The Baby Girl [Picture Thursday]

 

Even though you destroyed my Better Homes and Gardens magazine this afternoon I still love you to pieces!!

  

Our little Sakari (panda bear)

 

♥ Ashley

OSC - Anthropologie

I have always enjoyed the housewares at Anthropologie (I always BEELINE for the SALE section) I know that their clothes are well made and I liked the look of them. But it is SO overwhelming looking at their clothes in the store...I never know where to start and I feel like each item I pick up is totally overpriced (by my "Marshall's" standards - since most of my clothes are from there) at more than $79. After reading through some blogs lately I have been inspired to take a second look and I am finding that online shopping is much easier! Now I have an "Online Shopping Cart" that I can take into the stores and then into the fitting room. With my short curvy frame some of the clothes that I have tried on in years past just don't fit right but if ONE of these clothing items works I think I will be a Happy Girl.

These would be some great additions to my wardrobe if I was going to get a non-teaching job. Learn about why I am on the Job Hunt Here

Laced Lineage Top

$68.00

Not too sure how I will like the fit around my hips but I love the yellow detailing.

Pointelle Lace Tee

$58.00

The colour is perfect and I like the sheerness of the top. Perfect for pairing with a bikini this summer!

Slouchy Bands Sweater

$88.00

My usual grey strips...but this has a bonus -- POCKIES!!! do you see them?

Tousled Pintuck Tank

$58.00

I really like the texture of this tank. Would look great with the cardi above!

Urubamba Tank

$78.00

I am really drawn to this Urubamba Tank because it is a FAR cry from the usual
white/grey/neutral colours I am drawn to.

Paned Hellebore Sweater

$98.00

Ochre Vines Skirt

$88.00

Love this skirt...not sure what to wear on top but I love the colours and the grey band at the hemline!

Vallota Peasant Blouse

$79.95 was $148.00

This reminds me of my mom...just in my loose fitting and flowing style.

Openwork Cables Cardigan

$49.95 was $188.00

Greening Cardigan

$49.95 was $188.00

POCKIES!!! enough said.

Tender Falls Shower Curtain

$39.95 was $118.00

If I was going to redo our guest bathroom - which I am seriously contemplating after seeing this curtain - it is a sure winner!

Crested Crane Bust

$198.00

So interesting... I have NO place for this in my house but can you picture this in yours?

Floral Burst Knob, Forget-Me-Not

$8.00

Cute little knobs to change out on a piece of furniture!


So there you have it my darling readers. The second installment of "Online Shopping Cart". What are your thoughts? Anything you are swooning over at Anthro?

♥ Ashley

Register on MarthaStewart.com

Martha Martha Martha!!
via

If you know me you know that I am OBSESSED with Martha Stewart. I know that she has had many less than attractive moments and even comes off....do I dare say it? Snobby. But I love her. I love it when she is snobby. I love when I can have "Martha Comments" like 'I have never eaten a Ding Dong or a Twinkie'. (I don't even know how to spell it! Seriously I haven't!!)
Regardless, I frequent her website multiple times a week...and I enter her darn Daily Sweepstakes even though I never win. I also record her show on the Hallmark Channel EVERY MORNING and then watch it when I get home in the afternoon. No day is complete without a little bit of Martha!

Today while I was looking at her site, I was searching for a place to send Martha an email with a question, I saw the Sign In/Register Now icon at the top of the page.

I asked myself 'Why have I not registered? What do you get when you register?' So I clicked on Register Now and I saw this:

Registering for MarthaStewart.com is free and easy. As a member, you can:

• Contribute photos to one of our contests for a chance to win.
• Collect and organize favorite recipes and crafts in your own personalized space.
• Connect with our community by commenting on and rating recipes, crafts, and more.

So I registered. It was so simple. Go to MarthaStewart.com and click on the Register Now at the top of the page OR click this LINK. Then you just enter your email address, a password, birth YEAR, and a screen name that you would like to be called on the site and then you get a confirmation email and you're DONE!!

Once you are registered you can begin creating your account and collecting ideas for your 'Collections'!!

How great is this?

Have you registered on MarthaStewart.com? How do you like it? Are you going to? Let me know in the comments section!!

♥ Ashley

My screen name is Ashley007 find me and lets share ideas!

[recipe] Quick Meal

I wanted to share a quick meal with you today.

(this is not a photo of our salad its from here)

This is such a quick and easy to put together for a weeknight or a busy weekend meal. I got the recipe from my MIL and per usual I have added my own "twist".

Parsons Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1 head Iceberg Lettuce
1 can Kidney Beans
1 lb Ground Beef
2-3 Avocados, cut into chunks
1 small can sliced Olives
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2 c Cheddar Cheese, grated
*Newman's Own Caesar Dressing (the kind you have to shake up), desired amount

Toppings:
Hot Sauce
Salsa
Sour Cream
Doritos Taco Flavoured Chips, hand crushed

My Twist:

I like to use Ground Turkey in place of the Beef. I also use Taco Seasoning (mild, regular or hot) while cooking my meat. I like to add 1 can of Corn and I like Black Beans (you can use both kinds of beans) I also made this the other day with 1 can of Rotel (Tomatoes and Green Chile's) for a little spicy kick. I am sure that this would be great with some Cilantro and using Romaine Lettuce.

Directions:

1. In a large skillet add a little bit of cooking oil to the pan and heat up. Add the meat (beef/turkey) and stir until fully browned (if using Taco Seasoning follow package directions). Drain fat. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile chop up Lettuce into bite size pieces. Add to bowl. Drain Kidney beans and give a rough organic chop add to the bowl. Drain Olives and add to bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to bowl along with the chunks of avocado and the grated cheese. Add in corn and cilantro if using. Toss well. Add in the cooked meat (beef/turkey) and toss with salad dressing.

3. Plate up salad and top with hot sauce, sour cream, salsa, and the hand crushed Doritos. Serve and enjoy!


My variation:
To keep things fresh I put the avocados, meat and cheese in separate bowls. I have guests add their own dressing so the salad stores better for left overs.

Hope you enjoy this dish!! Its really quick and easy only takes about 15 minutes to prepare!

Let me know how you like it and any twists you put on it!

Linked to: Tasty Tuesdays

♥ Ashley

Giveaway Announcement for forever*cottage!!

I just HAVE to share this with you readers!! Jill over at forever*cottage is having an amazing giveaway on her blog this week. I just adore her blog and she is incredibly creative. Here is a blurb from her post: (to enter click on her link)

The website also has the most adorable, customizable monogrammed
iPhone cases, rain boots, stationary and more!

And guess what?

My friend has graciously offered to giveaway TWO $50 credits
to spend at Classic Prep Monograms to two lucky readers of Forever*Cottage.

To enter the giveaway please do the following:

1. Visit Classic Prep Monograms and check out the site. Come back here and leave a comment telling me what you would use your $50 credit to purchase.

2. 'Like' Classic Prep Monograms on Facebook, then come back here and let me know - for a chance to be entered a second time!

3. You can also be entered a THIRD time if you blog about the giveaway and then come back here and let me know about it!

Please enter by Wednesday evening at midnight PST. I will announce the winners on Thursday!


Doesn't that just sound great? I would love to win this...but you can enter too!! Also once I reach 25 followers I am going to have a giveaway!! So if you like this blog and check it out you might as well do yourself a favor and become a follower!!

♥ Ashley

Budget Cuts = RIF

****** Sorry NO pictures for this Post ******

This past Friday was the 13th. Its funny how there are so many superstitions going on that day. My homepage on Facebook was filled with people making comments about the date.

I already knew that this day was going to be a "little" bit stressful. I am a teacher, if I haven't mentioned that before OR if you didn't know. I am an Elementary Specialist that teaches Physical Education (that is probably why I have such a hard time knowing what's in style...I wear sweats to work everyday) and I had an observation scheduled. An observation is when your Principal comes into your classroom, watches you teach a lesson to your kids, evaluates you and then gives you a grade/progress report and things that you need to work on to become a more effective teacher. This is my 4th year teaching and let me tell you its been a rough go. NOT the teaching part I must say and not really because of the Observations, but because of the budget cuts and keeping a job.

I knew that becoming a PE teacher was going to be difficult on the job front...anyone who knows anything about teaching and PE knows that once you land that coveted job you DO NOT LEAVE until you are DONE teaching. Despite these warnings I still wanted to be a PE teacher, I get to inspire kids to be active, learn new ways to play games (I get to play some of the games) and I get to be active all day.

Anyways back to the title of my post. As you may be aware, the legislature has not been doing their duty over the past decade or so. They are required to FULLY FUND public education but the have NOT been doing that. Each year they make more and more cuts on funding for Education. This results in larger class sizes, teachers being laid off and more stress to those teachers who remain. In our contracts we have a section dedicated to 'RIF' (reduction in force) prior to about 5 years ago no one paid attention to this because it never applied. NOW IT DOES. School districts have been forced to 'RIF' teachers each year and according to our contract they need to inform us prior to May 15 of the current school year. It MUST be noted that these lay-offs or reductions in force have NOTHING to do with a teachers productivity or performance but with their SENIORITY. Teachers are put onto a list and given a number. The number relates to your degree and how many credits you have taken since College graduation combined with the number of years you have been teaching, the lower your number the less seniority you have. Basically saying that the last hired is the first fired.

As I have been a part time employee since 2009, I have a low number on the list. Which means that each year that I have been teaching I have been subject to most likely receive one of these RIF letters - this year makes me the recipient of FOUR of these letters. I have been fortunate to find another teaching job by the time school starts each year but this is still a huge blow to ones ego, emotions, lifestyle, or whatever word you choose. So I get to be on the lookout for teaching jobs for the 5th time this spring and summer and apply for Unemployment Benefits. I hate applying for these, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

Since getting my 2nd RIF letter I can't help but wonder if in some way this is God telling me that I should be doing something else. But I LOVE what I do. Its very confusing.

So that is how my weekend started...an Observation (performance review) and then a RIF letter (lay-off notice). Guess we aren't going to Hawai'i in July :(

If you have any suggestions for a new career or know of any job openings somewhere local to Tacoma I would love to read them in the comments section.

I wouldn't mind being a receptionist or something like that. Wearing cute, professional, trendy clothing would be a real perk.

♥ Ashley

Julep

I just took a quiz on Julep.com to find out what my style is....I learned that it is "Classic with a Twist". You too can take this quiz and learn your style. If you want then you can sign up for emails focused on offering items for your personal style!

Did you take this quiz? Let me know what your Personal Style is in the comments section!


♥ Ashley

Crate and Barrel Outdoor Love

I just got the new Crate and Barrel catalog in the mail and was looking through it last night. Here are some of my fave items for spring/summer outdoor living!!

Mariela 10" Footed Planter $69.95


Mariela 15" Footed Bowl $69.95

I am always on the look out for really unique looking planters to go outside. I can just see the tall ones on either side of the garage door filled with geraniums or your favorite flower. These would also be great on a deck or patio.



Large Bell Jar with Saucer $59.95

A cute little terrarium to go on your outdoor coffee table or even inside with an orchid under the cloche.

Zinc Rectangular Rail Planter with Rail Hook... $29.95 open stock $36.90

I love rail hooks and I think they are the greatest addition to a deck. A great way to add flowers without taking up precious floor space. And this planters look great with "spillers" like sweet potato vine.


Set of 3 Zinc Tall Square Planters $99.95 open stock $104.85

These have great modern lines.


Set of 2 Garden Bunnies $19.95 open stock $25.90

Who doesn't want a cute little bunny figurine in their garden?


Amira Hanging Birdbath with Bowl $59.95 open stock $64.90

Beautiful birdbath! I love how it hangs so squirrels can't get in there.



Perch 9" Pot with Saucer $19.95

I saw this last year and LOVED it...I am so happy its still available!


Amira Two-Tier Plant Stand $129.00

My mom had something similar to this out on her deck. She lined it with moss and then planted herbs in it. So beautiful!

Well readers I hope you enjoyed some of my fave finds at C&B!! Leave me a comment and let me know what YOU are lusting for!! If you have a link please share!

♥ Ashley

I Adore Him

My little Cooper Pooper!! I LOVE you!!

♥ Ashley

Online Shopping Cart [first edition]

As I have been reading through blogs I am really attracted to the ones that showcase an "online shopping cart" or at least where they show pictures of some of their fave clothing items out there. Here is my first attempt at joining this part of the blog world. Maybe I will keep it up...who knows but it sure is fun to try!

These are just a few things that I would LOVE to have in my closet from LOFT, Eddie Bauer and Nordstroms.

Cotton Short Sleeve Hoodie ^$39^{.50 LOFT}

Urban Animal Print Ruffle Neck Dress ^$49^{.50 LOFT}

Cascade Ruffle Knit Tank Dress ^$49^{.50 LOFT}

Knit Roll Sleeve Tunic ^$39^{.50 LOFT}

Online Exclusive

Salt and Pepper Gem Necklace Tee ^$44^{.99 LOFT}

Was ^$49^.50

EXTRA 40% OFF TAKEN AT CHECKOUT NO CODE NEEDED

Similar Skirt: Eyelet Mini Skirt ^$59^{.50 LOFT}

Raglan Sleeve Henley Blouse ^$44^{.99 LOFT}

Was ^$49^.50

EXTRA 40% OFF TAKEN AT CHECKOUT NO CODE NEEDED

Eyelet Ruffle Shimmery Combo Dress ^$89^{.50 LOFT}

Ruffle Front Chambray Dress^$69^{.50 LOFT}

3/4 Sleeve V-Neck Cardigan ^$49^{.50 LOFT}

Sandpiper Cardigan $69.95-$79.95

Also in Petite & Tall

NEW!

*Could not get picture*

Long Sleeve Harbor Cardigan

(3)

$59.95-$69.95

Also in Petite, Tall & Plus

NEW!

TOMS 'Classic' Glitter Slip-On (Women)$53.95

TOMS 'Gisele' Ballet Flat$78.95

Do you have any of my MUST HAVE items? Or do these inspire you to start looking and get ready for Spring/Summer clothing? Please share in the comments section!

♥ Ashley

Giveaway at My Sweet Savannah!!

If you jump on over to My Sweet Savannah you can enter to win 2 tickets to the Ruffles and Rust Vintage Market Show at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe on May 11th and 12th!! This is a fabulous show I attended the last one in October with my mom. You can read my post about it here.

Make sure to check out Melanie's blog as well. She has great decor taste and is very creative.


For more deets on the Show you can check out their site here.

♥ Ashley

OOTD [Easter]

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday spent with my family. My Love and I went to church with my Daddy then made a stop to drop off flowers at my mom's site...and I took some pictures of the beautiful view she has of the Seattle Skyline, Bellevue Skyline and the Olympic Mountains. After a visit with my mom we met up with my brother and his wife, the Gparents and my Aunt for an Easter Brunch at my Gparents retirement community.

It was a delicious spread of breakfast goods: eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, omelets, pancakes, blintz's, waffels, ham, a salad bar, an appetizer bar, and a dessert bar. I also made some vanilla French Macaroons with a fresh strawberry filling...of course I forgot to take a picture of those so I will just have to make them again.

We had a lovely time visiting with family and remembering the blessing that God gave us with the ultimate sacrifice of his only Son.

I still need to figure out how to upload my new camera pictures onto my computer....that will be happening sometime soon!!

Here is my Look of the Day for Easter:

Purple Cardi - LOFT outlet Winter 2012
Green Tank - Marshall's Spring 2012
White Cami - Marshall's Spring 2012
Jeans - T.J. Maxx circa 2010

After further review and looking at the pictures in the camera I decided that I better wear my

REPORT 'Flynn' Sandal (similar here) instead. Mine are Gold and from 2009.

How are you liking my new LOTD posts? Should I continue to do them? Should I do more research and find the items online and link up? Share in the comments section please!

♥ Ashley

[recipe] The Parsons Easter Tradition: 2012 episode

I made this cake for the Parsons Easter celebration today. It is an applesauce cake (I got the recipe from a friend in 1st grade!!) with green cream cheese frosting. The bunnies on top are having an egg hunt. I am pretty pleased with my first attempt at food colouring and making a themed cake. Usually I just throw the frosting on and call it a day...but thanks to Pinterest I knew I had to do something extra.

It has been so nice to marry into a family where they are so accommodating and willing to schedule holidays on the off day...this has come in especially handy since the diagnosis of my mom and now the importance of including my dad in celebrations.
Per the Parsons Easter tradition we had "Noodles". These are home made noodles in a chicken broth made of stewer (spelling?) chickens with the meat to eat. You serve these on boiled potatoes with some salt and pepper and of course some sort of bread or roll. These are surprisingly good noodles. I was nervous the first time I tried them 6 years ago but they have grown on me and I look forward to them.

In addition to our traditional noodle fest we also have an egg hunt. Well TWO to be exact. One for the little(s) [there is technically only one walking right now to participate in this event] and then one for us Big Kids (I love being a Big Kid!). It is so much fun searching the yard for the eggs...we have 4 that have our name on it, there are 3 golden eggs (one for each couple) and then a variety of extras!! I go for the extras first since no one can take mine and we are guaranteed a golden egg...yes I have a strategy and I LIKE it!

For the Cake: (My mom gave me a copy of this recipe in her handwriting...I am never losing this!!)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c Flour
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cloves (ground)
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (ground)
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/2 c Shortening
1 # Applesauce (I guess that is around 2 cups)
1 Egg
*Optional 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (I don't use these because a) I don't like raisins and b) I don't like crap in my cake - I like it smooth)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease baking pan of choice ...two 9 inch rounds or a 9 1/2 x 12 inch rectangle.

2. Sift together the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Then add the shortening and applesauce. Mix for 2 minutes on med-low. Add egg and mix for another 2 minutes on high.

3. If using optional nuts and raisins now would be the time to fold them in.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake. Rounds about 35 minutes and rectangle goes for about 50 minutes. Let cool and frost.

Cream Cheese frosting found in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook just added a toothpick of green gel food colouring.


I hope that you all enjoy this cake. I know I have since I was 6! BTW this was the first time I have seen this cake round...we usually make it in the rectangle.

Do you have any Easter Traditions? Tell me about them in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you!

♥ Ashley

Linked to: Tasty Tuesdays

PS. I still have to figure out how to upload my pictures from my new camera...I think I just have to insert a CD that came with it that has the editing program...we shall see - soon hopefully. So the pictures are still from my trusty little 2004 Casio friend.

WOW

Ok readers I apologize for my absence. I can't believe what a difference 7 days makes. I have been on Spring Break this week from work - It has been WONDERFUL..but also our internet has been down ALL week. Aside from the occasional 5 minute look on facebook on my husbands Smartphone I have been out of the loop. I finally broke down and came to Starbucks to use their free WiFi and I am SO glad I did. I have been sitting here for about 3 hours catching up on blogs, facebook and emails. I had 85 emails!!! I can't believe it! While a number of them were updates from Zulily, OpenSky, West Elm, and Pottery Barn, I just couldn't believe all that I had been missing out on.

Other than being out of the loop on the internet...I still have yet to check out Pinterest...but my battery is dying, not too much is new on the Farm.

We did however, finish screwing in the roof to the chicken coop...it has been curiously laid on top with patio bricks holding it down for the past 11 months. And needing to be continuously put back on due to winter winds. The lovely hubster and I made a trip out to the good ole' Home Depot to pick up the last panel of roof sheeting and screwed it in. Then since we only needed the roof to be about 10' long instead of the 12' from the previous coop we needed to cut down four of the panels. To protect ourselves and other who may venture near the coop we went around the edge of the metal panel with duct tape. It has worked, and blends in beautifully.

I have gotten back into my Wii Fit and been on 3 days in a row!!! I love going on my Wii Fit Board on the carpet because it says that I am 10lbs lighter!!!

I have been researching and soaking up information and tutorials about my new camera that my lovely hubs gave me for my birthday!! Its a Nikon DSLR 3100. I am SO excited about it.

I worked out in the garden pulling weeds and planning what new flowers and plants that I want to get. And the ponies got their feet done.

Today I am working on making Easter desserts...that is after I finish up with my internet surfing here at Starbucks.

Wish me luck! I'll be back soon..I hope...darn internet.

What have you been doing this first week of April? let me know in the comments section!!

♥ Ashley