A Family Update

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Spooky Strawberries

I saw these here. Originally posted here.

Two Long Months

I was introduced to the Nestle Mini Chocolate Chip refrigerated cookie dough by my friend, the Enchantress. It has since become a long time staple in our house.

After being taken of the shelves for "reports" of "E. coli" Nestle refrigerated cookie dough is back in a grocery store near you. I have missed it greatly these last 2 months. We are having some tonight for fhe dessert.

The Perfect Skirt

Absolutely adorable. Available at Old Navy for a song. Whenever my little one wears it she can't stop twirling or touching the fabric. Happens to match perfectly with her Crewcuts sweater. Highly recommended.

Decisions Decisions

It's never to early to be thinking about Halloween costumes. My youngest decided she wanted to be Madeline for Halloween a few weeks ago.

But then I saw this in the Pottery Barn Kids Catalog and it is really giving Madeline a run for her money:

So Madeline or Cupcake?

Creme Brulee French Toast

I have eaten this recipe twice before making it myself for the first time. It is so delicious and I was surprised just how easy it was to make.

Creme Brulee French Toast (via Epicurious.)

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• an 8- to 9-inch round loaf country-style bread
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot French toast immediately.

Some notes:
*Several reviewers said to skip the corn syrup.
*My friend uses the Round Chullah Bread from Atlanta Bread Co. I used 2 loaves from Jimmy Johns (2 loaves fit in a 9X13).
*You can substitute Orange Juice for Grand Marnier

True Love

We have been enjoying some unseasonably cool weather for the month of August. I am taking full advantage of these days while training for my half-marathon. Thankfully, I have yet to run at the gym in 3 full weeks of training. Miraculous.

This morning I began my run under a cool, overcast sky. Absolutely perfect running weather.

A light drop of rain.

Another.

Another.

Then Complete Downpour.

(This is what I looked like after the run. Maybe you can't tell from the front view, but I am so wet water is dripping off me. The side view shows the contrast of the dry and wet. Also, check out my hair: it was straight when I started my run.)

I am from the Pacific Northwest, so rain doesn't really bother me. But thunder and lightening? Probably not such a good idea to run in a lightening storm.

Not 5 minutes after the storm began, I see a familiar car pull up to the side of the road.

It's my husband. He was worried about me. He stopped his work, got in the car and drove around until he found me.

It's just a really good feeling to be loved.

Family Stuff

www.carie-list.blogspot.com
Posting about the family. Isn't it about time?

Reprieve

For the first time in a few years Gap has very little I am interested in. Some of these clothes are just pretty terrible.

For example: Denim shirt. Really? I wore this in 1992. Although mine didn't have the Member's Only tabs to roll up the sleeves.

I also most assuredly hope these are not making a comeback. Who can wear these pants (or are they tights)?

Or these, really, even the 6 foot Size 0 super model can't make these look good.

And exactly what is this supposed to do, make your hips look extra wide, just for fun?

So Gap, I thank you, my husband thanks you and our budget thanks you.

Flowers + Lamp

I took the flowers off a hydrangea and used my hot glue gun to attach them to this old lamp shade. One row on the top, two rows on the bottom.

In other news, I found this pillow sham at Marshalls for $3. Completely (freakishly) matches her bedding. As much as I love her bedding, I was getting tired of the perfectly matching set. This sham goes perfectly without being the same pattern.

Have you heard?

Some of my favorite sites (lately):

My friend posted about this amazing site months back. Pandora describes itself as "the personalized internet radio service that helps you find new music based on your old and current favorites."



You type in a favorite song or artists and it determines a playlist based on your selection. I am listening to a "Ben Folds" radio selection as I type this post. It is great way to find some new artists. They really have an uncanny ability to match music tastes.

Sensibly Styled posts daily fashionable modest clothes.

Stephmodo has got to be the coolest person on the blog circuit. Really. She is currently remodeling a vacation home in France but somehow you still feel like if you knew her, you'd be really great friends.

Three Wolf Moon Shirt on Amazon


Have you not heard of this? This fantastic shirt currently has 1351 reviews. All hilarious.

For example, from the review that started the phenomenon:

The pros of Three Wolf Moon shirt? “Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women.”

The cons? “Only 3 wolves … cannot see wolves when sitting with arms crossed, wolves would have been better if they glowed in the dark.”

Some sampling of the other reviews:

–“Once … while wearing the wolf shirt I was mistaken for Schneider, the building superintendent on ‘One Day at a Time.’ ”

–“If you are planning on spending exactly $9.14 on yourself this year, this better be the purchase.”

-"You don't put this T-shirt on your torso, you put it on your soul."

-"Unfortunately I already had this exact picture tattooed on my chest, but this shirt is very useful in colder weather."

-"So I'm looking for threads that say, "Hey baby...I'm real boss!" when I stumble upon this epic creation. The wolves spoke to me in a language all their own."

If you are looking for tears-running-down-your-face-ab-busting laughter, click on the link and read the reviews.

The Search is Over

I would like to introduce you to the perfect moisturizer. My cousin recommended the brand to me (she loves their night cream but I needed something with an spf.)

Let me just tell you this: since using this lotion I have had no blemishes (miracles never cease) and my skin tone and texture have smoothed out and gotten quite lovely.

More, oh yes, more goodness: $14.99 at Target. Works Great. Inexpensive. AND Convenient to purchase. One word: Jackpot.

You may recall I also love their mascara. Can't wait to try more of their products.

Deal of the Day

We went looking for shoes for my oldest. I have a different philosophy for shoes for girls. Because girls wear more shoes than boys, I tend to go for quantity over quality. I figure they don't need to be quite as durable because they aren't wearing the same pair every day. Don't get me wrong, quality is always good but because I buy more than just 1 or 2 pairs, I spend less per shoe.

Have you seen the new line at Payless called Zoe and Zac? Really, really cute shoes. These are the 2 we came home with:

And guess how much I paid?

Twenty even, for both. I offer proof:

Reorganize

I saw this in a magazine. All the electronics, cords, chargers in one spot.

Also, I've been organizing the toys and going crazy with labels.

(Sorry for the terrible pictures but you get the idea.)

Reward

Remember our Summer Goal? We finished all our books and finally saw the movie today. (Predictably at the $2 theater.)

I loved it. Very clever. Really funny. It was especially fun after reading all the books about the characters. Kids agreed: Favorite book - Amelia Earhart. Least favorite book - Al Capone.

To the Rescue

Back to school clothes. My oldest is entering Middle School this year. That's big.

She is very excited. I want to send her off to school with fully armed with confidence, self assurance, poise, and fearlessness. One of the ways to do that is make sure she likes how she looks. True enough, right?

Why do something yourself when you can have someone else do it for you? Enter my fantastic friend Heidi, fashionista extraordinaire. Heidi has an incredible sense of style. Her main mantra seems to be: it doesn't have to match, it just has to go together. She's basically a genius. And honestly, as my oldest approaches the dreaded teenagerdom, she would rather take fashion advice from someone other than her mother.

Heidi came over one afternoon and dug through Hailey's closet. She put together outfits, gave suggestions, and basically solidified her place as our Favorite Person of the Year. The knew just how to cuff the pants - how to put the perfect shirt with the right tank - and most importantly, how to make my daughter feel like a million dollars.

We took pictures and printed them out as thumbnails for Hailey to reference.















Heidi helped us decide what we could get rid of and what we need to buy. I really appreciated that there was a very limited number of Need to Buy Items:

Dark Skinny Jeans (already purchased at Old Navy for $10.)

And a couple of pairs of shoes: (Hailey currently as 2 pairs of shoes.) Upon Heidi's recommendation, we are thinking a navy-ish skimmer like this from Payless:

And a fun Converse color. She calls suggests using this a "neutral" - a color to spice up ordinary outfits. So smart.

Thank your (You've Got Mail reference, not a typo) to Heidi. My daughter is now ready to tackle Middle School full of confidence and armed with style. How lucky am I to have such an amazing friend, so willing to share her talents and time with my daughter?

(P.S. I am pretty sure Heidi needs to start CHARGING for this service. It would be worth every penny spent.)