Holiday…Celebrate

Thanks to Google, I discovered several random and weird holidays that I had no idea existed but I’m so glad that I found out, so I will never miss such important days again! LOL! I was also bummed to find out that July 26^th was Aunt and Uncle Day BUT Dave and I didn’t receive ONE GIFT! I have 16 nieces and nephews that need to mark that date down so they don’t forget that important one for next year! Anyway, this weekend is full of wacky holidays that you and your loved ones can celebrate to close out the month of July (this month flew by, didn’t it?!?!) 

July 29^th:

Lasagna Day and Chicken Wing Day:  How can two of the best food items go together on the same day as a holiday? Well somehow it happened! 

Lasagna:  How can you go wrong with noodles, sauce, and CHEESE!!!!  There is some dispute where Lasagna originated from.  Some say Naples but others say it wasn’t noted until the 14^th century in a Britain Cookbook.  Honestly, do most people care?  NO! As long as it’s hot and homemade, you are good to go!! 

Chicken Wings:   Fried, baked, grilled, boneless, hot and spicy, mild, BBQ, garlic, teriyaki, naked (I feel like Bubba describing shrimp to Forrest Gump) you get the gist; the possibilities are endless and delicious

National Lipstick Day:  I kid you not; there is a day for lipstick.  Sometimes all a girl needs is a good lipstick to give her a little attitude to face the world! Don’t forget to put some color on that pout and pucker up on Friday ladies! 

July 30^th:

National Paperback Book Day: In a world full of Kindles and Nooks, it may seem that the paperback book is losing its momentum, but alas there are still some of us in the world that love an actual book in hand.  The smell of the paper, turning real pages, and being able to hold on to a collection of someone’s work.  So, we celebrate the authors and the books that make this holiday possible! 

International Friends Day:  How cool and IMPORTANT is this day, especially in the times we live in now. Established in 2011, this day is obviously intended for people of all walks of life to come together and form friendships.  This concept isn’t new…remembering the song: Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the WORLD, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in HIS sight; Jesus loves the little children of the WORLD.  Love one another folks!

 

July 31^st:

Mutt’s Day:  This holiday, which was established in 2005, is so special it gets two calendar days a year (also celebrated on December 2^nd).  This holiday is to bring awareness that all pups, not just expensive purebreds are important and need a home.  Need something to do this Sunday? Go check out your local animal shelter to see if you can find the right pup to be your best friend!   

Uncommon Musical Instrument Day: Not just any ordinary instrument will do for this day.  These instruments not only look strange, but their names are just as crazy!  Clackamore, Daxophone, Fiddle Dee Doo are just to name a few of these inventions celebrated on this holiday.  So, get out your Fluba or Bubble Organ and play away! 

 Fiddle Dee Doo

So there you have it folks, whether eating a pan of lasagna, reading a good book or listening to the musical sounds of a didgeridoo, have a fabulous and safe weekend! –M-

The Dog Days of Summer

We wanted to share a few of our favorite things about summer with you! Feel free to share your favorites in the comments! Happy Hump Day, everyone!!! 

Attire:

If you are part of the Midwest like we are, your summers are hot and humid. Clothing isn’t optional so we’ve decided to share some of our favorite places to shop and what to wear. Most of my personal wardrobe comes from Target and Old Navy. If I’m heading out to dinner or a BBQ, I love throwing on a maxi dress, tying my hair up in a messy bun, and matching my dress with various colored flip flops. If I am working out in the garden, my favorite attire would consist of cut off sweat shorts and an Old Navy tank top. But my favorite clothing of all in the summer has been my gingham blue dress and strappy sandals.

Activities:

Summer months must involve water!  Whether it’s a pool, chillin’ on a boat or floating down a lazy river with a drink in hand, it’s the best way to spend a hot summer day and soak up that Vitamin D! But if you’re not a pool lover, the zoo is always a great summer escape.

Of course as a music lover, a summer isn’t complete without attending a concert or two!

      

Beach Reads:

Most of my favorite authors release their books in the summer because they know there is nothing quite like reading than by the pool or by the beach. My favorite spot to read this summer has been my front porch while drinking a tall glass of sweet tea. When I do have a chance to get away and read in front of the water, I always choose something from one of our favorites, Emily Giffin or Elin Hilderbrand. Who are you reading this summer?

Music:

There can’t be a summer without a good summer playlist.  My playlist is about a mile long so I won’t bore you with all of them!  Whether you are in the car with the windows down, at the pool, BBQing with family and friends or lying under the stars at night, you need some good tunes!  Some of these songs remind me of my childhood, some are kind of recent and some are just needed because they are ICONIC summer jams!  Maybe some are in your playlist too!

Pontoon – Little Big Town

Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

In the summertime – Mungo Jerry

Cheap Thrills - Sia

Fishin in the Dark – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Boogie Shoes – KC and the Sunshine Band

Cruel Summer – Bananarama

Hot in Herre – Nelly

Hotel California – Eagles

Low Rider - WAR

Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake

Summer Breeze – Seals and Croft

Summer Eats:

Food is a fabulous way to celebrate the days of summer. Between family barbecues and birthdays, we have Memorial Day to kick off the summer, the Fourth of July to celebrate our nation’s birthday, and Labor day to let us know summer is ending. Our favorite foods include kabobs, brats and hamburgers on the grill, salads and sweet tea on hot days, and fruit pies for dessert. We’re sharing our two favorite salad recipes with you that will be a great hit at any summer event.

 

Summer Salad                                                                          
2 tomatoes diced                                                                    
1 cucumber peeled and diced                                                
½ onion diced                                                                        
1 tbs olive oil                                                                            
1 tsp sea salt                                                                            
1 tsp pepper                                                                            
¼ c. crumbled goat cheese
fresh or dried basil to taste                                                    
mix, chill, and enjoy
 
Overnight Salad
Head of lettuce- shredded
Head of cauliflower-chopped
½ onion chopped
1 pound of bacon- fried and crumbled
1 c. parmesan cheese
Mayo- as directed
Directions:
Layer lettuce, cauliflower, bacon, onion
Top with sprinkled parmesan cheese
Place thin layer of mayo
Repeat
Chill overnight, mix before serving

                                          
                                                                                                     


                                                                                                                                                                   

Pretty in Pink on Monday

I spent the weekend trying to find time and inspiration for my post today, but I drew blanks, felt exhausted from my hectic schedule, and wanted to keep it simple. Since I know Mondays can make or break the week, I wanted to come up with something light and fun to put us all in the right mood.

 As I contemplated how to make that possible for all of you, I thought I would go to my happy place, and by happy place I mean my favorite movie from the 80's. We all have a favorite of something that instantly puts us in a good mood, right? Pretty much anything from the 80's can do this for me but I have a special fondness for this movie that separates it from the rest. I'm not sure if it's because of Andie's amazing fashion sense, Blane's boyish good looks, or Duckie's undying loyalty and ability to make Andie smile no matter what, but this movie is and always will be, my favorite. 

Pretty in Pink
Starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, and John Cryer

There are a million reasons why I love Pretty in Pink but just too many to share. So instead of rambling about why I love it, I thought I would share a few of my favorite lines, songs, and scenes from the movie. I hope you all have the best Monday possible! ~K~

And just in case anyone was wondering....

Red, White and what in the world was that??

If you are into politics then most likely you were tuned into the Republican National Convention this past week.  Obviously this has been quite the mix of drama and insanity this year in politics.  Emails, Walls, protests, etc. The RNC definitely had its nail biting moments.  Several states wanted to roll call vote, accusations of plagiarism with a certain speech, a former candidate declining to endorse the nominee but what really bothered me was the horrible FLAIR some of the crowd wears to these things! 
 

Oh, before you laugh at the crazy right wingers, left wing liberals are just as guilty at committing such atrocious fashion crimes.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being silly and dressing up in costume, but that day is normally called Halloween.  Some of these people's style sense is out there!  You are representing a state and it’s certainly hard for me to take you seriously or your candidate seriously when you are wearing a giant elephant or donkey on the top of your head!  Sometimes its entire group of delegates that are dressed head to toe in their gear.  Don’t mess with Texas, they don’t play…their ensemble of matching shirts and cowboy hats are no joke! (I love you Texas Family!) Don’t forget the slogan hats “Make America Great Again” not only available in red but fancy neon glow in the dark colors as well! Tons of buttons, flag hats, dressing up like former presidents, MAKE IT STOP!!!

Being the fashion connoisseur, (yeah right) I have certain suggestions for what one’s attire should be at such an event: 

This....

Not this….

OK, I’ll be honest now, this year wasn’t nearly as bad as it has been at past conventions, but should stop nonetheless.  Of course, who am I to tell these people how to enjoy their time at something that may be just as comparable to them as some die hard comic con fan or someone attending a concert or Star Trek convention?  One thing is for sure, all silliness aside, these people were serious about their love for the country.  I wish more people on both sides, took the time to be so involved in wanting what is best for our great nation.  Regardless of party, regardless of how some people may view elections, it’s such a powerful thing to be able to vote.  To be able to use that right is something not to take for granted.   

"We should all do something to right the wrongs that we see and not just complain about them."

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Come November 8, 2016…this should be the most important piece of flair that we all wear:

 One convention down, one to go....Hold on to your hats ladies and gents, the next few months may be quite interesting! 

Have a great weekend!  - M -