Things I'll be making or baking in the very near future...

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

Chicken Tortilla Bake

Ranch Chicken

Red Velvet Trifle

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake

Snickers Dip

Recent Recipes I've Tried

So some of these recipes are brand new and some are ones that I've used before but really love. Thank goodness for pinterest!

Poppy Seed Chicken
     I thought this turned out pretty okay. It's not my favorite casserole but it was good...and I liked it better the next day, which is always a good thing with casseroles. In my opinion, I think it might be better with whole chicken breasts or less sauce. I do think I'll make it again because it's super easy but I'll probably change it up slightly.

Buffalo Chicken Garbage Bread

     I made this instead of buffalo chicken dip one weekend. I actually baked it and then drove over to a friends house for dinner and sangria (see below) and it was still warm and yummy almost an hour after taking it out of the oven. I think this would be great to take to a tailgate. It wasn't quite as good as buffalo chicken dip (a favorite of mine) but it definitely worked out great for the occasion and I'll make it again. 

Peach Moscato Sangria
     All  I really need to say is that this was amazing...especially if you like peach and moscato...or just fruit soaked in alcohol.

Baked Ravioli
     This recipe came from Charlotte's blog. I made this for lunch for the twins and I one day. It was a definite success...well Riggs and I really enjoyed it at least. Jackson kind of ate it but I definitely recommend this. It's really easy.  

Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies
     I made these for the Clemson game this past weekend. I used break and bake snickerdoodle cookies so it was pretty much the easiest dessert I've ever made. But they tasted good and looked cute so really that's all that matters. If you like pumpkin, then you should definitely give these a try. 

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
     I made this for the first time last fall and decided to break it out again for a cookout a few weekends ago. I really like making trifles in general and this is a great one for fall. I use the pumpkin spice pudding that is only in stores in the fall but you can just follow the recipe and use vanilla pudding mixed with pumpkin. The pumpkin spice pudding is just easier...so I stocked up once I found it in stores.

SMores Brownies
     I decided to make these kind of at the last minute to take to a dinner one Friday night. Mine ended up being more like a glob of brownie goodness with marshmallows and graham crackers mixed in, once I tried to cut the brownies. So while the appearance (once cut) wasn't the greatest, it tasted really good so I guess it ended up okay. I think this is an easy way to make regular brownies a little more fun. 

Organization Obsession

so if you've been reading here for long at all you know that i LOVE pinterest
i'm also slightly obsessed with organization...i love it when everything has a place...and when it's in its place. 
here are a few of my favorite pins from my board that all about organization...seriously that's how much i love organizing.

{all images and their original links can be found on my organization obsession pinboard}

*i love the chalkboard chart complete with color-coded post-it notes...seriously i want that in my house one day

*i lose bobby-pins like you wouldn't believe...and i think this has to be one of the best ways i've ever *seen to keep up with them. plus it's super easy and convenient

*i love wrapping presents so i think that this little wrapping station would be a great start...until i can have a gift wrapping room naturally.

*the last picture is legos organized by color. i want to go ahead and start doing this even though i'm no where near having kids...but this will definitely be the way that their legos are kept. 

Thirsty Thursdays-Springtime Edition

raspberry mango sangria 

raspberry beer cocktail

vodka spiked blueberry lemonade

grapefruit margarita

so excited for summertime and to try some of these fun drinks out!

all of these recipes can be found on my thirsty pinboard 

made my day

i saw this on pinterest and loved it (here is my board where it is pinned)

definitely laughed out loud at this one...also does Siri work this well for anyone in real life? (here)

obviously i relate to this (here)

while this is slightly more serious than the first three, i'm sort of in love with this saying...and i want to put this in my (future) daughter's room...just so she doesn't forget it! (here)

valentine's day love

these notecards are adorable...and i think you could totally send them as cute card any day!

found here on etsy

what i love most about this outfit is that it doesn't scream valentine's day so it could be worn well after the holiday...plus who doesn't love polka dots and ruffles?!?

found here

once again, totally appropriate to be worn year-round...and i'm currently a little obsessed with this mustard yellow color

adorable from this etsy shop

Sister of the Groom

i recently re-did my pinterest boards...okay if we are being honest here i redo/reorganize my boards quite frequently...i'm sure that's a trait that a future employer is definitely looking for. anyways, one of my newer boards is entitled sister of the groom (bridal shower style). basically it's where i pin ideas that i think would make for a cute bridal shower for my brother's fiance....oh yeah that's right blog-world my LITTLE brother is engaged...and oh yup i'm still single with no boy prospects on the horizon. but, enough about that. i do love to throw a good party so i figured i might as well start planning the shower. they haven't set a date yet so obviously there is no date/time frame for this shower. but it's never to early to start planning...and every event in my life needs a pinterest board :)

(starting in top left corner...obviously)

1. cupcakes in a tea cup adorable right? what a cute way to serve cupcakes...and the tea cups make it seem so grown-up

2. yarn chandelier so maybe it's just the bright colors, but i think these would be a fun and unique way to decorate any party with

3. pink lemonade in a mason jar doesn't get more southern than this...plus how cute is the fabric tied on the jar

4. recipe for love have each guest write down a recipe for love aka advice for the new couple...or you could always just have people share their favorite recipes [great i'm already resistant to advice...clearly i should work on this accepting advice concept]

5. chicken caesar salad sandwiches made in the crock-pot...no more words are needed

6. pink & yellow table setting love the colors...and the monogram on the back of each chair

7. blt bites and my jaw just hit the floor

8. strawberry bridal shower again...does a table setting get any cuter? plus i love the little baskets at each place setting

9. bunting invite i love how simple but cute these invitations are

sister of the groom pinterest board can be found here

pinterest love!

it's been a while since i've blogged about pinterest. don't worry i'm still horribly addicted and i can't imagine how i functioned without it. a few days ago i was thinking how could you have possibly planned an awesome party before pinterest. then i realized that i threw a pretty great baby shower before i got on pinterest. (missed it by about a month i think) so obviously life functioned before this website came into my life. for a while i wondered if i would actually ever do anything that i have pinned. sure some stuff will be handy when i'm planning my wedding, dressing my kids or decorating my apartment. other boards are totally applicable now, like all the *hopefully* yummy recipes i've pinned. so, in order to show that pinterest is actually a good use of my time, here are some of my pins that i've actually tried. i know, i'm shocked too.

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made this Sin Dip for an evening snack on Christmas day while we played dominos. it was really good but honestly what isn't when cheese and bread are involved.

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i gave a variation of this to my dad for one of his Christmas presents. i bought 2 strands of purple lights and tied orange and white tulle randomly along the strands. i think it will be perfect for tailgating next fall and trust me, my dad is serious about some Clemson tailgating so naturally he was pretty excited.

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i have made these chicken and cheese lasagna roll-ups a few times and each time, i have been quite pleased with the results. they are really easy to make and taste delicious. plus they heat up really well the next day.

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i made this craft with the twins right before thanksgiving. it was a lot of fun and i blogged about it here.

i also feel the need to mention that it really bothers me when someone's pinterest boards are not properly labeled/categorized...and not properly refers to my standards, not something official from pinterest. i might be slightly obsessive with my boards...shocker i know. however i would enjoy it if pinterest made everyone uphold my standards...one can dream right?!?

just some bullets...

• at dinner tonight there was a mariachi band (?) that walked around the restaurant. my mom made the comment that my brother and his girlfriend should go to dinner somewhere that they can be serenaded at. i voiced my opinion (that it is a lame idea) and my mom commented that if i had a boy who did that i would love it. my dad interjected with an idea that i would think it was even sweeter if he (the boy) grabbed my hand or something during all of this. i, naturally, responded that i don't want to be dating someone who grabs my hand while i'm trying to eat. i mean personal space anyone. of course my brother jumps in at this time to say something to the effect of, you are never going to meet someone with that kind of an attitude. thanks little brother for the wise advice. i don't need you help and i certainly don't want the boy to be all touchy-feely all the time. i'm not a hugger and i really don't like being touched in general. so okay maybe i'll be okay with like an arm around me or something...but i'm pretty sure i'm the last person you'd have to be worried about with too much PDA.
• with everyone blogging about things they are thankful for and it being so close to Thanksgiving and everything, i was reminded of a story from like 5th or 6th grade. and just so you know, it's not a great thanksgiving story and i definitely come across as a bratty little girl (so i think it's safe to say i was in 6th grade when this happened). at church one wednesday night before Thanksgiving our teacher had us get into small groups and make a list of things we were thankful for. i, of course, ended up in a group with Kari and Lacey (2 of the star girls) and that's probably where we went wrong. this particular teacher had a habit of keeping us well past time for class to end and i think our parents were kind of scared of her because they wouldn't come and interrupt class. so by the time this list idea came up, it was well past time for class to be over. this particular teacher also had pretty strong beliefs about harry potter, basically that if you read the book you might end up in hell. (okay that might be an exaggeration) so, at first, we were really serious with our list. when we realized that she wasn't going to let us go after listing 5 things, we moved onto the more sillier items. like being thankful for toilet paper (for some reason it really sticks out to me that we wrote this one down) and then we mentioned that we were thankful for harry potter. okay so i wasn't into harry potter so i definitely was not reading the books. but i'm pretty sure to say this was my idea. our teacher saw red (i think) and started lecturing us in a really loud tone that we were not taking this exercise seriously (which we were not). at this point it's like 20 minutes past the end of class so the 3 of us just get up and walk out, mid-sentence. she starts to come after us so naturally we take off running and hide in an empty classroom under a table until we are sure she is gone. i know, 6th grade was a pretty rough year for me. 
• i realized this afternoon that i didn't bring my journal home with me...and i really wish i had
• this past monday was craft-time with the twins. this event is definitely worthy of its own blog post, so that will be coming soon. i'll be sure to include some cute pictures...and why the artwork of my own children may or may not make it on the fridge one day.
• so i have to take Reg again (third time is the charm right?!?) i have not told anyone this yet but i'm not like super depressed about it or anything. honestly i kind of saw this one coming. i definitely will be watching all of the videos again but i think i'll be able to take it much more seriously this time...so we'll see how that goes
• i have some sewing/crafty projects i need to post soon...i also have made a few recipes from pinterest that i'll also blog about
• speaking of sewing, i ended up at home without all the different feet to my sewing machine. i was so sure that they were in my bag that i didn't even double check. thank goodness that my embroidery foot was on my machine or else i'm pretty sure my brother would have KILLED me...also good that my mom has a sewing machine i can use...and using it makes me appreciate mine even more!
• last saturday night, i caught the last hour or so of the the first twilight movie on f/x. i may or may not now be obsessed with this phenomenon. i've been reading about the books online (so maybe like a cliff notes thing) and i'm thinking i might borrow the books from someone...since pretty much everyone else has already jumped on this bandwagon. i will say that i think a big reason i'm kind of interested in this right now is that the new movie is about their wedding/honeymoon/baby and that is pretty intriguing to me. 
• and fyi, my sewing machine doesn't like to embroider on fleece blankets. i spent a good 45 minutes taking my sewing machine apart and having a mild panic attack that i had broken it...i think i'll just be sticking to appliques in the future.

life reminder {4}

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kitchen envy

again this post came from one of my pinterest boards...titled kitchen envy. i really, really love kitchen appliances and gadgets. i am super excited to get all of mine out of storage and into an apartment one day (soon, hopefully!). But i also have a wish list of kitchen appliances/gadgets that i'm excited to purchase, you know once i have a job and everything.

this is a cutting board and scale all in one. i think this just looks really cool and would be a good thing to have handy.

(here)

words do not exist to explain how much i would use this EVERY DAY of my life. (okay so maybe not every day but i would certainly use it once a week) this is a cupcake corer and i honestly feel like it is a must have for me (i could also use some people who would like to receive cupcakes weekly)

(here)

a mini pie makes thanks to william-sonoma. i've made mini pies in a mini muffin pan and those turned out super cute. these would obviously be larger than those. and i can obviously make mini pies without this maker, but really who would it hurt if i also had this pie maker?

(here)

this is a baggy holder. one day i have dreams of having all sorts of freezer meals and i just think this would be super helpful in that quest. especially when i'll filling the bags up with soup, especially cheddar potato soup...

(here)

life reminders {3}

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oh your THAT mom...

I like to joke that I'm totally going to be THAT mom one day. I'm probably unreasonably excited about planning birthday parties, being a homeroom mom and running kids in 15 directions so they can make it to dance, soccer and baseball practice.
I have a pinterest board focused on this general idea and maybe these pictures will give you a better idea of what I mean by the whole "oh your THAT mom" statement.

tights

I LOVE tights. Tights are one of my favorite things about fall/winter and I can't wait to break mine out. Currently they are at home (along with all my sweater dresses and boots) in a plastic container, just waiting to be worn again. I'm not sure how many pairs I have but I know I have plenty. My favorite pairs/colors include hot pink, purple, cream and purple with a black design on them. In honor of the cooler, totally tight appropriate weather, I thought I'd post a few of my favorite pinned outfits that include tights.

(pinned here)

*I actually need to get a pair of gray tights...Target here I come!

(pinned here)

(pinned here)

25 things about me

on facebook a few years ago (february 13 of 2009 to be exact) i jumped on the bandwagon and wrote a note of 25 things about me...and it recently appeared on the side of my facebook again. I really enjoyed reading them and thought I'd post them here...and add a few comments about things that have (or haven't) changed since then

(also I was in the spring of my junior year at Clemson at this time)

1. I'm easily addicted to teenage drama television shows....just to name a few: The O.C., One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl....
*i've moved along to different, but still smut, television shows. I now enjoy the real housewives of where   ever & most eligible dallas but I've upgraded and now watch How I Met your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and lots of others
2. I eat at Moe's 2-3 times a week while at Clemson but the idea of eating at Moe's while not at Clemson does not appeal to me at all.

*i don't eat at Moe's that often anymore, mostly because I'm not in Clemson. But I will always remember all the time I spent at the Moe's in Clemson

3. I'm very O.C.D. about random things.
*very true 
4. I really enjoy cleaning, especially the kitchen.
*still love cleaning and honestly I'd rather just clean the kitchen myself because I'm pretty sure that your way isn't sufficient for me...

5. Black and Brown are never okay to wear together.
 *duh-some things will NEVER be okay
6. There was a phase in my life where sheep were really important and if we ever sang the song 'I am a Sheep' at church I had to leave the room.
7. I love happy hour at Sonic....diet coke with cranberry is my current favorite.
 *.99 drinks early in the morning were clutch with Becker and studying for the CPA exam. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it without Sonic!
8. I really like cooking and especially baking but I rarely eat what I bake....

*still true, i miss having groups of people to bake for
9. My closet was organized by color all throughout high school and I can't wait for larger closet so I can so that again...in fact I'm probably gonna try as soon as I get done with this.
 *one of the things I'm most excited about in my new apartment (which will happen once I get a job) is organizing my closet....seriously like I can't WAIT!
10. I love Sharpies and have a jar of them on my desk...and a lot more in a box on my desk...

*my love of sharpies is still going strong
11. I've started going to the gym this year and I am really surprised that I have stuck with it for this long.
 *the gym lasted until March maybe...and it hasn't started back yet...one day...maybe when I have kids to take on a walk or something
12. I'm currently obsessed with tights....my favorite pair are hot pink....

 *still obsessed with tights...best thing about it getting colder is I get to pull out my box of tights
13. When the weather is nice outside and I'm walking around on campus I'm reminded of why I love Clemson...not that I ever forget...
14. I really want a tattoo but can't decide on the what and where of it....
*nope, I no longer have any desire to get a tattoo...AT ALL
15. I can't wait to get my class ring....April!
*i love wearing my Clemson ring and if I forget to wear it one day, I feel really awkward and wrong
16. I have random pieces of Rachael Ray cookware and can't wait until I can buy the entire set.
*got a complete set of cookware for undergrad graduation...and i LOVE it!! 
17. I sometimes worry that I won't be able to find a job when I graduate...next May....
*I pretty much always worry that 23 year old me with a Masters won't be able to find a job....
18. I had a pretty great childhood, which I definitely did not appreciate enough at the time.
19. I love Christmas time because wrapping gifts is one of my all time favorite things to do.
*gift wrapping = love (pinterest will only make this even better!)
20. I really enjoy reading The Message Remix version of the Bible but I don't take it to church because it's hard to read out loud in class due to the way the verses are split up.
21. I have a lot of music (mostly random) in itunes that I have never listened too and probably never will....
22. I actually like school and I'll be sad when I'm done.
*i definitely needed a break after grad school but I do miss it, especially the structure 
23. I use different shampoo and conditioner depending on if I'm straightening or curling my hair.
*okay doesn't everyone do this?!?
24. I think DVR might be one of the greatest inventions ever.
*obviously...and having netflix stream through the wii is also pretty clutch
25. I wrote this list out before I typed it in Facebook to make sure I included everything I wanted too and that I liked the order...O.C.D. I know...

So there you have it...now you know a little more about me. I find it amusing that all of these (except for the tattoo) are still completely true about me.  In place of the tattoo fact, I would just say that I really like sending cards in the actual US postal service. I think that people really like receiving an actual piece of mail, not just a facebook wall post. 

the accountant in me

I've mentioned here before that I recently received my Masters in Accounting and am in the process of sitting for all 4 parts of the CPA exam. If you would have told me 3 years ago that I'd be doing this I would be doing this, I would have laughed in your face. But, here I am. I feel like now would be a good time to mention that I'm pretty sure I'm quite different than what you would picture when you think of  CPA. I, naturally, have a pinterest board relating to accounting. I think that I might be the only person to have a board like that but that just makes me special :) Here are a few of my favorite pins from that board and hopefully you'll be able to see I'm really not the typical accountant.

[above images (and more) can be found on this pinboard]

Life Reminder {1}

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