I won the Lottery!!!

Ok,,,I've always been a big fan of shopping thrift stores, but this time it really paid off.  This past February, I bought a pair of Levi Jeans that were a perfect fit and priced at only $3.99.  I took them home and laundered them, and as I was putting them on the next morning, I reached in to the right side pocket to 'straighten' it out.  I pulled out what I thought was a price tag, and it turned out to  be a tiny folded up bill.  My first thought was that it was a dollar, but as I unfolded it, discovered it was a TWENTY DOLLAR BILL!!


I decided to hang on to that tiny one-inch square of currency and keep it in my car until I could decide what to do with it.  Several times I found myself low on cash in my pocketbook to grab a quick soda or drive thru meal, and I refused to allow myself to use that $20.  This past Monday happened to be 07/11/11.  I thought this sounded like the perfect day to buy a lottery ticket.  The only time I have EVER spent money on the lottery was to buy a couple of scratch-off tickets. I handed over the tiny square to the proprietor's wife who happened to be operating the cash register, and told her to just 'pick out some lottery tickets' for me.  Her husband, the store manager, told her what to pick for me, and she handed over 4 tickets ($5 each) to me.  I made them both 'touch' the tickets for 'good luck'.  On Thursday, I remembered the tickets and decided to go online to check the numbers.  I figured out the website and pulled up the games she had picked, and the first line of the first ticket had the same numbers that were on the website.  I wasn't sure I was looking at it correctly so I punched in my ticket numbers again to confirm  Sure enough, I had 4 out of the 5 numbers and ended up winning $1656.00!!!  I took my ticket to the lottery office the very next day to just double check that I was right and the precious little lady behind the window, confirmed it.  She said, 'Yep,,,you WON!!


They printed out my check (along with a W2 form, Ick!!) and handed it over along with a pretty cool T-shirt.

So,,Like I've always said.  It pays to shop at thrift stores!!!!

My Favorite Makeup and Hair Stuff

I was at my favorite 'discount' super store the other day to replenish my make-up and hair color supplies and decided to share with you the stuff I use.  At one time, I used to pay high dollar for designer brand make-up and go to expensive salons for hi-lights. I decided to experiment with less expensive popular brands at the discount stores and boy have I ever saved a ton of money and I love these products. 

This is a great face scrub.  It has a hint of 'orange' fragrance, and has exfoliating beads.  My face feels so polished after using.  When I rinse it with cold water, it has a minty cool feel to it.  Awesome stuff and I use it morning and night.

I love all of the Olay products for cleansing and moisturizing.  I've tried just about all of them and I don't have a specific favorite.  The age-defying products are great.

This is the foundation I use.  The stores usually have a little swatch to put over your skin to find the best match.  It also has suncreen in it.  I love the mineral make-up as well.  Makes your skin look super silky.  To finish off my make-up, I spritz toner on my face with a misting spray bottle to make the finished look 'dewey'.

I have used L'Oreal Mascara for years and years.  It is not expensive and I love the way it applies.  No clumping or smearing.  Great stuff!  At one time they had Navy Blue, but I have not been able to find it for a long time.  That was my all-time favorite.  Now I use 'blackest-black'.

I use L'Oreal Eye Makeup Remover to remove the mascara.  Super gentle and does not irritate my eyes. 

Instead of paying hundreds of dollars on expensive salons to color my hair, I experimented with different products and found that these two were my very favorites.  The Clairol Perfect Ten is perfect for me (pardon the pun).  I use #7 for covering those blasted little gray hairs that are starting to pop out at the roots.  It actually only takes 10 minutes to process.  Next I put in blonde hi-lites by using L'Oreal hi-liting kit.  I use 'Champagne'.  These products are super gentle and very true color.  I still get my hair cut by a professional.  That's just a little too tricky for me to do myself.  However, my stylist asked me who colored my hair, and I told him 'L'Oreal' and he was super impressed.  He said my hair was in great condition and to keep doing what I was doing. 

I believe most of the over-the-counter hair color products are super safe and I can honestly say that I have never had a problem coloring my own hair.  I'd rather keep all that extra money and decorate something or shop at my favorite thrift store.  I am OVER paying high prices when I can get the same or better results shopping discounts or over the counter.

Another Day,,,Another Shoe

I love these 'Poetic Justice' shoes I dug out of the thrift store bin.  I had to work really hard to find the matched pair, but it was so worth it.  It's like a giant treasure hunt.  Again,,,these shoes look almost new.  Wonder why anybody would get rid of these?  Super cute.  If you look them up online, they are pretty pricey.  I can handle $3.99 though.  "One man's junk is another man's treasure".  Don't know who to give credit for that phrase, but it is so TRUE!  Look at the pretty detail on the bottom of the shoe.

Still more to come. 

Betsey Johnson Shoe Find

Seriously??  Someone grew tired of these Betsey Johnson 'Cinderella' heels??  Another lucky find while digging through all the shoe bins.  These are amazingly comfortable to walk in.  They look super high, but the toe portion is about an inch high so they are not treacherous to walk in.  I'm walking around in them at work today.  Love them...

More to come.

Cute Shoes!

I found these at my favorite thrift store,,,along with 12 other pair.  I know,,,,,I'm obsessed.  At $3.99 each, how can you NOT?  I had to work hard for these though.  There were about 6 bins filled to the brim with donated shoes, and I found one shoe in one bin, and had to dig and dig to find the mate.  It was well worth the broken nail don't you think?  They're comfy and blingy.  Just the way I like my shoes.  I'll try to post the others soon when I wear them.  I'm at work so just used my iPhone to capture a photo.

Another sitting area

My projects always seem to grow hair!  After I finished the patio from previous post, I looked around for ways to improve the area where our chiminea is.  I've always wanted to do 'something' in that little area, but never knew what.  I saw something similar to this in a magazine and decided to just copy the idea.

 I went to my favorite hardware store and purchased some loose flagstones and some crushed granite to do this project.

Spider webs intrigue me.  I snapped a photo of this one right before I ran in to it. The sun was shining right on it so I got a pretty good shot of it.  Nature is so incredible.  Have you ever just sat and watched a spider build a web?  They do it so quickly and the pattern is so geometrically perfect.

The first thing I did was loosen the soil in that area around the chiminea to lay the flagstone.  I didn't plan the layout, because I wanted it to be random looking. 

Look,,,here's my little lizard friend again.  This time she watched me from my little weather vane and she switched to green.  Such a nosey little critter.  She watches everything I do.

The final step of the project was to fill in the space between the flagstone with the crushed granite.  I just poured it on top and then swept it with a broom to fill in between.

I love the chiminea, even in the summer time.  If you burn pinion wood, it repels the mosquitoes and it smells wonderful. 

There's nothing better than sitting outside after a long day, with a glass of wine, Frank Sinatra playing through the outdoor speakers, and the smell of the pinion wood.  Ahhh,,,so relaxing.

I think I might install a misting system on the back patio as my next project.  In August, it will be difficult to sit outside for very long without a cooling system.  I already have a ceiling fan installed, but water just makes it about 5-10 degrees cooler.  I need to do some reading to find out the best approach.  You KNOW I will come up with something!

Until next time....

Patio Project

Yesterday I looked out at my patio and decided it needed a MAJOR makeover.  The concrete had been painted on a couple of times and was chipping and peeling.  It looked horrible.  I started using acetone to try to peel it off but decided that was going to take forever.  I made a trip to the 'orange' store to see if I could find an easy fixer-upper.  Lo and behold, at the entrance of the store this rubber tile was on display with beautiful patio furniture by Martha Stewart. 

The sales guy convinced me that this was very easy to install, and since I didn't have exact measurements, I told him I thought the patio was about 12x12.  I guessed pretty accurately!  I only ended up with 3 extra tiles that I was able to return today.

These tiles are 18x18 and are made from recycled tires in landfills.  What a GREAT idea!!

I replaced the bamboo shade on the side of the patio.  The old one was faded and worn looking.  Looks like I have a new friend.  He stayed with me most of the day watching me work.  So cute.

Looks like he 'posed' for this shot.

This tile was so easy to install.  I just layed them down side by side, and used the clips provided on the parameter to secure them.  I had to cut one of them to go around the support post.  That was the most difficult part of the project.  This stuff is super tuff.

I love the way this turned out.  Such an easy project.  It only took about an hour to install.  What a difference!



I indulged myself and purchased the beautiful Martha Stewart patio set.  I love outdoor living rooms.  The weather has been so perfect lately.  I want to take full advantage of being outdoors before the hot summer comes.

I think I'll go buy some hanging baskets tomorrow to finish out the 'room'.  Spring has Sprung and I'm in my outdoor mood. 

Have a nice week!

Cooking Inspiration 'Chicken Enchiladas'

I have a million cookbooks, but one of my favorites is the Southern Living 'Our Readers Top-Rated Recipes'.    All the recipes in this cookbook that I have tried have been awesome!  I made these Chicken Enchiladas a few weeks ago and they were so easy and absolutely delicious.  The ingredients are easy to find at the grocery store.  I believe the fresh cilantro was the magic ingredient for the great flavor.

Instead of cooking my own chicken, I chose to select a flavorful roasted ready-to-serve chicken from Kroger's.  I like to take short-cuts in cooking whenever possible.

Here is a shot of the filling for the chicken enchiladas.  (Recipe will follow)

I stuffed each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and rolled fairly tightly to get them all in the dish.

After the enchiladas were baked, I put the remaining ingredients on top. 

I had some Fiesta Plates that I bought a few years back in Canton.  I thought they would be perfect for serving the enchiladas.  I prepared some Mexican Rice (from a box of course) and opened a can of Ranch Style Black Beans.  They are much healthier than re-fried beans.

This was absolutely delicious!  It only took about 15 minutes to throw it all together, and then took 40 minutes to bake.  I think these are better than most Mexican Food restaurants we frequent.  Give them a try!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups (8oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers

1/2 cup sour cream

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I think this is important!)

8 (8")Flour Tortillas

1 (8oz) container sour cream

1 (8oz)jar tomatilla salsa

Toppings:

 diced tomatoes, chopped avocado, chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped cilantro

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly down center of each tortilla, and roll up.  Arrange, seam side down, in lightly greased 13 x 9" baking dish.  Coat tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. 

Stir together 8 oz container sour cream and salsa.  Spoon over hot enchiladas; sprinkle evenly with desired toppings. 

Yield: 4 servings.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Remember the old Shamrock stations growing up?  Well they still exist in East Texas.  I took the back roads through Kaufman and found two of them within a 5 mile distance. 

My friends all know I'm a Maxine fan, and I got this from several of them today via email.  Here's my favorite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alYZklUQNww

 

                      

Latest Closet Update...SHOES!!

I'm super bad about dumping my shoes in the middle of the closet floor at the end of the day because I'm too lazy to put them away. Several months ago I posted a closet update  blog where I added shelves for my shoes.

Today, I took it one step further because I was falling back in to my undesireable behaviour of not putting my shoes away.  I visited a friend of mine a few weeks ago who had a closet organizer person come to her home and organize her closet for her.  I was literally drooling!  I decided that I too, could be as organized if I put my mind to it.

I have tons of shoes that I just can't seem to part with.  Most of them I have purchased at thrift stores for a ridiculously low price.

I got these for just $3.99 a couple of years ago and I have gotten many compliments.  They are super tall, yet super comfy.

I went to the local 'Orange' store and bought a bunch of plastic shoe boxes for 99 cents each.  I photographed each and every one of my shoes, went to a photo kiosk and printed all of them.  I attached a photo to the end of each box and placed the shoes inside.

  WOW!!  What a difference!  I can easily locate the shoe I need at a glance.

I found the perfect solution for all the flip-flops I have.  ( A girl can NEVER have enough flip-flops,,,,,,REALLY!)  I found this little flip-flop 'tree' that I hung on the side of the existing shelf.  I've always had the over-the-door rack, but today decided to put my dressier flip-flops inside for easy access and removal. 

I always feel so good when I get organized, even though I have to work very hard at staying that way.  At least this will keep me motivated. 

I'm in the mood to cook....maybe the next post will be a super recipe..  I'll dig.

FAT TUESDAY (aka MARDIS GRAS)

I found these awesome masks at Pier I Import last week while shopping with my sisters.  This is just a sampling of what they had, but these were a few of my most favorite.  They were a little pricey, but so fun to try on.

We had King's Cake at work today and had a few beads scattered around for fun. 

I've never been to Mardis Gras, but I can only imagine how colorful it might be if these masks are any indication. 

I had to try them on and take self portraits with my IPhone 4.  Thank goodness for the reversible camera.

Have a nice week.  Spring is almost 'sprung'.

You know You're a Redneck If.......

I took the back roads to Gladewater today to do a little antique shopping.  I made sure I had my camera with me again because I was pretty sure I'd find some fun photo opportunities.  Like this one...

So if this is TRASH,,,,why would you want to keep it??

I love the concrete blocks that line the dirt drive to who-knows-what.  They must have had some leftover blocks, because they made the lovely entrance posts with a stack of 5, one single artificial stem of orange flowers, and a reflector light on both sides of the driveway.  Talk about 'curb appeal'.

 This place must belong to some creative auto mechanic that needed a 'lift' to get the engine out.  Why not use the kid's swingset and borrow some of the blocks from the previous photo's driveway to create your own ?  I wonder if the trailor at the back might be 'permanently' attached somehow. 

Country Road

These photos are so funny.  I was making my way to Tyler on the back road, and had to double back to get these photos.  Thank goodness I had my camera with me. 

This thing was on the side of the road in front of some one's home.  I supposed at one time it was maybe a 'Flower Bed'. 

:)

Just a mile or so down the road, I came across this rusted out shell of an automobile propped up on saw horses.

I wonder what the owner originally had in mind or what grandiose plans he had to 'fix-er-up'.

As soon as I got back to the lake house, the sky turned black and the sky fell.

Ten minutes later,,,it looked like this. 

East Texas weather is very strange, but I really love thunderstorms on the lake.  Things are already starting to bloom here.  The azaleas will be out in  a few weeks.