Shout Outs.

Since I don't have much to talk about today, I thought I'd give two shout outs to two lovely ladies that I'm thinking of today. 

Emily! She just found out yesterday that she got a new teaching job at an all girls school downtown! So proud of her! :)

Frankie! Frankie's young, healthy Dad suffered a heart attack Wednesday night. While he was jogging with Frankie's mom. Talk about out of no where. Apparently his LAD artery was 100% blocked.  He's awake and stable now, but has some memory loss. So if you're a pray-er, say one for him and his family please. :)

My Charleston Wedding Venue Picks - Part 2 of 2

Middleton Place Plantation

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Pepper Plantation

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Daniel Island Club

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That would be my BFF.

Wickliffe House

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Island House

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The Sanctuary  

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What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Today all I'm loving are things on my house wishlist. 

modernist mugs

modernist bowls

fish bottle opener

moroccan canape plates

raffia trays

mixed hammered vases

textured stone planters

recycled-glass bud vases

jacquard vase (in lemon)

glass oyster shell bowls

decorative coral on lucite base (i did see a VERY similar replica of this at TJMaxx for something like $16!)

starfish bowl

garden stool

pillow

mugs

I could go on for days...

Tasty Tuesday - Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Recipe & picture from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Prep Time: 20 min  Cook Time: 55 min  Servings: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• For the candied bacon:
• 8 slices center cut thick bacon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• For the cookies:
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place bacon in a single layer on a foil lined sheet. (I would spray this with cooking spray or olive oil. I couldn't use half of my bacon because a lot of it stuck to the foil.)
   
3. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of bacon strips. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until crispy, making sure to turn bacon over after 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack for cooling. Once bacon has cooled chop it finely.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
6. Sift flour and baking soda.
7. In a medium bowl, cream butter with the white and brown sugar.
8. Add vanilla, egg, and egg yolk to the bowl and beat until light and creamy.
9. Add flour mixture and mix well.
10. Add diced candied bacon and chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
11. Place golf ball sized balls of dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cookies sit on the pan for a couple of minutes before placing on a wire rack.

Another Reason to Love Darius.

Back Breaking Weekend

This weekend was all about yard work. Back in February, my Uncle Jay was kind enough to provide us with the hook up on plants. I'm talking Cameron's bed of his truck was full, the trailer behind his truck was full, the back seat of his truck was full, I held a plant in my lap, and Uncle Jay filled his SUV with plants, too. They sat and sat in our back yard until the weather got warmer and we could actually plant them all. Last weekend Cameron borrowed a tiller and tilled every area that plants were going to go. This weekend was all about putting those babies in the ground.

I never knew how much hard work went in to landscaping! Both yesterday morning and this morning, it hurt to walk. I honestly considered calling in to work today, but then realized all I do at work is sit in front of a computer so I decided to suck it up.

These pictures really do not do the yard justice. Some of the plants are hard to see, too, because they're so small right now.



BEFORE - The day he closed on the house.

  

AFTER (also after the sprinkler, which is why the house looks two-toned)



BEFORE - back of the house




AFTER - Hi Brady.



#1 on "The List" is officially crossed out!

IFLF's

Today is my parent's 32nd wedding anniversary. And that's no April Fool's joke. They are so ding dang cute together it sometimes makes me sick, yet hopeful that my husband and I will still be that much in love when we're married for 30 years. 

This is what my Dad wrote on my Mom's Facebook wall this morning (yes, they both have FB):

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE MOST SWEETEST,HOTTEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL, GIRL IN THE WORLD!!! I LUV YOU BABY!! YOU STILL ROCK MY WORLD!!"

 

It's officially official - Cameron and a group of his guy friends are hosting an engagement party at our house the SAME weekend I will be OUT OF TOWN for Katie's bachelorette party. I'm going to be a nervous wreck even though I know Cameron won't let anything happen, especially if he guards treats the house like he guards treats his boat. I'm going to take the day off from work the day before I leave just so I can make sure the house is spotless. We've already made a to-do list of things that HAVE to get done around the house before then. It's in 29 days. Oh lawd.

"King of the Castle, King of the Castle" - Borat

And because I'm not gonna pass up extra opportunities to win a $100 giftcard to Forever 21 AND a $100 gas card, click here to enter Shasta Anne's awesome giveaway! Or just follow her and don't enter the giveaway..better chances for me that way. ;)