Friday Favorites

Happy Friday lovelies!!! I'm so excited the weekend is finally here :) 

We have had a crazy weather week here in KY!  Like tornado sirens, lots of hail and horrible flooding kind of weather.  I went home for lunch the other day and right before I needed to leave Jared told me to stay put for a few minutes.  Cue a huge hail storm (you can see it destroyed our rose bush)!  I have never seen hail as big as what was coming down and when we left (J took me back to work) my SUV couldn't even handle the water so we had to go back and get his truck.  The flooding was unbelievable!  Several cities had horrible damage and I'm so thankful we weren't one of those.  Better weather is coming this weekend & we are ready!

Have any of you read this book?  I started it last night and only took a break to watch the Scandal finale.  It's SO GOOD!! It was exactly what I needed to read right now and I love her tips on how her family lives a more natural lifestyle.

I saw this quote on Facebook the other day and thought it was worth saving!  A lot of times we see people's actions or hear their words and believe the worst about them.  Believing the best about someone helps you to look at them in a better light and keeps your mind more positive.  Just something I'm trying to keep in mind when dealing with people that just aren't my favorite!  I don't think it's always going to work, sometimes there are just people who aren't your jam and never will be but hopefully it will make being around them have less of a negative affect on my mindset. 

Last weekend was definitely a favorite!  Catch the recap here.



Several of you asked about my Derby Pie recipe that I talked about earlier this week!  You can find my recipe here :)

 Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Weekend Recap

Today's weekend recap is coming to you a day late!  Yesterday was a crazy day from start to finish and a blog post just wasn't possible! 

We had a great holiday weekend & hope you did too! 

Friday started off with a girls lunch with Darlene!

I made a Derby pie for work on Friday (Derby weekend is a big deal here in KY and cannot be celebrated without my homemade derby pie)!  It was a huge hit :)

After work, Granny & I enjoyed some mani/pedis.  Nothing like a relaxing mani/pedi after a very long Friday at work!

Jared had to work Friday night so I went and spent some time with my grandparents.  Grandad liked my derby pie too!

Saturday was full of landscaping, errands to be run & some time in MC working on business things!   After being in an office all week, I love being outside on the farm on weekends! 

We had a nice dinner in at home and called it a night early after all that!

Lunch with Darlene on Sunday!

My favorite person.

These three.  Not sure what I would do without these guys!!  They take such good care of me :)

Darlene loved all her gifts!

Grandad Charles liked my pie too :)

The afternoon included a visit with my MIL, a trip to the grocery and some business errands.  We followed that up with dinner and the most recent Nashville...holy moly!  Anyone else watch that and shocked at the way things are going?

Our first grilled dinner!  Jared did a great job and I can't wait to enjoy dinner off the grill this summer :)

It was a very full weekend but a good one!  Hope everyone has a great week!  We have a lot to accomplish this week and not a lot of free time so I'm hoping all this rainy weather isn't going to kill my motivation and just make me want to curl up in a blanket & read ha!

The WINNER of the pineapple apron & towels is: ASHLEY SORRICK! 

Ashley, I sent you an email about claiming your goodies! 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!! I'm so pumped the weekend is finally here!  This has been a trying week in more ways than one.  I felt at times I was living out Alexander's terrible horrible no good very bad day (finding a piece of a plate that shattered in my mouth when I bit into it from my taco salad at lunch yesterday was the cherry on top) but I've been working to keep it in perspective this week.  When it seems like everything is going wrong or not the way we want it's easy to be down or irritable.  I'm trying to get in a habit of counting my blessings when this happens!  I'm healthy, have a great husband & family, great job & business, a Lord that forgives me daily and so much more!  I'm leaving this week behind at 5 today and am ready to enjoy the weekend with my sweet husband :)

Now, on to my favorites this week!

We've had a few cool days this week but are seeing some warm weather and signs of Spring!  Hoping for even better weather this weekend!

The other day I shared my cooking essentials and dream kitchen inspiration and wish list!  See that post here.

 

I started binge watching OTH this week!  I forgot how much I loved this show!!

 

Did you catch my post on the Simple Steps to a Spring-Ready Bedroom?  Find several ways to freshen up your bedroom this season!

 

 

Be sure to enter my giveaway for this fun pineapple apron & kitchen towels!  I'm loving the pineapple trend this year :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

See you back here tomorrow for a Fitness Update!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Simple Steps to a Spring-Ready Bedroom

It's always this time of year that I get the bug to freshen up our house for Spring!  Something about Spring just makes you want fresh décor, a few changes and a more colorful look.  I'm partnering with Crane & Canopy today to share my thoughts on how to create a spring-ready bedroom!

In my opinion, some of the easiest ways to do this are:

Pretty new sheets!  Fresh, clean sheets are one of my favorite treats and I love these options.  The mint scalloped option is a fun spin on the classic white sheet, I'm absolutely drooling over this vintage bike option and we own and love the white damask option!

A new throw is a great way to freshen up for spring!  I love the look of a throw blanket at the bottom of the bed and it's perfect for when I want to relax on our bed or bench and read without messing up our comforter!  I love this cable knit option, these knotted throws are my favorite and on my wish list, and if you like a heavier throw this chunky option is for you!

A new piece of décor can really freshen your bedroom up too!  A mirrored tray is a great place to put your daily jewelry or to put a vase of flowers on!  A colorful new throw pillow or a fun vase for fresh flowers would be a great touch as well.

For a final little touch, these are great ideas!  Have you ever tried spraying lavender on your sheets before going to bed?  So relaxing!!  A new candle is always refreshing and this eucalyptus one is one of my personal favorites.  These adorable sachets will help keep your stored linens fresh! 

Any combination of the options above + fresh flowers is sure to make your bedroom feel ready for spring!  These are a few of the methods I use at our house.  How do you make your bedroom spring-ready?

Did you see my Cooking Essentials + Dream Kitchen + a Giveaway post yesterday?  If you are loving the pineapple trend this year, be sure to check it out and enter the fun giveaway at the bottom!

Cooking Essentials + Dream Kitchen + {GIVEAWAY}

Today we're talking about one of my favorite places - the kitchen!  I love to cook and wanted to share my cooking essentials and dream kitchen with you!  Make sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom :)

Cooking Essentials

These are my cooking essentials in our current kitchen!

I hate a messy countertop so I use a spoon rest similar to this one.  I love a good mixing bowl set to mix recipes, serve snacks, for popcorn, etc.!  Clean water is another must for me to sip on while I cook and I love my Brita pitcher.  I love to bake when I have time and this egg storage container is a definite favorite!  I love being able to take a quick look in the fridge to see how many eggs we have.  Who doesn't love a little Kate Spade?  An apron is a must and I think this one is just too cute!  Jared and I received lots of great cookbooks for our wedding including this one.  I love to use them to get inspiration and ideas for new recipes!  Homemade mashed potatoes and cakes/cupcakes are some of my favorite things to make so I love this mixer!  We use olive oil in a lot of our recipes and use a similar bottle to this one to store it because it looks better out on the counter & makes it easier to control the pour!  Last but not least, I hate a dirty kitchen!!  I use this Method cleaner to wipe down our counters & love it!

Dream Kitchen

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My wish list for my dream kitchen would definitely include these items!

Love this gas range from BlueStar!  I love popcorn & if my dream kitchen was a reality it would have enough space for a popcorn machine like this one for movie night :)  Serving pieces like this one would make entertaining or appetizers before dinner more fun!  Aren't these monogrammed salt & pepper mills great too?  They are super useful but would also add a nice touch sitting on the counter!  My dream kitchen would absolutely include space for a KitchenAid stand mixer!  I'm not sure exactly which one I want and do not have space for one in our current kitchen but I definitely want one (with the pasta making attachment) in our next house!  LOVE LOVE LOVE the Emma dinnerware set from Pottery Barn.  I want this whole collection eventually as our casual daily dishes for our forever home and love all the accessory pieces (pitcher, salt & pepper shakers, etc.).  I have decided to start collecting the Spode Christmas collection and my dream kitchen would have the complete set ready for the holidays!  A new cookware set like this one would be great to use! As a southern gal through and through, my dream kitchen wouldn't be complete without a great pitcher to serve tea and lemonade :)

Giveaway

Since we're talking about kitchen's today, I decided it was the perfect time for a giveaway :)  Pineapples are all the rage right now so I thought you all would love a pineapple apron & kitchen towels!  I love pineapples and all the bright colors that are so popular this year!  It just makes entertaining more fun!  See how to enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are your current or dream kitchen essentials?

Spring & Summer Bags Under $50

Spring/summer bags are a favorite of mine!  I love a good neutral bag that goes with everything but sometimes a pop of color is fun too!

I personally carry the crème Old Navy tote shown below in cognac and it is my FAVORITE!!!

What is your go-to spring/summer bag?