Birthday Post #1

As many of you know, I'm an Oilfield wife; which means I don't get near as much time with my husband as most people do. This past week, he's been home at a decent hour almost every night, so please forgive me for neglecting my blog. I try and soak in as much hubby time as I can. :)

The past two weeks haven't been much to blog about. Normal day to day stuff, nothing fun or crafty going on over here. This past week, I spent most of my time getting ready for my birthday party! Will was thoughtful enough to invite some of my friends over for a small party, but then realized how much goes in to acutally throwing a party. So after the house got a deep cleaning, it was prep time!

We did small finger foods, nothing big. The biggest hit, as always, was the green beans wrapped in bacon. Yum!

My biggest accomplishment was my pumpkin keg!

Although it was super easy to make, it was a big deal for me.

How to make a Pumpkin Keg:

Start off with any size pumpkin you'd like. I used a big pumpkin since we were only going to serve one type of beer via pumpkin keg.

Cut the top so you can remove all the fillings.

Once you've removed all the seeds, there's 2 options.

Option 1:

If you're going to use an Oktoberfest beer, you won't need to clean the inside of the pumpkin. It helps give the beer a better flavor.

Option 2:

Scrape all of the insides of the pumpkin out until it's hollow. This way there isn't any pumpkin flavor in your beer. If you'd like, you can add a small (4gallon) trashbag on the inside. The bag makes the nozle portion tricky, but we'll get to that in a minute.

You'll need a spicket/nozle as pictured above. Simply outline the nozle then carve the circle in your pumpkin. If you're not using a bag, you can screw your nozle in and you're good to go!

If you're using a bag, you'll need to hold the fastner(I don't know the acutal term for the piece inside the pumpkin to hold the nozle on, sorry!) on the inside of the pumpkin and turn the nozle itself. This helps from tearing the bag inside.

Here's a few more pictures from our gathering, hope y'all have a good day!

Party favors :)

Poodle cake!

Will's so crafty. He carved me a Poodle Pumpkin!

Weekend "getaway"

Tuesday already? :(

This past weekend Will and I went to the Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma University game...... even though Texas Tech lost, we had a great time! It was Will's first Texas Tech game, which he said is much different from all the Aggie games he's gone to. We had awesome seats, 50 yard line, row 15! Of course, Will went for the game, I went for the band :)

We arrived in Lubbock late Friday night, thanks to Haleigh Foust for watching our girls. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Marsha Sharp Fwy, which was very nice and clean! Will told me that he use to be able to stay in any hotel, but since meeting me, he can only stay in nice hotels! Maybe he'll grasp my "camping is considered anything less than a 3 star hotel" concept too?! Doubtful.

Will and I stay at Holiday Inn Express' when we travel if at all possible, and have earned a ton of reward points. When we arrived, they gave us a small goody bag and a Priority Club welcome letter signed by the manager of the hotel; How nice :)

Come Saturday, it was game time! We found out that it was the "Black Out" game, so we were off to find black shirts to wear! We of course went to the mall, got our shirts and maybe a few more things, then headed to the food court. While trying to decide where to eat, I saw Jimmy Zimmerman! I haven't seen him in about a year, so good to see him! Got the chance to catch up with him at lunch, then headed off to the game.

We all know that Texas Tech got an ass whooping, so we won't even get into that....... either way we had a great time! Here's some pictures from the game :)

Warming up, we got to the game about an hour early

School song time!

Wish the guy in front of me had sat down, or not been so tall! hahaha

Loving the panoramic option on my iPhone!

Did you watch any football this past weekend? Luckily, this was the only game I had to watch!

Hopefuly, I'll have more to blog about next time... have a great week y'all!

October, finally!

It's finally October!

This is my favorite month, by far. So many great things to celebrate!

My grandmother turns 89 today, I'll be 23 on the 23rd, and it's Halloween!!!!

Can it get any better? Didn't think so.

This past weekend, I went home to celebrate my mother's and grandmother's birthdays. Mom's was September 24th and Pmom's is October 1st, exactly 1 week apart. Friday night, I killed my mom and Pmom in a game of Mexican Dominos, as usual, and just hung out with the family. My mom and I went to Layla's after to have some quality YouTube time. :)

Saturday morning, we had a "fashion show" at Nolan Nursing Home. They had about 8-9 dogs dress up in costumes and parade around some of the residents. Such a fun time, everyone was so cute! Little did we know, it was a contest! Cayley and Luna won first place (I almost cried, I know...) and they were so happy! :) The residents made us a precious dog blanket, and gave us a huge basket filled with dog treats, grooming supplies, and a gift card!

Saturday afternoon, Kailee Hall was sweet enough to babysit Romi and Jake for us, so Layla could go to Abilene with mom and I! :) YAY!!! Romi and Jake had such a good time with her, they just loved her! We went to Abilene, which of course meant we had Thai food... yummmmmm. Ran around, shopped, shopped some more, ya know, normal girl stuff.

I came home Sunday, turned on my iPod, and went straight to decorating. Halloween is my favorite holiday, it's just so much fun! Here's a few pictures of what I accomplished.

 

I'm on a mission to find my wreath hanger :(

 

Buffet decor, just love lighted garland!

These guys are on each side of our TV

Not even my fridge is safe! :)

And of course, I have to post my "weekly" Christmas ornament. I thought this was fitting for October, don't you?

Hope everyone has a great week! Sorry for the long, picture filled post.... I get a little excited about Halloween!

Souper Salad?

Happy Hump Day! :)

Hope you've had a good week so far, it's been a long one in the Payne house......

Last night, Will and I had to go to Hobby Lobby (yes, had to) which is on the opposite side of Midland for us. I mentioned to Will that we had a new place to eat, Souper Salad! I remember going to one in Abilene with my mom.... so I convinced him that we had to go there for dinner. I must say, this one doesn't have as much as Abilene use to, but it is soooooooo much cleaner! :)

I had a small salad, 1 slice of pizza, 1 bread stick, and a baked potato. Will had the same as I did, except he had the Texas Chili and Potato Soup instead of a baked potato. We both really enjoyed the food and atmosphere, very calm and laid back. The price was okay, $21.00 for the both of us..... 

 

Do you ever just feel like getting out of the house for dinner?

We sure do! :)

 

My First Birchbox!

Yay for Saturday!
:)

I know I've been on a blog spree lately, but I just can't help but blog about my first Birchbox!

I found out about Birchbox from Brittany, and just had to sign myself up!

If you're not familiar with Birchbox, you've got to check it out! You sign up, wait on a waiting list (which what seems like takes forever!), then finally get your first box! It's full of goodies, for $10 a month, that you can try before you buy!

What a great concept!

 

 

1. boscia | B.B. Cream SPF 27 PA++
   Powerhouse multitasker works as a primer, serum, foundation and SPF. The sheer formula adjusts to match your skin tone. - Full-size, $38
2. twistband | Hair Tie
   Ponytail makeover with this colorful, snag-free elastic! - Set of 12, $18
3. Color Club | Birchbox Custom Polish
   Color Club custom shade for Fall 2012 - Full-size, $8
4. tili | Bag
   Super cute plastic bag perfectly sized for all your beauty essentials! - Pack of 9, $8.49
5. Gift Card from Madewell!
6. Juicy Couture | Viva la Juicy La Fleur
   Modern scent is a feminine blend of wild berries, mandarin, and waterlilly - Full-size, $70
7. Sedu | Anti-Frizz Polishing Treatment with Pure Argan Oil
   Get super shiny, super soft hair with this argan-infused serum, which also protects from heat styling and UV rays. Can be used on damp or dry hair. - Full-size, $16-$37

Have any of you used any of these items, or already a Birchbox subscriber? I'd love to hear your feedback! :)

Here's a small treat for my favorite photographer, Kit Womble (Photography).
Hope you like it, Kit!

Have a safe Saturday night!
Will and I are off to see Big and Rich....

 

Photo shoot and more Christmas ornaments?!

Happy Thursday night y'all!

Hope you've had a great week. It's sure gone by quick in the Payne household... funny how Will's "off call" time goes by so much faster than when he is "on call"... :(

Not too long ago, Will, Cayley, Luna, and I had our annual photo session with the lovely Kit Womble (Photography). I just love Kit, she's so easy to work with and has a wonderful sense of humor! Can't wait for our next photo session :)

I just had to post a few of my favorites from our session... I won't bore you all too long, but I'm just dying to show these!

 

How cute are our children!?!

Thanks again Kit, I know I keep saying that but OH MY GOSH! :)

Tonight, Miss Cayce's Christmas Store (y'all might as well get use to seeing lots of Christmas posts from now on....the madness has started) one of the artists from Coton-Color Ornaments was doing a signing, which means I had to go! I could spend forever in there, thanks to Allison for keeping me in line and not buying anything more than what I went in for. (A first, indeed!)

Got these ornaments personalized, love it!

 

This one if my favorite..... For my best friend in the whole entire world, Layla Marie. Although I may spoil her kids with everything and anything they ask for, sorry Layla, you know you're my favorite when I get you something that's so near and dear to my heart. Love you Skray!

 

That's all for tonight, folks!

I've got 2 tired poodles waiting for me to take them to bed.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Christmas in September?

Is it too early to think about Christmas? 

Cause I've been thinking about it since July!

Although I buy most of my ornaments from Hobby Lobby when they're 40-50% off there's a store in Midland that has completely stolen my heart. If you're from the Midland-Odessa area, you probably already know what store I'm talking about......

Miss Cayce's Christmas Store

This place has so much stuff, I could (and have) spend hours upon hours just looking at everything! They've got everything from Christmas to Halloween to Thanksgiving. Absolutely amazing decoration..... I saw a few that I just couldn't pass up and thought I'd share with y'all!

Sorry Ginger, I thought about your post while I was planning my Christmas decor.... since I already have Halloween and Thanksgiving planned out :)

 

 

Have you started thinking about the holidays, let alone Christmas?

Happy Monday!

3 weeks past.... A week to go!

Hello :)

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.... The Payne famdam have been busy busy lately!

3 weekends ago (sheesh!), Will and I decided that we were going to redo our backyard.

We started off with a 3 hour trip to Lowes, which was so fun..... I know you can hear the excitement through my words. After finally buying half of the garden center and about a 1/4th of the lumber department, we were off to start our makeover! Will called a few friends (thanks again guys!) to come over and help while I went to the store to buy beer and snacks. 5 more trips to Lowes later, we were finally done!

We expanded out back patio by adding stepping stones, which gave us a place to put the grill. We also replaced and painted the patio posts, and built a small bar! I went to target and got some solar lights to place around the new stepping stones. Got a great deal on all of the lights, 50% off! One happy wife, for sure!

 

2 weekends ago, we threw a small party for Will! He turned 26, but the real reason to celebrate was the fact that this was his first birthday off from work in almost 4 years! So glad we got to celebrate it, finally! I cooked some ribs (thanks Stephen :) ) and pork tenderloins wrapped in bacon... sooo good that I didn't even get a chance to take pictures of them! Darn! But I did get the chance to snap a few pictures of my green beans wrapped in bacon. They're so easy to fix, and always a hit at get-togethers! All you do is take fresh, uncooked green beans, wrap them in bacon, smack em on the grill with foil underneath and bam! :) So easy and soooo good!

 I also ordered personalized koozies as "thanks for coming" gifts, figured they'd fit the occasion. Along with the koozies, I also made small Crown/Jack Daniels and Coke bags! Just a small something to grab on your way out, incase you weren't done drinking :)

This past weekend, Romi, Layla, and Jake came to visit us! I just love when they get to come, too bad Stephen couldn't make it.... although I don't think he would have had as much fun as we did.... Will's been on call this past week and hasn't been home all weekend! :(

Friday night, we took the kids to see Finding Nemo, 3D! I think Layla and I were more excited than the kids were! :) It was their first movie in a movie theater, as well as their first 3D movie! They did really good, I was surprised!

Saturday, we took the kids to Lubbock to do a little shopping for Romi's first year in school. I know we're a little late, but better late than never, right? We had such a good time in Lubbock, can't wait to go back! The only downfall was that not only was it a home game, but we later found out that it was also "Parent's Weekend"......... so of course everything was PACKED! We went to the mall, got tons of stuff for Romi and Jake, I just love spoiling them..... Sorry Layla! :)
After the mall, we took the kids to the Science Spectrum, and boy did they have a blast!

 

Sorry for such the long wait on an update, September has been crazy for the Payne family!

What are you doing to prepare for fall? It's coming soon, thank goodness. Will you be decorating for Halloween or going straight to pumpkins and turkeys?

Halloween is slowly making it's way into the Payne living room from the garage..... I'm sure Will is going to be thrilled when he gets home.

Going to have to end this post with my favorite picture of the weekend... enjoy!

(Sorry Stephen and Layla)

 

Happy Sunday, have a great week!

Monday, already?

Weekends for the Payne family tend to go by way too fast.

This past weekend, Will decided that we need to go to Sweetwater, which is unusual because it's normally me that makes him go to Sweetwater...... Oh well! :) My mother enjoyed it no matter who made the decision to go home.

Friday was family night.

My mother, father, Will, and I went out on the town :) Sweetwater recently got a new place.. which doesn't happen, ever! It's called Aroma's on Oak Street, next to SPAC. From what I've heard, they have wonderful coffee. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so I can't confirm this. They have a really neat atmosphere, and seating outside! Seems to be a nice place to hang out for sure.

 Dad and I at Pmom's house

 

Mom and I at Pmom's house

 

 

Saturday came, and it was off to Abilene we went! Layla and Romi accompanied me, and we had a blast. Layla finally got an iPhone, hopefully she'll stop complaining now! ;)

If you're a Thai food lover, like myself, you've got to try Bangkok Thai in Abilene. Absolutely the best Thai food in West Texas! I stick to my usual, as does Layla.... but my mother is much more adventurous than us and says that everything is good. I stick to Satay Chicken, Spring Rolls, and Chicken Fried Rice. Wonderful, just wonderful! Don't worry Diet, I haven't forgotten about you... just figured you needed a day off.

Satay Chicken Peanutbutter Sauce and Cucumber Salad

 

Spring Roll and Sweet Sauce

 My little Romi had her charm turned up Saturday while we were in Abilene! As if she isn't already the cutest little girl I've ever seen, this face just melts my heart.

 

I'm the first person to admit, that I'm a mommy's girl.... there's no question about it.

This is the cuteness that my mother and I woke up to Sunday morning while Will went fishing....

 This week, as well as the next, I'll be busy cleaning house and getting ready for Will's 26th birthday party. This is the first time in 3 years that he's been off to celebrate his birthday, so I've got to do it big!

What do you do to get ready for an adult party and what are some good ideas?

Can't wait to see what you have to say.

Happy Monday! :)

 

In-Law Visit

Welcome Back! :)

Talk about a fast weekend..... this past weekend, Will was on call at work, so he spent most of his Saturday working. I spent my Saturday morning shopping, which is not my forte, surprisingly....

There a shop in Odessa, called Wild Wild West, it's absolutely awesome! I bought two pieces of furniture and some shutters for decoration :)

I saw this last weekend and just knew I had to have it!

It's much more turquoise in person.....

 

This is our new buffet, absolutely love it!

 

These are the shutters I got to go with our newest piece of artwork, from Hobby Lobby

 

Thanks again to Tricia Holcombe for helping me this past week! I couldn't have done it without you :)

 Here's a few more pictures of our new decor

Table from Kirklands

 

PAYNE letters and cross from Hobby Lobby

 

Everything from Hobby Lobby, except our photo and frame (thanks Carnival Cruise Lines!)

 Wil's grandfather worked for Texaco and owned a few gas stations, so I figured it was appropriate and a fun touch to our dining room.

 

 Will's mother, grandfather, and two sisters (Laura and Kristen) came to visit today on their way home from New Mexico, so glad they had a chance to stop! We just love seeing our family. My mom came in as well before everyone else showed up. Sure wish she'd move to Midland already! :(

I cooked steaks, green bean casserole, creamed corn, brown sugar baked beans, and yummy mashed potatoes! We had sugar free yellow cake with chocolate icing (sugar free as well) for desert.

Green Bean Casserole

 2 cans of cooked Green Beans

2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can of French Fried Onions

1 Tsp of Soy Sauce

1 cup of Mile

1 Tsp of Pepper

(makes 6 servings)

 Mix all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl, minus 1 1/2 cups of French Fried Onions, those come in to play later.

 Place mixed ingredients in the serving dish of your pleasure and cook in the oven at 350F for 25 minutes, stir and add remaining French Fried Onions. Cook for 5 more minutes, then you're ready to serve!

 I had to make mine ahead of time due to timing.... How do you handle pre-mixing/making?

I tend to make notes on my foil before I wrap it up :)

I tried to snap a picture of the finished product, but Will got to it before I could! :(

We had a wonderful visit with Will's family, sure wish they could have stayed longer! For now, I'll end this with a photo of Will and his Grandfather. We take a picture of the two of them everytime we see him. We just love him!

Happy Sunday, y'all!

Have a great week!!