Photography Week 3

The lesson this week is one that everyone can read no matter what camera you have. It is all about using the flash on your camera. I always hate using the flash indoors because it makes everything look yucky. I'm really excited to lean when to use it correctly.

Week 4: The Flash

Menu Plan 14th Week

This week is going to be super easy. We will have two Thanksgiving dinners and I am not in charge of ether of them.

Stay tuned this week because I will be hosting my first giveaway!

Monday: Sloppy Joes
Tuesday: Black Bean and Brown rice burgers (didn't get to them last week)
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: Thanksgiving dinner with my family
Friday: Thanksgiving family with Reed's family
Saturday: Eat out (date perhaps.....hint, hint hubby)
Sunday: Lemon brown sugar chicken and Quinoa

Fore more menu plans visit I'm an Organize Junkie.

Some Favorite Things

Today is My Favorite Things party over at one of my favorite blogs 320 Sycamore. Given the name of my blog I thought it would be fun to participate. So here is a small list of some of my favorite things at this moment. The list continues to grows and change so I'll keep you updated when I find more favorites.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is seriously the easiest way to have home baked bread everyday. Seriously. I love this book. All you do to make the recipes in this book is add the ingredients to a bowl, stir, let rise, and put in the refrigerator or use right away. It is that simple. There is no kneading and you don't need special equipment. We love the recipe for white bread, full of butter, yum.



Johnson's Bedtime Moisture Wash. I love this baby wash. After Addie has had a bath in this stuff I can't stop smelling her./.










Gold Bond Ultimate Lotion
I have really dry skin, especially in the winter. My legs get so dry that they start to look like I have scales. This is the first lotion that has actually helped make my skin softer, and kept it that way all day!







Jamberry by Bruce Degen. This was one of my favorite books when I was little. Now, it is the only book Addie will actually let me read before she turns the page. It has a fun rhythm that I have memorized and full colorful pictures.






While you were sleeping. Still one of my favorite moves of all time. I love to watch it even more around this time of year.










Burt Bees Lip Shimmer. I love the minty smell, light feel and find of color. This feels like you're wearing chapstick but it looks more like a gloss.






That's the beginning of my list. I have a lot of other favorite things but I also have a toddler crawling all over me begging for attention. What are some of your favorite things?

Photography Week 2

Well I didn't get to take pictures this last week because my camera battery charger has walked off. I guess that is what happens when you only have to charge the batter every 6 months or so. This week was a great lesson though so if you want to see the pictures that go with the lesson click here.

Week 3: The color of Light

Bookcase Face Lift

I decided it was time to organize all of my craft supplies. I wanted a small bookcase so that everything would be easy to reach and organized. Whenever I organize something it has to not only be functional but pretty. That night I made my husband go to Ikea with me to find some shelfs that would work. We found this bookcase that had the perfect measurements but it was too plain. So I ran to the store and found some cute drawer lining paper.

If you find paper that is self-adhesive this is all you need. The back of the bookcase, scissors and paper.

Here is the finished product. I love to do this with all different kids of shelves, you can use just about anything on the background and it gives your furniture a lot of color and personality. Here are some picture of it up close with my ribbon organizer.

Here is the hutch I redid with fabric covering the back.

For more DIY products visit A Soft Place to Land.

Menu Plan Monday 13th Week

Well I'm back to menu planning this week. Last Sunday I just didn't feel like trying to figure it out and we suffered last week. We definitely went out to eat more and didn't have very good meals when I did cook.

Oh and by the way, my husband made my new favorite cookies last night and I think we ate the whole batch in a matter of hours. SO GOOD.

• Monday: Breakfast for dinner

• Tuesday: Chicken Pockets with broccoli

• Wednesday: Christmas Concert with family. I can't believe I'm going to a Christmas thing already.

• Thursday: Brown Rice and Black Bean Burgers with Potato Wedges

• Friday: Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

• Saturday: Leftovers

• Sunday: Tacos

For more Menu Plan Monday visit Organize Junkie.

And don't forget, if you are interested in learning to take better photos, you can learn along with me. I'm starting a 12 week photography extravaganza. My husband and I are taking the challenge, and so should you!

Old Navy Coats for CHEAP

If you need coats in your family head out to Old Navy today! Today is the last day for 50% off all outerwear plus you can use this coupon for an extra 30%!! I went in today and got this coat for Addie for only $13.82.

The 30% coupon is good for Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic from November 12 - 15.
Thanks Baby Cheapskate!

Organize Ribbon

I've been organizing all of my crafting supplies this week. It was time to do something new because they were scattered all over the place and I could never find what I wanted.

I found a bunch of ribbon spools that I didn't know what to do with until I remembered seeing a box like the one above. I didn't want to actually make anything so I decided to improvise. I found this little container lying around and all I had to do was pull some of the ribbon through the slits. Simple! I think I got this container at Walmart for a few dollars and it came in a pack of three.


I know I have some more ribbon lying around, now to find them and put them in their new home. Works for me! For more works for me Wednesday click here.

Week 1 homework

Well week one is complete. I had a lot of fun going out in the little garden area next to my apartment to test out what I learned from last weeks lesson. In this first week I learned about aperture, or how blurry your picture is.

Here is the first picture. Straight out of the camera, set on automatic.

Here is the next picture notice how the background gets fuzzy.

Here is the last picture with my aperture set as low as my camera can go, it is almost all blur.

Here is the link to this weeks lesson. If you haven't started yet you have plenty of time. The lessons only take a few minutes to read and you learn a ton from them.

Week Two: ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture

Scrapbook Sale!!

If you are a scrapbooker and you live in the Salt Lake Valley you need to go to the great warehouse sale We R Memory Keepers is having. My sister and I went this morning and I got a TON of great stuff. They have patterned paper by the pound, stickers, rub-on, brads, books, and a lot more. The patterned paper is a great deal at $3.00 for 25 sheets. When we went it was not busy at all and they have a ton of stuff so I don't think they'll run out soon.

Novemever 5th 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
6th 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
7th 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Click Here for directions and to get a coupon sent to your email. (the coupon is for 10% off ONE item, not entire purchase)

Week 1 first try

Here is some of my homework for lesson 1. This is the straight out of the camera shoot. Look at that blurry background, I love it.

Click Here for more Wordless Wednesday.

Photography 101

Are you interested in taking better pictures? For my birthday last year Reed gave me a new camera. I was so excited because I have always enjoyed taking pictures but this new camera and having Addie have bumped it up to an obsession.

I have taken a few pictures that I really like but I am always interested in getting better. One of my New Years Resolutions last year was to learn more about photography. I haven't done that yet. I've taken thousands of pictures but I haven't really learned how to take good ones.

So for the next 9 weeks, yes that is all the time we have left until the new year, I am going to work on this 12 weeks to better photos class. I am really interested in this class because it is free and you can go at your own pace.

You are all welcome to join me. I'll post the link to the article and at the end of the week show some examples of my homework. I'm really excited about this. I tried to do this on my own a few months ago but I never got anywhere. I think being accountable to this blog will really help this time.

So for those that would like to join in here is the first weeks article. After you read the article you have some homework where you practice taking pictures with what you've learned. If you don't have a camera where you can change the settings just wait until the 5th week, you will be able to do all of the lessons from that point.

I need all the help I can get, everyone should do it with me! I'll post your favorite pictures here or link back to your blog if you are interested. Tell all your friends.

Week One: Aperture Basic Training

Menu Plan Monday 12th Week

Make sure you check out the recipe for this AMAZING pan pizza I just posted. We wont be having it this week for dinner because I just made it two nights in a row.


Monday: Tortellini with leftover sauce (So easy if you use frozen Tortellini)

Tuesday: Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup ( I saw this recipe and really wanted to try it, I love soup)

Wednesday: Poppy Seed Chicken and rice (Family favorite, always hits the spot)

Thursday: Burritos of some kind (I'll make it up with some leftovers)

Friday: In Boise for a wedding

Saturday: Boise

Sunday:Steak and Potatoes


For more Menu Plan Monday visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

If you are interested in learning to take better photos, you can learn along with me. I'm starting a 12 week photography extravaganza. My husband and I are taking the challenge, and so should you!

Best Homemade Pizza

This pizza is soooo good. If you like the pan style pizza they have at Pizza Hut you will love this pizza. I found the recipe a long time ago on this blog. I knew I had to try it but after making it a few times I could never get it quite right. The flavor was amazing though so I knew this recipe would be fantastic.

I have finally figured out what I was doing wrong and now I think it is my favorite pizza dough recipe ever. I made it for my husband last night and he said it made him love me even more. If that doesn't say something I don't know what else will. Here is the recipe with some of my comments in red.

Amazing Deep Dish Pizza Dough

2 1/3 – 3 cups flour I usually used 3 cups, you want a pretty stiff dough.
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm milk
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil

In your mixer combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine warm milk, sugar and olive oil. While your mixer is on low, slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Let the machine knead the dough for 5 minutes. Put in a greased bowl and let rise. After dough has doubled in size put dough on lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a 7 inch circle. Place over your knuckles moving the dough around in a circle so that the middle is thinner than the sides. Place each dough ball into 2 separate cake pans that has 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (or vegetable, whichever flavor your prefer) in the bottom. And press out to the sides of the pan, trying to avoid getting the oil on top of the dough. I probably only used about 1-2 Tbsp. You need enough so that it will fry the bottom of the dough. Let the dough rise 10 minutes. The put on your favorite toppings.

Bake on bottom rack of oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Very Important: Make sure your rack is on the very bottom level in your oven or the curst will not crisp and cook. I usually bake mine 20 minutes and it's perfect.