tids + bits

**Oh look.  It's my weekly opportunity to dump a buttload of food pictures on ya.  Just so happens that food happens to be a big part of my life.  And food doesn't require hair and makeup to get its picture taken.** +Oh hey, trendy flowers.  You are neon, colorblocked, and geographic prints.  I want you all. +When hubby went on a camping trip recently, I drowned my loneliness in the making of 7 pans of cinnamon rolls for the freezer.  How much do I love the Pioneer Woman?  Let me count the ways...
+I just love summer cooking.  Everything tastes better, looks better, and I have more time to make it so I'm much less cranky about the whole thing.
+Ok, at your next evening pool party, throw broken graham crackers on a cookie sheet, drizzle with caramel sauce and hot fudge, and top it with a whole bunch o' marshmallows.  350 for a few minutes, then broiler for less than a minute.  It's even better nuked for 30 seconds the next day (if it doesn't get decimated the first time, that is).  DIVINE.
+woohoo for hair that's long enough to get.out.of.my.face.already.  
+And there is something just so gratifying about cooking with things you've grown in your garden.  Those fresh herbs are so tasty in your spaghetti sauce, especially when you haven't paid for them by the bunch at the grocery store.  That's the taste of pennies still in my pocketbook.  delish


 linking up here today  

11 things...

Ok Becca, you've asked for it.  And because you are as obsessed with Honest Toddler as I am, if that's possible, I'll give these questions a go. 

1. What is your profession?

I'm a middle school special education teacher in a special needs school.  Read: I am a glutton for punishment.

2. How would you describe your style?

I'll only try a trend if I love it.  Otherwise, I try to strike a balance between classic "grown-up", feminine, versatile, modest, retro, and comfortable.  I'm learning to love myself in color. 

3. What one make-up product can you not live without? 

 

Eyeliner.  I feel like it draws the eye (hardy har) and distracts from the fact that I didn't have time to put on anything else.

 

4. If you could be besties with one celebrity, who would it be?

Ree Drummond.  

I want to sit at her kitchen table and just let her feed me.  And tell me jokes.  And show me her beautiful ranch.  And I want to roll around in her herb garden.

5. What is your dream vacation? 

 

Although I'm a total sucker for the beach, my dream vacation would be to tour Europe and meet all my great uncles, aunts, and cousins that still live around London.

 

6. What magazines do you subscribe to?

 

Umm...does the J Crew catalogue count?

 

7. If you could have any special talent {that you don't currently have}, what would it be?

 

I've always wanted to play the violin, or be athletic, or to be good with dogs.  A girl can dream, right?

 

8. What is your favorite breakfast food?

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I could eat breakfast food all day every day for the rest of my life and die a happy little lady.  Current fave?  There's a little cafe near us that does a french toast with granola, peaches, and yogurt on top.  Let that sink in for just a second....

 

got it?

yes.

 

9. If you could do anything, what is your dream job?

 

At the risk of sounding majorly cliche, I really do believe I have my dream job.  It's unpredictable, exhausting, rewarding, and always leaves me with room for improvement.  Down the road, I wouldn't mind pursuing consulting for special education...curriculum, paperwork, classroom strategies.  

 

10. What is your guilty pleasure?

 

This would be a rather extensive list if I intended to fully disclose, but I don't.  So I'll share one.  ABC Family tv shows.  Now I'm off to hide my face in shame.

 

On Organizing Life

Don't get me wrong.Days off spent lounging by the pool or doing generally nothing are pretty darn great, but sometimes it also feels good to get some stuff done! Last week I took advantage of a stormy icky day to do some little organization projects around the house.  This stuff is so therapeutic for serious. 

I thrifted this wrought iron wine rack for my classroom markers, but I couldn't find the right kind of cups for it, so instead, it became hand towel and washcloth storage for my linen closet... 

 I needed some practical storage for my makeup brushes and stuff, and is there really any better smell when you're getting ready than coffeeeeeeeee beans???

So there's this vintage blue apothecary jar with coffee beans for my brushes...

and this little apothecary glass jar for cotton balls with the lid inverted for qtips.

yay!

thrifted birdcage from my front table is now holding bracelets, earrings, necklaceswooden tray from target now holds beads and statement pieceslittle silver tray (gift) holds my watch, rings, and daily faux pearls

Antiques on the Cheap

I just love not spending money.  Or at least not much of it.  Here are some of my latest cheap-o finds that now live on my porch.  

Old wooden toolbox that I found in Goodwill for a few dollaz.  Gold mine.

Took my little oregano plant and a little lavender...

filled it with a little peat moss, and here it sits.  Yes, I know it's lopsided.  I just can't decide what to plant on the left side.

Then there are my little wooden shutters I bought for a few bucks from someone in my community.  I sanded them down a month ago when hubby gave me a powersander lesson.  

I took some of this ($6 at Ace Hardware)...

 Spray-painted it pathetically (on purpose)...

I liked the "distressed" look of an inconsistent single coat, so I left it that way!  It's now sitting next to my herb barrel on the porch...

Meet my herb barrel.  Found this half barrel in a Goodwill bargain room last summer for about $3.  I started all kinds of herb seeds in it in the spring, and whaddyaknow?  They grew!
What have you found lately that made your heart skip a beat?

Tids + Bits

+nothing says summer like the crack of the bat and cheering for the hub's softball team.  I've got such a big crush on that catcher right there ;)
+said hubs caught one with his eyebrow during batting practice...check out the stitches from the ball permanently etched into his skin...what a man, what a catch.
+totally photobombed my kitty.
+turquoise skinnies, chambray shirt, top knot...we're talking end-of-the-school-year casual here.  linking up here today.  

My Super-Gross Hobby

So I thought that maybe if I was on vacay I would be blogging it up like crazy with all my extra free time and stuff.  Instead, I've posted even less than I normally do and slept more than any human probably should.  Eh, whatevs. Besides sleeping, I've also been spending a lot of time on one seriously dirty habit....gardening.  I mean, no matter how little I do out there, I always come in covered in mud from head to toe.  And I love it.  
But this week, I've found myself in mortal combat against the most disgusting of villains...check these bad boys out...

Introducing the horn worm.  Ick.  This very trendy creature (neon AND stripes), I'm told, will eat entire plants if you let him.  You best believe he will be not be indulging on my barrel-full of carrots.  When my dear friend, the Bumbling Gardenista (holla!), made me aware of the danger at hand, I promptly sliced and diced him with my hoe.  Phew.

Cue nightmares.  Who knew that ginormous spiders enjoyed romping in flats of marigolds?  With much gutteral screaming, this guy became the victim of my spade and my fear.

Some couples send mushy-gushy text messages during the day to make each other swoon.  You best believe he was impressed with this one.
I hope you're not sick of gardening...more on my shabby-chic diy endeavors tomorrow!  You know, if I'm not sleeping.

On Bravery, Zumba, and Firearms

Here I sit, snuggled on my couch, freshly showered, with a package of Rowntree's Fruit Gums by my side, and I'm choking back ridiculous tears.  Why, oh why, does my husband's camping trip coincide with my weekend of womanly hormonal rage?  I know he'll be back in 48 hours, but geez, it is just not right to snuggle in that bed without him.  But I will be brave, despite the superloud boogie men that go bump in the night, and because of the heat I'm packing just in case.
Enough about that.
My friend has been inviting me to her Zumba class on Monday nights for a little while now.  I haven't gone for several reasons, the greatest of which being a humongo fear of looking like an absolute fool.  I am not exactly the most coordinated person.  I mean, I FEEL that beat, but I just can't seem to make my body cooperate for long periods of time.
Anywho, on Monday I bit the proverbial bullet and took my little butt to Zumba class.  My friend just happened to stand me up, and of course I gave her a lot of grief for it, but it was actually ok.  I needed to take that first step and be a little vulnerable.  

Ack, the piercing fear ripping through my heart...

And the sheer exhaustion.  Seriously, do you guys do Zumba?  Such a great workout.So much so that I went back tonight.  Loving it--it feels like 5 minutes, definitely not an hour of spasmatic cardio.  I'm sure I do still look like a fool doing it, but I'm learning to be ok with that.
And extra bonus?This morning I threw my unbrushed, day-old hair into a french-type braid thing...

And then tonight, after getting my Zumba on, I discovered this...

Glorious beachy waves I can never seem to achieve when I want to.  Guess I need to exercise more!
Do you Zumba?  Do you love it?How do you survive being home alone?

Pool Partay

Last weekend was my sweet mama's birthday.  So we decided to christen the summer season with a family pool party.  I'm kinda loving this whole owning-a-pool thing.  Especially since I have a pool boy!   Introducing Bart:

I mean, this is the coolest invention ever.  A robot that cleans my pool while I do whatever the heck I want?  He is so awesome. 

Cutest nephew in the history of the world...and my sister-in-law.LOVE.   

My mama and her dog-son...who was scared to get in the water.  

 

Big Bro and Dad chillin' and shootin' the breeze.

Could not have asked for a more beautiful day to relax and laugh with family and celebrate all our blessings together.  Here's to summer!