Fat Tuesday and Lent

Today is Fat Tuesday, which mean C-R-A-Z-Y kids at school! We have a Mardi Gras program and parade each year that is put on by the 2nd graders. It's always lots of fun for everyone. I took a homemade king cake for my 4th grade homeroom class to enjoy this afternoon. I think it only wired them more...

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and even though we aren't Catholic, but Ryan and I usually try to "give up" something for Lent each year. Since getting married, we've both put on a few extra pounds that we'd like to get rid of. In an attempt to drop a few pounds and to also give up something that we tend to have a weakness to, we've decided to give up "big" carbs like breads, pastas, etc. (Ryan) and sweets (Emily). We'll see how this goes! Hopefully it will deter our cravings and also help us lose some weight!

I'm going to try to post here and there about some of the things we are eating throughout this journey. Maybe it will trigger some ideas for me, and possibly give you some meal ideas, too. If you would like a recipe for one of these meals, leave me a comment with your email address and I'll get one sent to you. Also, feel free to suggest meals for us!

This is what we ate last night. It was tuna salad with almond slices. So yummy, but not very filling! Next time, I'll have to have some fruit with it.

Tonight, we're grillling Jerk Shrimp with zuccini and squash. This is my go-to springtime dish! I also threw some chicken breasts on the grill to use in my lunches this week. :)

So that's it! Happy Lent!

Morning View

I was just emailing out my daily devotion to some of my friends and family when I realized what a great view I have this morning. I had to snap a picture, because I think we all need to stop and enjoy the little things sometimes. :) So here's my view this morning....complete with a yummy cup of coffee! Happy Monday!

President's Day Ramblings...

I'm out of school today for President's Day, so I'm playing catch-up with the blog.

Bella and I are going to head out to Athens today to work on a little project that my sweet, sweet daddy has been helping me with for 2 weeks now. I called him a while back to see if he'd be interested in building me a craft table for my craft room. It is just too hard to do some of the crafts that I'd like to do laying or sitting on the floor. He agreed and asked that I find him a few pictures to go by. Well, thanks to Ana White's tutorial (found here) I was able to show dad exactly what I wanted, complete with measurements and a step-by-step tutorial! We made a few changes to the original design...we shortened the width by about 10 inches, we added backing to the shelves, and we added two wooden dowels to hang ribbon on. Much to my surprise, dad went home, inventoried his supplies, and headed to Lowe's to get what he needed. He finished the construction in ONE DAY! Is my dad the best or what?!? He got it sanded and primed and now it is ready for me to paint it. Here's a "before" paint shot that my mom texted to me the other day. I'll add a "finished with paint" picture later.

In other Porter news...
we celebrated our very first married Valentine's Day! We're not much on making a big deal out of Valentine's Day, but we do like to cook a good meal! This year was no different! I made some "heart" cinnamon rolls for breakfast and they were delish!

That night, we grilled lobster tails and made some skillet green beans with mashed potatoes. Oh my goodness! They were devine!!

Excuse the sideways picture...it wouldn't let me change it.

I love my sweet Valentine and am so glad that we have the opportunity to celebrate Valentine's Day everyday!

February Birchbox!

This past week, my February Birchbox showed up! Woo hoo! Here's what was inside.

• beauty blender- the original beauty blender

This hot pink sponge is a pro favorite that helps your foundation look airbrushed, no Photoshop required.

2-pack, $25.95

• Jouer - Luminizing Moisture Tint

The votes are in, and this award-winning tinted moisturizer tops the list. It's our daily shortcut to dewy, glowing skin. Full-size, $38

• Orofluido-Beauty Elixir

This hair treatment taps into a trio of nourishing essential oils (argan, linseed, cyperus) to keep hair smooth and sleek.  Full-size, $29.99

• Violent Lips- Temporary Lip Tatoos

These celeb favorites are a fun way to sass up your usual lip color- wear them when you are feeling bold. Pack of 3, $15.

• Lifestyle Extra- Nail File

There's no shame in filing your nails in public with this heart-shaped, neon looker.

• Birchbox Digital Download-

Six free tunes from Green River Ordinance, an indie rock band poised to hit the spotlight.

I'll be honest..I was a little disappointed in this month's birchbox. I can't imagine why anyone would want to wear lip tatoos? On the bright side, I'm super pumped to give Green River Ordinance a shot! I love new bands and can't wait to hear what they've got! Here's hoping that March's birchbox is better. It IS my month and all.... :)

Sunday Afternoon Brain Dump

This past week has been pretty full of lots of different activities. We celebrated more birthdays on February 7th. Chip, Jen, and Bella all had a happy birthday that ended with an awesome fish fry at Mom and Dad's house this past Tuesday night. I supplied the dessert, which was a couple of Pinterest projects combined. I painted a teracotta planting pot with chalkboard paint and filled it with this cupcake bouquet. It was SUPER easy and made for a fun little presentation.

I also made this fun little project from Pinterest. I've had it pinned on one of my boards for such a long time, but when I finally saw it in person at my friend Megan's house, I knew that I had to do it. I had everything needed (picture frame with no backing or glass, wire, and hot glue). All I needed to get was a package of mini clothespins. And I added the little burlap bow at the top because I kinda love burlap...a lot. Check out our brand new Prayer Board! We have little squares of scrapbooking paper that we can write down little prayers or different people we need to pray for and it reminds us each day what we should be thankful for. I love it!

Chip and Jen welcomed little twin lambs this week! How precious are these sweet babies???

Yesterday, some friends and I gave our friend Taryn a baby shower at her sweet, little church. We had a great turnout and T got some wonderful new things for baby Hutch. Her cake was so cute and was yummy, too! She requested a painting from me that she has seen in a store in Shreveport that matches baby Hutch's new crib bedding. This is how it turned out....



This is the adorable cake!

Well, that was our week! This coming week shouldn't be quite so busy, so maybe I'll have a few extra days to do some blogging.

Also, I've sorta given up on the February Photo Challenge. I've just been taking regular pictures on my own. Oh well. It was a nice idea... :) 

Day 2 Photo Post- Words

Yesterday was Day 2 of the photo challenge that I decided to participate in. I ended up getting sick yesterday afternoon, so blogging was the last thing that I wanted to do when I got home. I did, however, manage to get my picture taken before "going down."

Here's the explanation for yesterday's "words" picture:

On my desk at school, I keep a "flip book" of inspirational quotes. Actually, I have two flipbooks now because I have loaded up on so many. It's nothing fancy, just an index card with a hand-written quote that I flip over daily to inspire myself, make me laugh, encourage me, or just down right get me through the day. Some friends have given me quotes to put on my flip book, and I really treasure those. Well yesterday's quote was one of my favorites, so it became my Day 2 photo. Enjoy! And if you want to share some of your favorite quotes with me, feel free! I'm always looking for new ones!

Challenge

While searching Pinterest today, I came across a little challenge that sparked my interest. I'm always up for a little challenge, and after reading the ins and outs of this one, I figured I'd give it a try.

http://pinterest.com/pin/56083957829410827/

All I have to do is take the required photo and blog about it. Voila! I'm gonna try to use my "nice" camera instead of my phone camera for these pictures. The way I see it, I'm working on my 12 in 2012. 

Here's today's picture. Bella and I spent some time outside in the backyard today after work and we saw this little guy. He was super busy climbing the trees, but stopped long enough for me to snap his picture.

That's it! Tomorrow's picture (words) should be interesting...

Surprise Party!

I've never been on either side of a surprise party. I've never had one, nor have I ever given one. I wasn't sure what to expect a few months ago when my sister-in-law came to me with the idea of throwing a surprise party for her husband, who is my older brother. Jen and Chip share the same birthday...February 7th...but this year, Chip is turning the big 3-0. Surprising him was going to be a super huge task. He doesn't like surprises. He doesn't like someone telling him where to be and when to be there. We had our work cut out for us.

Jen did such an amazing job with all of the details! She planned, organized, and delegated duties to Mom and I. The theme was "Life is great at 30!" and we used lots and lots of bright colors. The night went perfectly as planned. We had a great turnout, ate some really great food, and listened to Chris Canterbury play and sing. Chip was totally surprised and I think it is even safe to say that he was shocked that so many great people came out to help him celebrate his birthday.

The birthday boy mingling with friends and Uncle Tim :)

Ryan manned the margarita machine.

Kenni Lynn, Jenn, Ashley, Me, Lindsay, and Katie with Rudi creeping in the background.

Cheryl and Ben

Happy Birthday, Chip! Great job, Jen!