Dutch Braid

Are you going to laugh when I tell you something? I've been wearing my hair in braids all summer! Well, it's 1 of the 2 hairstyles that I've been stuck on. Because My Guy and I have been traveling all the time. To places that are incredibly hot. And I'm convinced, I need to cut my hair already. At least a good 10 inches. I'm craving some short hair. :) Seriously, long hair and heat do not mix!



Yes, I've been wearing braids. Braids with my hair down. And braids with my hair up. Curling my hair? Forget about it! It's too long. And the weather is too hot. I've just been about braids. My naturally curly hair with some little braids in a crazy updo. Or a braided headband with straightened hair, worn down.

I'm glad that My Guy is OK with my low maintenance style this summer. If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have told you, he had to be in a relationship with a high maintenance type of woman. You know the type. Highlighted hair, fake and bake tan, and fake nails. That was before I knew him. Before we began dating. Now I know, he likes his women all natural! :)

Talking about My Guy, he's working right now. I'm still not feeling 100%. But I'm getting there. I'm just hanging out in the coach today. I've got a bunch of movies and crochet to keep me occupied until he gets back. Exciting Saturday, huh? What are your plans for the day? ♥

Cloud Soft Cover-Up

I'm just in love with this baby blanket! It's a free pattern from Crochet Soiree. I immediately downloaded it. And then I printed it! Yes, I'm that excited about this pattern.

And I'm hoping I have some yarn at home. Because I want to start this right away. For my bestie's little girl. I think it would be beautiful in lavender. Or even pink. Maybe I could make 3, because I really like this white one too! ♥

Busy Day

I haven't been feeling good since Tuesday night. I kind of have an idea what's up. But I'm trying to be positive.

We got up early this morning. And My Guy and I went to my doctor's appointment. Which was crappy and long. I felt horrible. And it was freezing in there! What is up with the insanely cold rooms? It was such a long morning. At least to me. But I'm grateful that My Guy got to be there with me. My results...I'll get those next week. Over the phone. :(

My Guy, he had to work too. And we were traveling. I was still feeling like crap. So he flew to his work thing. And I flew here. I'm just happy that it's not raining. I feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere. Oh ya, I am. But it's OK. My Guy will be back soon.

And what am I doing? Laying in bed. Trying to feel better. Do you ever do that? Try to will yourself to feel better? I do that a lot! But it doesn't seem to be working this time around. Which could be a really bad thing. So I'm praying. Literally praying to God. I just can't get sick again... ♥

Most Loved Recipe Collection

I recently came across these cookbooks. There are 12 in the series. Did you know that I collect cookbooks? Well, I do. And I LOVE them! All of them.

I go to thrift stores, antiques stores, bookstores, etc. in search of cookbooks. I've spent anywhere from $0.05-$30.00 on a cookbook. I have a nice size collection. And I cook recipes from all of them!

This seems like a decent deal. I'm not so sure about the "bonuses." Being that I have a HUGE bookshelves just for my cookbooks. And 12. I could use 12 more. Now to justify the cost of these beauties. ♥

Baby and Bridal Shower Ideas

I have to plan a bridal shower and a baby shower. In the next few weeks. And I could really use some ideas. I'm all out. I think I've been in charge of too many of these things. And I don't want these 2 parties to just be like all the rest. I could really use your help!

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please leave them below. Or e-mail me. If you have a blog or a website with ideas, please, please, please tell me! I really do need some ideas. About games, decorations, and food. Really, about it all! I really need some inspiration. ♥

Sunshine

Everything about Steve Azar's new song, reminds me of My Guy and I. In fact, this morning, I woke up to him singing this very song. Ever so quietly, as he watched me sleep. :)

You can say it's cheesy. But it's the perfect song. Everything about it, speaks about the 2 of us. How has it taken me this long to find a man like him? On my worst days, just seeing him and being near him, makes me feel better.

It's funny, we haven't done a thing today. We got up at nearly noon. And we've just hung out with our fur babies. But it's been the best day we've had, in such a long time. Just snuggling and talking.

Mondays are our days off. In this busy schedule, it's nice to have one day, when we can lock the world out. And just enjoy each other. That's just what we did. Even if the delivery guy thought we were nuts. At 6PM, when our food got here, we were still in our pjs. I'm telling you, we completely took advantage of our day off.

My Guy is my sunshine. My days begin and end with him. When we're together, I feel giddy. Like a 15 year old girl. And I feel complete. Even with no makeup on, and wacky hair. He makes me feel beautiful.

This is what love is. Past the famous names, millions of dollars, and all the glamour in his life. Our life is about the "real" people behind the names. About the quiet moments shared. Our breathing synced up. And enjoying each other's company. ♥

Lo Mein

I've seriously been craving some good Lo Mein. Who doesn't like these noodles? They're like love! The one's from Panda Express are seriously like a piece of heaven.

And we're here. There are so many people are around here today. My Guy is getting ready to go work. And I'm craving these noodles. Too bad I can't call and order some. I wish I could make them. But we don't have any noodles. Unless I use spaghetti. Something tells me that they wouldn't be so yummy.

So I'm going to have to wait until My Guy gets off of work. Then hopefully, on the way home we can stop for some yummy food. Beef and broccoli and some orange chicken sound good too! Yes, this Sunday, I'm craving some yummy, yummy food! What are you doing? ♥

Consuming Passions

I'm not going to lie. My Saturday is a little boring this week. My Guy is working all day. And I want a new book to read. I just found this one on the Barnes and Noble website. It sounds like a good book. I've read other books by Michael Lee West. And I've really enjoyed them. So this is pretty much a no brainer. :)

Do you read? Do you have any suggestions for a good book? I've been looking for good books all summer. I just love to read! I'm pretty hilarious. I read at least 2 books a week. So I can always use a good recommendation. ♥

Fruit Pizza

Doesn't this look yummy? I think so! It's a fruit pizza. And one of my favorite things to make. I found a recipe on All Recipes. That's where I got this picture too. But it looks so yummy! And I want to make one tonight.

Me? I just wing it. I actually baked a pizza crust a little while ago. And after dinner, I'll put the whole thing together. I'm thinking it would be a great dessert tonight. And what am I going to put on top? Berries, kiwi, peaches, plums, and some grapes. I just mix up some cream cheese, a little sugar, and whipped cream. Really yummy!

I'm going to include the recipe I found. So you can follow it. But I definitely think you should try it out. Because it is delicious! Especially when you have fruit that is a little overripe and sweet. Happy Summer! ♥



Ingredients

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon orange zest


Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice cookie dough and arrange on greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.

2.In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.

3.Begin with strawberries, sliced in half. Arrange in a circle around the outside edge. Continue with fruit of your choice, working towards the middle. If bananas are used, dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken. Then make a sauce to spoon over fruit.

4.In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Cuddle Me

We're headed home. Well, at least to where My Guy is working this weekend. It's going to be a HOT weekend. And I just hope we can adjust to life at home. Or at work for My Guy. I still feel like I'm on vacation. :)



I have this book in my hands right now. And I'm making something for my bestie's baby girl. Can you guess which of the 3 sets I'm making? I know you can only see 2, but believe me, there are 3. The 3rd one is the cutest! And I'm not going to post it. I have to keep it a secret. :)

Anyway, that is what I'm doing on the airplane. Working on a beautiful gift for my Goddaughter. I can't believe she is almost here! Well, not almost. But in 2 1/2 months. I can't wait to meet this beautiful little angel. ♥

Knife Guy

That my friends, is our knife guy. He sits on our kitchen counter. My Guy insisted on buying one. That was after he seen my pink one. The one my friends bought me as a joke. I talked about our Knife Guy here. And I got so many e-mails asking me about him.

Well, we're still in a tropical paradise. So I couldn't take a picture of our guy. So I searched online for one. I'm thinking that the Orange Guy is no longer available. Because it took me 90 minutes to find this crappy picture. Nowhere could I find our orange guy. The pink one, red one, even the blue one...yes. But not the orange one.

My Guy choice this little fellow, because he likes orange. And this is probably the only thing he picked out for our entire kitchen. THE ONLY THING!!! But I love it. It reminds me of home. Except mine is a lot cuter. Because mine is pink. :) I have no clue how much it cost. I'm sorry. And I seem to have a tough time locating them. But just google "Knife Guy," and you should be able to find one. ♥

My New Love

This is love! I may have found a mascara that takes the place of Covergirl's Lashblast. I'm talking about Maybelline's Falsies. Of course, I have the waterproof. That's just life. I like me some waterproof mascara.

Anyway, I just love the shape of the brush. I would have never thought. But the shape of the brush helps give a great coat of mascara. The overall formula of the mascara is amazing too! It provides volume and length.

Does it make me look like I have false eyelashes? No. But does it make my eyelashes look amazing? Yes! I have pretty long eyelashes, but I'm always looking for volume. This mascara gives it all. With no smudging. No clumping. Just a great mascara. Fun, inexpensive, and a great beauty find. ♥

Missing Mariachi

I know what you are going to say. How can I miss anything while on vacation? Well, it happens. I have Mariachi music here. But I miss the live music. A good concert. Or just a fun Mariachi playing during a dinner out.



This happens to be one of my all time favorite songs. Pepe is my favorite Mariachi style singer. And I've had the honor of playing and singing with him in the past. Such an honor! My heart still melts when I hear this song. For a lot of reasons. Mainly, because My Guy loves me. And totally went out of his way to plan a special treat for me. :)

So there you go. I miss Mariachi. I miss the live music and the passion. But thanks to YouTube, and Pepe's channel, I still get to listen to the beautiful music! I just can't wait to get to go to another live concert. ♥

Sweetie Pie Bakery Giveaway

Isn't this the cutest little set? It's from Sweetie Pie Bakery. I've been looking at their patterns for months now! I really want to buy some. You know, make a little time to start some Christmas presents. Then I saw a giveaway on Cakies. Immediately, I wanted to enter. I hope I win. There are so many cute things to make. So many for me to make for my Goddaughters. Head over to Cakies and enter this fun giveaway too! ♥

Enjoying the Beach

What have I been up to? Enjoying the sun, sand, and My Guy! You have to love a good vacation. Even if it's coming to an end. How can you not enjoy paradise?



On Wednesday, we head home. Well, not home exactly. More like, to where My Guy is going to be working this weekend. And we're not going to have a weekend off until Thanksgiving. I know! What a long way away! Maybe now you can understand why this vacation was so important to the 2 of us. And why we had to keep it a secret. You know, the location.

I'm truly in love with this place. It's not the 1st time we've been here. This is our secret getaway place. There are gorgeous white, sandy beaches. Crystal clear, blue oceans. And it's so secluded. Seriously, other than people we've called for food and such, we haven't seen a soul while we've been here. This is definitely my version of paradise! See you Wednesday! ♥

He Just Knows...

I have not been having a good couple of days. I know what it is. But there's not much I can do about it. But rest. And I'm not good at that. Being sick is horrible, this is 100 X's worse! A call to a good friend yesterday, well that lifted my spirits. But I've been down. And trying to act cheerful. Because My Guy has to work. And I don't want to burden him. Oh, and the million weddings this summer...

I"m trying to convince myself to be healthy. But well, it's not working. My body is refusing to listen to my mind. So today, I slept. My Guy really knew this morning, that I wasn't feeling well. Because I tried to convince him to stay home. Yes, I wouldn't let him out of bed. Because he makes me feel better. Just being around me. And I needed that today. But, at last, I let the man go to work. Because he has that kind of job. You know, were you can't call in sick. And he must have rushed through what he needed to do. Because he came home really early. So early, I was asleep...

And he let me sleep. While he made calls. And arranged for his grandma to make me some soup. And he went shopping. The man doesn't shop. Not ever! I do all the shopping around here. But he went. And got all my favorite things. And some little surprises for me. And Failure to Launch. Why have I never seen this movie?

By the time I woke up, the yummy food was here. And we had everything I could need or want. It was crazy! But so sweet. :) And My Guy cuddled with me in bed. And we watched Failure to Launch. Which was nice. We laughed. And joked about the movie and real life. It was a nice way to spend our evening.

I'm really glad that I have My Guy. He takes really good care of me. And my friends, they know how tough this has been for me. But having this amazing support, it makes everything so much better! Thank you Blue Eyes! I really do love you! And I appreciate all that you do for me. :) ♥

PS Go watch Failure to Launch! It's such a good movie. Seriously, why haven't I seen it before today?

Sandals

I'm not much of a sandal wearing kind of gal. I have this issue with feet. I just don't like them. Not even mine. My toenails are always painted. Honestly, since I was about 7 years old, I've painted my toenails. My feet are in amazing condition. But I just don't like feet.

Therefore, I rarely, if ever wear sandals. Which is hilarious! Because when I was younger, I loved sandals! Probably because I hadn't discovered stiletto peep toes yet. But I once wore sandals. Along with not wearing shorts since high school, I have also put away all my sandals.

But you know what? It's hot as heck! And I think I should invest in one pair that I will probably wear down the road. You know, with my jeans of course! So I took to online shopping early this morning, because I couldn't sleep. And I found these beauties!



These are the Hookfin Wedges in Cognac leather. They're a little more than I would like to pay for sandals. Because I'm just not sure if I'm going to wear them enough. But these beauties are on sale for $65. I might decide to actually buy them. But I think I need to sit on that for a day or two. I'm still not sure if my size 6 footsies want to take to the sun just yet. ♥

Much Love Illy Giveaway

You know Cakies is one of my favorite blogs. And right now, Ruby is hosting a giveaway for Much Love Illy. Such an adorable little shop! I just love all the pieces in there. The earrings are darling! I want 3 of the rings. And the hair accessories. Oh my!

Much Love Illy also has a fun blog! Go take a look at it. Well, you have a chance to win a prize pack of a headband, a hair pin, and a ring of your choice! So head over to Cakies and enter. You have until tomorrow, May 27th. Good luck! ♥

Raspberry Chocolate Cake

I was sitting here trying to pass some time. To be honest, I was so bored! My Guy is working. And he asked me to come with him. My bestie is here too. But somehow, I'm sitting here alone. My pregnant bestie is sleeping. And My Guy is working. So I'm left to entertain myself.

Hello Google. I started a search for a chocolate cake. And look what I found. I'm not sure why the pictures are so small. But look at this cake!



Chocolate and raspberry bliss! OMG it looks amazing! Um, I started looking through this place. And I found what I needed to recreate this amazing cake! There is no recipe. I didn't find one. Mostly because the page that these pictures were on, isn't there anymore. I just made a chocolate cake, with chocolate icing. And topped it with beautiful raspberries.



Honestly, look at how amazing this looks! Um, I don't have my camera either. But my cake looks pretty amazing too! Who doesn't like chocolate and raspberries?



When My Guy finished working, he was greeted with this lovely cake. And he was very happy! My pregnant bestie, she enjoyed it too! See what happens when I'm bored. I find inspiration on Google. ♥

Souvenir Giveaway!

Do you like owls? I think they're cute! There is a giveaway going on right now at My Owl Barn. All you have to do is follow My Owl Barn Blog and post on your blog or twitter. So easy peasy! And there are 4 separate prizes. So hurry up and enter this wonderful giveaway! It ends tonight. ♥

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

First of all, thank you to everyone who entered! This was a lot of fun! And if you want to enter another giveaway, come back in about a month. My mom, a few friends, and myself are going to do another giveaway. So now for the winner...



The winning number was 30! But since that is my Goddaughter, and I already planned to make her an apron, I picked another number! The winner is #34, Court. Let me know if you want an adult sized apron or a child sized apron. And send me an email (SweetNightingaleSing (at) gmail (dot) com) with all your information. By the way, those cupcakes that she recommended, they sound so yummy! ♥

Slice of Sunshine Cake

So I have another Free Recipe from Gooseberry Patch. It sounds delicious! And very quick and east. And light. Perfect for Spring and Summer!

Slice of Sunshine Cake

Submitted by: Michelle Campen from Peoria, Illinois

18-1/2 oz. pkg. yellow cake mix
1/4 c. applesauce
4 eggs, beaten
11-oz. can mandarin oranges
8-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
3.4-oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
15-1/2 oz. can crushed pineapple

Combine first 4 ingredients together; mix well. Pour batter into a lightly greased 13"x9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center removes clean; set aside to cool completely. Blend remaining ingredients together; spread over cake. Keep refrigerated. Serves 16.

I really can't wait to try this cake! All the fruit, it just sounds like a delicious dessert. So quick and easy. Perfect for a picnic or a casual dinner. Yum! ♥

Playing Grown Up Giveaway

Isn't this the cutest? I'm in love. I know I say that a lot. But seriously, this is so cute! You can go to Cakies and enter this giveaway. You can win any single item from this shop. Everything is adorable! But my favorite is this Teacup Chalk Board. How incredible would it be in our kitchen? Neither of us drink coffee. But this goes with our style. And my love for tea!

Note to My Guy. If I don't win it, I think we really should buy this. It would go perfectly with our orange knife Guy. :)

Anyway, hurry up and enter! This giveaway ends May 20th. At 8AM PST. Good Luck! And don't forget to look at this amazing shop!!! ♥

Giveaway Day 2010

Well, what is that? My Guy wrote me a letter last night. It was an amazing thing to wake up to this morning. It actually made me cry. Love you too "My Guy!"

But today is Giveaway Day! I'm so excited! Here is my giveaway. You can see the complete list of giveaways here. There are pages and pages of them! It might take me until next week to get through all of them. :) But there are 4 that I want to specifically point out:

1. My Mom is giving away some Amis. So cute!
2. My Goddaughter made some hair bows. I want some!
3. My Prima is sharing some sweet baby gifts!
4. My friend made a beautiful necklace!

So go take a look. And don't forget about these 4 amazing women! You know you want some of their creations too! Also, for anyone that is just here browsing. These lovely ladies and I are working on a big giveaway for July. So don't forget to come back and take a look! ♥

Cherry Apron Giveaway

Welcome everyone from the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day! I'm putting this post on a scheduled update. Because it's Sunday. And we're going to be traveling later. So I'm not exactly sure if I will wake up on time tomorrow morning to post. The only problem, I don't have a camera. Please have mercy on my picture. I had to nail my little apron to the side of a building and snap away with my cell phone camera. Obviously, I didn't get the best picture.

But here it is. My Cherry Apron!

This giveaway is for a either a child sized or an adult sized apron. This is a cafe style apron. The bottom layer is red and white polka dots. The next layer has cherry print fabric. And there is a sequence cherry applique on the right side pocket. The ties are also a little long. Because I for one, enjoy tying my aprons in the front. :)

For your chance to win, please leave me a comment with a link to your favorite summertime recipe or food blog. One comment per person. The giveaway is open to US residents only. And the giveaway ends on May 23rd at midnight MST. I will use Random.org to pick the winner. Good Luck. And I hope you come back! ♥