worley house

30B430: Stop Drinking Soda

2012-05-29T14:38:00.003-07:00

Hi Friends! I'm back to share with you another 30B430 goal that I've crossed off my list! You can see the original list here.

They say that it takes 21 days to break a habit, this one was definitely a habit that I think took longer for me to break. Simply because it came down to will power. Which apparently, I didn't have enough of to start with.

#28. Stop drinking soda.

We don't keep soda in our home, so if I drink it it's because we're out to dinner. Or were at the movies, etc. But the problem was during those occasions I would have 3 or 4 Dr. Peppers during the coarse of one meal. Crazy, drinking that many calories and sugar not to mention.

So at the beginning of this year I was set out to stop drinking soda for good. Drink more water, anything but soda.

January, was a complete fail. I'd do really well and then I'd go to dinner with friends and again be back in my trap. February I started over. And this time it was for real!

I've successfully been off soda since February. I'm drinking more water than ever, it's been a great and welcome change. It's been a good decision for me, and pretty much now I don't crave it or really remember the taste of Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero which were my regular soda go to's.

What about you, made any lasting changes this year? Broken an bad habits? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Honey Sesame Chicken

2012-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I usually like to try a new recipe once a week, but last week I tried two. I already shared with you the first one, today I'm showing you the next.

I'll be honest this one got mixed reviews in my household. I loved this one, my Hubby did not. I hope you try it and let me know what your family thought.

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Recipe adapted from: Baby Center

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really add heat, just adds more flavor)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds

Directions:
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

2012-05-23T19:06:00.002-07:00

The Pioneer Woman, she gets it right.

And it's good.

I made this last week for dinner and it was delicious. I grilled up some chicken breasts and added them with our meal.

Here's the recipe, via Pioneer Woman. GO here to read her full post.

Ingredients

3/4 cups Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan (additional)
12 ounces, weight Pasta (cavitappi, Fusili, Etc.)
2 whole Tomatoes, Diced

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta until al dente.

Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Turn machine on, then drizzle in olive oil while it mixes. Continue blending until combined, adding additional olive oil if needed. Set aside.

Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir.

Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Pour pesto cream over the top. Toss to combine. Add diced tomatoes and toss quickly. Serve immediately.

It's Been A While Since we Had a Fashion Related Post

2012-05-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

So I thought I'd reprise that with a little fashion run down from last night's Billboard Music Awards. If you're like me you mostly watch these awards shows for two things; the fashion and the performances.

Okay, you with me?

Here's a little run down of last night's gowns that I found both interesting and fun.

I kinda like Taylor with a full bang and straight hair. Makes her look older.

Natasha Bedingfield, I just really liked this color. It's a pretty one don't ya think?

Katy Perry, love the color and the liquid beading.

Julianne, she went short. I'm a sucker for sparkles.

Jordin, she jumped on the short band wagon too. And gave an awesome tribute to Whitney last night. Google it, you won't be sorry.

And last but not least, my personal fave:

Carrie Underwood channeling her inner Carrie Bradshaw with this one;

Can you tell her Hubby is a hockey player, and doesn't walk the red carpet much! They still look adorable together even if he is slightly awkward.

What do you think? Did you watch, who was your best dressed?

Tonight I'll be tuning into the Dancing season finale.

Followed by The Bachelorette.

And then Tuesday I'll be reading this, and joining in on the conversation about all things Emily a la Bachelorette! Join me won't you?

Happy Monday Friends!

{all images msn.com}

Things I'm Afraid to Tell You

2012-05-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

This post has been swirling around in my head for a few weeks now. Since I read this post, and was inspired. So brave.

Then Monday, I was reading through my blog reader and came across this post by one of my faves. Again, the bravery it takes to be vulnerable enough to share what's on your heart is inspiring.

These posts, they led me down my own thoughts. Often times, I think we're afraid to say what we really think and feel out of fear.

How will people react to them?

What will they say?

Will they look at me differently now?

Will they judge me?

But sometimes, for me I think I'm afraid to say things out loud because the reality is then that makes them all the more true. If I say them out loud, if I tell you then I really have to come to terms with these thoughts and feelings instead of just always keeping them to myself.

At the same time I think there's bravery and freedom that can come from letting these thoughts out and sharing them.

So here goes, some things I'm afraid to tell you........

1. Lately I've been checking my blog stats a lot! For the past year I'd say I've become mildly obsessed with it. At first it was to try and understand Google Analytics, SEO and all that other garb better, but then it became every day. Trying to figure it out, see who was searching, what they were reading, etc. And to be quite truthful it's been driving me crazy the last few weeks. What blogger doesn't want their blog to grow right? Ever since coming back from SNAP!, I've been really feeling like I need to take a step back, remember why I started blogging in the first place, and not be so focused on the numbers, and my traffic. I never paid much attention to it before, so why was I now? Especially since all it was doing was driving me crazy. Here's the conclusion I've come to in the last few weeks; different blogs grow at different paces for various reasons. If I'm doing what I love, sharing and writing what I love the rest will come and fall into place. So here's to stop being obsessed with checking my stats, and worrying about blog growth. That's not to say I don't care, I do. But, I need to find a better priority in all of it, and I think I'm finally finding that.

2. This is not a craft blog. I'm a creative person, I have more ideas sometimes that I know what to do with. I love creating, and making things lovely. Some days I'm creating projects and other days I'm not. This blog will never solely be a craft/project blog. That's not my life, and that's not what I will share here in this space. I love the creative community but I don't believe that I have to be solely a craft blog in order to be successful in this world.

3. For me, I don't feel like I can't be the mother I want to be or need to be for my family and work full time. I've been working full time outside the home for almost two years now, and constantly it's an on going struggle to find the time to do everything. There are moments that I have missed out on due to working full time that make me truly sad, they grieve my heart. They are the breeding grounds for all sorts of motherhood guilt. To truly be the mother and wife that I know I want and need to be this lifestyle will change.

All that being said this brings me to the last thing I'm afraid to tell you.....

4. I don't like my day job. I love the people I work with, they are the sweetest. But I truly don't love my job, truthfully I sit bored half the time and my mind races and wonders what more productive things I could be doing at home, or with my child. I think most people get the impression that I work because I want to, but the truth is I work because at the time I had to. I had to make a choice and a sacrifice for my family. Not really knowing at the time the other things I would sacrifice in the long run.

Whew! I feel better.

What things are you afraid to speak out loud that have been on your heart?

Our Love Story: Our First Date

2012-05-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday marked seven years that Orion and I have been together. It was the anniversary of our first date: 5/12/05. I remember that day like it was yesterday, so I thought it was only fitting to tell you and take a little walk down memory lane and celebrate that day.

Orion and I met in January of 2005, and we'd slowly been becoming friends. There was a period of about a month before we went on our "first official" date where Orion seemed to be everywhere I was. I went from not ever seeing him at school, to seeing him everywhere I went.

There were days when he'd just happen to be walking outside my apartment and we'd sit and chat for a while before I headed inside. He would show up on my route to my classes and walk with me and we'd talk. Then there were all the Wednesday nights after church service that a big group of us would go out to eat. He'd always end up sitting near me or next to me.

Our friends were also good at pushing this along. They would invite Orion to do things with us, and suddenly there would be 3 other couples and Orion and myself. Below is a picture of such an event, a Twins game that Orion showed up to and I "just happened" to be there too.

Looking back now, I am so thankful for all those events that enabled Orion and I to get to know each other. It made our first date less awkward and fun. By the time Orion asked me out on a date, I was comfortable with him and he was already my friend.

Orion asked me to go out on a date the Saturday of a friend's wedding. I'd been planning on attending this wedding for months, and I knew that I didn't want to miss it. I was going to go with my best friend Sara and her Husband. I'd thought about asking Orion to be my plus one to the wedding since I didn't already have a date, but I thought that would be an awkward first date at a wedding.

So instead I asked Orion if we could go out the Friday before the wedding as our first date, and then asked him if he would attend the wedding with me the next evening. Luckily he agreed. Our first date, 5/12/05. Just thinking about that day, brings me back. I remember spending part of the morning with my friend Sara at her apartment, talking about what I was going to wear and where we were going. Truthfully, I was emotional that day before heading into our date that night.

I'd known Orion was a great guy, that I liked him. And I hoped it would go well, I couldn't help thinking that this was going to be my last first date ever. I never was the type of girl who wanted to date a lot of guys. The truth was, that a lot of my guy friendships and relationships never got past friends because I knew there wasn't a future there, and I didn't want to waste my time, or loose a friendship with someone I knew I couldn't see myself with.

But, Orion he was different. I knew I could see a future with him. And, that scared me a little bit, but it also made me very excited.

I could tell you every little detail leading up to that night when he knocked on my door. I can tell you exactly what I wore that evening right down to the shoes. What Orion wore, and I can also tell you how for the longest time I didn't want to part with that outfit because it was what I wore the day I went on a date with the guy I would eventually marry someday.

That evening Orion took me to dinner downtown Minneapolis at a restaurant called McCormick & Schmicks. I can remember exactly what booth we sat in and what we ordered. I remember the chit chat and small talk we made about classes and school, our families. You know all that typical stuff you talk about on a first date.

At one point in the evening Orion got up to use the restroom, and while he was gone I remember sitting there thinking how much fun I was having, how great of a guy he is, and how I didn't want the evening to end. When dinner was over and Orion paid for the check we headed outside, it was raining that night in Minneapolis. His car was in the parking garage across the street, we decided to make a mad dash across the street in the rain.

Without hesitation he grabbed my hand and we ran across the street to the parking garage. Seamlessly and effortlessly, we were comfortable with each other. We drove around the city for a few minutes admiring downtown, and truthfully I think he was stalling because I knew he didn't want the night to end yet either.

I did something then, I'm sure no one ever does on a first date with someone. I suggested we go over to my friend Sara's house and hang out with her and her husband. Orion was up for it. So I called my friend Sara, who I'm sure was like why are you calling me on your date. But anyway, she invited us over to hang out. So off we went to Loring Park to see friends and spend the rest of our evening with them. We pulled up to their building which happened to be a beautiful high rise apartment, they lived on the 12th floor.

They greeted us at the door, Sara and I spent a good amount of time giggling and talking date night details in her kitchen before heading to the living room to settle in to watch a movie. Movie of choice that night was Ladder 49, I remember cuddling and holding hands with Orion underneath the blankets while watching the movie.

About half way through the movie, their fire alarm went off in their building. How appropriate is what I was thinking. We made our way down 12 flights of stairs before sitting outside with the rest of the building residents, waiting for fire trucks and fireman to make their way. Turns out it was a false alarm, and everything was ok. Orion and I decided to head back to my apartment and say good-bye to our friends.

Orion drove me back to my apartment. We sat inside and talked for a little while longer, making plans for the next evening when we'd attend a friends' wedding together. Before he left, we had a conversation where Orion told me that he'd really like to start dating me, he told me how great a time he'd had that night. I agreed, I wanted to start dating him to. It was official, from that evening on we were together. A couple. The next night we attended a friend's wedding together, and took this which would be our very first picture together:

After seven years together he still makes me laugh. He's still the one I want to be with, the one I love. Falling in love with Orion was one of the best experiences of my life I can't wait to share it with you.

30B430: Have Another Booth at a Craft Fair

2012-05-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back sharing another goal I've crossed off my 30B430 list! I've been really wanting to stretch myself with my handmade business and grow it. And I really enjoy meeting people and seeing them excited about my products. I knew I wanted to do another craft fair of sorts.

My church had a local fair the last weekend in April. I signed up a few months ago, and have been busy making lots of new things. Here's what my table looked like that day:

This was my second craft show, I learned a lot the first go around. So it was nice to apply what I learned this time and see improvements.

I'm excited to be listing and offering a lot of the items you see here this weekend in my Etsy shop: Worley House Designs. Look for fun new headbands, earrings, and clips!

And for a special treat we're having a Spring Sale! Use code: SPRINGSALE30 for 30% off your purchases!

See the original list here.

Tulips Are My Favorite

2012-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Next to a white lily, tulips are my absolute favorite flower. There were plenty of these beauties in Utah when I was there for SNAP!, we stayed at Thanksgiving Point which just happened to have a tulip festival happening at the same time as the conference.

Destiny and I took a little walk one afternoon and took in these beauties. As well as having a little photo shoot of our own.

Such a beautiful place to get away for a few days with friends. I love taking pictures of scenery, it always amazes me the beautiful things that God creates. Down to every last detail of the inside of the petals. God is always in the details.

Thank you Destiny for taking these beautiful pictures of me and helping me update my photos. :)

Today is also my beautiful Mama's birthday, Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

What's made you smile today?

An Award and A Survey

2012-05-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received a Liebster Blog Award from the lovely Mindy at Cute N' Crafty Creations. This award is given to bloggers who have under 200 followers, and passed around to others who also have less than 200 followers! What a great way to spread the word about great blogs!

Alright so as with everything there are a few rules to follow when you receive a Liebster Award. Here they are:

1. Post about your win on your blog

2. Link back to the blogger who presented you with the award: Cute N' Crafty Creations (be sure to follow me! Check out my Facebook and Twitter too!)

3. Copy and past the award button to your blog.

4. Present the Liebster Award to 5 blogs that have fewer than 200 followers that you think deserve to be recognized.

5. Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are 5 that I think you might enjoy!

1. She's Star Crossed

2. Virginia Living

3. Mama of M's

4. The Bormann Twins

5. The Believing Woman

******

Now for the other fun part, the survey!

One of my goals after coming home from SNAP! was to try and get to know YOU, my readers better. See what you're loving on the blog, and what you're not. So, I created a lovely survey for you to take! I promise it won't take long, and it would really help me out if you'd take a few minutes to respond!

Click here to take the survey.

Thanks friends!

Life via Instagram

2012-05-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

I'm probably never, never going to get sick of Instagram. It's my most fave ever app. I think I kinda like it more than Twitter, because pictures tell more of the story that words ever could. Right?! Some scenes from our life via my Insta gram feed.
Wednesday I made a pan of these yummy Scotcharoos for my co-workers retirement party. They went fast, but I had to snag a few to take home for the hubby. {reciepe to come.} Thursday we baby sat for some friends so they could enjoy a date night! We love having their two boys over, and Ava loves them too. Waiting in the pick up line for Daddy is tiring work! Right Ava?! Snoozin' while we wait for hubby. She's so cute, and I just love her so. My fave apps in addition with Instagram are: PicFrame & Phonto. Check them out, if you're an Instagram user you'll probably love them as much as I do!
Linking here.

Blog Roll Monday: A Night Owl Blog

2012-05-07T09:59:00.003-07:00

Let's get back to our regularly scheduled programming and share with you one of the blogs on my reading list! I love meeting new bloggers, and meeting them in real life after you've been reading their blogs for a while is always a lot of fun.

I met Kimberly from A Night Owl Blog a few weeks after we started following each other on Twitter 7 Instagram! We met for the first time at The Glitter Academy event back in March! It was so great to finally meet in person and put a face to the name! She's just as sweet in person as she is on her blog.

She's new to blogland, but her blog is growing amazing and she's got some awesome things going on over there! A weekly Pinterest link up party, and Instagram link up to share all those awesome photos you're taking and sharing!

She also shares some fun projects, like crafting and thrifty finds! Which I really enjoy because I love seeing a good deal.

If you haven't seen her blog yet jump on over and check her out! Say hello, and tell her I sent ya!

Click the banner link above or click here:

http://anightowlblog.blogspot.com/http://anightowlblog.blogspot.com/

SNAP Recap: Learning, Growing & Connecting

2012-05-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

This post is long over due, I wanted to still share with you all my experience and trip to the SNAP! Conference back in April. I'd been looking forward to this trip for sometime, and was excited I got to travel and spend quality time with my friend and blog buddy Destiny.

We had an early flight (6 am) out of Phoenix, and arrived in Utah around 9 am. We met some of our other blog buds at the airport. Holly met us there and picked us up. BIG thanks to Holly for picking us up, and taking us back to the airport when SNAP! was over.

A lot of people ask me all the time what's the point of attending such a conference? For me, it's the chance to rub shoulders with other creative minds. With women who enjoy and appreciate blogging and being creative.

But, also I have the chance to learn.

To grow.

To connect.

SNAP! was a great weekend of all three of these things. So with out further adieu I bring you my SNAP! experience through pictures;

Us with Holly at the opening session.

Amazing necklaces from Amy Cornwell. The theme of the conference was 'Just Be You.' Such a powerful message and reminder to be yourself.

Destiny & I.

The amazing Kristen from 6th Street Design School. I'm not much of a designer and decorator. I feel like I have a lot to learn but she had some amazing tips and tricks for making your space your own.

The amazing Queen Bee Market was even more awesome than I imagined. So many talented and awesome creative shops in one place. I came home with just a few goodies for myself and Miss Ava.

Collecting business cards like trading cards. So many great new blogs I can't wait to check out!

One of my favorite workshops was called 'Blog to Book.' One of my dreams one day is to author a book of my own. During this workshop I was able to hear two amazing authors and an editor at Random House speak on writing a book. Writing a book proposal, and getting published. It was an amazing experience, and I'm excited about the opportunities that came from the people I met during this workshop.

The AH-mazin' Shelley Smith from The House of Smiths.

Me & Holly.

Next up, I'll share some amazing scenery from my time in Utah! I hope you enjoyed my first little recap of SNAP!

psst: We're having a little giveaway going on over at my Facebook page! Go here, to like this pic and be entered to win.

Follow Your Heart {Heart of Haiti}

2012-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://www1.macys.com/campaign/social?campaign_id=134&channel_id=1&bundle_entryPath=/haiti_landing"><IMG SRC="
http://clevergirlscollective.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/heart-of-haiti-logo.jpg">a> This Mother's Day, I'm working with Clever Girls in support of Macy's Heart of Haiti to shine a light on the "trade, not aid" program, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans struggling to rebuild their lives and support their families after the 2010 earthquake.

Today I want to share with you two amazing ladies in my life that have inspired me to follow my heart and grow as a Mother. They have been my examples in so many ways, and now as a mother myself I can't help but think they were some of the best examples.
My Mother, sometimes I feel speechless when it comes to my Mom. There aren't enough words or time to honestly describe just how much she means to me, and I'm often in awe of her selflessness and her giving spirit. She loves unconditionally even when I overflowed the dishwasher as a kid, or ruined her oak dining table with nail polish remover, and pressed her buttons as a teenager. She never gave up on me, always encouraged me. Taught me how to love people even when they don't love back, she taught me patience and how to give to others. She taught me the meaning and importance of remembering names, birthdays and how to pick out the perfect greeting card to give to someone. Thank you for coming to every dance recital, showing up every Friday night to watch me cheer, helping me get ready for every high school dance and pageant. Thank you for the endless shopping trips, and Subway & Sonic runs after church. You're one of the most amazing women, I know and for all that and more I say I love you Mom!

The other amazing woman in my life is my Grandma. There isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't think about how you've shaped my life. You taught me how to cook, how to bake and how to sew. Thank you for the many amazing camping trips, taking me to the "lotion" and always giving me a place where my creativity could bloom. You taught me how to nurture and grow my relationship with Christ. You taught me the value of prayer, patience and perseverance. You believed in my dreams even when I didn't think they were possible. You are woman of prayer and wisdom. Something I hope to one day be too, your strength and generosity for people is amazing to me. Your selflessness and caring for others is something I admire most. The way you are a prayer warrior makes me in awe!

I know that I'll be able to me the same amazing Mother to little Ava just as my Grandma was to my Mother, and my Mother was to me. I've had amazing teachers. I love you both so very much, thank you for being in my life and loving me always.

~Andrea What is Macy’s Heart of Haiti? Heart of Haiti is a “Trade, Not Aid” initiative launched by artist and social entrepreneur, Willa Shalit, The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Macy’s. Already, Heart of Haiti has led to employment of 750 artists in Haiti, providing financial benefits for an estimated 8,500 people in the country.

Each item is a one-of-a-kind design and handmade by a Haitian master artisan from raw materials such as recycled oil drums, wrought iron, papier-mâché and stone. The collection features more than 40 home decor items including quilts, metalwork, ceramics, jewelry and paintings and is made almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums and local gommier wood.

Heart of Haiti products are available online at Macy’s.com.

Thank you to Macy's Heart of Haiti for sponsoring my participation in this “Share Your Heart" promotion. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A Dose of Real Life......

2012-04-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

In the interest of keeping things real, a dose of real life here. I think sometimes we can lose sight and perspective when looking at blogs and websites.

Sometimes everything looks so perfect, when it isn't. And we forget the ladies on the other side of these blogs are real people. Real Moms, with messes and faults. I'll be the first to admit everything is not always perfect. I try my best to present the prettiest pictures here on the blog, and share parts of my life that are fun and joyful.

But, as you know life is messy sometimes. Feelings get hurt. You fail, you dust yourself off and try again at times. I say all this to remind us and myself before you get all down on yourself because you saw some one's pretty house, or perfect project on the Internet remember that these ladies are just as real as you are. They are human too. Give them a break, don't judge. Give yourself a break.

Last weekend I headed to Salt Lake City for the SNAP! Conference. I can't wait to share with you all I learned during the weekend. Right after I came home I rested for a day, and then headed into a 3 day conference for work. I'm tired, my house is neglected. And I can't help but feel like I could sleep for days and that I need just a day to clean my house.

That box on the table there, it's been sitting there since Ava's birthday. Oh, for about 4 weeks. I could get down on myself and think I'm a horrible wife and house keeper for letting it sit there for so long but I choose not to. Not to let it get me down, or make me feel like I'm a horrible house keeper. I'll let it sit there a while longer (the mess) if it means more time with my family, the time to cook my family dinner.

You get the idea.

At the end of the day it's all about doing what's important for me. What matters most to my family and I. This is what matters:

I read this quote sometime ago, and it made me think; this is exactly the kind of positive attitude to have.

"Excuse the mess, the children are making memories. "

So excuse all this, it can wait. Time with my family can not.

Easter Memories {2012}

2012-04-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last year Easter weekend was eventful; an Urgent Care visit turned into Ava having pink eye. Our car broke down which turned into us buying a new one. What a difference a year makes. This year we enjoyed a relaxing weekend. An egg hunt, and a great church service, followed by a dinner we hosted for our friends.

I'd never hosted dinner before for Easter, but this year was really fun having our friends over and cooking up some Pioneer Woman goodness! We enjoyed some what of a Mexican Easter celebration with homemade pico de gallo and spicy pork.

Truly blessed and so thankful for all that our Savior did for me, and for us. Happy Easter!

Thoughts About Potty Training

2012-04-20T00:00:00.017-07:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned that we were starting to potty train Ava. After weeks of reading things online, asking friends and family their opinions we decided to go for it.

A friend told me about this method. She forwarded the book to me, and I read it back and forth for two weeks before we started.

The week before I bought all sorts of juice, rewards and brand new princess undies! In hopes that all these would motivate and help her progress. We spent three days {Ava & I} in the house potty training. We didn't leave all day, every day for three days.

I expected accidents, and there were many.

I expected that there would be a learning curve, there has been.

What I didn't expect is how I would feel. How exhausted I'd be. How I literally felt I was going crazy after not leaving the house for three days.

The truth is, if I can be totally honest and have a vulnerable "mom" moment here. Not only did I want this 3 day method to work for Ava, but I really wanted it to work for me too. Because I wanted to be the one to potty train her. Not the daycare, not anyone but my and my Husband.

When it didn't click for Ava after three days was over, I felt like I failed.

It can be really easy when "someone" or an expert on a subject tells you that "it will work" to put pressure on yourself, and in the end I felt like I failed at it all.

But, the truth was this method just didn't quite work for Ava, and it's ok. After a lot of prayer and evaluating the three days I realized this.

She will get potty trained. I will teach her, we'll teach her.

And it's ok if she doesn't learn it in 3 days. It's ok if it takes her longer than I thought.

She just turned two and I know that she'll get it. The biggest thing is for us to be consistent and patient. Not to put pressure on myself or her.

We're on a little potty training journey. We've been working at it for almost a month. We get excited when she does, we put a sticker on her chart and celebrate the moment!

This is by far the most trying thing yet that I've experienced in parenting. I know there will be other moments like this, maybe even bigger at some point.

Motherhood is about the good and bad. Learning and growing.

{Headed to SNAP!}

2012-04-19T08:00:00.002-07:00

Today I'm joining my friend Destiny and we're headed to a blogging conference in Salt Lake City called; SNAP!

Last year I attended my first blog conference here in Arizona! It was a great experience meeting other bloggers, networking and learning from some really inspiring women!

This year SNAP is a 3 day conference, and I'm excited to meet up with some of the ladies I met last year and connect with some new faces!

I'm excited about taking a photography course, hearing some awesome speakers and growing once more! If you wanna follow along with me you can joining me on Instagram {@photosbyandrea} and on Twitter {@andreaworley}.

I'll be posting pictures and thoughts there from the weekend, and when I get back I'll have a full blog post re-cap! Also, when I get back we'll have that fun little giveaway for Facebook fans! If you don't already like our page on Facebook go here and like! Thanks everyone for taking this little journey!

Oh- and If you're going to SNAP too let me know, tweet me and we'll connect!

{Our Little Jitterbug} Ava's Second Birthday Party

2012-04-17T00:00:00.012-07:00

I'm excited to finally share with you pictures of Ava's second birthday! I shared the inspiration for her party a few months ago, you can read about it here. Ava's actual birthday fell on a Saturday this year, so we had her party on her actual birthday; March 24th.

It was a beautiful day, at first it was a tad bit windy that morning which had me a little worried. But the wind calmed down and it was a perfect day. We had so much fun celebrating her birthday, I still can't believe she's two!

I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking for me, and give you a complete source list at the end. It all started with this beautiful invitation created by CAKE Events. It set the tone for the whole party, and was just what I was looking for.

The colors for the party were black, white, turquoise and zebra print. You can find those throughout the party. I made a lot of the details myself such as the cupcakes, cupcake toppers, the lollipop favors, coloring pages for the kiddos, birthday banner, menu and favor signs and tissue paper pom poms. For everything else I enlisted the help of some great vendors to help pull everything else together.

Of coarse the feature of this party {besides Ava} was the dessert table, complete with yummy cupcakes, a cake, cake pops and candy. The record backdrop was perfect for showing off this musical dessert table.

We served a simple lunch of turkey subs, fruit kabobs, chips and potato salad. Guest washed it all down with our yummy blue raspberry lemonade punch! Each little one was sent home with a goodie bag filled with bubbles, a lollipop and some small musical toys. Children enjoyed the coloring pages I made using images I found on the web and made into a Word doc and then printed off.

Vendors that helped us put this party together:

Birthday banner: www.aworley.etsy.com
Menu & favor signs: www.worleyhouseblog.com
cupcake toppers: www.aworley.etsy.com
candy: Party City
cupcakes: www.worleyhouseblog.com
cake pops: made by a friend, if your local in Phoenix contact my friend Heather at heather.stuart73@yahoo.com she does yummy work!
cake: store bought
grey stripped straws: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThePartyFairy
coloring pages: www.worleyhouseblog.com
favor boxes & small music toys: Hobby Lobby
Blue Lollipops: www.amazon.com
Black Cake stand: http://www.amazon.com/
record backdrop & "2" candle: http://shindigz.com/
zebra cupcake liners: littlemonsterhugs.etsy.com
zebra print bags: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CakesAndKidsToo
party styling: http://www.worleyhouseblog.com/
tissue paper poms: www.worleyhouseblog.com
Ava's shirt: aworley.etsy.com
Ava's skirt: zulily.com
photography: www.photosbyandrea.org

If there's anything else you'd like to know just ask! I had so much fun planning this little party, and celebrating Ava! I couldn't have done it though with out the help of my Hubby, my Mom and My Sister in Law who all helped me so much to prepare.

Happy Birthday Jitterbug! We love you!

Linking with: Get Your Craft On, Tuesday's Treasures, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Sundae Scoop, DIY Project Parade, It's Overflowing

Scenes from the Weekend

2012-04-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Weekends sure fly by, don't they! We had a great weekend, it was low key but productive. This weekend I was busily preparing to go out of town this next week. So that meant grocery shopping for my family, lots of laundry to be done, and the start of packing.

Here's some scenes from the weekend brought to you by Instagram.

I bought these adorable shoes for Ava from Zulily, only they don't fit. They are a size 5/6 but are more like a 5. If you're interested in them they are still in the package with the original tags. $10 shipped. Email me andreaworley@live.com if you'd like them.

For much of Friday this was Ava's outfit of choice! She loves her tutus, and shirts are optional around these parts until we actually have to get dressed to meet friends for dinner that evening.

Saturday I ran out and started doing a little shopping for my trip this weekend to the SNAP Conference. I had to pick up a few travel essentials. My friend Destiny and I are headed to Salt Lake City Thursday bright and early.

Sunday morning at church, my little "reader." She love, loves books. Doesn't she look adorable, by the way. Totally biased, and I know it. But, really isn't every Mother when it comes to their kid?! I think so.

I'm looking forward to this week. I'm looking forward to my trip this weekend to a city I've never been, having fun with friends and meeting up with other creative minds.

I won't be blogging at the conference this weekend but, If you'd like to follow along with me and join my for conference updates you can find me here:

Twitter

Instagram: photosbyandrea

What are you looking forward to this week? Tell me in the comments below, HAPPY MONDAY!

{DIY} Damask Place Cards

2012-04-13T00:00:00.004-07:00

I made some pretty place cards for my Easter table using my Letterpress machine and some new printing plates they sent me. Let me show you some fun little place cards you can make for your next dinner party or special occasion.

Here's what I used:

Letterpress Cutting machine

Damask print plate

Disc envelope dies

Bright Green Ink

Mini Fold Letterpress Paper

Lilac Construction paper

Using my disc envelope dies I cut out six of these shapes to write the names of my guests on. They looked like this after I cut them all out,

Then using a green Sharpie, I wrote all the names of my guests on each one.

I used the Damask printing plates, to print a background onto my place cards. I love this printing plate, I've been eyeing it for a while. It comes with a few other vintage printing plates included in the set like a crown, bird cage and old chair. So me!

I used the bright green ink and put it on my printing plates before running them through the machine.

Do this as many times as you need for your cards. I needed six, so I ran it through my machine and printed six of them. Here they are, aren't they pretty:

Attach the scalloped cards to the top of your place cards, using some small foam squares. You can buy these at any craft store. They will look like this, when you're done;

Then place them on top of your table for your guests, I choose to put them on top of some bright blue napkins.

So pretty. They made my Easter table extra special this year.

*****

April is printing plate month at Lifestyle Crafts. You can snag yourself some pretty printing plates too, and get them for 20% off using my code: WORLEYHOUSE at check out!

Go here to check out all the printing plates they have to offer.

Linking with: Sundae Scoop, DIY Project Parade, Whatcha Got Weekend, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Get Your Craft On, Tuesday's Treasures, It's Overflowing

{DIY} Spring Banner

2012-04-10T08:27:00.004-07:00

Today Lifestyle Crafts releases their 'Big Top' collection of dies. They generously sent me two new dies to use for projects. I love their pennets die and the carousel one. I decided to make a pretty Spring banner using the bunting dies.

For this project I also used the Nesting Circle dies, these cut perfect circles, and I love them! Along with some stickers and letter stickers.

Here's what I did for this project; first I cut my circles. Six of them, one for each letter. In three different colors.

Next, I cut my bunting from the dies and some yellow paper. I used some purple and green too to make the banner different colors.

Then I used some glue and attached the banners to the edges of two of my circles. I choose the first and last circles to attach them too.

I also used some pink rafia that I had left over to attach the circles to each other. Then I added the letters to spell the word "Spring." And, also some stickers to jazz it up.

I choose to hang it on our bookshelf in the middle of the living room. I love how it turned out, the perfect touch of Spring!

*****

Use my code to get an extra 20% off your purchase from Lifestyle Crafts. Check out their Big Top dies or snag something else you love!

Linking With: Sundae Scoop, DIY Project Parade, Whatcha Got Weekend, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Get Your Craft On, Tuesday's Treasures, It's Overflowing

{Our Love Story} How We Met

2012-04-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

On a cold rainy, wet day in January of 2005 I met my husband. Only I didn't know he would be my husband. At that time he was just another guy at church, that I'd met for the first time. As you may remember I wasn't looking for a relationship at all. You can read more about that here.

It was the Spring semester of my senior year of college. I'd just started a job at a local church in Minneapolis, I'd been there since the previous Fall. School had just started and I was just getting back into the swing of things at school and with my job. I was working for the youth pastor as his assistant in the youth department.

It was a Wednesday afternoon, I was busy preparing for our service that evening. Per usual I had a ton of things on my mind, and tons of things left to do. I'd get in "the zone" while working and not really notice much that was going on in the office around me. I just stayed in my little office working, and zipping back and forth to the youth room where service would be held to make sure everything was going smooth over there.

Later that afternoon in walked the junior high intern, with his friend. I was on my way, just grabbing some stuff before heading to the youth room. When he introduced me to his friend, it went something like this;

Intern: Andrea, this is my friend Orion.

Me: Hello, nice to meet you.

Me to the intern: I'm heading to the youth room, when you're done come on over and help set up chairs. See you in a few minutes. Bye.

Source: google.com via Andrea on Pinterest

So uneventful right?! Well, that one interaction led to a five month long getting to know each other, and friendship. Over the next few months Orion made the church is home church he attended while at school. He became apart of the youth leadership team. I started seeing him almost everyday at school. There were weekly visits to Chili's with the entire youth staff, where I found myself sitting next to and conversing with him more and more.

Suddenly Orion was everywhere. At the chapel entrance when I came in with my friends, outside my apartment "he just happened to walk by." You get the idea.

I distinctively remember a youth retreat that Orion and I sat on a bus full of noisy teenagers and talked the entire ride to the Wisconsin Dells. That trip I really got to know him well, he made me laugh. He was a leader, and he was fun.

For me it was the best prelude to what would come, our first date.

{Giveaway} Benefit Cosmetics Goodie Bag

2012-04-06T12:00:00.004-07:00

Hello! Happy Friday Everyone! Let's kick off Easter weekend with a fun giveaway for everyone! Last Saturday I attended a Benefit Cosmetics House Party at my friend Dana's house. It was a fun night of sharing stories and laughter with other ladies, and talking beauty. Each guest received these awesome goodies bags filled with fun cosmetics from Benefit.

Each one is filled with:

Pore Professional Pore Minimizer

Bad Lash Mascara

Foundation Samples

Coupons from Benefit

Magnetic Frame for the fridge

What's more fun is that Dana sent me home with 2 goodies bags to giveaway here to 2 of my readers! Big thanks to Dana for helping host this fun giveaway.

Enter this giveaway with 1 or all of the options below! This giveaway will run from today till Monday. Winners will be announced Monday afternoon. Be sure to stop by Dana's blog and thank her for being so awesome and generous! Thank you Dana!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Tips for Selling on Craigslist

2012-04-06T00:00:00.002-07:00

I really started using Craigslist a lot when we moved from Minnesota to Arizona back in 2009. We had a few things we wanted to get rid of before the move, and when my garage sale was an epic fail I turned to Craigslist to sell the remaining things that didn't sell.

I've had great luck using Craiglist to sell a variety of items like; bedding, furniture, lamps, and my old Blackberry just to name a few. I thought it would be good to compile a list of some tips and tricks that have helped me along the way.

In no particular order; here's some thoughts.

Be realistic about your pricing
People use Craigslist the same way they would a garage sale or thrift store in the sense they are looking for a great deal! Do expect to charge full price for an item you bought 3 years ago. Unless something you're selling is brand new and still in the packaging you can but for the most part you're probably going to be selling gently used items and therefore your pricing needs to reflect this and be realistic.

Do your re search on pricing
I recently sold on Craigslist a lamp from IKEA. The lamp was a few years old, but my lamp had been sitting in storage for over 2 years. So it was in good condition, but not new. I searched IKEA.com to first see if it was an item still in stock, it was. I then looked at what they were selling for brand new and adjusted my pricing accordingly. I know that as a consumer I'm not going to pay the same price on Craigslist for an item I could buy brand new in the store for the same price. So do your research before you list items. This will alleviate issues with your buyers asking you all sorts of questions.

Be Detailed in Your Listings
I've learned over time that buyers want to know the whole enchalada! So do yourself a favor and include all the details! The more info you can give a potential buy up front the more likely they are to respond to your listing, and the less questions you'll have to answer back and forth with the buyer. Always be honest, does that dresser you're trying to sell have a huge scratch on the side of it? Be honest about it and tell them in the listing. The more upfront you are about the condition of the item the less likely you are to get a buyer who comes to look at your item and then sees damage and walks away. Also include if you've up cycled the item, disclose all this info from the get go. What are some details you might want to include?

Things like:
- dimensions
- condition of the item
- how old it is
- color
- if it's used or brand new
- does it come from a smoke/pet free home
- any accessories that may come with the item
- will you deliver the item
- payment options (cash, check, etc.)
- if the buyer needs to pick up the item or not
- is the item damaged, if so list the damage, scratch or dent

Include PHOTOS
You'd think this would go with out saying, but I've seen a lot of listings on Craigslist that don't have pictures. And guess what? I usually skip right past those. So do yourself a BIG favor and take photos of your listing! And use all the photo space they provide you. If they give you 4 photos take 4 great photos of your item and post ALL of them!

Safety Always
You always, always need to think about safety when selling and meeting people online. We live in an apartment and I always have my Husband go and meet the buyer. He's my "handler" as I like to call him! He meets the buyer and does the exchange of the item. A few times I've sold things (like big furniture) that required people to come into our home to move it. In these cases never do this alone, I always have my husband there. And if he hasn't been available I've asked a guy friend of ours and he brings his gun. (no, seriously) Don't ever take the chance of making a sale to someone alone or worse alone with your children in tow. Be safe about this.

If at first you don't succeed, try again.
There have been many times when I have listed items and they don't sell within the alloted time and my listing expires. Don't be discouraged, list it again. Here's the deal hundreds of people are listing items on Craigslist daily, and there's a great chance that your potential buyer out there missed your listing becuase they just didn't see it. Go back and review your listing making sure it's included a detailed description of the item, lots of photos and a fair price. All of my listings I've "relisted" have always sold the second time around if they didn't the first.

Pssst... Come back later this afternoon for a fun Friday giveaway!

{Party Planning} My Ten Event Tips

2012-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm really close to showing you and revealing Ava's second birthday party with you! I love a good party, and I love to plan them too! I want to do a few posts on party planning, my take! The way I approach party planning, hopefully it will help you with your next event. Next, (in another post) I'll share my thoughts on kids' parties. Now, that I've planned Ava's birthdays I feel there are some things along the way I've learned about kids' parties and I want to share that with you.

I try to make sure that every event I plan, host or help out with has all of these in it. My ten event planning tips:

1. Never break the bank on an event.

You should never go into debt, or spend more on an event than you need to. First thing when planning an event; make your budget. Decide just how much you can spend on the event, and try to stick to this as much as possible.

2. Decide what you can and can't do.

Deciding what you can and can't do early on will help in the over all planning process. For Ava's 1st birthday I did everything from the decor, to the cake, to the desserts, and food I made it ALL. I stressed myself out a lot by taking everything on. I've decided early on this next time what things I could and wanted to DIY, and the rest I used vendors and help from generous family and friends.

3. Have a theme that runs throughout your event.

Have a central theme or idea that runs throughout your event. This does not have to be BIG, or cheesy it can be subtle but effective. Something that will tie everything together. Themes don't always have to be cartoon characters either, for example, a bold color, a patter, a symbol, etc. that you carry out in your decor, and invites.

4. Be creative in every detail.

Try to be as creative as possible, this gives events your signature and makes them memorable for your guests. Be creative in your menu choices, invites, and decorations. Don't be afraid to be daring and different. Maybe you don't consider yourself a creative person, start with the Internet them. There's tons of information and inspiration in blog land, Pinterest, Etsy, MarthaSetwart.com, etc. It's one of your best resources for creative inspiration.

5. Build a team to help you, never do it "all" alone.

Never do it all alone. Once you've planned a budget, get a team of people to help and delegate the tasks. This will help the event to be stress free. Planning a bridal shower, get the other bridesmaids to help, planning your child's birthday party, enlist your Hubby, family and friends to help. You get the idea.

6. Plan ahead.

Once you decide on a date & time for your event, plan ahead! Give your self plenty of time to accomplish all that you want to. The worst is being stressed out by an upcoming party because you didn't give yourself enough time to plan. Parties should be fun, not stressful.

7. Set the mood.

Make sure your guest feel comfortable, no matter the venue you choose. Simple candle light and music can go along way in this. The tone of your event will be set by the choice in invitations. They are your guests first "introduction" to what you're event will look like.

8. Guests=conversation.

If you're having a party or an event you want your guests to feel free to mingle and start conversation, even if they don't all know each other. If you know people are coming that don't know each other, make them feel comfortable by introducing them to each other. Get a conversation going, and then you can leave them to attend to other guests. If you're hosting a dinner party come up with some simple "starter" questions and put them on tables to get people talking.

9. Don't forget the children.

At any event there is bound to be children, so don't forget them. No parent wants to feel like they can't come because of their child. So make your events and parties kid friendly. Have some coloring books, or small toys on hand they can play with. And a few menu options "just for kids." I like to buy little coloring books, match box cars and other small toys for kids to play with. This is what I did before I had kids and toys in my home. I kept them all in a small basket for when friends with children came over.

10. Be thrifty.

Even though I always set a budget, I usually try to come under that budget by looking for deals and sales. Look around for the best deals on decor, menu items, favors, and invites. Don't just buy the first thing you see. It will take a little extra time, but it will save you money and help you stay on budget! I always compare prices when it comes to party planning. It has saved me a TON of money. There's tons of online retailers that offer great deals too on party stuff. And that, makes your event signature and fabulous!