Taco Soup

We finally have had some cooler weather, and by cool, I mean it might be 45 overnight and 65 during the day.  I'm all for boots, long sleeves, and scarves!  I also took the dropping temperatures as a sign to bring out the crock pot and make soup.  My grandma has a great taco soup recipe that I was dying to make.  Of course, I had to alter it, I can't leave any recipe alone.  My excuse is usually that I don't have all the ingredients and I don't want to make a trip to the store.  So here is my version of Taco Soup.

• 1 can of chicken broth
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with chiles
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small can of green chiles
• 1 pkt of taco seasoning
• 1 pkt of ranch dressing mix
• 1 can of water
• a few frozen chicken breasts

Everything went in the crockpot on low for several hours.  Maybe 6 hours.  I took out the chicken, diced it, and dumped it back in.  I switched the pot to warm until we were ready to eat.  I served with sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips.  It made TONS.  I probably have enough for a week.

Perfect fall food.  It warm, slightly spicy, filling, easy to make, and is enough for several meals.  Thanks Grandma!

Pillow Crazy

I have an addiction to pillows.  More specifically, pillow covers.  I adore how they change the feeling of the mood and are less effort than painting.  Recently, I was inspired by a tutorial on Pinterest to create my own personalized pillow cover.  Check that our here.

I used a fabric marker found at Michaels, a pillow cover from Ikea, a stencil, and a tape measure.

I chose this quote, also found on Pinterest.  No, I really don't have any creative ideas of my own.

"Never get tired of doing little things for others. Sometimes these little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts."

It took me about an hour to measure and stencil.  I think I'm just slow.  I let it set overnight and ironed it a few days later.

Here is my result.

I am thrilled with how it turned out,  It's much better than I expected.  I think it might look better if I chose a longer quote or used a smaller pillow cover, but hey, you work with what you got.

Safe Harbor

A dream is coming true, this week I finally broke down and ordered this:

Harbor Bed from Crate and Barrel

I've been dreaming of a new bed, and real bed, one my Hubby and I share and call our own.  The bed we currently have was one I purchased when I lived on my own, for my first apartment.  The mattress is over 10 years old,  and for whatever reason, it never really felt like OUR bed.  It was mine.  We have discussed upgrading for a while, but always put it off.  Now that we are in our house and putting down roots, it feels like it is time.


I admit, I have been window shopping for a while.  I've been pinning wood canopy beds on Pinterest for a year or more now.  It guess its the princess in me.  Unfortunately, that style of bed won't work in our bedroom.  Something about a ceiling fan.  Plus, I'm afraid it would overwhelm the room.  And while our room isn't small, it isn't really large either.  I opted for this bed to keep the space open and light.  I also debated the cost.  The price was overwhelming for me.  Several times I wondered if it was even worth it.  We could just get something cheap; something we could replace in a few more years.  However, I kept coming back to the same desire, I want something that lasts.  I want my marriage to last, so I have to put forth the effort and spend extra time to make it work.  The bedroom is a special place, a foundation for our marriage.  Its a place for relaxation, for restoration, for retreat.   This bed will last us for years, maybe even the rest of our lives.  Its a symbol of us.

With the new bed, comes a new mattress.  Yesterday, it was delivered.  Last night we slept on OUR new king mattress.  It was heavenly, even if it was resting on the floor.  In another week or two our bed should arrive and the package will be nearly complete.  In the meantime, I'm shopping for sheets, king pillows, and maybe a new quilt.  I promise I'll show you once its done.  Until then, I'm gonna snuggle up in bed.

Sunset

Have I told you how much I love this iphone camera?  I am capturing so many more photos simply because its always with me.

View from the boardwalk at the state park

Love the pink sky

This one is a bit  blurry, but I love the colors

Sunsets never cease to amaze me.

Angels

These pictures are from one night while we were walking on the beach.  My plan was to get exercise and enjoy the beautiful evening.  My kiddos had a different idea.

My sand angels.  

Its Just Hair

I know its just hair, and its not even mine.  But somehow, I'm still attached to it.  Finally, the Princess got a hair cut.

I've been procrastinating this for while.  She looks adorable in braids, pig-tails, pony-tails, basically anyway I can fix it.  And I like messing with her hair and trying new things.  The problem is, my Princess does NOT.  Honestly, she HATES it.  She screams when I try to comb it, or wash it.  "Mommy, No!  Mommy, stop!" she says.  Consequently, her hair is often a tangled mess, with bits of breakfast in it, and it hangs in her face.  I've tried clips, bows, and headbands, but to no avail.  She does not want any part of it.

Before:

She RARELY let me do this.

After:

So, I finally made an appointment.  She got chopped.  Several inches, actually.  Although, it doesn't look all that short in this photo.  Little girls do look adorable in bobs, so we might go a bit shorter the next time.  She received many compliments in the hair salon, and I do agree.  She is pretty cute four year old.  I think it even makes her look older.  I supposed we will keep it this way for a while and maybe grow it out again if she starts to show some interest in it.

Now I'm trying to resist turning the scissors on my own hair.