Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happiest of New Years!

I am a bit tardy on the Merry Christmas wishes, but with my family arriving to town and all the hustle and bustle that this time of year brings about, I got caught up in the joys of being with family and my fiancé! We have quite enjoyed our time together that has beenspent playing board games, sipping coffee by the fire and relishing each others company over delicious meals!


We have been sipping on this hot chocolate from Williams Sanoma and it is scrum diddly umptious (this is a made up word my family likes to use for something that is quite tasty)! It's made from real chocolate shavings and you combine it with slightly boiled milk for a rich, smooth, chocolaty concoction that is perfect for a cool winter night!



It's a well known fact that I love to read, but I also love to collect coffee table books and cook books! I was given this lovely cookbook for Christmas and it was right up my ally! I just adore the colorful cover and southern recipes that this book showcases, and the joy of life that the authors easily exude through the pages is contagious! The authors are from my hometown of Tallahassee, Florida and have a store by the name of Coton Colors. The store is full or adorable hand painted, personalized accessories, stationary and much, much more!

I will return after the New Year! Until then, I will most likely be reading, sipping hot chocolate, enjoying my fiance's company and reading :) Happy New Year Y'all!!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

All I Want For Christmas...Day 3!

I grew up in a family that is easily entertained by the simplicity and sheer pleasure that comes from playing boardgames! We have always enjoyed that time together to get away from all of our technological gadgets and have some "old-fashioned" fun and laughs (and maybe just a teeeeeeny bit of competitiveness, wink wink)! I thought I would give you our top 3 favorite games that would all make for a great, inexpensive gift for anyone!


The Game of Things is one of my personal favorites! If you haven't heard of this or don't know how it's played, this one is quite simple and doesn't require much brain power, maybe just a little creativity! One person will start the game off by being the "reader" and will read the prompt on the first card, such as, "something you wouldn't do in front of your grandma" (there are a kajillion prompts). Everyone, including the reader, will come up with a response that they believe is suitable and then submit it to be read aloud. The person to the left of the reader will begin to take their guesses on who said what response and you are awarded points with each one you get correct. The person with the most points after everyone has been a "reader" wins. It's a great game because the responses can get quite entertaining and funny! My family has taken a little break from this game because we can't seem to have any responses that don't include some sort of gross potty language (I have two brothers...and my mom and I may participate in the potty talk solely to throw the suspicion off of ourselves)! Maybe one day we will become mature...but I guess that's part of the fun :)


No explanations needed for this! Such a classic and recently, this has been a top game choice!

Scrabble is my all time favorite game! I guess because Im a little bookworm, I really enjoy the competitive aspect of finding words that will earn you many points! My fiance' and I love to play this together and though he is a few wins up on me, I completely redeemed myself the other night with a big time win :)















































Wednesday, December 21, 2011

All I Want For Christmas...Day 4!

Due to the fact that today is normally titled "Bookworm Wednesday" and also because I get childishly giddy over opening a present containing a book, I'm going to show you two coffee table gems that would look simply lovely and one's that I j'adore!


This beauty has a vibrant, eye stimulating color and wonderful ideas/pictures that are bound to bring about your inner decorator and creative side!

I'm sure many of you read Emily's blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere, but she just came out with a book on entertaining, decorating and fashion and I love the dainty, feminine feel this cover portrays! I have no idea how the content is (this book is only available for pre-order), but if her blog is any indication of what to expect, then we are all surely in for one big treat!

Happy Reading :)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

All I Want For Christmas...Day 5!

Christmas is only a mere 5 days away! I just can't believe it, but I am bubbling over with excitement to spend some time with family and my fiance; it's such a glorious time of year! I wanted to do a post every day up until Christmas of a gift that I believe would be a great present (if Santa brought me any of these goodies, I wouldn't object)! The one I'm featuring today is from a stationary designer by the name of Emily Ley and I discovered her in the latest issue of Southern Weddings! Though it was in a "bridal" mag, the stationary is just a basic note card with a southern saying at the top of it (for example, "goodness gracious" or "heavens to betsy"); perfect for thank you notes or just to send a personal, super adorable note to someone dear! Her website is emilyley.com and as I perused her site quickly, I immediately determined that it looks right up my southern, girly alley! These particular notecards below were $25 for 16! So darn cute!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Beatty's Chocolate Cake!



Rain and wind have been pounding on my window all night long, so mustering up the energy to get out of bed and get ready for work is not quite what I want to do; my bed is just calling me to jump back in it and cuddle up underneath it's cozy covers! However, a little cold and rain aren't going to steal the joy and excitement I have over my fiance' returning home today for a whole MONTH! It is also his birthday tomorrow and I thought I'd share with you the cake I baked for him yesterday; nothing like a little chocolate sweetness to brighten up this dreary day!


The birthday boy is a major fan of chocolate, so I decided to put what baking skills I have to use and whip him up an Ina Garten recipe! One of my closest friends LOVES her and I have received a handful of Ina's cookbooks, but never tried a recipe; yesterday being a first, I really hope it turns out delicious! I found it quite simple to follow and if the batter and icing are any indication of how it will taste, then it's bound to please any chocolate lovers out there! I'll post the recipe below and I can't wait to serenade MAC with the birthday song and have him blow out his candles!! Here's to hoping your Monday is quite sweet :)


Beatty's Chocolate Cake:


Ingredients for Cake-

Butter for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for the pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup veg oil

2 extra large eggs, at room temp

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8 inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an elecetric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.


Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.


Chocolate Frosting:


Ingredients-

6 oz good semisweet chocolate

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

1 extra large egg yolk, at room temp

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups sifted confectioners suger

1 tblsp instant coffee powder


Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temp. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 tsp of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake!









Friday, December 9, 2011

Finally! Thanksgiving Re-Cap!

Im sure many of you (well, if there still are any of you) readers were wondering if I had just fallen off the face of the blogging earth, but I'm here to assure you that I am back and here to stay! Unfortunately, my computer being a century old, I have had a handful of problems with it and pronounced it dead quite a few times. Much to my delight, (or dismay, due to the fact that I'd REALLY love to have a MAC), my computer decided to awaken from it's hybernation, allowing me to FINALLY be able to grace y'all with my sweet southern self ;)








Enough about boring, old computers! I wanted to do a Thanksgiving re-cap before I began with some Christmas posts, which is an unbelievable only 2 weeks away!


We had quite a lovely Thanksgiving at Hampton Island, Georgia this year. The original plan had been to celebrate at my fiance's grandparents house (this is tradition for his family, and they had kindly extended an invite to my family) but his sweet grandmother had just been diagnosed with Lupus and was instructed to rest, to not extend too much energy or become overly stressed. We knew that hosting would just be too much for Nena (his grandmother) this year, so we intervened and suggested everyone join us at Hampton! We had two large tables set up, a fire going in the background, and a feast large enough to feed an army!


This was a portion of the food; we had fried turkey, regular turkey and ham! Michael's little cousin Abby, and our precious flower girl, is quite the baker and she created these adorable little turkey cupcakes!


My sweet family that I couldn't be more blessed to be a part of!

My fiance' and my future in laws! Another blessing for me that I get to also become a part of this incredible family and that our two families came together as one big family this year for Thanksgiving!


Feel indescribably blessed to be able to spend the rest of my life as his wife :)

Instead of relaxing on the sofa after our feast and letting the Turkey take us into a deep sleep, we ventured off to my future Uncle's land to shoot skeet, pumpkins, cans and well just about anything in front of me I could hit (mainly the ground haha). I come from a family that is quite talented in the shooting area and my fiance' is quite the shot, so maybe one of these days I can learn to shoot that darn skeet!


Lastly, I got to ride this gorgeous thing, who goes by the name of Prairie Princess, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving with my mom. We had one of the prettiest trail rides that day and it was a wonderful ending to a very satisfying (in more ways than one) Thanksgiving holiday!


Hope that everyone has a weekend filled with Christmas festivities, Christmas shopping and Christmas movies (I have already watched Polar Express, Home Alone 2, and The Santa Clause)!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Bookworm Wednesday

Though my time seems to be occupied with friends and wedding planning as of late (no complaints there), I have managed to begin reading this book by Laura Ingraham. Just as a little precursor, it is extremely politically conservative (which I LOVE) and I am enjoying reading about her personal opinion on America's cultural decline and what we can do to help contribute to restoring it back to it's intended course.

Thank goodness it's the middle of the week for this weekend brings with it some delightful, pre-Thanksgiving activities with wonderful friends and it also brings my fiance' home for a WHOLE week! My excitement is almost uncontrollable! I will try and put forth more effort in capturing our adventures on camera so that I may in turn, share them with you all! Happy Wednesday!!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Bravo Brad, Carrie, and Hank!

I have been a country music fan from a young age and I can still even remember the first few songs that made me fall in love with it; John Michael Montgomery "I swear", "Be my baby tonight" and "Sold (Grundy County Auction)". Flashes of me trying to memorize "she's an 8, she's a 9, she's a 10 I know; she's got ruby red lips, blonde hair, blue eyes; I'm about to bid my heart goodbye" always bring me back to childhood! My love for country music has steadily grown since then, and 80% of the time, it is what I'm listening to! I just appreciate what the majority of country music singers stand up for, how they present themselves, and their respect and devotion to this COUNTRY we call home. That being said, here is my analysis of the 2011 CMA's!!

First of all, I'd like to applaude Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood for doing an amazing job hosting the CMA's last night; Brad is just charming, genuine and pretty darn handsome, while Carrie is stunning, funny, talented, and well stunning! Their chemistry on stage is just flawless and entertaining and they, along with all the other amazing country singers, put on one incredible show! It is so refreshing to watch an awards ceremony where the artists are respectful, where they look gorgeous and feminine (not skanky and crazy), and where you don't have to worry about whether or not children should be watching. I loved every performance and aspect of the show last night, BUT the introduction that Brad and Carrie did to kick off the show was probably one of my favorite points of the night! Way to stand up for your fellow country singer (and LEGEND) Mr.Hank Williams Jr.! It couldn't have been done in a more polite, hysterical way; apparently the audience thought so too, hence the laughs, cheers and standing ovation. Mr.Hank wasn't too far off in his comparison of our president and Hitler...haha Im kidding (kind of)!! So take that liberal media!!! If you happened to miss this segment of last night, I'm posting the video below! Made me proud to be a country lovin', southern girl :) Y'all were spot on CMA's and thanks for a spectacular show!






Swooned over this glitzy, yet elegant gold number Carrie wore last night!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Bookworm Wednesday



I was given this book by a parent of one of my closest friends (who is a bridesmaid in our wedding) and began reading it last weekend! So far, I love it and it has given me great insight into married life and preparation for that new stage of life! I'll write more on the main points I gained from it next week once I have finished! Happy Wednesday :)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Thankful

Today I find myself thinking about how Thanksgiving is just a mere two and a half weeks away! How can that be?? It seems like just yesterday it was July and we got engaged and I thought I had all the time in the world...and now it's NOVEMBER (we are almost at the 6 month mark)! Heavens to Betsy I have a lot to do!! One priority for me right now is to mail out our save the dates! I was ecstatic to find them in the mail today and it looks like my night will be spent curled up in front of the tv and addressing these sweet cards :)

As I looked at our save the dates this morning, I got a bit sentimental. I began to realize how blessed I am to be marrying this incredible, Godly man, and beyond that, how blessed I am to become a part of his wonderful family and he a part of mine. We both have been raised with the most loving, caring, selfless, God-fearing parents that any child could dream of having. I could never fully describe how much my family means to me and the love that I have for them. Over the past few years of being with Michael's family, my love for them has grown steadily too. They have accepted me as one of their own, loved me, given of themselves for me, and rejoiced in this season for me, leaving me feeling humbly thankful for them. I'm thankful we have two families who support us completely, love us unconditionally, and encourage us in our faith.

I know during the Holidays it is a lot easier to remember reasons we have to be thankful, but I hope the spirit of the season stays with us every day of every year, because we truly have abundant blessings and much cause to be thankful. Maybe this is an idea to start a recurring day where I just blog about out all my thanksgivings to y'all :) Thanks for listening to my rambling that began with how fast November has approached, to my Save the dates and lastly how that left me with a heart full ofThanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Bookworm Wednesday, Wedding Style!

I know, I know, this is not a book, but this magazine is 100% worthy of being showcased on Bookworm Wednesday. As I turned each page, I literally thought I'd died and gone to wedding heaven!! I have been slowly devouring this little gem for hours and I can NOT get enough of it! I peruse the pages ever so dreamily, and take in the smallest, little details as to not miss a single lovely thing! The creative juices are flowing and I couldn't be happier; I am in total wedding bliss right now and if I happen to be MIA for a bit, it's most likely because this has me in a southern wedding haze :)

P.S. My friend Betsy works for this wonderful stationary designer, Ashley Brooke (of Ashley Brooke Designs) who is showcased in this magazine! Believe me, this magazine and her products are a must see :)

Friday, October 28, 2011

My How Time Flies

I can't believe it has been over a week since I have posted, but somehow the time just seems to slip away from me ever so quickly! Last weekend was absolutely wonderful visiting with my whole family and Michael, who all happened to be in the area until Tuesday of this week! We spent time playing scrabble (unfortunately my fiance' is a teeny bit ahead of me in the wins to losses ratio), chatting by the fire, cooking and laughing as we lingered over delicious dinners (which included fresh vegetables we picked ourselves from an organic farm), golfing (we could not have been blessed with a prettier day), and lastly, taking our engagement pictures!! Though our time was limited because the boys had to be in the woods by a certain time to hunt, I think the pictures turned out quite lovely and it made me that much more excited to marry the love of my life! Here is a sneek peek below of our pictures that were taken on the farm we will wed at in May next year! Hope your weekend is full of candy, football and time spent with loved ones :)

Friday, October 21, 2011

Weekend Necessities!

Getting to ride sweet Bug with a friend of mine,



PLUS

Getting to hang out at this house with my wonderful family and fiance,






PLUS


Getting to sit (we have rocking chairs, so we will be rockin' away) out by a fire pit, enjoying this
40 degree weather






EQUALS


One extremely fun, relaxing fall weekend!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Bookworm Wednesday


Can I just say, getting a card, gift, or just an un-expected treat in the mail is just such a thrill! My mailbox is typically full of bills, credit card company mumbo jumbo, or coupons for the randomest items I have no use for, so when I get a sweet card or little trinket in the mail it is the highlight of my day!

The nice mail man hand delivered this little number to me today and I was one happy bookworm! I ordered this off Amazon, which has become my new route for buying books. I just really appreciate how I can buy a used, good condition, hard back book for $5 and pay $4 in shipping, which allows me to purchase the book for less than half the original price! I typically do ground shipping (unless I am in literary angst), which can take up to two weeks to come, but mine have always arrived in less than one week! Great customer service if you ask me!

Summer Rental, by Mary Kay Andrews is my book of choice at the moment! I know it isn't Summer and I know this isn't the most mind enhancing read, but hey, it's what my heart desires right now and that's that :) I feel as if all the books I have read recently have either been emotionally draining (I'm really sensitive to the characters I read about and feel their hurt/losses) or somewhat morbid and I'm in need of something cheery, light and fun! I have all of Mary Kay Andrews books thus far and I figured I should add this one to my shelf! She tends to write a lot about the South and love, which happen to be two of my most favorite things, so I'm sure I won't be disappointed!

Hope this Wednesday finds you joyful and happy!




Monday, October 17, 2011

Fall Necessities Continued...

I realized I left off a few fall necessities from Friday's list and wanted to share them with you!
This time of year I LOVE soups and roasts; basically anything warm, cozy and hearty! I also LOVE to use my crock pot! I can have this delicious meal preparing for me during the day while Im at work and then get to walk in the door to a scrumptious aroma of a dinner that is ready to be gobbled up by yours truly! If you have not yet heard of this web site, http://www.skinnycrockpot.com/, then I insist that you must! A good friend of mine recommended it to me and I have been a fan ever since! If you're like me and find it hard to stand on your feet after work and cook a meal, this is the remedy for that problem! Delicious meals that are healthy and basically cooked for you, makes me one happy, satisfied girl :)


This particular pork stew is a recipe I am trying out for dinner tonight! From the looks of it, I won't be disappointed!

Skinny BBQ Pork Stew
Recipe republished with permission from TheGraciousPantry.com.
(Makes approximately 3-1/2 quarts) Nutritional Content will vary depending on BBQ sauce used.
Ingredients
8 pork loin chops, cut into small chunks
3 cups chicken stock
1 onion, sautéed or caramelized in 2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. fingerling potatoes, halved or whole
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 (16 oz.) jar healthy BBQ sauce (I used one called, "Bone Suckin' Sauce" for this recipe. OrganicVille is also good, or you can make your own.)
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
Directions
Place all ingredients in a 5 quart (or larger) crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours, though some crock pots will need longer. Just be sure the pork is cooked.
When the pork reaches at least 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork or knife, it's done. Allow to cool and serve.
Google Recipe View Microformatting by ZipList Recipe Plugin
1.3
Copyright 2011 SkinnyCrockPot. All rights reserved.





I am obsessed with this candle! It is "Leaves" by Bath & Body and it is fantastic for this time of year! Your home will have this perfect, subtle, fall scent drifting through it like leaves on a fall day!


Loving this monogrammed jewelry! Simple, dainty, chicness (made up word??) all wrapped in to one little necklace! Just realized, this might not be realistic yet because do I get one now and have to change my monogram when I marry in the spring?? Oh dilemmas!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Fall Necessities

The sky is blue, the air is crisp, and I can see the changing leaves bustling about in the cool wind! Fall is knocking on this southern towns door and I couldn't be happier! I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite, fall necessities that spark me to celebrate and embrace this lovely season!


Of course pumpkins are a MUST this time of year! I hope the fiance and I can carve (or decorate) one of these orange beauties this weekend! Love the girly, cutesy flair this pumpkin displays :)


Essie has become my new favorite nail polish brand, and I won't lie, it's kind of because of the dainty white cap and feminine name! I'm so guilty of being a complete girly-girl! This specific color, hot cocoa, is what I am currently wearing on my nails. The light brown hue is perfect for this time of year because it's not too dark and drab, but a step away from all the bright shades of summer!




Coffe is ALWAYS a necessity in my life, no matter the time of year, but I especially enjoy sipping on a pumpkin spice latte this time of year! It's my absolute favorite!

Hope your weekend is full of fall fun, pumpkin carving and a warm, scrumptious treat!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tailgates, Country Music, and a Wedding Cake

I'm Back! Last Wednesday, I loaded up my car and took a mini vacay to see my fiance, catch a concert, and visit with my family for a bit! It was such a great time, but those 5 days sure did fly by!

The Luke Bryan Farm Tour concert was a rootin', tootin', hollerin' good time! We tailgated, sang some good ol country songs, and danced the night away. We did have a few, "minor altercations" with some extremely rude, selfish people who tried to get ahead of us once the music started. No one in our little group was putting up with that because we had patiently waited in our spot to hear Luke; we all started to grit our teeth and get fairly heated. My fiance is amazing and stood up for all of us by giving this speech to an obnoxious group of girls, "Listen, this is country music and we are in the south. People respect each other here, so you need to stop being rude and pushing your way to the front. Show etiquette. Now watch the concert." Eveyone within hearing distance proceeded to clap and cheer and those pathetic girls turned around, walking away with their tails between their legs :) Luke was amazing in person!!





This is us tailgating before the concert!

Wanted to leave you with a pic of the type of cake I want! I know we have plenty of time to work on this part of the wedding, but due to the fact that sweets are a necessity in my life, I've already been looking around for the type of cake I want! I decided I want something very sweet, simple, elegant and personalized (anywhere I can incorporate a monogram I will)!!



Isn't this perfect!! Happy Thursday! It's almost the weekend, which means my fiance comes home :) Yay!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Bookworm Wednesday

I have no explanation for not reading this incredible book before now, but I am so thankful a friend of mine lent it to me when we swapped books! To say I loved this book is an understatement, and it just might be one of my new favorites! I took advantage of our ideal weather (at the moment) here in the southeast and devoured this book one Sunday afternoon! I could NOT put this gem down and as I read, I continuously wrote down page numbers of quotes that I wanted to share with you; I ended up having two whole pages of quotes!! Im sure most of you have heard of this book or read it (because apparently I live under a literary rock), but if perhaps you have not had the privilege of reading Tuesdays With Morrie, then I insist that you MUST! So as not to spoil anything, I will just inform you that this is a story of hope, encouragement, and un-selfish love. The fact that this is a true story just blows my mind and it is a testimony worth every second of your time! There need to be some more "Morrie's" in this world.

I'll leave you with some of my favorite quotes and I promise I will try to limit them :)

"Love wins. Love always wins."

"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it."

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half asleep, even when they are busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning in your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to what gives you purpose and meaning."

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in. Love is the only rational act."

"Everyone knows they are going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently."

"Love is so supremely important. Love each other or perish. Without love, we are birds with broken wings."

"You can't substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship."

"Giving to other people is what makes me feel alive. When I give my time, when I can make someone smile after they were feeling sad, it's as close to healthy as I ever feel."

Ok that was a lot, but I could have put up a million more and this is just a tiny glimpse into the kind of man Morrie was. So many great words we could learn from!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Oh Happy Day!

There are a number of reasons why I am filled with happiness and joy at the moment, so I figured I'd fill you in!




For starters, one of my brothers (that's him pictured above) decided to take a spur of the moment trip to visit me yesterday! My family is super, super close and I have an amazing relationship with both of my brothers. They are younger than me, but both have exceeded me in height by at least a foot, making me the shortest member of our family. That's ok though, I've come to terms with being a lil shrimp :) The one that visited yesterday is closest to me in age and he is a college soccer player; that being said, he has an extremely busy schedule in the fall with practices and games, so it was a sweet treat for him to take time out of his crazy schedule, allowing us to be able to spend some brother/sister time together! We hit up our local pizza place (this has become a tradition when he visits) and enjoyed the fall night air as we sat outside, savoring each delicious bite of that yummy pizza! We concluded the night with some fro yo, no surprise there, and it may or may not have been my 3rd night in a row of having that indulgence :)




Secondly, what could make you more happy than finding a recipe that includes pumpkin AND nutella??? So delicious I can't even stand it!!




Lastly, I get to see my fiance tomorrow for 5 whole days!!!! Within those 5 days, we will partake in visiting my family, playing some golf, sipping coffee on the porch and enjoying this gorgeous fall weather, shooting our engagement pics (sooooo excited), and tailgating on a farm before taking in a Luke Bryan concert!!!! What could be more fun??


Everyone tells my fiance that he looks like Luke, so I decided to put pics of them up next to each other and see what ya'll think! I can see the resemblance, and I guess it's a good thing they do, because I sorta, kinda, maybe just a teeeeeny tinnnnnyyyy bit think that Luke is a pretty good lookin' gentleman ;)




Friday, September 30, 2011

Favorite Frock Friday



Way to go Lilly Pulitzer for creating this perfect LBD! It incorporates all the fabulous details your little fashionable heart could desire, and then some! From the front, the dress is so chic and wonderfully simple. I adore how the neckline is conservative, but that the shorter length allows you to show off a bit of leg; don't even get me started on the understated elegance of the black, eyelet lace overlay that allows the slightest amount of skin to peek out from the cap sleeve and hem line!! As if that wasn't enough, the scoop neck back and exposed gold zipper provides a subtle hint of ladylike sexyness. The fit is phenomenal and a "must have" for any fashionista's closet! Happy Friday


Thursday, September 29, 2011

Love and Flowers

Two blog posts in two days...this might be a record!




Obviously wedding preparation is constantly on my mind and I am thoroughly enjoying browsing dreamily through magazines, pictures and websites for ideas to incorporate into our little southern, chic farm wedding! Lately, I've been perusing some pictures of floral arrangements and I wanted to share some of those with you!


Just as a little background, my floral preference has always been a hydrangea. Their appeal to me seems to be that they are so large and striking, yet so simple and elegant. I could just have an abundance of these beauties all over my house! BUT...I just discovered that I love peonies too! I was finding a lot of inspiring pictures on pinterest (that site is beyond addicting and if you haven't joined it, trust me, you should) of both of these beautiful flowers and wanted to share some pics of what I hope to have at my wedding, whether that be in the bouqets, as centerpieces, or possibly a boutonniere! Hope you love the floral eye candy as much as I did!!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Bookworm Wednesday





Unfortunately, my laptop has decided to give in to its imminent demise and completely robbed me of the simple joy that stems from blogging! I was having withdrawals and had to devote my lunch break to saying a quick hello to the blog world; shame on that frustrating piece of technology for causing me this angst :) The only light at the end of this tunnel is that I can hopefully purchase a MAC, which I have been pining over for a longggg time and just didn't want to go through with getting one until it was necessary. Due to the fact that I'm planning a wedding and started an adventure in blogging, Im thinking now is a necessary time for that investment to take place, no ;)



Enough about crazy computers, I wanted to share with you a unique book Im reading that a great friend recommended! Said friend is in a book club and she, like me, has a love for reading. She always has great novels that she suggests to me, so when she said that I just HAD to read The Book Thief, I didn't hesitate. I will say that upon first reading it, I got through about 100 pages and decided that it wasn't for me. It was a little slow to me and very differently written, so I gave it back. About a week or two later, another good friend of mine read this book and told me that it was one of the most well written books she ever read, and the friend who had previously loaned it to me, continued to tell me I should really give it a second chance. Since I am not one to pick up a book and not finish it, I decided that I should try it one more time. Im so glad I did! This book is based in Nazi Germany and is written from the perspective of death. Strange, I know, but the story that unfolds between this little girl and the characters around her, is captivating and extremely interesting. The period of this book was obviously a horrific time in history, but the way this child manages to find happiness in the smallest circumstances is uplifting. I'm not completely done with the book, but I love it and would recommend it to anyone now! If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, give The Book Thief a try; you'll be glad you did!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Bookworm Wednesday

Goodmorning!! I decided to dedicate a day to discuss books, because besides my strong love for sweets, I also possess a passion for reading! This began at a very early age and I was fortunate enough to have parents that took the time to read to me before bed every night. I am beyond thankful they did because reading is like a power food for the brain and it really helped me excel through school. Once I learned to read, you couldn't keep my nose out of a book if you tried! I literally used to ask for books for Christmas and I still remember getting a box of books that included the likes of Little House on the Prairie, Babysitters Club and Boxcar Children; pretty standard for a girl in elementary school :)



Now a days, I will still read anything that I can get my hands on and I hope one day to have a house with a very large, extensive library of all the many books I have collected! I recently read To Kill A Mockingbird for about the third time and if you have never read it or it's been awhile, you should most definitely pick up this book and refresh your memory! I love southern literature and this book is a classic at the top of my list! The characters in this book are phenomenal, but I believe my favorite one would have to be the father, Atticus. He is a respectable, gentle man, that never hesitates to do the right thing. It is so refreshing to read about a character who teaches his children morals and ethics in life just by simply being an example himself. What better way for children to learn than to witness their parent living the lifestyle that they preach. The children, Scout and Jem, are consistently shown an honorable, right way of living by the reinforcement of their father's behavior and actions. This is one of the many things I adore and respect about this book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! And remember, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird :)






"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Let's Get This Show On The Road!



In regards to my last post, Darius Rucker put on one great show! He was amazing live, sounding even better (if that is possible) than he does on the radio! I love that he did some Hootie and The Blowfish songs, but my favorite two had to be History in the Making and Southern State of Mind! If you ever have the opportunity to go to one of his concerts, I highly recommend it!


I know I haven't posted too much about this yet, but Im sure you have gathered that I am engaged! It is such an incredible feeling knowing that you have found the one person that you want to spend the rest of your life with! 8 months from yesterday is the BIG day and it couldn't get here soon enough! Right now we are trying to pick a definite location and I am going tomorrow to have a little chat with the caterer and manager of the place we are thinking about! This specific area is what I have had my heart set on; it has extremely high sentimental value due to the fact that we actually met at this location and that my family has been vacationing there for about 7 years now!! Let's just hope that the meeting goes well and we can get the ball rolling on all the fun planning!! The next task I want to conquer is our Save the Dates. I am a sucker for very natural, outdoorsy pics in a field or by a farm and I really hope ours turn out something like these pics below! Hopefully I will have good news to report after tomorrow! Wish me luck :)




















Friday, September 16, 2011

History In The Making!

I decided that there would be no better way to spend my Friday night (since my Fiance' has gone on a trip for the weekend) than to throw on some boots, and watch Darius Rucker put on a show! A friend of mine happened to have an extra ticket and this country lovin' girl is real excited to see this man in concert! I grew up listening to Hootie and the Blowfish and I happen to love that Darius decided to branch out on his own and take on the country world! I do believe he has proven himself to be a contender amongst his fellow southern gent crooners! Let ya know what I think post show! Happy Friday ya'll!!!