Sharing is Caring

Hey, y’all! Today took a turn for the cold side here in the great state of Arkansas, so what better way to celebrate a chilly night at home than with a nice bowl of my mom’s 5 step potato soup! I am going to be crafting tonight {Cholla needs a new puppy bed..tutorial to come!}, and pajamas and a big bowl of soup sounds mmm mmm good. Sharing is caring, so let’s get right to it..

 

Ingredients<3

·         4 large baking potatoes

·         2/3 cup flour

·         ¾ tsp salt

·         4 green onions, copped

·         1 ¼ cups shredded cheese

·         2/3 cup butter

·         6 cups milk

·         Ground pepper

·         Pkg bacon bits {I usually cook bacon and chop it up}

·         1 cup sour cream

Directions<3

{Step One}: Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for an hour and 20 minutes. Cool. Scoop pulp into small bowl and discard the skins.

{Step Two}: Over low heat, melt butter in large pot. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

{Step Three}: Add milk gradually, stirring well after each addition. Cook over medium, until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper.

{Step Four}: Add potato pulp, 2 tbs green onions, ½ cup bacon bits, and 1 cup cheese. Cook until heated thoroughly. Stir in sour cream. Add additional milk, if needed.

{Step Five}: Sprinkle with remaining bacon bits, green onions, and cheese. Enjoy! <3

 

Having guests? Bonus points if you buy a few bread bowls from Panera and put the soup in them! Hope you all enjoy! XO

Michele

Why must the weekend end?!

It’s official, Monday has come around once again! Monday’s are just not my favorite. In fact, Sunday afternoons aren’t my favorite either, because it just feels like a pre-Monday! I feel horrible complaining about Mondays, because if I dread Mondays, I have a job. A good job. A job that I love and am proud of. Yet I still dread Mondays..

Even though I haven’t fully hopped on the Monday bandwagon, I’ve decided to embrace this Monday. It’s a nice, chilly morning, I’m wearing my favorite fall leggings and my olive Piko top {both from Suite One…go figure} and I’m enjoying a nice cup of coffee. This Monday just isn’t so bad afterall, it’s all in your perspective.

How was your weekend? Mine was a much needed lake getaway. Friday, right after the husband got off work, we headed straight down to the lake and cooked a nice dinner and enjoyed the beautiful sunset on the deck, and we hit the hay early {which is typical for me anyways, getting up at 4:30 every morning for work doesn’t make staying up until midnight quite so appealing..}.

I woke up at about 4am on Saturday morning to the sound of pouring rain and thunder, and saw a beautiful lightning show at the window. Needless to say, that put me back to a peaceful sleep for another 2 and a half hours. When I woke up, it was still sprinkling, so I opted to write thank you notes inside with a cup of coffee, half watching “Almost Famous” while I worked. Finally the weather cleared up, and  Charles and his brother and father worked on various tasks around the lake house, as well as Charles removed a bunch of oxidation from the back of the boat, as well as changed the boat name and put a metal looking Razorback on the back of the boat, what a handy man!

 

After piddling around for a little bit in the afternoon, and having a few cocktails with the neighbors, we started working on dinner, which was incredible! Ahi tuna steak, grilled asparagus, and pasta. Delish! And the best part? Charles cooked it all. He’s a man of many talents, but sorry ladies, I snatched this one up and he is off the market! After baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies and watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York {the best Home Alone in our opinion..} we hit the sack early again! Married life, I tell ya!

Sunday morning Charles and his brother helped their dad with a few more projects, and I packed up and cleaned up as much as possible, and played puppy wrangler to make sure they didn’t get in the boys way. We headed home and unpacked and did some chores at home {it never ends} and then met up with my family for dinner at Olive Garden. I knew I didn’t wanted a big glass of Sangria, and lo and behold that’s just what my parents ordered. They are people after my own heart. If you are ever at the OG, try their Berry Sangria. It’s amazing, just what I needed to wrap up a nice weekend!

 

Now I’m usually not too big on the country music fad, however, there are a few songs you just can’t keep out of your head. I’m starting to become more of a country music fan {as long as it’s not that honkytonk, way too country music. That is not ok.} Here’s a few songs I’ve been singing along to in my car for weeks!

 

Sunday was also made wonderful because of the text I got from my dear friend Katie, and it went a little something like this {see below}. In summary, MAC cosmetics is coming to our local Dillard’s! I know, I know, how could it have taken this long for a MAC to come to our mall, and trust me, I’ve had similar thoughts, and often. Just in time for the holidays, my birthday, etc…looks like I know what to put on MY wish list! Hint: All Things MAC.

 

She also made my day by informing me that Old Navy is having a boot sock sale, and I’m in desperate need of some good boot socks, because you can never have too many, and for $3.50 a pair? Can’t beat that and you can’t say no. She made the great point that these would be great stocking stuffers, or maybe part of a small gift for a friend!  Maybe even a dirty santa gift, the possibilities are endless. I’m going to raid this sale right after work {and you should, too!}

I’m pleased to report back that I completed ALL of my thank you cards {it took forever and I had a sore hand and a headache, but they are done}. I accomplished most of my “to-do” list, with the exception of the Christmas lists! That’s going to be my primary focus for today. Charles has a board of directors meeting for the Blues Fest this evening, so I’ll have some time to get some work done on the lists after work. I’ve started working on them early enough that I’m not in panic mode trying to get it completed.

The Christmas Cards I created and ordered via VistaPrint have ALREADY shipped, y’all! Jump on the bandwagon and get yourself some. Mine should be in today, which gives me optimal time to address them and get them out to people and not be in a rush. How great is that?! I’ll probably get them addressed and ready to send out in the next few weeks, so that I don’t have to worry about it closer to the holidays. Getting ahead of the game is kind of a rush for me, if you hadn’t noticed.

I hope you all make the most out of your Monday! Go check out the amazing Old Navy sale! XO

Michele

Hello, Friday! You're wonderful

Hey, y’all! Happy Friday =)

I hope you’re all as ecstatic for the weekend as I am. Big plans? I’d love to hear. I’m slowly but surely trying to kick the rest of this sickness in the booty {keyword: slowly. Painstakingly slow, in fact} in order to fully enjoy my weekend. Cheers for Friday!

Friday’s also mean 5 for Friday!! Here’s 5 things on my mind today:

{One}

My arm’s length to do list is on my mind this Friday. Albeit yes, my life has calmed down significantly since the wedding, I still have so much catching up to do. Throw in the holidays coming and us trying to fix up the house to sell, I’ve hit a point where I eat, sleep, and drink in to do lists in order to function like a normal and productive human being. No, I don’t want to be “that lady” who obsesses over list making. I’m not someone who makes lists to do lists, I’m not certifiably OCD, but the lists help me to remember what I need to do, and they remind me to stay on track. I really think it has more to do with writing things down. If I write something down {no, typing them into my phone calendar does NOT count as writing something down, it will never work,} I feel like I remember things better.  Surprisingly, my to do list for this weekend isn’t too terrible. My “to do before the end of the year” list is out of hand.

 

{Two}

If you know me, you know I’m not the world’s biggest red meat fan. Not that I don’t like it, not that I won’t eat it {because I will}, I just seem to always gravitate towards grilled chicken, fish, etc. Sometimes it’s difficult when Charles wants to grill a nice, big, juicy steak. He gets extremely excited, and I’m always sitting there thinking “Okay, I’ll eat this, it will be great I’m sure, so why am I not as excited as this guy?” I found my substitute for steak. It’s even BETTER than steak in my book. Get ready to go buy some immediately. Ahi. Tuna. Steak. SO GOOD. Yes, you can buy this at Wal-Mart of your local grocer {frozen…}, but it is SO much better to go get some fresh. Where I live, we have a local seafood shop that gets fresh fish flown in every Friday morning, and they have extremely reasonable prices {Shout Out to See’s Seafood!} You can prepare them however you’d like, but I like to keep it simple: a little olive oil, a little creole, some george’s seasoning {a special, secret seasoning that is pretty good fabulous that is made by a family here in Fort Smith}, and some lemon juice. Toss that puppy on the grill, it doesn’t take long to cook in the slightest. Enjoy a glass of wine while you wait {I know I will}. Anyhow, this is on my mind today because I have four of these beauties ready to throw on the grill tomorrow at the lake. Yes, I will be sitting on the deck enjoying a glass of wine while my husband grills the meat! This weekend’s weather will be amazing, I am SO looking forward to it.

 

{Three}

2 for $22 candles from Bath and Body works are never constantly on my mind, but especially today! These 3-wick candles run around $20 on a normal day, but in typical “always looking for a sale” fashion, I wait for these wonderful candles to go on the 2 for $22 sale, and then I stock up! I also save all of the $10 off a purchase of $30 or more, and then I get 4 candles {which on a normal day would run me $80} for $30! That ends up being $50 of savings. I’ll take it! Well as I’m sipping on my coffee this morning, casually scrolling through my email as normal, I saw the coupon for the 2 for $22 sale going on now. You better believe that I will be heading straight to BBW for some more candles, because honestly, you can NEVER have too many. Have extras? Save them for next year. You’ll always need them. Life is too short to not buy the candles. Right now I’m obsessing over “Leaves.” It’s always my fall favorite.

 

{Four}

The Children’s Emergency Shelter has been on my mind a lot lately, especially with the holidays coming up. This shelter in my town provides shelter, food, and care to children who found themselves in bad situations. This shelter is someone everyone needs to support when they can, find them on their website here, or on facebook! They often post what they need support with {whether it be food, laundry detergent, someone to stop by and fix a leak, etc}. If you have means to donate to a charity, please choose this one. It takes a special kind of person to run an organization like the one they are running. Please consider them when you’re at the store, or buying presents this holiday season! I know we will be thinking of them in the Alley household this holiday season.

 

{Five}

After work, I am headed to the beautiful and peaceful Lake Ouachita. Although I won’t be in a bikini sitting on a boat, I can’t wait for a peaceful weekend, sitting on the deck, and enjoying the cool fall weather. It will be SO nice to sit on the deck with a cup of coffee and a stack full of thank you cards. It’s hard to get things like that done at home, because I always feel like I should be cleaning something, or someone always comes over, or we want to get out of the house…I could think of about 50 excuses to do something at home, but when I’m at the lake enjoying some peace and quiet, I can get things done! Hopefully I can get finished early and enjoy a nap in the new hammock, and then enjoy some wine and a nice dinner on Saturday night. Ok, ok. The wine will happen regardless of me finishing. Let’s just be honest about that. In fact, it might be required just to keep me sane while I’m writing the thank you cards and doing various other things. Oh, and sleep is a priority this weekend! I have not slept well ALL week, and I really need to let my body rest and recover in order to kick this sickness. Here’s hoping I get some good naps in ;)

 

I hope you all have a splendid weekend, full of friends, family, and if you’re lucky, some peace and quiet! & don’t forget to come back around for a weekend recap in a few days! XO

Michele Alley

 

Wacky Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

I’m quite a fan of Wednesdays, it means we are halfway through the week and almost to the weekend! {Applause, applause..} I am particularly excited about this Wednesday because it is a long overdue LADIES NIGHT! I can’t even tell you how needed this week. When 3’o clock {aka, quitting time for this lady} rolls around, I’ll be headed to buy a nice bottle of wine and some snacks for my best gal pals! If you don’t have a ground of ladies that you enjoy ladies nights with periodically, I recommend you go befriend some girls right this second and start a monthly girls night!

This is going to be another spontaneous, no themed post. I have so much to share! {Deep breath}

As I mentioned in my last post, I was looking for an inexpensive yet good quality website to make our family Christmas cards. If not by pure dumb luck, I would never have found out that VistaPrint has holiday cards, and {once again, like clockwork} I opened my email this morning to find a bright and shiny coupon for VistaPrint. You better believe I went to their site right then and there and created the CUTEST holiday cards for friends and family. I got 30 of these cards, with extra envelopes {I’m kind of totally accident prone} for $30. I cannot wait! Check these out {they have a plethora of designs to choose from, or you can create your own}:

"Married and Bright"...how punny for us Newlyweds? <3

 

A.dor.a.ble.  Plain and simple. Check out vistaprint now, while the discount is still good!

I’m not sure about you all, but Monday completely did me in! Since Starbucks is right down the street from my office, I decided to get myself a little Monday afternoon pick me up! Behold the Captain Crunch frapp from the Starbucks “Secret Menu.’’ It turned my day around! It tastes more similar to crunch berries than the actual Captain Crunch, but it is just the most perfect cold pick me up.

 

Then it was off to get some new dog food for the babies. I decided to try out the Rachael Ray dog food, and WOW, I have two happy happy babies on my hands! The fur babies are absolutely loving the food. I think this one will stick with us for a while. If you haven’t tried the Rachael Ray dog food and your pup is getting sick of their current food, check it out! I purchased it at Wal-Mart for around $15 dollars for a big bag. Your babies will thank you =) Charles is still baffled by the fact that Rachael Ray has dog food, he just can’t get over it! Males, I swear. Sometimes they just don’t get it.

 

Tuesday was once again a hectic day all around. On top of the work craziness, I ran out of astringent, so I had to make a trip to the store just for one item! I hate that. Instead of going into Wal-Mart and braving the crowds {not to mention driving around aimlessly for a parking spot}, I decided to go to Walgreens. Mistake? For my wallet, probably. But man oh man, I sure found some treasure! Here are my Walgreens finds:

 

{Sea Breeze Clear-Pore Astringent} Ahh, the only thing I went to Walgreens for! I should have known I would have ended up with more products! Ok, this stuff may not have the most pleasant smell in the world, but it gets the job done, and well I might add. The smell doesn’t linger, so to me it’s not an issue. There is a hint of grittiness to this astringent, which means it adds some exfoliation, and I’m a fan! Only runs about $5 and you get more product than the Clean and Clear astringents!

{Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss}   I picked up two of these off of a recommendation from Katie {check her out! www.gloriouslyreallifexo.blogspot.com} I got the colors “Rose Pearl” and “Sun baked bronze.” The only word that comes to mind when describing this lip gloss is fantastic! They aren’t sticky or too gooey, they go on smoothly, the applicator is a sponge tip {which I appreciate}, and the color pigmentation is wonderful. They have gorgeous fall colors, I truly recommend checking them out! As an added bonus, they are BOGO half at Walgreens right now! Walk run to Walgreens! Now! I’m not a big fan of most lip products, I prefer a more natural lip, but this product provides the look I’m going for. Trust me. If I spend this much time and energy talking about a lip gloss, you probably need it.

{Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino and eye shadow in Beach Sand}   I picked these up through recommendations I have heard from other bloggers. I picked up the Red Vino blush for two reasons: First, the most raved over Milani baked blush is the color Luminoso, which my local Walgreens was out of. Secondly, I was drawn to Red Vino because it looked like a good transitional fall blush, and all of my blushes now are a coral, summer color. I am LOVING Red Vino, although I was surprised when I applied to my cheeks and I saw how pigmented it was. I don’t have to use near as much product as most blushes. It’s a steal at only about $7. I picked up their eye shadow in Beach Sand as well, and although I haven’t experimented with this eye shadow much, it is a neutral and it is sparkly. I’m quite sure I’ll adore it!

{Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask}  We all know that we were drawn to face masks when we saw the old movies of girls at sleepovers, in their cute pajama sets with face masks on and cucumbers over their eyes, painting their nails, and having a blast! Or maybe it was just me. It just is the epitome of being a girl. Who wouldn’t love a good sleepover with your gal pals, pampering each other, telling stories, and drinking a nice glass of wine. Sign me up! This mask is the same mint green color {hence the name..mint} that the masks you saw in the movies were. It smells DIVINE, which is rare for a mask, and makes your skin feel like a baby. I’m afraid that I have a mask addiction now, but at least the bottle only runs $4 at Walgreens! Thank YOU, Queen Helene.

{Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo} This was another recommendation from Katie, that I haven’t gotten to use yet! Stay tuned…I’ve heard it is the closest thing to a miracle in a bottle for your hair that you can get in Walgreens. Only $6!

{Dove Go Fresh body wash in Plum} As much as I love my Olay body wash in Sunflower Oil, it is too much of a summer scent for me to appreciate in the fall. This plum smell is “plum fantastic”..pardon my pun. I can’t stop smelling this. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $6 a bottle, but look how humongous that bottle is? I can totally justify that for something that will last me ALL fall and keep me smelling fantastic and keeping my skin soft and supple without that white buildup on your skin that the lower end body washes and soap bars tend to leave behind.

I also saved about $20 dollars on these products with my Walgreens loyalty card, so if you don’t have one, GO GET ONE! You won’t be sorry, it’s no cost to you, and you save money! It’s a win-win if I’ve ever seen one.

Not that you really care to see this, but I got my name plate with my new name on it at work today! Warms my little heart. It’s like I’m becoming a new person! I’m such a nut.

 

Tuesday was also “just because I love you” day in the Alley household, and I was blessed with this fabulous present from my even more fabulous husband! What. A. Keeper! My goodness. Look at the cranberry detailing on this bag, what a fantastic day Tuesday was! Charles, if you’re reading this {I know you aren’t, but still}, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! You’re just the greatest, wabers.

 

Ok guys, it’s almost quitting time, and I’ve got a girls night to prep for! Be a blessing today!

{P.S. Sorry for the sideways pictures! My blogger / computer is not cooperating today and doesn't want to let me rotate!}

Michele Alley

Weekend Take Away

Hey, y’all!

It’s Monday…. Again. I promise, I just needed 5 more minutes in bed before Monday happened. Only 5. Possibly 10. An extra hour would have been great.

Fall is officially here, complete with cool enough weather to open the windows and very chilly mornings. So chilly, in fact, that getting out of my warm bed, snuggled up with my husband and the two fur daughters is all the more difficult. I've overheard several people at the office today saying things along the line of "If I could have taken a personal day today, I would have.." Agreed. Amen to that!

How was your weekend? Was it just a tad too short like mine? Well here’s some information to make your Monday go down a little bit easier, a spoon full of sugar for your Monday, if you will:

v  24 days until Halloween

v  52 days until Thanksgiving {and 53 until Black Friday…yes, it’s important}

v  78 days until Christmas

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I feel like people have better behaviors, the air feels crisp, leaves are falling, Starbucks is booming..not to mention the holiday market comes around, my birthday comes around, I get to spend lots of time with family, and I get to meet my new nephew all this holiday season! Happiness overload.

I spent this weekend doing various things. As promised, I did go straight to Kirkland’s after work on Friday and I bought that monogrammed “A” doormat, as well as another cute doormat, which I put on the back deck, right where you walk into the French doors to go inside the house. Both of these doormats were an additional 20% off {have I mentioned that I like love Kirkland’s}. I also scored these two cute wine goblets for a mere $5 each. Kirkland’s autumn sales right now are insanely awesome, as they are gearing up for Christmas. I then took said wine goblets to my sister’s house for a nice glass of white wine, while we cooked up some delicious food for her husband’s going away dinner.

Another Kirkland's purchase. Excuse the wet spots around it. It rained ALL day Saturday! Not too shabby for a $9 doormat.

I'm dying. Seriously. $5 from Kirkland's. I'm a believer.

 

Saturday was one of those picture perfect, cozy Saturday’s. We opened the windows on Friday night when we went to bed and we woke up to the sound of rain beating against the window and a wonderful breeze was coming through the window. I tiptoed out of bed just to snatch up my iPad and a steaming cup of coffee, and I was right back in the warm bed, enjoying a little pinterest and the weather I’ve been dying for. Happy gal right here! After we begrudgingly got out of bed to start the day, we went to my parent’s house and got to watch the wedding video! I swear, y’all, I could have watched all day. I can’t wait until the copies are made so I can get a closer look ;)

Since my parent’s house is right down the road from Wal-Mart, we decided to go ahead and get our grocery shopping done for the week. {I know better than to bring Charles grocery shopping with me , we always end up with $50 more of food than we needed, not my brightest idea}.

After cleaning the house, we felt that we deserved a nice mojito and some company, so some family and some friends came over to watch our beloved Razorbacks, bless their hearts. It was pouring all day, but that didn’t stop us from grilling out some chicken and sitting on the deck that evening! To polish off the rainy day, we decided to make an apple crisp, topped with vanilla ice cream! So good for my soul!

 

Sunday was spent writing thank you cards! I’m almost not even close to being finished, but at least I made a dent! It was also “switch your summer and winter closets” day, and it was a complete disaster for a while. I have too.many.clothes. I know, a girl can never have too much clothing, but I either need a bigger closet or I need to drastically reduce my clothing {I vote both!} This pretty much consumed most of my afternoon…oh yeah, and we got a new bedspread because our demon angel dogs decided that while we were on our honeymoon, they needed to panic and try to get ALL of the stuffing out of our comforter. You know, no big deal. This comforter is not my dream comforter by any means, but we needed a new one quick, and it was the prettiest one we found at wal-mart while we were there. Meanwhile, I’ll browse online to find a better suited bed set for our room!

Not even all of it! Underneath it all is the new bedspread, not too thrilled, but it's cozy and it does it's job, for now!

 

If you’re a Shutterfly fan like myself, you need to go to their website ASAP {like, yesterday} and get your free gift! You can choose from 101 free 4x6 prints or a free 16x20 print. Christmas is coming, and photo gifts are always a good option. Print out some pictures of your favorite friends or family, and while you’re on the site, go ahead and order some holiday cards or maybe a coffee mug for one of your friends gifts. I have a feeling I’ll be ordering some photo coffee mugs and filling them with cocoa mix and marshmallows for some friends this year, what a great gift! Check out shutterfly now! It’s where I got my guestbook for the wedding, and it was a HUGE hit. So many guests asked me where I got the guestbook, and here is the answer!

Something that is going to be a theme on my mind this week is going to be Christmas Lists! Not only do I need to create my “wish” list for my family, but I need to make a list {and a budget} for all of my family members and friends this year. Any suggestions for how you guys budget for Christmas shopping? What kind of gifts do you enjoy giving to friends? Any holiday shopping traditions or amazing sales on your mind? Please. Share! Sharing is caring and it can be very, very rewarding for all parties!

How about holiday cards? Charles and I are starting a tradition this year of sending out a holiday card to friends and family with a written letter about what we have been up to that year. Where do you get your holiday cards printed? We are thinking of using our professional pictures and using an online website to order our holiday cards. What good websites are out there?

Some pictures of my cutie pie nephew to start your week off with a smile!

 

 Time to get back to work, always keeping busy, busy, busy! I hope your weeks fly by! Until next time!

Michele Alley

 

5 for Friday!

Happy FRIDAY, y’all!

I’ve seen this been done on an increasing amount of blogs lately, so I thought I might try it. It’s called 5 for Friday. Basically, you just talk about 5 things that are on your mind as Friday rolls around. How fun!? I feel as if I could be a regular 5 for Friday blogger, so let’s start with my first 5 for Friday post!

{One}

Coffee is something that is sometimes always on my mind, but especially today. For starters, I’ve been SO sick all week, and haven’t been sleeping at all, which means coffee has been a Life. Saver. No joke, I wouldn’t have made it through my first week back at work post wedding and honeymoon  at all, especially being sick, without coffee. My pal coffee has also helped me out this week by soothing my throat with its warm coffee goodness. Coffee will continue to help me this weekend as I sit under a blanket Saturday morning {HOORAY for cooler temps} and write a billion thank you notes! Here’s a few new fall coffee flavors you all might want to give a try…

 

{Two}

Starting Saturday, it’s officially Sweater Weather! Insert happy dance here. I have so many new and old sweaters that I can’t wait to dig out and fill my closet with. I’m fairly certain Sunday will be dedicated to laundry / switching my closets! {I have a closet for winter clothes and a closet for summer clothes. I switch the closets according to seasons to the closet in the bedroom} It makes my little heart happy when I switch my closets; it feels like I get a whole new wardrobe, which in a sense, I do. Here are some sweaters I am lusting over this fall / winter!

Oversized sweaters. I need no explanation why I am loving this for fall!

Tribal print sweaters! There are so many ways you can dress up and down a tribal print, fun sweater!

 

 

Studded sweaters are probably my favorite sweaters this fall. Rock and Republic for Kohl's has an amazing studded sweater I grabbed last season, and I'm looking forward to transition it into this fall!

 

{Three}

Kirkland’s holds a new, special place in my heart. I was looking for the perfect new monogrammed doormat {I know, I know, Bed Bath and Beyond has them, but they aren’t very cute in my opinion…a little too simple} and lo and behold, I found the most wonderful of all doormats. I give you the Kirkland’s monogrammed doormat! That’s not even the best part. The best part is its price tag. You might want to take a seat. This puppy is only $11.99 at Kirkland’s. I just can’t. TOO amazing! Not only odes Kirkland’s have these amazing and inexpensive rugs, but they have THE best {and most budget friendly} home décor and the yummiest smelling candles ever. Plus, they are always running some kind of sale or special. Blows my mind, I’ll be there most likely right after work.

The detailing on this doormat really sets it apart from others that I have seen. Thank you Kirkland's for such amazing and affordable products!

 

{Four}

A friend recommended that I start reading Erin Hilderbrand books if I wanted a good juicy beach read {I was about to head to the beach for my honeymoon, so of COURSE I wanted a nice juicy beach read!} I bought a few of her books, one of them being Barefoot, and fell in love!  I can’t wait to read ALL of her books. They are available on the Kindle also, for all of you tech savvy gals!

 

{Five}

It’s the weekend, and I’m Happy Happy Happy!  I started the weekend off right with a frozen Cinnamocha from Sacred Grounds, a local coffee shop. It is literally heaven in a cute little clear to go cup, and is making this Friday afternoon fly by!

 

My plans for this evening will start out with a going away party for my brother in law {he is joining the air force and will be shipping out for basic training later this month} at my sister’s house. I am SO looking forward to a night with family, food, and hopefully a huge glass of wine.

Tomorrow is a day of thank you cards and football! Charles’ brother and his girlfriend are coming over to watch our beloved Razorbacks play Florida, and I am going to try out a new mojito recipe {I’m on quite the mojito kick since Mexico…have a good recipe? Comment below}

I’m sure at some point this weekend we will watch Iron Man 3 {Charles is dying to see it, and I like to keep him happy} which means puppy snugs and cuddles with my husband. You can’t really beat that.

 

What’s on your mind this beautiful Friday? Big plans? I’d love to hear. Be a blessing today, and have a fabulous weekend!

Michele Alley

Chilly weather calls for a Chili Recipe!

Happy Fall, Y’all! I’m {finally} feeling better today, thanks for asking ;)

It’s October! When did that happen? I feel like I blinked and the year passed by! Please tell me I’m not alone in that fact that when it turns October every year, I do a little happy dance because the holidays are getting so close, and I LOVE the holidays.

If you live in the beautiful but weather – temperamental state of Arkansas like I do, you know that it’s still been a little warm for the picture perfect “fall” day {although I must say, September 21^st aka my wedding day was the ideal fall day- a crisp, cool morning with the high being right at 79..how perfect is that? Ok..so maybe I’m biased, I’ll always think 9/21/13 was the best day of my life.}

Even with the warmer than ideal temperatures, it’s still felt just like fall, and the fall weather is set to arrive on Saturday! The high is 66, people, and next week will be all sunny skies and 70’s {which means I get to bust out my new cheetah print sweater from my favorite store of all time, Suite One!}

Big weekend plans? Charles and I can’t wait to spend Saturday lounging around and enjoying the cool weather, watching Razorback football, and going to Paul’s meat marker to either pick out our favorite steaks {they are filled with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon…what’s not to love?} or trying out the new Paul’s meat marker Razorback burgers that everyone keeps raving about. Decisions, decisions…I also have to start writing all of our thank you cards for the wedding…it is a never. ending. process.

When I came home from work on Monday, I came home to a new toy from my husband!  A new iPad with a pink smart cover! Talk about the perfect way to cure a nasty case of the Monday blues. I was notorious for stealing his iPad {hey, when I do housework or get ready, I like to walk around with the iPad watching my shows on Netflix or Hulu Plus to help pass the time and make it more enjoyable…} so he thought it was time for me to have my own. Shout out to awesome husband’s everywhere, because my husband is TOO much! The newest show addiction of mine is Scandal. If you like the show Revenge then you will love it! I feel so drawn to this show because I feel as if it could actually happen. Plus, my TV Soulmates {hey, Angela and Katie!} both have expressed a liking for the show, so I knew I had to check it out. SO glad I did.

New iPad, can't get enough!

 

I know you all have been hearing about the ever so popular and controversial government shutdown {anyone who has a facebook has heard ALL about it, it seems, and everyone ON facebook is an expert on the topic…insert eye roll here.} I have to admit the timing is not ideal, but it doesn’t affect me too much, except that it shut down THE DAY I tried to get my social security card changed over to my new name. I got denied. So, according to the SS office, I am still Michele Marsh. I think I can deal. As long as Wal-Mart is open and the football teams are still playing, I’m a-ok!

When I was growing up, every Halloween my mom would make her first batch of chili for the season. We would never cook it until Halloween, and it was such a treat when we finally got to have a nice bowl of chili with fritos on top {can’t beat that, y’all!} Since it is now October, I thought I would go ahead and share my mom’s chili recipe with you, just in case y’all would like a delicious fall treat a little earlier!

Now, this recipe is double what you would normally make for just family, because I like to freeze my leftover chili and keep it on hand to heat up for a lazy, cold evening, or for a day when we are having hot dogs and I just want some chili on top! If you don’t like to freeze it or you’re just cooking for a handful of people, cut this recipe in half.

v  2 lbs. ground beef {or ground turkey}

v  1 small yellow onion, chopped

v  1 small green pepper {I usually use half a bell pepper and a jalapeno pepper for a little kick!}, chopped

v  1 small red pepper, chopped {optional}

v  1 can pinto beans, with juice

v  1 can diced tomatoes, with juice

v  1 can {6 oz.} tomato paste

v  2 envelopes chili seasoning {I typically use 1 mild packet and 1 hot packet, but I like it more on the spicy side. Feel free to adapt to your own personal taste!}

v  1 can full of water {I typically use the 6oz can}

Brown the meat of your choosing in a large pan. Drain excess grease. Add in onions and green peppers, cook until tender, stirring frequently. Add all remaining ingredients, making sure to mix them well. Bring to a boil, cover. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. {Typically, after I brown the meat, I throw it in a crockpot instead along with all of the other ingredients and let is simmer on warm or low for about 3-4 hours. I just get better results that way, and as an added bonus, it makes your house smell DIVINE!}

 

I hope your Wednesday is as incredible as you make it! Feeling bored? Check out one of my favorite blogs to peruse! www.dreaminginblush.com !

Until next time,

Michele Alley<3