wedding fun.

i'm dying for next fall when two of my best are tying the knot.

not to each other, just to be clear.

this sunday, kate & i are heading to her venue for a bridal show.

i've seen some amazing work from the venue,

but never actually attended anything there.

um.. any doubt she's going to be a gorgeous bride?

photo from my wedding day by kamila harris

carriage house photos by paula cella

baking tips.

yesterday i put together a small tray of cookies.

i knew the cookies had to be made on friday,

since electricians were coming to work at our house saturday.

i decided to make the cookie dough during the week,

i made four different doughs one each night.

how do i store dough?

baking tip 1: i refrigerate dough for up to a week, stored in two layers of plastic wrap

& tucked inside a gallon ziploc bag. if i want to store the dough for longer (like for my christmas cookies) i'll wrap the dough in an additional layer of plastic wrap & sometimes two bags and stick it in the freezer. the frozen dough will last for a few weeks. just be sure to take out the dough out of the fridge/freezer to let it soften up. the dough is way easier to work with!

baking tip 2: i read this on another blog last year & i've done it ever since. let your eggs sit out and use at room temperature. not sure why this works or how it is important but they're easier to mix in as well.

baking tip 3: use an electric mixer for your liquids, but only gently mix the dry ingredients in with the electric mixer, then finish with a wooden spoon. over mixing leads to flat cookies, and dry breads/cupcakes/cookies.

wine bar.

two weeks ago i met the girls for a late dinner.

last night we headed to the same restaurant for wine & a live band.

i'm addicted.
if you're a south jersanite & like tapas & wine, check annata out.

& ashley when you're in town we need to go!

keeping singing.

i love car rides.
i love singing in the car.
listening to oprah & friends on XM (esp. my dr. oz!).
talking about future plans.
listening to radio interviews of authors, researchers and celebs.
but i really love singing in the car..
no matter what is on the radio, i'll sing along.

philadelphia hokies?

almost as sweet as buy one get one free.
a maroon & orange phillies hat.
j found it in a blacksburg, va bookstore.
another reason i married him, good vision!
*and yes i channeled my inner jay-z for this picture.

amazing weekend.

sorority alumnae weekend.
& my husband became a hokie.
= perfect weekend.

pardon my absence

j & i are roadtriping & doing the hokie pokie.. ALL WEEKEND LONG!
(a THREE day weekend too).

photo by kamila harris

like-dislike. day 34.

LIKE

philly tote

DISLIKE

charlottesville tote

hello, where is the blackburg tote?

update.

pity party did not end.
i cried in class.
yes, seriously.
ok stop laughing.
than i got over myself.

than i found out patrick swayze passed away.
& i had to excuse myself to the bathroom,
because i was really scared i was going to cry again.

i didn't.
& i didn't really cry in class.
i mean maybe one or two tears fell down my cheeks.
but then another girl cried too and i felt a lot better about myself.

pity party is OVER. seriously this time.

i'm having a party, day 33.

a pity party.
seriously, i need to get over myself.
'i hate my job' - really? do i really hate my job.. no.
'i suck at school' - probably not.
'i hate my life' - this is probably my most famous untrue line.
'minions the worst dog ever' - no i'm sure pepper and ulysses who bit our neighbor were worse.
'i'm never going to be happy' - really? i'm not even going there.
'i'm over it' - j will probably kick me out next time i say this. it's really that old.

all statements made by me over the weekend.
i gave myself a pity party.. but really i need to get over myself.

"make the best of each day, and remember people are there for you" - my motto starting today.

roadtrip to hokieburg.. t-minus 4 days, what a reason to be happy!

30days.

thanks for the input. bought this one today!
the perfect way to put a smile on my face.

the rain feels appropriate today.
today we remember.
september eleventh.

need some color. day 28.

as i mentioned in my previous post, i love color.
my new office has NO COLOR.
even my coworkers have begun making comments about how i need 'something'.
i've been searching etsy for a perfect print.
i work in a health-related field with children.
so help me choose which of these prints would be appropriate..
& bring some color & inspiration to my office!

best day ever

wherever you go
small voice
pass it on
lemon bars
i would seriously buy all of these, but right now i can only afford one! i also will take suggestions that are not one of the above, but i really want to buy from etsy! & if you are one of the creators of the above art, you can also try and sway the vote!!

home comforts, day 27.

slowly the house we live in, is becoming our home.

one of the additions:

made by my mom for part of my birthday present!
when my dad saw the new addition to his old house he remarked 'you always bring the color to life'. true story.

regret. day 26

football season means i see less of my husband.

last friday night he had a fantasy league draft with my uncles.

mom & i decided to do some shopping.

i had originally planned on seeing my friend tj (max).

but mom convinced me that her friends marshall(s) and michael were more fun.

i picked up some ribbon for my new bows!
& mom almost had me convinced to purchase this:

not sure why marshall(s) had it, but i really almost took it home.
mom reasoned that i could wear it to a costume party (because i go to a lot of those??)
& now that i didn't pick up the cute mask, i'm totally regretting it.

remember & celebrate the hokies.

reading this article brought tears to my eyes.
i bake to de-stress.
it helps take my mind off anything that might be bothering me.

this one hit a cord:
"1. Small gestures can make a big difference. The day after the Virginia Tech shootings, in April 2007, when my community in northern Virginia was shaken with grief, I found myself baking a batch of lemon cupcakes with milk-chocolate frosting. As I admired their glistening tops, I couldn't help but wonder: Could a tiny cupcake make the world feel like a more tender place, even for one bite?
As I delivered the cupcakes to my neighbors, the smiles on their faces were proof that, yes, indeed it could." - Kim O'Donnel

tomorrow we will celebrate the unity & love of the hokie nation
GO HOKIES.

dear dluc if your reading this. it's day 22, & it reminds me of you.

two of my best friends are engaged, both are getting married next fall.
i miss wedding planning terribly, but..
i was so excited to attend one of their engagement parties last weekend!
she said don't bring anything, yeah right, an excuse to bake?
i went with an old family staple, one of my moms best.
1 8oz pack of cream cheese
6 tablespoons of sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 box of vanilla wafers (don't worry there are extra to nibble on!)
1 can of cherry pie filling

mix cream cheese & sugar, mix in egg & vanilla.
fill cupcake pan with foil liners (hold together better)
place one vanilla wafer at bottom of each foil liner
fill about 3/4 way with cream cheese mix
bake @ 350 for about 15 minutes

cool completely

top with pie filling!

makes 12 mini cheesecakes! yum!

21, blackjack. lucky<3

worked 11 hours yesterday.
came home to a steaks & jersey corn by candle light.

Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only what you are expecting to give — which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving. - katharine hepburn

rock the dress, picture by kamila harris

day 20, wishful wednesday

from her post.

'I wish' .... I could go back in time and change one decision I made,
and it would be.. to stand up for myself as a teen, to stop following others and believe in myself.

i'm still working on this today, but think if i had learned how to do it as a teen it would have saved me a lot of heartache.