RED, WHITE and BLUE

HOMEMADE Chocolate Covered Strawberries

WITH Red, white and blue sprinkles

Yummy cupcakes....

NON-Traditional Memorial Day decor....

(actually the turquoise is my summer decor and the flag I made recently...with RASPBERRY stripes instead of the traditional red)

EASY Friday night dinner....Nathan's All Beef hot dogs...Chicago Style....in cute lil hot dog holders (from Target a few years ago)

Try It Thursday Salsa Verde Freezer Cubes

What I'm about to show you isn't anything new....I haven't re-invented the wheel...it's just a gentle reminder to preserve the yummy things in your life! 

FIRST, I had the incredible fortune of having some salsa verde homemade for me (I LOVE latin food) SO, I put it in one of my cleaned out coffee creamer containers for easy access use....

(CLEVER idea no.1 -  it has a POUR spout, the container cost ZILCH and I am recycling)

 It will stay good for about a week in the container...BUT knowing I wouldn't use it all within a week I pulled out my cute lil flexi ice tray....

 Using my convinent pour spout (ie no mess) I poured the salsa verde into the ice trays....

Put in the freezer overnight....

Once frozen popped them out and put into a freezer bag....

And NOW I have these delish lil flavor cubes in user friendly portions available at my any whim (add to shredded chicken, beef taco meat OR defrost and eat with chips for a tasty treat!

WIWW

It's Wednesday and I am linking up with the Pleated Poppy for WIWW http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2013/05/what-i-wore-wednesday-118/....BUSY week - lots of pics (no selfies this time!). Have any of you had that AWFUL cold?!?! It ran it course thru our house...started with aches and chills and a sore throat on Saturday and I am finally on the mend today (I'm sure if I was able to rest more I'd be feelin 100% but you know what they say....no rest for the wicked! LOL).

Wednesday

I had to start with this pic because doesn't everyone move in their fancy clothes?!?! I am in the process of completely moving my stuff into my place (never mind the fact that I've already been here 10 months!)

 What I am wearing:
Silver Ball Necklace - Thrifted
Microfiber tank (The BEST layering piece EVAH!!) - Chico's
Chambray Shirt - Chaps Ralph Lauren - Thrifted
Green Jeans - Chico's
Sandals - Macy's

THURSDAY

(garage sale day...put my stuff out, made a few bucks and got some sun)

 What I am wearing:
Monogram Necklace - Sholih Designs - ETSY
Pink Cami Bra-let (peaking outta my tank - LOVE these too - for layering with tanks) - Lane Bryant
Pink Leopard Tank - Wal Mart (OLD)
Shorts - Cut off by moi LUCKY brand jeans (these were thrifted jeans that were WAY too long and boot cut style, so I couldn't even cuff them into capri's so I made them into cut offs)

FRIDAY

(Funny story about this outfit....while at work a client complimented my necklace, then proceeded to tell me she wouldn't wear it with "that print" I said "what print?" She said "leopard" I replied "oh leopard isn't a print - it's a neutral"....then she told me they didn't match...I said "you'd really hate my shoes then, because they are pink and don't match either...") SO my fellow fashionistas....what say you? LEOPARD and turquoise - a yay or a nay?!?! Please leave a comment and I will post results next week!!

 What I am wearing:
Turquoise Bibb Necklace - Chico's
Leopard Tunic - Thrifted (and was destined for the thrift pile again UNTIL last summer when I tried belting it - the belt saved the tunics life!!!)
Belt - Chico's
Bracelets - Sterling and turquoise flower - Target 8 yrs ago, turquoise stone - Ralph Lauren via Nordstrom Rack
Large Flower Ring - Pier One - like 7 years ago
(SEE ladies - hang on to your stuff - you can incorporate and mix and match YEARS later)
Capris - Chico's So slimming crop pants - cuffed up
Sandals - Macy's
FAB SKIN COLOR - Mr. Sunshine
**Purse - Target last year - I ADORED the burlap and hot pink

SATURDAY

What I am wearing:
Necklace - Thrifted
Dress - Marshall's
Belt - Chico's
Purse- Target
Sandals - Macy's
AGAIN, here I used the inspiration of a pop of pink to accent my otherwise neutral outfit....I carried the pink out in accessories (my necklace, bracelet, purse and sandals AND toe nail polish!)

MONDAY

 What I am wearing:
Necklace - Maurice's
Leopard Shirt - JCP (last year)
Capri's - Chico's so slimming crops that I roll cuffed
Sandals - Macy's

TUESDAY

What I am wearing:
Necklace - Macy's MAJOR SCORE on clearance for $4.00 - the clearance price tag said $20. and I waited and waited for it to go down more and it never did so I said forget it, I'm getting this bad A$$ necklace and when it rang up $4.00 I wanted to bust out in a happy dance!!
Cropped Black Jacket - Dots
Embellished Tank - Target
Black Cargo Crops - Chico's (I cuffed them and dressed them up with a jacket and heels)
Copper Strappy Heels - Thrifted

Apparently this week I was feeling a lil wild (leopard) and citrusy (pinks and oranges). Do YOU ever do that? Notice yourself trending toward a color or pattern story for the week?

MANI Monday

I am linking up with Heather at Glitter and Gloss http://www.glitterandglossblog.com/ for "Mani Monday". I was inspired by the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday and did this...

I achieved this look by using the following products....

On my big Toe I used Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail polish strips in "Ay, Ay, Captain!" {cute name. no?!?!} and the solid blue is Nicole By OPI Kardashian Kolor "Listen to your momager". For my fingers I did a french mani, lined the area between the white and natural nail with a silver glitter and on my ring finger I used blue pearls {the blue pearls were purchased in that rounder pictured above at family Dollar for $2 or $3.00}

Condiment BBQ BURGER Accessory Tray

What does that title say to you?!?!? LOL - It makes me think we are putting jewelry on our burgers!! While we aren't putting jewelry on our burgers - we WILL BE accessorizing them. I was invited to a bbq a few weeks ago and when I asked what I could bring the response was "nothing"....I couldn't very well show up empty handed, so I came up with THIS idea...

I made a tray of burger toppings (sandwich sliced pickles, tomatoes, red onion, cheese triangles {which is just cheese squares cut on a diagonal} avocado and bacon....These are all things I happened to have on hand and the hostess was SO appreciative. It's simple things like this that you can whip together, people appreciate and it's of very lil cost to you!! You could add pepper jack cheese and jalapenos for a spicy twist....or carmelized onions and a lil dish of bbq sauce....the possibilities are ENDLESS!!

 Give it a try at your next bbq and let me know how it goes!! 

CHEERS to the summer grilling season!! 

WIWW at lot of selfies

I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2013/05/what-i-wore-wednesday-5-minute-challenge/ for WIWW....These are a lot of selfies (ie self portraits)

 What I am wearing:
Skully T-Shirt - Norma Komalie for Wal Mart 2012
Bralet - Lane Bryant (I ADORE these....like a sports bra BUT pretty and feminine)


It was a hat kinda week (in anticipation of summer)! LOL! I was playing dress up...

Red, white and blue hat - Thrifted AND worn here last Memorial Day

And this is my new "Kennedy-esque" sun hat...

MONDAY

(up at 4:15am - worked 6 1/2 hours and THEN took a pic)

 What I am wearing:
Cowl Neck Shirt - Target NEW via the thrift
Cargo's - Lane Bryant via the thrift
Shoes - Coach's version of Chuck's

TUESDAY

EARLY morning pic and the sunlight was pouring thru....

LATE afternoon pic after a day of work and a ride home in 90 degrees.....SO take the two pics together for one good one - LOL!!

What I am wearing:
Grey Shrug - Lane Bryant
Sequin Tank - Dots
So Slimming Crops - Chico's
Sandals - Macy's

THRIFTY Tuesday

With the warmer weather FINALLY here I have been working on my deck, getting ready for outdoor entertaining....Today's topic is THRIFTY Tuesday SO that means we are working with what we have....

 (White Bench Ikea 6 yrs ago, table garage sale 7 years ago and chair frames {cushions are inside waiting to be covered} free curbside finds)

 I sanded the bench down (I LOVED the weather shabby chic look BUT I have been wanting to paint it black to unify the patio "set") The bench has lived inside (cute lil bistro like look in my old house...with a vintage sewing table and two chairs that have chair covers)....

The table has seen better days...look to the left and you can see a SUPER lazy 4 year layover....the table was originally hunter green...I started to paint it black and never finished...4 years later! LOL! So this year I decided to FINISH it and give it a new swish of paint (as you can see the top has paint marks from painting cabinet doors on it a couple summers ago). To prevent the paint form dripping onto the patio I tucked cereal boxes under the braces...

And since I was using Rustoleum Enamel paint (SUPER great sturdy paint but a BIOTCH to clean off paint brushes and supplies) I saved the container from my spinach (I use these containers for EVERYTHING) and filled with the paint and the spinach container became my paint tray...

STAY TUNED for the patio after to be coming shortly....