bible lessons and gummy bears

over the weekend we had some unforeseen events take place. nothing terrible i promise, more of an inconvenience. and while these events interfered with our plans for the weekend i was reminded that we are called to help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need.

our church spoke on this topic the very next day. our pastor preached from I Timothy 5:1-3 instructing those in the church to treat one another as family. if you are not familiar with this book go read it and consider the call to view the church as God's household and the members of the church as members of one family.

i was so encouraged to know that our actions the day before were in accordance with the Word of God.

Jordan and i did manage to go on a date to watch The Hunger Games on friday. just the two of us munching on gummy bears together, (plus a crowded theater of teeny boppers). no, it was a ton of fun.

hope you had a fun weekend!

xo

staying in tune with music

today i came home from work and started listening to music. not just as background noise, but really listening to the the music; the notes, the lyrics, and getting lost in the beautiful melody. i honestly have not done this in a while, (i don't remember the last time really). 

but i am kinda at a loss for good music right now. i tend to listen to the same band/artist/song until i can't stand to hear it again. (i am also not very good at being intentional about finding good music.) it's truly baffling just how many talented unknown singers there are in the world. 

and i love music, i was kinda raised that way. i started choir in middle school and continued with it up until college. when i came home from school i joined my church choir and learned even more. i adore singing and love learning new techniques. 

so in an effort to acquaint myself with new music i have become addicted to Pandora. (i know, duh, right?) well, whatever. i am in love with it. and now i am jamming to artists with beautiful voices and beautiful words. here are just a few of what my ears have been enjoying.

do you have any awesome artists that you are listening to right now?

have a wonderful monday!

xo

a spin on classic mac & cheese

i think i am pretty savvy when it comes to cooking. i know my way around the kitchen and the various tools that i think i do a decent job at creating dinner every night. i have really grown to love cooking and am always looking for new and fun recipes to try.

so when i found this fancy spin on classic mac & cheese i had to try it. i used my babycakes mini cupcake maker for mini mac & cheese cups. and they turned out to be the perfect appetizer size. i served them at our Oscar party last month. after i saw how simple mini mac & cheese cups were i decided to try homemade mac & cheese. the only thing i did different was add pepper jack cheese (Jordan's favorite) instead of cheddar cheese. oh man. it was so good.

it was so much fun to make a classic recipe completely from scratch, expect the noodles of course. much more satisfying than buying the box.

here is the recipe i used for the cheese sauce in the homemade mac & cheese, pictured on the left. (from no one but the best, Betty Crocker)

ingredients: 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1/2 shredded/crumbled cheddar cheese (i used crumbled pepper jack, but you can use whatever you fancy).

take a small pot over medium heat and melt butter. slowly add flour, stirring consistently until the butter and flour are well combined.

now the past two times i made this the flour and butter turned into a paste-like substance when i started mixing the two.

don't freak out! 

it will combine and then melt into creamy goodness once you add the milk.

pour in milk, stirring constantly as it thickens. 

don't stop stirring! 

i used my spoon to separate the paste-like substance as i was stirring constantly. the more your stir the more the paste-like stuff will start to break apart and the more thick your sauce will get. 

once the sauce is smooth and creamy, add the cheese and stir until all is combined. there is a lot of stirring involved in this recipe, but it goes really fast.

now pour your awesome cheese sauce on your already cooked elbow noodles. i drained my noodles once they got tender and let them chill in the pot while i made my cheese sauce.

mix well. i like to add basil and salt and pepper. but you can add whatever you want.

enjoy!

the simple moments

                                  

i have really loved taking pictures of Roy, he is the best. the last picture is us at a Pacers game in downtown Indy with free tickets! we had a blast.

happy first day of spring!

xo

sweet spring air

this morning it dawned on me that Spring is just around the corner! i knew that the first day of Spring was in March, but i guess i didn't realize it was so soon. i think it has to do with the beautiful weather we are having here in Indy. i have been opening my windows a lot recently to welcome in the sweet Spring air.

so when i was getting ready this morning it only seemed fit that i reach for my B&BW p.s. I love you Spring Fling bottle. i have always loved p.s. i love you, but last year B&BW released their limited addition Spring Fling, and i was in love. it's so perfect, really. i don't think they sell it in stores anymore which makes me very sad because it was my go-to scent last year. 

i have also been wearing Estee Lauder Pleasures Blossom which Jordan got for me this past Christmas. i absolutely adore this scent. it's a perfect mix of floral for Spring.

it really was a great way to spend a tuesday, windows open, sitting on the patio, sipping coffee, and watching the ducks on the pond behind our complex. i also took some cute pictures of Roy. he is really good about letting me do that.

hope your day was sweet!

xo

pink roses

Sunday's are my favorite day of the week because i get to go to my beautiful church. today my pastor spoke on training yourself for godliness (I Timothy 4:6-10) and i was very thankful for hearing this message. in my last post i said i wanted to commit myself to this pursuit and it was a very refreshing reminder.

p.s Jordan insisted we needed these pink roses when we were out shopping the other day, he is so sweet. I love them.

have a great Sunday!

xo

a little of what has been on my heart

this year i have been wanting to be more intentional about keeping my goals. like most people, i put together a list at the beginning of a new year with the hopes of ticking off boxes. but for whatever reason that list gets misplaced, forgotten, or hidden beneath a pile of bills and daily to-do lists. and, like most people, i tell myself year and year that i will be better.

well, 2012 is going to be different.

going into 2012 i had the excitment and the anticipation of a child waiting for an extra scoop of her favorite ice cream. i felt like i could do anything. i had all of the possibilities that come with being a young newlywed, renting an apartment, working part time, and having the most loving husband a girl could ask for.

would i go back to school to further my degree? would i do something completely different like take cooking classes? would i start my own organizational business? i had my growing list of activities i wanted to accomplish, goals that i was developing strategies for, and habits and simple daily living skills that i wanted to adopt. with children being far in the forecast i literally felt like i had the world at my fingertips. the girl with endless possibilities.

 January began with a lot of adjustments and, for reasons i will not disclose on this blog, my ambitious day dreaming days were put on pause. this intermission lasted through the middle of February. (this is the reason for my absence on this little blog).

now it is March and i have made a new commitment to myself: i will commit to love myself and those around me with the same love that Christ has for me. i will commit to seek the Lord in every area of my life. and i will commit to grow in godliness as the Bible commands.

these commitments and a renewed sense to intentionally live life well can be attributed to multiple factors; my dear long-suffering husband, my inspiring acquaintances via the blogshere, my beautiful friends and family with their encouraging words, and my beloved church which i am falling more and more in love with every week.

i want to thank you all for your love and support through a transitional period in my life. i know that not every person will know the influence they had on me, weather it be a simple blog post or a kind word, but they have all meant the world to me. so thank you.

i am so excited for 2012! i will give you the details soon but for now i wanted to let you know a little of what has been on my heart. so be encouraged for the things to come!

have a blessed weekend friends!
xo

happiness in February

these are just some of the wonderful things that filled February. i am really looking forward to March!

my happiness list

1. wearing pink pajamas while munching on popcorn and cheese with a glass of wine.

2. watching my cat sunbathe on the bedroom floor

3. the sound on raindrops while i lay in bed

4. Instagram...i can't help it! i love that app.

5. making homemade mac & cheese

6. hearing my husband call me "tabes" 

7. organizing my apartment and moving things around for a fresh look

8. gathering ideas for my next DIY

9. using my Baby Cakes mini cupcake maker!

10. Mad Men

new things to come

i will be back soon to write about what i am most excited about this month and life in general. for now, here is some music from the most recent album by MUSE called Resistance, this song is called Unnatural Section.
i absolutely love it. also, did you know that MUSE was my recessional music at my wedding? i truly adore them.

enjoy!

and happy tuesday!

xo

my sweet husband

This is my favorite picture of Jordan recently. 

He is the cutest.

I love him a lot.

xo