From Raleigh With Love

orzo salad with roasted veggies & feta

2012-01-17T12:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend and MLK day. We had a very nice weekend of nothing at all. Just cleaning and relaxing. Oh and I finished the first book in the Hunger Games series. I LOVED it and can't wait to start the second book tonight!

I saw this recipe on a blog I was reading a while back (can't remember which one) and decided to look up the recipe and try it. This is an Ina Garten recipe and I just altered a few things. A lot of her recipes are a bit complex but this one was quite simple and delicious! Also, I doubled the recipe so I would have enough to take for a few lunches this week. You can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound orzo pasta

For the dressing:
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Topping:
Feta Cheese, 1/2-inch diced (as much or as little as you want)
fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

*I kept these toppings chopped and in containers in the fridge to add to the pasta each time we ate some so they would not get soggy from the dressing.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables (I reserved a little dressing to add later to freshen it up). Let cool to room temperature, then add the feta and basil. Serve at room temperature or serve cold the next day.

I forgot to take a picture of the pasta after it was finished so I found one online...

source

Enjoy!

{ 19.99 }

2012-01-11T14:45:00.000-05:00

you're welcome

2012

2012-01-11T11:47:00.000-05:00

I have been putting off writing a resolutions post because I know how I am with resolutions. I don’t really stick to them. At least not all of them. I was reading Liz's (she is great, if you don'f follow her, you should!) blog this morning and got inspired by her monthly “goals” for 2012 and thought this was a great alternative to traditional resolutions. So here’s my plan:

January: might as well get this one out of the way. Work out 3-4 days a week. I have been doing this anyway for approx. the last 6 months, give or take a few weeks. I just want to maintain and also be realistic. There are just some weeks where we have other stuff going on. Life happens. Exercise is not just about having a great body. It’s good for the mind. In fact, that’s really the main reason I do it. It helps me to stay sane. The other benefits are just an added bonus!

February: Start a real savings plan. Because of student loans and not so smart financial decisions while in my early 20’s I have not been able to do much saving but now I am in a place where I can and I plan on 2012 being the year I got my finances in order! One thing I want to save for is my first DSLR (see November).

March: This one is about being healthy and saving money. Cook a fresh and healthy dinner at least 5 nights a week (enough for us both to take leftovers for lunch the next day). I have been good about cooking dinner at home vs. eating out since I moved to Raleigh last year but I want to be better about what I cook.

April: Step away from my phone/computer and get outside. It starts to warm up towards the end of March in North Carolina and it’s the perfect time to get outside. Sayer bought me a bike last year for my birthday and I am ashamed to say I have only ridden it a handful of times. In March I want to change that!

May: Drink more water. Simple.

June: Volunteer for a non-profit organization. This one is going to take some research but it’s something I have wanted to do for a while. Any suggestions?

July: Get organized! In every area of my life possible.

August: Plan a trip. Sayer pretty much plans most of our travels but I would like to plan something for us and fund it completely on my own.

September: Celebrate our first year of marriage.

October: Plan and host a fall themed get together with friends. Pumpkins, beer, good friends and food. Sounds fun, right?

November: Purchase my first “real” camera. I have been doing lots of research on cameras for the last few months and I have it narrowed down to a few but I am open for any suggestions on what a good starter DSLR is. This is something I have wanted for quite some time now and I think it’s time I reward myself. Plus a camera is a gift that keeps on giving.

December: Start a new holiday tradition (stole this one from Liz because it’s a great idea!)

Happy New Year!! (just a few weeks late)

a few randoms

2012-01-10T15:40:00.001-05:00

I have had my radio tuned to the classical station for three weeks now. After Christmas music went off I just could not go back to regular music. Is that weird? whatever.
I plan to start a regular "wedding Wednesday's" post soon so I can share some of our beautiful wedding images from Whitney Photography. I cant believe it has almost been 4 months since our wedding. Time flies!
Sayer and I bought a new couch for our future home this weekend from Crate and Barrel. It is hanging out by the front door of our apartment right now, wrapped in shrink wrap and packing foam. I like to stare at it a lot, even though I can't see anything but plastic.
speaking of our new couch. I am on the hunt for some pretty new pillows for it. Here a few of my favs. Not all together, of course.

1. 2. 3. 4.(unknown) 5. 6.

We have some exciting things going on at the Nixon household right now that I can't share just yet but stay tuned. Lots of exciting changes coming!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. Looking forward to a three day weekend coming up!

restaurant review: Camos Brothers Pizza

2011-12-19T16:31:00.002-05:00

Saturday night Sayer and I were really craving pizza but did not want our usual go-to place (Lynnwood Grill, which has very yummy pizza as well). After a little research on Urban Spoon we decided to try Camos Brothers Pizza as it was rated super high with tons of votes. We are avid Urban Spoon users. If you have not tried it, you should. I have tried a LOT of pizza in my 27 years of life and I have to say this ranks up there in the top 3 list.

When you first walk in to Camos Brothers you immediately feel like you are in NYC from the authentic subway doors and signs hanging on the walls to the exposed brick that lines the walls of so many restaurants/bars in New York. The owners, Gus and Richard Camos, were born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. When they moved to the south they wanted to open a place where you could get a New York worthy slice of pizza. They have definitely accomplished that.

We decided to try a Caesar salad which comes in a pizza bread bowl (SOOO good!) and we ordered da Bronx (we added "roni" and hot cherry peppers) pizza. I have never had a salad in a hot pizza dough bowl so that was really unique and delicious. The pizza came out piping hot and the smell made you want to immediately dig in. The sauce was just how I like it, nice and tomato-ey! We loved the hot cherry peppers and will be looking for those at the grocery store to try on our own home made pizzas. The pizza was the perfect amount of spice mixed with the perfect amount of gooey ricotta cheese.

yummy. Sayer couldnt wait before I took a picture.

I give Camos Brothers an A+ and can't wait to try it again soon!

2012 Life Planner

2011-12-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

I just ordered my first Erin Condren Life Planner and I can hardly wait for it to get here! I have seen tons of reviews on her stuff all over the blog world and after hearing over and over how great her planners are I had to have one. I was lucky enough to snag a $25 for $50 from Plum District a while back to use towards anything on the Erin Condren website. I went with the zig-zag pattern in pool (hot pink shown below). It took me FOREVER to decide which pattern to go with because there are so many cute ones and so many color options. I love chevron anything though so I decided to go with the zig-zag.

Be on the lookout for a review of this product once it arrives in the mail!

Happy Monday everyone :)

these are a few of my favorite things part two

2011-12-14T14:06:00.000-05:00

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Christmas Card Carousel 2011

2011-12-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

My friend, Faith does this Christmas card carousel every year and I decided to post ours so everyone could see! Its a great way to meet fellow bloggers.

This year I got our cards from Tiny Prints. We got our wedding save the dates, shower invites, and invitations from Wedding Paper Divas and they are part of the same company so I decided to go with them since we had such great customer service for all our wedding products. I love how they turned out!

Head on over to Faiths blog and link up your 2011 Christmas card!

these are a few of my favorite things part one

2011-12-13T14:25:00.000-05:00

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Au Naturale

2011-12-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

Do not be scared by the title...it isn't what you think! No birthday suits here. For the past month or so I have been researching organic, natural products like crazy. I am all for making the switch but I am having a hard time convincing my hubby due to the cost. He doesn't think there is any difference but I know there is...I just need to convince him. Any advice? I have also been doing some research on the Paleo Diet. I found out about this diet after stumbling across Left on Amelia through another blog I follow. It seems like a very good concept to me but would require a LOT of change for us. Here is a little excerpt about Paleo...

"With readily available modern foods, The Paleo Diet mimics the types of foods every single person on the planet ate prior to the Agricultural Revolution. These foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood) are high in the beneficial nutrients (soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates) that promote good health and are low in the foods and nutrients (refined sugars and grains, saturated and trans fats, salt, high-glycemic carbohydrates, and processed foods) that frequently may cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. The Paleo Diet encourages dieters to replace dairy and grain products with fresh fruits and vegetables -- foods that are more nutritious than whole grains or dairy products."

It would be VERY hard for me to cut out cheese. I. am. a. cheese. addict. But if it meant I would be healthier, I think I could do it. Maybe. Has anyone out there tried this diet or anything similar?

What are some of your favorite organic/natural beauty products?

Christmas Tunes

2011-12-12T09:29:00.000-05:00

I have been listening to Christmas music since they started playing it (yes, I am one of those people) and I will be very sad when it is no longer on the radio. Good thing for Pandora...you can have Christmas in July! On my drive into work this morning I started thinking about my favorite Christmas songs. There are so many that I like but these are my top 5...

1. Silent Night
2. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
3. All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)
4. I'll Be Home For Christmas
5. Rockin Around The Christmas Tree

What are your favorites?

Only 13 days till Christmas!

citrus

2011-11-02T10:37:00.000-04:00

I, like the rest of the world, have become ~~completely~~ slightly obsessed with Pinterest. I saw this lemon and baking soda face mask on a friends pinboard a few days ago and decided to give it a try last night. I am all about a homemade anything. It worked wonders! My skin is glowing today and feels much softer...

It is super easy...

mix 1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed orange juice and 1 tablespoon of baking soda
rub mixture all over your face (wash face first)
leave on for 20 minutes (try not to move face a lot because it will crumble off)
wet fingers and scrub scrub scrub!
rinse off remaining mask, pat dry, apply toner (optional) and then apply moisturizer.

voila!

real quick

2011-11-01T16:39:00.000-04:00

how cute is this profile?

newlywed bliss

2011-10-12T15:11:00.008-04:00

sorry for the delay in that "change" I spoke of in my last post. I have been kind of busy getting married. Here is a little something to hold you over till my next post which I promise will be really soon.

the day was magical. Can't wait to share more about it with you guys. Thank you for all of you who still read. All 2 of you :)

xoxo

Mrs. Nixon

pooped and a change

2011-08-08T12:53:00.002-04:00

First, I am back from a wonderful weekend with my girls in Charleston. We went all out and my body is feeling it this morning...lots of pictures coming soon. Here is one to hold you over...

yes, that's a moustache

Second, I am feeling a blog make over. I am over the "patriotic" theme I got goin on so be on the look out for a fresh new look coming soon :)

See ya later...

2011-08-04T11:16:00.001-04:00

I am off to Charleston, South Carolina for my bachelorette weekend with 7 of the most wonderful girlfriends a girl could ask for. Have a great weekend!

My Pasta Sauce Recipe!

2011-08-02T10:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday blog friends! So I love to make my own pasta/spaghetti sauce...It just always tastes so much more fresh and healthy. I never seem to use the same recipe because I usually just make it up as I go but last night I tried to write down what I used. It was one of the best pots of sauce I have made so I thought I would share! Sorry if these measurements are not exact. It is best always to taste as you go when it comes to flavoring your sauce…Bon appétit!

• 1 pound of ground turkey or ground beef (I use ground turkey for everything)

• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of whole tomatoes
• 1-2 whole Fresh Roma tomatoes (or whatever fresh tomatoes you have or like)
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• One medium sized onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 3 cloves of garlic – minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tablespoon of Crushed basil leaves
• ½ tablespoon Italian spices (can buy blend at most grocery stores)
• ¼ teaspoon of Nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon of Fennel seed (optional, some people don’t like fennel seed, Sayer and I LOVE it!)
• 1 cup of red wine
• 1 tbsp of Red wine vinegar
• pinch of Cinnamon
• Pinch of sugar

Brown meat in bottom of large pot on medium to medium high heat. Once it is almost done add the onion and pepper and cook until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, spices and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add red wine and vinegar to de-glaze the bottom of the pan. Once all liquid is soaked up by meat add diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium. Stir for about one minute. In food processor add one can of whole tomatoes, one can of tomato sauce and 2 Roma tomatoes (cut in large chunks). Puree until smooth. Add this mixture to pot. Once all comes to a boil reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Taste to add more salt or pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta! Makes about 6 servings depending on how much sauce you like.

xoxo

Wedding Inspiration

2011-07-28T13:32:00.000-04:00

The wedding is less then two months away and I am busy busy busy getting things ready...here are a few pictures to give you some idea of what its all going to look like. Enjoy! (the first one is from our actual venue)

lots of burlap. blue mason jars. orange/coral/peach flowers. touches of turquoise...I cant wait to see it all come together!

We sent out invitations last week so I can post these now. I love how they turned out!! (this is just the digital copy so they look a little different in person)

Wedding Craziness

2011-07-13T15:37:00.000-04:00

73 days to go till the wedding. I am so sorry for my lack of blogging...I love reading other peoples wedding inspired blogs but for some reason I have made no time for my own. I envisioned myself blogging daily about wedding ideas, colors choices, bridesmaid dresses, DIY, etc but somehow I have found myself being way too busy for that. This is what our kitchen table looks like right now...

Poor Sayer is just trying to have a nice meal at the table...kinda hard to do that when it's spilling over with wedding gifts (dont get me wrong, I love them!) and wedding craft projects. I love our apartment but in the middle of wedding planning I have realized we could use a little more space. I look forward to the day we have more space....and walls I can paint. I. am. so. over. beige. walls. A girl can dream.

We have pretty much taken care of all the big stuff for the wedding (venue, rental company, caterer, DJ, ceremony music, etc.) and now all thats left are the small details. I have to say...I enjoy the small details WAY more then picking the big ones. We sent out save the dates about 2 months ago or so. here is what they looked like!

I really like how they turned out and they looked even better in person. Our invites arrived last weekend so I have been busy working on those and hope to get them out next week sometime. I can't wait for people to see them, I think they turned out super cute!

I have been doing a lot of reading this summer. Mostly just chic lit...Its my go to for summer time while laying out by the pool. Here is a stack of books just waiting to be read on the nightstand in our guest room (I downloaded this really cool picture app yesterday...I cant wait to play around with it more)

I hit up our local Goodwill this spring and got a TON of books for like 25 and 50 cents. Who knew? I guess everyone else out there is not a book hoarder like me.

well thats all I have time for now...I will be back soon with more wedding updates. I PROMISE!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far! xoxo

Engagement Pictures Preview!

2011-05-10T08:59:00.006-04:00

This weekend we went to Charlotte for our engagement photo shoot with our amazing photographers, Ben and Kisha Whitney. Here is a little preview they sent us last night...so excited to see the rest!!

More coming soon :)

My wedding shoe delima

2011-05-04T14:36:00.000-04:00

I have had so much fun looking for wedding shoes but now I am starting to get a bit stressed out because I can't seem to make up my mind. My dress should be in any day now so I need to make up my mind soon because I will have my first dress fitting in the next month or so...

Here are a few of my favorites right now. I am loving the sparkle but I am open for any suggestions you may have!

found here. I would love to find something similar to this but in a smaller heel...I am not the most graceful person when it comes to walking in heels.

I love TOMS! I have a pair of grey ones and they are just so comfy and I love that they donate a pair to someone in need every time I buy a pair. My dress is very..whats thes word...large!..I guess you would say...and so my shoes will not really show unless I lift my dress so these would be a much more comfy option and they are so girly!! I love anything pink :)

I have found a lot of shoes on the Nina website that I really like but to me this is just so classy and timeless and I like both of the colors (Ivory and the other is a gold dusted beige which I think is really unique)

What shoes did you wear for your wedding?

I'm Back!!!

2011-05-04T13:04:00.000-04:00

(I originally started writing this months ago and never got around to posting it)

After a blogging hiatus I am back...with good news...

WE ARE ENGAGED!!!

Sayer proposed on Monday, November 22nd and made me the happiest girl in the world. I feel so blessed to have someone so special who loves me so much. We are SO excited and I cant wait to share all my fun wedding planning ideas and get your advice on things!

We are getting married September 24, 2011 at The Dairy Barn in Fort Mill, SC. More details to come :)

20 questions

2011-04-19T10:28:00.001-04:00

My sweet friend and Bridesmaid, Lauren, tagged me in this 20 questions thing and I figured it would be a good way to ease myself back into blogging. I have been ab awful blogger recently. Since Sayer and I got engaged I have just not had a lot of extra time or energy after work to blog. I know I know...not a good excuse. Who knew wedding planning was so stressful! Stressful but well worth it :)

Rule #1: The tagged person must write their answers on their blog and replace any questions they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

Rule #2: Tag 4 people to do this quiz (I've tagged 2). The tag-ee must state who tagged them.

1. What is one word that can be used to describe you?

Creative. I feel very blessed to have the creative gene (I get it from my Mom) and I have really enjoyed doing a lot of crafty things for our wedding this September. I cant wait to see it all come together! I started my own Etsy business creating personalized stickers for events about a year ago and have also been working on wedding invitation designs that I will eventually have on there as well...I have only had a few orders but I am hoping to be able to do more with it in the future. What would you say your word is Marj?

2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?

I know this sounds cheesy but my dreams are already coming true...I met the the perfect man for me, we are getting married this September, I have a great job and with in a few years we hope to be starting a family. Life does not get much better then that :) I would love to know what Ginny's dream is!

3. What would you do with a billion dollars?

Pay off my student loans, maybe buy a house for me and Sayer and save the rest!

4. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?

A good laugh :)

5. What is your bedtime routine?

Wash my face, brush my teeth and then I usually read until I cant keep my eyes open...

6. What activities did you do in High School? If you could go back, would you do the same or something different?

I cheered and was very involved in my church youth group. I think the only thing I would change if I could go back would be to not be so concerned with boys and just have fun with my friends :)

7. What kind of books do you read?

Chic lit. Its me guilty pleasure. Also, I recently read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series and LOVED it...could not put it down.

8. How do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would love to be planning events and raising a family. Anyone who knows me well knows that I can't wait to have babies :)

9. What's your favorite piece of clothing you own?

right now, my wedding dress...its amazing!

10. Have you ever been skinny dipping?

thats personal :)

11. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Check my email, facebook and the weather.

12. If you could have any job, regardless of income, what would it be?

I would have my own event planning business but have assitants so all the stress would not be on me. I would love to plan weddings for other people.

13. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

I would not change my name. I love it. My Mom picked it out just for me. I dont know anyone with my name. It makes me unique :)

14. If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?

Sun. no question. I am a sun girl all the way.

15. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?

Pasta. I love carbs!

16. What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?

hmmm...there are lots of things. I would say the top two are meeting friends in the blogging world and being able to keep my family and freinds up to date (althought I have NOT been good at it lately) on things going on in my life.

17. Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?

Salty. Cheese and crackers are my favorite salty snack.

18. What items are in your purse right now?

We recently traveled to London so I am carrying an EXTREMELY smaller purse then normal bc I didnt want to carry around a huge purse in the city. Right now I have my phone, carmex chap stick, passport, 5 dollars, my debit card and license oh and some cuticle oil. I am addicted to that stuff.

19. What is the best memory you have of you and the person that tagged you in their 20 questions?

I would say so far her wedding day (not that we did not have TONS of fun memories before that). It was such a blessing to be a part of Lauren and Zach's wedding. The wedding was BEAUTIFUL and everyone had such a great time. I loved dancing with Lauren and all the bridesmaids and celebrating her day...I cant wait for her to be a part of mine in a few months :)

20. What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn't?
Bravo. I. AM. ADDICTED. I cant stop watching the housewives, its pathetic...and Bethany is my favorite. I wish we were friends. Its sad, but I do. She cracks me up and always puts a smile on my face. I even got Sayer to watch a few episodes with me last night :)

Lucy Kate & Co.

2010-11-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

My Etsy store was mentioned on Finding My Feet yesterday! Thank you Raechel for putting together this great list of Etsy shops. I can't wait to check them all out. I have been reading Raechels blog for about two years now. She has the sweetest little family and I love reading about all her creative ideas (and her house is super cute!) so check out her blog...

Have a great day!

xoxo

P.S. I am working on a new "section" of Lucy Kate & Co. and I can't wait to share it with you guys really soon!

Another Soup Recipe: Vegetable Beef with KALE!

2010-11-03T12:48:00.000-04:00

I promise to get back to reviews soon (and a HUGE New York post). I have just had no time to blog lately but I have made some yummy soups and other food that I figured I would share. Kale is a super food and it is SOOO good for you. Full of vitamins and nutrients. A lot of people have probably never had it because it has to be cooked right or it can have a "rubbery" texture and taste kind of bitter. I think cooking it in a soup is a great way to help it loose that bitter flavor...

Ingredients

1 pound of stew beef
1 32 ounce carton of beef stock
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
2 large carrots (or about 12-15 small) - diced
2 celery stalks - diced
1 small can of green beans (the little half cans..not sure the amount)
1 small can of corn (same as above)
Half an onion - diced
2-3 cloves of garlic - minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
5-8 cups of chopped Kale (depends on how much you want in your soup)
1 cup of water

Sear the beef on all sides in a large pot with a little bit of olive oil (no need to cook all the way through at this point), then remove from pot and let sit while you make soup. Add diced onions to drippings, and saute over medium heat until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery, and continue to saute until slightly brown. Add garlic and continue to stir for about 30 seconds.

Pour in beef broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add tomatoe sauce, diced tomatoes, poultry seasoning, corn, green beans and Kale. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low.

While simmering, add beef back to pot along with salt and pepper to taste, and continue to simmer until kale is soft and tender. I added a little water at this point to thin out the soup but that is up to you. You can do any veggies you like but these were what I had on hand. I made this up completely so if you make it and dont like it I am sorry! This was one of my favorites and Sayer really liked it too. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Hump Day

xoxo

Chicken n' dumplings

2010-10-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

This is seriously one of the best things I have ever made and it was SO easy. I got the recipe from a friend at work and then altered it a little based on a few other recipes I have seen...

Sayer said it "tops any chicken n' dumplins he has ever had"...

Ingredients

2 large chicken breast
half a medium sized onion - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1 32oz container of chicken broth
1 celery stalk - finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon of poultry seasoning
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of jumbo buttermilk biscuits
about a cup of flour
salt and pepper to taste

I baked the chicken breast in the oven the night before with a little bit of olive oil and poultry seasoning and then just shredded them into bite size pieces. You could also use a rotisserie chicken from the Deli. Brown onions and garlic in a little bit of oil in your pot on medium heat. Once onions turn translucent add celery and let cook for another minute or so to soften the celery. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, chicken and poultry seasoning and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

While soup is simmering you can work on the dumplings!

First take biscuits out of can and flatten each one out to about 1/8 of an inch. Mix flour with pepper and salt in a bowl. Cut biscuits in long strips that are about a half an inch wide. Should make about 5-6 strips per biscuit. Next take each strip and cover both sides with flour mixture. This will help to thicken the soup and also to keep biscuits from dissolving in hot water.

Turn heat back to medium high and once boiling add the dumplings to the pot one at a time. Gently place dumplings on top of soup. Do not stir dumplings around or they will dissolve. All the dumplings will rise to the top and float around while they cook. Turn heat down to low and cover for about 20 minutes. Every 5 minutes or so you can push down lightly on the dumplings into the soup to make sure they are not sticking together. That's it! Enjoy :)

This will serve about 4-6 people, depending on your serving size. Its great for fall weather and it really is super easy!!

New York post coming soon!

xoxo

Blog Shout-out!

2010-10-08T14:10:00.000-04:00

My cousin, Marj, has a really cute blog about her journey to become less messy and other life adventures...its funny and you will enjoy it:) Todays post features some of my sisters artwork...check it out (link below)!

One mess at a time

Rockford: Simple and Fresh

2010-10-08T13:03:00.000-04:00

Last week I had dinner with a friend at Rockford on Glenwood. When you first walk up to this restaurant you are not really sure what to expect because it is just a simple glass door with the restaurant name and address printed on front which leads to a random staircase. But when you walk up the stairs there is a beautiful restaurant with gorgeous wood floors, a well stocked bar and lots of cute little tables. After doing a little research I found out that this place closed down for a few months and was opened back up recently under new management. I can not speak for the restaurant before the current management but the experience I had was excellent.

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The service was great. Our waiter was not overly attentive, which can be annoying…but instead filled our waters when they were empty, asked us for our order after we had time to catch up and asked how our food was after we had actually had time to taste it. Don’t you hate when you go out to eat and before you can even taste your food the waiter is asking “how is everything?” umm well I will let you know once I actually have a bite. Sorry. Random pet peeve of mine. Anyways….

I had the Turkey Bacon Avocado sandwich with a side of seasonal succotash (stewed tomatoes, Lima beans and corn). It was delicious. All of the ingredients were very fresh and the unique flavors were out of this world. I am a sucker for succotash and this one was really good. Again, all fresh ingredients that tasted like they were straight from the farmers market.

I will definitely be coming back here to try some other things on the menu. Apparently the pimento cheese sandwich is to die for!

Sayer and I are heading to the mountains this weekend for a wedding and then to NYC next week! I am so excited because I have never been…I will definitely have to do a blog post when we get back about our trip.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

xoxo

Raleigh Farmers Market

2010-09-19T15:19:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning we headed to the Raleigh state Farmers Market to see what it was all about. I have been to a few other farmers markets but I have to say this is one of the best I have been to. It is HUGE and you just can't beat the prices on fresh fruits and veggies. I love the colors of the farmers market.

Bright red tomatoes and peppers, orange peaches and pumpkins, green cucumbers, yellow squash...its so vibrant!

The Raleigh farmers market also has a huge selection of house and outdoor plants. The prices were reasonable compared to lowes or home depot but somethings seemed a bit over priced. I am not a frequent buyer of plants though so I am probably not the best judge.

If you are looking for a great place to get LARGE pumpkins this fall you should definitly try the farmers market. They had massive pumpkins for $8-12. The pumkins were all very pretty and round and great for carving. They also had varities of pumpkins that I have never seen before. White pumpkins, light green pumpkins, pumpkins with bumps all over them (the farm owner told us these were called "Goose-bumps" haha) and all kinds of gords and mini-pumpkins. These odd varities would make a great fall display on your front porch or dinning room table.

We ended up buying a few different things. First were the juiciest, yummiest tomatoes I have ever had. One was a German Johnson tomato and one was a Cherokee Purple tomato. They made the best BLT's! We also bought some fresh basil because we are big basil fans but can not seem to grow it ourselves even though everyone says its the easiest thing to grow. We bought some string beans for 99 cents that I plan on cooking tomorrow night (I will let you know how they turn out). We probably tried about 10 different kinds of peaches and about 15 different kinds of apples but did not end up buying any of those. They were REALLY good though. I think it must be peach season because there seemed to be an abundance of peaches.

The farmers market also has a section called the "Market Shoppes" which is an enclosed building that has a lot of canned items, home grown dried spices and lots of diary products. We tried some great goat cheese and salsa's. The even had a salsa that was made with strawberrys. I know it sounds weird, but don't knock it till you try it...its yummy!

There are two restaurants at the farmers market, one is the Seafood restaurant and one is theState Farmers Market Restaurant. We walked into the Seafood restaurant and it was packed and smelled amazing. We plan to go back and try them both at some point...that will be another post!

I think the farmers market is a great thing to do on a Saturday morning and if you are in to eating fresh foods, you really can not beat the deals you are getting here. And the freshness is something you just can't get at the grocery store. There is also a North Raleigh farmers market that we have heard good things about so I would like to go to that one and see how it compares to the state market. Overall though we had a great experice and we will be going back again soon!

Thanks for stopping by the blog! I plan on doing a restaurant review later this week about Cafe Luna...so stay tuned for that!

Have a great week everyone:)
xoxo

What a Mess!

2010-09-14T11:17:00.002-04:00

Please excuse the mess on my blog. I am trying to figure out how to change things around and I am not doing a very good job of it...HELP!

Six Little Happys

2010-09-09T16:24:00.017-04:00

The new blog is not quite ready so I figured I would write a short little post about six things that are making me happy right now. Don't ask me why I chose six.

1. Fall is coming. I can smell it in the air. I can feel it in the morning when I walk Lucy. I CANT WAIT!! for now I am enjoying the first signs of it...

2. College Football has begun. I have never really had a team to pull for because my Dad was not big into College football and UNCC did not have a team. Now that I am dating Sayer and have been brainwashed into cheering for UT, I love it! We went to the season opener in Knoxville this past weekend and it was a blast!

3. Starting over in a new City. It is so refreshing to move somewhere new and just start over. I have never done that before and I am loving it. I am loving Raleigh and I cant wait for all the fun things to come.

4. Being creative. I am really trying to use more creative juices lately. I am working on restoring an old chair I got a few months ago. Sayer might kill me if I don't hurry up the process. I will reveal the before and after soon. For now here is the color/fabric I am using. I know, its BOLD! (the paint color is called Lemon Lime and it is a lot brighter then it shows up on Behrs website)

5. Cooking. I have been trying to cook dinner for Sayer and I every week night and so far I have done pretty well except the nights we eat leftovers or have something else going on. I made a yummy recipe from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen site last week that was delicious. If you have a chance you should try making these Red Curry Coconut Noodles.

6. Food Network. This kind of goes a long with #6 but I have been watching a lot of it lately and it really does give me good ideas. I love the girl who won the next food network star, Aarti. Her food looks so yummy...maybe I will be brave enough to try something soon of hers. Her show comes on Sundays at noon, btw :)

I am hoping to get the new blog header and first post done tonight so please come back and let me know what you think :)

xoxoxo

BLOG UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2010-09-07T09:46:00.000-04:00

My new blog will make its debut very soon....as...

From Raleigh With Love ♥

I am so excited about the change and all the fun things to come so please keep your eye out for my first post under the new name. Thanks to anyone who reads my blog still!

HELLO RALEIGH!

2010-07-28T09:15:00.006-04:00

So...I am going to be changing the direction of my blog...

I have decided to start writing about Raleigh and my experiences there. Anything from food to shopping to events around town. We love to try new restaurants and so I thought it would be fun to start reviewing them on here for local Raleigh folks. I will still be doing personal stuff as well and other random things but I think this will be a fun new thing for me. I am really excited about it. I dont have many friends in Raleigh yet so this will give me something to do. Sayer will also be guest blogging!!

The only problem is I want to re-name the blog. Any ideas?

6 Months...really?!

2010-07-27T15:25:00.012-04:00

Wow I am embarrassed to say it has been 6 months since my last post. Life has been kind of crazy these last six months for me. I have had a LOT to blog about but I guess I was just not feeling motivated...

A few things to catch you up:

-Lucy celebrated her year Birthday. We threw her a Paw-ty and it was so much fun!
-Sayer got a job in Raleigh
-Sayer moved to Raleigh
-Things fell apart with my roommate
-moved out of my house and into my sisters apartment
-Lucy moved to Raleigh with Sayer
-moved out of my sisters apartment and into my parents house
-I got a job in Raleigh at BB&T
-I am moving to Raleigh in 2 weeks!!

Told you it was a lot. It has been a whirlwind to say the least. I have had a lot of stress and have not handled it as well as I should but things are looking up. I am really excited to move to Raleigh and start this new chapter of my life. It is a huge step for me. I have never left Charlotte. So a fresh start will be good for me. Sayer is amazing. I am just so blessed to have him in my life. He gives me tough love when I need it(which is a lot) and he encourages me and loves me in good times and in bad times. He is more then I could ever ask for and I am so excited about what the future holds for us:)

Picture updates coming soon. Hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far!!

xoxo

When a man fixes dog toys...

2009-08-11T15:40:00.004-04:00

This is what happens. bless his little heart.

Just thought you might need a laugh for the day.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

Almost the weekend and a few pictures

2009-08-06T09:11:00.017-04:00

Sorry for not posting much lately. It has been busy on the home front. Lupron is making me feel not so great lately so I am pretty tired and run down at night/weekends. Lucy has also been sick with some stomach bug so that has a been a big pain too...

but enough of the complaining. Here are a few pictures from the past few weeks:)

I got to spend some time with my roomates from college, Brittany and Katie. Katie, the one on the right is getting married next June so she came in town for a little wedding planning/dress shopping:)

My good friend from College, Lauren got married a few weeks ago. here are all the bridesmaids getting ready before the wedding...

The happy couple. congrats Lauren and Zach:)

Hope everyone has a great Thursday! ITS ALMOST THE WEEKEND!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!

I am running the Carolina Panthers 5k this weekend and then heading the lake with some friends so it should be a good one...

To be continued...

2009-06-29T15:33:00.001-04:00

This is from Lauren and Zach's wedding weekend. much more to come...

feeling blah on a Friday

2009-06-12T15:43:00.002-04:00

Had my second shot of Lupron 2 weeks ago. feeling incredibly blah the past week or so...

so ready for this 6 months to be over.

Lifes a blur. slow down and smell the roses.

2009-05-14T09:33:00.039-04:00

I feel like the last month of my life has been a blur.

here are a just a few of the things I have done in the past month or so...makes my head hurt just thinking about it. but wouldn't trade it for anything:)

Moved into a new house with my best friend

Had a fab four dinner. Kristin's belly is getting so big...

Had fun with friends bowling

Sweet girls. Jamie. Trista. Me. and Leigh Ann

Silly Boys. Will. Sayer. Matt. and Travis.

Seen my country idol in concert. George Strait.

while also celebrating my 25th birthday with Caroline and Kristen. love these girls...

Had a Birthday Dinner at Mez

Will, Sayer and Matt:)

sweet friends:)

Celebrated my Birthday with my family.
FYI: for those who have been praying for my sister...she is doing wonderful:) keep praying...

spend time at my parents with Lucy. They love her...

Went to San Francisco with Sayer:)

biked the Golden Gate Bridge

Celebrated my Birthday at an amazing Restaurant. Again:) hehe

Saw AMAZING redwoods. Muir woods blew me away.

Saw the Braves play the Giants @ AT&T Park.

Toured Wine Country....Absolutely breathtaking.

Bought Lucy her first piece of Tennessee garb. poor thing. so cute:)

WOW. what a month. thanks for stopping by.

Pugs and Kisses

xoxo

Lucy♥

2009-05-05T11:15:00.012-04:00

I have been wanting to get a puppy for a couple years now but due to living arrangements and financial reason i have put it off. I knew I wanted a pug and I knew I wanted a girl but I also knew I did not want to spend a fortune on a dog bc that just was not reasonable for me...

well yesterday I got a blessing...I found a guy in Kannapolis(outside of Charlotte) who had one girl pug and one boy Pug and they were a great price...

Meet Ms. Lucy:)

She is newest member of my family and she is such a sweetheart

One more just because she is so darn cute...

Have a Great Tuesday!!

xoxo

TGIF & My New Beau:)

2009-05-01T14:20:00.008-04:00

So glad it is finally Friday. Do you ever have those weeks that drag on...and on...and on....

This was one of them for me.

Nothing too grand planned for the weekend. Hanging out with some friends tonight and if the weather permits laying by the pool tomorrow.

Sooo....I have been dating someone now for 2 months but have not introduced him yet on my blog so without further a due....Meet Sayer:)

More to come about him later. I will just say this, I am very happy:)

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!!!

xoxo

Thursday Thoughts

2009-04-30T16:00:00.026-04:00

CHAOS!

For those of you who are not in Charlotte, we have a big Golf Tournament every year around this time called Wachovia championship (Quail Hollow Championship now) and it has caused a lot of stress around our office the last month or so. Every year my boss host a HUGE breakfast where all of our companies investors come to hear one of the golfers speak. This year was Stewart Cink. Caroline and I got the wonderful task of preparing all 32 of the flower arrangements for this event and I thought i would share some pictures of our handy work...

One of our MANY table arrangements...

Pretty View of the Golf Course...

Always thought it would be fun to be a florist but after this, I have changed my mind...

Also wanted to give a little shout out to Mimi from Mimi's Making Meals. I made her Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas last night and they were absolutely delicious:) Thanks Mimi!

xoxo

Wednesday Ramblings

2009-03-18T12:17:00.026-04:00

Happy Hump Day Everyone! Things are looking up....

After a week of dreadful cold/rainy weather the sun is finally SHINING and i can not tell you how happy that makes me. I got to wear Sandals today. which also makes me happy. This is probably going to be one of those random, rambling post that makes no sense, so just prepare yourself.

I have recently become obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. I could read her blog for days...it NEVER stops. I would love to blog like that. she rocks. Just wanted to throw her a shout out, not that she will see this. but just in case.

So I recently blogged about my love life gone bad and then i just read that and realized how pathetic i must sound to all of you bloggers out there. I know God has a plan for my life. I guess sometimes it is just hard to see the big picture when you are having a personal pity party. I seem to have those often.

I never did the "25 Things" on facebook so I think I will just do it on my blog...here goes.

1. I am deathly afraid of crickets. Yes, crickets. The thought of them jumping around freaks me out because you never know if their next jump might be on you. Seriously keeps me up at night. Ask my family and roommates.

2. I have a younger sister who could be my twin. Only brunette.

3. I live with someone I met on craigslist and she is great.

4. I was the president of my 6th grade class. Ha.

5. I still love Hanson and listen to them on my iPod.

6. If I could have any job I would be a wedding planner…There is nothing better than seeing 2 people who are head over heels in love. It’s contagious.

7. I LOVE CHEESE.

8. My best friend is Jesus Christ. He is the only person who has never let me down.

9. I drive a CAROLINA blue pickup truck. Some call it the “Danger Ranger” but I prefer “Blue”

10. My Pet Peeve is bad drivers. I have closet Road rage (bad). It is not pretty. I am working on it.

11. I am still close with MANY of my friends from childhood. I love new friends but there is something about someone who has known you your whole life.

12. I had natural blonde hair until about 11th grade and now I enhance it to keep it that way. Blonde's do really have more fun.

13. I have a hello kitty Debit Card. It is one of my favorite things.

14. My favorite Jelly Belly flavor is buttered popcorn.

15. I used to be a cheerleader. Go Patriots!

16. I can’t wait to be a mom. DON’T WORRY. No time soon. But honestly, can’t wait.

17. I was born in Richmond, VA but consider myself a Charlotte native.

18. I watch the same movie over and over every night to fall asleep. This week it’s Spanglish.

19. I heart the color pink. It makes me happy.

20. I wish I had the nerve to sing in front of other people. I love to sing.

21. I love cheesy movies. And I cry a lot when I watch them.

22. I can be very shy.

23. I would love to write my own cookbook one day and I secretly want to host my own show on the food network. Any suggestions on a name??

24. I don’t have any animals right now. I really want to get a pug and name her Petunia.

25. I am NOT NOT NOT a morning person.

Random Picture of Me with my best girlfriends from high school/Middle School/Elementary school at our monthly girls dinner:) love these sweet girls. Congrats Kristin on the baby!! I am going to be an aunt!

Guess i should get back to that whole "job" thing. Being a big girl is no fun sometimes.

Oh one more thing. Please be praying for a friend of mine who was laid off this week. God is going to do big things in her life...I just know it:)

xoxo

Love Is In The Air...

2008-12-16T15:57:00.004-05:00

Random thoughts today while sitting at my desk.

A few things i love...

-butterflies in my stomach.
-root beer
-my nephews
-my bed with clean sheets
-Brixx salad

thats all for now.

xoxo

Better Late Than Never....

2008-12-12T10:39:00.023-05:00

I will confess....I am a horrible blogger and I have fallen behind once again...

So let me update you on the last few weeks of my life. Bare with me:)

I will start with Thanksgiving.

Meet My Thanksgiving Turkey. Tom. He showed up at my door the Tuesday before Thanksgiving....

My Boss sent everyone in our company a turkey for Thanksgiving from Greenberg Turkey Company. It was the most AMAZING turkey i have ever tasted in my life and I can honestly say I am now a turkey snob because i don't think i will ever be able to eat regular turkey again. You have to check out their website. http://www.gobblegobble.com/. how cute huh?

here is dad testing out the Turkey....haha

Me and the folks Thanksgiving night...enjoying a little family time after dinner.

So excited about my first real Christmas tree.

I know...the star is crooked. It adds character I think...

It was a great Thanksgiving weekend. Got to see a lot of old friends. Spend a LOT of time with my parents which is always nice and just relax. Thank you Jesus for relaxation....I needed it.

Things have been pretty crazy the past few weeks at work due to the fact that we are trying to close this new property before the new year. For those of you who don't know what i do, I work for the ROBERT PITTENGER COMPANY. We are a land investment firm. I am the administrative assistant there which basically translates to mean I do anything and everything i am asked to do. which is one reason i have had no time for blogging. so unfair right? haha...

so much more to catch up on. will write more late.

xoxo

Weekly Weekend Update

2008-11-24T10:36:00.020-05:00

This was a great weekend filled with football and Friends:)

Friday night, after work, I picked up my best friend/college roommate Brittany and we drove to Greensboro for the night. I went and had dinner with a friend of mine. We stayed at Brittany's sisters house for the night who lives in Highpoint, NC.

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early and got dressed in our Carolina Blue and headed for Chapel Hill. Our third roommate Katie lives there now and is in Pharmacy school at UNC-Chapel Hill. We got the great news last weekend that her and her boyfriend of almost 6 years are engaged so we had to come spend some time with her and celebrate:) So excited to be a part of the wedding, these are 2 people that love each other so much and have been through a lot together and i am just so happy they are finally getting married!!

Saturday was absolutely FREEZING!!!! we bundled up as much as possible and headed for the Carolina/State game. I can honestly say i have never been that miserably cold in my entire life and i hope that i never am again....

We had a great time though, when the 3 of us get together it is so much fun...we laugh a lot:)

Saturday night we were all so exhausted from being out in the cold for so long that we just stayed in ordered pizza and laid around in our pj's and watched Alvin and the Chipmunks, i know... i know...but it was actually pretty cute:) haha

Sunday we woke up, spent some time with Katie while watching another cheesy movie, "The Perfect Man" and then Brittany and I headed back to Charlotte. We had a great time talking and catching up in the car. I really am blessed with some of the sweetest friends. The only regret I have from this day is I missed church which i hate to do because it keeps me going through the week and i am already struggling...

I had some laundry, cleaning and errands to do when i got back so i got that done and then headed to a friends to watch the new episode of 24. I have never been into this show in the past but i think that after watching last night...I will be hooked for the season.

Really was nice to get out of Charlotte and spend time with 2 of my favorite people:) I must say, it was a great weekend!!

Can't believe this week is thanksgiving...Wow, this year has flown by!! Anyways thats all for now...

xoxo

Miss Independent

2008-11-21T10:07:00.005-05:00

First of all thank you Mrs. Davis and Faith for your sweet messages. They really helped:)

Yesterday was just another one of those days where all i wanted to do was be perfect and God just reminded me once again how I am not and how important it is to remain humble before him at all times. Sometimes i get so caught up in my life and what i have going on that i forget to stop and take time for him...I try to Miss Independent, Miss "I dont need you"...

When i finally stopped fighting it yesterday is when i felt better, which by the way was not till 8 o'clock last night. Some days are just harder then others for me but i know that no matter what he is always there for me, waiting for me to let him be in control...

That's all for now. just wanted to share that tidbit.

xoxo

Today

2008-11-20T09:35:00.002-05:00

Today is one of those days where I could just crawl back into bed and stay there all day. more to come.

Weekly Weekend Update

2008-11-11T13:47:00.015-05:00

So I decided I would start doing a weekend Recap on Monday of each week. Well Monday was CRAZY at work so i did not get to it so i am doing it on Tuesday:)

It was a nice weekend. Very relaxing. And Peaceful....

FRIDAY: Caroline and I get to leave work at 4:30 instead of 5:30 because of "brown bag Friday" which basically means we eat lunch at the office instead of taking our hour break so we get to leave an hour early. which is nice.

One of my oldest friends, Kristin Collins(now Kristin Deal), invited me to go out for her sisters 22nd birthday, who is also pretty much my sister:) We all met up at Jessica's house and hung out and then everyone headed downtown but i decided to just head home because Saturday was a big day...

Kristin, Jessica and I on her Birthday!!!!!!!!

Saturday: I just started working for this promotional company called Fusion Gateway, http://www.fusiongateway.com/, so i could make some extra money on the weekends. this weekend was my first event...

BARBIE CARES

The events purpose was to allow little girls to bring in their old Barbies which would be recycled to make new Barbies. For every Barbie that was donated, Mattel is going to donate a new Barbie to the Children's Hospital Organization. It was so much fun to make all of these little girls days....and the tiara wasnt so bad either;)

Raegan and I. We both worked the event. she was so sweet...such a blessing.

The cutest little cheerleader, she was so shy...

Got to hold this precious 2 week old baby...i just wanted to eat her up....

Me and the manager at Walmart, everyone wanted a picture..haha.

so stinkin cute.

This ended up being such a blessing to me. I have been going through a lot lately and it was just nice to have a FUN day and make others happy:)

Saturday night my friend Katie came over for a slumber party(yes i said it) and we went to dinner and then layed on the couch and watched the Fabulous life of Kimora, i know i know....but it was so nice to do nothing!

Sunday: MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK!! Katie and I woke up and went and got breakfast at Brueggers, YUMMO, and then came back and got ready for church. I have been visiting a new church for about a month now and i LOVE it. Its called Forest Hill Church in Charlotte, NC. I have not felt so welcome in a church since I was young. The pastor, David Chadwick is just great and i can really relate to his messages. The worship is awesome too.

Now i just want to find a group of girls to get connected with. I really need an accountablility/bibly study group so if anyone knows one that is looking for members please let me know:)

the rest of Sunday was spent doing laundry. running errands. and relaxing.

so over all, not to bad of a weekend.

xoxo

Best Friends and the Bobcats

2008-11-06T17:13:00.012-05:00

Katie and I have been friends since we were in preschool, which is over 20 years now. holy moly that's a long time. She is one of the sweetest, most selfless, funniest women i have ever met and I just wanted to share some pictures of our adventures at the Bobcats game the other night. My boss gave me 4 of his AMAZING season tickets, 3rd row back...free food, drinks...it was so much fun. We took 2 of the girls Katie works with at Carmen and Carmen, Sam and Katie, and we had a blast:)

Katie and I hanging out in "back Quart" before the game

Being silly as usual

Me, Katie and Katie:) nice face Katie ....

Yes that is Rick Flair. haha.

Thats all for now. 2 post in one day. wow. go me.

xoxo

I've Lost that Lovin Feelin...Woah that lovin feelin...

2008-10-30T09:49:00.022-04:00

I have discovered that if you stop blogging you loose your blogging juices and it is really hard to start back. I have decided to get back on track ...I PROMISE!! This is going to be a very random post of off the wall stuff/thoughts/etc. but like i said my brain is not in blogging mode and i think this will help me to kick start it again.

I saw this on a few peoples blogs so i decided i would do it...

Four Wishes:1. name my first daughter after my grandmother...Millie:)
2. celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary
3. own a beach house
4. publish my cook book

Four Places I want to Travel:
1. Santorini, Greece
2. NYC
3. Australia
4. anywhere tropical....

Four Careers I want to be involved in:
1. Wedding Planning, want to own my own business one day!
2. Something with Special needs children.
3. A Ministry for High school senior girls/freshman in college.
4. Stay-at-home mom

A while back I posted the lyrics to a song by Britt Nicole, here is a YouTube Video of her singing in live...such an awesome song. heard it again on the way home from work and it brought tears to my eyes, the lyrics are awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBFDlndwhs0

This is a really yummy recipe that I got from my friend Caroline at work, its her moms recipe. She has been such a blessing and my sounding board for probably more then she wants to hear. love you babe:) It sounds kind of odd but trust me, it is SOOO good.

Sweet Caroline’s Salad
Marinated pea, corn & veggie salad

Veggies:
2 large cans of LeSeur Peas- drained
2 cans of white shoe peg corn- drained
1 large jar of pimentos- drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts- drained
½ of yellow onion- diced
½ of green pepper- diced
½-1 cup of celery- diced

Dressing:
¾ cup of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of sugar (maybe a little less than a cup)
½ cup of canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons pepper

Mix ingredients of dressing together, separate from veggies, in microwavable bowl. Microwave dressing for about 2-3 minutes, stirring periodically, to help oil & vinegar mix.
Then pour dressing over veggies and refrigerate, stirring often.
This salad tends to be better if you can make it the day before you plan on serving it, so it has time to marinate.
And that’s it!!

Well, I guess that's all for now....sorry this was so random:)

xoxo
gossip girl....jk, haha.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW

2008-10-07T11:20:00.009-04:00

My sister comes home in 7 days...

I Want You to know

I want you to know when things go wrong
I want you to know that all along
Someone remembers, someone cares.
Whatever the load, the burden shares
Whatever you do or whatever they say
I want you to know that all the way
Someone believes, believes although Others may doubt
I want you to know…
I want you to know when far apart
When I cannot speak to you heart to heart
Whatever the rest may say or do
I want you to know that my faith is true.
I want you to know that come what will
in the deepest vale, on the highest hill
that these things that I say to you are so
and so forever I want you to know.
I want you to know in the after years,
In the time of sorrow, the time of tears
Although the plain or sea dividesI will be standing your soul beside.
The way is far and the voice is dumb
I cannot speak and I cannot come.
And perhaps my love will not help you so
but if it will…
I want you to know

World, Meet Ms. Not So Perfect...

2008-10-02T12:26:00.009-04:00

Today is just one of those days. Where all I want to be is Ms. Perfect and God just keeps reminding me that there is no such thing...and Satan keeps torturing me with the fact that I am not. Sometimes i literally feel like I am on some movie with a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other...haha. God is all that is perfect in this world. NOT April McEwen. It happens to me often.... I wake up with every intention of having a great attitude, a great hair day(yea right!), a positive outlook, being super productive and then all of a sudden I find myself turned completely upside down...

Right now I am reading "Having A Mary Spirit" by Joanna Weaver. It is AWESOME but is totally kicking my butt. It is about allowing God to change you from the inside out. And let me tell you the inside ain't so pretty ladies! I have made my fair share of mistakes plus a few on this journey and it is TOUGH revisiting them but I believe that is all part of God's plan. That is how we become the woman we need to be to in order to serve him and follow through with his plan for our lives....we are never perfect but we should be striving every single day to be more like him. I wrote this verse down and tapped it to my mirror about 3 months ago, It has become somewhat of my life verse.

Philippians 3:12-14
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Everyone has a past. Some are "worse" then others but the point is this, God does not care!!! He wants to wipe all that away if we will just ask him too....he wants to give us a fresh start. He is waiting with arms wide open for YOU. How incredibly awesome is that.

This is my prayer today.

Lord Change me
whatever you do, DON'T leave me the same.
Make me like you, Amen.

Sweet Blessings

2008-09-26T12:33:00.016-04:00

Everyday I am reminded of how truly blessed I am.... There are so many people that have touched my life. I am completely undeserving to have these people in my life most of the time but I am so thankful they are there. My two nephews, Aaron and Andrew, are such a blessing to me and I just wanted to share some cute pictures of them. Aaron is a constant reminder of how God can take the unexpected and turn it into the extraordinary and Andrew is just a wild little monster and i could just eat him up. Just being around him warms my heart because i think he has the best sense of humor of any 3 year old I have ever met. Really could not imagine my life without these two sweet little boys....

Andrew being silly in the bath...He cracks me up.

My brother and his boys. Andrew being Crazy as usual...

Giving Aunt April some love:)

Yelling at a fake bear. Again, Andrew...out of control. haha. love it.

Don't worry now...He is SO big

2008-09-25T16:46:00.001-04:00

I heard a new song, well its probably not new at all but I am behind on music so its new to me. Its called "Don't Worry Now" by Britt Nicole and it really hit home. A lot of you know what is going on with my family and a lot of you do not. My youngest sister, Cari Leigh, is at a place called Remuda Ranch right now, which is a treatment center for women with eating disorders. My sister is so precious to our family and to my existence and I know that God is surrounding her with people who are going to help her in this journey she is facing...but its really hard to just sit back and not be able to help. When i heard this song it was a reminder of how little I really am in control of anything in my life and how BIG and in control God really is....

Everyday i need someone to punch me in the face and remind of this, because it is something i struggle with getting through my thick stubborn head. YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL April, He is....

"I've been trying to find a way to understand

When I can't see the picture of God's plan

Why would He let us hurt so bad?

Could anything good come of these feelings that I have?

He loved me more than the sand on beaches

He loved me more than the grass is green

And even though he had to go I always knew his love was part of me

When you feel like you are all alone

Don't worry now...Don't worry now

I've been there yeah, I know how it feels

To wonder if love is even real

Don't worry now

Don't worry now...."

Miss you Cari Leigh Leigh, Can't wait to see your pretty smile....hang in there.