V is for victory rolls!

I'm baaaaaack! Well, at least for today anyway. I gave myself the goal of posting at least once more before 2013 finishes and today is the day. Hopefully, I'll be able to post a couple more times before the end of the year.

I have been obsessed with pinups and victory rolls for years. I always wanted to be able to wear my hair in victory rolls and for years have settled with just twisting it and pinning it on each side. However, all of that has changed!!!! I have been reading and watching lots of tutorials on the web and in the end I combined them and practiced a lot until I got the perfect Victory Rolls down pat....well at least in my opinion anyway.

DIY Chalkboard Platter

Hey Folks! Well, I have been letting time pass me by again. Things have been crazy around here since school started. First we had band camp and now that I have a child in High School I am a band parent (oh the joy!) Then, when things were starting to slow down and I was getting ready to start crafting and blogging again, my Sister had her baby and it was off to Oklahoma.....a very, very looooooong 15 hour drive. I'm back though and ready to blog.....well, at least for today anyway. 

DIY Decorative Serving Tray

I am so excited about today's post!!! I have been getting crafty lately and it's Thrifty Thursday!!! Before I begin, I should give you a bit of history on my living room decor. Several years ago, I fell in love with a red microfiber sofa and love seat when I was looking for a new living room set and brought it home. Upon arrival I realized it was going to be difficult to decorate around it. I have been decoratively paralyzed since I bought it 6 years ago. Luckily I recently received divine intervention at Target, when I stumbled across some microfiber pillows in the perfect coordinating colors, but more on that in a bit.

Mexican Rice...yiiippa yippa, andale, arriba!!!!

Hello world!!! I know it may seem like I have fallen off the face of the earth, but I am still here....I promise! I can't believe I haven't posted since March!!!! I wish I could say something awesome like "we've just been so busy!" or "The kids and I have been very active over the summer". That would be a lie, though, and I really try not to do that. The sad, honest truth is that we haven't done ANYTHING this summer. Seriously, other than a few pinterest projects and learning to crochet, I have sat around and let the summer pass me by. You see, the truth is that for the last couple of years I have been struggling with anxiety and depression. One of the reasons I began blogging was that it really helped me to combat the depression and gave me a reason to keep getting off my behind and doing something. I have been having a hard time lately just keeping up with the house and laundry, geez, I haven't even been going outside except to get groceries and tend to the garden, so I decided to start blogging again. It really gives me a sense of purpose....even if the purpose is just to share a few recipes, crafts or funny stories. It helps me feel connected in a way (especially if you leave comments....lol...hint, hint). So there, now it is out in the open, nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, just the facts. As a matter of fact, when I finish writing this blog post, I am going to sweep and mop the floor, put in the last load of laundry (well, for the next day or two anyway) and then I am going to take the kids to White Water....yay, fun!!!!! I am actually going to drive all the way to Marietta without another adult in the car and (try) not to be anxious (yes Mom, I took my Prozac this morning).

Never underestimate the power of FLAN!

Lately, my girls and I have been watching season 1 of Sabrina the Teenage Witch on Hulu. Here's a quick shout out to Hulu and Netflix for showing all of my favorite 80's and 90's shows like Saved by the Bell, Jem and the Holograms and Sabrina....HOLLA! My kids love these shows as much as I do. Anyhow, the most recent episode we watched featured Flan and I realized that I needed to share my recipe for flan so others

This one's for the boys!

Has anyone else out there seen these ads at Walmart to make your headlights look like new? They look like this:

I always wondered about them, because the headlights on my 1998 Grand Caravan look like this:

Pamper yourself and feel the love!

Happy Valentine's Day! As I mentioned yesterday, I just love this holiday. I am really feelin' the love today. I really enjoy seeing my friends posts on facebook about what their valentine has done for them and I hope that I can give some love to all of my friends who feel unloved or left out of this day. Valentine's day is for everyone, not just couples. In my family we give a little something to everyone that we love, not just spouses. It doesn't have to be extravagant, although contrary to yesterday's post, my sweet hubby surprised me with roses and candy. I wasn't expecting it and was completely caught by surprise. It was also nice to see how thrilled my kids were that their dad had gotten something for me. They all knew before I did and I could just see the joy in their faces when I discovered my surprises. I am a stay at home mom, so I don't have a bunch of cash to spend and I really enjoy giving homemade gifts, so that is what I will be doing today. One of my favorite gifts to make and give (or keep) is a nice sugar scrub. I don't know if you have ever purchased one or even looked at the price, but they are so expensive that it's ridiculous (I am also pretty cheap thrifty.) The worst part about the high price is that they can be made at home with ingredients you most likely already have in your cupboard. Seriously, can we say highway robbery?