Diary of a Southern Belle

Menu Monday - Cookies and Royal Icing

2012-01-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

Since I have been really getting into cookie decorating lately, and have perfected and tweaked recipes for my liking...I thought it would be good to share them with you today. Not to mention, I haven't been cooking real food very much lately!

Roll Out Sugar Cookies (adapted from Bake at 350's recipe)

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter (room temp is best, but cold won't mess up the recipe)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg (room temp is best, but cold won't mess up the recipe)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour (I prefer White Lily pre-sifted flour. It seems to make the cookie lighter and the dough doesn't get tough.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F
Cream together butter and sugar. In a seperate bowl, measure out flour and baking powder and mix together.
Add egg and extracts to the butter mixture.
Add flour mixture slowly to the butter mixture. Mix until flour mixture is just combined. Dough will be crumbly.
On a floured surface or on parchment paper, knead together dough (just enough to make all the crumbles combine). I like to form 2 disks rather than 1 large one.
Roll out dough using your preferred method. My favorite way is between two pieces of parchment paper instead of using flour. Cut out shapes.
Place cut out shapes on baking sheet, and place in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes (or freezer for about 5)
Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on thickness. I like to roll out to 1/2 inch, and bake for 10 minutes. However, every oven is a little different. If you do not know your oven well, be sure to watch your cookies around 7 minutes to make sure when they need to come out.
Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Royal Icing (adapted from Wilton's recipe) - I used Bake at 350's recipe for my first few sets of cookies, but I just had inconsistent results. I believe it probably has something to do with living in the sauna that is Savannah, GA. Even in the winter, our humidity is higher than most places. I have had stellar results with this recipe, but it does make a bit less than Bridget's recipe. Depending on where you live, you might want to try her recipe or Antonia74's recipe. Bottom line is although all the royal icing recipes sound really similar, the results can vary greatly. So if you get bad results with one and you have done everything right (I am including some troubleshooting below), try another recipe!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons meringue powder (I use Wilton bought from Michaels, but I am planning to switch to Ateco once I run out. You have to order this from a bakery supply website or amazon in my town right now, but I hear it is well worth it for the results you get from this brand)
6 tablespoons warm water
1 lb. (4 cups) sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup (optional, but adds glossiness to your icing)
1 teaspoon extract of your choosing (I use almond usually)

Directions

In a large bowl (if using a hand mixer) or in your stand mixer bowl, combine meringue powder and water. Wisk together to break up the clumps. Wisk until it is light and frothy (about a minute)
Using your paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or just regular beater on a hand mixer), add sifted powedered sugar. Start your mixer on low/stir so that you don't get covered in powdered sugar!
Once the sugar and water/meringue mixture is just coming together, add your corn syrup and extract. Turn your stand mixer to about 4 and set a timer for 7 minutes (if using a hand mixer, set to a low-ish setting (one above your lowest should work) and set a timer for 10 minutes).
Check your icing when your timer goes off and see if the icing is forming stiff peaks. If it is, then you are good to go. If not, stir a bit more with your mixer (start in 30-45 second increments as you do NOT want to over beat royal icing)
Thin your icing to the consistency you want. See these tutorials for consistencies such as flood icing, piping icing, and twenty second icing.

Troubleshooting for Royal Icing

If you are having problems with your icing such as it becoming crumbly once dry or the icing not wanting to dry and becoming sticky to the touch...ask yourself the following questions to see if you can determine your problem.

Did you overbeat your icing? Mix it just until it forms stiff peaks and is glossy. With my recipe, this should be at 7 minutes in a stand mixer (10 with hand mixer), however it may vary for you. Try cutting down the time you beat your icing and see if you get better results. The tell-tale sign for overbeating icing is usually crumbly icing once it dries.
Did you add too much food coloring? Be sure to only add enough coloring to get the color you want. Add a couple drops of color, see if you have a deep enough color, and if not add a drop at a time more. Remember that certain colors take a while to develop such as pinks, reds, and blacks, so don't go crazy coloring these right away. Add a little bit of color to them, and then let them sit for about an hour before adding any more. Also, if you add all of the coloring you will need at once, you can encounter issues. Gradually adding coloring drop by drop and then stirring that in will get you to the color you want without issues.
Did you gradually add water to thin your icing? Do NOT add a bunch of water all at once to get to a consistency of icing. This will cause your icing to become sticky and not dry. Just like in cooking instances where you must temper something to avoid curdling or scrambling an egg, you must get your icing used to the water. I use a spray bottle (a tip I learned from One Tough Cookie) to add my water, one or two spritzes at a time and sometimes just a tiny spritz (a couple drops if you are almost, but not quite to a consistency) If you add your water slowly, you should have a good icing consistency that will dry nice and smooth. Also, add your food coloring to the stiff icing once it comes out of the mixer. Do not try to get a good consistency and then add coloring as it can make it thinner. In addition, just like I stated above, add your food coloring drop by drop for the same reason as you do with the water.
What is the weather like? If you live in a humid area or it is raining, you will likely have some issues with your icing hardening. If you have issues with this recipe (which works in Savannah humidity), then try setting up a fan to blow lightly on the cookies while drying, use a dehumidifier in the area you are working, or try drying cookies on baking sheets in the oven with no heat, but the light on. I don't have experience with any of these, but I have read they work for some.

Happy Cookie Decorating! For more information, be sure to check out my post on my favorite tutorials and information on the web for cookie decorating!

Lemonade Stand

2012-01-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

Do y'all remember this game from when you were a kid? You know...you ran a lemonade stand, had to pay for marketing, supplies, etc. and could tweak the recipe for your lemonade. I remember that when we got done early in the library or computer lab, the teachers let us play this game. It is really a simple and educational game for kids, but was seriously fun as I remember! I recently was thinking about it (out of NOWHERE!) and wondered if it was available as an iphone app. IT IS! I have to say I still love it too! Haha! Just passing along this blast from the past that some of yall might enjoy!

P.S. Life sure has gotten in the way of this little blog! Don't worry I will be back in full force on Monday!

Cookie Decorating Information

2012-01-09T14:05:00.001-05:00

I promised I would do a "round up" of sorts that shows some of the best places I have found on the web about cookie decoarating. Although this list certainly isn't comprehensive, this is what I have found that have helped me the most and hopefully will help some of y'all too! Be sure to also refer to my sidebar (coming soon) for links to my favorite cookie blogs. There is a wealth of knowledge on cookie decorating out there!

I cannot say it enough, but Bridget of Bake at 350 and University of Cookie, and Callye of The Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle have some of the best tutorials I have found! They are both awesome cookie decorators and have taught me everything I know! Here is a list of links for beginners like me to get some help with where to start and what all the lingo means.

Tools you will need
My Favorite Recipes
How to fill a piping bag
Karen's plastic wrap tip (this is AWESOME!)
Squeeze bottles and Coupler Bottles
All about Decorating Tips
How to use couplers with tips
All about Icing (Sugarbelle)
Meringue Powder
Food Colors
White Food Coloring
How to use Americolor Food Coloring
How to outline and flood cookies
20 Second Icing
Piping Icing
Flood Icing

Extras
How to get flat dots on cookies
Food coloring pens
Using Luster Dust
Using Sanding Sugar (Bridget's way)
Sanding Sugar (Sugarbelle's way)
Using multiple cutters for custom cookies

There are SO many more things out there about cookies, and these two lovely ladies (along with some others) show you tutorials on how they made certain cookies, what they know, etc. It is so wonderful to have these resources online when starting a new hobby! I hope that they links help you as much as they have helped me. I will say that the one issue that I have had and am still getting the hang of is getting my icing consistency right. I almost nailed on these valentine practice cookies, but I see where some of the icing was a little thick. I have watched all of these videos (espeically Sugarbelle's about the icing consistency) at least 5 times each! I hope this answers questions and maybe helps some of yall to find a new hobby too! Enjoy and happy decorating!!!

Cookies!!!!!!

2012-01-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

I mentioned last week that I was jumping into a new hobby. I never dreamed I would find something I love as much as sewing, but cookie decorating might just be a close second! I found a few cookie blogs a while back (maybe around November) when I was surfing the internet. My first thought was that it was amazing that these women could do the amount of detail they do on a cookie. My second thought was that it must be tedious...but maybe a little fun. My third thought was that I wanted to try it. It took me a little time to be brave enough to decide to actually try my hand at this...then I realized that I would actually need supplies to make a cookie like them which kinda stopped me in my tracks. I didn't want to invest in something that I likely would just give up after realizing it was too difficult and not much fun. I received some money as a gift for Christmas and after talking myself in and out of trying to actually make professional looking cookies, I took the plunge and bought about $50 worth of supplies and started (that was the bare minimum). Let me say that my first cookies were kinda rough. They looked cute for a first time attempt, but it was exhausting to say the least! I only have a hand mixer and mixing up that royal icing was a pain. Ugh! I was pretty much over it before I started.

Then I got a Kitchenaid stand mixer for Christmas (something I have always wanted!!!! Yay! Thanks to my inlaws!) and thought that I would be able to actually make the icing and all without wanting to break my arm off. Guess what...I was right! Fast forward a couple weeks, and some more money sunk into my new hobby (and a husband that shakes his head because I already am so engrossed in sewing and he doesn't understand a need for a second hobby, but he is none the less very supportive!)...there is hardly a day in my house that doesn't include either baking cookies, icing cookies, or at least some cookies sitting out drying. To say I'm hooked is an understatement! Take a look at a few pictures I have snapped on my iphone through these first few weeks. I am definitely getting better every batch.

CREEPY looking angels! I didn't have a food color marker so I experimented with piping a circle to make them sing...yeah, not so cute with those open eyes! I was going to make hair too, but after the creepy eyes...I just stopped and said I would try again another day. Not bad for the second time ever decorating though!

My favorite!!!!!

Yesterday I experimented with these! I LOVE how they came out for the most part! I finally got my "flood", "20-second", and "piping" icing consistencies right!

Don't mind the terrible icing overflow in the corner...I had a casualty due to over flooding it (learning mistake). Some of my piping could be better, but I am getting the hang of it!

I have had some questions about tutorials and although I could do one, why reinvent the wheel when there are so many great resources out there! I will be adding some great links to by sidebar soon, and I will have a post up today with links to specific tutorials and where to start! I hope maybe some of you will try your hand at this hobby! It really isn't too hard and it's loads of fun (if you have a stand mixer or a strong arm or maybe you could think of it as an arm workout to get Michelle Obama arms?).

What's Goin' On?

2012-01-03T16:01:00.000-05:00

Well, I sure did drop off the map, didn't I? I didn't blog at all during Christmas!!!! Once the season really got going, I just tried to immerse myself in it, and I didn't take the time to blog. I am kinda annoyed at myself that I didn't get things that I wanted to write posted, but I will be writing those posts because I really want to remember certain things about our first Christmas. Anyway, here is a little list of things that I have going on right now to tide you over.

I'm working on getting my sewing room all together. I am planning to paint some items asap and need to buy a couple storage items (floating shelves, peg board) and I need to buy some home decor items, but overall it is ready to go once I bring in the furniture and put everything on it. I am so ready for this room to come together.
Undecorating Christmas...ugh! I was on vacation in the mountains last week, so Christmas is still up at our house. I am really ready for our home to be undecorated though. I am starting to feel cluttered and I don't like that!
I have a new hobby...cookie decorating. It is loads of fun, but I am definitely not Miss Thing yet. I felt like my Christmas batch came out awesome, but then I made some New Years ones and the royal icing wouldn't get hard??? Weird.
I am planning (and saving) for a trip to Disney coming in March. It is going to be with Ashton and two of her co-workers/friends that I don't know. I am really looking forward to getting to know them and having a blast in one of my favorite places on earth!
Trying to organize my life. My house (that we have only lived in for 6 months mind you) feels so cluttered and disorganized. I am realizing this is my own fault because I am bad about not putting things away, but my closet is basically unusable from junk in the floor and too many clothes, not to mention other cluttered areas around the house. I am slowly but surely going to tackle this!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Talk soon!

Menu Monday - Christmas Treats

2011-12-12T11:10:00.000-05:00

I had a Christmas party this past weekend, and I made quite a few treats and snacks for the event. Here are some of the recipes that people requested! It is SO easy to have people refer to these Menu Monday posts when they request recipes now! Going public with my blog was one the best decisions I made!

Peppermint Patties (cannot remember where I found this, but it was originally adapted from Joy of Baking)
makes approximately 3 dozen.

Filling
Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil (food-grade oil is better but I used extract and got rave reviews)
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons evaporated milk (if you combine everything and cannot get it to a creamy consistency, add more a teaspoon at a time to get desired consistancy. You should easily get it to look like creamed butter but it also should easily roll into soft balls)
Almond Bark (vanilla is what I used, but if you want chocolate, that is good too)
Crisco (about a tablespoon for each package of almond bark)
Food Coloring (if you use vanilla you can color it, I use Americolor paste purchased from Amazon)

Directions:

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, on slow speed, combine the butter, powdered sugar, peppermint oil, vanilla, and evaporated milk. Once ingredients are incorporated, turn mixer up to medium high, mixing for about 2 minutes, until creamy. Roll balls of filling in your hand and place on a nonstick cookie sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down on each ball to create a patty. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.
In a double boiler, bring water to boil. Once boiling, turn the stove off (keeping pot on element) and add your chopped bark. Stir with silicone spatula until nice and smooth. Add a little Crisco to thin bark and make dipping easier. (Inserting my comment here...I use my microwave! There are directions on the almond bark, and if you use increments of 30 seconds and stir in between, you shouldn't have a problem. This will save you about 20 minutes, and I am all about easy and fast cooking! Moving on...) Remove from heat and divide and tint. Drop patties in colored bark, one at a time, coating both sides, and removing carefully. You can use two forks to do this, but I use my icecream scooper. It look like the below picture and works really well for me! Place on a foiled cookie sheet to set. Once all patties are dipped and coated, set tray aside in a cool, dry place to set. I often use my refrigerator to speed things up. I always read not to do that, but it works for me, and I never have had bad results...so it's up to you.

Stuffed Mushrooms (adapted from Pilsbury I think?)
Ingredients

3 slices bacon (I used the already cooked kind found by the lunch meat in my grocery store)
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
~~2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese~~ 1/2 cup shredded Queso Quesadilla Cheese from Kroger (I think it's a Monterey Jack type cheese)
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes ground black pepper
1 pound mushrooms, stems removed
Cheese to cover mushrooms before baking. Again, I used Queso Quesadilla cheese. (I was out of Parm, so I made due. I had a lot of requests for the recipe, so I think it was a good substitute!)

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Stir in the cream cheese, Queso Quesadilla cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper until evenly mixed. Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps and place into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with more Queso Quesadilla cheese to your liking.
Bake in the preheated oven until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels (adapted from Pilsbury I think?)

Ingredients

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
4 slices bacon, either cooked yourself or the pre-cooked kind (I used pre-cooked for a time saver)
½ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

Directions

Unroll dough and separate into 2 long rectangles; press each into 12x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
Spread dressing over each rectangle to edges. Sprinkle each with bacon, cheese and onions.
Starting with 1 short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal. Place in Saran wrap and let chill in refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Best Ever Cheese Ball (my recipe for once!)
Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3-4 dashes Worscheshire
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper

Directions

In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients together. Shape mixture into ball. Wrap in Saran Wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yum!

All-Occasion Punch (no idea where this is from!)

Ingredients

1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate
2 liters ginger ale, chilled
1 liter lemon-lime soda, chilled
1 jar Marshino cherries AND juice!
2-3 limes cut in slices for garnish in punch

That was all the items I made that people requested I believe! I have pictures, but I need to upload them. Maybe later I will get them up!

2011-12-08T10:49:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much to Love You Muches for nominating me for a Versatile Blogger Award!

I haven't had a blog award lately and I really appreciate it! I am a new reader of Love You Muches and I am very much enjoying reading her blog!

The rules to be followed when accepting The Versatile Blogger Award are:-
Thank the blogger who nominated you.

Nominate and inform 15 fellow bloggers.

Share 7 random facts about yourself.

Add The Versatile Blogger Award picture to your blog post.

7 Random Facts about me:

I love to sing. I used to be really good at it when I was in middle and high school. I went to Honor Chorus, got solos, and before that I was in musicals with my church. HOWEVER, I am terrible now. Your voice really is an instrument and if you don't practice, you can lose that skill. I am sure I could get it back if I practiced, but as of now...I kinda stink. I try to hit the notes I used to hit (I was first soprano) and yikes...not pretty!
On the same train of thought, I really love to act. I haven't done it in forever, but I really used to enjoy it when I was younger. I was in musicals in church (even got the lead one year), I acted in summer camp as Little Miss Muffett, and I was in a movie with my summer camp where I was the narrator and I interviewed people about Savannah (I was the youngest in Acting Camp and I got the lead part!). I got busy with cheerleading and dance as I got older, but I have always loved the stage and had a secret ambition to be a Broadway actress. (Obviously not gonna happen, and I am cool with that, but it is a fun thing to dream about)
I also used to dream about being a ballerina. It was only compounded with the movie Center Stage and that awesome ballet at the end. I got some signed toe shoes from the Nutcracker when I was like 7 and would put them on and try to dance around my living room when I was little. In reality I danced from age 4 to age 12 with a dance group in Savannah, but then I got really busy with cheerleading and gave it up. Although I loved cheerleading, I kinda wish I hadn't given it up. I sure loved to dance, and still to this day am fascinated with ballerinas!
It's funny how different the things you aspire to when you are little are than what you end up wanting when you are an adult. Although it would be fun to be a Broadway actress or a ballerina, I would much rather be married, have children, volunteer at my church, and live a normal life. If I could do anything or be anyone, I would do exactly what I am doing now and be who I am! I love my life and am truly happy.
I used to be in beauty pageants when I was a senior in high school. Although I was in the Miss group, there were little kids in them too. It really is like Toddlers and Tiaras...just saying. SPARKLE BABY!
I love junk food. I would rather eat junk all day than eat a meal. It is something I have had to try to break since becoming an adult (i.e. my metabolism stinks and I no longer work out non stop)
I am always dreaming of my next vacation. Travel is one of my biggest passions. I am currently missing Germany SO bad (my dad used to live there, and I visited him in the summers). I really am dying to go back to Neuschwanstien in Bavaria in the winter. I have a picture as my desktop and it is just so beautiful! I love old castles like that! If you ever get a chance, go there and go to Berg Eltz. Those are the most beautiful castles I have ever been to and literally look like they are out of a fairytale!

Neuschwanstein

Burg Eltz

Time to share the love! I hereby nominate…..anyone who would like to play along! I have so many favorite blogs, so I don't want to exclude anyone!

Have a great day! I have another post coming today, so be sure to check back later!

Confessions...and maybe a couple rambles

2011-12-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

I am feeling a bit bleh. It could be that in the past couple weeks 3 things have happened to our credit cards/bank account/paypal and I am seriously annoyed. It's all working out now, and we are okay thank goodness, but I am just over dealing with it. Anyway, this is all I got today.

I have been working on a blouse (V1275) and I screwed it up somehow...neckline is all stretched out. I am disappointed that it is messed up because I love the fabric, spent a lot of time being meticulous with marking and following instructions (just because I never do and I thought it would be a good thing for me to do), and I feel defeated. It's an easy knit blouse, and I am too sick to look at it right now. I think I can fix it, but I am not dealing with it for a couple days.
I haven't sent out Christmas cards. I am not sure I am going to. I LOVE seeing Christmas cards, but we don't get any because none of our friends and family really send any out. Is there really a point in us doing it? I felt like there was because I wanted to, but then I started looking at the cost. Although it isn't overwhelmingly expensive or anything, I just feel like it is pointless now. I am still deciding if we are going to do them. I found a design on snapfish I like that I can get printed at Walmart and it will only cost like $30 including postage for us to mail them. If I do it, I am going that route.
I ate McDonald's for breakfast (with a LARGE coke!)...and ice cream last night...and a huge bowl of pasta. And I wonder why I gained 10 pounds since the wedding!
I have a mountain of dishes to wash, but instead I hung out with Ashton last night...we watched TV and had girl talk. I needed it!
I have realized that I am a total child in my movie preferences. Yes, I like some grown up movies like The Help and The Holiday and even things like Taken...but overall when I watch a movie, I like to escape and just laugh and see heartwarming things. I have realized this about myself lately. I watch Disney movies a lot (no surprise), I love musicals (happy ones, not Sweeney Todd and stuff), and the grown up movies I like the best are ones like Emma and The Holiday and Ever After. I just realized this about myself lately. Thomas and even Ashton have always described movies in terms of if it's a "Jennie" movie meaning happy, lighthearted, etc. I just have really realized this is true of me lately...and I am ok with that.
I have had my Christmas blog design ready to go since October, but I have yet to install it. I NEED to do that asap!

I'm out of stuff to say today...I promise to work on some blog posts that are more interesting for the upcoming days. I have stuff to say, I just need to sit down, download pictures, etc.

Menu Monday - Tatertot Casserole

2011-12-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

Yum yum! Southern comfort food at it's finest! Thomas calls this "Cheesy Goodness" and with a name like that, it doesn't really make you believe that this is going to be exactly healthy. However, it honestly isn't that bad if you use low sodium soups, lean beef, less cheese, and well...tatertots are tatertots, but they aren't fried in this, so at least that is better. I know that a lot of people don't like recipes with "Cream of ...." in them, but it is GOOD, and well, take it for what it is. Cheap, easy, a crowd pleaser, and makes a lot! Plus it's a Duggar favorite, and although my recipe is a little different, I always think of them when I eat it.

Jennifer's Tatertot Casserole
serves 6-8 (more if you serve with side of veggies)

Ingredients

1 bag tatertots
1 lb lean ground beef (I like 93/7)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a skillet, brown beef. I like to sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder over my meat when I brown it.
Drain fat off meat and spread in bottom of a large casserole dish. Add frozen tatertots over the top of meat.
In a large bowl, mix Cream of Mushroom soup, Cream of Chicken soup, and evaporated milk. Pour over top of casserole.
Top casserole with cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Enjoy!

I made this last night and it was YUMMY! I can't wait for lunch to eat my leftovers!

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

What are your Christmas traditions? Now that Thomas and I are married, I am really excited to combine ours and start some new ones! Here are some of the things we have done or are looking forward to doing this season.

Go Black Friday shopping - we did it, it was exhausting, our credit card was maxed out by criminals...but it was still a lot of fun and I am sure I will go out again next year!
Decorate for Christmas (preferrably Thanksgiving weekend) - DONE, and a post will be up next week. I planned it for this week, but some craziness has ensued around here (my paypal was hacked now in addition to our credit card...I am so mad), but none the less my decor is up, the post will be up soon, and it looks so pretty and it was so fun to decorate my own home for the first time!
Watch Christmas movies and specials throughout the season - in progress! We have watched Christmas Vacation and The Santa Clause so far.
Go to my hometown Christmas parade - It's this Saturday and I am SO excited!
Go to The Journey at church - this is a live action journey through the Christmas story that my church puts on. It is phenomenal, and I am looking so forward to going in the next week.
Bake Christmas cookies - planning them out...so stay tuned!
Have a Christmas party - It's in a week! I'm excited!
Listen to Christmas music throughout the season - in progress! We started listening on Thanksgiving week, haha! We were excited for Christmas!
Attend Christmas Eve church service
Have a family Christmas celebration
Go to the mountains for New Years - this is a tradition we hope to keep up! Thomas and I are going alone this year, but I hope in the future we can make it a family tradition! We love to ski, so a ski trip for New Years is a great tradition to me!

What are your family traditions? What are you most looking forward to this season?

Emma!

2011-12-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

Oh Emma! You are just TOO cute! I wish I dressed half as cute as you on a daily basis (of course this isn't reality, but still!). I adore your cardigans, pencil skirts, cute vintage brooches and sweater clips, and your bow tops are just perfect!

Alas, I cannot spend an arm and a leg in J. Crew, Kate Spade, and Anthropologie to get your look! Target can be a close substitute at times, but I long for your unique pieces (and the basics to be honest). Oh what ever is a girl to do?

I KNOW! I will make it myself! A perfectly fitted pencil skirt...perhaps two! Maybe one with a bow! I can repurpose cardigans from Target, or even Goodwill!

This dress would be pretty simple to make, and I even have the perfect fabric for the bottom already in my stash!

And vintage brooches are plentiful in the thrift store and on etsy!

Okay, enough silliness! Thomas' grandparents gave us money to buy our Christmas presents from them this year, and I may or may not have channeled Emma while shopping....and I also may have walked away with a lucious sweater knit by a very famous Italian designer that may or may not have just had a collection at Target (you know the one that was hyped to the point of insanity). I don't know...I guess you and I just have to wait until Christmas to open the presents and find out!

P.S. I was browsing some of Emma's recent fashions and saw a Moschino Cheap and Chic top...would someone like to explain to me how a blouse that costs $650 could by a brand called "Cheap and Chic." This is just something that has bothered me about that brand for a while and it seemed like a good time to bring it up! Any thoughts?

Weekend Wrap Up (or alternative title: Another Bulleted Post)

2011-11-29T10:43:00.000-05:00

I am working on my "stockpile" of posts again, but I felt like just chit-chatting today. This past weekend was WONDERFUL! I wish it would have lasted longer, but isn't that how it always is!

Wednesday of last week was my "Friday," so I was itching to get out of work! I went home and worked on some embroidery orders I had. I am really trying to amp up my embroidery orders so that I can make it a small business of sorts. I mentioned in a previous post that I am trying to make an etsy shop, and I am trying to get the word out of facebook for local friend who need things monogrammed/embroidered. It is just so fun and I really want to stay busy with it since it is such a fun hobby!

Thursday was really fun! We went to Thomas' grandparents house as usual and had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch. For years now, my mom and Nanny have come to Thomas' grandparents holiday celebrations as my family is spread out all over now and the only time we really get together is Christmas. It is really nice to be able to have all of my family (inlaws and my family) together at one celebration rather than having to go to separate celebrations and spread my time out. Our families have really come together to form one family and it is so awesome to me!
We were planning to do Black Friday shopping as we do every year, but Ashton and I didn't think we would be doing it "big time" this year because we didn't really think we had that much to buy in town. Well, after looking at the ads, making my list, and then talking about it, we realized we had a lot more places we wanted to go than we originally thought. We started at 8 on Thanksgiving night at the Walmart because there were a couple games on sale we wanted to get for the guys. You would have thought they were giving them away with the way that people acted about getting these things! It was a mad house. We ended up getting all the games we wanted (2 of 2 different games) despite there only being 6 of each game available since Walmart was going the Black Friday thing 3 times and everything would be restocked each time. I personally think this was a dumb idea because when we went to Target, they put everything out and no one was trying to clober each other over stuff. You just go to the game section, see if your game is there, pick it up if so, and check out. So much easier than standing in the produce section of Walmart for 2 hours with 20 people trying to get 6 games. Obviously, I am not planning to do the Walmart thing again...this was my first time and I was less than impressed. We ended up getting just about everything we wanted Black Friday and I have every single person on my list finished except for 3 (I had about 15). I enjoy Black Friday shopping when people behave themselves, but when you see people getting in fist fights at the Walmart over towels that are on sale for $1.98 each...it just ruins it for everyone. (Yes, this happened at several locations in the Savannah area)
I saw the Muppets on Friday after we crashed for bit. It was SO cute!!!! I love the Muppets, so I was really excited to see it! Plus Jason Segal and Amy Adams are precious! They have so much chemistry and I really wish they would get married and have cute babies! Yes, I like to wish fairytale lifestyles on my favorite celebrities...it's all good! But seriously, Ashton told me that Jason Segal wrote this screenplay, pitched it to Disney, and said he would only go through with it if Amy Adams would sign on because she was perfect for the part of Mary! How cute is that! I have to agree, and I have no idea if either of them are involved with anyone, but after seeing that movie I am team ~~Am-son Jasmy~~ Jamy all the way!
Saturday, I got out Christmas stuff and decorated all day! It took a long time to put my tree together because it is one of those where every branch clips in separate and there are no lights on it, so you have to do that (which is no fun!). My mom had this tree and it is beautiful, but it is a lot of work! I am happy with it now that it is all together, but it is a lot to put to up!
We had a wedding Saturday night. We had so much going on Saturday that I made us 5 minutes late to the ceremony...and of course it already started. So, Thomas and I had to sit in the car and wait for it to get over and scoot over to the reception. I am letting it go though because sometimes these things just happen.
Sunday, Nanny came over and hung out with me all day. I made spaghetti and mom came over for dinner. I got the rest of the decorations up, wrapped some presents, and crashed! I was TIRED! I need a weekend from my weekend!
Oh, I almost forgot! Someone stole our credit card number (have no idea how because we have out cards), and maxed out our account. They spend like $1200 in Gamestop alone! They also got gas and tried to make a $500 purchase at another store, but luckily it declined because the card was maxed out. This is our card with a smaller limit, and thank goodness for that! It makes me mad regardless having to deal with this, but I fully believe whoever this was would have kept spending until they couldn't anymore if the limit was higher. It is all going to be fine, but it is very maddening to know that someone did that and will probably get away with it!
Oh and I saw this over the weekend, and I took a picture of the ad on the computer today. This is a dealership about 30 minutes away in South Carolina, Seriously, only in the South!

I hope y'all are having a great week! I am having a hard time getting back into the swing of things at work, but I am pushing through! Talk soon!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

2011-11-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week again! Yesterday, Thomas and I decided that we wanted a big pot of spaghetti that we could eat on for a few days. I was also having my grandma come over and then my mom came over too, so it was a good meal for a crowd. I wanted to make the sauce from scratch, but I had a hard time finding exactly what I was looking for. This recipe is adapted from several I saw on allrecipes.com. Although spaghetti is fairly basic, I almost always have started with a base of Ragu (or one of the other brands). This is one that starts from canned tomatoes, and it is very tasty! I do want to make a marinara one day that starts from whole tomatoes...yum!

Jennifer's Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

3 cans (29 oz.) tomato sauce (not the kind with all the pre-made sauce, but the one by the canned tomato products)
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 package bulk pork sausage
1 to 2 packages of lean ground beef (depending on your preference for meat in your sauce)
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 package sliced and cleaned mushrooms (or about 2 cups sliced mushrooms)
4-6 cloves of garlic (depending on size and your preference)
olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend (to taste if the prior doesn't seem like enough, I used about 1 teaspoon)
1 bay leaf

Directions

In a large skillet, brown beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside.
In the skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat and saute onions, peppers and garlic until tender. Remove and set aside. Add a little more olive oil and add mushrooms. Saute mushrooms until tender. Remove and set aside.
In a crockpot (or large stock pot) combine browned meat and vegetables. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste to mixture. Add seasonings.
Simmer sauce on high in crockpot (or low if using stovetop) for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Alteratively, you can simmer the sauce on low in the crockpot for 8-10 hours while you sleep or go to work.
Serve and enjoy!

This recipe makes A LOT!!!! We made an entire box of noodles and used as much sauce as we wanted over the top (we served 4 last night and have leftovers), and we still had over half of the crockpot full of sauce. This is a good thing for us though because you can freeze the sauce to use at a later date! That is always a good thing in my opinion! Once again, I forgot a picture! I will try to get better about that!

Rambles

2011-11-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

I don't really have much for you today. Here are some rambles...sometimes I just like to type what is on emy mind.

The post yesterday was for me to get some thoughts in order, and it is definitely a WORK IN PROGRESS and will be added to and tweeked! Please check back often if you are interested in embroidery. I honestly had plannned to do another post, but I ran out of steam when I got home (I have a lot of projects to blog about!). I also have been really good lately about writing a bunch of posts at once so that I can blog at leisure and not feel stressed about trying to get something out there into blog land. Well, yesterday my stockpile was depleted and I had nothing. I need to take some time to write some things this weekend (and I have lots of ideas for Christmas).
I am really starting to feel like I am getting a handle on embroidery and applique and how to do it so that it looks very professional. I have been doing it a while, but I just haven't had the time to put into it with the wedding and finishing up school. The past couple months I have taken some time to actually make some things and I feel confident in my abilities now.
That being said, I have no kids to applique and embroider for yet. I don't need a lot of stuff hanging around for "someday" when I have kids. I am thinking and throwing around the idea of starting an etsy store. I already technically have one (remember Deep South Designs old readers?) but I started it when I was really interested in making jewelry. Well, the cost and amount of time that went into that made me get really tired of that fast. Then I found sewing and the rest is history. I am thinking about starting out with Deep South Designs again just so that I will have some kids to sew for and I have some fun things that I can applique!
I am really intimidated by the thought of an etsy store. I don't know how to price things (I guess see what the going rates are on etsy), I don't know how to price shipping, and I especially am scared about the whole taxes thing. Do any of y'all out there have experience as etsy sellers? I have a lot of questions...I just want to do this as a way to further my hobby and not as a big business, so I really don't want to bite off more than I can chew.
I cut my hair lately. Actually in October I decided to chop off my long hair into a bob. I felt like my long hair just hung there and didn't have any style. I wanted something healthy looking and more professional since I am officially a grown-up now. Haha! I need to take a picture for you! It is cute and I really like it! I don't know if I will keep it short forever, but I really like the body I get from it. I will take pictures at Thanksgiving, so I will have some for you next week.
I am really excited about Christmas! I have started listening to Christmas music (which I usually don't let myself until Thanksgiving night or day after), but I am just really excited to have my first Christmas with Thomas! We are really looking forward to it! I am having a party, we are planning to go to the Journey, and we have a vacation we are taking for New Years. It is just going to be a wonderful season this year. I am loving being married to the love of my life and starting some traditions and making memories.
Speaking of Christmas, I have been really emotional lately about what Christmas really is. I always try to keep Jesus the center of Christmas, but this year I have felt so appreciative of God and his gift to us. I have a full post to come on this later, but I have just really been reflecting on it and have felt like falling to my knees and crying at what the Lord has given us. I am so blessed to know Christ and if you have questions or don't have relationship with Christ, I hope you will reach out to find out those answers and to find Christ. You can always go to church, talk with believers, and even email me. Without Christ I would be nothing. He is everything to me.

Have a happy Thanksgiving. I am going to be back next week. For now I am going to cherish some time with my family and make some memories with my husband on our first Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for. My cup is overflowing with happiness and blessings. Thank you God!

Embroidery Information

2011-11-22T10:52:00.000-05:00

This is a post that will be in my header links. I am planning to update it as I find more places that I enjoy visiting on the web. I am also using this as a place that I personally can visit and remember all the shops where I like to look for designs.

The Itch 2 Stitch
Planet Applique
Applique Cafe
Applique Market
Applique Momma
Apex Embroidery Designs
Glitzy Stitches
Applique Creations
Lilli Pad Gifts
Sassy Southern Stitches
Monogram Font Store
Little Applique Factory
8 Claws and a Paw
Applique A Day
Threado
Applique Bebe
All Things Applique
Applique Crazy

Menu Monday - Rosemary Ranch Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

2011-11-21T16:31:00.000-05:00

I am including two recipes today since the first one is basically just a marinade recipe. You can use it on anything, but we use it on chicken and make shish kabobs because that's how the creator at allrecipes.com suggested, and it sounded good to us. The second recipe is for Mushroom Risotto. Ashton LOVES risotto, and watching Hell's Kitchen. We laugh a lot about risotto because people always screw it up on that show. Well, if you want good risotto when you go out in Savannah you usually have to go to an upscale type of restaurant and that isn't really in the budget all the time. Ashton and I got together to cook a meal and have a girls night and she found this recipe and bought all the stuff so we could make it. It is a recipe you have babysit, but the taste is OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Rosemary Ranch Marinade - from here
no directions with this one other than mix it up and marinade whatever you want in it!

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ranch dressing

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste

Mushroom Risotto - from here
serves approximately 6

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 shallots, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I usually use more!)

Directions

Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.
Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sorry, there is no picture to accompany this (as usual!) because I have been sick with strep throat all weekend, and didn't cook or do much of anything this weekend. I am feeling much better now though, so there will be a fun post up tomorrow!

"If The Shoe Fits" - Disney Fashion Part 3

2011-11-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

For the final part of "If The Shoe Fits," I thought it would be good to show some easy options that have that touch of Disney and don't break the bank! There are SO MANY options on etsy for appliqued t-shirts, jon jons, and little girl jumpers and rompers. These are just a sampling of some of the many I found and loved.

Etsy Seller Booger Bear & Punkin Pooh
This seller has a TON of Disney inspired items such as pillowcase dresses and jon jons! Her are some of my favorites...

Etsy Seller AmyBugs Original Style
This seller has a lot of great outfits for kids! They would be perfect for any little one to wear to Disney, or even to school or out on playdates and such. Here are some of my favorites...

Etsy Seller Character Designs
This seller has a lot of great applique designs including all the big name characters like Mickey and Minnie, and other Disney items. She also has Seseme Street, Barney, and others. Be sure to look around because she has a lot of great stuff!!! Here are some of my favorites...

I hope y'all have enjoyed "If The Shoe Fits!" It has been fun to compile all these great items and feature them on my blog. It's so fun to look at what others create and gain inspiration for when you create, or for those who don't sew and craft...you might find something you need! hehe! Have a great day!

If The Shoe Fits - Disney Fashion Part 2

2011-11-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

When doing Disney, comfort is key! Parents may choose to dress their child up for a character dining experience, but most likely you won't want the outfit to be worn around the park all day. There are some many options out there for cute and comfy play clothes to wear throughout the day. Today I am focusing on some great options I have found that look like a characters outfit, but are comfortable for kids to wear while in the park all day.

Etsy Seller Lover Dover Clothing

This seller makes some of the cutest items! She makes little girls dresses that look like their favorite characters, but are also comfortable for them to wear. This shop was also featured in the Better Homes and Gardens Halloween Tricks and Treats issue! How cool is that! This shop also has some of the cutest aprons for women that I have ever seen! Here are some of my favorites for kids...

Belle

Cinderella

Sleeping Beauty

Jessie from Toy Story

The newest princess Rapunzel

Alice in Wonderland

Minnie Mouse

Etsy Seller Tinkerella Creations

This seller has some super cute play clothes sets that would be perfect for a day at Disney! She makes some outfits that are more like costumes (but made out of cotton, which will be nice and breathable if you decide to wear it on some rides after a character meeting), short sets, and little boy clothes! Here are some of my favorites...

I hope you have enjoyed this part of "If The Shoe Fits!" The next installment (and last) will have come cute jumpers, jon jons, and t-shirts for a splash of Disney everyday!

If The Shoe Fits - Disney Fashion Part 1

2011-11-15T09:25:00.006-05:00

As all of you who have been reading for a while know...I am a HUGE Disney fan. I am a child at heart when it comes to anything Disney and especially Disney World. I have my collection of Minnie Mouse ears that I add to everytime I visit, and I just adore watching the movies and listening to the music when I am away from the "land." I have another trip in the works with a group of Disney loving friends and I am soooooo excited! It's going to be a biggie - one week, every park, eating in yummy places, and getting to see La Nouba!!!!!! I am so siked! In honor of my love of Disney and the fact that I have it on the brain (when do I not!), I am compiling a little guide to what to dress your little ones in at Disney! As you know, I don't have little ones yet, but I just adore seeing the cuties all dressed up when I visit and I am so looking forward to having kids of my own one day to dress up and show the wonder of Disney. Without further ado, some of the cutest outfits I have seen online for your future Disney trip! (I have receieved no compensation nor was I even approached by any of these sellers, I just love to look online at kids clothes especially Disney themed outfits and that inspired this post!)

Etsy Seller Mom 2 RTK
Whether you are looking for special dress or for your child to have an outfit that replicates that of her favorite character, look no further! These outfits are made look EXACTLY like your favorite character and look impecibly made. These are definitely special occasion outfits as they can be quite pricey (I am certain this is because of the quality fabrics used and time spent on these one of a kind beauties! They are heirloom quality for sure!) But wouldn't they be perfect for your daughters first trip to Disney at a character meeting. Think of those pictures! Here are some of my personal favorites!

Seriously! Are these not the most amazing and impecibly made gowns you have ever seen! She also makes adult versions for those who might want to buy a gown for Halloween or a costume party and live out the dreams you had as a little girl. ;) I really enjoy looking at her shop because my dream is to be a seamstress for Disney World one day and make costumes just like this for the characters and for people to ooh and awh over!

My Mom used to make and dress me in these Daisy Kingdom style dresses and I just love them now that I am an adult. They are so sweet for little girls.

I hope you have enjoyed today's installment of "If The Shoe Fits!" I am planning a couple installments of this series including playclothes, t-shirts, jon jons, and more. I hope you follow along and enjoy it!

Menu Monday - Crockpot Potato Soup

2011-11-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

This is my absolute favorite Potato Soup recipe. It can made into Baked Potato Soup if you would like to bake the potatoes first, however I usually just make this one in my crockpot for convenience and because I personally hate potato skin. The flavor is the out of this world! Perfect comfort food for Fall! It is adapted from this recipe to suit our tastes and to make it a little less fattening (no bacon).

Crockpot Potato Soup
serves approximately 6

1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cups chicken broth
5 large uncooked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk

Directions

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth while continuously stirring to avoid clumps. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.
Transfer to crockpot. Add potatoes, cream, and milk. Cook on low for approximately 6 hours, but it won't hurt if you leave it all day while you go to work. The potatoes will just be more tender.
Garnish with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits as desired.

This is one of my favorite things to make. It is easy, but the rue you make at the beginnning makes a huge difference!

P.S. I have a very exciting series of posts that are starting tomorrow! If you have kiddos, or enjoy looking at clothes for kiddos...then you will really enjoy this! I am really excited about it!

Wedding Week - "Unforgettable - The Reception"

2011-11-09T08:00:00.006-05:00

Photo credits to Sean Azul Photography

Wedding Week - "The Happy Couple"

2011-11-09T08:00:00.004-05:00

All photos taken by Sean Azul Photography

Dear To My Heart

2011-11-08T10:02:00.001-05:00

Today is a post a little different than usual. It's one of those heart to hearts, but I really want you to read through it even if you don't really like to read this sort of thing. At the end, I am sharing a link to a cause that I feel very closely tied to.

When I was in the beginning of college, my mom and my inlaws were in a small group together with our church. A couple in their small group was unable to have a baby naturally and had gone down the road to international adoption. At this time in my life, I had never known of anyone who had done this and it made a profound impact on me. I thought it was so wonderful that they were able to have a baby and at the same time an orphan would be able to have a home. Of course, I had known people adopted before this, but this was the first time I saw it first hand. The soon-to-be parents had made a website so that the family and friends at home could follow along with their trip to China to get their little girl. I read the website religiously while they were gone, and it led me to reading a lot of other websites made through that company. Through my reading, I saw that a lot of these people who were adopting were not just doing this because they couldn't have a baby in the conventional way, but there were many who were doing so because they felt called to by the Lord. I read so many of those websites and would pray for their safe travels and for those sweet little families. This experience just made a huge impact in my life. I felt so led towards adoption. Looking back I believe this is where God first started pulling my heart towards adoption.

I shared with my close friends and Thomas that I wanted to adopt internationally one day. Of course, Thomas was skeptical and taken off guard because we were not even engaged at the time and this was kind of out of the blue. We knew we wanted to get married in the future, but babies were not even something we had discussed! I didn't really make any big deal out of it because it obviously was something that I would be looking at maybe ten years down the road, but I did make it known that it was on my heart. Time went on, and I continued to look online from time to time at websites and when I started my blog, I found this blog through a bunch of others. At this particular time in my life, it had probably been about a year or maybe 2 since I first started feeling led towards adoption. Within that time, life had gotten busy and I hadn't even thought about it in a long time. It was so amazing that God led me to that blog because that family had a website at My Adoption Website when they adopted Ruby, and I really feel like that was the website that God used to show me that people don't just adopt when they cannot have their own child, but that you can be called to adopt even after having your own biological child. I obviously want to have biological children, but I think this is where God showed me that you can have both. I still keep up with that blog, and the Lord has shown me other invaluable things through it too.

You see, Thomas and I have never really come to an agreement when we would discuss adoption. He couldn't imagine have his own children blended with adopted children. It is a different concept for many people, and I don't blame him AT ALL for feeling that way. He loves all children, but he wanted his own biological children and didn't really completely understand why I wanted to adopt and have biological children. I dont' really even remember exactly when we discussed this throughout the years, but we have always been very open about talking about our future and I vividly remember having this discussion. That night when I went to bed, I remember talking to God about how I felt so conflicted. I felt led towards the adoption community, but I also knew that Thomas was the man he had made for me to marry and I could not understand why he didn't feel the same way as I did. I prayed that in the future when we were closer to children, that either Thomas would have a change of heart or that the Lord would take that want away from me and show me an alternative way to care for orphans. The Lord really works on your prayers, but they take time. Life got busy, and I didn't think about adoption very often as it wasn't something that was in my immediate future. However, the Lord has put SO many things in my way that have shown me how I can be involved with the adoption community and those parents who he has called to bring home these children. I am connected with Compassion and their Child Survival Program and hope to be able to sponser a child soon. I also have seen through First a Pearl, then 3 Rubies that there are ways in which you can get involved with adoption outreach without being a person who actually adopts. One of my very favorite blogs, Our Happily Ever Afters, recently adopted because the Lord called them and it has been so wonderful to read along. And finally, sweet Lauren of Love Makes A Family, has adopted sweet Mareto and is now in the process of adopting a second child. She is the purpose for this post. She needs your help in fundraising for the upfront costs associated with international adoption. She has wonderful baskets that she is raffling off and the cost of the raffle tickets directly help her and her family bring home baby #2! I urge you to go look at her blog, and donate if you feel led. I have never met her, but I feel so close to her after reading about her and her husband's experience in their first adoption and I am over the moon excited to watch them bring another child to their family.

I haven't ever shared my heart on this matter because it is something so dear to me. It feels like I am pushing myself out of my comfort zone, but I am doing this for a couple reasons. One, I want to be able to look back and remember my feelings and emotions, and two, I want to share my testimony on this to show others who might be in a similar situation that there are so many ways to be a part of the adoption community. I personally am at a place where I don't really know what the Lord is calling for me to do right now in regards to this. I feel like the immediate want to be an adoptive parent isn't there right now, but instead I am thinking more in the terms of trying to have a biological child when we are ready. I do feel like he is leading me to lend whatever helping hands I have to this community at this moment. Who knows what the future holds, maybe God will use me as a helper and a prayer warrior, or maybe he will call us to adopt. We don't know, but we are just going to listen to his call for whatever he tells us to do.

Menu Monday - Best Ever Chili

2011-11-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

Now that I am working on blogging more regularly, I am bringing back some segments that I have done in the past. Since I have been married and cooking more regularly, I have posted a couple pictures of our dinners on facebook. Afterwards, everyone was asking for recipes and I told them to check the blog for Menu Monday. So, without further ado, MENU MONDAY!

I have been dying for some chili ever since I went to Peachtree City to see my brother and his family and we went to a Chili Cookoff. I sampled this one chili that was just amazing! It was spicy, but not so much that your mouth burned. It was just right! I have been thinking about it ever since then. I told Thomas that we were having some chili the weekend that I came back. Now, the sweet couple who made this delicious chili showed me their recipe when I told them how awesome it was. I jokingly asked to see it, and they showed me a laminated copy that they made it from. It was obvious I would never remember it because it was one of those things where her husband had tweeked it for years and I would never remember all the random things he threw in there. It lead me to the internet to search for a similar recipe though. I found this one on allrecipes.com and tweeked it as I have written here. The original recipe looked like it would be way too spicy, so I basically just tweeked it to make it more mild. It still was spicy to be sure, but it was tolerable for anyone who likes a little bit of spicy. It was like that chili at the cookoff that had spice without making your mouth burn. My FIL, SIL, mom, her boyfriend, Nanny, and Thomas and I all ate some of it and we all loved it! It is my go to recipe for chili now!

Best Ever Chili
serves approximately 8

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (we like to use 97/3)
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans Bush's chili beans in mild sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and chopped
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano (ommitted this time because we didn't have any and I forgot it at the store)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar

Directions

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
Pour in the chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, green and red bell peppers, jalepeno peppers, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You can also make it in a crockpot if you prefer. Just brown your meat on the stovetop, and then add everything to the crockpot and let it simmer on low for 2 hours or longer. The longer it simmers, the better!
To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with Fritos or oyster crackers, sour cream, and shredded Cheddar cheese.

I was way too excited for dinner to take a picture of this one, but believe me it is G-O-O-D! I am so excited to eat my leftovers for lunch! Happy Monday

Master Bedroom Inspiration

2011-11-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is having a great week! I have been making a lot of progress decorating and making my new house feel like home since we have moved in. I need to take some time and take pictures for y'all when I get home this next week. The downstairs is pretty much almost done. I need to paint, make drapes, pillows, and fix up our foyer, but overall it is comfortable and liveable for me. I feel a lot less stress about trying to get this room together since it is almost there in my eyes. (I know it's silly to stress over decorating my house, but it is something very important to me and I just stress myself on it for no reason) The painting and drapes will probably not be done until after Christmas because I really don't want to take on too much right now with the holidays coming up. I would really like to get my foyer done in the next month, but it will depend on my husband and FIL's schedule since I am planning to add beadboard, hooks, and maybe a shelf. So, all that said...I am turning my attention to the upstairs of my home. It is definitely neglected compared to the downstairs. My sewing room is well on it's way, but my bedroom, master bath, hallway, and upstairs bath need attention. The upstairs bath is almost there and only needs some decor items and paint (again going to probably wait on that). The hallway is a matter of painting and a project that I am planning to post on in the future. Now I am really turning my attention to our bedroom.

The color scheme that I have been using is Seafoam Green, Chocolate Brown, and Beige. I really want our room to be a soothing retreat. While most of my home has touches of oil rubbed bronze, gold, and warm shades, this room is a total deviation from what I usually am drawn to. I love the look of cool shades and less "stuff", but I have a hard time actually decorating in this way. My mind naturally is drawn to that warm, cozy, traditonal look. I have had no problem decorating the rest of home (other than having to wait for money to come in so I can fund my ideas! haha!) So, earlier this week, I went to Hobby Lobby to browse for things to go in this room. Maybe it is also the lack of items in silver tones and cool colors out there too, but I couldn't find anything. I will revise...I found about $60 worth of items for the rest of my home, but nothing for the master bedroom. So, I turned to Pinterest to get some inspiration for what I want. Right now, I am really pulling inspiration from there, and from Ashley at Our Happily Ever Afters. She is very drawn to neutrals, and has great style. I have actually found a lot of my inspiration from her for the rest of my home too. Go watch her home tour videos on her site. I have watched them about 3 or 4 times because her style inspires me so much! Without further ado, my inspiration pictures from Pinterest.

Source: reasonstobreathe.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This really shows the shades we are going with in the room. I am using touches of silver instead of gold though.

Source: houzz.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

If I could have this room, this is what I would put in our home. The only differences are that I am planning a bit more chocolate brown than this. I also love the prints in the room!

Source: google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

This room is much more electic than what I am going for, but I love the way the nightstand is decorated. This gave me the idea of putting some prints above the nightstand.

Source: Uploaded by user via Jennifer on Pinterest

This is darker than what I am planning, but I love the crystal lamps and the look of the bed linens.

Source: notetosarah.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I am also planning to do a set of prints of Savannah in black and white. It is our home and where my heart will always be tied. I am planning to look around on etsy for some prints to do this. The following are some that I could love to have.

Source: cookinglight.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I hope you have a happy rest of the week and weekend. I am going home tomorrow! Please pray for me to have safe travels. I am going to enjoy this weekend back home with my family, so I don't plan to blog until at least Monday.

ABC's of ME!

2011-11-02T09:26:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Lauren's blog (which I ADORE!) and thought it would be a fun thing to do.

A. Age: 23

B. Bed Size: Full
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the bathtub
D. Dogs: LUCKY!

E. Essential start to your day: Coke!
F. Favorite color: Pink!
G. Gold or Silver: silver (or white gold for "real" jewelry)
H. Height: 5'6" I think

I. Instruments you play: None, but I have always wanted to learn to play the piano. However, I have very short little stubby hands and I don't think I would be able to play successfully.
J. Job Title: Contract Specialist
K. Kids: None...yet

L. Live: Savannah, GA

M. Mother's name: Dorothy
N. Nicknames: Jennie, Jen, Jen-gi
O. Overnight hospital stays: nope, and I scared of staying at the hospital. I guess because I associate it with being very ill and it scares me to think of me or my loved ones being very ill.
P. Pet Peeves: hum...can't think of anything really right now. I know I have them though.
Q. Quote from a movie: "I'm just crazy about Tiffanys!" - Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffanys" LOVE that movie!
R. Right or left handed: Right.

S. Siblings: two older brothers, Jeremy and Jason
T. Time you wake up: between 7-7:30, but I am going to try to start working out earlier if I can get myself out of bed.
U. Underwear: What? yes...not sure what kind of question that is?!?

V. Vegetable you hate: carrots, greens, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, green beans, peas, beets, NEED I GO ON??? ICK!

W. What makes you run late: General procrastination. I always try to fit as much in as possible before I go, even if it is just watching tv and I don't feel like getting up. Usually it is laundry or getting ready though.
X. X-rays: teeth, gi-tract (to see if I had acid reflux), liver (see if pains from the acid reflux had to do with liver...it didn't as it was acid reflux, but we didn't know at the time), head (CT scan because I fell on a gym floor and then 4 other girls fell on me when a cheerleading stunt collapsed...I had a concussion), stomach (acid reflux)
Y. Yummy food you make: Potato Soup...craving it right now!!!
Z. Zoo animal: I love the giraffes and elephants. I like the monkeys, but after a while they creep me out bc they are so similar acting to humans.

Atlanta Mini-Vacation

2011-11-01T11:01:00.000-04:00

Two weekends ago, Thomas and I decided to take a little mini-vacation because we were missing each other like crazy. We knew we wanted to get together at some point while I was away on this business trip, and decided on Atlanta for our trip. I have been wanting to take Thomas to the Georgia Aquarium for some time, so it worked out. Friday evening, we met at our hotel, and left to go eat. I have been dying for some Cheesecake Factory cheesecake for a while, so we made our way over there. Traffic was a nightmare (we only have to go like 5 blocks and it took like 45 minutes), and when we got to the restaurant they have complimentary valet. One might think this is very nice, except when you know you have no cash on you to tip the boy and are not about to leave and spend another hour driving around to find an ATM. It was a good meal though, and we had a wonderful time. Afterwards, we went to the Lenox Mall and walked around. The mall is in the swanky area of Buckhead and was filled with stores that are much too expensive for me (Cartier, Prada, etc.) It was so much fun to window shop and I especially loved getting to browse through Pottery Barn. I could spend hours in that store!!!

The next day we went to the Georgia Aquarium. It was such a great time!!!

We especially enjoyed the Beluga whales, and the sea otters.

After the aquarium, we ended up going shopping for Thomas because he was in need of some new clothes. We really enjoyed shopping and seeing some of the area we were staying in. For dinner, I was craving a steakhouse. Unfortunately, I didn't know the area and we didn't see any chain restaurants in our immediate area. We ended up driving a while until we found a Ted's Montana Grill. I have been to one of these years ago when I would come to Atlanta for cheerleading competitions and remembered it was good. We really enjoyed it! I got a grilled chicken caesar salad, and it was absolutely amazing! It was an eggless dressing, so it was more of a vinaigrette but it tasted just like caesar. It was delicious!

I was so sad to leave Thomas on Sunday because I knew I still had a few weeks to go on my business trip. It was a great trip though and the first little getaway since we have been married. I look forward to many more.

Nanny Is Coming To The Lowcountry!

2011-10-27T18:23:00.000-04:00

My sweet Nanny moved to Savannah!!!!! I am so excited because she is going to be living about 5 minutes from me, so I will get to see her all the time. I used to only really see her at Christmas, but now I will get to go shopping, to the movies, have her over to eat dinner, and all that fun day to day stuff. She was very lonely living in Nashville, and she is getting older and the relatives in Nashville are as well, so it was for the best to have her right here with her daughter and granddaughter to help her with doctors appointments and cleaning her house. She is so fun and has tons of fun antiques to look at in her apartment, so we always have a good time talking about the old days (or anything really!)

It was decided when I came home from our honeymoon that Nanny was moving down here. I was so surprised because Nashville is where our family's heritage is and where she has always been. She said she was ready to be closer to us, so she was very excited. I was able to come to Nashville a little earlier than the rest of my family that came to move her, so Nanny and I took some time to say her goodbye's to her hometown. Of course, she will be back, but she wanted to show me some places that she loves and I was very excited. Although I have never lived in Nashville, my mom and dad and my whole family is from there...so it's home for me too in a sense. We went to eat lunch at the Picnic Cafe, which was delicious, and we went to some of her favorite stores, Hot Pink and The Pear Tree Shop (I think that's the name). They were so cute and fun! Then we went to look at the "castles" as my Uncle Joe calls them. There are some massive houses out in Nashville that are beyond anything I have ever seen. They are pretty, but excessive to me. I would much rather live in one of the older homes in the area (which are probably very expensive too since they have been added onto through the years).

We also drove down Tyne Blvd. where Nanny grew up. She told me stories of visiting her friends and showed me all of their homes (which have been added onto, but they look the same pretty much according to Nanny). She told me stories of riding her bike down the hill all the way to Granny White Pike (such a cute street name). We drove up in the driveway of her childhood home and I took a few pictures. If I am ever a millionare, I am going to buy that house. It is so pretty and has such a heritage. I just love my Nanny so much.

Fall Decorating

2011-10-25T17:51:00.000-04:00

Before I left to go out of town, I took some time to decorate my home for Fall. I really prefer to decorate my house in a "Harvest" style versus Halloween, and then Thanksgiving. However, I would really like to put a few fun touches out in future years for each holiday when I have more items to pull from for decorating. This is a little taste of how my home decorating is coming along right now too. I hope you enjoy!

My front porch! I fell in love with this wreath that I saw on Pinterest. It seems like a lot of people did too because it on a few blogs. It was super easy and inexpensive to make. When I started to hang it, I liked the pumpkins sitting on the side, so it's now got my flair on it. :)

My new foyer table that I found at a family friend's yard sale (it's antique and beautiful!) I decorated it quickly before I left right after I brought the table home. Excuse the cord, I was cleaning the weekend before I left, and snapped a quick picture. I went ahead and put out my Thanksgiving items my mom gave me since I won't be home again until November anyway. I propped the mirror up in a hurry to decorate it, but I am thinking it might be too large for the table It works for now though. I made the wreath by wrapping a long garland from Michaels around a couple time to make a circle and then hung it with the leftover burlap I had. I also put plastic pumpkins up under the table since I had them laying around and thought they would look cute and festive.

The kitchen table. The candlesticks were a wedding present, the white ceramic pumpkin was a steal from Hobby Lobby last year for like $2 or $3 at the end of the season, and the burlap and pumpkins were bought at Michaels.

The sofa table in our living room. I took a garland and cut it in half, and then put them behind the mirror and put the extra plastic pumpkins I had out in the front. Excuse the lack of pictures, I am in need of getting them filled!

AND, if you haven't noticed...I went ahead and got my blog Fall spirit too. I have had some experience with website design and graphics manipulation from college, so I have been researching how to design blogs. There is so much information out there, but some of it is dense...and then I have to walk away for a bit. But seriously, it's not really that hard to do! I have had so much fun doing this! I made my last design and it was my first. It was a headache, but it went so much faster this time and I learned a lot of things that make it look more professional than the last one too. I am working on a Christmas design right now and I am actually toying with making our Christmas card for this year. It's so fun! I just wish I could think of more things to do like this! Maybe I need to make some more blogs for my sewing or recipes just to be able to make designs! haha! Have a happy day!

Where In The World

2011-10-23T19:51:00.000-04:00

Well, I dropped off the face of the earth for a little while, didn't I? I haven't meant to take such a long absence, but as you know...life happens. It sure hasn't been a lot of fun stuff either. It was end of the year at my office, and I am halfway through a LONG business trip. Between keeping up with work and preparing to leave my home and day to day life for this trip, there was hardly any time to even check in. I left y'all in the middle of my wedding week, and I have so many projects, recipes, and fun things I have been meaning to blog about! I just want to let y'all know that I am trying to get back into the groove this week, and hopefully will have lots of fun things to share soon! Talk to y'all soon!

Wedding Week - "...And We're Gonna Get Married!"

2011-09-29T17:37:00.000-04:00

"Gooooo-in' to the chapel and we're gonna get MAAAAAA-RIED!!!!" Here are our ceremony photos!

Thomas' SWEET grandparents! We just adore them and hope to have a marriage just like them!

My Nanny escorted by Jason. The Grandparents were escorted down by my dear friend and professor from college, Dr. McGrath, singing Ave Maria.

Thomas' parents...another couple we want to model our marriage after.

My stepmother Cindy and my brother Jeremy

My beautiful mother and my brother Jason

I was told after the wedding that 2 year old Preston stole the show. He started picking up the petals and then he saw his grandpa and that was it! He wanted to sit with him!

Preston was still running around!

Grandpa had to get him so the show could go on! Funny!

My Daddy giving me away! Melts my heart!

Exchanging vows. We used the traditional ones in keeping with our very traditional wedding.

Giving of the rings

Lighting the unity candle. I was really worried about this throughout the ceremony because the taper candles were burning down really fast and the ribbon I put on them was starting to catch fire. I was so relieved we didn't start a fire during the ceremony!

A prayer over our marriage said by our truly special minister Charles Houston. He has known us both since we were babies. He was our minister at the Methodist church we both grew up in and a very close family friend on my side.

The KISS!

I think I was telling Thomas to wait for a second until the music got going.

Thomas telling me that the photographer told him to stop and kiss me half way down the aisle. It was funny because the photographer told me to do the same thing, but we both thought we were going to catch each other by surprise.

That second kiss! Someone yelled, "Get a Room!" Haha!

SO UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY!

The face says it all!

Unspeakable joy for marrying the love of my life!

My biggest brother Jeremy giving me a sweet hug. Such tender moments!

My mom welcoming Thomas to our family.

Grandma and my mom hugging!

Preston was TIRED!

Man, those were pretty flowers, but they smelled awful!

Telling Thomas to take off his ring and look inside of it.

Reading what I had engraved as a surprise. "The Beginning of Forever" This was special because the ring belonged to his paternal grandfather who has passed. He was big into "New Beginnings" and named his boat something along those lines. We didn't know this until after I had it engraved when Sean (the wonderful photographer and Thomas' cousin) told me this at the salon that morning when I was telling him this. I told Thomas and it is so dear to him now for so many reasons, but one of them being that.

Preston still trying to pick up petals! Haha! That is what happens with babies though, so I couldn't have cared less. This is so funny to me though because Melissa (second on right) is saying, "No Preston." I didn't care at all!

Preston left with his grandpa. Autumn was leaning against me. She was so clingy to me that day, and I really loved it.

My Family

His Family

OUR Family!

Coming next are pictures after the ceremony of the happy couple! I hope you are enjoying this and I am not overloading you with pictures! I have having a ball reliving it all and sharing it with you!

Wedding Week - "Goin' To The Chapel - The Guys"

2011-09-29T15:36:00.000-04:00

Here are the pictures of the guys getting ready at the church. I drafted this to go up yesteday, but never got a chance to go post it! And BTW, every time I schedule things to post, it doesn't work right! So I have to go in and actually post it! ANNOYING! Anyway, I have two posts today to make up for it!

Oh those suspenders! They were not in the bag from the tux place and Thomas had to go back to Men's Wearhouse a couple hours before our wedding to get them! HA! And what does the man do when he can't find them in the bag? Talk to his guys? Call his mom? NOPE...call his bride! HAHA! I didn't get the texts until later when my MOH Ashton started acting weird and wouldn't tell me what was going on. I looked at my phone and knew. I was calm and collected though. It worked out.

With his best friend and Ashton's husband, Trey - The Best Man

With his other best friend, Johnathan

With my oldest brother, Jeremy

With my middle brother, Jason

Wedding Week - "Goin' to the Chapel - The Ladies"

2011-09-27T12:18:00.000-04:00

Up next are the pictures before the ceremony at the chapel...I just adore these pictures!!! Some of these are my favorites!!!

Seeing myself as a Bride for the first time

My new sissy!

Mama

My new mama!

Haha! I had no idea of this until I got my pictures back!

Ashton putting the sixpence on the bottom of my shoe

Pinning my "Something Blue" into my gown. It was a handkerchief my mom carried in her wedding and she hand embroidered it with my new initials. I will show pictures later this week.

Preston (my godson) had just about had it at this point! He was tired of posing!

Up next tomorrow is "Goin' to the Chapel - The Men" I also linked this post up at Elizabeth's blog for Bridal Talk Tuesday! Be sure to go over there and browse around because her blog is so cute and she is in the process of planning her own wedding!

June 11, 2011 - Before the "I Do's"

2011-09-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

I decided that this week is going to be wedding week! I have been meaning to do this ever since I recieved my pictures from the photographer, and there is no time like the present. These are going to be long posts, but I want to share it all with y'all. Without further ado, Day 1 - "Before the 'I Do's'"

Me and my best friend Ashton

Writing a letter to my sweet husband to be!

His gift all wrapped up!

One of my favorite pictures because it shows the pure love and excitement and FUN of that day!

Me and my sweet neice Autumn. We are very kindred spirits!

I love my sweet neices so much! Olivia, Me, and Autumn. Baby Sage was at the hotel with Daddy.

My STUNNING Sister In Law (and mother to those sweet girls) Danielle

Nanny was having so much fun!

Sweet little curls

My new beautiful sister in law, Kelly. I am so happy to have joined her family!

my Mama

My childhood best friend Melissa

Mother and Daughter

I hope you have enjoyed these pictures! Up next, "Goin' to the Chapel - The Ladies," a look at getting ready at the chapel.

pinnable me: Stylish Dog Crates

2011-09-23T10:22:00.000-04:00

Every house has some type of eyesore that they must decorate around. Well, I guess if you have no kids, no dogs, and you are able to build your dream house, you may not...but most people have to deal with real life needs that are not so stylish. Mine is the dog crate. I hemmed and hawwed over where to put this monstrosity, and ended up deciding the best place would be the dining room. Here is an old picture with a drawing of where the dog crate went.

Beautiful paint drawing right there, but I didn't take a picture, and due to the ants, the dog crate has relocated...so this is what ya get! It started to really annoy me having the dog crate right there. For one thing, it isn't small. It is one that we have had for a long time and our much bigger dog Missy used to stay in it. It also was in the way when I wanted to mop, sweep, or had people over to eat. Whoever was in the back next to it was stuck. It also is UGLY! Have I said that???? So, with the ant issue we recently had, we moved the crate into our bedroom. It is just as ugly up there too, but it made me really start brainstorming different places to put this thing. Of course, this led to time spent on pinterest looking for ideas of how to camoflague this thing. And pinterest delivered once again.

If I had about $500 to spend on a dog crate (yeah, right!) I would love to have one of these beauties. Alas, I am not able to justify that type of money for a dog crate.

Source: organize.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: theuncommondog.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: orvis.co.uk via Jennifer on Pinterest

In my dream home, I would love to have a built in dog crate like some of these! Even a piece of furniture converted into a dog crate would be awesome. However, I don't really have the room for one of these type of things where I live right now. It makes a dog crate much less of an eyesore though!

Source: log-homes.thefuntimesguide.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: atticmag.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: interiordesignhound.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

So, what is my solution??? A fabric dog crate cover. Lucky really dislikes his crate, and it makes his "Mommy" and "Daddy" so sad to put him in it when we leave for work. Unfortunately, he will mess if we don't put him in there. However, perhaps it will feel more inviting if I turned it into one of these. I would not mind putting one of these in our bedroom or living room, as it would blend into the decor. AND this is something I can make. PROOOOO-JECT! Yay! Haha! Now, for those that do not sew, I think these thing are kinda pricey. They are around $130-$150. However, I think I could probably make one for $30-$50 depending on the fabric. This is going on the list whenever I decide where I am going to put this thing.

Source: google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Happy Friday!!!

Jelly Belly!

2011-09-22T12:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, so that isn't exactly the nicest title, but it made me laugh and I love Jelly Belly jelly beans...so we are sticking with it. ANYWHO...I have to face the facts. I have gained weight. I have had some MAJOR fluctuations over the last year. I have fluctuated between a 20 pound range. Thats a lot! I was stressed with school this time last year, not to mention the wedding, and I lost about 10 or so pounds. I was down to a size 6 and could fit in some 4 items, which for me is very tiny. I wore a 6 at my skinniest in high school when I worked out non-stop with cheerleading. Then around March, I had some personal things I was dealing with and I wasn't thinking at all about what I was eating. Little by little, I started to put on some weight. I had gained back all of the 10 pounds by our wedding. It was fine with me though because a 4/6 is not maintainable for me, and the only reason I lost it in the first place was because I wasn't eating regularly or really healthy due to stress and being stretched too thin. Then we went on a cruise for our honeymoon. It was wonderful and I enjoyed eating everything that I wanted. I was happy and Thomas and I indulged as all cruisers do. The only problem is that I really didn't stop it when I went home. We continued to eat all the yummy stuff we wanted. Yummy pastas with creamy sauces, ice cream every night while we watched tv, baking sweets, eating snacks...yeah, that can't work out for long. So, 3 months later (can't believe we have been married for 3 months!!!) the eating has really caught up to me.

About a month ago, I started realizing my clothes were tighter and my scale was reading about 10 pounds heavier than the wedding. EEEK! I really didn't feel motivated to stop indulging though because I thought, "Well, Thomas says he thinks I look good and don't need to lose weight, and isn't this what happens when you get married." BAD thoughts y'all! Those things sabatoge you! So, I marched myself over to the Target and tried on some clothes. Reality check hit when I tried on medium shirts, which I always have worn, and they were so tight around that spare tire area. I was not going to buy larges! I started thinking a little bit about what I was eating, but I still didn't change that much. I just wore my stretchy jersey dresses and went on while feeling a little bad about myself. Then it happened...a coworker asked me if I was gaining weight! Oh yes she did! I was so hurt. She was sweet and said, "Oh marriage is agreeing with you!" but it didn't help the fact that I felt really bad about myself. So, I have hemmed and hawwed over dieting. I have never been very good at it, and have been able to maintain my target weight (not as tiny as I like to be, but maintainable and healthy) by just eating smaller portions and trying to not eat out all the time. But, really that isn't good enough. I need to be more cognazent of what I am eating. I need to eat less carbs, and more fruits and veggies daily. So, in an effort to slim down, I am getting healthy.

Now, I do not plan to deny myself things. Cookie after cookie, yes, but I will eat out with my hubby on date night. Perhaps that will be my splurge night and the rest of the week I will try to be more sensible. My plan is cut down the Coke. I have gotten up to 3-4 a day, and those are horrible empty calories. I need to drink more water! I need protein and less fat and whole grains. It is scary putting this on the blog because it does hold me accountable. I have downloaded the Lose It app and am using it to see what I am eating and track calories. I also found BarBelles through Blue Eyed Bride's blog and am following that. Thomas and I have been taking walks together in the evening on the weekend (due to hectic weekday schedules), but I want to do a weekday workout. I am thinking I will start waking up earlier (which will be so hard for me) and working out. Staying in a hotel for a month with no one to hang out with will probably help me get a jump start on exercising and getting fit too. So, it is out here for all y'all to see. You know my story, you know my goal. I want to lose at least 10 pounds and get back into my old pants!

Fall 2011 Sewing Goals

2011-09-21T13:03:00.000-04:00

I have had this little list forming in my head for a while now, so I thought I should go ahead and share it with all of y'all. It is probably way too lengthy considering that I will be 4 weeks without my sewing machine (cue another cry fest), so I am thinking I might try my hand at some hand sewing projects and practice. I hate handsewing, but it is necessary many times in garment construction, especially couture garment construction. At least this will keep my creativity flowing.

Make an "Apple Picking Skirt" ala this link. I already have a few shirts Thomas has gotten sick of to play with.
Create a few Pendrell blouses and/or cute embellished blouses or even refashioned blouses. My fall wardrobe is severely lacking in cute "shell" tops to be worn under jackets and cardigans.

Purchase and embellish a few cardigans.

Sew at least one open cardigan from Jalie pattern.

Make a few cute pencil skirts inspired by Emma Pilbury from Glee

I am hoping that embellishing cardigans (minus one idea I have) can be accomplished while gone. I really want to get as much of this done as possible before my business trip so that I will have a good wardrobe to mix and match while there. I have no dresscode here in my Savannah office, but at my training class, I will be expected to dress business casual daily. I don't have much of that type of clothing that fits right now, so I plan to purchase and sew as much as I can before I go. This leads into an upcoming post on my recent Goodwill purchases. Yes, the purchased business clothing came from Goodwill. Don't hate...it is a great resource to find great buys! I'm talking 4-5 pairs of pants from Ann Taylor and Banana Republic. Anyway, tune in tomorrow (hopefully if I take pictures tonight) for that post.

Extra, Extra, Hey Look At The Headlines...

2011-09-19T15:25:00.003-04:00

I get questions from time to time about where I shop for fabrics, trims, etc, as well as where I get my inspiration. Here is the all-encompassing sewing post that I hope will help answer many questions, and maybe help me to remember fabric shops I might forget in the future!!! I will update this as I find new or inspiring places to visit as well. I plan to make a button for my sidebar when I redesign again (hopefully soon!) and that way everyone can access this post easily.

Fabric Shopping - I haven't bought from all of these online retailers, but I love to browse! I have found many of these by reading sewing blogs, so a BIG thanks to all the bloggers for the recommendations!!!
Gorgeous Fabrics
Fabric.com
Fabric Mart Fabrics
Fashion Fabric Club
Denver Fabrics
Emma One Sock
B&J Fabrics
Mood
Super Buzzy
Thai Silks
Trim Fabrics
Elliot Berman Textiles
Hawthorne Threads
Fabric Worm
M&J Trims
Etsy

Tutorials - I will constantly be adding to this section!
Bow Belt Tutorial by Tilly and the Buttons
Make Your Own Continuous Bias Tape by Coles Corner and Creations

Learn to Sew - My biggest piece of advice is to have NO fear! It's just fabric, and the best way to learn is to practice, practice, practice! We are always learning! I would also suggest reading/sewing along with sewalongs. You can learn alot through that! I always read the posts, even when I am not sewing along! :)
Threads Teach Yourself To Sew Series
A Fashionable Stitch's Sewing School
Invisible Zipper Tutorial
Colette Patterns Invisible Zipper Tutorial
Blind Hem Stitch Tutorial
Hong Kong Seam Finish
Flat Felled Seam Finish
Amanda's Adventures in Sewing Tutorials
What Needle to Use?
How to Add a Waistband to a Skirt Pattern
How to Make Thread Beltloops

Inspiration
I collect inspiration for sewing everywhere! You will see some of my favorite blogs to your left under Sewing With... I also keep a folder of images from magazine that I like, a file on my computer, and you can follow my Pinterest board here.

Updates

2011-09-19T12:54:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged in 2 or maybe 3 weeks. I can't believe it! It is so busy at work right now and I have been working overtime. I have been missing this little ole blog, so I figured it was time to do an update! This is a brain dump kind of post, but I am sure you will understand!

I have been sewing a lot lately. It seems like it is just about the only thing I do these days other than work and normal household stuff. I have made a dress and some items for the sewing room lately (tutorial is coming soon for some of it). I also have a blouse in the works, and I have been monogramming up a storm for a dear friend's wedding. She asked me if I would monogram 6 bridesmaid robes with their monogram on the front and Bridesmaid/Maid of Honor on the back. I will say this is taking such a long time because my machine only does a 4x4 area...which means I have to do 2 letters, then take off the hoop, line everything up so it looks like it was done in one go, and then do 2 more letters. The word Bridesmaid requires me to rehoop 5 times. It is a lot of work. Now, I DO NOT mind at all. This friend is very special to me and I enjoy embroidering, but this has really sparked a more immediate want for a bigger embroidery machine.
That leads me to my latest gotta have it, need it now WANT. I am now dreaming about my 3rd machine for my sewing room. I really want a larger embroidery area. I want to make boutique kids clothes for my little sweeties that will hopefully be born in the next few years. I want to be able to monogram things in my house. And truth be told, I would LOVE to get a little side income from monogramming and appliqueing t-shirts for my friends. I just love stitching out the cute designs and making boutique style clothes, and I would just love to make some things to sell on facebook or etsy. I would just love a way to use my creativity to make me a little bit of mad money for the fabric store! :) I am crossing my fingers that I might be able to get this in the next 6 months or so...gotta save up!
We have had a fiasco with our house ~~buying~~ closing experience. We were stuck in red tape with our lender for 2 months! Long story short, our house was more expensive than the ones around us that closed due to the upgrades we added, so our lender wouldn't justify the appraisal without comps for similar pricing. So we had to wait for the next set of townhomes to be built and closed for us to get comps for the area (there were 2 in particular that were going to close and give us the comps that we needed in order to close. they didn't have these issues with their lenders, but since ours was so strict, we had to wait on them to close, so we could close). Our builders let us move in and rent the property from them, so that was great! We finally closed last Friday and we are so so happy!!!!! We officially own our home, and I can't wait to break out the paint samples! Thomas likes builders beige, but I have other plans!!!
I am gearing up for a training class I have to leave to go to for 4 weeks. Yes, FOUR weeks. I am dreading it, but I am happy to get it out of the way. Since I am an "intern" at my job, I have to take classes for 2 years to get all of my certifications. I have to travel between 4 and 6 weeks each year for the classes. This 4 week class is a new requirement though. I still will only have to travel 6 weeks this year, but unfortunately they split it up for 3 two-week trips to this. I have shed a couple of tears about this because I am a big time homebody, and don't like to leave my family. I have only left Thomas for 4 weeks one time when I went to Germany to visit my dad in the summer btwn high school and college. Although that trip will always be some of my favorite memories in life, I also cried on the phone to my family and was homesick a lot. Obviously I was happy to be there, but I had never left my mom or Thomas that long and had my moments. I am also sad because I am going to miss Halloween and I had hoped to help out at our church for our celebration, have a little get together, and hand out candy (my favorite! I love those sweet kids all dressed up). I won't get to go to the pumpkin patch, or carve a pumpkin with Thomas. Plus, it starts on Ashton's birthday, so I won't be there for that and my grandma is moving to Savannah, and I won't be able to help as much as I had planned. I am just kinda bummed about it. It could be a lot worse, and I am so fortunate to have a job...no, a career that I have future with. And this is the only 4 week class ever, but I am just kinda dreading it.
We have ANTS! Last night, Thomas and I were up until 1 AM trying to get all the ants out of Lucky's cage and his food bowl. We had ants all over his area and in the pantry where we keep his food. It was a mess. We found online that vinegar will kill/keep them away, so we killed them and then rubbed the areas with vinegar. I also vacuumed over and over trying to get them out of the carpet! It was in an area by the dining room where it was on the tile and then where the carpet starts. UGH! What a mess! I think we got most of them, Lucky is camping out in our bedroom upstairs, and we have pest control set up for Wed. to come meet us and get set up on quarterly treatments.
I have decided I think we might have a mouse too. I found a dropping on the side of my bathroom shower the other day. Thomas tried to say it was some shampoo spillage, but it was poop! I tell you, it was! Thomas says that a mouse couldn't walk up a fiberglass shower, but I don't know. I am convinced, and he isn't. I just don't know how it could have gotten in! I am going to say something to the pest man on Wed. I haven't seen any more signs of a mouse, but I am still going to ask him to leave a trap or something. I have no clue how we are getting all these problems! We are very clean people... I swear! I clean the kitchen every day, and I don't leave food out. We do all the normal chores every week! I just have no clue why they are coming into my clean house! It is driving me nuts! I had to say that for my own embarrassment. I didn't want people to think we are dirty.

Have a great Monday!

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T16:40:00.000-04:00

Hello all! I have been a bit of a bad blogger over the last week. It's busy season at work, so by the time I get home every evening...I just rumage for something to eat and then go to bed. This weekend has been a very lazy one for us. We have watched movies, and eaten yummy meals out, and I took some time to work in my sewing studio, or eh, room. I have lots of reveals planned, but the room is still very much a work in progress. All but one of my major sewing related projects for this room have been completed though, so I am starting to see how cute it is going to be! For now, I will leave y'all with a snippet of what I have been doing.

I have been making yards and yards of bias tape (and some piping too!) and it is pretty fun for using up large-ish scraps! Here is a great tutorial on how to make some for yourself. I found this tutorial on Pinterest and was very happy with the fact that you can make 5 continuous yards with one fat quarter (18x18 fabric piece) is fantastic!

A Hairy Situation

2011-08-24T15:54:00.000-04:00

I have such a love/hate relationship with my hair. It's thin, but I have a lot of it. It was a beautiful blonde color when I was young, but when I got older it started to darken just like everyone in my family before me. I also have a tendency to get split ends and my cut never looks great for a long time. I was told when I was little that I should sleep on a satin/silk pillowcase and it would help. I haven't ever done this. Anyway, just about the only thing that I love about my hair is the fact I can dry it in like 5 minutes (from sopping wet to dry). However, that makes blowing it out with a round brush a little difficult because I have to be fast! And I am here to tell you my hair will not hold style. And the coastal GA humidity makes it look frizzy and wavy every day!!!! I'm not writing this as a way to get "Oh no, your hair is pretty" comments, nor am I trying to degrade myself. It's just how I feel about my hair and it honestly causes me insecurity. I long for gorgeous, silky, and long blonde hair! I have been thinking a lot about my hair lately because I am in major need of a cut and color.

I am also kinda cheap and I HATE spending 100 bucks getting my hair colored. I get all over highlights (foils) and sometimes lowlights depending on how blonde I'm getting and the season. My stylist is awesome, but I feel like I get stuck in a hair rut so often because I never know what to tell her to do. Also, the highlights that I have been getting for about 7 years have made my hair get very dry. This is a new thing for me since I have never had issues with that before coloring. I talked to my stylist about Keratin treatments, but she told me it would be too heavy for my hair being that is is extremely fine and thin. So...I'm in a rut with my hair and need you girls to get me out of it! I am planning to make an appt in the next week or so for a cut and color. I have pinned a few styles that I like (the Jessica Simpson one is the inspiration I had in high school and loved that cut). I am contemplating bangs too. I will definitely go medium length on the cut. I adore long hair better than anything, but my fine hair has NO body with it. It looks more frumpy than bombshell on me. I need lots of layers and a shorter cut to make movement and style in my hair. I also can't do short short though (bob is a no) because it makes my face look fat and like a chipmunk.

Source: None via Jennifer on Pinterest

I wish my hair would hold this style!!!!!

Source: jenniferaniston2011.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

So, here is what I really really need to talk to you about What products do you like? I currently have Bed Head shampoos and conditioners in my shower, but I HATE them. It feels like my hair is so dry after using it, even though it is for dry/colored hair. I have used Biolage forever and really liked it, but I wanted to switch it up some too. I really only use salon quality hair products because I have not had luck with drugstore stuff, but I am open to anything! I am planning a trip to Ulta soon to get some stuff that I feel like I need desperately. I have also been doing a ever other day washing cycle, but I have such a hard time styling it on the second day. What do you girls do on your off days for washing? I feel like I always look a hot mess on those days! HELP!

My Bachelorette Party

2011-08-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

One of the things that I have been meaning to blog about for the longest time is my fantastic Bachelorette Party! It was just so awesome and so me! Ashton (my Matron of Honor) planned the whole thing. She wanted to do something special and BOY, did she! Ash planned a weekend at Walt Disney World! If anyone knows me, they know that I am NOT a partier, and I didn't want some crazy bar hopping Bachelorette party...and from many numerous posts, I think y'all all know that I am a Disney nut! It was a fabulous party!

Friday, the weekend before my wedding, right after work, Kelly (my Maid of Honor and new SIL) and Ashton got in the car to head down to Orlando. Unfortunately, not all of my bridesmaids were able to come, and we missed them a lot. We got to Orlando around 9, and went straight to Downtown Disney to eat! One of my favorite places to eat down there is Rainforest Cafe. It's just a fun atmosphere and the food is yummy. We went and ate there, walked around Downtown Disney a little, and then headed to our hotel to get some rest.

Saturday morning, bright and early, we headed to the Magic Kingdom. We planned to get there before the park opened (to see my FAVORITE, the welcome show!), but unfortunately the monorail was broken. We had to ride the ferrry which took forever! I love the ferry, but I much prefer it at night. We got pins to commererate our trip and of course I had to get a new pair of Minnie ears to add to my collection! For those that haven't been reading long, I get a new pair every time I go to Disney. I have ALWAYS wanted the bride ears, and I finally had a reason to wear them. Funny story though...it was Gay Days in Orlando that week and that Saturday was the official Disney day. We kept wondering why everyone was wearing red shirts (and some of them were in terrible taste which made me very upset, but we won't go into that). Well, throughout the day people kept congratualating Ashton and I on our wedding. I first I thought they got that it was a Bachelorette party and were just congratulating me, but then I realized some people thought we were gay. What are ya gonna do? It does make for a funny story. We had a great time at Magic Kingdom...and stayed until about 11, so we were TIRED!

We went to Epcot on Sunday. I love Epcot because there are so many interactive rides and it is just a neat place! Ashton and I went there by ourselves in the morning because Kelly was so tired, and then we went to get her after lunch. We had a great time looking around the World Pavillon, riding some of my favorite rides, and of course getting yummy treats at the France pavillion. I got Creme Brulee and Ashton got Cheesecake, and we shared. YUM! That evening, Ashton surprised me with reservations at the Italy pavillon (my favorite kind of food) at Tutto Italia. It was so nice and delicious! Ash planned out this whole thing were they would recognize that I was getting married by bringing desert to the table. I am allergic to chocolate/cocoa, so she made sure they knew not to bring chocolate desert. She told them when she made the reservation, and again at the restaurant when I went to the bathroom...but I guess the Italian waiter didn't quite get what she was saying because they sang me "Happy Birthday" and brought me chocolate cake. Haha! Ashton was upset because she had specifically planned that for me! It was really funny, and is a memory. I know Kelly and Ashton enjoyed the dessert though, so all's well! After dinner, the show that Epcot does was starting and we really enjoyed watching it.

We had to go home the next day, so we headed back to the hotel for some beauty sleep. I unfortunately wasn't up to shopping on the way home like we planned because I came down with an awful upper respiratory/sinus infection that Sunday and couldn't shake it off any more. Ashton ended up driving straight from Orlando to my doctor in Savannah, and Thomas met me there. I had to be on antibiotics the whole week of my wedding, and finished them up on the wedding day! Thank goodness it came on early in the week!!!! I just adored my Bachelorette party and had such a great time! I bought a Disney pandora bead while I was there (Cinderella's pumpkin coach) and remember that awesome trip every time I look at it!

*Sorry for crappy photos, I only took them with my iphone bc I never pulled out the camera*

Questions Answered

2011-08-22T13:03:00.000-04:00

This is so fun! If anyone has anymore questions, feel free to ask and I will do another post like this!

How did you and your husband meet?

We met in high school. I was a freshmand and boy crazy. He was a junior and very quiet and shy. I had a crush on his friend, so I got to school early one day to try to see this boy before school. Well, the boy didn't get to school early, but a group of friends were hanging out with Thomas. I hung out with the group and they introduced me to Thomas. Thomas was so nice and funny...I couldn't tell he was shy at all. For about a week, I got to school early hoping to see his friend, but ended up chatting with him everyday. By the end of that week, I had forgotten about his friend and really was having a fun time getting to know Thomas. Friday after a couple of weeks, he asked me if I was going to the Seafood Festival. I said yes, and that I was performing with my cheerleading group...but it was pretty early (like 9:30 or something) and that I doubted he would want to come. The festival is a big thing in our town so we left like we would see each other at some point since we would probably run into each other. Well, that Saturday morning while we were warming up, I saw Thomas and one of his friends. He got my attention and waved and sat in the front row...with like a whole group of like 30 people...mostly parents. It was pitiful. I realized that day that I had a big crush on Thomas and we spent the whole day hanging out together, riding fair rides (which he hates I found out later), and eating fair food. That night when the fireworks were going off, he asked me to officially go on a date to the Homecoming Dance. The next weekend after the dance, he asked me to be his girlfriend. The rest is history. We are both each others first real dating experience and we feel like God truly laid these plans for us to find each other. We feel truly blessed to have found true love so early in life.

8 1/2 years later, so in love! Credit: Sean Azul Photography

What are some goals/projects that I would like to accomplish in life?

Wow, that is a big one. I would love to learn to speak French, and then travel to France and use the language and immerse myself in the culture. I also have the goal to visit Versailles as I love French Royal history so much. In keeping with the previous answers, I really want to travel. I have been blessed to travel a good bit in my life through my generous dad. It is one thing that I have a huge passion for. If I could take my family with me, I would be a travel show host in a heartbeat! The main places that I really want to visit that I haven't been before are NYC, Washington DC, London, and Greece. Thomas and I plan to one day save a LOT of money and go on a long European tour starting in Ireland and ending in Italy or Greece. I also really want to go on a Disney cruise. Thomas and I are saving for that to be our next big vacation.

My other big goal in life is to one day work for Disney. I love my job and will likely never leave the organization that I work for until I retire. However, when I retire I dream of working for Disney as a seamstress. I would love to make those gorgeous costumes for the characters (especially the princesses) and know that I made a little girl or boys time in Disney magical. Sappy, but true. I can't explain my love for Disney.

Source

What is your favorite book?

I don't know if I can pick just one! If I had to I would say book number 4 in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. My favorite book series in general is Harry Potter. I just love these books because they pick you up and take you to another place and make you never want to put them down.

I am working up a whole post devoted to the last question regarding Savannah, and I am planning on incorporating a link/sidebar thing (haven't decided) on sewing shops and resources I use. Have a great Monday!

Mad-Eye Moody

2011-08-18T16:45:00.000-04:00

I may have mentioned before that Thomas is very funny! Ask any of our friends, it is true! He can crack jokes out of nowhere like no other. Well, this morning on the way to work, I was whining to him that I couldn't think of a single thing that I really wanted to blog about. I want to blog, but I don't know what to blog about. The conversation naturally progressed to the fact that I felt cruddy today. I had ugly clothes on because none of my cute ones fit, I felt bloated, my lower back was kinda achy, etc. I just wasn't feeling it today. Thomas looked over at me and said I was an "Icabod Crane." That just made me burst into giggles. He didn't pronounce it like normal, but instead like "Icky-bod Crane." In my laughter, I told him he gave me the perfect thing to blog about today.

(One of my favorite Disney shorts)

This would be a cute and funny story if it ended there, but it gets better. Thomas has names for pretty much all of my moods. I don't remember when this started, but it has been going on for years. It started with me being cranky and he called me "Mad-Eye Moody" out of nowhere. It pulled me right out of my mood, and was just so funny. Through the years, he has added quite a few to the list.

Mad-Eye Moody - moody or cranky behavior

Whaylon Jennings (sometimes Whaylon Jennie) - whiney behavior
Romilda Vain - when I start taking too long to get ready

(Romilda Vane sent Harry chocolates that were laced with Love Potion, but Ron ate them without knowing in the Half-Blood Prince)

Icabod Crane - when I don't feel good.

I know there are more, but I just can't recall them right now. Anyway, thats my sweet Thomas...always a joker.

Questions?

2011-08-17T09:09:00.000-04:00

Okay, so you may have noticed from my lack of posting in the last week...I'm in a bit of a blog rut. I have a few things I would like to blog about, but I haven't been able to actually get myself in gear to write out the posts. Instead, I keep pouring over cute new blogs and pinterest for hours while I procrastinate. Ha! Do y'all ever do that when you don't really feel like you have much to write about? So, I decided since I have quite a few new followers that I want to do a post where y'all ask me questions. Ask away...I am an open book (mostly).

Drapes

2011-08-11T10:16:00.000-04:00

Let's discuss drapes today, shall we? We were lucky enough to move into our new construction home with blinds already installed. We asked the builder to do so because we didn't want to have to be in a rush to buy blinds, drapes, etc. or have to put sheets up for privacy. The blinds we have are nice too, and the builder installed moldings on the tops in order to make it look nicer. BUT, I am sick and tired of sitting around and looking at beige walls (paint could be another post in itself) and blinds. I need color!!!

As of right now we have beige carpet, beige walls, and beige couches in our downstairs. I would describe my decorating style as French Country with a Modern Traditional twist. You will probably be able to tell that when I start showing you the things I put in my home. I am pretty good on knick knack type items, but I really am ready to paint and more importantly, make my drapes! Of course, I am not planning to buy your run of the mill Target or J.C. Penny drapes, and custom drapes are WAY out of my budget. However, I am always so happy that I have such an interest in sewing because it helps in my frugal ways! Here are the plans I have made for drapes in our home.
For the downstairs - Our downstairs is basically one big room. I have to choose one theme/color scheme for it's entirety and I have chosen red/gold/chocolate brown as the colors. I don't really like a themed room, but as I love french country and all, it seems roosters are emerging as a central element in this area. I am okay with that in moderation, but I am trying to steer clear of too many so that I don't have a "rooster kitchen" I would get sick of that quick. So, when I set out fabric window shopping and found a cute rooster toile that I loved...I was a little worried of it becoming "rooster land." I have since found another fabric that is similar and has peacocks on it...similar enough without it becoming a theme.

Source

I plan to make the drapes out of this toile fabric and suspend them on those hook things you buy for drapes like these pictures below. I am contemplating lining them with chocolate brown and then kinda flipping out the middle to show it and have some contrast. We are painting this room a warm golden yellowish brown shade so it will mix nicely. Unfortunately, this fabric hasn't been ordered yet and I will need to make about 4 panels, so we are having to save up for this until next month or so. I have priced these treatments at around $200-300 depending on if I decide on tassels, how much the hardward will be, etc. As you can see, sewing for yourself does cost a good bit less as if I got these drapes custom made they would cost a lot more, but it still isn't cheap. That is one thing I have learned about sewing! It's cheaper than retail, but you most likely will still spend more than if you bought your stuff at Target (drapery-wise) or Old Navy (clothing-wise) but obviously the quality is much higher. I am also planning some other sewing projects for our downstairs, so I am waiting until I can go ahead and buy ALL the fabric to buy any of it in case I change my mind.

Source

The next room that I need to create drapes for is our master bedroom. The color scheme of this room is seafoam green/blue, chocolate, and beige. I am planning on painting the walls the seafoam color which will contrast nicely with our cherry furniture. Our bedding is beige silk with chocolate and seafoam pillows for accents. We have one double window in here, so I will need to make two panels and then I am also working on recovering a chair as well. I am thinking that I will do a chocolate dupioni in our bedroom since the other fabrics in here are silk and I want our bedroom to feel serene and like a luxuary spa. Ahhhh! :) I am thinking I will do pinch pleated drapes in here with an overflowing romantic bottom. The chair will be recovered in something, but I just haven't decided yet. I also want to get it monogrammed with our last initial! I am estimating the total cost of fabric and drapery hardware for this room will be around $200.

Source

The only other room have I have to worry about decor wise is my sewing room. The third bedroom is going to be a nursery one day (not too soon, don't worry), so for now it is storage/Thomas' man cave. I have purchased all the fabrics for the sewing room and am in the process of creating this space now. I bought 8 yards of white linen to make the window treatment (one panel needed) and a tablecloth for my sewing table. I also bought 4 yards to recover my sewing chair, 2 yards for piping and an ironing board cover, and 1 yard for a dog bed. In all I believe I have spent $130 on fabrics for this room. I have given you a snippet of what I am doing in here, but it is not done yet! I will give you before and after pics too! For now though, you can see what I am planning to do with the drapes. I really want this room to have a light and airy feel to it. I am planning to do something different on top (maybe just a loop to put the rod through), but other than that the panel will be the same only white on white instead of the colors here.

Source

Menu Monday

2011-08-09T15:30:00.000-04:00

I apologize for being a day late with this post, but I have just been under the weather over the last week. I don't know what is up, but I swear I have have had so many afflictions that I feel like I am falling apart. UGH! Thomas joked last night that if anything else happens to me this week, I am going to be a regular ol' Jobe! I do wish I had his patience though! Anyway, enough complaining.

Last week we didn't end up eating all of the meals I planned because I got sick with a virus and didn't cook or eat for a couple days...so we will be recycling those meals.

Sunday - Tater Tot Casserole - this isn't a recycled recipe, rather Thomas just LOVED it and requested it again! He had never had it and was in heaven eating it! :)

Monday - Bean Burritoes - Our weekly staple! We had to go to Wal-mart last night to get some medicine for me and we ended up getting Taco Bell Mild sauce. I had no idea they bottled and sold that stuff! I was so happy though because I LOVE that stuff. I am even more excited for burrito night every week now.

Tuesday - Pizza Night at our friends house. I am debating going tonight, so it will either be pizza or just cereal or something. It's usually a guy thing, but Ash is going tonight so I am contemplating.

Wednesday - Italian dressing marianated chicken, hashbrown casserole, and garlic bread. I really need to get a veggie in here too...hum

Thursday - Chicken Teriyaki and Fried Rice - my own recipe that I really should share! Tastes just like a hibachi restuarant!

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - whatever/leftovers

It's not too terribly exciting around our house this week. I was contemplating making chicken roll-ups for myself tonight (recycled from last week) but we will see. I might just go eat pizza...or be too lazy to cook. What are you eating this week?

Kate Middleton Style

2011-08-05T15:46:00.000-04:00

I may be one of the last people to blog about this, but seriously, how great is Kate Middleton's style!?! I have had a bit of a ~~girl crush~~ ~~obsession~~ liking of her for a while now. I remember when she and Wills would show up in the tabloids when they were on again, off again, and thought she was so gorgeous and that they would be a cute couple. I was always pulling for her! When they got engaged, I was so happy, along with the rest of the world! :) Plus, I got to see a lot more of her in the tabloids, which made me very happy! :) haha! (Have I ever told y'all I have an inherited love for tabloids? My mom and grandma love them too) Of course I watched the wedding (and am thinking of buying the BBC dvd), but I didn't wake up at 4 or whatever to do so. I do like to think that Kate and I have something in common. Our wedding dresses had a similar neckline (which makes me feel like I was very fashion forward for picking it before her, haha) and we are both newlyweds. I feel like we would be great friends if I was in her royal circle! :) haha! And this may or may not be the image I see when I go to google.

Okay, so now you know that I am a little teeny bit obsessed with the Duchess of Cambridge. Of course, now I am following all of her appearances through style blogs that are full of people just like me...who want to dress just like Kate! I know Kate has taken a bit of flack that she isn't a style setter because she wears classic clothing and that she hasn't pushed the envelope enough. I have to disagree. Classic clothing is known for always being in style, and I like that she wears clothing that people can relate to. She wears clothes that are tailored and high quality, as well as pieces at all price points. I also love that you will see her in an item more than once. I wear my clothes more than once, and it's nice to see someone with celebrity status and a lot of money doing the same thing. She has also gotten flack on this too. On the same vein, I like that you will see her going to the grocery store and doing things that us normal people do...she is just so down to earth. I know people like to point out that she was a "commoner" and she was when you take into account that she wasn't royal. BUT come on, yeah, her family had normal working joe jobs at one point in time, but now they own a big company, are millionaires, and Kate went to the same school as Wills, which in itself shows that she wasn't just some common girl working her way through college. She obviously came from a life that is not quite like mine, but not quite like Wills. For her to be down to earth makes me like her a lot! Anyway, I feel like Kate has brought back to the masses the idea of tailoring your clothing to fit you. It isn't like the idea ever went away, especially for those who seem to relate more to classic styling, but it is nice to have someone bring the idea back into the forefront of your mind so you don't forget it!

I enjoy checking out what Kate is wearing through many style blogs dedicated to her like What Kate Wore and the Kate Middleton style blog. I am currently working on a post dedicated to my plan to bump up my work wardrobe, and I am taking cues from Kate on what I should be looking for. I would love to have a bunch of dresses like these in my closet.

PA/MyTheresa.com via What Kate Wore

Flynet/Getty Images/Heritage via What Kate Wore

Canadian Heritage/Reuters via What Kate

Lionel Hahn-Pool-Reuters via What Kate Wore

John Stillwell/Pool/Getty Images via What Kate Wore

Splash News via The Daily Mail via What Kate Wore

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for British Consul-General via What Kate Wore

Bruce Adams/The Daily Mail & London Sole via What Kate Wore

Seriously, I wish I looked this put together when I went grocery shopping!

So, are you obsessed with Kate? or are you sick and tired of all this talk about her?

Menu Monday

2011-08-01T11:45:00.000-04:00

Now that I have a husband to cook for...I can participate in Menu Monday! :) I love love love to cook, so I am really excited to start posting our menu plans!

Sunday - Chicken Bacon Carbonara with Sourdough Garlic Bread

We ate this last night and Thomas loved it! It was a recipe adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Here is my recipe for it...keep in mind that I don't measure in the kitchen unless I am baking. Oh and this definitely isn't low fat, but your tummy will thank me.

1 pack of chicken breasts, cubed
10 slices of bacon
minced garlic to taste (I used 4 big cloves, but I love garlic)
half of a small onion, chopped
1/2 pack sliced and ready mushrooms
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
butter
1/2 (or even a whole cup) of freshly grated parmesan cheese
fettucine noodles

1. In a pan large enough to make sauce in, cook bacon until crispy. Crumble when cool and set aside.
2. In the pan with the bacon grease, cook chicken cubes. Turn the heat up to about medium high or so and put the chicken in a single layer. Do not touch it, you want it to get good and brown. After a couple minutes, turn the chicken over and let it brown on the other side. Remove from pan when done and set aside with the bacon.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and add two heaping tablespoons of butter to the bacon grease. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms to the pan. Let them brown up and get soft. After a couple minutes, add cream and milk to the pan. Let this simmer for a couple minutes.
4. Add in the cheese and let it melt into the sauce. Add the chicken and bacon back in the sauce. Toss with fettucine noodles.

This is a yummy yummy recipe, but definitely not one to eat all the time as it is fattening!

Monday - The Duggar Family's Tater Tot Casserole

Tuesday - Pizza Night for Thomas and Chicken Roll-Ups for Jennifer and Ashton

Wednesday - Bean Burritoes (or leftovers) (nothing special, just a can of refried beans and burrito shells with whatever toppings you want. This is our go to when we don't want to cook)

Thursday - Mushroom Stroganoff (I know I posted this before but I can't find it. I will post it again this week)

Friday - Date Night

Saturday - Italian Chicken and Macaroni and Cheese (crockpot) (I will post this as well this week)

The Ever Changing Sewing Room...

2011-07-26T11:46:00.000-04:00

I have a very hard time making decisions on things. Not really important things, but things like home decor and my bridesmaids dresses (which took a good 6 months for me to decide on). I constantly change my mind and second guess my judgement. However, once I really decide on something and think it through, I am extremely happy with my choices and don't have a second thought. Many of you will remember a couple months back that I told y'all I was using my favorite new(ish) movie as my inspiration for my sewing room, Marie Antionette by Sofia Coppola. I was envisioning striped dupioni silk drapes, blue walls, and gold accents. I do still think this would beautiful, but a few reasons have made me rethink this.

I am not planning to buy a new desk, and the old one I have is oak veneer (yuck) and I was planning to make a tablecloth/skirt thing to cover it. While the oppulent fabrics like silk and taffeta are gorgeous for windows, I feel like this would not breath very well when I am sitting at the desk for hours sewing. I would probably get very hot and wouldn't like this in the long run.
The space might be overwhelmed with this oppulent look. I think I want the space to look a bit more relaxed.
My bedroom at my mom's house was very shabby chic and floral. I still have a lot of those decor pieces and want to be able to utilize them.

So with these changes I am still using Marie Antionette as my inspiration, but instead of her suite at Versailles, I am using the Petit Trianon and the Hameau de la reine as the vision. It is just more me and more liveable.

Source: images.google.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

The colors and look of this part of the movie will be my inspiration for the space.

Source: whisperedwhimsyvintage.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

The flowy fabrics, flowers, and colors are what I want to envoke in the room when it is done.

I am using my normal style of French Country and Shabby Chic. I plan to paint the walls blue. I purchased a bookshelf off Craigslist the other day and am in the process of fixing it up (another post coming soon). It will be painted creamy white and distressed. I have fabric on the way to make a chair cover for my oak desk chair, and to make a new ironing board cover and a dog bed for my sweet puppy. He likes to sit with me while I sew and feel so sad for him when I have to keep making him move off the fabric.

Source: tarafrey.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: sisboom.com via Cammie on Pinterest

Source: theoldpaintedcottage.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I am also planning to buy some white linen for the drapes and tablecloth, and I want to incorporate some glass knobs into a shelf and pull-backs for the drapes.

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I also will buy some new accent pieces and eventually want a chair for when Thomas or Ashton hang out in there with me.

Source: madebylova.wordpress.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I would love a three tiered basket for storing my ribbon

Source: flickr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I plan to make myself some fun little items for sewing eventually, like a ham, seam roll, and pin cushion.

It will be a work in progress for the time being, but I will keep you posted throughout. I am so excited!!!

Honeymoon Part 5 - Day 7 and Going Home

2011-07-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

The last day of our honeymoon was spent relaxing by the pool. We woke up and ate a leisurely breakfast, then headed out to the pool. Of course, it was packed since everyone was confined to the boat, but we lucked out and got a couple chairs and parked ourselves there for a while. I enjoyed laying out and reading, and Thomas enjoyed napping and getting in the pool. We decided to go back to the room early to pack up and get ready for dinner. We decided that way we could go out to the pool in the evening when everyone was packing and we would have it all to ourselves. This plan worked and we got to enjoy the hot tub to ourselves one last night.

Also, I haven't mentioned our wonderful dinnermates that we had throughout the week. They were the sweetest people and they were also on their honeymoon. They were in school to be ministers and they were just a joy to eat dinner with every night. We also had a great head waiter and assistant waiter. The head waiter was very attentive to my allergies (to chocolate) and would make sure I had a special dessert to eat every night. Throughout the week, our waiters danced and I might have gotten up and joined a conga line with them at some point too. :)

The next morning, we got up and sat on the Lido deck for a good 2 hours waiting to get off the boat. We were able to eat the breakfast buffet one last time, and just enjoyed doing nothing for a little bit. However, we were ready to get on the road since we had to drive about 5 hours home that day and go to work the next day. The trip home was uneventful and as every newlywed does when they get home, we stopped by our in-laws to open our wedding presents. That was a lot of fun. We were staying with my mom when we first got home due to our house not being done yet, so we were able to visit and tell both of our parents about our trip and enjoy seeing them after our time away. Our honeymoon was better than I ever expected, and will be a fond memory for the rest of our lives. Thanks for reading the many posts on this and humoring me in reliving it! :)

Honeymoon Part 4 - Days 5 and 6

2011-07-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

Day 5 wasn't much to report. We were Isla Roatan, which was beautiful!!!! We didn't get off the boat though as it was raining and we were sunburned and tired. We soaked in the hot tub when it was sprinkling and ate loads of yummy food and mostly just relaxed. It was nice and just what we needed. However, we did take some pictures of the scenery from the boat. I would really like to go back to Isla Roatan and do an excursion of some sort one day.

Day 6 was beyond fun! It was our absolute favorite day. We were in Grand Cayman, and once again were tendered. We had to be ready for our excursion at like 10:30, so we woke up and ate a leisurely breakfast and got ready for the day. We were worried because it was sprinkling when we got on the ferry boat and we saw a few bolts of lightning. We had booked an excursion for swimming with the stingrays and visiting the turtle farm, so we were scared this might ruin it. However, once we got on the island and met up with our group, the sky cleared up a good bit and we were on our way. We were taken by bus to the other side of the island to get on our boat to go to Stingray City. We were expecting this to be a place where there were stingrays in tanks or something, but we were wrong. They drove us about 30-45 minutes into the middle of the ocean where there was a sandbar that had naturally built up. The stingrays naturally congregated there, and I am sure they were used to getting fed as well...so that probably helped too. They briefed us on what to do in the water to keep the stingray from feeling threatened and then we got in the water. I was a little scared, but Thomas kept telling me that it was fine and that stingrays won't hurt you if you don't attack them and that they wouldn't bring tourists here if it was dangerous. When I got in the water, I realized that he was right, but Thomas was now freaked out! We would stand there and the stingrays would come right up to you. I loved it! Thomas liked it best when they kept a little distance from him. Luckily, the company had a man that would take photos in the water, so we were able to buy the CD from him and have these photos forever. I really enjoyed the stingrays and Thomas and I both thought that it was so cool! We had snorkels as well, so we could put our faces in the water and watch the stingrays and the fish that would swim by. The water was so clear, and it was just beautiful!!! The best part was when I got to feed the stingrays. You would put squid in your hand and then the stingrays would swim over your hand and suck it up. Thomas did not want to feed them, so I got to feed them 3 times. BUT, on the last time, 2 or 3 stingrays all came towards me at once and I guess I dropped the squid or one of them ate it, but this one was all about getting something to eat and BIT my finger! I was worried it would have poison or something, but the tour guide said they don't even have teeth, just really hard gums and that it was fine. So, I decided that my story when I got home would be that I got attacked by a stingray and that was why my leg was so messed up and everything. haha! (I didn't really tell anyone that)

Stingrays!!!

Beautiful clear water at the sandbar!

I was scared to get in there!

They were right next to you!

wave knocked us over when we were holding one

Holding the massive stingray!

Kiss a stingray on the front part for 7 years of good luck! I kissed him 3 times ;)

They felt like wet velvet...very cool!

After Stingray City, we got back on the bus and went to the Turtle Farm. There were green sea turtles like the ones on Finding Nemo that were bred here to help remove them from the endangered species list, as well as use them in the native dish of Turtle Soup. UMMM, does that make sense to anyone? We were able to look at the different pools and ages of the turtles and learn a little about them. The best part was getting to hold the little 6 month old baby turtles. I LOOOOOVED them! They were so cute and I really wanted to take one home with me. Afterwards, we had access to their amenities such as the snorkel pond that had turtles, fish, etc. The shark tank that you could look at, the bird sanctuary, and the swimming pool with waterfall. We decided to go snorkel, but it wasn't very good. It looked like a pool with algae all in it and a couple fish and maybe one turtle. We enjoyed it though and then decided to go look at the turtles some more. I got to hold some more tiny turtles and then we looked around the giftshop. The excursion took all day and we didn't bring any money for drinks or food since we thought it was only a couple hours, so we were so hungry and thirsty when we got back to the ship! We got ready for dinner, and then after dinner we went to the casino and Adults only deck again. It was a fun day!

The turtles were "hugging" each other. It was so sweet!

I loved these turtles!

You had to rub their little necks to calm them down or else they would flap like they were swimming away from you.

Up next: Part 5...the end of our trip, day 7 :(