It has been a month???

Apparently it has been a whole month since I last wrote to you, the "you" whoever actually reads this. :) So now I am sitting in the library with a little time to spare (yes, this is a first) and I thought I would let you in on a little dream of mine!

Exciting right??

Well not really, unless you are me who is taking 15 units at a university on a quarter system.

Truth is, I CAN NOT wait for a break!

Yes, that is my dream. A break.

Pathetic right?

Go ahead, say it. Its alright I know how pathetic it really is.

Anywhooooooooooooo....

Winter Break is 37 days away.

Thank you, Lord.

This quarter has been a real challenge for me...and the ones who have to deal with the melt downs (Love you. Momma, Daddy, Sis, and Hunny)

It has been new and a major mountain to climb. In two weeks I will have my final midterms and that will mean we are on the downward slide....or the up hill climb since finals will be all that's left, but I like the first option, so we'll go with that! 

Although...This still leaves me with my dream of a break that I can not get out of my head.

SO I have decide to share my wish list of what I want for winter break...(might as well get into the Christmas season right?)

Winter Break Wish List

* Go through my clothing and PURGE PURGE PURGE! (I need this done terribly)

*Organize my newly purged closet (yay!)

* Find mason jars for Christmas presents

*Pick up fabric for more Christmas presents (Lots o' fabric)

*Sleep in till 7 (Oh how I hate you 5am)

* Bake 3 things each out of my 3 new cook books (oh how I have missed baking!)

*Decorate to my hearts content :)

*Finish Window Frame project (it has been forever)

*Be as helpful as I can possibly be (College has prevented me)

*Play Christmas music as often as I can

*Be ahead and prepared for Winter quarter

*Write letters to my family for Christmas

* Craft as much as I can (in a month)

*Enjoy each day, not wish for a tomorrow, and take in every moment like it is my last

Well, there it is.

Yeah, it is Over Achiever month. What gets done, gets done. What doesn't, is nothing to worry about, it just means there was something better put in its place.

Annnnnnnnd....

It is back to reality. Class in a few.

Remember to Sparkle. Give all the Glory to God. And enjoy today.  

 

Goodness Gracious!

So in the time of my last post till now, my life has been hectic! I began my first year at CSUSB. It has been great, crazy, interesting, and down right exhausting! I have been wanting to blog about it for awhile now, but those 4am mornings come real early and those nights become real short. So here I go telling you about all the highlights...

* First off, this year has already been filled with many HUGE blessings from our Lord! My first week of school ran so very smoothly, I enjoy all of my professors (which I did fear I wouldn't like them, but I have been pleasantly surprised) Also, I was given an amazing gift of Nursing treasures that I will be using through the program in the coming years. This equipment (Blood Pressure Cuff, Stethoscope, medical terminology cards, and books on the Nursing program, just to name a few) was given to me by one of my old HS teachers right before I started school. She had started the Nursing Program and decided it wasn't her dream anymore so she blessed me with them! I am sooooooo, let me say that again, soooooooooooooo very grateful for this! My Lord has just showered me with blessings to pave my way to where He wants me to shine his light. The thought of these blessings just brings me tears. "For I know the plans I have for you..." Jeremiah 29:11

I now have my "Goals & Dreams" drawer in my desk that hold all those treasures. They will be my encourager when times seem hard. But with our Lord, nothing will stand in my way. Thank you Jesus, thank you...

*Along with getting in the swing of things with school I stumbled upon a thing called Pinterest...I know I know I'm behind the times, but can I say OMG?? I love Pinterest!! It is a way of feeling creative with out having to be and saving those ideas for later....when I have time of course, we all know that will be a rarity until the second week of December.

*With being a full time college student, comes the need for a desk, And in my case I wanted an antique one...if you know me, you know that I love me some good antiques! ( my whole room in antique, really like the WHOLE room) So of course I would need an antique table or desk to do the job. The search was on! The Friday before last, Hunny and I ran all over the HD looking for something that would be my dream desk and of course be in my price range ($20 tops) We looked and yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores, antique stores, we scoured Craigslist, and a whole lot of nothing appeared. Near the end of the day we found something that would work but it just wasn't my favorite. It wasn't antique and it wasn't in my price range ($30 bucks, and that was half off! At the Salvation Army, no less! Crazy....) Anyways, I thought about getting it, but something was nagging at me to wait. And boy am I glad I did!  Last Thursday while at a Thrift Store with the Bestie, I happened upon it! There it was sitting right inside the door of the store, a 1950's Sewing Table! I was in love from the moment the Bestie pointed it out (she knows me all too well)...I looked for a price but I had a feeling it would be WAY out of my price range, but we just couldn't find the tag that would tell me it was NOT going home with me.  Truth is we never found that tag! We found another tag, one that read $ 20.00, exactly in my price range!! I can not describe how excited I was. The sewing machine was still intact, the wood matched my room, and it had plenty of drawers for me to store my many necessities. It is amazing how the Lord listens to the smallest hopes of your heart! Oh and to top it all off, I found the cutest antique chair to go with it for $3.00!! The grand total, $24.78! The wait was more than worth it. Awesome huh??

*Fall has sort of finally come! I say sort of because the leaves are on the ground, but it is still in the 90's during the day...I decided to take advantage of the Fall beauty today and get Hunny out in my back yard for some pictures!

 He is so willing to please my every whim, even if it means taking pictures that require him to actually smile!

 Window frame I am in the process of redoing, stay tuned!

 I love this one! and it was my idea...hehe

 This was his idea, he was so excited about it he ran to the shed and got the rake and quickly got to work. Oh how he melts my heart!

 I have to say I think this one might be my favorite!

Oh so in love :)

These past couple of weeks I have been shown how truly blessed I really am. I pray my eyes will stay open and alert to the blessings being continually showered upon me. Now I am off to read a chapter of Biology (What a blessing...I say this sarcastically ha) and prepare for the week ahead.

Dear Heavenly Father,

May we be a blessing to you this week. May we shine your love and make a difference in this world for you. Please be with us as this week's business pulls us in every direction. Let us find grounding in you.

Amen.

A Little Bit Fall Obsessed!

Okay, okay I know what you are thinking. If you have been reading my Facebook or living with me, you know I am not just a little bit obsessed, I'm a lot a bit. This is my favorite time of year. Yes, it is still in the 90's during the day, but there is that infamous breeze begging Summer to leave so Fall can come take its place. This makes me oh so excited! And in this excitement, I deemed it Fall a week and a half before the actual first day of Fall! (another example of me thinking too far ahead) Ha!

Anywhoooo!

I have been hard at work, me and Fall have become partners in crime so to speak! From wardrobe to baking we have it covered :)

Here is my Fall preparedness wrap up!

Decor~

This has been so much fun for me! I LOVE to craft and what better time to do so then Fall??

Some of my projects...

My Fall, Twine & Clothes Pins wreathe... I have changed around the leaves since this picture was taken. It now has a picture pinned of the woman who inspires my crafts with her two girls, My Grandma :)

Not the greatest picture, but you get the point! :)

I think this has become my favorite project! To tie in with my Twine and Clothes pins theme I tied twine to our coat rack and pinned the silk leaves to mimic falling leaves of Fall! They cast such awesome shadows on the wall all day long. I love them!

I love Mason Jars. Like really, I love them. AND it just so happens we were blessed with a bunch of antique Mason Jars! Cool right?

Okay so with my love of all things Mason Jars and Fall, I thought I would marry the too ideas!

And this is what I came up with! :)

They are such a great way of displaying all your extra pieces from other projects in a totally cute way!

And the theme just keeps going! Did I mention that I am in heaven with this theme? I just think it is the cutest!

A simple fireplace banner of Twine, Clothes Pins, and Silk Leaves :)

Baking~

Yummo! That is all I have to say for these treats you see. :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting!

Need I say more??

Red Velvet is already my favorite, so throw in Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and I am in heaven!

The recipe didn't call for the Cinnamon, but my Fall mood made that a necessity :)

I also had extra frosting left over, so I made some Cinnamon Rolls and topped them with the frosting!

So good!

Anyone notice I take a lot of pictures on this chopping block?? 

Any ways...

Nutella Mocha Cream Puffs!!

Easy simple and let me say, delish!

I guess I like to put a spin on these recipes because I also changed this one up a bit. I added the Nutela. Ha!

Here's that chopping block...again!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

This is perfect for a Fall morning in The Word.

SO very yummy

And the best part...you don't have to spend 5 buck to get the taste. Everything you need is in your cupboards :)

* I will be posting all of these recipes soon, they are just too yummy not to share!

So now you know how absolutely Fall crazy I have become...I am already starting to get the itch to decorate for Halloween and its not even October yet! Sheesh! I mean I already painted my nails black in honor of the season, people!

Alright, now I am off to figure out how I am going to finish all these ideas in my head before I start school, which is Thursday!...Goodness Gracious :)

Have a Blessed day!

The Thought of My Week.

Today marks a week till college begins. My Hunny and I were talking the other day while I was buying school supplies, he asked if I was excited about school..... Now let me interject this here, I am excited about starting school, but truthfully I am the type of person who thinks ahead. In my mind I am already graduated, I have my B.S.N. in Nursing, and I am off to the new Blunders and Blessings this life holds...That being said, I came to the conclusion that I was undecided about being excited. Weird, right??

I know, I'm as strange as they come. But its the truth.

Here is the kicker, after we had that conversation, checked out at my favorite place EVER. (Target), and got in the car, I had this over whelming feeling of excitement!

Now, I was excited mainly at the fact I got six file folders, a coupon filer, a paperwork filer, a pencil case, and a small note pad for the total of $3.00.

Buuuttt...

There was still something more.

The revelation came to me when I got home and had received the rest of my textbooks in the mail.

I was excited. Plain and simple.

I am not sure if I didn't want to be excited in fear of getting my hopes up and college not being what I was anticipating or that I was just nervous.

Whatever it was, it doesn't matter. I am excited now!

Annnnd...

I am still REALLY excited about my score at Target!

10 items for 3 whole dollars!!! It is just crazy!

And might I say adorable!

 The makings of a college student, in style of course!

Oh did I mention I couldn't just leave my file folders just plain old boring pink??

I added some bling to the buttons on the front just for that extra pop!

Pink, Black, Gray, and White!

The colors of my year!

Here I come CSUSB, watch out!

Hats, Clarissa Style!

I love hats. Fedoras, big floppy Sun Hats,those obnoxious church hats ( I don't own one of these yet, but believe you me, I will have one someday!) You name it, I have it. I just adore them.

Now wouldn't that mean these oh so wonderful hats would become DIY projects of mine??

Of Course!!

I stumbled upon my love of creating my own hats this past spring when sun hats were all the rage. And I just HAD to have one :)

Butttttt....

The frugal girl that I am, did not want to pay the money for a hat that I couldn't just wear all the time. And I wanted something I would love, which I had yet to find on the sun hat market.

One day in my many trips to Target I was in one of my favorite places of the store, the dollar section :) On one of those shelves, I found it! A plain bronze brown sun hat! The wheels in my brain started to turn and soon I was off to Micheal's to pick up the rest of the materials for my perfect sun hat!

*Sun Hat- $ 2.50

*Ribbon- $1.00
*Daisy- $ 2.50

It worked marvelously for my Senior Beach Trip. I wore my red and white polka dot bikini with a white sun dress and a red cardigan. It was so adorable! And the hat was perfectly functional, not a sun burn in sight!

Now for my latest project! :)

A straw Fedora! I was on the look out for one all summer!

I finally got my wish a week ago at Walmart, clearanced for $ 5.00.

I was so excited, I thought I was going to burst!

P.s. Keep an eye out for the old window frame, it is one of my newest DIY projects!! :)  

For this hat I wanted to spice it up quickly because I was headed to the beach the day after I got it.

With alittle bit of brain storming, I came up with a cute and simple way to jazz up any hat to make it match your out fit!

Stretch head bands and flower clips!

Nifty right??

And I already had all of this on hand, so my hat was ready for the trip ;)

Oh, and the hat total was a whopping 5 bucks!

Here is one of the ways I wear the hat :)  

So simple and yet so darling!

I can't wait to see what other combos I pair with this hat! I am totally looking forward to wearing this in October for my birthday weekend in San Diego! :)

Show me what awesome Hat creations you come up with!!

 

White Cream Chicken Pizza! Yummy!

Let me just say, White Cream Chicken Pizza = YUM YUM YUM! It is a heavenly concoction! :)

You HAVE to try this!

Recipe:

•Flour tortillas

I want to try it with the tortillas for a more health conscious approach, but I made it with just some store bought Winco dough. Still super good :)

•Philadelphia Kitchen Cream

You want the Italian Herb and Cheese flavored one for this.

•Mozzarella Cheese

Now, I used a combo of Mozzarella and sliced Provolone for the pizza. The mozzarella was shredded. I cut the provolone slices in half and used those to make a border for the cheese and then piled the mozzarella on top. The Provolone turned bubbly and golden brown in the heat, it look so pretty! :)

•Cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

Just a store bought rotisserie chicken from Winco that I shredded. Super simple!

•Dried Oregano

•Garlic Powder

I used fresh Garlic. Who uses garlic powder anymore?? It is all about the fresh :)

•Fresh Basil

•Sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

I just halved a bunch of grape tomatoes, and with the heat of the oven the tomatoes were just wonderful!

First you'll want to spread some cooking creme on a tortilla (or dough) as much or as little as you want.

(actually, the very first thing I did was toast up my tortillas a little bit over the open stovetop burner - just to brown them a little bit)

Next I layered on some pre-cooked shredded chicken.

Then I sprinkled on some shredded mozzarella and provolone if you dare ;).

Then I popped it under the broiler until the cheese was hot and bubbly. After taking it out I sprinkled on a little dried oregano, garlic powder and some fresh basil. ( I heated my oven to 400, and just watched the pizza)

Drum roll please!

Tada!

I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as me and my family did!

Bon Appetite! :)

How much for a piece of PLASTIC??

Today I made a trip down to CSUSB, with my wonderful guy in the driver's seat. I had to get my textbooks and parking permit. There was no more procrastinating or avoiding the inevitable...I had to spend the money.

Thankfully with the scholarships and money I was given as gifts, I can pay fully for my first year...But I still didn't want to make that swipe! It meant that money was gone forever and my small amount of savings was short lived.

Anywhooooo!

I decided to go to the Bursars office first to get my parking permit, so I could park by the book store, sounds like a good idea right?

Nope.

I walk casually up to the window, thinking to myself, it couldn't possibly be more than fifty dollars. Silly me.

The woman quickly responds to my question with a statement that makes me want to ask again, just how much that piece of plastic would cost me.

One Hundred and Two Dollars.

 That’s a 1. and a 0. and a 2. Put together.

Let’s just say the combination of those numbers, in that order, does not make me a happy camper.

And then came the bookstore.

The only redeeming quality of this store is the very helpful student worker, who guided me through the store that should be referred to as the Devil's Trap.

 I seriously have never spent one hundred and twenty two dollars in one trip on myself, let alone on a book, until today. My lovely math book decided that it would cost exactly that.

Oh, and don't forget Half.com!

One hundred and seventy dollars later and I still need to order one more book.

Now, I know I am not the first to make this rant and I certainly won't be the last, as the cost for being a student continues to rise. I just can't help but be amazed at how much the cost of being a student actually is!

All the glory goes to God for blessing me with a grant that waves my tuition fees and my little some of money saved up in the bank to cover the rest. Next year is a new year, and my Jesus is the only one who knows how I will find the money to pay for it. He will make a way. I just know it :)

Here is that lovely piece of plastic...

At least it sparkles :)

And my man. He is great. He calms me when I need it most and treats me to lunch and frozen yogurt.  He rocks! :)

Frozen Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Lately I have been not only Blog obsessed, but also Recipe obsessed. I have found alot of new recipes through the blogs I have been reading. Now that I have a blog, I can share my own recipes and some of the new ones I have found! :)

*Frozen Creamy Peanut Butter Pie*

First off let me say, this is super yummy but super rich! Small slices, alittle goes a long way!

Ingredients

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

1 8 ounce container frozen light whipped cream, thawed

1 deep-dish graham cracker crumb crust {I couldn't find this at my grocery store, but there was a larger crust size which worked well}

 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

1.In a small microwave-safe bowl, add 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave on 50% power for 15 seconds, stirring, until the chocolate chips have melted. Pour over the bottom of the graham cracker crust and smooth out with a spoon or spatula. Put the crust in the fridge to harden the chocolate.

 2.In a mixing bowl on medium speed beat the peanut butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Slowly, so the milk doesn't splash out, add the powdered sugar and milk, beating until smooth. Fold in .the whipped cream. Set aside 1 cup of the peanut butter mixture in a separate bowl. Spread the remaining mixture in the prepared pie crust.

 3.Place the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave on 50% power for 15 seconds, stirring, until the chocolate chips have melted. Stir the melted chocolate into the reserved peanut butter mixture. Drop by tablespoons on top of the pie. Use a knife and gently swirl for a marbled effect.

 4.Cover, and freeze for 4 to 5 hours, or until firm.

The Result!

 Cute Swirl. Not so cute crust.

I couldn't find my pie pan so I used my spring form pan.

Note to self: Find Pie Pan!

Enjoy! :)

Summer Southern Bare Foot Blue Jean Nights...Goodbye

It is final. My summer has officially come to a close....well my summer hasn't ended really, but it might as well have. My Love goes back to school tomorrow. Off to college he goes...I am truly proud of him. He is an amazing man and I am thankful for him each and every day....

Buuuut!

 I don't want to share him.

The final summer dish we made together (White Cream Chicken Pizza, delish! I will be posting the Recipe soon :) ), has been put away. The hours of driving and hearing him sing to the radio in the driver's seat have been forced to dissipate. The impromptu vacations have to be saved for another day. The long nights of just being together have been shortened....

 And it’s time to say goodbye to the end of our summer.

It has been an amazing summer with plenty of memories I will cherish on the road ahead.

This first semester will be a challenge.

It will be exciting.

It will all be new.

It will bring us to our roots and show us what we are made of.

To that I say,

Goodbye Summer, Bring it on College!

Off we go!

"I love you baby, to the moon and back. I love you all the time"

Pizza, FNL, & Momma

Okay so first off let me say, I didn't think I would be at this again so soon...but here I am.

Today has not gone the way I planned. And as the people close to me know, I absolutely hate change. I avoid it at all cost actually.

Anywho, as change is coming my way lately I have to either adapted and overcome or lose my mind driving against this current of change. (Believe me I will lose it)...

In the midst of all of this today, I must say I am Blessed to have such a wonderful Momma (she hates when I call her that, but she will have to deal:))

We can eat pizza and watch FNL marathons (Friday Night Lights)and in the end, we come to the conclusion that everything will work out in the end.

Thank you to my dear Momma.

I love you.

P.s. you got the first dedication on my blog....yeah, you can brag ;)

An Experiment

This Blog is an experiment in some ways.

My angle you ask?

A College Freshman. Navigating this big world, in hopes of making big Blunders and seeing what great Blessings I will be given.

My Prayer.

I will be shown each of these Blunders & Blessings. And I will be proud in defeat and humble in victory. May my Lord show me his path.

Take this journey with me, I can't promise it will always be exciting or easy, but I can promise there will be joy, sorrow, tears, and love.

I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for me! :)