Fabulous Friday

Happy Friday everyone! My German relatives made it safely despite being stuck in customs for almost 3 hours! But despite jet lag they are very excited to be in Texas and to see the family. What really thrills me is my little girl cousins who are 6 and 8 are now officially hooked on Pinterest. They spent the last hour yelling at me to “Pin this!” and “Pin that!” and “look up this so we can Pin it”. While kittens, puppies and nail colors were the extent of their demands, it’s exciting to know that this girly obsession is not limited to a “mature” audience.  Here's a few of the Pin's I was forced to make!

 These guys are pretty adorable.

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I could wear this.

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Mer?

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I see why this one was exciting!

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Forever Young! Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursdays: Raspberry Beer Cocktail

The work week is almost over, hooray! This weekend is going to be extra exciting because my cousins from Germany are coming to visit for a week and fly in on Friday AND Lindsey is moving into her new apartment on Saturday! So obviously this weekend is going to be spent by the pool as much as possible attempting to teach the Germans how to play Marco Polo, or to cool off after hauling furniture in the heat, either way I think this Thirsty Thursday post is the perfect poolside beverage for the weekend!

Here's the Pin we found:

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Personally, this looks so refreshing I’ve been dying to post this Pin on here since we made the blog! The other awesome part about this Pin is the chalkboard glasses; this would be perfect for a party.

So here’s the recipe:  

Raspberry Beer Cocktail (serves 6)

• 3/4 cup fresh raspberries* 
• 3 1/2 (12-oz.) bottles beer, chilled 
• 1 (12-oz.) container frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate, thawed 
• 1/2 cup vodka
• Using the back of a spoon, mash raspberries in a bowl; transfer to a pitcher. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve over ice.
• *3/4 cup thawed frozen raspberries may be substituted.

Simple enough, stay cool people (its been over 100 for a while in Dallas) and Enjoy!

10 Ways to Stay Cool This Summer

As most of you have noticed...ITS HOT! I can't remember the last time my pool was so warm. That's why this week's "10 ways" displays all the different ways we would like to be cooling ourselves off during these consecutive heat waves. Any one of these would be a great way to cool down in the heat!

Cool Way One: Ice Cream Sandwiches 

(Theses are from our "We All Scream for Ice Cream" Post!)

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Cool Way Two: Chillax On A Hammock

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Cool Way Three: Cat Nap

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Cool Way Four: Lavender Lemonade

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 Cool Way Five: Of Course...The Beach

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Cool Way Six: Cool Off At The Lake

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Cool Way Seven: Popsicles and Champagne

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Cool Way Eight: Every Pool Owners Dream

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Cool Way Nine: Ah, The Sailboat

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Cool Way Ten: Chocolate Ice Cubes...YUM!

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Stay cool people! Enjoy!

This Week's Quote: Friendship

We hope everyone had a decent Monday, I know we were having the Monday blues today! We thought we would dedicate this week’s quote to one of our best friends who is flying to China as we type. While we are extremely excited to watch her follow her dreams, it pains us to watch her go. This is why we thought this quote was perfect for this week: “nothing will ever change so much to the point where we’re not still friends.” It’s hard to lose a friend whether it is to another country, state, or neighborhood. But thanks to modern technology we will be able to annoy her daily via Skype! We both have our accounts ready to hear about her adventure of teaching in Shanghai.

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At times, everyone looses touch with close friends, maybe today's the day to call up that old friend and see how their doing.

Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursdays: Strawberry Watermelon Cooler

After last week's first "Thirsty Thursdays" post with an amazing Grapefruit Margarita recipe, we thought that Thursdays might just have to be permanently dedicated to a regular thirst quenching recipe!

This week we have chosen another fruity summer cocktail: The Strawberry Watermelon Cooler, courtesy of At The Table!

Here is the Pin we found:

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If a picture that looks this good doesn't make you ready for Thirsty Thursdays,

we may have to declare you are party pooper.

So, here is the refreshingly summer recipe:

Strawberry Watermelon Cooler (serves 4)
4 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Strawberry Liquor (any berry or pomegranate works)
juice of 1 lime plus slices for garnish
1 pound watermelon chunks
2 cups ice plus more for glasses
strawberries for garnish

Blend ingredients until frothy. Pour over ice, garnish & sip until cool.

We thought a fun take on this cocktail would be to serve them in a Mason Jar with a colorful striped straw, like the ones below, which are sold on Anthropologie's wedding site, BHLDN. They come in seven (yes, SEVEN) super festive colors, so if you don't love yellow, you can have your pick.

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Thanks At The Table, and Pinterest for the inspiration!

Hope this cools off everyone's Thursday a bit in preparation for the weekend!

These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Things: A Little Southern Charm

A few weeks ago I attended a wonderful wedding in Charleston, SC. I’m not sure why, but the Carolinas have always been on my list of states to travel in the US. After staying a little over a week in South Carolina, I must say Charleston is a city I would love to visit again, very soon! From beaches, to dining, to historical streets, this southern town is sure to enlighten you! Ironically enough when I returned home from my trip and logged onto Pinterest, there was a beautiful picture of the St. Michael’s Church staring right back at me, as you can see below.

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Unfortunately, we only stayed in Chuck town (the locals nickname for Charleston) a few days and spent the rest of the week in Hilton Head so we didn’t get to experience everything I wanted to…BUT we did some good eatin' and good shoppin'! We stayed at the Charleston Place, which is located in the heart of downtown Charleston in the historic district. Talk about southern hospitality, this hotel was very charming. The best part about Charleston Place was the location; most of the major attractions were within walking distance. They had this quaint breakfast joint just a few steps from the hotel called the Sweetwater Café that my dad and I ate at every morning. It was very “hole in the wall”- ish, and therefore, just fabulous.

 In front of the Charleston Place

My favorite thing we did in the few days we were in Charleston was walk down King Street. In the mornings, when my dad and I walked down King Street, there were very few people and we were able to enjoy the historic buildings more than when my mom and I went back in the afternoon to shop…pretty crowded, but worth it. The shops range from local boutique owners to name brands like Lucky and Urban Outfitters.

 This is how I felt walking down King Street

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The highlight of the trip was eating at Jestine's Kitchen. Wow, was this place good. They had a variety of options to choose from but I went with the fried chicken, mac and cheese and green beans. Delicious. The family could not get over how much the food tasted like my great grandmother Meme’s cooking (she was the queen of southern cooking!).

The fam outside of Jestines Kitchen

Now, let’s talk dessert! We had the blueberry & peach cobbler with ice cream which was great, but the show stopper was the Coca Cola Cake! Yummmmy was it good.

The cobbler

The show stopper...Coca Cola Cake

 

The coolest part about Jestines Kitchen was her story.  The restaurant was named after a woman whose mother was Native American and father was the son of a freed slave. Jestine worked for a family as a housekeeper and created a long lasting friendship with the family. Her cooking was so delightful; they had to share it with the world. Jestine died in 1997 at the young age of 112! I guess fried chicken and some good ole' southern hospitality makes you live longer!

A word of caution: you’ll have to wait in line outside on the side of the building because it is guaranteed to be that busy, but they were so very kind to install some high powered fans and free water... it was worth the wait my friends!
I think the beach, the dining, the shopping, and the night life make Charleston a great girls trip destination and I hope to go back sometime real soon!

Enjoy!

10 Ways To Design It, Style It, and Do It Yourself

A feature that we love on Pinterest is the DIY section! There are so many cool, innovative ideas floating around on Pinterest it’s nice to see them all in one place. The DIY section offers an assortment of designs ranging from fashion, to decorating, to dining! It’s hard not to feel inspired by all these creative ideas. We're going to have to dedicate a post to one of these resourceful ideas when we try one for real asap!

One: The DIY Head Scarf

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Two: DIY Wallpaper

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Three: DIY Homemade Jam

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Four: DIY Hip Scarf 

(cute way to get rid of old T's!)

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Five: DIY Chic Headboard

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Six: DIY Table Decor

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Seven: DIY Rope Headband

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Eight: DIY Light Fixtures

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Nine: The DIY Creative Cookie

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Ten: DIY Handy Dandy Bracelet

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Each post is linked to its source on Pinterest, which should be linked to the original author of the content! Let us know if you have a cool DIY project that you discovered on Pinterest, or if you have tried one of these...Enjoy!

This Week's Quote: Worry Is A Total Waste of Time

Hola fellow Pinterest obsessed people! This week's quote is quite possibly on one of my favorite topics to rant about: worry.

I have written about it in everything from my journal, to school papers, and now on this blog. The sum of how I feel about worry is that it is silly, it just doesn't do a whole lot for you. I know there are legitimate times when it is completely acceptable to be worried, but it should not be something that plagues you and your family everyday.

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If you have ever met me, you probably have noticed I am just a bit on the Type A side (understatement of the century). However, I made a pact with myself when I got to college that I was no longer going to believe in stress. All of high school I put so much worry and anxiety on myself to try to be perfect 100% of the time, and obviously, that just does not work out. During my first semester of college,someone shared a bible verse that challenged me to change my habits and views on stress and anxiety. It is Matthew 6:27, and reads “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” When it was first read it to me, it hit me like a ton of bricks and realized that I cannot try to control everything, some things are simply not meant to be controlled, and are actually meant to be quite the opposite.

That verse changed me, and probably has saved hundreds of hours of my life. Now when I feel even a tinge of anxiety I know that I must cast my fear on God and move on. What I did not realize before that moment was that God actually commands us to not worry, and that by being full of fear and anxiety we are almost making a statement to God that we do not think He is big, strong, and powerful enough to deal with our menial problems. Yikes, I did not want to be in that boat. Not that I do not worry or freak sometimes, but, for the most part, I have become really level when it comes to “stress.”

My pact has worked out really well for me in college. I still get to be as ambitious and driven as ever, but I have enabled myself to let go when I can’t be in control. One of my good friends from home always used to tell me, “Lindsey, worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere.” I did not get it then, but I get it now. I wake up every morning and get to choose my attitude for the day, and, when I choose that attitude, I also get to make the decision to allow or not allow anxiety into my life.

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Philippians 4:6-7 ”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”


Cheers to what we hope can be a stress and worry free week for you! Enjoy!

Summer Days, Drifting Away

We have both had quite a week and we believe that all we could possibly muster up the energy for this weekend is to lay in the pool, drink some sweet tea and try to get a tan! Enjoy your weekends!

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Happy Friday Everyone!

Thirsty Thursdays

In honor of it almost being Friday, we thought we would encourage everyone to kick up their heels, or whatever footwear you prefer :) ...  and enjoy an ice cold beverage!

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Here's a quick and easy recipe for an impromptu happy hour appropriate for any night of the week:

Grapefruit Margarita

{Courtesy of the LA Times}

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What you'll need:

Wedge of lime
2 teaspoons coarse margarita salt
14 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice, with pulp (about 3 medium grapefruits)
1 ounce lime juice
5 ounces reposado tequila
2 ounces triple sec
4 slices grapefruit or twists

How to:

1. Run a lime wedge halfway around the rims of four margarita glasses and dip into salt. Set aside.

2. Combine 7 ounces grapefruit juice, one-half ounce lime juice, 2 1/2 ounces tequila and 1 ounce triple sec in a cocktail shaker. Shake over ice until chilled. Strain into two ice-filled, salt-rimmed margarita glasses.

3. Garnish with a twist or slice of grapefruit. Repeat to make two more cocktails.

Each serving: 174 calories; 1 gram protein; 17 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 2 1/2 mg. sodium.



Enjoy!





These Are A Few Of Our Favorite Things: Clarity

Translucent... Iridescent... Aquamarine... Turquoise... there are so many adjectives to describe everyone's favorite shade of ocean water. Lindsey's favorite way to describe it is "as clear as bathtub or swimming pool water," and when you find a beach or island with water like that, there is just no going back to a murky-brownisn -green ocean.  Don't get us wrong, we love all beaches, and being able to see any kind of ocean is a treat for us since we reside in a very landlocked part of the country.

But this kind of water is just so mind boggling clear ... and perfect ...

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We are beach snobs, bad ones. After a chat during a late night walk we have both concluded that if you get into the ocean and have no idea where the heck your feet have disappeared to, you are at the wrong place.

 Here is Kelsey's reasoning behind her ocean clarity snobbery: My mom and I decided to go down to the beach our first day in Hilton Head to catch some rays. Being July 3^rd, it was expected that there were a number -and by number I mean tons- of people on the beach. After laying out for a while we both got a little restless and decided to toss the volleyball around in the ocean. We walk up to the edge of the water where I notice a few dead jelly fish and become a little reluctant to venture further into the water. My Mom convinces me we’ll be fine if we don’t go too far out. We get out a little over our ankles when I notice I can’t see my feet…at all. As anyone would do, I started to get a little twitchy about the murky water but quickly relax after we start passing the volleyball back and forth. 

A few minutes in the water I step on something squishy and rubbery and of course, I can’t see it. I let out a yelp (which sounds like a bird squawking) quickly grabbing the attention of others in the water. Mom asks me what’s wrong; I tell her I’ve just stepped on some kind of mysterious squishy object. The words hadn’t left my mouth when I step on another one, except this one felt much bigger than the first and of course, I let out another loud squawk. I’m begging my mom to get out of the water with me but she replies, “Stop being such a big baby…” I don’t know if it’s because I am the shortest one in my family (both my parents and brother are 6ft or taller) but I’m known as “the baby” so after being reminded of my family status I become determined, “no matter how many times I step on these mysterious squishy sea creatures I’m not getting out of the water till Mom does!" 

I step on at least 2 more rubbery creatures. Next thing I know I hear a similar squawking noise coming out of my mother’s mouth. She looks up at me and says, “I just stepped on something squishy, I don’t know what it was…LETS GET OUT!” We both scream and run to shore as fast as we can! We still have no idea what we were stepping on. 

The first thing Kelsey said after getting back home was "I don't know why I was thinking this, but when I was imagining being on the beach, I was imagining what the water looked like in St. Kitts."

She thought wrong...

Here are a few pics from a pit stop on our spring break cruise! Now that, my friends, is some quality water! Jellyfish, not included.

St. Kitts 

St. Maarten

Dinner on the Cruise: Notice the cool upside down lamp light fixtures.

best sangria...ever!

Enjoy!

10 Fabulous Chevron Finds

In honor of our brand new awesome background, thanks to tinysea.blogspot.com, we have decided to do our 10 ways this week with chevron, which has been a fun trend to follow on Pinterest lately! What's great about chevron designs are how simple, but festive they are! The pins below show fashion, decor, and a few other things that are inspired by Chevron prints.

 Chevron Way One: The Beach to Office Tote

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Chevron Way Two: A Creative Invitation

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Chevron Way Three: A Simple and Trendy Living Room Update

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Chevron Way Four: Wearing Chevron with Style

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Chevron Way Five: On Display For All to See

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Chevron Way Six: Jazz Up A Room, with Shoeboxes!

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Chevron Way Seven: Poolside Chic

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Chevron Way Eight: Retro, Comfy Oasis

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Chevron Way Nine: We'd Say I Do with a Patterned Cake , Would You?

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Chevron Ten: Our Favorite Muted Blue

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Enjoy!