five friday favorites: etsy edition

Happy Friday Friends!  It's been a snow day filled week!  We went to school 2 days this week and as mentioned in yesterday's post, I am hoping that doesn't mean we are saying goodbye to spring break.  

Linking up today with lots of fabulous gals for some Friday Favorites!  Check out April and Christina  for 5 on Friday.  Head over to Erika and Andrea for Friday Favorites.  And for oh hey Friday check out September Farm and the Farmer's Wife. 

Since we have had so many snow days this week, I have been able to spend some quality time on the couch and have found myself browsing on Etsy.  Today I am going to share some of my Etsy favorites!  I would love to hear yours too so include them in the comments!  

{one}

No question, I love NC and I am kinda obsessed with this North Carolina trucker hat on Etsy.  Wish I had it to wear today for my teacher workday.  

{two}

One of my loves is dishes.  Yep, dishes.  Plates, platters, bowls.  This might stem from the fact that my grandparents have a jewelry store that also does bridal registry so I have been surrounded with beautiful china patterns all my life.  I especially love vintage things and love this vintage pyrex bowl I found on Etsy.  And friends, it is affordable at only $16.  This might need to find it's way to my house sooner than later!

{three}

All these snow days have me wishing for summer and warmer weather!  These croakies would make a perfect addition to a summer outfit!  

{four}

I have been looking for a simple necklace to be able to throw on with a tshirt or dress.  I love this rose gold bar necklace.  And love it's price as well!

{five}

This.  Trying to remember this each and everyday and think this printable would look great in my living room. 

What are you loving on Etsy these days?  

Have a great weekend friends!  

thursday thoughts

Excited to link up again with Meagan over at Beautiful Things for Thursday Thoughts!  Would love for those of you who are new to leave a comment and let me know you have been here!

I think...

* snowdays used to look like getting bundled up, making snowmen, throwing snowballs and sledding and these days they look more like coffee with caramel vodka, Amazing Race marathons on Hulu and my couch.  Does this mean I am getting old?

* spring break might be a distant memory after all these snow/ice days we have had.  Fingers crossed they don't take all our days.

* weekly friend dates with one of my besties for tacos and talk is one of my favorite things!  If you find a friend who gets you and brings you caramel vodka to add to your snowday coffee you have found a keeper!  Thankful for mine!

* I am excited for a little weekend getaway to Asheville this weekend and dinner at Ruth's Chris on Saturday night!

* I love watching my friends dreams come true!  So excited to be a small part of the Time of your Life event this weekend with She Dreams ministry!

* it's time for some makeovers in my house.  I went to Target yesterday and fell in love with some of the new rugs and pillows.

* Jonathan Knight makes the Amazing Race so much better!  Loved that when he and his partner landed on the mat with Phil they played The Right Stuff!  And it makes me even more excited to see NKOTB in concert in June!  #yesIgoseeNKOTBwhenIam36

See you guys tomorrow for Friday Favorites! :)

Thursday thoughts

Excited to be linking up with Maegan again at Beautiful Things for some Thursday thoughts...

I think....

* snow days are so much sweeter as a teacher. We have been in a winter wonderland in NC and this week I have only worked one full day! Can't complain! 

* since my town is covered in ice, it was a perfect time for a girls getaway to sunny Florida. Exited to be here with a sweet friend for some Disney fun, a Luke Bryan show and some sunshine! 

* Easter candy is the the best candy season of the year.  Bring on the starburst jelly beans, Reese eggs, Cadbury eggs....maybe I should give up candy for lent! 

* targets in other towns are always so much better than mine! 

* Lent is such a great time to really press into The Lord and spend some time refocusing and reflecting. My heart is in desperate need of that! 

* my little blog needs a makeover

Have a great rest of the week friends! 

Easy as Pie: Key Lime Pie

As a special Valentine treat I decided to whip up a little homemade Key Lime Pie...and friends, it was delicious!  I am sure the sweetened condensed milk had nothing to do with that! :)

I made a trial run of the pie on Thursday and was a little disappointed in how it turned out, so I tweaked the recipe a little and the final result was a hit!  Top it off with a little fresh whipped cream and you have a dessert that anyone would be excited about!

Of course I did not take any great pictures of the final product, but here is a peek at this deliciousness!  It didn't come out of the pie pan all that easily so ignore the not perfect pieces!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:
Crust
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
5 tbsp of melted butter
Sugar (throw in as much as you would like)

Pie
2 teaspoons (or more) of fresh lime zest
1/2 cup of lime juice (I used bottled lime juice, but might have been better with fresh lime juice)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar.  Add in melted butter and stir mixture with fork.  Mixture will be a little crumbly.

Press into pie pan and bake for 5 minutes to toast crust.

Throw lime juice and zest into the mixer.  Add egg yolks and beat immediately for 1 minute.  Turn off mixer and add can of sweetened condensed milk.  Mix on high until thick and smooth.

When it is all mixed, pour mixture into pie crust and bake for about 15 minutes.  Allow it to cool and then place in refrigerator

Then add one cup of cold heavy whipping cream to mixer. Then add sugar.  You can even add a little vanilla.  Beat on high.  Top pie with this heavenly mixture and enjoy!

Hope your Valentines' Weekend was full of only sweet things!  I know mine was!  Have a great week friends!

five favorites on friday

So excited to be linking up with lots of lovely ladies today!  Linking up with Five on Friday with April and Christina, Friday Favorites with Erika and Andrea and new this week with Oh, Hey Friday with The Farmers Wife and September Farm.  Can't wait to check out this links and find some new blogs to read!  And so excited to have some new readers as well!

Well it seems only appropriate to devote this edition of Friday goodness to Love!  So here are a few things I love and am loving this Valentine's season! 

{one}

Such truth friends, I can't love people on my own, I can only love because He loved me first!  So thankful for this unconditional love!  What a gift!

{two} 

This Valentine's Day will be a little different and I am so excited to be staying in and cooking a home cooked dinner!  This is the recipe that has been decided upon, let's just hope I don't screw this one up.  I love pasta and I love vodka sauce...so let's hope for a successful Valentine's dinner! :)

{three}

It's no secret this girl loves some fresh flowers.  I found a great bouquet at my local grocery store and added them to some mason jars around the house.  Nothing makes me happier than flowers in mason jars!  Of course I didn't take a picture of them, but they really do brighten up my little cottage!

{four}

A few years ago I was introduced to the handmade jewelry by The Vintage Pearl.  And it was love at first sight friends.  I have several of their pieces and love mixing it with some of my other pieces!  I even introduced my grandmother to the jewelry and they put in the line in their little jewelry store!  One of my very favorite pieces is this initial spoon necklace!  I am a sucker for a monogrammed piece of jewelry and this really is one of my faves!  Check out their website, I can't imagine you won't find something you will fall in love with!

{five}

Last night I was able to travel to my cousins' house to spend some time with my family.  And friends, as I was sitting around the table laughing and talking with my family, my heart was just filled up!  I have been so blessed with the greatest family.  We certainly aren't perfect, far from it, but we love each other.  It's such a great feeling to be loved and cared for and I know these people do just that!  So today I am just thankful!

Hope you all have a beautiful weekend full of love and all things sweet!  

thursday thoughts

I am excited to link up with Meagan over at Beautiful Things for some  random Thursday Thoughts.

I think...

* while I am super excited to celebrate Valentine's Day this year, I have always loved celebrating my half birthday on that day!  So it might have to become a dual holiday for me! :)

* Olivia Pope is no joke.  While I am fully aware she is a character on a television show, this gal is bad A.  Even with funky hair and the same outfit for multiple days, she is in charge!   I'm trying hard not to already be in mourning about the summer hiatus.  Might be time to rewatch the whole series.

* Picking out Valentine's Day cards is stressful!  That is all I am going to say!

* I am way excited about heading out on a little Girls Trip next weekend!  I love how those trips planned months ago are coming at just the perfect time!

* last year on this day we were having the Snowpocalypse of 2014 and I wish that could happen in 2015.  This tired teacher needs a legit snow day! 

* Frozen thin mint girl scout cookies are a little piece of heaven.  And because they are in the freezer, I don't eat as many.  Or at least that is what I am telling myself!

* Love is all you need!

Have a great Thursday friends! 

Weekend Recap: Wicked Edition

Some weekends just go down in the record books as great ones, and this one was no exception!  So blessed to have had a super weekend with some of my best friends, my sweet momma and family!  I live for weekends like this, that fill you up and refresh you, that make you think you might be able to tackle the week ahead.  

Friday, I drove to Asheville, I know shocking right!  I met up with some of my besties, Lori and Sarai and had dinner at Moe's.  Then we just had an old fashioned girls night.  Lots of laughs, catching up on life, and even some ice cream eaten right out of the carton!  Nothing like a night with great friends!

Then Saturday we were ready for a Wickedly fun weekend!  First stop, brunch at Another Broken Egg Cafe in Biltmore Park.  Cinnamon Roll French Toast...need I say more!  Yummo!  

Then we headed to Greenville to see Wicked!  Friends, I am in love with downtown Greenville!  If the opportunity was made available I think I would move there in a heartbeat!  The downtown is precious, tons of shops and yummy restaurants.  So fun!  To say we were excited about seeing Wicked would be an understatement.  I have always said I will stop seeing this show when it no longer evokes some kind of emotion in me and from the first note I had chill bumps and then the tears start flowing!  Guess I will be seeing it again!  

  

Beth and I can't be together without having a little photo shoot!  So here are some of my favorites from our selfie shoot in front of the Starbucks!

We ended the night with a yummy dinner and lots of friend time!  It was such a great day and so glad I was able to experience it with some many people I love!  Momma Suz and I headed to my grandmother's house Saturday night to spend the night and to have some time to visit on Sunday!

I know I am beyond blessed to still have both of my grandmothers living and healthy.  My Mamaw is 87, works most days in our family jewelry store and is so spunky!  I love spending time with her and she always sends me home with  yummy food!  My dad's mom, Gran is 93 and sharp as a tack. This woman never ceases to amaze me.  I had such a great visit with her on Sunday just talking about life and love.  She has such the sweetest heart and she always grabs my hand when I sit next to her and holds it while we talk.  She is such a dear.  I love being at her house because so many memories flood my mind.  While we were chatting I just looked outside at the view from her front door and was so thankful for my family, memories and life!  

This weekend was a great one and I am equally as excited about this weekend coming up!  Valentine's Day!  :)

What fun did you get into this weekend?

5 on Friday

TGIF friends!  So very thankful for the weekend and super excited about some fun plans!


Excited to be linking up with April and Christina for 5 on Friday!

::one::  Girls Night and  Book Club

This week I was so thrilled to meet up with some super fun gals for a little girls night out!  Nothing like good Mexican food, margaritas and plenty of laughter to make the week a little happier!  We even got a little crazy and made our way to Target to walk the aisles!  The most exciting thing we decided while in Target was to start a Book Club!  And yep, we picked our book right there!

Here is our book for the first month!  I am pretty excited about this and can't wait to catch up with these gals next month!  I am not sure if we will really discuss the book but I am confident there will be yummy food, lots of wine and laughs!  

::two::  Wicked Weekend

It's no secret that I love musicals!  And Wicked is certainly on the top of my list as one of my favorites.  I might have seen it a million time or two and each time I am brought to tears by the music and the story!  It's a tradition for a few of my friends and I to go see it anytime it is close by and so this weekend we are traveling to Greenville to share in a little Wicked fun!  This time will be extra special because I am taking Momma Suz with me and this will be her first time seeing it!  Can't wait to see her reaction!  Can't wait for One Short Day in the Emerald City!  

::three::  New Music

Drew Holcomb, one of my favorite singers released a new album this week called Medicine!  Friends, I highly recommend it!  I love his sound and this album is a perfect choice for a chill evening at home.  And his wife Ellie is pretty amazing too!  

Here is one of my favorite songs on the album, American Beauty.  Enjoy! 

::four::  FitBit

To FitBit or not to FitBit that is the question these days friends?  I have been using MyFitnessPal to track my calories and have seen some success.  Now I am thinking I would like to have some instant motivation and think the FitBit might be a good choice.  Do you have one?  Do you love it?  I would love to hear your thoughts friends.  Right now I am leaning toward yes, so help me decide!  

::five::  Be Still

Over MLK weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve on a team leading a retreat in Asheville.  This verse kinda became our theme, and since then has been one I have kept close!  So thankful for these promises! 

Sweet Treat

Sunday evening, I went to a small Super Bowl gathering with some dear friends and they asked me to bring something sweet.  I had a busy week and needed it to be a simple, yet yummy dessert!  My friend, Amanda had made these Easy Sopapillas before so I knew they were delicious so I decided to give them a try!  Friends, I can't tell you how yummy these are!  Anything that has crescent rolls and cream cheese must be a hit, right?

These would be a perfect addition to a dinner party, dessert night with friends or just for a treat a week night dinner!  And they are easy!  So gather up the ingredients and make some!  You won't be disappointed!

Easy Sopapilla Bars

Ingredients:

2 ( 8 ounce) cans Pillsbury butter flake crescent rolls ( I used the grocery store brand)
2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Unroll one can of crescent rolls and press it into the bottom of the baking dish, sealing perforations.

3.  In a small bowl blend the  cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and the vanilla.  Spread evenly over the top of the crescent roll dough.

4.  Unroll the 2nd can of crescent rolls onto a sheet of saran wrap and press perforations together.  Transfer to the baking dish, placing it on top of the cream cheese mixture.

5.  Pour the melted butter on top of the crescent rolls.

6.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the melted butter.

7.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and bottom crust is slightly browned.

8.  Let it cool and store in the refrigerator.  Cut into bars and serve.


Enjoy friends!

Currently...

Just thought I would give you all a little glimpse into what has been going on in my neck of the woods...

Here is what is going on Currently...

Speak Love by Annie Downs

I have followed Annie's blog for a long time and really was convinced that we were supposed to be the greatest of friends.  I am actually still pretty convinced about that.  I love her life, she is hilarious and she speaks the truth!  This February, I am thrilled to have the chance to speak on why words matter a woman's event that my friend Breeze is hosting with her ministry She Dreams.  This book is perfect for this topic  As women, we rarely stop to think how much our words really do impact those around us.  So far, I am loving this read and am excited to share some of it with the ladies I will be speaking to in February!

Well, like so many others, I was counting down the days til my Thursday night friends came back from Winter Break.  You know, Derek and Meredith and Olivia, Jake and Fitz.  I couldn't wait for my Thursday night ritual to begin again.  But, friends, I was disappointed in the Thursday night lineup.  Of course I will keep watching Grey's and Scandal but these first shows back were not my favorite.  Must mean they have amazing episodes to come...right?!?
I am also really loving the Blacklist right now.  My little brother got me hooked on this one and I love the twists and turns of the show.
And Parenthood, I am not sure I am in a place to talk about that one yet.  Gosh, I am so sad that the Bravermans will not be my friends each week.  And that finale, talk about a blubbering mess.  Did anyone else watch?

Disclaimer:  This is not my actual closet!  :)  For those of you that have been to my house, you know my closet is actually tiny and most of my closet ends up on the floor!  But a girl can dream! :)

I am currently loving this scarf from the Noonday Collection.  I really can't get enough of it and it goes with everything!  I am so excited about their spring line coming out in a couple of weeks.  My new samples came in and it has been like Christmas!  Anyone want to host a trunk show? :)

I love comfy slippers and I had heard the girls over at Momfessionals and Mix and Match Mama talk about these  Minnetonka slippers several times so I took a risk and ordered some and friends...they are amazing!  I wear them all the time when I am home.  Seriously so comfy!

My word for the year is PRESENT, so I am working on being more present each day and I am finding it is more difficult that I thought it would be.  But, there have been little victories, like ignoring my cell phone when it is dinging continuously.  Being more available to friends and family.  Taking some risks in relationships.  As this month continues, I want to push myself more in being present.

Also working on some fun things for the blog in the coming weeks.  I hope you will check back and participate.  Oh and share with your friends.   I am pretty excited about something coming up!

So what have you been up to Currently?