Be My Valentine - late

We are celebrating V-Day today so even though I am late on my post - really it is right on time! We are making a nice dinner - romaine salad with strawberries, mandarin oranges and a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, ribs (hubby's thing), roasted potatoes, baby carrots and asparagus, fudge brownies topped with strawberries and champagne! Can't wait! I think we might go bowling (which includes adult beverages) or go see the new Reese Witherspoon movie - This Means War. Big night planned! I was also thinking of going to get a shampoo and style/blowout. I need to get my brows waxed BAD and I never seem to be able to get any curl to hold in my thick, heavy hair so I was thinking of getting some sassy curls and body for my date night! This post is FULL of Valentine decor pics - so enjoy! What did you expect? This IS my first Valentine's Day as Mrs. Valentine - can't help it.

side note: My wreath on the front door got a little beat up and raggedy in the weather, so excuse her lack of perkiness. AND my mantle is not ideal and got changed around several times but I only got a picture of her once. The picture is not how she ultimately ended up, but you get the idea. The "Kiss Me" ribbon hung on the back of our front door - I had leftover ribbon and letters so I just whipped it up last minute.

the best tortilla soup!

so I inherited this recipe from my sister in law so I cannot take all the credit! I don't know if we do the recipe the exact same way, but close enough! This recipe is amazing and my go to meal if we have company or a group together. It is so easy to whip together and does not take any time at all!

what you will need:

1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of black beans
1 can of Rotel
2 cans of corn - we use the fiesta kind
1-2 packages of dry ranch mix - we use 2 for more flavor
1-2 packages of taco seasoning - we use 2
1-2 lbs of ground meat - we prefer turkey - I use lean turkey for everything!
2 cups of water
cilantro - optional, I use it if I have some on hand, just however much you would like

throw in all your ingredients, be sure to drain your black beans

brown your meat

 toss in the meat and let the soup heat thoroughly - I usually let it come to a slight boil and then let it simmer a while so all the seasonings are soaked into the meat

on our last grocery trip I spotted these tortilla strips and thought we would try them out - so glad we did!  added some nice texture and crunch to the soup!

you may also want to add some shredded cheese and/or sour cream - and there you have it! a simple, easy and VERY delicious meal! ENJOY!

amazingness

ok, I have just discovered amazingness and either I have been living under a rock or just in a small town because I am just now finding out about Drybar!  I am really sad that I do not live in one of the cities that has a Drybar!  So here is the deal - no cuts, no color, just blow outs! and a shampoo!  That is the best part! oh besides the drinks - after all it is a bar!  This sounds like  my kind of place and I am dying to visit one asap!  Sipping mimosas and getting beautified for 35 bucks - not too shabby! Go ahead check it out!  You know you want to! drybar