DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Archive for June, 2013

He Grew Up Way Too Fast!

He was born way too early – 3 months premature weighing only 2.8 pounds

(1992)

Tayair at one

Baby Tayair

Then he was FIVE – last surgery to repair his esophagus…first solid meal…removal of feeding tube

(1997)

Tayair at the beach

Tayair and Malik at Merrie Moppets

Then he was TEN – struggling in school but surviving…facing all odds..learning new things

(2002)

Tayair at 10

tayair 2002

Then he was FIFTEEN – a teenager…tall and lanky…still unsure of himself

(2007)

tayair 2007

Then he was TWENTY – a young man…a high school graduate…first job

(2012)

tayair 2012

December to April 508

Today he is TWENTY ONE

(2013)

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 007

HE GREW UP WAY TOO FAST!

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY TAYAIR ISHMAEL BLAKE !


Summer Whites Dots & Stripes

Happy 1st Day of Summer – the longest day of the year!

More sunshine means more fun time, so how are you going to celebrate ?  

Will you be cooking on the grill; sitting on the patio/deck listening to music; going to the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival; outdoor dining; heading down to FireFly, playing with the kids/grands or just relaxing with a book and a beverage?  How about an ice cream cone from Mister Softee or a $2 Ice/$3 Gelati from Rita’s?

No matter what you do, just do it and have fun!

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 031

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 010

Red & White Striped Top – GW Boutique // White Jeans – JCPenney on clearance for $1.00!

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 019

Gotta Wear Shades for this Summertime Sunshine

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 012

Apple Bottoms Polka Dot Flats – Rugged Wearhouse

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 030

Tonight I will be on the deck

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 022

Tomorrow I will be in the pool!

Celebrate  Summer Safely – Smooches!

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Summer Whites Dots & Stripes

Happy 1st Day of Summer – the longest day of the year!

More sunshine means more fun time, so how are you going to celebrate ?  

Will you be cooking on the grill; sitting on the patio/deck listening to music; going to the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival; outdoor dining; heading down to FireFly, playing with the kids/grands or just relaxing with a book and a beverage?  How about an ice cream cone from Mister Softee or a $2 Ice/$3 Gelati from Rita’s?

No matter what you do, just do it and have fun!

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 031

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 010

Red & White Striped Top – GW Boutique // White Jeans – JCPenney on clearance for $1.00!

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 019

Gotta Wear Shades for this Summertime Sunshine

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 012

Apple Bottoms Polka Dot Flats – Rugged Wearhouse

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 030

Tonight I will be on the deck

Tayair's birthday and OOTD 6 21 13 022

Tomorrow I will be in the pool!

Celebrate  Summer Safely – Smooches!

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Summer Snacks From Super G

Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!

Today is officially the first day of Summer 2013, and school has ended for both my husband and son so let the summer snacking begin!  Small children aren’t the only ones who like to snack during the day, my guys are always in and out of the frig or looking in the pantry trying to find something to eat.  During a recent grocery shopping trip to Giant/Super G, I found a few new snacks that I think will hold them over between meals.

looking to eat

Fruit is always a great snack and I like to have a variety on hand, grapes, cherries, bananas, apples or grapefruit.  I recently began purchasing Mini Sweet Peppers from Sunset Grown which can be eaten raw, in a salad or stuffed with a soft cheese like Laughing Cow. Laughing Cow Lite Creamy Swiss is only 35 calories per wedge and are a great snack with the mini peppers or with a piece of fruit. fruit

mini sweet peppers and laughing cow cheese

Sunset Gourmet Tomatoes are an easy grab-and-go snack and they also add variety to a salad.

tomatoes

Crackers another great snack and these Ritz Crackerfuls are available with Peanut Butter or Cheddar Cheese filled.  There are 6 individually wrapped packs in each box, these are made with real peanut butter and 6g of whole grains which to me makes it a healthy snack.

ritz crackerfuls

Jello has made several changes over the years and not just to their standard flavors of Chocolate and Vanilla puddings. They have added new flavors with toppings like this Turtle Sundae, a more grown-up option.  Unfortunately the packaging has also changed from 6 containers per package to 4, and these new flavors contain only 2.

jello pudding

Dole brand, a leader in fruit snacks have recently introduced Fruit Squish’ems!  As you can see these Apple Strawberry fruit pouches aren’t just for tiny toddler’s hands, big teenager hands grab them too!  Made from fresh apples in the USA they are only 60 calories each and also make a great grab and go snack.

t dole squish'ems

malik and dole

tayair and dole

A new product by Hormel are these REV Snack Wraps which come in 8 varieties including Pepperoni, Ham & Cheese, Meat Lovers Pizza, Spicy Italian Style, Peppered Turkey, Italian Style Ham and Hot Pepper Ham.  I tried one and felt it needed a little mayo or mustard and could have used a few seconds in the microwave to soften the flatbread.

hormel rev

When waiting for dinner is “just too long” these microwavable Hormel Compleats Cafe Creations fill the bill.  With a variety to choose from including Chicken Chipotle Pasta and Creamy Chicken Carbonara, no one should have to “starve to death” waiting for dinner!

hormel compleats

Last but not least are these new Lunchables Uploaded. I hadn’t purchased a Lunchables since my sons were were in Elementary School, but I had a $1.00 off coupon so I decided to give it a try. Included in this package are the ingredients to make a 6-inch sub; a few slices of Oscar Mayer Lean Turkey, and Kraft cheddar cheese, a packet of Kraft fat free mayo, a 6-inch sub bun, a 10 oz bottle of Spring Water, a Kool-Aid Tropical Punch Single pack, a Pringles Snack Stacks Potato Crisps and 2 Hershey’s Kisses, not bad for $2.50!

uploaded

lunchables

What kinds of snacks do you have in the house?  

I’ll be on the lookout for more because these won’t last the week!

Linking up with Living Better Together – come on over and join in on the fun!

Have a fantastical day – Smooches!

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Tyler Perry on the Oprah Winfrey Network

Oprah Winfrey launched the OWN Network on January 1, 2011, but I have to admit that I didn’t know what channel it was on nor what shows were being featured.  That has since changed with the introduction of  Tyler Perry’s two new hit shows, The Haves and The Have Nots on Tuesday nights and Love Thy Neighbor on Wednesday nights.  My television cable box is now locked on VerizonFios Channel 161!

Tyler Perry, the genius behind the “Madea” stage plays and movies, had made his mark on the small screen with the TBS sitcoms House of Payne, Meet The Browns and For Better or Worse, which was based on his movie Why Did I Get Married?but he has taken it to a whole new level with The Haves and The Have Nots!

Think of Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Dallas all rolled up for the 21st century, where the deceit and duplicity is doubled, but praying and thanking Jesus is the foundation.  Not only is prayer and a strong belief in God prominently displayed in these shows, it is also what makes Tyler Perry the man that he is today.  I honestly believe that his mother is sitting in Heaven on the right side of God, nudging him, saying, “see…see…that’s my boy…watch him work!”

Love Thy Neighbor is a sitcom featuring Mama Hattie, a strong woman running a diner, working hard and trying to keep her recently divorced daughter off her couch, because she just got her recently employed grandson off of it!  I love Hattie’s feistiness and warm heart, and her voice will you have sitting upright.  It seems as though all the cast members work extremely well together, each bringing their own style and flair.  The stand outs are  Tika Sumpter, who plays Candace, the beautiful devil diva in The Haves and The Have Nots, and Jonathon Chase, who plays Sam in Love Thy Neighbor, a hilarious man-child whose comedic timing and mannerisms reminds me of a young Jim Carrey!

If you haven’t seen The Haves and The Have Nots or Love Thy Neighbor, I urge you to check them out, I know once you start you’ll be hooked.  When you do, make sure to join in on the weekly Twitter Chats because you never know, your tweet just might be retweeted by Oprah or Tyler – mine were!

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photo (1)

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WOW – After the Storm

Hello Friends and Happy Hump Day Wednesday!

After yesterday’s round of torrential rains that caused major flooding, today turned out to be a perfect Spring day.  A great day to sit in the park or take a leisurely walk.  Whatever you have planned for the day make sure to spend a little time outdoors before the heat of summer begins.

Wearing On Wednesday

ootd 6 19 13 010

Old Navy T-Shirt thrifted from GW Boutique // Old Navy Maxi Skirt

ootd 6 19 13 009

Silver Accessories from Jewelry Box

ootd 6 19 13 004

Silver Glitter Bow Sandals (old) – Barefoot Shoes

ootd 6 19 13 007

Now log off and go outside!

Linked up today with The Pleated Poppy

Have a fantastical day – Smooches!

ootd 6 19 13 018

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Taco Turkey or Chicken Loaf

“Use what you got to make what you want was the inspiration for this mid-week meal.

I usually buy Ground Turkey but this week purchased Perdue Ground Chicken, and using ingredients that I already had on hand I jazzed up an ordinary loaf.

turkey loaf

Ingredients
Ground Turkey/Chicken
Taco Seasoning
Salsa
Egg
Bread Crumbs
Sweet Peppers
Onion

Mixed Ground Chicken, an egg, leftover salsa, Taco Seasoning and bread crumbs to form loaf

turkey loaf unmixed

turkey loaf mixed

Top with slices of onion and peppers (cheddar cheese optional)

Placed in loaf pan and baked for 40 minutes @ 350~

turkey loaf topped

turkey loaf baked

Served with Tortilla Strips and mild pepper rings.

turkey loaf finished

Another easy breezy recipe- leftovers can be used to make a Taco Salad when added to lettuce, tomatoes, Avocado and dressing.

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Tropical Tuesday – Outfits of Two days

Hello Friends and Happy Tuesday!

Today’s outfit post is a 2fer, the first one was worn last Thursday the day of the torrential downpour and the second I wore yesterday.

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 009

What is your take on the Denim Skirt which was very popular in the ’90’s.

Check out this Blog Post on Denim Skirts, I will never be able to wear a mini again!

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 002

Denim Skirt and Polka Dot Top were thrifted from GW Boutique

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 011

Sandals from Rainbow Shops

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 013

2-Chain necklace from my grandmother

Check out this great video from Joyus – Denim Pencil Skirt

Monday’s outfit was a bit more colorful

Colorful Maxi Skirt – Rugged Wearhouse

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 058

Orange Tank – GW Boutique

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 073 Sandals (old) – DSW

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 059

Necklace and Bracelets – Rugged Wearhouse

OOTD 6 14 and 6 17 072

Which outfit did you like better?  

Linking Up with Style Statement Tuesday – hop on over to meet a new blogger!

Have a fantastical day – Smooches!

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Closet Cleanout Continues

Hello Friends and Happy Monday…Monday…Monday, I hope your weekend was all that you wanted it to be and then some!

One of my weekend missions is to have all of the closets cleaned out by the end of the summer…or at least all of the bedroom closets cleaned out!  Last Saturday after working with my son in his, we decided to store the sweaters and sweatshirts in Original Space Bags which were purchased from Ross

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 051 closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 052

The Space Bags are sealed tight when the air is removed using a vacuum

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 110They aren’t as flat as I wanted but it’s still a good space saver

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 113

I organized some of my shoes with this Over-The-Door Shoe Rack by Mainstays purchased from Walmart

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 181These will be sorted by color

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 184I’ll get plastic shoe boxes from Dollar Tree for these summer shoes/sandals

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 186Also purchased a Mainstays 2-Tier Garment Rack for skirts

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 189 closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 190The rack will be put into the spare bedroom freeing up additional space in my closet

closet cleanout and ootd 6 13 13 192Next week another closet….

Have a fantabulous day – Smooches!

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