Yummy!

If anyone is looking for some cookies to make over the holidays (or for a particular cookie swap) here are some ideas!

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/cookie-time-9-cookies-wed-like-to-bake-soon-101520

Enjoy!

Cleaning out and Moving On

So, this week was my last to stay the night in Madison while being in Jackson for my job. My mother took full advantage of this by making me (finally) clean out my room/closet. Since I've been out of the house for a while now, and have been married for almost a year, we decided it was time to say goodbye to clothes from middle school, old purses, etc.

Many memories came rushing back to me as I found things from my past. First was my size 4 khaki shorts... man was that a while ago! ;) At the very top shelf of my closet, I found about 12 small handbags. It was funny to see how the style of purses have gotten bigger as time goes by! I must have had some weird obsession for pens, because there were about 10 in each purse I cleaned out...(wait maybe I still do have an obsession with pens.)

Mom and I made it through shorts, purses, swimsuits, shoes, clothes, but if any of you have ever been to my parents house, you know the biggest challenge of this whole deal is ALL of my many tshirts... I could clothe an army. I think tshirts and blue jeans have been my "outfit" of choice since like...forever! There were shirts dating from Madison Central Cheer Camp (elementary school) to my last Chi O shirt. Of course, I'm not getting rid of all of them, but I should have counted how many there were... I just took a picture of the ending pile instead. This pile measured about 3 feet tall and ehh about 3 or 4 feet wide.

All in all, it was a good night. It was bittersweet to let some items go (as I sometimes connect memories to material things), but very necessary. I just feel bad for my Mom who has to categorize and itemize everything for Goodwill, but hopefully these clothes will come in handy for people in need. Lord knows a size 4 khaki shorts are doing ME no good!!!

If you haven't cleaned out your closet in a while, DO IT! It's fairly exhilarating. :)

-ACE

Homemade Bows

I thought this was awesome!

Check out how to do it yourself: http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2009/10/make-gift-bow-from-magazine-page.html

Grilled Shrimp Recipe

Yay! My first recipe post. I was really excited to take a picture of the food for this post, but it was so good we gobbled it right up! Seriously... we did. This is a very, very easy recipe but tastes incredible!

Quick and Easy Grilled Shrimp

• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1 lb of large shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed, and drained.

1. Mince the garlic with the salt.
2. Mix with the cayenne and paprika, then form into a paste with olive oil and lemon juice.
3. Toss in the shrimp and allow them to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
4. Preheat your grill to high heat, then place shrimp onto skewers. **(If using wooden skewers, make sure they have soaked for at least 30 minutes.)**
5. Cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side or until they turn pink.
6. Enjoy!

Tonight, I served the shrimp with squash and zuchinni sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper. Also, had a salad with a homemade Italian Vinaigrette --- amazing... very easy, very light.

Vinaigrette:

Combine the following:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Enjoy!

-ACE

Wonderful Weekends

The past two weekends have been so great! If you have been around me recently, you know Jesse is super busy at the studio, so time with him is treasured. Last weekend, we had a wonderful date night on Friday - Where the Wild Things Are and grilling out! Saturday we slept in, then spent the day at the refuge. As you will see in the pictures, we broke in the Xterra and got it a little muddy and also found a snake skin along one of the walking paths! We ended this weekend visiting with friends in Corinth and hearing John Windham’s first Sunday morning sermon.

This past weekend started out with a much needed reunion of Chi O’s! I had to leave the group early, though, to head to Tupelo because Saturday morning I ran my very first 5k! It was so much fun, I can’t wait to do another one. If anyone is interested, let me know! The weekend ended with the MSU vs. Florida game and the starting this blog!

I’m headed to Jackson again this week for Byram Middle’s weight out… we’ll see how the group did! Very busy over the next few days getting ready for it. Jesse is still being swallowed alive by the studio, but hopefully he will get to have some nights at home this week… Have a great week!

Race for a Cure 5k

The Beginning

After much encouragement from friends, here I find myself starting my very first blog! I want to use this blog to post recipes, pictures and stories from our everyday lives. Most newlyweds start this right after the honeymoon, but I’m some 10 months late. Speaking of that, I can’t believe that Jesse and I have been married for almost 10 months. Crazy! It’s been a busy year for us.. so let me catch you up.

We were married on January 10, 2009 at First Presbyterian Church in Starkville. We spent the next week in beautiful Playa Del Carmen, Mexico; relaxing and exploring! The week quickly came to an end as we borded the plane and headed to Birmingham, Alabama. Jesse went back to work at Brasfield & Gorrie and I started my first job with the March of Dimes. The next 5 months were full of thank you notes, laundry, looking for a puppy and making Birmingham our home.

Little did we know that the plans we were making would be shifted to a new town. In June, Jesse was laid off of his job due to the economy, and we found ourselves depending on the Lord and each other in ways we never had before. After much prayer and patience, Jesse decided to go back to Mississippi State to get his Masters degree in Landscape Architecture and I was blessed with an amazing job with the MSU Extenstion Service! We found an apartment, sold his truck, finished out our lease in Birmingham, and moved back to Bulldog Country.

The past 3 months have been amazing. We love being back in Starkville… Jesse is excelling in his graduate program, and I am still loving my job. One of our favorite things is having a place to entertain friends and host guests on the weekends (especially during football season). :) We are so blessed and happy with where we are and are so excited to see what is to come over our next 2 1/2 years in Starkville.

Enjoy the photos!

The Wedding

The Honeymoon