The Oil Cleansing Method (OCM)

I recently ran out of my usual face wash and moisturizer (convenient that it happened at the same time). I haven't had a chance to purchase more, so yesterday I began to scour the internet for an at-home facial exfoliating facial scrub recipe. I hit the jackpot with this Lemon and Sugar Face Scrub from Beauty Banter. I used it and my face felt clean, soft, and moisturized without any harsh chemicals! But, I actually came to that recipe through another site, Homemade for Elle. She had posted a list of at-home facial cleansers and the Lemon & Sugar was just one of them. More importantly, her post was about the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). I began researching and soaking up as much information as I could about OCM. Crunchy Betty has an excellent, detailed post about trying OCM for yourself. If you're not sure which oils to choose, The Happy Skin Diary can help you with that!

I used my empty facial cleanser bottle to mix 3 tablespoons of Castor Oil, 3 tablespoons of Sweet Almond Oil, and 3 tablespoons of Apricot Kernel Oil.

Make sure you do the research and find a formula that works for you!

3 Meals, 1 Recipe : Mixture for Meatballs, Meatloaf, or Burgers

I hate leftovers. Like, h-a-t-e them. There are very few things I will eat more than once. And unfortunately, that goes for both restaurant food and home-cooked meals. I'm a little less hateful towards home-cooked meals.

I'm a planner. I plan lots of things, including my weekly menu. I try to plan for meals that use the same ingredients (if they're not common pantry items) so as not to waste anything. I hate wasting food. Hating leftovers and hating to waste food make my life a living... you get it. And to make all these matters worse, I am not great at cooking for two and minimizing leftovers. So, the planning saves me. Sometimes...

Well, I decided a while back I was going to attempt to make meatloaf. I have never eaten it in my life, that I can remember. Most kids had it growing up. I don't recall my mom or grandmother ever making it. I now know why...it's freaking disgusting to make. Raw meat, raw eggs, soggy bread... oh, and you have to mix it with your bare hands. Woof.

Well, I did it. I used The Pioneer's Woman's Meatloaf recipe, though I added one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the mixture and I added about half a bell pepper and half an onion, both finely chopped. I also used a Parmesan, Romano, & Asiago cheese blend, since that's what I already had on hand. I didn't even gag once; however, once I was done combining all the ingredients, I realized I was going to have a huge 'loaf' on my hands. I did some googling and it turns out the recipe I used for my meatloaf is very similar to most meatball recipes AND it freezes well!

As a matter of fact, I found this post which shows you how to adapt your batch to make meatloaf, meatballs, or burgers! And Stockpiling Moms taught me how to flash freeze the uncooked mixture.

Now I have a perfect-sized loaf (which I'm sure will still yield leftovers--ack!) and I have meatballs for spaghetti & meatballs and patties for burger night!

An Adventure in Homemade Sugar Scrub-making

I needed to make some favors for a Bachelorette Spa Party I'm hosting this weekend, so I searched Pinterest and gathered a few recipes to try. Thank goodness I started a few weeks ago, because my first three tries were disastrous...

First, I tried to make a Little Birdie Secret's Coconut Ginger Scrub. That one turned out smelling like Chinese food. Strike 1.

Then, I tried using a pre-made scent from Hobby Lobby called "Invigorating Blend." I didn't use any of the turbinado sugar this time, just white. I found a gorgeous pink food-coloring gel and dyed it hot pink. It smelled ok and was the perfect pink tint; however,... it may or may not have dyed my skin when I tested it out. Strike 2.

So, I tried again. This time, I used a vegan cane sugar, which I thought had bigger crystals than regular sugar (better for exfoliation). It doesn't. With this one, I used a lavender essential oil fragrance blend I found at Michael's and instead of food coloring, used soap dye. I used about half the bottle and the mixture refused to turn purple. I don't know where I went wrong. Maybe the dye wasn't strong enough? Whatever. Strike 3.

So, my final attempt, I came up with what I think is a pretty good base recipe.

1 1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. kosher or epsom salt (I used kosher)
1 c. coconut oil (if your coconut oil is solid, don't heat it up to melt it, or you might end up cooking the sugar when you combine them.)
1 T. almond or vitamin e oil

Most recipes have a 2:1 ratio for sugar (or salt) to oil.

Once you've got your base, you can scent it however you like. I ended up using about 30 drops of the lavender oil I bought and used about as many drops of liquid purple food coloring. It still didn't really come out with a vivid color, but I'm not risking skin-dying scrub again.

I drew inspiration from Coordinately Yours and The Gunny Sack for labeling and decorating them.

A few Pinterest recipes

I'm not even going to make excuses as to why I don't blog anymore. I'm also not going to try to catch up on what I've missed. I'll just start here...

Pinterest is where I find 99.9% of my recipes. I recently started a shared board to allow my friends and family to pin things they have actually cooked. I have about three thousand pins. I have tried very few of the recipes.

Last night I made Classy Clutter's Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken. Next time I make it, I'll be omitting the garlic powder from the breading and adding a little salt and pepper. I served it with jasmine rice and corn on the cob. Not just any old corn, though. Fresh corn. I picked up the corn 3/$1 at Sprout's. It's one of my favorite summer sides--cheap and delicious. I just soaked the corn (silks and husks in tact) in water for a few minutes, then tossed them in my oven, directly on the over rack at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Then, using an oven mit (very important), I took them out of the oven and chopped off one end. They slipped right out of the husks and left the silks behind. It was magical.

Tonight I'm trying crock pot fajitas for the first time. I'm sort-of kind-of following Teenah's Projects recipe. You know me, I'm not great at following recipes...

I also made Domestic Charm's Easy Homemade Salsa, but... I forgot the onion and I sort of cut it in half. I used one 14.5 oz. can of chopped tomatoes plus a little bit of some diced tomatoes I had left from a recipe from last week. I used about 3 large cloves of garlic, 1/2 a large jalapeno, and just eye-balled the salt and pepper. I think it's pretty darn good, but I may add the onion if I think it needs it.

That's it. That's all I got. I don't want to overwhelm myself, you know.       

Umm, hello? Is anyone out there? Remember me?

Umm, hello? Is anyone out there? Remember me?

It's crazy how life gets away from you and you don't have time to write it all down...

So, for those of you that are still reading... hello again! Welcome back. (To me, I mean...)

It's 2013, so the Mayans were wrong (again). 2013. Wow. It's almost unbelievable how quickly time passes once you hit adulthood.

2012 was an interesting year. I did quite a bit of casual dating--it was awful. I even tried, wait for it....online dating. Please, hold your gasps. I know, I know. But, I read some statistic somewhere that said something along the lines of "half of all marriages begin online." Yeah, sure they do. After a bottle couple bottles of wine I let my friend Stefanie convince me that it was worth a shot. So, thus began my search for my online husband... ha ha ha. Let's just say that I couldn't wait for my 3-month subscription to end.

After the heartbreak of losing out on my dream house, I was at a crossroads as to whether to continue to look for a home or to rent for a bit. In February, I moved in to my very own apartment. For the first time in my life I was living alone...and I. LOVED. IT. Holy cow, I loved it so much. I bought all new furniture, decorated exactly how I wanted, and worked every morning to keep it spotless. It's hard to believe I have lived here almost a year. And, in big news... I'm staying another year. I went back and forth about starting to look for another home, but I decided to wait. I haven't lived in one place for consecutive years since I lived in the sorority house from 2005-07. WAIT! Hold the phone! I wasn't living alone... I do have a roommate--a 4-legged one! My sweet Bayla D'Lane got to move in with me. Seeing as how I have been working from home since December of 2011, my oh-so-needy angel loves living with me. She gets all mom, all the time.

So, that's the update on my personal life and my living situation. That's about all I have to report for 2012.

Kidding. Kind of. There are several points in 2012 I'd like to forget, so we'll skip over those.

So, on to 2013. A fresh start. A new year. This year two of my best friends are getting married and I'm honored that I will be by their sides when they say, "I do." I hope to finally be done with Grad School this year. I hope to travel more. I hope to continue on my journey to be healthier and happier. No resolutions necessary this year.

Love & be loved.
Waldie

Someday: A Teen & Her Journal

After a series of failed relationship and heartbreaks, I wrote in my journal, “Today is the last day and this is the last time I will ever allow myself to get hurt. No more guys.” Did I write this last year? Did I write this last week? No, I wrote this on November 23, 1999. I was fourteen years old.

While cleaning out my office closet the other day, I came across a Winnie the Pooh notebook. I recognized it immediately—my journal. I started this particular journal on February 20, 1999 and the last entry is from December 11, 2002. I amused myself by reading through it. I had written about boys I liked, friends that had coupled off, break-ups, parties, friends, and all the ups and downs of being a teen.

What struck me the most about reading entries from my teen-hood was that I haven’t changed much. I mean, I have had lots of life experiences since then, but essentially, I am the same person. I am a fourteen-year-old girl trapped in a twenty-something’s body. On January 25, 2001, I wrote, “I’ve decided that I need something more. I need love…real love.” Good grief! It sounds like I am trapped in a loveless marriage or I am a forty-year-old divorcee—I was only a teen dealing with boyfriend issues. 

I thought hard on this one—if I could go back, what would I tell myself? Back then, I had my “life plan” all figured out. How do you tell a teenage girl that all her hopes and dreams may or may not happen? Is that what our parents try to tell us, because they went back and read their own journals more than a decade after they wrote in them? More importantly, if I were to write in it today, what would I tell my future self? Interestingly enough, the last page in the journal reads:

Someday…

…I’ll be famous.

…I’ll experience real love.

…I’ll love myself.

…I’ll get married.

Dated January 15, 2001

…I will be happy with my life.

…I’ll love myself.

Dated March 19, 2001

…I will be at peace with my life.

Dated December 2, 2001

…my life will be remembered.

Dated January 2, 2002

…I’ll look back on my journal and laugh.

Dated December 17, 2002

If someone had told me back then that more than a decade later I'd be sitting at home blogging on a Friday night, I might have just given up on love then. But as I pick up my old journal and add another entry for me to look back on someday, I write, "The difference between fourteen year old me and twenty-six year old me is that I believe in love more now." I'm still standing, even after a decade of heartbreaks. That's probably what I would tell fourteen-year-old me--"You'll make it."

Paleo Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

I scoured the Internet for Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies I could make with ingredients I already had on hand. Many of them called for maple syrup, agave (not Paleo), and random nut oils. This one I had everything for AND they turned out great. I actually am not that big of a chocolate fan, so before I added the chips, I made a few cookies. Then, I added chips and made a few more. Finally, before I made the last few cookies, I added macadamia nuts. Yum!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil (I think refined would work just the same.)
1 cup blonde palm sugar
2 large eggs (cage free)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (dairy, nut and soy free--I used the Enjoy Life chips; optional)
1/2 - 1 cup macadamia nuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the coconut flour and the baking soda together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl mix together the coconut oil, palm sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts (optional).

On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, use a cookie scoop to form the cookies. I pressed mine down a bit and they turned out perfect!

Bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on your oven.

**Recipe adapted from: BakerGal

27, err, 95+ Dresses

I have so much blogging to catch up on, that I don’t even know where to begin…but today that’s not important. What is important, however, is my dress closet.

As a young girl, I refused to wear anything but skirts and dresses. (I know, big shocker, right?) I especially wanted them to be pink or purple. The frilly-er, poofy-er, sparkly-er, the better. I always have been (and always will be) a girly-girl.

This afternoon, as I was organizing my dress closet**, I had a “moment.” I was trying to decide which ones should stay and which ones should be consigned/donated. It was impossible. This was the dialogue in my head:

“Ok, red dress. Hmmm, I have only worn it once, about seven years ago, it can go. WAIT! I wore that my sorority’s River Boat Semi Formal. That can’t go…Ok, long printed dress. I only wore it once, a few years ago, it can go. WAIT! I wore that to a wedding of two wonderful friends in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I still fit in it. I may not wear it, but it can stay. Ok, now, black dress with pink bow. It’s not even my size anymore (I’m smaller now) and I’ve only worn it once… WAIT! I wore it to my college graduation at the University of North Texas. I wore hot pink shoes to match the bow, that way my parents could pick me out in the crowd. (As if they weren’t in the first row…) Geez, this is getting ridiculous. Ok, try again. How about this incredible, pink, poofy Betsey Johnson dress? I wore it on my 25th birthday and again in Vegas (WHOA! I wore it more than once!). It’s still in excellent condition. I could probably consign it and make some money back on it. WAIT! What if I have a daughter someday and she sees pictures and wants it?! Then what? Ok. Fine. I’ll keep it. But I am getting rid of a dress that was my sister’s and one that I wore to my sophomore Homecoming…in High School. No “buts” about it…”

I buy dresses for occasions. I generally wear them once. But, each one has so many memories tied to it. I can’t bear to part with them. The memories, not the dresses…ok, ok. You got me. Or the dresses…

**yes, I have a dress closet…in my office…in MY apartment. Maybe I should blog about that…

It's that time again...New Year's Resolutions

It's just about that time again...the time to make a list of all the things I want to change/start/finish/do in the new year.

I took a look back at the past two years.

In 2010, my only resolution was to visit the gym 100 times before buying any new clothes. The hope was that I would be saving money and losing weight, so that at the end of 100 gym visits, I would need new, smaller clothes. I definitely visited the gym more than 100 times in 2010. I also lost weight and needed smaller clothes. I suppose my resolution was a success.

This year, my resolution list was slightly longer. It included: paying off my credit cards, complete a 5k, build up savings account, continue weight loss though exercise and healthy food choices, read a book for fun, and increase young alumna participation in the Austin Kappa Alumnae Association. I did a check in August to see my progress, but let's see how I did overall:

Well... I paid off my credit cards and my car. Boom.

I also completed two 5k runs...the Diva Dash (which I am already signed up for in 2012) and the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.

My savings account DID have money in it... until Miss Bayla got very sick and my car required some work and new tires. But, the positive here is that I was able to use the savings I had built to tackle problems as they arose. I didn't have to worry about charging up credit cards or scraping by to pay for repairs. I had the money.

I did 'ok' with my goal of weight loss through exercise and eating right. I wouldn't say I'm happy with my current weight, but the Fall school semester was very trying, and unfortunately my time at the gym was cut short; however, I've been working with a personal trainer for several weeks now and she says my strength is increasing. I look forward to getting back to "me" in the coming year.

I read one book, other than school books. It's called, "The Five Love Languages." I highly recommend it to all my couple and married friends. It will change how you view your relationship with your significant other. And, if it's not too late, it might save it, too.

And as for Kappa, I have done my best. As Chair of Night Owls, I have hosted an even each month and have seen a variance in participation. Some months are better than others. The point though is that at Founders Day this year, I knew everyone (except one) at my table. I'd say that's a mission: accomplished.

So, on to 2012. I'm looking forward to 2012. I feel like it might be a benchmark year for me. Or, at least I hope it is.

I haven't decided on all my resolutions/goals yet. I'll start with these:

1. Move out of my parents' house. (Again.)
2. Complete Graduate School.
3. Travel to a new city, i.e. Chicago, Nashville, Baltimore, etc.
4. Make at least one recipe each month from the magazines I get in the mail or buy at the store.
5. Still thinking...

When it rains, it pours...

They say, “When it rains, it pours.”

I’m dealing with a few ‘challenges’ in life right now…yesterday I got an added bonus.

Yesterday, on my way to work, I noticed my car was shaking violently. The check engine light has been on and off over the past few weeks. I decided to turn around and head back towards a repair shop I normally go to. Well, I didn’t get far before my car was un-drivable. I pulled over, got out…and realized I was practically driving on my rim. My tire had blown out.

I called my mom, who said she’d swing by the repair shop and pick up someone to help us. As I hung up the phone, a gentleman pulled over and offered to help. I politely declined, telling him that help was on the way. He said, “Are you sure? I can do it no time…I have all the tools.” After I asked if he was certain, he backed up, hoped out, and got to work on my tire.

I called my mom to tell her not to come and that I would call her when I got back on the road.

He finished in less than five minutes. I thanked him and asked for his business card. He handed it to me and it reads, “Mobile Car Repair.” This was his job, but he didn’t ask for payment. He was doing his good deed for the day.

I called my mom to let her know I was on my way to the tire store. This is her side of the story:

Around 9:00 this morning Lauren called and was saying that her car was sounding really weird and it would hardly get up EMI Hill. I told her to turn around and slowly make her way back to Dennis’ Auto Repair. I told her I would come meet her there. She called me right back and said the noise she was hearing was that she was driving on her axle and that her tire was completely shred. I told her to pull over and I would be right there. By this time she had almost made it back to 1431 and Nameless Rd. So I got in my car and was trying to think who I could call to come help us change the tire. I am still sitting in my drive way at my office; my first call was to Dennis’ Auto Repair. I was going to see if Ronnie Kelso could come help us, but was told that he no longer worked there. So my next call was to Brother David. He said he had one of his mechanics on his way back from town and he would call him and see where he was. In the meantime, Lauren called me back and said, “Mom, never mind. I have someone who has stopped to help me.” So, I came back in to my office and continued to work, which was really out of character for me, because any other time I would have continued to go and check on her, but I didn’t.

I was sitting at my desk and all of the sudden I had this overwhelming feeling that I was not alone in my office and I heard a voice, my Mom’s voice, say to me, “She is going to be fine, I sent someone to help Lauren.” It was the most unbelievable feeling in the whole world and totally indescribable. I just started crying and I said, “Thank you, mommy.” I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain this to anyone, so I kept it to myself for a short time. Maybe 10 minutes passed and Lauren calls and she says it’s all done. She said out of nowhere a gentlemen drove up, a mobile auto repair guy. She didn’t even see which direction he came from, she just knew that someone appeared to help her change her tire. When she told me she didn’t even know where he came from, I knew right then and there--I knew exactly where he came from. Thank you Nanny, you are still watching out for your baby girl, Lauren.

As you can probably imagine, tears were streaming down my face as my mom told me the story. My whole life, Nanny told me that I would “never be able to get rid of her” because she planned to “haunt” me in the afterlife. It was more a joke than anything, but I knew that when she said she'd always be my guardian angel that she meant it.

My mom is right. I have no idea where the man came from…I don’t even know where he went. But I know that he was sent to me from my Nanny.

So, there you have it. During my rain storm, Nanny was my silver lining—my Guardian Angel.

Thanks, Nanny. We miss you.

Gobble, Gobble!

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Molino, FL with my aunt, uncle, and cousin.

My 'job' was the tables/decor.

 The glitter ornaments seen here were made using this tutorial.

I threw together this little wreath...

...but somehow it didn't make it home. (My aunt really liked it!)

A few from the beach...

 It was windy (duh!) and cold! I'm wearing shorts and my jacket!

 This little girl was a trooper! She did SO well on our 13+ hour car ride (each way), was an angel in Florida, and crashed when we got home.

Halloween Decor: Part Boo

I really invested in Halloween decor this year...

Table Runner, Kohl's

Candy Tea Light Candle Holders, Hobby Lobby 

 

Halloween Shadow Box, made just for me by a special lady!

"Boo" Tea light Holder, Hobby Lobby

Orange Candle Holders, Pier 1

 "Happy Halloween," Target

Thanks to those that made it to our Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party!

Also, in my spare time (ha!) I made this for my friend's birthday gift. I loved it so much, I plan to make myself one, too!

Halloween Decoration: Apothecaries

I'll have to post more pictures later of Blake's place. I went all out for Halloween this year. Last night I put together these little gems. I have seen lots of holiday posts with apothecaries, and I've looked all over to get some of my own. I got this set of three from Sear's on sale for only $19.99! I couldn't believe it. I am so excited to use them again and again.

We're hosting a Pumpkin Carving Party tonight... look for more pictures soon!

Kate Spade's Words of {Sparkly} Wisdom

I have a slight obsession with Kate Spade, that's no secret...
She is a Kappa sister and a fabulous designer.
I frequent her website, and her blog...
And the mention of a Flash Sale makes me giddy.

I came home last night to a package on my bed and it put a huge smile on my face. It was the latest of my KS online purchases. Inside was an adorable polka dotted travel bag and a to-die-for necklace that I ordered last week. One of my favorite parts of receiving new things from KS is that tucked inside each piece is a KS tag with a tiny saying. I never throw them away, because they are so cute and {heaven forbid} if I ever decided to sell them, it validates their authenticity. The tag in the purse I bought about two weeks ago said, "occasionally she dreams of italy. she dreams of cheese shops, persnickety fiats, and very fine leather goods." Sigh.

I found these online and I plan to use them someday in decorating my {future} home.

How could you not love KS?

Homecoming Mums

Some of my favorite memories of High School center around Friday night. Texas High School Football. Cheering on the sidelines. Some days I wish I was 15 again, starting my Freshman year with high hopes and big dreams.

LVHS Varsity Cheer, 2004

Those were the days...Thankfully, I have my sister to live through.

Here are the mums I made for her and two of her friends.

For Siri

For Lana 

For Fran 



Photobooth Fun

This past Saturday we attended the wedding of Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy and Tiana Smith! It was tons of fun celebrating such a wonderful occasion with lots of our friends.

As if food, drinks, and dancing weren't entertaining enough, they had a photo booth! Have you ever been to an event where one was present? Was it not the 'funnest' thing ever?!

This first one is by far my favorite.

Gang's all here . . . 

Wait. Zoom in. Please check me out. Pretty sure I'm saying, "hey, don't knock my tiara off!" What's new?

Hilarious. 

This was my least favorite. Cute? Yes. Fun with props? NO.  

And, check out Blake's awesome "deer in the headlights" pose .

The Future Mrs . Casey and I.

Take two. Check out that first shot-- Mr. Casey is a l-u-c-k-y man ; ) 

Thanks to Magnolia Photo Booth Co. for the laughs!

Martha Geek-out

I'm about to geek out . . . prepare yourself .

I this post by Little Birdie Secrets yesterday that showed a craft projects using . . . wait for it . . .
The new line of MARTHA STEWART craft products by Plaid.

The paints come in 160 amazing colors and GET THIS: they work on indoor or outdoor projects and on ALL crafting surfaces.  Hold . The . Phone .

It gets better. The clouds opened up and the angels sang . . . Martha also came up with a genius way to turn EVERY paint in to SPRAY PAINT .

There are tons of pretty stencils & useful tools , too !

And , Plaid is offering a discount right now !

I know, I know . . . total nerd.