Mad Babies

We have been staying up late and watching Mad Men.  I am so inspired by the fashion of the 50's.  While trying to find some beautiful vintage pieces online I came across this amazing online boutique.  This shop specializes in vintage baby and children clothes, from newborn to five years.  There are some amazing dresses from that decade and here are some that I am drooling over.  If I had it my way, Winona would have every one of these pieces in her wardrobe and we would be seriously in debt!!  

i like to ride my bicycle

Yesterday evening we took our bikes for a nice ride down the C&O canal for a dinner picnic.  Our friend Devin rode out with us to enjoy the dinner.  We have been riding a few times a week.  Mine and Jake's anniversary was this past Thursday and I got a basket for my bike.  Woo Hoo!!  But yesterday was the first time we've been able to make a stop and have a picnic.
It was also our farthest trip so far.  We rode 8 miles.  Now that may not seem like a lot to you, but for this out of shape woman, it was far!  Plus our bikes are only cruisers so we really had to work it.  On the way back, we were chasing the daylight and I was about to die.  Today my thighs are killing me!
For our picnic, we stopped at a little white house out in the woods.  It was perfect.  I packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, strawberries, cherries, cheese, oranges, carrots and hummus.  It was good food to make the trip back.

 I love my bike.

 The C&O Canal is such a beautiful place to ride.

 We picked the perfect place to have our picnic.

 Since I am so sore, I should probably get out there and ride another 8 miles tomorrow, when I'm hurting even worse than I am today.  Yikes.

Fashion Friday

I am super excited about my next Fashion Friday guest.  Judah is the first boy to be featured on my blog and I know that it is all girlie stuff all the time.  So hopefully this will be a little refreshing, especially for all you mama's of little boys, and for everyone who is just sick of the pink!!  =)  Look at this cutie patootie!!!!  I just love his hipster style.  It is a wonderful testiment as to how well adorable your baby can look on a limited budget.  I absolutely love that everything is thrifted!

Hello!  My name is Jessica and I am a stay at home mommy to Judah, wife to my handsome hubby Scott and owner of "My Charming Colors".  We live in the DC area and since the cost of living is so high in these parts, we have to get really creative with Judah's outfits.  He is a growing boy and I find myself looking for new items for him to wear almost on a bi-weekly basis.  I typically go to the same thrift store in the area (Unique) the prices there are cheaper than most and they have 50% off days.  Judah has his own sense of style that matches his personality.  I do put a wig on him because it's funny and one day I'll have great pictures for his high school graduation.  I also like him to look more like a little hipster than a baby.

Monday

 Navy Blue and Red Polo Shirt- Okedokie- Thrifted/Unique

Shorts- Old Navy- Thrifted/Unique

Shoes- KRU Little- Thrifted/Unique

Tuesday

 Button up white shirt- Baby Togs- Thrifted/Unique

Black Tie- Thrifted/Unique

Shorts- Hanna Andersson- Thrifted/ Unique

Shoes- KRU Little- Thrifted/Unique

Wig- Thrifted/ St Petersburg Florida

Wednesday

 Rock Hits DJ Tank- Fox Baby- Thrifted/Unique

Shorts- Hanna Andersson- Thrifted/Unique

Shoes- KRU Little- Thrifted/Unique

Hat- H&M

Thursday

 White Onsie with a front pocket- Old Navy- Hand me down

Charcoal Vest- No brand- Thrifted/Unique

Jeans- Timberland- Thrifted/Unique

Friday

Dark Blue Diaper- Fuzzibunz

Tie- No Brand- Thrifted/Unique

Thanks for stopping by and if your ever in the DC area and want to go thrifting together feel free to drop me a line!

Jessica West Judkins

My little mustache

My Charming Colors

The Best Enchilada Sauce Youlleverhavethepleasureoftasting Recipe

This is a recipe that we found on foodnetwork.com.  It is Uh-Maz-ING!!  I make it often for I like to always have it on hand.  I use it in my Tortilla Soup recipe and on enchiladas... of course.  Jake and I have a saying that we could cook up a batch of poop and smother it in this sauce and it would taste delicious.  It will save anything.  We are hoping that our cousin's Mexican husband, Carlos, will be able to tell us how authentic it is.  They will be in town this weekend, and we are whipping up our best batch of enchiladas.  

I also think it's a lot of fun to make because there are so many ingredients.  I feel like I'm brewing up a spell.  There are many surprising ingredients in the sauce such as coffee, chocolate, and orange juice.

It doesn't really matter how good, or not good, your enchilada making skills are.  Once you got the sauce, they will be perfect.  =)

 Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 cups canola oil
• 1 1/2 onions, chopped
• 10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 3/4 cup chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate

  Flame-roast bell pepper until skin is blistered, place in a bowl and wrap with plastic.  Allow to cool, then peel, seed, and chop.

Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until onions are lightly caramelized.

 Add tortillas torn into pieces.

 Add chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, pepper and salt to release oil in the spices, about 1 minute using care not to burn the spices.

 Add chicken stock, coffee and orange juice concentrate.  Add chocolate, chopped into pieces.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Remove from heat, carefully blend smooth in a processor or blender in batches (sauce should be smooth but still thick).  When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.  Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway.  If using a blender, release one corner of the lid.  This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions.  Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.  Adjust the consistency with additional chicken stock if necessary.

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Weekend Adventures {Photo heavy}

We spent the weekend at a private local rock quarry.  It was absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to go back.  The water was the deepest azure blue I have ever seen.  The men were jumping off of the cliffs, as I am too much of a scaredy cat.  Winona had a great time in the water and being over all filthy the whole weekend.  

Tonight we went to the county fair and had the greatest time.  It was Winnie's first ever fair experience.  She rode a couple of the baby rides.  She was so brave!  She especially loved all the farm animals.  The horses were her favorite among them.  My favorite part was my deep fried oreos!  Mmmm.  Winnie drank all of our lemonade!  She doesn't usually get any sugar so I knew she was in heaven!