MoMo Monday Week #22

In a previous MoMo Monday post I talked all about how MoMo and I have a morning routine.  She comes into the bathroom and keeps me company.  One of the new things she's started doing is to jump up onto the edge of the shower and stick her head between the inner and outer shower curtains. 

All that would stick out was her little butt and she would get so mad because I would poke her and scare her.  She would give me a "scolding" type meow.  She finally got wise and now she pokes her head out of the curtains instead of her booty.....now she can see me coming

Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

It is upon us......Fall is here (except for the fact that it's still 99 degrees outside)  But I actually think they should change the name from Fall to Pumpkin Season...because really that's what it's all about

Pumpkin Pop Tarts, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin ravioli, and of course.....pumpkin coffee

I first got the idea to make my own pumpkin spice creamer when my sister sent me a pin on Pinterest for a Paleo version of the creamer.  I would give credit but the pin had no source and the recipe was just written in the description.  But being Paleo it had honey in it....not my thing.  So I took the basic idea and tweaked it to be low carb.  I also put a lot more pumpkin in mine than the original recipe called for

Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

1 can Pumpkin puree

1 can coconut milk

4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. clove

50 drops of Sweet Drops

Combine all the ingredients together in a blender. The mixture will be thick.  Keep refrigerated in a jar.  After it is refrigerated it will be even thicker but don't let that worry you, it will melt right into your hot coffee just fine

The above recipe is what fit my taste....but tweak it to how you want it.  I LOVE cinnamon so I always go heavy on that. Keep in mind though that you do want to make it a little strong so that a relatively little amount of it will flavor your coffee sufficiently.  I also didn't make mine super sweet but you could add more Sweet Drops (or other sweetener of choice)  I figured I could add Stevia to the cup of coffee if I need to

Orange Creamsicle Jello

I first made a similar version to this jello when I was doing my Low Carb 5 Day Fat Fast.  In that version I just made sugar free jello with cream cheese in it and then topping with fresh whipped cream to get lots of healthy fats in a low carb dose

I ended up liking it so much that even after my fast was over I needed to make more.  This time I stepped it up just a tad more by substituting the cold water in the jello for orange creme flavored sparkling water

All you do is whisk in a block of cream cheese to the boiling water with the gelatin (it's easier if the cream cheese is softened already) until it's nice and creamy.  Then add the cold sparkling water and pour it into a pan to set like normal

It's kind of cool because even though  you mix the cream cheese in well it will always rise to the top when it cools so you get 2 layers of jello. Regular and creamy.  You can see in the picture below.  Top with whipped cream and you have a delicious dessert or snack

Wardrobe Wednesday - Mint and Tourquoise

This weeks look is all about me trying to step up my basic jeans and tees.  This is an outfit very typical of me...especially on a day off.  I want to look somewhat put together and cute but not put a whole lot of time and effort into it

Shirt: Wet Seal

Jeans: Ross

Shoes: Bongo (Kmart)

Necklace: Rue 21

  The old me would have just worn the shirt and the jeans. I'm a sucker for a comfy Vneck  and just got a bunch of them (5 for $20) at Wet Seal last week. (Ironically they are named the Whitney V Neck...personally I think it's a fabulous name choice ;)  The new "trying to branch out a little" Whitney decided to go with a big statement necklace since the overall look was so simple.  I've only worn this necklace maybe 2 other times since I bought it and I was stuck on the idea of wearing it with a contrasting color so I always wore it with coral or orange.  This time I decided to wear it with a color in the same family.  What do you think of the turquoise and mint pairing??

I wanted te be comfy....I was running errands and going to the eye doctor so I wore my gold flat Tom wannabe things.  The Boy always makes fun of me when I wear them because he says they give me flat duck feet.  I can't really argue with him on that one....my feet do look incredibly flat lol  But I like them so I wear them anyway

I STILL don't have any gold bangles otherwise I would have worn them here....but since I didn't I wore a gold headband instead.

So what are your thoughts?  Still too basic?  

And I just wanted to show you how in this picture you can see my gnarly bruise I got at work. (Right arm)  Ignore the little white piece of paper I am standing on

I think this means that my job is detrimental to my health and safety and that I should quit ASAP and become a full time blogger.....right?

MoMo Monday Week #21

Me and The Boy are aware that being as cute as MoMo is a 24 hour a day job.  It's tough work and somebody has to do it and she pulls it off with finesse.

But really.....shes's home all day....couldn't she pitch in and do a thing or two around the house?

You would think that being the big Disney fans that we are that by now she would have picked up on some of the things the animals in Snow White do

Instead me and The Boy keep dropping subtle hints saying stuff like

"Look MoMo! Isn't it cool how the animals do the dishes. You already lick the plates like the deer does"

They even dust

And do laundry

But I don't think she's getting it because I keep coming home to the same piles of laundry from when I left and her lounging around like this

And this 

At least she's cute 

DIY Kitchen Countertop and Cabinet Redo

I had zero to do with this project.  Nada. Zilch. This was all the hard work of my sister and brother in law.  I just get to write about it....win!

They bought a cute house that was built in 1986.  The joke is that my brother inlaw seems to love everything from that year.  Not only is it the year the house was built, but it's also my sisters birth year and the release of his favorite movie, Top Gun.   Anywho, the house is in great condition but needs a little sprucing up to fit their taste.....especially the kitchen

Not terrible...but drab builder grade.  Regular oak cabinets and formica counters

First project up was the counter tops.  They used a Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations kit.  It contains everything you need from deglosser (eliminates the need for sanding) to the top coat and everything in between

Ta -dah!!

Lookin better already!  But they didn't stop there....the counters were up the next weekend.  They really wanted granite but that would be a big expensive pain in the ass.  After alot of research they decided on the Armor Garage brand Countertop Kit.  It's a bit more expensive than other kits out there but the end results is heat resistant (like real granite) and thicker than other kits on the market. It also has the "sparkle" effect already mixed into the paint so you don't have to sprinkle it in yourself

The counter tops made the look of the cabinets pop even more!

What a difference right??

It really turned out great and looks even better in person.  Their dog Phoebe agrees but she is glad it's all over....quite frankly this kitchen project was exhausting for her

So if you have been thinking about sprucing up your kitchen don't rule out these DIY options.  It may take a little work, but it will save you ton of money

For more DIY kitchen cabinet ideas check out this post by Top Reveal. They have so many great ideas that I have never even seen before! It's amazing what you can do to personalize your space yourself

Wardrobe Wednesday Week - Retro Polka Dot Navy Dress

This weeks outfit is a little weak in my eyes...lacking on many levels.  Mostly because I don't have all the pieces I want to really style it correctly

Dress: Ross
Belt:Charlotte Russe
Heels: Charlotte Russe

I got this blue polka dot dress at Ross at the very beginning of the summer.  I was drawn to it because it has sort of a retro feel.  I added the belt because I felt like it needed to be broken up a bit

I REALLY wish I had some red heels.  I think it would have really made this outfit pop....but I don't have a pair...poop!  It's on my Lookout List and has been for a while.  I just can't seem to find the right pair.   Even a yellow heel would have been cute and then maybe I would change the belt color.  Either way I think the white heel makes this look sort of fall flat.  

If I ever find the right heels I will restyle this look and post again.

DIY Leopard Trash Can

One of my dear friends from work has had some unfortunate news recently.  She was diagnosed with lung cancer after just having cancer removed from her colon as well.

She has been undergoing some very intense chemotherapy which as you can imagine has made her incredibly sick.

We all pitched in and made her a nice gift basket full of stuff like magazines to read while she is there, sugar free gum and mints for the metallic taste it puts in your mouth, and various socks, slippers, and other useful things to use doing her treatment.  She really loved it

But I felt like I still wanted to giver her something on my own.  Something useful that would also make her laugh....That's when I decided to make her a fabulous looking barf bucket.

Part of the reason I chose to make a barf bucket is because I suffer from emetophobia (read all about it here) and wanted to show some support for her "sickness" because I knew I wouldn't really be able to when the time came.  Unfortunately my emetophobia can make me very standoffish and almost rude when it comes to those sorts of things.   She is aware of this and is always so sweet about it.  She leaves very discreetly and tries to not let on when she is feeling sick....which makes me feel even worse. haha   While I completely appreciate what she is doing for me I feel like an ass that in her time of need she is thinking about me.  Sigh.....

Anywho....so that's the story behind the barf bucket.  And I also figured that if you're gonna yak you might as well do it in style.....right?

So I bought a trash can from the dollar store and covered the entire thing in leopard duct tape.....that's it! Super easy but makes it super cute

Sorry in advance for the crappy pictures.  It wasn't until I was out the door and on my way to work that I remembered I hadn't taken any pictures.  The door was already locked and I didn't have time to do a fancy set up or I would be late....so you get a picture of it in my rocks

And on my car seat

She absolutely loved it!  I told her I hoped she didn't need to use it much but that it was there just in case.  She said that she is a realist and knows she will.....so at least if she does need to she has something cute

I think this would be a great gift for anybody going through chemo....or maybe even a pregnant friend with morning sickness.  Throwing up sucks but why not show some support right?

MoMo Monday Week #20

Crazy pet owner alert

Ever have those days where you look at your pet and you are just so overwhelmed by how much you love them?  I mean of course I love her every second of every single day, but every once and a while it comes at me full force

I look at this little face

and I'm so happy that she is mine.  Funny how a little 7lb bundle of fur can make such an impact on you.  She may never "talk" but she most certainly communicates and has such a little personality.  You always know what this little girl is thinking....it's written all over her face just like me

I also find it amazing how intuitive pets can be.  How when you are sick or sad they are always right there.  MoMo has gone so far as to stand on me and lick my tears away when I am sad.  Such a little sweetie

Another funny story about her, she doesn't like to make anybody feel left out.  One day The Boy was sitting on the couch and I was sitting on the love seat across the room.  MoMo came running in and passed me without really seeing me.  She ran straight for her daddy to give him some loving licks and head bumps.   At one point she turned and saw me sitting there.  She immediately jumped down and ran over to me to do the same.  It's as if she was making sure things were even lol   She ran back and forth between us for a few minutes.   Such a thoughtful little feline.  Things like that will make me never understand people who just think of pets as animals....they are family!

I love my little baby

Wardrobe Wednesday - Leggings and Fedora

Anybody else out there guilty of finding a quick and easy outfit for the season that becomes your season long uniform of sorts?  I hope I'm not the only one.  I definitely had a uniform this summer.....but the funny thing is that it involved 2 pieces that not too long ago I wouldn't have been caught dead in.   What are those things?  Leggings and a hat

I've long admired legging based outfits.  My friend Kelley rocks leggings like no other girl I've ever met. She has all around amazing style anyway but her legging outfits always stuck out to me because I never thought I could get away with wearing them myself.  I bought my first pair about a year ago but it wasn't until this summer that I truly discovered the love that is the legging.  Soooo comfortable and easy.   The only downside is that by the end of the day my butt seriously itches....like bad.  Anybody else experience this?  I'm starting to wonder if I should be concerned. But it also happens when I sit in a swimsuit too....maybe an allergy to stretchy shit? lol I think by now most of my family is used to seeing me scratch my butt without shame.  I try to refrain in public though for other peoples sake.

And then there's the case of the hat.  I NEVER wore hats before.  Yet another look I was too self conscious to rock.  I decided to dip my toe and try out a fedora.  I think I like it?  I'm not 100% convinced it's the best look in the world on me but I don't think it's as terrible as I thought it would be all these years.  Our friend Morgan made fun of me for wearing a "Justin Timberlake hat" as he called it.  But I think it's "fedorable".  (See......see what I did there?)

So my go to outfit this summer was a basic T, leggings, a hat, and various shoes

Here are 4 different shoe options

First up is the plain sandal....which until I saw a picture of myself wearing them I never realized how utterly boring it is.  Really does nothing for the outfit at all

Next up...leopard tennies

Wedges

And lastly, gold sandals

Leggings: Ross

Shirt: Ross

Hat: XI Clothing

Sunglasses: Ross

Black Sandals: Charlotte Russe

Black Wedges: Ross

Leopard Tennies: Walmart

Gold Sandals: Walmart

Which shoe do you like best?  What was your summer uniform?

As you can see yet again I have no accessories....that's the area where I am always lacking!

Oh and just for the fun I thought I would throw in a picture where I am obviously trying to explain to my dearest mother how to take picture on an iphone.   She doesn't mix well with technology

DIY Blinged Out Flask

About a month ago my husbands grandma turned 80.  Which of course meant a huge party with the whole family.  No wait....my bad....it's a big Mexican family so I guess it qualified as a "fiesta."  After all there was a mariachi band and brightly colored cake that dyed my tongue green for the rest of the night   (anyone ever notice how all the cakes in Mexican bakeries are BRIGHT AS HELL!?!? They certainly don't shy away from color)

When we got the official memo that it was BYOB I was already 2 steps ahead.  I figured this was the perfect excuse for me to bling out a flask for myself.  I already had a bunch of plain flasks on hand that I had ordered off ebay about 2 years ago.   They were meant for a wedding project that never came to be.....so I was happy to finally put one to use!

It's as simple as you would think it is...just glue and your bling of choice.  I did a mix of clear gems, pink, and pearls.  I would use something like an E6000 glue for a more permanent hold

Glue your little heart out

Here's a picture I snapped at the party.  As you can see I came prepared with my own mini bar....baggy of lime wedges and all

These would make a great birthday gift...or of course the good ole bachelorette gift.  Or even just to give your boozy friend on a Tuesday.  I'm not here to judge.  ;)

MoMo Monday Week #19

So me and The Boy are big Saturday Night Live fans.  In fact I have dreams of being a cast member....but I'm thinking the odds of that happening are slim to none. Nerdy girls from Arizona who are obsessed with their cat and working a day job as a cook aren't exactly on Lorne Michaels radar.  It's a shame really......I would love to join the likes of great women like Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Kristen Wiig.

Now here I am rambling about crushed dreams....  Ok, so like I said me and the boy are huge fans and every so often we go back and watch seasons over again.  Even if we've seen it a hundred times.

Recently we were in a run through of season 30.  We were laying in bed watching with MoMo perched on my chest.  A hilarious sketch came on about a girl bringing home a date and before they start "necking" she insists on introducing her baby.  This baby is her dear cat Franklin, played by Fred Armisen in a cat costume. 

Franklin is crawling all over their laps completely distracting and annoying her date and of course meowing constantly.  As soon as "Franklin" began to meow MoMo started FREAKING OUT!  Her ears perked up, her eyes went crazy, and MoMo looked PISSED!

She legitimately thought there was another cat in the room and began looking around for it.  So kudos to you Fred Armisen.....you portray an excellent feline.  You've got the meow down!

 Here's a link to the video.  Cat lovers will for sure laugh

http://dai.ly/xe2gsp 

Low Carb Cinnamon Ice Cream Sandwich

A few posts back I talked about how I FINALLY got my paws on some Quest bars and made some mini chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches.  In that post I talked about how I wanted to experiment with different flavors and methods

Well I did.  This time I used a cinnamon roll flavored bar and cut it into quarters instead of 8ths.  I also decided to try microwaving them as opposed to baking them like last time.  

I cooked 2 pieces at a time by placing them on a piece of  parchment sprayed with a little nonstick spray and cooked them for about 30-40 seconds until the puffed up...but not too long or they get chewy

I filled them with a little Carb Smart vanilla ice cream.  It made the perfect size ice cream sandwich, one for me and one for the boy...all out of one bar!

 To be honest I don't like the bars right out of the package.  I really wanted to....but I don't. 

It's amazing how heating these bars totally transforms them into something else....it's like eating a real cookie!  Give it a try!

College Sports Wreath

Because we don't have nearly enough wreaths in this house already.  Since there aren't stacks and stacks of them ranging from Easter to Patriotic laying in my craft room until I find a permanent storage area.  Since we have none of that going on here at all.....I had to make another

Actually, I started this wreath a year ago and just never finished it.  I'm kinda bad like that.  So this sucker sat in my craft room for a year before I finally looked at it and thought "You know......maybe I should finish that"   Crazy thought right?

So as you may have read before....The Boy is the lone Wildcat in my family.  Everybody else is Arizona State alumni and he went to The University of AZ.  So as you can imagine there is some intensity in our family during football season.  But my boy sure holds his ground.  Bear down!!!!

Here's a funny picture of The Boy and my brother inlaw both sporting their team hats at a beer festival we went too.  Their caption on the photo was "Beer brings Wildcats and Sun Devils together"  Whatever works I guess!

Last year I made my cardboard wreath form (just a big circle of cardboard because I'm waaaaay to cheap to buy a real wreath form.  Those things are outrageously priced!)  And glued on shiny paper crap.   Then I made my own "A" logo out of craft foam and glued it on.  And that's how it sat.....forever....and ever...and ever.  At least until 2 days ago

I decided that instead of just doing football that I would represent basketball and baseball too because he follows multiple college sports.  So this way I can throw this wreath on the door for a big football game or basketball game.

I don't think men are ever super excited about wreaths....but I'm pretty sure this is one The Boy can get behind

 

Wardrobe Wednesday - Royal Blue Blouse and Black Pencil Skirt

Soooooo.......

Imma thinking I may branch out of my comfort zone a little bit and start a "Wardrobe Wednesday" series here on the ole bloggy blog

I'm no fashionista by any means....I'm not ahead of the seasons.  I can't tell you what the new trends will be before they happen or rattle of information on designers....I'm just your average girl

I'm one of those girls who has good taste (I think?....I mean... I hope so!) and loves to admire clothes but I always think that it looks good on everyone else and that I can't pull off the look on myself.  Therefore I usually stick with the very basics of looks. 

That's where this experiment comes in.  I think having a weekly post to look forward to will make me step it up a little and try new things.  It would also be good to get some feedback from my fellow ladies about what works and what just doesn't.  I also think I don't accessorize enough and am very vanilla when it comes to jewelry.  I mainly wear my wedding ring (does that even count???)....and the same diamond stud earrings ALL. THE. TIME.  Maybe you all can tell me what's missing? Give me a little push in the right direction. 

One other thing....I work a kitchen job.  So that means 5 days out of the week I am in Dickies, non slip clogs, and a chefs coat. It's a sexy look.  That only leaves 2 days for me to get dressed for real....and even then I'm so flippin lazy I hardly wear more than a tshirt and jeans and ignore alot of my super cute clothes.  I think this will be a good way for me to utilize my closet....it will force me to get dressed. ;)

Another point is that I am a major cheap ass.  Like REALLY.  I hate when I'm on Pinterest and see a fabulous outfit only to realize it costs as much as my groceries for 2 weeks. No bueno.  So all my clothes I will be showing your are accessible to the average blue collar bitch like  myself 

So I'm going to give this thing a whirl and see what happens.  I'm not going to put too much pressure on the situation and if I miss a week....so what! Who cares?

(for all my fellow SNL fans out there  Oh Fred Armisen how I am going to miss you so!!)

Bear with me while I figure this out and find my niche.  It may be a hot mess in the beginning until I figure it all out


First up is this little number I put together

Shirt: Ross
Skirt: IZ brand from Kohls
Shoes: Guess (Ross)

See what I mean about the lack of jewelry?  And I realized as I was posting this that you can hardly see the shirt because my giant lion mane takes over.  That's something I'll be watching for in future posts.   But over all I really like this outfit.  Cute and surprisingly comfy.  The old me would have worn boring old black heels but I figured the solid colors on top were the perfect opportunity to pull out a fun printed heel

Thoughts?  What jewelry should I have worn?