Caitlyn Turns 4! ~ On Location Childrens Photography

I had the pleasure of taking 4th birthday photos for a little girl who is nothing but sugar and spice.  I just loved her to pieces.  She is so spunky and full of energy! 

 

We visited Des Peres Park, which provided a great setting.

The video of her photos can be viewed here 

Enjoy Sweet Caitlyn!

Mirror - Refinished

Unfortunately, I don't have any before photos of this marvelous mirror.  I bought it Betty's Resale in High Ridge, MO.

When I brought it home, it was gold.  My husband was kind enough to tell me that he thought it looked like a pineapple.  Needless to say, it wasn't the prettiest color choice for the mirror and especially for in our house.  

I decided to paint it white to match the rest of the decor in our house.

Here's the process:

Prep:
What you need:  damp cloth, newspaper, painters tape, sandpaper

I lightly sanded the mirror down with sandpaper and followed with a wipe of the damp cloth.  Then, I laid the newspaper over the mirrored area and used the painters tape to tape around the edges so the mirror was protected from the spray paint.

Painting Process:
What you need: drop cloth, spray paint, sand paper

First lay the drop cloth down to protect the surrounding area from overspray.  Then spray paint the frame of the mirror in slow even strokes.  Let the paint dry.  I lightly sanded the frame of the mirror to give it a weathered look.

 

That perdy artwork you see in the mirror, can be found here

Family Kitchen Art

I first saw this type of art on Pinterest.  I love doing graphic work, so I put my skills to use and made this artwork for our kitchen.  We had the frame already and I printed my masterpiece on grey textured paper that I already had.  To finish off the display, I added a sunflower for the final touch (which I already had, as well). 

What fun projects have you been doing lately?

Who Doesn't Like LASAGNA?!

Lasagna is one our favorite go to dishes in our house.  This is my mom's recipe so you know it HAS to be good!  

1 Lb. Ground Beef
1 Box Lasagna Noodles
1 Large Container Cottage Cheese
1 Bag Mozzarella Cheese
Garlic Powder, Pepper, & Salt to taste

Brown ground beef - season with salt, pepper, garlic.
Cook 1 box of lasagna noodles
Cool noodles by running under cool water

In a 9x13 casserole dish, layer noodles, then ground beef, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese....repeat until dish is 3/4 full.
Cover with aluminum foil and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I usually have enough stuff left over to make a small (bread/loaf pan) lasagna to freeze for later.

 

We took this to some friends, so I baked it in a disposable pan.  I usually bake one large 9x13 casserole dish and one small bread/loaf pan to freeze.

 Serve with some garlic bread and a salad and you have a pretty tasty dinner!


Enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken with a TWIST!

Since going back to work after being on maternity leave, one of my goals is to use my slow cooker more.  It's so easy to throw dinner in the crock pot before you leave in the morning and have it be ready when you return home from a long day away from the house.  It takes a few extra minutes in the morning, but it's totally worth it when I can walk into the house and have dinner waiting for us.

This recipe gives a little twist to traditional BBQ Chicken.

6 Frozen Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast Halves
1 - 12 Oz. Bottle BBQ Sauce
1/2 Cup Italian Dressing
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Place frozen chicken breasts in slow cooker.  Dump in the other ingredients.
Turn slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy!

Simple Centerpiece

I love DIY home decor and this project is super simple.  You can use items you have on hand to make a lovely centerpiece.  You need a vase, a pillar candle, and decorative items to fill the vase.  Because of my love of coffee and because it's super versatile, I chose to use coffee beans to fill the vase.  You can choose to use leaves, berries, rose petals, sea shells, Epsom salts and pine cones, etc. depending on the season or your personal preference.

Sara Turns 2!

I can't believe our little girl turned 2 this past summer - The last two years have gone by so incredibly fast!  We chose an Elmo theme for her 2nd birthday party since he was her favorite at the time.  We were pregnant with our second child and had found out shortly before Sara's party whether we were having a girl or a boy, so we decided to incorporate the gender reveal into Sara's birthday party!  The batter for the cake was colored according to what sex our newest addition was going to be.  (Our families threatened to poke the cake before the party even started so they could find out what we were having!)

 

She was SO excited opening her gifts!

 

It's pink!!!