a ruidoso rendezvous, part 1

adam and i took a short 'lil getaway to ruidoso, new mexico.
we drove there. not typically a huge fan of a long road trip but at least we got to our destination in a day! here was our little cabin in the woods.

we made it in time for a yummy dinner at a restaurant called landlocked.

the next day we starting our sightseeing.

we ate at a not-to-be-missed cafe called the village buttery.

i had quiche with green chile sauce which seemed very southwestern (that's why i picked it!).

we went to lincoln, new mexico. lincoln has been restored to what it looked like in the mid to late 1800s.

a 'lil church in lincoln.

this is an adobe house that a couple built and lived in during the early 1900s. it's amazing to me how the way people lived/live is so diverse! i think about the buildings that were built in europe hundreds of years before this adobe house. according to the lincoln museum, half of the world's population lives in a house built similar to the above home now! wow. not that's perspective.

that night, we went to a "pretend" old time, western town to see a fun western musical group.

it was so neat to go to this place because i had first seen the flying j wrangers when i was a little kid. it was just like i remember it being!

the group has been around for over thirty years. in a world full of changes, it's nice to know some things haven't changed.

with one of the original flying j wranglers.

AlOhA, sUmMeRtImE!

i hosted our small group's first ever bunco this month. the theme: hAwAiIaN lUaU!

when guests first arrived they were given a "lei." you probably can't see but the sign on the plate says, "Hey, hey, have a LEI." hah.

we had a delicious hawaiian meal. the menu: grilled hawaiian chicken sandwiches on hawaiian sweet bread, coconut rice and fruit salad (mangos, kiwi, bananas and strawberries).

the sandwiches get their amazing flavor from teriyaki sauce and purple onions and grilled pineapples on top of the chicken.

your choice of different hawaiian punch flavors complete with an umbrella, of course!

homemade (and i didn't even burn them!) white chocolate, macadamia nut cookies.

let the games begin!

don't we look like we should be laying out on the beach somewhere sipping a fruity drink and relaxing?

we're more into the eating and social part of bunco...seeing as we only played 2 rounds. =)

the music: hawaiian and beachy. lauren was the d.j. of the night: she found hawaiian music on the internet for us to listen to!

can't wait 'til next month! i wonder what the theme will be?!

my student teacher

this year was the first year i have had a student teacher. her name is amy and she's the same age as me. she was quite a natural. it was great having another person in my classroom that was just as passionate about teaching as i am.

lastnight, we got to catch up at the oasis. we had a great time. the guys seemed to hit it off, too.so, hopefully we will get together again soon.

at the end of her student teaching, amy gave me this very cute clip board she made herself (it has birds on it, which i love) and this cute monogrammed purse. i am crazy for anything monogrammed. it seems like we have similar tastes, too!

5 minute decorating, again

so, i try to decorate my house with as much stuff that i already have as much as possible. i also try to make my decorating as personal as possible. after all, it is a home! you want your decorating to reflect happy memories and your personality and interests.
for a while, i collected little plates from the different countries i would go to. then, i stopped collecting them because i thought i would never do anything with the plates anyway. i wish i had a plate for each country i've been to but i have plates for about 1/2.
i had an open spot in our entryway, so here's where my 'lil plates come in...i got a little "keepsake" box for like less than $10 (it was in the clearance section) and simply hot glued the 'lil plates to the back
here's my $10 decoration for the hallway. personal. reflects my interests. brinks back good memories. it makes me giddy having a reminder of my adventures in travelling.

small group=BIG FUN

our small group has been getting together a lot more the past few months for socials now that we have a "social director" aka kendi. it's awesome!
we have lots of fun together! this was a mexican food-themed night at julie's house (which is beautiful, i might add). thanks julie! dolores, aka "our barefoot contessa," made THE best tres leches cake ever.
here's the wonderful hostess and the "social director."

here's what we do best when we get together.

5 minute decorating

once in a while, i like to pretend that i am crafty. this weekend was one of those "once in a whiles." i don't really have a wreath for this time of the year, so i decided to make one. i spent app. $10 at hobby lobby on the 3 things that i bought to decorate the wreath.

i wanted the 'lil wreath to reflect my style, simple and classy (or at least that's what i aim for, hah!). not crazy about the font style of the "U" but it was the only style that was the right size for the wreath.

here's the rug i recently added to the living room. i got it from the home goods store and luckily i had a gift card to help contribute to the rug payment! rugs can be expensive, but you can find some great deals on some great brands at home goods. this one is ralph lauren & i got it for a fraction of the original price!

look who's 1!

'lil logen's growin'
sweet cousins & 2nd cousins
the family of four
big sis helping out
lots of family came into town for the big day!

bosten showed off his baseball moves...i think we have another pitcher in the family!