{Blackened Fish....YUMMMMM}

So, DUH, I love to cook! I wouldn't have gone to school for it if I didn't. But I think everyone expects me to cook these fancy meals that no one can pronounce.

But I'm just like you, I love spaghetti, Shepard's pie, pot roast, and Chinese! But my favorite thing to do is find meat on sale, or just really cheap (like buying 2 of the small packages of chicken that are $2.00 a piece instead of one big package for $6.00) and making something awesome out of it!

So anyway, I know this is the second fish recipe, I promise, I will have some chicken recipes really soon! But this dinner was so good, how could I NOT post it?

This is blackened Tilapia, you can use any white fish you want though....catfish, grouper, orange roughy, cod, pike, etc. But the tilapia was $1.99 at Randalls ON SALE!!! So I got it!




Here is how to make it:
Spice Rub, just mix this all together
2 teaspoons ground paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I like Tom's)

Next, take your fish and spray it with some non stick cooking spray and rub the seasoning on, about 1-2tsp. for each side.

Then I just cooked it in a pan with a little more spray oil until it looked crusty on the outside and the inside is flaky and white.

I served it with a salad, rice and black beans that I mixed some salsa in to! YUMMY BLACK BEANS!!



Enjoy Guys! :)

{Good Will Hunting}

I L-O-V-E Good Will, and I tend to find some really cool treasures on my shopping trips there! So over the last few months, I have collected some goodies that I wanted to share with you. Now, these are not ALL that I have, but I don't have a wide enough camera lens to get all of it in a picture! lol So I picked some of my favorite items to show you!

I picked up this floor lamp yesterday. Its just plain at the top, but I thought the bottom was worth showing off. It was only $6.00!



This is a little collection of some candle sticks (1.50 each), picture frames (1.50 each) and this cute little mosaic balls that I have a perfect bowl for (1.99 each). I also love these bottles with the veggies and stuff in them, I have them all over my kitchen! (1.99)





This clock I bought a while back, but I LOVE it!! It was $8.00, a little high, but I couldn't resist!



I also got these little paintings for the master bathroom. They are the perfect colors, so I think I will leave them alone and just hang them as is! (3.00 each)



Have you found any good deals lately while Good Will Hunting? Leave me a comment so I can come by and see them!!

{Another Cheap Art Project!}

So, I love creating art in my home for several reasons.
1.) Its WAY cheaper than buying art at a store.
2.) Its more personal this way
3.) Its WAY cheaper than buying art at a store! lol

For this art project, I am more than happy to say, not only was it CHEAP but some of it was FREE!! I'm not even kidding!

so I started with a basic frame that I got at Garden Ridge for $3.00 on sale. Then I took out the ugly art that was in it and threw it away. Then I took the backing and started gluing on PAINT SAMPLES!!!
No Joke! These are from Ralph Lauren's textured paint line. Some of them are like suede, some are shiny and metallic. I just love them.

I went to Home Depot and just took about 10 of each color that I liked, then brought them home and glued them on with a glue stick.
Let it dry about 2 hours and just slip the backing back into the frame with the glass it came with and hang it up!

Now, sometimes you wont get art that has a back that comes off very easy. That's OK, just tear out the art and then DUCK TAPE the back on! NO JOKE! That's what I did with this one...here I'll prove it! lol You would never have even noticed. :)



Here is a close up of the Paint Samples:



Oh, and while I was trying to get my house all pretty....my blinds decided to break! Ohh...I love life! hehe



***And if your wondering the other piece of art up there is just plain scrap booking paper glued to the backing then duck taped up! lol

{Reflection Sunday}

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16 NIV

{Saturday Sharing}

This morning I was surfing through some Blogs and saw that my sister, Brittany, had updated hers with a post that her friend had written called "Blink". When I went to read the post, I was in tears...happy, then sad, then happy again.

Angie has an amazing way of bringing God's word to her own life, and even though she has gone through a terrible tragedy, she still lives for Jesus.

So I thought I would share it with you. Its a little long, but you will be so glad you read it....then think...what will you "Blink" at today?

Click here to read BLINK

{She's finally done!}

Isn't she beautiful? I am KICKING myself for not taking a before picture. So just imagine the most neglected, ugly, beatup, dumpster armoire you have ever seen with peeling faux wood vaneer and missing drawers, and you got it! So I bought this at Good Will for $19.99, a little much I know, but I had been searching for one for Lagan's room that was small enough to fit in the space she has available. I brought it home, cleaned her up, several coats of paint later, added knobs I bought on sale at Hobby Lobby, DUH!, and I sewed up some "curtains" to hide all of her movies, and we're in business!
So what do you think? Not bad for about $30.00 and a few day's labor, huh? I even gave her some decoration of items I have made! Now she looks at home!

{CLOTHES!}

Hey Ladies and Gents! I am really bad about doing my "spring" cleaning in the middle of the summer! But I decided to clean out Lagan's closets (yes, she has more than one...is that normal for a 6 year old?) and pass some really cute clothes on to you!
I have items in lots of sizes, just click the appropriate link below. I also have shoes, and Designer and Name Brand clothes. I will be adding more as the week goes on! If you like anything, just email me at expressivestylegraphics@yahoo.com and I will get you a total with the lowest possible shipping!

Click here to get your items at great prices!
Size 2T

Size 3T

Size 4T and 5T

Size 6 and 6X

Girls Shoes

Girls Designer and Name Brand Clothing

I also have some plus sized womens clothing if your interested! lol
Womens Clothing

SPC: Skills week 4 "Sew What?"

for the SPC week 4, I decided to do "Sew What?" I was sewing a valance for my daughter, not my forte since Im a clothing designer, but I had a good time anyway!

To see more SPC's click this link: http://selfportraitchallenge.net/

{I love being famous....by association!}

Today I went to check the mail and there was a magazine that I didn't order! I was totally excited to see it was "Artful Blogging",which I LOVE! So as I was flipping through the pages...there she was...my daughter Lagan, sitting right there on a page for FLAT BETTY!! I was floored! I am so excited for Megan and Betty, but I have to admit I was a little excited to not only see my daughter, but my photography, and myself!

So before I get all caught up, let me tell you what I am talking about! My friend Megan came to me almost a year ago and asked if I would design a blog for a new project she was going to be working on, Flat Betty. So, duh! I said yes! Once the blog was all designed, Betty came to visit me and my family, which was a blast! She helped me sew up some clothes with Sandi's fabric, cook up some tasty treats for my posse, and have a photo-op with my mom!

So needless to say, I was totally floored to see Betty in such an awesome magazine! Thank you Megan for including us in Betty's journey! I hope she can keep contributing to this world...one fashionable trip at a time!

To learn more about Megan or Betty, just click their names! :)

{Reflection Sunday}

"My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long."
Psalm 71:8

{Washing the Dog...I love Saturdays!}

{DIY Art on a budget!}

So yesterday we finally put together a little area in our living room. This area was decorated LITERALLY on a shoe string budget! The couch was my sisters that she got for FREE, and gave it to me, so that was FREE. The slipcover was $20 from craigslist, brand new, never opened! The lamp was a Good Will find for $4.00 and the shade was $2.00 also from Good Will. The rooster was a Hobby Lobby steal for $2.50! The table is one I have had forever covered in some fabric I got in the $1 bin at Walmart.

But the art is what I wanted to chat about!!

I bought this frame with some REALLY UGLY art in it at Garden Ridge on sale for $3.00. I ripped out the old art and took the cardboard backing, cut out 4 squares from each of the scrapbooking papers in all different patterns and colors, and glued them on to the cardboard with a glue stick. The scrapbook paper was on sale for 25cents a piece, so all in all, the project cost me $6.25!
Here is the break down of the art projecct:
11 sheets of scrap book paper: $2.75
2 glue sticks: $.50
Frame and matting: $3.00
TOTAL: $6.25!

Feature of the Day

So, not many people know that I make jewelry because it's been a long time since I sold it, and I only recently opened my shoppe up on etsy! It's called "Caidence Faire". I love making faith jewelry that is fun to wear and inexpensive to buy! :)
So I thought I would share a shameless self promotion by sharing one of my favorite pieces from my collection, the "To thine own self be true" bracelet! To check it out, just click here:
Thine own Self Bracelet Listing




Thanks for looking!!! :)

{Vote for me!!.....please :)}

YAY! Its up!! The Girl Indie Design Contest! I would love everyone to support me, but if you like another design better, please vote for them! I want it to be fair!

I am under the CHILDRENS CLOTHING section, ENTRY #3!!
VOTE HERE: Designer Contest

This is my "Toscana" dress that is so popular! I am so excited! I hope I win! hehe THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Look for this Dress :):

{What a Weekend}

This weekend was non stop and I feel very drained. It had some highs, some super lows, and a lot of prayer. But I thought I would share the highs with you! :)

Saturday our church held a "Love your Neighbor" picnic where we enjoyed good food, lots of games, like toss the egg (I finished in 3rd place!) and face painting for the kiddos, courtesy of my sister, Brittany!








Then last night, my new friend Caress and I went to "Shoreline Downtown". It is a church service for our Singles group at church that we hold in a bar. Yes, a bar! Because if Jesus was here, that's where he would be hanging out! We bring the word of God to 6Th street like no body's business! Then we all get to go out to eat....thank you so much to Wahoo's fish taco's for finding a place for 65 people to sit and share the Word together! (and no, I didn't meet "the one" this week, but there is always next time! hehe)AND we got to do a great "painting" project for a mission that some of our church will be attending! Great fun had by all!