Vacatioooon

I'm having great time on vacation! The weather is perfect! I hope you all have a great long weekend and unofficial start to summer!



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What I'm Loving Wednesday!

This past weekend was a big one in dixiebelldesign world:

E graduated from college on Saturday!!! I am SO proud of him. Seven years ago (woah!) E and I met at the Univ. of Massachusetts when I was a junior and he was a freshman there (i know, i know, i'm a cougar! ;) jk!) He went there for four semesters and then decided his major wasn't really for him and the school was too big (it is HUGE!). He started courses at another college and took them little by little. The next year we moved to California and he got a job working nights at a Big Brown Company and went to school during the day. When we moved back East he continued to work for that company becoming a supervisor AND still going to school during the day at Salem State University. Last summer he left that job so he could really focus on his last few classes and this past January when he officially finished classes he got a new job! Basically, he worked HARD to get here and it took a LONG time. There were times were I had to encourage him that there really was a light at the end of the tunnel and he WOULD finish! It was nice to watch him graduate and realize he achieved his goal with lots and lots of hard work. I love you, E! Congrats!

On Saturday night a celebration was in order AND my best friend was in town from Florida! Perfect, right?? We had a really good time. We went to a local brewery and to another bar and had a lot of a fun. I managed to take a one picture, haha....

In other news, if you haven't seen Bridesmaids yet, you MUST. GO. It was HYSTERICAL!! Loved it and Kristin Wiig is oh so funny. Maya Rudolph too!!

No more sleeps until my long weekend in Disney World, I leave tonight! Yay yay yay! Oh man, I need to finish packing!

Good for the soul

I think this video of two of my little friends is good for the soul.... So adorbs

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WILW

This is what I'm loving this week.....

-23 more days of school and then SUMMER!!

- 7 days till Florida!

- Library books. Any suggestions about good books. Other than The Help and Water for Elephants??

-Looking at old pictures. Here is one from college. I am the blond one in the middle and the other three girls are my roommates. miss them!

and one from high school, now i am on the far left with the white pants. oh these pics make me laugh!

-Funny comments from kids at school...they really are hilarious! Yesterday a first grader asked me if he could have my ipod instead of a sticker after class. no, but good try, bud. hahaha so funny!

Link up with Jamie and tell us what you are loving!

Miscellany Monday

*How was your weekend? Mine was laid back, but fun. On Friday, E and I went out to get some Chinese food then went to my nephew’s little league game. IT. WAS. FREEZING. On Saturday we went to our fave bagel shop, went to the mall for some summer clothes shopping, went to jump on my nephew and niece’s new trampoline for a while (SO MUCH FUN!), then had some friends over at night for some takeout and hockey (go bruins!). Sometimes laid back weekends are needed… especially when I have no free Saturdays from now until July 2^nd… no joke!

*I don’t know what to do about my giveaway. Since we all know that blogger decided to go a little cray cray last week and took away all but four of the entries. Um, yeah, thanks blogger, thanks. I’m thinking about what to do about that, but if you entered please leave a comment on this post, just leave one comment (and even if you didn’t, enter now!). If you didn’t know I am hosting a giveaway in honor of my birthday, which was last week with a surprise package of a few of my favorite things! I’ll figure it out in the meantime! AND SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE!!

*My niece (who is forced to go to WAY too many of her big bro’s baseball games) entertained herself with my phone, while we were at the baseball game. What a goof.

*10 days until I go to Florida. WOOHOO… because here is the 5 day forecast in my neck of the woods… awesome right? I'm DONE with it, ewww. I’m hoping Mother Nature is just holding out on Spring for us so we can have an AWESOME summer! Probably, right?? : /

*Hope you all have a lovely week!!

link up with carissa.

WILW!

What I'm Loving Wednesday with the fabulous Jamie!

I'm loving... that I had a great birthday weekend!I ate and drank way too much, that's a sign of a good weekend, right?? Also, in honor of my 28th birthday (yikes!) I am hosting a surprise giveaway with a prize package of a few of my favorite things (to be revealed later!). You can get up to 5 entries and it goes until Sunday so check it out HERE!!!!

I'm loving... the prezzies I got for my birthday! I will post pics soon!

I'm loving.... two weeks from today I will be here!! Can't wait!


I'm loving.... finding fun summer time clothing that I can buy with my birthday $$!! Like these....

What do you love this week??

Happy Birthday to meeeeee.....

GUESS WHAT!!

Today is my birthday! I turn 28, which is undeniably part of the "late 20's" club. E, who is younger than me by a year and a half says that I was in my late 20's last year at 27, but what does he know

To celebrate, I am going to host a giveaway and giveaway a little prize package that includes a few of my favorite things...which I am going to leave as a surprise!! Find out how to enter below!

To enter:
You can get a total of 5 entries! Please leave each entry as a separate comment.
1. Ask me a question (anything!) to be answered in a future post!
2. Tell me your favorite "summer must have" product.
3. Blog or tweet about this giveaway (leave a link in the comment)
4. Follow me!
5. Follow DixieBellDesigns on Facebook!

Easy right? The giveaway will be open until Sunday, May 15 at midnight. I'll draw the winner the following day!

Cinco de Mayo!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! I hope you all have a fiesta tonight and indulge in a little Mexican food. Mexican may just be my FAVE type of food. Ever.

Tonight I'm going to indulge in some skinny margaritas, enchiladas, and guacamole (better get my butt to the gym this afternoon first!)

Skinny Margarita

Ingredients:

• 2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
• Tiny splash of Orange Liquor
• Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges

Directions:

1. To serve on the rocks, combine all ingredients over a glass of ice and garnish with a lime wedge

Spinach and Cheese

Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed, drained and squeezed dry
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, warm tortillas one at a time until flexible, about 15 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

Guacamole

Ingredients

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

ENJOY!!!

If you have any fun Cinco de Mayo ideas go link up with cornflake dreams!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Link up with Jamie.

I'm loving... this mantra:

"Don't let the things you can't control, control you!"

{via}

And I'm also loving laying on my couch catching up on blogs because it is a gross, rainy night!

Miscellany Monday

Weekend Pluses and Minuses----

Friday
+ Friday night warm enough to grill AND eat outside.
+Viewing middle school yearbooks is FUNNY.
-$9 cocktail. I don't live in the big city. One drink SHOULD not cost that much.

Saturday
+ More warm weather!
+ Beach walks with the puppy.
+Nephew's baseball game.
(-They lost bad!!!)
+New Pier 1 lantern and outdoor patio lights!
+Out to dinner with the fam....
(-food = not that good, waste of calories)
-Need to buy a new car battery..... ps I want a new car, bad!!

Sunday
-Had to get an MRI and a IV... not fun. The docs incidentally saw a spot on my liver a few months ago and had to check it out further. SCARY. I felt like I was in a space ship, I just closed my eyes the whole time!
(++++Doc called me back this AM to report that everything is fine. Turns out you can have birthmarks on your liver, who knew!)
+After coming back from my space mission (haha) we spent the rest of the day outside!
+Hike in the woods.
+Lunch at our fave coffee shop.
+Playing baseball with my nephew (who can hit it outta the park now)
-Got too lazy to grocery shop!
+My aunt (who lives two houses down from us) brought over some angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream!
-Can't hang our patio lights because there are no outlets on our porch!
-Airline tickets are crazy. They rise and fall with no apparent explanation....

well, more pluses than minuses, that's always good!
HOW WAS YOUR WEEKEND???

In other news, E starts his new job today. I'm so excited for him!