candice mclean

Digital Layouts

here are two more digital layouts using kaisercraft.

 

 

PS... before and after photos

here an image straight from my camera.

 

and here is the image post photoshop.

 

one step further... a little grunge!

 

a digital layout using kaisercraft's tag collection

kasiercraft has some great digital downloads and the TAG collection is currently FREE to download. go HERE to download the FREE digital collection.

 

everything you see on the above layout is kaisercraft except for the title and quote. believe is a combination of various fonts and the quote is by an unknown author typed in traveling typewriter (my absolute favorite font for journaling).

this is my second ever digital layout. scary, huh? a graphic designer by trade and i'm just now trying digi layouts. my first attempt was about a year ago, and i designed my own paper and textures. it was fun but took a long time. with digital scrapbooking and hybrid scrapbooking, there are so many companies offering their products in digital formats. i love this idea and i'm hooked!

i'm working on a few more digi layouts (loving this TAG collection) and i'll post them as i complete them.

cheers!

fashion and furniture

fashion...

anthropologie is one of my favorite shops. some fashionable wears that i'm eyeing...

 

this blouse with jeans and those boots below. *sigh*

 

these boots were made... for me!

 

and i'd totally wear those boots with this dress.

and that dress would totally look cute layered over jeans.

with those boots. of course.

 

and how cute would that apron look layered

over anything with those boots?

cute, right?

so cute!

furniture...

we are *looking* only looking at sofas. we're waiting to find out our next duty station before we invest in a sofa (so that's why we're only looking). i love the classic pottery barn slipcovered sofa and then i'm so drawn to a rich textured leather sofa. then i'm loving the more tailored pottery barn sofa. if my change purse could only afford any one of them. *wink*

btw... hubs came home yesterday with *the list*. the list of possible jobs. he put down in this order... germany, japan, hawaii. we're hopefully heading over seas and hopefully to germany. a girl can dream. we'll find out more soon.

 

pottery barn slipcovered sofa - PB basic

 

z gallerie leather sofa - dalton

 

pottery barn - seabury sofa

du poulet au parmesan (parmesan chicken)

last night, i made a delicious barefoot contessa recipe - parmesan chicken. pretty easy and very tasty!

 

 

candice mclean images - all photos taken with my iphone 

i served the parmesan chicken over a bed of green leaf lettuce with feta, grape tomatoes and sliced almonds. i was lazy and opted for a bottled paul newman's lighten up caesar dressing.

today, i met rita at the hair salon and i went bold. very bold. i am now sporting an auburn shade - more brown than red. may go back for more red tones. i've been tempted to do this for a while; and with fall hanging around the corner, i thought now is the perfect time. the kiddos and chip both are in shock. carys' reaction... she said, "you don't look like my mommy". later she told me it was pretty, but she missed my blonde hair. break my heart! *wink*

a glimpse. better photo tomorrow.

 

you gotta love these phones with built in cameras. right? we do.

a visit to ocean city

we visited grandpa and grammy sue at the beach a couple of weekends ago in ocean city, md. here are some photos of the kiddos playing at the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

roan, connor and me in shadow

spicy tortilla soup

the weather has been cold and rainy and with that i've been craving warm, hearty soups and stews. the october issue of food network magazine features 50 recipes for soups. perfect timing! last night, i made the spicy tortilla soup and it was heavenly. actually, this was the second time i've made this soup and it does not disappoint. a huge success with my family - the hubby and kiddos. so important! there's nothing more disappointing than making a meal to have your critics (in my case, my family) give you thumbs down. thank goodness this rarely happens, but there are times when i don't win them all over. okay, on to the recipe!

 

photo by candice mclean (taken with iphone)

spicy tortilla soup

my pantry may not always have the exact ingredients needed for a recipe, but i never let that discourage me from trying something new. i attempt to make my way to the store beforehand, but if it's been a busy, hectic day and my heart is set on trying something new, i'll improvise and substitute key components with ingredients i have in my pantry. regardless, i always change things up a bit according to what my palette likes. i suggest you do the same. try different recipes and be bold and swap out ingredients that you either don't have or don't like for those you do.

changes i made...

1 can of muir glen fire roasted tomatoes (in place of the 2 tomatoes)

1/2 of a seeded jalapeno (only 1/2 because my kiddos were eating this for dinner and I didn't want it too spicy). i used the jalapeno in place of the ancho chilies.

onion - i always use, well almost always use, sweet onions. i find yellow onions to be too strong. i love red onion and shallots too and use them occasionally.

saute 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in olive oil over medium heat until golden crusty brown coats both sides. cool then shred.

4 cobs of fresh white corn. hold your corn-on-the-cob vertically on a chopping board and slide your knife down the sides freeing the kernels.

7 cups of chicken broth (instead of just 6) to accommodate the chicken and corn.

1 tsp of slap ya mama for seasoning (thank you rita for the gift. i love this seasoning!!!)

salt and pepper to taste. start off minimally and then taste. as you simmer your soup the salt will enhance the flavors but you don't want it too salty.

i used flour tortillas the first time. last night, i used corn tortillas and they dissolved into the soup. it was yummy but i missed the flour tortillas and added a few. they plump up and act like fat noodles giving the soup a rich texture. so try one or the other or even both!

set out the toppings of your choice. last night i had on hand - sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh chopped cilanto and tortilla chips. i let my critics (wink - my family) add their own toppings. hint - including the kiddos in the process of cooking encourages them to eat what they create. yes! victory - something homemade, something delicious and something they like.

happy cooking my friends!

saturday morning

roan and i went for a run/walk with our two pups bailey and wally this morning. so good to get out and break a sweat and share some one on one time with my oldest daughter. she is growing so fast and i'm so proud of her. she joined the mile club at school and two days a week she stays after school to run with the club. she is doing amazing.

last week, i visited her class as they ran a one mile and she was the first girl to finish with a time of 8min 17sec. only one boy crossed before her. go roan!

horseback riding lessons will begin next week for her as well. she's anxious to start again. we were so spoiled in ca. we lived 5 minutes from the stables and had a great teacher. we found a barn here not too far away and it looks like we'll be happy. found some other ca girls who are riding there too so that will help roan ease into the group.

our weekend is just beginning... we're packing and getting ready for a trip to see grandpa and grammy sue in ocean city, md. after tate's soccer game, we're leaving for their house. looking forward to seeing my in-laws and spending the weekend next to the ocean. and, this will be my first glimpse of the atlantic since returning to the east coast.

grandpa turned 77 yesterday so we're celebrating his youth. the kiddos made the cutest birthday cards for him. i'll post some pics when we return.

have a beautiful weekend.

*hello world*

today was a beautiful almost fall-ish day. it began with a cool breeze and all of 64°. chilly enough for me to pull out a sweater and socks. no flip flops. then by noon it's warm again and almost 75°. oh fall, won't you please come for a whole day?

on another note... my day started a little rough. the automatic sliding door on my toyota sienna (yeah, i'm totally calling 'em out!) broke. yep. broke. it just would not close. so, i turned off the "power" and attempted to close it manually and heard a CRACK and then a cable flies in the air. all of this of course right before i need to drive the kiddos to school. ugh. thank goodness for suni my neighbor. she is so sweet. she volunteered to drive the kiddos to school for me. what a lifesaver! 

with the kiddos off to school, inside i go to retrieve my paperwork from previous service records. thank goodness i keep them all. background, i've taken my lovely van into the dealership for "door problems" more than 4 times. are you ready for it? ugh.

well, it is of course out of warranty. since i took the van in during the warranty there may be a chance to have toyota cover the repair cost. are you sitting down? well you better. to fix my lovely automatic sliding door (JUST ONE DOOR) it will cost me $2,232.00. are you freaking kidding me? cherry on top... the rear lift gate isn't working either. however, there was a recall on that so that's being covered. on monday, i'll be on the phone with the corporate office battling it out. one last one so prepare yourself. UGHHHHHHHHHHH! now, i'm all better. ;-)

off to take a hot shower and throw on some pjs. netflix delivered two great movies today. yay!

have a great weekend. cheerio!