Valentine's in the Rear View Mirror

I don't know about you, but we had a wonderful Valentine's Day. It was delightfully cliche - even down to waiting an hour for a table at our restaurant! (FYI, go to dinner before you see a movie, not after!) But it was okay because we were having fun just being together!

What is quickly becoming a Valentine's Day tradition (this was our second together as a married couple - where the heck does the time go?!) returned once again to my kitchen: Chocolate mousse. Oh. My. Gosh. You like chocolate? Coffee? Yeah, this mousse is for you. It's rich enough to make you sick, but it's worth it!

And a fun new tradition we have established! Chocolate covered strawberries. So delicious! Two ingredients! Strawberries + chocolate = awesomeness.

Somewhere in the middle of the day the doorbell rang and there was this handsome guy wearing aviators and a plaid button down leaning up against the doorpost holding these beautiful things. He asked me to be his Valentine... I of course couldn't resist! :)

Like my card-making skills right there?

Yeah... It was a little bit of a chocolate overload. We kind of went to sleep feeling sick... But it was so worth it!! I hope you had a day filled with love and sweet surprises!

PS: Go see "The Vow" - it's such a beautiful love story! (Yes, we saw "The Vow" on Valentine's Day. I warned you it was a cliche day!)


PSS: A big thank you to my precious parents who made our day so much more special with their thoughtfulness and packaged surprises! They're pretty much the best!

Sweet Valentine

Call it a Hallmark holiday, but I see it as a sweet opportunity to make life a little less routine for a day. Valentine's Day is the greatest excuse to be extra loving, extra adoring and of course, eat extra chocolate!  

Love is precious... why not celebrate it? Cherish your loved ones today and every day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Christmas List

And so, I bring you my second annual "For the Last Minute Shopper" list!

If your gift-giving adventures this Christmas season have been anything like mine, you have experienced confusion, cluelessness (yup, I make up words!), and even frustration. My husband will tell you that I typically disregard the gift ideas people give me in sight for my idea of a perfect gift. He always says, "Just give them what they are asking for!" But I can't. I know better than them! ;) 

With that being said, I feel for you. That is why I am here! Compiled is a list of personally tested, personally loved and personally adored items. It's a smaller list than last year, but hey, we all need to be wise in our spending! If I help just one person find a little holiday shopping peace, then it is an accomplished mission!

Books

1. If history holds little interest for you, perhaps it is because it has always been told in a boring fashion. Give Being George Washington a chance and have your mind blown. Learn of George Washington in a way you never heard before!
2. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas is one of the greatest reads I have had this year, and quite possibly in my lifetime. Your life will be changed by Bonhoeffer's amazing character.
3. The Zion Covenant Series - quite possibly the greatest series I have had the joy of reading! Another way to learn history in an exciting adventurous way!

Entertainment

1. The Help was the best movie I saw in the theater this year. I don't typically purchase movies anymore, but this is one I would own myself. I promise you will love it!
2. Each year I find new music artists that capture my attention, and this year's artist is definitely Gungor: Beautiful Things. Simply amazing talent with a splash of pure funkiness!
3. ClearPlay is an amazing product that allows you to load filters for movies that actually silence and remove unwanted language and compromising scenes. My family has been a huge fan since they hit stores years ago!

Unique Ideas

76 Garments is a company I am excited to share with you! What better way to share their ethics and values but in their own words? "Doing it the hard way means doing it right. Our shirts are made and printed in the United States because sometimes shortcuts just don’t cut it. We’d rather support American industry and pay honest wages than save a few bucks. Embracing the truth means wearing it on your sleeve, chest, or wherever our shirts are emblazoned with uncompromising food for thought..."  (Continued...)

My Favorite Things

1. I'm not kidding when I say I want to eat my hands every time I use my Vanilla Bean Noel lotion. The scent is Christmas in cream form. (I am smelling my hands right now!) 
2. BlogStomp just might be the greatest invention in the blogging world. It uploads, formats, sharpens, and stomps your photos in seconds. It's perfect for the photographer or blogger in your life! It's pure awesomesauce. 
3. My husband treated himself to this unique hat from Gasden & Culpeper this fall, and I must say, it's pretty cool! There are many styles and features to choose from for the hat-wearing man in your life!
4. For the impossible person on your list, Shari's Berries can come to your rescue! They are truly as delicious as they look - even more so. Worth. Every. Penny.

Thankfully, I am done our Christmas shopping! And thanks to Dave Ramsey, we don't owe anyone a penny this Christmas! It seems frustrating to be putting money away for Christmas presents in March, but I will tell you, come December when you look at your budget and realize it's all paid for!! It brings a happy smile to your face!

Merry Christmas and happy (and wise!!) shopping!

Odies with GG

It's the first thing he wants to do when he sees GG (which is a precious name, due to the fact it's what my siblings and I called our own grandma!). Make odies. Also known as oogies. We commonly know them as cookies. 

Evan has a passion for baking. Actually, his passion lies in eating his creations, but nevertheless he loves the kitchen! And most of all, he loves being in there with his GG. 

It truly is the cutest thing. They stir stir stir together, crack the eggs (which sometimes land in his little lap!) and eat until his little belly is content. It seems to be one of his life's greatest loves! His cookie bakes with his GG! :) 

 Gaahhh that face!!!!

I'm am just so in love with that little man!!

Nothing Special

This post will have no point, no significance... or even real depth either! It is simply me being the entirely random person that I am (y'all who know me personally know what I mean!)

It's Friday already. That means that Strom and I have been home from Florida for an entire week now... Yet it feels like nothing less than a month. I'm still missing my family there and wishing I wasn't always saying goodbye to loved ones. Such is life though, right?

Last night I saw the most beautiful display of lighting. For reals, people!! It was sky to ground and 100% captivating! Strom and I just stood outside our front door and watched bolt after bolt rip across the sky. It was amazing. Oh, and it was during this time we met our next door neighbors for the first time. I say this not with a sense of enthusiasm, but one of shame. They've been our neighbors since October... And we live in a townhouse! *Que blushing face* 

I really should have brought that plate of Christmas cookies over months ago...

Tonight while cutting Strom's tortilla pizzas (our sad attempt at a pizza night on our own!) I flipped the pan off the stove and the whole thing went splatting to the ground, face first. When Strom told me it was delicious, I asked him if it tasted like floor. (He's such a good sport!)

I have recently discovered that I love creepy movies. This is way crazy for me! I blame it on my wonderful cousins in Florida who hooked me on Bailey's Chocolate Coffee Creamer and the need to go to sleep afraid (which isn't a problem where I live!). Anyone out there have a good one to recommend? (No gore, please!)

And finally... This is all I want these days:

No, not a Maine-style whoopie-pie per say, but more specifically, chocolate. Sweet mercy, all I think about is eating chocolate! And as you know, I'm a health nut. So it just plagues me... Don't tell Strom, but I sort of snuck a little piece of a Hershey's bar tonight =/ 

I couldn't help it!!

Happy weekend!   

Live Your Life

It's kind of funny when you sorta kinda fuss about not wanting to do something, then when all is said and done, you realize how much fun you had. I actually live most of my life like this. Always have and I am pretty sure I always will! I am one of those people who never wants to do anything, but has a blast once I get my butt out the door. I wish I knew what my problem was! 

Last night was no exception - I really did not feel like having to get all dressed up and be social. PJ's and a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee sounded more enticing. But! I got my butt into gear and threw on a pair of heels and did what I knew I needed to do! If only my hair lasted through the night... (Word to the ladies, if your hair looks fine, don't touch it. It doesn't need a few extra curls. If you mess with it, it will fall flat in a matter of moments and you'll be sporting a ponytail by the evenings' end. *sigh*)

Photo courtesy of Zachariah S.... Yes, I stole this off of Facebook. 

 Our good friends who had the whole table laughing the evening away! :)

 It's always a joy to meet and make new friends!

 Oh CJ... :)

Handsome studs!

Lest we not forget my love of chocolate... Just for fun! Random...I know.

And wouldn't you know, as my theory would have it, I enjoyed the evening from start to finish. (Finish = a trip to Sweet Frog with over a dozen cadets and their dates. We overtook the place, looking quite dapper if I do say so myself! And a movie at our place with new friends!) 

So my advice? Get out and live life. It's quite often more fun than it seems. 

Happy Weekend!

Our First Easter

This Easter marked two things for us: 1) Our first Easter as a married couple, and 2) My first Easter away from my family. So while it was all fun to start new traditions together, I couldn't help but feel the ache of missing my family and all our crazy traditions. But what does one do other than press onward? Despite the distance, we made the day really sweet - even if there were video games going on throughout most of the day! 

I'll warn you, this may be a long post

In the 9 months we have been here in Virginia, we have visited a fair number of churches, yet we've been churchless - nothing has felt quite right for us. We have recently found one that has filled us with hope, and this past Sunday, it filled is with joy! One thing I have noted about this church is how joyful the congregation is. What a refreshing thing that is! The Easter service was such a blessing to us, from the hour-long worship service, to the flowering of the cross, we walked away filled with excitement over the glory of the Lord and our hopes that this church very well may be "the one."

Alright, let's get down to business. As I mentioned before, it was just the two of us for Easter. I can recall childhood memories of it just being me and my immediate family on every holiday (and all year long for that matter) and us all sitting on the sofa with a self-timed camera and tripod. Well, those memories became very real when it was once again, my new tiny family on the sofa with a self-timed camera. Only it was on the over sized chair, rather than a tripod. As the camera ticked and beeped off preparing for a sudden flash of continuous shooting, dear Miss Scarlett was intrigued and jumped up to investigate. We have the whole series of photos, yet this one speaks volumes: (Don't mind my extremely large open mouth...I obviously find my cat to be hilarious)

Yup. That really happened! Too bad she's completely out of focus! This happened three more times, but eventually, we got one that we settled for:

After our Sunday's Best were hung up, the food prep began. I suppose I am used to being in the kitchen all day when it comes to holidays. I have always been my mother's right arm in the kitchen, so I wasn't too surprised that I spent my whole day in the kitchen on my own. Although Strom was a help, I flew solo for the most part. My mom and I chatted the afternoon away to make it feel normal, but there was no hiding it: I missed being her right arm. 

No, I did not sneak that muffin. I cut the recipe in half and it made one muffin short of a dozen. They look awfully delicious, right? (Lemon Poppyseed Muffins). So, this is my first attempt at putting on an Easter dinner: 

It wasn't bad at all, if I do say so myself. The muffins killed the rest though - absolutely delish! We topped off the evening with some decadent chocolate mousse and decided we did pretty well for our first run! :)

"Surely He has borne our griefs
      And carried our sorrows;
      Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
      Smitten by God, and afflicted.
        But He was wounded for our transgressions,
      He was bruised for our iniquities;
      The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
      And by His stripes we are healed."

-Isaiah 53:4-5

And for this very reason, we celebrate this day each and every day from now until forever!