This was a product of dog sitting a few weekends ago. I've been looking through pictures from college to scrapbook lately, and this one is a favorite. It came together quickly, as the actual layout was a freebie template from designer digitals from awhile ago. :o)

Menu Planning Monday

This week is another hodgepodge round of using up pantry and freezer items. I also have cheer camp until 5 this week, so I doubt I feel like cooking anything too crazy (thus the leftovers!). We are actually staying home for the first time in four weeks this weekend, so I want to grill something yummy (read: I want my husband to grill something yummy)! Maybe I will even make some homemade wheat buns...

monday :: pasta with roasted garlic, white cheddar, and wine sauce
tuesday :: "kitchen sink salad" with homemade balsamic dressing
wednesday :: leftovers
thursday :: leftovers
friday :: slow cooker mexican pulled pork
saturday :: grilling burgers

Also, my mom showed me this video on Saturday, and I have probably watched it at least 20 times already. SO CUTE!!

Awesome

image via here

Random Video Wednesday!

I don't really have a random photo to share today...so I thought I would link this awesome video I've been enjoying!

Cute canines

This past weekend I stayed at my parents' to dog sit for little baby Iris. We had quite an excellent time watching HGTV and Food Network, eating, and sitting inside on the couch. I tried to coax her to enjoy some outdoor time, but she just wasn't having it.

Brody killed a young bird about two minutes after we got there. I was not very happy, but he was quite pleased with himself, and Iris was most impressed.

This is her "I-would-so-prefer-not-to-be-outside" glare.

Menu Planning Monday

Monday :: key west grilled chicken + quinoa
Tuesday :: carnitas
Wednesday :: taco salad
Thursday :: leftovers
Friday :: buffalo chicken enchiladas

I would just like to document that last week I spent a whopping $6.22 on our weekly groceries. Seriously. I don't think I will be able to top that again.

This week will be a busier one! Today is the inaugural Teacher Store Tour of West Houston event, followed by three days of cheer camp at school. Honestly, I am so excited for school to start. As much as I loved my first year of teaching, being away from it for the past two months has made me want to go back even more! I am also so excited to try out what I've learned from ISTE. :o)

Vegas + Football

I added two more scrapbook layouts to my album today! With all the rainy weather last week, I finally got a little crafty.

I love scrapbooking grids. 

I still think about this drink...it was delish.

 I don't like looking through my camera's viewfinder, so frequently I get lopsided fun.

I think I managed to make the football season look good...I decided not to comment on the subsequent losses.

Hopefully I can get some digital pages done this weekend! :o)

Thoughts

Top 10

Sneak peek of our front porch (tee hee!). The only photos I have are from the inspection, and I feel bad posting pictures on my blog with the current owners' stuff in it. So this will have to suffice for a few more weeks! :o)

I love watching David Letterman and miss it now that my bedtime is before he comes on my television. So I have devised my own top ten list of reasons I'm looking forward to moving into our house!

10. My very own craft room! Hopefully I will be able to get my craftiness on without having to unload supplies from stacked tubs all the time.
9. More than double the space we have now! Sometimes a girl needs some more room, right?
8. Our address has my favorite (Alias) number in it. It was pretty much a sign from the beginning.
7. We saved all of the new cookware we received as wedding presents to use in our first house...so it will kind of be like Christmas!!
6. BACKYARD. Tyson promised a hammock, and my parents said they would spring for a badminton set. Hizzah!
5. Not having to walk Brody in the rain.
4. Grapefruit tree! I will perfect a grapefruit Hann house drink.
3. Guest bedroom! Yay for being able to entertain and have guests!
2. Gas range. Seriously. And more counter space. Basically the whole kitchen.
1. Making our house a home. Working on little projects together. I think the first two weeks will be interesting, because we are going to wait to purchase appliances Labor Day weekend for a sale or two (hopefully!).

All over the place

Is it odd when something mundane re-shifts your life perspective?

I was cooking dinner last night, making a corn chowder. One of the last steps was adding milk before a  simmer. In the realm of cooking, what is better than a nicely-simmered soup? Anyways. I grabbed the milk and did a double take of sadness when I realized that the milk was sour. Tyson offered to run to the store, but it was too late to attempt that. I substituted the milk for chicken broth and hoped for the best (while we discussed Plans B and C leftover options!).

After 15 minutes of simmering, we tried it...and it was really, really good! We probably liked it even more than we would have with the milk. Tyson said it seemed more healthy too.

It made me think about how often I plan (or try to plan) things out, but it's when I give in and let things happen that the best things in life happen. God is good. And way bigger than my perceived problems or  logistics or anything of this world.

Totally random...but just a few honest thoughts going on in my head right now!


And because I can't stand multiple picture-less posts...

An oldie picture of sweet Brody Bear.

Menu Planning Monday

I am still recovering from my weekend...Tyson and I ventured to College Station for some family time. I love hanging out with my sister-in-law because it's always low-key yet fun. And there is always delicious food involved. She is an exceptional cook. :o)

I am feeling super food-lazy this week. I was so impressed with my $22 grocery bill last week (in my attempt to clean out the freezer/pantry), and I am resigned to the fact that I will not be able to duplicate it again. Here's what I have tentatively lined up:

Monday :: chowder that I didn't make last week (substituted ingredients and it was delish!)
Tuesday :: sticky finger salad (really, really easy and tasty)
Wednesday :: meatloaf (always a favorite--I have used this recipe for years)
Thursday :: Santa fe chicken packets (did not make; Tyson had a work thing and I ate a frozen meal)
Friday + Saturday :: leftovers whilst I dog sit for my parents (aka: take pictures of And cuddle with Iris all day)

With the exception of meatloaf, the other three recipes are all ideas that I've linked here before but never made for some reason. Kind of funny.

Today I am heading up to school to work on a presentation and begin to get my room in order. Is it crazy that I feel like summer is kind of over? Next week and the week after will consist of cheer camps, followed by a few days of training, followed (probably) by frantic packing and cleaning, and then a week of professional development before school starts. How am I supposed to fit in Olympic watching?! I mean, seriously.

Thoughts

Summer goals

Back in May, I made a Summer 2k12 to do list. I have not gotten very far...

• Seriously clean my car Done!
• San Diego Well, that one was easy.
• Organize school binders (I forgot to bring home my three-hole punch so that one is proving difficult)
• Scrapbook 15 layouts (2 of 15 completed--see below!)
• Take Brody to the park 
• Watch Gilligan's Island--all 3 seasons (I've only watched season one and two episodes of two)

Pretty sad. And rain is forecasted all week, so the park is out for now. Maybe I could just add more goals to my list so my ratio of completed to uncompleted goals looks better...

Apologies for the cell phone picture.

Every year I make a dog sitting scrapbook pages for their parents when they come home. Unfortunately, I realized that I have a tendency to go for blue and yellow. Oh well, it's summer-y. :o) See last year's digital page here. I also made a Vegas food page yesterday, but I forgot to take a picture. 

Random Photo Wednesday

This has to be the happiest dog on earth. If she visited Disney World, would the world implode?

Flora

Lately I've been thinking about outdoor spaces. When I was dog sitting this past weekend, there were so many pretty flowers and trees and shrubberies (I just love that word), that it made me want to sit outside the whole time and kill mosquitoes enjoy nature. My favorite was sitting outside right at dusk, usually with my feet dangling in the pool. A fruity beverage would have made it even more enjoyable.

I snapped a few pictures one afternoon to get ideas for flowers...

Of course, there has to be room for a regulation badminton court too. I told Tyson we were hosting a tournament at our housewarming party. Have I mentioned we got a house? :o)

Menu Planning Monday

images via here, here, and here

monday :: blackened chicken with cilantro lime quinoa (tasty, but the avocado cream was not as awesome as I'd hoped)
tuesday :: caribbean salad (good summer meal; Tyson said it was perfect after his run)
wednesday :: beef ziti (very basic...easy for sure!)
thursday :: leftovers
friday :: summer corn, bacon, and potato chowder (didn't make--we were in College Station!)
saturday :: no plans yet--I am sure we will grill or go out!

Lots of packing in my future this week. And cleaning. And organizing. Hopefully I can sneak in some scrapbooking and a nap sometime.

Random side note: I made this recipe for honey beer bread last week and it was super yummy and definitely the easiest homemade bread recipe ever. The end (and thank you Pinterest).

Another random side note: I've been going back and editing what we actually made and my thoughts on recipes for previous weeks' posts. This is more for my ability to remember what we actually liked and would recommend. :o)

Thoughts

Currently Reading

Divergent series, Veronica Roth | Um, yes please. Yet another dystopian fiction, but done very, very well. The second book was just as good (if not better) as the first because it had even more action. Love. The last book in the trilogy comes out October 2013 (entirely too long.).

Blood Red Road (Dust Lands series), Moira Young | We read this for a summer book club--another dystopian fiction. The characters were sketched vividly, but there was still a ton of mystery about why the world is the way it is. Very interesting and full of action. I read that it's been optioned for a movie, so read it now! The next book comes out this October.

Mark of the Lion series, Francine Rivers | Honestly, I can't believe I hadn't read these sooner. I've only read the first two, but, wow, are they fabulous! I became obsessed. It's historical fiction circa 62 A.D. in Rome. I love the characters. I love the description of the surroundings of the time. There were so many similarities between their culture and what I see around me today. Just very interesting. And she's the same author of Redeeming Love so you know it's good!

Between the Lines, Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer | This is our book club's next read, and I just finished it last night. It's a really cute book about characters' thoughts and actions when the story ends. There is the fairy tale point of view, the prince's, and a fifteen year old girl reading the story. Super duper cute. Putting this one on my class library bookshelf for sure.

Any must-reads while I still have some free time?

Random Photo Wednesday

"Look at how cute I am!"

Happy Independence Day! Taking time to be thankful for our freedom + eat delicious food. I think our plans include grilling fajitas and swimming. Always a good combo.

Mostly tongues.

I had to share a few pictures from dog sitting! I just love these pups. But don't let the fluffy clouds and cerulean sky fool you--it was only like this for about two afternoons. Mostly it was overcast and rainy!! 

Yawny McYawns a lot. 

 Sticking her tongue out at me.

They are all so sleepy! 

Overseeing the pack.

 Doesn't he look like King Lazzy with his royal subjects/toys?

Seriously. Licked me right on the lips.

Menu Planning Monday

images via skinnytaste, the enchanted cook, and kayotic kitchen

Finally, a semi-normal week of dinners! Hooray!! (thoughts on the meals in italics)

Sunday :: Homemade pizza with pesto and grilled chicken
Monday :: Stuffed Zucchini with couscous (request from Tyson)--I decreased the onion and it was really good this time!
Tuesday :: Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops with cilantro lime rice--super tasty and easy!
Wednesday :: Independence Day! We don't have specific plans yet, but I'm sure grilling will be involved.
Thursday :: "OMG Chicken" + broccoli--so moist and delicious!!
Friday :: Sticky Finger Salad--did not make; I had a baked potato instead!

I am glad to be home...now I have laundry, cleaning, unpacking, organizing, and debriefing of what I learned from ISTE. I think I will be kept busy!