Chambray and polka dots

Today was windy, not really my favorite, so I tried to dress warm. Callie doesn't like the wind either. In fact she makes up terrifying stories about the wind monsters to scare the neighborhood children, that's my girl.

Chambray: Forever 21

red pants: Thrifted (Target)

scarf: Target

Bronze heels: Target

Ladies Tea

This weekend was jammed, seriously busy...
Friday- I had to get my target shopping done because I knew that I would not have time this weekend. Plus that's where we buy Kellen's formula and diapers, and we were out so, I kind of had to. Then when we got home we made Monkey bread pizza. It was amazing!  Recipe to coming soon... While we feasted we watched "Frozen" for the 15th time since Easter. Callie just loves that movie and sound track, what 7 year old girls doesn't, really?

Saturday- Brien was on call so it was me and babies... I was outgunned and out manned and I had a lot to do! But I managed to pack 2 childrens' bags for an overnight at grandmas, make 3 dozen chocolate covered strawberries for our church's annual Ladies Tea, make 2 boxes (I know, I know) of pasta salad for our bonfire that night and get myself ready and pretty.

Ladies tea was a blast! It was Callie's first year to go and she loved it! She said "Wow, mom this is really classy!" And it was. All of the hostesses decorate beautiful tables, full of china and flowers. The tea is amazing, the food is amazing. It really is such a sweet time of fellowship with beautiful ladies!

I went flower on flower, not really my thing, but it came out okay...

Dress: Old Navy

Sweater: Forever 21

Sandals: Target

After tea, we raced across town to my mom, who was so graciously keeping Kellen, whilst attending my sister-in-law's pampered chef party. So I had to stay and shop for a minute. More about that later...

Then we raced back to my house where my lovely mother in law was waiting to pick up the children for the night. We loaded everyone up and off they went for a night of fun at grandma and grandpa's house (and to watch "Frozen", again) Then Brien and I jetted across the middle of nowhere to the Bennett's in Strasburg. They were hosting a bonfire/dinner, more fun was had, karaoke was sung very badly! An overall great time. But we stayed up waaaaayyyy to late! We are old, we don't stay up late unless we are rocking a baby!

I don't know why, but we always bust out the Las Vegas Elvis glasses whenever we get together...

Warm and toasty :)

Sunday was another crazy day! We woke up to the sound of rain! Not snow, rain! It was dreary but, oh so wonderful! Then we actually went out to breakfast, just the two of us, and then across the street from breakfast was a little hardware store, putting out all of their garden stuff, so we scoped out some yard ideas. Then grandma called to drop off the children... The rest of the day was spent cleaning and getting ready for the week, family dinner and early to bed, yay!

Lace and butterflies

This lovely outfit I kinda made myself... What? You ask... Well, last year I found this little number at the thrift store and I loved the colors of it and I love butterflies and I was a little bit pregnant and it was stretchy. Howeve,r it was a little too short for a modest lady such as myself. I found this lovely lace on clearance at Joann's and used my grandmothers ancient amazing sewing machine to add a little length. For one of my first jobs it came out pretty ok, I thought.

Dress: thrifted

Cardigan: Charlotte Russe (old)

Coral flats: Ross

pearl bracelets: gift

Kellen is 7 months!

The 7th month mark has been an adventure! Kellen you are one cute, hot, mess! You never miss a meal, you have two little teeth, you are rolling and scooting all over the house and you laugh at everything! Callie even made up a song called "Everything is funny when you're Kellen Wood".

Where to start... Food, you love everything, you have not sampled a food that you didn't like. Clothes, you are rockin' a 6-9, sometimes a 9-12, we got size 3 diapers going on. You are not such an amazing sleeper. I mean, I guess I can't complain too much, you go down at 7, and wake up at like 12 for a bottle and 5 for a snack.

You are finally using all of you aparatuses (aparati?) You especially like your jumper and your saucer and the bimbo (actually a bumbo, but funner to say, yes I said funner)

Thick as thieves, these two

You are pretty much sitting up on your own, well I guess not so much sitting up as folding yourself in half. Then you kind of tip over if you get a little off balance. But I am calling it sitting up for all intents and purposes.

You have this new thing that you love to do, when ever you eat, you weave your little hands into my hair and swirl it around it, you are so silly, and it kind of hurts because you have gooey little baby hands, but I will power through, because you still like to sunggle.

You love to see yourself!

The lumberjack look

Loves: Callie! When Jake licks your face, kicking everything, reading books, grabbing hair, playing "Boo", looking at the "Baby" in the mirror, splashing in the bath

Kellen was being eaten by a crocodile for most of the afternoon one Saturday.

Not a fan of: Not being held, dogs barking, getting your face/nose wiped off.

Because you are so mobile, we cannot leave you anywhere and you can pull yourself up in bed, we had to lower it down. You are not our little tiny baby anymore...

You are so close to crawling, it's crazy, you pull yourself up on your tip toes and just stay, it it hilarious to watch!

Firsts: Easter, two bottom teeth, concert, sitting up.

aqua and ruffles

I love this dress! I bought it at forever 21 on a whim a few years ago with my best friend! I love to layer it with anything. Then, there is this aqua cardigan, another staple. I wish I could venture out of my comfort zone of cardigans. I bought a black blazer thrifting a few weeks back and I can't for the life of me decide how to style it and make it look good...

Dress: Forever 21
cardigan: Target
Belt: ??
zebra shoes: Target

Easter!

I love Easter! I think that every year Easter takes on a new significance for me. The older I get, the more I cherish my savior and what he did for us. I have been working my way through the old testament for a few months and it is tough to read, knowing all of the trials, covenants and sacrifices that the OT bible people had to make because they didn't have a savior. It kind of makes our lives seem a little easy. All we have to do is love Jesus and accept him into our hearts. HE is alive!

So the Easter festivities started on Friday. I had my own little photo shoot with Kellen...

I love it! He is so cute, love my bunny!

On Saturday we had our annual Easter egg hunt at Observatory park. One of Callie's sweet friends from school actually came with her mom and we got to know them a little better. My little evangelist, I am one proud mama!

We had an awesome turn out with church kiddos and neighbors and visitors, it was fun!

The hunt is on....

These faces, I die!

My good lookin' boys :)

No one cried this year about the Easter bunny! Yay!

Saturday night we dyed eggs with the family, it was a success. Although I am realizing that it is darn near impossible with a family of four to get a real, life,j good picture where everyone is looking and smiling and I look skinny.

Not quite all looking, but good enough.

The annual "poop" egg. Don't ask...

Finally done!

Sunday we did Easter baskets and headed to church, bible class, worship. It was great!

After a great message at church about the prodigal son (one of my favorite stories!) We booked it up north to Brien's parents house for our Easter brunch. My parents also joined us, as they do every year. It has been our tradition and we are so blessed to have families that not only get along but like to hang out with each other!

Love our family of four!

Again not quite all looking, but hey...

sibling frustration #976 pulling long hair

After our amazing feast, the kids played outside in the glorious spring weather and we enjoyed our beautiful Easter day!

After millions of tried we finally had a winner!

That's why we have to take 5,000 pictures, smart alec!

Bestie cousins having fun!

Bubbles!

Kellen was very excited about bubbles and to be outside!

Overall a wonderful and blessed weekend! Happy Easter!

The beige sweater

I have this beige sweater. I got it last year on clearance at Target. I thought Maybe I will wear this every now and then. Nope, ALL the time. I wear it all the time. I wore it twice just this week. It seems to look nice with black. I always worried that beige would make me look super washed out, I think that's why I pair it with a dark color.

Cardigan:Target
Dress: Thrifted
Boots: Sheplers
pearl necklaces: Target

Cardigan: Target
Dress: Target
Boots: Target
Belt: Target
Tights: Very Jane
Necklace: Very Jane

spring, where are you?

Another cool week in lovely Colorado. At least things are not brown anymore. Today was a good day on the home and school front, I am however, ready for the weekend. Good Friday, our church Easter egg hunt, dying eggs with the family, Easter Sunday Church, The Wood/Wathen Easter brunch. It's going to be great!  One more day, one more day...

Ruffled top: Old Navy
Pink Cardigan: Old Navy
Grey pants: Old Navy
Necklaces: Forever 21
Shoes: Dillard's (super old)

quiche ('cause you probably have the stuff in your fridge)

This recipe is brought to you by my sheer laziness and lack of planning a meal one night last week, but alas, it turned out just fine. I frantically searched through my pantry and refrigerator and I just happened to have: A pre made pie crust (the 2nd in a 2 pack, one I used for a dessert the week before) a dozen eggs, a bag of cheddar cheese, a package of real bacon bits, a slash of skim milk.

1. preheat the oven to 400.
2. press the pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan.
3. In a large bowl mix together, eggs (I used 9) 1/2 cup of milk, whip it up real good.
4. Gently stir in 1 cup of cheese and the package of bacon bits (I think our bag was like 4 oz)
5. Pop into the oven for 40-50 minutes, until top is golden and a knife comes out pretty clean (We do not enjoy runny eggs at our house)

It is simple to throw together and I know that anything with bacon will be a hit!

"Pinned it" and did it outfit

The weather has taken yet another turn for the worse. Yesterday was amazing and warm and beautiful, like 75. We tried to make the most of it, Callie played outside, Brien did yard work, we went garage sale-ing, took Kellen for a walk, it was brilliant. Sunday not so much. We went to church and came home to hunker down. Callie and I did Easter crafts and worked on some art for the downstairs powder room. (more on that later)

So because of the chilly weather I had one more chance to wear one of my pinned cold weather outfits.

Inspiration photo: http://sprinklessequins.blogspot.com/2014/03/work-wear-wednesday.html#.U0sGD_nxrIc

My outfit was almost all thrifted!

Chambray: Target

Ruffled cardigan: thrifted

Express pinstripe pants: thrifted

Cognac heels: Target

loaded baked potato casserole

This might be one of my favorite recipes of all time! It is amazing and fairly simple to make. The only thing is you have to keep taking it out of the oven to stir it.

 And last time I made it I melted off my mascara in the hot, hot oven, yikes! It might have been worth it.

 I always bust out this dish whenever we are having people over and it is usually a hit, assuming people like good food!




Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 5 lbs new potatoes, cubed
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder 
• 1/2 cup of Franks red hot sauce
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup bacon, crumbled
• 1 cup green onion, diced

Directions

1. - Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. - In large bowl, mix olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce.
3. - Add potatoes to bowl.
4. - Coat baking dish with cooking spray.
5. - Add potatoes, allow for excess sauce in the remaining bowl.
6. - Bake potatoes for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
7. - Add cubed chicken to bowl with leftover sauce and allow to marinate while potatoes bake.
8. - Mix together cheese, bacon & green onion in separate bowl.
9. - Once potatoes are done, add the chicken then layer toppings over chicken.
10. - Bake for additional 5 minutes cheese is melted.

Even Callie will eat it, yumm yumm!