Weekend Part 2 + Margaritas

The second half of the weekend was spent with our adopted family at the lake. RL {the dad} has recently decided to make it a running joke to deem what transpires as "blog worthy" or not. Something funny would happen and he would say, "Oh that's certainly blog worthy." My lovely Maui Jim t-shirt Hawaiian print koozie was proclaimed "blog worthy." The list could go on and on.

This is one of my favorite pics of the weekend. All except for the part where Bryan decided to put a hand on my head!! Why he did that, I do not know.

{Adam, Laura, me, Bryan}

My two favorite bikers-hippies-pirates.

My poor hubby was recovering from a sunburn last weekend and a slight one from working outside on Saturday morning/afternoon before the wedding. 

The kid is good at whatever she does. Here she is at the beginning of a jump.

Cathy {the mom} has a friend who makes the best margaritas that originally come from a restaurant in Dallas. She got the recipe and let me tell you, they are delish. Bryan decided to take over the making of them and he did a fine job. {Most certainly "blog worthy".}

I didn't get a good shot of the margaritas, but you get the idea. You can make them frozen or on the rocks.

Damn Good Margaritas

{I kid you not, this is the name.}

1 can frozen limeade (use empty can to measure)

1/2-3/4 can Herradura Tequila

1/4 can Cointreau

1/4 can Grand Marnier

Blend and add ice as needed or serve the frozen mixture over ice to enjoy on the rocks. 

Make sure to salt the rim and use fresh limes. Squeeze extra juice over the top of each margarita.

Weekend Part 1

I hope each of you had a great long weekend and holiday. The outdoor wedding Bryan and I attended on Saturday was simply perfect for this time of year. The groom was one of Bryan's friends from college. Other than the bride and groom I knew one person there, but it actually was fun since Bryan knew a handful of people and we made some new friends.

I had a new dress picked out to wear, but at the last minute went with this trusty dress that I wore for Easter, which I absolutely love.

The wedding theme was a rustic-outdoor look with lots of burlap and twisted vines. I thought the bride did an excellent job of picking out everything and putting it together. She used peach to bring a little color into the neutral palette.

The reception tables all had different centerpieces, but each had some sort of greenery or flowers, candles and coordinating (but not matching) prints and frames. I think the tablecloths were a very pale green, so the burlap runners went perfectly on top.

What I really liked was that nothing was over-kill. There was just the right about of lace, burlap, pops of color, iron and greenery to make the whole thing come together beautifully.

There was a fantastic band and we danced until the party shut down. After the wedding we headed to the lake for the rest of the weekend. Tomorrow I'll share lake pictures and the recipe for yummy margaritas that we made.

Friday's Fancies: Memorial Day

How excited are you about this long weekend?!? Bryan and I have a wedding to attend on Saturday and then we're hitting the lake for the rest of the weekend. Hello sunny skies, blue water and drink in my hand! Click over to {av's} Friday's Fancies to see all of the fun outfits so many creative ladies have put together.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and I'll see you back here next week!

Weekly Update

My Internet has been so sporadic the past few days that it is enough to make a gal go crazy. I decided to quit messing with it and hoped it would go back to normal. Ivy and I have been back and forth to my parents' house the past week. We got a little pool time in, which made both of us happy. {Ivy really wanted her toes painted.}

Bryan and I went to the mountain bike trail on Monday night. We He rode it after I fell within the first five minutes. I decided that it was getting to dark for me to see, so I ran while he rode. We came home and grilled salmon. I sliced lemon and put it directly on the grill, with the salmon then on top of it. Flip it once and it is pure perfection.

Yesterday I started a new project--distressing and painting a desk for Dr. Ash. It got sanded and now has one coat of paint on it. I was hoping to get it finished today, but it's not going to happen like I thought. Everything always takes longer than you originally plan.

Did you vote on Tuesday? We are so fortunate as Americans to have the freedom to choose who we elect into office. It is detrimental to our future and the future of our children to take action and exercise this freedom. I've been continuously reminded lately about my many blessings, which has made me more mindful to be constantly thankful and have an attitude of joy. I saw these reminders and thought they would be nice to share.

Trendy Tuesday: Tortoise Necklaces

With my kind of coloring, tortoise has always been one of my favorite designs {colors} when choosing sunglasses. In fact, I think just about everyone looks good in tortoise. Lately I have been seeing a lot of tortoise necklaces and I think I need one of them in every shape and size that they come in right now. I just cannot get enough of these eye-catching gems. I think they are very versatile and go with many different outfits and colors.

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My current favorite style is the tortoise resin links. This one is currently at J.Crew and has some bling mixed in with it.

This necklace is on their weekly outlet sale, and I actually think that I like it better for wearing every day.

 And of course there is the knock-off on eBay, which is pretty cute, too.

The best part about this trend to me is that tortoise is such a classic look. Dress it up, dress it down, it is going to look great any way you style it. Here are a few of my other tortoise necklace picks.

Banana-Chocolate French Toast

This weekend I drove from one end of the state to the other and then back home. Laura aka "the kid" played in the state soccer finals in Fayetteville on the University of Arkansas campus on Friday night. Having never played soccer before this season, Laura was recruited to be the goalie by the coach at the beginning of the year. As I've said before, Laura doesn't do anything without excelling at it, and this position is no different--she is an awesome goalie. Her team lost the game, but they played their hearts out and I could not have been more proud of them.

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I recently made some banana-chocolate french toast for breakfast because I had seen the recipe in Cooking Light. I know you're thinking that chocolate for breakfast cannot be healthy, but if used in the right way it actually is great. Y'all, this was an absolutely delish breakfast that is going to become a regular at our house.

Banana-Chocolate French Toast

1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 (1 1/2-ounce) slices whole-grain bread

4 1/2 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)

1 cup thinly sliced banana (about 8 ounces)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish.

2. Spread each of 3 bread slices with 1 1/2 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread; arrange 1/3 cup banana slices over each bread slice. Top sandwiches with remaining 3 bread slices.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 sandwich at a time, place into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides. Carefully place coated sandwiches into pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar.

Sunday Inspiration

This is one of my all-time favorite Bible verses. Remember that no matter what you might be going through right now, the Lord is with you every step of the way. Trust in Him and He will guide you in the direction that is the very best for your life. Enjoy your Sunday!



Chambray Fun

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm getting back on my game and am pleased to be participating in {AV's} Friday's Fancies again this week. Nothing says warm-weather denim like chambray. Although the weather here is already hitting 90 degrees, I'm totally diggin' the layered look of chambray underneath a dress or blouse.

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If you have only one chambray item in your closet it needs to be a shirt. Layer it or wear it by itself, it will become a staple if it hasn't already. Here are a few of my favorite chambray shirt picks.

Recent Finds

I'm in a blog funk. There has been a ton of in-and-out of town and in-and-out of the house recently and the last thing I have wanted to do is sit down to blog or to look at blogs. I'm sorry, but I had to say it. Sometimes my daily posts come to me easily, but lately I have been struggling. I know it happens to all of us, but it is happening to me right now. Now, moving on...

Em {sister} sent me a message earlier this week pointing out that style-wise I am more Blair and she is more Sarah. I couldn't agree more. In fact, I have been drooling over the striped shorts that Blair is wearing in this picture. Both of these ladies are such wonderful sources for outfit inspiration.

{Blair @ Atlantic-Pacific}

{Sarah @ Classy Girls Wear Pearls}

I have officially found my new favorite t-shirt for the summer at...Target!! These Mossimo shirts are fantastic. I've been picking up a new one every time I have gone in the store. At only $8 a pop they are so worth it! There are only four colors online, but in the store there are lots.

Bryan and I did end up going shopping on Saturday. We found NOTHING for him, except a lot of fly fishing tying materials. I came home with a few goodies, including this cute color-blocked romper.

I've contemplated ordering this Tibi dress the past couple of weeks, especially since it is on sale on a couple of different sites.

On Saturday I found one that is almost identical to it at the Banana Republic outlet. I have a feeling it will get quite a lot of wear.

This is one of my favorite pins that I found over the past week. It is always nice to find new healthy salad dressings to be able to whip up and make for lunch or dinner.

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I hope everyone is having a good week!

Healthy Eating

Eating healthy does not mean that you have to survive on bland, boring foods for your meals. There are so many wonderful cookbooks, websites and blogs that promote healthy eating. For those of you who are stuck in a rut and feel like you are out of options for knowing where to turn to for healthy and delicious meals, have no fear because I have compiled a list of my favorite resources to share.

Cooking Light is like my healthy cooking Bible. I have a monthly magazine subscription and pour through it immediately, turning pages and making lists of new things to try. If you have never cooked out of this magazine before I urge you to pick one up next time you visit the grocery store. There are lots of magazine sites where you can get a really good deal for a year's subscription. Another alternative is to buy the a Cooking Light cookbook. My Cooking Light Five Star Recipes is fantastic. If you don't want to make the commitment to either, at least visit their website. I guarantee you will find lots of things that are very tempting and delicious.  

 Gina's Skinny Recipes over at skinnytaste.com has an incredible amount of wonderful recipes. Each one has the health facts {calories, fat, etc.} and tells its Weight Watcher points. There has not been one recipe from Gina's site that has not been a hit in my home. Some of my all-time favorites come from here!

{Arugula Salmon Salad with Capers and Shaved Parmesan}

Another site that lists health information and counts Weight Watcher points is Eat Yourself Skinny. Kelly has gobs of fantastic healthy recipes, plus you get a little mixture of her life thrown in there, too--she is such a cutie!

{Asian Lettuce Wraps}

I first came across Family Fresh Cooking when I was in a slump about putting together healthy lunches for Bryan to take to work. Enter the Lunch Box Survival Kit. Moms, you are going to love this; Marla is going to become one of your favorite people. I have gotten lots of wonderful lunch ideas from her site.

{Survival Tips}

Marina may not give you a list of calories with each recipe she post, but what I love about this lady is her constant effort to cook fresh food not just for her family, but with her family on Yummy Mummy. Her two darling girls are shown helping her cook tasty meals throughout her blog. {In all seriousness, I want to be this incredible woman when I grow up--she is that amazing!}

 {Balsamic Strawberry Crostata}

These are just a few of the resources that I use on a frequent basis. Of course, Southern Living is my all-time tippy-top favorite and has healthy recipe sections. And I look forward to my Real Simple each month in the mail. It has lots of healthy recipes, as well as meals that are budget-friendly. What are some of your sources for healthy eating? I am always looking for new meals to cook and share!

Sunday Inspiration + Mother's Day

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Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing women in my life! I have been greatly blessed to have the most wonderful mother that I call my own. I became even more fortunate when I married Bryan and got a second wonderful mother, too. And my two sweet grandmothers, who love me unconditionally each and every day. 

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This one's for you, mom...and for my sister...

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Makeup + Skincare

Makeup is just not my forte. I'll be the first to admit that when I get stuck in a routine I tend to stay in it for a while. There are lots of different eye shadows in my bathroom cabinet, but I use the same thing almost every day. Yesterday I decided it was time to get online and order some new concealer and mineral foundation. In the warmer months I hate wearing heavy makeup and the mineral powder is a perfect alternative.

My mother-in-law had a friend who sold Arbonne for a while, so I have had tons of their products. Their mineral powder is amazing. Most mineral powders dry my sensitive/dry skin out, but this one does not. Only problem is that they have switched colors and I haven't the faintest clue what to order.

 My next thought is to purchase Laura Mercier's mineral powder, which is much easier to color-test. Yet, I'm terrified that it will dry out my skin. Sephora has wonderful review about it though. Have any of you with sensitive/dry skin used this? Any other kinds you might recommend? 

And now for the concealer...I hate to admit this, but when I pulled out my eye "concealer" yesterday I was dismayed to actually read that it was a foundation sampler!! The problem is, I had come to the conclusion that it was some of the best I've ever used. How I have used this for months without realizing, I do not know. Ugh, now to find something else new. Bobbi Brown wants me to use a corrector and concealer and Laura Mercier's is just not right for my skin type. Suggestions?!?

My skin care regimen is about to get switched up, too. I was not overly crazy about the Murad that I have been using, so I have decided to try Kate Somerville--as recommended by Dr. Ash. I liked going to the Kate Somerville website and being able to create a skin care regimen to fit my needs.

What have I been loving lately? My mom has a stash of sample products in a drawer in her bathroom. When I recently spent the night without planning to, I grabbed a couple of products to use for the night and next morning. The Advanced Night Repair sample came home with me and I swear I can tell a difference in my skin. No other changes have been made in my routine, so I'm crediting this product.

Come on friends, since I'm not the best about trying out new things {I just hate spending that much money without know if it will work} I want to hear your thoughts and feedback on skincare products!



Friday Five

Happy Friday, friends! This has been one very busy week and there is no better way to wake up than to know the weekend is going to start soon. Do you have weekend plans? I've talked Bryan into going shopping this weekend--actually for himself and not for me. The majority of the time I bring clothes home to him, because it is like pulling teeth to get him to spend a day morning shopping. We're also spending the weekend going through and sorting things in storage. Fun, fun I tell ya. Here are five four things I'm loving this week.

1. My hubby. He is not afraid to show his creativity in cooking. Last night he grilled some fantastic tasting lettuce. {Use it for salad or eat it alone!}

2. Great deals. The best deal I found yesterday was a Tibi sweater on clearance for $20 at my TJ Maxx. The store here never had high end brands so I was ecstatic to find it. {It's actually for my sister.}

3. The Shops at Target--Privet House. They have got the cutest things for your kitchen and house! Everything is reasonably priced, except for the $30 candles, which I thought were a little pricey for being Target.

4. Rich and Skinny Lover shorts. The Lover cut is a little bit shorter than I would normally wear {they come in longer lengths} but they are the most comfortable denim shorts I own. They have the perfect amount of stretch and don't cling to your legs. I want them in every color for the summer.

5. This is actually something that I do not love. Broken sunglasses. Thank goodness Costa does repairs--yes, tears came to my eyes.

Have a wonderful weekend!