What I Wore (Or Getting a Little "Me" Time)

Last night, I went to a Mom's Night In...right before I left, my hubs asked me if I was going to fix myself up a little.  Ummmmm....nooooooo???? I went makeup-free and low-maintenance. Granted, I don't usually go anywhere without makeup because I hate to do that to the rest of the world, but I knew it was going to be a small and intimate group at this particular event, so I felt comfortable enough to do that.

Also, I have recently started using coconut oil as a moisturizer, and I am loving how it feels and how my face seems brighter to me somehow. We'll see if the euphoria lasts.

At the MNI, my friend provided chargers and chalkboard paint and ribbon so that we could make a door hanger. I've never used chalkboard paint before, although I have had grand plans to do so, but after last night, I'm determined to do the project that I have in mind! The only issue that I have is that the directions on the paint can said that we have to wait 3 days to write on it...and any crafter knows that having patience is not an easy thing.

 

 

Plaid top: $5.50 (J.C. Penney)

Skinny jeans: Already had (F21)

Sandals: Already had (Old Navy)...it was in the 80's here yesterday!!!!

 

Linked up to The Pleated Poppy Real Girl Style

What I Wore (Or Taking a Risk)

I have been looking and looking for new ways to tie my scarves, and while there are a lot of "how to tie a scarf" tutorials, I think a lot of them look very.....mature, shall we say? I came across this picture the other day on Pinterest:


...and I loved how the scarf was tied (see the tutorial here at Sidewalk Ready). So cute, right?

Scarf: Already had (F21)
Sweater: Already had (Old Navy)
Red skinnies: $18.99 (Kohl's)
Boots: Already had (JC Penney)
Necklace: here

Linked up to the Vintage Modern Wife

What I Wore (Or It Felt Like I Was Wearing Pajamas)

Magenta sweater: Already had (Old Navy)
Leggings: $5.78 (Walmart)
Boots: $30 (Kohl's)
Necklace: Handmade by me (see the tutorial here)

Linked up to The Pleated Poppy Real Girl Style

How I Made a Rosette Necklace

I had someone ask me a while ago for a tutorial on a hot pink rosette necklace that I made...it's taken me a while to get this one up and going, but here it is!

1. I made 5 fabric rosettes.

2. I laid them out in the pattern I wanted on a piece of felt, traced around it, and cut the felt out.

3. I hot-glued the rosettes to the felt backing.

4. I cut two equal lengths of chain (you can buy the chain on a roll like this at Hobby Lobby for around $5...I have made at least four different types of necklaces out of it at this point, and still have plenty left!).

5. To one end of each piece of chain, I attached a jump ring. To one of the jump rings, I attached a lobster claw closure.

6. To attach the chain on each side of the necklace, I pulled the felt backing away from the rosette, put in a drop of hot glue, and sandwiched the chain in between the felt and the fabric.

That's it! See how it looks in an outfit here.

What I Wore

Cold weather has finally come to Texas. Can you see my little frost-bitten plant in the bottom left-hand corner? Poor thing. :(

I have Mexican Gumbo simmering and just waiting for my husband to walk in the door.

Top: Gift (F21)
Jacket: Hand-me-down (Steve and Barry)
Leggings: $5.98 (WalMart)
Boots: $30 Kohls
Scarf: $3.49 (eBay)

Linked up to The Pleated Poppy Rolled Up Pretty

What I Wore (Or I Finally Took a Picture)

I have really been slacking when it comes to posting lately! The reality is that when I'm getting everyone ready to go anywhere, I'm always the last one to be ready...my kids aren't all old enough to get ready unsupervised/unassisted yet...and so we're always rushing out the door, and typically running late. Would it help if I told you that I truly did wear some cute things this week? Truly?

Tonight I'm going to a Mom's Night In, so that means I'm going out solo. No one else to get ready but me. :) (And believe me, you don't want to see my kids right now...they look like such little ragamuffins! But I babysat 4 other kiddos for a friend today, and we read "The Sweetest Story Ever Told," and made sugar cookies...if you have school-age children, you should definitely check out that book. It's a keeper. But now the kids and I are just worn out, so they look like ragamuffins covered in flour and sprinkles and I'm leaving. :P)

White button-down: Already had (Brooks Brothers)
Gray sweater: $1.50 (Thrifted, Target)
Jeans: Already had (NY&Co.)
Boots: $30 (Kohl's)

Linked up to Real Girl Style The Pleated Poppy

How I Made Almond Shortbread (Or I May Never Leave My Kitchen Again)

Oh. My. Hannah.

I saw this Almond Shortbread on an episode of Trisha's Southern Kitchen a couple of weeks ago, and I absolutely had to make it. And it is beyond worth it. Please, for the love...you have to try this.

Almond Shortbread

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and salt onto the batter. Add the flavoring and stir well. Pour the batter into the skillet. Top with sliced almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes. Cool the shortbread in the skillet. When cool, use the foil to lift the shortbread from the skillet; remove the foil before serving.

I've never posted a recipe that I hadn't changed up in some way, but this one is so amazing just the way it is. So. Amazing.
Linked up to Petite Hermine

How I Made My Version of Pork Pie

So yesterday, while running my booty off on the treadmill, I happened to catch part of an episode of The Chew. You may think that it's counter-productive to watch food-related television (sometimes I entertain myself with a little Paula Deen) while exercising, but it works for me. I run to support my eating habit.

Just kidding.

Kind of.

The dish of the day was Pork Pie, offered by none other than Michael Symon (who else???). It looked so tasty, and I happened to have some pork products in my freezer, so I thought I'd riff on his pie a little bit. (You can find his version here.) He includes flavors in his that I'm sure are amazing, but  would never make it past my family.

Pork Pie
3 links of Italian sausage, removed from casings and browned
1/2 lb. ham, cubed
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 of an onion, chopped finely
bacon, cooked and crumbled (to taste)
1 cup sharp cheddar
1 cup water
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. celery salt

I put all of this into a stock pot and let it simmer. Symon said that the potatoes should only get to the point of being al dente; I brought it all to a boil and then reduced the heat for about 30 minutes.

After preheated my oven to 450 degrees, I made my pat-in-the-pan pie crust in my cast-iron skillet, and baked it for 10 minutes. Then I pulled the skillet out and put the pork filling in it.

I made a second crust using the same recipe as the first; the only difference is that the second time, I actually formed it into a ball and rolled it out on a floured countertop. (*If the dough is too wet, just add a little flour.) This went on top of the filling, and got an egg wash and some slits in the top to let the steam escape.

I heard someone once say that if something isn't pretty, we just say that it's "rustic." So here's my rustic pork pie, about to go into the oven.

It baked for 15 more minutes at 450. It came out looking like this:

We ate it along with a Caesar salad (my hubby's favorite).

A lot of times, we only think of pies as dessert, but savory pies are so tasty and a great option for cooking on a budget. This is a warm, filling, comforting meal.

Linked up to Delightful Order Thirty Handmade Days Walking On Sunshine

What I Wore (Or Mixing Up the Freebies)

A sweet girlfriend of mine came up to me at church this Sunday and handed me this lace shirt; she said it didn't fit her and asked if I wanted it. Ummmmm, yes. Since my picture is a little blurry, you can't see how cute it is, unfortunately. And ordinarily, I wouldn't wear both turquoise earrings and a turquoise necklace, but when I put them on, I liked them both so much that I didn't want to take either off. :) Also, you may recognize the pendant on the necklace from another post. Here I just switched it out to a longer chain.

Military jacket: Hand-me-down (Delia's)
Lace top: Gift
Jeans: Already had (F21)
Sandals: Already had (F21)

Linked up to All Things Alisa Rolled Up Pretty Two Thirty-five Designs

What I Wore

Top: $12.99 (T.J. Maxx)
Scarf: $3.49 (eBay)
Skirt: $5.50 (JC Penney)
Shoes: $9 (Target)
Belt: Came with a skirt (Rue 21)

Linked up to Style Statement Tuesday Helene in Between The Pleated Poppy Real Girl Style