Ozo Summer Salad

Monday, July 30, 2012

Orzo Summer Salad 





After having a great salad from Fresh Market last week,
I decided to make my own version of it.


1 package Orzo Pasta (I used Trader Joe's)
1 Tomato
1/2 can Black Beans
1/2 small container of Feta cheese
1/2 small bell pepper 
juice from 1 lemon 
fresh cut lemon balm from my garden
fresh cut cilantro from my garden
olive oil, sea salt, garlic and pepper. 

Boil the Orzo pasta and wait until it cools.
Mix all other ingredients with the pasta.
Serve!

It is super yummy and healthy.   

Naples, Florida

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Last week my boys headed to Key West 
annual boys trip
Mini Lobster Season
they struck gold this time
they limited every.single.day

So, my girl and I hit Naples
each with a friend
girls week

Here is a photo out of my window on the way down
not pretty

 but that was the first and last of the rain

We hit our favorite breakfast spot early Monday morning


 Here are a few sights from Naples



 A pic of the beach the first night - it looks like the sand is meeting the sky


Early next morning we headed to Marco Island
made a stop at the Isle of Capri for a drink



Marco Island Beach



Dinner at Ft. Myers beach


Next beach, Ft. Myers 


Bonita Beach



Naples Beach


Lover's Key State Park 
Awesome beach - you park and take a tram to the beach
you get to ride around the beautiful state park
beautiful palm trees, bridges, and manatees














Next was breakfast and shopping on 5th Avenue before hitting the beach






This was my yummy breakfast
Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes 
Yummo!


And we always have to visit Trader Joe's 
in any town we are in
we have to drive 45 minutes to our closest
 Trader Joe's at home




How beautiful are these flowers?  All over 5th Avenue.


Sweet girls going to dinner. 


And Kelly and I going to dinner. 


Savannah learning yoga poses - didn't take her long.  



And here are two phone photos my sweet guy sent of the lobster they caught in Key West.



Here's a pic of the Fresh Florida Lobster they caught. 


We had a wonderful time, beaching it, shopping, (West Elm Love)  sight seeing, visiting 4 different beaches, doing Pinterest projects, (photos later post) and having a lot of girl time.
A wonderful week and only 2 hours from home.
We are truly blessed.

xo 



I heart the beach.

Friday, July 27, 2012


This little heart shell sums up our week at the beach.
I heart it.

I hope your weekend is filled with sunshine too.

xo 

Craft Night

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Here's a quick look at two cute wreaths my mom and I made last night. 

Her wreath
We started with a grapevine wreath  that we already had
The "J" is a small metal sign from Michael's
$1.00
The ribbon is also from Michael's 
Using a 25% off coupon made it $8.50
We took a small piece of wire and attached the sign to the wreath
My mom hand made the bow and we also wired it to the wreath
covering up the top wire of the sign.
So easy and she loved it.
Total Wreath = $9.50



My Wreath
I found these two Lemon Wreath's at Kirklands
They were originally $7.99 each
Marked down to $4.99 each 
and then 1/2 off of that
SCORE
I loved the wreath but knew it was too 
small for my door
so I decided to buy two of them 
and see what I could do
I found the yellow and white ribbon at Michael's
again with a 25% off coupon - $7.50
We took thin wire to connect the two wreaths
My mom again hand made the two bows
This time we actually hot glued them to the wreaths.
Added a small ribbon to hang on the wreath hanger
And there you have it.
Total = $12.50
And I love it.
Lemon's are my thing and our home is yellow 
so it's perfect.

Sorry for the less than quality photos,
they are from my phone
and at night 
but I was excited to show you.

xo

The Brass Tap

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Brass Tap is up for an award
If you are local, please vote


How exciting for Steve and his partners
that their establishment is up for this award

The Brass Tap





The Brass Tap is an upscale beer bar that offers 40-60 different craft beers on tap, more than 300 varieties of imports, local craft beers, and a large selection of premium wines and cigars. We are constantly searching for the best beers from all regions around the world, and rotate our taps to ensure that you can always expect to find a new favorite. We offer hundreds of different bottled beers that are also available for carry out. At The Brass Tap, you can enjoy our spacious patio and never have to drink the same beer twice!














In addition to our beer, music and entertainment is a huge part of The Brass Tap experience. We strive to create a unique and friendly atmosphere every time and our daily entertainment is carefully selected to fit this niche, by offering the best line-up of local bands. The Brass Tap vibe is upbeat, but casual all at the same time.




Thanks for your support blogger friends. 

xo 

Laundry Love

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

During my 40 bags in 40 days 
Lent Project
I found a handy little way to organize my
"laundry needs"


I picked up a used jewelry travel bag at a local thrift shop
washed it of course
and I'm using it to hold the items that I need right next to the
laundry sink and the washing machine












I also organized my shelf with shoe bins 
from the Dollar Tree



Total cost for 10 bins and the travel bag = $13.00


xo


DYI Jewelry Board

Monday, July 16, 2012

So I crossed another item off my Summer Bucket List this week
 A very large Jewelry board
Made with love by my sweet dad, Savannah and myself
actually my dad and Savannah did most of the work
but I did hang out with them and take pics :)

We started with a piece of plywood about 3 feet long
purchased burlap from Joanne's to cover,
and purchased different furniture hardware to attach

We took the burlap and completely covered the board
used a heavy duty staple gun to attach on the back
Then we drilled very small hole and
 started attaching the hardware.
Lastly we attached a wire picture hanger on the back.

This baby is going to hang on my bedroom wall. 

Easy Peasy!







(not sure why this pic looks lumpy - it's definitely very smooth)





Savannah liked it so much, she talked grandpa in to coming back
on Sunday and make her one too.
She decided hers would work better horizontal.
                 


Hope your checking items off your Summer Bucket List too.


xo
Made With Love By The Dutch Lady Designs