DIY Hanging Glow Jars

Finally, I can mark off a check on the ole' Pinterest "DIY" board! These mason glow jars are everywhere, so I thought I'd put my own twist on it!

Here is a sneak peak into Baby Rod's nursery. The theme is space and universe, so I thought these hanging glow jars would make for psychedelic night lights. They remind me of a contained star explosion in a jar. Or maybe glowing alien goo. 

So you want to know how to make these? Easy-peezy.

Materials:

-Mason jars (preferably the ones with lids- I found mine at the local thrift store for $2 each!)

-Glow paint (purchased mine at Joann's for $1.50)

-Paint brush

-Fishing line

-Mug hooks (with the screw ends- purchased a bag at Walmart for $1)

How to:

1) Simply splatter your glow paint with your brush all inside the jars. Nevermind if it looks messy. It looks great when glowing.

2) Let air dry

3) Screw the mug hooks into the ceiling where you want your jars to hang

4) Using a fisherman's knot, attach the fishing line to the mug hooks in ceiling and then cut the line to where you would like each jar to hang

5) Securely knot your line to the handle on the lids of the mason jars

Boom! You are done and it's as simple as that! Total budget for a fabulous, unique decoration:

$10! 

To get the maximum glow effect, put little LED lights in the jars so they especially light the room for a solar ambiance :)

Grateful

Blazer: LOFT, $9.88. Ruffle blouse: LOFT, $20. Belt: LOFT $3.88. Denim: LOFT, $9.88. Earrings: F21, $3.

I am grateful for...

freedom

great clearance sales (i.e. my entire outfit)

a wonderful husband

my growing baby boy

my Savior

good health

kind strangers

my individual talents

a warm, cozy home

fabulous family members

mouth-watering food

holidays

true friends

life

What are you grateful for? 

*Be sure to enter my super fun $25 LOFT gift card giveaway 

(you might score an entire outfit like I did!)

Along Abbey Road Featured on Smashion!

Today I am being interviewed at Smashion, a fabulous site for thriftaholics! You can hop on over here to check it out!

Smashion is a great fashion and networking resource which includes blogger spotlights, thrifty fashion tips, and merchandise!

Are you feeling thrifty now? Well then go on over here and enter my Ann Taylor Loft $25 gift card giveaway! They have the most amazing sales and best clearance pieces, ever. I am not exaggerating. Half of my wardrobe, which I have purchased from Loft, was $9.88 and under per piece (that amazing $4.88 blazer I talk about in the interview is from Loft)!

Have a terrific day!

I Spy A Fall Day

Happy First Day of Fall! Do you know what that means? It is officially appropriate to wear your favorite fall pieces, even in the sunny climates!

Today I broke out my riding boots and scarf in celebration of the Autumn season. It doesn't get more Fallish than that, right?

Blazer: LOFT. Tee: LOFT. Infinity scarf: LOFT. Skinnies: Anthropologie. Boots: Thrifted. Earrings: F21.

And my belly is growing! Today I am 23 weeks! Almost to 6 months. 

So many things to be grateful for today :)

Yummy, Yummy In My Tummy

Eating healthy is always important, but especially during pregnancy. Obviously. According to all of the food charts, I am supposed to be eating foods with all of the essential vitamins and nutrients. Like 50 to 100 grams of each per day! Have you any idea how hard it is to consume 100 grams of protein in one day, without dipping into a protein shake? Basically that requires eating anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 calories in a 24 hour period to get all of those goodies. Eating has pretty much become my day job. Now don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I love food. All I am saying is that it is harder than it looks.

Tonight I made the best salad in the world. Yes, it is that good. I got the recipe from my older sister. She got it from her sister-in-law who lives in Georgia, so therefore it is a no-brainer because all Southern food is bomb diggity.

Salad

Dressing

Recipe: 

(Make 4 servings)

1/2 bag of spinach (I use the Costco brand)

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 can of corn

1/4 c. of chopped onions

2 cooked chicken breasts, seasoned to your liking and shredded

1/2 bag of Cooler Ranch Doritos

Dressing:

1 part Ranch, 1 part Barbecue Sauce

Mix everything together and, voila! You are on your way to eating the world's best salad.

As for the calorie count on this bad boy, I couldn't tell you. I am too tired to think about it. If you figure it out, let me know. All I know is that the salad is packed with flavor and nutrition. What's not to love?

Feathers & Flowers

Dressing with a protruding belly can be a challenge, but also allows for some creativity when wearing basic items. Today's versatile wardrobe item: the maxi skirt. 

Converting a flowing maxi skirt to a tube dress allows for much-needed belly space for myself, but also looks great on any body shape. Add a belt and cardi to give it a put-together feel. 

Wearing a print always brings dimension to any outfit, so I suggest wearing one bold piece to give balance. When mixing prints, try to keep it at 2 items. If you start going over that number, chances are you will end up looking like an old bag lady. Who wants that? Not this mama. A subtle print in tights, paired with a print on a key item in the outfit is always a great way to mix!

Do you love my feather headband? You can get yours at Linda's Vintage! Jess, from Steve & Jess (one of my favorite blogs), is the creator and designer of the divine hair accessories line. All of her pieces are handcrafted to perfection with that extra bit of classic Hollywood glam we all love.

Headband: Linda's Vintage. Cardi & Belt: LOFT. Maxi skirt/dress: Thrifted. Tights: Macy's. Booties: Charlotte Russe.

Have a fabulous day, lovelies!

Sew Much Fun!

My fabulous mom and dad visited this weekend. They dropped off our nursery furniture! Aren't they so nice? They gave us a crib, changing table, and dresser! It is adorable.

Twinsies! They are the cutest old folks ever.

While my mama and I hung out, she helped me tackle my monster of a sewing machine and taught me a few tricks. Since then, I have become slightly obsessed with sewing everything. 

 I just completed the crib bed skirt, changing pad cover, and my very own Uglydoll.

Beginning of the Uglydoll...

...and the final product!

Do you sew? What are your latest DIY projects?

Domesticity Taking Over

Once upon a time, the name Abbey and the word domestic rarely fit into the same sentence. Hubs hit the jackpot if I somehow managed to cook dinner. Nevermind the fact that these dinners consisted of spaghetti and bagged salad, the easiest cooking task on the planet.

Slowly that foreign world in the kitchen, beloved by so many other wifeys, began to take hold of my curiosity. Food blogs added fuel to my fire and I just couldn't say no to the double-layer chocolate cake any longer. 

Long story short, the past 2.5 years turned me into a decent cook. Luckily, I inherited the ability-to-not-burn-things gene, and it's all turned out for the best in the Rodriguez household.

All this being said, I posted the book, The Help, to my Friday Favorites list a couple of week back. If you are a bookworm, I am positive you have read it by now. If you are a food junkie (and eat meat), I am positive you have had a serious craving for fried chicken. Ok, maybe that's just me. I'll chalk it up to being pregnant. 

After reading and talking about fried chicken for the past 3 weeks, I finally mustered the domestic courage to make my very own Southern Fried Chicken. Lawd-a-mercy on our cholesterol levels...

Drumroll please (no pun intended, teeheehee)...

Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

6 chicken drumsticks

1 1/2 c. Crisco

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp black pepper

2 c. flour

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. thyme

1 brown paper bag

Salt and pepper thawed drumsticks to taste. Comine buttermilk and egg in a bowl. Soak drumsticks in buttermilk mixture for about 5 minutes. While chicken is soaking, combine the flour with all the other dry ingredients in a brown paper bag. Shake well to mix all the spices. Place all the drumsticks in the brown bag. Shake until drumsticks are completely covered in flour. Take out of the bag and soak all the drumsticks in the buttermilk mixture a second time. Place back in flour bag and shake well. Heat Crisco on medium heat until you have about 1/2 to 1 inch of oil to fry in. Place chicken in frying pan and fry until it browns. Turn chicken several times. Fry for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden. When finished place drumsticks on a metal rack over the sink to drain excess oil and cool off. Enjoy that homemade Southern goodness and give yourself a pat on the back!