Currently, A Movie Review and What I Have Been Up To!

Hey Y’all!


Well, school is finally over for the 2012-2013 school year. I had to go and work last Friday for a few hours, but then I was FREE. I took a few days to just read, relax and chill. Today I started my first of three graduate classes. And. Gulp. This summer is going to be busy.


Today I took a time out, after I did all of this week’s class reading, of course! I went to see the movie Now You See Me… it was very good and kept me guessing all the way through. If you are one of those folks that can see what is going to happen a mile away, this movie will be very interesting to you. It as very well done and very enjoyable. Go see it!


I have been very busy with the end of school and getting several knitting orders done. I don’t know if it is the weather or me finally coming off of the prednisone, but the joints in my hands have been killing me . So after packing up my room, I really haven’t felt like knitting. I have been doing a lot of reading! My library finally got with this century and decided to do an e book checkout. You can checkout two books at a time and keep them on your device (nook, Kindle, ipad, etc.) for 10 days. I have probably read about 8 books in the past two weeks. It is so great! And, the books are new ones, not ancient ones. I have updated my sidebar with “Reads from the Beach Chair” so you can see what I am reading!

Just in case you watch the weather as much as I do.. you saw that we had this little event last Friday….We had a visit from Tropical Storm Andrea.





We had mainly rain and little or no damage. I just hope that this doesn’t set the trend for the rest of the storms this year!

I have also been busy making pies! I had a baby shower to attend on Saturday and my Black Bottom Strawberry Pie was requested. The strawberries were so sweet. It was a darn good pie if I say so myself! I made this one on the fly… I didn’t use my own pie crust. But even with a graham cracker crust, it was yummy!




I have also not lost my “thrifting” ways! Since I am taking 3 graduate classes this summer, I really needed to set up a place to work. I had my laptop on my baker’s rack in my dining room, but really, it was not a comfortable place to work. I went into Goodwill last week and stumbled upon a desk that is just perfect. It is light and on wheels, so it is easy for me to maneuver. So, the baker’s rack went upstairs and I now have a great space to work. Here is the desk before I moved it in the house. Excuse the messy garage. That is on the “To Do” list this summer!


It has a place for everything and a place for my printer on the bottom. So for $10 I had a mini downstairs office makeover! I am sitting here right now updating the blog on the new desk! I’ll try and get a better picture of it tomorrow.

And, last but not least, here is this month’s Currently from Farley. On the bottom you had to writ three vacation necessities… Mine are a great book, a beach and of course, it would not be a vacation unless I could bring Pitty Pat. Ahh… no vacation for me this year. Just class work! Here’s hoping we can fit in a few roadtrips!

Well, let me run.. Pitty Pat needs his last nightly walk and we are in between storms at the moment.
Tootles!
JKP

Julia, Julia, Where For Art Thou?

HEY Y'ALL!!!
Glory Be. It has been a month since my last post. OMG. And it has flown people. I know it doesn't seem like it out there in blog land, when you want to read a new post, but. It's September 2nd people!

Let me catch you up!

During our last update I was just about to start school and Pitty Pat had just been to the vet. What I did not know was that not only was I having adjustment issues to starting back to school, but so was my furry baby. So on August 13th.. the DAY before I had to go back to work, I found myself in the Vet's office discussing the pro's and con's of Prozac for doggies. FOR REALS. Pitty Pat was so distraught that I was coming and going more and staying gone for longer periods of time... he licked his front left leg RAW. So. We had to wear a cone of shame for a few days. BOOOO!!

After a few days of me coming home for lunch and antibiotics and creams, Pitty Pat seemed to be turning the corner. I was able to remove the cone and he started to get used to our "new" daily schedule. Thankfully, without the Prozac.

One of the coolest things that has happened in my absence from the blog has been that I received an ipad from my school district. I love my ipad. It is so convenient. And. My time that I usually spend blogging, may have been replaced by playing my Mom and Aunt Gwen in online games. Oh yes. And. I usually don't win! Pitty Pat also likes the ipad. He loves to read Paddington stories!

Also. My new hobby of thrifting has kept me VERY busy too! I will update the thrifting blog, but I do want to share a few goodies here too. Here are a few outfits that I have found in consignment stores that have been getting a lot of wear during these Back to School Must Look Professional Days.

 

 

This is a cute brown dress that I found and I also bought it in black too. These dresses are so comfy and look great on too. I paid $5 A DRESS. They also manage to hide the 5 pounds I gained this summer from my cortisone shots. Oh well. At least I look cute!

 

 



This outfit is not entirely thrifted, just the shirt. It is a cute Ann Taylor Loft shirt that looks great with white or black. It also hides the "summer five." If you notice my shoes.. those are my wonderful Orthaheels. My feet feel great even after standing all day in my classroom. And. I know these are YUCKY bathroom shots. I just bought a new mirror today to use to show off some thrifty finds. Now. No more bathroom shots. Living room shots instead! :)

Anyway. I am really enjoying thrifting. This past week alone I have picked up a 4 piece place setting of Correlle, 2 vintage Pyrex mixing bowls, a Susan B. Anderson knitting book that I have been coveting, 5 shirts and two NEW pairs of pants. For $30. Um. YES!

Last weekend my Mom came for a visit and brought me a wonderful "new to me" gift. Over the summer whenever I would visit Mom, I just couldn't wait to use her Keurig to make my coffee every morning. I really wanted a Keurig, but just couldn't afford to spend that kind of money when both Pitty Pat and I are having nervous breakdowns about summer ending. And many Vet visits have been happening. Anyhoo. My mom has been through two Keurigs. Once she got her first one, she went ahead and upgraded to the Mack Daddy Model. She gave her first one to my Grandmother, who was terrified to use it. SO GUESS WHO HAS IT NOW???

Just looking at this picture makes me happy. What you don't know is that to get the Keurig to this exact location in my kitchen, we had to perform a FULL ON KITCHEN reorganization. It was painful people, but had to be done. :) Notice my caddy? It's my old spice rack. YEP. If you feel you need a caddy for your Keurig Coffee... hold the phone. Try your spice rack. SQUEEEEE!!!!!

While Mom was visiting we got to meet Uncle Richard and Aunt Brenda for lunch. It was great to see them and I really enjoyed visiting and catching up with both of them. Here's a snap of me and Uncle Richard. Do you like his sweater???

I found it for him. Still with the tags on it. For $3. I think he really likes it. He put it on right after I gave it to him! :) If you look closely.. you can see Mitzi Mazda in the picture too!

I haven't really done much cooking this summer, or knitting for that matter. I have just really enjoyed being home and traveling some too. Today I decided that my house needed to feel Fallish. So I put away my summer decorations and brought out my fall table decorations and my Department 56 Halloween Village. It doesn't help that it is still 95 degrees outside, but it feels nice in here. I think the Decaf Iced Pumpkin Latte that I had this morning had a little something to do with my urge to change seasons around here!

 

So in a nutshell (eventhough I am allergic to them) that has what has been going on. The beginning of school has been tough and every year I think that it is going to do me in. This year I have been fighting exhaustion like I have never faced. That has been hard and has contributed to the lack of blogging too. I know that y'all don't want to hear how tired I am when you are just as tired too! When Mom came last weekend, she took me to the grocery store because I haven't been in a few weeks. Now that is some kind of tired when you can't make it to the grocery store. I have a dr's appoitment in Charleston on the 13th to deal with some things, so maybe that will give me an answer too. And. Do you know how many consignment stores I can hit while I am in Charleston?????

 

I hope y'all are doing well too and thanks for coming back to read!

Tootles!

:) JKP

 

 

Fuh-Get About It Chicken... and Summer is FLYING By!

Hey Y'all!

These past few weeks have FLOWN by! I had a visit from BFF Marie last week. By last Sunday, I was on the road again meeting my Mom in Mt. Pleasant so she could pick up Pitty Pat for the week! Monday I had my third cortisone shot in my foot (YAY, it is soooo much better!). After my shot, I drove to Sumter to visit with my Grandparents. I had dinner with my Granny and then headed over to my Granddaddy's and Step Grandmother's house. My step grandmother Marge had eye surgery on Tuesday, so I was on hand to drive them around and help around the house. By Wednesday afternoon, I was back on the road to Beaufort. Which is where I am hanging out now. I am not sure when I am heading home, all I know is that I can't get back in my car and drive a long distance for a couple of days... I am tuckered out folks! But I am so glad to be back with my Pitty Pat! :)

Yesterday I did a little back to school (sob) clothes shopping here in Beaufort. Then Mom and I ate at a VERY yummy restaurant with some friends called Dockside. If you are ever in Beaufort, you must eat here! The cornbread is like cake! :) Also, this is the best seafood I have EVER eaten. Yup. It was that good!

Anyhoo, now that I have caught y'all up on my adventures, I thought I would give you a great and EASY recipe for the weekend! Y'all, this recipe is so easy and so yummy that I could eat this once a week. In fact, I am cooking it for Mom tonight!

It is called... FUH-Get About It Chicken (insert Jersey accent here!)
Here's what you will need......

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 cups of Minute Rice
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can of Cream of Celery Soup
1 packet of Onion Soup Mix
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Water

Start by mixing the soups, rice (uncooked) and 1 can of water in a bowl. Mix well. Pour mixture into a buttered baking dish. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Open the packet of Onion Soup Mix and sprinkle a bit on top of each chicken breast.

Now cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees for an hour and a half. Here's a disclaimer... this stuff smells so good, you will not be able to wait to eat it! :)

Make a salad or some veggies and enjoy dinner! :)

Oh and one more note..... You know how I was talking about how much I love my new shoes by Orthaheel? Well, they had a little sale on their website.. so I stocked up on some shoes for school! This is my rainbow of Orthaheels! If you have foot problems, you have to get some of these!

Alrighty!
Y'all have a great Friday!
Tootles!
JKP

p.s. Pitty Pat says he is having a great time at Granny's house! :)

Summer Fun!

Hey Y'all!

Well, I am two projects and one final away from finishing up my Summer 1 class! I did a lot of work this weekend. I am trying to stay off of my foot as much as possible. It is still bothering me, even after the first cortisone shot. I have been sleeping in my boot every night so hopefully with this next shot I will be even better! I will have to say, it is VERY nice to not be in constant pain.

Last week while perusing my favorite author's  (Karen White) Facebook page, I realized that she was going to have a book signing in Pawleys Island! So last Friday I headed down to Litchfield Books to pick up her newest book, Sea Change. It was a pleasure meeting Karen and she was so happy to talk to each one of us who came to the book signing! I like authors who enjoy meeting their readers. Karen is very down to Earth and entertained us with stories of her fans! Unintentionally several of us dressed in the colors of her book cover. Karen took a picture of us for her Facebook page!

After Karen signed my book, we posed for a photo too!

So that was my excitement for the last week! :) It has been too hot and cloudy to make it to the beach, so I have been working on my classwork instead. I am hoping once I get these last two projects out of the way and tackle the final, I can resume my lazy summer!

Last but not least, one of my projects that I had to do for my class was to "edit" a photo in Photoshop. The trick was, YOU had to be in the photo. So I had to go through the archives of Julia and Pitty Pat photos. The one I worked on is about two years old, but I think it turned out cute!

I am off to get some work finished for my class! Or maybe I will catch up on Facebook and Twitter! I don't have a lot of will to work this morning!

:) Tootles!

:) JKP

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos... Crockpot Style!

Hey Y'all!

I have been in paper writing mode for a few days now! I am so tired of writing papers. I am almost to the point where I don't even want to see my computer any more! But, I figured a blog post WITH a recipe would cheer me up tremendously! I submitted all SEVEN projects that are due on Sunday last night. I also went ahead and completed one of the projects I have due next week. So I figure that gives me today and tomorrow off.. just in time to go and hang at the beach! I also think that it is a crying shame that Friday was national flip flop day, and I had school work to do. Whah, whah, whah!


In true JKP fashion, this recipe is TASTY, CROCKPOTISH and EASY to throw together!
To make Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos you will need:

1 packet of Taco Seasoning
1 jar of 24 oz mild or medium salsa (your choice!)
The juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Oh, how I LOVE cilantro!
4 boneless chicken breasts

Combine the entire jar of salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice and the cilantro in a bowl. Mix well.

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the salsa, lime juice, cilantro, taco seasoning mixture over the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3.

About 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the crockpot. Shred into pieces. Place shredded chicken back into crock pot and mix well.

When ready, scoop chicken into taco shells and top with sour cream. DEVOUR.

p.s. You don't have to shred the chicken, you can serve the chicken breast whole, but I love adding it to a taco shell! You could also serve this in a tortilla bowl and make a salad out of it too!

Tootles!

:) JKP

Summer 2012 Favorite Things!

Hey Y'all!

Well. I had my first class Monday night, and let's just say that it is kicking my HINEY!!!! I have 7 papers due on Sunday at midnight. As of today, I have 5 out of 7 papers finished. Four of which I completed yesterday. After that, a reward trip to Bath and Body Works was required! Anyhoo, the class is not hard, just lots of things to do and lots of different due dates, so you have to make sure you are on top of it all the time! I thought about taking a quick road trip this weekend, but I want to work ahead a little so I am not overwhelmed next week.

I am still very happy that it is summer! Since I have been working so hard for the past few days and it has been very cloudy, I am off to spend the day at the beach today. Besides, my wrists are killing me from typing, so I think a day off is exactly what I need. But, before I go, I wanted to share a few of my favorite things from this summer. :)

Y'all know I love my iced coffee in the summer. While perusing the dairy aisle the other day I came across a magnificent invention. Iced Coffee. Already made. :) It comes in mocha and vanilla flavors. So far, mocha is my favorite! AND, this watermelon juice from Minute Maid is my all time favorite. Yes, it's probably LOADED with sugar, but it is yummy and caffeine free. Whoop, whoop! The watermelon juice is hard to find, and I have to buy several when I go to the store because it is so hard to keep in stock. Apparently, I am not the only fan! I found both at the Evil Empire. (AKA Wally World.)

Another thing that I am a big fan of that I discovered this summer is SPOTIFY! This is an online music service where you can listen to playlists that others have created and you can create too! I found this from Bath and Body Works online. They have a great American Summer playlist! If you look on the left side of the blog, I have linked to a Strawberry Lemonade Summer 2012 playlist that I created. The basic Spotifiy service is free and it has great playlists!

My other summer favorite has been a favorite for a few months. After reading on several blogs about Birchbox, I decided to check it out. Birchbox is a beauty sample box that is delivered monthly to your door for $10. You get 5 samples of the most current beauty must haves. And, let's face it, you can drop $10 on gum and Kleenex. :) I have received two boxes so far and I have loved everything in them! Each box has a theme. The first box I received was a "Gossip Girl" theme based on the show.
Your box comes beautifully packaged. It's such a treat to get each month!

In my first box I got a fabulous moisturizer, great hair care samples, an awesome coral nail polish, and a fantastic lotion.

I received my second box on Monday. This month's theme was Jet Set. So all of the samples are something you can take with you on a trip!

This month I got a wonderful lip tint, that I can't STOP wearing, and Staniac cheek and lip stain, a fantastic hair concoction, a precious zippy bag for traveling and some acetone free nail polish remover pads!

So, if you have been wondering about Birchbox, give it a try. You can cancel at anytime. It's just a nice treat to get for yourself!

Finally, this is not a favorite summer thing, but this is such a good deal, I just had to share!

 About a month ago I was with my Mom in Big Lots in Sumter, SC. We were visiting my grandparents and my Mom kept telling me how Big Lots had Philosophy cosmetics for $3.00. So we went and checked it out. I am a FORMER philosophy girl. They have changed to a new formula for their makeup and with the expense, I just wasn't happy. But, for $3, I found myself very happy!

Most of the makeup was from the Grace line, which I just love. I got blushes, eye shadow, illuminators, bronzers and lip gloss too. For a grand total of $37, I got $298 worth of Philosophy products. Yup. And. My makeup drawer got a good cleaning out!


So those are a few of my favorite things and deals that I have gotten this summer. I am off to enjoy a few hours at the beach! I hope you have a good day!

Tootles,
JKP

Storm Fest 2012!

Hey Y'all!

I can tell I am on summer break! Not only has the African Sleeping Sickness hit me (where I want to sleep ALL the time to catch up on all of the missed sleep during school) but, I am also forgetting what day of the week it is! I have had to set two alarms on my phone so I will remember to go to my graduate class on Monday! :)

Today I went to something fun! All of the local TV stations, along with the National Weather Service and South Carolina Emergency Management Division hosted a Storm Fest! You know me, I HAD to attend! I am very glad I did. I picked up several things for my classroom and personal weather use. :) I even scored a free t-shirt from one of our local TV stations.

Here's my SWAG.....

I also picked up a cute craft idea to help my kiddies remember the water cycle... a water cycle bracelet! I have to admit, I haven't taken mine off yet! :) It starts with a green bead to remind the children of the grass and plants. The next bead is yellow for the sun. The white bead is for the clouds. The blue bead is for the water in the lakes, ponds and oceans. The last bead is clear to help the children remember the concept of evaporation and condensation! So cute!

I came home from Storm Fest and took a three hour nap! Then I proceeded to clean my house and catch up on laundry. I have taken a peek at my syllabus for my class that starts next week, and I have SEVEN projects due. Good grief. So I figured I better get caught up on house work and laundry!

Tomorrow I plan on going to church and then, where else.... THE BEACH!
I have found a wonderful "new to me author" Karen White and I just can't put down her books. I love her books because they all take place on the coast of South Carolina. Check her out, you will really enjoy her books! I started with On Folly Beach and now I am on to The Beach Trees. She also has a set of books that are mysteries and take place in Charleston.

Alrighty. I have one more load to go into the dryer... and then I am calling it a night!!!!
Tootles!
:) JKP

Happy Summer!

Hey Y'all!

Did you notice I took a little vacay from the blog during the month of May? Well. I'm BAACCKKK! And, it's SUMMER!

I am not going to lie, this last bought of vertigo has really taken a toll on me. It was all I could do to make it through the school day, get ready for the next day, and then get myself home. Our last day with kiddies was Friday and I have a workday on Monday. I am hoping a few days of rest, sun and fun and I will be back, good as new. I haven't been able to go to Zumba all month because I still can't look up or down without getting very dizzy. So I am hoping that I can go back after I have gotten some rest!

I can't believe that on Friday, I wrapped up year 15 of teaching for me. I did shed a few tears as my babies left for summer. But, they totally spoiled me before they left! Here are a few of my end of the year gifts.

I LOVE Tervis Tumblers and received a few as gifts! I take my coffee in one every morning. Then, I rinse it out and add water! I received some beautiful "P" notecards and a very pretty bracelet. I also got some smell goods that I have been putting on myself everytime I go into Bath and Body Works! Malibu Heat is beach in a bottle. I swear! I also was given a beautiful Mandevella flowering plant by one of my students. I have the perfect place to plant it so it can grow!

On top of the end of school and vertigo, I have had a knitting project that I had to finish for a friend. While this was an ok knit, I have decided not to do anymore knits for folks that make me have a deadline. I actually lost my knitting mojo a bit while I was working on this project. I don't know if it was the blanket (not my favorite things to make) or the fact that this project kept me away from doing SO many other things that I love because it was time consuming and I HAD to get it done.  I was just glad to finish this up. From now on, I am sticking to baby hats for gifts. NO MORE BLANKETS. Here's a finished picture....

This was a simple dishcloth pattern baby blanket and paper bag pattern hat. It turned out great but, blankets are no longer my cup of tea!

Today, I had my first summer adventure! My Mom bought an ipad last Monday and I am getting one through my school district in the fall. I know. YIPPEE! So I drove to Charleston to meet Mom and Aunt Gwen at the Apple store on King Street. We took a basic ipad class today. It was really fun to be in a real Apple store. We do not have one here in Myrtle Beach. We learned a few tricks and tips and then had a yummy lunch right across the street from Apple. We walked around a bit and even wandered into Knit. Since I am still leary from my last LONG knitting project, I really wasn't in the mood to buy ANY yarn. But I did find somehthing to get the yarny knitty juices going again. This is a SIMPLE project and it's for me! I will show you what it becomes in a while. I am not planning on picking up the needles again for a few days. I also picked up some Soak to clean some of my knits with.

My best friend Marie is coming to visit me on Tuesday and we have some touristy adventures cooked up. I am so looking forward to hitting the beach with a good book, decaf sweet tea and soaking up some sun!

I hope you are having a nice weekend wherever you are!

Tootles!

:) JKP

p.s. You need to "LIKE" Bath and Body Works on Facebook. They are running a month long countdown to summer on their page. Each day they have a new treat. Sometimes it is a coupon. They put up an American Summer playlist on Spotify last week and it is DIVINE! I can't stop listening to it! :)