Pinteresting

Hello, my name is Summer and I am a Pin-a-holic.  Aren't we all though?  I spend way too many hours each week pinning projects, recipes, and clothing that I will probably never make or buy.  I have recently stumbled upon some doable projects that I hope to tackle in the coming weeks.  

I think this would be so cute in my kitchen and a perfect ode to the woman herself, Julia Child.

Spring is just around the corner, kind of feels like it already.  

This wreath is absolutely precious and screams spring!

Valentine's Day is around the corner and who wouldn't love to take a bit into these delicious little hearts.  They are surprisingly easier than they look!

Perfect for a rolo-loving sweetheart!  "Your The Bomb" sends the perfect message to your Valentine!

An outdoor Scrabble board! OMG!  Enough said!

Have y'all made any amazing Pinterest Projects lately?  

What's your favorite?

Check me out on Pinterest!

Updated Shepherd's Pie

I have to start by saying that Shepherd's Pie is one of my favorite recipes.  I have tinkered around with a couple of different versions, but this one is by far my favorite.  It is incredible easy as well and I bet you have a lot of the ingredients on hand already.  I slightly modified the original recipe found here in order to make it work with what I had in my pantry. I don't think the picture does justice to the deliciousness of this recipe.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients

1-1/4 lb. red potatoes (about 4-6), cut into chunks

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 lb. ground beef

2 Tbsp. flour

1 small onion, diced

1/2 cup carrots, parboiled

1/2 cup frozen garden peas, defrosted

3/4 cup beef broth

3 Tbsp. ketchup

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Cook potatoes in boiling water in large saucepan until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, brown meat and onion in large nonstick skillet. Stir in flour; cook 1 min. Add carrots and peas, broth and ketchup; cook 5 min., stirring frequently.

Heat oven to 375°F. Drain potatoes; return to pan. Add sour cream and garlic powder; mash until potatoes are smooth and mixture is well blended. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

Spoon meat mixture into square baking dish and cover with potatoes.

Bake 18 minutes Top with remaining cheese and turn on broil until cheese is melted and potatoes are slightly toasted.

Traveling Tuesday: Travel Essentials

I realized Sunday at lunch that I am Europe bound in t-minus 2 months and counting!  I can barely contain my excitement for my upcoming trip and it usually controls my thoughts daily.  In lieu of Traveling Tuesday this week, I decided to share some of my must-have travel items.  I have been to Europe once before and I learned a lot about what you need and do not need.  I mainly learned that I pack WAY too much!  So this time I am shaping up and improving my packing game.    

1:  You will be glad that you made this purchase.  Silly looking or not a long flight can be rough on the body and a neck pillow can certainly make the most uncomfortable flights a little more bearable   

2:  This will revolutionize your life in general.  On trips it is just amazing, because your on the move so much that missing a day of washing your hair equals 30 extra minutes of sleep :)

3:  Always sanitize your hands!  Do you know how many tourist touched that door handle????

4:  Be sure to invest in a quality outlet converter.  The outlets are not the same in Europe as they are in America and without a quality converter your hair appliances will most likely bite the dust in Europe.  I took a curling iron the last time I went and in France it got so hot that it almost burned my hair off!

5:  I am super digging this blanket and eye mask set.  9 times out of 10 it is freezing on an airplane and if your flight is overbooked and your at the back of the plane don't count on getting a blanket.  This would be easy to put in your carry on and use for your entire trip.

6: A rain jacket is certainly dependent on your travel location and time of the year, but a packable, waterproof jacket is never a bad idea for Europe in the spring time.  I will be traipsing the countryside of Great Britain and Ireland and we all know that rain will most likely be in that forecast.

7:  Now I know your main goal is to not standout like a tourist, but this neck wallet was a security blanket for me the first time I traveled internationally.  I kept all my money and important documents in it and stored it safely under my twenty pound winter coat.  I never worried about being pick pocketed or losing anything.

What are your travel essentials?

Icy Weekend

The forecast at the end of last week was calling for a bit of icy weather here in good ole NC.  We got some icy weather... but that was it... ice.  Needless to say it resulted in an early dismissal from school friday and what teacher is going to object to that?  We spent the rest of the weekend enjoying a Harry Potter movie-thon, church, lunch with family, and of course my ritual Sunday afternoon Target/Starbucks outing.  It has been a few weeks and I was having withdrawals!  Needless to say the weekend flew by and its Monday again.  I hope your Monday is amazing!

I discovered this little gem on Pinterest this weekend and I think I need it.

Source

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Tennis season is in full swing.  The Australian Open is pumping along and the women are slugging it out as I type.  The highlight so far has been Sloane Stephens amazing three-set win over Serena Williams.  I am beyond impressed with this young woman and hopeful that she will be a bright light for American tennis.  My picks for this years Open are Roger Federer on the men's side and either Sharapova or Stephens on the women's.  By the time this post reaches the world wide web the women's finals will be set.  Sadly, I cannot stay up until the wee hours of the morning to see how it turns out.  

Source

Tennis has always been a big part of my life.  I've played since I was a preteen and all the way through college.  I still play some times, but I do more coaching than playing.  I get excited four times a year when the major tournaments are going on and I cannot wait until I get to actually visit one.  Visiting all four majors (the Australian (Melbourne), Wimbledon (London), Roland Garros (Paris), and the US Open (NYC)) has been on my bucket list for over a decade.  I hope I can start knocking these off in the near future (hint Mr. P)!  

Happy Thursday!

Traveling Tuesday: Myrtle Beach

This weekend Daniel and I planned a little getaway.  We never got around to celebrating our anniversary (back in August), so we thought better late than never.  We headed down the Carolina coast to Myrtle Beach for three days of relaxation.  Surprisingly, we had way more things planned than we ever got around to doing.  It just turned out to be nicer to relax and take it easy.  A few of the highlights included a surprise dinner to a new favorite restaurant and a night full of Disney movies.

We stayed at the Bay View Resort.  I think Myrtle Beach is one of the hardest places to find a quality hotel by shopping online, because so many look wonderful on the outside, but the inside is a nightmare.  We took a risk with Bay View and were pleasantly surprised.  The rooms were by no means large, but the bed was comfortable (a king-size for the couple who typically sleeps on a full!), the bathroom was nicely renovated, and the view from the balcony was gorgeous!  Another perk was that there was a full service Starbucks located on the ground level along with a great indoor swimming facility.  We didn't use the pool, but we certainly enjoyed the Starbucks!

 Shopping is one of the primary draws of visiting Myrtle Beach.  They have two great outlet malls along with a traditional mall and countless other places to do all the shopping your heart desires.  We enjoyed the outlets, because they have many great stores like an ADIDAS, Nike, and of course JCREW!  I was able to make a few purchases off of my want list and sadly crossed off a few from my currently craving list.  The polka dot blouse I posted about recently ran astronomically large and the XXS was too large for me!  I got some other cuties though!

Bag (Lauren by Ralph Lauren via Marshalls), Chambray Dot Button Up: Old Navy, T-Shirt: J. Crew Factory, Gingham Button Up: J. Crew Factory 

I mentioned earlier that Daniel surprised me with a special dinner.  He took me to a place I had recently been talking about and it lived up to the hype.  Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is the place to go for an amazing steak.  I had the Mixed Grill and Daniel had the New York Strip.  We left there feeling delightfully stuffed.  The steak was so tender that it melted in my mouth and the chicken and crab cake on my plate were equally as good.  I loved the atmosphere and it was a nice, quiet place to dine and enjoy each others company.  I didn't get a chance to snap a picture of the salad or dessert, but they were amazing as well.  The dessert was a Whiskey Bread Pudding and I dare say it was almost as good as the Bread Pudding at Raglan Road in Disney World.  Almost.  

We spent the rest of the weekend shopping and exploring.  We went to Broadway at the Beach, enjoyed a morning jog by the water, and ended the weekend with a trip to Barefoot Landing.  All in all it was the relaxing weekend that we both needed.  ABC Family was even running a Disney movie marathon Sunday night and we sat on our bed for hours enjoying the Lion King, Cinderella, and Hercules.  Who says you have to stay on the go the entire time your on vacation?  The only thing I stressed over this entire weekend was being able to watch Downton Abbey on Sunday night, but no worries we were able to find it! 

You guys know the drill.  If you want to participate in Traveling Tuesday, just blog about an amazing location you have been to and link up your post in the comments below.  Happy Tuesday and Happy Travels!

high five for friday

It's Friday again!  After some much needed teacher workdays, I welcome the weekend with a clean classroom ready to go for new students next week.  Between exams and turning in final grades I am ready for a relaxing weekend and that is exactly what is on the books for the Mr. and I.  
We intend to make the most out of this long weekend!

1. My week started off right with breakfast in bed.  I love a man that can cook.

2. The early part of this week felt like spring in the Southern half of the US.  I pulled out my cropped jeans and a light weight top for running errands.  Love this type of weather, even though it sadly seems to be over for now :(

3.  What is better than a lunch date with your man at the Cheesecake Factory.  We spent Sunday shopping, lunching, and even met up with some friends to help pick out a bridesmaids dress for their upcoming wedding.

4. A student turned me into a cartoon character.  I can't bring myself to erase my board.

5.  Play time with this cutie was so fun this week.  We broke out the laser pointer and watched her chase it and it was adorable.  Sadie is by far the cutest cat I know!

Well I am signing off of the blog for the next few days, but you can catch me on Instagram.  
I hope you have an amazing 3 day weekend!

Cheeseburger Pizza

There are two things that I love for sure.  Cheeseburgers and Pizza.  In our household, we decided to come up with a solution to the age old question of cheeseburgers or pizza.  Cheeseburger Pizza.  It's the best of both worlds.  The deliciousness of hamburger, onions, ketchup and pickles from a cheeseburger and the divine gooeyness of cheese and crispy crust from pizza.  

It's a staple in the Pennington house.  You should try it!

Cheeseburger Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 lb hamburger
• 1 medium onion
• 1/3 cup pizza sauce
• Olive oil
• 2 store bought pizza crust
• 2 cups mozzarella
• 1 cup cheddar
• 1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
• ketchup and mustard

1. Brown one pound of hamburger and one medium onion.  Remove any excess grease from the pan.  

2. Using store bought pizza crust, coat the bottom and sides of the crust with olive oil.  Add a layer of pizza sauce. 

3. Then top with a layer of the hamburger and onion mixture.  Drizzle a thin layer of ketchup.  Cover with a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar cheese.  And then finally drizzle with ketchup and mustard.  Top with chopped pickles.

4. I baked our pizza on a pizza stone in a preheated oven set at 425 degrees.  I let it cook for approximately 10 minutes, but you just want your crust to be brown and your cheese to begin to bubble.

Enjoy!

Traveling Tuesday- Disney World Part 4

Hey Hey!  It's back again.  Round 4 of Traveling Tuesday is in full swing.  Today, I am going to wrap up our trip to Disney World from August 2011.  It truly was an amazing trip and I couldn't condense it in to just one post.  Today we are wrapping up our tour of Disney at EPCOT.  EPCOT is truly the place for kids of all ages.  This park offers the best of both worlds for kids and adults.  For the young at heart you can enjoy the half of the park dedicated to Future World and Disney friends like Nemo and the Lion King.  The vast majority of the park though pays homage to the countries around the world.  The World Showcase was a showstopper in my mind.  Disney recreates all the elements of these countries including food, architecture, and even people.  Through Disney's work program people from all over the world can come to Orlando and work in their "country" at EPCOT.  We met some of the nicest people from all over the world!

One of the greatest things about staying at a Disney Resort is that each night a different park has extended hours.  This allows guest at the resort to remain in the park after hours, sometimes until 1 or 2 am!  One night after dinner we made our way over to EPCOT and stayed until midnight.  The rides still run for the most part and the crowds are much thinner during this time.  We caught the Seas with Nemo and Friends during this visit and it is a cute ride through the ocean with Crush and Nemo!

On our last couple of days we paced ourselves through EPCOT.  The entire park cannot be done in one day if you want to gain the whole experience.  Of all the places that we ate during the trip the taco stand in Mexico was by far the most amazing food I have ever had!  The chicken tacos and churros were absolutely divine!  We also caught the segway tour and Test Track.  They are both great and Test Track is a must.  I warn you though, get a fast pass as soon as you arrive in the park for Test Track, otherwise be prepared to wait in line for hours!

After exploring the countries for the day we met back up with Daniel's parents for dinner at Les Chefs de France.  It was a good dining experience and really neat to talk to our French waiter, but I'm not sure it will be my top pick for our next Disney vacation.  However, the French Onion soup is worth the stop.

The American Adventure show is a great one to catch if you have time.  They talk a lot about the great founders and inventors of our country.  Daniel and I really enjoyed it, because when we arrived they saw our "Honeymoon" buttons and quickly began to pamper us Disney style.  An older gentleman told us that there was a phone call for us, to which we were both a little taken aback.  When we picked up the phone though, it was Mickey and Minnie congratulating us on our marriage.  Then we received an official Disney World marriage certificate and our choice of seating in the show.  It was pretty special and that's what makes Disney so incredible.  With thousands of visitors a day they still manage to make you feel like the only one celebrating something!

I won't bore you with all the details of our flight home, but we did have a fun experience the night before we left.  While walking around in Downtown Disney, Daniel and I actually saw Danny Devito and Jack Nicholson!  It was so neat and I am a giant compared to Danny.  We didn't get any pictures with them, but I did snap this one as they were walking by.  

Thanks for tuning in to Traveling Tuesday.  Next week we will head to a different location.  Feel free to join in and link up your Traveling Tuesday post in the comments section below!  Come back tomorrow for an amazing recipe!

Currently Craving

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

After a little browsing around the mall this weekend, I realized my life and wardrobe are in dire need of some key new pieces.  It's a little hard to keep winter trends on your mind when you're shopping in a 70+ degree climate.  But never fear fellow Southerners, winter will surely be back with a bang of cold air!  Most of these are just wish list items, but it doesn't hurt to dream. I think it is safe to say that I have a polka dot and aqua/mint obsession right now.

5000

Well guys, my blog has made it to the big times.  I officially have had over 5000 page views!  

Now I realize that many blogs get like 5000 a day, but for this girl I'll celebrate any milestone.  

Thanks to my readers for actually tuning in and seeing what's happening at The Married Life.  

Here's to 5000 more!

In other news, my idol, role model, and future best friend turned the big 3-1 yesterday!  That's right, Kate aka the Duchess of Cambridge celebrated her birthday on Wednesday.  I'm sure my lack of an invitation to her party was a simple oversight.  Never fear though, I will see if she wants to celebrate again in April when I cruise through her little town in Wales.  Happy Birthday Kate!

Taco Soup

This is one recipe that will leave you wanting more.  My mom found this recipe a few years ago and it quickly became a staple in the Chase household.  It is extremely simple and flavorful.  I must warn you that it is a little spicy, but there are a few substitutions that you could make it cut down on the spicy level if you desire.  It's a perfect solution for the cold, winter days that are heading our way!

TACO SOUP

what you need

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cans Chili Beans

1 can Rotel diced tomatos with green chiles

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatos 

(I used whole tomatos chopped up)

1 can whole kernel corn

1 packet dry Ranch dressing

1 packet taco seasoning   

Approximately 2 cups water

how you make it

1 Brown hamburger and onion, drain excess grease.

2 Add all remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and ENJOY!

Now, that wasn't too hard was it?  The hardest part is probably opening the lids of all the cans!  I usually put mine on early in the morning and let it cook for a little while.  It's one of those dishes that gets better with time.  If you want to cut the heat level down a bit, try using two cans of diced tomatos, rather than adding a can of Rotel tomatos with green chiles.  Also, you can make your own homemade taco seasoning which allows you to control the level of spices in your dish.

Bon Appetit 

New Years

Happy 2013!  

I hope you all had a wonderful time bringing in the new year!  

Daniel and I certainly enjoyed it, surrounding ourselves with family & friends.  

Sadly we have no pictures from NYE, but we hosted my aunt's birthday party on New Years Day. 

We love having enough room to actually have people over.

I have a delicious recipe on the books for you guys.  Taco Soup... it simply devine.  Come back tomorrow!