Week 1 of giving thanks...

Thankful for...

1. Larry Fedora.

I had a good feeling about this man since day 1, and I am proud to have him join the Tarheel family as an unbelievable role model, leader, and coach. Larry, you got tha swag.

2. My job.

I am so blessed to have such a great job. I have not only made great friendships at work, but I have learned what a good boss looks like, and how important it is to love your job. I am growing so much and even on the longest of days, I still feel so lucky to be where I am.

3.  Breakfast foods.

Well, to me this doesn't need an explanation. Anything with bacon, cheese, and carbs wins me over real fast.

4. Fall fashion.

Ya'll. There is not much better than layers, boots, more layers, blazers, and scarves. I just love it all.

5. My boyfriend.

This guy is the most patient, loving person I know. He is forgiving, never judges others, and has the biggest heart. I have seen him do things for complete strangers that most people can't fathom doing for people they know. Thanks for being this way. I love you.

6. Hot showers.
To most people, this is part of everyday life. To a lot of other people, this is a major luxury. Next time it's cold outside and you get to stand in a hot shower with soap and shampoo, be extra thankful, knowing that there are some people who would give anything to count on having that every day.

7. Good books.
One of my favorite things to do, especially when it's cold out, is to read. I literally get giddy some nights when I know I get to crawl into my sheets with a candle burning and a great book. To me, it's the best part of being out of college.

"Sometimes we expect more from others because we would be willing to do that much for them."

 

That is all. 

Some {fabulous} things

Mustard Anything

Messy Updos

Black and White Room Accents

Boyfriend Jeans

Good Books

Vintage Bags

Fabulous Stationary

Polyvore Thursday

Summer Project Anyone?

I have had a few friends in the past couple of weeks ask me for help with distressing furniture. I have become quite the pro at this and if you have ever visited my home, you already know that the more worn something looks to me, the better. 

Step 1: Pick out old piece of furniture from flea market, thrift store, junk store, etc. The junkier the better. Don't underestimate the potential behind even the most hideous pieces of furniture you may find :)

Step 2: Make a trip to Lowes. 

You will need to get: spray can of paint primer, gloss paint, a cheap tarp, fine-grain sandpaper, and a  paint brush. Depending on how big/small whatever you're painting is, I recommend getting sample size paint to save money. It looks small, but I covered my coffee table with 2 coats and still had some leftover - and you can ask for it in any color. If you think you might need more, the pint covers 100 sq ft. 

Step 3: Set up tarp in a dry, flat area outside when you know it's not supposed to rain that day. Place furniture in the middle of the tarp and make sure none of the sides are able to blow over and stick to the wet paint once you begin.

Step 4: Scuff up table (or whatever you are painting) with sandpaper. You do not need to completely sand every inch of it. Just scuff it up evenly and smooth out any previous paint chips or uneven surfaces. This way, the primer will adhere better - no matter what kind of paint was used before.

 Step 5: Spray primer evenly over all surfaces that will be painted. As you can see, it does not need to be a solid coat like the paint. Let primer dry depending on the time it says on the can. If it's a hot day, it may take less time. (I did these tables last summer and they dried super fast in the heat).

Step 6: Paint 2 coats and let dry for a few hours. It's important to let the paint completely dry in order to properly distress. 

Step 7: (not pictured) Time to distress! After paint is dry, time to get out the sandpaper. (Again, be sure you are using fine-grain.) I always start out where any ridges or texture is - so usually the legs and edges where all the curves are. Sand lightly and apply more pressure until you see the natural wood showing through. For the flat surfaces, add a couple of distressed spots as well, but focus more on other areas, as you want to keep the idea of it looking more natural, thinking of where items actually become distressed over time.

Next, take a dry paint brush or paper towel and brush off the dust from sanding. Enjoy your new fabulous piece of furniture!

 

Life has been so busy for me lately. I know I always say that, but I truly am trying to slow down. Between working non-stop, traveling here and there on the weekends, birthdays, graduations, hellos, and goodbyes, time is just FLYING. I cannot believe it is the end of June already. It's so true that time goes by even faster when you're working. There are no spring/fall breaks to split up the time - and definitely no chillaxing by the pool on weekdays during the summer. Taylor always bugs me about blogging. I will randomly get a text saying "Sure would like to read a blog" and I never make the time to do it. SO, here is my measly effort to say HI and make excuses as to why I have been so terrible at keeping up with this thing. There really are lots of things I would like to share, but I guess one step at a time is going to have to be my promise to gradually be more consistent. For now, happy hump day!

I don't think I have ever been this excited to start a week. Maybe that's because this weekend I get to see my favorite guy in the world after a LONG 2 1/2 months. Words cannot express how much I have missed you, Taylor! Hurry home to me as soon as you're done taking over the world ;)

Cross my Heart

So I have had this love for side crosses for a while now, and suddenly I have been spotting them everywhere. I have seen silver, gold, turquoise, even pearl crosses in necklaces, bracelets, and rings. SO chic and simple!! So far the best selection I have found with many price points and variations is etsy. I can't decide which one I want - I was thinking maybe a big one and small one to wear together around my neck. Here are some of my favs:

April 4, 2012

Minty Spring

Lunch Favorite

Just wanted to share my famous chicken salad recipe for anyone interested in a delicious, filling, HEALTHY meal. (Excuse my super low-quality i-phone photo, but I thought a mere visual might help the cause.) You can serve this on top of greens, in a wrap, or just by itself. If you want to be real fancy, or just have an avocado obsession like myself, you can add a few slices of ripe avocado on top and it's OH SO GOOD.

2-4 Servings
 *I usually never measure unless i'm baking so these are rough measurements. Use your judgement depending on the size of the veggies and how much of each ingredient you prefer. If you don't have all the seasonings, salt & pepper usually does the trick!


You will need:

-2 small to medium boneless skinless chicken breasts 
-1/2 red bell pepper
-1/3 yellow onion
-2 table spoons mayonnaise
-salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley


Directions:

-Rinse chicken and trim of all fat
-Bring water to a boil and add in chicken breasts
-Boil about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked all the way through
-Chop onion and red bell pepper and combine in a separate bowl with the mayonnaise
-Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley on top of combined ingredients
-Once cooked thoroughly, remove chicken from water and pat dry with a paper towel
-Cut chicken into small chunks and let cool for about 5 minutes after it's all chopped - Be careful because it will be hot as you cut it
-Add chicken into the mixture of peppers, onions, mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir everything together.
-Refrigerate and enjoy!

Happy Thursday

Happy Spring

I have been terrible about blogging lately. I get behind, and then I don't know where to start again, so I put it off and then here I am... one measly picture and nothing interesting to say. I vow to blog more often than I have been - especially since Taylor keeps bugging me about how I never blog anymore. So here's to Spring, new blog posts ahead, and basketball season(unfortunately) not taking over all my free time. xoxo

COLOR is what's trending

Can anyone tell I have Spring fever?

Worth the calories...

This morning my parents came to visit for brunch, which was the perfect way to spend my Sunday. I made homemade hash browns, bacon and spinach quiche, and of course I had to stop and get fresh Bruegger's bagels from around the corner. It was my first attempt ever at making a quiche, and with my dad being the tough food critic he is, I was definitely up for a challenge. Hate to brag, but it was darn good. I wanted to share the recipe because it's so easy and delish, and you don't have to be Wolfgang Puck for this to turn out amazing.

You will need:

-8 oz bacon

-1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie crust (frozen section)

-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

-3 tbspns all-purpose flour

-5 eggs lightly beaten

-1 1/2 cups half & half

-1/2 cup diced onion

-1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained of all water

Directions: 

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. 

-Let frozen crust thaw out for about 10-15 minutes. Poke holes in bottom and sides of crust and bake by itself for 5 minutes. Sprinkle bacon inside of crust. In a small bowl, combine Cheddar cheese and flour. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, cream, onion and spinach. Combine both mixtures; stir well. Pour mixture into pie crust. Garnish top with any leftover bacon crumbles.

-Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

 

Sitting in bed in my freshly cleaned sheets, feeling thankful. Thankful for a warm bed to snuggle up in and soft pillow to rest my head on tonight. Thankful to be safe and rested and clean and warm. I'm thankful for many things, but right now it's merely the simplicity of falling asleep tonight in clean sheets right where I belong. It's true, we should all take a moment to smell the roses, or the fabric softener - either one.

To my little brother

Just heard this song and it made me think of one thing: when my little brother was a toddler and this was his favorite song and only knew the chorus. My friends are probably thinking that description sounds a lot like me now. His version went like this:

It's sumfin unpwedictable
In the end is right
I hope you have da tiiIIIiiime of yer lifeeee.

x 5,000

Joseph, you will be 18 in less than a month and not only do you know all the words to this song, but you can play it on the guitar perfectly. Even though I get on your nerves probably more than you get on mine, we will always be pals. However, I will always need to borrow some sweat pants when I'm home, and will always ask you to be my slave and get me something to drink whenever I'm thirsty. At 23, I am still not above being completely helpless the second I plop down on the couch. The dirty looks may stop eventually, but I wouldn't count on it. And I will probably always punch your arm with my bony knuckles every time I walk by you. Get used to it. 


BUT

I am proud of you and hope your are proud of yourself. Most importantly I don't ever want you to think you aren't good enough for whatever life has to offer. It's all yours if you want it badly enough. Please know there aren't shortcuts to great things, and if going far in life were easy, everyone would be doing it. Be that leader that mom always instilled in us, and never get mad at the obstacles that get in the way. Learn to embrace them and know that those are the moments that define us. You will be challenged and hurt at times, but it's important to get back up and dust yourself off. Always offer a hand, even to your worst enemy, and expect nothing in return. It's not about what you get, it's about what you give. And lastly, in all things you do, no matter who you're with or where you are, I hope you have the time of your life.

Love,
your big sister

Rainy Day

Today was such a rainy, dreary day. At work, all we talked about was how we all longed for our sweat pants and the remote in the comfort of our own living rooms, sheltered from the falling sky. I walked in from lunch, practically soaked, despite my best effort to shield myself with my umbrella on my walk from the parking lot. Of course I managed to lose my balance in the midst of dodging puddles on the uneven sidewalk, and planted my feet right in a nice cold puddle the size of Texas. Great. Soggy flats and frizzy hair was the best way to describe the rest of my day. 

Despite trudging into my office, sopping wet, wanting nothing more than to be moseyed up at home with a hot cup of chai tea, I appreciate days like today. Sometimes, that slowness of those rainy days is what keeps us grounded. We complain about how ugly it is out and how wet and cold it is, but at the end of the day when we are finally rewarded with sweat pants and a good dinner and a hot shower, we appreciate these little things a tad bit more than usual. I had the most relaxing evening making dinner, doing an ab workout, and finding my little nook at the end of the couch with my laptop and an over-sized sweatshirt. A lot of times, my life is so busy I either don't have time to appreciate these little rewards of my day, or I just flat out overlook them.

So tonight when I snuggle up in bed, I'll be sure to thank God twice for giving me the opportunity today to be patient and count my smaller blessings that I don't always count when the sun is shining and the warm breeze is blowing. It's easy to smile and skip on a bright sunny day, but there's never a rainbow without the rain.

Goodnight,

Jolene

It's all about the Fringe