hello weekend

well, we are at the midpoint of the weekend now, and it has been a great one thus far. besides being filled with watching hours upon hours of the royal wedding festivities, it has also been hinting at the season to come: summer.

currently i smell of sunscreen and i love it. sure, by the end of the season i will be sick of lathering on sunscreen, sweating profusely, and lugging around my sandy pool bag, but today it was like being with an old friend. after sleeping in, we had a nice hearty brunch where watermelon and strawberries re-entered my life. so glad to have you back! after brunch, we spent the mid day out on the dock soaking up the rays and trying to catch a fish. heavenly, i tell you.

the afternoon brought a sweet strawberry cupcake, thanks to my friend over at gigi's. they had a piping problem and couldn't sell this one - so i had to save the day and eat it.

tonight will bring a cookout with friends. oh how i love these days.

countdown to summer: 18 days.

oh to be there now..

westminster abbey, that is. why? because, kate and william's wedding day is finally here! okay, so i am one of those royal family freaks and i am so excited that this day is here. i have loved every minute of the hype and i am currently pondering which channel to dvr because every single channel will be broadcasting the royal wedding. do i go with my favorite commentators on nbc? or go with the reporting facts and replays of cnn? and then what about tlc? they have been doing a wonderful job all week of showing lots of interesting royal family specials that i have thoroughly enjoyed. decisions, decisions. i only wish i didn't have to work all day so i could watch everything live. i could always wake up at 3 am and catch the beginning of the hype. too bad i love sleeping more.

okay, so why such a love for the brits? well, you may not know this, but i had the privilege of living there for two months one summer. it was one of the best summers of my life. i loved every minute of it - even the rain. here we are back in 2007 at buckingham palace.

this was taken about three hours after i got off the plane and surprised tyler for his 21st birthday. yes, i know i look a little jet-lagged, but hey i won the best girl friend ever award for that surprise.

above is a picture of prince william {yes, that really is him!} and camilla {hiss} at the queen's birthday parade. the parade took place just a few days after i arrived and it was so cool! royal fam love.

and here we are looking so young and carefree. oh to go back to that summer! or just to go back to london! {hint.hint} gosh, now i really miss it. enjoy the festivities!

he put a ring on it (!!!)

exciting news! my dearest most sweetest friend got engaged friday night!!! we were so glad to be a part of this joyous occasion and celebrate with friends. here are some pictures from the night. congratulations meghan and al!!!

such a wonderful moment. so happy for you, mama!!!

aren't they just the sweetest little love birds you've ever seen. bring on the wedding season!

little red velvie

tonight i spent some time making this sweet girl. and it was heavenly.

i am always up for a reason to bake this red velvet cake and celebrate. the reason for whipping her up? well, this week is also my friend jenny's birthday! i know, i am surrounded by birthdays this week and i am loving it. this cake will definitely brighten up the lunchroom table tomorrow. happy birthday, jenny!

yummy cream cheese icing

lots of batter

uh-oh, one layer broke. what to do? i think i'll turn it into a cup of cake.

i had to make sure it wasn't poisonous :)

oh, and you are going to want to make sure it isn't poisonous either.

shout out to my birthday girls

hope you have a wonderful birthday, mom! love you.

happy birthday my dear katie! miss you so much, friend!

check it out

my dear friend over at what the hart likes now has her very own etsy shop!!! check it out!

trip to athens

a few weekends ago, we ventured over to bulldawg country to visit the sister. it was a perfect weekend in athens - the kind of weekend that would make any senior in high school want to go to georgia and every alum wish they were back in athens. the weather was just right, the birds were chirping, and the tulips were in full bloom. gosh, how i miss living in athens! for lunch we dined at the fabulous last resort and then perused the shops.

after walking around downtown, sister showed us her adorable home for the next two years.
then we headed to foley field for a little georgia baseball.

we ended the day with the varsity and it was so good. yes, i ate a hot dog. and i loved it.

thanks sister for a wonderful weekend in athens! can't wait to visit you in athens again!

meet the parker bowls.

we got these as a wedding gift from crate and barrel, and they are my favorite bowls ever! we use them for everything and the fun colors make the cooking process so cheery. i also love how they come in all different sizes and are great for prep work. these bowls are also durable and reasonably priced at $36.95 for the set of five. each season, crate and barrel makes them in different colors and shades, which is also fun! get you some parker bowls today!

happy birthday, blog!!!

happy birthday, blog! crazy to think that the blog is one year old today. a lot has happened in the first year of blogging, and the blog has definitely come a long way since it began. here's to another year of blogging!

they're baacck

we got another visit from the bread elves tonight! yummy barefoot contessa bread :) smells like auntie anne's pretzel shop and the texture resembles a croissant. so perfect!!! hopefully we will be able to make this last longer than 3 days.

okay, so american idol elimination tonight did not go the way i had predicted AT ALL, so receiving this sweet treat definitely brightened my evening!

new favorite recipe

last week i mentioned that we were trying out a pioneer woman recipe for tacos. i have to report that they were good and a lot of fun to make, but not something that i will really crave having again. i am not really a huge fan of hard shell tacos and they were a little greasy for my liking.

i do have to report that we tried another pioneer woman recipe last week and it is super yummy! we loved it so much, that we are making it again, tonight!

BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

*we added our own little touch to the jalapenos by frying them*

ingredients:

• chicken
• bbq sauce
• pineapple
• tortillas
• 3 jalapenos
• an egg, 1/2 C milk and bread crumbs {optional, for the batter}
• shredded mexican cheese
• 1 TB of cilantro

what to do:

1. grill chicken and pineapple chunks
2. brush bbq sauce on chicken
3. slice jalapenos thinly
4. mix 1 egg and 1/2 C milk together*
5. dip jalapenos in milk mixture*
6. dip jalapenos in bread crumbs*
7. create quesadillas!
8. sprinkle bbq sauce, cheese, and cilantro on top
9. heat quesadillas in skillet
10. eat and enjoy!

mmm i love grilled pineapple.

chicken smothered in my secret "KC{M}'s Masterpiece" Sauce

let me know your thoughts on the dish!

in gym news, i can't feel my hamstrings and it pains me to walk. thank you leg machines and tread mill.

in american idol news, i am excited to watch the results tonight! hopefully i will be 3 for 3 on my predictions!

off to cook and watch idol. be back soon!