Friday loves

this onesie from Monkey and the Bug. 

holy shit. adorable, right?
and if you've been here for a while, you know how much I love alligators. 

although, $40 is a leeeeeettle pricey for a onesie. 

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a pool party for elephants. 

squeeeeeeeee!

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this recipe for slow cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches looks amazing. 

I think I'm going to try it on Sunday. it'll be awesome to bring for lunch, too!

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free Whale of a Tale print over at irocksowhat.

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um, these socks are amazing.
they're superhero socks. with capes. 

SOCKS WITH CAPES, YA'LL.

I already told Sean that I'd be wearing the Wonder Woman ones during labor.

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this Etsy shop.
she sells ridiculously cute cloth diaper covers.
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this home in Portland, professionally crashed by YHL. 
holy crap. I want to live there.
specifically, I'd like to live in the kitchen. so bright & fun!

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these organizing storage bins for your fridge. 
from C&B, of course.
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Happy Friday, bitches!

recent happenings...

here's what I've been up to lately 

(besides being buried in school work - tonight is my last class! WOO!)... 

please excuse the quality of these photos - all cell phone pics. 

replicating some Dali artwork, circa 1923

cooking the most delicious baked ziti known to man, topped with MY VERY OWN fresh basil

[recipe here]

acing physics exams

creating holiday decor & handmade ornaments 

painted ornament tutorial here

"ribbon" ornament is just strips of curled scrapbook paper 

and the scalloped felt tree was a huge pain in the ass

cuddling with a cute Rhys

drawing my iron reindeer that sits on the bookshelf

painting my nails a very festive green for only $0.99 

spending time with this adorable guy

so yeah... that pretty much sums up why I haven't been around. 

have you been doing any holiday decorating? 

have you been cuddling babies as cute as Rhys? (doubtful)

Happy Monday! 

Friday loves!

this Maryland necklace. 

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this video of a vicious turkey attack. hilarious. 

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this tutorial on adding a tile frame to a raw edge mirror. 

when we get around to re-doing the bathroom, this is on my list. such an easy and affordable fix! 

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this recipe for baked apples. nom. 

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while we're on the subject of food, this recipe too. I'll be picking up some bone-in chicken (I usually buy boneless breasts) and trying it out for Sunday dinner. 

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25 ways to wear a scarf. 

I wish there was an app for this that I could just save on my phone and play any time 

I needed a new scarf tutorial. seriously, it's SO helpful! 

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this tribal maxi skirt from Express. 

my only problem with maxi skirts is that I don't know what kind of shoes to wear with them if it's too cold for flip flops. any suggestions?

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Barberry & Lace, one of my all time favorite Etsy shops, is having a $100 giveaway. how amazing is that?! I want the anchor cameo ring SO BAD. 

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before & afters on Design*Sponge make me weak in the knees. 

especially this one. 

can you guess my favorite part? 

if you guessed the chevron wall, you know me too well. 

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a grown-up tree house.

 I think all my dreams just came true. 

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we are taking a day trip with a big group of friends to do some gambling (and drinking) in Atlantic City tomorrow, which I am super excited about. it should be a great time, and I'll be sure to report back on our winnings next week, along with some pictures. 

have a good weekend, ya'll! 

Happy Friday! 

Rhys' Sprinkle - Part 1: Food & Drinks

NOTE: because there are so many details and pictures, I'm going to break this into multiple posts so that it's more organized and not a million miles long. 

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for those who may be confused by the name of the party, a baby sprinkle is like a baby shower for the Mama when she has her 2nd or 3rd baby... only this time, you only "sprinkle" her with gifts (as opposed to "showering" her) because she already has the big ticket items from baby #1. get it? 

so without further adieu, here are the pictures from the sprinkle. most of these photos are mine, and some are Kaley's (the ones that are not watermarked). unfortunately, with all the running around, I didn't get a chance to photograph everything, so I stole some from the Mama herself. ;) 

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FOOD & DRINKS

the menu consisted of a nugget platter from Chick Fil A (which is a staple for parties around here), veggie dippers, cucumber bites, turkey pinwheels, Aubrey's famous pasta salad, Ashley's deviled eggs, fruit kabobs, and Heather's meatballs. drinks included Jones soda & mason jar lemonade in a big tub, baby blue punch, and the typical sodas & water. 

the recipes for the food I prepared (or just prepped for, since Aubrey & Kaley put together some of the dishes for me) are linked beneath their pictures.  

[photo courtesy of Kaley]

veggie dippers
[photo courtesy of Kaley]

fruit kabobs
[with blackberries, blueberries, green grapes, and honeydew melon]

turkey pinwheels
[made by Aubrey]

cucumber bites

bubblegum & apple flavored Jones soda, and mason jar lemonade

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DESSERT

for dessert, we had cake & cupcakes (baked by a friend's family member), which were absolutely delicious. I also put together a candy buffet which included different colored M&Ms, rock candy, marshmallow pops, striped candy sticks, and Aubrey's chocolate covered pretzels. it was a big hit with the kids (and some of the adults, too)! 

candy/dessert table!
[photo courtesy of Kaley]

[photo courtesy of Kathy]

marshmallow pops

chocolate & vanilla cupcakes

lemon cake with vanilla buttercream

if you'd like to know where something was purchased or how it was made (like the marshmallow pops), feel free to ask! I'll be happy to shares my sources and recipes. 

NEXT UP...

Part 2: Games & Activities

cheesecake brownies [recipes]

I made these brownies last weekend to bring to Kaycie's house for dessert and they were a huge hit between the four of us. in fact, there were only two left in the pan when we got home later that evening, although that could have been due to Sean's drunk ravaging. either way, they were delicious. very, very, very simple recipe... easy enough to do on a whim and bring to a party, for sure.

Cheesecake Brownies

[Facts]:

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 20 minutes

ready to eat: 45 minutes

[Ingredients]:

• 1 package (19.8oz) brownie mix - I used Betty Crocker's Ultimate Fudge mix
• 1 package (8oz) cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup white sugar

[Directions]:

1. Prepare the brownie mix as directed by manufacturer. Preheat oven to temperature indicated on box. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.  (I used a 9x9 pan because I like thicker brownies).
2. Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. 
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. 
4. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. Swirl together using a knife or skewer. (my mixture didn't really "swirl" well... probably because I used the 9x9 pan. there was more cheese mixture than I thought there would be, so I just spread it along the top and it came out fine).
5. Bake according to manufacturer's instructions. Brownies will be done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 35 minutes for me). Cool in the pan, then cut into bars and serve. 

Unfortunately, I didn't take any 

photos of these, but here's one that 

I shamelessly jacked from All Recipes. 

ENJOY!

Friday loves

well now that Blogger has decided to stop being a douchebag, we can get on to the little list of things I'm loving this week... ya know... because you're all DYING to know! ;)

• these garden markers (the post was actually from a year ago, but I found it via Pinterest this week), made from an old spoon and some creative labels. now that my herbs are planted, I might need to do this. 

• this post by Mandy (who obviously has the coolest name ever), reassuring everyone that she is not super woman, and that she, just like all parents, has daily struggles. I'm not a Mama, but it's comforting to me for some reason.
• the completed patio, courtesy of YHL. we want to demolish our existing deck and put in a patio of pavers, and the DIY experts have pretty much confirmed our wavering decision to NOT do it ourselves. it honestly just seems like a huge pain in the ass, and we don't have time for it. 
• marble chevron tile. 

• 40 handmade gifts from the kitchen - I am really considering going handmade for gifts this year, since we're trying to save up for the possibility of a babe in the future, and this post is full of SO many wonderful edible gifts.
• baskets in the fridge = organization genius.

• the handmade giveaway going on over at Rogue Poags! the only reason I didn't enter is because that little yellow pouch in the pictures already has my name on it - enter to win a custom handmade coin purse... with a Starbucks gift card inside! 
• these planters from West Elm. since we plan on repainting our shutters grey (they are currently hunter green and I hate them), these would look awesome on our front stoop.

• this recipe for grilled zucchini pizza looks delicious. I want to try it soon. 
• and as always, live kittens playing and cuddling and mewing. I may or may not be slightly obsessed with these guys.

have you discovered anything awesome this week? 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

shrimp fettuccine alfredo [recipe]

I know that this recipe may not seem like much for most people, especially those more adventurous eaters. but the truth is that ever since Sean and I have been together, the only sauce we've eaten with pasta is red sauce, because he swore up and down that he didn't like cream sauces, blah blah blah. so finally, he agreed to try to a cream/cheese sauce, and it just happened to be alfredo because we already had the ingredients on hand.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

[Facts]:

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 20 minutes

ready to eat: 40 minutes

makes: (6) servings

[Ingredients]:

• 1lb fettuccine pasta
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1lb cooked shrimp - peeled & de-veined
• 4 gloves garlic - minced
• 1 cup half & half
• 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (we ended up using more like 8-9 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (substituted 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)
• salt to taste 

[Directions]:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet, saute shrimp and garlic in the butter for about one minute. Pour in half and half; stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese in one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly. 
3. After all Parmesan is added, mix in parsley and salt. Stir frequently making sure it does not boil. Sauce will take a while to thicken.
4. When sauce has thickened, combine with cooked pasta noodles; serve hot. 

[NOTE]: 

don't get me wrong, this shit was delicious, but next time, I'll probably either add more half & half, or cut the amount of pasta in half. I felt like it was way too much pasta for the little bit of sauce it made. we don't need to be cooking a pound of pasta at a time anyway, since it's only us eating.

enjoy! 

and happy Cinco de Mayo, friends!

cookie dough stuffed cupcakes [recipe]

remember when I mentioned these completely mouth watering cupcakes (that I discovered via Pinterest) in this post? well guess what? 

I finally made them. 

and they were everything I thought they'd be 

but about 1000x more delicious than I imagined possible. 

this recipe made enough for 24 cupcakes... I quickly (and somewhat somberly) made the decision to send Sean to work with half of them, just to get them out of my house.

Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes

[Ingredients]:

• cupcakes: (1) box Betty Crocker Supermoist butter recipe yellow cake mix (cheating? maybe. delicious? for sure)
• cupcake frosting: 12 oz (1 can) Betty Crocker Whipped milk chocolate 

: for the filling :

• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 7 oz (1/2 can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used regular sized chocolate chips and increased the amount to a full cup)
• optional: Pillsbury refrigerated cookie dough for garnishes

[Directions]:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Make cupcake batter according to directions. Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Let cool.
2. To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (aka not crumbly), about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about a half hour.
3. To fill the cupcakes, cut a cylinder shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. An apple corer spoon works great for this. I just carefully edged the spoon into the cupcake in a circular shape and took out the middle. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.
4. Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting. I like to put the frosting in a plastic storage bag and snip off a nickel sized hole in one of the corners to pipe the frosting on in a cone shape have no idea how to properly (or aesthetically) frost a cupcake.
5. Garnish with mini chocolate chips and mini chocolate chip cookies (See tip below).
6. To fancy up your cupcakes, garnish with mini chocolate chip cookies. I used 1/4 of a package of refrigerated cookie dough. I placed little balls of dough on a cookie sheet and baked for 8-9 10-14 minutes (which was slightly too long, haha) at 350 degrees. My cookies were a little big, which is why the garnish is a broken-in-half piece of cookie. 

and now, here are some pictures of what I consider to be the baking masterpiece of my life. please keep in mind that I have no idea how to frost a cupcake... and I think next time I'll go with normal frosting instead of whipped. the whipped stuff kind of resembles dog poop. but don't think about that, cause they tasted AMAZING. aka not at all like dog poop. 

 

enjoy! 

Friday loves

because my affinity for all things (recipes, design, fashion, products, music, etc) changes as quickly as the weather frequently, I've decided to dedicate a post every Friday to some of my favorite things from that week. 

there are a few bloggers out there doing this (like Lauren & Kristal) and although I won't be posting kiddo stuff like them, I still think it's an awesome idea to share what I'm diggin' at this moment. 

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Emily Giffin. after reading Something Borrowed and Something Blue, I rushed to Amazon to buy the next in the series (I say "series" loosely, based on the fact that Baby Proof does not include the main characters from the first two novels) and finished it in a matter of days.

Emily has such a casual, yet very intense way with words, and I'm finding myself really getting attached to her characters. also, I really appreciated that little break from the usual young adult books that I've been picking up lately (and incidentally, am reading now, haha).

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this bag:

I actually discovered this a few weeks ago, but I'm reaaaaally tempted to pull the plug on this purchase in the near future. it's the Rose camera bag by Jo Totes in Marigold. yes, it's mustard. and it has houndstooth lining. and it is perfection.

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my new Biofit bra that I talked about purchasing here. it is the perfect combination of comfort and sexy.

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I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I'm going to attempt them in the next few weeks when I have a break from weekend madness.

chocolate chip cookie dough STUFFED INTO CUPCAKES. 

if you tell me your mouth isn't watering right now, I'm calling you a fucking liar. they won't exactly fit into my new "healthy lifestyle" attitude, but I figure I can make a small amount of them and therefore not be forced to eat 98 mini cupcakes in one sitting.

... I'll keep you updated, fo sho.

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Matched by Ally Condie.  

yes, it's another YA, but it's gooooood.

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anything and everything lemon verbena scented by Mrs. Meyers. 

I've been making an effort to buy greener household products and I am SO thankful I tried this brand out.

first of all, the scents are amazing. I was looking to buy products that worked like normal household cleaners, but without the typical cleaner smell. and also? the results? awesome. a little goes a long way when using Mrs. Meyers, and therefore, the product lasts longer. now, I've only tried the hand soap, the dish soap, and the counter spray, but I'm willing to bet the other options work (and smell) just as great.

personally, the lemon verbena scent is my favorite, but I've also tried the lavender, which smells wonderfully. I like the lemon because it's nice and citrusy (yes, that's a word) and summery. uh, and bonus... it's green, so it virtually matches everything in my house.

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this dresser transformation over at Design Sponge.  

I wish I had that kind of talent... and patience. chevron is my go-to pattern these days.

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this swimsuit I came across on Pinterest. 

the linked source claims that the image is from Victoria's Secret. must have been from last year's swimsuit line, because I cannot find it anywhere on the website. super sad face. 

if you know where this suit is from, hit a sister up. I need to own it.

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DISCLAIMER: 

I am not being reimbursed or compensated in any way for the mention and positive reviews of the products listed on this blog. the opinions expressed are solely my own and while I wish I could receive free shit... trust me, I'm not.

HAPPY FRIDAY!