Holiday Happenings

We've been out of school a little over a week now and I'm basking in the lack of schedule that I have!

Our last week of school and our first holiday week have been jam packed (with some pretty amazing things, might I add)

For my Advent reading this year, I followed Sally Lloyd-Jones plan using her Jesus Storybook Bible. 

After reading her assigned story, I would follow up by reading it in my bible. 

It was so easy to follow along with and the stories were so, so sweet. I highly suggest using her plan for your advent reading next year. 

We had such a fun time celebrating Anna-Miles & Matt getting married. This sweet couple has been together for years so this one was a long time coming. I love December weddings!

I finally gave in and subscribed to the Magnolia Record Club. 

If you want an easy, hassle-free way to grow your record collection, this is the way to go!

The website explains it all, very clearly. Give it a try and be sure to use my referral code if you sign up--6w2q9j

One of our long-time friends has taken a new job and is moving to Memphis.
We couldn't let her go without a congrats/farewell dinner.
We went to a new restaurant called Fine & Dandy--and it was just that.
It was a really neat atmosphere, really cool/unique drinks, and super tasty food.
Check out their website: here.

Another wedding weekend in December and this one was beautiful!

Congrats to Skylar and Chris!

I was given the fun opportunity to photograph the surprise engagement for this sweet couple!
I think it's obvious that she said yes ;)

Our beautiful, little niece, Ann Hatten was born--don't worry, she's getting a post all to herself--coming soon!

We had a super fun ornament & wine swap

I ended up with the COOLEST wine from 19 Crimes--if you ever see it, buy a bottle and get the app--you won't be disappointed! It's also a super tasty wine--I got the red blend. 

We made a day trip to the coast to see Cat & Coco and we had the best day!
We had a yummy lunch and went to the Walter Anderson museum

Christmas Eve this year fell on a Sunday

We went to church that morning and had our annual Christmas Eve Communion service that evening. 

It was the perfect way to prepare our hearts for Christmas Day. 

We made the annual road trip to Auburn for Christmas with Mom's family. 

I didn't get many pictures other than one of my favorite pizza & wine duo.

 Our last holiday hoorah was celebrating New Years Eve with Mom & Dad
I wanted Jason & them to try Fine & Dandy
It was just as tasty as the last time and we enjoyed a fun evening ringing in 2018!

Reads for 2017

365 days, 17 books.

Each book title will take you to the link on Amazon where you can purchase the book if you so wish.

Also, to see all of my previous posts with my "reads" for past years, you can follow this link and it will take you to any of my posts that I've labeled with "book recommendations".

"Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)" Lauren Graham--After binge watching Gilmore Girls over Christmas Break last year, it only made sense to read Lauren Graham's (Lorelai) book. It reads the same way that she talks. It was fun to read and I so enjoyed following along with how her life has been and the steps she took to make it where she is today. I really enjoyed it!

"12th of Never" James Patterson--If you like mystery/thrillers and you've never read a James Patterson book, do yourself a HUGE favor and get one (once you're done reading this post ;) I love his books. They are so easy to read, 1-4 page chapters so you can literally fly through them. They are so interesting and there's always, ALWAYS a huge twist that you aren't expecting. I started reading the Women's Murder Club books back in 2008. One summer, I read 2-8 in about a 3 week span. They are that good! 12th of Never was still as amazing as I remember them all being. I was draw in, immediately and couldn't put it down. Great book.

I also realized while I was looking back over my reading lists that I had never read books 9 and 10 in the series! I somehow skipped right to 11--my OCD tendencies can't believe it. So, naturally, you know what's coming next. I'm not going to give my thoughts on each of these. I will just say that if mystery/thrillers are your thing...read these books.

"9th Judgement" James Patterson

"10th Anniversary" James Patterson

"Unlucky 13" James Patterson

"The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" Rosaria Butterfield--Earlier this year, I went to hear Dr. Butterfield speak and she was so captivating. Not only is she a phenomenal speaker, so eloquent and brilliant, but she also has a testimony that is so moving. Her book was just as great. I definitely recommend it.

"A Little Princess" Frances Hodgson Burnett--I had never read this book. I had only ever seen the movie and it's one of my favorite movies. It's so sweet and touching. I can remember watching it as a little girl and I recently re-watched it and still loved it just as much. The book was just as great! I thought it was wonderful. Not to mention, I got this beautiful leather-bound one from Barnes & Noble (here). It's so pretty with a few illustrated pictures scattered throughout! I really enjoyed reading this book.

"The Beauty and the Beast" Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot De Villeneuve--I got this book soon after seeing the live-action Beauty and the Beast that was released this year. This book is STUNNING. It's so cool. It's "lavishly illustrated with interactive elements"--yes it is! It's so neat. It's definitely a collectors item. I didn't want it to just sit on my bookshelf so of course, I read it. From what I understand this book is the original story and it's actually pretty different than the movie that we know and love. I personally liked the movie better (the original one) but, the book was good and definitely worth reading--especially one this beautiful and different.

"14th Deadly Sin" James Patterson

"15th Affair" James Patterson

"16th Seduction" James Patterson--The latest book from James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series. I was pumped to get my hands on this one! It did not disappoint. Again, this series is really good if you enjoy mystery/thriller books. You can't go wrong with James Patterson.

"Inkheart" Cornelia Funke--This trilogy was recommended to me quite sometime ago and I finally got around to ordering the books and just after book 1, I am not disappointed! This book was great. It was an easy read with short(ish) chapters. You fall in love with (most) of the characters upfront and the story itself is so creative! I am heading to the beach next week and will be reading books 2 and 3 of the series! Book one definitely set the pace and made you want to read more.

"Inkspell" Cornelia Funke

"Inkdeath" Cornelia Funke--After finishing this series I would definitely recommend it! The story itself is such a neat concept and I really liked how they ended the series. Definitely worth the read!

"The Meaning of Marriage" Tim Keller--I haven't read this book since before Jason and I got married and my goodness--it was great to read again, now 4 years married. It was funny, at times, to look at what I underlined and was interested in before being married and had not a clue of what marriage would be like. This book is full of good, good truths about marriage as it relates to the bible and is a must-read for everyone.

"Fish In A Tree" Lynda Mullaly Hunt--This book was given to me as a recommendation and I am so glad it was. It was such a great book--especially for teachers or students/families that have children struggling with dyslexia (or other learning exceptionalities). This book follows Ally Nickerson and shares with us her troubles with school (reading especially). That is, until a new teacher comes into the mix and things change for Ally. I was crying through the last 10 pages--it's a quick read and it's a great read. Definitely pick this one up!

"The Snow Queen" Hans Christian Andersen--For the past 2 years, I've made it a point to read a Christmas book over my winter break. This year, Snow Queen was my choice. I got this beautiful version from amazon (click the title) and it was a quick, easy read. Mom and I saw The Snow Queen ballet a few years ago and I just never realized it was a book! It's definitely worth the read.

What were your favorite reads for 2017?

Snow Day & All The Christmas Things

Give me a Snow Day and you guys get a post!

It is absolutely breathtaking outside.
 Jason & I woke up this morning and it was completely white outside with snow still falling.
It was magical.

 I had to drive around the neighborhood and take a few pictures.

These were all taken on the golf course pathway

We braved the snow and got coffee and breakfast this morning--we were already up and dressed for work so, why not?
While we were out I had to stop by the church and snap a picture--tell me our church wasn't made for snow days--it's so dreamy!

For the remainder of the day, I will be watching TV, enjoying our Christmas decor, and drinking warm beverages!

Oh! I almost forgot to tell y'all--
We started our snow day with a BIRD flying INTO the house at 6:00 this morning
I opened the door to walk out and watch the snow falling and SWOOSH—in flies the bird.
Was I any help to Jason? Nope. Not a single bit. I just hid, ducked, and let out a little scream every time it flew near “my side”. I am not a fan of birds anywhere close to me.
I am happy to report that after a solid 5 minutes of the little thing flying in circles, perching on our fan, Christmas tree, and light fixtures, it finally found the wide open door and flew out.
I will NEVER, ever open that glass door again without looking for hidden little birdies first.

Anniversary Day Trippin'

I love Thanksgiving Break for many reasons. 

Being teachers, we have the entire week off and naturally, when wedding planning, we planned it that way so that we could always do something fun throughout the week to celebrate our anniversary. 

This year, our actual anniversary falls on Thanksgiving Day so we planned a day trip to New Orleans yesterday to celebrate a few days early! 

 We started off the morning with our favorite pastry/breakfast place, Croissant D'or Patisserie

You can see from the pictures--it is just a beautiful place--both architecturally and with their food presentation.

All of those beautiful pastries and desserts but, we come for the almond croissant. It is so delicious and unlike anything I've had anywhere around here. We always make a point to stop here when in New Orleans. 

Another thing that we do each time we are in New Orleans is stop by "our tree". 

Jason proposed to me in New Orleans in Jackson Square at this tree and we make it a point to stop there and get a picture of ourselves at "our tree". It's always fun to look back at these pictures and see how we've changed and grown over the years. 

 We've been to New Orleans countless times and I'm fairly certain I will never get over all of the houses and buildings. I absolutely love it. 

 Another must-have for us when we're in New Orleans is a muffuletta from Central Grocery. If you've never had one, it's simply a must. 

We ended the day at Three Muses. 

I ate there for the first time (I think) almost 2 1/2 years ago and I just remember thinking it was some of the most creative and delicious food I've ever had. 

 And I am happy to say...I remembered correctly. 

 I'm stealing these descriptions straight from the menu because you guys have to see just how creative their food choices are. The first thing we got was the Beer-Braised Kurobuta Pork Belly that included apple chutney and scallion pancakes.

 Italian Baked Mac & Cheese--creamy cheese sauce, herbed bread crumbs

 Two Run Farms Lamb Sliders--seasoned lamb and pork, tomato chutney, herbed goat cheese, housemade potato chips.

We ended our meal with their homemade key lime pie. Look at the presentation--so pretty!

I'm not sure I can eat anywhere else when I go to New Orleans because of how much I love this restaurant.

By the time we got home, our feet were tired, our bellies were (way, wayyyy too) full, our eyes were tired, but, our hearts were happy. I am so very thankful to have celebrated another anniversary with Jason and thankful to The Lord for 4 years of marriage with him. Here's to many more years of being gracious to one another, learning from one another, and loving one another. 

I will leave you with this picture from (almost) 1,460 days ago

My man is so handsome. 

Influenster (4)

 I received my 4th box from Influenster earlier in October and it was my first box that contained food!   What's even better than a box of food? FREE FOOD! That's my favorite part about Influenster--LOL. 

I was a little bit scared and a little excited at the same time. I mean come on, food is usually hit or miss and I had never heard of this brand before.

I followed the instructions on the simmer sauce which were quite simple.
First, cook however much chicken until brown, add the simmer sauce.
There was an option to add veggies or other things to "beef it up"--Jason and I decided to keep it simple and serve it over brown rice.

It was SO EASY and very tasty and it made plenty to have for lunch the next day as well.
I will definitely purchase this brand again and try some of the other simmer sauces they have.

Thank you to Influenster for introducing me to yet another awesome product that I hadn't used before. 

If you're interested in possibly earning some free products to test and review--check out Influenster here, sign up and start earning some free products!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

It has been wayyyyy too long since I've posted a recipe. 

In all honesty, Jason and I have been keeping it simple since July and just baked chicken and a vegetable most nights so, things haven't been as creative lately! 

But THIS! This is a good, easy (soooo incredibly easy), and tasty recipe. 

It comes from the "Paleo in 28" cookbook--which is full of all kinds of amazing recipes. 

This recipe is perfect for Jason and I because we can throw the ingredients in the crock pot before we leave for work and then, BOOM! Dinner is finished when we get home. 

So here it goes:

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

What you need:

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups salsa

(and then we also add:)

1 can black beans, drained

1 1/2 cups of quinoa
Diced jalapeños 

What you do:

Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker (I've done it with the chicken frozen and thawed--either way). 

In a small bowl, stir together to cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper along with salt and pepper. 

Pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken. 

Pour the salsa over the chicken as well. 

Cook on low for 10 hours (or the original recipe says cook on high for 4 hours). 

When you are ready to eat, shred the chicken with two forks. Stir to coat the chicken with the salsa and serve. 

Then, Jason and I improvise after that and do the following:

Once the chicken is shredded, add in the black beans (don't forget to drain them).

Mix the black beans into the salsa chicken mixture. 

Put the lid back on and place on warm. 

We have found that we like to eat this over quinoa. 

Get you a bag of quinoa and cook it as the bag suggests (only takes about 15 minutes).

After that, enjoy the taste and ENJOY HOW EASY THIS WAS!

What I'm Loving Right Now (14)

So much fun and exciting stuff has been happening lately. This fall season has been busy and quick and you know what that means--I need to share with you guys all the things I'm loving right now! 

 The first weekend in November, we had Mary Claire's first baby shower. It was the sweetest afternoon and I know she and little Ann Hatten felt so incredibly loved. 

 This shower was hosted by some of the ladies of Lakeland Presbyterian. One of the sweetest parts of being a part of the same church for over 20 years is that the people at our church are not just people, they are family. Many of them have watched Mary Claire, Aaron, and I grow up and navigate through each stage of our lives. They have loved us and our family so well for so long and we are forever grateful for the little taste of heaven we receive from our church family and their graciousness and goodness towards us. 

 Then, just this past weekend, Mary Claire had her 2nd baby shower and it was just as sweet! 

It has been so good for this sister's heart to see Mary Claire and Grant so excited to bring Ann Hatten into this world and I think I speak for the whole family when I say, we can hardly wait!

And speaking of babies--I am surrounded by babies and pregnant friends right now and I couldn't be happier. They are all so sweet, cuddly, and down right precious!

I love this season of life watching all of my friend's little families grow. 

 These two are the latest additions--look at all that sweetness!

This TV show--Jason and I have been watching this show for a few weeks now and it is simply hilarious. We are only in season 2 and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes. 

I've been doing a book study since August and we went through this book and all I can say is--married, single, divorced, whatever walk of life you may be in--this book is wonderful. It is full of so many good, good, biblical truths and it brings to surface many things that we just don't think about in relationships, marriage especially. 

These are three of my favorite quotes from the book or study guide:

"What, then, is marriage for? It is for helping each other to become our future glory-selves, the new creations that God will eventually make us. The common horizon husband and wife look toward is The Throne, and the holy, spotless, and blameless nature we will have."

"Well, when Jesus looked down from the cross, he didn't think, "I am giving myself to you because you because you are so attractive to me." No, He was in agony, and he looked down at us--denying Him, abandoning Him, and betraying Him--and in the greatest act of love in history, he stayed. He said, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing." He loved us, not because we were lovely to Him, but to make us lovely. That is why I am going to love my spouse. Speak to your heart like that, and then fulfill the promises you made on your wedding day."

“Repentance is not just feeling sorry but changing the direction of your heart’s affections. In true repentance, you begin to see Jesus as more desirable than the sin you thought you were finding satisfaction in. Only God’s spirit can provide lasting change, but such change begins as you choose the glory of God over the faux glory of sin.”

My class. 

I love my class this year. 

They are 6 of the sweetest, cutest, funniest, silliest, most unique kiddos that I've had in a long time. I am so enjoying having a smaller class size again and I wish I could share with you all every single event and detail of our days because each day brings either a hilarious moment, a sweet moment, or just one of those..."did that really just happen?" moments that you just have to laugh about. 

Guitar Lessons with Dad. 

I've been taking guitar lessons from my Dad since August and I am loving it. Not only do I love learning how to play guitar (slowly but surely) but, I love having something special to do with my Dad and getting to spend time with him each week. 

These new lip colors/lip liners I got. 

I'm going to let you in on a secret--if you use MAC makeup and ever have empty containers--don't throw them away. If you take 6 empty containers to the MAC counter, you can get a FREE LIPSTICK of your choice. I mean, can you even beat that? I may or may not have cleaned out some of my eyeshadow containers from high school that I knew I'd never wear again (cue the blues, silvers, pinks, and other "why did I ever even own those" colors). 

I know all of these colors look similar but, they all look so different once applied. 

The far left color by L'Oreal was literally purchased to match a sweater and a shirt that I recently bought. But, it's turned out to be one of my favorite fall colors. It is called "Cinnamon Toast" and it is the perfect brick-reddish-rusty-orangish color for fall. I love it. I don't like the way it smells--very perfumed, but it doesn't even matter because of how much I love the color. 

The middle color by MAC was my free color that I chose. It is called "Russian Red" and it is a matte color, which I love. MAC classifies it as an "intense bluish-red"--whatever that means, it sure is pretty! I've only worn it twice so far but, it's awesome. To me, it is the perfect red. 

The far right color by MAC was the one that "I just couldn't live without" when I was trying to decide which one I wanted to get for free. It's within the red realm as well--it's considered a brick red.  It is called "Fire Roasted" and it's the perfect color if you want something showy...but not over the top. It's such a pretty color. So pretty that I left with the lip liner as well and it actually serves as a great liner for all 3 of the lip sticks--you can check it out here. 

The other lip liner pictured is called "Soar" by MAC and that joker can line just about any color of lipstick that's in the pink/neutral/brownish family. MAC describes it as a mid-tone pinkish brown. Not to mention, it's a wooden pencil so it will last FOREVER. I actually lost the one I purchased over 5 years ago and was devastated and that's what kickstarted my MAC lipstick craze that's happened here recently. 

Last but not least, Thanksgiving Break is coming!

I am so excited and ready for a week off. 

This week is always so fun and so special because this is the week that Jason and I got married. 4 years of marriage, coming soon!

As always, thank y'all for reading and following along!