What's Hap-pinning

Happy Thanksgiving eve ya'll! Can you believe it? It is almost Thanksgiving and I feel like we were just picking out our favorite Fall outfit and cheering on our favorite football teams. I hate to sound cliché, but I have SO much to be thankful for so this time of year is always my favorite. I adore the fact that I am able to live so close (distance wise) from family. My friends are further away but we always seem to make the effort to close in the gap. I am so thankful that I have been given the biggest blessing of all at 28 years old: my daughter. I am so thankful for a husband that works extra hard so that I am able to stay home with my daughter. I am so thankful to live in the USA. I am so thankful that I have a roof over my head and that the things I love are protected from harm. I love my home, my puppy dog Emma, my freedoms, my family and my country... I could go on and on and you know what? I am THANKFUL for YOU! Yes, you, the blogger! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

 

Thank you for linking up with Jenn and myself today! (and I will be sharing my go-to recipes...I just accidentally had 3 or more glasses of wine tonight and HAVE to go to the grocery store tomorrow...procrastination? Ummm yea....so....Please bless my spelling on this post...geez ya'll I love ya!)

 

 

Weekending

Hey ya'll and happy Monday! Can ya'll believe it's Thanksgiving week? I LOVE Thanksgiving not only because we get to have fab food twice in one day with both families, but because there is literally so many things I'm thankful for each and every day. I'm sure God laughs a little when I pray at night because the thank-you's take up like 15 minutes.

Anyway, this weekend we went to our little town's first Christmas tree lighting. I wan't able to snap too many good quality pictures but I did get a couple. It was the first lighting of a huge 36 foot tree and train caboose. There was food, a choir and the Grinch even made another appearance so Andi was pumped. Afterwards we grabbed dinner and headed home for some cuddles and movies. Saturday, my Mom and Dad took Andi for a few hours to a birthday party while I baked and watched No Good Deed (thriller!). Sunday, we hit up Target and TJ Maxx and I searched for a good beige bootie. I couldn't find one I liked in person but scored a pair on Nordstrom Rack that night. They are super tall though so pray I don't break a leg. I'm headed to GA in December for my best friend's baby shower and needed them to go with this cute J Crew sweater dress so hopefully they will work! Today I am getting ready to set up tree number 2 in our dining room with a blue and white theme! (a $14 6 foot tree score from Target ya'll! Perfect deal thanks to Cheers Ya'll  blog!)

 

Also, if ya'll have a free minute today, vote for Miss A in the gerber contest! Today is the last day and with a valid e-mail, you can vote! No spam comes and when you click to vote, type in Burkeville to narrow search and Anderson (with a big pink bow) should pop up and you can vote there! Thank ya'll SO much! Click here to vote

Linking up today with Biana and Meghan for Weekending!

 

 

1st Tree Lighting!

Such a big girl watching the Duke game



Lots of Grandpa time!

Love this beauty!

What's Hap-"Pinning"

Ya'll know what's hap-"pinning"? FOOD! That's what hap-pinning! With the upcoming holidays I seriously have food and new recipes on the brain and I love it. I get this random spurt of 'gourmet' motivation and cut out every Southern Living recipe I like and plaster it on the side of my fridge until I make it. Thanksgiving is being held at my Mother-in-law's house this year and I'm signing up (we send out a huge e-mail of who's brining what) for Southern Living's new Sweet Potato Casserole with Cranberry recipe and then something dessert wise I'm thinking. Anyway, today I wanted to share two new recipes we've tried in the last week or two. So enjoy and link up below with what's hap-"pinning" in your life and remember, it can be absolutely anything. My fabulous co-host Jenn and I are ready to see what's going on so happy Wednesday ya'll!

 

 

Pumpkin Honey-Beer Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup beer (at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Shortening

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin, and beat at low speed just until blended.
2. Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, and beat at low speed just until blended. Divide batter between 2 greased (with shortening) and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pans.
3. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 45 to 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning if necessary. Cool bread in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool 30 minutes before slicing.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast cooked and shredded
• 1 15 oz can corn
• 1½ 15 oz diced tomatoes drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 6 cups chicken stock
• ½ tsp. cumin
• ½ cup onion chopped optional
• 1 small can diced green chilis
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• ¼ tsp. chili powder
• 1½ tsp. salt
• ¾ tsp. pepper
• monterey jack cheese, shredded
• corn tortillas for chip topping we cut and fried corn tortillas
• avocados cubed

Instructions

1. Cook and shred (or cube) chicken.
2. Add all the ingredients, except the cheese, corn tortilla strips and avocados to your crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 3-4 hours).
3. Add cheese just before serving.
4. To make this soup extra delicious, add some crunchy tortilla strips. Slice up corn tortillas with a pizza cutter. Flash Fry in hot oil and sprinkle on top of your soup. Add cubed avocados too!

 

Friday 5

Friday already! Bring on the weekend right? Hubby's birthday is tomorrow - the big 3-0 ya'll! I'm busy getting some things together for that, baking him some sweets and also have a wedding planning lunch meeting today. I had a wedding planning meeting yesterday as well for a winter wonderland themed wedding I'm doing in December and I couldn't be more excited! The venue is gorgeous, at Longwood University, and I must admit that I've never done a winter/Christmas theme. It's going to be beautiful I'm sure! Anyway, I'll make this short and sweet. Here are 5 of my favorite things from this week rolled into one collage. Have a great weekend y'all!

Linking up today with April from A. Liz Adventures, Amanda over at Meet @ the Barre and Karli with September Farm. for Friday 5 and Friday Favorites. Join in!

 

1. Andi's latest Thanksgiving craft and the fun we had making it! Think paint from head to toe!

2. Morning playtime with that little love bug in her jammies

3. Naptime Gossip Girl binge with the hubs! I got him hooked and we're currently almost finished with season 4

4. Randomly 70 degrees yesterday so Miss A and I put a blanket down in the yard and stayed outside all day

5. I am so thankful that my Mama only works 2 miles from our house and stops by almost every afternoon! Adore our time together!

 

 

Oh and guess what? My little girl hit 7 months yesterday! ahhhh time SLOW down!

What's Hap-"Pinning"

Mad love to our photographer- that, ladies and gentlemen, is what's hap-"pinning" around these parts. We recently (after having to reschedule twice..thank goodness she likes us) had our family portraits done and I seriously couldn't be happier about the results. We decided just to do them at home because I wanted to use familiar spaces as backdrops and have Andi in her own room. I am so impressed with Sweet Memories by Jessica Coffee photography. She works with Andi so well and literally has since day 5. Day 5 of her life that is when she came and did Andi's newborn shoot. I wanted to show off some of her work today so be prepared for a photo dump ya'll! Also, she may or may not have taken some shots for a future blog makeover I've been dreaming about....

Link up with my fabulous co-host Jenn or myself and let us know what's going on in your life! Remember, it can be anything! Happy Wednesday!

 

 

Did you say custom?

Ya'll, I have to share my most recent personalized creation - custom phone cases from Caseapp.com! I went to their website and browsed their designs and fell in love with more than one...but anyone that knows me knows that it has to be personalized, am I right? You can upload a picture, drawing, monogram or anything that tickles your fancy! The site is super user friendly and it took no time to design my custom case. You can also design laptop and ipad skins if phone cases aren't your thing. The shipping was pretty fast and I LOVE how my design turned out! Also, if you're reading this and want to create one of your own, Jessi's Design readers get a 20% off discount code on your purchase! But hurry because it is only valid for one week. Just put the code JESSISDESIGN20 in your cart before purchasing and enjoy your custom iphone or Samsung case!

Obsessed! (she's on my background too.....hehe)

My phone is now a wok of art...never to be stashed in purse again! LOVE!

Weekending

Hey ya'll and happy Monday! Is your Monday as rainy and dreary as mine? I hope not, but then again it does make coffee, snuggling, playing and PJ's that much better. This weekend Miss A was invited to her first social event and we had a blast! (because the punch was spiked for the adults...genius) Her little gal pal Ella turned 1 and had a fabulous, oh-so girly soiree. Afterwards, we ordered some pizza and watched some movies to continue on our girl time into Saturday night. I watched Age of Adeline and The Entourage Movie. First one was a cute but far-fetched love story but I do love me some Blake Lively. Side note, it is heart-breaking how old Harrison Ford has gotten! Entourage was not as good as I had expected but it is ALWAYS ok in my book to see Mark Walhburg so that made up for it. Sunday, Andi and I ate dinner with my in-laws and today hubby has the whole day off with us! Later in the week I have not one but two wedding planning meetings so today I am taking advantage of relaxing! I hope ya'll had a fabulous weekend!

 

Linking up with B and Meghan for Weekending!

 

 

 

Andi was on point with the color theme!

 

And don't forget to enter the Sephora giveaway! Click here for your chance to enter!