I'm Alive!

I apologize for the absence, but I'm just getting back into the swing of things after being in Georgia for almost 2 weeks for the holiday. Tonight I'm finally decorating the tree, gearing up for my Christmas Wreath Party tomorrow night. I'll have all kinds of pictures for you very soon. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Stylish Blog Award

Today I had a sweet surprise waiting for me when I logged into Blogger.....I won a "Stylish Blogger" Award from a new blogger friend Nicole (you can see her inspiring blog here). Nicole is full of creative recipes & fun stories and she is a huge reason I decided to start a blog of my own. I am excited to pass it on to a friend that I personally know and to some fabulous design blogs that I love following!
Here are the award rules.

1. Thank and link back to who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself. (ohh boy.)
3. Pass it along to seven blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy!
4. Let the recipients know that you've left them an award.

Now, 7 lovely things about myself.........

1. My biggest fears are the loss of a loved one, public speaking, flying, snakes, spiders, wasps and june bugs {any creepy crawlies for that matter}

2. I can never make it through an episode of Extreme Home Makeover or The Baby Story without bawling like a baby.

3. If I ever request a song it will always be Jessie's Girl or something by Prince, like Little Red Corvette. I'm an 80's girl through & through!

4. Always a lover, never a fighter... I hate confrontation more than anything in this world.

5. One of my dream cars is a 1969 black Chevy Camaro. Always had a thing for classics! The other is a Maybach 57 coupe. Ha. Yeah right!

6. I am very sensitive and emotional. I have learned not to take things personally. I know not everything is all about me.. My heart is on my sleeve for sure.

7. I am very organized and I've realized that when things are a mess it makes me cranky.

7 Lovely Blogs

Lindsey from With the Weavers

Kyle from Knight Moves

Julie from Milk & Honey Home

Seleta from Simply Seleta

Kate from Centasional Girl

Janell from Isabella & Max Rooms

Paloma from La Dolce Vita

hope you enjoyed it.

Tasty Tuesday

Ricotta Stuffed Spinach and Broccoli Pizza Pie

16 oz whole wheat or white pizza dough
1 Cup ricotta cheese
¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese, like Kraft
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
2 Cups fresh broccoli florets, steamed until fork tender, about 3 minutes in boiling water
Pinch of salt
½ Cup Roasted red bell peppers, from can or fresh
1 ½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

2 chicken breasts, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Spread and press one piece of dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-9 ½ inch round cake or tart pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. (I used a 9 ½ inch deep quiche pan with a removable bottom that worked perfectly) In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta and parmesan cheese until well combined. Spread into pressed pizza dough.
2. Place olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute spinach until wilted down, about 3 minutes. Place evenly over ricotta cheese layer. Place steamed broccoli florets over spinach and season with a pinch or two of kosher salt. Layer roasted red peppers, then mozzarella cheese over top. Press out remaining piece of dough and place over filling, tucking edges inside of pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cooked through.
3. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan or cutting into wedges.
8 slices

Thanksgiving Luncheon

Last Thursday, Audrey's school hosted a Thanksgiving Lunch for the children and their families. Conor couldn't make it, but Nana & Papa got to enjoy it with us.

You would've thought I starve this poor child by the way she went to town on her plate. Sister was hungry for some turkey goodness!

Ava tried potatoes for the first time and loved them.

The older kids put on a cute little show of singing and dancing.

Nana & Audrey

Papa & Ava

Food Coma for Ava

Momma & Audrey

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week. Unbelievable how time seems to be flying by. And faster every year. Speaking of flying, we'll be heading to Georgia for the holiday. Can't wait!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Well if Oprah can do it, so can I. I'm sharing items with you that I use on a daily basis that make a difference on my skin, hair, makeup, nails, etc.

L'Oreal conditioner is a new fav of mine. The mint fragrance smells unbelievable and leaves my hair so silky! It's the best conditioner I've used yet!
Grace lotion is available at Sephora and is a lotion I can't live without. I hate having to constantly put lotion on during the day and this lotion will leave you moisturized all day.

I've been using Arbonne's RE9 system since 2005 and I firmly believe that it's really made a difference in my skin. It has just a hint of citrus and leaves my face soft all night long.

Dinner & Karaoke

Julee & I decided to round up some friends and family and enjoy a night out on the town. Date night twice in one week. How'd we get so lucky!?

I love Julee!! We always have the best time together.

Handsome Hub

My Sis joined us as well

Toasting to friends and family

On our way to Karaoke. Oh my goodness.......

I had literally fell to my knees laughing here. I don't know what it is about belting your heart out in front of a room full of strangers, but it had me in tears. Especially watching my hubby! He does a great 'white man's overbite' when he dances. Love him!

I think he was on to me. He straightened up when I got out my camera. Boo!

I forgot how hysterical Karaoke can be with a fun group.

10 Things I Can't Live Without

{in no particular order}

1. Family~ I can't imagine life without them. It's incredible to me that God has blessed me with these two sweet babies and a hubby that still gives me butterflies in my tummy when he walks into the room. They entertain me, keep me busy, drive me a little crazy and make me very happy.

{Sweet Ava's Baptism}

2. Fresh Flowers~The beauty, the fragrance, the picking them out, the placing them in a vase. Such a simple thing that brings me such joy!

{market flowers mixed in with zinnias from our garden}

3. Design Inspiration~ Blogs, Books, Magazines, flickr, etc - I sometimes wonder what I did before I knew about design blogs. It was such an exciting moment for me, the first time I read post after great post from that first blog.

{My fav blog~Knight Moves}

4. Entertaining~ I find great peace and excitement in grocery store shopping, cooking, setting the table, picking out & arranging flowers in vases, decanting a nice bottle of red, turning on the perfect music depending on the guests, lighting the candles around the house, and sitting down at the dinner table to enjoy, what I believe, are the best things in life. Family, friends, food, wine, conversation, and laughter....and pretty flowers! You can't beat it my friends!

{cedar plank salmon, tomato-mozzerela-cucumber stacked salad, sauteed mushrooms and spinach &chocolate covered strawberries raspberries and pretzels for dessert}

5. Oct1-Jan1~ Summer doesn't hold a candle to this time of year. As much as I love warm weather, I love the changing of seasons even more. I can't imagine living in a place where I didn't experience the blooms of spring and a pretty snowfall, all in the same year. Not only do I get to wear my leather boots, sweaters, and scarves, but this time of year revolves around the golden trifecta of holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I mean, what's not to love? The costumes, the feasts, baking cookies, Dirty Santa, parties, the changing leaves, hot cocoa, fires in the fireplace, the first snowfall, trick-or-treating, Christmas shopping, Clark Griswold on repeat, Michael Buble or Sinatra on the playlist, Thanksgiving break, Christmas vacation, carving pumpkins, decorating the tree, champagne & fireworks on New Years, the list goes on...

{Christmas 2009}

6. Comfort of Home~ As much as I love to travel, nothing compares to coming home. It's the place I'm most comfortable, most happy, most myself. It's the place I can wear sweatpants all day, watch Meg Ryan movie marathons {fav being When Harry Met Sally}, sing Bette Davis Eyes at the top of my lungs, re-decorate, play 'tea' with Audrey, cuddle in bed with Ava, watch movies with Conor, cook new recipes for my family, work on craft projects, take naps, enjoy wine nights on the patio, try The Shred for the first time without anyone watching, and sit at my computer for hours on end reading design blogs. It's home. And that's me.

{December 2009 Morning}

7. Friends~ As I've gotten older, and the longer I'm a stay-at-home mom, time with my girlfriends has become more important to me. It's good to have those people in your life who you can really be yourself around. . .

{Dallas Trip with my oldest & dearest friends in the world, Jen & Allison}

8. Technology~My Mac, Canon G11, the internet, DVR all make me feel connected. I would be lost and extremely bored without them, especially my beloved camera.

{Without it I wouldn't be able to capture the beauty of our memories and everyday life}

9. Bargain Shopping~ I have no desire to jump out of an airplane or climb a mountain. I get my adrenaline rush from finding a great deal. I love scouring antique/thrift stores or walking down a clearance aisle to find a treasure that no one else was able to see the potential in. And, I admit, I'm the world's worst about telling guests how little I paid for something when they compliment it. I take strange pride in this skill. . . .I will go ahead and throw craft projects in with this one. Crafting makes me giddy.

{1970s mirror transformed with scrapbooking paper and modge podge. Total cost was $10! }

10. Home Projects~ I'm Type A in a bad way when it comes to our home. My mind is always racing about things I want to do or should be doing. Nothing makes me happier than painting a piece of furniture and moving things around in our house. Some people play golf; I play decorating.

{My latest switch-a-roo}

Tell me! What is something you can't live without?

Tasty Tuesday

Homemade Sheperd's Pie

2 1/2 lbs peeled diced potatoes

3 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt

1 Cup milk

______

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic

1 lb ground beef

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 Cups green beans

Sauce

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 Cup chicken broth

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Place peeled and diced potatoes into a large pot of water. Bring to boil and boil for 13-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix in butter, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Slowly add milk until nice and creamy. Keep tasting potatoes to see if you need more seasonings. When done to your liking, set aside for a few minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, beef, salt and pepper; cook until browned. Stir in green beans then reduce heat to low. 3. To prepare sauce, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly add in chicken broth until thick and creamy. Add sauce to meat mixture then transfer to bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour mashed potatoes over meat mixture then top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

8 servings

Hall Of Fame

We had the honor of attending the Oklahoma Hall Of Fame this past week in downtown OKC. It was a evening full of fun, black tie attire, great food, company of friends and family and a little date night for Conor and I, which was very much needed!

Date Night with my Love
Barb & Roger

Steve and Shelli Hiatt

JR & Patsy

Conor & I

I always enjoy hearing about success stories from people. Inductee/actress Kristin Chenoweth was so sweet and her story made me cry. Being adopted from an early age, she spilled her heart out about the love of her parents and how they made her who she is today. Judy Love was also inducted and introduced by her husband Tom Love, who is the owner of Loves Stores. She worked behind the counter in the early years of the store, raised their 4 children, went back to college after the kids were grown to become an interior designer and as Tom explained is the 'love' of his life. It was a great evening and we felt fortunate we could be in the company of so many outstanding Okies! I'm proud of this state!