tips for your christmas cards

i like this time of year because i actually like the mail that i receive!  i have been getting adorable christmas cards for the past week.  in honor of the traditional christmas cards, i thought i would share some great tips and examples that will definitely make your family stand out....

1.  matching gender specific sweaters



2.  do something that really shows off your families creative side

3.  get the kids involved...make the process fun for them!

4.  highlight your summer vacation and all the fun that your family had

5.  show off any new additions to the family...even if there is a litter of them

6.  get close!  show that you are a family that loves eachother {and be sure to incorporate every shade of denim}

last, but certainly not least

7.  get back to the basics.  simply your photos so that your families true beauty can shine through! 

{all photos are from awkwardfamilyphotos.com}

i hope these great tips can put a smile on your face and help you with your christmas cards this year!



tasty must have {bagel thins}

i was at the store the other day strolling down the bread aisle looking for a low cal option when these caught my eye...

they are bagel thins....thin bagels!  i love bagels, but never eat them b/c they can easily have 400 + calories in one, before you add any toppings.  so, you can imagine how excited i was when i saw these bagel thins.  they only have 110 calories!  with all the other nutritional info, they come to a total of 1 weight watchers point.  SCORE!  they are great as sandwiches or with some cream cheese for breakfast....or with nutella if you have a sweet tooth, the possibilities are endless.  my fave is the "everything", but the "plain" is good as well.  now when you are grocery shopping you can grab a package of bagels without feeling guilty!

easy peasy gift idea

i am reposting a post from last year around this time for my Russian Tea recipe.  i have had many people ask for it and it makes a great gift to teachers, girlfriends, coworkers, etc.  it's easy peasy and everyone loves it!


2009 Repost:

i needed a little something for a few of my girl friends for christmas this year.  as i have mentioned in a previous post, i feel like i need to be a little more crafty.  so, for these gifts i decided i would make something.  my mom has a great recipe for russian tea.  it's kind of like a citrusy cider...super easy and really yummy.  my plan was to put the russian tea in a glass canning jar with fabric on top.  as you can see i actually did it and they turned out pretty cute!  i had some left over amy butler fabric {which i absolutely love} and most of it was already cut into squares, making it perfect for the jars.  i also had some yarn {from an unfinished yarn wrapped wreath i started a few weeks ago} to spruce the jars up a bit.  here's the end result...

i was proud that i had actually finished a "crafty" project!  here is the yummy recipe:

russian tea

2 cups sugar

2 cups tang {target didn't have tang, so i used orange kool-aid...the kind in the canister.  Reasor's does sell Tang!}

1 cup instant lemonade

1/2 cup lipton instant tea

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

mix ingredients together.  use 4-5 teaspoons in a hot cup of water...enjoy!

we give this recipe

*****

what's cookin' this week

this week i am trying out a couple of new recipes from my new cooking light magazine.  they sound pretty yummy, so we will see!  here's what i have on my menu this week...

salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and red potatoes

chicken & black bean-stuffed burritos

chicken with balsamic vinegar pan sauce & orzo

taco salad with tortilla chips

any good recipes on your menus?

home remix

so, mymichael and i have lived in our house for a whole 3 years this month.  crazy to think that we have been back in t-town for that long.  3 years is the longest i have lived anywhere in the past 10 years!  now, this is nice b/c it means i don't have to pack and move and all that jazz, but the packing and moving and such always allows me to change my "home" space.  redecorate, paint, change things up a bit.  now that the 3 years are here, i am definitely ready for a home remix/redo/redecorate/repaint/etc!  to be honest, mymichael isn't too excited b/c when we bought the house 3 years ago it had just been professionally painted on the inside and i proceeded to paint every single room before moving in.  so, the thought of having to do that all over again is a little daunting to him!  but, here's the deal, i want a change, something different, and the least expensive thing you can do that can make a MAJOR impact on the feel of a space is paint.  so paint we shall...after the new year and after i determine what colors and such.  back in may i picked up some fabric to use in our office.  it has since sat in the corner b/c i had a feeling i was going to want to repaint everything and wanted to wait until i knew what the rest of the house was going to be.  lately i have been drawn to the light interiors w/ the greys and blues and lots of white.  my house has wood stained trim and since we won't be there forever, i don't want to go to the hastle and expense of painting everything white....although i would love that.  my walls are greens and blues right now (which i like....just want a change) so going with a lighter grey/blue color will really change the look.

here are some things that i am loving right now.....

wallcoverings. 
these are all suzy hoodless designs from osborne & little.  i saw the first one, green and purple, in my friend francie's new york apartment and completely fell in love.  she had it on one wall and it was gorgeous!  b/c i'm going for a lighter look i wouldn't use the first colorway, although i love it.  below are some other designs from the same designer.

now, i wouldn't be doing every wall, if anything, just one.  haven't made up my mind.

white ornate frames

bold patterns

combination of patterns - geometric w/ organic

the possibilities are endless!  feel free to share input, links, photos, etc.  i always have a hard time deciding what to do for myself.  i can help someone else all day long w/ no problem....but me?  i'd hate to have a client like me! 

more family photos

this family is beautiful!  it was the perfect day for photos and the kiddos had tons of character which always makes things fun!

as you will see, both boys have killer blue eyes like their momma and the little girl has beautiful deep, dark brown eyes like her daddy.

i love a family that can have fun together!!!

thank you K family for a fabulous fall family photo session!