BE MINE

getting into the lovey dovey spirit around here. valentine's day was always a big deal growing up (my mom still sends me a package filled with lovelies) so I hope to carry on the tradition. here is our mantle decorated for free and our new woodland creature (more on him later). enjoy.

BE MINE printable banner hung string.

sticks, candles, and frames found around the house. art work made last year.

meet francois the friendly deer.

MENU MONDAY

the menu for this week is pretty slim. ross and I are spending the weekend in Atlanta visiting his parents and celebrating the super-bowl with our small group. I'm thinking of bringing something cheese inspired :) not sure what this entails, but I will let you know.


Monday- Cauliflower Soup  (didn't  make the cut yesterday, still chomping down on the meatloaf!)
Tuesday- Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta
Wednesday- Leftovers
Thursday- Leftovers
Friday- Atlanta
Saturday- Atlanta
Sunday- Super-bowl Party!

MENU MONDAY

is back.
yesterday I managed to get back up on the coupon horse and save $120 at publix! it feels good to have not only a heavy wallet but a stocked pantry again. without further ado here is our menu for the week with a few healthier changes:


Monday- Chicken Cacciatore (using chicken breasts instead of thighs)
Tuesday- Dinner at the Brown's
Wednesday- Leftovers
Thursday- Dinner at the Mayo's
Friday- Meatloaf and potatoes (using ground turkey instead of beef and skim milk cheese)
Saturday- Leftovers
Sunday- Cauliflower Soup (using skim milk instead of whole and fat free half & half and sour cream)

flantle

fall + mantle = flantle

 

I love how easy, fun, and natural this mantle turned out. I already had the glass vases and orange votives, the sticks are from the yard and the silk leaves are from the dollar store. Mr. Crow freaks Ross out but I love him (also from the dollar store). Putting pumpkins under the knife gives me great joy but due to the whole mold factor, their lives will be spared this year in hopes of lasting until Thanksgiving. 

Total cost: $18

menu monday

Ever since my early temp retirement I have been on a cooking hiatus! This weekend marked a first in the Thaxton household- dinner/lunch at home Friday , Saturday, and Sunday. In the beginning, an always open for biz kitchen, was an attempt to save money but now its really because... I. Love. it. Trying new recipes and always having a stocked fridge has won over my husband's and my heart. 
This week I am using recipes from my new favorite blog, Picky Palate.  Also, my friend Heather's recipe from Saving Money Living Life. I am babysitting Tuesday and Thursday night so I made sure to make dishes with lots of leftovers. Friday my mom is coming in town for the weekend so Saturday and Sunday we will try some new restaurants. 


Here is our feast for the week...
Monday- Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and green beans
Tuesday- Leftovers
Wednesday- BBQ Chicken Pizza Soup
Thursday- Leftovers
Friday- Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake


I am always looking for new, simple, and delish recipes so please please let me know if you have any. Who knows I might post it for next menu monday!




Linked to Org Junkie Menu Monday

exhausted

Totally not prepared for going back to work. You would think that with 3 months of unemployment there would be no need for a "to do list" after office hours. Ha! Sadie needs chow, we need chow, I have to register my tag at the DMV, send in my grad school application, make bridal shower invitations and a ton of DYI projects all this week!! I love how God reads my blog posts....


I am so thankful for the Lord's grace; granting me with His patience, and showing me that His plan is so much bigger than mine. The Lord truly is my sole Provider. I pray that His will continues to be mine. 


Although I am preparing myself for 8:30 night nights, I remain determined to continue out this menu for the week- even if I fall asleep while doing it. 
Monday-Chickfila (did I mention I'm exhausted?)
Tuesday- BBQ Pork Sandwiches & mac'n cheese: the best and sooo easy to make.
Wednesday- Southwest Chicken: new recipe!
Thursday- Spaghetti, salad, and breadsticks 
Friday- Headed home without the husband. So excited to see my family.... it's been way too long!


Thank you for all the congrats on my new job status. I feel so loved and cannot begin to tell you how much I  appreciate all your encouragement :)


You can find my Monday menu and many more at Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

wedding wednesday: bridesmaids gifts & favors

Heather is back with some more great budget-friendly wedding advice. Wedding season is here so take notes!

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Our second Wedding Wednesday post features ways to save money on bridesmaid’s gifts and favors. Here’s a few ideas we have cooked up.

• Buy something on sale or when there’s a discount code offered online. For instance, Vera Bradley bags make a great gift but sometimes you can find discount codes online for such. (Here's one of the last posts we did about a Vera sale, we'll keep you posted every time we find another one!)

• Get a Bath & Body Works candle or body gel when they have their semi-annual sale, so it is a lot less than usual, or when you have coupons like these to get your best value.

image via Fragrant Moments

• A lot of times you can find trendy, cheap earrings at Forever 21 that make for a fun gift!

Examples: necklace = $5.80 earrings = $5.80

• Consider personalized stationary through VistaPrint- if you catch them at the right time, you’ll get it for free + shipping!

• Check out these DIY- wine stoppers- these would be such great gifts for girls!!

Favors seem to be one of the easiest things to do yourself. Many people do the bubbles that get blown at you as you leave thhe reception. I know my mom, sister and I spent a few hours going to Walmart picking up mass mini bubbles, buying little pearls and white ribbon and tying them all together. After said countless hours, my DH (then fiancé at the time) left them all at our new condo, so we walked out to waving hands and smiling faces. You know us, something unique had to happen. Haha!

image via we heart it

• At Jessica’s wedding, they had purchased small little to-go boxes that they had stamped with a pretty monogram stamp- the caterer put a slice of extra cake in each box and then stacked them on a table on the way out the door for guests to grab. It was a great way to get rid of all the extra cake, and only cost them around $50!

• Thanks to Melinda for emailing this tip! My wedding was almost 6 years ago and we made (actually my husband made) Cd's to give out as favors to our wedding guests. Since we had all the songs, or were able to get them from friends for free, the only cost was the cd's themselves. We got a great deal at Best Buy and were able to do the favors for under $100 for over 100 guests (including bridal party). Everyone talked about how much they loved the favor. The first song was our first dance. Jon even made the stickers to put on the cds with pictures of us from our 5 year relationship and wrote a message about us for everyone to read to put inside.

• You can also consider a candy bar. A friend of Jessica’s purchased several jars from Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon, filled them up with candy matching the colors of the wedding, and placed little snack bags for guests to fill up on their way out. Check this post out for more how to's.

image via The Bride and Groom

• Idea from Real Simple: “The perfect pair” soap set- $1.75 each. (they also have personalized gum, chapstick, candles, etc on this site for less than $2 each- not a bad price!)

image via beau coup

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Such great ideas! Ross and I were married in the fall and decided to use the season to our advantage. For favors, we used carmel apples made with lady finger apples (miniature apples). Then made thank you tags and had them displayed in a great tray. Our guest loved this original and yet yummy take home treat. 

We also used sparklers for our "sending off" and wanted to incorporate a gift. Simple solution=matches. We both play golf and the reception was at the Pensacola Country Club so it was only fitting to "have the perfect match". I ordered the matches, apple tags, and napkins all at the same website which came out to be super cheap. Oh and side note, when ordering napkins use your monogram or names only. Most likely you will have hundreds of these things left over and with only a monogram you can use them for years to come. By punching a hole through the matches we used ribbon to tie onto the sparklers and placed in moss. 

There are thousands of ideas out there but remember, the most important thing is to make your wedding personal. Its your day so let "you" shine. Guests will notice. 

Sorry, I just couldn't help it...my husband looks so dreamy. My best day. 

menu plan tuesday

I finally finished the month's menu and is now nicely printed and hanging on the fridge. Pretty excited about trying new recipes this month! Here is what we are having for the rest of this week...

Tuesday- Cheddar Broccoli Chicken and Mashed Potatoes 

Wednesday- Cheesy Chicken & Salsa Skillet

Thursday- Leftovers

Friday- Leftovers, did I mention each recipe makes a ton!!

Both recipes are this family's favorites. Ross has been begging me for weeks to make each. I love the look on his face when he comes home to see all the goodies on the stove. Priceless. 

Now back to enjoying the warm weather! I've already started planting seeds in our make shift garden. :) 

You can find my Monday menu and many more at Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

the renter's challenge: lighting

The secret is out- lighting is the single most important element in decorating, dramatically improving the look and feel of any room from gloom to glow. Here are some simple solutions to light up your drab apartment.


Just Say No to Fluorescent
Yes, its a drug people. Fluorescent lighting sucks the life out of a room. No one gets the warm fuzzies if the only light in your space is a long bulb shining bright blue rays, reminiscent of a hospital. Replace each artificial source with with a warm soft lamp.


Lamps
I have to say that lamps are my favorite home accessory. Lamps soften a room and add warm comforting lighting- really the key in making your rental feel like a home. A modern lamp base with a chic shade makes me giddy. Budget friendly solutions? Shop at the Teej (TJ Maxx) or Home Goods. Trendy and classic alike, costing no more than $40.00 including base and shade. BANANAS. Can only spend $5.00? Shop GoodWill, Salvation Army, or any other thrift store. Make sure you bring your own light bulb- most thrift stores will not let you test your lamps. No shame here, I totally find a corner with an outlet. Spruce up your cheapie base with Rustoleum or Krylon brand metallic spray paint and viola! Don't forget about yard sales too, its almost in season and I am so excited! 


Shades
The cherry on top of the cake, lamp jewelry, the perfect hair-do. I could go on and on about how important a lamp's shade is. The base could be the most beautiful thing you have ever seen but, if the shade is ugly, yellow, and outdated you won't even be able to notice. Before you go tossing out, check out my way of transforming any shade with fabric here. Its a great way to save money and recycle and you can find tons of these tutorials in the blog world. Also, if you spent zilch with your lamp base at a thrift store invest a little more in your shade. Just like jewelry, the shade can really make the outfit or in this case the lamp.


Chandeliers

I was recently faced with a challenge. My match- a gold 80's inspired chandelier. I hated this thing. At one point I told my husband it wasn't allowed to be on. Sad I know, but every time I flipped the switch goldie winked and smiled. No joke. I am proud to report ol' golddie was defeated and transformed into a new modern fixture. Lucky for me, our apartment complex is going through a major over haul. Each room is being renovated as people slowly move on, so I took it upon myself do my own reno. Goldie would have eventually passed on so no harm giving her a new look, I was aloud. I used Krylon's Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint and went to town. Yes, I actually painted while still hanging. Here is my proof:

How amazing is the transformation! Lovely. My next adventure is updating the shades by adding some jute trim. I was inspired by these little guys over at Pottery Barn.

photo from Pottery Barn

Finally I stumbled upon this genius idea and have decided to create some of my own. So unfortunately, I will have to keep you posted. 

photo from Kaarskoker

Either way you get the drift- all it takes is spray paint, shades, and some effort to update your "goldie". 


Candles 
Addict. That's right I said it- My name is Meaghan and I am a candle addict. Scent or non I love 'em. Here are some of my favorites:
Pier 1- Citrus Cilantro (smells exactly like the Hutton Hotel in Nashville, TN) and Mango Papaya
Yankee Candle-Autumn Leaves (amazing! smells just like fall)
Pottery Barn- Ocean 
Hobby Lobby- great for your plain, simple, any size white candle on the cheap
Thymes- Fraiser Fir 
These are just a few and if I sit here long enough I could spout off a hundred more. Candles are the ultimate homey-effect fix. You have my permission to light every single candle you own. That's right, go light them! My theory? Who wants candles sitting around that have not been used, use them! Even when its just you and the dog- I promise you and your guest will feel more at home. Place in the fireplace instead of logs for a more romantic look or in the kitchen to make it smell like you are baking. Candles can also be used to display personal items. My husband and I have saved the champagne bottle from our engagement, wedding, and one year anniversary. To make these bottles have a use, I bought bottle candle holders at a local boutique and matching candle sticks. They now fit perfectly in our bedroom. 

Expect the Unexpected 
Bathroom lamp? Yes. Kitchen lamp? Of course! Don't leave these rooms out! Everyone every room deserves a soft light. In the bathroom, the ambiance is transformed to spa like with just a lamp instead of turning on the overhead lights. A kitchen is made more cozy and warm, check out mine here.


Mr. Golden Sun
Open the blinds! Can you really pass up free lighting? 


Please, I beg of you, if you are having people over, eating breakfast at your table, doing the bills–turn on the lamp, open the blinds, and light a candle. It will change your life, mood, and rental, I’m sure of it.


Missed the last Renter's Challenge? Check it out here. 


Read on, 
MT


Parties Posted:
Between Naps on the Porch, Its So Very Cheri, The Persimmon Perch, Shades of Pink, Thrifty Decor Chick, The Girl Creative, Skip To My Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Keeping it Simple, A Soft Place to Land, Reinvented, A Silly Little Sparrow, Today's Creative Blog, Gypsy's Corner, Tip Junkie, Blue Cricket Design, The Thrifty Home, Domestically Speaking

Wedding Wednesday: Tablescapes & Decor

Heather at Saving Money Living Life, recently devoted Wednesdays to post about Weddings. If you know me you know I'm always talking about writing a book due to my experience with being in 8 weddings, 9 if you count mine. So instead of writing a book.... each week Heather will guest post on planning a wedding on a budget. Thanks, Heather I was already getting writers block.

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Recently, Aileen emailed us to ask if we would blog about ways to save money on weddings. Of course, we eagerly are taking on the challenge. However, we decided as two newlyweds we have too much to say to put in just one post. So, for the next few weeks we’ll be having Wedding Wednesday where we highlight different topics related to wedding planning on a budget. Still feel free to comment or email us with additional ideas and photos though, we LOVE hearing from our readers!

To kick off this series, we decided to talk about tablescapes and décor. Of course, when you think about this, the first thing popping into your heads is flowers, right? Flowers can be very expensive. However, there are ways to cut costs even in this arena. Here are our top tips for cutting costs on flowers:

• Make sure the flowers you choose are in season. If they are in season, this can lessen the price by up to half.
• Don’t be afraid to do DIY flowers. Feel free to dig into flower magazine’s archives for DIY ideas. Thisis a good place to get started.
• Real Simple Magazine also has a great feature on turning grocery flowers into bouquets- check out the pictures here.
• If you like the look of big, tall centerpieces, do ¼ of the arrangements at your reception like that while the rest are smaller and reflecting the same colors. See examples here from Jessica's wedding:
  
• Have your florist use the bridesmaids’ bouquets at the reception for décor as well.
• Use one big statement centerpiece at your wedding ceremony, that way you don't have to do a ton of smaller arrangements. You can see ours below.

Images from my wedding via Plus Bob Photography
Consider using markers on the aisles for just the family rows vs. all of them, like we did at our wedding.

• Use a small, less grandiose bouquet for the traditional bouquet toss, or just use one of your bridesmaid’s bouquets.
• Charley, one of our readers, sent this picture showing you can use baby’s breath attractively to get a lot of bang for your buck.

image via Ann Wade Parrish Photography

• My husband and I used banners with our new initial on them for the front doors to save on cost.
• The biggest thing you will find to be helpful, most likely, will be a flexible florist who is eager to work within your budget and be suggestive as to how to make what you like being reflected at a lesser cost.

I used Candy’s Fantasy Weddings for our Birmingham wedding and Jessica used Bill Wilson for their wedding in Jacksonville, FL.

Another option is to use candles or another type of centerpiece to cut down on cost, and DIY! However if flowers are important to you, make that be a larger cut of your budget.

via Wedding Bee

via Sky Flowers

It’s all about you and what you find to be important to making a fun and splendid wedding day! You may also want to check out My Scoop, who is having a heavy wedding focus for January and February.