Hello, Friday...Back So Soon

My past few weeks have actually flown by. I have been really busy and haven't blogged that much and so I have 2 weeks of life to catch you up on.

Excitable, huh? 

 First up was going home to Virginia to celebrate my youngest nephew's birthday. Titus turned six.  

 My sis in law went with a baseball theme. She found these awesome vintage books. 

 Of course, the party was after his baseball game. He is a ham...and a ladies man

Getting the garden ready for my parentals to plant their veggies.

and while I was in town, my cousin's wife, Ashley, was so sweet and had baby Micah a week early on my last day in town. How selfless of her.

 I got to meet up with one of my favorites for a much needed wine afternoon at our favorite wine cafe, Fig. The big ole porch was open and the weather was perfect.

 went shopping and found some colored skinnies for 75% off, which means I got two and still only paid half of what I would have for one. 

Yes, Please and Thanks.

 Rexlased one morning in my Red Envelope robe I got from my brother and sister in law. Made a smoothie and had some green tea.

and managed to finally find a use for all the washi tape I have. and have since become a washi monster. I may have a problem. Washi dress anyone?

Wiki's wok had their annual summer awards gathering and I got a little 'gussied' up. 

The next morning we headed up to Boston for some family time. and the clouds went on for miles.

 First up was a stop to a consignment shop in Canton. I love this planter box. Wanted it.

and then pinterest ideas exploded in my mind when I saw these. and then I remembered I had a flight home and I was sad. but how cute.

My sweet niece. I mean, I die from her cuteness. She is four months old and a big bundle rolls of awesomeness.

made gluten free oreo mudslide icebox cake. Oh my gosh. Was so good. 

The old Norwood Theater lit up at night in the town center.

 Before we headed to the airport on Tuesday, we traipsed around my mother in laws old stomping grounds in South End. This is the inside of Holy Cross Cathedral.

and this is the Syrian Grocery she shopped at as a little girl. Still going strong.

This has been my recent time. Busy but fun. This will be our first weekend in Raleigh in three weeks. Hopefully we can get back on our brunch schedule!

linking up with

Lauren Elizabeth

Life Rearranged

Hippity Hoppity Happity

Ten things that make me happy? Oh...ten things per topic perhaps? 

Just ten things period. Oy. 

I love being happy... so when something makes me happy...

1) real Friendships, not those surface ones.

2) A visit to Sephora, this should be self explanatory.

3) brunch with my husband and a mimosa

4)80's cartoons. think Gem, pound puppies, Strawberry Shortcake, Smurfs, Gummy Bears and Care Bears.I feel bad for kids nowadays. haha

5) my nephews, love those three boys and my sweet, chubby new niece. Pure happiness.

6) Walking into Cameron for a Duke basketball game

7) walking into a used bookstore. the smells, oh..the smells.

8) making new bloggy friends. Interacting with these people that I would otherwise never have met.

9) The puppy bowl!!!! Greatest show ever.

10) driving down the road and listening to worship music, getting my Jesus on and then switching to Texas Country and losing myself on the road.

I am pretty simple.

Linking up with 

Story Of My Life

Bacon Wrapped Ribs With a Brown Sugar, Chili and Bourbon Glaze

This was one of those ideas that just came about from eyeing two separate items almost simultaneously in my fridge. I am probably not the first person to wrap bacon around ribs, but...let's just for the sake of fun, pretend I am. I feel better about myself already.

Mainly, the best thing about this recipe is that it, once again, combines two of my absolute favorite edible items: bacon and bourbon. And it was just as good as I thought it would be.

This is one of those recipes that you really can't go wrong with, you can switch in and out any spices or sauce, making it sweeter or spicier. Whatever pleases your palette most.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless pork ribs

bacon(you will need one slice per rib)

2 cups bbq sauce(homemade or store bought)

1/4 cup bourbon

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp chili pwdr

1/4 cup apricot jam(optional)

Mix together the brown sugar and chili powder to create a rub. Wrap each rib in a slice of bacon. Brush the ribs with the bourbon and sprinkle one side with the rub. Place in a very hot saute pan(I had used olive oil to prevent sticking), seasoned side down. Brush unseasoned side with bourbon and sprinkle with the rub. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side to get slightly crispy. Place in crockpot and top with bbq sauce and apricot jam. You can also add any left over bourbon or spices.

or if you want...just add more bourbon. Period.

Keep on low for for 7 to 8 hours, or high for 4 to 5.  If you want the ribs to maintain their "rib shape" integrity, you may want to cut cooking time by about 30 min. Otherwise  it is fall apart and still beyond delicious. If you do not have a crockpot, you should be able to bake these at 375 for 2 hrs or so, keeping watch to make sure you have enough liquid. 

If you have some left over, they are perfect for shredded pork tacos.

Linking up with

Taste of Tuesday

That Holiday That Is a Double Edged Sword

Oh, Mother's Day...

The things you can do to my emotions.

Not this year. I was ready for you. Armed with a new niece and the promise of bestie twins coming in the fall. You cannot make me sad this year. I will not look at you as representing the one thing that evades me so(ok, not the one thing. singing and not scaring people still hasn't happened yet;) It would instead represent what will be in my future and I would concentrate on the here and now.

and then CBS This Morning happened. 

I am watching Sidney Portier and how his acting career began and seeing this man, once again, epitomize class, when, after the commercial break, a woman who has just had a baby goes on a spiel about "geriatric" pregnancies. and how anyone over the age of 35 fits into this category and being an "older mom" and the possible problems that go along with this. It wasn't her fault, she was trying to put a positive spin on it...but it happened on a morning where I didn't want to be reminded. 

and I lost it. I quietly left the room so not to have my poor father in law see the ridiculous effect that some woman's words had on me...and made myself busy in the other room. 

geriatric pregnancy...what the fudgeaduck

The thoughts kept ruminating through my mind. "I can't be a part of this, I don't count. I was 25 when we first started" and a lot of other thoughts that I am gonna go ahead and not write down for you. I can at least pretend to be a lady.

and then Wiki walks in and hand me his phone. He has googled "geriatric pregnancies" and stumbled upon an article called the "geriatric pregnancy myth" he, for some  unknown reason, thought that it would be a good idea. it wasn't. It almost got thrown back at him.  But then I realized it was his work phone and you know...he was saved by the skin of his teeth.

He was only trying to help. It. just. didn't.

Here is the thing. I do not give one ever lovin iota if "lots and lots of women are having babies over 35" I never wanted to be one of them. I didn't and I still don't but obviously I have little choice left. I have plenty of people I know who have and they love it and it works for them. 

It just wasn't what I wanted for myself. I wanted to be a young mother. So if you ever meet me, please do me a favor. Refrain from telling me that "women here have babies later in life" "You guys have all the time in the world" Because while you may mean well...

I probably really want to become volatile towards you;)

I then did what was my only logical choice...I googled it myself and read articles that made me feel better. Ones where the women were pretty much telling doctors and anyone who used that term to "go and eff themselves"  although, now it is apparently known as "advanced maternal age" cause that is so much more appealing. 

My favorite was this one liner from a woman who said that if her doctor told her that "I would ask him where the hell my senior citizen discount was then" 

and after a little bit, I breathed and I got over it. I looked at my chubby niece and held her as much as I could. I breathed in her sweet baby scent and I kept handing her to my husband. because in those small moments I got to picture what my life will hopefully look like one day.

a chubby, dark hair baby with olive skin, in my husband's arms.

Interestingly enough, yesterday when I went to my blogger homepage I had inadvertently checked in under my other email and it was from my other blog that popped up.and I found this blog post I had written two years ago. 

and it is still true for today.

Un-Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day...a day that could remind me of what I'm not. Instead is the the day to see my momma and realize what I can strive to be. I am very lucky. My mom has her quirks(don't we all, I say, don't we all) but no matter what I struggled w/in my life: whether it be heartbreak or triumph, a boy hurting my feelings or a friend letting me down...I never questioned that she had my back or that if I did something wrong, she still loved me, but I better try to make it right.

My mom is my moral compass. She listened to my hurts, dried my tears and pushed me to succeed. She loves us each, almost to a fault. I was her only girl growing up. Three brothers and me. I hated this and wanted a sister. God did me one better, he gave my brothers amazing wives and I got to keep my "only girl" status. see: win/win. The times we can drive each other bonkers, I look at our life and see that our decisions, good and bad, came from her and my dad. I appreciate her most when I look back on this. The fact that we chose so well in our other halves, are a reflection of how they raised us.

So one day, when it's finally my turn and I get my chance to celebrate "Mother's Day", I only hope that I am half as good at is as she was....she wasn't perfect, but she taught me to love and trust in the One that was.

A Little Pinspiration

The funny thing  is that I didn't set out to have any outfits to recreate from Pinterest this month... and then I stumbled upon three, almost inadvertently.

 then I remembered seeing this first dress and that I had worn a similar color and jewelry combination recently.

So I am not sure if this counts as pinspiration or if her and I just happen to have similiar tastes. Either way, I do like the combo of these colors..

Here is the original pin

via

Yes, this picture was after a few drinks and entirely too much food,.but what woman in her right mind can resist a lolipop the size of her head?

dress, Target clearance $6.74

shoes kohls $9

jewelry free(selling Stella & Dot)

The second outfit, I had remembered seeing on pinterest and then when I was at Ross and saw this sweet dress, I knew I wanted it. It was too chilly to wear sleeveless, so I changed it up with a cardigan and my most trusty companion, a belt. 

This adorable girl makes her own...yeah, about that. I pay a tailor a buck versus even sewing my own buttons on, ergo...I purchased mine;) but if you are talented enough to make your own, check out her site.

via

Here what the dress looks like prior to adding my cardigan and belt.

{perhaps this will explain why I wear a lot of cardigans,  enemies, cause of back pain, nemesis   'the girls' try to unleash themselves when I least expect it}

and here is how I dressed it up.

Cardigan: Burlington Coat Factory-$8.99

dress: Ross $12.99

necklace Yard sale $2

earrings Clothes Hound (living social deal)

belt yard sale- 50 cents

flip flops- from Key West 10 years ago...most comfortable pair ever

and then it ended up being more chilly than I had anticipated and I was able to work a third outfit in and I combined the look of two separate pins.

First up was this simple look. I didn't have all the jewelry  but I think the bow lets me keep that to a minimum anyways.

via

I paired this navy striped shirt with a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of burnt orange wedges. And kept it simple with just a pair of emerald green earrings.

via

 And then for night time I switched it up and added an orange blazer and a pair of leopard print flip flops. and I never would have thought of stripes and leopard print before..but I am digging it. Loved this look.

Shirt: Ross
Skinny jeans: Ross $9
Jacket Ralph Lauren at TJ Maxx $15(clearance)
Wedges: Shoe Show $7(clearance)
Flip flops: Charming Charlie $3(clearance)

Already excited to see what Pinterest has in store for my closet next month.

Linking up with

Get Pinspired

Shanna
The Pleated Poppy
Style Elixer
Tucker Up