Favorite Things Friday

It's Friday . . . and you know what that means! 


Here is what I am lovin' this week.
Paper straws. Yes, that's right. I'm in love with straws . . . but in my defense, they aren't just any straws.
They are fancy schmancy paper straws! 

Here are the ones that I ordered. Of course I got the turquoise dots! 


I put them in a vintage canning jar and they look so cool!

Did you know that ice cream floats taste better when you use a decorative paper straw? Seriously, it's true!  : )


I ordered my straws from The Sugar Diva and they have every color and style you can imagine. There is also a blog with great party ideas using their products.

Have a great weekend!!


** I was not compensated by The Sugar Diva for writing this post. I just love their products and wanted to share with all of you! **

Fall Is Fabulous!

This is my favorite time of year. I love the cool, crisp evenings. Open windows. Colorful, crunchy leaves falling. Picking apples. Pumpkins and gourds. Apple cider. 


I finished up my autumn decorating and wanted to share with all of you!


Here is my infamous table that I decorate for holidays/seasons. This is all stuff that I already had except for the candy corn. The artwork is from the Graphic's Fairy - FREE! - I printed it off last year and it's one of my favorites. 

I love how the "S" pumpkin turned out. I made it last year and it was on my front porch. I just glued some faux leaves and berries near the stem. The "S" is self-adhesive trim that I shaped and stuck on the faux pumpkin.

Decorating with candy corn is fun!! We found out that Jake (the dog) likes candy corn. I had some in a bowl on a shelf that he could reach and he was chowing down!


I didn't change too much on my shelves. Just a few faux leaves in a basket, a pumpkin and some faux gourds that I spray painted. 

I wanted to keep the blue accessories out and not just have all orange and pumpkins everywhere.

I really like how the blue and orange look together.

Here is the shelf that Handyman Hubby built. I already showed you a sneak peek in this post but I love it so here it is again.

Closer to Halloween I'll add a few Jack-O-Lanterns here and there. Then, after Halloween, I'll add a few turkeys and Thanksgiving items. I'm done with all my major holiday decorating until Christmas. Wow! I can't believe that's only a few months away.


I'm almost finished decorating my front porch for autumn. More pictures are on the way soon . . .


Have an awesome day!!


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Menu Plan Monday

Hey everyone! I hope you had a nice weekend. We had perfect fall weather here. Do you ever have a day (or days) when you can't seem to finish anything? I have so much on my to-do list and didn't get much done over the weekend. I guess that's just how it goes sometimes.

Let's talk food! The one thing I did manage to finish was my grocery list and menu plan. I'm going to try a few new recipes this week. I hope they're good!

Menu for the week of September 26 thru October 2


Monday:  Chicken w/Apple Celery Slaw


Tuesday:  Pesto Pasta, Wheat Rolls


Wednesday:  Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore, Noodles


Thursday:  Hamburgers/Veggie Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries


Friday:  Eat Out


Saturday:  Grilled Chicken, Creamy Cucumber Salad


Sunday:  Asian Ginger Sesame Chicken, Broccoli




Creamy Cucumber Salad


1/2 Cup Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt
1 Tbs Vinegar
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Dried Dill
Dash Black Pepper
1 Large Cucumber, Peeled, Halved Lengthwise and Thinly Sliced (about 3 cups)
1/3 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion



In a medium bowl combine sour cream, vinegar, salt, dill and pepper. Add cucumber and onion; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Stir before serving. 


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Favorite Things Friday

It's Friday! Thank goodness! This has been a long week. 


I have decided to combine Turquoise Tuesday and Favorite Things Friday into one weekly post. A lot of the items I choose are turquoise and my favorite thing so this will simplify things for me.


Okay, enough of my chit chat . . . here is what I am lovin' this week.

Yes, my friends, that is
a turquoise ice cream maker. I love homemade ice cream! I bet it tastes even better when you make it in a turquoise ice cream maker! Ha Ha!
You can order your very own from Amazon $36.98.

Have an awesome weekend!!

Meet My New Sponsor!

I am so happy to introduce RugsMiami to all of my awesome readers! They are based in Miami but sell online to all parts of the USA via their website at http://www.rugsmiami.com/

RugsMiami provides a large catalog of discount/wholesale area rugs. They have an extensive selection of styles - from contemporary avant garde pieces to classic old-world designs.

The company goal is to cater to the varied tastes and budgets of homeowners and inspire decorators to use rugs as focal pieces in their rooms.

Check out some of the gorgeous rugs they offer:

Traditional Ivory-Red Rug

Contemporary Casual Print Rug

Traditional Sage Area Rug

Contemporary Artsy Rug

Traditional Radici Rug

Contemporary Whimsical








You know I'm just lovin' that turquoise rug!!
Now go check out their website! You know you want to! 

A New Find . . . And A Sneak Peek

Remember the shelf that Handyman Hubby made for me?  

I loved it but didn't know what to hang on the hooks or if I should hang anything at all. I also wanted a bench of some sort to put under it. My hallway is not very wide so I'm limited in options. Here is the photo I found for inspiration:

I've been searching but haven't found anything that I like or that will fit. That is until I went to Target the other day. I was there to get something else, turned down an aisle and there it was . . .

This super cute bench with a burlap seat. There were only 2 left so I knew it was coming home with me. . . then I looked at the price. $50 buckaroos! Ouch! I started to walk away and then went back and put it in my cart! I wanted to bring it home and see how it looked. If I didn't love it, then I could always return it.


As you can see, I love it and she is staying!! 

Here is a sneak peek at my shelf all decorated for fall.  
I have most of the indoor decorating done but haven't even started on the outside yet.

This is the view looking down the hallway towards the front door. That red paint is going bye-bye very soon!


So what do you think? Cute bench but not a very thrifty price. Knowing my luck it will be on sale next week. 


Have an awesome day!! 


Linking up to the following parties:

Totally Turquoise Tuesday

I have always said that the color turquoise just makes me happy. Doesn't matter what the item is. If it's turquoise I like it. 


The other day I decided to Google the color turquoise. Here is what I found:


Turquoise, a blend of the color blue and the color green, has some of the same cool and calming attributes. The color turquoise is associated with meanings of refreshing, feminine, calming, sophisticated, energy, wisdom, serenity, wholeness, creativity, emotional balance, good luck, spiritual grounding, friendship, love, joy, tranquility, patience, intuition, and loyalty.


No wonder so many people love turquoise!!


Here is my pick for the week:

Lemon Parfait Flip Flops

from Vera Bradley

This pattern is so cute with
the yellow and turquoise
flowers. I know that Vera
products can be pricey but
these flip flops are only $12.00.
That may seem like a lot for
flip flops but they are Vera
Bradley's after all.  : )

Have an awesome day!!

Menu Plan Monday

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend. The weather here in central Ohio was just perfect! I love this time of year . . . the leaves are starting to turn and I can open the windows and enjoy the cool, crisp air. No A/C or heat needed!


With the cooler temps, I feel like cooking casseroles and soups. Here is my menu plan for the week of September 19 thru 25:


Monday: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad


Tuesday:  Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Wheat Bread


Wednesday:  Taco's, Mexican Rice


Thursday:  Potato Soup, Wheat Rolls


Friday:  Eat Out


Saturday:  Warm Chicken Salad Casserole, French Bread


Sunday:  Grilled Chicken, Roasted Red Potatoes, Cucumber Salad




This recipe is from my BFF Lori. It is so delicious and easy to make.


Warm Chicken Salad Casserole


2 Cups Cooked Chicken - Cubed
1 Cup Cooked Rice
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Celery
1 Can Cream Of Chicken Soup
3/4 Cup Mayo - Don't Use Miracle Whip!
1 tsp Dried Minced Onion
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Small Package Sliced Almonds


Topping: 1 cup crushed corn flakes & 2 Tbs melted butter.


Mix together all ingredients (except topping) and place in a greased baking dish. Chill for 24 hours. 

Mix crushed cornflakes with melted butter and sprinkle on top of chilled casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Favorite Things Friday

It's Friday!! Yeah!! Time for another one of my favorite things!!


                            Glass Jar With Lid


These glass jars come in several sizes and are reasonably priced. I have found them at Wal-mart and Meijer.

I use 2 of the large
jars to store flour
and sugar on my
kitchen counter.

I just recently purchased another jar to hold the
K-cups for my
Keurig.








Have a great weekend everybody!!
I'll be back on Monday with another Menu Plan.

Totally Turquoise Tuesday

Welcome to another Totally Turquoise Tuesday!!  The post today is for all you dog lovers out there ~ including me!! 

This cute little pup is wearing a turquoise robe from Martha Stewart Pets. I think $19.99 for a dog robe is pricey but hey, I love my Jake and he would look so cute in this!!

I love these food scoops
with the turquoise letters!
The 1 cup is on sale for
$6.39 and the 2 cup is on
sale for $7.19.


The Martha Stewart Pets collection can be found at your local Petsmart.


I'm in Petsmart a lot! With 1 dog, 4 guinea pigs and 2 fish we always need something for somebody! 


Have an awesome day!!

Finishing Touches

Hello my friends! I just recently added a few finishing touches to Hannah's new room and wanted to share them with you.


I wasn't sure what to do with the long wall next to her bed . . .

. . . until I was at my neighbor's house last week. She had recently painted and redecorated her son's room so I went in to take a look. His room was super cute and she did a great job! I loved how she had spelled out his name in giant wood letters on one of the walls. Well, that got my decorating brain a thinkin'!! I could copy, um, borrow her idea for Hannah's room. Yes, I'm totally admitting to being a copycat and stealing her idea. Thanks Marsha!!  : )

I purchased some wood letters at JoAnn's and used coupons (of course!) so my total was about $25. I painted them white and added saw-tooth hangers to the back - actually Handyman Hubby did that part.


I love how they fill up that long wall!

Boy do those letters look crooked! Should've checked that before taking pictures. Oops!


I also found a few other items to complete her room.


The round black rug was on clearance at Wal-Mart for $4!!  You can see it better in this picture:

I found a cute polka dot flower hook at Hobby Lobby. It was about $2 after my 40% coupon. I hung it next to Hannah's desk and she can put her backpack on it.

I'm so happy with how her room turned out! She loves it, I love it and Handyman Hubby loves that it's done!!


**You can click on each picture to enlarge**


Have an awesome day!!


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