treasure hunt

Care to take a guess what Harris and I are doing this weekend?  Here are some clues:

Yep, it's Kell's personal purgatory - a yard sale!  And not just any yard sale, it's the World's Longest Yard Sale that goes all the way from Michigan to Alabama (we're just doing the AL portion, of course).  My aunt and cousin have gone for years, and Harris went last year and had a blast.  I have been excited about it for weeks!  I can't wait to tell you all the cool stuff I come back with and how little I spend on it!

I hope you have plans to be inside this weekend, and if not, stay hydrated like I will be!

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* That I felt like working.

* This a-dor-a-ble honeycomb necklace.  Love it.  (I love a bee.  They're fascinating!)

* A pedicure.  I can never do a good job on my toes...

* Some wide-leg jeans.  Do you like these Madewell ones?

* Safe travels across the pond on Saturday.  Yes, I'm off on another European jaunt!

What's your wish?

on the agenda

Things I don't want to do today...

Mop the kitchen floor (which also involves sweeping the kitchen floor, another task I don't fancy).

Unpack my suitcase. 

Run errands.

Do the dishes in the sink. (Kell will hate that I posted this picture...)

What I'd much rather do...

Play with my puppies.  (I missed them so!)

Get some sun.

Blog about my trips. (probably should have cropped that one first...)

Turn the AC down and nap.

My feet are on the ground for a couple of weeks.  Finally!  Miss me?

What are your plans this holiday weekend? 

wish list wednesday - european addition

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* More time in Paris.  2 days is just not enough!

* That I could bring back a real German beer for Kell.

* A real Diet Coke.  With ice!

* That I hadn't left all my lip glosses on the plane in that stupid ziploc bag.  Boo hooooo...

* More money to spend!  Feel free to wire me some, friends...

What's your wish?

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* That I wasn't having to eat convention lunches all week. Yuck.

* This awesome jewelry stand. I am in desperate need of some accessory organization, people.

* That I'd had hundreds of dollars to spend at Ikea this afternoon. That place is mind-blowing.

* An awesome springy dress (like this one) to dress up or down. Love, love, love these colors.

* To go to a super cool Oscars party like this. You can make it happen - check out the printables!

What's your wish?

wish list wednesday - NYC edition!

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* To pass for a real New Yorker. Sadly, I'm afraid I stick out like a sore thumb,

* Some of these Echo gloves in every color. Keep your hands toasty and still use your iPhone!

* A ticket to a Broadway show this week. But which one to choose?!

* Lots of time (and money) to spend at one of the million H&M stores here.

* That my fingernails were painted with this gorgeous color. Only when I'm not wearing my cool new gloves, of course...

What's your wish?

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* Safe travels to and from the beach. Yep, my third trip this summer!

* This super cool obi belt. I’m channeling my inner geisha.

* That my friend Martha Foose were on Twitter.

* A really pretty china cabinet for my dining room so I could finally move all my dishes out of the guest closet.

* A British accent.

What’s your wish?

life's a beach

Hello, there. Guess where I am?

This is my second of three trips to the beach this summer, but this time I plan to actually set foot in the sand for the first time in ten years. Yay me!

Be back soon. In the meantime, I’m feeling up for some Nutella ice cream. You?

it's Tuesday, and i'm ready for Friday again

I’m back, friends! Miss me? Thanks to the beauty of scheduled posts, I was able to travel without feeling like I was neglecting you.

I spent most of last week in Orlando for work. And yes, we went to Disney, but the highlight of my trip? The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. “But it hasn’t opened yet,” you might be saying. Well, MK and I happen to be in high places (yeah, right), and the group I was with got a sneak peek! We were the very first group to see it, and I cannot even say enough wonderful things about it. All I can really say is, if you are ever in Orlando and love Harry Potter, it is an ABSOLUTE MUST.

Anywho, I did have a chance to finish Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It was recommended to me by Harris, who usually has the same taste in books as I do. Unfortunately, this one was the exception rather than the rule. I did love all the talk about Savannah, Georgia (my dad is a native, and I still have family there) and the “Southern-ness” of it all – parties, quirky people, gorgeous old homes and blue-haired old ladies. The book is divided into 2 parts: the first is essentially a description of all the characters in the story, and the second part is where it finally got interesting for me. I’m not going to tell you what happened because well, that would be a spoiler. I’m so torn over this one, but I give it a C+. But talk to Harris and Claire if you want a second opinion.

Moving right along to Clapton: The Autobiography. I started it the other night, and it was fascinating to read about Slow Hand’s childhood in England and how American music, primarily the Blues, inspired him to become a musician in his own right. In the first chapter alone, I counted five Mississippi artists. Birthplace of America’s music indeed.

Hope you all had a great weekend and Monday. See you tomorrow for WLW!

we made it!

Another week down! Happy Friday, friends!

I’m headed out to Orlando for the first time since I went to Disney World as a wee tot. How exciting! I want Mickey ears!

I hope you have fun plans for this weekend. If not, I suggest you make these Berry Cobbler Bars and save me one.

Later, gators.

finally friday

Please note the shoes these little kiddies have on... I have on my TOMS today too! If you're not familiar with these comfy ground-grabbers, you can read about them here and buy them here or here... (PS - the founder is so darn cute I can barely stand it.)

What are your plans this weekend? I'm heading down to Natchez for a work conference, so I may or may not be appearing back here on the blog until Wish List Wednesday (wouldn't miss that of course). Don't forget about me while I'm gone. Promise?

Have a great one, friends.

when life gives you lemons, make lemon bars

I’ve recently started to “take” (as my mom says) Southern Living, and I love it. I feel so Southern when I read it, and having a subscription to me is kind of like a rite of passage. I love everything about it. Well, except the gardening section. No amount of beautiful, flowery photography is enough to make me want to get out in my own yard and dig around.

So far, my favorite thing about the publication is the recipes. Each issue has so many, and most are totally do-able. I’ve made a resolution to make at least one recipe out of each issue, which is not a difficult task, considering Kell is more than pleased to be a taste-tester. This month featured two recipes for lemon squares, and wouldn’t you know it, Kell loves lemon squares. The recipes were “Mama’s Way vs. Your Way” variations on the treat, and I decided to go with Mama’s way only because I wasn’t sure if I could find lemon curd at Wal-Mart, and I don’t like the sound of lemon “curd.”

Don’t let the length of the recipe fool or intimidate you. It’s several little steps, but none is difficult. And in fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how well mine turned out (unfortunately, I’m not a good enough photographer to have taken this picture, but mine are honestly just as lovely). I mean, they looked as good as the ones at the MSU bakery. Joy the Baker would be so proud of me.

Southern Living Lemon Bars
Makes about 2 dozen (yeah, if they’re like an inch long. My batch made like 15.)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (not that junk out of the lemon-shaped plastic thing)
½ tsp. baking powder
More powdered sugar (for sprinkling the tops)

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

Stir together 2 cups flour and ½ cup powdered sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth; whisk in granulated sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir together baking powder and remaining ¼ cup flour. Whisk into egg mixture. Pour mixture over hot baked crust.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Lift from pan, using foil sides as handles. Cook completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Remove foil, and cut into bars, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

My notes: Kell’s only drawback for this recipe was that it wasn’t lemony enough. I think next time I’ll do ½ cup fresh lemon juice (ends up to be 2 whole lemons) and a little more lemon zest. As for the crust being “lightly browned,” I wasn’t sure what that meant; I just baked it for like 27 minutes and went to the next step. I figured I would be better off that way then charred beyond recognition. Also, I wasn’t sure my store-brand aluminum foil would do well as handles, so I used 2 sheets, and it was perfect. They're the tastiest when they've cooled completely and the flavor is set. I think these would make super cute little lemon pies if you baked them in the mini tart shells.

I’m off to see Harris in Birmingham this weekend, and I’m so excited. We have plans to eat, shop and see Alice in Wonderland with Claire. I cannot wait!

Have a great weekend, friends.

back in the u-s-eh?

Howdy, pardners. Coming to you live (not really) from the bowels of the Toronto airport. I've been in Canada this week for a work event, and I'm ready to get home. It's easy to slip into the idea that Canada is just an extension of the US, albeit totally incorrect, since most people speak English, they sound a lot like us (except with an upwards inflection at the end of nearly every sentence). I will admit there is a certain energy in the country right now, even though the Olympics are hundreds of miles away. I even watched the hockey game last night in a Canadian restaurant with Canadian beer and lots of intense Canadians rocking the official hockey jersey, complete with Olympic rings. Thankfully, there's not much to understand about hockey other than the puck goes into the net. Oh, and Canada LIVES for it.



Any time I am traveling, it's imperative that I am armed with a book. Well, I am, and I've got a couple of reviews for you as well. The last book I mentioned on this blog was The Book Theif by Marcus Zusak. It was recommended to me by one of my literary soulmates, my dearest Claire. And as she put it so eloquently, "this book is not a page turner, but a book to be savored." So true, Claire. I was practically entranced by the beautiful language the author uses to illustrate the life of young German Leisel Meminger. While on a train to meet her foster parents, her brother dies right in front of her, his lifeless face haunting her dreams for years. At his burial, Leisel picks a book up from the snowy graveyard, thus the title. The Book Theif is a truly captivating story of childhood, WWII Nazi Germany, love and loss. Don't worry if your local bookstore has this one in the teenage fiction section; I still can't figure out why it's there. Seriously, it's wonderful.


This certainly has never happened in the epic history of this blog: I bought and read a second book before I had a chance to review the first. That's basically all you need to know about this next one. I have a policy that if a movie I want to see is based on a book, I read the book first. So when I saw the previews for Shutter Island, and after hearing the rave reviews from Harris, I picked up a copy and practically devoured the thing over the course of one weekend. It's one of those books where you don't realize you're reading fast until you look down and you've finished 60 pages. I really hate to say too much about this one for fear of giving anything away. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm dying to now.


So, it's on to the next selection: In the Sanctuary of Outcasts. It's always a good sign when every bookstore I enter is completely out of copies of a particular book. Lemuria in Jackson finally got some in (signed!), and I got one just in time to leave on a jet plane. If you're not familiar with the story, here's a quick run-down: Neil White was a successful magazine publisher, who after some shady finanical dealings, is convicted and sentenced to prison in Louisiana...which just happens to also be a leper colony. His relationships with these "outcasts," as well as fellow inmates, becomes more and more important to the author as his life on the outside crumbles. It's really well-written, and I'm all about supporting a Mississippi author (he lives in Oxford). Review to come soon! Thanks for the recommendation, MK.


On another note, my sister Harris has re-entered the blogging world! If you love all things beauty (and frankly, who doesn't?), you will love her blog. She's a great writer with lots of cool tips and trends to share. Check her out!


I started this post in one country and finished it in another. Glad to be home to my little family! Happy Friday!

a good time was had by all

So, readers, how was your turkey day? Kell and I spent Thanksgiving day with his family and headed to Starkville to see my family and to go to the Egg Bowl game. And what a wonderful game it was. The Bullies were on fire – the stadium (literally) rocked, Anthony Dixon was unstoppable, and tears of joy were shed. In fact, I’m still a little hoarse from all the squealing. And the “From Dixon with Love” reference? I want to shake the man’s (or woman’s) hand who came up with that beauty. Truly poetic.

It seems to me that once Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas is on me like a lightning bolt. I have something going on every weekend until Christmas, and I’m grateful it’s fun stuff – family visits, a wedding and general merriment. If you have parties to attend, this Delicious Dish is totally excellent party food.

Bacon Tomato Cups

8 slices bacon
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (I couldn’t find shredded Swiss, so I used Mozz, and it was great)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl, and mix with tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and basil.
Separate biscuits into halves horizontally. Place each half into cups of the prepared mini muffin pan. Fill each biscuit half with the bacon mixture.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven , or until golden brown.


Enjoy!

wedding weekend

Hooray for weddings!

This weekend, my dear friend Amy got married in her (and Kell’s) hometown of Greenville. We spent the entire weekend eating and hanging out with friends old and new (shout out to Melinda! Thanks for following the blog!). She was exactly the bride I expected her to be – cute, hilarious and running just a tad late. The happy couple are living it up in Negril on their honeymoon while I’m in Shawshank at work. Love you, Amy Lou!

OK, readers. It stops today. This eating-whatever-I-want-and-pretending-like-there-are-no-consequences business. Fistfuls of chips and Mexican corn dip? Of course. Chocolate cobbler? You bet. An enormous piece of wedding cake (the one with the most icing)? Bring it on. But you heard it here first. I’m back on the wagon, and I’m starting from the very beginning with what I know works. My trusty Moleskine notebook is now my WW journal, leading me back into the world of points Nazi-dom, and I need your support. I’ve got my (now chubbier) game face on.

Have a good week, friends! I'll be eating rabbit food!

nice day for a white wedding

(photo courtesy of super-cute website Green Wedding Shoes)

Happy Friday, friends!

I'm off to the Delta this weekend for my dear friend/former roommate/sorority sis/all-around fun gal Amy's wedding. I can't wait to see her in full wedding regalia and stand with her when she marries the love of her life. Ball and chain, here she comes!

Have a great weekend!

welcome to a new week.

It’s Monday again, friends. I’m back at work after a few days on the road, and I’m having trouble getting back into my groove. And my sniffles and sore throat are not helping me (boo hoo).

I got to hang out with MK and Hayden this week at one of my favorite places in the state. We took a cooking class at the Viking Cooking School and spent the night at my former stomping grounds, The Alluvian. We ate like queens even though our pesto looked like mud.

Saturday some of my besties and I hosted a party for my bride-to-be buddy, Amy. It is always so great to see those girls (and the guys, too) and get a reminder of why I love them so much in the first place.

How was your weekend?

hello, tuesday

Few things are better than a long weekend. Am I right, or am I right?

If you were at the MSU/JSU game on Saturday, this will be no news to you. If you weren’t, FYI: it rained. And I don’t mean a sprinkle. It POURED, people. And my hair was not ok with it. Traffic was insane, and getting into the stadium was just as crazy. For a split second we considered skipping it altogether, but we knew we’d hate ourselves for missing the Boom. So, I took off my shoes and ran like the wind to the gate, only to be stopped by security (still pouring, mind you) to check my purse. All things considered, we won the game, and a good time was had by all. Or at least all of us shielded from the rain.

After the game, we all piled up and headed to Greenville (with a stop at the Crystal Grill in Greenwood for supper) for a birthday party for Kell’s grandfather. It was great to see everyone, and of course we ate like kings. Never mind that I cut the tip of my finger off on my razor and am now sporting some major band-aid action.

I had every intention of cleaning up the house yesterday, but I got absolutely nowhere. Something about a holiday just makes me want to lie around and embrace the lazy. So, I did, and it was great.

Later, gators!

yay yay yay

It’s finally Friday, readers!

I’m heading north to Oxford for my dear friend Amy’s bachelorette weekend, wishing I were taking with me these super fly peacock earrings from Etsy. With or without new ear bobs, I cannot wait to see all my buddies from our college days.

What are your plans? Here's hoping you enjoy yourself!

old friends and bookends

We’re back from the Delta!

I mentioned Friday that Kell and I were headed to his 10-year class reunion, and we had a great time. There’s something that comforted me about the fact that most people hadn’t changed at all – just a little older. My reunion is in a couple of weeks, and I can only hope that I have a tad more style than I did in high school. But, we all want that, right? I mean, denim overalls can only get you so far… (Not only did I have some, but I wore them in one of my senior portraits. Don’t judge.)

On another note, I’m trucking right along with my C25K program. However, today I have to run for 3 minutes. 3 MINUTES! Without stopping! That’s twice as long as this last week! I’m not going to lie – I’m a little intimidated. But this is a necessary step to reach my goal, and I am determined to get there…even if it kills me.

Oh, and my phone is on the fritz. Great.