six weeks of instagram

catching up on my last six weeks through instagram...

the bulk of my time has been teaching, homework, making communication systems for students and going to class...but hey eating pudding while i review reports isn't all too bad.

in my spare time {well the time that cuts into my sleep}...we finished projects around the house, i decorated for fall and we've been picking limes like crazy.

the weather finally cooled down enough to thoroughly enjoy my favorite salted caramel hot chocolate {always in a larger cup for the extra amazing'ness to be piled on}

a few fall themed projects at work, which includes sparkle pumpkins for those aren't too thrilled about pumpkin pulp texture.

i most definitely voted, then had a mock interview via skype for my sister's first vet school choice  later that night c:

God has kept me inspired by the little things in life.

and the boy has been doing car stuff, putting up with my crazy pinterest dreams i pinned during summer, playing with my label maker and just being plain amazing.

well there it is, life in the midst of the never ending schedule thanks to instagram c:

thanks jane, i've missed this!

life is burritoful

{and yes, a little plug in for the most delicious chipotle}

life is beautiful...and among all things, i am reminded of this in a little receipt on a night we decided to go out and just celebrate life. this has been a month of chaos, a month of change, a month of faith and a month of trust. it has truly been a time of giving and taking away. God has answered prayers we have been praying for over a year, yet He has chosen been to silent on the things currently stirring in my heart. but isn't it all just beautiful. their is beauty in the reliance we on Him to answer prayers in His perfect timing because it is just simply perfect, whether we understand it at the time or not. i am thankful for his grace, thankful for the desires He places in my heart and so incredibly thankful for His time.

~ecclesiastes 3:11

thank goodness for instagram

here are the highlights of my week, courtesy of the most amazing instagram...

on one of my longer days i busted out the bracelet i wore at my wedding...and this little beauty got me through the day with a smile c:

first pumpkin patch field trip of the season...the students had a blast even though it was ninety out that day, note where i am standing while taking this picture c;

i spent saturday assisting/seconding shooting for this amazing girl...find her at www.sweetseptemberphotos.com

what i see when i jet home to accomplish some homework before actual work. and yes, that's my pumpkin from the field trip!

thank goodness for instagram catching all these moments that light up my day and thank goodness for Taingamala for hosting the link up c;

DIY lining dresser drawers

well hello and happy monday! earlier this summer i refurbished a little dresser purchased for a beautiful five dollars at a local thrift shop. it required a lot of tlc before i could even apply a fresh coat of paint...sanding, priming, sanding, priming...you get the picture c; i continued to spoil this dresser by buying knobs from world market that were a little pricey {for me at least} but luckily i had a coupon to justify my purchase c: after giving this dresser a face lift, i stepped back and admired the simplicity but just felt like it needed something else...a little something extra. then it came to me, this little dresser needed it drawers lined. so i googled, searched pinterest, brainstormed a little and came up with a little bit of this little bit of that way of doing it. here is the tutorial of how i used fabric to line my dresser drawers.

what you need:

fabric {found mine on clearance}, fabric stiffener {used a 40% coupon from joann's}, iron and ironing board, scissors, measuring tape {or anything to measure with}, double sided mounting tape {i used scotch foam mounting squares and cut them in half so i only had to buy one pack}

the steps:
**please forgive me in advance for the lack of pictures. i wrote this tutorial because so many friends were asking how i did it...and didn't take pictures at the time of the project**
step ONE: soak the fabrics in a mix of water and fabric stiffener {it should tell you the ratio on your bottle}
step TWO: ring out the fabric and let it dry on a flat surface in the sun
step THREE: once the fabric is completely dry and stiff take it to your ironing board and get out all those wrinkles
step FOUR: pull out your drawers and measure the dimensions where you will be laying the fabric
step FIVE: use a pencil and measuring tape to measure the amount of fabric you will need to cut out to fully line the drawer
step SIX: cut the fabric, keep in mind it needs to be as straight as possible so it fits perfectly into the drawer
step SEVEN: take the double sided mounting tape and place a square at each corner of your drawer, you may also add an additional square to each side of the drawer, ensuring the fabric won't slip
step EIGHT: place the fabric in, firmly pressing the fabric against the tape...what's great about this tape is that's a cinch to take out if you ever want change the fabric liner
step NINE: step back and admire your work
step TEN: now repeat the steps and finish the entire dresser c:

happy lining!

mickey d's, fall and organization

a look into my week...minus the homework, school and work stuff c:

in the beginning of the week i gave in to a craving of mine...but it just felt like a sausage mc`muffin kind of morning | the end of my inst`tuesday week i swung by walmart for a 'quick grab kitty food' trip before work, but i happen to stumble upon a teacher score...fifty cents a piece c:

i went through, de`cluttered and organized my jewelry...minus the necklaces, they'll be another time c;

after church i spent the afternoon with one of my absolute favorites and her little home inspired me to pull out my fall decorations | i placed this pumpkin on my mantel and the next morning i woke up to overcast skies...slowly but surely our part of california will get the memo we have entered into autumn. 

my challenge to you...organize something in that home of yours, bust out some fall decorations and don't forget to treat yourself to a little mickey d's this upcoming week c:

happy tuesday!

much thanks to miss Taingamala for hosting insta`tuesday

nothing my boy and yankee coupons can't fix

oh it's been one of those days. you know the kind of day that if something could go wrong it goes wrong. to paint a picture for you, i literally ran into a wall about an hour ago...and to make the story even more pathetic, that wall was in my own house. yup, that's my day. after my confrontation with the wall, i lit a candle and poured myself a glass of wine. then the boy called with oh so perfect timing. i vented and he encouraged...what would i do without him? i then made the executive decision to just peak into blog world before i started my readings...and guessy what i found.

thanks to Money Saving Mom i was informed kohl's is having a sale on fall yankee candles, two for $20 plus free shipping plus twenty percent off with these promo codes: SEPTFRIENDS and FREE2SHIP. 

on top of that wonderful'ness i had $10 kohl's cash, so i got a tank top, fall'ish dishtowels and four delicious yankee candles for less than $30. i'm a pretty frugal girl and it usually takes me a lloonngg time to make a decision like this, but the boy told me to go for it...so i did.

can you sense the smile on my face...just thought i should share the news, now back to homework c:

two weeks of life through instagram

and here's the recap...

{two weekends ago was the last time the boy could come home until the end of this month...sad but counting our blessings he has been able to come home at all during this training}

that weekend i was sick :c so i spent much of the time laying on the hammock trying to recoup for the upcoming week | we've been eating outside A LOT and i love it | made roasted tomatoes with shrimp and feta for dinner, it was delish | early sunday morning he was out luster`ing his boots, how do i not take a picture when he leaves everything oh so picture perfect c; | my massive rose in a little mason, made me smile | and i MAY have been back in the hammock while the boy was bqq`ing some dinner sunday evening

{lynnee has had a rough couple weeks}

 pretty sure she caught my cold because last week she has a raspy little meow, sneezing like crazy and would just look at me with sad eyes :c here she is after sneezing in her sleep seven times | she cuddled in bed with me with me as i read, apparently psalm 35 puts her to sleep | and this is her politely refusing some medicine, our ferocious kitty got in her first cat brawl the other night...told you it's been a rough two weeks

{student teaching, school, work, assignments, eat, sleep = the life of little ole' me lately}

wore new shoes on a fifteen hour day and no blisters...success! | living off cookies and a little bit of vino to get through my late night studies | brainstorming ideas for nightstands...and i believe i found a winner c:

...and in a blink those two weeks were gone. onward forward to what this next week brings c: be blessed and don't forget to pause, soak in and take a picture of little things in life <3

as always, thank you thank you Taingamala for bringing us all together c:

double blessings in psalms

last night as i was slipping into my covers 

and getting ready to say good night to the world, i was stopped. not physically stopped, but paused to listen to my heart. i heard a simple phrase, you should read your bible. hmmm...i thought, i usually don't read before bed {because i often fall asleep}, so i continued to wrap myself in my comforter but it just didn't feel right and i heard that soft whisper again. that's when i knew, this must be a God thing. i relinquished my sheets, jumped out bed and grabbed my bible. i began thumbing though the pages with this sweet girl, not really sure what i was looking for. i stumbled upon the book of psalms, david always seems to have good stuff to say so i began reading at psalm thirty`five. much of the next few chapters were beautiful and comforting reads about how big our God is. the verses were highlighted, underlined with squiggles and the occasional heart from my past reads. as i was going through psalm thirty`seven, i immediately had a dear friend come to mind and a tugging on my heart to share these verses with her. and i did just that, i shot her a quick text in case she was sleeping. ready for the God story? she wasn't sleeping, within minutes i received a response. at that moment she was looking up verses about giving fear to God and she had goosebumps that He laid that on my heart to share with her. how incredible is our God? how He goes out of His way to comfort and gently remind us that He is in control. ready for God story number two? then today on my break between student teaching and work, i read this passage again and God unraveled things in my own heart that needed change...double blessing. so glad i had faith in that soft voice and grabbed my bible instead of my pillow last night c:

psalm 37:1-9

do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;

for like the grass they will soon wither, 

like green plants they will soon die away.

trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

take delight in the Lord

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

commit your way to the Lord;

trust in Him and He will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, 

your vindication like the noonday sun. 

be still before the Lord

and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways, 

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

refrain from anger and turn from wrath; 

do not fret - it only leads to evil.

for those who are evil will be destroyed,

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. 

psalm 37:23, 24

the Lord makes firm the steps

of those who delight in him;

though they stumble, they will not fall,

for the Lord upholds them with His hand. 

hmmm...how many times did he say, 'do not fret'? and how often am i fretting about everything. at the end of verse eight it says, 'do not fret - it only leads to evil'. the very moment i begin to worry and agonize is the same moment i begin to doubt, question, blame others and/or let it affect my attitude...all of which leads me farther away from God. i especially love and take comfort in these words, 'though they may stumble, they will not fall'  because i am an imperfect person and i stumble and get stuck in routines often. i am so incredibly thankful that God scoops me up and gets me back on my feet every time, every day. 

what to do with a wooden box

last sunday was a church, housework and bbq kind`of day. while the boy was out in the hot sun putting up our hammock, i was enjoying our air conditioner and brainstorming where we should keep the keys. they needed a home, a place they could be easily located and then it came to me.

oh and it makes me so happy c:

i picked up this wooden box at a thrift store about a month ago. at the time i wasn't sure exactly what i would do with but for a dollar, i knew i would figure out a use...and that i did c: the second best part of this project was that everything filling my dollar wooden box was found around my house.

alright, starting from the top. this is twine and old weathered looking clothespins to hang pictures and notes. these are some wedding photo's i already had around the house, so i threw them up there c:

oh yes and how to hang that twine, easy smeezy just a little righty tighty and lefty loosey. i just slightly loosened the screws used to hang the box, wrapped it around and then re`tightened them. 

i bought this wood block R from michaels on crazy clearance early this summer...i believe it cost me like twenty cents. here i used scrapbook paper and transferred the print over to the wood exactly how i did in my DIY picture on wood tutorial just with fun scrapbook print instead of a photograph, find it HERE. i wanted this R to look faded and old {not like i just made it yesterday}, so in the final steps of rubbing off the paper, i rubbed a little harder in random areas and around the edges to give it a worn look. 

i found these hooks at world market last year. they use to hold our favorite coffee mugs in our old apartment, but our house has a tile backsplash so i had to retire them as mug hooks when we moved. luckily i kept them in a safe spot, so when my wooden box idea came i knew exactly where to look. these little hooks are now fulfilling their second life purpose as our key holders.

on the left we have a weekly menu made from a picture frame, find tutorial i posted on picture frame whiteboards right HERE. in that tutorial i made a large one and loved it. but over the year i decided i didn't really need it to be that big...so i downsized and made this one. the picture frame is from the dollar store, spray painted and then scuffed up a bit with sandpaper.  

to your right is a baby jar that use to hold homemade jelly, now it's the home for a transparency marker, a pen and an extra clothespin. oh and behind it are some lemon lookin` sticky notes for future reminders on that twine.

cheers to another thrift store score and knowing where my keys are c:

insta`tuesday and weekend love

has school really started? answer is, yup. first week back was a tad overwhelming, but i survived and as my treat the boy came home for a three day weekend c: with him being back i was able to escape my color`coded schedule and ignore the text books arriving at my doorstep. we took full advantage of these past days getting all that stuff done around the house and taking time to be relax before life picks up again. 

starting out the semester strong with our tradition to swing by the bar after our first week of class. love the girls in my program <3

 we have lynnee's approval of our new rug | finished staining the crates for our future coffee table | boy is home so i tried a new recipe, beer chicken in the crock pot, intriguing yes? find it HERE  | off to visit a baby and his momma c:

a bbq with some dear friends | margaritas with limes from our yard c:

 my little sunday project after church c:

awwwe, after a few trips to home depot we finally got the hammock up and secure. lynnee and the husband are relaxing after the day's labor.

alright time to close the lap top and open those books. thank you for stopping by and extra thanks to miss Taingamala for hosting. happy tuesday c:

beer plus chicken recipe

well school is back in session which means i'm pulling out the beloved crock pot c: i love Love LOVE easy crock pot recipes {don't we all?} they are essential for crazy school times and keep us eating real meals at the table with minimal effort. for this recipe, easy was defined as: having all the ingredients in my cupboard and less than five minutes prep time. and it was delicious. find the source HERE.

CROCK POT BEER CHICKEN

it calls for:

TWO pounds of skinless chicken breast

ONE teaspoon salt

ONE teaspoon garlic powder

ONE tablespoon dried oregano

HALF a teaspoon of black pepper

and last but not least a bottle or can of beer, any kind will do

how to:

place your chicken in the crock, pour in the beer, add your ingredients and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours. 

simple and amazing, yes. even better is i put my chicken in frozen, covered it with oktoberfest style beer i had on hand, sprinkled the ingredients on top of chicken, just eye`balling it and not paying too close attention to measurements and set it to cook on HIGH for 5 hours {did i just make that recipe even easier?} i then accomplished a few things around the house, worked a couple hour session, came back home to put together some quick pasta plus a salad and my chicken was done c: oh how i love thee crock pot!

training, schooling and insta`tuesday

hello, hello and happy tuesday. our hectic summer is winding down and slowly transitioning into fall. here are a few updates on our lives...the boy received orders for six weeks of training with his unit {last minute as always}. luckily the station is only a couple hours away instead of across the country, so he'll be able to sneak home every now and then. for me, well student teaching has been well in gear for the past few weeks and my classes begin this week. on the beautiful bright side, by the end of this school year i will finally have, in hand, my credentials to teach moderate`severe special education as an inclusion specialist as well as several masters classes under my belt. let the studying begin.

<3  <3  <3

for those of you who were interested in my picture on wood from my last week's insta'tuesday post, i have written a tutorial for you c: find it HERE.

<3  <3  <3

here's my linkup for insta`tuesday and a glimpse into my week. 

chopping my pasta salad while getting my criminal minds fix | making my heart and nose oh so happy | my pink wine opener i was gifted on my twenty`first saw its last cork :c

{my evenings with the boy gone}

a pinterest inspiration | a morning fish bowl makeover

eating {pretend} sushi with high.ho.cherry.o buckets and glow sticks with my favorite God daughter peyton | lynnee waiting for best friend peyton to return with another brush to pet her with c:

yes and the boy had the weekend off, love having him home | the nights are cooling off and we've been spending them outside. oh and on this night i thought i taught miss peyton what a crescent moon was...turns out she now argues every night with her dad there's a crescent moon, oops.

join the link`up love over at Taingamala 

DIY picture on wood

this is a fun and easy way to display pictures. not to mention a unique and inexpensive gift. last chirstmas we were on a tight budget {saving for our down payment and all} luckily it was at that time i was introduced to pinterest <3  THIS tutorial saved me mula while still gifting something pretty special. last week i finally got a chance {and remembered} to make one for myself, a gift for me c: 

FIRST thing you need is a block of wood. mine was left over from my christmas stash and is 8in X 10in. i bought my lumber from home depot and one of the associates cut 8in X 10in pieces for me. SECOND a printed out picture on regular paper. i set my printer options to 8in X 10in so it would fit my block 'o wood perfectly. you can print color, sephia or black and white...i've done each one and they've all turned out fine. personally i like the black and white's or sephia, to give it a more antique look on the wood but that's me c: THIRD medium gel mat, bought it from michael's with my 40% off coupon for about $7.00 and it's lasted me over a dozen wood pictures. FOURTH some handy dandy mod podge.

 choose which side of wood you want the print to show up and sand it down.
then apply your medium gel. 

place your picture print side down and smooth it with your fingers so there are no bubbles. let it set over night.

dampen the picture with a wet rag and rub away the paper. after you think you've gotten everything, let it dry for a few minutes and check again. sometimes when the paper is wet it blends in to wood, so it appears that everything's off but it's not. that's why i let it dry so i can re`examine where i need to complete my final rub's. 

once all the paper is off, apply your mod podge to seal your picture and let it dry. 

taadaaa! in a few minutes you will have a finished product like this c:

insta`tuesday

insta`tuesday round two {for me at least}. this week's instagram collection is a little less jam`packed when compared to my previous post. nonetheless still pictures that capture the prettiness in life and things that make me smile.

 putting memories on wood and in our room c: 

 somebody else in the house shares my passion for ikea...and it's not the husband c;

ribbon and fabric scraps organized. makes for a pretty display.

our new sheets from my ikea trip. in the middle of my attempt to make the bed, i left the room for no more than twenty seconds and came back to lynnee testing out the sheets. always helping.

hope you've enjoyed the little things that make my heart happy. thanks for the linkup!