Texas

Hey Ya'll!

 

Ken and I went to the rodeo again, this time not to see a show but to look at animals, crazy/interesting shops, and eat yummy food.

 

 

We also took pictures on a bull. This is the second time we have done this and I always love the pictures.

 

The Houston Rodeo is one of my favorite times of the year and this year was no different. Even though I love it so much, it does make me laugh at the things you only find at events like this. I also play a part in this - notice the large belt buckle I'm rocking?

 

Some interesting things we have seen the part few years:

• Fried Bacon (way to salty)
• Mason Jar Wine Glasses (well mason jar everything)
• Giant Cinnamon Rolls with Bacon (Weird, but kinda works)
• Fried Oreos (or all desserts - Ice Cream, Nutter Butters, Snickers...etc)
• Cowhide everything (I have to be honest, I like cowhide. I have a cowhide rug and while we were watching the rodeo the week before I actually said "that calf would make a beautiful rug" and then I realized that I am the Cruella Deville of cows. #sorryimnotsorry?)
• Signs that say things like - "If you ain't God or George Strait, Take off Your Boots" or "This House is Protected by God and the Second Amendment"
• And so much more
 

xo

bre

 

Colorado Vacation

Hey Ya'll!

 

Here are some photos from the vacation Ken and I took last month. It was a great trip and Colorado is beautiful!

 

Little Prairie Dogs were everywhere!

 

Boulder, Colorado

Candy Shop in Boulder. They had all kinds of taffy, even bacon taffy!

Ken and I at Redstone Meadery in Boulder.

Ken snowmobiling in Vail, Colorado.

Us at the top of a mountain. It was amazing!

 



Us in Colorado Springs at the Garden of the Gods.

 

 

xo

Bre

Florida Georgia Line at Houston Rodeo

Hey Ya'll!

Every year Ken and I attend the Houston Rodeo a couple times. We love it. From the cattle roping to the food to the concerts, we love it all. We went last week and saw Jason Aldean and even though I felt like I had the start of a cold, I am so happy we went. He was an amazing performer! But, since I didn't feel well, I didn't take many photos.

 

Last night we went to see Florida Georgia Line. I didn't know all of their music, but they were great.

Here are some pictures I took yesterday. :)

This is the Caff Scramble, where high school students who are in FFA chase Caffs in the hope of catching one in order to win money to raise an animal in their upcoming year. I love this part, but for some reason the caffs were very aggressive last night and stepped on several of the kids who had the get helped out of the arena. I've never seen that before.

 



This is another favorite event of mine called Mutton Bustin'. It is were kids (around ages 4-6) are put on a sheep and hold on for their lives as they ride the sheep for as long as they can. Its a little weird, but adorable.

 



xo

bre

Top 5: Spring

Hey Ya'll!

 

Spring is finally starting to show up which makes me oh so happy!

Here are my Top 5 favorite things about Spring!

 

The Beach

The weather is finally starting to warm up which means it is now time to head down to the beach and spend some time in the sun!

 

 Wedding Season

Since I work in the wedding industry, every season sort of feels like wedding season, but Spring tends to be the most popular and this year I have two wonderful friends that are getting married two weeks apart and I couldn't be happier for either of them! :)

 

 Birthdays

Ken and I's Birthday's are 9 days (and two years) apart, so Spring has lots of birthday celebrations for us.

 

 Sunshine

I love sunshine (who doesn't?!) and I'm so happy when it finally comes out and the gray skies go away!

 

Houston Rodeo

Houston Rodeo takes place for 3 weeks in March and it is quite possibly my most favorite event to go to during the year. Ken and I are attending two shows (Jason Aldean - we saw last week and he was awesome, and Florida Georgia Line next week). Plus we plan on going another day to look at all of the live stock and shopping.

 

Those are my top 5 favorite things about Spring...what are yours?

 

xo

bre

Creamy Crockpot Chicken Nachos

Hey Ya'll!

 

This meal is yummy and so easy! It also can be served several ways. :)

 



 

Creamy Crock pot Chicken Served on Nachos

 

Ingredients:

-2 Large Chicken Breast

-8oz of Cream Cheese (I used No Fat Cream Cheese)

-1 Packet of Ranch Seasoning

-1 Can of Corn (do not rinse or drain)

-1 Can of Rotel (I prefer the Lime & Cilantro version, but use what you like)

-1 Can of Black Beans (rinsed and drained)

-About 1/3 cup of Taco Seasoning or 1 packet (I used taco seasoning several times a week, so I have a large container of it from Sam's)

-About 1 Cup of Water

 

1. Place the Chicken in the crock pot, frozen or thawed

2. Pour Corn, Black Beans, and Rotel on top

3. Add Ranch & Taco Seasoning

4. Add Cream Cheese, break it into chucks using spoon

5. Add Water and Stir

6. Cook on Low for 8 Hours

7. Shred the Chicken and place back into crock pot, stir everything together and serve over whole grain tortilla chips

 

Notes:

-serve with tomatoes, jalapenos and sour cream

-instead of tortilla chips use tortillas, rice, or hard taco shells

 

Enjoy :)

 

If you try it, let me know what you think!

 

xo

bre

 

Hello March!

Hey Ya'll!

 

It feels like it has been so long since I have even been on my blog! I guess I will just jump right in...

 

February was good. It was filled with Valentine celebrations, my moms birthday celebration and a snowy vacation for Ken and I. Here are some iPhone pictures I snapped while we were in Colorado...

 

Pre-flight drinks and appetizers

The view during our drive into the mountains

 

Another view during a different drive

Segway Tour in The Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)

Fancy S'mores at the bonfire

Ken and I on a bowling date with his sister and her boyfriend

Our Flight home was a little delayed, so I enjoyed some Jamba Juice during the wait

I will add pictures from our camera later, so keep an eye out. The photos we took in the mountains were insane. It made me want to move to a tiny mountain town just to be surrounded by the views everyday!

***************

 

Now we move on to March. I love March. It is probably my most favorite month of the year. This is for several reasons....

-Houston Rodeo (We are seeing Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line)

-Ken's Birthday

-My Birthday

-Warmer Weather

-More Sunshine!

 

It will be a good month. :)

 

xo

bre



Book Review: I Am the Messenger

Hey Ya'll! 

I literately just finished this book 2 minutes ago! But I couldn't wait to tell you about it! 

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak is an amazing novel. Zusak's is also the author of The Book Thief. I read The Book Thief several years ago and loved it, so I kept telling myself to read another one of Zusak's books but just got around to it this month. 

This story is funny, heart breaking, heart warming and thought provoking. It is about a guy named Ed, who is an ordinary cab driver with not much going for him. But he starts to receive messages in the mail box that tell him to help (or hurt when necessary) people in his town. 

As Ed delivers the messages, he ends up learning more about himself than ever and growing into a better person. The only mystery at the end is who is sending the messages? 

I highly recommend this one! 

Have you read it? What did you think?

xo

bre

Valentines Day

Hey Ya'll!

 

Its Valentines, So I'm going to get a little mushy. Sorry.

 

So Happy Valentines Day to my best friend & favorite person.

 

 

I love you to the moon and back.

I'm so happy to have you and to have spent the past 9 years with you. I look forward to all of our upcoming adventures.

 

xo

bre

Crock Pot Salsa Verde Ranch Beef Tacos

Hey Ya'll!

 

I forgot to take a picture, so please enjoy this stock photo.:)

 

This meal is one of the easiest and yummiest meals I have made in a long time.

 

Ingredients:

Chuck Roast (I used a 1.6 pound for 3 people and had left overs)

1 Ounce Packet of Ranch Dressing Seasoning

16 Ounce Jar of Salsa Verde

 

1. Turn the crock pot on high and place the roast inside

2. Sprinkle ranch dressing seasoning on top of meat & pour salsa all over

3. Close the crock pot lid

4. About 10-20 minutes later turn the crock pot on low and let the meat cook. I left mine for about 8 hours, but that was just because I was at work all day, the meat will probably be done in about 6 hours. (The meat should be tender and able to pull apart with a fork when finished.)

5. Remove meat from crock pot, shred (discard any fat), and place back inside the crock pot with the liquid.

 

Serve this on tacos or nachos!

 

My family served it on tacos with tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, and pinto beans.

 

If you try it out, let me know what you think!

 

xo

bre

 

**I found this recipe on picky-palate.com

 



Changes and Anxiety

Hey Ya'll!

Confession time: I hate change. Well, its not that I hate the actual changes, but more that I hate the figuring out what to do, the planning, and the waiting. Once I know what path I am on and know which direction I am headed I feel much better, but until then (whenever changes are still just ideas or possibilities) I feel a little like a basket case. Anyone else with me?

 

So I bet you are wondering what changes I have happening that are stressing me out. Well I can't share all of that just yet. But I can tell you that it has to do with my career and deciding where I want to work. I would love to tell you all about, and I hope to once I have it all sorted out, but for now I'm keeping it a secret since only a few people know.

Another confession: I'm terrified of failing. Now I'm sure I'm not alone on this, but it is a serious fear of mine. I'm a super A-type personality and a major perfectionist. So if I am making a big career move I want to make sure that I will succeed and not fail. This is where my anxiety comes in and makes me not what to even try. *sigh*

 

So this week or even the next few weeks will be spent making pro/con lists, praying, and thinking (a lot) about what I want and what I need. And I have to remember that quote above so that I will be willing to gain something better for myself, and that God is in control and will guide me to where I need to be.

 

Anyone else struggle with this?

 

xo

bre

 

 

Hello February!

 

Hey Ya'll!

 

Happy February! Can you believe we are already a month into 2014! Its crazyness, but exciting. January tends to be calm and a little boring to me. I normally need it after all of the excitement from the holidays, but I am ready for something different now.

 

Things I am looking forward to this month:

-Valentines Day: Ken and I don't go extreme for this holiday, but we like to do little gifts and go out to dinner. :)

-My Mom's Birthday: She and I will be spending a day together during the week of her birthday doing girly stuff (Nails, Lunch, Movies and Shopping), plus Ken and I will do dinner with her the night of her birthday.

-Vacation: Ken and I are going to Colorado to visit his family at the end of this month. I can't wait to get away for a week and play in the snow.

 

Are you excited for February?

 

xo

Bre

Book Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

 

Hey Ya'll!

 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is a young adult novel about the power to choose life or death and the way the death affects family and friends. It is reminiscent of The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, except written for a younger fan based. Since it is written for a younger crowd, it is much less graphic and heartbreaking.

 

The story still tugs at the heart strings and has wonderful characters who you just can't help but love - I'm looking at you, Mia's Grandpa.

 

I don't want to say much because it will give a lot away. Although it didn't end the way I thought it should have, I'm still looking forward to reading the sequel - Where She Went by Gayle Forman.

 

Have you read it? What did you think?

 

xo

bre

Ice day

Hey Ya'll!

 

I live around the Houston Area in Texas and our winters are not very extreme. We will hit the 40's and 50's during the day and the 30's at night, and then other days we will be in the 60's and 70's during the day. Every once it a while it actually gets cold. And yesterday was the day it happened.

 

Our high was 36 degrees and it stayed below freezing majority of the day. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except that it was also raining and sleeting all morning. Another thing about Houston - we have giant highways. I drive over those highways every day for work, including several bridges that go over water. And you guessed it, those brides/highways had ice all over them. So many of you are thinking "So what? Big deal!" but it kinda is a big deal since our city is very unprepared. We don't have snow plows or trucks to salt the streets.

 

This whole situation caused for an ice day in Houston. I was stuck and unable to make it work, along with my family. This meant I was able to watch the newest episode of Pretty Little Liars, Law and Order SUV marathon, drink hot chocolate and snuggle with my puppy.

 

Today is back to normal. Our high is 62 degrees with a low of 42 degrees and all the ice is melting away. At least it was fun while it lasted.

 

Here are some photos from my ice day. :)

Ice on the grass and baby icicles,

Jaidyn Snuggling with Ken

 

Harry Potter Weekend

Jaidyn laying with me

 

And then I started watching YouTube videos and decided to see what I look like with short hair. I posted this on facebook, and even though I have now said I didn't actually cut it, people are still commenting on it. I think I look like a soccer mom.

 

xo

bre

Fashion Inspiration: Emma Watson

Hey Ya'll!

 

Emma Watson is maybe one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. And it is not just because she played my absolute favorite character, Hermione Granger. I love her for many reasons - She really seems like a sweet and down to earth person, she is pretty, a great actress, and she has great style. In the style department, she is a risk taker but even when she takes those risk, she always remains classy. Here are some of my favorite looks.

 

Her look from the Golden Globes 2014 is great! That color is amazing on her and its pants! I love this. Plus the pop of color of the shoe is pretty too.

 

Yellow/Gold is another color I love on Emma and this dress is adorable.

 

During the premier tour for the last Harry Potter Movie Emma seemed to favor dresses with a fitted bodice with a large A-line skirt. This one is beautiful and feminine.

 

Although a lot of people didn't like this dress since it looks a little undone, I still think the color is great and she looks amazing.

 

This was one of her more risky choices during the premier tour for the final Harry Potter film, but it makes her look fantastic. It is a twist on a little black dress and I love the feathers and the pop of red.

Another risky choice for Emma, but she comes across as classy and sexy instead of over exposed.

 

These are some of my favorite Emma Watson looks. What are yours?

 

xo

bre