Sleeves in the summer...

I am always cold. 

And I have the worst orangutan arms.  Long and skinny.

Therefore, I like to cover my arms as much as possible.  Sleeves are my friend.  With air conditioners blasting full force, it's a necessity really.

So I've been inspired by some summertime pins that not only mask my nonexistent guns, but also keep them warm....

Source: fineandfeathered.com via Danavee on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Danavee on Pinterest

Source: sincerelyjules.com via Amy on Pinterest

I thought I'd try out my version of rolled sleeves with shorts for our weekly Bachelorette gathering........

Then again for a dinner with friends.......

Now that school is out, I need motivation to wear something other than Soffe shorts and t-shirts all the time.  


I do not want to end up on that People of Wal-Mart website.
   .

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Rolled Up Pretty, Two Thirty-Five Designs, and The Vintage Apple.

Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

I am a recipe follower.  I need it spelled out for me.  No dashes of this.  Pinches of that.

So a few days ago, when I was inspired by ingredients I had at home, I decided to wing it.  Which is wild and crazy.

I had tons of frozen shredded chicken.  I had limes.  I was craving cilantro.

 I was about to embark on a cooking experiment that actually panned out.......

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
(crockpot style)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
juice from 2 limes
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 teas. dried onions
1/2 cup of water

Add every single ingredient to the crockpot.  This could be cooked on low all day, or you could set the crockpot to high and cook for four(ish) hours.  Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork to shred it, and stir well.   

Spoon chicken into soft taco tortillas.  Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tomatoes.  Garnish with a few lime wedges......

A perfect dinner for summertime.

And speaking of summer, we had a great time at the lake celebrating the holiday weekend!

Happy Memorial Day!

Five Things Friday

Other than school dismissing for the summer, this week was uneventful.  You'd think with a few days off, I'd have something exciting to post.

Not so much.

So instead of a weekly recap, I'm going to showcase five favorite spots in my house!

1.  This spot in my kitchen makes me soooo happy........

Read the story of this previously empty spot HERE.

2.  My mantel makes me smile........

Read my mantel story HERE.

3.  I especially love my bathroom (which does have curtains) and if you saw it before the remodel, you'd completely understand why...........

Read the saga of our much needed bathroom renovation HERE.

4.  Our porch.........

I love to sit and read on the top step.

5.  My red chippy paint trunk turned coffee table......

One of my favorite Leola's finds.

There you have it.  Five favorite house features.  A peek at my style!

Maybe next week will be more exciting.
 

A Very Difficult Skirt

Awhile back, I purchased this skirt.........

windsor.com

But I hadn't worn it as I was stumped on how it should be styled.  I tried it with a black top, and it looked terrible.

So to Pinterest I went......

Source: thedaybookblog.com via Danavee on Pinterest

Source: washingtonian.com via Danavee on Pinterest

Source: othersideofgray.blogspot.com via Danavee on Pinterest

Maybe this skirt wasn't so difficult.  

A simple white top never entered my mind.  I could do that..........

And stripes?  Insane!!!  But if the stripes matched.....

The whole mixing patterns thing is a little out of my comfort zone, even though I like it on other folks.

Tell me people.  Which would you wear.....

Basic or bold?

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Rolled Up Pretty, Le Chateau des Fleurs, and The Vintage Apple.

Dear Summer

Here you are.

The kiddos were dismissed at 1:30 today.  Paperwork was turned in.  The classroom is packed up til August.

What will I do with all of the glorious days I have ahead of me?

• I absolutely WILL finish my special room.  It is happening. 
• I will wear out my welcome at the pool.
• I want to redo our laundry room.  Think penny tile and wainscoting.
• Partake in the annual garage sale. 
• Vacation.

Summer, I'm glad you're here.  It might take a day or two to adjust.  Going from ninety to nothing is a mind shift.  But it's the good kind.

I think the perfect way to ring you in is our weekly Bachelorette viewing party.  Last week's shindig was so much fun that I know tonight will be the perfect kickoff to our first week of summer break.

Here we go, summer!  I think we're gonna get along great.

Love,

Danavee

Thrifting Frenzy

The thrifting fairies have been on my side lately!  I've been able to find some goodies, not only for myself, but also the booth!

What I'm keeping......

I've been obsessed with finding vintage pleated skirts.  And two popped up this week, both $3.98 and my size!  Pretty thrilled with the colors too.  I've been pinning some styling ideas, so these are heading to my closet.

More keepers.........

Two ribbed bowls marked U.S.A. only $0.79 each!!  I'm building a set, and the count is at four now!  I'm pretty sure homemade ice cream would taste even better served up in these!

The crowned jewel.......

A vintage dress for $5.98 had me squealing out loud in the aisles.  And when I got home, I floated around the house in it.  Styling it with different belts and shoes.  Completely smitten.  Next to my Easter skirt, this might be my favorite thrifted clothing item.

*   *   *   *

What's heading to the booth........

Ohhhh vintage suitcases.  I love you.  But alas, I have quite the stockpile.  Which means these two beauties will eventually be for sale.

Also going to Relics.......

I cannot pass up oval Buffalo china.  And at $0.99 per piece, I'll be able to make a few bucks on these.  They never last long.

*   *   *   *

What I'm undecided on......

I can't resist a perfect Pyrex piece.  Especially when the price is low ($3.98) and it's in mint condition.  A blog buddy (who knows her Pyrex) tells me it's the Gold Acorn divided dish.

My dilemma?  It's not the pattern I collect.  But when has that ever stopped me?

Hmmmm.  Keep or sell???

I promise you will not see me on the next episode of Hoarders.

I said I promise.

Linking up with Her Library Adventures, High on Thrifting Thursday and Thrift Share Monday.

Five Things Friday

As I type this, there are two school days left.  Summer is in sight!!!!

1.  I hosted the Second Annual Bachelorette Premiere Party Monday night.  It was so.much.fun.  Everyone brought a tasty treat.  We feasted and watched and chatted!!!  Next week, we'll rotate to another house for more food, fun, and ridiculously awesome television.  I think this season is gonna be excellent.

And everyone accepted their rose.....

2.  Due to having the party at my house, I went on an extreme cleaning frenzy.  I should host things more often because coming home to floors you could eat off of is quite lovely.  The scent of vinegar and bleach filled the air allll weekend.  And I tried out a new cleaner from Target.  Grapefruit scents and vintage looking labels make cleaning more fun.

source

3.  We had a carnivalish type day at school on Wednesday!  I was able to work on my tan lines while manning Adrenaline Rush.  You'd be amazed at the way fourth graders can figure out how to go down a slide incorrectly.  And you might be surprised that staff was not allowed on the inflatables. 

But do you think that stopped us from sneaking in one (or two) turns????

4.  My very first Birchbox arrived.  And while I don't think I got the worst box ever, I'm not sure I was in love with the contents.  I will never be unhappy with nail polish.  And anything from Stila is cool.  But I think I had delusions of grandeur when I thought the Gossip Girl box would knock my socks off.

Birchbox, I'm not giving up on you yet.

5.  I made it through the entire school year without getting sick.  Til yesterday.  I seem to have some sort of cold.  Luckily, I'm not so sick that I need to call a sub.  Instead I've been drugging it up.  And Puffs (with lotion) are my best friend.

But does anyone know a cure for not having a voice on the last two days of school?

Seriously.

Good times.



Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Time for another crockpot recipe found on Pinterest!  This pin jumped out at me because of the caption.  Something to do with cheese and crockpots.  If either of those are involved, I'm in.

This was easy and super tasty.  I will make it again and again......... 

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

(copied from original source)

16 oz dry spaghetti, cooked
1 lb Velveeta 

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
4 oz can of mild green chilies
4 oz can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, diced 

salt & pepper to taste

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and mix well. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. 

*   *   *   *

My notes:

• I'll give you one guess which ingredient I left out.  Yep, tomatoes.  And it was just fine.  I think some fresh, diced tomatoes on top would be nice, but I just can't do cooked!
• I did not put in an entire brick of Velveeta.  That felt, um, wrong.  I started with half, and as it melted I added a few more slices.  In the end, it was Velveeta-y enough.
• I did not add the pasta to the crockpot.  I plated the pasta and ladled the chicken mixture on top.
• I was able to freeze a monstrous portion of the sauce (without pasta) and still have leftovers.  It makes A LOT! 
• It was even better leftover!

And when the mister will eat something leftover, then you know it's good!

 

The Liebster Award

Imagine my surprise when I received this honor from the lovely Kati of Incorporating Color!

Yeeeehawww!  Thank you Kati!  You really did make my day!!!  

I blog because I love to, but it makes it that much better when someone else tells you they enjoy your little corner of the world wide web.

So with receiving this award comes the responsibility to pass it on.  Here are the rules......

• Choose five up and coming blogs to give the award to, must have 200 or less followers.
• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
• Post the award on your blog.
• List the blogs you gave the award to with links to their sites. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
• Share five random facts about yourself.

And because I'm not very good at following rules, I may have chosen more than five recipients......

• Jamie at Owl Really
• Jan at Summer Sundays
• Andrea at Spray Paint and a Staple Gun
• Amanda at Wandering on Purpose
• Nancy at The Doubrava Diaries
• Whitney at The Hoodenpyle Family
• Ashley at Sow Much in Love

Go check these girls out!  I love all of them!  And really there were a few more I wanted to give a shout out to (The Baker Family, Newly Loved, and Moments on the Journey).  

Now for five random facts about me......  

• I can play piano!
• I had a seizure in the "House of Mirrors" at the Ozark Empire Fair.  Stupid strobe lights.  Had to be rushed to the E.R.  Hasn't happened again, luckily!
• The day before I was scheduled to get my braces off, I got hit square in the mouth with a baseball. Needless to say, I wore my braces for about 5 more months after that incident. The orthodontist said the braces saved my teeth.
• I could eat out every single day.
• I can twirl a mean flag!  Even after all these years....

 

So that about wraps it up!  Go check out Kati and all the ladies I tagged for this award!  You'll fall in love with them too!

Five Things Friday

1.  I slacked on my house cleaning duties this week.  As evidenced by a collection on my desk........

Three large Cokes, three consecutive days.  Don't judge.

2.  Three words:  Teacher Appreciation Week.  My kiddos (and their parents) blew me away.  They brought me lunch every single day.  And you would die if you saw the mound of Dr. Pepper, Cheez-Its, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  My favorite thing, however, was a t-shirt I received.  And of course, it meant being twinkies with the giver.....

Mom gave me permission to post, I promise!

3.  Tuesday was my birthday!  I was spoiled in and out of school!  The mother of above child made the sweetest poster for me.  And the mister took me out for flaming onion volcanoes.......

4.  I got to spend time with some special folks.  On the same day! 

Baby D                                                                          Alex

5.  Kati at Incorporating Color nominated me for a Liebster Award!  THANK YOU KATI!  I am honored!  I plan on passing the torch sometime this weekend!  Stay tuned!!!

Another weekend project will be cleaning the house.  As I am hosting the Annual Bachelorette Premiere Viewing Party on Monday night.

Again,  don't judge.

Embedding Pinterest Pics

This might just change your life.

I know mine was altered forever because of it.

But maybe I was the last to know?

Anyway.

I learned how to embed Pinterest pics without having to save the darn photo while flipping back and forth copying and pasting.

The lovely Alyx taught me when she sweetly replied to a comment of mine.  I give her all the credit.

Here are her instructions:

"When you go to Pinterest, click on a pin and it 

becomes bigger.  There will be a tab to the right 

of the pin that says "embed." Click on that, then 

copy the code. When you're doing a new blog 

post, make sure you're in HTML mode, put the 

code in, then go back to "compose" mode and 

 you will see the pin with its source code!"

Easy as pie.  

Now I'll leave you with a favorite pin from the week, complete with all the links necessary......

Source: thatssorue.tumblr.com via Danavee on Pinterest

Now if I could just convince the mister to go on a picnic.

Thrifting Frenzy

In 11 school days, I will be able to garage sale and thrift until my heart is content.  Any day of the week too.

Sweet, sweet summer break.

Til then, I'll make do with my weekends.  This one yielded a few goodies.  Including a chevron afghan for fifty cents.....

A little for my booth, and a little for me.

A green gingham skirt (with pockets) for a $1.98 is good.  Hemming is easy, right?

And doesn't everyone need a set of unicorn bookends?

Linking up with Her Library Adventures.

Five Things Friday

1.  Had my first Farmers' Market visit of the season.  I love the atmosphere and buying from local vendors.  I walked away with an irresistible bouquet and some herbs.  I plan on potting the herbs this weekend.  Not that they'll survive, but a girl can hope.  If there are any green thumbs out there with pointers, please chime in....

2.  Speaking of green thumbs, I may have been in a plant trance this week.  I also bought some succulents at the hardware store.  I haven't decided where or how to plant them.  Separately?  Together in one large pot?  Inside or outside?  HELP!!! 

Please Lord, let them live.........I heart them so much.....

3.  I went to Starbucks only ONCE this week.  Something must be wrong with me!?  But when my free birthday drink arrived in the mail, I could resist no longer.....

4.  And while I'm on the topic of birthdays.  It's comin' up!  You are welcome to buy these shoes for me.  I will love you forever.  Any color will do.  Size 9.  I spotted them on a blog this week and haven't been able to stop thinking about them.....

5.  Every year I do some sort of craft with my students for Mother's Day.  This year, we all wanted to do something different.  And thanks to an idea from a coworker, the project got underway.  Bookmarks.  Made out of a photo of their child........

I already bought my mom a shirt and nail polish.

Should I give it to the mister?