Imagine ~ Dream ~ Believe

Christmas Dinner Party Invitation

Seasons

I live in Texas and this summer we have had 40+ straight days of 100+ temperatures.  I love Texas.  I love living in the South but I am beginning to feel like I am living in the wrong part of the country as far as seasonal temperatures go.  I remember when I was growing up and in my teens, Summer was my favorite season.  School was out for the summer.  It meant laying out by the pool (for hours on end!), 4th of July picnics, going on vacation, eating watermelon, baseball games...  I definitely don't remember 100+ temperature days!  As I have gotten much older, my favorite season has definitely changed.  Now my favorite is Spring, followed by Fall.  But, in Texas where I live, Spring and Fall are the shortest (very short!) seasons.  It seems like it is very hot or cold here....not many days of warm and cool!

Spring is springtime, rebirth, renewal, and regrowth.  It is the most beautiful season!

  

 

Summer is the warmest of the seasons.  The days are the longest and the nights are the shortest.

   


  

Fall is the transition from warm to cold weather.  Trees start changing colors.  The arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.

   

 

Winter is the coldest season...days are short, nights are long.

  

Baby Boom

I love watching the movie, Baby Boom, starring Diane Keaton and Sam Sheperd.  It's an old movie made in 1987 but I watch it to this day.  Diane Keaton plays J.C. who is a businesswoman whose life is turned upside down when she inherits a baby from a distant relative.  It's a light-hearted fun movie.

    

   

Steak and Rice Dish

This is a very simple steak and rice dish that I love!  When I was growing up, my mom made this dish and I continue to make it to this day.

1 1/2 lbs round steak
1 onion
1 bell pepper
3 beef boullion cubes
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup minute rice
Salt

Trim and cut round steak into bite-size pieces.  Slowly brown steak pieces over low heat in a lightly salted skillet.  Drain.

Chop onion and bell pepper bite-size.  Add to meat.  Add beef boullion cubes, water, and rice.  Do not add any additional salt.  Cover and simmer over medium heat until dry (about 20 minutes).  Serve warm.

This dish is a great leftover to heat up.  It's just as good or better the second time around.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Style

So, I am in the process of starting to make some changes to my kitchen.  I want to make a lot of changes....paint the cabinets, change the flooring and the backsplash, get new countertops....just do a little remodel.  Fun, fun, fun.  I've been looking thru mags and online for kitchen pics and ideas.  Decisions, decisions.  Here's a few pics that I like....

HGTV Green Home Kitchen 2008 - One of my favs!  Fresh, sleek, cottagey.


Designers' HGTV Portfolio - Clean, simple, farmhouse-like.


Designers' HGTV Portfolio - Love the dark brown big board floating shelves!


What's my style?  Sleek cottage transitional.  Not sure exactly.  But I do know what I do like and what I don't like.  My kitchen has to be light in color definitely.  I will definitely have white cabinets, dark chocolate floating shelves, stainless steel appliances, and green (my favorite color) accents.  I'll post more pics that I like as I come across them.

So, do you know what your style is?