monday musings: i heart gnosh

Happy Monday, peeps!  Hope you had a fabulous weekend... mine was crazy busy even though I felt we didn't have that much planned.

Yesterday, I had my painting class at Gnosh that I mentioned last week.  It was so much fun!  I went with two girls from my small group and we had a blast.   

Here is what the painting was supposed to look like:

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And here is my creation:

And here is the lineup of all of our creations:

I think they turned out great and look so cool because they are all so different.  I can't wait to go back with my bffs for my bday celebration in a few weeks.  We will be recreating this painting:

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Hope you have a happy Monday and good start to the week!  I'm counting down the hours until The Bachelor tonight - I've been on pins and needles for this week's drama to unflold.  Love it!

friday fun: jan 28

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Ahh, another work week has come and gone.  This week felt super long and I am so ready for the weekend!  Time for my five Friday fun things...

1) The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend {high of 70}... so maybe I will get outdoors and do something fun.  I am so ready for patio weather.

2) I've a got a girls night tonight w/ my WM gals.  Looking forward to some good conversation and a fun night.

3) I bought ingredients to expand my brownie-baking skills.  I took a stab at a new batch last night: dark chocolate and red wine brownies with a raspberry zinfandel frosting.  I'm not sold on the these brownies yet {still working out the kinks}.  So, may do some more baking this weekend to try and perfect the recipe!  We shall see.  I promise to take pics this time {if I can find my camera charger}...but I'll never expose my baking secrets!  Ha!

4) I'm taking a painting class on Sunday at Gnosh with 2 of my WM gals.  Super excited.  We got a great deal through Groupon {which I seriously love}.  I'll post pics next week of the final product.

5) The mister is still working like a mad man.  He's such a trooper.  Busy season is tough for us, but we survive.  And I feed him and his audit team brownies.  A little bit of sugar sure does help!  

*clarification - I blogged about the amazing Silhouette last week... but I don't own one {although I might be tempted to purchase someday}.  My friend Shelbi has one, but I'm still waiting for her reviews.  Check out all the fun things this machine can do here!

Have a great weekend!  See you kids on Monday!

wednesday whatever: CPE Recipe

I've received some requests for the fabulous Crockpot Enchilada (CPE) recipe.  So... rather than continue to email around, here you go! {As mentioned, got the idea from the lovely Lee and made it my own...so can you!}

Ingredients

6 tortillas (any kind)

4 to 6 chicken breasts (frozen)

2 cans enchilada sauce (can be green or red)

1 can cream of chicken soup (I have also used the Fiesta Nacho soup by campbells for a cheesy flavor)

1 can tomatoes / chiles mix (you can use rotel for this)

additional veggies as desired

taco seasoning or additional spices

cheese (I use a shredded mix and add either during the last hour or just on top after cooking)

Mix the enchilada sauce, soup, tomatoes, and veggies together to create sauce mixture

Layer ingredients as follows

2 Tortillas

2 to 3 Chicken breasts (can be seasoned with taco seasoning or other spices)

1/3 Sauce Mix

Repeat once

Top with the remaining 2 tortillas and sauce mix

Cook on low for about 10 hours (you can cook longer if needed)

Finished product will be a little soupy, but can be served in a bowl or on a plate {or on a bed of chips to make nachos}.

**I love this recipe because it is super flexible.  You can spice it up by adding fresh jalapenos, green chiles, hot rotel, or anything else for a good kick.  This is a great recipe to build up your veggie intake as well.  You could probably also make it vegetarian by subbing in rice or beans.  The sky is the limit.  Basically, just throw a bunch of mexican food ingredients in the crockpot, and you are good to go! 

I don't have any pictures of my masterpiece {maybe next time}, but there are tons of similar recipes here.  For more fun crock pot recipes, check out this blog - a full year of slow cooking!

tuesday tunes: top 3 for jan 25

This week's Tuesday Tunes includes:

1) Gimme That Girl {Joe Nichols}: Simply precious. 

2) You Lie {The Band Perry}: They have an amazing sound. 

3) You are the Best Thing {Ray Lamontagne}: Ahhh, another fabulous tune to jam out to with windows down on breezy summer day.  It's also my Monday song and gets me through the day. 

*I worked on a project once that was purely awful and I was just in the dumps about it.  My co-worker would crank this tune super loud and sing to me.  Love it!

 

On a side note... The Bachelor was once again crazy town last night.  Love the drama.  Surprised he kept some of the girls he did {like who is Lisa??}.  Sad to see my Plano girl leave {although she got hardly any air time - which is a true indicator of who will make it to the end}, but proud to see her leave in style.  Way to represent!  My top runner is Emily...but I kind of think she just might be too good for Brad.  The girl is leaps and bounds ahead of the pack.  Can't wait for the drama of next week based on the previews!  

 

If you are a Bachelor fan... must read blogs are here and here.  I die.  Hilarious.

 

Shout out to my bff Mares - Happy Birthday darling!  Hope you have a fabulous day!  Thanks for being born!

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monday musings: i heart the kitchen

Ahh, it's Monday again...hope my little blogger friends are well rested and ready for another CRAZY week!

This weekend, I focused on resolution #3.  I'm recently obsessed with crock pot enchiladas.  My MIL Lee has made these before but I finally buckled down and gave it a whirl these past 2 weekends.  I jazzed it up a bit because I love my food with a little kick and it was a hit for friends and family.  Basically, we just layered tortillas, frozen chicken, green enchilada sauce, cream of chicken soup, tomatoes, and peppers - then cook on low for 10+ hours and you have a masterpiece.

I also dabbled in some brownie-making on Sunday and whipped up 3 batches {sorry no pics - camera is dead} including chocolate peanut butter, dark chocolate raspberry, and dark chocolate orange.  I got rave reviews from my small group gals. 

Which, let me just brag about this group of women.  They are incredible.  They keep me going when life gets tough.  They encourage me daily.  They are real and authentic...they don't skirt around tough issues and always challenge me to be a better friend, wife, co-worker, sister, daughter, and self.  We are so blessed to be part of something so wonderful and so much bigger than ourselves.

Hope you have a great Monday and start to another week! 

friday fun: jan 21

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Happy weekend, friends!  I don't know about you... but this week has been long and exhausting!  Time for my five Friday fun things...

1) The weather has been such a downer this week - all I want to do is stay in bed.  And catch up on my DVR.  Current DVR options include re-runs of Rachel Zoe {my latest obsession - I die}, Top Chef All-Stars {yay for Restaurant Week} and Top Chef Las Vegas {because I never saw it the first time around}.

2) We're celebrating one of my bff's bdays this weekend.  I love birthday parties - espescially because I know there will be cake!

3) The mister has been getting busier by the day with beloved busy season.  They keep saying that someday this whole experience will be worth it... we are just trying to hang in there. 

4) Because of his crazy schedule, I am a single lady most nights.  This week I have already worked on a few of my resolutions {specifically numbers 2 and 11}.  I enjoyed my weekly viewing of the trainwreck we all know as The Bachelor with my bffs {and bffs mom - truly the best part!}.  I also indulged in my weekly Taco Tuesday with a dear friend from ACU {I would link to you Brooke if you hadn't deleted your blog!}.

5) I'm really intrigued by the Silhoutte.  Have you seen this amazing machine??  It's almost like it can do anything you want!  But, I'm kind of slow when it comes to fancy computer devices.  If it's not excel, outlook, or visio, I am not your girl.  And yes, I am a Visio pro.  Be jealous.  I can flowchart like no one's business!

Have a great weekend!  See you kids on Monday!

wednesday whatever: lonny mag

Happy Wednesday.  I kind of dread Wednesdays.  Probably not as much as Mondays, but pretty close.  Maybe it's cause I see hump day through a glass-half-empty view {I'm working on changing that view}.  Wednesday always seems to be the day when the stuff hits the fan.  I'm pretty spent by Wednesday and counting the hours until the next weekend.  So to keep me going on Wednesdays, it's time to start my wednesday whatever theme...whatever is on my mind.  Warning - no telling where this will take me, but oh well!  I hope my five readers enjoy!

I love good design.  HGTV is a guilty pleasure - so many good shows {Divine Design, Color Splash, Sarah's House, the list goes on}.  I've been surfing design blogs for a while and it always seems the images that appeal to me the most come from Lonny.  I never knew of Lonny until I joined the blogosphere, but love it - so many gorgeous pictures to find inspiration!

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Now it's time for browsing through Lonny and dreaming of ways I can execute luxury looks on a dime budget! 

tuesday tunes: top 3 for jan 18

I love music.  Songs just have the ability to say exactly what you want to say but somehow can never seem to find the right words.  Put those lyrics to a great backbeat and you've got me.  So, here goes a new series of my top 3 tunes for the week... what inspires me, speaks to me, or simply gets me through the long days.

This week's Tuesday Tunes includes:

1) Firework {Katy Perry}: Love it - Guilty Pleasure.  The mister has a fabulous dance for this song.

2) Betty {Brooke Fraser}: She captures the fact we all have secrets and regrets we try to hide...but keeps it light-hearted in her super catchy tune.

3) American Honey {Lady A}: Ahhh, driving with windows down on breezy summer day.  This gets me through the yucky winter and super long days in a conference room with no windows.

monday musings: i heart nordstrom

The mister had a work event on Friday night...so I did what I know how to do best...shopping!  I'm a huge fan of good deals - it's all about getting a good bang for your buck!  I've recently discovered a deep love for all things Nordstrom {but only on sale - including fab finds from the Rack}.  I recently purchased this gorgeous watch for half-price at Nordy's after Christmas.  Pure love.

So I ventured to the Rack on Friday night and fell in love with some new brands, including Halogen, Bobeau, and Audrey & Grace {although you can't find it at the regular Nordy's}.  I walked away with some great finds, including an embellished cardi {a Stringer wardrobe staple} and a loud necklace {also very much a staple in my outfits}.  All for a decent price!  I always thought Nordy's was way out of my price range, but I'm thinking this just might be my new spot to find good work clothes that aren't your average finds.  I also spotted and hearted {my new fave phrase courtesy of You are My Fave} a gold-metallic MK purse at Marshalls {not this exact one, but pretty similar}.  For some reason I am really digging gold these days...especially paired with white.  I think I can rock it... but we will see. 

What do you think?  Worth the {reasonable} splurge?     

blogland themes

I'm a woman of structure...I like things planned out and organized.  So, to keep my visions aligned, I've come up with some themes for my little blogland.  No guarantee to post something for all my themes each week, but at least I'll have a guide.

Mondays Musings: weekend wrap-up / what's happening on a crazy Monday

Tuesday Tunes: top 3 jams {new/old school, any genre, no judgement!}

Whatever Wednesday: anything to get me through hump day!

Friday Fun: top 5 things from the week or what's planned for the weekend

I hope you will join me throughout the weeks - would love to see your musings, tunes, fun finds, and anything else you have to say!  There may be a few {random} posts here and there... but I'm excited to have some fun topics to blog about and really get into my 'blog voice' {shoutout to Lee!}

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don't judge my DVR

I love some good TV drama.  And thank goodness there is plenty of it these days.  This is my escape from my crazy world of spreadsheets and flowcharts and an opportunity to simply not think.  Our DVR is chock-full of some {classy} shows.  So you want to know my current fave 'must-watch' {aside from the bachelor}?

Millionaire Matchmaker!  I just adore Patti.  She speaks her mind and says exactly what every viewer is thinking about those crazy millionaires.  She kicks butt and looks amazing at all times.

Onto the trash tv faves: BridalPlasty {omg complete train wreck, but so addicting - AND I can't stand Jenessa}, You're Cut Off {season 2 just started - gotta love a bunch of spoiled girls trying to do housework and earn an honest living}, and the occasional housewives shows.  I don't make an effort to watch these, but if they are on the tube, I tune in.  Can't decide if I like Atlanta or Beverly Hills more.

To top it all off, we love crime shows and competition shows in the Stringer house... but that's a whole separate post for a rainy day.  What are your favorite {trashy} tv shows??

why i love target: shoes

I love the bullseye.

And I love shoes.  Especially good deals on shoes {the Mister also appreciates when I find good deals on shoes}.  I have purchased all of the above fabulous flats for amazing deals at Target.  The zipper flats are $6.98 on the website, but I got them for $4.98.  You really can't beat a $5 pair of shoes.  My philosophy is that the deep savings I find on shoes allows me to put more moo-lah into my anthro budget :) for fabulous things on my birthday wishlist!  Where do you find great deals on shoes??

brad is back

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Brad is back and I love it.  This season is going to be awesome.  So many people are not fans of his {I'm still on the fence}... but ABC is genius.  This season is going to be full of drama and lots of women watching to see if he's the same Brad from the past or 'a new man'.  Pure genius.  I am also always amazed how ABC finds these crazy women.  Put a really hot man {who I can't believe is 38} in front of 30 women and watch them go nuts.  It slowly turns into a crazy person contest and it is pure awesomeness. 

My top picks include: Emily, Ashley S., and Ashley H.  Last night's episode was straight up crazy town.  Glad he booted the nutzos.  I was a bit disappointed fang girl did not see much air time last night, but I can't wait to see what other drama Michelle causes! 

What do I love more than The Bachelor show???  How about the blogs.  Read this one and this one.  Amazing.  Hours of entertainment.  They make it worth wasting 2 hours of my life every Monday night.

resolutions: top 11 in 2011

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Top 11 resolutions for 2011:

1) Get moving.  This last year just felt crazy all around... and I'm ready to get in gear.  I'm not making any specific goals other than to make better use of my gym membership and enjoy the outside when I can. 

2) Read more books.  Like these classic Penguin books.  I'm not opposed to judging a book by it's cover - find me a cute cover and I'm sold.  {I use the same philosophy when it comes to wine!}

3) Cook more.  I want to cook more to try new things, save some green, and eat more green.  Time to make better use of my crockpot with this fabulous book from mom.

4) Get organized.  It's time to give everything a 'home' {and remember where that home is}.  I feel some spring cleaning coming up!

5) Stress less.  I worry too much about the small things in life.  I cling to these words to remind me my worry is just not worth it.

6) Love more.  We can all love more through our words and actions.  I want to be nicer, speak kinder, listen better, extend grace, support better, and ultimately love better.  Life's too short not to love! 

7) Save more.  It's time to re-evaluate where the cash goes.  I think I can forgo a few lunches / dinners / happy hours and put that money to better uses.

8) Give more.  I am beyond blessed.  I've been given earthly wealth that I hope we are wise enough to invest in things that matter and help those who need it most. 

9) Snuggle more.  I love spending time with the mister.  He blesses me every day and I am one lucky lady.  So maybe this year he will get some more snuggles! :)

10) Grow.  I want to grow my mind and spirit this year.  Maybe I'll finally finish my certification or take on something new with work. 

11) Stay connected.  I want to do a better job keeping up with friends and family this year.  This is where you come in - have a blog? Let me know!  Want to meet up?  Let's do coffee!

Cheers to a fabulous 2010 and a warm welcome to 2011!

{and check out 31 ways to kick off the new year}