l.o.v.e.

yummy. for any of ya'll who actually read this and know me well..you know i have a love for jake owen.

Jake @ The Dallas Bull - my first encounter....

Barefoot Blue Jean Night = my new obsession...anyone up for seeing him in August with Keith Urban??

 http://www.cmt.com/videos/jake-owen/667708/barefoot-blue-jean-night.jhtml 

(check out the new video not on YouTube yet..)

whoopsies...



yes i did indeed realize this once the bottle was 3/4 gone...



New Casa.

Voila. I thought I would give you a little tour of my new apartment! I still have a lot left to do but this is progress..

Living Room..

Entry Way..

Sitting Room (off of the Living Room)...

 Dining Room..

What do you think?

Goin to the Chapel

Another big event in 2011 was my high school friend Randi's wedding..the whole weekend was beautiful and it was fun to reconnect with my friends...

Bride and groom...

Me and Kourtney (ignore the non-flattering picture..)

Much Love,

Lauren 



I Swear I Am Alive!

Ok..it's me again...I know it has been about 9023902 months since I blogged but I promise I am alive! A lot has happened, and a lot  is about to happen so I thought it would be a good time to get the blog up and running again! I am approaching 27 which will be the scariest/most daunting year yet - but I will get more into that later. Here's a snippet of what I have been up to in 2011...

Lake Weekend with Great Friends..

Moved into a new house..

..okay so I didn't win the lottery, I am simply renting the upstairs of the house!

Hosted the Annual Summerfest Party...

 (for all of you friends I haven't seen in awhile ^^ this is my brother..yikes - when did he get so old?!)

Helped Celebrate Caleb...

  (Got to use my creative side..)

July will be the biggest month yet with visits to see old friends, family, the beach, meeting new additions, and starting a new job...I will do my best to keep this blog updated especially as I begin some new adventures :)

Hope all of you are well!

WeBsiTeS I LoVE!

Day 22: Website(s)

Elizabeth McKay - A Girl Can Dream!

Etsy - And it takes you to one of my favorite sellers...even if I haven't bought anything I love it all!

Amazing Party Ideas! (Esp for those of you moms to be!)

Annie's Eats - Yummmmy Recipes



'Cookin in My Little Kitchen!

Day 21: A Recipe



Chicken Enchiladas

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3  cups  chopped cooked chicken
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
• 1/2  cup  sour cream
• 1  (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 8  (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1  (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 1  (8-ounce) bottle green taco sauce
• Toppings: diced tomato, chopped avocado, chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped cilantro

Preparation

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Coat tortillas with vegetable cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Stir together sour cream and taco sauce. Spoon over hot enchiladas, and sprinkle with toppings.

Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2000

Slacker...

Ok so I have reallly really been slacking :( I left off on Day 17 like 9 days ago...eek! I am going to pick back up today with topics 18-20 and then will hopefully catch up and finish by the end of next week. I haven't even really been super busy, just exhausted and enjoying this fall weather!

Day 18: My FUTURE Wedding

Just like the decorating of the dream house I could probably spend hours on this topic and could go from either a really really casual setting to uber chic and ritzy. I did this really fast so I am sure I forgot some of my best ideas but enjoy!

What do you think??

Day 19: A Talent of Mine

A talent of mine would have to be my creativity. I love to be creative and have a lot of fun shopping around picking out things - even if it is for something really far in the future!

Day 20: A Hobby of Mine

 

I love interior design and mostly everything ballard designs! I just could spend hours in Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I really want to get into making wreaths..cute ones for each of the holidays.

Day 17...Piece of Art

It's not really art but when I was in high school someone introduced me to cigar labels and it has now become something I really enjoy looking at and purchasing at times. Tampa is a big cigar city and I feel like it is a way of keeping Tampa in my life even if I am 7 hours away. Here are some I have my eye on right now...

This weekend we are headed to Tallahassee for the game. I am SO excited! I cannot wait to get back to Tallahasee and see football in person! Go Noles!!

My Dream House...Continued...

I have so many rooms left to decorate!!

Dining Room

Living/Family Room

Fabric:

I would definitely use the fabric in place of the stripes or as my pattern - and in the second one i would have to have a much more neutral colors.

Master Bedroom:

Day 16

Song That Makes You Cry

Butterfly Kisses - makes me think of me and my dad and happy/sad at the same time.

You Tube Version

Days 14 & 15

Day 14: A Non-Fictional Book

My favorite non-fictional book would have to be Marley & Me. I loved the book and the movie equally and cry on command each and every time I see it.

Day 15: My Dream House



I love decorating, designing, everything home-centered. When I get my southern living magazine every month I probably spend a good 10-15 minutes looking at the home plans pages. I could seriously do this every day. I love it. I love picturing my dream house and everything that would go into it - as realisic and unrealistic as I want it to be. Did you know they have a whole magazine dedicated to house plans?!?!

Here's a little glimpse into my dream...

The Weatherton

"An attractive, homey shingle exterior softens the look of this grand home. Inside, French doors open to the dining room from the front porch, giving you the option of serving after-dinner drinks outside. The nearby island kitchen is the perfect working space for creating fabulous meals. The spacious breakfast room includes a stylish bow window. Behind small double doors, an alcove joins the kitchen to a handy utility room and a half-bath. Both the family room and the formal living room include handsome fireplaces to warm any occasion. Nicely secluded on the main floor, the master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and an exceptional private bath. A bonus space on the upper floor would work well as a playroom, complementing the three sizable secondary bedrooms. "

And what would go into it (Room by Room of course..)

Entry Way

(I am obsessed - this has actually been the background on my computer for a month..)

Mud-Room

I have to have a mud room. End of story. It will also be this organized.

Laundry Room

Must Have List:

• Drying Rack
• Side by Side
• Granite Countertops
• Wrapping Paper Station

Kitchen

or

I am having way too much fun with this post! I will have to finish off my dreams tomorrow with the bedrooms and bathrooms of my dream house!!

Days 12 & 13

Day 12: Something You Are OCD About..

I am OCD about a few things but the number one thing I am OCD about is keeping my planner up to date. I love my Lilly agenda book. I like having the monthly views and the daily views --- It comes with stickers which I am not such a bag fan of but I love looking in my purse and seeing the bright colors!

 Day 13: Ficitional Book

We have definitely already covered this topic but I love Nanny Diaries, Something Borrowed/Something Blue, Devil Wears Prada, Chasing Harry Winston, Everyone worth Knowing, etc..etc...

I just found out that the author of Devil Wears Prada and the last two I mentioned came out with a new book, "Last Night at Chateau Marmont"

I will definitely be picking up a copy soon. But while we are on the topic of books, guess what I purchased yesterday!?!?



True Prep: Brooks Brothers Edition

I will let you know what I think of it as soon as I have had a chance to dive in...



Day 11: Recent Photo

see my birthday post :)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

Day 10 - a photo taken over 10 years ago of you...

Or just a few really old photos...

A high school dance - sophomore year, circa 1999?? Sorry for the bad quality but I had to use my phone to take these!!

Another HS Dance...

Senior Year of HS I think..

Me and Rosemary Debutante Ball

Erin - I know you read so I just had to post this one...we (well mostly you) look so different!!!

A Happy 26th!

Monday was my 26th birthday..not a fun number that ends in a 0 or 5 but still a birthday none-the-less! I am so thankful for my family and friends who made this birthday special! Whether you texted, called, facebooked, or met me for dinner you all made my day!!!

My friend at work surprised me with a cute bag filled with all sorts of my favorite goodies!!!

                                                    

When I left work to go get my emissions and tag renewed Brian had filled my car with balloons!!!!!!!! I was soo soo surprised and had no idea he was going to do that!

                                   

The group at dinner....

                                       

Caught in the act of blowing out the candles...

                          

Yummy Yummy Cake from Piece of Cake ... it was the white chocolate one and is soo sooo good!!!!