little.black.sheep.shop

Wedding Planning into Doing

So I have been a bit out of touch this past week or so... I have been madly trying to book appointments with all sorts of vendors... and cram them into just two days! Eek!

While that has been a little stressful... I'm excited to report that Ryan and I finished the design of our Save-The-Dates... and are finally turning planning into DOING! :) Yay!!

And I really LOVE how they turned out... here's the front side...

 

 

We based it off a design that we saw online. We snapped a bunch of pics of ourselves and ultimately chose this one. I then added the text and changed the coloring a bit. Love it!

One thing off my to-do list... only a million more to go!!! :)

xxoo!

-h-

Crazy busy

So I returned home last night, with a very dirty puppy in tow, after a crazy busy trip to Houston. While I was there, I spent time with family, worked, drove ALL OVAH the place, and did a ton of wedding planning.

Some wedding decisions were made, some weren't. Overall a productive trip though.

I'm sorry I wasn't able to see many of my dear friends who live in Houston during my visit this time. If it's any consolation - I probably wouldn't have been great company! My mind has been swimming with save-the-dates, photographers, venues, food, dresses, and pretty much everything else wedding-related!

 

{ by the way }

I returned to see that my amaryllis, which I had left before my trip, decided to have a growth spurt in my absence.

Here it was the day before I left:

 

and here it was when I got back last night...

 

The blooms that were there when I left were wilted... and the other stalk just shot up (it's around 2 to 3 feet tall) and has blooms too! Pretty amazing considering it got little sunlight and no water while I was gone!

Anyhoo... just wanted to share.

Happy Hump-Day!

xxoo!

Dear Houston II

Things I do NOT miss about you:
Your neverending traffic // Your inattentive drivers // Wafts of rotten odors throughout the city // Losing my paycheck in a week to downtown parking fees // Busy, high-strung city life and business peeps // Humidity ruining the work of my flat iron in less than a minute...

Murder by Broth

So when I sat down to write my previous post, my soup was simmering away on my stove and I was looking forward to finishing it and gobbling up a bowl for lunch.

However...

That did not happen.

When it came time to puree the soup, I added a little bit too much for the first batch in my food processor. So when I turned the machine on, the broth surged upwards and began seeping out underneath the lid. Keeping an eye on the puree itself, I didn't notice the river pouring down the backside of my food processor... and pooling inside the motor casing.

I only realized the mess I had made when I flipped the switch to OFF and took a step back.

*sigh*

So, I decided to bust out the blender instead of continuing with the dripping food processor. In my haste, I didn't notice the plastic base of the blender jar wasn't actually screwed on. So when I poured the hot broth and squash into the blender and turned it on, chunks of squash and broth flew out, landing all over me, my countertop, my floor... and pretty much everything else in its reach.

*bigger sigh*

You have GOT to be kidding me.

So I cleaned up the food processor... got the last of the soup in the bowl, turned it on... and nothing happened.

I had killed my food processor. Murder by Broth.

*frustrated growl*

Through my anguished cries and curses aimed at my kitchen appliances, I somehow managed to clean the blender, puree the rest of the soup, and get it all back in the pot. Only to find that my buttermilk (the last ingredient to finish the soup) had gone sour. 

*line of expletives*

So... I gave up.

I threw the soup in the fridge, changed into clean clothes, and called my mum. She shared a story of an explosive encounter she had with a pressure cooker years ago... we both laughed and I felt much better!

I'm now going to freeze all of the soup and leave it for another day.

---

So long, Cuisinart Food Processor. May You Rest in Peace.

Sabbatical

Happy New Year! Yes, it's slightly belated... but still heartfelt!

I suppose I should wish you all Merry Christmas as well, since I haven't been online for a few weeks. I spent time during my sabbatical spending time with my hunny, my family and friends, I started some new projects and finished older ones, and just reenergized overall. Ahhhh... it feels SO good to start the new year with clear mind.

Ryan and I watched a bunch of movies over the last few weeks... including a ton of holiday flicks.

Recommended:

Four Christmases

Avatar

Paranormal Activity

Night at the Museum

The "new" Harry Potter

The Ugly Truth

Death at a Funeral

 

Mildly Entertaining:

Inglourious Basterds

9

 

I also baked a little - my Gran's shortbread (which was tasty in small bites), my sister's lemon sandwich cookies (with cream cheese frosting in the middle!!), and ready-to-bake frozen cookie dough. Needless to say, I've been opting for my stretch-jeans!!

So you can tell I've definitely been taking it easy and enjoying my time off. :)

((Oh! And on the wedding front... Ryan and I finally picked out an engagement ring and bands for me. I LOVE my ring! I'm also making arrangements to try on wedding dresses with my mum & sisters... YAY! Now we just have to narrow down a city and venue for this shindig! ))

 Ciao for now, flocky flock!

New Reindeer Look...

I sported a new look last week when my sister and I started decorating the house...

 

At some point I forgot I had them on and almost wore my antlers out to our sushi dinner that night! Woopsie! Thank goodness I realized before we left the house! :)

-h-

Last week, this week...

Things I did this past week:

 

1. Looked at wedding gowns online.

2. Got excited about planning our wedding.

3. Built a raised veggie garden.

4. Worked.

5. Watched a few flicks.

6. Visited the an-er-mals at the Riverbanks Zoo.

7. Bought children's books.

Things I plan to do this week:

- Finish veggie garden.

- Clean the house.

- Plan a trip to Charleston.

- Watch some more flicks.

- Countdown to Thanksgiving.

- Post fav wedding ideas on blog.

(I have a feeling I'll be sharing some of my favorite wedding ideas here over the next year or so... because I've already stumbled across some incredible ideas and concepts!)

Happy, happy Mondays to the flock.

xxoo!!

Sage and salvia

I know it's fall... but I fell in love with these pretty pink sage flowers and blue salvia. So I finally got around to getting plants potted for our front porch!

Yay! 

I know it kinda looks like I'm trying to hold on to spring + summer... 

(and either my right leg is shorter than my left or I don't know how to take a straight picture...)

but I really love these plants. Maybe they'll survive until next year!

(Fingers crossed...)

Nerd in the Kitchen

Yup. I spent hours clipping pages out of old issues of Martha Stewart Living yesterday. 

Aaaaand... I enjoyed it.

I know - nerd alert.

 But honestly, it really felt good to finally get rid of some of those suckers... They take up so much space. And they're HEAVY!!

And while I won't recommend any of you take up this task on your Saturdays (I'm sure there are MANY more important things you could take care of in your spare time!)... I WILL recommend you make one of two very simple dishes this fall if you get the chance...

First up... Pumpkin Pancakes.

These are PERFECT to serve on cool autumn mornings - and pumpkin is a power food! They have a TON of antioxidants and are packed with fiber & nutritious vitamins.

Not only that...  the recipe is E-A-S-Y easy!

Instructions:

Make your favorite pancake batter (I'm a fan of Bisquick... but if you prefer to make yours from scratch, please feel free.)

Add canned pumpkin puree.

(Approximately 1/3 cup of pumpkin to every cup of batter).

Add the same amount of milk.

Sprinkle in your favorite pumpkin pie spices (nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, etc.).

Be heavy handed with the spices... I added a couple of teaspoons.

Then, make the pancakes!! You can serve with the standard maple syrup, or make it extra special with whipped cream.

(Note: I wish I had a picture to share... but I ate ALL of mine before I had a chance to capture them with my camera!)

 

Next... Egg Toast!!!

Cut a hole in a slice of your favorite sliced bread...

(Use shaped cookie cutters if you're feeling festive!)

Place the bread into a nonstick skillet on medium heat.

Break an egg into a small dish.

Carefully slide the egg into the "hole"...

Season the egg toast with salt + pepper... and anything else your heart desires.

Carefully flip your toast to cook on the other side...

And serve! 

Since I made this for dinner, I paired it with a simple side salad of mixed greens, goat cheese, and a dressing of evoo, red wine vinegar and italian seasonings. YUM!!!

 

I hope you all have a chance to make one of these comforting recipes this week. :)

Enjoy what's left of the rest of your weekends!

xxoo!

-h-

The best laid plans...

My Planned Saturday

Wake up. Be productive. Go to sleep.

 

My Actual Saturday

Wake up.

Run 4.5 miles.

Wonder how much pain I'll be in tomorrow.

Make pumpkin pancakes...

Plan on storing extra pancakes for Sunday brunch...

Devour ALL pancakes and discard previous plan.

Consider being productive.

Lay on couch & watch TV.

Organize old Martha Stewart Living mags.

Watch hours of forensic shows.

Make Egg Toast.

Watch The Tale of Despereaux.

Plan on being productive tomorrow...