CoveRump Give-a-way–EXTENDED

Hey y’all! Happy Thursday to you!

I have been so excited for my first give-a-way with the awesome CoveRump!

I am going to extend the give-a-way ONE more day!!! I found out today that several people have been having trouble posting a comment to enter. I don’t know why it’s allowing some to post and some not to. I’m looking into it and trying to fix the problem. But, I don’t want anyone to miss the fun, so I’m going to extend it one day!

I did play around with it and found that the following works. So, please don’t give up…try the steps below to enter!!!

If you still have problems, please, please let me know and I can enter you.

Steps to enter the Give-a-way:

1. Click on the link: CoveRump Give-a-way
2. Scroll to the bottom of the post where the comments are and click.
3. Make sure you either follow by email, Google Friend, or on Facebook {or all three – remember you get a separate entry for each thing you do!}.
4. Write a comment saying what you do {above} and which CoveRump you would like to win.
5. If you do NOT have a Google account follow steps 6-7. If you DO have a Google account {such as gmail} follow steps 8-9.
6. If you do NOT have a Google account {such as gmail} you will enter as “anonymous”. Type your name and email in with your comment so I know who you are. Below the comment section you will see “Comment as:” and a scroll down arrow. Click on it and click anonymous.
7. Then click “PREVIEW”. This should then give you a Verification Code. Type in the code and last click PUBLISH.
8. If you DO have a Google account…type in your comment at the bottom of the post. Make sure you include your email so I can get in touch with you. Below the comment section you will see “Comment as:” and a scroll down arrow. Click on the arrow and click on Google account.
9. Then click “PREVIEW”. This should take you to a page for you to log in to your Google account – if you’re not already signed in. After signing in with you Google account you should be able to see Verification Code for you to enter. Type it in and last click PUBLISH.

Thank y’all for your patience and your support for my first give-a-way! I’m sorry if you have had trouble!!! Try again, and please let me know if you still have problems.

Thanks so much! Have a great night!

S~

Refinished Desk Chair

Hey y’all. Hope you’re doing well today.

I wanted to share a quick face-lift to an old chair. I’m not sure if you remember, but back in the fall I bought Dallas a desk and we had a little change in color to her room.

I can’t wait to share with you all the details to her room. It’s coming together, but even though I started in October, believe it or not it’s still not completely finished.

I digress…

Today I wanted to show you how I changed a tired, old chair and turned it into a cute desk chair for my daughter.

After buying the desk {and leaving the coordinating chair at Good Will}, I went in search for a chair. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money because it is for a child after all, and not a lot of money needed to be spent on it.

So, I went to a local antique shop and found this great chair. It was an old dining room chair and sat all by its lonesome…and even better, it cost $10.00.

I’ll take it!!!

I decided to paint it white and change the seat cover…and that is what I did.

I sanded down the chair, primed, and painted it.

While it dried, I worked on the seat cover.

I was really excited about the fabric because I found some cute lavender and white zebra print fabric that would be perfect.

Well, it wasn’t as simple as just throwing some fabric on top and calling it a day. There was a little more that needed to be done.

First, I “primed” the seat cover if you will with just a piece of a white sheet that I had and use for lining sometimes.

I pulled the fabric tight and stapled it around the underside.

Next I had to make some piping for the cover. I cut lots of strips of the zebra fabric and cut a piece of piping rope that would fit around the perimeter of the seat.

Making piping is not hard…in fact it’s quite simple. But one thing you must have to do this is a zipper foot for your sewing machine – believe me I found out the hard way.

Once you have your zipper foot on your sewing machine you’re good to go.

I took a piece of the strips that I cut and wrapped it around the piping rope.

I put the piping rope as close to the zipper foot as I could get it…this is why you need a zipper foot. It allows you to get super close to things.

When I reached close to the end of the strip I would overlap a new one and keep sewing until all the rope was covered.

Once the piping was made, I laid the piece of fabric over the seat. I then laid the piping around the edge and pinned it to the fabric.

In doing this, I found that I had to lay it print side up and make sure all the stitching was going to be on the outside of the piping.

And I sewed the piping to the fabric. I made sure the zipper foot again was as close to the piping as I could get it.

Once it was sewn on I placed it on top of the seat, wrapped it as tight as I could, and stapled the fabric to the underside of the seat. The I trimmed any excess fabric.

And…Wha-laa…a new seat for my little princess’ desk.

As you can see that with a little paint and some fabric you can turn and old, tired chair into something new and happy again.

She loves sitting in her chair at her new desk doing her homework or playing school.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this has inspired you to try and fix up an old tired piece of furniture you find around your house or the next yard sale you happen upon.

Y’all come back now!

S~

Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hey y’all! Hope you’re having a great week so far.

It’s winter and most days are cold which makes great days for soup.

I wanted to share this great recipe for Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. It’s SO easy and delicious.

Here’s what you need:

1 lb. chicken breasts {3-4 breasts}

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can enchilada sauce {I use the mild green chili sauce}

1 medium onion, chopped

1 {4 oz.} can diced green chili peppers

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 cups water

1 {14 1/2 oz.} can chicken broth

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 {10 oz.} package frozen corn

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1. Place the chicken {mine was still frozen} and next 6 ingredients in your crock-pot.

2. Add water, chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in corn and cilantro.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. {If you put your chicken in frozen, make sure it gets cooked all the way.} Before serving, I like to take my chicken out, shred it with two forks, and put it back in the soup.

4. Serve in big bowls. Garnish with cilantro. You can add other things that you’d like to spice it up to your liking: sour cream, cheese, salsa, tortilla chips {I really like the Hint of Lime flavored ones}. It’s fun to set up a little condiments bar so people can add things they want.

5. Serve with quesadillas or our favorite jalapeño cornbread.

Thanks for stopping by. Y’all come back now!

S~

It’s a Give-a-way!!!

Hey y’all! Happy Monday. I hope y’all had a great weekend.

Well, today is a BIG day around here. It’s MY BIRTHDAY!

I have to tell you, I am a sucker for birthdays!!! I love that for one day we get a day that is just about us.

Even though the gifts today should come to me, I am so excited because I have a gift for YOU!!!

Today starts my very first GIVE-A-WAY!!!

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am for this giveaway.

My very best friend recently told me about this new little thing called the CoveRump. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but now I am in L.O.V.E.

It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, I tell ya.

You know how leggings and skinny jeans are the style that all of us young and old are wearing these days? Sometimes though, it’s hard to find the right shirt or sweater to wear over the pants that will be long enough to cover the rump but not look too long and baggie at the same time. Ahhh, style and clothing nightmare for us short people out there.

Well, Adrienne Jones, a mom just like most of us, came up with the idea to make a cover for that “trouble” area that a lot of us have. And then came:

The CoveRump is a layering piece that fits like a skirt over your leggings or pants to help cover up that trouble area and add a little fun layering to your outfit.

There’s several benefits to wearing a CoveRump.

1 – It covers that area that most of us women do not like, and allows us to feel a bit more comfortable wearing leggings, skinny jeans, and workout pants.

2 - It’s a fun layering piece to help add a little more dimension and color to your outfit.

3 – The elastic waistband is “stretchy” so you won’t even know you’re wearing it…which is great because it does not cause you to have a muffin top.

4 – Did you recently find out you’re pregnant or did you just have a baby? The CoveRump is perfect for those times that you just feel uncomfortable about your body.

5 – No fear, wear over your workout gear! Wear the CoveRumps to the gym while you workout or slip it on over your gym clothes when you don’t have a chance to change. It adds a little bit of fun to your outfit while you run those errands.

6 – They come in 2 great styles and several colors that will work with most outfits.

If these pictures don’t convince you, take a look at this.

How cute is she??? This is my friend who turned me on to this great little invention. See how her outfit changes from sporty to cute AND sporty. Now, she can go to the gym and then still look cute scooting all over town running her errands.

Ok, so are you dying to have one of these??? Well, now one of these can be yours. Adrienne is so generous to help with my very first giveaway.

Here’s all you have to do to enter:

1 – Sign up to follow me on through my blog site. It’s on the right hand column. All you have to do is click on “Join this site” and follow the instructions to follow me.

2 – Follow me by email. Just enter your email address in the space provided on the right hand column. This way you’ll be able to be one of the firsts to receive my posts and stay up to date with my latest and greatest shenanigans.

3 – Like my page on Facebook: Dixiefied's Facebook Page

4 – Visit www.coverumps.com and check out all the great styles and colors of CoveRumps. Leave a comment below and tell us which one you would choose. Include your email address; in the case you win, I’ll be able to get in touch with you.

Also, you can visit CoveRumps Facebook page and “Like” their page as well. This way you can stay up to date with their sales and new arrivals: CoveRumps Facebook Page

The giveaway starts today and will run through the end of the month. I will do the drawing on March 1! I am so excited to be doing my first giveaway and being able to give one of you this great layering piece in the CoveRump!!!

Thank you for stopping by and don’t forget to do at least one of the above to have you entered into the drawing. Make sure to let me know what you’ve done to enter. Each thing you do counts as 1 entry. So, you can have 1 entry or 4.

Remember, you must be a U.S. Citizen and 18 years or older.

Thank you, Adrienne, for this wonderful opportunity. I can’t wait for one of you to find a new friend in the CoveRump like I have.

Valentine Ribbon Wreath

Hey friends! I noticed the other day that it’s been forever since I’ve posted a craft. But let’s face it, Christmas time brings crazy times and with two birthdays being before and after doesn’t leave me a lot of time to craft.

I decided I needed to spruce up the house for Valentine’s Day. We don’t celebrate too much, but it’s always fun to get into the holidays when you have kids that get you excited. I decided to start with a new wreath…

I went to Michael’s to get some creative ideas and decided on a ribbon wreath. Typically when I make a ribbon wreath I wrap big ribbon around a wreath form and then embellish it with decorations. This time I decided to use the ribbon and make one like my Burlap and Fabric Wreath I made last spring. So, I bought a wire wreath form and red and white ribbons. I had some red fleece at home and decided to use that too to add a little extra texture. If you want to make one of these here’s what you need:

ribbon

I would say at least 4 different types…and lots of it.

scissors

wire wreath form

I cut lots and lots of strips of all the ribbon {and in this case, fleece}. I would say to cut the strips 5-6 inches long…you can trim later. Now you can start tying. All you have to do is tie knots onto the wreath form. I did the inside part first and then the outside. You can make the knots as tight together as you want…the tighter you push them together the more full your wreath will be.

When I finished, I started trimming the ribbon to the length I wanted.

At this point you can be finished, or you can add a little embellishment if you’d like. I found a glitter heart decoration I had on hand and tied it dangling from the middle with ribbon.

I just love it! I think it’s perfect for the holiday and for the whole month of February.

I hope y’all all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Remember to squeeze your loves a little tighter today because after all today is all about LOVE.

Thanks for stopping by. Y’all come back now!

S~

Don’t Panic!!!

Hey friends! How are y’all???

I am super excited to share with y’all some changes going on over here on my little ole’ blog. First I started with a new name!!!

I hope you weren’t too confused when you came here today…thinking you were coming to “A Southern Girl with a Northern Boy…& 2 Kids in Tow” only to find that it’s not that any more but simply “Dixiefied”.

Isn’t that just so cute???

I have to tell you that there was a lot of consideration and some prayer that went into this change. I brought up the subject a couple of months ago to my husband to get his take on the whole thing. We talked it out, and I didn’t think I wanted to change…or maybe that’s when I was in my Prednisone state of mind and nothing seemed to make much sense.

But…it kept nagging at me. So, finally I said some prayers and felt it was time to take the plunge.

You see, when I started this blog a couple of years ago, I was thinking that it would be a place for me to write…give me something else to do {like I need that, ha!}. I love writing, and thought I could journal about funny, crazy, and sometimes serious things going on in our lives. A way to write down some memories, because let’s face it over the years sometimes they seem to fade {or we forget all the gory details}.

That’s how it started, but over time it’s evolved into something different and more than my original intentions. I began posting about crafts, recipes, and parties. I still included things with my family, but it was growing to something more. And I’ll be completely honest, the more I posted and with the few comments I was receiving from readers, I wanted more. I wanted more readers, more comments, and I really wanted this thing to grow. But, it kind of wasn’t. So, I started doing some research and one of the things that I read was about the title of the blog. It needed to be catchy and simple. Well, mine might have been a little catchy because it is us, completely, but let’s face it…it was NOT simple. It’s a mouthful and hard to remember.

Time to make some changes…starting with the name!

I turned to the trusty men in my life, my husband and daddy. Eric is in marketing and does an awesome job, and my daddy has a knack with names…always has. I asked them to help me…and maybe I threw out some batting eyelashes and a “Sweet Daddy” to ensure their best work.

They came up with some good ones…just like I knew they would. Of course, most of them were already taken…rats.

My daddy said something about “Dixie-fried”. Hmmm, liked it. Catchy. Looked it up…and…taken. Well, something very similar. When he was telling me the name, I first thought he said “Dixiefied”. I thought it was cute, so I crossed my fingers and looked it up.

OPEN!!!

I didn’t jump on it right away. I sat on it over the weekend and kept saying it over and over again in my head. I kept asking myself, “Is it catchy?” This is not easy stuff people. It’s like naming a child. You know when your pregnant and you’re trying to come up with a name. You walk around for months {or sometimes weeks} saying names in your head and even yelling them {hopefully in the confides of your own home} to see if you like the ring of it. Can you yell it and still love it? That’s kind of what I’ve been going through lately. So, I thought and prayed, and realized the other day that Dixiefied was IT. It’s my new baby.

Where “A Southern Girl…yada, yada, yada” once fit my purpose, it just didn’t anymore. But, Dixiefied sure does because if you know me at all you know I’m a dixiefied southern girl. I love the south and proud to be from here. I raise my kids to say yes ma’m and yes sir because it’s polite and that’s what we do here. I drink sweet tea and I love all things monogramed. I love to cook, craft, and throw a good party. I love my life and love sharing it with all of you…the good, the funny, the ugly.

Thank you for reading and sticking around for so long. I hope you continue to share with me in my little adventure we call life. I always love to hear from you whether through the comments section, on my Facebook page, or an email. Y’all always make my day.

Thanks so much! Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!!!

Y’all come back now!

S~

50’s Hip Hoppin’ Sock Hop & Ice Cream Parlor

Let’s get this party started shall we? I’ve been so excited to share Dallas’ birthday party with y’all. She turned 7 on January 28 and last Saturday we had her birthday party.

Now, I have to tell you that I REALLY stepped out of my box with this party. Up until this year we had all the kids’ parties at the house. If you know me at all you know that I L.O.V.E. a party. Love the food, love the decorations, love hosting people…just love them. This year, we decided to change it up a bit for Dallas’ party. Yes, I may have breathed into a paper bag for a minute when we made this decision, but I am thrilled we did.

Dallas wanted to have her party at Dance Dynamics, the dance studio in which she takes dance. So, that’s what we did.

Can I just tell you that it turned out to be one of her best birthday parties yet. It was fairly easy on me {being it was fairly stress-free. Is that even possible?}, and the girls had a ball.

We showed up 30 minutes before the party and the place was decorated, the tables were set up for the craft {which they did}, and the place was ready to go for a hip hoppin’ sock hop & ice cream parlor.

One of the things that I loved about having the party there was they decorated with our colors and to our theme, but they also let me put my decorating sense in there as well.

I got to make my banners that I love to make and any thing else I wanted to do.

Dallas decided that she wanted lavender and turquoise to be her colors, so that’s what we did.

Like I said I made the “Happy Birthday” banner that I always do.

It turned out super cute! I was able to find a few things on the Silhouette website to use on my machine that went with our theme.

How cute are those???

I also got this adorable “Betty” for the party. I mean you can’t have a sock hop without a Betty, right??

We had a couple of food tables. One was for light snacks: cheese and crackers, fruit skewers, and popcorn.

I found this scrapbook paper with music notes on it and thought it was perfect for the popcorn holders.

We also had the dessert table. It held the cupcakes:

Are you asking yourself, “What in the world kind of cupcakes are these?”

Well, the ones on the right are a lemon cupcake and the ones on the left are root beer float cupcakes. Gotta have root beer floats at an ice cream parlor. They taste just like root beer with vanilla ice cream on top.

My cake girl did it again!

She even made the cute wrappers that had records on them…too cute!

Also on the dessert table were all the fixins’ for ice cream sundaes.

Oh, and check out these adorable plates I found. Perfect for the party!

As the girls arrived they put on a poodle skirt {we’ll get back to those later}, and headed in the party room to make a quick craft.

The instructor then led them to the dance room and they danced. They warmed up, did some sassy walking, and made up a routine.

Then we had a dance party! And yes, you could find me out there…I am not afraid to boogey.

After dancing it was time to eat. The kids enjoyed snacks, ice cream sundaes, and of course cupcakes.

Dallas got to open her presents before the party ended. She had a ball opening all the thoughtful and perfect gifts.

As the girls left they all got to keep their poodle skirt and got a small goody bag of treats.

I made the poodle skirts. Yup, that’s right, 12 of them. I found some really great websites on easy poodle skirt tutorials. I used techniques from a couple of them and made the skirts. I loved how they turned out. The girls looked so precious in them twisting and twirling around during the party.

The goody bags were an after thought. I found the bags in my party stash and knew I had to use them. I bought them a while back from Pick Your Plum. I decided on putting rock candy lollipops in them. When I went to our local popcorn store to buy them I was lucky they had enough white and purple pops for us. Of course once in the popcorn store I had to buy popcorn…and blue it was.

I cut out the record from my Silhouette and printed “Thanks for Coming” on it.

As we packed up our things and left the dance studio I realized that the whole time I never felt the weight of the party on my shoulders that I normally do. So, I would say that it was a huge success.

I had one happy 7 year old!

I have to say, I was pretty proud of Hunter as well. He was a good sport being around all those girls for an hour and a half. He didn’t dance, but he was a sport none-the-less…

and then I think he began to get bored…

It’s a good thing we already ate…I mean hands down both sides of his pants?!

Thanks y’all for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed reading about Dallas’ party and maybe got a couple of ideas for your next bash. Have a Happy Monday.

Y’all come back now!

S~