Roaring Twenties Dress {DIY}

So, for the awesome Roaring 20s party, I mentioned that I made my own dress!  It was very fun to search for great 20s costumes, and I found some amazing ones. Ones that were very expensive; check out my Mystery Party pinboard for all my inspirations.

Source:http://blog.nyiad.edu/home/2012/1/24/100-layer-cake-lets-go-to-a-speakeasy-theme-wedding.html 

Since I did not want to spend much money, I searched my closet and found an old Charlotte Russe dress that would be perfect with a few embellishments. 

So I went to Hobby Lobby, love that place! And looked around. I bought some black fringe, double stick tape, and a strand of black pearls that were in the Christmas section, and some elastic sequin stuff. I think my total was maybe $6.00.  By the way, regular old double stick Scotch tape  is AMAZING instead of the Victoria Secret Double Sided Stylist Tape for $10. 

Here is a picture tutorial on how I embellished my dress:

Isn't it Cute!! 

I made my headband too.  

1.Just elastic sequin thing measured to fit my head. 

2. I took the flowery sequined part off a headband I had.

3. Added black feathers from a Mardi Gras mask of my daughter's. 

4. Put it all together with hot glue gun. 

Rise & Shine {Recipe-Sort of}

My mornings are generally quite rushed. I like to stay in bed as loooong as possible.  And I have this weird OCD thing where when I look at the clock it has to be an exact time on the 5min mark, or else I have to stay in bed to the next one. Goes something like: it is 6:37am, oh I have to stay here in bed until the clock reads 6:40am. But then at 6:41am, and it happens all over again. I Know. its silly.  

From the time I get up, I have exactly 1.5 hours to:

Wake the kiddos

Make breakfast for kiddos

Hurry along kiddos

Make lunches for kiddos

Hurry along kiddos

Make sure shoes are on, papers are signed, water bottles are filled, backpacks packed

Hurry along kiddos

Walk kiddos to bus stop

Hurry along kiddos

Kiss them goodbye and see them onto the bus

Clean up breakfast/lunch messes

Wipe down counters

Drink some coffee

Feed & water the dogs

Let the dogs out 

Do a mini-workout

Shower

Get ready for work

Eat a breakfast

Get to work (on time, as much as possible) 

Sometimes by the time I get to work, I feel like I have already put in a days worth of work.  Most days I enjoy the routine, some days I feel resentful that my hubby's morning looks like this:

Wake

Shower 

Leave

That's ok, I love him dearly and he does ALOT that I do not. Let's just say: I don't do dishes, I don't do much cleaning, I don't do laundry. I am not allowed to vacuum (another story I will tell one day), I don't have to do yard work unless I want to. And much more. 

That being said, I usually eat in the car on the way to work. So I need something easy to eat and fast to make. My go-to easy breakfast is Veggie Quinoa "Muffins". I love them, I am hooked and I am/was NOT a quinoa lover.

I found this great recipe on a fun blog Iowa Girl Eats. Her recipe is for Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups.

How cute are they:

I used her recipe with a few tweaks.  I used broth to make the Quinoa, and then left out most of the salt in the recipe. I also just use veggies, no meat. I am trying to minimize the amount of meat I eat, so I am trying to do mostly veggie stuff for breakfasts and lunch. I just substitute the same amount of veggies for meat.  The awesome thing about this recipe is that I just use whatever veggies I have in the fridge, and whatever cheeses. I also usually don't have parsley, so I think green onions do a great job of giving a freshness. 

This time, I used:

Shredded Zucchini (squeeze out extra liquid)

Shredded Carrot

Shredded Onion (squeeze out extra liquid)

Green Onions

Finely chopped green pepper

Minced Garlic

I also use 4 eggs instead of 2 eggs and 2 egg whites.  Only because I find it a pain to separate them, and then I put the yolks in the fridge thinking I will use them later, and then never use them. I hate to waste and throw them away, so I just use them. 

Once more change, is that I make them in the regular sized muffin pan. She has instructions for how long to bake, when using a regular sized muffin tin.  That's about what I go by, I usually err on the side of longer, because I love the little crunchiness on the tops and edges.  

Let me re-iterate LIBERALLY spray the muffin tin, or they will stick. They will still be yummy, but a mess. 

So this recipe is totally versatile. I have used chopped spinach, pepper jack cheese, cilantro. I have added salsa, tossed in taco seasoning. You name it, just to make it different or use up what I have. 

I try to make a batch on Sunday evenings, then I have breakfast ready to go for 4 days.  In the mornings, I take 3 muffins out of the fridge and pop them in a small microwaveable bowl that fits in my cup holder.  I re-heat them for about 1-1.5 minutes and then run out the door.  I munch them up on my way into work. FYI, I eat them with a fork.  

My commute is only about 10 minutes, but that is just enough time to finish them off.  

These yummy little nuggets keep me full for at least 3 hours (usually close to 4), just long enough to  hold me til lunch! 

Hers are far cuter than mine. But here is one of  mine. 

On a side note, we spent the day with just our girl yesterday. Boy was at a friend's house. We rarely spend one on one time with them, so this was a treat. Being that girl is 11, we weren't sure how the day would go! And if you have an 11 yr old girl, I think you know how erratic and annoying the mood swings can be. She is all tween these days. Much eye rolling and stomping and door slamming and generally thinking her parents are dumb/wrong/annoying, but she really is a very sweet, kind hearted girl.  

Here is quick glimpse at our fun day!  

The best part of the day was when she announced "He {Boy} is going to be soooo jealous of my day with you!"  

XOXO- my friends.

Murder Mystery

If there is one thing I love, it is party planning.  I have been planning this post in my mind since we had the most fun party ever, last October! I know, I am little late, but better late than never?!?

Preparing for this one was so so fun.  We had a Murder Mystery Dinner Party- Roaring 20s theme.  

We used the game: How to Host a Murder. The Chicago Caper.   I received this game from my mother in law for Christmas many years ago. I was determined not to let another Christmas pass without playing it. 

The hardest part was finding 3 other couples that were into it, for real, and then coordinating schedules.  

The boxed game set comes with everything you: invitations, timeline & costume suggestions, even a menu suggestion, name tags, clues, and a dvd to walk you through that included period music for ambience.  I have to admit, since none of us had ever attended one before, it was a little confusing, but not much. The instructions were great. 

So I assigned roles to each person and included those with the invitations, so they would know how to dress.  Every single one of us bought up Goodwill for our costumes, except me.  I just made mine. Super cheap! I will write a post just on that soon. {Post is up-click here!}

So now we had: 8 players, a date set.  It was time to plan the menu and the decor. 

 I made a sign for the front door:  Speakeasy.  We wanted to do some sort of secret password to get in, but couldn't get it together in time.  I made a bar sign and a menu sign. I love it when I go to someone's house for dinner and they have a menu displayed.  

See the Welcome sign to left: made by kiddos. They were so excited to see us in costume, yet so disappointed we wouldn't let them stay for the party. 

  I went for Black, White and Red Theme, it really turned out cute.  Fresh flowers and glass bottles/ jars, and silver bar & serving sets. I had almost everything already. I bought a Silver Shaker at a Consignment shop for $2. Everything else I made or took from around our house. 


 At our bar, we had Pink "Champagne" Punch, Sweet Tea & Lemonade, Arnold Palmers, Assorted Sodas, and Waters.  I bought some cute sodas at Trader Joes that looked vintage. 

Source: http://www.whatsgoodattraderjoes.com/2011/07/trader-joes-vintage-root-beer.html

 We had mostly non- drinkers at the party, so I didn't include alcoholic beverages this time. We also had a fancy humidor filled with cigars to smoke out back.   

Appetizers included: Mixed Nuts, Olives & Cornichons, Sausage Cheese Balls, and Salami and Cheese slices.  

The Main Course was:  Homemade Fettucine Alfredo, Stuffed Shells (Beef & Mozarella), Ceasar salad, garlic bread.  Yum-o, Everyone was stuffed. 

Once everyone arrived, we started out with drinks, snacks, and cigars on the back porch.  Then played one round, then dinner, then another round, then dessert, etc.  Until all rounds were played.  

Things i learned: 
 1. Don't make a menu that has you in the kitchen for a lot of the party
2. It can drag on quite late, so be prepared to move through each round and move on. 

Here is me that night: 

We vowed to do another one, soon. My vote is for the Roman Times.  I can just see me in a toga, 300 style. 

Source:http://spettacoli.blogosfere.it/2007/03/300-coriandoli-muscoli-e-belle-donne.html

The How to Host a Murder is a whole series of games.  Check them out, come back and tell me how yours went. 

My philosophy

I woke up today with an excitement that I haven't felt in awhile.  I'm not really sure why, but that's ok with me.  I know I have the time to work on everything I want, it really is just about priorities.  I think I do a good job of balancing work & family (mostly). I don't prioritize God enough. I try to fit in helping others.  I am pleased with my progress. But I can always do better.  I have a few little sayings that I think are "my life philosophy". 

I once told my husband:

If you aren't moving forward, you are moving backward.

He told me later that this made an impression on him.  I was so excited, I am not known for being a wordsmith or very profound. I am known for memorizing phone numbers and library card numbers. I was a math person, not an English person, in school.  Interestingly enough, I believe this is a physics saying... hmmm, again with the math. 

My personal quote, that I try to live by is this one:

"I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do any fellow being, let me do it now and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." William Penn


I often use time in the car with my kiddos to talk to them and infuse them with things I think they need to know or just that are  fun to talk about.  Recently, I have found myself talking to them more like little grownups, instead of kids.  I find it refreshing that they are at an age where they can somewhat grasp more complex concepts. Sometimes we talk about current events, sometimes I tell them about my feelings on things. I love it when they ask questions, except when the answers are tough. One thing that I have tried to instill in them from the very beginning of their little miraculous lives is this one:

The two most important things in life are Kindness and Tolerance.  

My hope and prayer is that this will stick with them throughout the easy times and the difficult times.  It is not always easy to be kind or tolerant. I pray for patience often. 

On a funny note, my girl (who is all tween these days!) called me out on being the family Leprechaun.  In years past, the Leprechaun has come in the wee morning hours of St Patrick's Day and brought goodies for the kids. Well, said Leprechaun didn't remember this year.  Yesterday evening, girl kept talking about her disappointment. I told her our Leprechaun had retired. So this morning while whipping up breakfast and packing lunches, she reassures me that it is ok, she knows it is me, but she won't tell boy.  Such a kind heart. 

St Patty's Greenies

Wow, ya'll! It has been a looong time, but today is St Patrick's Day. I love this holiday. When my munchins were little, I used to really do it up.  My girl was very disappointed that our Leprechaun didn't visit last night... Doh! I learned the hard way that I set the bar wayyyyy too high. Now I have to try to keep it going, too.much.effort. for this working mum.

I have all these gorgeous pictures pins on pinterest and all these great ideas that never seem to make it off the pinboard.

So tonight, in efforts to have some celebration, I made my "traditional" Irish Stew with green mashed potatoes and biscuits.  Delish!

Each night at dinner the kiddos each have an opportunity to say a prayer or blessing, tonight I threw in this one too:

Source:http://trendphotos.org/2014/st-patricks-day/irish-quotes-blessings-and-toasts-2014.html 

To make it even yummier, I whipped up a batch of GREENIES. Never heard of Greenies? Think very similar to Blondies but St Patty's theme (green food coloring). They were super simple to make and are ADDICTING.

I used this recipe from backforsecondsblog.com. She was not kidding when she said chewy and fudgy and delicious.  

The only change was right before adding the flour I added in several drops of green food coloring. These seriously took about 10 minutes to mix together, I had all the ingredients in my pantry already! I tossed them in the oven while we ate and they were done by the time we finished eating, and were cooled by the time boy finished eating.  Am I the only one that has one kid that eats impossibly slow? I used to play the song Eat it by Weird Al Yankovich at dinner, in hopes it would inspire him to eat faster.  Who remembers that song?  Not familiar? You didn't grow up in eighties, did you??

  Here is a lil sample for ya:  

I digress. 

Greenies ended up So cute! Kids loved them! I ate 3!  They were a hit, the girl wants leftover stew, green mashed potatoes and greenies in her lunch box tomorrow. Yay for an easy to pack lunch. 

The Irish Girl in me found this gaelic awesomeness on youtube. Enjoy ya'll.

One last thought that I leave you with. Saw this on facebook today, made me think.

Good night my Lovelies.

Morning Smoothie! Yay!

Since October when my husband (38yrs old) had a minor stroke, I have been forcefully trying to get him to eat fruits and veggies. This is no small feat, as left to his own devices he would eat 4 chicken patties with melted cheese and cheese fries for every meal.

He finally agreed to a morning fruit smoothie. So each morning, I make him one ( I do this only because if I didn't he wouldn't).  I started having one too. I usually use frozen fruit and 100% juice like V8 Frusion (except I buy Aldi brand) plus protein powder. Sometimes we even add in superfoods powder (his idea, not mine. I can barely choke the stuff down most days).

This other morning I had some Trader Joe's Orange Peach Mango juice left over from sunday morning mimosas, so I used that.

I added 5 frozen strawberries from Aldis (love that store because it is cheap)

a scoop of my favorite protein powder:

Then threw in a spoonful of some milled flax seed.

Swirled it up in my handy rocket blender.

It was delicious! One of my favorites so far!  

This is not my actual smoothie, just a pic that looked like mine. My camera is on a hiatus after I deleted all my sister's wedding pics! Need a new memory card so I can see if the wedding pics are there somewhere! Here is one the photographer took that I really like:

Enjoy a morning smoothie ya'll! 

First time in a while

Resolutions?? I rarely speak out loud any resolutions I have. I think its because I have too much pride and when I fail I feel embarassed.  If I didn't voice it, then no one else knows, right?
So I thought maybe this year I should atleast write them down. Some accountability?!? Might be good for me, maybe it would humble me!
My very favoritist (made up word that I like)  part of new years: Fireworks! I have a crazy LOVE for them. To the point that my huband KNOWS he better find some for me every New Years and 4th of July or I will CRY!

So here is my attempt at accountability and humility:
Resolutions for 2012:

1. Be more eco aware: eat more local, be more responsible. 

                             I read her:

                            I subscribe to this CSA and love it :

I need to follow her a little more, she is a recent stumble upon of mine.

2. Exercise more: I do have the time, I just need to find it. My plan to start is do this:  every morning.

3. Be a better parent and wife. I love my 3! (A Man, A Girl and A Boy complete my life) 




4. Embrace Spirituality more. 



I guess I will have to check in and update once the year gets started. Wish me luck! I wish all of you a wonderful New Year filled with:
The Serenity to accept the things you cannot change
The Courage to change the things you can 
and the Wisdom to know the difference!