A Texas Thanksgiving.

Man, oh man!!  I can't believe the Thanksgiving Holidays have come and gone.  It flew by for us and we had a great time in Texas.

We flew out on Wednesday and were scheduled to come back on Saturday but had a little mishap and missed our flight.  :(  We ended up driving almost four hours to Dallas to catch a flight on Sunday morning.


We made it though, and we were glad to be home!


I have been super busy since arriving back in NC..wanna know what I've been up to?

 

I got a new job at RBC Bank and today was my first day! (That's my first day of work outfit) We got back Sunday, I cleaned the house and ran errands all day yesterday and started my new job today. I feel like I haven't had time to relax after getting back from Texas! I am excited about this new adventure and am so thankful for the Lord's provision.  He provided me a new job that pays more, has full benefits, and that's hard to come by now in this horrible economy.  Praise Him!

But here is a recap of our time in Texas. I forgot my SLR camera and all of the photos are from my phone...not the best quality, but glad to have the memories captured, nontheless!

A few of us got up early Thanksgiving day and ran a 5k before we stuffed our bellies full of turkey..Crazy? Yes.  Fun? Just a little.  Considering the fact that I haven't ran in like 3 years, I was happy to finish. 

Hubby loves dogs.  That boy is seriously the man-version of me.  

We.

Love.

Animals.

And wherever we were, he found a furry friend.

 

Random funny story: On our way back from the race, all of the boys had to tinkle. So they decide to just relieve themselves in the woods.  

#youmightbearedneckif...

My brother and hubby.

This was the most exciting part of the holiday, in hubbies eyes. 

He got his first pair of cowboy boots.

He is now a real Texan.

and he looks darn good in them boots too.

My dad is on the far left, and those are all of his siblings! 

Four brothers and one sister! And his mom, in the middle.  

And here are all of my meme's grandchildren (minus two!)

Don't we have a huge family!  And here is hubby and my sweet cousin's sweet baby boy.  

He is so adorable!

I also got to spend a lot of time with my best friend since 4th grade! She is due in TWO WEEKS!

 

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 Xoxo,

Stuffed French Toast

Happy Monday, y'all!!  Didja have a good weekend?

We sure did..it was filled with some Christmas decorating (yes, BEFORE Thanksgiving), hubbies birthday, and enjoying the beautiful weather.

Hubbies birthday was yesterday and for Sunday lunch I decided to make him stuffed french toast. I guess it was technically brunch..because we ate early and didn't eat breakfast..or lunch.  So yes, we had brunch.

and we had Stuffed French Toast.

it was divine.

Here's the recipe!!:

Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients:

- 3 oz cream cheese
- 1/3 cup strawberry preserves
- fresh strawberries
-powdered sugar, for sprinkling on top
-1/2 tsp almond extract
-2 eggs
-sliced bread (I used four for two servings..so if you want to make enough for 6 people, you'll need 12 pieces..etc)
-butter
-walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1.  Soften the cream cheese and spread on two pieces of bread.

Of course, you will want to add more so you can get some with every bite. ;)

2.  Spread the strawberry preserves and fresh cut strawberries on two other pieces of bread.

3. Put one of the cream cheese slices and one of the strawberry slices together, like so:

4. Mix the eggs, and 1/2 tsp of almond extract in a bowl.

5. Melt about 2-3 tbs of butter in skillet.

6.  Place the bread in the egg mixture and coat both sides.  After that, place in skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides.  The cream cheese should melt on the inside of the bread.

7,  Top with more strawberries, walnuts (if you want to) and syrup.

This was so so yummy. 

You will not be disappointed.

P.S.  You can use any type of fruit for the filling if you want..apricots, blackberries, raspberries...they would all be delicious.

Also,  I made this recipe up so I had to guess a little on the measurements because I didn't measure anything really..but I promise it'll still be delicious!!  ;)

Happy Monday!

Xoxo

Insta-Friday!!

Happy Friday, everyone!! I am so glad its the weekend!!  We are going Christmas tree shopping, it's hubbies birthday, and I'm getting ready to head to Texas for thanksgiving.

    Here's my week via Instagram!

I cuddled with Huey Cat. He looks extremely happy, right? ;)

I enjoyed the beautiful fall leaves in my yard. I love all the colors.

Some friends and I went to a pottery painting place where you paint the pottery, and they glaze it for you.  It was so much fun- do you like my Christmas plate?  This is the photo pre-glazed.  I can't wait to see it once it's done!

Has anyone else been exposed to these yummies??   

I like them, but not as much as Honey Nut Cheerios.. :)

I had a not-so-great day on Wednesday and happened to come across a Dunkin Donuts...the Pumpkin Donut really hit the spot and made me feel better.

I was in the waiting room at the car shop and noticed how beautiful my ring is. 

I mean, I wear it and look at it daily, but today I noticed just how special and beautiful it is.  I love it.  so much. and I am so lucky.

I usually make a weekly trip to the best place on earth (Target, duh!)  and this time hubby tagged along...clearly, he doesn't enjoy it as much as I do.   After and hour of shopping, I found him almost asleep.. in this chair.

I am working on some Christmas goodies..and here is a sneak peak!

And don't M&M's always taste better when they are red and green?  I think so!

And lastly, I am still loving this wood pallet art I made over the weekend. 

To see the tutorial, click here!

 

Happy Weekend, friends!! Hope it's grand!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Anyone else out there having a LONG week?  :(  I am so ready for the weekend..

1.  It's hubbies birthday
2. We are getting our CHRISTMAS TREE!! I cannot wait to decorate it.  It's my favorite time of year, that's for sure.

And next week, we are flying to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with my family! Should be lots of fun times had by all!

Here's what I'm loving this week:  Be sure to link up with Jamie at This Kind of Love!

1. I'm loving my wallflower.  The scent is fresh balsam and I PROMISE it smells just like a Christmas tree.  And Christmas tree scent is the best smell EVER.

2. I'm loving the wood pallet  I made this past weekend.  It's such a great reminder for my days and it also looks cute, if you ask me!  See the tutorial here!

3. I'm loving that we are getting some photos taken professionally next week while we are home in Texas.  I can't wait to share them with y'all!!!  The last time we had pictures made was on our wedding day, and while that wasn't too terribly long ago, I am excited for some great photos of us now.

My hair is much shorter now.. I want my long hair back! (Oh well, at least I donated it!)

4. I'm loving these printables from Jones Design Company!  She is giving a free printable every day this week to help you get organized for the holidays.  Go on over and check them out! They are so cute!

5. I'm loving my sweet in-laws.  They are so generous and sweet to us, I don't know what I would do without them.  I am so lucky to be in their family!

What are YOU loving this week?

Happy Wednesday!

Xoxo,

Wood Pallet Art

Over the past few months, i have been drooling over the projects seen on Pinterest with wood pallets.  After searching Craigslist for pallets with no luck, I decided I would make my own!

The total cost for my project was just under $20.  I had my own stain, nails, paintbrushes, and a saw so all I bought was the wood.

 I bought two different sizes and alternated them.  I believe the width that I cut was around 32 inches.

 I used my lovely Purdy brush that I got from Goodwill last year for .99 cents!  I picked up 6 different kinds of Purdy brushes for .99 cents each!  :)

The stain was Miniwax Dark Walnut and I applied two coats to make it darker.

And once that was dry, I used a stencil from Michael's and stenciled my favorite bible verse on it!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

*Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.*

I love it and can't wait to enjoy it for many years in our home.  It's also a great reminder for me throughout the day.

Linking up here! 
and here!
and here!
Xoxo,

Insta-Friday!

A glimpse into my week:

 

1. A matching tree and a matching scarf. 

 

2. Pumpkin spice cookies with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Found some lovely vintage suitcases from a garage sale.  $1 each!!!

 

Lovely red velvet-ness.  Wine, cake, and a candle...yum, yum, and yum.

Afternoon at the park with my sweet Penny girl.

Our awesome Church. 

 

A breathtaking sunset.  (Taken straight from my iphone)

Hope y'all have a GREAT weekend!!!  I'm hoping to do some organizing, bread making, and sewing!!  Let's see what projects I can come up with!

-Xoxo