31 Days Challenge - Take 2

I failed at doing the 31 Days Challenge in October, so one of my many New Year's resolutions is to complete that challenge. Starting tomorrow I will try to post everyday for the month of January. Wish me luck!

2012 Christmas Cookie Exchange

This past Sunday, I had my 3rd annual Christmas cookie exchange.

 

We started out with a fun game...making reindeer antlers with balloons and pantyhose. The object was to be the team with the biggest, badest antlers at the end of the 5 minute time limit.

 It was a laugh for sure!

 Then we tasted a bite of each cookie and took a vote on the best tasting. Brandi won with her applesauce cookies with caramel icing. So good! I will share a few of the recipes in later posts.

 We ended up with 9 different cookies this year.

 I set up a coffee/cocoa/tea bar as well.

 I gave out ornament favors again this year. For these I used cookie cutters, glued ribbon on the outer rim, and added a little tag to remember the event.

I already have some fun ideas for next year's party. It's become a favorite Christmas tradition :)

10 Point Buck

Jake got a 10 point buck last night, 4 points on one side, 6 on the other. He's heading back out tomorrow to keep trying for an elk.

31 Days Challenge - Fail

Well, I obviously did not keep up with the 31 days challenge while I was visiting friends and family in Missouri. I really did try to post blogs from my phone, and even took pictures to show some of the fun things we were up to, but the blogger app kept freezing on my phone, so I gave it up and enjoyed my time in Missouri instead. I think I'll try the challenge another month...maybe December.

31 Days Challenge - Day 11 - Early Christmas Planning

I've just started planning my 3rd annual cookie exchange...and I am so excited! Last year I had a photo booth, which was a big hit. This year, I want to make it even better and more fun. I think I might do the photo booth again, but make it fancier.

Thinking about the cookie exchange makes me super excited to decorate for Christmas. I love Christmas! At the beginning of the year, I started collecting ideas on Pinterest for my newest Christmas decorating theme...Natural Christmas. Here is the Pinterest board.

Tomorrow, we leave for a short visit to Missouri, so it is going to be really hard to keep up this 31 days challenge...but I will do my best to not break the streak!

31 Days Challenge - Day 10 - New Phone

I dropped my phone on Monday night and cracked the LCD screen. After some research, I found out I could fix the screen, but have to wait until Monday for the new screen to come in. Or I could buy a "gently used" phone for the same price and take it home today. We are leaving on Friday to make a visit to friends and family in Missouri, so I opted for the instant option.

I now have a new phone, and have to figure out how to use it, so no fun blog post tonight! :)

31 Days Challenge - Day 9 - Wreath Redo

A couple of months ago, I posted photos of my Burlap Flower Embellished Wreath. I got some advice from my mom (who used to teach floral design classes) that I really needed more "stuff" on the wreath to have better proportion since the wreath is so big to start out with. I added a bunch more flowers and I have to agree, it looks much better now.

 

 

 

Funny story about these photos...

 

I wanted to get new photos of the wreath, so I stepped outside the front door yesterday morning and pulled the door shut behind me so the photos would not show an open door. Big mistake...I forgot (again!) that the front door locks behind itself. The side door was also locked, and all of the windows were closed. Oh and it was raining, and I didn't have any shoes on. I checked all of the windows and luckily...there was one window unlocked...the upstairs bathroom window. I had to climb up on top of the BBQ grill, jiggle out the screen and pull myself up through the window. I was not in a laughing mood at the time, but I have to admit it was funny to see Diesel's face when he watched me coming through the window. I'm glad I can laugh at myself now.

31 Day Challenge - Day 8 - Poppy's New Look

While my folks were here visiting, I took advantage of my pro-sewing mother to have her make a new cover for Poppy. Of course, I choose fabric with poppies on it. She's stylin' now!

 

 I tried to help and ended up poking a hole right through the fabric, hence the red heart patch. :)

31 Days Challenge - Day 7 - Updated Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Here is my original recipe for Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas. I made it again recently, but slightly altered the recipe. I liked it better this time. I made a double recipe and took one pan to a new mom. She also commented that she liked it. Here is the new recipe:

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
Taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
3/4 lb. cheddar cheese
3 boneless chicken breast
12 small flour tortillas

Directions:
Cook chicken as instructed on the seasoning packet.
Combine soup, sour cream, chicken and most of the cheese.
Fill each tortilla with mixture and roll up.
Place filled tortillas in greased pan.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Cover and refridgerate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

31 Days Challenge - Day 6 - Fashion to Try

I am not a fashionista in any way, but I do like to try. Since pinterest has become so popular, it has become a great way to find fashion ideas. These are the ones that I love for fall.

31 Days Challenge - Day 5 - Cucumber Salad

I almost missed a day! I was in bed just a few minutes ago...about to fall asleep...when it hit me...I DIDN'T BLOG TODAY! I'm determined to complete the 31 days challenge, so I dragged myself out of bed, and here I am trying to decide what to write about.

I'll share a recipe that I tried a couple months ago that I really enjoyed. I found this recipe for Refridgerator Cucumber Salad on pinterest. It turned out fantastic! The longer it sat in the fridge, the better it got. I highly recommend you try this out.

Back to bed...I'll try to blog early tomorrow so I can prepare pictures and everything.

31 Days Challenge - Day 4 - Waterton National Park

My parents come to visit in August. We spent a day hiking and boating in Glacier National Park, then spent a couple of days in Whistfish Montana and even got to do a zipline! Then we traveled up to Canada to visit Waterton Canadian National Park before heading to Missoula for shopping.

I enjoyed the entire trip, but my favorite part had to be Waterton. Everyone in Montana has visited Glacier, but I highly recommend making the extra treck up to Waterton. We experienced much more wildlife in the Canadian park. In fact, that is where we saw this bear playing golf.

I'm excited to plan another trip to Waterton to explore a little more.

31 Days Challenge - Day 3 - Birthday

Today's blog with be short and sweet. It's my birthday! I had a great day at work, now I'm about to head to my volleyball game, then I'll swing by DQ on my way home for a pumpkin pie blizzard...yum!

31 Days Challenge - Day 2 - e.l.f. Studio Lip Balm

Working with kids, I wore jeans and tee shirts everyday and never worried about wearing makeup. Now that I dress up everyday, I feel like I should wear makeup too.

I've never been good with makeup, and have never been interested in lipstick at all. When I tried it, I hated how heavy and thick it is. I also tried lip gloss, but I really don't like how shiny and sticky it is. Most lip balms are too sheer for what I'm looking for. I think I have finally found the perfect lip product for me!



This is e.l.f. (which stands for eyes, lips, face) Lip Balm with SPF 15. I bought the color nude at Target for $3...seriously...$3! The color and coverage is like lipstick, but it isn't heavy, thick, or sticky. It has a nice tingly, minty flavor, and leaves my lips feeling moisturized and soft. I'm planning to go back to buy more colors!

Now I'm on the lookout for the perfect eyeliner. I have never been able to get that perfect smooth, thin line. I've been told to try liquid eyeliner...it was a  total mess! If you have any other recommendations, feel free to share!

31 Days Challenge - Day 1 - New Job

So, as I said, the past month has been very busy...and a big part of that is my new job! I have been working as a teller at a local bank for about a month now. I absolutely LOVE it! Seriously! I look forward to going to work everyday.

I have to admit that being a teller is not really like I thought it would be. I expected that I would help customers with deposits and withdrawals, and then a lot of waiting until the next customers came in. Haha...it is so NOT like that! There is so much more that I didn't even know about. We also process loan payments, do all mailed in transactions, phoned in transactions, look up account information for customers, sell cashiers checks and travel cards, do start up transactions for the loan officers and personal bankers, and check other employees' work. And I didn't even consider the large deposits and change orders that are dropped off by the restaurants, doctors, and casinos in town. In the very little down time, I try to work on the online courses the company requires employees to take to learn banking regulations. It's definitely busy and fast paced...but I love it!

I learn something new everyday, and am starting to feel confident in doing transactions correctly. I'm very excited to see where this new adventure leads me.

31 Days Challenge

I know...I know...I haven't blogged in over a month. It's been a very busy month, but it's been a GREAT month. Looking back just makes me smile. To get out of my non-blogging habit, I'm going to do the 31 day challenge. I've noticed a few bloggers are challenging themselves to blog about the same subject for each of the 31 days of October. I'm just going to challenge myself to blog about SOMETHING each of the 31 days of October. I know it's going to be very tough, but I think I can do it. I'm not writing anything else now, I have to save all my words for October!

Burlap Flower Embellished Wreath

I saw this photo on Pinterest, and started making my own at the Pinterest party. I finally finished it this morning. Here is my verstion...



Kindle Clutch

Last week I went to a Pinterest Party. The idea was for everyone to bring a food item from a Pinterest recipe and supplies to make a craft from Pinterest.

I had to work late and didn't have time to buy the supplies for what I wanted to make, but I had a yard of beautiful velveteen fabric in my stash that I've been wanting to use.

Since I didn't have a project in mind, I searched "sewing velveteen" I found this photo on Pinterest and headed for the party.

This is what I ended up with.





I think it turned out pretty nice!

When I got home, I checked out the link for that pinterest photo, and it turns out that I followed the tutorial pretty closely for just looking at the photo once. Here it is for anyone that wants to see how she did it.

Tagalong Cookie Substitute

I love the Tagalong Girl Scout cookies...I mean I could eat a whole box in one sitting! Girl Scout cookies only come once a year and just don't last long. But I have found a fantastic substitute that is available year round!

These are available at Walmart for $1.34 per package. Seriously...$1.34! I think they taste just like Tagalongs.

Bathroom Reno

I realized that I have never blogged about the bathroom renovation. It was the first big project that we completed after we bought the house and it was done over 2 years ago! The good thing is...I still love it! I tend to decorate a room and then a few months later find a different style that I like...but the bathroom is still exactly the same and I don't feel the urge to change it.

Here are some "before" photos:

There was plenty of wood trim...but not the nice "original to the house" wood trim that you typically find in older homes, no it was cheap junk from a big box store.

Some of the walls were covered in what we assumed was wallpaper. I thought it would be no problem to strip the wallpaper off. I quickly found out that what was attached to the walls was actually plywood with wallpaper wrapped around it, then glued to the wall. Seriously? Who does that?

And here is a shot of the grimy laminate floor.

A few "during" shots:

This is what the wall looked like under the wallpaper covered plywood. The glue really tore up the walls.

Here is already looks so much better, and it's only primed!

And finally after lots of work, the beautiful upstairs bathroom:

We kept the toilet, just got a new seat and brushed nickel handle. The cabinet above the toilet is the same, I just painted it and put on new brushed nickel handles.

We got a new vanity and medicine cabinet. We went with granite countertop because it really isn't very expensive for one that small. I absolutly love this vanity! Drawers are so much more practical than doors. 

It was a couple of years ago that I picked out the wall paint, but I think it was called Bleached Wheat. The towels, rugs, and shower curtain are all from the Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's and the color I think was called Sea Spray.

You can only barely see the ceramic tile in this picture, but I am proud to say that we did it ourselves! Jake cut the tiles and I prepped the floor and laid them. Two years later, it still looks great, so I guess we did alright :)

4th of July

I've been feeling like a slacker lately because I don't have anything exciting to blog about, then I realized...duh!...4th of July! It's only my favorite holiday, the only day Jake and I jointly throw a party, and our anniversary!

This year, we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary, and our 4th annual 4th of July party.

For our anniversary, I bought Jake a rest for his new bow. I picked out a new lantern for the post in our front yard, even put it on hold at a local store, but Jake has yet to pick it up for me. I don't know if he is trying to come up with a different gift idea or what, but pretty soon I'm going to give up waiting and buy that lantern for myself :)

The party was a success. We ate BBQ, drank alot, and set the field on fire a few times with some fireworks. Have no fear...the boys were ready with buckets of water!

Here is our 3 year anniversary photo:

And on our wedding day, July 4, 2009. Things really haven't changed much:

On a (very exciting) side note...Jake found out a couple of weeks ago that he will be promoted to Technical Sergeant! This promotion won't take place until sometime next spring, but I'm incredibly proud of him!

Cupboard Door Sign

I found an old, thick, solid wood cupboard door at The Barn and right away I knew it would make a cool sign. I started to sand it to prep it to be spray painted, then decided I liked the way it look all roughed up, so I left it with the old chippy paint. I got a vinyl "Home Sweet Home" saying for free with a Stampin' Up order, and luckily it fits perfectly!



It's pretty heavy, so I'm waiting for Jake to get home to help me hang it.

Chalkboard

When I found this at the thrift store, I wasn't immediately impressed. It was dirty, painted ugly brown, and instead of glass, it had this grimey plastic covering. What made me take a second look was the fact that the frame is solid wood and has an interesting home carved look.

Once I took off the plastic, I found that the painting is actually pretty nice. On the back is a nice plaque that says it was painted in Havre, MT in 1972, and has the artists name. I think I might try to track her down on craigslist to see if she wants it.

I cleaned the wood, spray painted it white, and distressed it. Then I bought a piece of MDF at Home Depot. It was only $3.95 and they cut it to size for me. I sprayed two coats of chalkboard paint, then attached it to the back of the frame.

 Now I have a big chalk board to play with!

Button Earrings

A few months ago, I found a photo of button earrings on Pinterest. It turns out they were being sold on Etsy. They were only about $5, but I have so many buttons that I figured I could just make them myself. I bought a bag of earring posts and backs, and a bottle of super glue. I use the brush on kind because it doesn't get clogged.



 Probably the hardest part of this project was finding two buttons in my entire stash that matched. I flipped them both upside down and brushed on a layer of super glue.

Then I stuck one of the posts in the glue and let it sit for a few minutes. Once it dried and seemed sturdy, I brushed another layer of glue around the post just to keep it more secure, then let it dry again.

I think I'll wear the white ones today!

Vintage Dress

Yesterday, I stopped in at my favorite antique/thrift store, The Barn. I like to do a quick walk through every couple of weeks just to see if there is anything new. I found a few goodies this time! I found a firebird hood ornament that I brought home for Jake...and I found this beauty for me...

I love to look at vintage dresses, but I'm usually reluctant to buy any. I instantly fell in love with this one. The colors and pattern are beautiful, and the fabric is nice, soft cotton. Luckily, I could not find any stains, the white is still a nice bright white, and the skirt is fully lined. A few of the seams are starting to come apart, but the dress is a little loose on me, so I think I might be able to take in the seams a bit. When my mama comes to visit in August, that will be one of our projects :)

The tag is hard to read, but I looked up Vicky Vaughn and found out the brand is Vicky Vaughn Juniors, a junior division of R & M Kaufmann. This blog has a little bit of info about the company. Anyone have an idea of the approximate year? I'll do a little more research to try to find out. The info I found says that the company sold to another company in 1969...so I guess it must have been made before that.

Look how well it fits!

Could be perfect to wear to a summer wedding.

I love that the fabric is so soft.