Tootle-Loo Y'all!

I'll be back Tuesday with Home Tour Tuesday!

It's a FREE day.

Link whatever you want.

Share whatever you want.

Easy Peasy.

I'll have post ready for links at 6am EST.

Have a blessed weekend!

XoXo

Let's Eat Y'all!

First things first.God Bless & be with all the people that have been devastated by the storms that have blown through the southeast. My heart aches for each & every person who has been affected.I sat and watched the news last night in tears with a huge lump in my throat.
In my MRs profession, we have traveled the world over for 16 yrs only days after a catastrophe has occurred. I have seen my share of heartache over the years.He will be leaving in the next few days to evaluate & access damage.I will be joining/visiting periodically.
If you have anyone in the area that you need to get something to, please email me & I will give you our info/details. It would bless me to be a blessing to your loved ones.

{via}

Welcome Friends!It's that time again,let's link up and share our favorite recipes!!
If your new, welcome!Please let me know if this is your first time particiating☺Please add your recipe, grab my badge & ad it to your post.You can also grab the blog hop URL for your blog also,it will allow all your readers to be able to see all the recipes.
If your a "regular" foodie, welcome back friend!♥I will be gone most of today & the weekend. I will get by to see all the links-give me time, I will be there & look forward to it!
I love this recipe!It's a Clean Eating Recipe and is super delish-

Picadillo Chowder
{print recipe}
1lb lean ground port
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup brown rice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
juice of 1 lime

Cook rice. Fluff with fork & set aside.
Cook pork over med heat in stock pot til opaque.
Add garlic. Cook for 2 min.
Drain fat from pork.
Return to pot and add broth, beans, rice, chili powder & cumin.
Bring to boil, reduce to simmer & cover for 20 min.
Stir in lime juice, cook for 15 more min.
Y'all, this recipe is so light. After you eat a bowl, you feel satisfied NOT like you want to die your about to explode & just gained 5lbs.
**eta: I would assume you could substitute the pork for your choice of meat. I was a little concerned b/c I have never cooked with "ground pork" but was super surprised at how good it was

Link up y'all & be sure to swing by & make some new friends and pick up a few recipes while your at it.
Have a blessed weekend my friends & thanks for participating ♥




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heart breaking & a little PSA

First, my heart goes out to all in Alabama who have been on the path of this horrible weather. I am in awe at the devastation. 128 deaths as of now reported, news is saying they fear the # may possibly rise. ☹I know 2 families who lost everything. {and a pet} Also, of a few who's homes/cars were damaged. While things can be replaced, THEY can not. Please keep all these families who have lost loved ones & their belongings. I just pray that God will blanket them with His hand and carry them through this.

Now, Good Morning Lovely Friends, grab a cup of joe.......

In an attempt to simplify my life {what is THAT?}
I am trying to get my meme's all set out.

My sweet friend Shannon & I have talked for months about slowing down our blogging, etc.
I have my family blog & also a blog for each of my children. {it will be revealed to them when they are older} Although we talked about it, I tried but just can't stay away☺ Shannon has now taken her hiatus. I will continue blogging just not as frequent. {sadly my babies are much older than GG, gone alot, so I have a little more time to get blogging in}

{all images via 1 & 2}

If you follow my blog, you obviously know I am a little OCD about things. I like "my place". Hence my weekly/semi monthly bloghops. I blog about certain things on certain days. Now on my family blog, it's all over the place:) I just ramble, that's why I call it my diary. It's nothing eloquent, just my thoughts, my brain. I started this blog for cooking/shopping/decorating things while my family blog is well, family things☺ I like knowing what type of blog I am reading so this way, I have them both! {i probably need medicine for this, huh??}

So, la la la.....I'm getting there.

I am trying to get Home Tour Tuesday themes set in stone so I can post them, uh, like next week! eek This month has flown by. Please, if there is something you would like to see as a HTT theme/share, leave me a comment and let me know. I will add it to the list. I will tell you now that May 3rd will be our first day back and guess what?? IT'S A FREE DAY! You show us whatever it is that your heart desires. I will be sharing my rooms that I painted several weeks back.

Like I said, In an attempt to be a people pleaser to cut back, I am going to be doing HTT every other week. So, I will alternate weeks. The week we do the recipe swap, we won't do HTT. How's that sound? Say it sounds awesome! Plus, not to mention summer {YAY} is going to be here in like 3 weeks & with our kids here, summer vacations, entertaining, yada yada, many of us will slack off a tad.

I also don't bloghop on days that I don't blog. {did I mention a little OCD?} It really just keeps me off the computer. I really try to hit my google reader when I wake, while I drink my coffee. Once my kids leave for school, I usually hit the ground running. Bet ya didn't know I go 90 to nothing all.day.long. did ya?? who'd thunk it??

{semi} wordless wednesday will stay each week, as long as you all want to participate, I will host. I am really thankful to see so many faces return each week & seeing a few new ones also☺once again, thanks for your sweet words thanking me for hosting, you're so welcome!!

ANDDDD be sure to swing by Sundresses & Smiles and enter her Dahl House giveaway!!

Well, that's about that. This Friday {TOMORROW} just happens to be recipe Friday! So, get those cameras out and turn on the ovens y'all, put on that cute apron & link up something delish~

XoXo

{semi} wordless wednesday

lawdy mercy y'all-how did wednesday get here so quickly??i had a post yesterday and thanks to google reader & blogger, it wasn't updating in either-grrrrrit's free so i can't complaini'll try it again in a few days,anyone else having issues?cancel my subscription, i'm tired of your issues blogger

welcome to this weeks edition of {semi} wordless wednesday,

if your new, welcome! please let me know so i can swing by and give a warm southern welcome. if your a regular, muah!

link up y'all-

snap pics | add words | link up & back please

please DON'T SPAM ME!

this isn't a place to sell a vacuum cleaner, post a giveaway or try to sell your car

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miscellany monday

{hop over & join carissa for mm}

hey y'all!!! i'm back and let me just say & i quote dorothy:
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!!

{via}

{1 | 9 days away}
staying away 8 nights just about did me in. i missed my bed, my candles & my cookware☺ i did enjoy doing nothing at all but laying in the sun on the beach with the mr & my friends while our kids ran around with their friends. it was bitter sweet b/c while my kids were off hanging out & DRIVING, i watched moms blow up floaties and apply sunscreen. i got hardly NO pictures, grrr {what i got will follow on {semi} wordless wednesday- link up!!}

{2 | thank you friends, thank you}
i am so thankful to my sweet friends who filled in while i was away....from announcing a winner of my giveaway, sharing beautiful easter items, to drinks & a tribute, which brought me to.total.tears!! thank you ladies so much-xxoo
AND thanks to all the new faces i see on my google friend connect- i can't wait to meet y'all!
AND for all your sweet comments, emails & tweets! they all made me smile and touched my heart to know i was missed!

{3 | newest fav mag}
taste of the south..... loving this....not sure how i have missed it for so long

{4 | am i a prude or what?}
i just about fell out, out i tell ya, when i flipped through the pages of vogue & redbook and discovered the following pages. i mean seriously! i have a 14 yr old daughter who enjoys looking at fashion mags and i wounldn't have ever really though twice abt her slipping through vogue. she only looks at pics.....LOOK AT THESE PICS! i mean, have i been under a rock or what?? thankfully it was a free subscripion to vogue after a very large crazy  purchase from SAKS otherwise i would tell then to cancel!!
{these are off my iPhone, no watermark needed, i don't want my name on them!}

{5 | patience please...}
if you emailed me in the past week, please give me a little time.. i started earlier today trying to reply. if you don't hear back PLEASE EMAIL me with subject to catch my eye, something like your the best, you rock "PLEASE READ WOMAN" in the subject:) also, i am having to mark all read on my reader, mercy! it's amazing what happens when you put the "social media" on hold for a few days!

  anyone looking for a job?? ha

{6 | quotes, how i love thee}

y'all know i love quotes about as much as wine, so here's ya a few to go on-

{my all time fav.}

{via 1 & 2}

-see y'all wednesday for {semi} wordless wednesday..... take pics, add words & link up

**if you sent prayers/tweets for my MR last night, thank you! i appreciate them so much! hopefully the meds they gave him in the ER will help and he will be new soon:)

He is Risen, Y'all!

He is! He is Risen, indeed!

Wow! I can't believe I've been away since last Friday. I have missd y'all☺

We got in late last night & to say I'm exhausted would be a total understatement.

Today isn't about me, it's about Him. I'll catch y'all up tomorrow!

But from this earth, this grave, this dust,
My God shall raise me up, I trust...

 ~Walter Raleigh

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right...
~Phillips Brooks

We live and die; Christ died and lived! 

 ~John Stott

But from this earth, this grave, this dust,
My God shall raise me up, I trust....

~Walter Raleigh

{images via 1,2 & 3}

Have a beautiful & blessed Easter friends!

XoXo

She's Got a Smile That Could Light Up This Whole Town

Hello, Everyone!

It's "Cool Gal," from "It's the World I Know," coming to you on this beautiful Friday morning.

Last week, our friend, Daphne, asked me to fill in for her today while she enjoyed a little time away with loved ones in the "Sunshine State."

 I must admit, I was quite touched when Daphne asked as she is one of my favorite bloggers and cyberspace friends.

There are so many reasons I adore Daph (my wine partner in crime), but the thing I love most about her is her ability to brighten my day and put a smile on my face. In fact, every time I read one of her inspirational posts (Doesn't she have the best quotes?), it makes me want to be a better person. 

So, for that I say...

Thank you for accepting my individuality, making me laugh, and teaching me the true meaning of kindness. Your infectious smile and positive outlook on life are awe inspiring.

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.  ~Mark Twain

This one's for you, Girlfriend!

 Enjoy your vacation, Daphne.

Miss you!

I found this image on "We Heart It" and had to include it in this post (I just LOVE the "temporary spelling." See how the teacher wrote the correct word.) As a former first grade teacher, I completely understand the results of this assignment. Not only are little kids funny, but they are brutally honest (even if things are taken out of context and they don't always understand ). I thought Daphne would find this humorous.

Have a wonderful weekend. 
Cool Gal