Mexican Casserole

If you are a Mexican food connoisseur (and yes, I did have to look up the spelling for that. Don't judge me...) as I claim to be, you should try this recipe. So, yes--it is still faux Mexican. But totally delicious and closer than most "Mexican" dishes (I'm pretty sure it's the cilantro that makes it). We made this over the weekend, and it is definitely being added to the rotation, especially since it's really easy and pretty healthy, if you use the extra lean beef as we did. Here is the recipe:

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups salsa (we used Newman's Own)
1 16oz can chili beans, drained
3 cups tortilla chips, crushed
2 cups sour cream (we decided this would be reduced to between 1 and 1.5 cups in the future)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large skillet, brown the beef. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes, depending on how thick your salsa is). Stir in beans, and heat through. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread crushed chips in a layer on the bottom; then add ground beef mixture. Spread sour cream on top. Top with onion, tomato, cilantro, and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Recipe found here.

Easy Peasy Spring Wreath

It's definitely true that a wreath makes your door look instantly better. And it's true that it makes it appear more inviting. It's also true that store-bought wreaths usually cost an arm and a leg. So after looking at my naked front door for a few months (after the poor Christmas wreath had to come down), I decided that I could make my own for a lot cheaper. And here it is.

Here it is a little closer...

Nothing super special, but instantly better. I just took an old grapevine wreath that I had (that I have used for endless other wreaths) and grabbed some faux foliage from Hobby Lobby (50% off, of course). That was honestly the hardest part--picking which branches I wanted. After that, it was just a matter of sticking the branches in and contorting them to fit my desires. (I also must add that, since I am a cheapo--*ahem* frugal-ista--I had to make sure I could reuse these branches. So I didn't cut the stems off, even though they were super long. I just bent them around and pinned them behind the wreath. That way I can use them again later if need be!) And because raffia makes everything look better, I added a little bow. Easy peasy spring wreath!

Note: Inspiration here. I'm nothing if not a shameless (kind-of) copycat.

A Classy Flea in Marietta

So remember how I told you there was a thrift store/antique shop/flea market in Marietta that I really wanted to go to? Well, yesterday, I went! It's called "A Classy Flea" and it is hands down one of the best I have ever been in. Not only are the items incredible (and they have tons of items), but the prices are so much more reasonable than most shops I have been in. I took a few pictures so you guys could enjoy the eye candy also.

 

Are you loving all the blue furniture like I am? This place is crawling with beautiful blues!

And if you like the chippy, weathered look (which I do), they have that, too.

If you have a thing for vintage napkins and doilies....

I was in love with this buffet and hutch, which the owner told me came from Scotland. Unfortunately, I have no place for it. Sad times.

A close up. The detail on the hinges is just gorgeous!

This doll really creeped me out. Am I the only one who has something against dolls? 

And here are a few more pictures, for your enjoyment...

I walked away with a treasure trove of goodies for an excellent price, which is a rarity in a shop of this kind. So the moral of the story is, if you live in the Atlanta area, you need (as in, it is absolutely imperative) to stop by "A Classy Flea". And if you don't live in Atlanta, it would still be a good day trip!

March Recapped and April Goals

March goals:

Fun: Take in a movie with the hubs at the local dollar theater. Semi-success? We did plan it, but JC got sick and we had to postpone. Sad times.
Read 5 books. Success! I actually ended up reading eight, due to traveling for work, delayed flights, and being sick. In case you're curious. these books consisted of authors Karen Kingsbury, Irene Hannon, and Lynn Austin.

DIY/Crafting: Sew something new. Fail. It just didn't happen. I was gone for work and gardening, and I just didn't do it.
Complete at least two projects listed here. Fail. But I did complete a few other projects, to come.

Cooking: Try one new recipe for dinner. Success! This wasn't a new recipe (I had eaten it before), but it was something I had never made on my own--a delicious pot roast in our wonderful crock pot. I also made a new recipe for some incredible pancakes, found here.)

Gardening: Decide what to plant in our mini-garden. Plant garden. Semi-success. I have bought the plants and a new tiller. We are going to work on finishing this this weekend. But we have planted lots of beautiful flowers!
Trim the hedges. Success! They look much less all-over-the-place and crazy now.
Re-do some landscaping in the front. Success. The flowers look nice and everything looks much better. Pictures will be coming as soon as I actually take some.

Home: Finish laundry room reno. Success. We are nearly finished with this. I just need to clean a few things up so I can take some pictures. Are we noticing a pattern, here? I can accomplish things, but I just never post them. Ugh.
Purchase washer and dryer. Success.
Living room (room of the month--read about it here). It's coming along. It takes a lot longer to put a whole room together than I thought.
Take care of electrical issues. Success! Finally, I have outlets in several places where they were needed. And our hallway light switch functions properly!
Get estimates about screening in our back porch. Success. We have gotten the estimates, but we haven't decided if we are going to go through with it or not.
Sew the button back on so I can wear one of my fave sweaters before all the cold weather is gone! Fail. That poor sweater just never got worn. Sad.

Wellness: Work out four times a week. Success. Besides the week that I was sickly.
Follow the Abs Diet (= eat healthy). Success. I have actually been eating much healthier, and I feel tons better!

April:

Fun:
Go to one Braves game.
Read 5 books. (I'll be traveling again, so I feel like this will be a cinch.)
Go to see one movie at the theater.
Visit the Marietta thrift store I have been dying to go to. Buy lots of things (or maybe just a few).

DIY/Crafting:
Make two new crafts.
Sew something. (Anything, Kelly... just pick something already.)

Cooking:
Try one new recipe.

Gardening:
Finish planting veggies in garden.

Home:
Organize two spaces (closets, drawers, etc.)
Follow our chore chart (I developed a nifty little chore chart with weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly chores. We'll see how long we stick to it.)
Finish living room.

Wellness:
Work out five times a week.
Continue to eat in a healthy manner.

I'm sure I'll add things as I think of them. As I've said previously, I'm a goal-oriented person, so I'm always thinking of new things to put on my to-do list.

Paint and Twine are Magical

Paint and twine can transform a lot of things. Seriously. I've been using a lot of these lately. See?

Before:

After:

Ah. Already so much better. We have gold, reds, and yellows all over our house, and it is currently being changed (slowly... verrrrrrry slowly) to lighter colors and more cottage-y. So the gold had to go. I am just working on changing the shade now, and then it will be a whole new lamp!

Before: An old drying rack that we got from JC's mom's house. Not terrible, but the blue really did not fit with the new laundry room (which will be revealed soon). (Also notice my sweet puppies in the background. They are really loving this new spring weather!)

 After: All white. Much better.

Before: A poor old ugly wine bottle.

Nothing a little twine and some hot glue (and a few burns on my fingers) can't fix...

(Note: If you want to do this, remember to remove the label before you start gluing the twine on it. I had to stop about right here and work for ten minutes to get this stupid thing off.)

After:

Before: Miniature rolling pins from some sort of kid's church craft project. I had seen several people wrapping these around old vintage clothespins or spools. Sadly, I had neither of these. But I did have kiddy rolling pins, so...

After:

I put them in a jar on the entryway table....

Sorry about that crazy bright, blinding stream of light coming through. I always forget to take pictures when I'm actually supposed to. And that big silver plate is probably going to be moved somewhere else. Part of the ever-evolving Poole household.

My First Blog Award!

My sweet friend Bethany over at The Vaughns gave me this lovely Beautiful Blogger award!

Bethany and her husband Alex lived in the same apartment complex as we did, right after we got married. They were good friends to us, and have since had their own precious little boy! Anyway, Bethany also loves thrifty projects, and she is an excellent artist. You should check her out!

So the rules are that I must post 7 random things about myself. Let's see...

1. My husband and I (semi) met on facebook. (Don't judge me... and we actually went to the same church, too.)

2. I love free/cheap things. (You probably already knew this.) But I love getting a good deal more than just about anything in the world.

3. I never watch awards shows (Grammys, Oscars, etc.). I just look at the pictures of the dresses afterward.

4. I was on the UA women's rowing team in college.

5. I am not like most people... summer is my least favorite season.  (Fall is my favorite.)

6. I seem to like to plan to do things more than I actually do things.

7. I hate scary movies.

Now I need to pass this on to seven more people:

1. Jen at Noting Grace. Jen has some great DIY projects!

2. Kim at NewlyWoodwards. She also has great projects and apparently we like the same designs, since one of our inspiration rooms is exactly the same.

3. Kristen at We Are THAT Family. Kristen is such a beautiful person, inside and out. Right now she is on a mission trip with Compassion, International. You can read about it on her blog.

4. Heather at Mrs. Southern Bride. She and her husband are absolutely precious. I love reading their date night stories and looking at her photography.

5. Brittany at Superwoman. She is currently doing a series called "31 Days to a Healthier, Happier You!"

6. Anne at Fiona and Twig. There is so much eye candy on this blog! Her vintage style is right up my alley.

7. Sasha at Lemonade Makin' Mama. This girl is hilarious. Hilarious, I tell you! And she has the cutest kids. And the cutest blog.

Compassion

If you don't follow "We Are That Family", well--you should. It's a great combination of DIY projects, deep insights, and real experiences. Right now, Kristen is in Africa on a trip with Compassion International, and she is blogging about her trip. I just finished reading her second installment, "True Religion". It made me weep over my own selfishness and sinfulness. How many times a day to I think about what I need, what I want, what I can have? But how many times a day do I think about others, especially the ones who are living with nothing and desperately need my help? Not many, I can tell you. Because although, if you asked me I would tell you that I completely believe in charitable giving--not just your tithe, but above and beyond out of the abundance of God's blessings--how many times do I live that out? How many times am I actively searching for ways to bless other people, through financial means or with just my time? I can tell you that it is a small fraction (minuscule, probably) of how much time I spend thinking of "me". I know that I'm not alone on this--I believe it is a struggle for everyone.

At the end of her post, Kristen asked us to consider sponsoring a child through Compassion. At first, I balked, because I know how many organizations take advantage of those willing to give and use much more than necessary on administrative costs and other garbage that the sponsored children will never even see. After doing some research, I found that Compassion is one of the highest-rated charities by BBB and Charity Navigator; I feel much better knowing that our money will make it to a child in need. So I clicked on her link to see the children. It is heartbreaking to look at their little faces and read their stories, knowing how much suffering they endure. I cried more. I asked God why I had been so blessed while some people have nothing, and why my heart is so stinking sinful.

Then I read this on Compassion's site: "God can use you to help ease the pain of a child in desperate need." It made me so thankful to remember that even though I am selfish and self-seeking, He can still use me. He wants to use me. And really, what is a measly $38 a month? A couple of nights that we don't go out to eat? Or a new sweater that I don't buy? As much as we have been blessed, I know we can squeeze $38 out of our budget every month. I ask you to look at your budget and see what you can spare. It's not just money, either; you write and receive letters and information on the child you are sponsoring, which is honestly the most exciting part to me--personal contact. A relationship. Please ask God to show you if you are being faithful in your giving, and if you are giving with your heart and time as well as with your finances.

P.S. Our little boy's name is Joseph! I am so excited to receive our packet.