High Five (or more) for Friday

Happy Friday! I have had an amazing week...so much to be thankful for, and absolutely no complaints.  When I write these Friday blogs I always put my photos on first, and then write about each little weekly detail...this week I have 10 things to tell you about.  Too much?  Too much of a good thing can never be bad, right? 

My favorite little drive-in theater announced their 80's movie night line up.  Two of my faves...The Goonies and Ghostbusters...in the same night?  Yes, please..I am so there!  The dates are August 17-19 at the Stardust Drive-in in Watertown. I already have it on my calendar...my favorite date nights are at the drive-in!

If you want to check out their website click here.

I used my Birchbox 6 month anniversary discount, and the last of my points to get the Jouer tinted moisturizer.  Yesterday I literally used the very last drop of the sample that came in my very first box.  I don't like to use foundation, and I'm not a huge fan of the powder look.  This has the perfect coverage, it's oil free, and feels so light on my skin..it feels like a moisturizer..and to top it off it has 20 SPF.  The tube is huge, and considering how long the tiny sample lasted..I shouldn't run out until sometime next year.

Want some for yourself?  Click here.

The color I use is Pearl

I used the pencil as a scale to show you how big the tube is

So, ya'll know how much I love Elisabeth Ashlie earrings, right?  Well, their Mom also has an Etsy shop called The Dotted Poppy.  I ordered two pairs of earrings from her.

I have had my eye on these little birdie earrings for a while now...they are so different..which is so me...Love them!!

These silver earrings with a bluish/sapphire stone gave a little "pop" to some of the outfits I wore this week.  I liked them best with a little black summer dress, and my favorite jean jacket paired with my Fleur de Lis flops I talked about on this blog post (click here).

Tuesday we went out to dinner with some friends that we haven't seen in months.  We always plan something, then something comes up and plans change...We were excited to finally get together.

I picked LongHorn because I had been craving a steak with mashed potatoes so badly that I wanted to strangle somebody to get it...I ended up having lunch later than usual, so when dinner time finally rolled around I wasn't hungry enough for a steak, and opted for this delicious strawberry chicken salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing instead.  I only ate half of it..it was ginormous...Kyle still can't believe I talked about steak for 2 weeks, and ended up ordering a salad.  I kind of can't believe it myself...

Our friends that we met for dinner have the cutest little baby girl named Azzie...She will be a year old in just one month!!!  We love her like she's our own!!

She is the most cuddly, precious little thing ever!!

and she loves her Aunt CC!!  :)

I did my own nail color job this week...as you can tell by my third toe on my left foot....haha!!  I didn't notice until I was editing the picture.  I fixed it, so it's all good and normal now.  

I used OPI's Strawberry Margarita.  It's probably my most favorite summer color I've used this year.

I couldn't find it at any of the nail salons I use in town, so I just ordered it new off Ebay.

Trey is seriously getting too big...lately he has been picking up Wheels and Deals, or Auto Trader..whatever truck sale papers are out there...He spends his spare time looking for his "dream truck."  *sigh*  He has circled at least 20 that he likes.  Lord help me!  I wish our kids didn't grow up so fast!  

He helped me measure some houses this week...he's a trooper!

Yesterday after work Trey and I went to scope out a secret fishing hole that we are going to go to this weekend.  On our way we stopped to "horse" around for a little while.

This is Peanut...he belongs to the Cook kids..

My little cousins have been raising these two sheep for a 4-H project.  Their names are Baa Baa Leroy Brown, and Lexi. 

This little one let me feed him?  her?  Honestly I didn't pay attention...the other one didn't want anything to do with us.  They were so much fun to watch!

This Old House is my absolute favorite magazine!!    It's a home improvement magazine, and also a television show.  I don't watch the show, but I get so excited when I get the mag in the mail every month.  It's the one magazine script that I didn't cancel this year.  So many great ideas if you are into DIY things at home.  On the very last page of each issue there is a column called "save this old house" it features an old fixer upper that costs little to nothing...just waiting for someone to save it.  This old house below was built in 1863, and is selling for $99,900.  It's nestled in a coastal Oregon town.  Oh, how I wish!!

I took a few more pics than usual of the pups this week, so I thought I'd share them with all of you!! 

Scuba is such a good sport, and let Trey turn him into a super hero for a day.  

Super Scuba?

I love coming home to these two sweet little love bugs every day!!  They love giving me hugs!! 

Well, Winston doesn't look like he's enjoying it too much (haha), but Brodie is always up for a squeeze from Mom!

Brodie  :)

My little snuggle buddy

Scuba is literally standing over the top of me

 (help)

I may be a little bias, but my dogs are darn cute!

Nap time...and he's fast asleep!!

Thanks so much for stopping by to read today's H5(10)4F.  I hope each of you acknowledged some goodness in your week that you can be thankful for.  I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk Blog for a H5 link up party. Tons of other awesome H5ers...click over and check em out!!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

xo

Carrie

High Five for Friday

Hey guys!  I can't believe Friday is already here. Last week when Trey was camping the week went by so slow, but this week it went by too fast.  Funny how that works. I had a hard time narrowing down five of my favorite things from this week, so I may have gone a little overboard on the H5...

When I went to NYC in December we shopped at Century 21..it is this huge department store very similar to a TJ Maxx..I guess everything in NYC is super sized, but this was my first shopping experience in the city...I remember when I finally found my way through the "maze" to the shoe section I thought I was in shoe heaven. The shoe section was like two floors underground...it was pretty awesome. Have you ever been to a store where they had so much goodness, and you were so overwhelmed you left with nothing?  That's kinda how my first visit to C21 went.  I am pretty sure that their stores are only found in NY, and NJ.  Recently they made a sort of online store, but you have to fill out all this stuff and become a member first...I did, but it was just too much to look at online...

This is the store we went in..

If you are a regular reader of my blog you already know how much I love eBay...I was looking for a certain style of ballet flats the other day, and I found out that Century 21 has an eBay store.  I have died and gone to shopping heaven.  You can browse their ebay store here. I not only found what I was looking for, I found something even better....

My new shoes came Wednesday...

I was looking for a neutral colored ballet flat with a black patent toe, and found these instead! The toe is a patent marbleish/leopardy design. I don't really know what you would call it, but they are adorable!  I'm pretty sure I wore Sam and Libby flats in like 5th grade, I didn't even know they still existed, but they do, and now I have a pair..again!  These were originally 49.00, and I got them for a steal at 23.97.

I started to feel sickly last weekend, and a sweet friend of mine brought me a care package. Homemade chicken soup, a sleeve of crackers, and a 7up.  I think she healed me!

I found this pic that I took of Kyle and I last week...  I was trying to be sneaky and take a picture of the guy behind me at dinner (because I thought I knew him, and wanted his picture to look up who he was in my HS yearbook...yes I'm a total stalker.)  It was so funny, and Kyle got in the way of the picture on purpose, and I couldn't stop laughing.  He makes every day fun, and I love that about him!!

Lately, I have had a little white dog wanting to be my helper whenever I've been on the computer.  His spot is right by my side, and I love it!!  He has a birthday coming up in a few weeks...He'll be 8..I can't believe he is already 8 :(  ...we've been browsing Etsy for birthday party hat ideas.. 

I got my Glamour Birchbox in the mail.  What did you guys think of yours?  I was totally digging my neon ear buds.  I don't have any because some little person in my house took mine, and then lost them...not naming any names...  :)  So, of course that was the first thing I went for, and I was plugged up and jamming into the wee hours of the night.  I also love the Oscar de la Renta perfume...I couldn't stop smelling my wrist after I tried it. 

I ordered a pair of Elisabeth Ashlie earrings.  I've been wanting them for a long time...like for months.  So, I finally gave in...love them!!!

Click here to check out the EA etsy shop

This lotion is seriously the best stuff ever!  I usually buy lotions on the more expensive side because they work the best, and I'm obsessed with having soft skin.  Kyle wanted some lotion with aloe when we got back from vaca, so I picked up a bottle of this Hawaiian Tropic after sun lotion.  I have just about used the entire bottle. Not only does it smell amazing...it's scent is called lime coolada...but omg my skin is so super soft..like baby soft.  If you see a bottle of this grab it before it's gone!!

I started wearing my Jouer moisturizing lipgloss in Birchbox Pink when I found it while looking through some old bboxes...I forgot how much I like it.  It's the perfect shade of pink...and goes super great with any summer outfit.  Bbox just now got it back in stock (it's way popular) if you want to grab yourself a tube before it disappears again...now's your chance....click here.

It wouldn't be a good Friday blog if I didn't include my favorite little furry boys...

This is what nap time looked like at my house this week...

Winston falling asleep 

and...he's out!!

Helping me get some work finished...

I just can't get enough of that sweet face...

Thanks so much for stopping by to read my H54F...I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk Blog.  I always link up my Friday post...as do about 200 other H54F bloggers...if you have time today, or this weekend hop on over to Lauren's page and check out some other super fabulous Friday bloggers.  Hope ya'll have a fun weekend!!

xoxo

Carrie

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

 If you like quick and simple this is the recipe for you.  A delicious creamy, cheesy chicken casserole that I got from Just Plain Chicken.  This recipe makes a whole lot of food..it would be safe to say ten or more servings.   I fed my family, and gave a generous amount to a friend that was down from surgery, and we still had an entire meal leftover. Unless you are planning to serve up the neighborhood, I would recommend dividing it into two 8 inch pans, and freezing (uncooked) the one that you don't use. 

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken

16 oz wide egg noodles, cooked

24 oz light sour cream (you can use a little less. I only used 16 oz.)

2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350

Remove the meat from the chicken and chop.  Mix together chicken, noodles, sour cream, soup and cheeses in a large bowl.  Pour into a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Mix together cracker crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over top.  Sprinkle poppy seeds over cracker crumbs.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crackers are crispy and golden, and cheese is melted.

If  you made this into separate dishes, and you are ready to cook the frozen meal, cover it with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes.

This meal is also good the next day as a leftover.

Enjoy,

Carrie

High Five for Friday

Well now this is really weird, y'all!  I just realized that this is my second post on a Friday the 13th (in case you missed the first one you can check it out here.) It was exactly 13 weeks ago.  Crazy, right?  I thought so.. So, of course I had to do a little research.  Turns out that in 2012 there are three Friday 13ths... 13 weeks apart...Jan 13, April 13, and today.  The last time we had three Friday the 13ths that were 13 weeks apart...was 1984 (I was 7 years old, by the way)  The last time we had three F13's was 2009, and the next is 2015, which will not be 13 weeks apart.  Pretty cool useless information... Do you think this paragraph has enough 13's in it?...13...13's.  You're counting them now, aren't you?!

Next number...the big 4-0...Happy 40th post to The Way I See it!!!  Thanks to you..my amazing readers for all of your support.  I am so thankful that I decided to take a giant leap, and do something that I enjoy so much.  Not many people do that...they only think it..I'm here to tell you that if you want to do something, you should get out there and do it.  No matter how big, or small..nothing is more rewarding than doing what makes you happy.

I got these Supergoop SPF 30  wipes from Birchbox..I figured they would be easy to throw in my purse, or beach bag without all the hassle of a big bulky bottle.  When you wipe them onto your skin, it feels like it does not have as much coverage as rubbing a lotion, or a spray on you.  I decided to give them a try anyway, and I really liked them....and they really do work!

I was going to share a link with you to buy your own, but they are out of stock at Birchbox, and Sephora...that's how supercool the supergoop is!!  If you are interested, you can google them...I just typed it in my search engine, and several places popped up that carry the wipes.

Remember my totally awesome clip board I showed you last Friday?  If you missed it...click here. Well, this week I finally used it.  Love it!!

Oh, and by the way...I took the bow off..

My little man was at scout camp all week.  He finally comes home tomorrow...this was his first time ever being gone that long, and not staying with family. 

Troop 365

Since I had the week off from my usual Mom duties...I kinda went all out..I went a little wild, folks...well, I didn't literally go wild, I just did things that I would normally do within a 2 months time span..in one week.  

Kyle and I went out on a double/blind date.  I've been planning it for months, and finally the timing was right, and I made it happen.   I introduced an old friend of mine from school to a newer friend of mine...one of my scout Mom friends..  We went to the Blackhorse, and sat and talked....mostly laughing...for hours.  My first time match-making...my fingers are crossed!

I went to a junkyard with my husband...Yep, you heard me right...I said junkyard, although my husband corrected me, and said we were at the pick-a-part...same difference, right?  I was actually excited to go to the junk-a...pick-a-part.  Sometimes I get excited when my inner tom boy gets to come out and play.  See, what many of you don't know is that I basically grew up around boys...my sister was older than me, and when I was growing up she was in college living on campus.  So, I lived on the farm and my close in age-boy cousins lived right next door..I would much rather play in the sand box with my tractors than with my Barbies.  I remember having this huge, beautiful doll house, and I'm pretty sure I cut off all my Barbie's hair, and tore their heads off...That's normal, though..right?  I would have much rather been fishing with a cane pole, building a fort, playing cops and robbers, riding tractors, checking the cows, playing in the dirt, riding our bulls,Bert and Ernie. I even stood up to use the "ladies room" behind a tree.  I actually got in trouble when I did that in front of the school bus, so I wasn't allowed to do that anymore...oops..Whatever those boys did, I wanted to be doing it too..Sooo, when Kyle asked me if I wanted to go with him to look for parts, I said...of course, count me in!!

I went over to a girlfriends house, and had a girls night...with a bottle of wine.  As you can tell in the picture...I was having myself a good ol' time!  :)

I had a pedicure

With OPI's That's Berry Daring

Even my pups had an eventful week....Brodie and Winston got their hair cut..

Brodie

Winston

Scuba was sad, and he cried because his brothers got to ride in the car, and he didn't...so we took him out for a ride later that evening.  

That smile makes it all worth while...

What a fun week!! It feels as if I have been on vacation for the last three weeksl!  As much as I enjoyed my unstructured week..tomorrow my life will return to normal, and I'll have my sidekick back.  I'm sure he misses me as much as I miss him.

Hope you all have a special weekend!!!  Thanks again for stopping by to read H54F!!

xo

Carrie

High Five for Friday

Happy, Happy Friday! 

It was kinda cool having seven days off, returning to work for two days, then having two more days off in a row.  It also helped me to ease back into my everyday routine after being spoiled at the beach.  It was especially nice that yesterday I had the entire day to myself with no husband or kids...I got all of  my errands done, and relaxed a lot!   

Trey said he would be b.o.r.e.d to come home and go to work with me, so he decided to stay at the lake for a few more days.  Lucky!  He was having such a great time, that I went ahead and let him stay.  It's not so bad going from the beach to the lake!  This kid's got it made in the shade!

Have you received your notification from Birchbox telling you that your July box has been shipped?  Get excited because Birchbox partnered with Glamour magazine for their July boxes.  The box takes inspiration from Glamour's Five Senses of Summer issue.  It should be a good one!!

I used up the very last of my brow pencil yesterday, so I ran to the mall to get another one.  I only recently started penciling in my brows...I began to notice that it looked like I didn't have any, I really don't have many...which looks super weird. Especially in the warmer months when my skin is darker my brows turn so blonde that you can't tell I have any at all.   I use Estee Lauder's Soft Blonde-07.  I bought it years ago, but rarely used it until Kate from The Small Things Blog showed me how. It is an automatic pencil duo with an eyebrow brush, and a refill.

Check out Kate's blog for great tips on filling in your brows....follow the link below

The Small Things Blog - brow tut

Here is a before and after picture..

It makes a huge difference, and looks much better...I no longer look alien-ish.

I am digging my new Forever espadrilles..I found them at Marshalls in Murfreesboro for $12.99.

They are so cute, and extremely comfy!  The perfect summer color!

They run big, so I ended up getting half a size smaller than I normally wear.

I had this made for myself to take out in the field for work.  I ordered it from Etsy about a month ago, and didn't even take it out of the box until I passed all of my tests.  I LOVE it so much, and can't wait to use it.  Still undecided about the ribbon, but it can be easily removed. 

What do you think??  Ribbon, or no ribbon?

I'll end today's blog with a few pics of my favorite little furry people...



Winston's cute little face begging for a treat.

How could I resist this?

Scuba does not like fireworks

He has been majorly doggie pressed this week with all the noise...

Poor baby!

If you missed last Friday's post you are missing out...check it out here.  It is my most favorite post yet!!!

Thanks for reading this weeks H54F..Have a fun weekend, and stay cool!!

<3

Carrie

Bye, Bye Miss American Pie

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating 236 years of our country's independence with your loved ones.  My family got together at my Mom and Dad's lake house.  We had a shrimp boil Tuesday night.  It was so good...we boiled shrimp, kielbasa, corn on the cob, and potatoes, and washed it all down with some ice cold beer. 

Afterwards, we got on the boat and watched the fireworks..At the lake they usually tend to plan their fireworks show around Ft Campbell's show...trying not to plan it on the same evening.  

For dessert I made a new recipe!  Of course, there was a small catastrophe involved....you know, with catastrophe being my middle name and all.

While everyone was on the deck chatting it up, and dinner was boiling I went inside to make dessert.  I made a delicious blueberry cream pie, finished it up, went to put it in the freezer to set, and then dropped the entire thing on the floor.  Well, part of it in the floor - the other part in the freezer.

Awesome!!

Seriously!?

So, whatever, I picked it up, cleaned up my mess, licked my fingers..it was delicious...too bad no one else got to taste it.

I just so happen to have enough experience with things going wrong, that I bought enough for two pies.  Yes, I am a total genius!

Except, I used so many blueberries in the first pie, that I had to make the second one a strawberry pie.

Equally as delicious!  This recipe is so simple that you won't have to write it down, save it, or print it out...you will not forget it.

Choose YOUR favorite fruit  - Strawberries, blueberries, lemon, raspberries, bananas, limes...ANYthing!  

No measurements on the fruit.  Use as little, or as much as you would like to taste.

8 oz whipped cream

6 oz (one regular single serving cup) of yogurt (in the same fruit flavor as your fresh fruit)  I only eat Yoplait yogurt.

9 oz graham cracker pie crust

Mix together your whipped cream, yogurt, and fruit.  Leaving some fruit to top your pie.  Pour the mixture into your graham cracker crust.  Top with fruit. 

I suggest putting it in the freezer to let it set, as some fruit you use can make the consistency runny.  Freezing it will also allow for easier slicing.

and then....that's it!!  

You now have yourself a deliciously sweet, creamy pie to cool you off on a hot summer day!

Enjoy!

Carrie