Sweet Tea & Stilettos: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Stack 'Em Up

I'm all about the stacking of bracelets. Bring them on because the more the better is my theory. Now we're seeing a lot more layering of necklaces, too. I will admit that I have not gotten into this yet, and I'm not so sure I would even be good at it. Have any of you started stacking necklaces yet?

I would like to get my hands on these. I don't think it would be very hard to pull a bunch of them together and layer.

And my favorite, this picture says "Ooh la la" to me every time I see it. Beautiful.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tasty Tuesday: Banana Pudding

Southern Living produces some of the best all-time recipies I have ever made in my kitchen. I heart their cookbooks BIG time. If you do not own their Christmas cookbook (I think it was sold at Dillards a year or so ago) you need to scour the Internet for it before the holiday season begins later in the year.

My family simply adores banana pudding. It is a wonderful comfort food that can be whipped up in the summer in no time at all. Quite honestly I don't mind buying the instant Jello kind from the store and sticking in bananas and Nilla wafers, but when I have a little more time I enjoy making the real thing. Here are two versions that I think you will find deliciously refreshing on a hot summmer evening.

Quick and Tasty Banana Pudding

Ingredients:
Yield: Makes 1 serving - If you're serving a crowd, simply prepare the recipe as many times as needed.
1 small banana
3 tablespoons thawed nondairy whipped topping
2 tablespoons prepared vanilla pudding
2 vanilla wafers

Directions:
Cut half of 1 small banana into slices; keep other half in the peel and save for another use. Layer 1 (5-oz.) glass with 1 Tbsp. thawed nondairy whipped topping, one-fourth of banana slices, 1 Tbsp. vanilla pudding, another fourth of banana slices, and 1 vanilla wafer. Repeat. Dollop with 1 Tbsp. thawed nondairy whipped topping.

Pound Cake Banana Pudding

Ingredients:
4 cups half-and-half
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (1-pound) pound cake, cubed
4 large ripe bananas, sliced
meringue

Directions:
Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook, whisking constantly, 13 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter melts. Layer half of pound cake cubes, half of bananas, and half of pudding mixture in a 3-quart round baking dish. Repeat layers. Cover pudding, and chill 6 hours.
Spread Meringue over pudding.
Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Monday, August 29, 2011

A Good Weekend

This past weekend was full of fun! My childhood bestie's little sister got married so tons of people were in town to celebrate the occasion. Emily drove home and arrived Friday around noon. She was a groomsman's date, which was great that she was able to attend all of the wedding festivities.

Friday morning I had my very disgusting hair cut and colored. Um, it is very dark. Very, very dark. I told Jen, my hair stylist, that I wanted to go darker. Well, it is very dark. Have I said that yet? I am probably the only one who likes it when my hair is darker than my natural color. I think Bryan mentioned something about Tomb Raider. I think everyone else is just too nice to say anything.

Saturday Bryan had to work, forcing me to spend time with Em by the pool. We basked in the sun and somehow the girl managed to dunk me. I'm not sure that has ever happened before. Ever.

Even Ivy was happy her Auntie Em was home.

I found this fellow by the fence. I hate spiders, but couldn't resist snapping a picture of him. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, too!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sunday Inspiration

Saturday, August 27, 2011

As if It Wouldn't Make the List...

...Fayetteville was named one of Southern Living's best college towns in the South.

It most certainly holds a special place in my heart and I completely agree with it being on the list. There are numerous reasons I could list why this little town nestled in the Ozark mountains is so wonderful. There are the people, the campus, the streets...yep, Dickson pretty much sums it up with all of its variety. Go look and see if your college town made the list!

Thanks to a slew of music venues and bars run by Razorbacks, central Dickson Street is the town's life force on the weekends. It also connects the University of Arkansas to the revitalized downtown, where streets are blocked off on Saturdays for the 60-stall Fayetteville Farmers' Market.
-S.L.

via

Friday, August 26, 2011

Party 'Cause It Is Friday

TIGF, right?!? I'm blogging over and my sweet Megan's Fried Green Pickles blog today, so head over there to see a scrumptious treat that I guarantee will make your mouth water. I found it in my dear Mama's Southern Lady magazine. On that note, I'll leave you with a little thought from this Southern gal...

Thursday, August 25, 2011

A Few of My Favorite (Trip) Things

I thought I would share a few of my favorite things that were captured on camera from the trip. Note, these are all iPhone camera pictures. Somehow we made it all the way to the cabin before realizing we had no camera memory card. Go figure.

1. I love the Colorado scenery. I do not know how anyone can ever wake up in this glorious place and not have a good morning. There are so many magnificent scenes that I do not understand how anyone could ever question the existence of God. It is breathtaking.

2. Most people are always surprised to learn that I taught Bryan how to fly fish. Ok, so maybe I didn't teach him everything, but I did get him interested in it and bought him his first waders and boots. This was the most exciting catch of the week, made by yours truly. It was on the Upper Pomeroy Lake, a rarity by being the only native fish, a Green Back Cutthroat. We found out that even the upper lakes in Colorado are stocked with fish by helicopter!

3. The fly shop where I purchased my new wading boots slipped this sticker into our bag. It made me laugh.

4. After driving all night long there is nothing like a good beer and pizza. Both were fantastic and ranch dressing for dipping was not even necessary.

5. This is one thing that makes me happy, a huge breakfast with bacon, potatoes and eggs. Lots of calories? No worries, they were all burned off with our 6 mile hike. Up. Hill.

6. I remember being in a store like this one when I was younger. It was an old hardware store that was lined wall to wall with drawers.

7. This was a sign we saw in Leadville. Bryan had to have a picture because he found it quite comical that you could get your teeth cleaned and have a massage in the Post Office.

8. This picture does not do itself justice. There was the neatest yarn and fabric store in Salida. In the front window was a tree wrapped in all different strips of fabric. The terrible lighting made its cuteness extremely hard to capture.

9. Also in Salida you find the Arkansas River Headwaters Museum. We ate at a yummy restaurant called the Boathouse right on the river.

10. Another hilarious sign. It speaks for itself.

11. I spotted this license plate while on the way home. Only in Bush country!

12. Though we did not see any elk, my little eyes peered all around every time I saw this sign.

I hope you enjoyed some of the pictures that were captured along the way. I have a lot more, but they are all on Bryan's phone. It might take me a few days to actually have a chance to switch them around and post them.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

A Great Welcome Home

I'm baaack!! Bryan and I had an amazing trip, we dubbed it our second honeymoon. He commented that he had a lot more fun in Colorado than he would have had in Florida. Whatever makes the man happy right? We fished, hiked, Jeeped up mountain trails, ate good food, breathed the clean air and enjoyed the coolness. I wore a fleece at some point each day. Seriously, heaven on earth. While we were driving home Sunday night I thought about getting up Monday morning, throwing on my black yoga capris and fleece, then heading to Starbucks to blog in the morning. Then reality set in and I realized I would not be needing any of the above articles of clothing once we arrived home. And oh, how right I was indeed.

Sunday night we got home after 10:00 pm, got a couple of things out of the car and then were startled by a huge roar that came from our upstairs air conditioning unit. Let me tell ya, the thing is loud all the time so I was right to second guess its loudness since we had been away for a week. But noooo, it was super loud. Then my little nose smelled a burning smell. Oh yeah, it was coming out of the vents. So here we were, home less than thirty minutes and our ac decides to break. I was way too afraid to let it run and hope that the smell would go away. I was terrified of waking up to an electrical fire with no way to escape. We slept, um I mean Bryan slept and Ivy and I tossed and turned all night, sans air and with one ceiling fan above us on high. I might add that all of our windows are painted shut except one that has no screen in our bedroom. And our huge fan we had taken to my mom's for Ivy to use while we were away. Such a great welcome home surprise.

Monday Ivy and I did not move. This is how our morning was spent. Did I mention I was at Walmart at 6:00 am getting a fan?

These pictures were all early in the morning. By 8:30 it was way too hot to have the doors open.

After the doors were closed, the princess and I didn't do anything except stay as still as possible. We watched three movies and nearly drowned in our sweat before the ac men showed up at 2:30 pm.

They finally left sometime after 4:00 pm, after replacing the motor and repairing wires were something had burned. Just great, huh? I was hoping for the whole unit to be replaced. The men said it has to be at least 25 years old and I don't doubt that for a second. That, my dear friends, is why I wasn't up early on Monday morning posting all of our pics from the trip. I hope you all are staying nice and cool in your ac!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Sunday Inspiration

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Guest Post: Bud & Leo

Hello fellow Sweet Tea & Stilettos lovers! Allow us to introduce ourselves to Hannah's lovely readers... We're Kelli and Lisa from Bud & Leo, and we're so happy to be filling in for Hannah while she's away on vaca!

We've started our own little tradition on Fridays of sharing quotes with our readers, so we thought we'd continue that over here! Today's quote comes from the fabulous Audrey Hepburn (who doesn't love this woman?!).

I couldn't have said it better myself! Kind of makes you want to go out and conquer the world, doesn't it?! I think she knew what she was talking about. :)

This iconic woman has plenty of people walking in her footsteps. Check out these look alikes...

Ms. Audrey Hepburn, herself

Natalie Portman

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Anne Hathaway

Lily Allen

Paris Hilton

We're pretty sure her brains and her beauty will continue to inspire us all for a long time!

Thanks for sharing your day with us, make sure you stop by and say hi! And thank you, Hannah, for letting us share your readers with you for the day!

Kelli & Lisa

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Guest Post : April of A. Liz Adventures

Hello there, it's April from A. Liz Adventures with a big thank you to Hannah for inviting me to do a guest post while she is in beautiful Colorado!

Ironically enough, while Hannah is bundling up in fleeces and wool socks for cool weather, I am here blogging from hot and sunny Folly Beach in South Carolina. I'll be throwing on a bathing suit in just a few minutes, but I know Hannah has got to be enjoying the cool and crisp Colorado air!

So in honor of the natural beauty out West (and the general readiness for cooler weather we all are starting to feel), here is an Etsy roundup of some of my recent loves.

Brass Moose With Large Antlers, $25

I'd have this sweet guy sitting on a stack of books or tucked in a bookshelf. I've started digging brass a lot recently. There is something just so classic about it.

Antique Deer Antler Wall Plaque, $59

I have a girlfriend who has a wall in her gorgeous dining room that has the perfect mix of antique mounted antlers and vintage hanging china plates. It's such a pretty and unique combo. She's had me eyeing a mounted antique set of antlers recently.

Olive Wood Coasters, $25

These unusually-shaped coasters have such a pretty and natural look. And who doesn't love the heft and smooth feel of olive wood!

Colorado Topaz Earrings, $32

I'm an absolute sucker for anything sparkly, pink, and gold. These have my heart.

Mid-Century Colorado Serving Tray, $25

This antique wooden tray would look perfect as a drink tray or as an addition to a bookcase or shelf. I love vintage pieces like this that have a lot of character.

Hannah, I hope that you are having the best time away. And for all of you that I am meeting for the first time, I hope you will stop by A. Liz Adventures and say hello. I hope you enjoyed my Etsy roundup of pretty Colorado-related finds. I think we are all ready for a break from this blazing summer heat!

Ya'll have a wonderful Wednesday!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Guest Post - Fried Green Pickles

Hey yall! It's Megan from Fried Green Pickles here for the day in my attempt to entertain you while Hannah is away! This is my first guest post ever - so be gentle. :)

Once Hannah and I found each other's blog, we had an immediate connection and it had to do with sailing! I grew up going sailing on my Grandaddy Al's sailboat. Most of my favorite memories with him are on his boat. We would go sail around for the day and sometimes even anchor and spend the night.

source

I remember one particular trip vividly. My sister and I were going to go stay the night on the boat with Grandaddy Al and his wife and they had expected a quiet evening (as quiet as you can have with two young grandchildren), but I, the mischievous one, had other plans.

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You see, earlier that day, I must have been at the mall or something and decided to purchase an item that I thought would be the ultimate practical joke: the ol' raccoon in a bag joke. If you're not familiar, basically a fake raccoon tail is attached to a battery operated sporadic moving ball. The tail / ball combo is turned on and placed inside of a chip bag with the tail hanging out of the bag. Voila. It looks like there is a rabid raccoon digging around in your chip bag.

Once we were all settled on the boat, I snuck down to the lower deck where the kitchenette and bedrooms were located and set up my master plan. I waited a few minutes and then starting hootin' and hollerin' for my Grandaddy to come downstairs because there was an animal on the boat! Now I am not very good at keeping a straight face at times like those so I went and hid under a blanket or something. I remember him grabbing the potato chip bag, barreling up the stairs (I started to follow him at this point to see what he was going to do) and leaning over the side of the boat! I had to yell "stop! stop! it was just a joke!" before he tossed my new toy into the water! Needless to say, he was not happy when I told him I had pulled a prank on him and almost caused him to have a heart attack.

Well, there it is. My ~~little~~ long story for the day. If you've made it this far, you are my new friend. Come on over to Fried Green Pickles and say hi!

Thanks for having me, Hannah! Hope you're enjoying your trip to the mountains!