced several people that they also need to become fans so that I can talk to someone about my addiction! There was some light at the end of the tunnel though, Survivor started a new season! I'm sure there will also be a few more shows that I will add to the DVR along with my non reality tv line up of Grey's, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives. I also love Top Chef and can't wait to see Top Chef Desserts, anything on Food Network, DWTS, The Bachelor and the list could go on and on but I'll spare you. What are some of your favorite shows that you think I should also become addicted to because clearly I need more!?!?

Friday Eve

2010-09-16T17:44:00.004-05:00

So it's Friday eve. It's been a nice week since we have been celebrating college week at school and have gotten to wear jeans every day! I was thinking today that I never posted anything about my fun Saturday so here it goes!
My brother's girlfriend Laura was in town for a work conference so we got together on Saturday to do a little shopping. We started out around 9:00 Saturday morning and got back around 10 that night! We went everywhere we could think of and of course mom and I had to show her all the stores that Chattanooga is lacking in! We introduced her to Francesca's where she picked up so many cute things! (One of them is my Christmas gift that I can't wait to get!) We also did a little fun Halloween shopping! Laura tried out a wig...

A real picture of Laura. She really doesn't have a mullet!

Then we talked mom into trying her very first St@rbucks! She sadly wasn't a fan.

I got a few cute things from Francesca's and lots of jewelry (I needed it!) and several good ideas for Christmas gifts. I was sad that Laura had to go back to Chattanooga. I really wish she lived closer but then again, I'd probably never see my paycheck!

A Night Like That

2010-09-13T15:32:00.003-05:00

Friday night I went to bed early because Saturday I had planned to leave early in the morning to go to my mom's since my brother's girlfriend was in town. I went to bed and was awoken at 2am to the sound of our smoke alarms blaring. It scared me and I hopped out of bed and went to see what Tom was doing since he was upstairs. I met him coming downstairs and he said he didn't know why the alarms were going off. He thought that since the media room closet door was shut maybe the heat set the alarm off. We finally got them quiet and went back to sleep but it was only 2 short hours later that they went off a second time. I was then wide awake and little did I know would stay awake for the rest of the day. I went ahead and threw a load of laundry in and tried to go back to sleep (it didn't happen) but only an hour later, alarms again. We called the fire department who did not come out to look for smoke but recommended we change the batteries in our smoke detectors. So, we did just that- for the second time in less than 2 months may I add. So far, no alarms!

Call Me

2010-09-08T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am trying to plan our Kindergarten field trip to visit the fire station. The station is right next door to our school so no bus is required, we just need to confirm dates with the chief. Sounds easy right? Wrong! I can't get anyone to return my calls. I guess my next step is to go to the station with my calendar and lay down the dates in person. I thought it would be simple to plan this trip, boy was I wrong!

Just for the Halibut!

2010-09-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

After our vacation in Alaska, I am now hooked on halibut! Everywhere we went in Alaska there was halibut and it was so good! Since I've been home, I have been looking for a good recipe for halibut burgers and in this month's Rachel Ray magazine, she has a recipe for buttered fish sandwiches and although they are made with cod, I think I could substitute halibut and they would be just as good. I am heading out tomorrow to find some halibut and try this recipe out. I'll let you know how it is and share my recipe.

Relax and Unwind

2010-09-06T11:13:00.002-05:00

Friday ended a very long 2 weeks of school and a much needed relaxing weekend was on my to do list. I did have one important thing to do on Saturday and that was to visit my mom so we could go and learn to use our new sewing machine! I left early Saturday morning and got to my mom's where I enjoyed a delicious homecooked breakfast of cranberry orange muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon and grits! So yum! We ate and then left for the sewing machine store. We wanted to get there a bit early so we could shop around for a few things. I picked up some new needles and ordered some new software then the lady came around the corner to tell us that the class had to be cancelled because the teacher was sick. We were bummed but ended up spending several hours getting private tutoring on how to run the new machine, no class needed! Mom and I took the rest of the day to do a little shopping- that is always fun! I got back home around 7 and Tom and I went to dinner and ran a couple errands. Sunday, I spent the whole day in bed with sinus/allergy issues and had planned to cook a light dinner but Tom surprised me and said he would take me out so I didn't have to cook- what a sweet husband! I still have a couple of household things to do today but I plan to just relax and watch a couple of movies and prepare for the week ahead. Hope your weekend was as great as mine!

I'm Exhausted!

2010-08-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

Who knew that wrangling 20 Kindergarten kids all day long would wear someone out so quickly? I think I probably say this every year and even question sometime why I teach 5 year olds because this is hard work! I fell asleep Monday night with my glasses on and a book in my hand and that was at 9:00! I remember thinking I better stop reading so I can watch RHONJ and the next thing I knew, I was waking up to Maggie jumping on the bed around 11:30. I know it's going to take some time getting back into the swing of things but wow!
School has been going as well as can be expected for the first couple days. We are SLOWLY learning how to walk in a line, how to line up, how to stay in our seat, how to raise our hand when we need something and that the teacher's name is not teacher! I predict in about 2 weeks, I will have almost forgotten what the training process feels like and then I can repeat this same blog post again next year! Ha! Let's hope it takes less than 2 weeks to get everything in place though!

It's Dinner Time!

2010-08-24T07:55:00.001-05:00

So school is back in session which means two things. 1. I will be spending lots of afternoons preparing for my group of students which means I will be getting home late and 2. I need delicious dinners that take a short amount of time to prepare. Luckily, Lisa introduced me to Salsa Chicken this summer. It is the easiest thing to make and is so good! I'm sharing the recipe with you all.

Salsa Chicken
1 package frozen chicken breasts
1 jar of salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning

Put all ingredients (all 3 of them!) in a crockpot on low and let simmer all day. Shred the chicken (you can do this with a fork because the meat is so tender) and enjoy on tortillas with taco fixings! Yummy!

They Will Be Looking

2010-08-23T07:55:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, my principal sent this poem to the staff and it really hit me hard. I actually ended up emailing it to many people that influenced me throughout my life. As I greet my new students this morning, I read the poem again to remind me that they will be looking.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING
By Mary Rita Schilke Korzan

When you thought I wasn’t looking, you displayed my first report, and I wanted to do another.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, you fed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, you gave me a sticker, and I knew that little things were special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, you put your arm around me, and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt--but that it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, you smiled, and it made me want to look that pretty too.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, you cared, and I wanted to be everything I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking--I looked...and wanted to say thanks for all those things you did when you thought I wasn’t looking.

It's Tax Free!

2010-08-22T16:25:00.013-05:00

I spent the entire Saturday (9:00AM to 5:30PM) at school getting ready to meet my students Monday morning! I THINK I have everything done that I can do at this point. Tom called me and wanted to see if I wanted to go on the great shoe hunt that evening and I said yes of course, who wouldn't want to go shopping when their husband is actually asking them to go? So I got home and showered quickly and we were off to Northpark. The mall stayed open until 10 so I got to do lots more than I originally thought. I ended up with a couple of pairs of shoes that will do, they aren't what I was wanting but I think they will be okay.

We then headed on our way out which happened to take up right through Macy's. I wanted to stop and look for a necklace that I had seen earlier in the summer so I also breezed through the clothing section INC. Tom spotted a shirt that he said would look good on me and then I saw a few more things and before we knew it, I was in a fitting room with a huge pile of stuff!

I also got a couple things when Lisa and I went out shopping last week at Anthropologie.

This top is so cute on and has the most delicate details.

These pants are a linen blend and yes, wrinkle a lot but are so comfortable I ordered another pair!

It wouldn't be back to school without my back to school gift that Tom has gotten me every year since we have been together. This year is no different as I got a new scarf for my purse! I love it!

Ketchikan, Alaska

2010-08-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

We made our final stop in Alaska in Ketchikan. We didn't plan any excursions since we were only going to be there a short time. We did tour the city on our own (shop!) and visit some local places. We were close to a little shopping center or harbor like area where you could see the salmon jumping out of the water every couple of seconds! I thought Tom was going to go and buy a fishing pole right then! I tried to add a video- hopefully this will work!

There were also amazing flowers in Ketchikan like these beauties. I think they are called bleeding hearts. My only upsetting moment was that my big camera died on me within the first few minutes we were there. I had to bust out my backup camera that isn't so great. However, it didn't die until after I got a picture with an old friend of mine!

Skagway, Alaska

2010-08-17T15:45:00.007-05:00

Next stop, Skagway! Skagway was by far my favorite stop next to dog sledding in Juneau of course. I loved the little small town atmosphere that Skagway encompassed. Several times we mentioned that it was like we were on a movie set or in Disney. The town felt so home like and I truly fell in love. We went to a couple of shops before we set off on our train ride through Skagway and into Canada to enjoy the beauty and hopefully get some awesome photos. A couple of the stores that were on my must see list were Sarah Palin's store and Sugar Mama's. Sugar Mama's has cool vintage toys and cupcakes- yummy! Sarah Palin's store has well...Sarah Palin!

A quick stop for Starbuck's treats!

Then Tom and I set off for the White Pass train ride. I'm not going to bore you all with the hundreds of pictures of mountain scenes that I snapped photos of!

Then we met Mark and Jane and headed to get some dinner at this cute little restaurant. We had fish and chips for the second day because Alaskan fish and chips is made with yummy halibut!

I really could move to Alaska and from the research that I did, they need teachers!

Onward to Juneau, Alaska!

2010-08-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

We made our first stop in Alaska in Juneau. The scenary was absolutely gorgeous! We had an awesome stateroom on the ship with a huge balcony! We spent tons of time on the balcony because the scenary was so breathtaking. The following pictures are right upon arrival in Juneau.

I was so excited to be in Juneau because this was where my dream of dogsledding was about to come true! The first step was to get suited up for our helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier. We were told to dress warm as it was incredibly cold on the glacier itself. Just a side note, it was 105 degrees in Dallas on this particular day and I had on multiple layers of clothing, my ugg boots, hat and gloves!

We then were given a safety briefing for the helicopter ride and then we were off.

A view from above.

Then as we got closer, our pilot, Nate, pointed out the camp. Those tiny dots are all the dogs at the camp! They look like ants from so far away.

We touched down and jumped out and Tom decided to have a little snowball fight!

Check out just half of the dogs at camp!

I immediately connected with this sweetie pie- Rascal!

This is our team for the day!

We had a few minutes to meet the pack and then we were off!

I had so much fun and even got to drive the sled for a little bit! I talked to the mushers and found out that the main guy that ran Alaska Icefield Expeditions, is from Signal Mountain! I felt like I was chatting with an old friend as we talked about all things Tennessee!
We also got to meet some of the new puppies that were a few weeks old. How cute are these little guys?

Dogsledding and helicopter riding now top my list for the most unbelievable experiences I have ever had. I will definitely take on this adventure again one day if I ever get the chance. I won't ever forget how excited I was on that day!

Seattle, Vacation Day 1

2010-08-09T17:37:00.007-05:00

We started our journey to Alaska on Friday, July 30 with our first stop in Seattle. I was totally in love with Seattle! We had awesome weather and I had on jeans and a short sleeve shirt when I got there and ended up with a jacket by the early evening! I couldn't say that if I had been in Dallas where temperatures held steady in the 100's the entire week we were gone! We got to visit some really cool shops and finally made it to Pike's Place Market.

We had lunch at Lowell's Seafood right in the middle of the market and across the street from where the Real World Seattle house was! I thought it was super cool!
Then we made our way to the original Starbuck's!

We then headed off to the Underground Seattle tour which was pretty neat. I learned alot about Seattle's history that I didn't know previously so it was a good educational experience. Finally, we headed back to the hotel to shower up and make our way to dinner and do some more exploring, err, shopping! I got to visit H&M for the very first time! Pure heaven that place! We finally called it a night since the next morning, we would be boarding our boat for beautiful Alaska!

We are on the way!

2010-07-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

Mom and Larry picked us up bright and early this morning to take us to the airport for our big Alaska vacation.

We just had breakfast at the airport and are waiting to board the plane for Seattle now! I'm so excited and looking forward to a fun day at Pikes Place and the original Starbucks!

Posted using BlogPress from Chea's iPhone

Yikes! Stripes!

2010-07-29T06:35:00.003-05:00

So I'm kind of on a roll with the B0ppy cover making, well actually my mom is loving it! She brought me one last night that she whipped up that is for me to use one day. The fabric she used is from my favorite team- the Dallas Mavericks! Can't wait to use that!
Last week, with mom's help, we created this cute cover..

You can't tell from the picture but the fabric is plush and the ruffle along the edge is satin. It is so soft!
I actually created this one as a sample piece but I am going to be working on another one to go in a gift basket I'm donating for a charity gala auction. Along with the cover, I'm going to make a burp cloth, onesie, lovie blanket and bib to match. Now I just need to work on a matching boy's set!

Pedis, Primping and Preparing

2010-07-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

Jane and I are preparing to leave on Friday on our vacation to Alaska. We decided to go get pedicures although I'm not sure why because we are not going to be in our sandals much I'm sure.

Then we had lunch and went our separate ways. I made a stop at U!ta to pick up a few things I needed for our trip! Doesn't everyone need nail polish and liters of shampoo and conditioner for a 10 day vacation? Just kidding. But I am going to put the shampoo and conditioner in a smaller bottle to take with me.

I stopped off at a sporting goods place and found a cute lightweight rain jacket to take along as well. I was told that you need a rain jacket in Alaska because they get light showers every day. I love this hot pink one I found!

We are leaving Friday morning. I guess my next goal is to do a little laundry and pack some more necessary things! If you have been to Alaska, what types of things do you think I will really need and what can I leave home?

Boo!!!

2010-07-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm sure with just a few days left until I leave for vacation there are many things that I should be doing however, I had a little thought about something new I could create and I came up with this...

I love the witches' shoes and I actually have a little necklace that I got last year that says "if the shoe fits" and has a pair of witches shoes on it. Maybe I should be making this same shirt for myself! ha!!!

Shopping Love!

2010-07-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

My Mom and I have been so busy sewing every day that we treated ourselves to a little shopping break. Anytime I go shopping with my Mom she talks me into purchasing lots of items. She gives me compliments on how great I look in something or how tiny it makes my waist looks and minimizes my hips (that's my insecurity) which ultimately makes me buy whatever it is. Well, I caved and bought a few items which unfortunately were high dollar items but very worth it!
A cute purple and green printed dress. I love the ruffle collar!

Maxi dress with crocheted top

Fun Sweater- check out all those ruffles!

It's so fun shopping with my Mom- even though my bank account didn't love it too much!

Don't Forget

2010-07-25T20:30:00.003-05:00

Enter the Christmas in July giveaway at A Piece of Pope is hosting!

How Do You Fire Someone?

2010-07-24T08:28:00.002-05:00

I had a hair appointment last week that ended up being a wreck! I went in for color and came out with a streak of red running down the center of my head along with a huge chunk of my hair being cut when I was only getting a trim. I've been going to the same stylist for at least 5 years. She and my husband went to high school together and her parents live down the street from my in laws. Recently, she was diagnosed with cancer and is currently taking chemo treatments. I am not sure if I just caught her on an off day or what but my hair was in no shape for me to meet my new principal the next morning! I called my friend who called her girl and she said she could fit me in but it wouldn't be until after my meet and greet with my new principal. Oh well, I threw my hair in a ponytail and sported my classic sunglasses on top of the head look. When I got to Kelsie's shop, she said, it didn't look too bad then I pulled off the glasses and the took the ponytail down. It was then "that bad". I got the look of "what did she do to your hair" from Kelsie. Then magic was created. Kelsie listened to what I wanted my hair to look like and added in her advice. My hair is now great, wonderful and according to my mom, the best my hair has ever looked! So here is my question, how do I break up with my former hair stylist when my husband is still going to her? HELP!!!

Excitement!

2010-07-22T07:26:00.004-05:00

Tuesday started off with a day of sewing. Mom and I decided that we would work on a few projects together. She brought her machine over and we sat up our shop in the breakfast room and worked just about all day- with the exception of a quick lunch break for CFA salads! Yum! We had so much fun together and created some cute things.

Wednesday, I spent the entire day at my BFF's house. We did lots of baking and laughing! Lisa is so much fun to hang out with! We made some yummy french bread and cheesecake brownies!

Lisa was using a very interesting tape measure to make sure the bread was evenly rolled out!

I also got to hang out and play with these cuties!

Tom and I went to my other BFF's house last night to book excursions for our upcoming Alaskan cruise! We ended up booking the helicopter tour and dog sled adventure on Mendenhall Glacier. I am so excited as this is one of the only things I really wanted to do on our trip! It's another thing to cross off my bucket list! I also got to spend some quality time with some little friends! They are so adorable!

As if booking our excursions wasn't enough excitement, I got a message that one of Lisa's friends wanted one of my newest projects that Mom and I worked on. I am so excited to be getting my products out there! I'm actually headed to HL in a bit to pick up some trim for this next creation! Can't wait to show you what I make!

Christmas in July

2010-07-19T16:29:00.002-05:00

This weekend, my mom finally returned from visiting friends and family in South Carolina and Tennessee. I'm so happy that she is finally back home because I missed her! On Saturday, I went to her house and we drove over to the Third Monday McKinney Trade Days. It's basically like Canton (a big arts and crafts fair) but on a fairly smaller scale. We didn't really purchase anything but it was fun to look and get some ideas. It was so hot so we didn't stay long at all. We decided to head on over to the outlet mall and a few little boutique shops we love. I was on the hunt for Tom a birthday gift and Mom was buying Christmas gifts! We ended up finding lots of things. I completed my shopping list and got a couple of Christmas gifts too. It feels really good to have my Christmas shopping list started.

Speaking of Christmas in July, A Piece of Pope has a giveaway going for a Christmas card design. Head on over for your chance to win!

Friendship

2010-07-16T22:34:00.002-05:00

Recently there has been lots of talk about friendship and adulthood. Developing friendships is a skill that we learn at an early age. We make friends throughout our lives and some are friends for a season or a moment in time and then they are gone but some friendships withstand the test of time. True friends accept you for who you are. True friends challenge you to be your best and are there to pick up the pieces when you fall. I've had my share of fairweathered friends and I also have friends who are lifelong. Recently, I have dealt with my share of fairweathered friends. Those who are there for the good but can't take the bad. Those who rather smile at you and then stab you in the back. I am sad that I have had to endure these bumps in the road but I know these are the things that make you appreciate your true friends.

Recently, I received a note from a long lost friend. The card made me smile, cry and wish for those carefree days again. It also made me realize that having quality friends is much better than the quantity of friends.

I have friends from all facets of my life, childhood, high school, college and adult. I am thankful for my true friends and am counting my blessings tonight and each day for every single one of you.

What's Been Going On

2010-07-13T08:07:00.013-05:00

I have been in total redecorate mode around my house lately. It started with the spare bedroom and now it's turned to, well every single room in the house. I'm a redecorating machine! Actually I'm not sure you can call it redecorating when it never has been decorated in the first place.
We moved in our house 4 years ago, on our 1 year anniversary to be exact. I had furniture, he had furniture and then we bought furniture. Our house, like many newlyweds was a hodge podge of design and taste. Well, last summer we totally revitalized our family room. New furniture, new rug and new tv. It's one of my favorite rooms in the house!

This summer started with recovering the chairs in our breakfast room. This was easier than I thought and Tom helped me out!

Yesterday I started working on the office. It's in the front of our house and although you don't immediately see it when you walk in, it comes a close second. I've always wanted to make it look professional yet functional. We don't really utilize that office but I would like to. Here are a few clips of things that have been added to the office. It's not 100 percent complete so I'll wait and give you the full tour then.

And finally, the things that have kept me the most busy this summer...
Hairbow making

Outfit making

And fabric shopping

Now I'm off to pickup some things for more redesigning! Happy Tuesday!

Frosting, Fixing and Fun

2010-07-06T15:07:00.009-05:00

I can't believe I didn't blog about this but I woke up in a panic last night and remembered that I tweeted about it but never blogged so lets back up a few weeks right now.
I'll take you back to Friday, June 18 for a minute. I woke up early that day with lots of emotion and lots of things on my mind. One was this sweet girl...

Maggie was having surgery to repair the torn ACL in her back leg. We noticed her beginning to limp a while back and took her to the vet so many times about it. I was constantly looking up signs of hip dysplacia and we started her on this fish cartilage vitamin that was extremely expensive. However, none of that was working and ultimately, we decided the only way to have our old dog back was to bite the bullet and have the surgery.
This is Maggie on Thursday at my mom's house. My nephew loves to play with her. He will love on her and she will love him back! I am so glad she is so good with children.

I took her in for surgery at 7:00 on Friday morning and got the call around noonish that she was out of surgery and feeling sleepy. I was very glad that Halee was with me or I would have been a mess!
While Maggie was recovering, Halee and I went to Highland Park to do a little shopping. We visited a cute fabric store (City Craft) and stopped for cupcakes at Sprinkles! I had a key lime cupcake and she had chocolate. I know I have pictures somewhere of those cupcakes, when I find them, I will post them!
We then went and picked up Maggie around 5:00. She was bandaged up and feeling so bad. She had lots of pain meds and things to help her stay as comfortable as possible.

Friday night was horrible. She couldn't get comfortable at all. I ended up sleeping maybe 30 minutes total and that was on the floor next to Maggie. I spent the night petting her, talking to her and being extremely careful that she not walk or pull her bandages.
Sunday we had Father's Day lunch at our house and after everyone left, I took a quick shower. Well, it didn't take long for Maggie to come limping in the bathroom with her bandages hanging off her leg and the incision bleeding. She had pulled no less than 8 staples out! We called our old vet (he took a better job not in the clinic anymore or we would still be with him) and he explained that it was due in part to the bandage being too tightly wrapped. We took her back in the next day and they cleaned up the wound and gave her the newest accessory for the summer.

It's been a few weeks now and her leg is healing up nicely. She is still wearing the cone because she likes to lick the incision site and it needs to heal a bit more. All in all, it was a successful, interesting day.

Out On A Limb

2010-07-02T10:51:00.000-05:00

I've been doing lots of praying about going public again. I decided to protect my family and ultimately, my feelings, I've changed my blog address. If you are still following my old blog, I will no longer be updating it and will now be using this blog. I have imported all posts to this blog. Thanks to all of you who supported me in my absence. It feels good to be back!

Blog Day of Silence

2010-07-01T08:23:00.000-05:00

Tweet, Tweet

2010-06-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

I've been roped in to the world of Twitter. I'm loving it! So, follow me at cward13

It's a Sunshine YELLOW Day!

2010-06-15T18:22:00.000-05:00

The UPS man sadly knows me on a first name basis. Why? He has dropped by my house 6 times in the last 2 weeks. But, he is delivery the goods for the summer that keep my feet happy. I got two new pair today and they go along with the 14 other pair that I own!

My Collection

Last week's addition...the cork sole wedge

So, I have an addiction! At least it's a useful one!

Summer School Day One

2010-06-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

Today was day one of summer school. I had 6 students total, 4 boys and 2 girls. All of the kids were very sweet and I think our time together is going to go by quickly. The half days are jam packed and the activities/curriculum is a fun, hands on approach that will be adaptable to the regular school term. I can't wait to try some of the games with my Kindergarten friends this fall. I know it's crazy for me to already be thinking about back to school this fall but I just can't help it! I LOVE my job!! If there are any of you teachers out there that read my blog, I will be happy to pass along some of the games/activities that we are using, just let me know! 1 day down, 15 to go!!! I'm sure it will fly by!

Yummy

2010-06-10T07:14:00.000-05:00

This week has been full of good treats. My BFF and I had a pact that this summer we would experiment with baking some new things and experimenting with the old. First up, Christmas bark. This is a toffee like confection that she made for me for Christmas and ended up passing along the recipe. Well, as much as I've tried, my bark is awful so we had a little tutoring session Tuesday and I think I may have learned the trick. Yesterday, Tom and I went into Dallas so I could get a haircut and before I left, I took out a block of cream cheese. I knew I wanted to make something with it but just not sure what. Well, when we got home (6:00) I made Pioneer Woman's meatballs, creamy mashed potatoes, sugar snap peas and while dinner was cooking, I whipped up a little family favorite- cream cheese pound cake! I took half to Lisa's but since it was late and she has a little baby, she was already sleeping. I had half the cake on a pretty plate but it was too big to stick in the mailbox and I was afraid to leave it on the front porch because of the wild animals, I unwrapped it and rewrapped it and stuck it in the mailbox. I just got a text saying she was up and I told her to check her mailbox. I can't wait to hear what she thinks! So fun to do nice things for others!

Tough Decisions

2010-06-09T07:39:00.000-05:00

I guess I should post since it's been a while but I've just had so much going on I haven't had time to do any blog reading much less posting. Well, we went in to the vet yesterday for a follow up to Maggie's xrays and her 2 week stint on an anti-inflamatory drug to see how her knee was doing. What we ended up hearing was not what I had expected or built myself up to hear. Her knee is not healing, it will not heal and she needs surgery. I'll admit I cried. I didn't want to do this but we are having the traditional surgery to repair a ruptured ligament in her right knee next Friday. This is not what I expected to do with my summer school paycheck but I guess we have no choice at this point if we ever want her to run and play again, this is what we must do. I've done a little research on it this morning and I've found good things so I'm confident that we are making the right choice. Please pray that things go well. I know that she is a dog, but she is my baby and I would do anything to make her well and happy again.

Weekend Wrap Up

2010-05-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

This weekend was pretty busy. We spent Saturday at the ball field playing kickball- well I actually didn't have to play, I just casually observed the chaos. Sunday was spent at my BFF's house swimming, eating brisket and hanging out. Today was pretty low key as well since I am now suffering from sinus and allergy issues. We ended up running into Dallas to get a few errands taken care of. I am so exhausted but I'm trying to stay up long enough to get my hair dry and watch a little of the Bachelorette.

Don't forget to enter Megan's giveaway for a chance to win a $40 gift card to CSN stores!

In 5...

2010-05-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

5 more days until school is out!!! It is actually only 4 for me because I have training on Thursday for summer school. I don't have any idea why I would need an entire day devoted to training me for a job that I have done for 8 years but go figure. It's a day to get out, have a real lunch and oh yeah, get paid too! Summer school shouldn't be too bad. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm going to teach first grade and it's only Monday through Thursday 8 to noon! Yeah for extra money!

Speaking of extra money, I may have to use some of that to pay for Maggie's treatment. I'm praying she doesn't have any ACL damage but we shall see. She is on medication and restricted activity for a month to see if her leg heals on it's own. The vet seems to think it's only a partially torn ACL or a strained ligament that is causing her so much pain. I guess we will find out after this treatment plan is over.

Privacy Please!

2010-05-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

Had to make the blog private today. Some unfortunate circumstances made me do this. I am praying that the Lord will continue to bless me with true friends who understand and support me on this journey in life. Thank you to my loyal readers!

A Brave Soul

2010-05-12T18:22:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm wearing white capris and I did teach today! I am in absolute shock myself that my pants are still a beautiful, bright white after such a long day with 22 5 and 6 year old friends! Just wanted to share this amazing feat!!!
Now it's time to hit the laundry room and do a couple loads before heading out to the grill to make some dinner.

Friends Don't Let Friends...

2010-05-11T08:35:00.000-05:00

Shop Alone

Eat ice cream without each other

Alright...eat anything without their pal

I'm so thankful for my true friends. After many years, I have finally discovered what the definition of a true friend is.

Happy Tuesday to all of my RL friends and blog friends! Love ya'll!

Summing it up

2010-05-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

This song pretty much sums up everything that I have felt for so long. I know that one day, God will bless us with a miracle. Until then, I continue to pray for my friends who are receiving their biggest blessings soon.

Teacher Love!

2010-05-03T20:54:00.000-05:00

It's the first day of teacher appreciation week. Today's theme was notes and things for the desk. I don't have a desk in my room- just a table that I pile lots of junk on! I got lots of cute notepads and sweet cards from my kids and their parents and an awesome basket full of fun things- tomato soup (my favorite), goldfish in all varieties, peppermint patties, flavored teas and tic tacs! I can't wait to see what this week brings! However, the sweet cards and notes mean the most!

Sweet Surprise

2010-04-26T11:02:00.000-05:00

So, every once in a while I mention to my 5 year old friends some of the things I like to do, play with Maggie, shop, scrapbook, cook, eat! Well, I have a few kids that have May birthdays and they were discussing their birthdays on Friday in class and what kinds of treats they were planning to have. Well, one student told me that it was her Dad's birthday on Sunday and her mom was making a cheesecake. I, of course, had to let the child know that I too love cheesecake. Well, this morning the cute little princess brought me a big ol' slab of cheesecake! I would have posted a picture of the magnificant being that is cheesecake but I forgot my camera at home today. Yes, it's a sad, sad day! However, the picture taking probably wouldn't have happened as I devoured the cake as soon as the kids were out of sight! Oh calories!!! I guess I'll be running and extra half an hour tonight!

Happy Monday!

It's All Good!

2010-04-22T15:09:00.000-05:00

With 27 more school days until summer break, I am beginning to compile my list of summer to-do's. However, I have to stop every once in a while and realize what is good.
It's so good to...
-receive a hug from a student
-find an unexpected note from my husband
-get a call or email from an old friend
-talk to my mom every day
-have lunch with friends
-enjoy a busy weekend
-enjoy a no plans weekend
-sip a beverage by the pool
-catch up with special friends
-read a good book just because
-enjoy beautiful spring weather
-have all the household chores done before Friday afternoon
-see a student finally "get it"
-have a few more weeks until summer
-have this sweet face to come home to every day...

-love the Lord and know that he has plans for me that are bigger than anything I could ever imagine.

The Best Teecher Apresheashun Ever!!!

2010-04-21T18:23:00.000-05:00

Today we had our monthly teacher appreciation lunch and it was the Kindergarten parent's turn to host. We had some awesome foods this month as we usually do! I had an incredible cheese tortellini salad (as soon as I get that recipe, I'll share) and some yummy desserts but nothing was as incredible as PW's chocolate sheet cake! And to beat it all, one of my BFF's made my day by writing this little message on the front of the cake...

She and I have the same sense of humor when it comes to things like this...think cake wrecks! I laughed all day long and caught others laughing too!!!

A note about the monthly luncheons: if you have kids in school, consider doing this at your child's school, the teachers will love you for it! Basically, we have a couple of mom's who run the show all year. Once a month it's a different grade level's turn to host. The parents from that grade level are asked to contact the coordinator if they want to donate a dish for the luncheon and each month is a different theme. We've had soup and salad month, mexican, italian, baked potato bar, tailgate foods, etc.. The luncheons begin with the oldest grades first and work their way down to Kindergarten in the spring. It's an awesome day that I try not to miss!!!

Hope you laughed at our Cake Wreck!!! Happy Wednesday friends!