Charisa Darling

Let's not take chances and cover our bases when it comes to starting the New Year off right! Every year we eat 3 lucky foods, being pork, sauerkraut, and black eyed peas. I'm adding some Mexican flair this year and here's what I'll be whipping up for my family on New Years Day.

Pork Carnitas, Texas Caviar, and Sweet Corn Cake. I'll also make guacamole, rice, refried beans, and sauerkraut, which doesn't go with anything, but we'll all take a bite for luck. 

2015 was good to me, but here's hoping 2016 is even better! Happy New Year, everyone! 

Can't believe Christmas is almost here! Are you ready?!? 

It's kind of a "ready or not" situation around here. I think I'm paying the price for escaping cold/flu season unscathed for the past few years. I've been hit hard the past month and it's limited what we've done in terms of Christmas traditions. The kids and Justin did a great job decorating the tree (I directed from the couch), no pictures with the mall-Santa (Vaughn went with a friend to see him at the mall and then caught up with him again when he rolled through our neighborhood. Vance was at basketball practice and missed him.), and no drive-thru Christmas lights, but enough of what we haven't done! It's still been a great season and I'm looking forward to celebrating and seeing family very soon!!  

It took 3 stores, but I tracked down two gingerbread houses last week for the kids. Next year, I'm getting one for myself!

Happy Holidays, everyone! Peace and Love from us to you!

I'm on week 4 of being sick. Weeks 1 and 2 were stomach flu, week 3 was fever, chills, body aches, and week 4 has brought a sore throat, cough, and a wavering voice that the kids may or may not be taking advantage of. If you call and a salty old man answers the phone, it's me. 

This down time allowed me to finally finish Vaughn's stocking, so here's a look back on the project.

Here's Vaughn's very first stocking:

She was 7 months old and had no idea that Mama had spent over 2 years making Vance's by hand, and that her's was originally purchased for our first child, Daisy the Dog. Hello Mommy Guilt!

Then she had this one:

I picked it up for $1 at Target and sewed her name into it. She loved this stocking, but I still felt bad seeing it hang next to Vance's.

The sugarplum fairy was supposed to have blond hair and brown eyes, but I changed it to have brown hair and blue eyes, to resemble Vaughn. I put off embroidering the face as long as I could and had to re-do it twice due to wonky looking eyes. 

You know how in the second Hunger Games movie they realize the island is like a clock and each hour brings a new thing to endure? My life has been similar to that for the past 3 weeks now, thankfully not the hour part, but each week I seem to have a different symptom of the flu. (Yes, I had a flu shot.) I thought I had kicked it last week but this week brought chills, aches, and fever. I'm off to see the doctor on Monday and hopefully she can give some magic pill to make it all go away. (Ha!) I have zero holiday spirit right now and that's why it's been quiet around here. What I have for you today is a collection of pictures from the past two weeks.

Here was the centerpiece for Thanksgiving.

Before the fever and chills hit this week, I made a trip to Trader Joe's and picked up Harry and David pears and a glittery white poinsettia. Both made me overly happy. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!