What I wore Wednesday

Well, it has been a pretty sad dress code around here the past few days. It had been cold, so we have all been in "winter" clothes, blahhhh. I have also been trying to touch up paint and deep clean the house and let's face it, I am just not going to dress up for that.

But my house is almost  really clean and my baseboards look super white and nice!

I love this tee, but I washed it last week in cold water and it still shrank up pretty well and good, sad times!

Tee: 11th avenue

Skirt: Jane

flats: Old Navy

It was pretty chilly and I am waaaayyyy over boots, but cowboys boots don't count right?

Dress: Target

Cardigan: Old Navy

Bracelet: Jane

Boots: Shepler's

I really like this little kimono, but I just played with it all day, a little distracting for those with self diagnosed adult ADD!

Kimono: 11th avenue

Tee: Target

Jeans: Old Navy

Flats: Amazon

It looks like the weather is starting to warm up, Callie got in the car after school today and was complaining about how hot it was, y'all it was 68. I think we are in for a rough summer if she thinks that was hot! More next week!

Living in the past and looking forward

No this is not a profound post, but the title kinda sounds like it... I am talking about when you have something that you got in the past and need to replace it, but you CANNOT find a suitable substitute.

I have been whining about this for awhile now and as Brien very lovingly put it, "stop living in the past."

                                    
                                                     Beautiful bedding...you will be missed.

For example... I have been needing new bedding as ours in pretty sad shape. We have had it forever , I am talking a faded, pilly mess, full of holes. I promptly went in search for a replacement, but came home empty handed because I couldn't find what I was looking for. Finally I realized, what I was looking for just didn't exist any more. I was living in the past. I gave up and started looking for something different and now everything has come together and I love it! More about that later.

Another example of this is our kitchen chairs. I bought them at ikea a long time ago and they are starting to fall apart a little, but I can't find anything that I like that doesn't cost a million dollars. So either something will come along or I will just live with it until they are totally destroyed and I can't function. That's life I guess. Why can't stores just sell what I have envisioned in my head?! Okay rant over.
                                                   

Awesome Ikea chair...you will just have to make the cut for awhile....

Now looking forward. Do you ever have one of those weeks when you have something to look forward to everyday? I love those! I want to make it a goal to have something to look forward to everyday. It just makes life happier. Even if it's just something small, a morning stop for coffee, getting together with a fun friend or family member, something to give you that extra boost. I am especially guilty of being a slave to my schedule during the school year and I just look forward to breaks and vacations. I want to make an effort to that each day, not just in the summer!

This week was one of those weeks. Everyday had something pretty awesome, not huge just something to look forward to. On Thursday it was my last day of school, THAT was something to look forward to. That night, it was super cold and rainy so I took a really hot bath in my grown up tub and sat there with the window wide open (don't worry, it's up high) and just listened to the rain. It was SO great!

Friday was field day at Callie's school. Come hell or highwater, they were havin' field day. I don't think I have ever been quite so cold and wet, especially in May. I got to run the obstacle course this year and it was way BETTER  that terrible bean bag race I had last year! The kids and I braved the cold and had an excellent time!

Friday night we feasted on crock pot roasted chicken. I was brave and bought a whole roaster chicken, recipe here...

I was reading the recipe and it said something about giblets, wait, what?!  Yes, I, me, cleaned giblets out of a chicken. I may have screamed a little when they fell out and then wrapped  my hand in a plastic bag and picked up it up 37 paper towels, but I did it!  After 8 hours of cooking it tasted amazing!

It was perfect for a cold, drizzly night!

Saturday, Callie had a gymnastics meet, her final of the season. It was a blast and she had gotten so much better. She still wasn't promoted to the intermediate class, but I think she is close!

So proud of my sweet girl!

Saturday during the day Brien bought himself a new smoker (Happy Father's day, by the way) and he smoked us some delicious ribs and my family came over.

Callie was having fun taking pictures on her Ipad...

Sunday we went to church and we worked on VBS stuff. I am getting a titch stressed. I kind of put it off a little and was so focused on finishing school, now I am trying to get everything done! Prayers for a smoooooth week! After church we had a lovely BBQ and celebrated my beautiful grandmother's birthday!

This boy was loving some fruit salad until he was tricked with a tomato that he thought was a cherry. No veggies for him!

These cousins had a blast playing the sunshine, while we actually had it!

After everyone left we took pictures on the front porch...This here was the only good picture!

What the other 20 pictures actually looked like...

On Monday, we went north to flatville to see Brien's family. His aunt was in town and we had a lovely visit and of course more BBQ and fun!

Kellen finally gets "cheese", but Callie missed the memo!

Digging in grandma's dirt was blast!

This sweet girl playing on uncle Zach's boat.

It was a delightful weekend! Now I am ready and looking forward to all the fun we are going to have this week!

School's out for Summer!

I am free! As free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows... I'll stop...I have been an absentee blogger these days. I have been so busy trying to finish school and just do life that I have not had time to sit down and update. Here goes...

My mantra, all week...

I have no idea what to do with myself! I have a to-do list as long as my arm and zero motivation to do any of it. The weather is so dreary and cold I feel like I am going on Christmas break, not summer break. I was looking at pictures from last Memorial day and I already had a nice tan, come on CO!!

This has been another weird end to the school year. Last week we had a fundraiser dunk tank to donate money to a colleagues relief fund in Nepal. It was fun, but freezing. No I did not, nor will I ever get in that thing. But one of my sweet, amazing co-worker was a better sport than me!

She was too funny in her bikini top over her clothes. This girl cracks me up!

 Field day was cancelled. Sad times. However, all of the 6th grade team rallied and we still had a fun inside day. On Monday I had the day off for some random trade day. So what did I do you ask? Well, I baked 120 cupcakes between watching episode of property brothers. It was quite the fun day.

For the first time in 7 long years I did not have to move classrooms! How great is that?? No putting 125,487 books into boxes, no ripping 472 posters off my walls and no packing up 56 boxes of crap from my desk. Hurray! This is what normal people must feel like at the end of the year.

On the home front. Bunnies ate ALL my beautiful grass. What on earth do you do about this?!?  I have tried Everything to get rid of those wretched bunnies (I may have even tried to run a few over to thin the herd)! I was so mad! I spent most of my Saturday making my flower bed beautiful and those beasts sabotaged me... Does anyone else have this problem??

GRRRR!

In other news, Kellen is a genius. While I was dropping Callie off at girl scouts, Kellen convinced Brien to put, not one, but two, coats on him. Then he waited... The second I walked in the door he grabbed my hand and said, "out?" and pulled me to the back door...He is tricky a little thing!

Not a chance friend, it's 40 and raining out!

Not much else going on currently, just waiting for my girl to finish school and attempting my list of chores. More to come soon!

What I wore Wednesday

Summer is coming... Can y'all feel it?? Yeah, me neither. It has been much too cold. We are just finishing up the year 'round these parts. We got field days, ice cream days, fun run days, end of the year celebrations and all the merriment that comes with ending the year and I am ready!

It was a Target outfit kind of day...

Tee: Target

Shirt: Target

Heels: Target

I tried this new website http://www.sheinside.com/ and they have some pretty cute stuff for super cheap! This top was $10 and I your first purchase is 30% off, so I decided to try it out. BUT really read the measurement. I just ordered my "go to" medium for when I order online, but this shirt was definitely not a regular medium..

Top: Sheinside

Jeans: Old Navy

Cardigan: Target

Flats: Amazon 

Fun story about these cute floral flats... I have this co-worker who believes that is healthy to get out of the building during plan time. And I agree, but I always feel a little guilty leaving school, just in case someone needs something. One day last week she needed some snacks for her kiddos (that is school related, right?!) So we headed to Target and some how ended up in the shoe department. Huh? How did that happen. Well flats were on sale 2 for $30, so we ended up with matching shoes. The kids think it's super funny when we wear them on the same day. It's the little things in life I guess...

Chambray top: Target

Tank: Target

Skirt: Jane.com

Flats: Target

Necklace:??

Another blustery day in the CO called for scarves...

Blouse: Loft, thrifted

Capris: Target

Heels: Target

Scarf:  Target

The Blizzard and Mother's day

This year Mother's day was pretty great! Last year, we decided to tear up our yard the day before a snowstorm...
                                         

Yeah...It looks pretty much the same, just with some mulch now...

This year, I got an extra day off on Friday and a blizzard. So Friday, our babysitter had to go out of town and I had to take a day off school and stay home with the kiddos. (I was totally okay with that, I am ready for the healing powers of summer) We had a lovely day playing with great grandma and grandma Sue. It was a torrential downpour of rain, but, hey, we needed chick-fil-a and grandma times!

Saturday Callie had gymnastics class in which she declared that "I just have to get the gold!" Last week her practice was cancelled and we caught warm ups for a high school meet. Both of my children were mesmerized! I think this is what brought the exclamations of Olympic dreams. Then we had to run some errands, Brien sold the old pick-up  truck (yay), we shopped for presents for the mom's, Callie went to a rollerskate party, we had dinner at my parents and we braved a blizzard.. whew I feel tired just thinking about it!

Kellen was soaked and freezing, but he loves snow!

Mother's day morning, I was able to get ready in total peace! That was a gift in and of itself. I could actually do my make up without shooing someone out of the toilet water or yelling across the hallway "make your bed"!  We ventured out of the house into the snow...Yikes!

Thanks, Colorado!

Then my loves took me out for a delicious breakfast, yummy! Coffee and strawberry waffles!

The boys are having fun, trust me...

Next, I got to go on a little "bedding" shopping spree! I have been wanting new bedding forever! I went a little crazy and thought I got everything I wanted. But, when I got it all home and set up, I hated it.  Why can't the store just sell what I have envisioned in my head?!? So I went back to Target and got a boring old down comforter, and I will just fill in the rest as I go!

                                          

Pretty, but plain...

Suggestions are welcome!

So for the rest of the day...

Kellen "Fixed" stuff with a screwdriver.

Jake stared blanky at the wall with a ball in his mouth.

Callie and I made silly faces on the couch.

And we had a lovely dinner of chicken noodle soup and celebrated my wonderful mother!

My pretty Mama! Gosh, we were both babies!

So to wrap it all up...

What I wore Wednesday

Rain, rain go away! Well, at least it's not snow...It had been pretty damp these last few days, but I just know that hot days are coming and we only have 10, count them 10 days of school. This girl is ready!

To church on a freezing rainy morning...

Sweater: Old Navy

Pants: Target

Heels: Target

Necklace: Jane

To school on another freezing, rainy day...

Dress: Thrifted

Sweater: Target

Flats: Target

Belt: Thrifted

Finally a warmish day!

Dress: Old Navy

Flats: Old Navy

Casual Friday!

Tank: Old Navy, thrifted

Sweater: Target

Jeans: Target

Flats: Target

Another week down! I can't wait for the sweet days of flip flops and t-shirts! 

Sheet cake cookies

My mom makes a mean Texas sheet cake. It's the ever popular choice of birthday cakes for my whole family and I think she could probably make it in her sleep...

I found this pin a few weeks ago and decided it might be worth a try for family dinner on Sunday. They were amazing! It's no "Sue's sheet cake" but still pretty awesome!

A little bit of work, but worth every second!

You need:

For the cookie:

1/2 cup of butter at room temperature

1/2 cup of sugar (the original called for 1/3 but they seemed salty to me)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of salt

1 1/3 cups of flour

1/2 cup of  melted chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Grease or line a cookie sheet

3. In a mixer cream together the butter and sugar

4. Add in the egg and vanilla

5. Then add in the dry ingredients. The dough is super thick and heavy. 

6. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second increments until it is super melty. Add the chocolate into the mixer.

7. Next measure out the cookies using a tablespoon on the cookie sheet. Pop into the oven for 7-8 minutes. DO NOT bake any longer! They are super soft and harden up after they cool.

For the icing:

1/2 cup of butter 

2 Tbsp of cocoa

3 Tbsp of milk

2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1. While the cookies are baking, in a saucepan melt together the butter, milk and cocoa.

2. Whisk in the powdered sugar

3. Once cookies are fresh out of the oven, spoon the melty icing over the still hot cookies (My icing had hardened a little and it was difficult to spoon over the cookies, so time is of the essence!)

4.Allow the cookie and icing to set before removing them from the cookie sheet

*** Notes- This only made 17 cookies, I will double the recipe next time

I will also add some walnut or pecans to the icing to jazz it up a little

They were amazing and my family and friends at school gobbled them up!!

Weekend fun!

This weekend was another fun one! I love shirking my adult responsibilities and just relaxing all the day long! On Friday I had "Muffins for mom" with this cutie...

Then I taught my fanny off all day long...My student teacher has a class on Friday's so I get to "take back my class". It makes me realize how much I miss putting on a show everyday! It has been lonely in that work room!

Saturday we slept in a little, then Callie had gymnastics. After her class we headed up to Brien's parents to hang out for the day. It was just great! There is just something about hanging out at grandma's house!

We feasted all day, per usual, and while the boys and bigs went fishing us girls and the babies stayed behind and enjoyed being crawled all over on the patio... The weather was perfect!

We had a super late night and ended up getting home even later than usual due to an accident blocking our way to the highway. After 5 hours of sleep we just couldn't rally the masses for church, so we had another bonus relax day at home! Brien detailed my car, Kellen discovered he loves chalk, Callie played all day in the basement and I worked on my flower bed, more about that later...

I am so ready for the months of endless Saturdays! Only 11 more days of school...Yay!