1.30.2012

Weekend Site Seeing

6 years we have lived here, and never have we gone to the Beirut Memorial or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (which are at the same spot).  So, this weekend, we became local tourists!  Enjoy the pictures!

A steel beam from the 9/11 carnage.



Explaining what happened in Beirut, Lebanon.

Someone left dog tags and some little wreaths at the statue as a personal memorial.


The names of the military members who lost their lives there.



The Veitnam Veterans Memorial



Jason walking on the wrong part of the bridge.  Looks like he's singing, doesn't it?

The surrounding glass wall is engraved with all the many, many names of the veterans.

Jason's uncle was a Vietnam vet.  He finally found his name.


The fountains are so pretty.


Me:)


Self portrait.

This was such a neat place, and I'm so glad we finally went out to see it.  It has sparked our interest in visiting other places around here that we've never been to.  It's a cheap, fun day date.  I encourage everybody to look around where you live, you may find some things and places you have never explored before, and it will bring a newfound appreciation for where you live.  We recently found out that they are building a Museum of the Marine here in town this year.  Can't wait to visit it!  I think we may be going to the Battleship in Wilmington soon:)

1.29.2012

And the WINNER is...

  Names and comments ready to go!

Time to draw...

   My lovely assistant

It's Shannan Roussel!

Shannan, please send me a comment with your address, and I will not publish it.  Your package will be sent out this week :)

Thank you for all who participated, your beauty tips and recommendations were wonderful, and I have a ton of new things I'm wanting to try now!  Please stay tuned for new things to come and more giveaways in the future!

1.26.2012

Homemade Pizza Dough/Breadsticks

Pinterest has become like a drug to me.  I am so addicted and am CONSTANTLY finding yummy looking, new recipes to try.  Not good for my arteries.  Must pace myself.  It's not only good for recipes, but for DIY tutorials, crafts, fashion, etc. etc.  Anyways..after seeing this "pin" and being in the mood for pizza, I tried my hand at making this, pinned here.  (You can click on the link from there to find the recipe.)  It looked so tasty.  So here are a few pics from our afternoon in the kitchen.

Ingredients ready!


Jason watching for the yeast to "foam" and "bubble".  He's been very interested in my kitchen projects lately;o)

 The dough ready to rise.

 An hour and a  half later, size doubled.

 Spread out with minced garlic and butter smeared on top.

Added pepperoni to half since we decided to use the garlic bread recipe (and because of the fact that I didn't have pizza sauce).

Baked, gooey, and ready to eat!

Needless to say, it was delish!  Next time, I think I'm going to try using an alfredo sauce and using spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan as the toppings.  (A take on Cici's spinach pizza.)

1.24.2012

5 Surefire Ways to...

...tell if you're OCD.

1.  Your closet may be color coded, and then micro-sorted into shades of that color, and from long sleeves to short sleeves.  Do NOT refer to previous post.  

2.  You have a designated reject cookie plate for the cookies that do not turn out perfectly round.  Then, at that point, you demand that your husband or any other person with a hearty appetite in the general proximity eat them immediately, as to not tip off the insanity gremlin that dwells within my your soul.

3.  When you decide that it's time to list your beautiful, brand spanking new house for sale due to the fact that you have found evidence that a small field mouse may be taking up residence in your mud room.

4.  If you follow your white fluff (dog) around with the stick vac after you have vacuumed as to avoid getting clumps of fur on your freshly cleaned carpet. Or your husband is on his hands and knees looking for vicious fur balls as to avoid a nuclear meltdown from his wife.

5.  While in a standoff laundry hiatus with your husband - over putting his clothes in the laundry basket instead of on the floor wherever he decides to strip, you decide after 10 minutes of sitting on the bed in tears that it's Just. Not. Worth it.  He wins.

This is soooo not me ;o)

1.22.2012

Yay, a Giveaway!



It's a giveaway!!!  While the contents of this fun little package are a surprise, I can tell you it's beauty related.

The rules are:
1.  Leave me a comment on this post with your favorite beauty tip or favorite product (be it hair, makeup, accessories, etc.).  It doesn't matter if you've been reading for a while or you are new here, just leave a comment, I will do a drawing so the results are fair!
2.  Make sure to leave your name, and if you have a blog, let me know so I can check yours out too!
3. You have about a week or so, all comments are due in by Saturday, the 28th!  The winner will be announced Sunday, the 29th!

And, that's it!  Good luck!

Oh!  My sister, Ashley, over at Confessions of a Chocolate Junkie, is also hosting a giveaway this week.  Be sure to check her out too, and double your chances of winning a giveaway!

1.21.2012

Childhood Flashback

My daddy used to build us forts and "camp out" in the living room, where we would watch movies and eat popcorn with him on the weekends.  The other night, I told Jason that I really wanted to build a fort to sleep in, in the living room.  So being the wonderful husband he is, he got to work on a mental schematic.  We got it put up, and had our camp out.  I was a happy girl.  And I don't care that we are adults and still making forts to sleep in.  Age is only a number:)  In my book, it always does a person good to be young at heart.

We drug the mattress in from the guest room to sleep on, and clothes pinned the sheets together to make the tent part, then draped them over chairs and made the pitch by running a wire through the sheet and tying it to the ceiling fan.  Glad it's a sturdy ceiling fan.


A view of the inside.  Cozy.

Jason and Kojak trying out the hideout.  Kojak was not happy that he wasn't allowed IN the tent, but I could just see the outcome of that one turning out in catastrophe.  Plus, he is shedding so horribly right now, he is about to be shaved EARLY!


It was a fun night, and not one I will ever forget.  J is so good to put up with my silliness sometimes.  But then again, I think he might enjoy a little.  This will have to be a repeat experience for sure!

1.18.2012

Yes, It's True.

I've mentioned in posts in years gone by that I'm a little over the top when it comes to organizing and the phrase "a place for everything and everything in it's place" describes my methods perfectly.  So here it is.  My closet.  I was not exaggerating.  It is color coded, and sectioned into shades of each color, from long sleeves to short.  Jason's section is the back left one.  I try to organize his this way too, but he has no part of it, and usually has something misplaced the same day.  At least he humors me a little, and for the most part will keep the colors together.

The cubbies have been a life saver for boots and purses.  

I tried to bully talk J into letting me use the ones on his side, but it didn't work.  He has bullets and shoes on his side.  I could have thought of a better use for them.

More storage and a custom made cushion cover that my grandma made me for Christmas.  The pink is just me, and I love it.  Jason tolerates it.  I nailed up some little wire racks (on clearance from Target) on each side of the mirror to hang all of my jewelry, since I didn't want to invest in a jewelry chest.

So, now that you have seen it, don't judge.  We all have our quirks, right!?

1.15.2012

Potato & Shrimp Soup

With the cold front that blew in this weekend, potato soup sounded like the perfect dinner.  So, I got to looking for a recipe and stumbled on Paula Deen's Potato & Shrimp Soup.  Let me tell you, it more than hit the spot, and warmed from the inside out.

All the goodies ready to go:

 Diced onion and butter, sauteing.  

Boiling soup, by this point the whole house smelled heavenly, and the tummy grumbling was uncontrollable (you can see Jason's hand in the side of the picture, he was lurking awfully close the last 5 minutes).

I cheated a little and bought already cooked shrimp, thawed them, and cut into pieces.

 Adding the shrimp, and almost done!

Disclaimer:  This is not a quick, tidy recipe, but the results are so worth it.  I am usually obsessively pretty clean, but not when it comes to cooking.  I am a messy cook.  But it doesn't sit long.  My OCD won't allow it.

 And then, Jason ruined his by adding oysters.  Nasty, slimy oysters.  My delicious soup was defiled.  I added bacon, cheese, and green onions to mine, which was just perfect.
 

My beautiful bowl of soup

Jason's "creation".

And while I was cooking, my darling made me a fire.  It was the perfect setting for a delicious dinner and a movie.  

And the recipe for those of you who want to taste:

Potato & Shrimp Soup


Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced about the same size as the onion
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 4 cups milk, whole, reduced fat (2 percent) or low fat (1 percent)
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups salted water
  • 1 pound medium shrimp
  • Crumbled bacon bits, for garnish
  • Grated sharp Cheddar, for garnish
  • Dill sprigs, optional garnish

Directions

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion and carrots until both are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, milk, and dissolved bouillon cubes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft and some of them have begun to dissolve into mush. Add the half-and-half, salt, and pepper.
In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp all at once and stir well. Watch the shrimp closely; as soon as they all turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes, turn off the heat and drain. The shrimp should be slightly undercooked. When they are cool, peel them, and chop roughly into big chunks. Add the shrimp to the soup and stir well. Serve soup sprinkled with bacon bits and grated cheese. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.
Cook's Note: If you don't have access to shrimp, use corn.