Tuesday, June 29, 2010

In the Mood for Chocolate!

I'm always in the mood for chocolate. I love chocolate desserts, rich brown clothing, and brown home accents. It is my "new-black". I wear a lot of brown and turquoise jewelry, so I have to match with brown accessories. I use brown as the foundation and then brighten up with pinks, blues, and greens. You can't go wrong with browns.


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Brown Sugar Apron
I made this one in a brown and grey/blue fabric. It has two brown taffeta pockets and brown lace trim. It is not your every-day apron. It is the perfect hostess apron for your next special dinner. Love the rich brown waist band.


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Now on to tasty treats. LOVE THEM ALL. Yummy!!

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Gorgeous brown accessories. Use boldly or just a hint.

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Brown home deco is so warming. It looks great with bright accents.


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Thankful Penny Pinching Ideas
As a single mom I'm always have to be thrifty and stretch my pennies as much as possible. This Thankful Thursday, I'm thankful for my job because we are blessed with a good income. Yet, I don't splurge irresponsibly. When we go out to eat we order the full size meal so we can have leftovers. It is a lot of food but we can stretch it into 2 meals. Here's and example of one of our favorite restaurants, Texas Road House where we enjoy "Fall-off-the-Bone" Ribs: a 1/2 slab ribs is $12 and a full slab ribs = $17. For just $5 extra we get delicious ribs two days in a row; and we really should be eating smaller meals anyway.

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Blog Parties & Events ~ Click here for list

Have a great week!
Yoli :)
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Sunday, June 27, 2010

Monday ~ Texas Senorita

Happy Marvelous Monday! I'm a Texas Senorita who passionately in love with my beautiful state. I live in central Texas so I'm just a skip-hop away from everything. Many of my apron designs are inspired by the Lone Star State. I want to give a shout-out to Diana for putting together a list of 350 Texas-Blogging Gals. Everyone is welcomed!
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I've been trying to find time to finish my western aprons. I have about 10 aprons that I need to work on. All of them have the western band on the bottom and I'm adding senorita appliques. I will post them as soon as they are completed. This is my Western Senorita design.
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I love western attire and country home decor. I have a lot of denim in my wardrobe and I like wearing it with several strands pearls and silver. Western Chic is a statement of casual elegance. It is a look that is stylish and practical. The colors are bright and vibrant, and speak directly to the soul. Step into the old west in these designs from Crows Nest Trading.


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Texas Senorita Chili
This my easy chili recipe. I wish I could impress you with gourmet chili but when it comes to it I'm a busy mom so I go for quick and easy. I have made this so many time and it is always a hit. I love chili leftovers because the ingredients have had time to blossom together.

Ingredients
2 pounds ground sirloin.
½ pack of Taco Seasoning
1 large can Ranch Style Beans
1 large can pinto beans
1 large white onion, chopped
1 can of tomato sauce
2 chopped fresh jalapenos
Shredded Cheddar
Tostada Chips
Directions
Cook ground sirloin over medium heat, add in chopped onions and add seasoning. When the meat is almost fully cooked, add in beans and tomato sauce. Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Optional toppings: chopped onions, chopped jalapenos, shredded cheese, or tostada chips.
Marvelous Monday Parties & Events

Yoli :)
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Sunday - Inspired Change




Change is inspired by hope. We hope for understanding, a better life, or closer relationship with God. We all change in our own way and in our own time. For some people, it takes a major life event to push them to change. Others make a conscious decision every day to progress closer to God. We can find direction through prayer, scriptures, and fellowships.
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I share with you the 12 Steps used in many recovery programs. I've never had the "addictions" associated with a 12 step program and I don't stand in judgement of them. Yet, I do remind myself that my addictions could very well be worse; impatience, fear, anger, lust, self-righteousness, gossip, apathy, etc. However big or small our sins may be, we all have addictions. Through the power of a loving God there is hope for a changed heart.

12 STEPS
Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable
Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God
Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs



Join in at Spiritual Sundays for fellowship and support. Charlotte and Ginger host a weekly gathering and everyone is invited to attend. God Bless You!
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Yoli :)
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Saturday, June 26, 2010

Saturday ~ Birthday Wishes



I want to wish my Mom Bennie & Sister Jessica a very happy birthday today. They are women of faith, strength, honor, and beauty. I am blessed to have them in my life because they motivate me to do better. I see their achievements and it inspires me to reach higher goals. They are wonderful mothers to their children and they are loving daughters to their mother. Mom & Jessica are brilliant business women and they always find time to serve their community. I send them love, hugs, and kisses from my kids and I.
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Happy Birthday Jessica!
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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Friday - Orange Crush

Happy Friday. It is Orange Crush day at Apron Senorita. A co-worker gave me an orange yesterday. It was tasty and healthy snack. The color was so vibrant. Only God could make such perfection!
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"God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food...". Genesis 1:29
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I'm excited to introduce my Orange Sunshine Apron. The jumbo orange rick-rack is gorgeous and highlights the fiesta embellishment. The colors are vibrant and the fabric is durable for practical cooking use. I added a contrasting pom-pom in bright blue turquoise.

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Friday Blog Parties & Events - Join the Fun!
A Few Of My Favorite Things - Favorite Things Friday
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Paula Deen's Orange Coffee Cake

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for pan
1 can refrigerated biscuits (Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers)
1/4 cup minced walnuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons orange juice, or more as necessary
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Separate the biscuit dough into 8 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in the center of the pan. Cut the remaining biscuits in half, forming 14 half-circles. Arrange the pieces around the center biscuit. Brush melted butter over the tops of the biscuits. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, granulated sugar, and orange zest. Mix well and sprinkle over biscuits. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, and orange juice. Blend until smooth adding more orange juice, if needed, to thin. Drizzle glaze over the warm coffee cake and serve.


Have a great weekend!
Yoli :)
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Thursday - Living in Joy

Happy Thankful Thursday and hope you're having a sweet day so far. I start by thanking God for a life filled with JOY. Regardless of the work and challenges, overall my life is joyful. I find happiness in my relationship with God and family & friends. I'm so thankful because my teen kids volunteered to assist at Bible Camp this week. They are in charge of elementary children and they have been having so much fun. I'm glad that they are learning to serve others.
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I am also thankful for my Aunt Connie who has given me a renewed love for shabby chic decor. There are so many shops, boutiques, flea markets, and antique stores; and we are slowly making our way through them all.
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Tablescape Thursday has to be one of the blog parties I enjoy the most. I remember as a young girl I would set the table and try to bring joy to our home. Family time is so important for me and my kids, and enjoying special meals gives us time to enjoy each other.
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I am strutting my stuff at Somewhat Simple. Sometime back I was having an apron give away. I was so happy to hear that the winners really liked the Freedom of Speech aprons I made. It was joyful to give from the heart and brighten some one's day. Below is a picture of one of the winners wearing the apron.

This weekend I am getting my craft on at Life as Lori. I have several new sewing ideas I want to try out but first I need to finish some pillows. I need to look for pom-pom embelishments at the fabric stores because my inventory is running low. I really like the bright bold colors for summer.


More blog events and parties going on. Click here and have enjoy!
Yoli :)
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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The Shabby Chic Cottage ~ 10 in 10


I'm excited to join Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for her Ten Tasks in Ten Days Challenge. Here is my list.

1. Create a "Grab Button" on my blog.
2. Color my hair.
3. Mail out birthday gifts.
4. Clean the refrigerator.
5. Update Etsy shop.
6. Refurbish director's chair.
7. Look for scholarships for my son.
8. Post prayer verses on blog page.
9. Finish sewing pillows.
10. Call Directv to change package.


Wish me Luck!
Yoli :)
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Wednesday Parties


Wednesday have never been so much fun as today!! There are so many fun blog parties and events going on. I am joining several parties, including at Heart and Home for Wednesday Gratitude. Today I want to spotlight the wonderful women who host these events and give them my applause and gratitude. I am grateful that we have a place for us to share great ideas, funny stories, and inspiration. JOIN IN.
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Vintage Green & White Checkered Apron ~ I'm finding myself saving vintage aprons from being lost in time. I have purchased several of them and revamping them. I'm giving them tender love and care; mending and taking care of them. I will be posting them for sale as soon as they are ready to leave the nest again. I love the cross stitch on this apron. We all have things we love, and aprons are like my babies. I'm on a mission again this coming weekend to look for more vintage aprons.


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Summer Food & Fun
My kids are home for the summer so I have to get creative with fun and affordable meals. My kids love salads but they can get boring after a few days. My thought was to use the same ingredients but in different ways. Chilli's Restaurant used to have delicious lettuce wraps, and I loved them. That is what gave me the idea. My son likes shrimp, so we can get him a small container. My daughter loves beef and chicken, so we always have that in the refrigerator. Buying romaine lettuce is actually cheaper than buying lettuce salad kits. The other great thing is that lettuce wraps gives us healthier food with the same great taste.
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New England Shrimp Lettuce Wrap
Shrimp wraps made with sweet and spicy shrimp. Lightly boil shredded cabbage and chopped carrots. Wrap in lettuce leaves and serve shilled. Add in fresh red pepper for garnish.
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Ole' Spanish Lettuce Wrap
A new twist to tacos. Cook chicken breast and combine traditional Latin spices; cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and chili powder. Wrap in lettuce leaves and serve warm. Top with guacamole and hot sauce.

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Have a great day!
Yoli :)
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