Sunflowers

There are fields and fields of sunflowers out here. Paul and I went for a drive this morning. Every color, every size you can imagine! It makes me want to grow a bunch at home. They just make me smile. For as far as you can see, there were sunflowers. It was beautiful! ♥E

Texas Sized Fun!

We got to my in-laws yesterday. And already, we're having so much fun. Last night, I told Paul how lucky he was. I just can't imagine growing up out here. It must have been a blast!



Today, my MIL and I are baking a lot. Paul and my FIL had some work stuff to do. So we're just holding down the house for them. :) We've made all sorts of berry pies. They smell so good. And tonight, we're having some Texas BBQ. I seriously can't wait!

But it's nice to come out here. There's not a whole lot to do. But be close to your loved ones, and nature. I'm really enjoying myself! Do you think I can convince Paul to move out here? ♥E

Urban Rain Giveaway

My Cakies is hosting a giveaway for $25 to Urban Rain. Look at how precious this jewelry is! If you hurry up, you can enter too! Good Luck! ♥E

Apron and DVD Giveaway

I'm in love with this little apron! Look at all the veggies. I wish I could find dish towels like these. They really are so sweet.

Anyway, you can win an apron or a DVD from Megan at Crochet Every Day. It's a super cute blog! I just wish I could crochet. But I do read it every day. Her projects are so adorable. And they are inspiring me to learn how to crochet. ♥E

It's Monday...

I just can't believe how tired I am. But we're back home. And today is Paul's day off. I'm not going to lie, we slept until noon! Yes, I said noon. I can't believe it. But we were so tired from our trip to Texas.

It's a little crazy that we came back home. I'm sure J would have let us stay. And just head from the job to my in-laws. But we really needed to come home and rest up! We're heading out to visit my in-laws this week. And I'm really excited!



Everything just seems so much more laid back. That's the thing about living in rural areas. Having a working farm. It's an amazing thing to go back to. And I can't wait to start cooking with my mother-in-law. She makes the yummiest things ever! Let's just say that my 80-20 week isn't going to work out on this trip. I'm not going to worry about calories or working out. I'll deal with that when we get home.

But my tummy is growling. I'm pretty sure I should get up and go make us some lunch. Oh, and start the day. Why do we have so much laundry. I really have to start my Monday... ♥E

Veggie Tote

Isn't this the cutest little lunch bag? I kind of wish that I still worked. That way I could buy it. You can find it here, for $19. There are 2 other styles. But the tomato is my favorite. I really do wish I had a good reason to buy this cute bag. But when would I use it? ♥E

Love 'Em!

I just love this episode of GH! Luke and Tracy are such a cute and unexpected couple. This has to be one of the best scenes on GH in a long time! Early in this episode when Luke tells Tracy, "I want you anyway I can get you," it made me smile. It was so typical of of Luke.

But this scene it was so sweet. I really did enjoy it. You know, until Tracy got sick. I've been watching GH since I was 13 or so. It has always been one of my favorite shows. Now if I could just catch up. How did I get this far behind? ♥E

Rubber Band Updo

I think this is such a cute hairstyle! But I would definitely use dark rubber bands. I don't want the rubber bands to stick out like that. And with the weather being so hot, and humid. Yes humid in the desert, I've been wearing my hair up. This is such a cute hairstyle. I'm going to be trying this tomorrow morning. ♥E

Sunday Stealing: Telephone

We're definitely enjoying our weekend at home. Next week, we go back on the road. I think Paul really misses it. It's been a weird couple of weeks. But our schedule should straighten out after we get back from Texas. And I really can't wait until we go on our trip to see my in-laws. Here is this weeks Sunday Stealing. ♥E



45. Favorite color? Turquoise

46. Have you ever slapped someone? No

47. Is your hair curly? No

48. What was the last CD you bought? I don't know the name of it. But it's a classical CD. Very soothing. :)

49. Do looks matter? Not really. I think it initially draws you to a person. But the person's attitude and personality is more important.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? I don't think I ever could.

51. Is your phone bill sky high? No

52. Do you like your life right now? Yes

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No, we don't even have a TV in our bedroom.

54. Can you handle the truth? Yes, I'd rather have the truth than lies.

55. Do you have good vision? It's pretty good.

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? No

57. How often do you talk on the phone? A few times a day. But not for a long time.

58. The last person you held hands with? Paul :)

59. What are you wearing? A sundress and sandals.

60. What is your favourite animal? Dogs

61. Where was your favorite picture taken at? In the mountains, when Paul and I got engaged.

62. Can you hula hoop? Yes

63. Do you have a job? No

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? We just bought groceries. Yesterday Paul bought me a necklace.

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes, when we lived in Florida, we locked ourselves out. It was a tiny little window. I thought for sure that I was going to get stuck in the window.

Blueberry Cobbler

I've recently been watching a lot of YouTube videos. Not sure why. But it's been happening. And I really like the cooking recipes. There are so many good cooks out there.



This recipe just looks so yummy! And we just happen to have lots of blueberries. I eat them every day for breakfast. I might have to make Paul a little treat tonight. ♥E

Weekend Date Night

I did it. I signed up for Polyvore. I have seen a few ladies' Polyvore pages. And I was just in love! Polyvore immediately made me think of paper dolls. For adults. :)



I decided to put together a date look. Paul and I have decided to go out on a date tomorrow night. Mostly because he's off for the weekend. And we don't get to be a "normal" couple often. So we like to take advantage of the "off weekends" when we have them.

We're going out in the late afternoon. There is a local market that we want to go to. And then we're going out for a nice dinner. So I was going for a casual look. Something that could also be semi-dressy.

I can already tell, Polyvore is going to be addicting. I might be in trouble. But it might also be something that keeps me busy when we're traveling. Do you have a Polyvore account? I would love to see it too! ♥E

Weekend List...

This week, we're home. I'm kinda glad. But it's so hot around here. We considered going to visit my parents this weekend. But we decided to stay home. Why? Because of the heat. And we're working on some projects at home. Our list seems to never end. But we're slowly knocking things off of our list. It makes me feel good! Even if it's a lot of hard work.



Our garden is refusing to grow in this heat. Nothing like this picture! I'm just at a loss for words, when it comes to our garden. And my flowers, they just don't want to bloom. No matter how much water I give them. Part of our lawn is also "sunburned." At least, that is what J's gardener told us.

But this weekend, we're tackling other stuff. Yard work, yes. There is also painting on the list. And organizing our stuff. I know we've lived here for months. But we still haven't really settled in. I hope we can knock some of those projects off the list. What are you planning for this weekend? ♥E

Sunday Stealing: Cream Puffs

We're back on the road. And I have to say that I missed it. We missed it. Paul is excited to be back traveling. All of the guys are happy. But it's going to be a weird schedule for the next few weeks. So we're just going to enjoy it right now. I really need to get ready for today's event too. Here is my Sunday Stealing. ♥E



23. Do you rent movies often? Not really. We usually wait to buy a movie that we really like.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? My wedding rings.

25. How many countries have you visited? 2

26. Have you made a prank phone call? No

27. Ever been on a train? Yes, it was a lot of fun!

28. Brown or white eggs? Either, I'm not picky.

29. Do you have a cell-phone? Yes

30. Do you use Chap Stick? Yes, lots of times every day.

31. Do you own a gun? We do own guns for hunting.

32. Can you use chop sticks? Not very well.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Paul and the guys he works with.

34. Are you too forgiving? I don't think so. When people do me wrong, it takes me a while to let them back in.

35. Ever been in love? Yes, I'm very much in love right now. :)

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow (or the next soonest week day)? I don't know. Lola is still on vacation. I know Vi is working.

37. Ever have cream puffs? Yes, they're yummy!

38. Last time you cried? I don't know.

39. What was the last question you asked? What time we're leaving.

40. Favorite time of the year? Fall

41. Do you have any tattoos? No

42. Are you sarcastic? No

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? No

44. Ever walked into a wall? Unfortunately, yes.

General Hospital Fail

That my friends, is the last episode of General Hospital that I watched. Why? I don't know. I'm so behind! I usually catch up on GH when Paul is working. Or we're traveling. Watching on the plane or in the car helps to pass the time. But this, well it's a total fail.

I think I've been putting it off. Knowing that I can watch on YouTube anytime I want. But it has me almost 2 months behind. And I need to carve out some serious time. I really do miss GH. Maybe Paul will have a day of watching sports soon. Then I can curl up and watch some General Hospital. You know, catch up. So I know what's going on. ♥E

Raspberry Iced Tea

I really like Raspberry Iced Tea. But I've never thought about making it. Until today. I think the heat is really starting to get to me. So I decided to do a quick recipe search. And I found this recipe on All Recipes. It sounds yummy. And I actually made a pitcher. I'm just waiting for it to chill. I can't wait to try it! ♥E

Ingredients

1 gallon water
3 (3 ounce) gallon-size tea bags
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup powdered lemonade mix (such as Country Time®)
ice cubes

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, and stir in the tea bags, raspberries, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Allow the mixture to steep until the desired level of tea flavor is reached, 3 to 5 minutes; remove tea bags, and stir in the lemonade mix until dissolved. Pour tea into pitchers, and add ice to cool.

Up on the Ridge

I just love this song! I get so excited every time I hear it. We're definitely going to have to get Dierks Bentley's new CD. I'm really into this song. Our friends were jamming the other day at J's. And they were playing this song. It made me want to dance. ♥E

Sunday Stealing: Red Apple

We're really enjoying our weekend. One of our last weekends off. So we've been working around the house. I don't think "to-do" lists ever end. But at least we've been making some serious progress on our projects. And I'm feeling a lot better about our home.

It's weird to be home on weekends. I think Paul and I got so used to traveling. Even if we haven't done a lot of traveling since May. But it's nice to get to tackle our projects. Even if our garden is still suffering so much. I don't know what else to do with our sad garden. So here is my Sunday Stealing. ♥E



1. First thing you wash in the shower? My hair.

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Maroon, it's from college.

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Of course! I kissed Paul.

4. Do you plan outfits? No. It just randomly happens in the morning.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Good. But it's so hot outside.

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? An apple that I'm about to eat. :)

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? I dreamt that Paul and I had a baby. All I really remember is hearing a baby cry. And Paul walking into our bedroom holding a baby.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? Yes, we met a new family at church.

9. What are you craving right now? A nice chicken salad sandwich.

10. Do you floss? Every day.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Cabbage and hamburger meat. I miss eating that. We need to go visit my parents. :)

12. Are you emotional? Not overly emotional.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Not from 1 to 1000.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? A little bit of both.

15. Do you like your hair? I'm very happy. I recently got a haircut. :)

16. Do you like yourself? Yes

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Yes, I think it would be an interesting dinner.

18. What are you listening to right now? Paul has the radio on. And I can hear him working on something in the barn.

19. Are your parents strict? When I was young, they were very strict.

20. Would you go sky diving? Yes

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, a few actually.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! We're excited about today. It's one of Paul and I's favorite holidays. We're actually getting ready to grill. Or I should say, Paul is getting ready to grill. :)

My parents came down too. And tonight we're going to go see the Electrical Parade. So much fun! It reminds me of when we were in college. We would go every year. That's part of the fun of living in a small town.

But you can never forget the people that make it possible. The men and women who are out there fighting for our lives, our freedoms, and our safety. To you, I say Thank You! It means the world to me to be an American. ♥E

Sunday Stealing: Pearls

Happy 4th of July everyone! We're having a nice day. Just relaxing ans enjoying the holiday. I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July. Here is my Sunday Stealing. ♥E



23. Are your days fast-paced? It depends on the day. But usually they are.

24. What did you do last night? We enjoyed the rainy night. :)

25. Do you use sarcasm? No

26. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 30...I can't believe it!

27. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? Only when it has to do with work stuff.

28. Do you get along better with the same sex or the opposite sex? The same sex.

29. Do you watch the news? Every day.

30. How did you get one of your scars? Climbing a fence when I was younger.

31. Who was the last person to make you mad? A cashier at Wal-Mart. So rude!

32. What is the last big thing you purchased? We just bought a patio set.

33. Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours? My husband.

34. What is a rumour someone has spread about you? I don't know.

35. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? Try to stay calm.

36. T or F: All’s fair in love and war? True

37. Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning? Yes, I'm a little ashamed to admit that.

38. Do you know which US states don’t use Daylight Savings Time? I think it's just AZ.

39. Do you want a bright yellow ‘06 mustang? No

40. What’s something you’ve always wanted? A set of pearls. The entire set. What a dream!

41. Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake? In a lake.

42. Do you wear a lot of black? I used to when I worked. But "Career Clothes" are so boring.

43. Describe your hair: It's long and brown.

44. Where is/are your best friend(s)? Paul, Lola, and Vi.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Ours? Not so well. This heat is killing us. And our plants. We decided to plant entire seed packages. Paul already thought that most plants wouldn't make it through the summer heat. But I don't think either of us realized how badly our garden would be doing by now.

We lived here when we went to college. But at the time, we were your typical "poor college students." And we lived in an apartment. The only thing we grew were tomatoes. Because you could grow them in pots. And we tried strawberries once. It didn't go well.



But when we moved to Florida, we got spoiled. We had a lush, beautiful garden! 90% of the veggies we ate, came from our garden. And we really got used to that. But here, the desert heat isn't so kind. And everything is dying! We try watering. Paul even put up a canopy over our garden. But I'm guessing 110 degree weather isn't so great for a garden.

We're hoping some stuff survives. Are you growing a garden this year? How is it going? I hope a lot better than ours. ♥E

Grilled Portobello Sandwich

This is what I made myself for lunch today. Not the one in the picture. I got that from All Recipes, where I found this recipe. I seen it a few days ago. And I knew that I just had to make it. I know that Paul wouldn't be too over the moon about it. So I waited until he was working. And that was lunch. It was delicious! And gigantic. I can't believe it.

I made the entire recipe. And figured I could have lunch for a few days. I ate 1/8 of the total recipe for lunch. And it was really good. But it was a lot of food. Just keep that in mind. Happy Friday! ♥E



Ingredients

1 red bell pepper
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
4 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned
4 slices onion
4 Kaiser rolls, split
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon roasted garlic, mashed into a paste (optional)
4 ounces buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
4 slices tomato
16 fresh basil leaves, divided


Directions

1.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

2.Place the red bell pepper onto the preheated grill, and grill until the skin is completely charred on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Place the pepper into a plastic bag, seal the bag, and let the pepper cool. When cooled, remove the charred skin, slice the pepper into quarters, and remove the seeds. Thinly slice the pepper and set aside.

3.Mix salt and pepper into the olive oil in a small bowl. Brush the smooth side of the mushrooms with the seasoned oil, and grill, oiled side down, until the mushrooms show grill marks, about 3 minutes. Brush the gill sides of the mushrooms with more seasoned olive oil, flip the mushrooms, and grill until the mushrooms are softened and juicy, about 3 more minutes. Set the mushrooms aside and keep warm.

4.Lightly grill the slices of onion until softened and lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Spread the rolls out onto the grill to toast, about 1 minute. Mix the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a bowl.
5.Spread each roll with garlic mayonnaise, and make each sandwich with 1 mushroom cap, 1 ounce sliced mozzarella cheese, 1 slice of tomato, 4 basil leaves, 1 slice of grilled onion, and 1/4 the roasted red pepper slices. Repeat for remaining sandwiches.

Pretty Little Liars

Lola kept talking about this new show. And because we have similar tastes, I decided to check it out. I really like this show. I know that probably sounds nuts. It's probably targeted at pre-teens. But it's cute. And I like to see what the girls are going to be wearing. Their styles are all unique. But they wear some nice pieces. There you go, a new favorite of mine. ♥E

I Might Be Crazy...

Today I went looking for a baby shower gift for my friend Sandy. She's expecting her 1st baby, a girl, in July. And I found this, and bought it. Not for Sandy. But for me...

An up close view of "Love Bird."

And the entire set.

And before anyone asks, no we're not expecting. We're not even trying to get pregnant. Mom, please don't get all excited. I'm not sure what came over me. But I spent $250 on this cute set. Because I liked it. And with my luck, when Paul and I do decide to try for a baby, we'll probably just have boys.

The only thing that makes me feel real good is, I got a super good deal. Because there was a great baby sale going on. But now what? I guess I'm going to have to store it away until we decide to grow our family. But isn't it adorable? ♥E

Mother's Cucumber Salad

After Lola's suggestions, I finally decided to check out Gooseberry Patch's weekly free recipes. They have great recipes. A new free one every week. And here is the one for this week. It sounds good. And I'm definitely going to try it out. ♥E



Mother's Cucumber Salad

3 to 4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
3 T. salt
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. celery seed
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. cider vinegar
optional: 1/2 c. sliced red onion

Place cucumbers in a large bowl; add salt and enough water to cover. Cover and shake to mix salt. Refrigerate several hours to overnight. Drain cucumbers, but do not rinse; return to bowl. Stir together sugar, onion powder, celery seed, pepper and vinegar; mix well. Pour vinegar mixture over top of cucumbers. Add onion, if desired. Cover and shake gently to mix. Serves 6.

Bones

Do you ever watch Bones? Like I mentioned here, we didn't watch a lot of TV for a long time. Many years actually. So I'm not up-to-date with a lot of popular shows. But I'm slowly catching up.



I couldn't sleep on Saturday night. It was a bit annoying actually. I was awake all night. And well into Sunday morning. Instead of waking up Paul, I headed downstairs and watched some TV. One of the shows was Bones. And it is really a good show!

I checked out the TV schedule, and I will definitely be watching more episodes. Just not at 4AM on Sunday mornings. :) I'm also going to keep my eyes open for the Bones DVDs when they go on sale. I really like this new show. ♥E

Best Lemonade Ever

We're really enjoying the time at home. It's not really a vacation from work for Paul. But more of a "regular" work schedule for Paul. He's working from Monday-Friday. And we're not traveling. We also have the weekends off.

Therefore, I've decided to focus a lot more on being a "Happy Homemaker." :) Starting with jazzing up what we're eating and drinking. Paul has been enjoying the last few weeks. New recipes. And I found this yummy one on All Recipes.



It's really yummy. And if I hadn't decided to juice all the lemons, I might make this way too often. But it was a bit of work. Either way, it was delicious! But I'm thinking this good be a nice treat a couple of times a week. ♥E



Ingredients

1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice


Directions

1.In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

2.Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Much Love Illy Giveaway

Look at all these bright colors! They remind me of living in FL. And of summertime! Much Love Illy is offering a headband, hair pin, and a ring in a giveaway at Cakies!

First, I think you should go look at Much Love Illy. There are so many amazing items there! Jewelry and hair accessories. The go look at Cakies. Talk about talent! And Ruby has the cutest 3 daughters ever! Oh, and her husband, his an RD like me. :)

Then enter this giveaway! But you must hurry! The winner is going to be drawn in about an hour! So hurry and look around. And don't forget to enter to win this amazing prize! ♥E

Garden Set Giveaway

When Paul and I lived in FL, we had a HUGE garden. It was gorgeous. Lots of leafy greens. We even had a lemon tree. The 2 of us spent so much of our "free time" working on our yard and garden. And I really enjoyed it.

But since we've moved, it's been a little difficult to get back on the gardening bandwagon. We had a pretty bad winter this year. And then Paul's job demands so much time. We travel every week for about 3 days.

I have managed to start some container veggies. Mostly tomatoes. And the weather has not really been cooperating. But I really want to start a nice garden. We have a nice yard, so it shouldn't be too hard to start up. I just need to make the time.

After that long ramble, this is the reason for the post. The cutest blog ever, Newly Wife, is hosting a giveaway. You have the chance to win a cute apron, seeds, and pretty much all that you need to start your seeds off. But hurry up, you only until midnight. And if you miss the deadline, still go look at Newly Wife. It's such a good little blog! Lots of yummy recipes and good advice. ♥E

Bubble and Brown

First off, I don't ever get to watch the Rachael Ray Show. Not because I don't have time. But because our local NBC station carries it. And the station has a horrible signal. Since the entire change in signal during the summer, well there has been no NBC signal in the area.

I never, ever get to see The Rachael Ray Show. And I kind of miss it. I didn't really watch it in Florida. But it was there if I wanted to. But recently, we were somewhere were I was able to watch the show. And I really do enjoy it.



I also seen this set. And I checked online. It's $40. And I love it! It comes in a variety of colors. But I really do like the blue. And I can see myself using it for a variety of reasons. Now, I just need to bring myself to order it. When I was talking to my mother-in-law about it, she told me that they sell Rachael Ray products at Sears. I'm going to check the next time I go to the mall. ♥E