Leslie's Life

A day at our "Palace"

2012-02-01T16:20:00.000-06:00

My sweeters are so in to everything Princess, and baby, and mermaid these days. They both love playing dress up, and Audrey especially has liked wearing her "special crown" lately that Ms. Lisa bought her. Things have been so busy lately and I wanted to have a fun morning with them. So we started off our day in their favorite princess dresses.

Then they spent time entertaining Mommy (and the camera)! Say, "Awww".

A Royal Breakfast

Then we were off to Princess Audrey's room to play "babies"..

Princess Isabella playing with her baby

Giving baby some "loves"

Audrey and her favorite baby. She says her name is "Special". So meet my granddaughter... First name "Special", Last name "Baby" ;)

And the sweetest picture of Miss Bella .. being still just long enough for me to snap this! What can I say? I love being a Mommy to little girls! And I LOVE that face!

Valentine's Day Printables

2012-01-30T17:07:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned, I was nominated to make some cupcakes for Bella's upcoming Valentine's Day party. I ended up working on some cupcake toppers that I will place on each cupcake.

I thought they turned out cute and I wanted to share them with you guys. All you have to do is save the PDF file (at the bottom of the post), open it up, click on the each section where it says "Your Name here", and input your own names. (You can move the text box to center it and what not.) Then just save the file, print it out. Each circle is a 1 inch circle. I just punch them out with a 1 inch circle punch I have, but you can cut them as well. Then tape/glue them to a white sucker stick or popsicle stick. Add some ribbon for extra cuteness.

So they will look kind of like these I did for Halloween...

Enjoy!

Here's a link to the PDF file. (Note: I have Adobe Acrobat X installed on my computer. I hope this works with just the Adobe Reader as well. Let me know.)

Click Here!

Redecorating!

2012-01-30T15:44:00.001-06:00

So I will start with the best news.. my dad seems to be feeling a "bit" better. He is still in the hospital, but was a lot more talkative and seem to have a small bit of energy. Those of you who pray, please keep them coming for him! :)

On a lighter note, we are finally getting around to making some decisions on the hardwood flooring we have been wanting. So I present to you the final pick! (I like darker, he likes lighter, so we compromised with something in the middle. We've took home samples, tested it out, threw water on it, left water sitting on it overnight, stomped on it, tried to scratch it with forks (I know, I know.. haha), and the last three options we picked passed the test. This was our favorite.

It's going in the entry, living room, hall and kitchen. This was the flooring we had before in the kitchen...

And here's the best "Before" shot I could get of the kitchen. Can't wait to share the "After" shots. We have a couple more projects up our sleeve that I'll keep you up on as well.

I would also Looooveeeee to eventually do a door like this for our small pantry. Gotta love Pinterest for some good inspiration.

Our living room had just a light beige carpet before. And I'm sad to say we've only had it about 5 years, but there are big places on it that just look like crap...packed down, dirt that can't be removed for anything.. you get the point. It was even considered an "upgraded" carpet when we bought our house. Some upgrade .. hmph. If I had to go back I wouldn't "upgrade" hardly anything when we bought our house. So much cheaper to do it yourself. But I was younger, getting married, and just ready for a house. You live and you learn I suppose. I also think its amazing how your tastes and styles change as you get older. I think almost every woman wants a house that reflects her.. and now I'm more on top of what exactly I like. So I will be glad to say goodbye to this carpet in this super high traffic area.

Speaking of personal tastes, I'm so loving this furniture from Ethan Allen. (Just the furniture, not the room decor.) But since I don't have a good 10+ grand or so to drop on furniture, I'm going to see if I can find something similar. Just love it. And I think it would go great with the new floors ;)

And besides dreaming about what my dream house is supposed to look like, I actually did a project recently. Just a small, easy one. A Valentine's Day banner for our fireplace. I kept seeing all these cute little Vintage-y Valentine printables online, so I just printed some out, glued them on card-stock and hung them on some cute red ribbon.

Other than that, I'm also wanting to try this Enchilada recipe that pops up on Pinterest at least once a day.. White Chicken Enchiladas. My friend Jessica from Love from Texas says it's a winner as well.. so I'm gonna have to break down and try this. I know if you are on Pinterest, you have seen it a million times, too. Must be just that good.

I've been volunteered to make cupcakes for Bella's Valentine's Day party.. so I'm off to make some cute toppers for those while they are napping. Hope everyone had a good weekend. I'm already ready for Friday ;)

Week 4!

2012-01-27T12:42:00.002-06:00

So today is the 4 week mark since I began a goal towards a healthier me. I'm happy say I'm down 17.2 pounds!

This week I lost 3.2 pounds. I'm pretty excited about that. I know this is gross, but look at what 3 pounds looks like.

My ultimate goal is to lose 100 pounds this year.... my target date being Christmas day. So that leaves me with 82.8 to go. ~~And whew, does that sound like a huge number.~~ I'm just taking it one day at a time though for now.

I actually dusted off the elliptical and worked out three times this week as well. That is progress in itself. I'm not one of those that are particularly fond of exercise. Hopefully that will change as I go forward. I always feel better after.

I found a great blog that has been so inspiring for me. It's called Runs for Cookies. I'm about the same age as her, have 2 kids like her, and have 100 to lose as well. I've loved reading all about her weight loss journey, and it gets me even more pumped about mine. She accomplished her goals through plain ole diet and exercise as well. She looks absolutely beautiful!

And we both share a similar philosophy it seems:

Anyway, I'll keep you updated on my progress throughout. Still have a long way to go, but I'm super excited about how it's beginning.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Sweet Caroline, er.. Bella Grace

2012-01-26T14:49:00.000-06:00

Had to share this! This is Bella singing her rendition of "Sweet Caroline" that I taught her ;) (With Audrey's help, of course.)

I'm Back!

2012-01-26T13:46:00.000-06:00

So you may have noticed that I haven't updated since November. It wasn't my intention to quit blogging and never update.. but as we all know, life happens, and it's been a very trying couple of months since then. My father is very sick, and has been in the hospital on and off since Thanksgiving day. So my first priority was to make sure he was taken care of, and always knew we we're there for him. He still isn't out of the woods, so any of you that believe in prayer, please send one up for him!

I've actually learned a lot about myself throughout these past few months. I've dealt with about every emotion out there. It doesn't feel right to be in your late 20's with two small children, and be worrying about losing your own parent. I didn't feel like it was my time to be dealing with something so heavy. There's never really a good age for this though, in truth.
There were days when we thought he wasn't going to make it through the night, followed by days of extreme hope. Up and down roller coaster of emotions. But they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I believe that has been the case with me. I've learned to take things one day at a time, enjoy the small things, to always keep hope, and most of all to believe in myself. I didn't realize how strong I really was. And now I have a whole new clarity on things.. life in general. But as Forrest Gump says, "That's all I have to say about that."

To lighten things up a bit, and to play a little catch-up, there were lots of fun times the past month as well. Christmas was such a joy this year. The girls are at a good age, and they were really into everything. My mother & stepdad were up for a while, and we enjoyed spending lots of time with them. We had a really fun birthday party for my mom, complete with an ice cream sundae bar, a taco salad bar, and a band! I took my first painting class with 3 of my best friends, which was a blast.

And!! I'm happy to report that I've decided this is going to be the year that I really try and focus on my own health. No more waiting.. no more excuses.. I've got things to live for!! And even though life is tough sometimes, I'm once again excited about mine! I feel like I have a spark again & that nothing is impossible. So I'll keep you all updated on my "journey-to-healthy" as I go along. My goal is to lose 100lbs. There, I've said it, and it's out there! I'm happy to report I've already lost 14lbs since I started January 1st. I've got the big 30th birthday coming up this year, and I know most people dread the 30's, but I think these are some of the best times of my life. So to that I say.. BRING IT ON 30!!!

Loving this:

Now that we are, mostly, caught up, let's get to the pictures!

Here are the sweet pictures we used for our Christmas Card this year.

The baby girls.. so ready for Christmas this year!

My sweet Isabella is growing so much! *tear*

Mom's birthday party!

Ice cream Sundae Bar

Taco Salad Bar

Family :)

Me & my sweeties

Painting class! Such fun

And the sweetest picture I think I've ever seen! ~~Though, I may be partial ;)~~

Glad to be back to blogging! Hope everyone's New Year is starting off good :)

Thanksgiving Banner

2011-11-03T15:49:00.000-05:00

Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I took down all my Halloween things today and then I remembered that I made a banner for our mantle for Thanksgiving last year. Still love it! The links still work for you to download it yourself if you like... just click here for the post.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween from the cutest little garden gnome and witch I've ever seen! :)

Candy Corn Cupcakes

2011-10-26T16:55:00.000-05:00

Both of my girls are having fall parties in their little classes this year. I volunteered to make cupcakes, and wanted to make something cute. I remembered that last year I made "Candy Corn" Cupcakes for the first time. They were super cute and super easy! (Click here for my link on how to make them.)

This is what they came out like this year. (I wish I had been able to swirl the frosting cuter like last year, but for the life of me, I cannot seem to find my frosting tips/supplies, and my flimsy ziploc bag kept busting!) I made some cupcake toppers and put each child's name on them and then tied a little ribbon around each stick.

Have you got a cute Halloween cupcake idea? Link up here!

Chocolate Chess Pie

2011-10-25T17:53:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, I made a stop at a favorite local bakery and had the first piece of chocolate chess pie I had eaten in a long time. It was delicious. The only problem was that it left me craving it. So I called up my mom, who in my opinion is the best cook I know (love ya Mom!), and got the recipe so I could bake one of my own.

It's easy, chocolatey, silky, flaky Yumminess. Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Chess Pie

-4 eggs, beaten

-4 TBSP Hershey cocoa powder
-2 TBSP all purpose flour

Mix together with electric mixer/blender.

Then add:
-2 cups sugar
-Stick of melted butter/margarine
-tsp of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of milk

Mix together until well blended. Pour into frozen deep dish pie shell. Bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees.
(If you do not like the edges of your crust to get really brown, you can wrap small strips of aluminum foil around the crust to prevent it from over-browning.)

Easy as that.

And this is totally unrelated, but check out my sister's pumpkin. We call it "A Starry Pumpkin" :)

I heart Fall!

2011-10-21T16:55:00.000-05:00

Fall is my favorite season. I love everything about it! Colors, foods, leaves, football.. you name it. Last weekend we took the girls on a trip to the pumpkin patch. Audrey remembered going last year and was so excited to go again. They spent 20 minutes going back and forth over which pumpkins they liked best. And what a better setting for some super cute fall pics!

My sweetie pies!

Love Audrey's little smirk in this one!

The pumpkins they decided they liked best.

My sweet Isabella.. who still insists on being called "Isabetta" these days. (She came up with that herself.)

Sweet kisses

Love this old barn!

And what's Fall without some yummy baking? Does this not look way sinful?

Another thanks to Pinterest, for bringing this little recipe into my life. So good! Here's the link.

And since I'm feeling all "Fall-y & Festive", I decided to paint a pumpkin.
So I present to you....

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Share your weekly pics at Life. rearranged.

Pinterest... How I love thee

2011-10-10T15:27:00.001-05:00

Hi, I'm Leslie, and I'm addicted to Pinterest...

I love having one place to see all the great ideas I've come accross. Plus I no longer have a million bookmarks in my favorites. Thank You Pinterest.

Today I thought I would share a few of the recipes I've actually tried that I found via Pinterest.

#1 Cheesy Bacon Biscuits - My husband actually made these for us for breakfast last weekend. Super simple, super tasty. We scrambled a few eggs and poured some OJ - Viola! Breakfast.

#2 Cinnamon Roll Cake - There are no words to describe how delicious this is.. it's just sinful. One of those cakes you should probably only eat about once a year because it's in no way good for the waistline. But it's good to be bad once in a while, right?

#3 Macaroni with Beef and Cheese - This was comfort food at it's best. This made a huge casserole though - so I might freeze half of it next time. We had so much left. Cheesy, hearty, and has a hint of sweet from the tomatoes.

#4 Poptarts - I love how easy these are. I literally made them in a few minutes. And they tasted so good. The store bought poptarts do not even compare. Fun to make with the kiddos.

#5 Honey Beer Bread - This baby is actually in the oven right now - so the verdict is still out. I'm not a beer drinker myself, but I've heard beer bread is actually really good. And the picture sure looked good! So we shall see :)

And next time I was thinking about sharing some of my favorite crafts/projects that I've came accross on Pinterest. Feel free to share some of your favorites! But until then...

Happy Birthday Isabella!

2011-09-28T16:55:00.003-05:00

Can't believe my sweet girl is 2! But since this could easily turn into a tear-jerking, "Where has the time gone?", "please stay a baby for a little longer", kinda post... I'm going to keep it short and sweet.

Mommy loves you more than words can express. You are beautiful inside & out, you suprise us everyday with new things you have learned, and we are beyond blessed that you became a part of our lives. I can't imagine a world without you in it! Happy Birthday our sweet Isabella.

Pics from the party:

Birthday Banner

The Birthday Girl!

Happy Big Sister!

Seeing her cake for the first time. She was so excited it was Mickey Mouse.

Cute cake for a little beach party :)

The hubby working on the food

We are singing "Happy Birthday" to her in this pic...

Blowing out the candles

Opening gifts

Wish You Were Here!

2011-09-28T16:43:00.002-05:00

So to say September became a busy month is an understatement. Between starting a new job, going on vacation, Bella's 2nd birthday, and even a mini trip with the hubby, my blogging took the backburner. I had sooo much fun though. And now i'm back... with plenty of pictures, of course.

September really is a fabulous time for a beach vacation. Less crowds, beautiful weather.. ahh.. how nice it was. So below you will see the hubby with our girls... and the water is just killing me... so beautiful! It was Bella's first time at the beach, but she was a total champ. The kid is fearless. She would run straight out in the ocean if she could. I think we may have a little fish on our hands. Audrey liked the sand and the water as well.. but she was more content to make sandcastles and wash her little trucks.

We were invited to a lovely beach wedding while we were there. It was so much fun and beautiful. First wedding on the beach I had been to.

We got to spend lots of time with my Mom and Stepdad, which was lots of fun. You'll see the girls had a good time playing in the sand, and the birds had a good time hovering around them :) And I love taking pictures of my babies walking with their daddy... nothing sweeter to me!

This first picture is one of my favorite pictures of Bella.

Then the last day we went to the aquarium and saw some cute dolphins and went to a sea lion show. We also celebrated Bella's 2nd birthday while we were there. That will probably be the next post ;)

Such a fun trip, and can't wait to get back there!

Insta-Friday

2011-09-02T13:45:00.001-05:00

(A peek into our week through my camera/phone lens.).

We've had a blast playing with our friends at MDO!

They are already learning so much this year. And in the next few weeks, Miss Audrey is going to start her ballet & tap class. She is SO excited. She keeps telling me over and over that "I'm going to go to school to be a dancer, Mommy!"

We did some more planning for Bella's 2nd birthday party. She's having a party at the beach this year! So excited. Her invite.

We've had fun playing outside!

We met up with the extended family at the Halloween store ;)

The hubby, Bella and our sweet baby "Nico" :)

Made the hubby his favorite cake.. just because :)

Daddy & his helper's did a little yard work

Chilled on a blanket with Sweet Bella

Made a cake for the amateur holiday cake competition at the fair. The 1st Thanksgiving was the theme I picked :) We'll see how it does in a day or two!

And last but not least... Got ready for Football Time in Tennessee!!!!

Have a Happy Weekend!!

Back to School

2011-08-23T11:10:00.000-05:00

So the peanuts are off for another year of MDO! Audrey was so excited about going back to school to see her "friens". Bella was excited until we got there and I had to put her down... but she's usually pretty quick to adjust. Plus her little boy friend from last year was in class with her again. I think it was harder for me than for them though.

But with that said, I'm excited about all this year has in store. Bella will start doing more "grown-up" toddler crafts & activities, and Audrey will be starting her dance class soon. She can't stop talking about that. She keeps telling over and over.. "Mommy, I'm going to go to school and be a dancer, OK?".... "Okay, baby" :)

I think one of the great joys of being a parent is getting to experience each new discovery along with them. So if they want to dance, we'll dance, if they want to paint, we'll paint... Life is good today :)

Up, Up & Away (A picture post)

2011-08-14T10:24:00.003-05:00

Bedroom

2011-08-03T12:59:00.005-05:00

As promised, here's a picture of what we have so far in the bedroom! I'm really loving the blues, grays & yellows (as you can see). Curtains are in progress, so I'll post an update when that's all done.

I need something for the bedside table... and I'm really not feeling the old lamp any more. I'm also thinking some blue throw pillows would be a nice touch as well.. maybe royal blue? Suggestions are welcome!

I'm loving the break from the all beige room.. YAY for COLOR! haha

Catch Up

2011-08-02T16:40:00.005-05:00

One might say I've been on a major organization streak the past few weeks. I've cleaned out every drawer & closet (except for 2) in this house. It's amazing how one can accumulate so quickly. So everything that I couldn't justify keeping, or that didn't have sentimental value to me was off to Goodwill. (And I'm about ashamed to mention I threw away like a gazillion bags of trash. Papers, papers, and more papers.)

And you know one thing I am super excited about? Fall! I just love the crisp air, cool nights, colors, leaves, back to school supplies, football, you name it... I love everything about fall. And I also like making lists. So I made myself a list of "Things to get done before Fall". Me & those darn lists!

I'm so jealous of THIS pantry at the House of Smith's. So I gave organizing my own a shot.. and here's the results.

So not near as gorgeous as hers, but I was proud! I've even labeled everything since the after picture. And that was the 1st closet I got knocked of my list ;)

On to other things..
My sister got her first teaching job and she started this week! I've been helping her on and off for a while now coming up with ideas. We decided a Dr. Seuss theme would be cute. Leigh Ann (my sis), Kristen (friend) & I spent this past weekend decorating. Took forever.. but it's looking cute. And she was so excited she finally got to hang the crayon wreath I made her.

And of course, I've been spending lots of time with these 2 lovelies...

And last but not least, we've been working on our master bedroom re-do. I got so tired of Beige, beige, beiggeeeeeeeeeee.. A girl needs some color in her life. It's a work in progress, but I should have pictures to post soon. The paint is up, fabric ordered, and a couple of pillows made. I'm going with a blue/gray/yellow color combo. Here's a sneak peek... more to come later!

So there is the short-but-sweet catchup. Hope everyone is having a good week!

Beach Theme Bridal Shower

2011-07-11T14:56:00.004-05:00

This weekend, my Mom, sister & I hosted a Beach theme bridal shower. The Bride-to-be is having a destination wedding and will be married at sunset on the beach. So when planning the shower, we thought it would be really cute to incorporate a beach theme into her shower. We've planned each detail off and on for the last few months.. starting with the cupcake tower.

While on a random trip to Hobby Lobby, or the Hob Lobster as people like to call it, I saw this giant parasol and this whole section of beach buckets and nicnacs. We had been working on my daughter's Rapunzel cupcake tower as well, and when I saw that giant parasol I thought immediately that it would make an awesome tower topper. I had no clue how I was going to do this at the time... but 15 minutes and 1 giant parasol, 3 buckets, a couple cardboard cake circles and some ribbon later, we we're on the way home. My husband helped us assemble it and we pretty much based the shower, theme and colors around the stand.

Fast forward to the shower...

Everything looked so cute. We had a little Jimmy Buffet playing in the background, the table decked out in bright, tropical feeling colors, and shrimp cocktail ready to be eaten! The bride loved it! The Mother of the Bride loved it... everyone seemed to have a great time... Mission accomplished! But enough talking.. I know you want to see the pictures :)

The Spread

Beach Umbrella Cupcake Tower

Beach Cupcakes

We did little placecards for each food, letting people know what each thing was.

Fruit Pizza... always delicious! When I make this I use my friend Jessica's recipe found here. (I did leave the gelatin off the top in this one though.)

Can't have a Tropical wedding shower without some seafood, right?

Candy Sea Shells (made using a mold I found at Hobby Lobby)

Probably my favorite detail! My sister drew a bride/groom silhouette on the watermelon and we got my husband to carve it out. So cute! Everyone loved it.

Lots of gifts!

My sister & I all ready to help host the shower..

We sent recipe cards out with each of the invitations to the shower. We asked everyone to write a favorite recipe down for the bride and then bring it to the shower. Thought this idea was cute.

The Bride to Be

Bride to Be & Mother of the Bride

The Mom's design the Bride a wedding dress

Watch out Vera Wang

Congrats to the bride & groom!

This & That

2011-07-08T23:17:00.004-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been busy ones.. but with some fun times as well. We celebrated my husband's birthday a few days ago. I even took him to see Transformers 2.. which I even enjoyed myself ;) We are also celebrating our wedding anniversary! I am so blessed to be married to such a great husband & loving father to our 2 little girls. But before this post turns to lovey-mushiness... here's a couple peeks from our week.

A little Summer fun...

Audrey pumping some iron ;)

Extreme workouts... Who needs weights? lol

Bella couldn't get enough of this. She was giggling like crazy.

Pedicures for the 4th of July :)

And spending lots of time with these two cuties :)

I'm helping to plan a wedding shower, so hopefully I'll have pictures of all the fun ideas we did soon! I've also been working on some sewing projects I can't wait to share. Oh.. and while we are talking about things I'm excited about... HARRY POTTER NEXT WEEK!!!! Can't wait! Have a good week you guys!

Dear Audrey

2011-06-21T16:15:00.011-05:00

Dear Audrey,

Wow... I am a Mommy to a 3 year old. Where has the time gone? This post is all about you, and there's lots to say, so let's get started.

We just celebrated your 3rd birthday the weekend before last. You had such a great time at your "Punzel Pizza Party", as you called it. We worked hard getting everything set up and decorated for you.. but it was all worth it when you came up to me after the party, gave me a giant hug, and said, "Thank you for my birthday, Mommy!"

You are a tall, but tiny little thing. You weigh about 28.5 lbs, and you are about 37.5 inches tall. You've always been around 90th for height and about 25th for weight... and that trend hasn't changed. You eat like a little bird. Thankfully, you have always been very healthy though. I would say your favorite food, hands down, is cheese pizza. Somehow when a pizza is around, you develop a hungry man's appetite. lol Your other picks are fruit snacks, grapes, tea, pretzels, marshmallows and apples.

Your favorite movie by far is Tangled. You also like Toy Story, Dora, & A Bug's Life. You LOVE books... and you sleep with about 15 in your bed. Who needs Teddy Bears I guess? You can even recite the Brown Bear, Brown Bear book word-for-word.

You love to play outside, swing, swim, and ride your tricycle. You know your ABC's, colors, you can count pretty well (sometimes exhanging a number or two ;), and you are always singing. Some of the songs you sing all the time are: Baby Bumblebee, Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, ABCs, and Itsy Bitsy Spider. You also have a broader taste in music.. and sometimes I catch you singing the choruses to Paramore's "The Only Exception" and The Beatles "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". Sometimes we will just be riding in the car and you will star singing a song I didn't even know you knew. I think you get that from me. I love hearing you sing!

You still love to dance... and you have some good moves! You took a tumbling class this year and you are great at that as well. Bella is trying so hard to tumble just like you.

You say funny things all the time. You call everyone "Cheeky Monkey's" when they do something funny. You have several "Audrey-isms". You like sprinkles on your oatmeal. You have to be tucked in a certain way.. the same way you have been since you were 4 months old. You like to put yourself in the carseat. When you play in the little play kitchen you always tell us you are making us a "SUPER dinner". You have an obsession with Hobby Lobby, which you call Hobby Hobbly... and you ask to go there daily. When we go you always want $2. Just $2. Then you find something and pay for it yourself. You don't want ANY help these days. You are a big girl, afterall :) You still have a thing for clothes as well. You love to look at clothes, and help pick your outfits. You go through Bella's closet all the time, and bring things to me and say, "THIS IS CUTE!"

And I'm also proud to say that you are almost fully potty trained!! We had tried off and on over the past year and you were just not having it. So we said we would wait until your 3rd birthday and try again. So the day after your birthday we started.. and within a few days you had it all down! You are so smart! You usually want us to be in the room with you, but we are not allowed to help at all. Again, the "I'm a big girl" thing comes into play ;) We only put you in a pull-up at night, but I'm thinking we could probably nix that as well. Good job baby!

You are a great sister. You give Bella kisses goodnight, give her hugs, and you guys even play wrestle and tickle each other. It's too cute. The other night you said, "I love my little sister Belblah". You still call her that for some reason...when you are not calling her "Super Smiley". But that's okay, because she calls you "Auda". You two are best friends already... and seeing you two having fun together is always one of the highlights of my day.

You are generally happy and full of energy, although you have been known to throw a tantrum or 2... or 3 ;) Not getting your way can equal a good deal of whining.. but we're working on that, too. You are 3, afterall, I suppose.

I hope this next year of your life is full of new discoveries for you. You can't wait to go to the beach later this year, and neither can I! You are learning so much, & each day you suprise me more and more. Today I watched you sleep for a minute during your nap.. and all I could think was how lucky/blessed I was to be your Mom!

Love Always,

Moma :)

Audrey's 3rd Birthday

2011-06-12T13:50:00.005-05:00

Once Upon a time...
Not so far away...
The Kingdom was summoned,
for a special Birthday!

Welcome to Rapunzel's Castle!
It's time to celebrate Audrey's 3rd Birthday!

Introducing... The Birthday Girl!

Come inside...
It's time for the latern festival to celebrate Audrey's Birthday!

Rapunzel's Tower

Audrey's Special Cupcake

Flynn Rider's Jell-O Boats

Maximus' Rice Krispie Apples

The Birthday girl's chair

She was so excited!

Pics with the little sis before the party...

Baby Rapunzel

Moma, Dada & the girls :)

The girls and their Auntie

Make a wish!!!

Time for presents!

Playing with friends :)

After the party, she came up and hugged me and said "Thank you for my birthday Mama!"
Made it all worth it! :)

Relaxing after an exciting party :)

Happy 3rd Birthday my sweet girl!
We love you sooo much!

Summer Time!

2011-06-07T19:41:00.001-05:00

Audrey's Room Update

2011-06-03T22:55:00.002-05:00

Hooray! The mailman came today & brought the final piece that I needed to finish Audrey's room. I was so excited with the way it came out. Just as I was dreaming up. So as promised... here's pics...

I wanted something light, feminine, & colorful at the same time. All things that remind me of her.

I love how the bay window area turned out. The quote is a line from one of my favorite songs. Know which one? It goes perfectly with the little stars hanging down.

She slept so well her first night in her "big girl" bed. I actually had to wake HER up!

All smiles this AM :)

Little details:

As I mentioned in the post on Bella's room update.. I was super excited about this in particular. The changing table can look so messy, and this hides it all so well!

Love how the leaves blow in the wind...

Excited about her new room

One Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed

She was so happy with everything. She kept saying, "This is so nice, Mama!" "I YIKE it!"
Love you Audrey!!!

Bella's Room Update

2011-06-03T11:04:00.003-05:00

The decorating bug has bit me! I've been working on Audrey's room for a bit now, and I'm about done with it.. just waiting on one last piece before I take some pics to share. I wasn't planning on updating Bella's room until later this year, BUT, the other day I was walking around Target and saw the cutest little owl painting. It was bright and cheery, and reminded me of Bella off the bat. (That's her in a nutshell.) And that got my mind going. And then a little craftiness, a little paint, a stitch here and there, and 2 days later, we have the finished product!

Leigh Ann & I repainted the wooden letters she already had to match the new theme. Cute, huh?

I already had this frame, but I wasn't digging the print that was in it anymore. So I went to Hobby Lobby, found some cute scrapbook paper, and made a name print for her.

Definitely colorful.

This was one of the parts I was most excited about believe it or not! I'm easily thrilled I suppose ;) But anyway.. this came about because I was looking at the diaper table one day, and was hating how messy it looked. Even though I try to keep it organized and have everything in baskets.. it just looked liked chaos to me. So I thought it would be neat to just get some cute fabric, sew a couple of seams, and staple it to the diaper table. No more mess! Yay!

Some of the cute decals Target had in this theme. It was Circo's Love & Nature I believe.

And this was the best part of the whole update... the approving 1 1/2 year old! She was smiling so big when I let her in to see it. She kept saying.. "Birdy... OWLLL". That excitement was worth it all!

And just for fun... here's what it looked like before. (Well actually there was alot more stuff but this was the only pic I had of just the room.)

Memorial Day

2011-05-28T17:03:00.003-05:00

Hoping everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend. We started ours off with a cookout with family. And since I wasn't feeling well, the hubby actually made the cake to take with us. Applause, Mad Props & Cheers to the Hubby!!! It was a hit, & delicious! But scroll down, because the coolest part was the inside!

How's that for a festive dessert? hah!
He made it using this cool cake pan that Wilton makes. (Click here)

Anyway, back to my weekend! Just wanted to check in! Hope this weekend finds you spending time with the ones you love, or at least doing something you love.

And here's to all the men & women who served, and those we have lost, to make this day possible for the rest of us!

“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” (Thucydides)

My Random Wednesday

2011-05-25T14:23:00.009-05:00

So can I first say.. HELLO Allergy Season! The girls & I have all been feeling "blah" lately. We've all been to the doctor, again, & I'm crossing my fingers, and hoping, and praying, everyone will start feeling better soon. But on to happier things... like decorating!

I am in the early stages of redecorating Audrey's room into a "big girl" room. I haven't done very much because I'm still gathering all of my ideas, but I did manage to do the Pom-Poms I had been wanting to do to hang above her bed. I was suprised that each of these pom-poms can go for up to $30 online.

Thankfully, there is Martha Stewart. I had several girls at Leigh Ann's party ask me how I made them.. so here is the link for Martha's tutorial that I followed. Super, super easy.. and only a couple of dollars to make them. You can use these to decorate about any party... and I'm sure I will in the future.

And since this is a "random" post, like most of mine here lately... here's a pic of the girls showing me their "muscles"... or mooscles as they like to call them.

And here is my new, favorite show! I am still catching up because I haven't been watching it, but my, it's good :)

Simple recipe of the week: Beef Taco Bake (Recipe from Campbell's Kitchen)
I added extra cheese and also a packet of taco seasoning to my meat when I was browning it. Otherwise, it's good to go! I was in the mood for something different, and this hit the spot.

I've also got tons of sewing projects that are only half done. But they are coming along cutely. I'm working on a skirt for Bella & one for Audrey, and a little ruffle halter for Bella.

And call me crazy, but you know how I love to throw a party. And for me, it's all about the details. So I'm working on a custom table cloth for Audrey's 3rd Birthday "Rapunzel" party. Here's a sneak peek: (Can't wait to show you the final product!)

Oh and last but not least, I thought I would share a picture of this beauty! I think this sewing machine was probably purchased back in the 20's. No I'm kidding. But seriously.. I think it was bought in the 70's perhaps? At any rate, it's an oldie-but-goodie. And my mom let me borrow it because I've been on a sewing kick. I just love this old thing. Maybe I'll add one to my Christmas list this year so my mom can have it back though. I think I'm attached though.

Have a good week my friends!

Where in the World is ...

2011-05-16T15:38:00.004-05:00

Where have I been? It's been a crazy, but none-the-less fun week. So blogging has been on the backburner I suppose. But things are getting back to normal now. Here's an update of our week :)

My super-fantastic-wonderful-beautiful husband suprised me with a date night. We had a fantastic dinner & then went to see Celtic Woman perform. Super fun! Mad props to the Mr.!

Lots of Cuddle time with Audrey this week :)

Picnics in the House

A little painting... (More pics of this to come!)

Spending time with Papaw. Boy, he is a good sport. Letting both babies brush his hair. He only cried out in pain a few times.. lol

Here's our Happy baby :)

Out to dinner with my loves :)

Leigh Ann's 24th Birthday Party! Love my sister!

Me & the birthday girl! Can't believe my little sister is 24

Leigh Ann, me & the Hubby

Some of the fabulous girls at Leigh Ann's party

Audrey had a blast playing with Aiden :)

That's the wrap-up! Hope you all had a good week, too.

Green Thumb

2011-05-01T11:54:00.002-05:00

There aren't many updates for this week. Me & my little Bella have both been sick. So everything has been very low-key. On the other hand, the hubby & Audrey (and my sis & dad) have been working hard planting new flowers, de-weeding, and sprucing up the front and back yard. It's looking great! Here's a priceless pic from yesterday. Audrey had a "green thumb" ;)

Happy Birthday & Happy Easter

2011-04-24T21:12:00.004-05:00

Happy 29th Birthday to me! One more year to go in these 20's. Cannot believe that.
I had a great birthday though!

Here's me & the hubby

And this is the awesome cake he had made for me! It was modeled after one of my favorite paintings...

Van Gogh's "The Starry Night"

Here's the back... Awesome, huh? I just loved it!

We went to Texas de Brazil for dinner. And it was delicious. Here's some pics we took before we went, and then at the restaurant.

Here's my sweet Bella...

And here's my Audrey :)

Me & the Hubby

Me & my sister... who bought me Taylor Swift tickets for my birthday! BEST SISTER IN THE WORLD! :)

And here we are with Daddy :)

Mommy & the Princesses before heading out to dinner

My sweet Audrey

Bella enjoying some bites of her filet mignon at Texas de Brazil

Audrey snacking at Texas de Brazil

It was a perfect birthday! I loved spending such a beautiful day with family. I am blessed beyond measure. Now for some Easter pics...

Happy Easter Audrey!

Happy Easter Bella!

The Easter Bunny came!

Reading her book from the Easter bunny

Audrey showing me her book

Bella was excited about her Easter loot... even though the poor girl only got a nibble or 2 :)

Giving their Easter bunnies their Grandma sent them a hug! They love them.

Happy Easter everyone!

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Time to Hunt Eggs

2011-04-21T13:18:00.002-05:00

Having a writer's block lately. My birthday weekend will be soon upon me though.. so that's exciting. For now, here's a pic of the peanuts all ready to hunt some Easter eggs. Hope you guys have a great Easter weekend!! :)

The last few days...

2011-04-16T21:37:00.005-05:00

So the next 3 pictures pretty much sum up the last few days. My sweet Bella has been sick & running fever. We've been to the doctor twice, and the poor girl just has not felt good at all lately. So we've spent all our time giving her extra love & attention... Thankfully, she seems to be feeling a little better tonight... (saying lots of prayers that it stays that way, and she is on the UP & UP)
I spent lots of time just watching her sleep the past few days. Look at these little 18 month old toes :)

I just love this sweet face...
Today she was feeling a bit better, so it was a bit more of a "normal" day. Here's Audrey waiting on her dinner :) She told me this morning... "I want 2 ponytails please, Mama!"
The hubby even cooked some delicious homeade Chicken & Dumplings tonight! I love that man!
Like... L-O-V-E... LOVEEEEEEE that man :)
We even managed to get out of the house for a few minutes...
Here we are! Of course we weren't all smiling.. but I'll take it! :)
I even got to sneak off to Hobby Lobby... or "Hobby Hobbly" as Audrey calls it. Check out my great find! lol I would have loved this as a kid. Kinda hard to make it go though. (And no, I swear I didn't buy it. lol)

Hope you guys had a great weekend!

I'm going to leave with 3 videos of Audrey from today. She loves to sing and dance... and these are her three favorite songs. I'm loving how she sings her "ABC's". It's hilarious!

My Kind of Beautiful

2011-04-13T12:06:00.001-05:00

It's a Beautiful Day, Don't Let it Get Away: A Picture Post

2011-04-08T22:02:00.002-05:00

Who would have thought?

2011-04-08T16:00:00.007-05:00

So this is how the story goes...

Wife sees commercial for "Big Top Cupcake" for months on TV.

Wife tells husband she wants to buy "Big Top Cupcake".

Husband tells wife, "You will never use that thing"!

Wife whines on the inside momentarily... and then goes about her business.

A year passess by...

Wife sees "Big Top Cupcake" at Walgreens one day.

Husband is there as well.

Husband says again... "You will never use that thing."

Wife starts to think maybe husband is right.

And then husband and wife leave the store.

Fast forward 2 weeks...

Husband randomly comes home with "Big Top Cupcake" as a suprise for wife. Aww...

Fast forward 3 months...

Wife realizes that "Big Top Cupcake" is still sitting in the cabinet... unused. Turns out husband was right all along. (Shhh... Don't tell anyone.)

That is...until today :) I got it out of the cabinet having no clue what kind of cupcake I might make... and THIS is what I ended up with! Random I know... but I've been known to be pretty random. But look at that! Who would have thought you could make a little Barbie cake so easily! All I did was bake a cake the in Big Top Cupcake silicone pans according to the directions. Then I did a thin layer of frosting to cover the cake. And then just used a closed star tip to pipe little designs on the dress. My girls are still small and don't have many Barbies.. so Ariel or Belle were my only option. Ariel won. I had actually just planned to frost it normally, into a regular big ole' cupcake, until the idea hit me. I think it turned out pretty cute. Her dress is not perfectly round at the bottom due to the pans... but it still had a cute shape.

Anyway.. without further adieu... here's Miss Ariel in her Spring Dress :)

Bella...

2011-04-06T15:19:00.005-05:00

My sweet "B"... you are now 18 months old!
I cannot believe how fast time is flying by. I know everyone says that... but it's really true. It's like I blinked & here you are walking, talking & chattering, & nearing two years old. So let's talk a little about what makes you so wonderful these days!
-You have been walking for a few months now. You didn't really fully start walking until about 15 months. You like to do things in your own time. (And since you are my baby girl.. I was in no rush either! haha) Boy are you fast now though.
-You have several nicknames: "Sweet B", "Smiley", "Belle", "Super Bella"
-You love oatmeal, Rice Krispies &; Gerber Graduates. Your favorite food is peaches.
-The doctor says you are going to be tall like Audrey. You are still in the 90th percentile for height. Guess you got it from your Daddy :)
-You love playing "kitchen", your favorite toy is your first baby doll, and you love talking to yourself on your toy cellphone.
-When I wake you up in the morning, you crawl back and forth across the bed as fast as you can... giggling and screaming, while I try to catch you.
-Whenever Daddy carries you, you pat his back the entire time. We think it's hilarious!
-You are becoming quite the dancer. You'll bust a move just about anywhere there's a song playing now. (And for whatever reason, you and Audrey love the Paramore song, "The Only Exception".. and when it comes on.. you will sit there and sing... "You areeee, You Areee, you areeee"… over and over. I've got to get that on video!)
-You are always making little "O" faces with your lips.
-You are a little daredevil. You aren't scared of anything. And we can barely fill the bathtub up because you are totally convinced that you are a pro-swimmer. I can't take my eye off of you for one second.
-You have the most A-mazing blue eyes. You get comments on them all the time when we go out. And you've been called the "Gerber Baby" several times. Must be those cheeks ;)
-You love your Nike Shox, and if we try to put any other shoe on you, you throw a little fit.

-The only TV show you like is Dora.

-You still call Audrey, “Au-da”
-When you are fussy at night, you like for me to sing songs to you. I have a special one just for you!
-You have always been a bit of a Mommy’s girl… but that is starting to change a little. Now you throw a fit for Dada’s attention.

-Audrey adores you (even though you fight sometimes over toys/attention). She's very protective of her "Bellblah". (And I'm sooo sorry that's how she pronounces your sweet name. haha)

Here's some of my favorite pics of you...

We love you Isabella!!!

wee bit Wednesday

2011-04-06T14:36:00.002-05:00

{one} what is one food that, as an adult you love, but as a child you said you’d never touch? Salsa, cabbage

{two} did you go to college? if yes, what was your major? Yes.. & loved it! I got a BSN.

{three} what’s the most wild animal you’ve seen in real life (not counting the zoo)? a coyote... (while I was driving one time)

{four} have you ever been to a fortune teller? No

{five} can you juggle? a little

{six} hardwood floors or carpet? I like the look of hardwood better... but I kind of like carpet in the bedrooms

{seven} is it called “soda” or “pop”? neither... it's "Coke"

{eight} what was your first car? a Chevrolet Cavalier... loved that car

{nine} what is the most decadent dessert you’ve ever eaten? this chocolate cake I made one time... & should never make again... almost sinful

{ten} how often do you rearrange your furniture? Not often .. I do like to redecorate a lot though

Easter Cupcakes

2011-04-02T14:52:00.007-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've really been making an attempt this year to celebrate each holiday in a little way with my girls. I've also been in a baking mood lately. These are some Easter/Spring cupcakes I made to send with Leigh Ann to work. All the teachers loved them!

Here are some of my favorites:

First I made the inside different Spring-y colors, like the rainbow cupcakes I did last year. This one was my favorite. Little birdies in a Rice Krispie nest :)

Audrey liked this one... The Easter Bunny

Little Easter Baskets

(Made with twizzler handles & Easter M&M's)

This one was the teachers' favorite. The bee-hive! Cute, huh?

And just some little Easter Bunny's out of a cupcake kit I had.

Can't wait to see all of your Easter ideas!

Breakfast Cupcakes

2011-03-27T14:32:00.008-05:00

We will call these "Breakfast Cupcakes" for a lack of a better term. (Plus calling it a cupcake made my toddler decide she would try them!) These would be cute to take to a Church breakfast or brunch. They taste like mini breakfast casseroles... but without all the fuss. I've seen a few ways to make these... but here is what we did...

"Breakfast Cupcakes"

Makes 20-24

-6 eggs

-1 lb of sausage (browned)

-2 cups of shredded cheddar

-1 can of Grands Flaky Layer biscuits

-salt and pepper

Brown sausage and drain the excess oil. Beat eggs in a large bowl, and then add your shredded cheese and the browned sausage in the bowl with it. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Spray your muffin pan with non-stick spray. Split each biscuit into 3 equal layers. Then press each one into the greased muffin slots. These will serve as your "cupcake liners". Scoop a good amount of the sausage/egg/cheese mixture into each cup... until all 24 are full. Then bake according to your biscuit directions. Easy enough!

Here's the toddler enjoying her "cupcake" The baby liked hers, too :) And I just had to share this one..

Look at all those new toofies!!! awwww

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

2011-03-26T23:04:00.005-05:00

Easy Chicken Parmigiana

-5-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (trimmed of any fat)
-1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (I'm loving Bertolli's Marinara with Burgundy Wine Sauce)
-1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of all purpose flour
-salt & pepper to taste
-about 1/2 cup of olive oil
-2 TBSP of butter
-garlic powder (1/4-1/2 tsp depending on your tastes)
-onion powder (about 1/2 tsp)
-freshly grated parmesan cheese (at least a cup... but the more the better right?)

Trim chicken breasts of any fat. Flatten chicken breasts with a mallet (or heavy jar or cup) until they are about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Pour your flour in a large ziplock bag. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, heat your oil and butter in large non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Then take your chicken breasts, and place half of them in the ziplock bag. Close the bag and shake it up to coat the breasts with the flour. Then take them out of the bag and do the remaining breasts the same way.

When your oil/butter is hot, place your chicken breasts in the skillet. Brown chicken breasts on both sides until you have a nice brown crust. (Takes about 3 or 4 minutes each side.) Then turn your heat to low, and pour your jar of marinara over your chicken. Then sprinkle with the garlic and onion powder. (Now sauteing fresh onions and garlic would be great as well... but we are going for super easy here.. so we will stick with the spices.) Then cover your skillet with a lid, and let the chicken breasts simmer in the sauce for about 30 minutes. (This will allow your chicken to finish cooking and soak up all the flavor.) The last 5 minutes of cooking, sprinkle all that freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, and re-cover the skillet to allow it to melt on top of the chicken breasts. Easy as that!

Great served over spaghetti noodles. (And if you want extra sauce for your noodles, you can always do a second jar of marinara!) Hope you enjoy!

Spring is Here!

2011-03-26T22:19:00.010-05:00

Spring is here! We had some beautiful weather at the beginning of the week, and that got me in the mood to whip up some spring-themed treats. We've already decorated a bit for Easter, & I've picked up the girls a few things from the "Easter Bunny". It's such a fun, and meaningful holiday. I'm really trying to make an effort to celebrate each holiday this year... at least in a little way. Here's the 3 desserts my sister & I made, and they turned out so cute, so I wanted to share!

Spring Celebration Brownies -- Gooey, chocolatey, marshmellowy...

And Leigh Ann's co-workers l-o-v-e-d them!

(The recipe can be found here.)

I just love the colors of the pastel M&M's.

Tell me you do not want a bite of this?
"The Robin's Nest" mini cupcakes!

The cupcakes were just an idea we came up with on a whim. All you do is use your favorite chocolate cake mix recipe.. and make mini cupcakes out of them. Then use green decorator icing, and a grass-like frosting tip to ice them. Place 1 or 2 little "Robin's eggs" (these were malted milk eggs), in the center .. and you are done! So cute & perfectly Springy.

And these are our little flower pot cupcakes. Are those not cute?

I found these cute silicone flowerpot cupcake molds by Mary Engelbreit at Michaels craft store.

Then we just used some of our leftover chocolate cake mix and the green frosting for them.

And now for some pics of my favorite little cupcakes.
They were all ready to go play with some friends.

I can't believe she'll be 3 soon. Where is my pause button? Ahh!

Her hair looks like Daddy's in the AM :) haha

My sweet Audrey

And this one I love!

They were being Daddy's girls this morning, and were snuggling up in his lap.

Everyone say, "Awwwwwww"! haha

Hobby Hobbly

2011-03-13T00:31:00.003-06:00

Thus far, this has been a very low-key weekend. The hubby has been busy meeting a deadline for work.. so me & the girls have been doing a lot of playing & a little crafting.

Here's our Easter mantle. Everything was 40-50% off at Hobby Lobby, or as Audrey likes to call it.. "Hobby Hobbly". She's always asking to go to Hobby Hobbly. She helped decorate the little egg wreaths.

Here's my big helper this morning :)
And my little B is always on the go these days...

I also tried a new cake/buttercream recipe. The buttercream wasn't my favorite (still good)... but the cake turned out cute & pink. (And no .. buttercream decorating is not my for-tay.. lol)

Anyone have a good buttercream recipe? (I tried Annie Eat's recipe for buttercream. She has lots of great recipes.. but this one (for my tastes) was a little too buttery tasting.. and even a bit salty?)

Kiss Me, I'm Irish

2011-03-10T11:07:00.007-06:00

Today the girls are dressed like little Rainbow Brite's. It's "silly socks day" in their classes. I decided their little Saint Patrick's Day shirts would be cute with their silly socks... nice & colorful! Here's the little Irish Princesses :)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!

An Update

2011-03-07T14:47:00.005-06:00

Yes-- I am still alive! Me & the girls have been sick/colds the past week or so, but thankfully we are all starting to feel better. Now for pictures :)

One of Audrey's favorite things to do lately is to go grocery shopping.

She's always saying..."Mommy, I wanna go ride in the big racecar."

So here they are in the big racecar buggy. Maybe if I could ride around in a big racecar, I would enjoy grocery shopping as much. I used to love it, but now I'd about rather gnaw my arm off. No just kidding.. I think. There's just nothing easy about grocery shopping with two little kids. Thankfully, the "big racecar" helps keep them entertained!

Here's me & my Audrey :)

And Miss Bella now has 4 teeth on the bottom and two coming in on top!
You can see them better here...
I knew they would all come in at once. I was beginning to think she was just going to have 2 teeth forever. haha
Audrey playing in one of their tents
And Bella happily preparing a meal :)

Sausage Pinwheels & Easy Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-02-19T14:00:00.007-06:00

We've been trying a lot of new recipes in the past couple of weeks. Some were great, some were busts... but I wanted to share 2 super simple ones that will definitely please the adults & kids alike! (Just click on the recipe card to make it bigger and save.)

These were super easy.. and would be perfect if you had to bring a breakfast dish.

Pumpkin Pancakes are my favorite! My husband made these this morning.
Make sure you buy pumpkin pill "filling" and not just the pumpkin puree, because the filling comes pre-seasoned with the cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. (So less for you to do!)

Enjoy!

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

2011-02-18T13:17:00.005-06:00

I found this recipe at Annie Eat's. Her pictures are a million times better than mine... but nevermind that... it was sooo delicious! Not something you would want to eat every week.. but good for an occasional treat. I'm sure you could add veggies & make it a bit "healthier". I made the dough and the sauce early in the day.. that way all I had to do was assemble it for dinner. Looks harder than it was! (Oh and I doubled the recipe and did one in a regular pan and one in my cast-iron skillet.. and I think I liked the crust a tad bit better in the cast-iron.) This recipe makes one 9 inch pizza. She suggests doubling the recipe and freezing one.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Courtesy of Annie Eat's

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (8 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (1 3/8 oz.) yellow cornmeal
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. (5 oz.) water, at room temperature
1½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For the sauce:
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. grated onion
Pinch of dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil (Left this out...)
Ground black pepper

For assembling and topping:
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
¼ oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tbsp.)

Directions:
To make the dough, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on low speed. Mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the water and melted butter and continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 4-5 minutes. (I don't have a stand mixer yet... boohoo.... so I did this by hand! Wasn't hard though.)

Using your hands, coat a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1¼ cups, about 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto a dry work surface and roll into a 8- by 6-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- by 2 inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a business letter, pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in size, 40-50 minutes. (This part about got me confused... basically I rolled out my dough, spread the butter on it.. and then folded it back up. Easy enough.)

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. To assemble, coat a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough ball to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about ¼-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly press the dough into the pan, working into the corners and 1 inch up the sides. If the dough resists stretching, let rest 5 minutes before trying again.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the surface of the dough. Spread the tomato sauce over the cheese and top with Parmesan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yield: 1 9-inch deep-dish pizza

Love

2011-02-15T22:24:00.003-06:00

Life is the flower for which love is the honey.
--Victor Hugo

Hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day! The hubby did well again this year.

I'm loving looking at my beautiful flowers from the hubby, Audrey & Bella :)

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T21:53:00.006-06:00

So I may be getting the award for the most random blogger of the year. Some weeks I will post every other day, and then I'll go 3 weeks and try to play catch-up. But this time.. I just needed a blogging/social networking/emailing/anything computer-related break! Ever feel that way?

Anyway! It was a good week though. Audrey had her 1st Valentine's Day party... Bella took her 1st official steps... we had a big snow and had "play outside" weather in the same week, and I actually sat down and watched some TV for the first time in what seems like forever.

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here's my babies before their Valentine's Day party!

Love those smiles!

My baby is finally walking! Makes me happy & sad.

Cupcakes for the Valentine's Party

We even had a little Valentine's-inspired dinner ;) Cute, huh?

Catch Up

2011-02-06T17:56:00.004-06:00

Yes, I am still alive. Boy has this been a busy week though. I had soo many invitation orders to complete (which is a great thing), but it's been a little nutso around here. I'm also working on projects for 3 different parties that we are doing this year. I can't wait to show you some of the things I've been working on.. but that will come soon!

The girls are growing like weeds. Ahh.. can't they just stay little a little longer? *Big sigh*

Here's some pics over the past week:

Here's my babies the other morning...

They always start their day "playin kitchen"
Audrey was "making a potato" she said.

Nothing better than a cup of milk & a plastic donut

Showing me the proper way to eat corn

Cuddling with Daddy on his lunch break

Bella getting some loves

I'm happy to report.. we FINALLY have some more teeth.. 2 coming in on top, and 1 on the bottom

Bella's favorite spot

Audrey "workin on her fitness"

The Wii said she was underweight and unstable.. wonder why? lol

She's 2!

Go Audrey Go!

Time for some toning exercises. This child cracks me up!

Ice Skating Party and Cute Silhouettes

2011-01-26T17:30:00.010-06:00

First, I have to share the super-cute silhouette graphics I made of my girls. They took a while to do (made them in Photoshop), but I was so happy with them. I plan to have them printed and frame them!

And now for more pictures from Amelia's ice skating party... (We had a blast!)

Here's Miss Audrey... all ready for the party.

Watching everyone ice skate with Daddy

My BFF, the Ice Princess

Audrey & the Birthday Girl, Amelia

The dessert table

They had so much fun together!

Favorite pic of the day!

Checking out some Giraffes

And Flamingos!

Time to head home.. What a fun day!

Sweet and Sour Chicken, Sesame Noodles & My Sweets!

2011-01-22T20:42:00.008-06:00

First ... a pic of my sweet :)

Everyone say "AWWWWwww" :)

This was before the noodlefest, when she was nice & clean.

And now... about that noodlefest...

Here is the delicious culprit!

The Pioneer Woman's Simple Sesame Noodles...

If you haven't tried them... and you like Asian food... then you simply must not go another day without trying these. So yummy.

Here is the recipe from her website:

(She does a great step by step version on her website, with pictures!)

Ingredients:
■12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
■¼ cups Soy Sauce
■2 Tablespoons Sugar
■4 cloves Garlic, Minced
■2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
■3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
■½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil
■4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
■2 Tablespoons Hot Water
■4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin
Preparation Instructions
Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss. (I'm not a green onion kinda girl though, so those were a no-go in my version.)

Now... with those noodles we paired an equally yummy dish...

Sweet & Sour Chicken

I found this recipe here.
We modified it just a bit (more chicken, doubled the sauce), because we had several people to feed... but here is their recipe:

For the chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper
1 c. cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
3/4 c. sugar
4 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt

Bake for 1 hour at 325F. Mix chicken every 15 min.

Sooo tasty! Easily as good, if not better, than any take-out.

And the kids loved it!! Double points!

Here's my little noodleface That's some serious slurping!

She really.. and I mean really... had fun with her dinner tonight!

She even wanted to share her noodles with Dada!

But now... it's bath time!

Hope you guys enjoy!

Audrey's 1st Movie

2011-01-16T22:50:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday was a big day for Miss Audrey! We took her to see her 1st movie... Tangled. It was such a cute movie! She was soo into it! So here's a picture of the newest Rapunzel fan...

(& noo... I don't think we got her enough popcorn, do you?)

Trisha Yearwood's Cowboy Lasagna & Spoon Rolls

2011-01-15T00:10:00.007-06:00

Tonight's dinner was a hit! After one bite, everyone at the table was in lasagna heaven. I looove trying different lasagna recipes. I think this one ranks up there with my favorites though. We bought my mom a few cookbooks for Christmas, & Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood was one of them. It has a lot of southern, comfort food type recipes.. that all look delicious. This was the first one we tried. I wish I would have gotten a picture once we cut into it...

We also made some quick, easy, but definitely yummy Spoon Rolls. Here's the recipes for both! Enjoy!

Trisha Yearwood's Cowboy Lasagna

Ingredients:

-1 lb lean ground beef
-1 lb sage sausage (I just used 1/2 lb of regular sausage, not sage)
-1 medium onion, finely chopped
-1 garlic clove, minced
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 lb sliced pepperoni (used 1/2 this amount)1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
-1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
-2 cups water
-2 teaspoons salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1 tablespoon dried oregano
-16 ounces lasagna noodles
-16 ounces ricotta cheese
-16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
-1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large, heavy skillet, lightly brown ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic in the oil. Be sure to keep the meat chunky, not finely separated, while cooking. (I'm not crazy about big chunks of meat, so I went ahead and made mine fine.) Drain the meat. Add pepperoni, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper and oregano. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3. Cook and drain lasagna noodles according to package directions.
4. In a 13 x 9-inch pan, spread 1 cup of the prepared sauce. Alternate layers of noodles, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, ending with sauce, mozzarella and parmesan.
5. Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbling.
6. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Spoon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 pkg dry yeast
2 c. warm water
1 egg beaten
1 ½ sticks melted butter
¼ c. sugar
4 c. self rising flour

Place yeast in 2 cups warm water & stir till dissolved. Melt butter, add sugar in large bowl. Add beaten egg & dissolved yeast mixture. Add flour and stir till mixed good. Drop by spoons (or ¼ c. size) into greased muffin pans. Bake 400 degrees for 20 min. makes approx 36 muffins.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland: A Picture Post

2011-01-10T17:26:00.006-06:00

First pics of 2011!

2011-01-02T18:14:00.006-06:00

The little Miss in her red!

Love this smile!

Having a piano lesson with Alex

Working on their symphony

Sweet B

What, Mom?

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!

Opening gifts

Cuddlebug

She loves her shoes :)

Playing with Samantha

Miss 2 1/2 year old

My world :)

Starting to look alike, huh?

Daddy & Audrey

Bella was asleep the minute she hit her carseat

2010: A Year of Memories

2010-12-29T19:09:00.005-06:00

2010 has been such a blessed year for us! Here's a look back at some of our favorite memories...
(The song is Audrey's new favorite song!)

Merry Christmas 2010!

2010-12-26T21:07:00.002-06:00

We had a blessed Holiday season this year! I hope you did as well! Here's to many more great memories to come in the New Year!

Here's pics from Christmas 2010!

We can hardly stand the wait...

2010-12-21T15:04:00.002-06:00

....Please Christmas don't be Late!!

3rd Annual Christmas Card Carousel

2010-12-17T12:08:00.009-06:00

It's the 3rd Annual Christmas Card Carousel over at Walk With Me By Faith.

Here is our Christmas Card for this year!

I was just in love with this picture of my babies, so it made the final cut!

Merry Christmas Friends!!!

Bella & Daddy "dancing"

2010-12-13T22:09:00.003-06:00

While I am sharing videos... this one was too cute not to share. It's Miss Bella & her Daddy "dancing" to The Chipmunks Christmas album.. aww :) Definitely Daddy's girls!

To Yaya

2010-12-13T21:30:00.003-06:00

Audrey must really be missing her Yaya today!

"Melted Snowman" Cookies

2010-12-12T16:57:00.007-06:00

I saw this cute idea over at the Crazy Domestic blog. Melted Snowman Cookies! What a cuteee idea! Leigh Ann & I usually decorate cookies at some point each Holiday Season... so we decided today we would give these a shot. They turned out so cute... probably the most fun I've had decorating cookies. Here's pics!

My "Melted Snowman" cookies... (& melted Snowgirls)

My favorite Snowgirl... this was Audrey's favorite, too.

Leigh Ann's SnowpeopleAudrey getting in on the cookie decorating action!
And my little Belle was walking all around the house today... (with the help of her little baby stroller of course.) She might take off any day now!!

Reindeer Footprints

2010-12-08T20:31:00.003-06:00

I had seen this idea a couple of years ago... & now that I have babies of my own, & Christmas-time is near, I decided we would give it a try! So with Leigh Ann's help, we have some cute "Reindeer" footprints. All you do is dip their little feet in paint, make a footprint on your paper, then paint on a little red nose, eyes, & antlers. (I've even seen people do this and use handprints as the antlers... which would be cute... but I was just glad to get my 1 & 2 year old to sit still long enough to get the one footprint! hah!) Here's how they turned out!

O Christmas Tree!

2010-12-06T18:09:00.002-06:00

Wanted to share some recent pics of the girls. We have made it a point to spend more time celebrating this year, and spending less time in the "hustle & bustle" that December can bring. Both of them love going for rides just to look at all the lights. And I love just watching them play around the Christmas tree. They are so amazed by it. We've made Christmas cookies, Audrey has learned parts of "Jingle Bells", and I look forward to beginning even more traditions now that they are here. I know this is going to be one of the most special holiday seasons' yet.

It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas

2010-11-28T21:12:00.005-06:00

Some sweet pics of my Baby Loves in their Christmas dresses :)

(I'm hoping to use some of these for our Christmas card this year!)

My new favorite pic...

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. I'm so excited to have the house decorated for Christmas!

A few of my favorite ornaments...

Audrey's 1st Ornament

Bella's 1st Ornament

And my 2 new favorites! (For obvious reasons!)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 1

2010-11-22T13:16:00.004-06:00

Before I can start, I have to share this picture of my babies in their Thanksgiving outfits! All together now... "Awwwwww!" haha

Now on to fun things! The "12 Days of Christmas": Day 1 (Christmas Traditions)

The ones that come to mind are as follows, in no particular order:-Driving around to see the lights, or as Audrey calls them "Yights"-Taking the girls to get their picture made with Santa-Reading "The Night Before Christmas"-Of course watching Christmas movies, & listening to Christmas music. My favorite song is "Let it Snow".. the Frank Sinatra version-Decorating the house-Going to the Christmas Plays/Musicals at Church-Baking cookies for Santa-Dinner with family I look forward to seeing all of yours! Always love new ideas.

Sweet Babies..

2010-11-20T23:57:00.003-06:00

Almost forgot! Had to share some pics of my sweet peas tonight. I'm soo lucky to be their Mommy!

"Merry Christmas" Banner

2010-11-20T17:21:00.006-06:00

I know a lot of you will be decorating this coming week, so I finished up my printable Christmas banner tonight. I hope you like it! I used reds, greens, pinks, & even some light blues. I decided to glue mine to red & green cardstock, but I incorporated so many colors, that you could use just about any background color you wanted. Here's the pics! (I would have hung it up on the mantle, but it's still decorated for Thanksgiving.) Enjoy!

Click on each set of letters to download the PDF file.

Snowmen & Ornaments

Christmas Trees

*Kits used:
*Mod Holiday: http://www.etsy.com/shop/studio71design?ref=pr_profile
*Seasonal Sampler: http://www.shabbyprincess.com/2006SeasonalSampler.asp
*Frosty Friends: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JWIllustrations

Shake, SHAKE

2010-11-19T11:19:00.002-06:00

Had to share this video of Audrey dancing this morning with the "little girl" in the oven! :)

The girl L-O-V-E-S to dance!

Personalized Christmas Shirts

2010-11-12T14:35:00.008-06:00

I am all about an easy project, and boy was this one of them! I looove little girl clothes, & I buy WAY too many of them... so I decided I would try my hand at making my girls a Christmas shirt myself (with Leigh Ann's help, of course.) A few months ago I got on a sewing "kick", but the other day when Leigh Ann & I were at the fabric store, we stumbled upon a great idea... Iron-on Backing. Then the lightbulbs went off, and a couple dollars, and an hour or two later.. we have these... (Oh and please excuse that they desperately need to be ironed!)

I bought the white T-shirts at Target, (about $7 a piece.) The ribbon I already had. The iron on backing was seriously about $1 or 2 for the piece I bought (I got some extra), and the fabric I picked was only about $3 as well. I only bought a 1/4th a yard, and didn't use near that much. I chose to iron on everything, letters, ribbons and all... (though I'm sure it would be a bit more sturdy, especially when washing, if you were to just go ahead and sew it on. We will see though.)

Here's what I did:

I found a thick, chunky font in Microsoft word, blew up the letters till I had a size that would go good on my shirt, and printed them out on paper. (You may have to set your document to Landscape instead of Portrait depending on the size of the shirt.. mine were 12mo and 2T.) Then you cut out the letters. I flipped the fabric over on the back, and traced the letters onto the fabric. Make sure you turn your letters the right way when tracing, so they look right on your shirt ;)

(Now I'm sure there are many ways to do this next step.. but this is how I did it.) Once my letters were cut out, I ironed them according to the instructions on the iron on backing. Then I cut off the excess backing around my letters. Then I arranged the letters on my shirt, and just ironed them onto the shirt. Easy enough. I did the same for the ribbons. Just ironed on the backing to them, cut off the excess, and ironed them on the shirt. Then just make a bow for the bottom... (or in my case, stake out someone who can actually tie a bow). I just added mine onto the bottom with a safety pin... that way I could take it off when I washed it. Sewing it on would be good too!

Here's a close-up of Bella's Letters...And here is the bow!
You can seal the edges with a lighter so they don't fray.... just be careful! :)

Hope you like!

"Thanksgiving Dinner" Cupcakes

2010-11-07T18:41:00.003-06:00

My family is in town, & today while the girls were taking their nap, Leigh Ann (my sister) & I got bored and decided we would make some Thanksgiving themed cupcakes. We did a google search for "Thanksgiving Cupcakes" and got all kinds of ideas... but here is what we ended up with...

First & foremost, I'll show you our favorite ones! These cupcakes we like to call "Thanksgiving Dinner" cupcakes! Complete with Turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas & carrots, and a chocolate cake! Are those fun or what?!!!

(If you want to make them yourself, we used crushed cornflakes for the turkey, cut up orange Starbursts for the carrots, Laffy Taffy rolled up for the peas, marshmellows for the turkey bones, a yellow Starburst for the butter on the mashed potatoes, and then butterscotch or caramel topping for the "gravy"!)

Thanksgiving Dinner is served! Haha!
And here is Leigh Ann's "Turkey & Trimmings" cupcake

And you can't forget the Pilgrims for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Banner

2010-11-06T02:02:00.005-05:00

This week was super busy with work, re-painting the living room & kitchen (and then redecorating after all the painting chaos). But I did find some time to finish up a quick project I had been working on... a Thanksgiving banner for my mantle. Since I design invites & cards, I thought why not give a banner a go. I found a cute design kit to use here. I mixed up the patterns in the kit and added the letters, had them printed, and then just glued them on some cardstock. Add ribbon, & voila! I thought it turned out so cute. And... just in case you like it too, I uploaded my printables, and I'm posting links at the bottom of this post for you to download them for yourself, for free of course! Hope you like them!!! I'm so excited about the Holidays this year!

Click on each set of letters to download the PDF file.
GI.PDF
VE.PDF
TH.PDF
AN.PDF
KS.PDF
SPACER.PDF (leaves)
TURKEYS.PDF

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 19-22

2010-11-01T20:51:00.009-05:00

I'm playing a bit of catch-up, due to a busy weekend, full of painting & redecorating. So this is going to be short & sweet (& maybe a bit boring this time! Sorry.)

Day 19: Something You Miss

This one is easy... my Granny. I miss her every day.

Day 20: Nicknames

Les, Moma, and sometimes my husband refers to me as "The Mrs." :)

Day 21: Picture of Yourself

This is me and my sister last week (I'm the 2nd one)

Day 22: Favorite City
I'm not sure I have an absolute favorite. I love East TN in the fall time.. love Destin in the Spring/Summer... and I would Loooveee to go to New York City around Christmas time!

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T20:45:00.003-05:00

My cute baby Monkey & her Dada

Dada, Dorothy, & the baby Monkey
Sweet giggles

Leigh Ann & Denai

Ready to go trick-or-treating

Aiden the Tiger!

Awww

Leigh Ann & the animals :)

Candy Corn Cupcakes (& my little Monkey)

2010-10-27T16:15:00.005-05:00

First, I just have to start with a picture of my sweet little monkey in her Halloween Costume.

It's her 2nd Halloween! :)

I do not think this baby could not get any cuter... even if I am a bit biased?
But now for the Candy Corn Cupcakes. I saw this idea floating around recently and thought it would be the perfect thing to take to Audrey's Fall Party at MDO.
My sister helped me do these. And all you have to do is to take a box of white cake mix (we used Duncan Hines), and mixed as directed. Then color half of the cake mixture yellow, and the other half orange.

We used an ice cream scoop and put in 1 scoop of yellow, followed by 1 scoop of orange.

Then we baked them on 325 degress for about 18 minutes.

And this is what they looked like when we were done!

We used the frosting recipe found here.

This is what the inside looks like! Cuteee! And perfect for her Fall Party!

And we had some icing left over, so we made a few Spooky Mummy cupcakes as well.

Found these cute wrappers at Target. Cool, huh?

30 Day Challenge: Day 17

2010-10-27T16:06:00.002-05:00

Day 17: Something You're Looking Forward To

I am looking forward to the upcoming Holidays, decorating for them, & spending time with my family.
I am looking forward to seeing more Broadway shows!
I am looking forward to planning a small trip for just Brian & I.
I am looking forward to seeing Bella walk for the 1st time.
I am looking forward to Fall Fest this weekend!
I am looking forward to helping Christina plan our Christmas Party.
I am looking forward to seeing Audrey dance in the kitchen while I cook dinner... (and on that note... I should go, though there are many more things I'm looking forward to!)

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 16

2010-10-26T12:31:00.004-05:00

Day 16: Dream House

I'm not sure I have 1 particular dream house... but I like bits & pieces of lots of houses.
I do really love the old, charming feel of the house from The Notebook.

It just has soo much character!

But with that said... I just L-O-V-E this kitchen!
It's Tori Spelling's kitchen ... (see here.) The white is gorgeous!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 15

2010-10-25T12:23:00.001-05:00

Day 15: Bible Verse

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 14

2010-10-24T22:51:00.002-05:00

Day 14: A Picture You Love

So once again, I could not pick just one.

And I love this picture, because I looooveee him!

And this may be the sweetest picture I have of my girls. It's amazing how much they already love each other... even though they are just 1 and 2! Just love it.And I had to put this in! Because since last night... I am loving this picture too!! I saw Wicked last night with one of my best friend's, Jasmine. And it was absolutely INCREDIBLE! Go see it!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-20T15:24:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we visited a pumpkin patch, and the girls had a great time! I think we need to plan a second trip! Here's pics from our visit :)

Audrey at the pumpkin patch

Bella at the pumpkin patch
My girls!

Bella & her Auntie

Auntie & the girls

She realllly liked the pumpkin patch!

Cabbage Patch Kid

Audrey was having a great time. She didn't want to leave.

Bella's pumpkin

My favorite pic..

Audrey giving Bella "loves"

Picking more pumpkins

Bella picked her out a Christmas tree... a "Charlie Brown" tree that is :)She pushed her all over the place

Sweet Smiley

Me & the girls (we can't all look the same way at once, but that's okay)

Leigh Ann & I

LOVE this pic!

30 Day Blog Challenge

2010-10-20T15:18:00.000-05:00

Day 10: Something You're Afraid Of

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 9

2010-10-19T16:15:00.003-05:00

Day 9: A Picture of Your Friends

My sister is & has always been my BFF.

Me & her

My other BFF, ChristinaMe, my sister, & friend Christi
My friends & our daughters (Me, Jasmine, & Christina)

Top 2 Tuesday

2010-10-18T22:01:00.002-05:00

So for the life of me, I cannot seem to narrow this down to two. I love old pictures!! So my Top 2 has turned in to a Top 5.

This is a picture of me and my Granny. (She's been gone for a while now, & I miss her like crazy, and think of her daily.) We were pretty much inseperable. She was everything to me! And this is one of my treasured pictures of the 2 of us.

This is my Brian... my handsome, handsome husband... as an adorable baby.
I'm glad I got to have his babies! hehe

This is me. What can I say? I've always been a girl who likes to shop! lol
This has always been one of my favorite pictures of my little sister, Leigh Ann (who is now 23).
If you look close, you can see she is pointing out her 1st rainbow!

And this is a few months old.. but it's my FAVORITE picture of my babies!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 8

2010-10-18T17:37:00.004-05:00

Day 8: A Place You've Traveled To

One of my favorite places that we have traveled thus far, was our Honeymoon trip to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We stayed at Sandals for a week, & it was the perfect trip. The beaches were absolutely gorgeous. We also spent lots of time at the main pool, which was amazing. Swim up bar, all you can eat, drink...

We had one of the Villa's the first night, and although we really liked it, we wanted to be closer to the action... so we moved to the Manor side, which was the newer built area. The room was really nice. They have about anything you can think of to eat... and the Jamaican Rum stays flowing... (even though I'm not really a big drinker.) I can't say enough good things about this place. We had such a great time, and it was the perfect start to our marriage! Would love to go back some day... ahh... would love to be there now actually! These pictures are killin me.

She's off to see the Wizard

2010-10-17T19:46:00.009-05:00

Audrey is going as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz this Halloween. I looovee her costume, & I couldn't wait to share her 1st Halloween pics!

She's off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
My sweet Dorothy!
Did you know that Dorothy likes to dance? :)

There's no place like home!

Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My!

Dorothy and her Dada

Can't wait to take pics of Bella in her costume!

Oh and Pleaseee Vote for Audrey in the Wizard of Oz Photo Contest! The winner gets a trip to Hollywood! Fun, fun!! Click Here!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7

2010-10-17T16:02:00.002-05:00

Day 7: Favorite Movies

(This one was kind of tough... but these 5 are definitely favorites!)

30 Day Blog Challenge, Day 1-6

2010-10-16T16:38:00.018-05:00

Recently, I've seen several of my friends joining the blog hop hosted by Katie, from Katie's Journey. I know I'm a little late, but I thought this was a fun idea, so I'm going to try and play some catch up here! Okay, here goes!

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

So, Hi, :) I'm Leslie I'm 28... and feeling like 30 is soo close. I remember being little and thinking how OLD that was... but now I'm just about there, and it doesn't seem so ancient. I'm sure my daughters will disagree though. But I'm getting off topic aren't I? Let's start again. :)

Hi, I'm Leslie, I'm 28, a wife to Brian, & a Mommy... well... a "Moma" to Audrey, who is 2, and Isabella, who is 1! I was born & raised in Tennessee (and Florida). (And yes, I love BOTH football teams, even though that's not supposed to be allowed. I mean, who can be a UT Fan & a Gator Fan? Blasphemy, I know. I promise I love UT more though ;) I'm also a nurse, and I work with mostly tiny Pediatric patients. After my family, music is my ultimate love! I've been called a "human jukebox" several times before. I remember about every song I've ever heard. I love going places, shopping, throwing parties, & basically doing anything creative (hence how Bella Luce Originals got started.)

My life :)

Now let's get to those 15 interesting (or maybe not so interesting) facts about me:

These are going to be very random, because I'm pulling them off the top of my head.

1. The 1st song I can recall liking is Sweet Child of Mine by Guns n Roses... I was around 4 or 5.

2. It took us over 2 years, and several rounds of fertility meds to get pregnant with Audrey. It was rough, and I swear it makes me 100 times as grateful to see her sweet face every day.

3. We found out about Isabella when Audrey was just 7 months old. She was a sweet, sweet suprise... and I still can't believe it some days... after all we went through trying to get pregnant with Audrey. She's just as much of a miracle!

4. My favorite band is Live.. though I hear they just broke up. *Whine*

5. I've been with my now husband, since I was 14. And I'm still that same girl, who get's butterflies when he smiles at me. He's my forever.

6. I've been to Germany & Jamaica... and can't wait to travel other places!

7. I'd love to go to Austria and run through the mountains singing "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music". lol

8. I'm a Twi-Hard... or Twi-Mom, or whatever you wanna call it. And I can't commit to Team Edward or Team Jacob... I'd want them both.

9. I've bungee jumped, and it won't ever happen again. WTH was I thinking? Oh yeah, it was Senior Trip ;)

10. My sister & I have contests while riding down the street, to see who can outsing the other one, or hit the highest note. She's pretty good... I'm a little better. HAHAH Leigh Ann ;) (And we aren't competitive at all...hah)

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

This is very self-explanatory... so I won't go any further with this :)

Day 3-Your first love

Ahh, this I could talk about all day, but I will try not to.

Meet Brian... Fabulous, handsome, Brian :)

Brian & I met when I was 14 & he was 17. I was definitely the "teenager in love" from the get-go. From the beginning, I felt like I had known him forever... & we just seemed to "fit". It seems soo long ago since our first date... & sooo much has happened. He went to the Army soon after we got together... so we did the long distance thing for several years. We went to the prom together, then went to college together... & fast-forward a couple of years.. and now we are married with 2 kids. We've seen many relationships come & go, but I'm thankful that ours has only gotten stronger. I still get a big smile when I look at him... I've fallen for him over & over again over the years, & I can't imagine not being HIS. He is Home to me. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

Here's us in college:Our wedding caricature .. haha

This picture about sums up how I feel about him... And this is us more recently :)

Day 4-Your parents

Here's my Dad... with Bella I'm lucky enough to have great parents! My dad is one of those "will take the shirt off his back to help someone else out" kind of guys. He always spent lots of time with us, ignited my love for music, and showered us with lots of love. Now he loves my girls just as much as he did us... and I just love watching that.

This is my beautiful Mom!! She's the one I go to when I think no one else will understand. When I'm sick, I still want my Moma. She's so pretty, strong, and always took great care of us! She's also a nurse, so we have that in common. She always encouraged me, & I appreciate her more than she will ever know. I can't say enough good things about her.

Day 5-Your siblings
I'm lucky enough to have a sister who is also my BEST FRIEND. I barely remember a time when we weren't tied at the hip. She's just 5 years younger than me. We are a lot alike. Except she is bolder, more daring, and a litle meaner ;) I've always felt very protective of her.. she's the little sister... even though she's 23 now :) I can't imagine going through life without a sister. She makes me laugh daily... and brings excitement, and sometimes craziness to my life. Weird things are always happening to her... so her stories definitely keep me entertained. She's also an awesome AUNTIE! She's the girls BFF :)

And yes we look alike in some pics... but nooo we are not twins.. we get that so much (and it irritates us both) haha. Most people think I'm the "younger" of the twins though... which kinda makes me happy though. lol

Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy

My little "Mannings"

The Misadventures of Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-15T22:03:00.006-05:00

Audrey giving me a pose before starting her pumpkin!

Time to decorate! Look at that concentration!
Admiring her work
The hubby

Let's add some ribbon, why not?

Clapping and saying "YAY" for her pumpkin!

She was proud of herself!

Audrey's 1st Pumpkin...awww

Bella got in on the pumpkin action, too

She very much liked playing with the pumpkins

Watch out, she's got a knife

Smile Leigh Ann!

Me with my super Um... Spooky... (is that the word?), YES .. SPOOKY.. Pumpkin

All I can do is laugh when I look at this. (Sorry guys!)

We need some work before we become pro-carvers.

The 1st one is supposed to be an "M", and the second one is a graveyard...
You see it don't you? hahaha

It's Been Awhile

2010-10-14T23:08:00.000-05:00

So it's been a bit since I updated, and tonight's post won't be long... because I'm sooo exhausted! Busy, busy week. But I wanted to share pics from Audrey's Farm Day at MDO. She had such a good time, and looked Sooo Cute in her overalls.

Here's my sweet girl all ready for Farm Day!

Lovin the pigtails

Audrey May, haha

Time for a "train" ride

Checking out the Piggy

And the baby bunny

The piggy was her favorite though.

She would say, "wee, wee, weee!" :)

Feeding the chickens.

Be still little bunny!

Designer's Challenge Finalist!

2010-10-07T10:57:00.007-05:00

Exciting news! My Happy Owl-Oween Design was picked as one of the Top 3 finalists for Maddycakes Muse's Owl-Oween designer's challenge! (Out of 59 entries! Woohoo!) Please click here to vote for my design!

Here's my design entry!

And here are the cute matching cupcake toppers! To read about the Designer's Challenge, click here.

So please vote friends!! She will use the winning design at Madison's party and will send me all of the professional photographs of my design. She is also purchasing another set for a lucky follower to use as well! So exciting!

Audrey and Isabella - The First Year

2010-10-06T20:28:00.002-05:00

wee bit Wednesday

2010-10-06T17:15:00.002-05:00

{one} grilled or fried?
grilled. fried food kinda makes me feel yucky

{two} if you could change one thing about where you live, without worrying about money, what would you change?
New hardwood floors or a bigger kitchen!

{three} what is your favorite time of day?
Wind down time right before bed... or when I first get my girls up in the morning.

{four} what’s your favorite cereal?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch

{five} do you open your mouth when you put mascara on?
Nope

{six} if you could make any fictional character come to life, which would it be?
How about one of the Twilight characters... Love some Twilight!

{seven} what are your favorite pizza toppings?
If I had my way (which I usually don't when it comes to this...) just cheese :)

{eight} are you a heavy or a light sleeper?
light. i hear everything!

{nine} what is your favorite board game?
Life!

{ten} what star/celebrity do most people say you look like?
I really have no idea... but have you ever tried the myHeritage.com Celebrity look alike generator.. lol. According to them, my face favors LaLaine (thought I admit, I have no idea who she is?) And I could only wish I looked like Carrie Underwood ;)

A Day at the Park & East Tennessee

2010-10-04T16:19:00.016-05:00

First, I'm starting with a picture of the Smiley girl. First day as a 1 year old!

This baby is just sooo sweet. Ahhh! It kills me.
The other day Leigh Ann & I took the girls to the park. We had a great time... look on...

Bella quite enjoyed the swinging

Audrey is becoming super brave now. Climbing all the ladders...even the high ones!

Miss Blue Eyes on top of the Slide

And riding the Dinosaur

"Hi Mama!"

Super cute... and staticky

I see you Audrey!!!

Simply Gorgeous

Wind blown cutie

We took a short trip to East TN to visit with Brian's family & friends. The weather was just gorgeous! Here's pics from our trip.

Audrey & Aunt Wanda

Audrey with some of her Aunts, & her Grandma!

(And poor Brian with his eyes shut! Oh well, I still love the pic!)

Audrey playing with Emma (Brian's friends' little girl) at the Apple Festival

Bella enjoying the Apple Festival

Photoshoot with my little Model

Favorite pic ever!

(Daddy & his girls)

Love this one 2

Daddy & Bella

Fantastic 2 year old!

She likes having her picture made if you can't tell.

Favorite!!!

Hard to get everyone to look the same direction...

Our attempt at a family pic... haha

Audrey & Nana

Bella liked their Doggy

Pearly whites

The Boys

Top 2 Tuesday

2010-09-27T20:18:00.003-05:00

This week's "Top 2 Tuesday" is favorite 2 songs! Now I'm a music junkie, so it's hard to narrow this down to 2... but these 2 are WAY up on my list.

1. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (Have loved this song forever... it never gets old to me.)

2. Lifehouse - You and Me (We used this song for our first dance at our wedding... so it's super special to me!)