Dream Home DIY

Fashion Friday - Spring Fling

2012-02-10T07:03:00.000-05:00

Im not sure how the weather has been treating ya'll in your neck of the woods, but Old Man Winter has skipped right over our little part of the world.

With the exception of a few 30-40 degree cold snaps, Virginia has been riding the "Sunny, High of 60" wave.

So naturally, that got me thinking all about pretty Spring outfits full of color and vibrancy.

Valentine's Day Date Ideas

2012-02-09T07:11:00.000-05:00

Or ANY day date ideas for that matter.

Who says we have to wait until a special holiday to celebrate our love?

Surprise your sweetie with a random Friday night date and just watch him smile.

But seeing as how Valentine's Day is right around the corner and all, we thought it might be fun to share a few date night idea favorites.

1. Fondue Dinner (In or Out)

There is just something oh-so-romantic about a fondue dinner. And what's great about this date idea, is you can splurge with a trip to The Melting Pot, or save big bucks and whip up a batch or two for yourself.

Turn the lights down low, light a few candles, cube up some bread, chicken, steak and veggies, and make a pot of Pesto Fondue for Two.
Fondue pots can be found just about anywhere now, so check you local kitchen gadget type stores.

(Source)

2. Deconstructed Dating
Why not break your night up into separate mini-dates? Grab drinks at your favorite pub, appetizers at an up and coming hot spot, dinner at a quaint hole in the wall, and end the night with dessert at an all night cafe.
What's so great about a night on the town in this particular style is the ability to completely customize your evening.
Keep the dates close in proximity and enjoy walking from place to place...or stop in at spots that hold special meaning to the two of you.

3. Send Them On A Scavenger Hunt
I put this together for Justin one year, and it was so much fun!

Print hearts onto 3 different shades of colored paper (as many hearts as you care to cut out and hide).
Each color represents a point value. For instance Red Hearts = 5 points, Green Hearts = 10 points, Blue Hearts = 15 points.
Hide them around the house.

Next, create "Love Coupons". You can make these on your own or print out your favorites from around the web.

Put each coupon in an envelope and right a Point Value onto the envelope (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 etc).
Once your sweetie has collected all the hearts they care to look for, they get to "buy" different coupons.
Only once they've purchased an envelope can they peak at what's inside. At that time, they can swap it out with another closed envelope for equal value or keep what they have.
But once they've traded it away, it's gone for good!

Sounds fun right?

Gift of the Month Clubs

2012-02-08T07:13:00.006-05:00

I'll confess, the very first thing that pops into my head when I hear "Gift of the Month" is a gift basket of random Florida citrus fruits sitting on our doorstep courtesy of a distant relative.

You know, the gift you give when you have no clue what else to do.

But Gift of the Month Clubs can be great fun too. And with the 100s of options out there, totally customizable to a particular person and interest as well.

Are you still stumped trying to find a perfect Valentine's Day gift for your special someone after yesterday's gift ideas post?

Why not try out one of these....

These would be perfect for a birthday or Christmas present for that hard to shop for loved one as well.

1. Soap of the Month

Im a complete sucker for homemade soaps. L-O-V-E them. But of course, can never bring myself to purchase a lovely bar on my own.
Having a new bar delivered right to my doorstep each month would be absolute heaven.
Etsy is full of countless Soap of the Month clubs, so be sure to check out all of your options and varieties before deciding. Plus, we love to lend our support to homegrown businesses like those on Etsy.

This particular offer is for 6 months and includes a free soap dish for $24

2. Beer of the Month

We all have someone in our life that lives for beer (micro brews, International etc). In fact, I have three certain someones that fit the bill.

Hi Dad! Hey bros :) Sup.

"12 full-sized bottles of hard-to-find, specialty micro brews from award-winning, regional breweries across the country"

The great thing about this plan is that they offer a 3, 6, or 12 month gift and even a Beer-Of-The-Season club

3. Coffee of the Month Club

Grounds For Change is a fair trade, organic, family owned company specializing in roasting fresh coffee.

They are also members of 1% For the Planet, contributing one percent of their total sales to several environmental organizations.

In addition to their regular coffee sales, they also offer a Coffee of the Month Club

REGULAR COFFEE EXPLORER CALENDAR
Fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee of the month club

JAN	Bolivia - Taipiplaya	JUL	Ethiopia - Yirgacheffe
FEB	Peru - Cafe Femenino	AUG	Nicaragua - Segovia
MAR	Equinox Blend	SEP	Mexico - Chiapas
APR	Nordic Blend	OCT	Agate Pass Blend
MAY	Seabrook Blend	NOV	Vienna Roast
JUN	Guatemala - Forestal	DEC	Solstice Blend

Now, doesnt that sound divine?

Of course these are just a few ideas. Trust me when I tell you, there is a "Club of the Month" for just about everything....Including Bacon.

Yes, Bacon.

His and Hers Valentine's Day Gift Ideas (For $100 or under)

2012-02-07T07:11:00.001-05:00

Let's face it...Valentine's Day can be stressful.

And the pressure to find a "perfect gift" for your someone special, at times, out weighs the joy of this loved filled holiday.

Well now, that's just silly isn't it?

So we thought it would be fun to put together a gift idea board for the special "Hims" and "Hers" in our lives.

For Him

1. Whiskey, Bourbon, Scotch and Rye Printed Rock Glasses (etsy) 2. Kindle Touch e-Reader (Amazon) 3. Keurig Mini Plus Brewer (Keurig) 4. The Art of Shaving Starter Kit (The Art of Shaving)

For Her

1. The Dreamer Flannel Pajamas (Victoria's Secret) 2. Custom Portrait (etsy) 3. Striped Peep Toe Heel (GoJane) 4. Double Heart Pendant (Zales)

So, what special ideas do you have planned for your someone sweet this Valentine's Day?

Any yearly traditions?

Meet Our Friend...

2012-02-06T07:13:00.001-05:00

Punky, the Magic Pumpkin.

Here he sits, on our front porch, an entire three months after we quite happliy plucked Spunky Punky from his green pasture.

Now you might be wondering to yourself (or out loud), "Uh...chaps...there have been not one, but TWO major holidays pop up on ye ole calendar since Fall"
Because I imagine each of you speaking like that; just so ya know.

But, you see, we've developed quite the bond with our Halloween pumpkin. Quite the bond indeed.
I have a tendency to form relationships quickly with inanimate objects....like the "Refill Water" gage in Justin's ride that resembled an owl.
I shed a tear the day he went away. And silently accused Justin of murder.

Throughout the Christmas season and straight through New Years, Punky has sat merrily perched out next to our snow flake wreath.
But do you think me strange if I should want to adorn him in little cherub wings and call him cupid for Valentine's Day?

Super Bowl Snack Ideas

2012-02-03T07:11:00.006-05:00

By a show of hands, how many people watch the Super Bowl for the killer ads and a chance to be completely gluttonous?

That's what I thought. Don't worry, you're in good company.

For us, it provides an opportunity to sit around the television with our family and friends, shout nonsense at players who cant hear us, and gorge ourselves on yummy finger foods all day.

So what about you guys? Any Super Bowl traditions or "must haves"?

Traditional Fare

1. Bacon Double Cheese Burger Dip (Closet Cooking) 2. Boneless Hot Wings (Blog Chef) 3. Spinach and Feta Quesadillas (Closet Cooking) 4. Mini Tacos (Kitchen Daily) 5. Potato Skins (Simply Recipes) 6. Pepperoni Cheese Stick Roll Ups (The Girl Who Ate Everything)

Minding The Waistline

1. Zucchini Fries (Weight Watchers) 2. Baked Chicken Nuggets (SkinnyTaste) 3. Lemon-Drop Chicken Wings (MyRecipes) 4. Fruit Kabobs (FitSugar) 5. Baked Kale Chips (Smitten Kitchen)

January In Review

2012-02-02T07:14:00.012-05:00

How about a recap to get everyone up to speed?

To see more Month In Review posts, click here

Happy 2012 guys!! We can't hardly believe that January has already passed us by.

We're counting down the months until our October wedding with mixed emotions....it can't come soon enough but there's oh so much to take care of still.
But on to the purpose of this post.

We started January off with a recap of our first adventurous year crossing things off The Infinity List

Next, after a brief post on the strange ways people have stumbled across our little ole blog, we shared our recipe for Turkey Taco Corn Chowder

With the help of ZGallerie's amazing Twitter crew, we were able to score the perfect apple colored curtains for our living room (which still need to be hung, mind you)

And praise be, January brought around the COMPLETION of our super fabulous master bedroom stripes

Now, we may be a wee bit short on funds, but we're certainly rich with ideas and inspiration. From that, our living room mood board was born.

Yep, still smitten

So part of that eventual transformation involves the eventual painting of our living room walls

(Did I say eventually yet?)

Of course the natural order of things is to prime, after having ripped down the offensive ceiling mistake

With the copious amounts of downtime we now find ourselves dealing with in the wake of a "spend nothing" stint, we like to occupy our afternoons with trips to the Flea Market

But that's not to say we're not riddled with hopes of house projects to come.

Like ripping up our living room carpet for instance (its does smell pretty icky).

Note - This has yet to occur despite our wishes. Logistics, my friends, logistics.

And on that yummy note, how about a recipe?

What, not hungry anymore?

Let's end the month on a high note though, shall we?

PROGRESS

Primer in the living room

Oh, and say "Hello" to the bead board ceiling still sitting propped against our {incomplete} dining room spool table.

January's Book Club Discussion {And February's Selection}

2012-02-01T07:15:00.002-05:00

Good morning lovelies and welcome to our Book Club Discussion for:

The Best Of Me
For more Book Reviews/Discussions please click here

Before we get started though, Id like to announce February's book selection.
Vonda has selected for our reading pleasure...

A Discovery of Witches
Author: Deborah Harkness

Please join us March 1st for the book discussion and the next months selection.

Not a Dream Home Book Club member yet?

Well, what are you waiting for? Send me an email today at dreamhomediy@hotmail.com and join in on the fun!

And now back to The Best of Me
*Potential Spoiler Alert*

Please note that we will be discussing key plot details.

If you have not read the book, wish to do so in the future, (or have no further interest) please stop at this point.

Holy cow, what a GREAT book.

A love story without being too mushy. A bit of adventure. A dash of drama. And a killer ending.

Before I go any further, let's talk about that ending shall we?

Im not ashamed to admit, I cried like a baby. And then promptly proclaimed that I "hate this book" (something I do with all stories that touch me like that).

And while I do think it's a tad weird that the heart of Amanda's true love now beats in her son, I dont think Dawson would have had it any other way.

If Im being 100% honest though, I did see it coming. So yes, the ending was a tad predictable.

Parts of this reminded me a bit too much of The Notebook as well (I think Nicholas Sparks has found a few particular story lines and run with them).

That's okay though, because it seems to be working for him.

I especially loved how we were able to follow the story line from each characters perspective versus seeing everything from Dawson's point of view.

And while I know we weren't supposed to like them, the Cole family intrigued me.

All in all, a pleasant read.

And now, I'm DYING to know what your thoughts were about the book...

Ceiling Inspiration

2012-01-30T07:16:00.013-05:00

With our living room ceiling currently sporting the latest in "small pox chic"...

...and dining room's resembling Swiss Cheese more than actual drywall...

...We've been on the hunt for some snazzy inspiration.

Of course, simply drywalling over all of the "problem areas" is certainly an option (and one we may eventually settle upon) but wouldn't it be great fun to try out one of these ideas instead?

White Washed Wood Planks

Source

Bold Stencil in Coordinating Colors

Source

Subdued Stencil with Architectural Interest

Source

Matte Paint and Satin Stencil

Source

Corrugated Tin

Source

Ceiling Painted to Match Wall Color with Stencil

Source

Fashion Friday - "Sassy" Business Casual

2012-01-27T07:15:00.003-05:00

I'll be the first to admit that dressing for work in a business casual environment can get B-O-R-I-N-G.

And Im a culprit of just throwing on a semi-decent top with a pair of my least wrinkled slacks before rolling out the door.

Bad, Michelle, Bad.

Eventually, (after the wedding when we have money for things like new clothes) I'd like that to change.

Because, frankly, business doesnt have to mean boring.

Priming The Living Room

2012-01-26T07:12:00.023-05:00

Deciding on the correct "path of love" for our living room has been quite a chore, as Im sure you all remember.

Not long after moving in, we decided to paint the walls green.

We liked green. Our previous living room was green. Green was good.

Oh, but green was bad. Sooooo, so bad.

Shall I refresh your memory?

WARNING - Please remove small children from the room as the following photograph may cause permanent blindness

Oh, the horror. The blindingly, atrocious horror.

We dubbed this color "radioactive alien snot" for anyone that cares to know.

Fitting, don't you think?

It was at that time we switched courses and ran with with our current "icy blue and white" motif.

And then proceeded to spend the next eternity (and more money than Im willing to admit at this time) on painting samples of every known blue, blue-gray, baby blue, robins egg....you get the point.

A few of the initial candidates...we stopped photographing them after round 3

In the end we settled with Valspar Shark Loop.

Not exactly what hopes and dreams are made of, but our pocket books certainly thanked us for stopping at this point.

We've been deliriously happy with it for the last year.
Not because our hearts skipped a beat every time we laid eyes upon it, but because settling meant no more painting!
However, after one blissful year, we can stomach defeat no longer and have decided that the room will transform into a big, fat Navy Blue Beauty.

Two sample pots later, and we were ready to rumble.

Cue "Primer Shots - In Action"
And......ROLL

Of course, we have to re-drywall the ceiling before Im willing to slap paint up there.
But progress, albeit slow, is sweet indeed.
And yes, by "progress" I totally mean One step forward, Two steps back, One giant leap towards perfection.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

2012-01-25T07:16:00.005-05:00

The "Quick and Easy" lunch version
(i.e. The "I must prepare something fast, a bit healthier than that burger I really want, totally YUMMY" recipe)
Perk - I can get a full weeks worth of lunches out of these if I pair it with another fruit and veggie (clementines and bell peppers this week)

The ingredient amounts are 100% adjustable. Keep that in mind when mixing everything up....some folks like 'em a bit stronger or weaker.
Just play till you get it right

Ingredients
1/2 of a long seedless cucumber (diced)
1/4 cup matchstick carrots
Romain lettuce (I like to cut each leaf in half to make the end result a bit more manageable)
About 1 1/2 cup of pre-cooked shredded turkey (Helloooooo, Thanksgiving leftovers)
1 tsp hot sesame oil (regular sesame oil would work fine here too if you dont like spicy foods)
1 tbs rice vinegar
3-4 tbs Iron Chef General Tso sauce (this is actually pretty high in sugar content, so try to use it sparingly)

Directions
1. Mix cucumber, carrot, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a small bowl
2. Over medium heat, stir General Tso sauce and turkey together until warm
3. Spoon a preferred amount of both mixtures onto a Romain lettuce leaf. Roll and enjoy!

Our Last Un-Married Anniversary

2012-01-24T07:10:00.009-05:00

Today is a bit emotional in the Dream Home (at least for this big ole softie).

You see, it is the very last un-married anniversary that Justin and I will ever celebrate together.

Eight years ago today, I was nervously styling my hair and touching up my makeup in the bedroom of my parents home...

Eight years ago today, Justin was anxiously trying to decide whether or not to wear a tie with the outfit his best friend help him select...

Eight years ago today, I looked into the eyes of my future husband. The man of my dreams.

I told myself that night that I was going to marry him.

Our road has not been a smooth or straight one.

But I can remember sitting in a parking lot, crying after one of our first real arguments. We both stopped as I grabbed his hand and made a promise.

No matter how tough things got, or how many times we wanted to give up along the way, what we had was real. What we have is worth fighting for.

I love you, my sweet, forever.
I cant wait to see what adventures our future holds for us!

Because It Smells... Foul

2012-01-23T07:11:00.009-05:00

Upon moving into our home, my parents paid for a professional carpet cleaning company to DEEP scrub the existing wall-to-wall flooring.

Quite frankly, They. Were. Bad. (The carpets, not the cleaning crew. Those fellas rocked)

In the "Oh, Im so not putting my bare feet on these. They remind me of a skeevy motel. Is that something growing?" kinda bad.

It did help remove the smell and more than a few stains. But there is only so much one cleaning can do.

Not to mention we have 5 furry critters running around the house with smells of their own (no matter how many times we wash the little scoundrels).

With that said, every 6 months or so my amazing parental units stop by with their personal steam cleaner to give our floors a good once over.

But Ive reached my wits end.

And when that happens CRAZY ensues.

You see, our sweet little Dixie princess is not getting any younger.

A senior when we adopted her 6 years ago, she's reached a point where trying to "hold it" for the 8+ hours we are work is next to impossible on her little bladder.

And you know what that means right?

Yep, all over the carpet.

Hours of scrubbing, spraying, and scrubbing some more does nothing for the inevitable carpet smell.

I liken it to the stench of stale hot dog water.

So what are we gonna do?

Like the couple of crazy kids we are, we're ripping it up...this weekend, hopefully...and without the funds to put anything back in it's place.

Oh yes, you read that correctly. For the next (FILL IN THE BLANK) we'll be walking around on a combination of plywood sub flooring and throw rugs.

Cute. Really cute.

To keep myself from going completely off the rails, I need you all to remind me that, sometimes, it has to get worse before it can get better. Right?
Because it's gonna be a good long while before any kind of flooring goes back down.
1) We're not fans of laminate flooring. Or engineered hardwood.
2) Replacing carpet with carpet equals a sure fire repeat of our current dilemma
3) Real hardwood is really expensive

11. Visit A Flea Market

2012-01-20T07:19:00.000-05:00

Number 11 on The Infinity List:

Visit a flea market. Buy something random and incorporate it into the house

About a half hour drive from our home is a quaint little flea market known as The Bizarre Bazaar.

And who doesnt love a good flea market?

Stalls full of jewlery, knick-knacks, antiques, and more just waiting to be discovered and gifted a new home.

So with a few hours to spare before meeting up with friends for a birthday celebration, Justin and I decided to swing by the Bazzar and see what kind of mischief we could get into for the afternoon.

Besides, it really is fun to stroll through all those packed booths. You never know what you'll stumble across.

And would you like to see what we brought home with us?
After all, part of the challenge was to bring an item back.

Disregard the creepy eyes...those will be be getting a little makeover soon enough.

But isn't he cute?

Not sure where exactly he'll wind up, but Im sure glad he's ours now.

Inside My Shopping Bag

2012-01-19T07:10:00.009-05:00

Let's take a gander inside this past weekends shopping bag, shall we?
We'll call this one: The "Wedding Edition"

Davids Bridal
Okay, so Im not going to have a "big dress reveal" moment here until after the big day (my sweetie does read our blog after all)
And even though we've decided to take snap the bulk of our pictures before the ceremony, Justin doesn't want to see me in it until then.
But here's the weensiest snippet ever...

Note - The dress is one size too small and clipped to my bra in the back.
Thus, the weird fit up top.

Amazon.com

3 Gallon Beverage Dispenser (x3)
These will be used to dispense our sweet tea and lemonade drinks throughout the night.
We also plan on serving Coke in glass bottles along with a few "adult beverages" at the bar.

All Crafts Online

White Lattice Lantern (x4)

Instead of flowers, the bridesmaid's will be carrying these beauties down the aisle

Stuff 4 Scrapbooking

Primary Pastels ColorBox Fluid Chalk Petal Point (x2)

We have something pretty cute planned for our guest book, and these will most certainly be involved.

The Sky Is Falling, The Sky Is Falling

2012-01-18T07:24:00.024-05:00

So maybe not the sky, per say, but the ceiling is certainly coming down.

When we moved into our little chateau, grand plans to bead board the entire downstairs ceiling were hatched.

Materials were purchased shortly thereafter and we had quite an adventure attempting to hang each piece in place...

Two sheets later and our living room was looking pretty darn pitiful.

For the life of us, Justin and I could not manage to correct the "pulling" of certain boards, so we tossed down our tools and sulked away in defeat.

That was July

Now that the re-re-re-painting of our living room is underway, facing those demons was a must as the saggy boards blocked a fair amount of wall space.

Down came the ceiling...

The glued in place ceiling...

The glued and nailed in place ceiling...

This is the face of someone entirely too happy to be destroying her home

And now for the requisite "disaster shot"

Unfortunately, we are left with a bit of a mess that will require either the replacement of two entire drywall sheets, or scraping and then skim coating the entire section.

I swear, sometimes it feels like we're working in reverse here.

"Let's just see how big of a wreck two people can create together"

Boom.

Living Room Mood Board

2012-01-12T07:19:00.004-05:00

Would you like a sneak peak at the mood board for our living room?

Of course there are still quite a few details to work out, so it goes without saying that a some of these ideas might evolve into something else entirely.

But with us penny pinching more than ever for our October wedding, Im not exactly sure when most of this will actually come to fruition.

It sure does a body good to see it all out on paper versus swirling around like mad in my dreams though.

Design Crush : Jonathan Adler

2012-01-11T07:15:00.027-05:00

In a sea of dreamy pastels, Jonathan Adler has dared to go bold...and in doing so inspired millions (including my future self) to go big on the decor homefront.

The playful colors and intricately mixed patterns are not for the faint of heart though.

Admittedly, I was sucked into the gorgeous, crisp white and pastel photographs of rooms currently on display throughout Pinterest and the design blogs.
I even attempted a version in our own living room. But the space never felt quite like "home" to us.
Naturally, we are drawn to more "in your face" colors, textures, and prints.

And while I am not necessarily keen on every piece of design and decor pictured below (to each their own), the vibrancy and life in each setting truly speaks to me.

Now to bring a bit of this to our home...

(Source)

Just for fun, here's some more (non Jonathan Adler) color filled inspriation shots:

(Source)

Stripes? Check

2012-01-10T07:17:00.004-05:00

Can you believe the big reveal is finally upon us?
Now, if you're thinking "Oh goodness, I thought they'd never finish that project", you're in good company.
Im not certain we thought we'd ever finish either (or officially start for that matter)
But we proved ourselves and all the naysayers wrong by knocking this one out of the park.
And by that I mean, actually completing something we started...a novelty around these parts.

Yes, that is a heavy bag hanging from the ceiling of our master bedroom.

No, I don't really have a good reason

Three of the four walls in our spiffy new bedroom received their very own coat of Valspar Dolphin Cove and Honeymilk stripes.

We've got something extra special planned for the space behind our bed, and decided to paint it solid gray in the interim.

Sorry for the blinding light from the two, bed flanking windows.

Curtain treatments are on the to-do list.

*Le sigh*

Why We Love The Internet (And ZGallerie)

2012-01-09T07:17:00.006-05:00

Last Wednesday Justin and I let out one gigantic (and simultaneous) sigh of relief.

You see, we'd finally decided on an accent color for our living room (these kind of things keep you up at night, you know).

Okay, Im totally lying here. The mister has not thought two seconds about "accent colors", but it made me feel better to not be the lone weirdo.

But back to our living room...

Not the pastel blue living room as you currently know it, but the NAVY BLUE future living room of our dreams.... Yes, we're painting it again.

That is, once we actually make it down to Home Depot to cash in my Christmas gift card on new paint samples.

See, we were so happy in fact, we shouted it from the Facebook rooftops:

And what was this perfect accent color you might ask?

Apple Green

Not just any Apple Green. The ZGallerie Mimosa Panel in Apple Green had this gals heart atwitter

Dying right?

And the pattern matches our dining room stencil across the room!

One minor hitch (and two of the worst words on the face of the planet) - SOLD OUT

Online and at our local Tysons Corner shop.

Well, what on Earth are a couple of broken hearted fools to do in a world of technology?

Put a plea out on Twitter of course!

As we speak, those four glorious panels are making their way from Illinois to Virgina and should arrive on our door step in 5-10 business days.
Now that's what I call fabulous customer service

Fish Foam Review

2012-01-06T08:24:00.002-05:00

Above all cleaning "tasks" around the house, window cleaning is one that I detest the most.

Okay, to be fair, it's the one that I hate second to most....cleaning toilets is by far the worst chore known to man.

Moving on.

Traditional window cleaners leave either a horrible white film or a grimy, streak filled finish.

So to be honest, when I was asked to review Fish Foam, Premium Foaming Glass Cleaner I did not have high hopes that this product would be much different.

Boy, was I ever wrong

Guys, the stuff is absolutely amazing.

First, the can has a sturdy weight to it. (No flimsy household products for us)

Secondly, once applied, the foam stays right where you spray it. And let's face it...there is nothing worse than glass cleaner running down your mirror and into the frame; leaving you to chase behind it like a paper towel wielding ninja.

But the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

Finger prints....gone

Tooth paste....sayonara

Sweet doggie nose prints...obliterated

And guess what? It even passed the "Justin Test".

For those that don't know, my sweetheart is one tough nut to crack. Frankly, he's not impressed by much.

The first words out of his mouth were "This stuff is AMAZING".

So be sure to stop by and visit their website.

Read the other testimonials

You can even buy their product online

Turkey Taco Corn "Chowder"

2012-01-05T07:11:00.002-05:00

Ingrediants

1 quart sized bag of shredded turkey

2 (14oz) cans of creamed sweet corn

2 (15oz) cans of corn kernals

1 (4oz) can of chopped green chilies

1 package taco seasoning mix

Splash of white wine

1 cup of whole milk

1 bag of cheddar cheese

Garlic Power (to taste)

Onion Powder (to taste)

Seasoned Salt (to taste)

Directions

Dump everything into a large soup/stock pot and cook over meduim heat until the cheese melts and the flavors have a chance to mingle.

Note- When dumping the cans of corn into your pot, you'll want to use the "juice" from the corn as well

I normally cook ours for about 30 minutes on meduim and simmer for another 10-15 on low.

Remember to stir frequently

Recipe Inspired By: Musings From Kim K. "Dump and Pour Corn Chowder"

The Strangest Searches

2012-01-04T07:10:00.006-05:00

It's no secret that I like to occasionally check our blog statistics and see just where each of you fine readers are visiting us from.
And every once in awhile, Im stuck in front of my computer laughing out loud over the results.

Here is a list of my favorite key word searches that people have used to stumble across our little ole blog:

1. Jock Itch

I'm almost 100% certain that whomever was searching for this particular (and rather unfortunate) ailment, was most certainly not planning on stumbling across a blog post titled "Late Night Escapades and Jock Itch Spray".

I'm also gonna go out on a limb and assume that, having clicked the link, they probably weren't expecting a story of dive bombing wasps or jock itch sting remedies.

2. You Know You Live In The Country When...

Words cannot express how much I adore that someone (3 "someone's" to be exact) searched for this key phrase.

What do you suppose they were looking for?

The punch line to a joke? Or a post dedicated to our neighbors renegade chickens?

3. Ceiling Hooks in Bedroom

I highly encourage you to read the post that, no doubt, led this particular soul to our blog.

Draw your own conclusions as to what they were searching for...

And now for a few head scratchers...

4. Cheap, Classy, Genius DIY Projects
Oh, why THANK YOU. "You love us, you really love us"

5. Dishwasher Machine "Powered By Blogger"
Now that's a dishwasher I'd like to own. Our dishes would never, ever be dirty again.

6. How To Build A Lego Dream House
First of all, will you please invite me over once that baby is constructed?
Secondly, how great would that be? "Honey, Im off to Toys R Us to get the materials for our addition. Be back in a jiff"

The Infinity List Update {Year 1}

2012-01-03T07:15:00.000-05:00

Did you know that our "Infinity List" was created almost exactly one year ago?

Well a big , fat "Happy Birthday" to you!

With that said, we thought that it might be fun to do a Year 1 recap... one huge post highlighting all of the fabulously fun and random things we've crossed off of our big ole list to date.

Click each title to jump to that particular post

10. Have A Scavenger Hunt

13. Explore A Cavern

17. Impromptu Fireworks Display

19. Throw at least 3 themed parties (Ice Cream Social)

27. Pick blackberries and make a cobbler

29. Learn how to change a tire

30. Ride a train

41. Go see the Declaration of Independence

43. Try Korean food

44. Blow bubbles in the park

47. Take a ghost tour

52. Make a fort in our living room. Spend the night.

67. Visit the Peep store. Make a peep smore.

76. Walk the dogs downtown

77. Try a new ice cream flavor

78. Go play bumper cars

80. Have an old arcade Game Night

83. Create a Lego city

92. Explore the Confederate Cemetery

98. Go to Busch Garden

100. Go for a horse and buggy ride

101. Christmas in July movie marathon

105. Go to a Dinner Theater show

We've had one seriously amazing first year working through our Infinity List.
Its grown a bit. Items have been added, changed and deleted over the course of time.
And we can't wait to knock a few more off of the list in 2012!
Think of it like our New Year's Resolution to have fun