First Band Concert

Ashlan had her first band concert this week.

Back in April, Ashlan had to make the decision of whether to enroll in band, orchestra, or choir for her 6th grade year.  I just knew she would pick choir, but to our surprise, she picked band.  When she went for her appointment in late Spring to pick out which instrument would be the best for her, she and the band instructors decided flute was the perfect fit for her (mainly because of her long arms)

All three of my kids have now played an instrument in school.

Nick was in orchestra and played the bass.

Kate was in band and played percussion.

And now Ashlan is in band playing the flute.

Will Ashlan stay in band after this year?  I don't know, but right now, she does seem to enjoy it.

They had their first concert this week.  This is the largest 6th grade band her school has ever had.

They sounded great and we are so proud of Ashlan!

Aunt Traci was in town for jury duty, so she was able to surprise Ashlan at her concert.

And my parents were able to come see the concert, as well.

Way to go, Ashlan!

  FLUTES RULE!

One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff

I cooked a lot of meals this week, but most of them weren't tasty enough to share.

I did have one meal that stood out, though.

This recipe caught my eye due to the description of it - ONE POT.

I'm all about an easy clean up

 It's definitely a one pot recipe and a tasty one at that!

Typically I would use ground turkey, but I decided to keep this recipe as beef.

Soooo tasty!

(photo and recipe courtesy of TasteAndTell)

Ingredients
 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
½ cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
2 teaspoons paprika
4 cups low sodium beef broth
8 oz dry rotini
½ cup sour cream
fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions
 
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a pot or large skillet.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the pot into a bowl and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot.
Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent, 4-5 minutes.
 Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Add the ground beef and continue to cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon as it cooks, until it is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the paprika over the top and stir to combine.
Pour in the beef broth and the pasta.
Bring to a light boil then cover the pot.
Continue to cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 17-20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mushrooms and sour cream.
Serve topped with fresh parsley.

I've made Beef Stroganoff many times before, but I've always made it in the crock pot and it's almost always been with beef chunks.  

This was a nice and easy twist (stovetop and ground beef), 

and was a big hit with everyone in the family.

Football Cookies

This week I was going to make a huge batch of cut-out cookies for an event supporting our school district.  That order was cancelled within hours of it being made, but I had already started experimenting with the cookies in regards to the theme of the event.  

Needless to say, when it cancelled, I really needed someone to take the cookies off my hands 

before I ate them all - because I do that.  All. The.Time.

So I immediately thought about my next door neighbor who plays 5th grade football.  

His mom said she would gladly take them and hand them out to the football team this week at practice.

These were fun to make!  Glad they were able to get into someone else's belly, instead of mine!

Sunday Favorites

This whole week I've felt like this....

Productive cough, can't breath, achy, tired.....just plain blah.

If you know anything about our family, it's that we don't go to the doctor unless we are dying!!

Seriously.  

But I know I'm not dying....yet.  So I've been taking OTC cough medicine (nastiest medicine ever), ibuprofen, and drinking lots of apple cider.

Though, I did manage to enjoy some favorites things and moments from this week that I can share.

1. Essie Lady-Like

This is my nail polish for the week.  It's neutral.  

And I like it.

(Again, excuse the short nails.  There is no hope.  They will never grow)

2. Timehop App

Do you have the Timehop App on your phone?  It's an app that brings together your old posts and pictures from your iphone, facebook, instagram, twitter, etc...and replays your past a day at a time.

I love it and look forward to checking it every day.

This week this picture popped up from 3 years ago.  Some of my favorite moments spent with the girls are in the kitchen together.  This was one of those moments.

3. Pink Out

This week was Pink Out week for our school district.  I decided to make some special cookies for Kate ,and also for Jenny, her big sister on the dance team.  Here are Jenny's cookies. 

And just for kicks, a friend sent me this picture of the Sophmore Majestics

(Kate is on the top row, center left)

4. Rain, and lots of it

The rain rolled in this week and the dogs and I sat under the porte cache and waited for it to fall.

Thankful for the rain which we so desperately needed!

5. The Island

This is what I'm currently reading.  It was referred to me by a friend.

I can't really give you a review on it yet, because I'm only one chapter into it.

But my friend recommended it, and the online reviews are good....so I am betting I'll like it.

You may have already read it.  It's been out 2-3 years, I think.

Wishing you a great upcoming week of Halloween festivities and fun!!!!!

OctoberFest Meal

My goal for the month of October was to prepare a true German meal for my family.

Due to kids activities and my husbands call schedule, we weren't able to attend my favorite OctoberFest in downtown McKinney this year, so I made up for it by celebrating during a family meal.  This was such a fun meal to make.  I googled various German recipes, found the ones that were the easiest (because that's how I roll), and started cooking.

 Here is what I made for our meal:

German Beer Cheese Soup
(My girls didn't eat this. They saw me pour beer into the soup and they flipped out. They are ages 15 and 11.  I hope they always flip out when they think they might consume beer!)

 What you need:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves peeled garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
16 ounces beer (I used Spaten)
1 Tablespoon Dijon or stone-ground mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
Salt & Pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic; saute 10 minutes.
Add the flour and stir well. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes until the flour turns golden brown.
Combine the milk and half-and-half. Slowly pour into flour mixture, whisking constantly until combined.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the beer and mustard. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently until foam subsides.
Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese a handful at a time. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

German Cucumber Salad

 

 What you need:

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cucumber
1 medium to large tomato
2 slices onion (slice like you would for onion rings)
2-4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 tsp dill
Pinch of salt

Peel and slice your cucumber, slice your tomato, and slice your onion.
In a bowl, combine dill and salt.
Add sour cream or yogurt and lemon juice to taste. Mix well.
Add onion, cucumber, and tomato to the mixture and stir until the veggies are coated with the dressing.

 Slow Cooker Bratwursts

What you need:

1 package of Bratwursts (whichever flavor/type you prefer)
1 onion, sliced
2 cups apple juice (the apple juice makes all the difference in this recipe)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Brown the sides of the bratwursts in a skillet on the stove.  After the sides are browned, place bratwursts in your slow cooker.  Top with sliced onion.  Mix together apple juice and Dijon mustard, then pour over everything in your slow cooker.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours, making sure they are cooked thoroughly before serving.

Other items I found to go along with our meal were:

At World Market:

Traditional German chocolate (the girls thought it was gross)

Spatzle - traditional German egg noodle/dumplings

Drinking glasses (the girls loved this part of the meal)

they filled their boots with apple juice to look like beer

And at Whole Foods, I picked up a package of the soft, pretzels bites....YUM!

So here's the picture that my 11 year old took of the meal.  Complete with German theme napkins and all.  Unfortunately,  I didn't snap any pictures.  During the last few minutes of cooking, I burnt 3 fingers.  It was bad, folks.  I cried all through dinner with my entire hand in a bag of ice.  I've never burnt myself this bad before. 

(my husband may or may not have given me an expired hydrocodone 

out of the medicine cabinet to stop my whining)

Thank you, Ashlan, for snapping this picture!!

(by the way, it's been 3 days and my fingers are much better now)

Butterfinger Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie + Cheesecake + Butterfinger = Heaven

I have way more Halloween candy than I need.  I buy bags and bags of it, yet I know our neighborhood doesn't get any trick or treaters.  There are about 35 homes in our small neighborhood, and almost every home has a child of trick or treating age......but there's bigger neighborhoods around us with more homes, so that's where all the families go on Halloween.  I've heard from neighbors that none of the families in our hood trick or treat in our hood.  Sad, right.

But I still have all this candy......

So I'll just use the candy bars to bake things..

And I'll start with using Butterfinger bars...

photo and recipe courtesy of BakerByNature

Ingredients

For the brownie batter:
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the butterfinger cheesecake:
8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, very soft
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
12 mini butterfinger bars (or 5 regular), roughly chopped, divided

For the peanut butter glaze:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Instructions

For the brownie batter:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper; spray parchment paper and any exposed pan lightly with non-stick spray; set aside.
Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until completely melted; whisk smooth and remove pan from heat.
Pour melted chocolate into a large, heatproof bowl and whisk in the sugar, beating well.
Add in the eggs and egg yolk and beat smooth.
Gently whisk in the salt and flour, stirring until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

For the butterfinger cheesecake:
Using a handheld mixer beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until completely smooth.
Add in the sugar and egg yolks and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
Fold in the chopped butterfingers, reserving 1/4 cup for later use.
Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the brownie batter.
Gently stir with a knife for a marbled look. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the center is just set.
Cool brownie cheesecake bars in the pan, on a wire rack, COMPLETELY before cutting.

For the peanut butter glaze:
Place the peanut butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, cook, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
Whisk in confectioners' sugar.

When ready to serve:
Cut cheesecake brownies into bars. Sprinkle the top of each bar with a little of the reserved butterfinger crumble, then drizzle with the peanut butter glaze.

 Let these completely cool before eating.  In fact, place them in the fridge overnight, and if you have serious control over yourself (which I don't), don't eat one until the following day when it's been nice and chilled for 12 hours.  Divine!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Instead of making a chili this weekend (we like to eat chili on Sundays while watching football) 

I found a Pumpkin Soup recipe that sounded yummy.  I was surprised at how easy this recipe was.

I think this might be the first pumpkin soup I've ever made.  Our family decided that we need to keep this recipe on hand for Thanksgiving, because a small cup of this soup would make a great side dish to any Thanksgiving meal!

photo and recipe courtesy of OhMy-Creative

Ingredients

4 tbsp. margarine
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 - 14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1 - 29 oz. can plain pumpkin
1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Melt margarine in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions and carrots, cook 5 minutes or until soft.
2. Add broth, water, pumpkin, apple, ginger, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Cool mixture slightly by removing from heat for a short period of time. Using a blender or food processor, puree soup in batches. I use an immersion blender blending it right in the pot.
4. Return blended soup to pot and whisk in heavy cream by hand. Reheat, but do not boil! Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top and serve!
Enjoy!

 I wish I had a loaf of french bread to serve with this soup, but I didn't, so I made some toast to go with it.  This soup is delicious!
The recipe made several servings, so we had some for the following day, as well.
Still just as delicious!

Sunday Favorites

Another busy, but fun week!

We are well into the middle of October, and I'm still just as giddy as ever. 

Pumpkin patches, pumpkin recipes, chilly evenings, football, and we even turned on our patio fireplace for the first time this week!

  Hooray for Fall, and Hooray for October!

I've got several things to share with you from this week that quickly became my favorites....

1. You've Been Booz'ed

I mean, come on....how genius is this!  We've already boo'd multiple families this month and have been boo'd ourselves a few times, as well.....

But this was on our porch early last week.

The kids were boo'ed and there was candy for them..

But best of all....

Brent and I were Booz'ed and there were a few beers there for us.

GENIUS!  I fell in love with this idea!

Thank you to whoever Boo'ed/Booz'ed us!  You rock!

 

2. Biotin and Collagen Shampoo/Conditioner

My hair has been thinning for the past 3 years.  And when I say thinning, I mean falling out like crazy, all the time, everywhere.  I've had my blood tested, thyroid tested - all normal.  I take every vitamin you can think of - no luck.  It's all due to stress, people.

Between the 2 years we spent building this house,  raising 3 kids, carpooling to activities every.single.day,  keeping a college kid sane when he's 6 hours from home,  etc...  my body has taken the blunt of it.  

But I came across this stuff last week and it makes my hair look so much fuller and healthier.

Now if I could only get this constant stress under control, I may be headed in the right direction

3. The Good Girl

My friend came into town from New York this past weekend.  She had just finished this book and gave it to me to read next.  I usually stick with the chic flick book, self-help, love story type books....but this one isn't any of those.  It's suspenseful and unexpecting, and I'm loving it.

I'm 3/4 of the way through the book and I plan to finish it today.  Can't wait to see how it ends!

4. Pumpkin Butter (Trader Joes)

My sweet Mother-in-Law texted me a few weeks ago about this pumpkin butter and how good it was.

If you know my mother in law, she has excellent taste and is the best cook that I know.  If she recommends a food/spice/recipe, you know it's going to be good.  I've had the pumpkin butter on my list of items to buy for weeks, but I just couldn't fit the trip to Trader Joe's into my schedule....until this week.  

Hello, Pumpkin Butter!!!!  

I've enjoyed it on toast every single morning this week and so has my husband 

( in fact, he just ate 2 pieces of toast with pumpkin butter about 3 minutes ago)

If you have plans to visit Trader Joe's soon, toss this in your basket.  And while you're at it, you know that Cookie Butter that's so popular there.....they now have Pumpkin Spice Cookie Butter

(we have been eating that by the spoonful this week)

5. Cheetos Bag of Bones

I love Cheetos....Toss them in white cheddar instead....even better!

I found this bag of Cheetos and thought it would be a fun addition to the pantry for the month of October - Bag of Bones.  Cute, huh?

I love the Bag of Bones, and I love the white cheddar flavor.  Double thumbs up!

6.  Essie - Fishnet Stockings

Essie - Clear Top Coat

My color for the week.  

It's not a true red, it's not burnt red, it's not mauve....it's just a color that I really like.

And the Essie clear top coat is a must have!  It adds a coat of protection to your polish, and it makes my nails have that professional shine.

(Excuse my short, stubby nails)

 

7. Exterior Lighting

When we built the house, our builder (as a gift to us) provided our front exterior lighting.

That was such a thoughtful thing for him to do. Love our builder

But after being in the house for 4 months, we thought it needed more front lighting. This week we had that additional lighting installed, as well as lighting up our back yard around the pool area.  We used The Perfect Light for this installation and couldn't be more pleased with the way it looks.  

Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!

Mini Hot Brown Sliders

A warm turkey, bacon, and tomato slider with the most delicious sauce on top...

That's what this recipe is.

(photo and recipe courtesy of TasteAndTellBlog)

What you need:

5 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 dinner or potato rolls, split
9 oz deli sliced turkey
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
12 slices cooked bacon, cut in half
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups milk
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions
Preheat the broiler.
Spread the mayonnaise on the cut sides of the rolls. 

Place the rolls, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Broil just until golden, 1-2 minutes. 

Reduce the oven to 200ºF.
Divide the turkey among the roll bottoms. 

Top each with a slice of tomato and 2 half-slices of bacon. 

Place the baking sheet back into the oven to keep warm while preparing the sauce.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. 

Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two, then whisk in the milk slowly. 

Add the parmesan and paprika. 

Stir until the sauce thickens, 4-5 minutes. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cheddar. 

Stir until the cheese has melted completely. 

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle the cheese sauce over the sandwich bottoms (about 1 tablespoon each) and then add the roll top. 

Serve warm.

We loved this meal! 

 All four of us ate two sliders each, along with a side salad and some chips.

And the four sliders that were leftover, my girls told me to store in the fridge overnight so they could take them for lunch the next day.  Score!

Grilled Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

What a relaxing weekend we just had.

We slept in, watched football, ate chili, ate more chili, took afternoon naps on the patio, etc...

I wish we had more weekends like this one.

I cooked one of Brent's favorite chilis, Santa Fe Chili.

I've made it multiple times before.  You can click here for the recipe.

And for dessert on Sunday, I found a dessert recipe that uses the grill.

If you haven't noticed lately, I've posted a few recipes where the entire meal is wrapped in foil and cooked on the grill.  I'm loving these meals, mostly for the easy clean up.

This was my first dessert to grill.   It was sooooo good!

I will be making this again and again...

(photo and recipe courtesy of MustHaveMom)

Ingredients
1½ Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Pineapple Ring (I used the chunks which I think is better)
1 Maraschino Cherry
1 slice of Pound Cake (individual size)
1 Square of non-stick foil

Instructions
Mound brown sugar in center of foil and top with butter.
Put pineapple ring (or chunks) on top and place cherry in the center somewhere.
Top with the pound cake slice.
Close foil to form a packet and roll edges shut.
Grill sugar side down on medium-high heat for 12 minutes.

It was as good as it looks!

As you can see I used my fork to mix it all up before I dove in

Sunday Favorites

Hope you had a wonderful week!

Being well into the month of October and I'm a happy girl.

October may just be my most favorite month of the year!

That being said, my favorites this week started with hitting up the local Pumpkin Patch

It's not uncommon for me to stop at every pumpkin patch I see and buy at least one pumpkin.

1. Pumpkins

 We hit up our local patch first this week and bought several pumpkins.  Several meaning ~17 

I scattered them around the back patio, around the pool, and placed several on the front porch.

Again, one of the main reasons I am in love with October - Pumpkins! 

2. A Moment

I love to experience unexpected moments that take you by surprise, a happy surprise that is.

I was messing with the dining room fireplace early one morning before school, when Ashlan walks in, sits down on the chair next to the fireplace, and starts playing her flute.  It was probably around 6:45am, still dark outside, the glow of the fireplace, and a sweet girl in her pjs softly playing her flute.

It was a moment....And one I quickly snapped a picture of.

3. Animal Print Canvas Slip Ons

My best friend and I met up this week to spend some time shopping and chatting over lunch.  She needed to grab some things inside Old Navy so I joined her.  We both found these canvas animal print shoes and fell in love.  SOLD!

Extremely comfortable and they go with everything.  Really, they do.

4.  Woodchuck Hard Cider - Gumption

My friend is here this weekend visiting from New York, and she brought with her a 6-pack of this stuff.  Have I never had hard cider before?  This was heavenly on my taste buds ignore the fact it was also a sugar pit heaven in the pit of my stomach 

The 6-pack is gone and I plan to restock my outdoor fridge with it. 

I feel like this is a lady's drink.  So ladies, go get a 6-pack of this.

You won't be disappointed!  And you can thank me later!

Have a great week!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

After how many times I've made some sort of Chicken Spaghetti recipe, I can't believe I've never posted one on this blog.   But finally, I'm here to share one with you.

There are so many ways to make chicken spaghetti.  Some with peppers and chiles, others without any vegetables at all.  Some with cream of mushroom, others with cream of chicken.  Some with red sauce, others without.  Literally, if you search Chicken Spaghetti, you'll find a wide variety.

I made this one this week which we all enjoyed (including my neighbors who enjoyed it too) 

This is a recipe worth posting and it's worth your time making it for your family....promise.

photo and recipe courtesy of PlainChicken

 

4 cups cooked, chopped chicken (I cooked and diced 4 chicken breasts)

12 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup1/4 cup chicken broth
16 oz sour cream 

1 stick of butter, melted
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs


Preheat oven to 350.

Combine first 12 ingredients.  Spread into a lightly greased 9x13-inch dish (or 2 9x9-inch dishes).  Top with cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly.
 

 I served this with a side of salad and garlic bread.

Delicious!

Cajun-Style Foil Packet

I made another Foil Packet for dinner this week.  

This one was Cajun style. 

Seriously, these packets are so easy and always turn out so good!

8-12 pieces of corn on the cob (4 full cobs cut in half or in thirds)
4 red potatoes, washed and cubed
20-30 uncooked shrimp (peeled or not, it's up to you)
1 Lb. smoked sausage, cut into chunks
melted butter (or olive oil), to taste
1/2 c. chicken broth (you may not need that much)
Cajun/Creole seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

(makes 4 grill packets)
Heat grill to 400-degrees (you can do this in your oven, too, at the same temp.).
Evenly distribute corn, potatoes, shrimp, and sausage between 4 heavy-duty foil sheets (appx 12x18 inches each).
Drizzle melted butter and about 2 Tbsp. chicken broth over each foil packet.
Season evenly (and generously), to taste with Cajun seasoning and salt and pepper.
Tightly seal foil packets by folding up the sides over the contents and tightly folding up the ends over the seam.
Grill 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender, flipping once half-way through (be careful opening the packets to check for doneness, the steam inside is VERY hot)!

Here it is before I wrap it up and toss it on the grill

Off the grill and ready to eat

We loved this meal so much!!  

Will definitely make this again and again and again!

Sunday Favorites

Lots of fun favorites this week to share

1. Me Before You

I am slightly more than half way through this book and I love it.

It came to me recommended by a friend.

Here is a quote from an overview of the book:

-A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?-

 It's hard for me to put this book down.  I'll probably finish it today!

2. Ashlan's Competitive Dance Team Pictures

We had a fun time this week during Ashlan's dance studio photo shoot.

The appointment was only to take a picture of all the competitive team together.

But us moms took our nice cameras and snapped some individuals pictures and casual, fun pictures of our girls.  It was a beautiful day outside which made for some great pictures.  I wish I could share all of them!

The Junior Stars

 The Blonde Trio

2. OCTOBER

We entered one of my favorite months this week.

That meant pulling out all the tubs of Halloween and placing that decor around the house.

I clearly have an obsession with pumpkin people.

They are scattered everywhere throughout the house.

 

And of course I'm using my Halloween mugs now

4. Physician's Formula Mascara

I'm always buying new mascaras, even when I don't need them.

I love experimenting with them to see which ones lengthen the most, curl my lashes the most, don't clump as much, etc..

I've been seeing positive reviews for this brand lately, so I ventured over to Ulta this week and bought them.   Two different ones.  I do two layers of the green, followed by one layer of the silver.

Check our PF Mascara.  Loving it!  It lengthens, and curls....and doesn't clump. 

5. Nick's Visit

Nick is here right now.  He had a cancellation of classes on Friday, so he drove in for a long weekend.  We are definitely enjoying his company.

Besides the fact that he is overdue for a haircut, he's doing great!

Guns Up.....Go Texas Tech

(Although Baylor did beat them this weekend which was great for Brent and I, since we are Baylor alumni.  But we still love Tech.  Heck, that's where our money is going to right now!) 

 

We have a lot of fun activities planned today before Nick heads back tomorrow afternoon.

It's been a fun week around here.