More Of My Favorite Things!

Well, I'm already back with a post about a few more of my newest favorite things!  I guess when I go months without sharing anything "newsworthy," I tend to make up for lost time ;-)

About 6 months ago, I shared a post about making some of your basic cleaning products at home.  One of the "recipes" I shared was for home-made furniture polish.  All it required was olive oil and vinegar--pretty easy!  For about the past 5 months, we had religiously used the homemade stuff but then I stopped using olive oil in the kitchen (more about that in a minute!) and I decided to pick up some "store-bought stuff" during our next grocery run.

Have any of you used the Swiffer Dust & Shine before?!  I bought it just because it was the cheapest furniture polish at the store but holy cow--it smells awesome!!!  I picked up the can of Lavender Vanilla & Comfort and seriously--I could not stop spraying the stuff.  It smells incredible!  I've never been a fan of dusting but when the polish smells that good, heck, I'll dust all day long :-)

So, about the olive oil...we have made the big switch to grapeseed oil.  I was invited to a party several weeks ago and the company's big item was grapeseed oil...well, I never heard of the stuff and I couldn't make it to the party so I did a little research.  Turns out, it's just as healthy as olive oil BUT it has a higher smoke point than olive oil! Score!!!  I have used it to make homemade bread, in salad dressings and as a cooking oil for sauteing and there is no difference in taste.  Or, price :-) And thankfully, the local grocery stores carry it in their oil section, too.

For the past few months, I have noticed that the skin around my eyes hasn't been looking the best...I was getting a lot of that crepe-i-ness around my eyes and putting on foundation didn't help that or the fine lines I was starting to see, either!  

At the suggestion of a friend, I bought a foundation primer.  I ended up ordering Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer and holy cow--this stuff makes makes your skin incredibly soft and smooth!!!  I now make sure I have a few extra minutes scheduled into my morning routine so I can properly apply it and then just enjoy how great the skin around my eyes feels :-) 

My last favorite thing is called Hope In A Tube (randomly enough, Oprah used to push it's sister product, "Hope In a Jar").  This product was specifically suggested to me by a friend.  I was hesitant because it's not the cheapest stuff and the tube is kinda small!  It's an eye and lip firming cream and when I researched it online, everyone seemed to love it.  So, between that and having someone I know and trust recommend it to me, I decided to give it a try!  I've only been using it for 2 weeks but I have found that it makes a HUGE difference in how my skin appears...when I am in a rush and don't have time to put it on in the mornings, I notice my crepey skin is more obvious and my foundation tends to make my fine lines more apparent.  I'm just hoping that by getting a head start and combatting the changes around my eyes that it will pay off in the long run :-)  Next on my list is finding a good foundation that compliments my firming creme and foundation primer!

Some of My Newest Favorite Things

Every now-and-then, I get a wild hair to share some of my newest favorite things with half the world.  I don't know if anybody cares, but hey, if I like something--you may like it, too!  Nothing beats sharing ideas and finding out about stuff that will make life easier--or less expensive :-)

My first favorite thing isn't very "new"but it always has been--and always will be--one of my most favorite people EVER!  My mom :-)  Friday was her birthday and today is obviously Mother's Day...we celebrated her big days both last weekend AND today.  We like spoiling her :-)

Mom and her new wheels--an Army tank!  Just kidding--it was one of the "toys" we played with this weekend :-)

Now, back to some stuff that some of you might enjoy.  Not that you wouldn't enjoy my mama, but I'm not sharing her with anybody else!  

If you know me very well, you know that I'm a slow-cooker-holic.  The one thing I absolutely HATE about slow cooking???  The clean-up.  Letting the stone liner soak, then scrubbing, and more scrubbing.  It's enough to drive a person nuts!  However, I stumbled across the Reynold's Slow Cooker Liners at the grocery store this past Fall.  They have been a life saver!  Just cover your stone with the bag, put the food in, cover everything with the lid and you're good to go :-)  It's that easy!  The name-brand ones are kinda pricey, but if you go on Amazon, you can find them for a little bit of nothing.

$2.55 for 3 bags at your local grocery store (or $0.85 each)

$10 for 25 bags on Amazon.com (or $0.40 each)

On a similar note, I discovered Reynold's Pan Lining Paper earlier this Spring.  As the image shows, one side is foil (that's the side that faces the pan) and the other side is parchment (you put the food on this side).  I was a bit leery, but I had a pretty generous coupon for one roll so I decided to give it a try.  It was TOTALLY worth the money!  I made a baked chicken that was basically garlic and brown sugar, so as you can imagine, it created a gawd-awful, sticky mess.  I was amazed--I didn't have to spend all night soaking and scrubbing the casserole dish--and it held up extremely well during the baking process.  I'm not the most loyal brand-name shopper, but Reynold's is definitely sucking me into their product line :-)

This next item was definitely a splurge, at first.  For what seems like forever, we have been wanting a pizza stone--but I really didn't want to shell out the money for one and end up breaking it...because if you know myself or J-Money, you know that's bound to happen ;-)  Well, Lodge came to the rescue!  They make a cast-iron pizza stone and based on reviews, it seems to be the best thing since sliced bread (and do I need to mention that it's indestructible?!).  Not only is it perfect for the obvious pizza, but other owners have reported great success in using it for baked bread, polenta sticks, searing meat, pancakes, you name it.  PLUS, you are able to add a little extra iron to your diet this way...The sucker also weighs 11 pounds, so did I mention you would get a nice little arm workout while lifting it, too?!

SHOES!!!!!!!!  I finally found myself a pair of black wedges for work and play.  It took me awhile because I wanted something that was versatile (ie not TOO trendy) and could last me a few years.  The pair I settled on are a little funky with the black extending along the sole--and it looks even better in person!  But, I swear JCPenny was trying to play with my emotions (and wallet).  They accidentally sent me the correct wedge, but in peach.  Okay, so peach may sound hideous, but they were actually super, SUPER cute.  Cute, to the point where I almost didn't return them...especially since I could have worn them with lots of stuff!  Who knows--maybe I'll end up going back for them...but in the meantime, I'm really liking my black pair :-)

Does it make sense when I say I "re-discovered" my favorite lotion???  Or does it sound totally dumb?  Regardless, I did rediscover one of my all-time favorites.  I used to use this Hemp Golden-Glow Skin Firming Lotion all...the...time.  But, I hate Wal-Mart and they were the only store who sold the stuff.  So, eventually, I stopped buying it.  Just the other day, I absolutely had to go to Walmart--I couldn't avoid it.  While I was there, I stocked up on my lotion and I'm in heaven again :-)  It smells delightful, it is incredibly moisturizing without making ya greasy and it gives your skin a little bit of color.  All for $5! 

For all of you Aldi shoppers out there, they're carrying these collapsible totes next week!  And they're only $9...yes, $9 (that's $27 less than other places)!  I'm definitely getting two of them to go in my car trunk--one for auto supplies, the other for work-related gear.  Oh, and at that price, we'll probably get another one for tailgating.  Seriously, I love Aldi's and all the fun stuff they surprise ya with!

My next favorite isn't "new" by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm on a roll with it right now...Yes, eBay!  With the weather warming, I've been buying out-of-season jackets like crazy.  Buying clothes off of eBay can be tricky--especially, if someone's trying to find a quick way to get rid of stuff that has shrunk.  The trick?  Don't pay attention to the size--ask the seller to send you the measurements and then you'll know if it will fit or not!  

I scored this Worthington jacket for $7!  Even though the print is very traditional, I should be able to liven it up some!

This Bisou Bisou jacket was $8!

This new-without-tags GAP denim jacket was $10--and it retails for $79.95!

This denim trench coat is also from GAP and was only $10 as well--a savings of $80!

Finally, I scored this red trench coat (again, from GAP) for $16--it was selling in the store for $99!

This year, we added another flowerbed to our backyard and I was not about to spend another weekend installing brick edging--we did that last year with the front flowerbed and my legs were sore for an entire week!  This time around, Home Depot came through with a quick solution--this brick edging WITH built-in solar lights!  It was actually super easy and all the edging was installed within 20 minutes--yes, 20 minutes!  The "bricks" are actually a heavy-duty plastic and they snap together--the "mortar" pieces allow you to make curved lines and the built-in stakes prevent the edging from moving anywhere.  The convenience factor had me sold, but I also LOVE how the built-in solar lights make our flowerbed look a little more classy ;-)

Image Courtesy of Home Depot

Image Courtesy of Home Depot

Finally, for all of you who find yourselves in Aggieville, you HAVE to try the new Chinese restaurant!    The interior is actually very high-end, they have numerous karaoke rooms (not that we'll ever use them!) AND they deliver!  But more importantly than all of that, we were very happy with the quality of our food.  Also, their prices are great!  We ordered two entrees and two orders of appetizers--and it was only $20!!!  I had enough leftovers from my Sichuan Chicken to get two more meals out of it.  So, if you're ever in the 'Ville, you gotta try the place!

And I think that's a wrap!  Before I sign off, I want to wish all of you mamas out there a very Happy Mother's Day!!!

Some of My Newest Favorite Things

It's been a while since I last featured one of my most favorite things.  In fact, it's been so long that I have found bunches of new "favorite things."  But to spare you from boredom, I will only highlight a select few of my newest favorite things!

Redken Wax Blast...when I cut-off my hair, my stylist used this spray at the very end.  I was amazed at what it did!  It added tons of texture and body to my hair, which is quite hard to do considering how fine it is.  I HAD to buy it.  Per Redken's website, it "adds body and dimension and creates a choppy, satin-matte nish. Innovative aerosol wax provides the finish of a wax with the convenience and lightness of a spray."  I'm in love.  I would use it every single day...However, I'm cheap so I only use it a couple times a week.  But it rocks!!!

Oreo's Uh-Oh Golden Chocolate Creme Cookies...I've never been a huge fan of traditional Oreo cookies--I liked the creme filling but I always found the chocolate wafers to be too rich.  Several weeks ago, I stopped by the store to pick up some food to take to a friend's house...I stumbled upon the Oreo's Uh-Oh Golden Chocolate Creme cookies.  Oh. My. Lawd.  They remind me of Keebler's EL Fudge cookies but even better.  I could get fat off of just these cookies alone :-)

Cover Girl LashBlast Mascara...I have spent years trying to find a good mascara.  Especially one that did not clump; did not smear/run but was able to easily wash off and; gave my scrawny lashes some ooomph.  Well, this LashBlast stuff does the trick.  I thought my Mary Kay was the best mascara on the market but one day I ran out so I picked-up a tube of this stuff at the grocery store.  Now I'm hooked!  I have had several people ask if I'm wearing false eyelashes (I'm going to take that as a compliment...) and Justin is convinced I am using that Latisse eyelash growth serum advertised by Claire Danes.  Nope, it's just my $7 tube of Cover Girl!

Grandessa Extra Garlic Hummus...Our household is a huge fan of Aldi's.  It's great for staple pantry items and the random seasonal stuff that they carry.  Turns out, they have a GREAT hummus in their refrigerated section.  It's the Extra Garlic hummus and you will not be disappointed by it.  It's my go-to snack anytime I have to take something to church, a meeting, whatever.  And everyone LOVES it.  At $1.69 per tub, it can't be beat--especially considering other brands of hummus can cost nearly $5 a tub. 



And there ya have it, folks--some of my newest favorite things!  I hope each and every one have you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

My Not-So-Ugly UGGS

Several years ago, I was in need of some WARM "snow" boots.  I had a nice pair of black dress boots but they were so very inappropriate for snow and ice.

By this point in time, UGG boots were here and they appeared as if they were here to stay.  I hated them.  They were UGG-ly and I could not stand it when girls wore them with short skirts.  To this day, I'm still convinced you had to be a single gal to understand that fashion statement.  It's safe to assume that I  definitely was not single...or inspired by the look.

A few weeks later, I wound up in the boots section of Dillard's and saw a fun, structured, lamb-fur lined, black suede boot complete with a stainless steel zipper that ran up the backside and had metal accents.  It wasn't your typical "snow boot" and it was calling my name.

Turns out, it was an UGG boot! Wth?! I was tempted to protest the boot but I decided to try it on for the helluvit. Oh-my-gawd it was soft...and warm...and super comfortable! Within minutes, it was boxed up and Santa was footing the bill ;-)

The boot proved to be worth the money--and then some.  The winter that year was terrible and this past winter was absolutely terrible.  I am pretty sure my UGGs were my most worn shoe during the nasty months of cold winds, rain, sleet, ice and snow.  I became a firm believer of the UGG brand!

But I have to admit--I was shocked by their newest "introduction" to the line-up this Fall.  Check out these super adorable loafers!  And the best part is, they don't even resemble the stereotypical space-boot!

Santa, this time played by Justin, bought them for me when he returned from storm work in Connecticut.  He likes to say it was my "present" for helping out with all his stuff when he was gone.  However, I think it's because I no longer could find my Sketchers--thus, leaving me without any kind of casual shoe.  I had them for years and they suddenly disappeared.  I'm convinced the ghost that stole my Gap sweater, grey corduroys and green tank top last winter also stole my Sketchers while they were at it.  Except for I still had my Sketchers this Spring...Anywho, I obviously have a hard time keeping track of my clothes.  Did that just come out wrong?!

To sum it up, these babies are uh-mazing.  They have the lamb-fur lining, the foot bed is incredibly soft and they are just plain cute.  I realize they're a bit "predictable" for my style but I have been in dire need of something to wear to the grocery store, football/basketball games, Casual Fridays in the classroom and anywhere I wouldn't wear my dress shoes.  But the best part?  They're not UGG-ly!

Favorite Things...Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash

Several weeks ago, I did something that I rarely do...I made mashed potatoes from scratch!

I was making a Shephard's Pie for supper and as soon as the hubby saw the box of instant potatoes on the counter, he kinda freaked.  He cannot stand the texture of instant potatoes.  

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the texture either.  But man, they really do cut down on how much time you have to spend in the kitchen and in early August, you don't run the risk of turning your kitchen into a sauna by boiling hot water for an eternity. For me, those two benefits are enough to get me past my sensory issues.

Regardless of the "benefits" associated with instant taters, I decided to be a nice wife and make REAL mashed potatoes instead.  It was definately going to throw our evening schedule off but whatever--I was kinda looking forward to real potatoes myself :-)

45 minutes later and the tiny cubes of potatoes were ready to be mashed (and YES, it took that long just to cook them!).  Moments later, Justin came into the kitchen and decided I was making the potatoes all wrong...I quickly became quite annoyed as 1) he has NEVER made mashed taters before so any advice he offered was automatically deemed incredible and 2) after nearly 4 years of cohabitation, he should know by now that you do not bother me while I'm cooking!  Just let me do my thing and nobody will get hurt :-)

In response to all of his suggestions, I told him to get out, leave me alone or I was going to stop making supper.  He must have been hungry because shut his mouth and bolted out of the kitchen!  So much for being a nice wife, huh?

I have to admit--the potatoes turned out terrible!  I think it had something to do with the potatoes taking 45 minutes to cook--and still not being cooked all the way.  Justin is still convinced that I should have listened to him...I'm not sure if that would have been a great idea or made any differenece--but at least it would have made him feel important!  lol...

Anyhow, since then I decided to try the Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash potatoes from the frozen aisle.

They're a bit on the pricey side at $3.99 a bag but they are worth every single penny (unless you're feeding an army on a budget)!  The bag contains chunks of potatoes that you microwave for 10 minutes--then you just add milk, butter and mash away.  It's nearly impossible to ruin them!  They also make a variety using new potatoes and the skins are left on--now wouldn't that be a pretty presentation?!

Amazingly enough, the potatoes have the same texture of real mashed potatoes.  Justin LOVED them and said he would be more than happy to make them our "staple" mashed tater...and I'm willing to spend the $4 just to have something edible.  Looks like we have found our newest culinary olive branch!

A Party in Your Mouth!!!

I have found my new crack.  Probably a good thing I've started working out again, otherwise I could sit around eating these things ALL day long.  I'm not kidding!

Blue Diamond has introduced a line of "Nut-Thin" crackers.  I picked some up earlier this Spring just for the helluvit but to be safe, I went with the plain-jane "salt" flavor.  Ehhhh, they were okay.

Then, this summer at our vegan cooking case, the instructor was showcasing the BBQ flavor.  I have no clue if they're vegan but I do know they're a great substitute for people who can't have wheat or gluten.  I politely accepted a few BBQ nut thins, while fully expecting them to be ho-hum just like their salted counterparts.

I popped the first one in my mouth and thought I was going to fall off of my chair--it was like a party in my mouth.  Had I not been in a class full of proper adults, I would have let loose a long line of excited expletives.  But...I try to keep up appearances and keep my potty-mouth to a minimum so I politely said, "Wow, these things are great!"  How can one find the words to describe how uh-mazing these things are?!  Seriously, they're better than any bbq potato chip I've ever had.  Better than anything bbq'd that I have ever had.  The texture rocks and there's a lot of depth to the flavor.  You HAVE to try them.

The other awesome thing about them (or, maybe not so awesome): if you're trying to keep the vampires away, they will definately make sure that happens!

Favorite Things--Marinade

Our evening meals are generally cooked over a hot, open flame during the summer months.  It's just too hot to crank up the oven or even have the stove going.  Needless to say, it's just too hot to be outside but it's definately worth it for some grilled meat!

A few weeks ago, I was craving some good old traditional Barbequed Chicken...I was in the condiment aisle of the grocery store and stumbled upon this:

Stubb's All-Natural Chicken Marinade...they have an entire line for all your different meats, but this one rocks...It's a nice blend of brown sugar, onion, garlic and citrus flavors. 

It seems that with most marinades, you let the meat sit for 30 min-2 hours.  Stubb's actually suggests marinating your meat for no less than 2 hours, so I let the chicken sit in the fridge all day.  The flavor was AMAZING!  It grilled up really nicely and even had the black crispies on it...yummmmmm :-)

For a store-bought sauce, it doesn't taste like it.  If you were really sneaky, you could probably convince house guests that it was a homemade marinade!  And at $2.99/bottle, the price can't be beat and I'm pretty sure we'll never use plain jane BBQ sauce again.

An Aldi's Favorite

I love Aldi's...absolutely love it!  I remember the first time I went in there out of curiosity with my baby brother and was convinced I would NEVER go back...but now we're there every Sunday!

When it comes to your staples, they rock.  42-cent Rotel and green beans, 99-cent Pam cooking spray and Prego spaghetti sauce, $1.29 peanut butter, $1.69 frozen garlic bread and gigantic bags of rice, $2.49 Wholly Guacomole...the list goes on.

Granted, there are some things that are more expensive at Aldi's than at your regular supermarket (ie usually eggs & milk).  Then there are some things that the lower price is indicative of the item's quality (ie frozen chicken breasts).  After a few trials and errors, you quickly find out what you can save on at Aldi's and what's worth paying a few extra dollars for at Dillon's!

One of my all-time favorite things from Aldi's is a "Special Purchase" as they call it...it only comes around about once every three months and it's in stores during the next 7 days!

The Priano Spicy Arrabiata Sauce (on the right) ROCKS.  As you're well aware, we like our food with a little heat and at first the idea of spicy spaghetti turned me off.

However, I decided to try it last time they stocked it and it's perfect.  It's just a tad spicy--not spicy enough to open up your sinuses or sting your taste buds, but rather just warm enough to be different than typical tomato sauce.  And the Italian flavor is still in tact! 

I'm not sure how they do it but I'll be sure to look at the ingredient list when we buy them out of the Arrabiata Sauce on Sunday!

Sleeping Like a Baby

Maybe you saw my post from Valentine's Day...maybe you didn't.  Our new Tempurpedic mattress was delivered that evening and it's been heaven ever since!

Why do we love it?

1.  It's a whole 12" inches wider and 4" longer than our old queen...therefore, at 6'10" Justin has two extra inches of matress before his feet fall off the end!

2.  With the extra width, I no longer find myself waking up with half my body draped over Justin.  After the first night, he commented on how I didn't cuddle him that night.  Who said I was ever cuddling him?!

3.  I no longer "roll" into Justin.  On the rare occassion that I would try to stay on "my side," I would still wake up in Justin's culvert.  He weighs almost twice as much as I do and the poor spring matress just didn't cooperate with me.  Thank god for memory foam!

4.  The animals love it.  Yes, the dog sleeps with us.  And the cat?  He comes in during the middle of the night and hops in the bed as well.  Both of them can really put on the dead weight.  I have no clue how many times I would wake up to them hogging the bed but they felt like they weighed 30 pounds when I'd try to move them!  Now they can find their own spots and nobody touches each other--it's awesome!

5.  I've been sleeping like a baby this past week.  I have only woken up once in the middle of the night, just to fall right back asleep.  I'm out cold.  Justin is out cold.  We don't even hear the live band up the street once our heads hit the pillow!

5.  The best part--it gives me an opportunity to "redecorate."  What a Marcene thing to do!  My grandma was notorious for finding reasons to redecorate/buy furniture and I think I have a bit of that myself...but hey, it was Justin's idea to get a new bed so I blame him!

After many weeks of searching, we found the perfect bed and ordered it...I just can't wait until it arrives!  We're foregoing the modern bedding in favor of some hippy-modern floral duvet cover we bought with our Christmas money...bear with me, but I think it will be a cool combination when all said and done!  Now time to brighten up the curtains, find a cheap night stand of the proper proportion and we'll be good to go :-)

Fine Print(ing)

We ordered a canvas print for our dining room wall this weekend and my anxiety level is sky-rocketing.  It doesn't seem like a too-good-to-be-true company but it's safe to say that I'm having trust issues for various reasons...

The main reason seems to be that I have NO control over the printing process.  The company we chose let you preview what your picture would look like on the canvas before you submitted the order...some sites cropped the picture in an odd manner so I hope this company's preview is correct and I won't find any surprises when opening the box!

It is extremely hard for me to give up control when it comes to pictures and printing.  When working with our photographer for engagement and wedding pics, it was very challenging for me to keep my mouth shut and NOT suggest this angle--or that angle--to shoot from.  At the end of the day, he did a great job and my anxiety level did go down some after we were able to see the results :-)

Just the other day I downloaded a basic PhotoShop app for my phone.  And I don't know why.  I despise digital photography and all the manipulative software that is available.  In my personal opinion, the digital manipulation has taken away the true talent of photography...anybody can push a button but it takes true talent to first know what type of film is best for the situation, composing the picture, correctly adjusting the camera for the best lighting/depth and most of all making the picture interesting without adding some crazy flare effect in Photoshop.

When digital photography seemed to be "the only way to go" I made the switch from film and bought a digital SLR.  And I don't know why.  I despise that camera and that was the end of my photography.  I just want to go back to the days of Black-and-White film and the darkroom.  I thrived on the anticipation of finishing a roll, developing the film and burning-and-dodging the image as I made the print, rinsing all the chemicals off and then waiting for it to dry...hours upon hours would go into just one print.  Nowadays, if you don't like the picture you hit "delete," send one you DO like to Walgreens or print it from your home computer.  And if you have the software, you can do all sorts of things to make it look better than it truly is.  That, my friends, is NOT photography.  But rather that is knowing how to use a computer.  Am I bitter?  I sure am.

A PhotoShop Before & After...a real photographer would know how to set the aperature the first time!  And why do they always have to over-expose the skin tones in PhotoShop?! Grrrrrrr!

I know I'm not the next Ansel Adams and I never could have been.  But when I look back at some of my prints I really miss my days in the darkroom.  And I'm telling you now--if that company jacks up the canvas print we ordered, boy howdy, God only knows that I will be fuming!

I never get my portfolio out to show people because it makes me feel too vulnerable.  I immediately see a printing/cropping/mounting flaw or see something that I wish I could go back and change.  However, since I am in COMPLETE control of this situation, I will share some of my work  :-) Unfortunately, I have not transferred many of my prints to digital files...and there are some that I really, really should get transferred.  But here are a few that have been scanned!

My friend, Tony.  This shoot was done indoors with natural light only (northern exposure).

More of Tony...he was pleased with these pics ;-)

I did a series of figure photography with this model and the shoot was amazing...but the rest are probably not appropriate for Blogger!

Eiko, a Japanese student that I knew.  She was fabulous to work with!

Another one of Eiko...I need to find the print of her that involved layering negatives and making one print!

"Sweet Dreams."  An on-purpose double exposure using slide film and a large-format camera



England, 1997--Queen of England's vacation home

The scanned image doesn't do this pic justice but I still love all the shapes.  Also in England.



My heart is with B&W portraiture, but when you have a blushing bride as gorgeous as this you have to capture it in color! 

At age 14, I took this photo of my cousin and it was printed in a lab...Can you see the qualilty difference of lab printing v. hand developing? 

Part of the Creighton campus--if done in a lab, this picture would come out horrible.  But with some dodging and burning it is amazing.  Last I knew, it was on permanent display at the Student Union.



A bicycle gang at the Gene Leahy Mall in Omaha.  Asked if I could take their picture and they posted up this way. Not trying to brag, but look at how the wildly different skin tones still came out perfectly!

The Castle Rock monument near Oakley, KS--taken during the summer I worked in Western KS & Oklahoma...Won best-of-show in a contest!



Blueberry Brew

I'm starting to feel a bit like Oprah...not because I'm filthy rich and rule the world (I wish!) but I'm blogging more and more about my "favorite things"...when I find something good, I just naturally feel the need to share it with other people!

I was cleaning out the cupboard this evening and in the midst of all my Tulsi tea boxes, I found this...

I bought it earlier this summer and obviously forgot I even had it!  I'm a sucker for iced tea--I am particularly fond of Dara's and Sonic's ice tea...even when I was little, I loved the Lipton's instant tea.  Yes, instant...it was so gross but so good!  When Dad would come in from the field during the summer, I would make him a glass of instant tea and myself a glass of instant tea and then we'd drink it together...it always seemed that I looked forward to chugging the cold frothy tea but in hindsight, I think it was because we got to see Dad during the daytime--which in the farming world, rarely happened--AND it kinda made me feel special :-)

Anyhow, back to my story--I "brewed" some of the tea this evening and it's super yummy!  I love blueberry anything--in fact, that reminds me that it's been forever since I've had any chocolate covered blueberries from Mr. Bulky's...those are heaven!  But I also like the fact that this tea is a cold brew--by the time I heat up regular tea bags and the water actually cools down, I've given up on making iced tea and am headed to Sonic.  However, with this stuff I just pour cold water over the tea bags and it's ready in 5 minutes!

On a random note, we have been revisiting our household budget and looking for easy things to cut...in the past 2.5 weeks, we have only eaten out once and we used a gift card that had been given to us!  It's amazing how quickly a few stops here and there for a drink or small snack really adds up...but now that I have found my super yummy blueberry brew, I have no more excuses for Sonic Happy Hour and that should "earn" me a few extra bucks in my wallet!