I ♥ Faces - Week 25 Photo Challenge: “Wedding Bells”

This weeks photo challenge over at I ♥ Faces is Wedding Bells. I love weddings! I love going to them, helping plan them, being in them and of course I LOVE taking pictures at them.

This is my friend Kim. Her and her husband Glynn were married last August. She requested that I take all black and white photos and that I use my film camera and not a digital camera. She said there is just something about a black and white photo taken on film that is better than digital. So I obliged. This is one of my favorites of them. I love the look of love and joy on their faces.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to let me know that you think!!

Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookie Bars

My brother's fiance, Mollie, first introduced me to these. I have changed up her recipe a bit and I think that both versions are so heavenly!!






Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookie Bars




Wow that is quite a mouthful to say and even more of a mouthful to eat!!

Cookie Base Ingredients
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) peanut butter chip chocolate cookie mix
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg

Filling Ingredients
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Frosting Ingredients
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup butter

Directions
Heat oven to 350 F. Spray bottom of 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
In large bowl, stir all cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan using floured fingers. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until done. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
In small bowl, beat all Filling Ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cookie base.
In microwaveable bowl, microwave all Frosting ingredients on high for 30 seconds and then stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes and spread over filling. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set.



To change this recipe up a bit you can used Peanut Butter Cookie Mix, Chocolate Chip cookie mix by itself or add peanut butter chips to the Chocolate Chip cookie mix! I have tried these all and every one of them is delicious!!

I ♥ Faces - Fix It Friday

TGIF!!! And it is Fix it Friday over at I ♥ Faces. I love this time of the week and this weeks photo was great. I could do all different kinds of things with this photo and could waste away my entire day on it. But I won't and I will show you what I came up with.

Original

Edit #1

For edit #1 I cropped and softened it up a bit and tried to bring out the color in his cheeks a bit more. I also faded the color to give it a more soft look and I think I may have softened it up a bit too much.

Edit #2

For edit #2 I softend the background, flipped it and added a vignette.

Edit # 3

For edit #3 I came in tighter on his face with the crop and also sharpened it up a bit. This to me looks better than the other ones that I softened. I also brought up the color in his eyes just a notch.

Edit #4

I love old style photos, don't you! For edit # 4 I basically did the same things as # 3 but I pinked up his cheeks and his lips a bit and also did a sort of faded Sepia tone.

Overall I think I like edit number 4 the best which is surprising because it is Sepia toned and not black and white!! You all know how much I love black and white!!

Thanks for stopping by. I would love to know what you think so leave me a comment.

Happy Birthday Garrett

This is my nephew, Garrett on his birthday, last year!

Garrett at a couple months old.

Garrett about a month ago

It is so amazing how time flies. Garrett is celebrating his first birthday today! We are having a party for him on Saturday and I can't wait to watch him dig into some cake. I know he will love it. This boy loves his food. If you don't get it to him fast enough he lets you know it!! Garrett and Lauren are in the same class at daycare so I get the privelage of seeing him pretty much everyday, along with his big sister Lilly who is also in the same day care and she just turned three in March. :)

Garrett and Lauren also share something really special. They are both named after my brother Paul Leonard who died almost 6 years ago. Lauren Paul and Garrett Leonard would have loved their Uncle and he would be so proud of them. We love you Uncle Paul and Happy Birthday Garrett!!!!

Smore Cupcakes

Smores Cupcakes

For the Cupcake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 cups milk
½ cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350
Measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixing bowl. Mix on low speed just until incorporated. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Add eggs on at a time mixing after each addition and then beat on high for 2 minutes.

Measure out into cupcake pan line with cupcake papers. A 2 inch ice cream scoop works great for this. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly in the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Marshmallow Butter Cream Frosting

1 7oz jar marshmallow fluff
2 sticks butter
½ Crisco
¼ cup milk
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients and mix on high speed until fluffy.

Ice each individual cup cake and then top with graham cracker crumbs if you wish.


I have to say that I was not entirely impressed with the recipe for the cupcake itself. It was a new one that I had never tried before. Next time I think I will put a marshmallow in the center of the batter before baking it to give it a little something extra!

Spicy Shrimp with Linguine and Bacon

Spicy Shrimp with Linguine and Bacon

Ingredients
½ pkg linguine
2 cans petite diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
1 pkg bacon, chopped and cooked
Pkg frozen EZ peel shrimp, deviened, thawed (I put a stopper in the sink, add hot water and put the shrimp in a colander. They should be thawed in about 5 minutes that way)
Olive oil
Crushed red pepper
Pkg feta cheese

Directions
Cook pasta. Set aside.
Chop up bacon and cook in pan. Drain and set aside.
Add 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil and crushed red pepper to taste
When hot, add shrimp and cook until pink
Add can of tomatoes, bacon, and pasta.
Simmer on low and covered for about 6-8 minutes- usually as long as it takes to cook the garlic bread
Add feta cheese to taste just before serving


That was the way I made it the first time and then the second time I changed it up a bit. Instead of topping with feta cheese I mixed up some Alfredo sauce and combined it with the first mixture. Let me tell you this was AMAZING!!! I liked it so much better with the alfredo sauce. So here is the recipe of that. I didn't take a picutre. :( but imagine a creamy look to it.

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
½ cup butter
1 1/2c grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Melt butter in pan
Add cream and let it come to a boil
Add parmesan cheese until thick
Combine with Pasta mixture

I ♥ Faces - Fix It Friday

It's Friday!! TGIF. Over at I ♥ Faces, every Friday they host what they call "Fix It Friday" This week I decided to participate. I always want to but rarely take the time to particpate. So here is goes.

Original

Edit #1

For this edit I cropped and desaturated the color in the background but left the little girl at full strength.

Edit #2

For this edit I cropped, turned it black and white with the splash of color and added a little bit of a vignette.

Edit #3

I love black and white so I mostly turn everything black and white! So for this edit I wanted to leave it in color. I cropped, sharpened and saturated the color to make it pop a little bit more than the original.

What do you think? Thanks for stopping by and I would love for you to leave me a comment. I really want to get better with all of my photography skills so any critique would be appreciated.

Daddies and Papas

Lauren and her Daddy

There is something about a little girl and her Daddy or a little girl and her PaPa that just tugs on my heartstrings.

Lauren is a Daddy’s girl and a Papa’s girl through and through. Here for the last several weeks her Daddy can do no wrong. She fell down the other day and wanted her Daddy not me. At first I was a little taken a back. Kids are supposed to want their mommy’s to kiss their boo boos, but as I watched him scoop her up and cuddle her I just watched with love brewing in my heart. Last weekend Lauren kept saying Papa over and over so I called my dad and told him he needed to come visit his granddaughter! When he and my step mom got to the door Lauren was busy playing. As soon as she heard the front door open she ran from the kitchen and in this high pitched squeal screamed PAPA. It was so cute. She just hugged and hugged him like it had been days since she had seen him when it was actually just the day before.

What is it about a baby that makes men sleep??!!

This morning as I was dropping Lauren off at daycare I watched a grandpa with his two granddaughters. One of them is in Lauren’s class and as he was leaving he was asking her what she would like for him to bring her back when he picked her up. You could tell that he didn’t want to leave her. The older one just started kindergarten so he was taking her across town. As I was getting in my car I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the little girl was skipping to the car. I turned my head and watched as the girl and her grandpa were hand in hand skipping together!! It brought tears to my eyes and was the sweetest thing I probably have ever witnessed!!

My Dad is a very strong man. Not just physically but emotionally and spiritually. He owns his own business, is the father of three kids, the step father of two kids, (well I guess I shouldn’t say kids, we are all grown adults now) and the proud grandpa of 10 kids. My dad’s hands are massive! He has the widest, strongest fingers that I have ever seen. He can pop the dent out of a fender with his fist but be so gentle with his grandbabies. There is something about my dad that just gets me. I love him with all of my heart. Sometimes I still wish that I could curl up in his lap and have him wrap his arms around me like he did when I was little.

This is my Dad, my niece Lilly and Lauren on Easter of 2008

Lauren and her Papa at Silver Dollar City Memorial Day weekend 2009

With Father’s day right around the corner what is your favorite memory of your Dad??

Momma's Got a Brand New Do!

Today was a great day. I have to work on Saturday so I was off all day today. Brian works late so he was with Lauren and I this morning. Lauren obviously didn't know it was Mommy's day off because she woke up bright and early this morning. After breakfast she was very insistant on going outside. SO at 7:30 this morning we went for a walk around our tiny little neighborhood. Lauren loves being outside so she had a blast. Not too long after our walk it was time for Daddy to go to work and then we headed our for lunch with a friend of mine. She is expecting her first child in July and I haven't seen her since early in her pregnancy. It was nice to sit back and catch up a bit. Lauren did really well and only had a couple of meltdowns. She just wants to be up and running around, Itotally get that!!

After lunch I went to a craft store to start getting some ideas for a luau themed bridal shower that I am throwing for Mollie in August. That was a disaster!! When Lauren wasn't running away from me she was trying to knock stuff off the shelf. So I decided that we were done shopping and we were going to drive around for a little while until my hair appointment. :) that was a good idea and even Lauren thought so. She took advantage of it and caught a quick nap. Mommy then went and got her hair cut while grandma supervised Lauren and all was well!!

After a fun filled evening of reading books and playing Lauren is sound asleep and I am off to do some searching for ideas for the bridal shower. If you are good at party planning I would love your ideas. :)

Orange Chicken

I love Chinese food and Orange chicken has slowly started becoming my a favorite of mine. SO I decided to try and make it myself. It turned out great. This recipe seems like it has a lot of ingredients and that it will be a lot of work but actually it wasn't too bad.

Orange Chicken

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
white pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Orange Sauce for Stir Fry
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 orange, zest of




Directions


Place chicken pieces in large bowl.
Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.
Stir cornstarch and flour together.
Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat.
Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees.
Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp.
(Do not overcook chicken).


Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.
Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken. Heat until sauce is thickned. Stir in sesame oil and orange zest if desired. Serve over rice.

Me A to Z

I saw this post on another blog and thought that I would give it a try so you all can find out a little bit about me.

A -Age: 26, I will be 27 in November. WOW!!

B- Bed Size: Queen. Although sometimes I wish we had a king.

C- Chore you hate: all of them!!

D- Dog's Name: Guinness

E- Essentials to starts your day: Snuggling with Lauren

F- Favorite Color: Purple

G- Gold, Silver, or Platinum: Platinum

H- Height: 5'4"

I- Instruments you play: I played the trumpet and the piano. Not so much anymore though.

J- Job Title: Assistant Branch Manager

K- Kids: one for now.....we plan on TTC later this year for #2

L-Living Arrangements: House. We bought it over three years ago.

M- Moms name: MOM!!! No just kidding. Her name is Victoria but she goes by Vicky

N- Nicknames: Ladybug, Gertrude, Sissy (depending on who you ask)

O- Overnight stay in the hospital other then Birth: If you count trips to the ER in the middle of the night then yes. I had what was supposed to be an outpatient procedure when I was 16 and had to go to the ER not once but TWICE in the same night.

P- Pet Peeve: I have too many to list, isn't that awful!!

Q- Quote from a movie: "I'm all hyped up on Moutain Dew"

R- Right or Left handed: Right

S- Siblings: 2 brothers, Paul who went home to be with the Lord when he was 27, almost 6 years ago and Aaron who will be 30 in September!! Man is he getting old!!! (just kidding, I only say that because he is having a hard time with turning 30. Am I a horrible sister for teasing him or what!!)

T- Time you wake up: 6 am or whenever Lauren decides to wake me up

U- Underwear: OMG Yes, I wear them!

V- Vegetable you dislike: Brussel Sprouts and Lima Beans

W- Ways you run late: Not getting up on time or spending too much time playing with Lauren and not getting ready.

X- X-rays you've had: Teeth, Chest, Stomach area, Knee, sinus, wrist, elbow, head

Y- Yummy food you make: I make all sorts of stuff! search my archive for recipe posts!!

Z- Zoo Favorites: I like the monkeys!! (Maybe that is why I call Lauren my little monkey.)


Anything else you want to know?? Just ask. Leave me a comment, send me an email or a tweet!

I ♥ Faces - Week 23 - Photo Challenge “Sepia Toned”

I have to admit that Sepia Toned photos are usually not my favorite. I am a black and white girl over and over. That is what I live for!! But I am always up for trying new things so this week I have picked two photos to enter into the I ♥ Faces - Week 23 - Photo Challenge “Sepia Toned”




My entry for the kids section is a photo that I took about a month ago of 6 week old Madeline. I orignally had this photo in black and white but I do think it looks good in this sepia tone. Maybe I need to show her parents this!! I didn't make the sepia as strong and you can still see a hint of pink on her dress. I like it better that way. :)


My entry into the adult category is my brother Aaron and his fiance Mollie. This is another shot from their engagement session that we did last summer. This one actually was originally in sepia. We put this one on one of their "save the date" cards and with the colors Mollie has picked for their wedding sepia looked the best. This one the sepia is a bit stronger and more pronounced. They are such a cute couple!! Only a little over three months till the big day.

Let me know what you think. I would love some feedback. Or just let me know that you stopped by. I love getting visitors!!

Through it all I am grateful

The past three weeks have been really difficult for me especially at work. Not because my job is hard or that my coworkers are being difficult or that I don't like it, but honestly, I just plain don't want to be there. Over Memorial Day weekend we were together as a family for 4 days straight and it was wonderful. I got to be with Lauren the entire time and when I had to go back to work on Tuesday it just broke my heart. I got her to daycare, normally she loves going, but she wrapped her little arms around me and held on for dear life. It was awful and I cried pretty much the entire way to work. I have such a hard time sitting at my desk for 8 hours, sometimes more, when I would just rather be at home.

I really wish that we were able for me to stay at home. I would love to do that and be able to spend my days with Lauren. Especially this summer. I want to take her to the park, take her swimming, go to the zoo and tons of other stuff. I plan on making the most of the weekends when I am off but my plans get screwed all up. Like today, we planned on going swimming and it is raining so no deal!

Brian works so hard and I know that when I mention how much I would like to stay at home it makes him feel bad that he can't be the sole provider for our family. We don't live lavishly by any means but I know that if we lost my paycheck it would put a great deal of stress on him and I don't want that. We are going to work really hard to save so that it might be an option after we have another baby but I really don't see it happening then either. But hopefully I will at least be able to go part time and then that will give me time at home.

I feel really selfish in all of this. I know it would probably benefit Lauren for me to be at home with her but she loves going to daycare. She gets excited in the mornings before we leave and she always gives the teachers huge hugs in the morning. She interacts with the other kids and is learning so much. BUT I feel as though I am missing out on all of those things. I don't get to teach her how to do this or that and her teachers see her doing all of these things before I do. Plus by the time I get home from work we eat dinner, its bath time and then bed time. And here lately I am not even the one that gets to put her to bed. She is a daddy's girl and wants him to be the one to rock her and put her to bed. I can't really blame her on that one though, he is big and strong and his arms are warm!!

I just need to be happy with what I have and live in the moment. I am grateful that we have a house to live in and cars to drive. I am grateful that I do have a job and a steady paycheck coming in. I am grateful for my husband and his job as well. He truly is a wonderful man and makes me a better person. I am grateful for the wonderful little girl that God has blessed us with and I am grateful for the awesome teachers that Lauren does have at her daycare, that love her like she is their own and take awesome care of her in my absence. I really couldn't ask for better women than Rhonda and Kathy. They are surrogate mother's to my Lauren and they truly are an asset to our lives.

Show Us Where You Live Friday

It's finally Friday!! And that means its another stop on the tour of my house. Kelly over at Kelly's Korner Blog created Show Us Where You Live Friday so we could all show off the inside of our house! This Week is Bathrooms




We have two bathrooms in our house. One is in the hallway leading to the bedrooms and the other is in the master bedroom. When we moved into our house my husband decided he wanted to decorate two rooms in the house, the basement when we decide to do something with that and the hall bathroom. So I give you our Simpson themed bathroom!!

The bathroom off the master bedroom has two sinks and the toilet and shower area are seperated from those. This is the view looking into that area from the bedroom.


Here is the sink area and I honestly thought about cleaning it and making it look all pretty but then I thought, HEY! This is what it looks like 90% of the time so why do that?? So for the sake of keeping it real, here is my horribly messy bathroom sink! I really do clean it off every couple of weeks and put things all nicely in the basket or under the sink but some how they all end up back like this. Much to my husbands complaining. I can't help it. I am a creature of convienience. I hate having to remove the child lock on the cabinet to get stuff out. :)

The Shower

A close up of the pattern on our towels. I saw this collection and fell in love with it. Our comforter on our bed matches it as well.


Have I mentioned my obsession with makeup yet?? Well if not I would like to say that "Hi, my name is Sonya and I am addicted to all things Bare Escentuals"

Here is a view of part of my makeup collection!

I started wearing Bare Escentuals about 5 years ago and it is the best makeup EVER!!

I used to constantly be buying all new shades of shadows and collections - pre baby! That has slowed down quite a bit and I am not quite so much the QVC frequent buyer as I was before.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my bathrooms. Leave me a comment to let me know you stopped by!! If you would like to see other houses on the tour check out Kelly's Blog.