Thursday, November 14, 2013

Taco Soup

I was browsing around pinterest the other day and I found the above recipe. I decided to give it a whirl and it was super yummy! I can't wait to make it again on one of these cold nights with a fire going!
I browned my ground beef the night before, when I was cooking dinner and then just stored the ground beef in the fridge over night. I laid out my ingredients, which are as follows:
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
This made it really easy for me the next morning. I put the ground before in the bottom and all other ingredients on top and stirred, set on low and went to work! The original recipe calls for onions and two cans of peeled and diced tomatoes, I however skipped on onions and only put in one can of peeled and diced tomatoes. My hubs and Trey don't like onions and aren't big on tomatoes, so for our family I just made it work. Instead of onions, I added in some onion powder. 
Here she is! MMMMMMMM! I don't like sour cream and didn't need the added calories of Frito chips, so mine isn't as pretty. But oh man, was it delish!!!! And easy, which is even better for me!

I hope you try it on one of these cold fall nights, cozied up by the fire while watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!!!

With Love, Dez

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Cabinet Reorganization

When we moved into our house in July, I kind of just put things away as quickly as possible. Now that I am getting into the settling stage, I am starting to reorganize. Our kitchen isn't the biggest with the most storage, but it isn't the smallest either. Our cabinets go up really high, to where I need a chair or the counter to stand on in order to reach. It was very ugly before, take a look for yourself. 
Anyone else notice the second shelf from the top, just taking up space... I mean really.
So I moved out those lovely Wurstfest pitchers and started to put all of my cookbooks in there.
It is a little better, right?
I can never leave good enough alone, so I took the paper plates out and put them in the pantry and rearranged some bowls.
It is just visually more appealing to my eye. Of course after all of this rearranging and organizing, I ask my hubby to come take a look and he says, "What did you change?" AHHHHHHHH
As long as I can tell the difference, I am happy!

My little Christmas bowls are peeking out, waiting for their turn to take center stage! Almost little guys, almost!

I can't wait for the day, that I am brave enough and sure of the color to paint our kitchen cabinets. I have read soooooo many tutorials, but I am the biggest chicken. I think I will start in our bathroom first, just to make sure I know somewhat of what I am doing... One day, I will. I will keep you posted on my lack of decision making and extreme chicken-ism.

Until then, Dez


Monday, November 11, 2013

Happy Veterans Day and a Breath of Fresh Air!

Before I start this blog post, I want to thank all of the men and women in the armed forces! Happy Veterans Day to you all, past and present! And a big shout out to my honey, I am so honored to be your wife and I am so proudd of all of the accomplishments you have made in your life. I am grateful for you each and every day and I thank you for your selfless service to our beautiful country!!! I love you to the moon and back!
NOWWWWWWW lets get into it!
I have been dying to paint this ugly bookshelf in our guestroom and I finally got around to it this weekend. What a difference, right?
Even with my rainbow coordination, it just wasn't working. It was blah and groggy feeling. 
And it had stains randomly all over it. 
Out and ready to be sanded and painted! 
This is after a light coat of sanding and the first coat. 
After the second coat. 
And after the third and final coat!!! I could have done another coat to make it really white, with no imperfections, but my hubby said he liked the antique look with teeny bits of wood streaks peaking through. I don't mind it either. 
It's hard to see those streaks I am talking about, but they are there, I promise. 
And after some styling. I walk in this room and it feels like a ray of sunshine. I just LOVEEE it! I also feel like it makes the rainbow book coordination pop! 





I just love love love it so much!! 
This is the opposite side of the room. I would love to get my hands on this night stand, however, it is my sisters on loan (she doesn't currently have a place to store it)and she won't approve of any transformations.  
I found this free printable @ Shanty-2-chic and I love it! So do all of my guests that have stayed in this room.


Thursday, November 7, 2013

Outfit Inspiration- Gray and Purple

Do you ever  get to a point where you don't know what to wear and you have gotten really boring with your daily work outfits?? Well that is where I have been lately. I feel like I wear the same boring things day after day and I don't ever venture outside of my comfort zone. So, I decided to look to my pinterest home inspiration boards for help... Purple and gray together are so fantastic and since my husband would never go for a purple and gray living room, a girl has to dream... right? I went into my closet to see what I could put together. Today was the first really cold day in Texas, so I knew I needed to be warm, also... Here are some of the pinterest pictures I found for inspiration:
I love this room, it is so feminine and classy. I would die for this room. And that gallery wall... 
I mean, seriously? Give it to me!!!! LOVE
This bathroom is so dreamy and romantic. I need. Need
I could probably actually get away with doing something like this in our
living room. It is soft and casual, yet pretty, but not too feminine that the
husband would freak. Hopeful

Here is what I came up with:
I found a purple plaid button up in my closet, that I am sad to say, I haven't worn in probably a couple of years!!! I threw over my super comfy gray sweater with some gold jewelry, black skinny jeans and my justfab riding boots! 
These pictures are terrible, but I am the last one to leave the house, so you gotta do what you gotta do!
Is that a selfie on a Thursday??? Holy cow, it is. My bad.... :)
Some costume jewelry.
My favorite riding boots ever!!

Outfit deets:
Purple plaid top (from a few years ago): Forever 21 (Similar)
Sweater:  Similar
Riding boots: JustFab.com
Black Skinny Jeans: Gap
Gold wrap around watch: Amazon
Necklace: Similar

With Love, Dez

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Halloween- Part 2 (Actually) and a little Wurstfest!

Happy late Halloween from the Martin's!!! I have a little back tracking to do. I was holding off on these pictures, waiting on our family Pumpkin Patch pictures (which I will upload as soon as I get them), but I thought I would show you a few from the Pumpkin Patch.
He thought this pumpkin was seriously the funniest thing he had ever laid eyes on!
Don't mess with the Ninja! He has got serious skills!


TWO NINJAS!!! What What??
We like to try on our black Halloween lipstick for fun! Don't judge...

Every year in our little town either right around Halloween or right after, we have our annual WURSTFEST! If you haven't been, then you are seriously missing  out... Beer, sausage, all the fried food you could think of (fried oreos) polka bands and the chicken dance! I mean seriously... does it get better than that???
Acutally it does get better.... Bring your brother!
And your sister and sister-in-law
Take a family picture (missing one sibling)
Bring a great friend and fellow football mom.
AND DON'T FORGET YOUR HUSBAND (he's the best part!)

We had way to much fun! Wurstfest is seriously called "The ten day salute to sausage!"
You can check it out here: Wurstfest

With Love, Dez



Sunday, November 3, 2013

Mirror Mirror On the Wall- you needed an update after all!

I am all about reduce, reuse, recycle, which leads me to my next project. I needed something to hang above the fireplace, so I originally hung our painting that normally goes above our bed in our bedroom. It was working okay, but I liked it better in our bedroom, so it was out to the garage to rummage through our extra, frames, paintings and miscellaneous stuff that hasn't found a home yet. My best idea was this mirror. 
It was the perfect size and would make the space appear larger.... But it did NOT match our living room at all. Our living room, as I have stated before, is green, blue, white, gray with pops of black... That brown shiny wood was not working for me, so I decided to paint it white. 
My tools for the project were white paint, painters tape, a small brush, sandpaper, and drop cloth. 
 I just taped around where I didn't want to paint and pressed firmly so that it didn't seep under.
I started by roughing it up a tiny bit with sand paper, since the brown was so shiny. Then
I painted the first coat and had to add a couple of extra pieces of tape, because it was dripping off of my brush onto the mirror further into the middle. I then painted one more coat and let it dry until the next morning.
I was really happy with the outcome for now. I need to change up the fireplace tile. It is literally the same tile as the tile on our kitchen floors. I am thinking of rock or something like that. 
Our fireplace with everyday normal decor.

Our fireplace with fall/halloween decor.
With Love, Dez

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