Baby shower-to-be

My little sister's baby shower is coming up. I'm REALLY excited/nervous about it. If it's going to be everything I hope it will be then it's going to be something to call yo momma about...but if not, it's gonna flop. One extreme or the other. I need the following things to pull this sucker off: my husband and his tools, HER husband and HIS tools, my father-in-law and HIS tools, good weather, DRY ground, good time management, and my mom and older sister's help (CHECK!). So...pray for all of those things (esp the good weather and dry ground!) and then be expecting a post with loads of cute pics! That's my post for the day...sorry I'm boring.

Yummy Ranch Chicken

E-A-S-Y recipe comin' your way! Seriously...if you can't cook, you can make this! All you need is a crock pot and 3 ingredients!

• Chicken breasts (As many as you'll need to feed whoever you're gonna feed! It can even be frozen!)


• 8oz. cream cheese


• 1 packet dry ranch dressing (you know...that powdery stuff you buy to make veggie dip!)

Throw it all in the crock pot and cook it on low for 8-ish hours....or on high for 4-ish hours. It's DELICIOUS and the easiest thing EVER! I usually cook up a little orzo to serve it over and maybe a salad or just some steamable frozen veggies. My husband thinks I'm a gourmet chef....bless his heart. ;) Let me know if you make it! I KNOW you'll love it!

Country Chic Shower

Remember when I told you that I had a super cute shower to post about? Well...today's the day for that post! :)

Two of my favorite girlfriends, Rachel and Rebekah, are twins and quite the little party planners! They are too creative and have great taste! They share my love of party planning and crafting, so my sisters and I love to have them around when it's time for a party! To show you how creative and adorable they are...here's a picture from my Halloween wedding shower....

They were Barbies...a twin pack...IN THE BOX! So cute I could die :)

They also helped plan my first wedding shower...it was a shoe theme and it was SO perfect and cute!I'll have to post about this shower one day...it was the best ever (and I'm not just saying that because it was for me!)!

Danya (my younger sister) and I got to help them set up (well...and Brandon came to carry heavy things like tables and stuff...good boy!)! We loved it! How fun! The shower was held at our church in the gym. So....when I tell you that I've got pictures from a shower that Rachel & Rebekah threw, you know it's gonna be good! Hold on to your seats kids...you're gonna love these pictures!

I loved all of the burlap and unfinished edges on things...it had such a country vibe but it was so polished at the same time....

They made felt flowers for the back of each chair.....

They made these goodie bags for Ashley (the bride) and her sweet 4 year old daughter, Isa. I loved the rosettes on the bags!

How about these stenciled, burlap placemats???? Really? LOVE IT!

Funny story on the mason jars....I used these for my nephew's one year "Barnyard Birthday Bash" that we also had at church...and because I'm a mess...left them at the church for months...lol (good thing they love me here) So...the girls found them and said..."we don't know whose these are, but we thought they would be cute to use at the shower" Ha! So I said..."they're mine...and I'm glad you reminded me that they're still here!" HA! :) Good thing they found them, too...they're gonna be PERFECT for my little sister's baby shower in May! ;)

The favors were different earrings and rings wrapped in these cute little vintage looking jewelry boxes.

Even the food was all good down home southern cookin' :)

The yarn wreaths used on the lattice work were door prizes for the games they played at the shower! What a GREAT prize!

I hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as I enjoy looking at them! HA! I loved how everything turned out and I wasn't surprised by how cute it was (considering the party planners!). Happy hump day!

**Rachel and Rebekah gave credit to Maggie's blog...Black and White {sidebyside} for most of their decor ideas. :)

A new spin on my last post...

Let me introduce you to someone very special to me...my husband.
Smokin....I know. I'm a lucky girl. ;) (Image by Jay Swann Photography)
I know I've talked about him before...and I know y'all have seen his picture before...but I don't know if I've ever talked to you about how hilarious he is...he makes me laugh all day every day.


This is the outfit that he decided to wear while we were on our honeymoon...I'm serious. He bought this shirt at a rummage sale at our church and just KNEW that it would be perfect to wear while we were in the Dominican. He loves himself and he thinks he's hilarious, too...to me, that makes him even funnier. On to the point of this post...

In my last post, I gave y'all a top 10(ish) list of things that all crafters need. I thought it was a pretty solid list and I love to tell Brandon all about my blogging (even though I know he only pretends to care...he loves me, so he listens...). So, naturally, I quizzed him on what he thought should be in the top ten. I actually only quizzed him on #1...I read him the other 9 and felt certain that he would KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I would say a hot glue gun was #1. Well...his responses made me laugh so hard that I had to share them with y'all.

Here is what he came up with BEFORE he guessed hot glue gun.
Craft Night
Piper Poole *Our friends, Daniel and Jess's 5 month old little girl who I just happen to be obsessed with...
Jaycie Shaye *Our niece
Duct tape
Glitter
And my favorite guess of them all.....
Ideas???

You maybe didn't laugh at all while reading this post...but I'm almost in tears because I think he's so hilarious. Guess that's why he's my husband and not yours. :) Happy Friday!

**I've got a real cute wedding shower to post about soon...vintage/country chic and A-dorable! You'll love it!

Top ten....errr 11 things ALL crafters need!

So I realized that some of y'all who actually read my blog are beginners when it comes to crafting.....aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnd I love that. I love it when people who say "I'm not creative!" or "I wouldn't even know where to start!" or "Crafting just isn't my thing" come to realize that crafting can be fun for ANYBODY! Seriously...it's up to you. If you're not inspired...copy. If you don't know how to do something...make up a way. If you are out of ideas...read a blog. Just keep trying until you figure out what works for YOU!

Today's blog post is to help my new crafters (and maybe give some insight to those of you who are craft pros!). I have a top ten (well...actually...as I'm sitting here typing it, I'm making it up :) list of things that ALL crafters need! I might even give you a little tip on how to use each thing....who knows...I'm making this up as I go along.

**These are in no particular order...just gonna type them as they pop into my head.**

10. Ribbon

Image from Franklin Mill Store

Ribbon can be used for ALL sorts of things! It's easy to work with and just adds a little extra flair and finishing touch to any project. If you finish a project and feel like it still needs something...add a little ribbon. :) *Tip: Look in discount bins at craft stores...so many cute ribbons...CHEAP!

9. Felt

Image from The Silver Penny

You can do SO much with felt and it comes in so many wonderful colors! It's so hot right now! Best Part?? You don't have to finish edges...THANK YOU JESUS! I love to find the easy way to do things...and felt is that way! :)

8. GOOD scissors!

Image from Fiskars

Good doesn't have to mean expensive. Just make sure they're sharp! You'll save yourself a lot of headache if you have good scissors! ALSO... Make sure you have separate scissors for paper and fabric...don't confuse them! I promise...it'll pay off! :)

7. Foam paint brushes

Image from Craft Supplies for Less

These puppies always come in handy. Not just for paint projects. Which brings me to my next product....

6. Mod Podge!

Image from Art Stuff

Don't know what Mod Podge is? Well, sister...you had best learn about it, quick! It is a glue/sealer that works on virtually EVERYTHING. Use papers or fabrics to cover whatever you want when using this stuff. It has a bazillion uses and you won't regret spending the approximate $7 for the BIG container.

5. Yarn

Image from Hooked on Needles

You know what it is...now find creative ways to use it. Yarn ain't just for knittin' and crochetin'! If it was...I would never use it because I don't know how to do either one of those things...

4. Fabric

Image from Totally Stitchin'

Whether you buy it in yards or just scraps...have some handy. You never know what you might use it for...even if you don't sew. Trust.

3. Paper...plain and patterned!

Image from Kerry's Paper Crafts

You can always use paper to jazz something up! Think outside the box and use it for things you never thought you could. It'll surprise you.

2. Spray Paint

Image from Gorgeous Shiny Things

With all of the options out there, you can give almost ANYTHING a new look with a coat or two of spray paint. I'm serious. My advice on spray painting...be patient and follow directions. I know...out of character for me to tell you to actually read instructions...but every once in a while, you really should. Give it time to dry. If it needs another coat, wait the length of time it says to wait on the can. You'll be happy that you did.

My number one item that EVERY crafter should have...(I really did save this one for number ONE!)

1. A HOT GLUE GUN!!!!

Image from Glu Stix

Every seasoned crafter out there (like there are any who actually read this blog! HA!) is cheering right now. A hot glue gun is a crafters best friend. You can hot glue ANYTHING. I'm so serious. High temp glue works best for heavy duty projects and low temp is just fine for every day little craft projects. I can't stress enough how much I LOOOOOOOVE my hot glue gun. I almost always have it in my purse. (Yes, I just admitted that...) There are so many uses for it, I can't even stand it. Without a glue gun, I would NOT enjoy crafting as much...honest. You can buy them at the dollar store or even at hardware stores...they all work the same. You don't have to get fancy.

And now, since I actually came up with 11 things instead of 10....

HONORABLE MENTION:

A good tote bag to carry your crafting stuff to places where you want to multi-task!

I recommend the "Organizing Utility Tote" from Thirty-One! Love the pockets and the size is perfect! It comes in so many different prints and you can even get it personalized! ($22 for the bag and $6 extra to have it personalized!)

So there you have it, folks. My top ten (or 11). Anything I forgot? Tell me some things YOU can't live without in your every day crafting life! I would love to hear it!

Oh SNAP!

There are only a few blogs that I actually read EVERY day. I read and browse through a bunch of them but not every one every single day. One of my absolute favorites is One Pretty Thing. She does all the work for you! It's a wonderful site that helps me to be lazy when searching the web for inspiration. :) Check it out! You'll love it!

As I was doing my daily read, I saw this super cute printable from MaryJanes and Galoshes!

I wanted to print it and put it in my house somewhere...however, I'm not a mama. BUT I am a photographer (kind of) so that's why I loved it! :) I had to have one...or something like it....so I made one more appropriate for my house! What do you think?

I kind of love it. :) And since I love it, I thought YOU might love it, too...that's why I'm posting a link to the .pdf file so that you can print one for yourself! It's a 5x7. Just click the link (below), print, and cut using the guidelines! Now you're ready to frame it!

Get your own Oh SNAP! printable HERE!

**It's Thursday...you know what that means....CRAFT NIGHT!!!!! I may have a few projects to post tomorrow...or another day...depending on my mood. ;)**

Chicken Enchiladas

***EDIT!! I forgot an ingredient! You also need 1 8oz package of cream cheese!***

I know that everyone says that their mother is the best cook in the world. Everyone is wrong...except for me. My mother is the world's best cook...second only to her mother, my Nana (Who has gone to be with Jesus. I miss her so much but we won't get into that...I'd have you here all night talking about how precious and hilarious my sweet Italian grandmother was!), who taught her everything she knows. So when Momma gives me a new recipe...I make it...not as well as she makes it...but I make it nonetheless! This one for Chicken Enchiladas is YUMMMMM. My momma actually has made this for me before and I LOOOOOVED it so much that I HAD to have the recipe! Hubby loves it, too (AND one of my favorite families at church!!)! And let me add just one more thing...I am no gourmet chef...I don't ever attempt to cook anything that has ingredients with names that I can't pronounce...in a few words...I like EASY! So any recipe you get from me, you can always assume that it's gonna be EASY! This one is no exception. :) Without further adieu...here it is...Momma Hammond's Chicken Enchilada Recipe!

Ingredients:

10 small tortillas

1 can chicken

1/2 medium onion chopped

1/4 c. queso dip

1 can 97% fat free cream of chicken soup

1/3 c. skim milk

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine CHICKEN, CREAM CHEESE, and ONION.

Fill tortillas with chicken/cream cheese/onion mixture.

Roll and lay in greased casserole dish.

Drizzle queso dip over rolls.

Mix CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP and SKIM MILK.

Pour over rolls.

Top with SHREDDED CHEESE.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

**I like to top mine with a dollop of sour cream! DE-LISH!

There you go...easy breezy and absolutely yummy! We're having these suckers for dinner tonight! I'm serving them with Mexican rice from a box....told you I like easy dinners. ;)

Let me know if you try these!!! My mother would be thrilled!