Saturday, May 21, 2011

My Trip To Goodwill...

I just love going to Goodwill! OK... Let me be more specific, certain Goodwill's. You learn very quickly which ones have the good stuff, and which ones do NOT! The thrill of digging and hunting through old, new and used treasures is so much fun for me. It's also less expensive than going to a therapist. Well, sometimes... But it's definitely a lot more fun!  When I go thrifting and/or antiquing ~ I usually don't have anything specific in mind. If I see something I love ~ I bring it home and figure out what to do with it then.

So... I guess I need to explain what I have here. Lets start with the shoes. "Love Them." They are Ann Taylor, with the price tag still on for $188.00. I paid $5.00! I have a fabulous wedding to go to in June and think I will wear these...


Next I have my $5.00 find of white Oneida dishes. Set for 4, called Basketweave. Nothing fancy, but I have learned that taking photos of food, looks so much better on white dishes than patterned dishes. So these were a must for me...






















This is a Pampered Chef's baker's roller. Suppose to be used for your pizza dough or pastry making. It was only $1.20, I couldn't just leave it! Right? I'm not sure if I will use it for what it is intended for or for craft projects. I have been wanting to try to make buttons out of Polymer Clay and this might work well for rolling the clay out...


A cute little jar of glitter. It was .29 cents. You can never ever have too much glitter around! Especially in a house only of girls...






















Love this little glass vase/votive for .49 cents. Not really sure what it is, but knew I loved it, and would find some sort of use for it. Now I need to find a fabulous cleaning product to make it sparkly. It has years and years of dirt, dust and grime on it... 






















 This might be my favorite find of the day! I absolutely love soft, comfy Pj's. These fit the ticket totally. They are Victoria's Secret ~ blue pinstripes and ruffles. $1.00 with the tags still on. Can't get any better than that...

This $1.00 book is filled with lots of painting ideas/techniques for me to try. Will keep you posted on how the walls, floors or furniture turns out...




Can't wait until my next trip to Goodwill. Hope you have a great weekend!!!
XoXo,





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Monday, May 9, 2011

Love Mary Engelbreit...

If I could choose any artist to draw and/or paint like ~ I would definitely pick Mary Engelbreit...
Everything she touches is so whimsical, bright and fun! When you come across something of hers in a store. You don't even have to pick it up ~ to know it is the work of Mary Engelbreits'. She has a unique and distinct style all her own. 
With that said, I was in Michaels the other day waiting in the check out line, and of course they place all those intriguing $1.00 bins to look through. So while waiting. I am digging around and found these adorable Mary Engelbreit cupcake wrappers...








So Cute...Right?! I can't wait to use them. XoXo                    

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts...

I am in a constant search for healthy and/or vegetarian dishes to make for Lauren. In fact, I'm always reading cookbooks like most people read novels, and if there are pictures, I'm in total Heaven. Kinda silly huh?! 
Lauren really is a good sport about trying anything and everything I make for her, and she did like this side dish. Lindsey on the other hand, did not! She very quickly came to the conclusion that I was trying to poison her, when I gave her my diet root beer to wash "the not so tasty" bite down. She does not like any diet drinks at all! Sorry Lindsey! 
I normally do not like brussel sprouts myself, but loved these and so easy to make...


 Ingredients...
  • 1 lb. brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut into quarters
  • 3 Tbls. garlic olive oil
  • 1 Tbls. balsamic vinaigrette
  • 2 Tbls. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tbls. pine nuts, toasted

Directions...
Preheat oven to 450 F. Trim brussel sprouts, remove any discolored leaves, and cut into quarters (or halves if they are small.) Put sprouts in mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.

Cover roasting pan with foil if desired, and spray with non-stick spray if needed. Arrange sprouts in a single layer on roasting pan, and roast 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until sprouts are slightly crisp and golden brown on the edges.

When sprouts are nearly done, toast pine nuts in a dry pan about 2-3 minutes, until barely starting to brown. (Be careful, they can go from lightly brown to overdone quite quickly.) Put cooked sprouts back into mixing bowl and toss with Parmesan cheese. Arrange on serving plate and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve hot. Makes 3-4 servings.

XoXo,