tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24676896895205397822024-02-19T01:35:40.603-06:00High Hopes & HeartbreakReneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.comBlogger258125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-14708435264426628412015-07-01T10:59:00.003-05:002015-07-01T11:03:59.698-05:00Life Updates (aka: I'm Still Alive)!So, I bet you think I died. But I didn't. I just essentially forgot I even had a blog for the last 9 months. ;) Life has been the craziest whirlwind over the last year, I don't even know where to begin! I guess I'll just give you some fun little highlights to keep you up to speed with all that's happening in my crazy little world.<br />
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Etsy... Where do I begin?! Not even 11 months ago, I decided to embark on a little adventure by opening up an <a href="http://www.partyhappier.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> to sell all sorts of fun, handmade paper goods. Honestly, when I began, I didn't think I would sell anything. I put so much time and energy into researching what makes a shop successful, but I thought, "Who is going to buy from 'lil 'ol me?' It was a shot in the dark, but seriously, the rest is history. From week 1, I've never not had at least one sale per week (minus the 3 weeks I just closed so I could move into a new house - that's the next update;). Mind.blown. I knew <i><u><b>I</b></u></i> loved my stuff, but I didn't know if anyone else would. And I feel so honored that people find value in what I love to make! Some fun facts and stats as of today in case you're curious:<br />
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<li><b>Total Etsy Orders:</b> 324 (with 420 items being sold)</li>
<li><b>Total Views: </b>34,744 (this is the total # of times people have clicked on my shop or one of my item listings)</li>
<li><b>Total Favorites:</b> 2,038 (this is the # of likes I have on my items and/or my shop)</li>
<li><b>Highest revenue month:</b> $1,359.77 (March 2015)</li>
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I did my very first big craft show back in April and learned a lot. I am going to do two more so far this fall, and because of that, I've already got Christmas items on the brain. Craziness! One thing I've learned with having an Etsy shop is that you must always be thinking ahead. I no longer bitch about retail stores putting Christmas stuff out early (well, that's a lie, because Hobby Lobby put Christmas stuff out at least a month ago already, ewww) because I understand the need to always be thinking about the next season. <br />
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On a somewhat related note, I have a new craft room! And how is that possible? Because L and I got a house. Say what?!?! Literally just a few months ago, we spent a bunch of time researching bigger apartments to figure out where we would move next. We thought a house would come much later; I mean, years later. However, L met this really awesome guy through his job, and we've become really good friends with him and his wife - L even officiated their wedding! They just bought a house in the town where we moved, and we came out to see it. We'd never been to the town and weren't in the market for a house, but once we were there, we fell in love with the area and scanned the neighborhood for houses that were for sale. While we were sort of joking at the time, we just kept looking at houses and made appointments to see a few. There was one house we weren't going to look at because it was a bit out of our price range. Guess what? That's the house we bought. ;) It was the first one we looked at, and we fell in love. You should have seen my eyes when we walked in! The added bonus is that it's brand new, never been lived in, so we had really no repairs to worry about. We talked appliances into the offer, and we got everything we wanted for the perfect price. How one goes from looking at 2-bedroom apartments to buying a 4-bedroom, 2.5 bath house in the matter of weeks is beyond me, but needless to say, I'm beyond thrilled! We moved into the house in the middle of May and have been slowly but surely getting settled. Because I know you're probably curious, I've included a number of photos that were taken before we moved it. Isn't it AMAZING?!<br />
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Aside from this being the world's most unattractive photo of me, it marks a pretty exciting day!:)</div>
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This front room is what you see when you walk in the front door. We weren't sure what to do with it at first because it's too small for the living room, but it's now L's "brandy room." Yes, you read that right. ;) We got some leather chairs and an ottoman to go in here (hopefully some pictures soon), and it really looks amazing! The ottoman is a storage ottoman and holds lots of goodies, including L's liquor;).</div>
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This is the view you see when looking at the front door from the start of the livingroom. The door on the left is a half bathroom, the stairs lead up to all the bedrooms, and the door on the right leads to the basement.</div>
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Partial view of the living room and the dining area.</div>
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Another view of the living room.</div>
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Kitchen!!!! I can't even tell you how much I LOVE this kitchen! These photos were taken before the appliances were put in, so imagine a stainless steel stove, microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher:).</div>
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A walk-in pantry that is to die for!!</div>
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View of the dining area and kitchen from the living room.</div>
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Master bedroom.</div>
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Master bathroom and walk-in closet.</div>
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Walk-in Closet.</div>
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Master bathroom. Love the double sinks! (The shower curtains in these photos were staged, so ours looks a lot different now.)</div>
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One of the guest bedrooms.</div>
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Guest Bathroom. Again, it looks different now that we are living there.</div>
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Another guest bedroom. (The website that hosted these photos didn't include a picture of the last bedroom, so the bedroom you don't see is actually my craft room. It's a bit atrocious right now, so hoping to post some pics once I have it organized a little more effectively;).</div>
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Back on the first floor, this is our laundry room. We have a washer and dryer in there now.</div>
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Partial view of the basement. We hope to finish it in a few years!</div>
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And so that's that. We have been very busy with house stuff and adjusting to L's new work schedule, so just taking it day by day. Hoping to take some photos that give you a glimpse into the house as we get more settled, but this is what you get for now! :)</div>
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Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-78113706157422764832014-09-28T21:56:00.001-05:002014-09-29T20:40:14.606-05:00Celebrating Becca and Benny!:)Man. I almost forgot I had a blog. Seriously. Ha! Work has been crazy. Life has been crazy. I'm pretty much pooped out all the time. That being said, life continues to move and I've been up to so many things in the last few months. One of those things was celebrating the marriage of the friend I've known the longest - Becca! We've known each other since we were two. Unreal! <3 I can't believe it's been over a month since she and her hubby got married. Feels like it was just yesterday! I was lucky enough to be part of their special day, and I had such a great time! About a month before the wedding, we had her shower and bachelorette party as well. Such a great opportunity to spend time with old friends and make new friends. Without boring you with words, I'll share some pictures from all the fun festivities. I love my friends. :) (Hopefully I'll be back here more often that once a month, so stay tuned!)<br />
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Me and Becca at her bridal shower!</div>
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Me, Erin, and baby Witucki!:)</div>
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Me and Subs!</div>
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Blurry one of me and Bean!</div>
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Colby girls. <3</div>
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Girls in the wedding party!</div>
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Time to party!:)</div>
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On the bus for the bachelorette party!:)</div>
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Tex, our bus driver. What a character!</div>
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We had missions that night. One of them involved getting a man to give up his underwear. That literally happened within five minutes of being at our first bar. Ha!</div>
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One of my missions was to get a guy to let me write my name in lipstick on his chest. It was surprisingly easier than my first mission, which was to get a guy to donate $10 to the cost of our bachelorette party. Too funny!</div>
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Rehearsal dinner!</div>
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Getting ready on wedding day! :)</div>
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Such a beautiful bride!</div>
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Me and Bean!</div>
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<3</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzrgQhjgOfKpJIor7aLgffSnEK2cEti1uswAD33d8xeyC-wWrLKc39GyY-i-Yd9OD2-mw5G-vcc9OXlnR2Oh3MWGQ-O9oZT1azUPgYEe4M3sdga9j4hQggyRWA9L06eQwa7zwf7YTyxd-/s1600/14970_10105032609631890_3805150546820649987_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzrgQhjgOfKpJIor7aLgffSnEK2cEti1uswAD33d8xeyC-wWrLKc39GyY-i-Yd9OD2-mw5G-vcc9OXlnR2Oh3MWGQ-O9oZT1azUPgYEe4M3sdga9j4hQggyRWA9L06eQwa7zwf7YTyxd-/s1600/14970_10105032609631890_3805150546820649987_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Colby girls!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjLJ6s01yM07lQnSY1k0WmMiMk51wMIRg6PTOSJ417Z2s9bC0cbRDlGaCBNoKXDXUSPyxKQFB507m_xfi0NChicKbFucrRxTTtJI3z-Wusf19RYXTKwb_RGW6YINdRzFLUJZuk0zXEH-4/s1600/10580080_10100660047092843_3234377670544105352_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjLJ6s01yM07lQnSY1k0WmMiMk51wMIRg6PTOSJ417Z2s9bC0cbRDlGaCBNoKXDXUSPyxKQFB507m_xfi0NChicKbFucrRxTTtJI3z-Wusf19RYXTKwb_RGW6YINdRzFLUJZuk0zXEH-4/s1600/10580080_10100660047092843_3234377670544105352_n.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhjJfLh_4oYc42ZAxD-qcjfzdiXM6qroN_9-XyDw77IhFwfvXoI9ivRXlvXEnm6RX4iouxAF1z9oOBdPxgVT-QksEV0qD5wp6tfjzYsEFTrkDFgYWURRd8DF47py-TvmVW48ACO0K6e9i/s1600/10341991_10100660047117793_7561409116817507328_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhjJfLh_4oYc42ZAxD-qcjfzdiXM6qroN_9-XyDw77IhFwfvXoI9ivRXlvXEnm6RX4iouxAF1z9oOBdPxgVT-QksEV0qD5wp6tfjzYsEFTrkDFgYWURRd8DF47py-TvmVW48ACO0K6e9i/s1600/10341991_10100660047117793_7561409116817507328_n.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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Begin the love fest!;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbzxXJYTO80wE_kLkLLqdwmEqgujZdq6ol4MoC74BuJ-zyRIEvsRTu8FOcFrCTZG7etn8BAmd87hMIKpOZfx1lEekRnj2ZI2jtqtPxzzbeL90KMvAHJuqyz7UslfY1H7J8pMTKX9sThtY/s1600/IMG_6291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbzxXJYTO80wE_kLkLLqdwmEqgujZdq6ol4MoC74BuJ-zyRIEvsRTu8FOcFrCTZG7etn8BAmd87hMIKpOZfx1lEekRnj2ZI2jtqtPxzzbeL90KMvAHJuqyz7UslfY1H7J8pMTKX9sThtY/s1600/IMG_6291.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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A great time was had by all!:)</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-70770408958716604552014-08-26T18:40:00.001-05:002014-08-27T22:50:54.644-05:00Etsy Progress:)Hi all! Just wanted to pop in and share what's been going on with my Etsy store since I went "live" a little over two weeks ago (August 8). When I first launched it, I did lots of promoting on Facebook and Instagram just to get people aware of what I was up to. Fortunately I have some awesome people in my life who have looked and shared and all that good stuff, so I've been able to get some traffic to the site! At this point, I have 871 views, which is actually really good! Since Etsy is filled with hundreds of thousands of items, it's actually not the easiest to be randomly found through the site itself. They really emphasize the importance of using keywords so that people can find you when they search for certain items. Needless to say, I've done LOTS of research on it and have worked very hard to ensure this isn't all for nothing. Anyway, in just a couple short weeks, I've made three sales. Woohoo!!! A big, HUGE thank you to my sister-in-law <a href="http://thesmithshugitout.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Casey</a> for being my very first sale! She bought these lovely little envelopes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKur5iKrbWik7HggI1FiKSkVzFgpoubgo_fb67DHT62b5LkuaNk1wf6pGZNNg27q3OJ0RKwMmjWUYWtkgKNGmet88mGbcTY8K2VFTZFCR141RnJeEcg1T4vN7BFAbfQndtIJJDffX-C8ZG/s1600/USED+(%231)%2Bphoto%2B2(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKur5iKrbWik7HggI1FiKSkVzFgpoubgo_fb67DHT62b5LkuaNk1wf6pGZNNg27q3OJ0RKwMmjWUYWtkgKNGmet88mGbcTY8K2VFTZFCR141RnJeEcg1T4vN7BFAbfQndtIJJDffX-C8ZG/s1600/USED+(%231)%2Bphoto%2B2(2).JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/198880515/set-of-6-handmade-envelopes-w-matching?ref=shop_home_active_21" target="_blank">Pink and Navy Envelopes</a></div>
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Shortly after Casey bought those, I received a message on Etsy from a girl in Pennsylvania who really liked one of my banners and was wondering if I could make it in a different color scheme. After running to the store to buy some stuff that fit her needs, I came up with a few options, sent her some photos, and the rest is history. She absolutely loved what I came up with, and so I was able to successfully complete my first custom order! Here are a few pictures, and I've also decided to sell it in my store to others as well!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUS54WMarFT8Uu4lFT54NQTlotP12zfJRPten8Mn9afP2xs3WbVQlgpvrSdVttQulNu0uJphkdgf4ZBs_kvLEyXzT3SllhwOrMJaV9-SPQ9xFnbh4UGAgZbHQzasQX0PW2ElxKxxHobF6/s1600/mosaic3b86781690bada175ec2870dac4ca65276b83485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUS54WMarFT8Uu4lFT54NQTlotP12zfJRPten8Mn9afP2xs3WbVQlgpvrSdVttQulNu0uJphkdgf4ZBs_kvLEyXzT3SllhwOrMJaV9-SPQ9xFnbh4UGAgZbHQzasQX0PW2ElxKxxHobF6/s1600/mosaic3b86781690bada175ec2870dac4ca65276b83485.jpg" height="214" width="640" /></a></div>
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Find it <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/200687664/12-pennant-banner-paper-bunting-orange?ref=shop_home_active_5" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7NLpXht0JHW5mv189FuJbrtk7VpDGD5awkA7HYQABiaDCaBZP2y-Wi_5b5ZOVOv2gy7aGrdkPayXSBmM4oRy_AUjsZw3U9jqAFhGmKp_wX5b1l5D9-uqLemGqb6x3vJMq-CE471vkjE7/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7NLpXht0JHW5mv189FuJbrtk7VpDGD5awkA7HYQABiaDCaBZP2y-Wi_5b5ZOVOv2gy7aGrdkPayXSBmM4oRy_AUjsZw3U9jqAFhGmKp_wX5b1l5D9-uqLemGqb6x3vJMq-CE471vkjE7/s1600/photo.PNG" height="554" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHXQMlhZn_ure4CWDXnh6nT4xAzkVrHX9y8EnPsM2sy0uyT_aMGeoI8FdkBWAbWpKvqorbo1A_lOxkhopTbnOtrNy5OSwVB46uM0pBjmYehDlXiBFmw_3mrvKAj9kimvdbrCq1szpKlh-/s1600/photo+1(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHXQMlhZn_ure4CWDXnh6nT4xAzkVrHX9y8EnPsM2sy0uyT_aMGeoI8FdkBWAbWpKvqorbo1A_lOxkhopTbnOtrNy5OSwVB46uM0pBjmYehDlXiBFmw_3mrvKAj9kimvdbrCq1szpKlh-/s1600/photo+1(3).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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She even sent me a thank you email and a picture with the banner up in her room. How fun!</div>
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Oddly enough, the same day she officially bought her banner, another totally random person simply bought two packages of my blue confetti (1,200 pieces in each pack). Because I was leaving for a long weekend, I spent my Wednesday night last week punching 2,400 circles out of cardstock. Whew, that was a long night and a sore hand! ;) I was able to pack up and ship out the confetti before the weekend though, so hopefully she will be happy to have received it sooner than expected! Below is a picture of what she bought and how I packaged it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQHn7za0pP1Oa11qYhas3fDGS7FF7MbEXen_vY8055zIB7gYjJjnlNS4yjQpd-hay_i7gTQEvbi3GCgU7ToKiB6vSmS6SQ3ENlNJmGywUtLqygGNAzDvpIcxItyOYmgryk6G84XBl4gyS/s1600/USED+(%231)%2BIMG_5209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQHn7za0pP1Oa11qYhas3fDGS7FF7MbEXen_vY8055zIB7gYjJjnlNS4yjQpd-hay_i7gTQEvbi3GCgU7ToKiB6vSmS6SQ3ENlNJmGywUtLqygGNAzDvpIcxItyOYmgryk6G84XBl4gyS/s1600/USED+(%231)%2BIMG_5209.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4erIfwEzKadOANxRqPqxlEisuDCkwbqCIvjnZAzqC_5Tevl9TAwNFVliy-yjUbA0hQeTOBQyxJNxbqeB1CfuMw_QZtrHmTYAN3HeTWiGDNAW0FxSjj2vPTMCphvNCMDq_XJywbh86uIEu/s1600/IMG_6246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4erIfwEzKadOANxRqPqxlEisuDCkwbqCIvjnZAzqC_5Tevl9TAwNFVliy-yjUbA0hQeTOBQyxJNxbqeB1CfuMw_QZtrHmTYAN3HeTWiGDNAW0FxSjj2vPTMCphvNCMDq_XJywbh86uIEu/s1600/IMG_6246.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last but not least, as I mentioned in a previous post, I was planning to take some items to the store called <a href="http://regalfind.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Regal Find</a> to see if they would be interested in selling some of my stuff. I did that last Wednesday, and she took 17 of my items to start with! I only have one item of everything made up at this point, so she cleared my 'ready to ship' stock. Totally fine by me! :) So that's craziness, folks. I have sold stuff on Etsy, and I've also got some stuff in a store in hopes that it will sell! I may go in there at some point this week to see my stuff out in the store; it's still pretty trippy for me to think about, so I'd love to see it actually happening! Below is what I packaged up the night before.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkmNl6wNDcxuDftaqksGa5J5XYXPSQFmubyBd4fdwdePUBUQNXUbaWjEhsUrv3C17Uo5lQetl3mgOgjb2WqePySzgz6Q7otwsXrbxNkTYoJRvRQ3ZgEbfR2S4UDpUEa2LZcQHRSWGuYJu/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkmNl6wNDcxuDftaqksGa5J5XYXPSQFmubyBd4fdwdePUBUQNXUbaWjEhsUrv3C17Uo5lQetl3mgOgjb2WqePySzgz6Q7otwsXrbxNkTYoJRvRQ3ZgEbfR2S4UDpUEa2LZcQHRSWGuYJu/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0Wa9drM5XEFnp4drtj1n3GFTJTC95x4Iisi2G_ZmaNofSoO2kRxSzbuZJ-VXmK9YTFsMsqGxlZlUUxsO8jdtqbmAr3sXat6shcsayYQLo2CQXBlNLAGyh2mhu3k5nSGfEnIoHLFtP2zP/s1600/IMG_6241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0Wa9drM5XEFnp4drtj1n3GFTJTC95x4Iisi2G_ZmaNofSoO2kRxSzbuZJ-VXmK9YTFsMsqGxlZlUUxsO8jdtqbmAr3sXat6shcsayYQLo2CQXBlNLAGyh2mhu3k5nSGfEnIoHLFtP2zP/s1600/IMG_6241.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is a picture of all the stuff she took from me at the store. I'm still so excited! I'll find out in the next week or two if I sold anything. In the meantime, I'm just happy my stuff is out there for people to see. I'll let you know if I end up stopping in or selling anything.</div>
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Hope to keep the momentum going - may be a little more challenging because the school year will be really crazy for me in the beginning. That being said, I'm going to try reallllllllly hard to not lose site of this because it makes me super happy. Wish me luck, friends! And don't forget to <a href="http://www.partyhappier.etsy.com/" target="_blank">PartyHappier:)</a>.</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-45469151036530714722014-08-08T15:27:00.000-05:002014-08-08T15:31:21.300-05:00I'm LIVE on Etsy!So, you've seen me posting a lot recently about making crafts and wanting to sell on Etsy and all that good stuff. Well, I'm doing it. <span style="font-size: small;"><b>It's official!</b></span> I have been working hard over the last month or so to take pictures and create listings and do my research on how to hopefully make this work for me. (Well, I've been doing that research a lot longer than a month, but the process has been really amped up over the last month.) Anyway, I have a bunch of products made and am super pumped about the fact that I went 'live' with several things for others to see - and hopefully buy! I know it's not magic, and I'd love for it if a million people found my stuff and started buying immediately. Reality is, that's not going to happen. Not without a little help from my friends;). So, if you're curious about my shop and want to see what I've been up to, please feel free to check it out: <a href="http://www.partyhappier.etsy.com/">www.partyhappier.etsy.com</a>. <br />
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Here's a snapshot of some of the stuff on my home screen!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicergS9TRhWRBBpMlj5lZl50yYE0_4nz6nR9_7ipoPvUYoobugqHQVhfA6D_TqawNDMasnEpnaG01WBEMngUN_G_pdGW087XG5MY0y7T9luG0lPxBbOWr5kED9kmmNpjArzu3Or9HRDl6v/s1600/PartyHappier+ScreenShot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicergS9TRhWRBBpMlj5lZl50yYE0_4nz6nR9_7ipoPvUYoobugqHQVhfA6D_TqawNDMasnEpnaG01WBEMngUN_G_pdGW087XG5MY0y7T9luG0lPxBbOWr5kED9kmmNpjArzu3Or9HRDl6v/s1600/PartyHappier+ScreenShot.png" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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I came up with PartyHappier as my shop name because I felt like it really captured what I want my items to do. Whether it's note card sets, banners, confetti, or whatever else I come up with, I want nothing more than to brighten people's days! Nothing wrong with partying a little happier and enjoying life, right?! :) I hope you enjoy what I have to offer, and please, please feel free to pass along the word to people you think might like these items! Stay tuned, because trust me when I say I have LOTS more on the way! :)<br />
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Even if I never sell a darn thing, at least I can rest easy in the fact that I have loved every minute of creating these awesome items. Feels wonderful to tap into my creative side! :) Thanks to all my friends and family for all the support! It means the world to me. PartyHappier, ya'll!Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-32216318650543313842014-08-07T12:03:00.002-05:002014-08-07T12:03:37.079-05:00My Heart!In case anyone forgot, I just wanted to remind you that I really, reallllllllly like this guy! :) We have such a great time together, all the time, and I couldn't be happier to have him in my life. No special occasion or 'reason' for this post, other than to just tell the world I'm a lucky lady! I hope everyone in life finds someone as special as I have. <3<br />
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Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-31997210827748783802014-08-01T09:15:00.000-05:002014-08-01T09:19:21.783-05:00Sneak Peek!Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well. I am doing pretty darn good, but I will admit that I'm absolutely terrified by the fact that it is August 1 today. One more month and school begins again. Ahhhhh. Why, WHY must the summer always go so fast?! I hate it. It's funny, I work in a school (by choice), and I oddly think I dread the start of the school year now more than I did when I was a kid in school. Weird! ;)<br />
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Fortunately for me, the summer has allowed me to really take some time and focus in on my crafting stuff. I have NO idea what will come of it, but I've been having so much fun making all sorts of goodies. I've even started making all my draft listings in Etsy, and hopefully within the next week or so, I'll be able to go LIVE! Eeeeeeeeee! I don't know if anyone will want my stuff, or if they'll even find it amongst all the other stuff on Etsy, but that's not going to stop me from trying! :) I've been working really hard on getting my listings ready to go - good descriptions, eye-catching pictures, keywords galore - in hopes that it will help people find me! You best believe I'll share the link with you once I have something to show! In the meantime, I just wanted to give you a sneak peek of some of my creations. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsbcwVohiZkcPSy0dx7Cdm4fCYs9m2wpL_dOG2BEIm-nfLM_UNfOCwDssQR7UOHcx1fDEujBIdpKAr6V6sK1HV-7WhtG9AKsc2wwkfCoN6yiiz9kWcNnatLqvr3SkTijVZqjMeNF-MBfI/s1600/Photo+Jul+29,+7+06+48+AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsbcwVohiZkcPSy0dx7Cdm4fCYs9m2wpL_dOG2BEIm-nfLM_UNfOCwDssQR7UOHcx1fDEujBIdpKAr6V6sK1HV-7WhtG9AKsc2wwkfCoN6yiiz9kWcNnatLqvr3SkTijVZqjMeNF-MBfI/s1600/Photo+Jul+29,+7+06+48+AM.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a> <br />
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Neon Citrus Confetti (Above)<br />
Pastel Confetti (Below) </div>
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No real name for the above one, but I love how bright and sassy it is! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmI715yinVPnq0nLKKh80aHPx31vscIPlhp7GH5M5yU17kLGsIQ0R7PBFVT3MIn3Oc37qzfstSfarAu9_8beFoUw6A_VJCHaAf54lsoMizchIB_rEmCYL9RmOly660XWR9TF8o0Kb7lRF/s1600/il_570xN.634237158_b367.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmI715yinVPnq0nLKKh80aHPx31vscIPlhp7GH5M5yU17kLGsIQ0R7PBFVT3MIn3Oc37qzfstSfarAu9_8beFoUw6A_VJCHaAf54lsoMizchIB_rEmCYL9RmOly660XWR9TF8o0Kb7lRF/s1600/il_570xN.634237158_b367.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a>Pink Chevron Collection:). </div>
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Rainbow Stripes & Dots!</div>
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That's all you get for now. Stay tuned for much more! :)</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-32776315954946933252014-07-24T13:25:00.000-05:002014-07-24T13:27:54.481-05:00Hudson!Back in the winter, a group of 8 of us who are all interconnected from La Crosse did a "staycation" at a cool cabin up north. It all happened to be couples, and it was an amazing time! We vowed at that time that we wanted to do something again, so fast forward about 6-7 months, and we decided to do another 'staycation' up in Hudson. A bit of a hike for L and me from Madison (about 4 hours), but totally worth it! Our friends Rachel and Eric live up there, and we always have such a blast every time we go! They graciously agreed to host us and take us out on her parent's pontoon, so no way were we passing that up! L and I took off work that Friday and headed up early. We got to explore the city for awhile before they got done with work and before the rest of our crew got to town, so that was fun! Once everyone got there, we headed out to Rachel's parent's house (amazing!) and made a bunch of fish they had caught on a fishing trip awhile back. It was so tasty! We also stayed in tents in the backyard. It's been a LONG time since I've slept in a tent. Let me tell ya, those damn birds are brutal at 5:00am! ;) Anyway, on Saturday, we got moving and got on the boat early. We were on the St. Croix River. Unfortunately for us, the weather was not the most cooperative that day. It was a bit chilly, and it was also very overcast. We parked at a sand bar and eventually got poured on. Good thing for us it was still fun! :) We hung out on the river for awhile, then went back to our cars and drove to Stillwater, MN for dinner. We ate at a place called <a href="http://smalleyscaribbeanbbq.com/" target="_blank">Smalley's</a>; I got the jerk pork tacos, and they were so good! After dinner, we went back and cruised on the river for a bit again because the sun finally decided to peak out. The next day, we got breakfast and then L and I met a friend of ours in Minneapolis for lunch. We ate at a seafood place called <a href="http://smack-shack.com/" target="_blank">Smack Shack</a>. I got the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese, and talk about heaven! L got a lobster roll (one of his all-time favorite things to eat), so we were both quite satisfied and full for our drive back to Madison:). Overall, a fantastic weekend, and I'm hoping we can do it again!<br />
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They have a cigar shop in Hudson we always go to. He couldn't decide between these two big ones! He ended up getting the really long one for the boat the next day.</div>
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Enjoying one outside the cigar shop. </div>
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I even tried a puff or two:).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLC16alg-53MvUwyzit6PGq7v8OO4L8JlYxw00uJd1xT3RE4OiKL8Xlm3JleAguz9ZFSyFjkTCaQw-ivmKSVZ9m8s9UNNxCjnCUaxCSbhUhhLe1ZFaOM-bTL7NN784al3kk4N48owYpv0/s1600/10525844_10100535321613725_2104985014366622947_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoLC16alg-53MvUwyzit6PGq7v8OO4L8JlYxw00uJd1xT3RE4OiKL8Xlm3JleAguz9ZFSyFjkTCaQw-ivmKSVZ9m8s9UNNxCjnCUaxCSbhUhhLe1ZFaOM-bTL7NN784al3kk4N48owYpv0/s1600/10525844_10100535321613725_2104985014366622947_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a> </div>
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L with Rachel's parents dog, Gracie!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q6_9eLouQasbH2Q7w3Xr8uIR2gpYtfEXCX5LQUJA-aG479HuDKRUUfjCj1JMXAhiof6vqtAgRtjjmJXuhxPMVZuoKgTwjhPUk-y6fcprcRhIb6onXTdr4p_opXC5duU1uEDROQnqgXEX/s1600/10557376_10100535321568815_7454885023308478422_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q6_9eLouQasbH2Q7w3Xr8uIR2gpYtfEXCX5LQUJA-aG479HuDKRUUfjCj1JMXAhiof6vqtAgRtjjmJXuhxPMVZuoKgTwjhPUk-y6fcprcRhIb6onXTdr4p_opXC5duU1uEDROQnqgXEX/s1600/10557376_10100535321568815_7454885023308478422_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Getting ready to head out on the boat for the day! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4dN5rpoAdpkTb7_BCYOjoAoWCPBS1GQwr5oXkA6FQ-IVeuAcBSQNntop1-DmKbdi_hccY-2NiYZNVsb7c0QNq8UrWEeeVVfdDfBcdFwZyulYX9na3usfpId_rz_eAeJQCLGgct3NUgVa/s1600/984156_10100535321648655_2554054645933133896_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4dN5rpoAdpkTb7_BCYOjoAoWCPBS1GQwr5oXkA6FQ-IVeuAcBSQNntop1-DmKbdi_hccY-2NiYZNVsb7c0QNq8UrWEeeVVfdDfBcdFwZyulYX9na3usfpId_rz_eAeJQCLGgct3NUgVa/s1600/984156_10100535321648655_2554054645933133896_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Soaking it all in:).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVQpUAfBgXq3d4PVcDxOVTjQP7RGPfCppowaf2mqTv33BodrW3mQYO7ENZFUOep4A8Kjdl5p28xon6jfVa7suaedUXwSiJIIuYEnIVnCaD2r6qEFsPATcV5oz6WSjPiWCb85Hs-G0KB6S/s1600/10390059_10100535321948055_8013110403602190224_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVQpUAfBgXq3d4PVcDxOVTjQP7RGPfCppowaf2mqTv33BodrW3mQYO7ENZFUOep4A8Kjdl5p28xon6jfVa7suaedUXwSiJIIuYEnIVnCaD2r6qEFsPATcV5oz6WSjPiWCb85Hs-G0KB6S/s1600/10390059_10100535321948055_8013110403602190224_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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The ladies of the trip!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHq1rgsl5On5ZE9UXTrMdHqueyT6uGUvMNCPK7QCm2W_zDPl59ax9ygDMFehxoalKm2YYidKQMptmBfYJV_PtoEGwsdmngaodDyngaoyWp5lnrZsZSuW4zbbWRdGBvm4FlvwyBq-BHQ2y/s1600/10501771_10100535321833285_8489222982800531242_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHq1rgsl5On5ZE9UXTrMdHqueyT6uGUvMNCPK7QCm2W_zDPl59ax9ygDMFehxoalKm2YYidKQMptmBfYJV_PtoEGwsdmngaodDyngaoyWp5lnrZsZSuW4zbbWRdGBvm4FlvwyBq-BHQ2y/s1600/10501771_10100535321833285_8489222982800531242_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Lighting up the big one!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aS7M06j88Al3x6mXqAnvItBuywc2eZQA143Ah0pymGzz8saoV-BGDhU0i3nVZEep0mwe6vOiZtDrr9yalFaa9b3WawMofPy8U3ufSRt-MBfd0l-NUrJRuLG9iZvD15Dfj8MLuYVlxuA4/s1600/10520099_10100535321938075_4004911290074110313_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aS7M06j88Al3x6mXqAnvItBuywc2eZQA143Ah0pymGzz8saoV-BGDhU0i3nVZEep0mwe6vOiZtDrr9yalFaa9b3WawMofPy8U3ufSRt-MBfd0l-NUrJRuLG9iZvD15Dfj8MLuYVlxuA4/s1600/10520099_10100535321938075_4004911290074110313_n.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdydqfP3kkhIaQoNopeYxQlNuyMZoJ5HvwMjo2Kx1YR6UoyhlOTNAvjgwFWM1J_Z8aJkTPlULRPG7Djwo2HfL8qhrB2h8p4YiyvK9xUjJq5qmrmqNU-ZczsUeIdvIXpaLCa1aG_GojVx-g/s1600/10526071_10100535321638675_7591478718303785843_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdydqfP3kkhIaQoNopeYxQlNuyMZoJ5HvwMjo2Kx1YR6UoyhlOTNAvjgwFWM1J_Z8aJkTPlULRPG7Djwo2HfL8qhrB2h8p4YiyvK9xUjJq5qmrmqNU-ZczsUeIdvIXpaLCa1aG_GojVx-g/s1600/10526071_10100535321638675_7591478718303785843_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Me and Kayleigh!:)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMGcetKh5_JWVNoyKnxcYo08vp3bjaCIGRmLRRZ0iYMkNyVCseUZGSFrkGt-JgflsvXzjy5IVoc7sDgaeGovXZZwgjBqariBcI6GhUOx-6hNPUN1b5NBFn7qfr75igA5ApikL-ZU60Lpp/s1600/10527321_10100535321783385_1933111638027188492_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMGcetKh5_JWVNoyKnxcYo08vp3bjaCIGRmLRRZ0iYMkNyVCseUZGSFrkGt-JgflsvXzjy5IVoc7sDgaeGovXZZwgjBqariBcI6GhUOx-6hNPUN1b5NBFn7qfr75igA5ApikL-ZU60Lpp/s1600/10527321_10100535321783385_1933111638027188492_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The crew.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88CvLbnm__VE_kSeMrKhXTT6mtJ41gGlr6KLUDVPsnJmY8OrteNuGCloKYidPtPsv7BxUF5lBerv_GOp_hNGRaqPU4sB8URn4rLofUnjUZiAwUmN9vlp74mqjXSKRYKSaZqoiuS-726Zm/s1600/10547419_10100535321713525_5856477248993145789_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88CvLbnm__VE_kSeMrKhXTT6mtJ41gGlr6KLUDVPsnJmY8OrteNuGCloKYidPtPsv7BxUF5lBerv_GOp_hNGRaqPU4sB8URn4rLofUnjUZiAwUmN9vlp74mqjXSKRYKSaZqoiuS-726Zm/s1600/10547419_10100535321713525_5856477248993145789_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Me and Carrie!:)</div>
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My delicious tacos and mac 'n cheese (odd, I know:) from Smalley's!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6pY2PYWQoChhiJy5a65KoR0jnYjDPbD1NpaNfFDFbr3Kt_OwrBvtahHskeNoXGuiEM-TXbyCajlpcPHmCQhAckUol91ZFzxDOHUpFioJsqNLy81i0Y6cK-xMO0be5XeCUmfpHAFFQ7-l/s1600/10479497_10100535322307335_6675337565701674316_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6pY2PYWQoChhiJy5a65KoR0jnYjDPbD1NpaNfFDFbr3Kt_OwrBvtahHskeNoXGuiEM-TXbyCajlpcPHmCQhAckUol91ZFzxDOHUpFioJsqNLy81i0Y6cK-xMO0be5XeCUmfpHAFFQ7-l/s1600/10479497_10100535322307335_6675337565701674316_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back on the boat! Get ready for lots of pretty views! (No filter on any of them either!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2XWfvsphM8z-AQ1CT92t5g4PWYsVYRWT_KbMOfXromrKnvtQnVgC_LbdaWYa6hMYaeBT-2zLyFp5eiRgCKDVwtbetdMtV-GsIDFeiYoIC4mQafwBM7pLRZT7VFQKFccxJJPqE8wigQTg/s1600/10429335_10100535322017915_1785688417683690708_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2XWfvsphM8z-AQ1CT92t5g4PWYsVYRWT_KbMOfXromrKnvtQnVgC_LbdaWYa6hMYaeBT-2zLyFp5eiRgCKDVwtbetdMtV-GsIDFeiYoIC4mQafwBM7pLRZT7VFQKFccxJJPqE8wigQTg/s1600/10429335_10100535322017915_1785688417683690708_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWxspZQ2bsoj-SxOHdr_W7rHIGCgLkf8yNbP9b9y54glq6Gmax3pLx7UVBPeZfLD_PnwUE2ZIMl3YPuFHgd01MjukeXJiPIuJpsM_daBQXK2jZ8Mne4MbSmKhm7kL5GbBZ1Txy3g9ppxl/s1600/10456082_10100535322087775_5530643875145990250_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWxspZQ2bsoj-SxOHdr_W7rHIGCgLkf8yNbP9b9y54glq6Gmax3pLx7UVBPeZfLD_PnwUE2ZIMl3YPuFHgd01MjukeXJiPIuJpsM_daBQXK2jZ8Mne4MbSmKhm7kL5GbBZ1Txy3g9ppxl/s1600/10456082_10100535322087775_5530643875145990250_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4dN5rpoAdpkTb7_BCYOjoAoWCPBS1GQwr5oXkA6FQ-IVeuAcBSQNntop1-DmKbdi_hccY-2NiYZNVsb7c0QNq8UrWEeeVVfdDfBcdFwZyulYX9na3usfpId_rz_eAeJQCLGgct3NUgVa/s1600/984156_10100535321648655_2554054645933133896_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Love this one!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhCAmfXfH4WJDAOC9RWciNtESWRcQy52wUOJ-vbPpBGCZF-mtcT9LPB9pcyGRCn2krrm6oneYYdwh1vyDVVnh_dnWPpVCv86TeCPXecl3tJlpzjWXVF9jPg_WRPkmehJAjXNShdHZlDkI/s1600/1907388_10100535322866215_7657580909288836147_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhCAmfXfH4WJDAOC9RWciNtESWRcQy52wUOJ-vbPpBGCZF-mtcT9LPB9pcyGRCn2krrm6oneYYdwh1vyDVVnh_dnWPpVCv86TeCPXecl3tJlpzjWXVF9jPg_WRPkmehJAjXNShdHZlDkI/s1600/1907388_10100535322866215_7657580909288836147_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Rachel and Eric driving the boat!</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawMH0_ejBcmiICbLqxCuTwUg5-XL3V2RyLsN34Ur8Lv51LcHnFQsS8u05WterfwkT30-UsU43pw-kVGtP1uAW65UjAH-qnidO3-2waaQWfHS4e0CFyTzsbebDvcdBHs15j3dhEK81Lp1F/s1600/10530936_10100535322137675_5502072351847797033_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /> </div>
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So bright!</div>
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What a gorgeous evening!!!!</div>
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Menu at Smack Shack!</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLSz-BLPeqC1OkW8oahqumPjrDhv6MFsoNneEg2j37k8prtFZEiE5YFj5zJ3rkWKBcTGfAeYa9X2-8oZQUjSDA-WpgBNNsIJWsG10Q4seejOR7objmhhiTgNHVQpQIoZilFtOkqtCpZHv/s1600/10301358_10100535323160625_5678406495211338934_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /> </div>
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My lobster mac!! YUM:).</div>
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A great weekend was had by all! </div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-1018149215406026072014-07-21T20:51:00.000-05:002014-07-21T20:51:05.575-05:00The Terrace:)Hey, yo! Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful summer! While we haven't had as many really warm days as I'd like (I say that on a day we hit 90;), I have really been able to take advantage of some fun excursions in the past month or two. Work is a lot more lowkey for me over the summer, so it's a lot easier to just relax and enjoy rather than stressing about the next day. That being said, that means I spend less time blogging too, but I suppose that's not too much different than any other time of the year, ha!<br />
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One of the fun things we got to do about a month ago was go to <a href="http://www.union.wisc.edu/venue-muterrace.htm" target="_blank">The Terrace</a> at Memorial Union on UW's campus to watch L's brother perform during their weekly open mic night. He got to sing 3 songs (he did great!), and since we got there early to save seats, it also allowed us to just spend some time with L's family. Always fun! It's kind of crazy that despite us all living in the Madison area, we don't get to see each other as much as we'd like. Life gets so busy, I tell ya. Anyway, I took a few fun photos that night and thought I'd share. We don't go too often because we hate the logistics of getting there and parking, but I sure like it once I'm there! :)<br />
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L's nephew Tai Long. What a cutie! :)</div>
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They are known for their colorful chairs. Love 'em!</div>
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<3</div>
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L's niece Dahlia. She loves yellow:).</div>
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Gorgeous sunset views!</div>
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L and his brother Chark!</div>
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All and all, a really fun night. Was great to see family and see Chark perform! :)</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-91416432376552331882014-07-02T09:38:00.000-05:002014-07-02T09:42:38.105-05:00Another Weekend Home!Nothing like being about a month behind on posting about something, ha. I just keep feeling like I have nothing to post about, and then I think back to my busy calendar and all the photos in my phone, and it turns out I just don't take the time to post. ;) Anyway, just under a month ago, L and I went back to Colby for my long-time friend Jenna's wedding. We spent lots of time with family, and we even stayed until Monday morning somewhat unexpectedly since we were having such a great time. That was rough since we had to get up at like 4:30am to get to Madison in time for work, but overall, totally worth it! I think I'll let the pictures of the weekend kind of speak for themselves. A great weekend was had by all! :)<br />
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Always gotta stop at the VFW on Friday nights in Colby:).</div>
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Me and mama:).</div>
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<3</div>
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Got to see Popp, who I haven't seen in years! So fun!</div>
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Jenna and Nate getting hitched!</div>
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Mr. and Mrs. Jackel!:)</div>
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Oh, you know... Just drinking a beer with a mustache;).</div>
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Me and L after the wedding!</div>
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Me and mama!</div>
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L had never been to Cherokee Park, so we took him out there the day after the wedding!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_R0DFAebcjKhx7jwtUVpzwlOZ7hXU7mMuR9hFFxYciC6QtiyUeC4B6ILJoXb6sszDw36UIb79_Qsay8cExn1dUWtDTc1ZmM6y80JyTSiUR5Z3VM3o_ewF8ElFH2DMvaFa36CBTke5Xrq/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+11+41+21+AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_R0DFAebcjKhx7jwtUVpzwlOZ7hXU7mMuR9hFFxYciC6QtiyUeC4B6ILJoXb6sszDw36UIb79_Qsay8cExn1dUWtDTc1ZmM6y80JyTSiUR5Z3VM3o_ewF8ElFH2DMvaFa36CBTke5Xrq/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+11+41+21+AM.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Love this pic!</div>
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Looking for crayfish:).</div>
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T just about had a panic attack when he found out we were leaving on Sunday and he didn't get to see us. This little guy is responsible for us turning back around and staying overnight until Monday, ha!</div>
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Me and Drew!</div>
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Here comes a series of hilarious photos with most of the kids. L is trying to 'mind meld' Austyn in case you're wondering about that craziness on his face;).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs37G0IcV3xQrrAZeFda5ovmeDNEXiLbJFL8EWh9TnkdTeSxar4ObO2dkEn6BSZLthnqEQPiV6yS066AIv6bb3zo9dOXOv6ydEQ8XxBueVcrcjXLFT49vR-o1eQLCD2o31BRJd_rDKTLhS/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+5+08+01+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs37G0IcV3xQrrAZeFda5ovmeDNEXiLbJFL8EWh9TnkdTeSxar4ObO2dkEn6BSZLthnqEQPiV6yS066AIv6bb3zo9dOXOv6ydEQ8XxBueVcrcjXLFT49vR-o1eQLCD2o31BRJd_rDKTLhS/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+5+08+01+PM.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpjY7Gym67gcLt-a1Grjblb4VtHLuoXXqEdfLY8v8ZOaZf-_xiN7GKoyDQB3-rYw1u5ZbHSkH69bW_eRPtmLokftCHqrpqjdalc2gOaw3wdwsyRTTlrX4dFVUwt4d1uouLVGIsE6hApVH/s1600/Photo+Jun+10,+7+13+28+AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpjY7Gym67gcLt-a1Grjblb4VtHLuoXXqEdfLY8v8ZOaZf-_xiN7GKoyDQB3-rYw1u5ZbHSkH69bW_eRPtmLokftCHqrpqjdalc2gOaw3wdwsyRTTlrX4dFVUwt4d1uouLVGIsE6hApVH/s1600/Photo+Jun+10,+7+13+28+AM.png" height="640" width="390" /></a></div>
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We actually got a nice one! :)</div>
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T and L goofing around!</div>
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Me and papa!</div>
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The plus side of getting up so early on Monday was catching this beautiful sunrise! :)</div>
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Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-70329618405900666812014-06-11T09:36:00.002-05:002014-08-01T09:33:49.570-05:00Paper Madness!Howdy, ya'll! Hope life has been treating you well! I just wanted to talk a little about some serious excitement that's going on inside of my head. You have all read about me wanting and loving to create crafty stuff, and that inspiration has recently been renewed. Not too long ago, L and I were wandering around downtown Middleton just exploring what it has to offer. We happened to stumble across a store I've never heard of called <a href="http://regalfind.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Regal Find</a>. They have all sorts of unique items in there, many of which are created by the store owners and people just like me! They do sort of a 'consignment' shop arrangement, where, if they are interested in what you create, they will sell it in their store, and you get some of the profit. I have NO idea if they'd like my envelopes or anything I come up with, but I feel really inspired to give it a shot. If that goes well, maybe Etsy isn't too far behind. And if worst comes to worst, then at least I have some fun little things to give people I care about! :)<br />
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Over the last week or so, I've been obsessing over an online company called <a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/" target="_blank">Oriental Trading Company</a>. They have TONS of stuff, including a huge variety of cardstock and scrapbook paper that I adore. Just yesterday, I made a pretty significant paper purchase that will allow me to create a ton of unique and fun envelope sets - which is my first plan of attack. I ordered a <a href="http://www.bagsandbowsonline.com/shopdeluxe/Clear%20Top%20Boxes%20w/%20White%20Base,%206%209/16%20x%204%2013/16%20x%201%22/510-060401-9/product?locid=BB%3AT2_A1_510-060401-9&fromPage=fhPage#/" target="_blank">sample box</a> to see if my envelopes would fit inside, and if so, then I want to create a variety of sets of envelopes to be packaged nicely. If I'm lucky, they'll sell. If not, then at least I'm still creating (which I love) and can brighten someone's day with what I make! Below are just some pictures of the paper I ordered yesterday; some are themed and some are just fun. My apartment is about to become a madhouse! ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_21kEW9Peyn6BzHIqKKiTStLktHbJVs5W0Sw_EJ8l3ixCbT6KDm248kur1mFLvIsTsrr6AQBpsHB8Vqbh4Qo-ZJS6P7lQt_tcUgSF0rN-Lx3JQ1bdO3P5GP645OoPwc1yB7CNAlb2LMDQ/s1600/Rainbow+Paper+Pack.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_21kEW9Peyn6BzHIqKKiTStLktHbJVs5W0Sw_EJ8l3ixCbT6KDm248kur1mFLvIsTsrr6AQBpsHB8Vqbh4Qo-ZJS6P7lQt_tcUgSF0rN-Lx3JQ1bdO3P5GP645OoPwc1yB7CNAlb2LMDQ/s1600/Rainbow+Paper+Pack.png" height="400" width="395" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/rainbow-paper-pack-a2-65_60822.fltr?prodCatId=550150" target="_blank">Rainbow Paper Pack</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVmjtSS1QwNgbHMzENpjYCfSVlMccXAIMJGS6z1S1R83yZhTv_UnmXtqhPDMHTSjdf-Aow37wHby_pxjYhUAtkUCwmrpMkUYu648L-RgncfTunC_Dj4yW8G377GME5OB-isjgX1Ydi0zp/s1600/Neon+Paper+Pack.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVmjtSS1QwNgbHMzENpjYCfSVlMccXAIMJGS6z1S1R83yZhTv_UnmXtqhPDMHTSjdf-Aow37wHby_pxjYhUAtkUCwmrpMkUYu648L-RgncfTunC_Dj4yW8G377GME5OB-isjgX1Ydi0zp/s1600/Neon+Paper+Pack.png" height="398" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/neon-paper-pack-a2-13641281-11-0.fltr?xsaleSku=65/60822" target="_blank">Neon Paper Pack</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCUxdi5SqLRBNvMe1CflWl3NCMwdp0XOFoaoe_D84-LTAx6u8NdW_ZxrbwD0fmU3-emcjMbIwU6ipoIrDBiaiwMeP8Uv7WTrvFjsOf6ANxXte8HIQQEUMOWQv5d_x7LK8EcfW93vNLoJ_/s1600/Full+Spectrum+Paper+Pack.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCUxdi5SqLRBNvMe1CflWl3NCMwdp0XOFoaoe_D84-LTAx6u8NdW_ZxrbwD0fmU3-emcjMbIwU6ipoIrDBiaiwMeP8Uv7WTrvFjsOf6ANxXte8HIQQEUMOWQv5d_x7LK8EcfW93vNLoJ_/s1600/Full+Spectrum+Paper+Pack.png" height="400" width="398" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/full-color-spectrum-paper-pack-a2-65_60084-11-0.fltr?xsaleSku=13641281" target="_blank">Full Color Spectrum Paper Pack</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQqTAcQuDR3KUI6VA4Z2LHmMpz5uYNK2Nz-e0ium1pet7p9CbDcab-FOEE7kmRTMRM8EjfvrOP2MUrX9Ekk0ye3sQ0tnGJc7kt3EBXhu_7AfFg0_Btj3QMFkjRd1IukCS8mRoLDoubb7T/s1600/Patriotic+Paper+Pack.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQqTAcQuDR3KUI6VA4Z2LHmMpz5uYNK2Nz-e0ium1pet7p9CbDcab-FOEE7kmRTMRM8EjfvrOP2MUrX9Ekk0ye3sQ0tnGJc7kt3EBXhu_7AfFg0_Btj3QMFkjRd1IukCS8mRoLDoubb7T/s1600/Patriotic+Paper+Pack.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/patriotic-paper-stack-a2-13641278.fltr?prodCatId=550150+1236" target="_blank">Patriotic Paper Pack</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FUTTah7CkvZfWlzUtD33CcPrxE8MatVbWpEgtadbO-7CqYNeZ7TYAfD-oF-GctH6irPIvlz0LE3_dEGrTz1lC2dkteP8cj7t1CUnYktTL7XUFZVJkdJinOeK4qfBfiellSU_p2hPwr1a/s1600/Bright+Christmas+Paper+Pack.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FUTTah7CkvZfWlzUtD33CcPrxE8MatVbWpEgtadbO-7CqYNeZ7TYAfD-oF-GctH6irPIvlz0LE3_dEGrTz1lC2dkteP8cj7t1CUnYktTL7XUFZVJkdJinOeK4qfBfiellSU_p2hPwr1a/s1600/Bright+Christmas+Paper+Pack.png" height="398" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/bright-christmas-scrapbook-paper-pack-a2-65_61080.fltr?Ntt=bright%20christmas" target="_blank">Bright Christmas Paper Pack</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVXb46yL11tth-igHCBbDgx_wGDz50hmnt25hUVJPRiEcivD0BEcyJPHqX1w_KetTKc_8yY-LibUG8XCbj9zJC9atGMxOm5MT9qFP6WLn0Zd0iHWAGp3g4b1XxC1eCgYd3U-sHkOAxcoP/s1600/Winter+Wonderland+Paper+Pack.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVXb46yL11tth-igHCBbDgx_wGDz50hmnt25hUVJPRiEcivD0BEcyJPHqX1w_KetTKc_8yY-LibUG8XCbj9zJC9atGMxOm5MT9qFP6WLn0Zd0iHWAGp3g4b1XxC1eCgYd3U-sHkOAxcoP/s1600/Winter+Wonderland+Paper+Pack.png" height="397" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/winter-wonderland-paper-pack-a2-65_61157.fltr?prodCatId=550150" target="_blank">Winter Wonderland Paper Pack</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TOxgHmK1MnsttCWMHIBQD7wlaMEezN7mUuCua0ujTWkyg_YV2hRYzLxUP6PDgqYsVXfTHuWGTCzu1GEQ02Tc7-nz7QDPYlmWeE6HjPty8gzVA-bJsYX7-Z0EwLFHOwEz5CjTb191mXnv/s1600/Christmas+&+Winter+Paper+Pack.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TOxgHmK1MnsttCWMHIBQD7wlaMEezN7mUuCua0ujTWkyg_YV2hRYzLxUP6PDgqYsVXfTHuWGTCzu1GEQ02Tc7-nz7QDPYlmWeE6HjPty8gzVA-bJsYX7-Z0EwLFHOwEz5CjTb191mXnv/s1600/Christmas+&+Winter+Paper+Pack.png" height="396" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/christmas-winter-paper-pack-a2-13615111.fltr?prodCatId=550150+1240" target="_blank">Christmas/Winter Paper Pack</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCUxdi5SqLRBNvMe1CflWl3NCMwdp0XOFoaoe_D84-LTAx6u8NdW_ZxrbwD0fmU3-emcjMbIwU6ipoIrDBiaiwMeP8Uv7WTrvFjsOf6ANxXte8HIQQEUMOWQv5d_x7LK8EcfW93vNLoJ_/s1600/Full+Spectrum+Paper+Pack.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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Get ready for some fun creations coming your way, folks! :)</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-74605725397132704472014-06-03T17:31:00.003-05:002014-06-03T17:38:05.493-05:00Florida Revisited!As you all know, L and I were lucky enough to venture back to Orlando again this year. We went last year and had an amazing time (well, on the <a href="http://highhopesandheartbreak.blogspot.com/2013/06/florida-part-one_14.html" target="_blank">first part</a> of our trip;), and it was so great to have the chance to go again. We each got a $300 flight voucher last year for taking a one hour later flight, so we used those vouchers to cover our tickets for this trip. Amazingly, our tickets were $299 a piece, so the <i>entire</i> flight was covered. Does that really happen?! ;) Yep, it does, and it happened to us. Honestly, we probably wouldn't have thought about going back again so soon, but the vouchers had to be used within a year, and use 'em we did!<br />
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As you may recall, we stayed at the <a href="http://www.blueheronbeachresort.com/default-en.html" target="_blank">Blue Heron Beach Resort</a> in Orlando for the first part of our trip last year. It was a condo style place where we had full amenities, and it was suuuuuuuuper cheap! We absolutely loved it. We decided to go back to the same place again this year, and since L didn't have a conference to go to this time, we made it our sole mission to <i>relax</i> and enjoy. Thankfully, we did just that, and it was perfect! We also aimed to make it a relatively cheap trip, so we cooked in our room a lot and took advantage of a couple happy hours when we could. Our room, which was pretty huge, was only $118/night. We came home under budget (not like we were that concerned about it), so that was exciting too. Overall, it was an amazing trip with an amazing person, and I hope we can go back! I took tons of photos and thought I'd share a bunch with you here. Hope you enjoy taking a peek at our adventures!<br />
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Excited to hit the road to the airport bright and early!</div>
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We parked in the Super Saver lot for only $6.50/day!! This is us waiting to be shuttled to the airport.</div>
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This sign after you go through airport security cracks me up every time!</div>
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No joke, we packed rice and fried chicken in ziploc bags and ate it in the airport at 8:00am. To say we got some strange looks (and even a few questions) would be an understatement! I felt weird at first, but I kinda loved that we were so smart. And it was tasty, ha!</div>
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Excited to be on the plane. ;)</div>
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Adios, Milwaukee!</div>
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We made it! Here come a series of photos from our huge two bedroom condo room!</div>
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(The view when you walk in the door.)</div>
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Set of bunk beds off to the right when you walk in the room.</div>
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Kitchen (above and below)</div>
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Walking into the 'small' bedroom.</div>
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Beds in the small bedroom.</div>
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Spare bathroom.</div>
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Master bedroom, eeeeeee!</div>
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Master bathroom! It had a whirlpool tub too! I used it. :)</div>
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Balcony views!</div>
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Enjoying a drink on the patio:).</div>
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Cheers with our beers we bought from Linda in the Tiki Hut! She even remembered us from last year!</div>
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Pool time!</div>
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Beautiful lake views from our balcony on day two! It looks like the sky
beyond the trees, but it's actually the lake reflecting the sky. What a
pretty sight! </div>
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Sorry for so many early morning pics. I just couldn't stop myself from capturing the beauty!</div>
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The life:).</div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">We had a fun day drinking with a new friend by the pool. And we built a pyramid like we're 21 again;)</span></span></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> Stud:).</span></span></div>
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A little tipsy, wearing L's hat and sunglasses!</div>
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One of many lizard friends we saw! :)</div>
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View from the other side of our hotel. I'm obsessed with that balloon and WILL ride it someday!</div>
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Another cool view!</div>
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Another fun pool day!</div>
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Pretty much stayed outside all day just because I could! Yes, my legs were a little red;).</div>
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We did get one HUGE rainfall spurt that day, but other than that, the weather was perfect in the upper 80s and low 90s. Loved it!</div>
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Same view from the balcony. Could hardly see the lake!</div>
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Like I said, we dined on the cheap. Nothing like a little Tuna Helper from the dollar store! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzDzr48H9QPqSqH9RlPEjqGzPxCM96IMVU78aauJrbSWd8sZ_2kX38cfNb9qnp8KC4_SbiPz-Y_0H7C-b9_WQqiZtPU5iOCmm1BDep4TNmAtWVFRFIl0ETqm7vmnbpuanEDiNGb0RXRPp/s1600/10341683_10100503198289125_4098171599957451851_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzDzr48H9QPqSqH9RlPEjqGzPxCM96IMVU78aauJrbSWd8sZ_2kX38cfNb9qnp8KC4_SbiPz-Y_0H7C-b9_WQqiZtPU5iOCmm1BDep4TNmAtWVFRFIl0ETqm7vmnbpuanEDiNGb0RXRPp/s1600/10341683_10100503198289125_4098171599957451851_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was up really early one morning and got this beautiful sunrise pic!</div>
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We got ourselves a little Starbucks treat with a gift card L had. Yum!</div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">On
the first full day of our trip, we met an awesome woman named Kelly.
She's from Ohio, and we spent the whole day chatting with her by the
pool. Well, on the day she left, we got a call from her as they were
checking out and she said she had all this stuff they were going to
leave behind in their room, but she wanted to give it to us if we were
interested. Here it all is! What a damn sweetheart! Love meeting cool
strangers!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WTtidPTkJW6TZv9zIbk5ttAKcVs-vpaEqCn_Oefp_2PDspKIRlWqraaL1IKnzmokrgNJbNKShXzq4Us1lUzB_A5FlKkRZ9OY1DZgDGbWTUBKYQhaW-3UH-ZSpjqXgpexqgEmzwn5nPQV/s1600/10426309_10100503198403895_379338812240568647_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WTtidPTkJW6TZv9zIbk5ttAKcVs-vpaEqCn_Oefp_2PDspKIRlWqraaL1IKnzmokrgNJbNKShXzq4Us1lUzB_A5FlKkRZ9OY1DZgDGbWTUBKYQhaW-3UH-ZSpjqXgpexqgEmzwn5nPQV/s1600/10426309_10100503198403895_379338812240568647_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> L taking in the view! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOlb2y1FZoMdbbDnpawCs1ms5VZCfJoBa7LJN2GYkX9FizEJhivPUQkUojNnRszOKgz90AESpnc9QLpx7f2EOrLR2alYUBJc9YzowiFP6o7g5E8EpUeg9WKh1PkHXMaOm9TsNLkqdBMpc/s1600/10255608_10100503198453795_4478708173456732647_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOlb2y1FZoMdbbDnpawCs1ms5VZCfJoBa7LJN2GYkX9FizEJhivPUQkUojNnRszOKgz90AESpnc9QLpx7f2EOrLR2alYUBJc9YzowiFP6o7g5E8EpUeg9WKh1PkHXMaOm9TsNLkqdBMpc/s1600/10255608_10100503198453795_4478708173456732647_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Love this pic!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvZD-_hKhBPja9Zsip2-HzzHLL8KXmREFKgO0ZQfWEUzXM6P-NS8pMtBYnLumd6BMYa4NE_GFPHWyLFraFh1CbDaDTRFq2jQ1J10L4hbYWerA_9X7G2FWUpQT-vuhMMgVHeWmjqomaQzw/s1600/10336760_10100503198518665_6689488492498173468_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvZD-_hKhBPja9Zsip2-HzzHLL8KXmREFKgO0ZQfWEUzXM6P-NS8pMtBYnLumd6BMYa4NE_GFPHWyLFraFh1CbDaDTRFq2jQ1J10L4hbYWerA_9X7G2FWUpQT-vuhMMgVHeWmjqomaQzw/s1600/10336760_10100503198518665_6689488492498173468_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">The one place we really wanted to try was <a href="http://www.landrysseafood.com/location-orlando.asp" target="_blank">Landry's Seafood</a>. We went there for happy hour (they have an amazing happy hour menu, by the way), and it was SUCH a great deal. The food was excellent and we had a great time! We'll definitely go back!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK3jNliWwaS0xCxo8i_8MRf496LZJTsuPH3VRK3HqI4iUniL27bOdRp8wvcoDjMqp0ZSi44DW-nz-LF6_o2UjRvwORp9N-IG4-UK04w71vtzeyfBtNvI61HiKFi_z_s6_mQG13Vp43udg/s1600/10291127_10100503198648405_7522279181442929262_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK3jNliWwaS0xCxo8i_8MRf496LZJTsuPH3VRK3HqI4iUniL27bOdRp8wvcoDjMqp0ZSi44DW-nz-LF6_o2UjRvwORp9N-IG4-UK04w71vtzeyfBtNvI61HiKFi_z_s6_mQG13Vp43udg/s1600/10291127_10100503198648405_7522279181442929262_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Enjoying my drink called Captain's Punch. I may or may not have had 3 of them! ;)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1MtJ902Rkry3LrW0-Lh6h7q7egHeAJWRNv9BEyqQ2QfMzsnfVXiuzWrHsP1gRy0K_UK7RTknnrJUefugLNWpGsvg8ezw5ZqqlkVd_5FvdbsIxbbqhnhcuhrZ29XPmk-ekI5Yd9KWkBiB/s1600/10414407_10100503198683335_8745409729536302207_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1MtJ902Rkry3LrW0-Lh6h7q7egHeAJWRNv9BEyqQ2QfMzsnfVXiuzWrHsP1gRy0K_UK7RTknnrJUefugLNWpGsvg8ezw5ZqqlkVd_5FvdbsIxbbqhnhcuhrZ29XPmk-ekI5Yd9KWkBiB/s1600/10414407_10100503198683335_8745409729536302207_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Cutie:). <3</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aLQN5DiF9PrIvfxdSQ6MaKGrbOUS38frmJdL8O48H7CZ0BJNIjcJ36XXxojYygMo3ZBWaJKHQiOm_3_MDvuInyxvbzbdgnuShOcQk6I7HoXmq9F5FnjKqA1cPT-rOnUJWDfqQyrAMvjz/s1600/10371736_10100503198723255_721825851042187397_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aLQN5DiF9PrIvfxdSQ6MaKGrbOUS38frmJdL8O48H7CZ0BJNIjcJ36XXxojYygMo3ZBWaJKHQiOm_3_MDvuInyxvbzbdgnuShOcQk6I7HoXmq9F5FnjKqA1cPT-rOnUJWDfqQyrAMvjz/s1600/10371736_10100503198723255_721825851042187397_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOvYe6ZyWq17Urk6lx0pSnu378IHXOy9OYKW5V5_6NnKnzeXBJqRFLmtHBx9TNKu8eqQviMkiXkueBt81Z0-pOTr_5kJY__e5vaR3T1q_f7luqxd8wFI56waOSCZGYxWBHsmg5kgeuLhE/s1600/10257043_10100503198783135_9195890817786260219_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOvYe6ZyWq17Urk6lx0pSnu378IHXOy9OYKW5V5_6NnKnzeXBJqRFLmtHBx9TNKu8eqQviMkiXkueBt81Z0-pOTr_5kJY__e5vaR3T1q_f7luqxd8wFI56waOSCZGYxWBHsmg5kgeuLhE/s1600/10257043_10100503198783135_9195890817786260219_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">We
got all this AMAZING food (shrimp and crawfish queso, shrimp po boy,
fish tacos, and fried crab balls) for $20! What a friggin' steal. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHTaIzdmh77416LjwBT5XbYODFsHSRgSieIBq5B3Z7-3rvIG5HQ94V6e5PCLQklIzj2m496VTwmQXwtAy4qnE6SIqNMRZMpAX54uF3qs56a98laVFZ6RNhi9U1WXbeIhU9mykCHE07sEo/s1600/1526801_10100503198947805_1493425340390539573_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHTaIzdmh77416LjwBT5XbYODFsHSRgSieIBq5B3Z7-3rvIG5HQ94V6e5PCLQklIzj2m496VTwmQXwtAy4qnE6SIqNMRZMpAX54uF3qs56a98laVFZ6RNhi9U1WXbeIhU9mykCHE07sEo/s1600/1526801_10100503198947805_1493425340390539573_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Here come some fun views from the area surrounding our hotel. Seriously gorgeous!</span></span></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">The above picture is probably one of my favorite pictures of the trip!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyO0h53GXVp74r84gAOdHzUPciQJnzRqsNKsEGYoA-4Kz43E2hEvbBH0rdzPYENCRlV4OQD95DWvvhPlAlvpRs1qIF1cAqk2o2FLncxF_B-pr1FGG47MpF1iDf_4wwh8hr761JXukZzrL/s1600/10401391_10100503199626445_8378938579669629572_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyO0h53GXVp74r84gAOdHzUPciQJnzRqsNKsEGYoA-4Kz43E2hEvbBH0rdzPYENCRlV4OQD95DWvvhPlAlvpRs1qIF1cAqk2o2FLncxF_B-pr1FGG47MpF1iDf_4wwh8hr761JXukZzrL/s1600/10401391_10100503199626445_8378938579669629572_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Another date night! This time we went to <a href="http://www.bahamabreeze.com/" target="_blank">Bahama Breeze</a> for another happy hour. So good!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHvS68gaSpyIwW5isP8wP7Mu9HTStTLgF7samr-9h-vOKaWU0DfiFCmu9bf0OdZE4TvsZy2_GoomzE6RdpbUquhicBh6XnpxaGAEKDVWxaFh0DyIAfcqn_TRfOjrBy-xa52BhocWxaHqL/s1600/10389648_10100503199925845_1146329354495138290_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHvS68gaSpyIwW5isP8wP7Mu9HTStTLgF7samr-9h-vOKaWU0DfiFCmu9bf0OdZE4TvsZy2_GoomzE6RdpbUquhicBh6XnpxaGAEKDVWxaFh0DyIAfcqn_TRfOjrBy-xa52BhocWxaHqL/s1600/10389648_10100503199925845_1146329354495138290_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Another
cheap happy hour meal that stuffed us to the max and was delicious!
Beef empanadas, firecracker shrimp (my fave!), and shrimp and lobster
quesadillas. SO good!!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5n3p5UcPnwNUz3XIj2Jiq51y7_IcdyC1m8ZAlAs2Bh4iEFwECYYAJMhihs-DqPWbtNjGs72HhhsIoo62fbStRCZO-ppojxxoHEUGlaDLJGPXGXokSdhgtqqPr2COI9ZkYT3gdf3kzTL0/s1600/1912164_10100503200015665_5194582277508813829_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5n3p5UcPnwNUz3XIj2Jiq51y7_IcdyC1m8ZAlAs2Bh4iEFwECYYAJMhihs-DqPWbtNjGs72HhhsIoo62fbStRCZO-ppojxxoHEUGlaDLJGPXGXokSdhgtqqPr2COI9ZkYT3gdf3kzTL0/s1600/1912164_10100503200015665_5194582277508813829_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">L loves pina coladas! :)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0QbX_RhyphenhyphenL_kSX_M0Up6EPqMrjIGQVcIAiatgCSpvjW2LnfJ0R0_u26l27BMqQVGdGslt2-F-R97SowuKctXGb3OicSDfsqpuc76LDOgTNIpWMRyEmVGCk5HrhJ61FbLHYxyhfIiNcfUy/s1600/10394836_10100503200225245_8604143820014321795_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0QbX_RhyphenhyphenL_kSX_M0Up6EPqMrjIGQVcIAiatgCSpvjW2LnfJ0R0_u26l27BMqQVGdGslt2-F-R97SowuKctXGb3OicSDfsqpuc76LDOgTNIpWMRyEmVGCk5HrhJ61FbLHYxyhfIiNcfUy/s1600/10394836_10100503200225245_8604143820014321795_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Last day at the pool! We spent lots of time out there. :)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtw8Qs-G82lMj4g4sVK1-rvA7wy_zctQQkkdBCBXaDypFYoJxcfMwO-TFcN5H1_IckGglO7zoeGHICQv8f-Je9eaNYKKB2k_WXTvj63ENm9dw89vAr7thbSkqxZ1SOQvhEkWvpF4aor09/s1600/10410139_10100503200335025_2816126170278578270_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtw8Qs-G82lMj4g4sVK1-rvA7wy_zctQQkkdBCBXaDypFYoJxcfMwO-TFcN5H1_IckGglO7zoeGHICQv8f-Je9eaNYKKB2k_WXTvj63ENm9dw89vAr7thbSkqxZ1SOQvhEkWvpF4aor09/s1600/10410139_10100503200335025_2816126170278578270_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Lore likes to let all his air out and sink to the bottom. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2VkKMMGruZfHJYXW8zOIGwVD3LdZxWYT_wspnWyHYH_hggh0s-1EY35fpxp37l6wxKTri9_ATNXrRhkPPIjDuqloPAPJJys10lRDJD6bo8yvXA1bAUcsb0YYpSvclci_V_KEU7ARMJq1/s1600/10409488_10100503200404885_7051227198439513353_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2VkKMMGruZfHJYXW8zOIGwVD3LdZxWYT_wspnWyHYH_hggh0s-1EY35fpxp37l6wxKTri9_ATNXrRhkPPIjDuqloPAPJJys10lRDJD6bo8yvXA1bAUcsb0YYpSvclci_V_KEU7ARMJq1/s1600/10409488_10100503200404885_7051227198439513353_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqY9DgpjrQ3aQZkIMfcH9sAph8KgpqnlNLIcLMMDLGwX9CpkK9kmJd7804PrUNBgn-IVl-USneZydyASAtnmWoOdA4PHmAxnVZVbgpK-1h6OssHMdfBsP1wHydAlWdENyNaU4WrCKsVRn/s1600/10367585_10100503200409875_5915125781913025279_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqY9DgpjrQ3aQZkIMfcH9sAph8KgpqnlNLIcLMMDLGwX9CpkK9kmJd7804PrUNBgn-IVl-USneZydyASAtnmWoOdA4PHmAxnVZVbgpK-1h6OssHMdfBsP1wHydAlWdENyNaU4WrCKsVRn/s1600/10367585_10100503200409875_5915125781913025279_n.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">My phone got too hot outside and I got this message. I've never seen it before!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xdM3wSlvG6wINgwKl3FN5A7tyfXpT-fnSI5MijnaLYUAmYNLM-v5NA5XnDSKzpxAqYUhyphenhyphenDKmwpgCHsMCO2ztIjwxtGOSa0WM-uZ6Ij2aVug-1IRJwyCmJEX46q_QBd8JYV22ncaWbxkv/s1600/10435701_10100503200689315_4121226164562278343_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xdM3wSlvG6wINgwKl3FN5A7tyfXpT-fnSI5MijnaLYUAmYNLM-v5NA5XnDSKzpxAqYUhyphenhyphenDKmwpgCHsMCO2ztIjwxtGOSa0WM-uZ6Ij2aVug-1IRJwyCmJEX46q_QBd8JYV22ncaWbxkv/s1600/10435701_10100503200689315_4121226164562278343_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> Last morning in Florida! :(</span></span></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Cool views from the shuttle that took us from one part of the Orlando airport to the next!</span></span><br />
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We got on the plane, and then the sky looked like this. Ahhhhh! Fortunately, the flight was perfect. :) <br />
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That face! ;)<br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Not sure why, but I felt compelled to get a Corona on the plane. I unexpectedly got it for free too. A fun way to end our trip home.</span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Seriously, people. One of the best trips I've ever been on! We were not committed to anything and we did exactly what we wanted, when we wanted. That's what I call heaven. :)</span></span></div>
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Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-18539220033716191022014-05-23T13:16:00.000-05:002014-05-23T13:20:34.051-05:00Mother's Day Weekend!Why do I even blog? Seriously. Half the time I'm too busy to keep up, and half the time I feel like my life is so boring that I have nothing to blog about. Ha. I'll try to see what I can muster up this summer so you can keep up to speed on my wild happenings! ;) Actually, tomorrow, I head out with L for Florida (OMG!!), so it'll be fun to share some fun stuff from our trip with you on here once we venture back. Until then, I figured I'd post a few fun things from Mother's Day (and <a href="http://www.smithbrosmeats.com/" target="_blank">Smith Bros.</a> open house) weekend!<br />
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It worked out really well. I actually had a conference in Schofield on Friday, so I drove up to Colby on Thursday night and went to my conference from there on Friday morning. It was a great conference! I really enjoyed it and actually felt like it wasn't a waste of my time, ha. L didn't come with me for a couple reasons, namely because he had to speak at UW-La Crosse's graduation that Sunday, so that was a bummer. BUT......... I was talking to him on the phone on my drive home from the conference and asking him all sorts of questions about his weekend plans and such, and then when I pulled into my parent's driveway, I'm like, "Wait?!? Are you here?!?!" Here the little stinker surprised me and drove up separately! I don't get <i>genuinely</i> surprised that often, but I seriously almost cried. It was exactly what I needed after a rough couple weeks at work. He still had to leave at the crack of dawn on Sunday, but at least he got to enjoy the Open House with us and stuff.<br />
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Anyway, we kept it pretty lowkey on Friday and had a great seafood buffet dinner at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Allisons-Steakhouse/318034644911" target="_blank">Allison's Steakhouse</a>. It's L's fave. :) Saturday morning, I had to get fitted for a bridesmaid dress for my friend Becca's wedding, and then I soaked in all the craziness of the Smith Bros. open house. It's basically a customer appreciation event hosted by Smith Bros. and <a href="http://www.colbychryslercenter.net/index.htm" target="_blank">Colby Chrysler</a>, the car dealership next door. There's tons of free food, monster truck rides, etc. Always pure and utter insanity, and it usually tests my ability to handle rude people, but overall, it's a wonderful event every year! That night, L and I spent some time at the Colby VFW with some college friends who happened to be up in Spencer visiting one of their parents for the weekend. It was a lot of fun! L had to go to La Crosse on Sunday, and I stayed in Colby that day to celebrate Mother's Day. Then it was back to Madison on Monday. It's sure been nice to get home a few more times lately! I miss my fam. Below are some random pictures from the adventures of the weekend!<br />
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This little man turned TWO!:)</div>
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The kiddos got their faces painted at the customer appreciation event! Here's A. :)</div>
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And Drew.</div>
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No smiles from Nash. ;)</div>
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Bear is Superwoman!:)</div>
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Goofy girl, goofy face!:)</div>
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Jake and Homer!</div>
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Me and Nasher on the Monster Truck!</div>
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L wanted to test drive his dream Jeep, so we did! I had fun with pictures too;).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsGy5QuvE8mEazlfGfeyA4tmgoWaDAW9jwYDCMxRphkG1wmUH74jcGuhqcvmMFFGvN8CwYs2w-3Y9OlSFbfqT9SMbCTmm-kN0J6iHHLCCCFMdqhCgrRCC6U0_SzQk7m3_atl63rXITYSQ/s1600/10325416_10100494935792235_4966123743341761923_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsGy5QuvE8mEazlfGfeyA4tmgoWaDAW9jwYDCMxRphkG1wmUH74jcGuhqcvmMFFGvN8CwYs2w-3Y9OlSFbfqT9SMbCTmm-kN0J6iHHLCCCFMdqhCgrRCC6U0_SzQk7m3_atl63rXITYSQ/s1600/10325416_10100494935792235_4966123743341761923_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a>I really crack myself up. ;)</div>
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Peyton sneaking in a creepy face at the end of our ride!;)</div>
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Friends at the VFW!</div>
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<3</div>
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Mama had to work on Mother's Day morning, so Dad and I coped by having bloody's. ;)</div>
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Then I hung out with family and had a delicious wine cooler:).</div>
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Here's me and mama on Mother's Day! Love you! :)</div>
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While I wasn't there, here's a pic of L doing his speech at UW-L's graduation! Stud. ;)</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-23917648906180284982014-04-26T21:02:00.000-05:002014-04-26T21:02:39.358-05:00Weekend Full of Family!Two weeks ago, I got the amazing chance to go home and do nothing but visit with family. 99.9% of the time, I am going home for an event or something, so it's rare that my entire weekend is spent soaking up time with all the fam. This was such a fantastic change of pace, I can't even describe it. Unfortunately, L was out of town so he wasn't able to join, but hopefully we'll get back there soon. I came into town on Friday night and went straight to my brother and Court's house to celebrate some birthdays! My nephew Nash had just turned 5, and my nephew Peyton was turning 14. Ahhhhh! Court's sister's son also had a birthday, there was tons of family and children everywhere. Always a blast! Probably the most exciting thing was meeting my new niece <a href="http://thesmithshugitout.blogspot.com/2014/04/we-made-something-perfect-pt2.html" target="_blank">Theo Daisy</a> and my new nephew <a href="http://buffaloesandbutterflies.blogspot.com/2014/04/introducing-our-two-week-old.html" target="_blank">Will David</a>. My sister-in-laws had their new babies just days apart from each other, so there is so much baby excitement going on these days. Spending that much time with them pretty much convinced me it's time to have a baby...NOW. ;) That was a crazy night just catching up and enjoying time with everyone. The next day, my niece Lia had a volleyball tournament, so my mom and I spent a good chunk watching three of the younger kiddos that day. McDonald's adventures and all! :) Dave and Court both had to leave for a bit at one point, so believe it or not, I was in charge of all EIGHT kiddos on my own for a period of time. Thankfully, the older ones are super helpful at keeping the younger ones occupied, and I was able to mostly just hold baby Will the whole time. I couldn't get enough! Just stayed in that night, and then I bummed around on Sunday with my mom a bit before heading to a school play of some of the kiddos. Ended the weekend by popping over to Wausau and seeing my best friend Erin (long overdue) and going back to Madison. It was seriously a perfect weekend. Loved every minute of it and can't wait until I can go back again! Enjoy some photos from my family adventures:).<br />
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Me and Theo! (Above and below.)</div>
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So many kiddos!</div>
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Me with 9 out of 10 of my nieces and nephews. Eeeee! (Theo was eating;).</div>
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Me and Will!</div>
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Me and Drew!</div>
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I can't quite tell if Meg likes cake or not... ;)</div>
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Me and Lia!</div>
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Me and Nash!</div>
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Me and T (and his big wad of gum;).</div>
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Me and P! Can't believe he just turned 14!</div>
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Cracks me up every time! Theo and Will sporting birthday hats:).</div>
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Me and crazy Meg!</div>
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Me and Austyn!</div>
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Me and Homer! So sad it's blurry. :(</div>
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More accurate representation of what it's like to try and get normal photos;).</div>
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Day two with Rowdy (Drew)!</div>
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Add Nasher into the mix!</div>
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So serious;).</div>
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That hat!</div>
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Nasher seemed to enjoy the finger puppets I got him!:)</div>
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Couldn't get enough of holding baby Will. Such a doll!</div>
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Homer rockin' a sweet sweatshirt!:)</div>
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The kids in their school play! </div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-6272983955691178642014-03-31T11:41:00.000-05:002014-06-04T11:09:46.061-05:00Simple Sesame NoodlesHi all. It's been awhile; I've missed you. In case you didn't know, I've been sick for over a week and haven't quite shaken it yet. When I sick, I don't mean just a little bug. I literally missed almost all last week at work, and I'm out today too. I have experienced just about everything you can imagine, from flu symptoms to weird shooting pains in my side and stomach, to the worst cough I've ever had. It has been utterly miserable. That, coupled with the fact that L had to move out of his apartment by this weekend, has taken a lot out of me. I "think" I might be on the mend now, at least from the throws of the nasty cough (bronchitis), and L is now all moved out (kinda weird to see his apartment empty again), so I figured this might be a good time to at least share a fun little recipe with you. Not exactly the most exciting thing to post about on my 'first day back,' but it's about all I've got for you at this point! Stay tuned, because in a couple weeks, I'll be able to post about my beautiful new niece Theo Daisy (meet her <a href="http://thesmithshugitout.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-girl.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and my new niece or nephew from the <a href="http://buffaloesandbutterflies.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">other Smith clan</a>. Can't wait!! I love welcoming new babies into the family! Anyway, the recipe I'll share with you is called Simple Sesame Noodles, and it's from none other than the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/" target="_blank">Pioneer Woman</a> herself. She's amazing. Check her out if you haven't already! The original recipe can be found <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/simple-sesame-noodles/" target="_blank">here</a>, but I followed it pretty much exactly, with the exception of one thing I didn't have, so you can just get it here too!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2CqoK5QtzXgTm4Oz2vFBaFa0C9BGm0t3d2FVaxdqIfjUq261rwlj9To3of3Ok5xAVET33JsY_mRjd8E8-veu9ciMs4-8ttnQ51PJmK0hVcBJ5rDAhSPW119jIhiW4IqgO-2qecLzZ7kV/s1600/IMG_3408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2CqoK5QtzXgTm4Oz2vFBaFa0C9BGm0t3d2FVaxdqIfjUq261rwlj9To3of3Ok5xAVET33JsY_mRjd8E8-veu9ciMs4-8ttnQ51PJmK0hVcBJ5rDAhSPW119jIhiW4IqgO-2qecLzZ7kV/s1600/IMG_3408.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> All the ingredients!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4ko7xK236Bu6Kw32VANxOIzs2j_44Dk23LwpVzSX_jYSJIgyuGSNkOSnmLKRreNkzbi1pPOSkDXrAFgKcekjznxiCZKdptJLjDN3_Zn6vf03N97-xEtjaALE2_gPO2lkBuA4PeWl27Pl/s1600/IMG_3411.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4ko7xK236Bu6Kw32VANxOIzs2j_44Dk23LwpVzSX_jYSJIgyuGSNkOSnmLKRreNkzbi1pPOSkDXrAFgKcekjznxiCZKdptJLjDN3_Zn6vf03N97-xEtjaALE2_gPO2lkBuA4PeWl27Pl/s1600/IMG_3411.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mince up a little garlic. You'll use that in a minute!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtXMG2hFhlJ6-0P8TMDISO2iMfMG7lQuT-kDUEjrtLgaE-sKk6AqkFC2eYm8sodz1GPmA9od1-CdvzWBJRBlNxvc55RZMy8bp53kP8C6nkea-WH6HgBBzAt85FaU8C0395f5UXTRpALZw/s1600/IMG_3410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtXMG2hFhlJ6-0P8TMDISO2iMfMG7lQuT-kDUEjrtLgaE-sKk6AqkFC2eYm8sodz1GPmA9od1-CdvzWBJRBlNxvc55RZMy8bp53kP8C6nkea-WH6HgBBzAt85FaU8C0395f5UXTRpALZw/s1600/IMG_3410.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Now you're going to start mixing most of the ingredients in a bowl. Start with soy sauce.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVplKqswD_5vwP7xJeWLkQzsRFXx3UmnUFXhoKsyckb8KtqRWCytqbQoKRKJY9UIjkq8ISbqCDAe1E81aPYozW-28CuAvXdGdeMxcwByMqFFq4hAZ5o3etDZzRpSpawyzO4tCBmFsniI3/s1600/IMG_3413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVplKqswD_5vwP7xJeWLkQzsRFXx3UmnUFXhoKsyckb8KtqRWCytqbQoKRKJY9UIjkq8ISbqCDAe1E81aPYozW-28CuAvXdGdeMxcwByMqFFq4hAZ5o3etDZzRpSpawyzO4tCBmFsniI3/s1600/IMG_3413.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Now add in some sugar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEClbv9Doy1ex_4Qwn4YCedEQ1dQNRY1h3O1ql2_5jxnkTLx9hm316gQ_oWewccHQE1f_gEBx_TDA8CNwXIcA309y36TOP9LV23wxom3Tx005OsSMMS1IaAeQNRkqTH4Gge71jt-gtscJP/s1600/IMG_3416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEClbv9Doy1ex_4Qwn4YCedEQ1dQNRY1h3O1ql2_5jxnkTLx9hm316gQ_oWewccHQE1f_gEBx_TDA8CNwXIcA309y36TOP9LV23wxom3Tx005OsSMMS1IaAeQNRkqTH4Gge71jt-gtscJP/s1600/IMG_3416.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And some garlic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkJh6VPMjMYvL7k9_9RZaaKqyHfmS1qQSotbkvmAXV87-_vEY7kVO6yx-Ae7LpaREyd11ejC1N3LBBql-EJDaw2dj4rtJYtLo8IQB1zRKEIb6JY3f6sczuurSm2s0FK3dtw8D12hudNET/s1600/IMG_3418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipkJh6VPMjMYvL7k9_9RZaaKqyHfmS1qQSotbkvmAXV87-_vEY7kVO6yx-Ae7LpaREyd11ejC1N3LBBql-EJDaw2dj4rtJYtLo8IQB1zRKEIb6JY3f6sczuurSm2s0FK3dtw8D12hudNET/s1600/IMG_3418.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Now's a good time to throw your noodles into some boiling water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IagKURH4gyDHUEriY_Bp8Y7soM8-B8PdwG4wm49MrdaxngIGCt4eus513nslnuPh9To9Tgn86P50q-oZuC4AqC3JoGpA1kKnnwcy2mx0hmF8tiamWy0MRPpj24iITrCqz3oCs4rOoKOF/s1600/IMG_3421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IagKURH4gyDHUEriY_Bp8Y7soM8-B8PdwG4wm49MrdaxngIGCt4eus513nslnuPh9To9Tgn86P50q-oZuC4AqC3JoGpA1kKnnwcy2mx0hmF8tiamWy0MRPpj24iITrCqz3oCs4rOoKOF/s1600/IMG_3421.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Add in the rice vinegar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgvsQ4KDd5Zc1BD9TIIeGbz15hDuouhKOcgIv0ntVMiDkxKF-HAxoegBRrK8wCOdTt25JoqSWmBPuxaCp-WCn5G05AImP7K0P-cig1JSm_ua14dp8Buqd8SLyiVaDhR-HUsuKyqo3L4V0/s1600/IMG_3423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgvsQ4KDd5Zc1BD9TIIeGbz15hDuouhKOcgIv0ntVMiDkxKF-HAxoegBRrK8wCOdTt25JoqSWmBPuxaCp-WCn5G05AImP7K0P-cig1JSm_ua14dp8Buqd8SLyiVaDhR-HUsuKyqo3L4V0/s1600/IMG_3423.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And sesame oil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHxmYaqKvSuGMU4X3W_L6dColfbFytLDzo16gNVlcXSNJsW8y10Soe-jXnCqG4yqDYz0JHo0WG0mdYNOUtu8gVXCVaY2O5Q_BGoUAdraqAfeD2l1h7J3jLRDSs_m9hjgDA0EkuwPZ3uR3/s1600/IMG_3427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHxmYaqKvSuGMU4X3W_L6dColfbFytLDzo16gNVlcXSNJsW8y10Soe-jXnCqG4yqDYz0JHo0WG0mdYNOUtu8gVXCVaY2O5Q_BGoUAdraqAfeD2l1h7J3jLRDSs_m9hjgDA0EkuwPZ3uR3/s1600/IMG_3427.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This is where you'd add in hot chili oil. I couldn't find any at the store, so I improvised and used a little olive oil and some hot sauce ('Da Bomb'), but you could probably omit this and it'd still be fine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGPvQkWiSIOcBFDrLdGsQUNbWwxyTniPDiZ9oRAxtfBQJklrCYAGl0V81KbwIOs1Cj-2xvUYXQwABXn2OJkNPSD4lRpUN4spJs1BOfX_a0hejhPgRm_x8nknrsFkxYnXLHqg70juHxESW/s1600/IMG_3428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGPvQkWiSIOcBFDrLdGsQUNbWwxyTniPDiZ9oRAxtfBQJklrCYAGl0V81KbwIOs1Cj-2xvUYXQwABXn2OJkNPSD4lRpUN4spJs1BOfX_a0hejhPgRm_x8nknrsFkxYnXLHqg70juHxESW/s1600/IMG_3428.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUP2oxFdRjI9iQpo6ZUAkT0EBpwSwwWsFKqHQUAAZegmBp33wbKdeueVUF5ed0VcEbUGVckYOpd7sLC64AadR3V34CKNgmCkBZmgOFRzFtU-MvR4cOun4oPnX2Ho3yvVWAPJ18sQsBEw8/s1600/IMG_3429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibUP2oxFdRjI9iQpo6ZUAkT0EBpwSwwWsFKqHQUAAZegmBp33wbKdeueVUF5ed0VcEbUGVckYOpd7sLC64AadR3V34CKNgmCkBZmgOFRzFtU-MvR4cOun4oPnX2Ho3yvVWAPJ18sQsBEw8/s1600/IMG_3429.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Look at those noodles boil!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjGIg9453qRraMR3A8830O6IcXccrjIkHJCtcQtXyywvPomgi92mLZxbdDCijmEhtNbb666s-06_GXTJHlSIOjfVLsvLBK0aPXV3cfCekPHE2-jKcxvPBd4VtGjZUoAazbu2dlDsUKEZP/s1600/IMG_3432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjGIg9453qRraMR3A8830O6IcXccrjIkHJCtcQtXyywvPomgi92mLZxbdDCijmEhtNbb666s-06_GXTJHlSIOjfVLsvLBK0aPXV3cfCekPHE2-jKcxvPBd4VtGjZUoAazbu2dlDsUKEZP/s1600/IMG_3432.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Now add the canola oil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtRUnC0aTjAPIyLlRRwFA7aP2Nus4MqpkSTKDnfoDHVOZMN7Nv5ftxmtyTlOHheYEQy_HbUYZy8hJPSi2p12vAsTkDMe5iYIHwDuDIKW_tg8HdBAer92zLZZQS1wS8v4qW1na4qtQ7jdN/s1600/IMG_3434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtRUnC0aTjAPIyLlRRwFA7aP2Nus4MqpkSTKDnfoDHVOZMN7Nv5ftxmtyTlOHheYEQy_HbUYZy8hJPSi2p12vAsTkDMe5iYIHwDuDIKW_tg8HdBAer92zLZZQS1wS8v4qW1na4qtQ7jdN/s1600/IMG_3434.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And whisk it all together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK4TFkcGrLNrBetiULIyVbDWCkrmohgsyDh-zwPy89RghDgUNVZGiDIPnc8fU6CQTrqSzlK7y3UCnLeDvdeu8Cxkhxwfk4cFZ0hTd6iaNq8BxaWAhNgLahy4QO5T1JqZ_MCAtYOmCe-A5/s1600/IMG_3436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihK4TFkcGrLNrBetiULIyVbDWCkrmohgsyDh-zwPy89RghDgUNVZGiDIPnc8fU6CQTrqSzlK7y3UCnLeDvdeu8Cxkhxwfk4cFZ0hTd6iaNq8BxaWAhNgLahy4QO5T1JqZ_MCAtYOmCe-A5/s1600/IMG_3436.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Drain those noodles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLdUOhZsCu-f3HZFA-So4w1b0Oi_Aek9tj32jis1_g-8Jjj1lewpKcNkF2Y3WQfvnDhst_Nl_wHgnC0VrXzudmXCx-K6uMXcOe1hnuZiWtOVed8DA6zt_ODE0HuLjWUQpZbHWFsWLdP7r/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLdUOhZsCu-f3HZFA-So4w1b0Oi_Aek9tj32jis1_g-8Jjj1lewpKcNkF2Y3WQfvnDhst_Nl_wHgnC0VrXzudmXCx-K6uMXcOe1hnuZiWtOVed8DA6zt_ODE0HuLjWUQpZbHWFsWLdP7r/s1600/IMG_3437.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And toss 'em in a bowl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NtUygrksXd6cp45U_lF9eHAqiV6acmaWNypBADK84ec718K3kCHKmuCXmFb9rA0SPRyVMSxqtRIUof3Kt4elgrIJSTvoSh96Uy3NdmrIVFth817k4qvw_OUOXU9PrCGxMJDmWJGuMij5/s1600/IMG_3440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NtUygrksXd6cp45U_lF9eHAqiV6acmaWNypBADK84ec718K3kCHKmuCXmFb9rA0SPRyVMSxqtRIUof3Kt4elgrIJSTvoSh96Uy3NdmrIVFth817k4qvw_OUOXU9PrCGxMJDmWJGuMij5/s1600/IMG_3440.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now dump the liquid mixture over top of the noodles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzJ5fBtqrV77d_WU6QaepVkHdUWLG8UbakOxUkKcy25T-BaROVIS1ZeTryaMnuuT1XDVdeLbp5UDgjABeeR36KtVGjyiBKrMxTVBZlqM_3ATH7Fmkz4_w2LV8lIRmRlXaxI1D8WNUL4w1/s1600/IMG_3442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzJ5fBtqrV77d_WU6QaepVkHdUWLG8UbakOxUkKcy25T-BaROVIS1ZeTryaMnuuT1XDVdeLbp5UDgjABeeR36KtVGjyiBKrMxTVBZlqM_3ATH7Fmkz4_w2LV8lIRmRlXaxI1D8WNUL4w1/s1600/IMG_3442.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Mix it all up. The noodles should be well coated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY7iZ4ULJMgPFXJllQvAX6EG7HsmTSjw_uJMAXDynjB7SIvHnmUco3xQw-SyI62KdNn3T-mLzhSLF8cZl54mEwHa3vsZB9CmNKEVdFUo_CWFpI6IEQHEWrQb_tmb_yIR9_eAV7CWr9Ixp/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvY7iZ4ULJMgPFXJllQvAX6EG7HsmTSjw_uJMAXDynjB7SIvHnmUco3xQw-SyI62KdNn3T-mLzhSLF8cZl54mEwHa3vsZB9CmNKEVdFUo_CWFpI6IEQHEWrQb_tmb_yIR9_eAV7CWr9Ixp/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Cut up some green onion for garnish.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpKvAbc0YE6T29m-fgk0OdlUddPifKwpyJ8inrV3gSVmVeFixX27yhjmfdn71aqbAnH0TUHFeloOwy-fYoFfMogI8COPcrCY51eUcarf1KGIvslTjZicypSVpN1DB1vrTLpy94TEYqN6x/s1600/IMG_3444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpKvAbc0YE6T29m-fgk0OdlUddPifKwpyJ8inrV3gSVmVeFixX27yhjmfdn71aqbAnH0TUHFeloOwy-fYoFfMogI8COPcrCY51eUcarf1KGIvslTjZicypSVpN1DB1vrTLpy94TEYqN6x/s1600/IMG_3444.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aj8UzSs7bNo2CGtEgBYXIGoyEcGXgmJPOOv0hUTP35w5gFMCk3eitU-_hI4hVe07bWXYMIU1Y8XwIuTGrggd32o9pz12PS1_4YiR3JeVVtaMRTTMHbkcdnPw5M6Lo9WEEBY8-qpSrxif/s1600/IMG_3445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aj8UzSs7bNo2CGtEgBYXIGoyEcGXgmJPOOv0hUTP35w5gFMCk3eitU-_hI4hVe07bWXYMIU1Y8XwIuTGrggd32o9pz12PS1_4YiR3JeVVtaMRTTMHbkcdnPw5M6Lo9WEEBY8-qpSrxif/s1600/IMG_3445.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Top the noodles with the green onions and serve. Voila!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LtX422RHuylmJMtrfTotSH8DDt49ckHyCYITV-TeJqSP53lVRKMShVHsBNWy4-zk9pA6a9JziHQJazRYr5h8E3lT-Sb4rEkSDFdEMrqRRVgU4P-Jooj24HtDckpXSZd1FRprY1NTvzU7/s1600/IMG_3447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LtX422RHuylmJMtrfTotSH8DDt49ckHyCYITV-TeJqSP53lVRKMShVHsBNWy4-zk9pA6a9JziHQJazRYr5h8E3lT-Sb4rEkSDFdEMrqRRVgU4P-Jooj24HtDckpXSZd1FRprY1NTvzU7/s1600/IMG_3447.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<b>INGREDIENTS</b><br />
<ul><li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">12 ounces thin noodles, cooked and drained (I used spaghetti noodles; Asian style noodles would be best)</span><span itemprop="name"></span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1/4 cup</span><span itemprop="name"> soy sauce</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">2 Tbsp. sugar</span><span itemprop="name"></span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">4 cloves</span><span itemprop="name"> garlic, minced</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">2 Tbsp.</span><span itemprop="name"> rice vinegar</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">3 Tbsp</span><span itemprop="name">. sesame oil</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">1/2 teaspoon</span><span itemprop="name"> hot chili oil (I didn't have this, so see how I improvised above; could do without this entirely)</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">4 Tbsp.</span><span itemprop="name"> canola oil</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="amount">4 whole</span><span itemprop="name"> green onions, sliced thin</span></span></li>
</ul><br />
<b><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">DIRECTIONS</span></span></b><br />
<ul><li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name"><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">Cook noodles according to package instructions. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">Sprinkle with green onions and toss.</span></span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredient" itemscope="" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/RecipeIngredient"><span itemprop="name">Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy! </span></span></li>
</ul>Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-40735658816432249262014-03-19T21:53:00.000-05:002014-03-19T21:53:08.742-05:00Weekend in Colby!Just about two weeks ago, L and I decided that we wanted to make a trip to Colby since we hadn't been there since Christmas. Was just kind of on a whim, and it worked out really well because I was at a conference in the later part of the week that got done a little earlier on Friday. We drove to Colby, had dinner at Allison's with my parents, and spent some time at the VFW like we usually do on Friday nights. Fun times! Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling that great over the weekend, so Saturday was quite lowkey. Definitely was okay with that. L went for his first snowmobile ride ever with my dad that day, so that was fun for him! We had a delicious dinner with all of my family (including all the kiddos), so that was super nice. I was a little nervous since both of my brothers and their families had all been through terrible bouts of sickness in the days and weeks leading up to it, and I couldn't really afford to get sick since I had three late nights in a row in the upcoming days at work. Fortunately for me, I have not gotten the flu or anything since then, so hopefully I'm in the clear. I have been having weird dizzy spells lately, so not really sure what's up with that, but I'll keep you posted if I find out more. Hopefully it's nothing! Anyway, on Sunday, we stuck around a lot longer than we usually do. We checked out the pancake breakfast at the Lion's Club, had some more delicious food with my parents, and stopped at Allison's for their monthly drawing - my dad won! We were in no rush, so we didn't end up leaving town until almost 7:00pm. Kinda regretted that later since we didn't get home until about 9:30, but it was nice to stay a little longer than usual. It was the first time in a LONG time (maybe ever) that we've gone to Colby for the sole purpose of just going. Normally we go because of an event or holiday, so it was super nice to just relax and have a nice weekend with everyone. Hope to do that more often! Next time I go home will probably be in a week or two to see the little new niece(s) and/or nephew(s) that my sister-in-laws (<a href="http://buffaloesandbutterflies.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://thesmithshugitout.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>) will be soon bringing into the world. Eeeee! Can't wait to meet the new little ones! Below are a few random pictures from our weekend (mostly of me and L, sorry:). Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OLBnUtC578Gl9xp9j-FWoML7pnbX6Jb20zCa8s3AoqH_JxLgtoIztG8hGQBleuSyHot6rqpzxcLG1nb5bXT4-6MZ8iSp7ehBuolyqDptq0-hqzwndvOWTN-FuPB5QCrf9rnMi-mmD5lY/s1600/IMG_3567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OLBnUtC578Gl9xp9j-FWoML7pnbX6Jb20zCa8s3AoqH_JxLgtoIztG8hGQBleuSyHot6rqpzxcLG1nb5bXT4-6MZ8iSp7ehBuolyqDptq0-hqzwndvOWTN-FuPB5QCrf9rnMi-mmD5lY/s1600/IMG_3567.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ready to hit the road!</div>
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Cute:).</div>
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Mama and papa!:)</div>
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Funny faces. I legit cannot stop laughing!</div>
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Goofing around!</div>
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These are the faces he gives me when I try to kiss him. HA!</div>
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Now that's more like it!:)</div>
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Snowmobiling time! Pops took pretty good care of him:).</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-43601531305358423092014-02-25T13:51:00.000-06:002014-03-14T11:46:13.585-05:00Crockpot Freezer Meals!Hang on to your heads, folks. I know this is the post you have ALL been waiting for. ;) As many of you already know, a couple weeks ago, I decided to try my hand at preparing several crockpot freezer meals at one time. For those of you who don't know what those are, they are basically meals that you throw together in a big ziploc bag, and when you're ready to make them, you just thaw them out and throw them in a crockpot. Easy peasy! I've seen this concept many times on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> but just never really felt that compelled to try it until recently. I think I came to the conclusion that I'd try it on one random Sunday when L was still in Arkansas and I was bored. I remember looking at Pinterest, seeing a bunch of recipes, and deciding at like 3:00 in the afternoon that it was a good idea to go to the store and do this whole process that night. Lucky for me, I had many of the necessary spices and ingredients on hand. Also lucky for me, many of the groceries I needed were on sale in the <a href="http://cartwheel.target.com/" target="_blank">Cartwheel</a> app! Use it people, I'm tellin' ya. I'm already up to $96 in savings. Aaaaaamazing. Anyway, I got home around 5:00 that night with all my groceries and started putting everything together. I think for 6-7 meals, it took me about 2 hours from the time I started to the time the bags of food were in the freezer. Not terrible, though I will admit I did have the, "What the 'f' was I thinking?" moment about half way through. ;) I'm super glad I did it, however, and while we've only tried one so far (chicken fajitas, yum!), I'd definitely go through the process again. Helps to have some time on a weekend to just dedicate to it, so then on those weeknights in the future, you can come home to a meal that's ready and waitin' for ya. It's a beautiful thing. In trying to figure out the best way to post this, I have struggled. Since I haven't tried all the recipes yet, I don't necessarily want to post all of my pictures because I don't even know if the recipes will be good or not. However, I would love to give you an idea of what and how I prepared so you can do the same if you so choose. There was no real rhyme or reason to my recipe choices; just thought they sounded good. You'll notice that most are chicken recipes, but there are plenty of other kinds out there if you have different interests. I'll show a few pics of my process, share the general recipes, and share a master shopping list. I am still trying to decide if I will do an individual post as I try each recipe, so stay tuned!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUWbuFkesR6AthpMG2y56GDbKiG-bgmJhpLXIcvjxkmZ_CD4msttmS8J6PcUULQhUJMcJJ9zgzsk1NkGLUBacO1ph3CHZ1BHv1FUpHdaza3U91K9aXCWyr9R8hddSk30YbU7LeD76_BZN/s1600/IMG_3343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUWbuFkesR6AthpMG2y56GDbKiG-bgmJhpLXIcvjxkmZ_CD4msttmS8J6PcUULQhUJMcJJ9zgzsk1NkGLUBacO1ph3CHZ1BHv1FUpHdaza3U91K9aXCWyr9R8hddSk30YbU7LeD76_BZN/s1600/IMG_3343.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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All my labeled Ziploc bags!:)</div>
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The majority of my ingredients. Yikes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTi5i3xxTIGKNliOTO82mk-fTVmxsTDGKkR-dhtnUxnDGCO5akbGu08PQ_sZPwI4C6-7zRQB7_2kXE5MXQHbypUfdlx9qOCwtnOiP_X7urp9qqdp8NgzwwCAozd7eXMopM2gLACDTTh5m9/s1600/IMG_3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTi5i3xxTIGKNliOTO82mk-fTVmxsTDGKkR-dhtnUxnDGCO5akbGu08PQ_sZPwI4C6-7zRQB7_2kXE5MXQHbypUfdlx9qOCwtnOiP_X7urp9qqdp8NgzwwCAozd7eXMopM2gLACDTTh5m9/s1600/IMG_3352.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another view. Yes, that is 4 giant bags of frozen chicken, ha.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQUEAGWlDMkPIYw42NOcyEYDpOxPMWtN5q4t2q3DyIsygDSNHiWhTFG7zdDdx2dpkXyNdVC9rHcKJEC58fWQ9ucQKrEwyu14twyf2PoLbj961UmSbuHYWIMWFu_x0AVY9c7FIlKMTGQjO/s1600/IMG_3362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQUEAGWlDMkPIYw42NOcyEYDpOxPMWtN5q4t2q3DyIsygDSNHiWhTFG7zdDdx2dpkXyNdVC9rHcKJEC58fWQ9ucQKrEwyu14twyf2PoLbj961UmSbuHYWIMWFu_x0AVY9c7FIlKMTGQjO/s1600/IMG_3362.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.twindragonflydesigns.com/2014/01/crock-pot-freezer-meals.html?m=1" target="_blank"><b>Teriyaki Pork Chops</b></a></div>
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6 pork chops (I used boneless)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tsp. minced garlic</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Tbsp. brown sugar</div>
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1/4 cup soy sauce</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/3 cup chicken broth</div>
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<br /></div>
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Place all ingredients in gallon-sized freezer bag; lay flat to freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cook in crockpot for for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.</div>
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<b> <a href="http://www.twindragonflydesigns.com/2014/01/crock-pot-freezer-meals.html?m=1" target="_blank">Butter Chicken</a></b></div>
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5-6 Chicken Breasts</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 cup diced green pepper (I just used one whole pepper)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 cup diced red pepper (I just used one whole pepper)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 cups diced mushrooms</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp. minced ginger (I used about 1/4 tsp ground)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 tsp minced garlic</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 bottle <a href="http://www.target.com/p/archer-farms-butter-chicken-simmer-sauce-11-8floz/-/A-14655054" target="_blank">butter chicken sauce</a> (I got mine at Target in the Asian aisle)</div>
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Place all ingredients in gallon-sized freezer bag; lay flat to freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking.</div>
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Cook on low for 6-7 hours.</div>
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(I'm not sure I'll like this one as the butter sauce has a very strong flavor/smell. We'll see soon enough!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBhbgzbydI3P7uja5LX2qIcob88EyYvFmhnTRJcgnUeP4hWUb_2Fju-F147Mn3YnRHoFDlyaQBxKmKKLCkTi_OOViWMmWa4a6sGIQGTNq7wgtnPz2Sh8fqT6tTR6HnkrgsvyhwR3PYhv3/s1600/IMG_3381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBhbgzbydI3P7uja5LX2qIcob88EyYvFmhnTRJcgnUeP4hWUb_2Fju-F147Mn3YnRHoFDlyaQBxKmKKLCkTi_OOViWMmWa4a6sGIQGTNq7wgtnPz2Sh8fqT6tTR6HnkrgsvyhwR3PYhv3/s1600/IMG_3381.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.twindragonflydesigns.com/2014/01/crock-pot-salsa-chicken-recipe.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.twindragonflydesigns.com/2014/01/crock-pot-salsa-chicken-recipe.html" target="_blank"><b>Salsa Chicken</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5-6 chicken breasts</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 cup salsa</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 can diced tomatoes (14oz)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 diced onion (I used frozen diced onions)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 cup diced celery</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 cup diced carrots</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 pkg. taco seasoning</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3 Tbsp. sour cream (add when serving)<br />
Serve over rice or wrap in a tortilla. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<br />
Place all ingredients in gallon-sized freezer bag; lay flat to freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cook 8 hours on low, six hours on medium, or 4 hours on high.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwEUrB1kiHBY4TRjZ-q3CryGSvVqrGCsXh2MXpc8-EpRKr67HIIxj8Y2BF_-2S84EmzZevexKrW69g0PyH9DQ5qldu9qpWxXOh8T-JRzjq7nD1CQ9JzPEkaGzmTjU3DvalJ77RjxgpTS9/s1600/IMG_3390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwEUrB1kiHBY4TRjZ-q3CryGSvVqrGCsXh2MXpc8-EpRKr67HIIxj8Y2BF_-2S84EmzZevexKrW69g0PyH9DQ5qldu9qpWxXOh8T-JRzjq7nD1CQ9JzPEkaGzmTjU3DvalJ77RjxgpTS9/s1600/IMG_3390.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://onceamonthmeals.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-lemon-chicken/" target="_blank"><b>Lemon Chicken</b></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Tbsp. butter, melted</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 lemon, sliced</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp. parsley</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Place all ingredients in gallon-sized freezer bag; lay flat to freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cook on low for 8-10 hours. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://ashleynoelbarnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/10-freezer-to-crockpot-meals.html?m=1" target="_blank"><b>Chicken Fajitas</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Tried this one and loved it!!! Will <i>definitely</i> be making them again!)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3 chicken breasts</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 green peppers, sliced</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 onion, sliced (I used frozen diced onions)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 cup chicken broth</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 taco seasoning packet </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp. chili powder</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1/2 tsp. paprika</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 tsp. salt</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Place all ingredients in gallon-sized freezer bag; lay flat to freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cook on low for 5-6 hours.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Shred chicken and serve on tortillas.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
(NOTE: Ours was quite liquidy, so in addition to what was in the crockpot, we made some rice on the side and added rice to the tortillas to help absorb some of the liquid. Amazing flavor! Also, the amount in the crockpot wasn't huge, so you could probably easily double this recipe depending on how many you are feeding.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocJFSxOZtynQPKQhl4XHEnishWXTSU_WeQmyN4oKNXBgKdOApk6r-8EybEJsibPdYk2jr06YV46x0aPW7mnlEReX8GomHQMY30UzU3VBRzT5BQonsnQyQnP5qRlvFr1-6cP2b8ICK7FGY/s1600/IMG_3401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocJFSxOZtynQPKQhl4XHEnishWXTSU_WeQmyN4oKNXBgKdOApk6r-8EybEJsibPdYk2jr06YV46x0aPW7mnlEReX8GomHQMY30UzU3VBRzT5BQonsnQyQnP5qRlvFr1-6cP2b8ICK7FGY/s1600/IMG_3401.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://ashleynoelbarnes.blogspot.com/2013/05/10-freezer-to-crockpot-meals.html?m=1" target="_blank">Creamy Italian Chicken</a></b><br />
4 chicken breasts<br />
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened and cubed<br />
1 can cream of chicken soup<br />
1 dry packet of Italian seasoning </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Place all ingredients in gallon-sized freezer bag; lay flat to freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking.<br />
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf5m9SPZonVi5FgQvCjD2b2pNjf2VWML7y-hsoBojrXMIJ-7HojPiWozLFvJ9NNXa6NZfLueTNRVsvxeXkopsmbeSOjPlBCtt4r9HJawy7kwfxeGzx9iGq0XxWbKTzTy_g4sRjJenAhV3/s1600/IMG_3460.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf5m9SPZonVi5FgQvCjD2b2pNjf2VWML7y-hsoBojrXMIJ-7HojPiWozLFvJ9NNXa6NZfLueTNRVsvxeXkopsmbeSOjPlBCtt4r9HJawy7kwfxeGzx9iGq0XxWbKTzTy_g4sRjJenAhV3/s1600/IMG_3460.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://bakedinthesouth.com/2012/07/5-crockpot-freezer-recipes-with-shopping-list/" target="_blank"><b>Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions</b></a><br />
1 lb. Italian Sausage links<br />
1 large pepper, sliced (I used green pepper)<br />
1 medium onion (I used frozen diced onions)<br />
2 cups diced tomatoes (I cut up a tomato rather than using canned diced)<br />
2 tsp. onion powder<br />
2 tsp. garlic powder<br />
<br />
Place all ingredients in gallon-sized freezer bag; lay flat to freeze. Thaw 24 hours before cooking.<br />
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for four hours.<br />
(Recipe recommends serving on hotdog buns.) <br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrrckukpfhbMWy8FBR76qOrevbtTKppBj6i3sTRZpqEa_4XWYPSITPgvvSoy4n5F_w33HDZc5vQAoXRXUDYmTIn7xKz_QaQmdTXe_H0JRWldFmM7nu5fq0_ldtP-YaXzffxmAcewvOSO9/s1600/IMG_3402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrrckukpfhbMWy8FBR76qOrevbtTKppBj6i3sTRZpqEa_4XWYPSITPgvvSoy4n5F_w33HDZc5vQAoXRXUDYmTIn7xKz_QaQmdTXe_H0JRWldFmM7nu5fq0_ldtP-YaXzffxmAcewvOSO9/s1600/IMG_3402.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All the bags of food! (The Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onions is not pictured in this photo since I had forgotten an ingredient and needed to prep and freeze that one a different night.)</div>
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Some of the messy aftermath, eeee! ;)</div>
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<b>MASTER SHOPPING LIST</b><br />
In case you are curious and want to try any or all of these recipes, I have created a master shopping list that I used when I went shopping. Knowing ahead of time what you need is obviously a major time saver with a big project like this! Just an FYI: I will include the whole shopping list that's required for these meals rather than the actual list I used to shop. Since I had some ingredients at home, I want to make sure you have a complete list! For what I bought, I spent somewhere between $80-90. Not too terrible in my opinion! Here's the list, and ask away with questions!<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> <u><i>MEAT</i></u></b><br />
<ul>
<li>6 pork chops (I got boneless.)</li>
<li>1 lb. Italian sausage links</li>
<li>23-24 chicken breasts (I had a few breasts at home and also bought 4 bulk bags of chicken at Target.)</li>
</ul>
<u><i><b>PRODUCE/VEGGIES</b></i></u><br />
<ul>
<li>1 bulb garlic</li>
<li>4 green bell peppers</li>
<li>1 red bell pepper</li>
<li>2 cups diced mushrooms (I just got a package of pre-sliced mushrooms in the produce section.)</li>
<li>2 cups diced tomatoes (1 big tomato that I diced up was sufficient for me.) </li>
<li>1/2 cup diced carrots (had leftover carrots and celery at home from making <a href="http://highhopesandheartbreak.blogspot.com/2014/01/crock-pot-creamy-chicken-and-wild-rice.html" target="_blank">Chicken Wild Rice Soup</a>:)</li>
<li>1/2 cup diced celery</li>
<li>2 onions (I didn't buy these - I had frozen diced on hand.)</li>
<li>1 tsp. minced ginger (I used 1/4 tsp. ground) </li>
<li>1 lemon</li>
<li>1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz.)</li>
</ul>
<u><i><b>ADDITIONAL REFRIGERATED ITEMS</b></i></u> <br />
<ul>
<li>8 oz. cream cheese</li>
<li>3 Tbsp. sour cream (only necessary for topping chicken fajitas; optional) </li>
<li>2 Tbsp. butter </li>
</ul>
<u><i><b>SAUCES/SOUPS/SEASONINGS</b></i></u><br />
<ul>
<li>2 pkg taco seasoning</li>
<li>1 pkg dry Italian seasoning</li>
<li>Lemon pepper seasoning (5 Tbsp.)</li>
<li>Parsley (1 tsp.)</li>
<li>Chili powder (1 tsp.)</li>
<li>Paprika (1/2 tsp.)</li>
<li>Salt (1 tsp.)</li>
<li>Onion powder (2 tsp.)</li>
<li>Garlic powder (2 tsp.)</li>
<li>2 Tbsp. brown sugar </li>
<li>1 bottle butter chicken sauce (see picture above for a link)</li>
<li>1 (32 oz.) carton chicken broth</li>
<li>1 can cream of chicken soup </li>
<li>1 cup salsa</li>
</ul>
Good luck!!! :)</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-91399221767858316022014-02-16T15:09:00.003-06:002014-02-16T15:16:23.289-06:00Happy Hearts Day!:)As you are all painfully aware, the last month has been quite a tough and interesting one for me with L being in Arkansas and me being here. I have missed him like crazy, a little more with each passing day. You don't really realize how much of an impact a person has on your daily life until they aren't immediately there, so I certainly have come out of this even more appreciative of how lucky I am to have him. :) Anyway, lucky for me, he's finally home!!!!! He got back to town on Thursday evening (after having to stop on the side of the road and put on a spare tire since his tire blew, sad), and I almost cried when I saw him. I even said as I stared at him, "I almost forgot what you looked like!" We hugged for a VERY long time, possibly had a few kisses in there;), and immediately went into chatting like we had never stopped. I just love how 'easy' it is with him. While it felt like he was gone forever, once he got back, we just switched back into our normal routine and it was like he never left. So comforting! It was perfect timing for his return, because the next day was Valentine's day, and we haven't really been able to spend the actual day together before since we were always in different cities. I had to work that day, so it was a long, busy day of me wishing time away so I could get home and spend some real time with my babe! He picked me up from work, and much to my surprise, he was wearing a suit and had a bouquet of roses for me. I knew we were going to dress up for dinner, but I wasn't expecting him to be sporting his sexy black suit with a festive pink tie quite yet. I was grinning from ear to ear. I'm not one to obsess over flowers or things like that, but it's kind of rare for him (I don't mean that in a bad way), so it was a really sweet surprise. We got home and exchanged a few little things, and all of a sudden, he pulled a beautiful corsage out of the fridge that he had also gotten me. It was so beautiful! I don't know how he gets me so well, but he does, and I couldn't be more grateful for those 'little' things. He also got me an adorable card with a sweet handwritten message (I'll keep that to myself:), so that in addition to the dinner we went to was seriously a perfect Valentine's day. We ate at a restaurant down the street from us - it's called <a href="http://www.olivacuisine.com/" target="_blank">Oliva</a>. It's Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, interesting mix! We always pass it and have never gone, but boy are we happy we did. It was fantastic! We had an appetizer, a great meal, and a nice bottle of wine. We were originally going to go to McDonald's afterwards for Shamrock shakes, but we were too full, so we opted out. Rest assured, I will still be getting one of those very soon! :) Anyway, we have been able to really just spend a lot of time together this weekend, which is exactly what I have been longing for. Just missed him to pieces and am so happy to have him back!! <3<br />
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He is finally back!!</div>
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If you can't tell, I was really happy! :)</div>
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This is what he looked like when he picked me up from work on Valentine's Day. Um, hottie!! :)</div>
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Enjoying a glass of wine next to my beautiful flowers!</div>
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My beautiful corsage! Felt like prom. :)</div>
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Blurry, but a glimpse at our outfits!</div>
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Here's me wearing the crosage! There was more than one sweet couple eyeing us up at that table. I think they all couldn't help but smile and remember that they, too, were like us once. ;)</div>
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If you look at the <a href="http://www.olivacuisine.com/DINNER_MENU.html" target="_blank">menu</a>, our appetizer (the middle plate) was the Chaman. It was absolutely fantastic. We even took some home as extra because we couldn't stand the thought of wasting it!</div>
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Our meals! I got stuffed shells and L got salmon wrapped in grape leaves. We were NOT disappointed! We are already talking about what we'll get the next time we go back. :)</div>
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We were holding hands and chatting, and L didn't even realize I snapped this photo. I was just trying to get a pic of us holding hands while I was wearing the beautiful corsage, but it oddly looks like he's slipping a ring on my finger. Don't get too excited, folks. That didn't happen. ;)</div>
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Back home at the end of the night.</div>
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Hope you all had a GREAT Valentine's Day!! :)</div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-48341199647955472722014-02-09T22:09:00.000-06:002014-02-12T08:34:48.853-06:00Crockpot Potato SoupAfter a stressful few weeks at work, I can happily say that this weekend was perfect (minus L not being here, of course;). I got to explore the city a bit, I got to relax, and I don't feel a single ounce of stress about going back to work tomorrow. Not sure where the shift in mindset came from, but it feels SO good! Perhaps it's just me being happy that L will be back in 4 days (ahhhhh!:), but overall, I think I'm just getting a better handle on things in general, and when you can have a relaxing, productive weekend like I did, it just helps give some peace of mind. I'll share a few photos from my early weekend adventures, and I'll end with a potato soup recipe I made on Saturday. Stay tuned for another post soon about my crazy adventures today of preparing six crockpot freezer meals! That kitchen of mine and I are gettin' <i>reallllll</i> close these days. I think L might start to get jealous!;)<br />
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My coworker Megan (left) and her new fiance Ilsa! Out celebrating with them this weekend!</div>
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Met up with L's sisters and sister-in-law yesterday for breakfast, a museum, and lunch. We had such a great day! Some evidence of that includes this delicious hot cocoa from <a href="http://www.bradburyscoffee.com/" target="_blank">Bradbury's</a>!</div>
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And cinnamon and sugar crepes. Mmmmmm.</div>
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Still love seeing the Capitol!</div>
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Had to have a bloody to snap me out of my hangover from the aforementioned night out!;)</div>
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In love with the mini chaser that came with my bloody!<br />
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Don't judge us for all ordering drinks while L's niece Dahlia was in tow. ;)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And now onto the Crockpot Potato Soup! (Original recipe <a href="http://www.raininghotcoupons.com/paula-deens-crock-pot-potato-soup-recipe/" target="_blank">here<span id="goog_249483469"></span><span id="goog_249483470"></span></a>.)</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The ingredients!</div>
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Throw your big bag of square hashbrowns into the crockpot. (I use a 6qt crockpot.)</div>
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Add in the onions.</div>
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And the cream of chicken soup.</div>
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And the pepper.</div>
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And the broth! (Just an FYI: I added a little more broth than the recipe called for since I read in the comments that some people thought it was too thick.)</div>
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After the soup cooks for about 5 hours, cube up your cream cheese and throw it in the crockpot!</div>
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Add in the cheese as well. </div>
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(Sorry I didn't take one once it was all cooked up in the crockpot. My bowl below is as good as it gets!)</div>
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Num num!!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>INGREDIENTS</b></div>
<ul>
<li>1 bag (30 oz.) hash browns (The square kind is recommended.)</li>
<li>2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth (That comes out to a little less than 4 cups; I used 5 cups total to address the issue of it being too thick that came up in the recipe's comments. As it cooked, I worried that I had used too much because it was rather liquidy, but it sure thickened up in the fridge later!)</li>
<li>1 can cream of chicken soup</li>
<li>1/2 cup chopped onions - (As usual, I used the frozen diced kind.)</li>
<li>1/3 tsp pepper</li>
<li>1/2 cup shredded cheese </li>
<li>1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>DIRECTIONS</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Combine 1 bag frozen hash browns, 2 cans chicken broth (or however much you choose to use), 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup chopped onion, and 1/3 tsp black pepper.</li>
<li>Cook in crockpot on medium for 4-5 hours. (I am still getting used to my crockpot, and I only have 'low' and 'high' options, so this timing didn't quite work for me. After 4 hours on low, nothing was really mixing together, so I put the last hour on high.)</li>
<li>Stir in cream cheese and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I had an issue with the cream cheese not melting that well, so there were little small chunks of cream cheese still in there after an hour longer on high. Once I whisked it and got them mostly taken care of, I gave it a shot and it was pretty delicious.)</li>
<li>Top with cheese, green onion, and bacon crumbles (optional). </li>
</ul>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-66418485290146484982014-02-02T11:47:00.000-06:002014-02-02T20:47:20.304-06:00Unncessary (but fun!) PurchasesHey all! Hope you've been enjoying the weekend so far. I have had a really nice one, and at this point, I'm just avoiding the fact that I actually have to do some work from home before tomorrow. Ick. Anyway, on Friday night, I went to a <a href="http://www.liasophia.com/regional/home" target="_blank">Lia Sophia</a> (jewelry) party. My aunt recently became an advisor, so her friend was hosting a party and I figured I might as well go for something to do. I found a couple pieces that I loved, but I found out that if I host a party, I can get those items for freakishly cheap, so that might be what I do! Get ready for some catalogs and party invites, people. ;) I left the party, and yesterday morning, I still kept thinking about this one <a href="http://sites.liasophia.com/sites/corporate/productcatalog?page=productdetail&sku=103435601&showCrumbs=true" target="_blank">necklace</a> I fell in love with. It has kind of a beachy/tribal vibe, and there is something about it that I adore. Trust me when I say it looks even better in person! To cure my need for a jewelry fix, I decided to head to the mall yesterday and go to <a href="http://www.charmingcharlie.com/" target="_blank">Charming Charlie's</a>. Ever been there? If not, you don't know what you're missing! Don't judge them by their online selection, which I think is terrible. In person, they have an unbelievable amount of fantastic pieces. They have lots of amazing and sometimes over-the-top jewelry for pretty damn cheap. Their main focus is jewelry, but they also have purses, scarves, clothes, sunglasses, etc. Addicting! I came home with a bunch of pieces, and also some scarves from both there and a place called <a href="http://www.drygoodsusa.com/" target="_blank">Dry Goods</a>. I kinda have a scarf addiction at this point. Especially the infinity scarves. Mmmm. Love. All of this being said, I thought I'd show you some of the things I bought. Some of them are a little much for me, especially because I'm not a huge jewelry wearing person, but I still thought they were fun and could at the very least come in handy when L and I go to Florida again in May. (Our trip isn't booked yet, but as soon as he gets back from Arkansas, you best believe we're nailing it down. Can't wait to go again!) Hope you enjoy!<br />
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Incredibly dorky pic of me, but this is that Lia Sophia necklace I have my eye on. :) Below are CC purchases.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7El0D-Sd4S2yUyPG9Rsjjf39Awl06q-Zwde-HJWyqhFEnMFLuw9AKwrolSq_r88fiODG-rmvWnkjIl0k8CF0hiaUc28nJbe4f26LfUqPV644g4Z2b6NNN17pr080uXzW3RXnNONxmTv1/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7El0D-Sd4S2yUyPG9Rsjjf39Awl06q-Zwde-HJWyqhFEnMFLuw9AKwrolSq_r88fiODG-rmvWnkjIl0k8CF0hiaUc28nJbe4f26LfUqPV644g4Z2b6NNN17pr080uXzW3RXnNONxmTv1/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a> </div>
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This one seems the most beachy and Florida-esque to me. I have a few shirts that would totally work with this! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj7gLXZKsn_TcCflyQHkNm4CI585vQSwnMAdpPRzkIvEJiuhZ_aUKHJs6XCaejlfT_dN18FrT1xeB0WSRh0Ceinbpmh2q8hiIa-MTp9-k9Ou1vsYh-ZyW9v2rM9H2HpqjJ2XRWGdCRyoB/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglj7gLXZKsn_TcCflyQHkNm4CI585vQSwnMAdpPRzkIvEJiuhZ_aUKHJs6XCaejlfT_dN18FrT1xeB0WSRh0Ceinbpmh2q8hiIa-MTp9-k9Ou1vsYh-ZyW9v2rM9H2HpqjJ2XRWGdCRyoB/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a> </div>
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Simple.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgRGV5rOhWe3gCh7M0QChzzFu-1cMszjJbZEd_7cjXbtpCtm-E_OJSk0YGXGOM9ua4tWjGJ3-3jPx19J2_w_ft0isV95mXlwlPYUARBEHAYju1Ua-wOosU-9XFy1ioEq8H5Fc1ona-BbZ/s1600/IMG_3262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgRGV5rOhWe3gCh7M0QChzzFu-1cMszjJbZEd_7cjXbtpCtm-E_OJSk0YGXGOM9ua4tWjGJ3-3jPx19J2_w_ft0isV95mXlwlPYUARBEHAYju1Ua-wOosU-9XFy1ioEq8H5Fc1ona-BbZ/s1600/IMG_3262.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is the one I'm still not sure about. A LOT going on, but I think if it was paired with a simple shirt or something, it could be really pretty and eye-catching. And for $13, if I don't wear it often, big deal!</div>
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I like this one (above) a lot. I think it's the one I'd be most likely to wear often.</div>
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Just girly.</div>
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Here they all are together.</div>
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Here are my awesome scarves. Love them!! I think the top two are my faves, but all still amazing.<br />
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See how I could pair a simple tank with either that scarf or necklace?! Perfect. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ8ywFeQHMfWDm6ejWEGOTQ5mvnWhGC_U-6TpXsrvP8IqPOP3Ny-dmhQKG_Ll11Pw-18QE13ZWOY32ddYqgIwTmg_egBN2FC_xU_ytabQGOqxaLUcoqziCKnXmOXZyCcASHDEFNfkMPNF/s1600/IMG_3257.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ8ywFeQHMfWDm6ejWEGOTQ5mvnWhGC_U-6TpXsrvP8IqPOP3Ny-dmhQKG_Ll11Pw-18QE13ZWOY32ddYqgIwTmg_egBN2FC_xU_ytabQGOqxaLUcoqziCKnXmOXZyCcASHDEFNfkMPNF/s1600/IMG_3257.JPG" height="640" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Took this selfie, and as you can see, the pic makes it look much more purple than blue. The picture with all the scarves in it is a much more accurate representation of the color.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1i4DXpcPpDYheD1HSLjmVd1tBljghmjb4eyqcR4EgrSmBQg5EaWY0E2AXj6c229WQANQmcE5Wzj5H-AaF6r2aGSuQpyWM5kjxRbrDtPtQ59abZBhUKsyXDdA1VKtVQXryRDyaraNf7wqh/s1600/IMG_3260.JPG" height="480" width="640" /> </div>
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Me and Aunt Gloria out and about, and of course, I had to sport one of my newly purchased items. :) </div>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-37065491672562179752014-01-30T19:19:00.002-06:002014-01-30T19:27:54.170-06:00Sesame ChickenIt's becoming painfully clear to me that I have a pretty boring life when L's not here. ;) Well, I should take that back. My mama was here this past weekend from Friday to Tuesday, so that was pretty friggin' spectacular! We had a really great time, and that was her first time visiting since I moved here, so it was long overdue! Sadly, I didn't take many pictures since we kept the weekend very lowkey. Perhaps I need to work on doing some more exciting things, possibly make some new envelopes, go to a new store, anything, so I have something besides food to share with you. Otherwise, the next time you see me, I'm gonna be 300 pounds, ha! That being said, this recipe is worth sharing. Mama was surfing Pinterest over the weekend and found a super simple recipe for sesame chicken (original <a href="http://www.slenderkitchen.com/sesame-chicken/">here</a>), so we gave it a whirl. It hardly took any work at all, and it was pretty yummy! Not to mention, eating it the next day was just as delightful! Next time I'll probably make a bigger batch just because it didn't last that long, but either way, I will definitely put it in the rotation since my pantry contains many of these ingredients due to dating L. It's amazing how much my palette has grown since knowing him. :) Anyway, here goes another recipe, and I promise to switch it up soon and share something fun with you soon!<br />
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The ingredients!</div>
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Dice up your chicken!</div>
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Mix the salt, pepper, and flour.</div>
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Toss your chicken with the flour mixture.</div>
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Mince (or grate) your garlic. Yes, I'm obsessed with this adorable grater!</div>
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Put a little oil in the pan and throw in your chicken to brown it. </div>
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Whisk the chicken stock, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, and white vinegar together.</div>
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If you're awesome like me, then you also have a tiny whisk in addition to your tiny grater to use!:)</div>
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Cook the chicken. See it getting that nice color? Yum!</div>
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Pour chicken stock mixture into the pan.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Then toss the whole pan into your pre-heated oven. (Be sure it's an oven-safe pan!!)</div>
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Bring it out of the oven and sprinkle it with sesame seeds. Looks amazing!</div>
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Serve it with some rice and you've got yourself a meal!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>INGREDIENTS</b></div>
<ul>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/4 tsp. salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/4 tsp. pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 Tbsp. flour (The recipe calls for whole wheat, but I used regular.)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil (The recipe calls for toasted, but I just had regular.)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=toasted%20sesame%20oil&linkCode=ur2&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Atoasted%20sesame%20oil&tag=slenderkitchen-20&url=search-alias%3Daps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/2 Tbsp. olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">2 garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 Tbsp. low-sodium (or regular) soy sauce</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 Tbsp. brown sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 Tbsp. white vinegar</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1/2 cup low-sodium (or regular) chicken stock (I used broth.)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 Tbsp. sesame seeds</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 Tbsp. black sesame seeds (I don't even know what these are, so they were skipped!)</li>
</ul>
As you could maybe guess, this is intended to be a healthier version based on the original recipe. Feel free to do do it either way, but I thought it was excellent the way we made it! <br />
<br />
<b>DIRECTIONS</b><br />
<ul>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">In a small bowl, whisk the chicken stock, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, and white vinegar together. Set aside. </li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">In another bowl, mix the salt, pepper, and flour. Toss the chicken with it.</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">In a large pan
(make sure it’s oven safe), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once
hot, add the chicken in one layer. Cook for three minutes on one side
until seared and then flip and cook for another three minutes on the
other side.
</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Turn off the heat and pour the chicken stock mixture over the chicken, stirring to combine. </li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Place the entire pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. </li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Remove the chicken from the oven and toss it with sesame seeds. Serve.</li>
</ul>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-78859643316822300142014-01-26T11:54:00.002-06:002014-01-26T11:56:48.906-06:00Jalepeno Popper Chicken ChiliHappy snowy Sunday, everyone! Hope you are all surviving this never ending winter. If you're struggling, maybe I can help with that... If you're like me and love warm, delicious soup on bitterly cold days, then I think you should try this recipe for Jalepeno Popper Chicken Chili! Don't be thrown off by the fact that it sounds pretty spicy. I actually thought it could use quite a bit more heat. Granted, I have a pretty high tolerance for spicy stuff, but everyone that ate it (me, my mom, my aunt, and my cousins) thought it was pretty mild. Just throwing that out there in case hot stuff scares you! I found the recipe for this chili on Pinterest a couple weeks ago (original recipe <a href="http://www.preventionrd.com/2013/10/4th-annual-chili-contest-entry-5-jalapeno-popper-chicken-chili-weekly-menu/">here</a>), and it's another one of those that I just couldn't stop thinking about. My mom came down to visit this weekend, and I asked if she thought it sounded good. She sure did, and because we were both pretty pumped about it, we gave it a go yesterday. One word: YUM. I don't necessarily know what I expected, but it was even better than I thought! I am still semi-picky, so I left out a couple of the ingredients it called for (though I still included those ingredients in the list below), but I don't think that made much of a difference. I took lots of pictures, so bear with me! I really hope you give this a try. My only regret is that we didn't make it a double batch right off the bat! ;)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The ingredients!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Dice up your red pepper.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And your onion. (Recipe calls for regular, but I had some green I needed to use up. Worked perfectly!)</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Get ready to slice and dice (well, mince) those jalepenos!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Peel some garlic and mince (or in our case, grate) it!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Seriously, how damn cute is that little mini grater?!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Get all your veggies together and get them ready to throw in the pot.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Dice up your chicken into bite-sized pieces and season it with salt and pepper.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Now it's time to make the magic happen! Heat up your oil in a large pot.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
When the oil's nice and hot, throw your veggies in the pan. Looks like Christmas, and I love it!:)</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Saute them up real good for about 5-7 minutes. Your sense of smell will love you at this point!</div>
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Move your veggies to the side and throw in the chicken to start browning it.</div>
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In the meantime, measure out your spices. Mmm!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Once the chicken is no longer pink, throw your spices right in the pot and stir it up!</div>
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Then add your diced tomatoes.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And your chicken broth. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
In the meantime, slice up some bacon and fry it up. (This is to top the chili, so it's optional, but well worth it!)</div>
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Drain the bacon and set it aside.</div>
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Feel free to fix yourself a bloody mary and enjoy that while you wait. ;)</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Man, look how beautiful that is after it's been simmering awhile!</div>
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Cube up your cream cheese into large chunks.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Throw those large chunks into the pot!</div>
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And add in some cheese.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
As it all melts, your chili will transform into this beautiful orange color!</div>
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Wish I would've gotten a better picture of the final serving, but trust me when I say it's amazing!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>INGREDIENTS</b> (Don't be intimidated by the long list. It's super easy to make.)</div>
<ul>
<li>1 Tbsp. olive oil</li>
<li>1 small onion, diced (As I mentioned, I used green onions since I had 'em!)</li>
<li>1 red bell pepper, diced</li>
<li>4 jalepeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced</li>
<li>4 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. sea salt</li>
<li>1 tsp. ground black pepper</li>
<li>1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces</li>
<li>2 tsp. chili powder</li>
<li>1 Tbsp. ground cumin</li>
<li>1 tsp. ground paprika</li>
<li>1 (15 oz.) can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained</li>
<li>1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used 2 cups to make up for lost liquid from ingredients I didn't use.)</li>
<li>1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I hate beans. I didn't use them.)</li>
<li>2 cups frozen corn (I hate corn. I didn't use it.)</li>
<li>8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cut into large chunks (I used regular cream cheese since I had it!)</li>
<li>1/4 cup (1 oz.) part-skim sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (I used cheddar jack since I had it!)</li>
<li>3-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>DIRECTIONS</b><br />
<ul>
<li>In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add
the onion, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, and garlic and saute for 5-7
minutes or until tender and onion is translucent. </li>
<li>Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Push the vegetables to
the side of the pan and add in the chicken. Cook the chicken until no
longer pink. </li>
<li>Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and paprika and allow to
cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.</li>
<li>Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, cannellini beans (if used), and corn (if used). Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Add in the cream cheese and cheese and stir until completely melted,
about 5 minutes. Serve chili hot, topped with a teaspoon of bacon
crumbles. </li>
</ul>
Easy peasy! We actually let ours simmer for quite awhile before we added in the cream cheese and cheese, so you can make it ahead of time, or make it right when you want to eat it. It was so good! We had 5 people eat it, one going back for seconds, and that left us with about one big bowl left. This technically makes 8 servings (1 and 1/4 cups each), but I think we each had a little more than that. ;) I think I would definitely make a double batch next time now that I know I love it! Go out and make it and tell me what you think! Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-56156467652947881862014-01-19T21:48:00.004-06:002014-01-19T22:52:12.308-06:00Soft White Christmas CookiesHi there! Forgive me for two recipe posts in a row, but I've been wanting to share a few with you, and I finally have the chance to do a little catch up on the blog! Trust me, you won't be mad once you try these cookies. :) Also, in case you're interested, I recently updated my <a href="http://highhopesandheartbreak.blogspot.com/p/cookin-in-kitchen.html">"Cookin' in the Kitchen"</a> tab in my blog so that when you click on it, you're taken to the links of all the recipes I've posted. Much easier than digging through old posts! Anyway, I don't know if you are all lucky enough to have a recipe that's been a part of your family for as long as you can remember, but I am, and the recipe is for these delicious, soft, amazingly tasty cookies. They are from this old, rickety cookbook that I think my mom got through the church many, many years ago, and I have always loved them more than should be humanly possible. They're dubbed as Christmas cookies, but they really could be made any time of year, somewhat similar to cut-out sugar cookies. Not gonna lie, while I put my life at risk by doing it every damn time, I cannot resist eating little scraps of the dough as I make the cut-outs. But folks, it's a risk I'm willing to take for how good it is. I'm semi-kidding, but I do love it, and in case you were worried, I didn't do it much this time since L was watching and didn't want me to get sick. That's probably a good thing, I guess. ;) Feels kinda weird posting these after the holidays since mine were very festively decorated, but again, you can make them whenever your heart desires!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The ingredients!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Mix all the ingredients together and you'll get this lovely dough! Chill it, and you can roll it out!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxI1Mjes_kQnmsvFPV7F7n8765_3EgfgjVGDD9a2tadQWxtbKWOGwgKxhM0C5_UXkT9Crl-GesbFE1Fz_8Rg7hECrpvm7V9azK9HwPcTKCFmLcCBLBUHmXKdi_-e_nL8Q8YPFSkLzgqcla/s1600/IMG_2793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxI1Mjes_kQnmsvFPV7F7n8765_3EgfgjVGDD9a2tadQWxtbKWOGwgKxhM0C5_UXkT9Crl-GesbFE1Fz_8Rg7hECrpvm7V9azK9HwPcTKCFmLcCBLBUHmXKdi_-e_nL8Q8YPFSkLzgqcla/s1600/IMG_2793.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Flour the counter (very well, the dough is sticky) and roll it out! This is only a small ball of dough. I probably did this process about 8-10 times for LOTS of cookies! (L also decided it was a good idea to make a couple cookies in the shape of certain body parts, but I chose to leave them out for your benefit;).</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Bake for 11-15 minutes at 325. Don't overdo it or they'll get hard!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Get ready to frost these these bad boys!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Voila!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>INGREDIENTS</b></div>
<ul>
<li>2 cups white sugar</li>
<li>1 cup sour cream</li>
<li>1/2 cup shortening</li>
<li>1/2 cup butter</li>
<li>2 tsp. vanilla</li>
<li>3 eggs</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. salt</li>
<li>1 tsp. baking powder</li>
<li>2 tsp. baking soda</li>
<li>5 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>DIRECTIONS</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Mix all the ingredients in the order they are listed in a big bowl. (I used an electric mixer, but it got pretty clogged since the dough is quite sticky. Not sure what the best option is, but the mixer did essentially do the job. Just gotta clean of the beaters!)</li>
<li>Chill the dough. (I chilled it for a couple hours, but it probably doesn't need that long.)</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 325 degrees. </li>
<li>Roll out dough on a <b><i><u>well-floured</u></i></b> surface. Can't emphasize this enough. As mentioned, the dough is very sticky, so much so that I had to call my mom and ask if that was normal. :) Turns out it is, and you just need to flour the counter and your hands, and if it sticks to the rolling pin, just add more flour. You get used it it, I promise!</li>
<li>Cut dough into desired shapes and place them on a cookie sheet.</li>
<li>Bake cookies for 11-15 minutes. (I cooked them on the lower end. I prefer my cookies to be soft, so I left them in for about 10-11 minutes and they were perfect.)</li>
<li>Let the cookies cool.</li>
<li>Frost and decorate the cookies. Have fun!</li>
</ul>
<br />
Just a note... The recipe didn't share how many cookies this yields, but I had quite a few. Probably 50-60 cookies or so, so you probably want to have a gathering or be very hungry for cookies for a week or two after you make them! ;) I actually still have some, and they're surprisingly still good! I really hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Maybe they can become part of <i>your</i> tradition!<br />
<ul>
</ul>
Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-54025557883012449622014-01-19T20:49:00.001-06:002014-02-12T08:34:26.791-06:00Crock-Pot Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice SoupThis winter has been an especially brutal one compared to the past few years. Seems like it's always either snowing like crazy or freezing to the point where you can throw boiling water into the air and it turns into steam. Google that shit, I'm not making it up! (Sadly, I didn't get to try that trick since I was miserable with a cold during our -50 degree wind chills, but I'll probably get the chance again if I'm "lucky.") Anyway, I don't know about the rest of you, but I firmly believe that winter is the <i>perfect</i> time for comfort food. Well, comfort food is <i>always</i> welcomed, but on a cold, snowy day, there are few things better than a nice, hot bowl of delicious soup. Any kind of soup. Lucky for you, I'm going to share one of my favorite soup recipes. Of course, I found it on Pinterest! As the title implies, it is a crock-pot recipe, so it is actually pretty dang easy! I blame that for my lack of a large number of photos. It basically just sits in the crock-pot, and since the roux is still tricky for me, I didn't want to try and take photos of that. When I make this again, I'll try to get more photos, I promise! Anyway, L just got me a new, bigger crock-pot for Christmas (a 6-quart one, at my request, so no, not some weird gift from a clueless dude;), so I made it for us a couple weeks back. It was even more delicious than I remember. I strongly encourage you to drop everything and make this recipe, especially because it allows for as few or as many modifications as you see fit. Don't like carrots? Don't put 'em in! Recipe doesn't call for them but you love mushrooms? Throw some in the crock-pot! Perfect. I got the original recipe <a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/09/comfort-foods.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and as always, I'll share my own comments and observations throughout. I guarantee you will love me for sharing, even if it's just for how your house smells while it cooks. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The ingredients!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Shred up some carrots.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And dice up some celery.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Then throw almost all your ingredients (broth, water, chicken, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and rice) into the crock-pot so it can do its magic!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
At the end of the cooking time, make your roux and add it to the crock-pot. Doesn't it look <i>amazing?! </i>Eat. NOW.</div>
<br />
<b>INGREDIENTS</b><br />
<ul>
<li>4 cups (32 oz.) chicken broth</li>
<li>2 cups water</li>
<li>2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used a 3-pack:).</li>
<li>1 package Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice </li>
<li>1/2 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. pepper</li>
<li>3/4 cup all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1/2 cup butter</li>
<li>2 cups half and half</li>
<li>1 cup grated carrots</li>
<li>1 cup diced celery</li>
<li>1 container of mushrooms (I added this myself. You could use canned mushrooms too. Or you could leave them out entirely if you don't like them since the recipe didn't even call for that.</li>
</ul>
(Admittedly, based on this recipe, there actually isn't <i>that</i> much rice in this wild rice soup, so while I didn't add more, you could think about it if you prefer more rice. Kinda funny given the name, right?) <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>DIRECTIONS</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Mix the broth, water, carrots, celery, mushrooms, chicken, and rice (and the seasoning packet) in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. (I did the high version and it turned out great. Also, the first time I made it, I used a 3-quart crock-pot and it was too small. My 6-quart pot worked beautifully for it!)</li>
<li>Once the chicken gets tender (a couple hours in), break it up into pieces while cooking. (I had to leave mine in longer than this for it to break apart easily. Possibly since I used more chicken than it called for, but just use your judgment and feel free to keep the chicken in there longer before breaking it up if necessary.)</li>
<li>At the end of the cooking time, get a small bowl and mix the salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux. Then whisk in the half and half, a little at a time, into the roux until mixed and completely smooth. (This part has given me problems both times. Mine has turned out very clumpy. The first time I put it in the crockpot anyway, hoping the lumps would go away, but they didn't. Ick. The second time, I had a little more success, but there were still several clumps, so I ended up putting a bowl in the sink and straining the liquid into the bowl so I had a smooth mixture. Maybe you'll have better luck, but just wanted to give my tips and tell you that all hope is not lost if it happens to you too!)</li>
<li>Stir the roux mixture into the soup in the crock-pot, and then let it cook on low for about 15 minutes.</li>
</ul>
That's it! The first time I made it, it was really thick, but I think that's because I accidentally used heavy whipping cream instead of half and half. The second time I made it, it was significantly runnier, probably a combo of using half and half, and me straining out many of the flour chunks from the roux. I didn't find it to be too runny. It was actually perfect! If you want it thicker, you could probably add some more flour, and if you want it thinner, you could add a little more broth or some water. All a matter of preference! As usual, the soup didn't last me and L very long because we both love it, but unfortunately, my crock-pot is just a tad too small to double the batch. Guess we'll just have to make it more often! Be prepared to have your tastebuds tantalized, folks! :) Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-64427195710228301842014-01-15T21:10:00.000-06:002014-01-15T21:15:00.664-06:00Happiness Defined.People often say that you shouldn't rely on others for your own happiness. That you need to be content with yourself before anyone else can come in and make you happy. That putting a person in charge of your happiness also gives them all the power to take it away in a split second. I get it, and I've always held similar philosophies in my life. But I sometimes wonder who is saying those things. Someone who was just hurt? Someone who has lost faith in others? I don't know. But what I do know is that since L has been in my life, I have been the happiest I have ever been. I have never felt so at peace and content with a person before, and I don't want that to change. To say that he is the <i>sole</i> thing that makes me happy would be a lie, because a lot of things in life bring me happiness. But to pretend that he isn't a big part of the reason I look forward to waking up every single day is also a lie. He makes every day better. And even if we have a bad day, that bad day disappears so fast that it's not even worth mentioning. I feel happy with him no matter what we are doing, and therefore, I feel like he (and our relationship) shapes my happiness. Do I rely on him for it? I'm not sure. But I can assure you that I sure feel the difference when he's not around...<br />
<br />
You may wonder where the heck this is all coming from (rightfully so;), but today marks day one of a 4-week stretch where L is in Arkansas and I don't get to wake up next to him every day. It's hard. Already. I miss him like crazy and feel like my spirit is a little sadder without him here. Yes, on day one. Ha. As stated in my <a href="http://highhopesandheartbreak.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-year-new-hopes.html" target="_blank">hopes for the new year</a>, I do not want to take things for granted, and having him in my life and being able to see him daily is something I never want to become ungrateful for. So far, so good. ;) I still haven't decided what's right in terms of relationships and happiness. I don't want to be so dependent on someone that I lose myself, but I also don't really know how to fall so deeply for someone and not have my happiness rely at least in part on that person. It seems impossible. And I know if L and I are ever not together, it will take a long, long time, if ever, before I feel truly happy again. Kinda scary, and he may hate me for saying that, but it's the truth. In that case, maybe my happiness does depend on him and us and our relationship, but I guess I don't really care as long as I stay happy. :) Crazy what a few weeks apart will make a person think about in regards to life philosophies, ha! And on that note of crazy pondering tonight, I will leave you with a picture that might help illustrate why I love life with this guy. We can look like this and still like each other. :P<br />
<br />
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<br />Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467689689520539782.post-61404898050273336172014-01-05T13:23:00.000-06:002014-01-09T20:55:11.248-06:00New Year. New Hopes.<span style="font-size: small;">Can you believe another year has come and gone already?!? I sure
can't. As a child, you're always told not to wish time away because it
will fly faster and faster with each passing year. As a child, you're
also too dumb to pay any attention to that nonsense. ;) I remember
always being so anxious to hit various age 'milestones,' but in recent
years, I can't help but get a little sad thinking about how quickly life
passes by. On the other hand, since I've been out on my own, I've been
pretty darn lucky to have my days filled with a lot of great people and
even more exciting happenings. It's this weird tradeoff; I'm lucky to
have things to do and people to spend my days with, but I also long for
peace and quiet where time goes slow. I don't think that tension will
ever disappear. All I can say is that I couldn't agree more about time
going too fast as I get older (and I'm pretty old, 28 big ones now;),
and I want very much to make good choices and to simply enjoy my life as
I move forward in the days to come.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">And.....cue the
'new year reflections.' I don't like that it takes a new year to make me
more reflective or to force me into reevaluating my daily life. But
hey, something's gotta do it, and I sadly <i>do</i> really enjoy having
moments like today where I think about all the good possibilities,
goals, and hopes for the year(s) ahead. As always, I don't necessarily
do resolutions, per se, but I do have a few things in mind for the
coming year. Please don't jump to point out my failures over the coming
weeks and months; just know that I am trying to do things right, whether
that's in health, relationships, finances, etc. Some may be quite
similar to my plans over the past couple years, but never hurts to revisit and reevalute things that are important. Here goes! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Save more.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Wow.
Starting out 2014 like I did <a href="http://highhopesandheartbreak.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-resolve.html" target="_blank">2012</a>, with finances on the brain! There is
one exciting thing that I'm really pumped about for this year, though. I
don't know if I ever shared this, but during college, I managed to rack
up almost $8,000 in credit card debt. Ahhhhhh. Long after I stopped
using the card, I was still making hefty payments (probably about $300
per month) to try and whittle it down, but almost $100 of that would go
straight to interest. UGH! I felt like I was getting nowhere... Well, a
wonderful person who shall remain nameless in this
scenario decided to help me out by paying that whole bill and allowing
me to then make payments to him without worrying about interest. Since
June 2012, I have been making $300 monthly payments to get that balance
down to zero, and I only have THREE more payments to go until that
person is completely paid back! I can't even tell you how excited that
makes me. Where my excitement comes in now is thinking about what to do
with that 'extra' $300 per month come May. No, I don't plan to go on a
shopping spree. I have a number of things I want to put it towards
(i.e., an emergency fund, retirement, student loans, etc.). Thing is,
not sure where to focus it for now. Possibly a combination of all three
things, hard to say. My student loans haunt me just about every day, and
I want nothing more than to just get them paid off as soon as humanly
possible. However, there are some variables in the air that make me hold
off on that because there is a chance I could get the remainder of them
forgiven after 120 payments. Sure would hate to pay $500+ per month to
pay them off in 10 years, only to find out I could have gotten much of that
forgiven had I waited. The more I think about it, the more I think I'll
continue to make my normal monthly payments on those, maybe a little
bit more, and then focus on building up at least a small emergency
fund/savings and putting the remainder into retirement. I'm pretty lucky
with retirement. Being employed by the state, 7.1% of my salary is
automatically taken out and put towards retirement, and the university
matches that. So, that alone is a great chunk of money being put away
for me. Just under a year ago, I also started putting $75/month into a
Roth 403(b) (on top of what's taken out of my salary), so that's another
exciting thing. I'm thinking of possibly just making that total
$200/month instead of $75, and then seeing how I want to use the other
money. Regardless, just knowing that $300 monthly payment is almost off
my back is such a thrill for me. I'm glad I got it done, but now I can
put it towards stuff that really matters. My last bit about saving money
is that I will be making an honest attempt to spend significantly less
time and money at Target. Sounds silly, but it really is an issue for
me. It's so close to us, and I'm often lured in because of the steals on
the <a href="http://cartwheel.target.com/" target="_blank">Cartwheel</a>
app, but after getting the things I need, I usually always buy at least
one thing I could easily live without. So, I resolve at this point to
try and limit my Target trips to 2-3 times per month. Still sounds like a
lot, but for me, that's sadly a drastic reduction. We'll see how that
goes! ;) </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Run (and train) for another 5k.</span></b> <br />
You may or may not recall that I ran my first 'real' 5k last April. I did the <a href="http://highhopesandheartbreak.blogspot.com/2012/05/color-me-crazy.html" target="_blank">Color Run</a>
in 2012, but since I walked most of that, I don't really count that as
my first 5k. We did a run last April to benefit Parkinson's, and I
actually gave it some real effort. Granted, I didn't train really at
all, but I ran as much as I could in the actual race. It took me 46
minutes, which is not too good at all. If you don't know, a 5k is equal
to 3.2 miles, so that was about 14 or so minutes per mile for me. I know
I could do way better, and I'm determined to try. Regardless of whether
or not I'm ready, I will be participating in the same run to benefit
Parkinson's this coming April, and I'm hoping I have a much better time
to report! I'll probably do some cardio activities to help prep me for
that too, so overall, I hope to get myself in good condition for it!
Perhaps it's time to revisit that Couch25k app on my phone again. :)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Get my craft on...again.</b></span><br />
As
you've seen throughout some of my posts in the past year, I have really
gotten into the whole crafting thing as of late. I love making
envelopes and cards for people, and I could literally spend hours in
scrapbooking aisles or in the 'party' and 'office' sections of any
store. I live for that shit. Problem is, I often get busy and let my
love for it get pushed to the side because I'm too busy for other
things. And this sounds soooooo stupid, but the fact that my my craft
materials are semi-buried in a tote in my coat closet makes me a little
less inclined to use the stuff more regularly too. I wish I had a room
designated as an office or as a craft space. Every inch of my apartment
is filled to the max, so it's not like I can just have stuff laying
around without it overtaking my space. In my dream world, I'd have
either a 2-bedroom apartment where the second bedroom was my 'work'
space, or a house that had an entire room dedicated to it. When I want
to craft now, I have to dig so much stuff out just to get at what I
want, and it frustrates me. Not sure what the perfect solution is, but I
really want to stop making excuses and spend more time on it this year. Certainly makes sense because it's one of the things I love doing most! :)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Stay positive (mostly about work).</b></span><br />
As
most of you know, I moved to Madison for a new job in September 2013.
Super exciting for me to move here, to be closer to L, and to start a
new chapter after a somewhat frustrating end to my time in Milwaukee! In
my short time on the job here, however, many things have already
changed in regards to my responsibilities. Go figure, since that's
exactly why I needed to get away from UWM. Anyway, in learning of all
the people who left our office, and all the responsibilities that will
be shifting my way in the upcoming months, I've already become a bit
negative and stressed about it. A lot of things have been thrown at me,
and quite honestly, I often wonder how on earth I'm going to handle and
manage everything. Then I need to remember that everyone else in the
office feels that way too. That's good and bad. Good because they can
relate, but bad because they have little sympathy and can't take much
off my plate since they are swamped too. We have lost three people
(including my supervisor who retired somewhat unexpectedly) and gained
none, so we are trying to maintain everything that was being done before
those people left, and then are expected to do even more now, despite
no new people being hired. Not ideal. I think I'm just a little more
vocal about my stress, so I need to be a little more careful and
mindful. Everyone always tells me that the morale in the office isn't
usually like this, but it seems everyone's a bit down since I started,
and it's tough to handle and be around sometimes. Anyway, I am going to
do my best to go into this all with a positive attitude, and if and when I am
feeling beaten down and burnt out, I want to ensure that at the very
least, I can take it all as a learning experience and make it work for
me. Everything happens for a reason, right?! :)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Appreciate the little things.</b></span><br />
I feel like I appreciate life a lot, and I can recognize how even little things make a big difference, but I think I can always be better. Ever since I moved to Madison, I have been fortunate to spend most days with L. We can be watching movies, talking, cooking, anything, and I am purely content. We often tell each other how special the other is, but sometimes I get caught up in the daily cycle of things and forget to count my blessings. L treats me well, he cooks for me, he listens, he does dishes, he supports me, etc. Need I continue? Anyway, sure, I can say 'thank you' after a good meal, or I can pick up a tab here or there, but I want to contribute more and I want to give him just as many things to be appreciative of in the days to come. Besides my relationship, I just want to be more thankful in general for the life I lead. I'm healthy, I'm happy, I have an apartment and a car and a job and a body that can do everything I need it to. All of this happens day in and day out, and because of the worrier I am, I probably do think about it crumbling more than the average person; that being said, however, I still know I could be better at not taking things for granted. I lost one of my close friends this year and it was one of the hardest things I've dealt with in awhile. Probably in my whole life, actually. He always used to text me when he saw my car in Colby to see if I could hang. Last text I have from him was wondering if I was around and I opted to stay in rather than going out, never thinking it could be my last chance to see him. I don't get mad or blame myself, but I do think about it. And I don't ever want to take my family or friends or health or circumstances for granted. Sounds bad, but maybe if I start treating people like it's the last time I'll see them each time I see them, I will appreciate them even more. Or maybe that could depress me. ;) We'll see how it goes. I just will keep on living my life and thanking my lucky stars for everything I have and all the things I can experience.<br />
<br />
Okay...
I know there are a million things I want to
accomplish this year, but these are a few big things on my mind. Save
money, exercise, get back into some things I love, stay
positive, and be appreciative. Let's do this, 2014!Reneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13142459109236647179noreply@blogger.com0