G-Dub top 10

My #1 find? The red cowboy boots.....I want to wear them every day!

G-Dub top 10

The Giving Gals

I belong to a neighborhood group of ladies that meet once a month and have lunch and donate to a new charity. (how come food looks yucky with flash photography?) It was deelicious! Our December lunch was at my friend Carlyn's home that was decked out in all of it's Christmas finest! Each table setting was different and it made a really beautiful, eclectic table. She and a friend of hers gave each other one table setting for Christmas every year so now her table is filled with different plates, bowls and chargers. It really looked amazing! What a great idea!

Here is my table setting with a blue Hanukkah type plate...she is sooo thoughtful.....oh and she picked it up at the G-Dub because she knows me so well! I love all of the beautiful ways you could make a table with mismatched items. It looked amazing. Thanks Carlyn!!

Guess where we are going in January? A Goodwill Field Trip! We are each bringing donations along with a little shopping excursion as well. I can't wait!

The Giving Gals

Instant Cocoa Mix...Yummmm

Easy and Deelicious Hot Cocoa Mix

10 2/3 c. powdered milk (25.6 oz. box) (eyeball it)

1 (16 oz.) can unsweetened cocoa ( I prefer the dark cocoa)

2 to 4 cups powdered sugar

6 oz. Coffee Mate creamer

1 lg box chocolate instant pudding

Pinch of Salt

Mini Chocolate Chips

This recipe is good because you can just put in whatever you want. More milk, less cocoa, more sugar, less ....whatever you want!

Add hot water and mix (alot) maybe even whisk it a little!

Put a pack of Starbucks Instant Coffee for added deeliciousness!

Instant Cocoa Mix...Yummmm

Mad Men Party Part 2

Introducing Krista as Peggy......(her hair stylist should win an award for this one!)

Keys as Freddie Rumson

Freddy Rumson from Mad Men

What!? Peggy hooks up with Freddy Rumson (you would have to watch the show to catch that one...)

Let me txt Don real quick and tell him Freddie and I won't be in on Monday...

Mad Men Party Part 2

Mad Men Party of the Century! Part One

ALL CIGARETTES IN THE PHOTOS ARE NOT REAL!!!

My Bestie Lisa K. gave me the best Mad Men Dinner Party of the Entire Century!

She found the best faux ciggies at a prop house that blow "smoke" and are all glittery on the end so they look "lit". If you watch Mad Men then you know a cigarette is your most important accessory!

Krista and Scott (Keys) are greeted by the Paparazzi...(me)

Ellen brought The Best Jello in all of the Planet...

Group shot...

Lisa put together a party trivia game from the 60's and from the Mad Men Series....It was sooo fun~!.....and since I'm the only one who watches Mad Men Religiously...I was the winner...(in my own mind of course)


Lisa and Roger (she likes to call him Rogie and so do I)

are the best team EVER!

Shrimp Cocktail Starter...Lisa sets the most amazing table!


It would not be a 1960's dinner party without the Jello Mold. Let me tell you that Ellen worked on this masterpiece for 3 days, and it was THE MOST AMAZING THING I'VE EVER EATEN!!


All the ladies in our fancy Mad Men Attire...

A lady wears gloves and carries a pocketbook....oh and smokes a little...

This is part one in a series stay tuned for more of our show....

Mad Men Party of the Century! Part One

I crack myself up!!

I crack myself up!!

Caramel Corn

Ingredients: (Remember I doubled the recipe for the video.)
We were making a boatload that day so I used 4 sticks of butter not 8, I really shouldn't do math....OOooopsie!****Yikes it should be 2 CUPS!!! (I doubled it for the recipe listed)

1 cup Butter
2 cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Cornsyrup
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
6 quarts Popped Popcorn

Directions:

Melt butter; stir in brown sugar, cornsyrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, than boil, without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in soda and vanilla. Gradually pour over corn, mix well. Turn into two large, shallow baking pans. Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour, stir every 20 minutes.

Look for the labels here:http://www.labelblankcorporation.com/distibutors/index.html

Caramel Corn

Chocolate Christmas Crack

My mom likes to add some mini marshmallows to this mix....it is reaaallly good!

I'm linking up here....


http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

Chocolate Christmas Crack

Christmas Crack

Ok here is the recipe...but there really isn't one..

1 Double Bag of Vik's Popcorn
1 Package of Almond Bark White Candy Coating
1 or 2 cap fulls of Peppermint Extract or Peppermint Oil
2 cups of Rice Crispie Type Cereal
1 cup crunched up candy canes
2 cups Craisins
2 cups crunched up pretzles
1 cup peanuts

You should Zumba 5 days a week while this is in your house, or just eat it while running on the treadmill...your choice.


Make it up as you go!! I make it different every time.
Here's where I'm linking up:



http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

Christmas Crack

Do Not Use A Blowtorch to Dry Your Hair

I could not figure out for the life of me why my hair was breaking off and all of a sudden I had bangs, where there were none before. The girl that cuts my hair asked me what the heck I was doing to make my hair break off. I had no idea until I noticed sparks flying out of my blow drier and singed off a big chunk of hair. Mystery solved.

Do Not Use A Blowtorch to Dry Your Hair

Best Movie Night Ever...Well for a minute anyway

Best Love Story Ever Told....No joke...
Those aren't pillows!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies as a side dish...sure why not

Horse dooovers as our kids like to say (ok me too!)
I was THE ONLY ONE to eat the SPINICH dip.....What is it with the male gene and anything green.....what is it I ask?!
Pigs in a Blanket!!! (This is boy food)

Put the movie in and this is what happens...

OK Boy #1 --- I'm going to my girlfriends house
Boy #2---I have a lot of "studying" to do

(he means new video games to try on his computer)

Well the mister and I had a great time! So there!!

Best Movie Night Ever...Well for a minute anyway

WIWW The jacket edition...

Pink Plaid Jacket -Jason? Brand Goodwill

H&M Button Down Shirt from Goodwill

Jeans The Gap via Goodwill

Boots Target (I loooove them can you tell?)

Vintage Wool Coat Goodwill (It could be a childs coat but I don't care!)

H&M Shirt again....I love that thing.

Cable Knit Skirt Goodwill

Boots Nine West

Doggie---Casey

Close up of the cable knit skirt.
I was at an event for Safe House Denver...

Long Coat - No Tag Inside Goodwill
Riding Pants Anne Taylor Loft
Wing Tip Shoes- Steve Madden Goodwill

Setting the Hanukkah Table

I like to call these my Colorado Winter Seasonal Decorations...just go with it...

Banana Republic Sweater Dress
Old Navy Denim Jacket
All Goodwill all the time!

I wore this outfit to "dress" our Lafayette Chamber of Commerce members for the VIP Shopping Event for the new Goodwill Store opening in Lafayette, Colorado!
*I snagged the BEST pair of red cowboy boots as I was picking out outfits for the ladies! (I pulled them aside for my own cart!)
**Have I mentioned that I blog for Goodwill? I shop all of the different stores and find the most amazing things! Just so you know...I shop in the retail part ONLY. I don't get any behind the scenes shopping privileges.

http://www.thriftingdenver.org/

WIWW The jacket edition...

Hanukkah Decorations

My MIL saved this Hanukkah banner from the 1960's. She gave it to me and I love the retro colors of orange, mustard, turquoise and white. I would have never guessed that when I sprayed the Goodwill lamps orange, I could find a million places to show them off! The menorahs on the table have been collected from my husbands family and some we have added along the way. It is really beautiful if you light one for every person in the family. Be careful by the end of the week that is a lot of flames! (8 nights)
Isn't it pretty close up? I love it taped up letters and all....

Happy Festival of Lights!

Hanukkah Decorations

A Season for Giving

Best...

Hanukkah....
Gift....

EVER!...

A Season for Giving

Hanukkah Tablescape

Hanukkah Tablescape

Cozy Dinner

Here's my recipe on how to make French onion soup the easy and non-stink up your hands beyond repair way.

The secret is frozen chopped onions! Hooray! I've chopped all of the onions by hand before, and I thought that the onion smell would never go away! Ick!

Saute the thawed onions in butter AND olive oil for about 30 mins. You want them all brown and caramelly. Sure it is a word, I made it up.

Browner....

Getting there...

Ahhh! Now glug some wine in there. No you don't need to measure...I used white, but red is good too!

I used 2 cartons of low sodium beef broth and a teaspoon of this Beef Base, yum.

Slice a baguette and top with Gruyere cheese...put under the broiler and enjoy! I know it looks like it needs more cheese.. I agree....but I couldn't get a good photo before the boys took them from me!

Cozy Dinner