Sequins & Sofas: 5 Things (Kind Of)

By nature, I find myself to lean on the side of fiscal responsibility versus frivolity. I tend to feel the need to pay off debt and such with extra funds rather than buy expensive, fun, and fancy things. 

Don't get me wrong, I spend my fair share of time browsing the lovely aisles of my local Target. And I don't feel bad with the purchase of a few cute clothing items now and again....who goes into Target and doesn't leave with 1 or 2 things they weren't planning to buy anyway??

But for the most part, working towards the debt free thing is my jam. A few months back when I had a new HVAC system installed, I qualified for some energy rebates from Xcel and did the responsible (boring) thing....making some extra payments on the system....wah, wah.

But then a few weeks later, I also received a Prepaid Visa gift card from Lennox and decided to be a little CRAZY!

I was gonna buy some stuff. 

Stuff I for sure didn't need but for sure would bring me joy. YOLO...am I right?

Are you ready?

1. The Might Ducks Trilogy

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack.

2. A bunch of other Chick Flicks that I for some reason do not already own:

Sidenote: I realize that no one in this modern technological age of streaming everything purchases DVD's anymore...but this girl does and ain't ashamed to say it. Plus, since no one wants them they are super cheap- winning.

3. A resubscription of HGTV magazine:

No explaination on this one. HGTV Mag is da bomb.

4. A fidget spinner:

 Ok, fine. 2 fidget spinners:

What? They are fun to spin and I like fun.

5. Some gadget to relieve bug bites naturally that I saw on Facebook and probably won't work but maybe it will and bugs really love me and make me itchy and it's worth a try so I bought it:

So, there you go. An adventure into a frugal gal's little gift card splurge. Weeeeeeeeee! Now back to knocking out the debt.... 

Make it, Eat it, Love it.

I was chatting with a co-worker a few days ago about a tasty chocolate treat that is simple to make, has just a few ingredients and takes very little time to whip up. It is quite the crowd pleaser! Then suddenly today, I felt a strong urge to eat these treats and absolutely had to make them! And also share them with you. Because they are good. Really good.

You will need:

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 sticks of butter

1.5 sleeves of Saltines

1 bag of chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl and toss in the microwave. Once melted, stir, stir, stir until it becomes like a caramel. Keep stirring- it takes awhile:

Set aside the caramel mixture and line a baking sheet with foil. Then arrange saltines in a single row to fill the sheet:

Pour mixture over the saltines and spread it evenly to coat all the crackers:

 

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes....it will be bubbly and very hot:

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips over the magical bubbly caramel goodness:

Wait 5 minutes (or until the chocolate is melted) and spread it over the top in an even layer with a spatula. Then sprinkle the nuts on top:

Oh baby:

Almost done....place the pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to allow the delightful amazingness to completely harden.

Then peel the foil from the back and break into bite sized pieces. Share with your friends and you will all feel many happy feelings.

  

You're Welcome.

My Little Miss & Wedded Bliss

I took a little blogging break last week as it was my birthday...I was too busy growing a year older- armed with a fork and a tasty carrot cake that was for sure calling my name. Trust me when I say that it was delightful.

In addition to birthday fun, I had the privilege and great honor to celebrate 2 very important ladies in my life!

Lady #1: A few weeks ago, I hopped on a plane for a quick trip to SoCal- to watch my baby girl Gracie walk across the graduation stage! Say what? How can it be that this kid is old enough to graduate? 

Sometimes in my brain, she is still the squishy, goofy little 3 year old that I played Barbies with in the toy closet. That I cooked pancakes for and let her 'steal' some batter (pretending like I didn't know). That I helped to learn to use the potty. That I watched 'Stuart Little' with about a thousand times and then watched it again. That I read all the most favorite bedtime books to. That I played endless rounds of 'American Idol' with in the basement...where I was Simon and every performance was perfection. That I took walks to the park with to swing, climb, run, pretend and explore. What a beautiful, strong, smart, dorky and perfectly imperfect woman she has become!

Some photo highlights:

(A little poolside relaxation)

(Dora and Eva..their foreign exchange student who is loved like a daughter)

(Sunny Baby...what a sweetie)

(The Boys- Chubby and Linden...'adopted' brothers and friends who flew in to surprise Grace from Alaska)

(Some hairstyling action at the salon)

(Cute girls)

(The Grad)

(The ceremony- and yeah, that is Kirk Cameron. Say what?)

(The Celebration!!!)

What a kid...so proud of her and excited to see all that her future holds! 

It's bright 🌟

Lady #2: This past weekend, I helped to plan/throw a fantastic Bridal Shower for my best gal pal 'D'! She will be wed in just under 2 months and I couldn't be happier for her and the groom-to-be. 

I have been praying for this girl for a long time that she would be blessed with the desires of her heart, that she would know what it's like to be cherished and loved for exactly who God made her to be, and that she would have the strength to wait patiently for God to bring it all together in His perfect timing. And He has answered with an overflowing abundance.

So thankful for her friendship and excited to be a part of her wedding team! Woooohooooo!

Some Photo Highlights:

(The menu)

(Some decorations)

(One delightful and slightly cheesy Bridal Shower game)

(The team...minus a sister/bridesmaid #1)

It was such fun to help plan, prepare and attend this party in honor of the bride-to-be. Love ya and can't wait for the BIG DAY!