El Sanctuario de Chimayo

Posted on March 11, 2015 by susannachristensen

En route to Chimayo, NM

Always up for an adventure, when my husband mentioned New Mexico for New Year’s Eve, I was packed in an hour. As it was last minute, I hastily researched where to stay, and it was decided: Chimayo, New Mexico. Chimayo, a great location between Taos and Santa Fe, is relatively small and can be driven through in about 10 minutes. Located about 40 minutes (scenic highway drive) to Taos, Chimayo is perfect for skiers, wanting to escape the overpriced rates (in Taos) charged during ski season. Within minutes of nearby town Espanola, one can also play the slot machines for a few hours, at the small-ish but clean, casinos (we did, and it was fun). Three things highly rated on Trip Advisor for the town of Chimayo: Casa Escondida-a bed and breakfast we enjoyed on this short jaunt, Rancho de Chimayo Restaurante – a good Mexican restaurant with strong margaritas, which we partook, and El Sanctuario de Chimayo-a religious and sacred site for many.

El Sanctuario de Chimayo during the day

Sanctuario de Chimayo, a stone’s throw from the main road, is as lovely in mid-day as it is in evening hours. I am pleased I convinced my husband to do a drive by at night, as the grounds were lit with glowing Christmas luminaries (To potential travelers: I am unsure if there are luminaries throughout other seasons- but there definitely are during December holidays).

During Easter weekend, many make a pilgrimage to this place of worship, as it is believed to be sacred, and has been a location of various “miraculous occurences”. Within the church, there is a little room off to the front side of the altar, containing yet another small room which houses a shallow pit supposedly filled with healing “holy dirt” for the general public to take. As a skeptic, I wonder, how does the shallow pit stay filled with “holy” dirt, but again, a healing is a miracle, and miracles can not be explained.

To visit the lovely Sanctuario, the location is easy to find, however the parking situation is somewhat of a hassle. The spots to leave ones vehicle are few, and are also difficult to get to as the entrance to the lot is barely big enough for two cars to pass. Once in, you could probably spend about forty five minutes, walking the grounds surrounding the church, neighboring church, and just reflecting on the moment and peaceful scenery. As a traveler, I would definitely suggest visiting at least once, however once seen, I don’t believe a second trip is necessary. For trip advisor, I would rate the trip and experience with several good gold stars.

Welcome to the World Baby Shower for a Boy: Map Decor Details, Globes & More

Posted on March 6, 2015 by lindsaytirvin

A few Little Rock ladies and I recently hosted a baby shower for my dear friend, Kami. She’s having a little boy in early March. Name to be determined. 🙂 Her best friend, Chrissy thought of a precious little theme: Welcome … Continue reading →

A Somewhat Excusable Excuse

Posted on February 5, 2015 by andimirvin

So. It’s been quite a while since my first post as a new Mrs., and without completely excusing my absence and abandoning my “you-really-can-do-it-all” belief, l must provide even the smallest reason for my extremely tardy, second-ever post.

I’m PREGGO!

And let me tell you… {which, depending on your life stage and gender, I may not need to}, this pregnancy has kicked my little, normally-can’t-sit-still, must-always-be-productive rear end! If your heart ever desires, look up even the most basic list of pregnancy symptoms and go ahead and put a check mark near every. single. one. And while I am so super excited about holding our new baby, growing our family and can completely forgive-and-forget all symptoms for the greater end-result, one of the worst parts of this pregnancy has been the baby-brain. Just call me Dory {think, Finding Nemo}. Seriously, I have to make a reminder to remind myself to make a to-do list…

It’s BAD!

So. Now that I have provided a somewhat excusable excuse and shared some big news, I have to share one of my recent, {smaller} home improvement undertakings that was spurred on by needing a little more functionality, a little less “everything is hard-to-reach” {hello, 5’2”}, and maybe the earliest case of nesting ever. The goal: lower the washer and dryer and create a counter top so folding can be done in the laundry room and we could gain some much needed, extra space in the cabinets.

And as a disclaimer… I must give credit where credit is due. I was NOT the implementer of our new, beautifully-functional laundry room. Just the semi-creative mind. Being pregnant kind of puts a stop to lifting washing machines and dryers… {as does being me in general}. So. Thank you, Hubby, for giving up your Saturday so that the new baby’s room can actually be turned into a baby’s room and not continue on as a laundry-folding-habitation.

It’s still not completely beautiful {I could stand to decorate a bit more creatively and change out the rug for something with more color}, but I’m proud! Sorry, I forgot to take before pictures. Go figure! If I can find some from back-in-the-day when we bought our house, I’ll add them!

Materials used and Cost:

* Basic tools to remove the bolted-on pedestals (already owned)
* New dryer connection tube so the dryer could be pushed further back against the wall (about $5.00 at Home Depot)
* Primed hollow-core door ($25.00 at Home Depot)
* Washer and Dryer feet (already owned…we also learned that the pedestal feet don’t necessarily fit the actual machines)…so make sure you keep yours if you put your machines on pedestals!
* Quite a bit of time…maybe 4 hours. Especially if you only have one person disconnecting, moving, re-positioning and re-connecting the machines.

Total Cost: One Saturday afternoon and about $30.00. Not. Bad.

I, of course, have plenty to post about recipes and teacher’s gifts that were made during the Christmas season {which I personally L-O-V-E}. Those will be posted soon (who cares that it’s February and not December anymore, right?). I promise you, I am NOT abandoning being a new Mrs.!

As I always will, I wish you blessings! Talk soon.

LYFE Kitchen restaurant review

Posted on December 20, 2014 by susannachristensen

Recently I tried a new restaurant, LYFE kitchen with one of my best girlfriends. After a light dinner and fun conversation- we agreed to definitely revisit in the near future. Personally, I truly enjoy trying new places- as every time is a … Continue reading →

My Concert Bucket List: 8 Shows I Am Dying to See

Posted on November 3, 2014 by lindsaytirvin

My husband and I aren’t big concert goers. We used to be, but have stopped seeking out shows in recent years. It’s not that we aren’t music fans; we are. It’s that concerts were ruined for us in 2007. We … Continue reading →

Gravy your Grandma would ask for…

Posted on October 29, 2014 by susannachristensen

Seriously. I freaking love the taste of homemade biscuits and gravy, but today we only have time for the gravy, gals! So grab yourself a bag of Pillsbury boy frozen biscuits at your nearby grocery store and get ready for your family to ask for seconds.

Some people list their ingredients at the end of a recipe, I like to tempt you with a picture first…..

and then give you your list (which since its the gravy your grandma would ask for, means, that you ALREADY have the ingredients!!!)

Only 6 Ingredients:

pepper

Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

sausage

Frozen biscuits

flour

milk

: Stick your biscuts in the oven- their cook time is probably longer than it will take for you to make your gravy

: Put 1/2 or 1 lb of sausage (or turkey sausage) in your pan that is on medium heat. (I cook 1/2 lb which is enough for 2 but there is always leftovers -enough for 4)

: Cook your sausage until it is completely browned

: DO NOT drain your sausage. Sprinkle 1/2 cup to 1 cup flour on top of sausage.

: Completely coat your cooked sausage in the flour. If your sausage looks “oily” add more flour until it looks fully coated

: Pour like 1-2 cups milk into your coated sausage

: Stir

: Add pepper and Lawry’s seasoning salt to taste

: Stir

: Your stovetop should be on low. The gravy should have already begun its thickening process. If not, sprinkle some more flour in and Stir. You control how thick or thin your gravy will turn out.

: Feast!

Why I’m The New Wife

Posted on October 28, 2014 by andimirvin

I am SUPER excited {slash nervous} to announce that I have joined the Mrs. & Misc. team! Eek! It’s going to be an adventure for sure. So for my very first post…

here’s the story of why I’m the new wife:

As a writer at heart {hello, I was a Journalism Major}, but executive admin by trade, my creative juices are frequently stifled and I have been absolutely muddling over what the right outlet should be for me. I love cooking. I love salvaging sad, old items and making them into something beautiful. I love decorating. I love creating! And outside of the normal chatter with friends and family, my ideas and experiences {good & bad} never really get shared. Enter Lindsay Irvin.

You already know her. But to me, she is my insanely awesome sister-in-law who was dubbed my “real sister” back-in-the-day before my brother put a ring on her finger and she became, as you know her, Mrs. Irvin.

Lindsay recently threw out the idea of my joining the Mrs. & Misc. while graciously listening to me tell her about my laundry list of half-complete efforts to take my new-ish home from worst-house-on-the-block status to Better Homes and Gardens worthy. After giving it some thought {but let’s be honest, not THAT much thought}, exchanging a few text messages and stumbling my way through the world of creating a blog post…here I am.

So I’m the new wife. And in a lot of ways, I’m pretty new at a lot of other things that I’m sure I will share with you as well. So be looking for a more in-depth post from me soon. Maybe a recipe. Maybe a DIY. Maybe a short “about me” to better introduce myself. But for now, here’s a {very small} photographic glimpse into my life – in no particular order.

As I always will, I wish you blessings! Talk soon.

-Andi

A New Mrs. Joins the Blog — Meet Mrs. Andi Muszejnski

Posted on October 24, 2014 by lindsaytirvin

With so many big changes happening in our lives this past year (new jobs, new babies, health issues), it was no surprise a couple of our beloved Mrs. needed to take a step back and focus more on their families and jobs. It’s … Continue reading →

Top 25 Oscar de la Renta Wedding Gowns (A Bridal Magazine Editor Remembers)

Posted on October 22, 2014 by lindsaytirvin

A fashion legend has been lost. To honor Oscar’s legacy, today we share a little bit of the beauty he created. Over on the blog I run as editor of Arkansas Bride, we shared 25 of our favorite Oscar de … Continue reading →

3D Mascara: Yes, It Works! (Long, Dark, Standout Lashes)

Posted on October 20, 2014 by lindsaytirvin

There’s not a whole lot to say on this because the photos are far more powerful than any words can be… See below. But it is worth mentioning that I am a known lash coveter. I’ve used Latisse (it works, but slowly); I’ve experimented with expensive lash extensions; and I’ve tried just about every mascara promising “your longest lashes ever.” I’m not easy to impress.

So, when my co-worker Rosemary started selling Younique Products and it’s 3D mascara, I asked her if I could try it (always the sceptic). I knew my Arkansas Bride readers would love to know if this “magic” mascara really worked, as it could be an amazing way to get the false lash look for bridals and the wedding day, without having to actually glue on fakies (and without worrying about one falling off!).

Rosemary agreed and so here is my official beauty review in pictures!

To use the 3D Mascara, you apply one coat regular mascara.

JUST MASCARA.

This is the mascara I used.

Then, using the 3D Mascara, you apply one coat of the gel to one eye, followed quickly by a light dusting of the fibers onto the same eye. Then, apply another layer of the gel to that eye to set the fibers. Repeat the same steps for eye #2.

3D MASCARA (1 Coat).

Apply a second (or third) coat of gel and fibers, if desired. Basically you just play with it until you get it down and find the right length and VAVAVOOM for your eyes.

This is the 3D mascara: gel and fiber tubes.