Sewwww...What's up?

Well I've had a really good weekend. Like, a really really good weekend. I got some house cleaning done, had a great lunch date with a sweet friend, LEARNED TO SEW, got some sleep, relaxed, and enjoyed some good food with Mr. C. I'm really sad it's over.

Just to let everyone in on what's going on in our life right now...My dad is having triple bypass surgery this Friday. So that's my "not blogging" excuse for awhile...I can't really think of what my excuse has been for the past few weeks. Soo, on to something a little lighter. :)

We tried two "new" recipes this weekend. We both knew how they tasted, they were copy cat recipes from Macaroni Grill and BoneFish but the only thing was...is ours going to taste the same or better? Both we great!! I was really impressed with us. Seriously, Pinterest is the best thing to ever cross our paths.

Here's the link to the bread... CLICK HERE!

It's seriously SO good. Make sure you read the directions all the way through before you start it...you have to let the bread rise twice...We didn't catch that until we had already started our other part of the dinner. Fab.

We also made Bang Bang shrimp!! Da'bomb! I loved it. Kyle wanted it spicier...go figure. It was actually perfect for me. But I'm sure you could adjust the heat after you've made it a few times.

Here's the link to the shrimp... CLICK HERE!

Seriously, you're going to want to try them. Amazing!

Lastly, I wanted to show you my cute cloth napkins I've been working on! I'm just learning to sew and it's the perfect project. Straight lines. Can't beat it.

Picking the right fabric makes all the difference in the world. I mean, they look like something out of Pier1. I wouldn't recommend looking at the stitching too hard though. Haha. I'm pretty excited though. I love cloth napkins and this is a great project to help me learn how to use my sewing machine. Who knows what I'll be doing by the end of the year! It's opened up a how new "search" in Pinterest though!

I hope everyone has a great week! Only 4 days!!

Ellyn

2.0.1.2.

So I've actually been writing typing "2012" at work for a good 90ish days now so I've had some time to get use to this "new year" feel...kind of. Can you actually believe it's 2012?! I was thinking today in church about the year 2000, how long ago that seems now but in 2000, 2012 seemed so far ahead...and yet, I feel like it just FLEW right by me. Thank you college for showing me that time flies when your having fun. Seriously. I thought about doing a "year in review" post...i thought about a catch up post since the last time I blogged was November 28th...and then I thought about just a clean start post...I don't know how exactly to combined them all but here it goes...

"Year in Review"

Saw more snow this year than in my entire life.

Survived New Hope Softball season

experience a true natural disaster

Became a "hostess with the mostest!"

bought my first brand new vehicle without ANY help from my parents!

Stood beside three beautiful women and watch them marry the men of their dreams

Got promoted!

Celebrated my FIRST wedding anniversary

Attended my first new year's eve wedding

"Catch UP"

"So this is Christmas...and what have you done...?"

That was literally the first thing that came to my head when I started to type...that goofy song.

You know what I did...I did everything and anything. Kyle and I did not stop "doing" something until...today. Today was the first thing we didn't have ANYTHING on the calendar. I love December but it's not till Christmas is over that I realize how busy we are.

This was mine and Kyle's second year to help/sing with the Living Christmas Tree. I love it. I sing my heart out. Sometimes I'm on key, other times it's just a joyful noise to God. I should tell you a secret...for years my parents took me and sometimes friends and I didn't really care to go...or really, all i wanted to do was just sing the last song...The Hallelujah Chorus. So after graduating college (2010- I was also planning on getting MARRIED 3 weeks before the first performance!! WHAT WAS I THINKING?!) I wanted to sing just to try it out...I figured I would just learn the words to the songs but just sing the last song.

Wrong...I learned the music...I became apart of the music. I loved it so much. So much that I can back this year, singing my heart out again and I can imagine I'll be apart of this for a long time. My favorite part is singing the Hallelujah Chorus. 

Here's a link in case you want to check it out.

http://vimeo.com/33849261

 

Christmas morning we spent at my mom's house...This is how Kyle felt about taking pictures...

We raced from house to house making sure we saw everyone Christmas weekend.

Then this past weekend we celebrated a very special event! Our sweet friends Justin and Lauren got MARRIED! We are so excited for them! As Micah said at the wedding, Lauren's on our team now!

It was a beautiful wedding and had Lauren "stamped" all though it.

Friday night I helped host a lingerie shower/bachlorette party for her at my house. It was great having all our college friends in the same room again!! Loved it.

*Please excuse my little red nose, I would come down with a cold when entertaining...

Love you girls!

So here's to a new year...and I as put the finishing touches on this blog...It is now become the 2nd of January...oh well. Maybe this year I'll be a better blogger, who knows...But I'm excited to see what 2012 has in store for me. I can't wait...it's going to fabulous, I just know it.

Ellyn

An anniversary Post

This blog post was actually started a week ago, however due to some technical difficulites, it never posted...allow me to continue:

Hello Blogger world! It's an exciting day in the Christian house! We made it through a year! Like it was hard...I mean, I have got the be the EASIEST person live with EVER! I am not type A at all, I am very laid back when it comes to getting my way, very whateves...you know..super easy to be married to... ;)

We celebrated pretty low key this weekend...We headed to the Bama game yesterday and watched Bama play the last home game of the season. I got at little Christmas shopping done while I was down there...a little for me and a little for others! Today Kyle took me on a little scavenger hunt in order to get my present...it was really sweet and funny. It's fun to see him get creative, I'm not the only one in the house who is...and would you know, he's a pretty good listener! I got a Silhouette Cameo! I'm super excited!! I've been playing with it all day! I can literally make anything now. Litereally.

Notice the "excited" face below.

And of course, a first year anniversary wouldn't be complete without eating some wedding cake!

Let me just tell you about this cake. My mother is a saint...why? Beacuse this huge round cake topper actually spent the past year at my mother's freezer. It managed to survived a week long power outage in April and yet another power outage in August because of a tripped circut. Amazing. And never once did she let it ruin. Did I tell you she was amazing? She is.

In case you missed it, Kyle bought himself a Big Green Egg as part of his anniversary/christmas/birthday/anniversary/Christmas, etc gift...No surprise there.

Some very exciting things going on this Christmas season. I'm singing in the Living Christmas Tree again! I'm very excited and if you want FREE tickets, just let me know! Also a dear sweet friend of mine is getting married new year's eve! I'm so very excited and I can't wait for her to tie the knot!

We've spent most of the weekend watching football and putting up Christmas decorations. It just might take me till December 25th to finish decorating the house. Ha! So much to do and so much to decorate.

When and if i do get everything put together, I'll be sure to share it with you!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Ellyn

Lucky #100.

So this is my 100th post! That's kinda of exciting...I hope you find this blog post exciting. I know it's been a while...so allow me to recap what's been holding me back from blogging, I know you're dieing to know!

New Job

Painting the house

Mentally preparing for LSU weekend

Halloween

New workout routine

Day light savings

more house painting

LCT practice

Weekend in Collinsville

trying to be a good wife- LAUNDRY!

New recipes

Christmas shopping

Christmas card pictures

and finally...

OUR ANNIVERSARY NEXT WEEKEND!!

So...I can't promise a daily blog but I should be back to at least a weekly blog. It seems funny that this time last year, although I was planning a wedding, I seemed to drop off the blogging boat and didn't pick it back up until January...November and December are just SO busy for me.

So allow me to go into some details about the past few weeks. First I love my new job. I work with some great people and I truly believe God had a plan for me when He placed me at RFCU.

Second I enjoy going to Bama football games...I loooove it. I could spend every weekend in Bryant-Denny. Literally. However, after watching us lose to LSU, I'm ready to call it a season- head out to the National Championship game, come home with a "W" and call it a day. Don't get me wrong, I love football and wish it was a year round sport, but at this point in the season, I get tired. It's tough being gone every home game weekend. Trust me, you should see my house!

Speaking of house, I have an AMAZING husband...How does that go together you might ask? Well, for one...the weekend I went to my Grandmother's, Kyle spent the weekend painting the living room and this past weekend, My FIL, MIL, and Kyle finished up the bedroom and kitchen! They're the best!!

This is the color...It's just the kind of thing you have to see in person.

Yesterday Kyle and I drove ALL the way out to Fayettville to look at fabric at Sirs...only to figure out after arriving in Fayettville, TN that there was a Christmas/Town gathering/ A MESS OF PEOPLE! (See, I told you he was a sweetie!) everywhere...so we had to come back home. We weren't in the mood to drive around all day looking for a parking spot. Oh well, another time- Thanksgiving weekend, maybe? However, I went to Decauter yesterday afternoon to watch Boo play soccer and mom and I decided to stop in at Willow Tree Fabrics...just to look. Well, I had been in before and fell in love with some green houndstooth fabric...you might remember this Post with the chair project?

This fabric spoke to me...ha. Well, I knew I wanted it somewhere in my house and I just decided to recover my kitchen chairs in it...I'm super excited.

That's another blog accident post waiting to happen! I know Kyle can't contain himself. :)

And because he is such a good husband...I think we'll make it to our anniversary! Ha!

I can't believe we're just a week away from our one year anniversary. This time last year I was going crazy, trying to keep from pulling my hair out, and just trying to make it till Saturday. This year has gone by SO fast! It's unreal. I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve for next week!

I have enjoyed sitting out on the back porch, watching the sunset and catching up on everything in blogger land...I hope everyone has a great week! Just two weeks until Thanksgiving! Ah!!

I'm celebrity cool...

So I wanted to share with you my new favorite breakfast item. Now if you know me, you know I have this weird obsession with waffles...I LOVE Eggo Waffles. I had one almost everyone morning of my school (and now work) age life...except for Saturdays and Sundays...but Monday thru Friday..waffles. But I love smoothies...but I don't ever have time in the mornings to measure out the ingredients...find recipes, etc. But while wander around Kroger a couple weeks ago, I happened to see this...

I tried the strawberry, worrying about the banana taste but thought I'd try it.

LOOOVEEEED IT!!

You must taste the strawberry.

I doubt I'll try the other flavors because I have this thing with fruits and veggies...

but the strawberry/banana one...

AMAZING!

Hope everyone had a great Friday tomorrow! I'm pretty pumped about the weekend.

I'd say I deserve it!

Ellyn

It's Pinterest's fault...

So I admit, I've been MIA for a while. I've been busy though.

A sweet friend of mine became a grandmother and I wanted to do a little project I'd seen off of Pinterest and I wanted to use the Cricut.

Thus this little beauty:

 I made the stork cut out using my Cricut and the "girl" cut out using it too.

Next on the Pinterest "to-do" list

Painting burlap.

This weekend I need to put a little nail in the door and hang it that way, but the wreath hanger convenient. Painting burlap was interesting at first. It doesn't paint like a canvas does. I used acrylic paint and a spray sealant so if it gets wet, it won't bleed on the front door.

All in all, pretty pleased with this. Still working on the bow- there again, convenient.

Last Pinterest project for a while.

Pumpkin Topiary.

This one took a lot out of me. ha ha. Our neighbor made one and of course, I thought I could do better.

I don't know how I really feel about it yet. ha ha. Kyle's calling it the pumpkin statue.

I will say this...I bought it in the living room yesterday because of the storms today, in the morning, it's kind of freaky. Just chilling there. I guess it's a, "You have to be there" kind of thing.

P.S. Whoever said this was easy to put together was sick. It was a PAIN to carve holes in the bottom of the pumpkins much less carve cute little swirls and polka dots!

And if you notice the lean...yeah, my pumpkin statue has swag.

Our neighborhood has been selected to build the feature home for the tour of homes, was on the cover of the home magazine in the newspaper this weekend, and we were all asked to "clean up our yards, trim our bushes, plant some new plants, set out some fall decor!"...The best yard will be awarded a $50 gift card...Well, let's just say, if I win the gift card, I won't come out on top.

Fake pumpkins are NOT cheap.

So needless to say, these projects wore me out a little.

I think I'm going to stick to easy projects for a while.

or just read a book?

Have a great night,

Ellyn

Well, Well, Well...

It's always nice to start the week when Monday is already over! I'm all for a four day work week...Tomorrow I start my new position. I'm excited/nervous/really excited...I just hope I'm able to sleep tonight! Friday was a good day for banking but left little time for me to tell everyone at Wynn goodbye! (I'll be moving to the South Parkway branch)

So for all my friends at Wynn, Y'all were fun to work with...Y'all kept the work day fun. I appreciate everything y'all did for me Friday and I will truly miss working with everyone!

Friday at work we gave Cyndi a cute little "grandmother shower" and so i decide to make a cute little "stork bundle". I'm pretty impressed with how it turned out!

Between that and my other 400+ projects I have going on, my craft room took a beating this week.

I'm trying to focus on just one thing at a time...I have a million things i WANT to do but only a few hours at night after work to do them...Hopefully I'll finish all my fall/Halloween decorating projects in time to enjoy them.

Thank you Pinterest for creating an abundant flow in creativity...and work for a lack of time. ha!

Saturday we went to the game and I got to do a little shopping this time! I was super pumped about this sweatshirt I bought at this place called La Shea. It had some super cute stuff! I'm not going to lie, I might go back next home game. I didn't get a homecoming shirt this year and decided to buy this one instead.

My second fabulous find this weekend was this super cute tote! I got it off one of the street vendors near Tutwiler. I'm super excited to carry it to work!

Sunday I mostly cleaned and got caught up on things around the house. I'd neglected it all week and it showed.

And today Kyle and I just enjoyed the day together. I visited a sweet friend who just moved into their house! It's super cute and I'm so excited for them! Seeing their house made me what to start working on mine again. I've picked out the colors for the living room, kitchen, and bedroom and now I've got to find the time! Also my goal this month is to get some framing done! I only have a million things laying around to get framed. Working on that this month. Promise.

I hope everyone has a great week...I can't guarantee much blogging this week as I try to work on my little projects for fall! I'll post eventually!

Ellyn

Birthdays are my favorite.

Is it Sunday night already? I hate having a good weekend...means it goes by way too fast. We've been celebrating all weekend...an Alabama win, Kyle's birthday! Okay, so just those two things...Saturday I finally finished pulling out all my fall decor...and it's slim pickings...I'm really picky. (I'm sure some of you *Kyle* are saying, "You're just now figuring this out?") But I need time to think about what I want where...and I bought a few things...I found an idea here and there, eh. I'll eventually pull everything all together. But Kroger had their sunflowers on sale so I decided to buy some since we were having the family over Saturday night to watch the game.

They are just beautiful! I really can't stop looking at them.

I'm slightly obsessed.

We had our families over for dinner and to watch the Bama game Saturday night. It was great, love having our families together, the food was great, the cake was frozen...ah, yes, the cake was FROZEN.

Just a little FYI- If you buy a cake from Newks, make sure it has time to un-thaw.

It was a good thing we had some extra time before the game started to wait on the cake to THAW!

The infamous cake.

It did taste good...The homemade ice cream we made stayed cold when we served it with the cake!

Lesson learned.

Make your own cake.

Kyle got a pretty good spread for his birthday. I'm blogging off one of his gifts right now! We bought him a new computer and luckily, it was a gift I benefited from!

All in all I think it was a good weekend, even for a boy who hates birthdays.

I love you, babe...And I'll forever continue making a big deal out of birthdays.

I'll celebrate mine for a month and you can celebrate yours for a few days.

:)

It's my last week on the teller line...bittersweet.

Hope everyone has a great week!

The Lobby of Hobby.

SO I made a trip to Hobby Lobby today on my lunch break (didn't need a whole day in there, my bank account can't afford it) and picked me up a few things. Hopefully I can get started on some "pinterest" projects soon! Looking at the stuff now, it's kind of a weird mix of things but maybe between what I have and...er...maybe making another trip, I'll have what I need to make whatever it is I want to make.

Cross you fingers for Saturday morning!

Tomorrow is Friday! Thank goodness! I couldn't work another day if I had too!

And the job search finally comes to an end...

Hello blogger land! You are now reading the blog of Redstone Federal Credit Union's newest Secondary Market Specialist!!

I found out today that I received a new job title! I can't tell you how excited I am about this new job.

It's funny how things work out. Things that I thought I wanted and things I was so disappointed in when it didn't turn out...when it didn't go "my way".

Tonight in church we talked about trusting in God and how at times, it makes you anxious, nervous...and it's scary. I was sitting there thinking, "Haha, God!! You are really funny!"

I know He had a hand in this job...(or he was tired of hearing from me. ha!)

So...this job will give me a little bit of extra time in the evenings and no weekend work so I'm very excited to get started on some long overdue projects!

Stay tuned...it's sure going to be a fun ride...for my husband! :)

Celebrating with ice cream sundaes!!

Thank you, baby!

Living for the weekend!

Ellyn

Happy birthday, Jenn!

Today is my wonderful sister-in-law's birthday!

Shout out to you, Jenn! It's YOUR day! I hope it's awesome!!

Love you!

Ellyn

Sunday...ah.

I had a much needed relaxing weekend this weekend. Yesterday we went to Tuscaloosa and of course, it was a good weekend. Can't beat a win against Arkansas.

I'm not too good for a blog post today but hopefully I can have some time to do some this week. I've got a busy week getting ready for Kyle's birthday this weekend!

Mr. Christian will be the big 2-6!

Hope everyone has a good week. I've off to get stuff ready for this week.

Ellyn

Monday, Monday...

Happy Monday!

I just wanted to share this little delicious goody with you.

I made these for Kyle and I this weekend on a whim. My mom had made these when I was little and it has been years since I've had these yummies!

And besides...Smore's are kind of "Fall-ish" right?!
Thank you pinterest for finding this recipe for me!

Golden Graham S’more Bars

Ingredients:

1 10 oz. bag mini marshmallows (Approx. 6 cups)

1 12 oz. package semi sweet chocolate chips

5 tbsp. butter

8 cups Golden Graham cereal (one 12 oz. box)

1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Directions:

Place package of chocolate chips in the freezer to chill. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan, set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add in 5 cups of marshmallows and stir until almost completely melted. Stir in vanilla if desired. Remove from heat and transfer butter mixture to a large mixing bowl and add cereal, stirring to coat. Once cereal is coated, remove chocolate chips from freezer and add to cereal mixture. Also add in the remaining cup of marshmallows. Gently stir until evenly distributed.

Press cereal mixture into prepared baking pan. Cover and refrigerate until set. Turn out onto cutting board and cut into squares. Keep stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.Makes approximately 20-24 bars depending on how big you cut them.

Let's just say, Kyle and I keep having to go back for seconds...

I might even take it tailgating next weekend!

I hope everyone is having a good week. My weekend was too short, as usual.

I'm headed to bed right now to finish up "How Dolly Parton Saved My Life"

Love, love, love this book!!

It's a must read.

Ellyn



Dolly Parton

So lately I've been reading several self help books, books by people who've "made it to the top" and religious books about how to be a more Godly woman.

This week I've decided to take a different direction.

I started "How Dolly Parton Saved my Life".

I'll keep you posted.

Ellyn

Horrible. Day.

I wish I could say I see this (Exhibit A: Youtube Video) all the time...in my job...Some days I feel it's just the oposite. If a person yells at me...and you see them in line yelling at me...YOU yelling at me when you get to my window (About the SAME thing the other person was yelling at me about) just makes sense? Right?

Wrong.

I just want to say thank you to the man that stood in my window today and talked to me because the lady in front of me "was just being plain mean" to me.

You made my day.

This blog post is for you. I wish there were more people like you.

The five minutes you spent with me helped me make it through the rest of my day.

Next time you're at the bank...and the system is down.

Please remember is it not MY fault. I have nothing to do with it.

I am not personally trying to keep you from your money.

Thank you and I hope you have a *GREAT* day.

Fab find in the trash!!

So I have something exciting to share with you...You will never believe what I found...IN THE TRASH!

Yes, laying next to a dumpster in our neighborhood.

True to the meaning- "Another man's trash is...MY treasure!"

Funny story:

*Walking down the street, warming up for my run*

I walk by the dumpster and notice the window pane...it's leaning on the dumpster.

So I look around and it's clear this it's in the trash.

So...I pick it up.

I'm walking by and my neighbors are outside...a mom, little girl (about 4) and a baby.

I walk by and say hi to the mom and then the little girl says...

"Mommy, why does she have our window?"

*Freeze- crap*

I'm like, crap...I didn't want anyone to witness me taking their trash.

Our neighbor just laugs and says that maybe I'll find a better use for it.

I don't know that I'll find a better use for it...but I really didn't want to leave it sitting there near the dumpster.

So I continue walking it back to the house only to have Kyle, stopped from mowing the grass, looking at me with a look that says "Where the heck did you find that?!"

My husband loves me.

So...I'm asking you blogger-world...If you have a window pane in wonderful condition, what would you do with it?

Help!

Hope everyone has a good week!



Best Wishes Mr. and Mrs. Lewis!

This weekend my dear sweet friend, Brittany Andrews now Brittany Lewis, got married to the man of her dreams! I was so thrilled for her and I wish them the best! Hope you enjoy some pictures from the weekend! 

Bridesmaid's luncheon at Julianna Carter's house on Friday! Good food and a wonderful time.

Rehearsal at the church, Brittany with her bridesmaids. Y'all looked beautiful, ladies!

Rehearsal dinner! I'll refrain from posting the shrimp-catching pictures! :)

The beautiful bride!

I'm glad I got to see you Jennifer! It's been forever! Asher was too cute!

Loved the Alabama cake...Glad I could eat it too!

*Jenn- that was dedication right there...*

My handsome date!

Mom and her girls...thanks for making me laugh during this picture, mom!

Great weekend! So glad to good friends with such a wonderful couple!

I needed a picture post, I'm in a wedding cake coma.

Have a good weekend, y'all!

If you need a pick me up...

In case you ever forget how lucky you are...take a look.

No work for me on Friday so tomorrow's my friday! Hope everyone has a good Wednesday!

Ellyn

Roll Tide, baby!

 It's finally here! Alabama football! I couldn't begin to tell you how it felt to be back in Bryant Denny.

First Stadium Dog of the season! Tasted so good.

Honoring the first responders at the game...This was very emotional. I will say I got really upset...I also thanked God for how lucky Kyle and I are...It's was a perspective moment. Friday I was complaining about life in general and there are people going through much worse in life. I couldn't help but think about Carson Tinker and his girlfriend...would she have made that opening game if she had still been here?

Spelling out Tuscaloosa was the best part of half-time.

Can't wait to be back in there in a couple weeks.

I've only got a three day week because Brittany Andrews is getting married this weekend! I can't wait!

Here's to making it a good week...and a good shopping day tomorrow! Love bank holidays!

Ellyn

Tailgating desserts...

So I'm super excited tomorrow is Friday and only 8 hours separates me from my weekend. I'm ecstatic. You have no idea. So as far as I know, we're tailgating this weekend and I'm super pumped! We were asked to bring a dessert and I've been trying to decide on something to bring...We are leaving super early in the morning Saturday so easy is pretty much up my ally after this week.

So...here are my options.

Smores Bars:

No bake peanut butter cookies:

(Recipe HERE)

Puppy Chow:

(Recipe HERE!)

I think I'm leaning toward the puppy chow...I haven't had it in forever and I know it travels well. I might save these others for the next tailgate!

Do you have some favorite sweet snacks that would be great for tailgating?!

Please share!

Ellyn