Three Bean Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can chili beans

1 can corn, drained

1 can tomato sauce

1 can (7 ounces) chopped green chiles

1 tablespoons chili powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Brown turkey and onion in large skillet.

Drain.

Place in large crockpot.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours.

Stir occasionally.

Serve and garnish with cheese, if desired.

Hint- I sometimes add 1/4-1/2 cup of salsa for an added kick!!

Enjoy!

This recipe also freezes well. I made this soup last weekend, and I froze a container of it. Andrew was home this weekend, so this was an easy meal to share with him today before he left again for New York!



Party Favors

After my morning client, I was browsing the aisles of Hobby Lobby, and I came across the cutest cupcake ribbon. I thought to myself, "Now what in the world would you do with cupcake ribbon?!"

I walked away without it, but as I did, the wheels in my mind started turning. Scary, I know. Anyway- I thought, "Why not make a precious Twister Bow and company it with matching Peanut Bows to use as party favors."

So, I went back and snatched up the ribbon. Luckily, I had corresponding ribbon at home, so I didn't have to purchase any other colors.

How cute is this set?

On my Etsy page, the buyer has the option of a light pink, brown, or white headband for the birthday girl bow.

Too cute, right? I would have loved these party favors as a little girl!

So festive, so fun.

It was so much fun creating this little set!

Oh, and while I was creating these, I received this message about the following sale...

"Thank you for everything, I think you run a top notch shop. I got the clip yesterday, and it is fun and gorgeous. Thanks again for all of your help!"

This bride was so sweet to work with, and I am very excited about everything that's been happening in my shop!

Check it out if you want: http://www.etsy.com/people/TailorMadeByAbby



Meet Mr. Flexible

My cat never ceases to amaze me, and he makes me laugh frequently. His "girlfriend" Jen came over yesterday after church, and he had a hayday with her! I could not believe how flexible he is- he showed me moves I've never seen before. Luckily, I caught them with my phone's camera, but unfortunately, some of them are blurry. Check this cat out...

Yes, that is his back paw up by his ear. Yes, he is bent completely in half. I did not know he was capable of such flexibility.

He discovered he can use his tail as a chew toy while in this position. Oh boy.

Still enjoying his new toy.

What. in. the. world?!?!

He's being onery in this picture (well, all of them really), but the fire in his eyes are evident in this one. Luckily, despite being allergic and not so much a fan of cats, Jen is very good with him... and I think she even likes him to some degree!

The goofball finished his day out by cuddling up with me in the computer chair while I worked on homework- he's never done this before. He barely had any room, but I think he needed the attention and decided that was the only way he was going to get it while I was busy with school.



Sight for Sore Eyes

Andrew has not had internet since he left for New York. We aren't fancy enough (yet) to have iPhones or anything like that, so we've been talking on the phone a lot. Yes, I understand that a lot of couples don't have this option, and I know that we need to be thankful for modern technology. Trust me, WE ARE!

But... that's beside the point. We haven't seen each other's faces in 10 days. Today I got a phone call saying that he was at a local coffee shop and had free internet for the next 14 minutes. Of course, I was away from my home and computer at the time. Talk about being bummed!

About 5 minutes later, I received a text saying he paid a dollar to have unlimited internet access. I was with my good friend at the time, but she totally understands because her boyfriend (also named Andrew) lives in Wisconsin. So, we made a beeline for the house, said our goodbyes, and I jumped online.

I cannot describe how I felt when his face popped up on my screen... in real time. I haven't shed a tear since last Sunday in church, but I sure couldn't fight them back today when I saw his handsome face.

We got about a minute and a half of talk time before our video call was dropped. It took forever for his internet to resume, and we lost several more video calls. We both agreed that Satan was making sure we didn't have the chance to talk, but we're a bit more determined than him.

In all, we were able to SEE each other for about an hour, and I can honestly say it's been the best hour since he left. I miss him SO much and having the chance to SEE him will help the next few days go a bit smoother.

So, today (and every day) I am very, very thankful for technology... and I do not take a single moment for granted!

What a Hoot

A couple months ago, my crafty friend and I decided to trade services. She requested green flower magnets and a brooch in exchange for hand towels. At the time, I had just learned to make felt flowers, so I threw in one of those for a little surprise.

Here are her treats:

Since my request required so much more time and work (thanks, Jen!), I patiently waited until she had a chance to finish them. I opened the mailbox today and was very excited to see a package in the mail from my friend! I opened it immediately and couldn't believe my eyes. These hand embroidered towels are gorgeous and without a doubt perfect!

I am very excited about these new towels! My plan was to save them for our house in New York, but they are too cute to pack away until then. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out, and they are definitely something that I will appreciate for a long time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jen!!! They are wonderful!



Snowy Day

Last night, I was really wishing for snow. I have decided that the next time I wish for snow, I'm going to wish for a blizzard so I don't have to attend school. I love looking at the snow from the comforts of my own home with a mug of hot chocolate in hand. Anyway, I had plenty of time this morning to enjoy the snow before making the trek to school.

I was really excited to see a female cardinal nesting in my tree when I looked outside this morning.

I was even more excited when her boyfriend flew in for a visit!

Here he's eyeing the bird feeder I talked about in yesterday's blog : )

Snapped this one right before he was scared away by me getting on to Theodore (who was trying to make a run for it)

Ever since I moved in, I've used my neighboor's ugly stairs as a reference of how much snow (or ice!) we've received. I'd say we got close to 3 inches.

I thought this tree on campus was pretty cool draped in snow.

I didn't have time to wander around taking pictures today, but it was really nice to have some white on the ground here... and for the white stuff to be snow, not ice!



Fat Winter Birds

One of my favorite things about winter?

Fat birds.

I must admit, I am really going to miss my Bradford Pear... mostly because I am going to miss the winter birds that like to hang out in it.

I wish that I could have gotten a better shot of the cardinal, because they are my favorite. The cardinal; however, was a bit more flighty than the fat dove.

Right before Andre left for New York, he came back from his haircut with specific orders- I was not to look outside until he said it was ok. When I received the all-clear, I was surprised to see he had purchased a bird feeder for me! It's outside of my kitchen window (by the tree), and I love watching my fat winter birds throughout the day.

Latest Crafting Project

Last night, I was itching to craft. I just helped my sister with a crafting project, and I decided I wanted to do something similar. I thought about what we would need for our new kitchen, and I decided that it would be a good idea to make storage boxes for our kitchen. So, I set out for Hobby Lobby. There I found different sized and shaped boxes, paint, stencils, and brushes.

I chose to paint the boxes a vibrant red and accent them with dark chocolate brown stenciling. I am very pleased with how they turned out, and I can't wait to use them in our kitchen to store towels, odds and ends, and whatever else we feel like! I think I need to coat them with a protective layer though, so I may work on that today! Anyway, this project was cheap, fun, and is functional. I love that! 

Day Twenty-Nine: How You Feel Loved

Boy, oh boy! I'm getting so close to finishing this 30 day blogging challenge. You know, I won't ever do another one of them. I don't like being told what to blog about. I know, I know. I'm the one who decided to do it- and I know I could have chosen to abort this task at any time. I didn't want to be a quitter.

ANYWAY...

I feel loved when...

... my husband calls just to say hi.

... I open the mailbox to a friendly letter.

... my husband wraps me in one of his amazing hugs.

... my family and friends send me a text or email.

... my cat jumps in my lap to snuggle.

... my husband helps me around the house.

... when I receive flowers.

... when someone does something kind.

... when I look around at all of the blessings God has given me.

... and countless other ways.

Mother/Daughter Weekend

My mom and sister came down for the weekend! We had a really nice time together, and it was so good to have them here to keep me busy! We kept everything pretty low-key, but it was still a lot of fun.

Cuddle Time:

When they got here, Theodore finally snapped out of it and enjoyed some snuggle time with me. It was much needed for both of us!

The Haircut:

Before

After : ) She looks SO pretty... and so much older!

I think a lot of people are getting short hair fever... I know I love mine!

The Craft:

Miranda wanted to do a craft project while she was here. She had no clue what she wanted to do, but as we were walking the aisles of Hobby Lobby, it dawned on me... a keepsake box! I made something like this for Andrew years ago, and it turned out really well. She got really excited about the idea and took FOREVER picking stickers out.

Of course the goofball had to explore. We didn't get the picture in time, but he was actually in the box at one point.

I painted the box.

Miranda cut and glued stickers. Theodore provided the instruction he thought she needed. I then covered it with puzzle glue to protect it.

The end product turned out very well! It's super cute, functional, and a neat keepsake idea!

The Mini-Disaster:

I decided to pop a bigger batch of popcorn than normal. You see, normally Andrew is in charge of this. Anyway, popcorn was flying EVERYWHERE. It was a mess. Oh well, it provided some very good laughs!

The Model:

Before church, I made Miranda model the hair accessory she requested. This girl loves her yellow and grey! Anyway- she is TOO cute for words, and her hair is simply adorable.

It was such a blessing to have them here! I am very thankful that they came!