A day at the fair

Caleb found a friend from school.

Deacon was in heaven with all the cute animals at the petting zoo. 

Now he wants a little goat!

Two dogs, two cats, three chickens...whats one more pet right?

We rode my very favorite carnival ride The Tilt-a-Whirl.

The Boys entered a funnel cake eating contest. 

Two things the boys love, eating junk food AND getting dirty! So it was perfect for them!

Caleb was sooo close to winning!

They did get free funnel cake and a ribbon so no one was complaining.

Silly boys!

That was our day at the local fair!

Blessings, Nicole

What I Wore...same outfit different colors.

Fedora thrifted, maxi skirt Jessica Simpson~TJ Maxx, tank Target, sandals Target, watch Betsey Johnson ~bday gift, heart necklace Etsy,  turqouise necklace made by me.

 This is what I wore to the fair with the fam.

And I realize it is pretty much the same outfit as my last post. 

But hey, at least the colors are different!

Have a great weekend!

Blessings, Nicole

Linking up here~Watch Out For The Woestmans
The Pleated Poppy

Fabulous Thrift Store Finds!

Scalloped Anthropologie skirt $3.50. I love the scalloped bottom!

White American Eagle sweater $1. Perfect for cool summer evenings.

Lucky Brand dress new with tags! $3.75, retail $99! 

Super cute with a big belt and some wedges!

Born booties $2! These are so comfy and cute!

So many thrifted goodies this week. 

I cant wait to wear that Anthro skirt!

What have you all found at the thrift store recently?

Lately

This summer has been the summer of blanket forts. 

The Boys dressed Jasper in a bandana and tie, he looked so distinguished.

I have some tough things going on in my life right now. I feel like David facing Goliath. I am standing the shadow of a mighty giant. I just want to give up and run away. I feel fear overwhelming my soul and I am crying on the inside while I smile on the outside. Because I need to be strong. Certainly if  David can face a great giant with just a sling and a stone. I can face one too! With only the strength God can give because I am inadequate. 

But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Blessings, Nicole

Inspired by Pinterest~The Easiest Hair Do

I want to start off by telling you I am totally challenged when it comes to hair. So, any hair style labeled "The easiest hair do" seemed to be up my ally! I Pinned this awhile ago and today my hair needed some extra love so I decided to try it out. 

And if I can do it, anyone can!

It turned out super cute and only took like 5 minutes!

Here is the original link: The Easiest Hair Do

Blessings, Nicole

Five Days Five Ways

What I Wore......mustard and turquoise.

Top and skirt Ross, fedora thrifted, sandals thrifted, necklace Lucky Brand gifted from the Mr.

 I am obsessed with this maxi skirt. It's like wearing pjs all day!

Kevin bought me this necklace when we were in Palm Springs at the Lucky Outlet.

I love it and it goes with so many outfits.

My $2 thrifted sandals.

I hope you all have a great day!

Blessings, Nicole

Linking up here:Five Days Five Ways

Watch Out For The Woestmans
My Greatest Hits
The Pleated Poppy

Suburbs Mama

Smothered Southwestern Chicken

I came up with this chicken recipe after hearing "plain old chicken again?"

This recipe also follows the Trim Healthy Mama guidelines if you want to know what I am talking about you can read my review of the book here: Trim Healthy Mama Book Review.

If you know me you know I don't measure anything, which is why I don't bake. I am going to give you estimation of measurements and you can tweak it to your personal taste. I would love to hear how you tweaked it and how it came out in the comment section of this post!

 This recipe fed the four of us with leftovers for my lunch.

4 large chicken breasts butterflied and seasoned with s&p or whatever you please

1/2 cup diced fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles

4 pieces of cooked crispy bacon 

1 cup pepper jack

cilantro for garnish

After you cook the bacon don't even think about throwing away the grease! This is what you will brown your chicken with and it will impart a delish flavor.

After browning your chicken bake at 350 till cooked through. Mine took 30 minutes.

Next add tomatoes, bacon and sprinkle with cheese. Broil till the cheese is melted and gooey.

Garnish with cilantro.

I served mine with a salad on the side. It was yummy and not the least bit "plain old chicken" tasting.

If you are on the THM plan this is an S dish. 

I also want to note there is a small amount of sugar in store bought bacon which is usually a no no for THM however this recipe calls for such a small amount  it will not spike your blood sugar. I checked on the THM Facebook page to make sure it was okay!

I really hope you enjoy it!

Blessings, Nicole

Linking up here: Five Days Five ways

Ross Haul

I'm an avid Goodwill shopper however this week I popped into Ross while The Boys were at VBS and I found these goodies....

Mustard and grey striped maxi skirt $19.99.

Mint skinnies $13.99!! I was stoked to find these at such a great price! 

White cotton tee $4.99, because you cant go wrong with a white tee for summer.

A super cute Calvin Klein tank with gold stripes, $9.99.

And lastly, this adorable polka dot top with a lace panel on the back $19.99.

I loved these skinnies so much and at that amazing price I had to buy them. The waist is a little big so I plan to shrink the heck out out of'em! And if all else fails a belt will do just fine.

I am in love with the lace panel on the the back of this top! Lace and polka dots....need I say more?

I needed some casual tanks and I loved the gold thread stripes on this guy. Plus it was on clearance!

And this maxi skirt is ADORB! I am going to pair it with the white tee and a big turquoise necklace because mustard and turquoise make an amazing color combo!

I got everything above for about $74! Not thrift store prices by any means but I can make a ton of outfits with these pieces.

And this is not from Ross. But it was a great deal too! A sweet mini bubble necklace from groopdealz.com Only $6! 

These type of sites are going to be the death of me!  

I simply cant resist!

Blessings, Nicole

Lately

Kevin and his folks cooked and sold sandwiches this last weekend and a local car show. 

The boys and I stopped by to hang out for a bit. It smelled amazing!

I am really enjoying our chickens right now. Nothing is better than homegrown eggs I tell ya! 

They are laying everyday so we are eating eggs for breakfast everyday!

The Boys love birds in a nest...you know toast with an egg softly cooked in the middle so you can dip the bread in the "egg juice" as Deacon says. Yummy!

My new gel mani.

 I copied my MIL's nail color because I just loved the amazing shade of lavender. 

The Boys are enjoying vacation bible school this week and I am enjoying the break even more! This is one of five (yes 5) I signed them up for this summer. Hey, free child care AND they get to learn about Jesus. A win win if you ask me. Yes, they will be known around town as the cereal VBS'ers. But that's okay.

That's whats going on lately.

Have a blessed week everyone!

What I Wore...statement necklace.

Tank Gap thrifted, skinnies A&F, wedges Maurices, necklace Stella and Dot.

 Its's amazing how a statement necklace can make an outfit look chic with no effort. 

Just throw one on and you are good to go!

My new gel mani inspired by my MIL who was wearing this amazing lavender color the other day.

I had to be a copy cat!

Blessings, Nicole

Linking up here: Wardrobe Wednesday
The Pleated Poppy
Suburbs Mama

what I wore....wedges, shorts and floral tops.

Top Ann Taylor from Goodwill Outlet, shorts Gap also GW outlet. Wedges 6pm.com.

 I really love the buttons on these Gap shorts.

These beauties were only $20! And my outfit was only $4!

I see a definite pattern in my summer wardrobe.

 Shorts, cute floral tops and wedges are making regular appearances these days. And why not? 

This outfit combo is cute and oh so comfortable!

Anyone else stuck in a outfit pattern?

Linking up here: The Pleated Poppy
Suburbs Mama

A letter to my uterus

Dear, Uterus

Well, uterus it's time we talked. 

We have known each other a while now and in all honesty I don't really care for you. I'm sorry to say this because you gave me two beautiful boys. Believe me I am very grateful for that! But our monthly encounters are not fun to say the least. You have caused me too much pain and it's time to say goodbye. 

You befriended a large tumor and that has complicated our relationship even more. Tumor is not welcome here! And he has to go too! 

Soon we will part ways and I will not miss you, not one little bit!

Sincerely, Nicole

Now, that we got that out of the way.....

Yes, I am having surgery as soon as I figure out our new health insurance details. The doctor said she can take my uterus and fibroid out laparoscopically. My other option would be a very invasive surgery to take the tumor alone with the possibility of it returning and having future surgeries. Since we decided we were not having more children this seemed like the better option. I am very much looking forward to feeling better!

Thanks to everyone who has prayed and continue to pray for me and my family.

 I really appreciate it!

lately

 Kevin finished our fire pit and I love it! 

Next step is to get some sod around it.

Deacon is the cutest little guy ever, untied shoes and all!

Tomorrow I am going to the gyno to talk about my fibroid tumor. I have very little info since my GP does not specialize in that sort of thing. It will be nice to know more and have a game plan. 

Saturday was the first day since the end of April that I have not bled (and I'm still not bleeding!). It was a huge answer to prayer especially since we were at two parties over the weekend. I got to wear my white shorts, who hoo!

I am ready for what comes next and I am at peace with whatever decision that myself and the doctor make. 

Praise God for His calming hand on this journey.

Blessings, Nicole

What I Wore...a pop of turquoise.

Top F21, shorts Goodwill and patched with lace by me, sandals Target, necklace Goodwill.

This outfit seemed lacking till I grabbed these Target sandals.

You can't go wrong with a pop of turquoise. 

It's hard to see in the first picture so here is a close up.
I really love how this necklace goes with everything!

And I noticed my mani matched too!

Blessings, Nicole

Linking up here: My Greatest Hits
watch out for the woestmans
Kiwi Womens Style
The Pleated Poppy