Get Cookin, Good Lookin!!

Hi there all my Good Lookin followers!!

I hope everyone has had a good week!! I am enjoying my first official day of Spring Break!! Woohoo!!!

Here's some of the deliciousness I cooked up this week:

Monday Night:
Chicken and Shrimp Stir-Fry
http://melindabesinaiz.blogspot.com/2013/02/clean-eating-chicken-and-shrimp-stir-fry.html

 (Served with Near East Whole Wheat couscous)


Tuesday:
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip cookies
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/03/brown-butter-oatmeal-chunk-cookies/

Wednesday:
Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/03/chicken-cordon-bleu.html

(I used Gina's pictures because my rollups didn't come out quite as pretty as hers! Still Yummy!!!)

Garlic Smashed Broccoli
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/roasted-broccoli-with-smashed-garlic.html

Chicken Stew
http://www.framedcooks.com/2012/12/creamy-chicken-stew.html

 (I added more celery and carrots than the recipe called for, and mine was a bit runnier, but still equally delicious! I also made this the same night as the Chicken Cordon Bleu but this was my Lunch for Thursday... So yum!!)

Thursday:
Beef & Broccoli
http://rainydaygal.com/2011/02/03/beef-with-broccoli/

(I served mine over brown rice because I hate white rice)

Check out all the Yummies that Katelyn made this week here

Next week I'll try to remember to take more of my own pictures, but y'all this food was so yummy that I couldn't stop myself from digging right in!!

Happy Friday Y'all!!

I'm Back (Again.. Hopefully for good!) with a new LinkUp!!

I am coming out of the wood work (again) to launch a fun new weekly linkup with my Bestie, Katelyn (A Wife's Life).

What's been going on? What has everybody been up to? Me? Still loving my job!! School is really killing my social life! ;) I was seeing someone fantastic, but as they usually do, he turned out to be more "Yankee Bad Boy Skeezball", than "Romantic Southern Transplant of my dreams".  Out with him, in with the pint of Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate.  I've been drowning my sorrows over him for more time than I'm proud of.. but we're moving on!

Katelyn and Sammie <3

Speaking of ze Bestie, Last week we finally got to meet face to face and spent the best day ever shopping, getting mani's, laughing and stuffing our faces.  What can I say? She gets me!

Anyway, Kate and I came up with the idea for this new linkup because we both are totally guilty of pinning dozens (probably more like hundreds) of recipes, but then when it comes down to it, we just go out to eat or get take out.  Thus the "Get Cookin Good Lookin" weekly link party/challenge has been born.

Here's how it works:

-Grab our button and link up with us every Friday

-Credit the original source and share the recipe in your post. I will be adapting mine some from the original source but still want to give them credit.

-Post pictures of your food.

-Share any helpful tips you can think of!

We are so excited to see what everyone comes up with and make some of your recipes. The first link up starts Friday!

100th Blog Post & A Giveaway!!

First of all... It's

Yay!!!!!!

So to celebrate my 100th Blog post, I am co-hosting a giveaway with two of my very favorite bloggers and dear friends Katelyn & Chelsee!

Up for grabs is an adorable gift basket full of some our favorite goodies just in time for Valentine's Day!!

The giveaway will officially launch tomorrow and run for 1 week with a lucky winner!!

12 in '12 Link Party!

Well Friends, We made it!! Another year older, another year wiser (I know I am).  I'm super excited to be hosting my first link party with one of my very best friends, Katelyn!!

So many times I catch myself being a Negative Nancy, so in an effort to be more positive here are 12 things I learned, I'm grateful for, 12 positive happy things to focus on ending 2012 on a positive note.

12. College.  I am so happy to be one year closer to finishing my degree!

11. Blogging.  I started this little  blog on a whim, and it's easily one of my very favorite past times.

10. Blog Friends. I look forward to reading the blog posts of all my blog friends every day!! Those who take the time to comment absolutely make my day!

9. Work. I don't always LOVE my job, specifically my boss, but I'm always thankful that I have one and that I have such amazing coworkers and members in my life.

8. I've started dating again.. I totally freak the eff out about it on an almost daily basis, but for someone who's been in serious relationships since the age of 14, it is scary and exciting!!

7. Health. Short of the flu, and a torn hamstring in the summer, I've had one of my healthiest years ever!! My immune system is getting better!!!

6. Alabama Football.  We are a week away from the National Championship Game!!! Roll Tide.  I realize it's sort of silly to be thankful/excited for football, but I'm a southern girl and I will not apologize for being a diehard football fan.

5. Exercise.  Working at a gym, it sometimes makes working out there sometimes the last thing I want to do, but I've been much more committed to exercise in 2012, and I'm looking forward to being even more active in 2013.

4. BooBooKitty.  My super cute kitty cat has been in my life for almost two years now.  I look forward to coming home everyday to kitty snuggles.

3. Divorce! I've already said a lot about this, but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me.

2. Friends.  It was a pretty trying year, but I have made some fabulous new friends, reconnected with old ones, and given and gotten second chances with my amazing besties.

1. Family. I am forever grateful for my family.  They supported me while I made one of the hardest decisions of my life.  They never tried to sway me either way because they knew it was a decision that I had to make by myself.

Don't forget to grab our button and link up with Katelyn and I for this 12 in '12 link up!!

Let me tell you 'bout (one of) my best friend(s)

I want to brag on one of my very best friends, Katelyn.  I feel that I can't brag on her, without sharing the story of our unlikely friendship.   Katelyn and I met on TheKnot while we were  both planning our weddings.  I'm not going to lie to you at all.. Katelyn and I pretty much hated each other.  We immediately clashed and butted heads and argued on an almost constant basis.  I thought she was a total brat, and I'm sure she thought much worse of me.   I can sometimes be a "Mean Girl".  This quality is great, if we're friends.  If we're not.. watch yourself.  Add to this the fact that I was very depressed and just an all around miserable person (for more on why read my story here), and I became down right vicious.  Sadly, I took a lot of my bratty mean girl self out on Katelyn (though, she gave it back just as good as she got!)   I'm not proud of this by any means, but it's all apart of our "weird and wonderful" friendship.     When I filed for divorce I stopped posting on TK.  I didn't feel like I had anything positive to contribute.  I was hurting, and bitter and the last thing I wanted to be around was happy brides to be.  Katelyn and I were facebook friends, but I still don't really think we talked at all.  My memory gets sort of fuzzy during and after my divorce (I think for the most part I've just blocked it all out).  I have no idea who apologized first, but I do know that when I did apologize to Katelyn, I was very sincere.   I'm sure it's weird to some people that one of my closest friends is someone that I have never met in person, I'll give you that it's certainly not traditional (but then again, I'm not a traditional kinda girl!).  The handful of girls that I met (Cate, Whitney, Kenz & Katelyn), and kept from TK, are girls that I'm sure will be in my life forever.  Katelyn and I talk on the phone, and we text almost constantly.  It's funny how someone that I had such negative feelings towards, is now someone that I can't imagine not being in my life.  We share cat stories and pictures and we shop via text together. We rant and rave about life's many ups and downs to each other.  She get's me.  She doesn't judge my shopping habits (nor do I judge hers). She is a true friend.   The moral of this story is don't be so quick to write off someone.. and be the bigger person and apologize when you've wronged someone. Now for the bragging.  Y'all, Katelyn has got mad skills!!  She is a fabulous graphic designer.  She's made business cards for my mom, she's doing a blog layout for Jerrica, and my favorite obviously, is this fantastic print that she made for me.  She took my nonsensical ramblings and turned them into this fabulous print that I had been dreaming of.  It is currently being printed (via vistaprint), and it will be hung in my bed room.  

  I'm obviously biased in my bragging about her talent, but even if I didn't like her, I'd love her designs.  If you're ever in the market for business cards, invites, posters, blog layouts, anything, talk to Katelyn.. she will hook you up!!   Visit her design tab here

Oh! and don't forget to link up with Katelyn and myself for our 12 in '12 New Years Eve Link Party on Monday!! Grab our button and tell us all about it!!

12 in '12 Link Up

Happy Thursday Friends!!

I'm writing a quick post to tell y'all about a one time link party that Katelyn (A Wife's Life) and I are hosting!! We'll  be hosting a 12 in '12.  12 things you're grateful for, 12 things that happened, 12 things you learned. Whatever.. just 12 things.


Make sure you come back on Monday the 31st, grab our button and link up with us!

It's Okay Thursday.

Y'all know I love a good link up! So I'm linking up today with Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup and Amber from Brunch with Amber for "It's Ok" Thursdays.

It's okay..

That I did some Sammie Shopping when I finished up my Holiday Shopping.  I got some shirts from Loft, some tights, and a belt from Gap, and the original Naked Palette by Urban Decay from Ulta.  People told me to get Naked 2, but I really felt like I'd use the colors in the original more.  So far, I love it. Soooo much!! Now I need a bigger makeup bag for my growing makeup collection.

It's okay..

That I have done nothing this morning other than read blogs, watch Modern Family, and play Candy Crush Saga on Facebook.

It's okay..

That I bought all of the Ricola Cherry Honey cough drops that Walmart had.. I have a cough and they make me better.

It's okay..

That the Boy Meets World sequel has been pretty much the highlight of my week.

It's okay..

That one of my best friends, Katelyn (A Wife's Life) and I talked on the phone for the first time ever in life yesterday.  I love her dearly, even if I've never met her in person.  Oh! and that we discovered "Cat Effects" this week.  So this happened:

It's okay..

That the Human to Cat Translator app has taken over my life.. Cause it makes my BooBooKitty happy, and that makes me happy.

Love you all dearly!!