Sloppy Joe Casserole

When I'm looking for a 'Quick Fix' meal for dinner, I like one pot/dish type of meals. So here's one that's quick, easy and super light on your wallet.

Sloppy Joe Casserole
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can Sloppy Joe sauce
1 can Pillsbury biscuits (10 ct)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
Brown beef in a skillet. Drain and add can of Sloppy Joe sauce. Simmer on medium heat for about 5-7 min. Pour into casserole dish cover with a layer of cheddar cheese. Top off with biscuits. Bake at 450 for about 11-13 minutes, or until biscuits turn golden brown.


It's easy shmeasy!!

Cookbooks

So, these are also among my more recent purchases. If you don't own a Williams-Sonoma cookbook, you should. They are worth the splurge!

Fantastic Find

I've realized that for some strange reason, I've started to collect an assortment of birds around the house. My favorite necklace even has a bird on it. I don't know where this recent obsession came from. More than anything, I like birds that have a vintage look.

On a recent daytrip spent scouring antique malls, I found this little number.

He (or she, maybe) was sitting on a top shelf, and I barely saw him. I quickly grabbed it and checked the price tag. I was ecstatic....handwritten on the little white tag, I saw my most favorite number, 1. Yes, he was only $1.00.
Most people probably think he's just some old ugly glass bird, but I'm in love with him. In my book, he's a Fantastic Find!

Surprise Santa

Two Christmases ago, I sent my grandmother a greeting card. She loved the card, so she kept it.
Let me preface this by saying that my grandmother is a seamstress. She has worked out of her home for over thirty years sewing garments from scratch and doing alterations. She has remodeled her house and always finds time to do little crafty projects. A couple of years ago, she decided to take an art class...and out of nowhere we began to see her amazing talent. Apparently she had been holding out on us. She has been in, placed and won several art shows in the Lake Martin area. For my birthday, she gave me this amazing painting of the Lake Martin shoreline to go over my living room mantle.

At my brother's birthday lunch, she surprised me with another painting. She painted the Christmas card!

She is so sweet, thoughtful and amazingly talented! Thanks, Grams! I can't wait til Christmas, so I can hang this over the mantle!

(Click on the above picture and read the letter to Santa. She even left room at the bottom to add our kids' names one day.I love it!)

Tori is on Tuesdays!

Tori and Dean are back! FINALLY! I love their show. I record it every week..just so I won't miss it. (Tori and Dean, Home Sweet Hollywood on Oxygen every Tuesday night at 9 CST.) I read sTori Telling a few months ago after watching them leave Chateau La Rue. Anyways....you should give it a watch. Tori is hilarious!
Sunday, Jamey and I ventured to his hometown of Sylacauga (about 45 min south of Birmingham). While Jamey played video games with his nephews, I went shopping. Sunday afternoon shopping in Sylacauga consists of about three places: Wal-Mart, Burke's Outlet and Big Lots. I only chose the latter two, because I currently despise Wal-Mart. We have a love/hate relationship.
Anyway...at Burke's I purchased an awesome pair of purple wayfarers. Yes, I said purple. Normally, I wouldn't stray from my usual choice of tortoise shell, but the fit was right (I have a big head) and the price was cheap ($5) so...they were mine!

My hubby teases me about wayfarers, but I choose to ignore his fashionable ineptitude. Ha! This comes from a man whose daily wardrobe consists of a plaid drawstring pant and tagless Hanes tee, also known as PJs. On special occasions, you can find him in a pant with a beltloop, but only on special occasions like running errands.Today is obviously no exception!

His head has been cropped to protect his identity. Baaahaha. In case you did't know, he works out of his home office.

I'm so behind on blogging. School started back May 21st, Memorial day was the following Monday, and last weekend was Jamey's b'day weekend. So, I haven't been very productive. So hopefully, I'll be adding more updates asap!
Happy Tuesday :)

Happy B'day, JayB!

Today is Jamey's birthday! I feel so lucky to be married to this man. He may not always listen when I'm spouting off chores, and he may not open the car door for me as often anymore....but that's all okay with me. If hearts were made of gold, he'd definitely have one!
So, Happy Birthday, Babe! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I can't wait to celebrate many many more with you!

I really think I need one of these!

As ridiculous as this may seem/look, I think it would be amazing to own one. I like to lay out, but I hate laying on my stomach and having to worry about turning my head to make sure I'm getting an even color. Or worse, sticking my head face down into my towel, only to realize I'll suffocate myself. Laying out is tough business! Haha..anyway...what do you think?

Playdate with Alli

So I went to visit my bestie Tuesday in Atlanta. It was so good to spend time with her. We may have different mamas, but this girl is definitely my sister. I am lucky to have found a lifetime friend like Alli. Most people are not fortunate enough to have found someone that really is a 'best' friend. We may not be geographically close anymore, and we don't see each other as much as we should...but I feel like we never miss a beat. I know she is my absolute bestestestest friend for life, and for that I am truly thankful!
So anyways, enough of my sappy side. We went to lunch and then she did my hair. Okay, let me just say, I am apprehensive about letting ANYONE touch my hair, and Alli is no exception. I have had too many hack jobs in the past to not be a little scared of stylists. Anyway, I am a believer now. This girl did a bangin' job, and I'm not just saying that because I love her. She really did a fan-freaking-tastic job. My curls are bushy and untamed most of the time, but she definitely put them in their place.
Maybe now I'll have an excuse every couple of months to sneak away to Atlanta and have lunch with her!
If you're ever in East Atlanta, stop by her salon and treat yourself to a haircut from this talented lady!

Anyway, so afterward, we went to Decatur and visited a few thrift stores. We found some great bargains on lamps..they just need a little TLC.
We ended our day sitting outside eating pizza and enjoying good conversation. This was definitely the highlight of my day :)
I can't wait to do it again soon!

Rainbow Cupcakes

Last weekend I made rainbow cupcakes for my little brother's birthday party. They were a hit! Since it's so simple, I thought I would share!

Using WHITE cake mix, follow the directions on the back of the box for making the batter. Separate your batter into 4 (or more) different bowls/cups/whatever you choose. Add different color food coloring to each. Feel free to create your own color combinations. I sure did.
Then in each cup of your baking pan, layer a little bit of each color on top of each other. DON'T MIX! Just pour one color on top of the other. Then once they are all filled half way, I kind of slightly turn the pans from side to side, and end to end so that the cups have an even layer on top.
Continue following the baking instructions on the box.
It's that simple, but it somehow makes you feel like you've created a masterpiece by doing something a little bit more creative!
This would be a fun afternoon project with kids :)

TODAY IS THE DAY.....

of my cost final :( I'm sure my exam will go something like this...