Monday Mantra

Some Mondays you wake up just knowing you are going to be late for work... And then by lunchtime it's raining... And then by 3 p.m. you are ready to go home. How to get through those days?

Pinterest... Duh.

I really need to work on this when I long for the weekends on Mondays...

Happy Monday friends.. And it could always be worse. You could be exiled to a cubicle for the rest of your life in an office with no windows. Oh wait, you do work in a place like that?..... Well then, I don't know what to tell you.

Vacay!

Sorry for the lack of posts this week.. I really have been sick. But I don't want to talk about it.. :) I am hoping I have lost 45 lbs from this sickness though because in two weeks Brady and I are going to Mexico.

We really don't a really good reason as to why we are going.. We tried to coincide the trip with our Anniversary but in reality I'm a spoiled brat and decided I HAD to go to the beach ASAP or I would DIE. Seriously.. That is why we are going. That's as good a reason I've ever heard though.

Can. Not. Wait.

I'm going to have to get on this like now.. Oh, and I love the neon accessories. She looks like all she eats are sweet tarts and butterflies and I like it.

Happy Friday folks- anyone have anything super fun planned? I'm supposed to go canoeing and camping if I can keep myself from staying sick. We shall see.

A favor for a sickling..

Since today is only Wednesday and on this particular Wednesday I am sick... I ask a small favor-

Would you mind scrolling down towards the bottom of this page and clicking "Join this site" and become a follower? :) I promise nothing crazy happens.. You don't get added to a call list.. No mailers from me.. And I don't get your personal info.. Sound good?

K thanks- I'll be back in commission tomorrow.. I promise!

"Healthy" Biscuits

I have a recipe that I have been holding out on you for a while.... I'm not proud of this choice but I decided it's better late than never. Loyal follower, please meet "Easy Rosemary Garlic Parmesan Biscuits". With a name like that it doesn't really sound so easy now does it? Ha!

Original recipe from Skinny Taste

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp salted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick (if you do not own this, buy it. It is life changing.. SERIOUSLY!)
• 3 oz shredded parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup fat free milk

Basically all you do is heat butter and oil in a skillet. You add chopped garlic and then you add all the other ingredients together and mix (but don't over-mix, whatever that means) and drop on a lined (or greased) baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. 

If you want the in depth, overly complicated recipe, go to the link above. If you want it super simple, don't heat up the oil, don't even use the butter, and just add raw garlic to the mix. It makes it even more simple and just as yummy.. It's even healthier.. Dare I say I just made an even better recipe than SkinnyTaste? Nah... 

Let's have a recipe swap. Email me at saraheatondeclerk@gmail.com with your favorite recipes or post a link in the comments.

Ann Potter Baking

Lately I have had a ton of cookie orders and couldn't be happier!! I need to update the other blog with some of my recents but I decided to show you all some of them on here as well.. (also- have you liked my Facebook page?)

Wedding shower cookies. 

My gorgeous best friend Sydni will be changing her name from Sydni Paige O'Brien to Sydni Paige Burns or Sydni O'Brien Burns.. Whichever is beautiful!

This week I have a baptism order and an order for bowties and men's ties.. Husband's birthday maybe?

I love having new orders- especially ones that I don't have cookie cutters for- gives me an excuse to order. My favorite new cookie cutter is this:

Wow, I realize now just how boring my life must be.. I get super excited about cookie cutters. Yikes! Good thing the hubs and I are planning a fun little getaway. I better start exercising! I gotta be in a swimsuit in less than 3 weeks!

I Just Don't Get It Volume 2:

Remember here where I told ya'll this might be a recurring topic? Well I've got a new one.

I love getting my nails done.. Heck, I even paint my own on a weekly basis.. But who in the whole-wide-world has time to do things like this:

Anyone? I don't employ "help" or slaves so I don't think I would have the time to keep up a job, husband, and a home with mani projects like this.. Simple is more my style anywho and these colors/trends are my cup of tea right now.

Classic white..  

And a dainty blue.

What are your favorite nail trends?

The FDA doesn't scare me..

So last week I had to resort to the Mystic tan instead of VersaSpa. I have done the VersaSpa countless times and was going to do so until....

You see what happened was this:

(Last Thursday) I decided I needed a spray tan for last weekend's wedding we attended. I called numerous tanning beds in North Little Rock to see if anyone had time to airbrush me or had a VersaSpa. Everyone was either booked or had shanky spray booths and I don't like shankiness. I found a tanning "salon" in Little Rock who has a VersaSpa- SCORE!! I decided to go on Friday, super last minute.

I drove my happy ass to West Little Rock at lunch Friday to go to the fab VersaSpa. There was a 20 minute wait so I decided to go fill up my car with gas. I get back. The VersaSpa is now broken. Sweet! I need a freakin' spray tan people so I'm going to get one if it kills me. I swear it almost did but I'll get to that in a minute.  I drive to Maumelle because my trusty friend at NLR tanning salon #1 told me there was a place in Maumelle next to Beef O'Bradys that has a VersaSpa but he didn't know the name.. I drove there. They didn't have one. They have a Mystic Tan that was also broken. What is it with these spray booths? Are they hard to maintain??

I then drive back to NLR to another tanning salon that has a spray booth that was in working condition- The Mystic Tan experience ensued.

When you are a new purchaser of Mystic Tan they show you a 5 minute long video. That should have been warning sign number one. I watched the video and then went into my room to spread barrier cream all over my appendages and ears. I spot a sign talking about DHA (the color in tanning junk) and how the FDA has cleared it for use but hasn't conducted a study on how it affects you in an airbrush fashion.. Basically they know it's safe if you spread it on your body but not sure if it is when you close yourself in a 5 foot square box and inhale, ingest, and taste the stuff. warning sign number two. I then spot a sign talking about purchasing nose plugs.. Huh? I thought they gave those to you- I just decided to not breathe while in the booth. Can't be that hard to hold your breath for 30 seconds right? WRONG!! I couldn't have been more wrong.

Recap: The door closes, the timer starts ticking and the automated woman is still talking but I can't hear her because the door is closed.. Ahh! I'm getting scared. It starts- it's cold, and I'm trying to not breathe but unlike the VersaSpa that does one smooth spraying motion (much like an elevator going up... and then down), the Mystic Tan goes up and down, up and down, up and down. I can't get a breathe! And then I do- and I gag and get really really concerned at how sick it feels in my throat and mouth.. I try to crack my eyes open to see where the motion is- Is it going up or down? Do I have enough time to breathe without it crossing my face? That ensures I get an eye-full of mist. Not only are my eyes burning now, I know that I am officially going to die in this beauty gas chamber and that these are my last few breathes. Luckily I turned and had enough time to breathe through my hands to get my lungs full of semi  mist free air. Only 15 more seconds and I am free... I hold my hand up to the door sensor ASAP and get the hell outta there. Looking back all I see is a cloud of dark mist billowing out of the hell box.

Dramatized? Maybe...

Looking back- This experience has taught me to only spray tan in the safe environment of VersaSpa or airbrush.

I will leave you all with a video from a great Friends episode. I've told three people about last week's spray tanning fiasco and each then brings up this video- Must watch it!

Link for Friend's episode

Fun Hangover

Does anybody besides me ever get what I like to call "fun hangovers"??? After a weekend full of family time, eating delicious food, playing badminton, and kissing on my adorable niece Ann, I found myself mildly depressed Sunday evening.. Poor Brady gets the task of cheering me up when I face the reality of the weekend ending..

Our best defense against the Sunday night blues was watching "The Challenge- Battle of the Exes". God, we are classy individuals.. I swear...

Turns out this isn't that bad of a way to deal with reality... It makes you realize just how lucky you are that you never went on a reality show, that you never dated any of these fools, and that you have a real job and don't have to go on degrading shows for a chance of winning $75,000. Seriously though.. It is incredibly entertaining! :)

Pre- Easter lunch in Jonesboro

How was everyone's Easter? By the looks of pics from Facebook it seems like it was alll gooood everwhere! :) Happy Monday folks-

Suri Cruise= Youngest tyrant

Please tell me you already read Suri's Burn Book. In case you are living under a rock in a third world country with no internet or People magazine you should know about his blog. It is hilarious and written from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter's perspective.

This photo may be Brad Pitt’s past, but it’s Shiloh’s future.

Shirt and all.

Well, probably minus the trophy.

Britney Spears posted this photo of her son on her blog, saying, “Jayden is having some hair raising fun on the trampoline!”

Two things I hate: static and redneck backyards.

Is it just me, or does Vivienne Jolie-Pitt look like a younger version of Kristen Wiig’s roommate in Bridesmaids?

I won’t even start on Shiloh. I’m feeling charitable today.

Some of her favorite children to ostracize are obvi the Jolie-Pitt clan, but considering there are 13 of them (they really are a clan, or cult, or whatever) they are easy game.. So many of them. So many parenting wrongs in one picture. I positively enjoy the hilarity that ensues.. 

Yall didn't know I had a baby?! What???

Looking through my recently tagged and taken photos, I realized that most of them are with or of Baby Ann. It might look to the innocent stranger that Ann is in fact my child.. Meghan- What do you think about this? I know you're reading :)

I just can't help but take oodles and oodles of pics with her. She is the cutest thing ever in my humble opinion (which is the only one that really matters here) and I love her.

Photo Montage 1:

Easter with Ann.

Exercising with Ann

Wearing red with Ann

Being sassy to Brady with Ann

Playing nice with Brady with Ann

Talking sun protection with Ann

She's all grown up...

Wow! Kristin Cavallari is becoming an adult. I really don't think you become an adult until you get pregnant by your NFL quarterback fiance.. Just kidding.... But that may be the case for Ms. Kristin. Let's take a look back- I know I sure do miss Laguna Beach and my hubby Brady will agree.- He used to watch it in his college frat house with his college frat brothers while I watched it with my high school friends while we were in high school. See how I did that? I inconspicuously led everyone in learning that I am much much younger than my husband. I've been feeling pretty old lately but I can always reflect on how he is five years older than me. Yay! Carrying on...

A baby faced Kristin at her senior prom.

On the red carpet at what I hope is a swimwear fashion show?? 

And a cute preggo Kristin. I like her hair in the pic on the right. She has much better style than the A&F tanks she used to sport in high school. We all will pay for those sins one day though...

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days.. I've been in Northwest Arkansas for business. Ha- So professional sounding.. Guess that mean's I'm an adult.. :(

Shoes are a girls best friend... Right next to butter and sugar.

These shoes have all of the key ingredients for the perfect love affair. Lush textures, glitter, red soles, designer labels... Butter, sugar, love... Whatevs!

I made these for the Easter Seals Fashion Show that will take place tonight. They were too much fun to make and I hope I get plenty more shoe orders because they are oodles of fun to make.

My favorites are the neon yellow/green with the beaded heals.. What are you favs?

Check out Ann Potter Baking if you need any special order cookies.

I love receiving presents in the mail...

I might have a mild obsession with ordering things online- even menial little bitty things- just because I love opening my door and having a box there waiting on me. Man, I sound like spoiled freak when I re-read that sentence. But seriously, this Birchbox company has got it right! For $10 a month they send you a little box filled with large sample sized beauty products and such. It's like having an Easter basket each month.. Or a Christmas stocking. Whichever holiday is your fav.

March's Box. Had a green nail polish (perfect for St. Paddys day considering I opened it the Fri. before), some tea samples (I love tea!!!), sunscreen wipes, moisturizer, dry shampoo. Is that it? Can't remember.

February's box. Had these delish spicy chocolate bars, Juicy perfume sample, blemish serum, these super cool eyeliner tattoos (sounds crazy but.. not so), and some other fun things!

They package things so cute too!! The loot comes wrapped in tissue and a ribbon, then packaged in this durable box (hello upcycling), and shipped to you when you least expect it!

Check out Birchbox for oodles of fun!

Jorts=Jeans + Shorts

This time of year always brings on some major fashion cravings.. Yes, I know it is contradictory to say fashion in a blog post titled "Jorts" but it's okay. Embrace it. If Mary Kate and Ashley wear them, then they are totally in style right?

The must have for summer- Distressed jean shorts

Love Blair from Atlantic-Pacific!!

 Also on the must have- a new summer swimsuit.. Preferably something tribal or with fringe.

I would also like smaller boobs so I could rock out this "classic" i.e.- OLD Victoria's Secret swimmy suit.. Like how many years have they been selling this thing?? Lots!

And last but not least- actually last because I am five minutes from driving to the nearest J.Crew to get them- Mint Jeans

Love this pairing! This top is from J.Crew- tried it on the other day.. Maybe I should pick up when I grab the jeans??... I think so!

What are you wanting for your summer wardrobe?? Anything I must get?...