a summer recipe

a favorite around our house! there are many variations but this is the one that we all love so much. tried and true. yummy and healthy. and if i may offer up a suggestion, eat them with popcorn chips. yummy!





black bean salsa
12 servings

ingredients:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can rotel
3 scallions, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tbs ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Mix it all together. It's better if its left to sit overnight! 

Enjoy!

just some fun pictures....

i made this dress for elle louise after randomly finding the chicken fabric at joann. i decided, after getting a ton of compliments on it, to put it in the shop. when i went back to make sure they had stock before i listed it, they were completely out so i decided against putting it in the shop. but had to share the pics of elle anway because they are just too cute not to.
 


out of 30+ pictures i took of her in that dress these are the only 3 that turned out. she makes it near impossible to get any pictures. she's busy busy and on a mission 99% of the time.

we are headed to the pool today, i switched my work day around so that we could get a good pool day in before the cooler temperatures and rain sets in......which i am so looking forward to!

 

memorial day

 






hope everyone had a wonderful memorial day.

we spent the day at my parents swimming and eating....way too much. the kids played so hard. it was so fun watching them all! they are each one at such fun ages. i love love spending time with my family. it's always so easy and laid back. blessed to have each one of them!

so very thankful for all the service men and women who work tirelessly to protect our freedom and our nation. it is because of them that we have the freedom to celebrate as we wish!

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don't forget to enter the elle + ollie giveaway at from parties to passies! katie will draw the winner thursday! day after tomorrow in case you've lost track of time like i have :)

summer

i love summer,



my parents pool,



and long weekends....



happy friday!

 

confession

i am behind on elle + ollie orders, only like a week behind. i try my hardest to get orders shipped out 2 weeks after order is placed (or paid for), but sometimes life just gets in the way. so yea, i'm feeling the pressure. why am i blogging instead of sewing? well, because i've been up since 5:30 sewing and i need a break.



this is what i look like 99.9% of the time. and, i'm ok with that. really, i am. promise. and yes, that would be my poor excuse for elle + ollie organization in the background. seriously have got to do something about that asap. huuuuuusband!! help!

i may or may not have bribed my child to take a nap this morning (since she got up 2 hours early) by telling her we would go swimming after she took said nap. can't say that its my proudest parenting moment, but it worked like a charm!




high-dollar nail polish is such a waste of money to me. i would not generally buy $8/bottle nail polish, but i was on the search for a good mint green and i think i found it in an overpriced bottle of essie nail polish (that i paid for with birthday money). love the color, but can't say it goes on any better or stays on any longer than the $2 NYC i usually buy.

i haven't cooked dinner, i mean really cooked a meal, in about a month now. i made cornbread monday night and that was about the extent of exertion i've put into making anything in the kitchen lately. sad and depressing.

i'm putting elle + ollie on vacation for a month (maybe 2) this summer. i need some time to get organized, figure out if the shop is actually making any money and just re-energize. i know the shop is making some money, but is it making enough for the time and effort i put into it!

we are going to the beach for our anniversary in a couple of months. aaron booked it yesterday and i'm already sad thinking about leaving elle behind. i know we will have fun and we need this time away together just the two of us, but it still makes me sad. but, she hates sand, so she wouldn't like the beach anyway. right? right? 

next week i only work one day and i could not be happier. i will get all caught up!

i've been an emotional basket case today. one of my closest and dearest friends is having twin boys today in charlotte and i'm not able to be there for her. its killing me! please keep sarah, zack and babies crew and clyde in your prayers today! i'm beyond thrilled for them. can't wait to meet the boys (or see pictures of them rather)!

i ate two huge bowls of great value decadent fudge ice cream last night before going to bed. and this was after eating a sandwich, salad and half of elle's mac and cheese for dinner. bottomless pit!



i am a sucker for packaging products. see washi tape. 

alright, well i gotta get back to the drawing board. a dress needs to be made!

not a confession, but awesome nonetheless...



my sweet friend, katie, is doing an elle + ollie giveaway over at her place! go enter!!!!! she will choose a winner one week from today.

maude monday {my winnings}

well, i did it. i finally pulled the trigger. my first official "freebie" from maude are some awesome standards and practices denim shorts. i have already worn them three times since i got them last wednesday. they are comfy, long and don't ride up when i walk. just what i love in a good pair of shorts.



on the skinny, perfect model.....







...and on me. i had every intention (i feel like i write this a lot) of having aaron take some pics of me with my new shorts on but we just couldn't make it happen saturday morning. maybe next time...

so saturday, mom, elle louise and i went shopping in tulsa and i got to meet megan! i had some elle + ollie goods for her, so rather than shipping them, we decided to meet up. i wish we could have spent more time together. her, brent and their babies are so sweet. the best part of the meet up was sloane had on her "sloane" onesie dress and knox had on his matching owl shirt. made my day! i love seeing little sweeties in my creations.

megan told me i was taller than she thought i would be :)...i'm really not that gargantua. i'm 5'7" and had on some platform sandals that made me a couple inches taller. megan was just as beautiful and kind as i thought she would be, i was not nervous meeting one bit! she even gave elle the cutest bunny rabbit. she has been carrying it around since. so thoughtful!

happy monday! i'm a sick dog today. so i called into work and elle and i are taking it easy. i told elle this morning that i was feeling sick and she has been so sweet. she keeps checking on me, bringing me bites of her breakfast, cuddling up with me, getting me bandaids, and being so good!

makeup

i have missed blogging. really i have.

honestly, i have nothing to blog about. my days are consistently the same and we haven't been doing much other stuff and in my spare time i'm sitting at my sewing machine. hopefully i'll get back in the swing of writing fun posts for you to read.

in the meantime, let's talk about makeup.....

i hate shopping for make up. hate. it. with a passion. it is so overwhelming and feels to me kind of like buying a new car. they are always trying to get you to buy the "latest greatest" or spend "this much more" so you can get the "free gift". well i'm sorry but when you spend $100 on makeup and you get a "free gift" consisting of teeny tiny little lipsticks, moisturizers and eyeshadows, that really isn't worth the money spent. but, that's just my 2 cents.

probably the real reason why i hate buying makeup is because i don't really get into makeup. and i hate putting makeup on. but, unfortunately, my face is one of those that needs makeup.

my makeup shopping philosophy: when i run out of something, go to walmart, target, or walgreens and just get whatever it is that i'm out of on sale. with a few exceptions. and i only have in my bag what i need. i'm not a makeup hoarder with a ton of colors of eyeshadow and lipstick. when i want to mix it up, i wear eyeliner and lipstick.

here's a peak into my makeup bag:



foundation: almay smart shade. this i love. it really works just likes the commercials say it should. blends right in with your natural skin tone. and is weightless. almost feels like a tinted moisturizer.

powder: neutrogena mineral sheers loose powder foundation i use both liquid foundation and powder foundation. i need a lot of coverage. pregnancy was not good on my skin.

concealer: neutrogena 3-in-1 for eyes. love this stuff and have worn it for a while now

eyeshadow: NYC IndividualEyes. colors coordinated for green eyes. primer and highlighter all in one. kind of really like this.

eyeliner: NYC waterproof eyeliner in black 

mascara: per twitter recommendations my last mascara purchase was L'oreal voluminous million lashes in jet black. this was not on sale when i bought it, i cringed. but now glad i took the plunge because i really do like it. my lashes are very volumnious and there are a million of them. ha!

bronzer: rimmel natural bronzer in sun bronze. this is another one i've bought several times over. love this in the summer when my face has a little sun and i don't need as much foundation. a little of this goes a long way too which is nice.

blush: NYX blush in peach. this i bought at ulta because i didn't want to go into walmart and i new ulta had cheap makeup too. not loving it. the color and its lasting quality.

lip liner: L'oreal colour riche in coral

lipstick: Revlon super lustrous in coralberry

brushes/applicators: all from the bare minerals start up kit my parents gave me 2 christmases ago. should probably invest in some new brushes. they are just so dang expensive. i do wash these that i have very often.

well...i've got my makeup one (eyeliner and all) and i'm so ready for aaron to get home and take us girls out for dinner!

i'm sure i've shared this picture before but here it is again. i think elle might be the one that likes make up in our family! she loves putting my makeup on!



happy weekend!