Tuesday Times

You know it's Tuesday so you know what TIME it is?!
It's been a bit since we've done a Tuesday Times so we're kicking it old school and doing one today!

Reading:  I was on a roll with my reading but lately I've backed up and been reading my magazines and my Feedly list every day very thoroughly.  It's approaching holiday season you know and I got to get ready to get my decorating on.  

                                                                
Listening:  When I'm home I'm hooked on a Pandora station I discovered the other day, Sunday Funday Brunch.  I'm hearing Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding, Etta James, Michael Buble, Bill Withers, Spinners, The Temptations, Harry Connick Jr., etc.  It's fun and it's great background music.  I've gotten up and turned it on every morning for several days now and just leave it going all day. Occasionally I'll break out in a little dance too!    In the car I'm still listening to Channel 28 Spectrum on XM radio. My normal Octane station has been a bit "off" lately so I'm enjoying Spectrum for now. 

Watching:  EMPIRE!!!  Seriously I am hooked into that show like crazy.  Two really hip, young and cool Bloggers I met introduced me to this one and I binge watched Season 1 (which I NEVER do) and now Wednesday can't get here fast enough.    On a Holiday programming note: 13 Days of Halloween started yesterday on ABC Family, Hocus Pocus is on, you should watch it! 

via GIPHY

Cooking/Eating/Drinking:  Hubster was home last week except one night so we had actual dinner food.  I did make some really good pulled pork in the smoker and some Brazilian Black Beans with saffron rice.  Other than that, nothing really stands out in my mind, except we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings not once but twice!!!   I'm sorta hooked on the new B-Dubs Potato Stacks. Hope they keep that one on the menu long after football season. My pants hope they don't. 

Pinning:  We've been working on painting the kitchen and den area (one really big common area) and so I've been pinning decorating ideas for the wall over the television.  We separated out our entertainment center and it makes the room seem so much bigger but now I need things over the TV on the wall.  

Tweeting: Mostly products I've been testing out and events I've attended.

  

Crafting: If painting counts as crafting then I'm crafting like a crazy woman!  

Doing: See above: Painting, I've been painting.  Not much else except building a plant shelf for my kitchen window with Hubster.  It was supposed to be a quick easy project but at one point I had three Home Depot guys involved in how to make this happen.  Nothing is easy if you find it on Pinterest. 

Going: I had a couple of blog events I went to and I wanted to share a couple of quick photos.  I've seriously been having so much fun at these blog events.  I'm meeting some really great bloggers and getting out of the house.

First event was at the Anchor Design District Pool and Bar in Dallas at the DoubleTree Hotel.

Just a small sample of the delicious foods and yummy drinks they treated us with.

That was a most delightful Raspberry Mojito I had to drink. YUM!

Guest rooms freshened up and who can resist an ET towel buddy reading in the corner chair.

The cabanas out by the pool were just gorgeous.  Maybe Hubster and I will sneak away for a weekend soon and spend some time here.   Of course it's a DoubleTree so there are those amazing chocolate chip cookies and yes, they gave us a whole tin.   I gave mine to the MereBear, my gastrointestinal health depended on it. 

The next amazing event was at a absolutely lovely design store in Southlake, The Interior Collection

To say that I wanted every thing in this store is an understatement.  This bedroom spoke to me in so many ways.   If we could just move this to my house I'd be happy especially that headboard- that headboard was delicious!!!! 

One of the many cool things Whitnie and her staff did was show us how to set a table. I'm telling you I was drooling over this table!  So gorgeous and then they moved most of the items away and switched it up to a less formal setting.  Whitnie, Jodi and the rest of the staff were as kind and sweet as you could hope for.  Stop in the shop and chat and have a look around, I spied a few things for Christmas gifts I'll be going back for.

As if the day wasn't already so much fun, we came home with all this SWAG.  I mean really??!!  

There is even a gorgeous fabric tote bag that didn't even fit in the photo.  Truly a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  That black sparkly Rustic Cuff bracelet is amazing, I think that when I go back to pick up gifts that I might pick up a stocking stuffer or two for myself.  Really, who wears only one bracelet at a time?  Not this girl!

I even won a door prize!  

Loving:  The fact that we may finally get some rain this week. We are way past dry as a bone over here peeps, not to mention we are also still in the 80's during the day.  Hellion Fall, where are you? 

Enjoying: Getting the house more like "me" and not the old owners.  It's only taken me a year and a half to decide on paint colors. 

 
Reviewing:  I've got two dandy little products to review for you.  Influenster sent me a few products to test out and review.  Remember, I received these items for free in exchange for my honest opinions.

Curel Itch Defense Body Wash and Instant Soothing Moisturizing Spray.

Let's start with the Body Wash.  It was in fact my favorite of the two.  I loved that it was sudsy and it didn't have an overpowering scent and it didn't dry out my sensitive skin.   Everything you could want in a body wash, this is on my shopping list because I squeezed out every drop of that stuff that I could.

The moisturizing spray, I have a mixed review on this one.  On the plus side this one was MUCH better than a previous spray on lotion I tried.  I'm thinking maybe I just don't get the point of spray on lotion, seriously is it that difficult to rub your lotion on every day?  Any way, this was ok as far as moisturizing and the scent didn't overpower any actual cologne or other fragrance you might choose to wear.   It was fine until I got near the end of the bottle then it went flipping everywhere except my body.  Near the end of the bottle it would spray all willy nilly and end up on the floor, on the bathroom vanity, the rug, just everywhere in addition to my legs.  I also feel like you go through a bottle of this much faster than regular lotion.   If you are into spray on lotion then you should definitely give this a try.  As for me, I'll stick with the regular Curel lotion, it does a good job and I can rub my own lotion onto my body.  

Also if you missed Jimmy Fallon last night then you missed having a good belly laugh. 

If you don't have time to watch the whole thing start at 5:20 and at least watch Fallon Whip and Nae Nae and his stanky leg....OMG total laughter BEST stanky leg ever!  Justin Timberlake is a riot just watching this unfold. 

Then of course Ellen one ups him with "Bitch Better Have My Money" and just like that, she wins!

Seriously ya'll, just watch and laugh!

Peace, Love & Mic drop

Command™ Brand Spook-ify Your Halloween House Party

Hi There my Peeps!!!

You know how much I love my House Party's and I haven't been selected to host one in forever!!!  I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get another one and then BAM...just like that I get the notice that I was selected to host one for Command™ Brand.    I was very excited and then I thought you know who would just love this party?  Merebear!!   I mean she loves Halloween (like me), she loves doing things with friends, she loves crafting and she loves decorating.  So I figured you know, I bet this would be a fun party for a bunch of college girls.   And you know what?  I was definitely correct!!  Oh my, these girls had so much fun and I tell ya I had just about as much fun listening to them laugh and chat while they crafted away.   

As usual I received all the products complimentary from House Party and Command for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let's see how the party went!!

Unpacking the party pack is always fun!!  

Now let's head up to Merebears apartment and get ready for the fun!

This is the first table for making banners.

No, they didn't send me the triangles to make banners and 200, that's how many of those crazy triangles Hubster and I had to cut.   I run a sweat shop on the side.  :-)

Banner making table #2

Pom Pom making station which actually ended up reverting to this

Odd coincidence:  this pom pom ended up winning the most creative pom pom door prize.

She worked very hard on that pom.

We hung a hook up by the door so we could demonstrate to the girls how the Command products come off the wall without messing up the paint but you know what?  Those girls knew ALL about the Command Products already. Command products have a loyal following with college girls for sure!!!

Let's get to setting up the food because we all know how important food is to college kids!

What's a party without donuts?  Or more importantly Vampire Donuts!

Aren't these the cutest and talk about easy!  I'll tell you the smell of these were killing me on the car drive.  I wanted to eat one and suffer the gastroinstestinal consequences so badly!  

Instead I decided to munch on the yummy Fall Carmel Corn blend.

And keeping some sort of semblance of healthy, we had a carrot stick skull with a cauliflower mouth and some dip for eyes.  

And then to finish out the food table we had us some Mini Chicken & Waffles. 

To wash it all down I made some sour Kool-Aid cubes that were supposed to go in the Sprite.  The girls decided they were excellent popsicles and ate just as many that way as they did putting them in the sprite. 

It was cool watching the colors split out into layers.

We served the food on the bar which Merebear and her lovely roomie had previously decorated with a banner and some festive lights using the AMAZING new Command banner hooks and light clips.  Yep, folks those all  hung up with Command Products which means when the decorations come down, the paint stays on the wall.  

A few more decorations to round out the fun on the food bar.

A huge thanks to Command for making such great products and providing us with so many fun products to make our party special.

Merebear and her roomie made a few pom poms prior to the party so the other girls could see one of the crafts and we hung them from the ceiling using the Command Ceiling hooks that came in our party pack.  So easy and such a great new product.

After the girls fueled up with some snacks they were off and crafting.

This table is working on their banners.

And here's another table of hard crafting girls.

I'm telling you they will go into fierce competition mode for a few door prizes!!

I had a difficult time but I did pick one pom pom and one banner as the "Most creative" but no worries, every girl went home a winner.  They each got a goodie bag that contained a Command product, some candy and of course the pom pom and banner they made.

And here they all are after they crafted away on a Sunday afternoon.

I always enjoy my House Parties but this one was especially fun.  I got to try out some grand new products and spend the afternoon with a bunch of really fun and terribly sweet girls.  We always hear so much about how "kids today" aren't appreciative or polite.  Well, in that picture are 10 fine examples of very sweet, kind, polite and appreciative girls and I feel privileged to have spent the afternoon having fun with them.   They went home with crafts and goodies and I went home with encouragement that there are still lots of very special young ladies in this world.  

On a completely different note, this crazy fella that fills my heart with so much love and my home with so much slobber turned 3 on Saturday.  Happy Birthday Sir Winston Leonard Churchill, you are a hoot!! 

Peace, Love & Command™ 

                                                                 

#FatPinkParty at Fat Daddy's Sports & Spirits Cafe

Hey there my peeps!!!

HAPPY HAPPY Monday to you!!   I tell you I've had a busy week, of course busy is a relative term for this home body girl but anywho I want to tell you about a fabulous time I had Saturday night!

I was given the opportunity to head over to Mansfield, Texas to a fun place called Fat Daddy's Sports & Spirits Cafe on Saturday night for a #FatPinkParty with a few other blogger buds.   What were we celebrating you ask?  Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Careity Foundation.

First let's talk a bit about the Careity Foundation and their mission.  I looked them up prior to the event and boy was I impressed.  Talk about good people doing great things!  This made me super excited to head out and celebrate.  

Careity Foundation is dedicated to providing on site services for cancer patients in an oncology setting for economically challenged cancer patients, as well as early cancer detection in North Texas. The pediatric palliative care program is directed at providing relief to children with devastating diseases and life threatening illnesses at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. Since its inception, Careity Foundation has set the platinum standard in the nonprofit community to help with care management and financial aid. Careity Foundation was first in the nation to offer oncology massage in the chemotherapy room, in order to relieve the side effects of drug therapy in cancer patients. Established events like “Celebrity Cutting” and “Careity Rocks” continue to sustain innovative cancer treatment and programs, along with numerous supporting events. Careity Foundation is an active participant in the care and treatment process for cancer. Strong oversight of funded programs and support assures that the vision and strategies outlined in the collaborative process are effectively realized. The Careity founders meet several times a year with its collaborators and physicians, and receive regular reports from the professional staff to ensure appropriate levels and propriety of care. Careity Foundation serves communities in Tarrant County, Parker County and Johnson County, including Fort Worth, Texas, and Weatherford, Texas.

We arrived between 6 and 6:30 and introduced and/or re-introduced ourselves to our group and then were shown to our table for the evening, which had an awesome view of the stage where the King Pins would later take the stage. 

Drinks were ordered and sampler appetizer plates arrived.  The fact that I have no photos of the sampler plates just goes to prove we were some hungry peeps!!     We noshed on the Corvette Pick 3 Sampler that included: Potato skins, Fried Mac & Cheese, Cheese Sticks, Boneless Wings, Fried Mushrooms and Stuffed Jalapeños. Being the gracious hosts they were we sampled all the offerings.   Unfortunately my gluten intolerance didn't allow me to enjoy the Fried Mac & Cheese but I heard oohs and aahhs from around the table and our sweet server said it was her favorite.  I did enjoy some Potato Skins and they were quite delicious.  I also snagged a small boneless wing and it was quite yummy too.     

Onto the drinks......I'm a boring girl and I was driving myself home so I just ordered a draft beer, Fireman's Four if you must know.  They did have a nice selection of draft beers on tap.  Two of the other ladies ordered this fabulous pretty in pink drink, The Pink Cadillac.  

Isn't it a pretty lil' pink drink?  Don't let the pretty fool you though, it's packed with some punch that includes Smirnoff Pineapple and Vanilla Vodka, pineapple juice and some grenadine with a splash of sprite. It seemed to be a fitting drink to celebrate the evening!

• PINK CADILLAC

  
  

If we are going to slosh down adult beverages we should definitely eat some serious food.  I decided on the Cruisin' Cobb Salad and it did not disappoint.  It took us quite some time to decide on dinner because the menu at this place is huge, you'll have no trouble finding something on the menu even for the pickiest of eaters.   When the food started arriving we started checking out every one's plates and my only thought was that I kinda wished I'd ordered a burger because they looked and smelled sooooooo good.    But in the end it was all good because my salad was delicious and that left room for dessert.

That's the Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae minus the brownie.  One of these appeared at the other end of the table and I couldn't stand it so they made me one without the brownie.  What a great way to end a fabulous meal!   Speaking of being brownie-less, we had another lady in the group who has to be very strict with her gluten free diet and the kitchen manager came out and discussed food options with her at length.  I encourage those of you with allergies to always ask to speak to someone about the food and preparation and most places are more than accommodating, even your bar & grille's want you to have a pleasant experience.  

While we were enjoying our desserts and listening to the band warm up our server brought around little cards for us to fill out and the opportunity to donate $1 to the Careity Foundation.   I made mine out in Honor of my dear friend Susie Q.   I think we all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer and the Careity Foundation is out to make sure everyone that needs treatment gets it. 

Before I forget, go to Fat Daddy's FaceBook page and give them a LIKE and they'll donate $1 to the Careity Foundation for every new LIKE they get in October!   Even those of you far away can support this amazing foundation.  

Now for all you car geeks out there this is "Pinky" and she's on display the month of October.  She's a 1949 Mercury and The House of Hotrods switches out the cars on a monthly basis so if you love looking at the classics and getting a great meal and seeing some live music Fat Daddy's in Mansfield is your place!

Aside from the FABULOUS food and drinks we also came home with some pretty cool SWAG. There's a gift card in there to return to Fat Daddy's and you can bet this time I'm dragging the Hubster with me AND trying one of those amazing looking burgers!!  We might have to spend a Sunday afternoon watching football there soon now that the weather has moved to a chilly 80' degrees!!   (that's fall in Texas people) 

On a final completely unrelated note, LL and I headed over to Canton on Friday for Trade Days and boy did we girls shop!!   I mean it's been almost 2 years since we made the trek over and we decided that meant it had been way too long.  I get picked on a lot by my family and friends because I rarely buy anything for myself but I did grab a couple of cute things this trip.   I got this Indian Baseball tee and I AM SO IN LOVE with this thing.  It is so incredibly soft and I paired it with that cut crocheted vest and some navy pointe knit pants and my cowboy boots.  This was my evening out to Fat Daddy's attire and I can't wait to wear this same outfit again.   (pardon the pile of dirty clothes and shoes behind me on the floor- I can be messy when I'm getting ready)  

I did find a link where you can order Indian baseball tee

and the Vest too.   That vest peeps....oh that vest goes with anything.  Over a tee, over a dress.  It is amazingly versatile and I'm going to wear the crazy out of it!  

That's it for today folks!  I still have so many things to cover for you guys because like I said, I've been a busy bloggy girl!   Don't forget to head over to the Fat Daddy's Facebook page and give them a LIKE so we can raise some moola for the Careity Foundation and get your mammogram scheduled if it's that time!!!!  Take care of "the girls" my sweet friends!!!

Peace, Love & Careity