nyonyamansor09

Happy Easter! We have had a low key weekend that involved groceries, a stock up trip to Total Wine, a visit to see one of my client's home transformation (stay tuned for before and afters coming this week) and of course Easter egg dying and a visit from the bunny. We could finally get outside yesterday and it felt like Spring! Woohoo! Camille and Clyde's cousins Vail and Winters came over to help us with our egg creations. I never got around to posting my Easter decor! Nothing earth shattering over here this year. You can see previous years here and here . I used raffia to wrap around the eggs for a nest look.  Do you spy my Target dollar bin chick!?  Also discovered a new wine that I love from Total Wine .... Cloud Break Sauvignon Blanc . I normally prefer Chardonnay but this is quite tasty and very reasonable at $5.99. Note...the website says $6.99 but I really think I paid $5.99 a bottle. I can't find my receipt to check.  Cloud Break also makes a ...

I have always been a huge fan of the Dollar Tree . One Saturday, Michael went with me to this mecca of bargains and the cashier was really friendly when we walked in the door and said hello to us. Michael later said to me "there seems to be a lot of familiarity between you and the cashier." Ha!  He also often wonders how I can spend $20 or $30 at the Dollar Tree!? Maybe I wonder that myself. But anyway...here are some of my recent favorites... Modeling Clay . Okay...Moms and Dads are you with me here....Play doh is the worst! Makes a huge mess yet your children love it! This seems to be the case in our house. I picked this modeling clay up the other day and it is totally mess free...entertained the children for a solid amount of time. Definitely will be buying more. Modeling Clay Play Pack Grab & Go. Keep these in your purse or car for trips with your kids to restaurants, doctors, mechanics. I previously bought the  Dover Little Activity Books for my purse but this is b...

Here goes with this week's menu planner Sunday - Best Stir Fry Chicken with Fried Brown Rice with Kale Monday - Chicken Pot Roast with Sassy Salsa Tuesday - White Bean Tortellini Soup Wednesday - Chicken Broccoli Casserole Thursday - Taco Salad Work is getting busier and busier as these cold weeks of spring roll on. Here are a couple pictures from my phone last week. We have been talking and talking about getting a new car. I think we will pull the trigger in the next few months and I can't believe it but I really want a mini van. So practical for kids and so nice for my job. However, we were almost swayed yesterday when Clyde and I saw this beauty! Clyde said "let's get it!" Can you imagine me driving my clients not to mention my kids around in this pink lady? We took advantage on a warm afternoon last week and rode bikes at my moms! Snow is perhaps on the way for tomorrow. Ugh!

I made this soup earlier in the week and it was delicious. My mother-in-law gave me the recipe a couple years ago. I think it is from Paula Deen's magazine but I can't find a link to the recipe so I have posted below. Tortilla Soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I left this out and it still tasted great) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup frozen yellow corn, thawed 1/4 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup crushed tortilla chips Garnish: sour cream, shredded Mexican blend cheese, chopped avocados In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper, and jalapeno; cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic, and...

I have always shopped JCPenney or the renamed  jcp , for kids clothes. They have affordable cute clothes for school and play. It is a great place to find plain polo shirts for boys in tons of colors! Around Christmas, I also found the cutest dresses there for $15 and $20. My mother-in-law also gave me bath towels from jcp that are so soft! They have a couple new lines that I am particularly excited about. First up, Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler . How cool is this stuff? And a great price point. Foo Dog Lamp $75 Charlotte Ribbed Lamp $28 Charlotte Oblong Pillow $32 I am also loving their new line, Joe Fresh . I picked up these shorts last week as well as a few of the v-neck tees. They are very similar to some ones that I love from Jcrew Factory but only $10.  Joe Fresh Print Canvas Shorts, $19 Joe Fresh Slub V-Neck Tee, $10 Joe Fresh Pleated Peplum Pencil Skirt, $39 Do you shop jcp ? What are your favorites from there? 

Here goes with this week's menu planner..... Monday - Chicken Tortilla Soup (I think this is a Paula Deen recipe from her magazine but I can't find a link), Zucchini Cheddar Corn Muffins  from the freezer Tuesday - Terrific Turkey Enchiladas Wednesday - Cannellini Beans with Roasted Peppers & Kale , Crusty Bread Thursday - Donna Nash Chicken

Do you read a lot of blogs? How do you follow them? I was previously using Google reader but just discovered it is going away this summer. So after doing some research, I joined Bloglovin' . You can click the  link below to follow my blog there.  Follow my blog with Bloglovin We went to Sandbridge for the weekend. My in-laws built a brand new house and it is awesome! So excited for this summer. We just got back this afternoon and Clyde is under the weather so hopefully we will get back in the swings of things by tomorrow and I will post this week's menu planner in the morning.

We spend so much time in our family room and I am sorry to say the couches have been destroyed by our children. The rug is doing alright since it doesn't show dirt. I feel like artwork is the only thing safe from the destruction of Camille & Clyde!  Our family room is open to our kitchen and the view from my "cooking spot" was this metal piece and I got really tired of looking at it. It seemed dated and maybe would be better outside. So I started searching Etsy for abstract art. That is when I discovered TraceeBaugh Originals . I loved her pieces and they were so affordable. Tracee created a piece for me based on an inspiration photo found on Pinterest and I LOVE it! She was so wonderful to work with and I think it is a huge improvement in the space. I am considering having her make something larger for my dining room . I already had the frame from this yard sale purchase.   A window treatment of some sort would be nice in here but I have 7 windows in the kitchen ...

After a week that included a snow storm, I am really ready to move on to spring. It was nice to have a snow day this week and honestly I wish we had gotten more but onward and upward to spring temperatures and getting outside to ride bikes, dig for worms and play in the sand. Here are some deals for spring I scored for Camille & Clyde yesterday. Crocs are a staple for my children and Clyde has worn his last pair bare almost. I love them because they can get wet and most importantly they can put them on by themselves! I have found Crocs at TJMaxx and Marshall for $14.99 but it is hit or miss with the sizes. Crocs is currently have their 25% off sale. So we picked up a pair for Clyde in tomato at his request! I have been eyeing these sandals from Garnett Hill for Camille for a while now waiting for a sale. At $36, they are still a little pricey but certainly better than the regular price of $50 and if they last all summer then I am fine with that. We ordered pink sparkle of course!...

Finding a home is a really personal experience and I enjoy getting to know my clients through the process. At closing, I like to write a personal note thanking them for choosing me as their Realtor.  I recently discovered the cutest note cards by Pluff Mudd Designs via  Pinterest  that will be perfect for those notes. Pluff Mudd Designs has adorable prints for not only Richmond but lots of other cities and states  as well as other occasions. Most of their designs come in 11x14 prints, linens, note cards, ornaments or magnets. They will also personalize. You can see the entire line here  and Richmonders they sell their line at Tweed locally.  Pluff Mudd Designs was also kind enough to send me A MAGNET FOR A GIVEAWAY. Leave a comment in this post for a chance to win. You can also check out more RVA products on my Pinterest page. Click here to follow.

Camille with my niece, Vail We woke up yesterday to an unexpected snow day! Woohoo! There is snow on the ground but I am thinking spring ! I tried on this cute dress at Kohl's earlier this week. It was more expensive in store than online! I left it in the store but am still thinking about it especially with the $32 price tag. Could be nice for Easter if it is chilly. Daisy Fuentes Watercolor Shirtdress

If you follow my blog, you know I recently procured Betty, a large and in charge needlepoint picture, from my favorite, Diversity Thrift . I was so attracted to the colors, the flower design, the size and the unique needlepoint texture. I initially left her in the store but about a week later after seeing some of Diversity Thift's facebook posts , I discovered she was still available and thought perhaps it was meant to be! I picked up Betty for twenty bucks! And now she lives in Camille's room.... The side was unfinished so my mom suggested attaching ribbon with a glue gun. It worked perfect!  I made the pillow with fabric I picked up at yard sale last fall for $1!  And there they are....Camille & Betty happy as can be!  See how I made over the desk here .

With a snow storm on the horizon, I am still thinking of spring. Do you get sick of your clothes at the end of season?  I am there with my all of winter items. In fact, I am already wearing the jeans below with winter tops and boots. Here are a few things I have picked up for spring.... Piperlime (Similar Here) Floral Print Skinny Jeans Dotted Skinny Jeans LandsEnd Canvas Popover Shirt LandsEnd Canvas Chambray Scoopneck Shirt LandsEnd Canvas Button Back Terry Sweatshirt

Last spring, I wrote this post about my favorite drugstore items. I had a few people tell me they went out and bought that cheek stick and the lip gloss and love them! Recently, my friend Micah was telling me about quite a few beauty products that she loves that are a fraction of the price of ones sold by dermatologists or in a department store. It gave me the idea to poll my friends via email to see which items from the drugstore they can't live without. First up here are some of Micah's favorites.... After trying several different beauty products over the years, I’ve decided to speak up about what products I think are worth the money, and which ones I think we can skimp on. Even in drug stores, beauty products can cost a fortune, however the older I get, the more willing I am to spend more in an effort to delay the inevitable, aging. Below, I’ve listed a few items that I’ve really been happy with, and that I feel are worth your money.    (Please note, my skin can be oily in...