Thursday, February 28, 2013

Crock Put Chicken Tacos

I thought I would share on of mine and my husband's favorite recipes today. If I'm tired of cooking or know that I will be extremely exhausted when I get home from work, I just pull this little jewel out before I head to work, put it together, and tada! Easy dinner, coming right up!


Chicken Soft Tacos

1-1 1/2 lbs. frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes (with or without green chilies. I like to use one can Rotel, one can diced tomatoes.)
1 envelope taco seasoning

Place chicken in a medium sized crock pot. In a bowl, mix taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken (I use two forks and just rip it up!) Serve in flour tortillas.

So easy and so delicious! Blake (who is one 'selective' eater) can put 4-5 of these bad boys down. (Don't tell him I told you that...) I usually make a big pot full, put half of it in a container, and then freeze it.

I hope you all enjoy it!  

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Get Excited...Really Excited!

Ok, guys. I have some big(ish) news!! I've had a few friends who have been begging me to make hair tutorials. I haven't been motivated to do it, but I'm going to make myself motivated. Why? Because I said so!

Have you all heard of the blog "My Yellow Sandbox" or "Twist Me Pretty?" This lady is adorable and amazing. (She has the cutest kids, too!) I'm sure you've all seen her "30 Hairstyles/30 Days." If you haven't, check it out! You won't be disappointed! Anyway, I found her a couple years ago and have loved her ever since. I learned how to do my hair in so many different styles because of her. My only problem is that I just don't make the time to do anything. (Also, I have a bad neck, so I can't do too much with my hair. Excuses excuses, I know...but seriously.)

Here's the exciting news!! Starting on Sunday (the 3rd), I'm going to do 20 hairstyles in 20 days. I am SO pumped! I was going to do 30, but I think it would definitely be best if I only did 20 for right now. Wish me luck! I'm going to take the next 3 days to plan my hairstyles. If you all have any requests, let me know!


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

South Dakota Dreamin'













These are from mine and Blake's honeymoon. I miss South Dakota so very much...

Monday, February 25, 2013

"It's Electrifyin'!"


This is totally how I felt this morning.
 Static: v. Annoying, ridiculous, uncalled for. Yes, staticky (I've been debating on whether it's "staticy" or "staticky" because I don't think either of them are really considered a real word, so we're going with "staticky") hair is THE worst. Let me tell you about my night/morning...

I told myself yesterday that I would be going to bed early. Why? Because I woke up at 4:30 yesterday morning and never went back to sleep (Shout out to my parents! Thanks, mom and dad, for that gift!) Anyways, yesterday afternoon, we came home and I began cleaning our house. We have company coming this weekend, and it's the first time that a lot of them have seen our house. I worked all day Saturday trying to get the rest of our decorations up, only to make a huge mess. I ended up sitting down and watching the Oscars, yesterday afternoon, once I was done cleaning the dining and living room and kitchen. Next thing I know, it's 10:30 (so much for going to bed at 9!) So, I went to bed. I'm not sure what time it was when I finally fell asleep.

I woke up this morning, around 1, to my husband screaming. My first instinct was to yell back at him, so I did. Then I heard some gibberish, and I finally realized what was going on. Blake was in the bathroom and he was so sick. Wow, did/do I feel terrible about yelling at him... I got up and scrambled around trying to find him some medicine. (I'll spare the majority of the details...) I went back to bed, and around 4:30, I woke back up when Blake's alarm went off. (He has to be out of the house at 5am everyday this week.) I did go back to sleep today, but when my alarm went off at 6:45, I was NOT ready to get out of bed. Hello, snooze button!

7:10 came and I figured it would be a good time to start getting ready. I got out of the shower, blow dried my hair, and not only did it not want to dry, it didn't want to stay down. Static electricity! My hair was sticking to my face, my clothes, my everything! At this point, it was 7:55, 15 minutes after I was supposed to leave for work. I ran and got the one thing in my house that I have that I know fixes static problems - dryer sheets! Yes, dryer sheets work, people. I'm sure there are beauty products out in the world that fixes static hair problems, but why spend so much money on that when you can buy a huge box of dryer sheets, something almost everyone uses, for $5?! I just rubed it all over my head, and *boom!* It calmed down!

What are some things that you all use when your hair is crazy staticky!

I made a list, for you, of some of the easiest, cheapest ways to control those bad boys (aka - your hairs):

  • dryer sheets
  • lotion (Not a lot! You don't want super nasty, oily hair.) This also helps with those skirts, dresses, or slips that stick to you while your walking around.
  • your every day hair spray
  • rubber combs
  • not wearing rubber-soled shoes
  • baby powder

Oh, I just love the winter time. I love a nice "Einstein head" with extra dry skin!


Friday, February 22, 2013

Funky Friday

This week has been ridiculous. I've been in such a weird funk this week, but especially today. It's winter. That means it's cold(ish), wet, dark, and just plain dreary. If I wanted to live in a place where the sun never came out and it was wet all the time, I'd move to Seattle. But, enough with the complaining. I've been in this funk and I need to get out of it. Next week, Blake and I are having his family over for an ugly sweater party. Who's excited? This girl! I've been putting up our decorations that we've had since we moved in to get ready for it, and now our house is beginning to really feel like home. I'll be doing some crafts this weekend, so I'll be sure to report back on Monday with pictures and tutorials! Until then, have a wonderful weekend. Oh, and tomorrow, I'll be home ALL DAY! Woohoo! I'll be sure to make a lot of hair tutorials! (AKA - sorry I've been so boring lately! It's all about to change!)


Happy Weekend!


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Spring Fashion


Exaggerated Volume


60s Silhouettes



Frill Me


White Hot

Lucky for me, white, black, 60s style, and baggy clothes are really in this season.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Quick and Easy Crafts

Hello, Better Homes and Gardens. I love you.


Ribbon Glasses Case




Owl Pencil Holder




Decorative Tea Towels




Cherry Place Mat




Adorable Hot Pads




Retro Apron




Tissue Pack Cover

I know what I'll be doing in the upcoming weeks... Hi, fabric sale racks at Wal-Mart!

Just click on the pictures and it will send you to each page that has detailed directions on how to make each of these crafts! Of course, in the weeks to come, you'll find them right here on this blog... Have fun! I know I will!

Tuesday Lovin'

Some things that I'm loving today...


Duck Dynasty - 'Nuff said, Jack!


My Mary Kay Mineral Powder. I love this stuff!


I know... I know... It's my wand again. Seriously though, I love it!


My Paula Dean Baking Dish from my lovely mother.

Side note: I learned how to create a link to the websites that I got the pictures from through the pictures. Click on the pictures and it will take you to the website!

Monday, February 18, 2013

"Easy Lasagna"

Hello, my name is Heather, and I'm about to tell you one of the easiest, most delicious things that you can make. Are you ready? Lasagna. Ok, technically it isn't lasagna. But seriously, it tastes a whole lot like it, but better! You see, I don't like lasagna. I'm really not sure why. I just never have. Oh, and by the way, when I came across this recipe, I thought, "Hmm...this sounds disgusting." But I made it and loved it, along with my VERY picky husband. (I love that man, but he needs some lessons on the word "yummy.")

I do have a confession; I lost the recipe. I'm sorry! It isn't called "Easy Lasagna." I don't remember what it's called! All I know is that it's easy and tastes like lasagna.


This is from the first time I made this dish for Blake and I.
Note to self: start taking more pictures while cooking!!


Ingredients:

browned meat
spaghetti sauce
sour cream
mozzarella cheese
uncooked crescent rolls
margarine

Directions:  

Once you've browned the meat, mix it with the spaghetti sauce. This will be your first layer in your baking dish. (There's 3 layers.) Next, mix the sour cream and mozzarella cheese. Layer that on top of the meat/sauce. Then, lay out the crescent rolls (see above image.) I got a can that came with 8 crescent rolls and that covered my medium sized pan. Melt some butter and spread that over the crescent rolls once you have them layed out. Cook on 350 for 20-25 minutes (until the crescent rolls are a golden brown.) Once it is done baking, spread some mozzarella cheese over the top and let it melt. Boom! The end!

Since I don't have the recipe, I'm not sure of how much to use of everything. I made it yesterday for a dinner between worship services and I just got everything and made enough to fit into a large baking dish (which, by the way, came home empty...) I used a whole jar of spaghetti sauce, I have no idea how much meat, 3/4 of a medium sized sour cream tub, a whole bag of mozerella cheese (it was a regular bag), and around 2 tbs of margarine.

I hope you all enjoy it as much as my husband and I do, along with everyone from Church!

Where Did It Go?

Hello? Weekend! Where are you?

Yes, I have lost my weekend. It's been misplaced. If you find it, please bring it back to me!


I feel like I should explain a couple of these pictures...

The first one is a picture of my friend and I in 2008. Emily and I have been best friends since we were 3. You don't just find a friendship like ours anywhere. No matter what dumb thing I've done, Emma has always been there for me. She's one of the things I miss most about home.

The second picture (top row) would be my curly hair (thank you new wand!) I LOVE it!!

Bonds of Matrimony - a note written by the preacher who did mine and Blake's wedding. It was so sweet - it made me cry...

The two adorable girls on the bottom are Blake's cousins. I love them dearly!

Friday, February 15, 2013

What's Goin' On?


Have a wonderful weekend! See you all on Monday!

Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast Recipe


Ingredients

  • FRENCH TOAST
  • Butter, For Greasing
  • 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
  • 8 whole Eggs
  • 2 cups Whole Milk
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
  • Topping
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • Freshly Grated Nutmeg, Optional
  • 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
  • Warm Syrup, For Serving
  • Butter, For Serving
  • 1 cup Fresh Blueberries, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably). Or you can make it and bake it right away---delicious no matter what!
For the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour-plus or more for a firmer, crisper texture.
Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with warm pancake syrup and sprinkle with blueberries.



My Soul is the Sky


My Soul is the Sky

How delicious does this recipe from The Pioneer Woman look? I found the recipe on My Soul is the Sky's blog. Since I was too busy having date night last night, I didn't get to do any cooking or hair styling, so some pictures and a recipe will just have to do!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

What is Your Acne Telling You?

Acne - one word almost everyone hates (at least those of us who has to deal with it!) I never had acne. Never! I used to get so many compliments about my skin. It was awesome! Then, 16 rolled around... Oh, how I wish I could go back to my pre-teens and relive those care-free days. I never had major problems, but I had enough problems to where I was really embarrassed about it. It was only in certain places though. It's always been around my temples and between my eyebrows. I always wondered why, and then, one day I found this acne map!


1 & 2: Digestive System — Eat less processed or junk food, reduce the amount of fat in your diet, step up water intake and opt for cooling things like cucumbers.
3: Liver — Cut out the alcohol, greasy food and dairy. This is the zone where food allergies also show up first, so take a look at your ingredients. Besides all this, do 30 minutes of light exercise every day and get adequate sleep so your liver can rest.
4 & 5: Kidneys — Anything around the eyes (including dark circles) point to dehydration. Drink up!
6: Heart — Check your blood pressure and Vitamin B levels. Decrease the intake of spicy or pungent food, cut down on meat and get more fresh air. Besides this, look into ways to lower cholesterol, like replacing “bad fats” with “good fats” such as Omegas 3 and 6 found in nuts, avocados, fish and flax seed. Also, since this area is chock-full of dilated pores, check that your makeup is not past its expiry date or is skin-clogging.
7 & 8: Kidneys — Again, drink up! And cut down on aerated drinks, coffee and alcohol as these will cause further dehydration.
Zone 9 & 10: Respiratory system — Do you smoke? Have allergies? This is your problem area for both. If neither of these is the issue, don’t let your body overheat, eat more cooling foods, cut down on sugar and get more fresh air. Also keep the body more alkaline by avoiding foods that make the body acidic (meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, sugar) and adding more alkalizing foods like green veggies and wheatgrass juice. Another thing that most of forget – dirty cell phones and pillow cases are two of the top acne culprits and this area is what they affect the most!
Zone 11 & 12: Hormones — This is the signature zone for stress and hormonal changes. And while both are sometimes unavoidable, you can decrease their effect by getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water, eating leafy veggies and keeping skin scrupulously clean.
Zone 13: Stomach — Step up the fiber intake, reduce the toxin overload and drink herbal teas to help with digestion.
14: Illness — Zits here can be a sign that your body is fighting bacteria to avoid illness. Give it a break, take a yoga class, take a nap, take time to breathe deeply, drink plenty of water and know that everything always works out!

So, what is your skin telling you? Mine is telling me that I probably have some food allergies (which I already know) because I don't drink, so that's not the problem, and that I'm dehydrated (something else I know...) I have a major problem trying to remember to drink water! I love water, but I just don't drink enough of it!

Now, onto what I do for my acne. Every morning, I use an oil free face wash. Every night, I use the same face wash, but I also do a scrub. (I LOVE St. Ives!) After washing my face in the morning and at night, I use Deep Cleanser Formula Number 3 from Mary Kay.


Let me tell you something - after I started using this, my acne went away. Yes, I have the occasional zit every now and then, but for the most part, my face is usually zit free! It works wonders!

I hope this helps you, and I hope the acne map is as interesting and helpful to you as it is to me!

Blake Lively Kind Of Braid

Happy Valentines Day!

Do you all have a favorite actor or actress? I sure do! My favorite actor is Hugh Jackman. Man oh man, I don't mind watching iron come out of his knuckles! But, my favorite actress is Blake Lively. She is so cute! I love her style, her hair, and her face. Seriously. She is gorgeous. People shouldn't be allowed to be that pretty! And then she marries Ryan Reynolds? Enough said.

Anyways, do you all remember this famous braid of hers?

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/blake-lively

Do you believe in love at first site? Well, the moment I set my eyes on this, my heart skipped a couple of beats. It's so beautiful, so messy, so perfect. I tried to do something similar. It's no where near as wonderful, but I tried!



Basically, what I did, I took half of my hair and did a fishtail braid. Then I gathered the hair that I did nothing with and tied it to the bottom of the fishtail braid with a small elastic. I think there's more to her braid than just a simple fishtail. I kind of liked the way mine turned out though. Maybe you guys should try it and send me pictures and let me know how you did yours!

Have a wonderful Love Day! 


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Amazingness In a Jar

Have you ever tasted something and thought, "If I were ever stranded on an island, this is what I would want with me..." Every time I eat Nutella, I have thoughts like that. But, who created it? Where does it come from? What is it made of? Why is it so amazing? Well, lets take a look!

Who Created It? "Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company."

Where does it come from? Italy!

What is it made of? Well, it was created in the 1940s, and do to the shortage of cocoa during WWII, Ferrero used hazelnuts to extend the chocolate supply. So it is made up of cocoa, hazelnuts, and skim milk.

Why is it so amazing? One word - Chocolate!

Seriously, if you've never had it, you should try it. It is so delicious! It's a perfect snack. You can eat it in so many different ways! Nutella cookies. Nutella toast. Nutella crackers. Try it! Now! 





Criss-Cross Half 'Do



(I'm not too proud of this tutorial. My husband did an excellent job taking the pictures, but right now, I don't have any good photo editing programs, so we've been using my phone. How sad is that? I have some photo editing programs on my desktop computer, but my desktop is so slow. One day, it'll look a lot better! Until then, try to enjoy!)

This is one of the easiest hairstyles. One thing I love about this is that you can do the same style, but style it differently each time. I only did three strands of hair, but you can do however many you want, however thick you want it! I took some hair and brought it to the opposite side of my head and pinned it. Then, I took some hair (from the side I had just pinned the other hair) and brought it to the opposite side and pinned it. The second picture on the left row is me pinning the second strand of hair. (I tried to lay the hair in a position so that it would hide the bobby pins.) You can do it however many times you would like to! It's fun and SO easy!

(Side note: I don't like my hair to be "perfect". I like the messier hairstyles, if you couldn't tell!)

Monday, February 11, 2013

La Curly Hairs

Remember my second post where I mentioned needing a new wand? (No, not a "Harry Potter" wand...) Well, *drum roll*, I ordered it last night! I'm so excited! A couple years ago, I had a friend do my hair with her wand for a Gospel Meeting we were at. I fell in love with my hair. Literally. I just couldn't stop looking at the curls. It was perfect!



Check it out on Amazon!

I bought it on Amazon for $31.99, free shipping and handling! I saved $168.1! What a deal! I'm really excited because I know for a fact that this wand works on my hair and will do a fantastic job! Here's some pictures for proof:


My friend who did my hair is on the far left.
(This picture is from my friend's Facebook, in my "Photos of Me" album.)


(This picture is from my friend's Facebook, in my "Photos of Me" album.)



(You'll have to ignore my fat self. I gained so much weight that summer. Sadly, I'm almost to that weight again, but not for long!)

Anyways, look at my wavy hair! I just loved it. The curls stayed in my hair all day. It was really nice. I'm excited to get my wand try different things with it. I'll let you know how it works out!

Weekend in Pictures



Morgan and I doing some modeling


James Spann's update on Facebook showing tornadoes in the
path of some friend's who were heading to Louisiana.



Screen shot of a weather update for Hattiesburg, MS. I was
so freaked out about my friends driving through these storms...

I got to spend my weekend in the good 'ole Land of Opportunity (aka: Opp, AL). I absolutely love it down there. It's all country, which reminds me of home. I grew up in a tiny, little, country town. It's filled with farm land, a Sonic, a Dollar General store, and a couple of stop signs. It's beautiful, and I miss it. Blake preaches in Opp, AL once a month. It's something I look forward to every month. It helps with me being so homesick. The people are just so sweet!

Friday, February 8, 2013

Unhealthy and Healthy - What?

Blake (my husband) and I are doing this healthy thing called "Being Healthy." Yea, it's foreign to us, too. Just kidding! I like being healthy, but I love unhealthy foods. Food is one of my weak spots. If you put a cheeseburger in front of my face, *boom*, it's gone! I love delicious foods, and that's why I'm here to tell you that you can be unhealthy and still be healthy! (Well, kind of...)
 

*BAM! BAM!*

                                   
I found this seasoning at Wal-Mart. (FYI: It isn't really $43 in the store. I'm not sure why it's $43 online.) Oh. My. Goodness. It's so good! When I started pouring the seasoning onto my chicken, it smelt like pasta! (This is where the unhealthy while being healthy comes in...) It felt like I was being so bad - like I was cooking a big pot of pasta! But I wasn't! I was being healthy! Eating healthy is easier when you have more delicious foods. Foods that you will enjoy and not cringe every time you think about it.

I hope you all enjoy it as much as Blake and I did!

Small Messy Bun Tutorial

Last night, I decided to do a little test run of a hair tutorial - I recorded myself doing a messy bun. I learned a couple of things about myself: 1. I talk through my nose. 2. I am a little corny. Instead of publishing that awful video I recorded, I made Blake get out of bed to take pictures of me. I'm such a kind wife!




(Note to self: Wear a nice shirt - not an old high school shirt. Also, do hair tutorials after a shower - not when hair is like a stick and won't cooperate. Oh, and stay away from the light switch.)

You may be thinking, "Wow! Her hair is so long!" Well, I've never cut it. Ever. Since my hair is so long, and I was wanting a simple, small, messy bun, I did two "half ponytails." You can do however many you want! Oh, and the second to the last picture is me putting bobby pins into my hair. I just grab wads of hair and then stick a bobby pin in. This hairstyle is so fast and easy - I love it.

I hope this was helpful. Since it's my first one, please don't be harsh, but let me know your thoughts! How to improve and whatnot!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Cottage Dreamin'

Decorating has never been a gift of mine. I am definitely trying to do more decorting and getting better at it, but it's not something that I should try and do for a living. When I first moved to Alabama, I was so down about our house. I want it to look great! I want my husband to be proud of me! So one day, I went on a search to find some inspiration. That's where Better Homes and Gardens comes in. Words cannot explain how much I love this website. There's so many ideas! They have some really amazing DIY projects that I just love. Here's a few from the Cottage section that I found and loved.

What? You don't like the plain, $5 pillow you found on sale?
Just stitch some colorful fabric to the front!


You don't know what to do with those random picture frames?
Hang them on a random wall, with random pictures, in a random pattern!


I absolutely love this area. The frames with a hook in
them to hang decoration - brilliant and cute!
Check out the other ideas that they have! This little cottage is adorable! 
The photos in this post were not taken by me. They can be found on the Better Homes and Gardens website.