Happy Memorial Day weekend!  Here are the blogs & links I’m loving this week!

- Camille Styles
- City Chic Decor
- Coffee + Crumbs
- Grillo Designs
- Love Is In My Tummy
- Rambling Renovators
- Sugar and Charm
- Yellow Bliss Road

- The Wedding Registry Gifts We Still Use 10 Years Later (and the Ones We Don't) – It’s always interesting to see what people use in the kitchen.  I always thought I would use certain things more than I do…looking at you, Ice Cream Maker!

- Chantilly Berry Trifle – This is perfect for all the summer picnics coming up!

- Chocolate Ice Cream Bar Sandwich Dessert – This is one of those recipes with little prep & the end result is fantastic.  It might make people think you’re even a chef!

- Summer Melon Popsicles – I think this is the year where I finally try to make homemade popsicles.  This recipe looks great!

- Strawberry Rhubarb and Mint Palomas – I’ve mentioned before that I’m totally intimidated by rhubarb but I’ve been seeing a ton of rhubarb recipes lately, so I guess now is the time to face that fear!

- Jam Cocktails – I think these are going to be my official drink of summer 2017!  They’re so easy to prepare!

- Double Chocolate Sugar Cookies – This looks like a totally easy cookie recipe!

- Pink Moon Milk {A Dreamy Sleep Tonic} – I’m definitely trying this!  My sleeping habits are the WORST!

- Pistachio Dream Layer Cake – I love pistachios anyway, but this cake looks like a dream!

- 10 Watermelon Treats – I love this roundup of watermelon cakes & cookies!

- DIY Faux Enamel Pins – How cute are these?!

- 15 Fabulous Non-Alcoholic Summer Drinks – I want to make every single one of these right now!

- Before & After: A Glammed Up, Totally Temporary Rental Kitchen Upgrade – What a cheap & easy solution to sprucing up a kitchen!

Drinks are my favorite.

I’ll take all of them:  alcoholic, nonalcoholic, traditional, crazy.  If it’s a drink, I’m all over it.

My ‘Drinks’ Pinterest board is the truest representation of my drink obsession.  With 1,614 pins & counting, it’s something to be marveled at.  While I enjoy creating drinks on my own, I think I love pinning the drink recipes of others even more!

With Memorial Day being the unofficial start to summer, I thought it was time to pick ten drinks to make this summer.  The fun thing about having a blog is that I can make these drinks & tell you if they’re good or not!  Every single one of these recipes look super refreshing & I can’t wait to make them! 

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 Egg
• 2/3 cup pineapple juice (from can)

• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 20oz can pineapple rings
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Here are more photos from spring 2017!

Spring 2017 has been one of my favorite times!

Happy weekend!  Here are the blogs & posts I’m loving this week!

Blogs I followed:

- Frugality Gal
- Hello Glow
- Money Can Buy Lipstick
- Picky Palate
- Shutterbean
- That Kind Of Woman
- The Clothes Horse
- Wit & Delight

Links Loved:

- Kelly’s Impeccably Designed Tiny House – I don’t know if I could live in a tiny house, but this one is gorgeous!

- A Sunny Space in the Sunshine State – I love how bright this home is!

- How to Fake a Clean Home in Five Minutes – This might be my new daily cleaning routine!  Joking…sort of!

- Baked Strawberry Donuts – I need to buy a donut pan ASAP!

- Triple Layer Banana Cream Pie Bars – This looks delicious!

- Chili Cheese Avocado Dip – This looks like an excellent party dip!

- Raspberry Lemonade – What a refreshing drink!

- Lemonade Made 4 Ways – I’m loving this new twist on the classic lemonade!

- A "Boho-Anthro-Euro-Moroccan-Traditional" Family Home – I love this space!

- Tall, Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes – These look so good!  I haven’t had pancakes in forever & this recipe looks fairly simple too!

- Strawberry Coconut Margaritas – I’m definitely making these soon!

- What Can Cricut Explore Cut + How To Use It In Your Home – I don’t use my Cricut nearly enough & this makes me want to!

- Organizing Secrets: 21 Days To A Better Life – What a great series on organization!

Have a great weekend!

Summer will be here soon & you know what that means:  summer potlucks.

Potlucks are always the best because you never know what someone is going to bring.  For the longest time, my husband & I were the ‘chip people’.  The ones who picked up a few bags of chips on our way to the party.  Chips are an easy fix, but now that I have more time on my hands, I can actually make something spectacular for all of the big events of the summer! 

I’ve gathered quite a few ideas for possible potluck sides.  They all look absolutely delicious & I wouldn’t turn any of them down at a potluck!

Without further ado, here’s a huge list of recipes that will be perfect for summer potlucks:

KFC Coleslaw
12 Easy Patriotic Snacks
Really Good Pasta Salad
Broccoli Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
The Best Pasta Salad
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Pina Colada Fluff
12 Barbecue Ideas That Will Get You Excited For Summer
Secret Fruit Salad
Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
Slow Cooker Little Smokies
Raspberry Jell-O Cheesecake Bars
Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Meatballs
Ranch Veggie Bars
Twix Apple Fluff Salad
Poolside Dip
Red, White and Blue Vodka Slush
Strawberry Cheesecake Salad
Fruit Salad With Honey Orange Glaze

I’ll be adding more ideas to my Potluck Food Pinterest Board as the summer goes on, so be sure to follow along over there!

I procrastinate all the time.

I’ve always said that I do my best work when I procrastinate.

That’s true…only because I don’t know what my work would look like otherwise.

For my latest round of procrastination, I blame The Blacklist.

I actually procrastinated with this show too.

I was halfway through season 3 on Netflix when season 4 started airing.  For once, I actually thought ahead & recorded the new season on my DVR.  I figured I would be through season 3 in no time & could carry on with season 4.

I finished season 3 roughly 5 days ago.

My binge watching habits are weird.  First, I’ll find a show I love & start binging it.  Then, when I get about halfway through, I’ll just stop watching it for no apparent reason.  I won’t even think of it for months & by then, it’s too far gone.  I might try to watch it, but I’ll forget everything because I watched so long ago.

I wasn’t going to let this happen with The Blacklist.

By recording season 4 to my DVR, I was already committing myself to see it through.  I finally decided to just power through those last 10!  episodes of season 3 last week.

Aaand now I'm hooked all over again.

I managed to watch all of season 3 & I’m almost halfway through season 4.  Go big or go home, right?!

Now it’s a race to the finish line.  I need to finish this season ASAP!  My goal is to be finished so I can end season 4 in real time.  I just realized that is tomorrow.  I guess I’ll be glued to my TV for the rest of the day!  If only I could apply this to real life #goalz!

In a life before my Blacklist marathon, I actually wrote a few blog posts that I was hoping to publish.  Then I realized my photography #skillz are total crap right now.

If I wasn’t procrastinating to the max, I would have realized this a long, long time ago.  Instead, I was desperately trying to photograph things yesterday afternoon for a post that I was hoping to publish today.  Everything looked good until it came time for editing.  It was only then I realized that I no longer know how to take pictures AT ALL.  Like 0%.  This is a huge decline from my all time high of 15% photography #skillz.  Yesterdays pictures were blurry & cut off the main focus of the picture!  Total amateur hour going on over here!

Instead of dragging everything back out & photographing it again, I watched The Blacklist instead.  Then I wrote this post about The Blacklist & procrastination.

Moral of the story?  You need to watch The Blacklist…you know, if you don’t want to have a life outside of your TV for days & days!  If you need me, you’ll know where I’ll be.

PS:  What show should I binge next?  LOLZ!

Spring is in full bloom over here!

I just realized I took every single one of these photos at my parents’ house!  They have the best blooms. 

Their Bartlett pear tree is fantastic.  In the past few years, it’s been #onpoint & has produced soo many pears!  Judging by the blooms this year, it’s gearing up to be another great year for the pear tree!

Their apple trees are fairly young & have only been producing a few apples a year.

The other pictures are from their flower beds.

We were fortunate when we moved into our house to have beautiful hosta plants.  Thankfully, they’re super low maintenance & look fantastic without doing anything to them!  They’ve really blossomed this year & I’ll have to take pics!

This spring has been a weird one for me.  With my new routine going on, I have a lot of time to really appreciate things now.  Things I’ve skipped over in the past (like the spring blooms) have taken center stage & I love it.

I have so many pictures from spring that I’m already planning another post!  These pictures are just the ones I have of flowers!

Happy Friday!

Here are some blogs & links I’m loving this week!

- Adored By Alex
- Breakfast At Lily’s
- Cup Of Zest
- Enjoying The Small Things
- Jackie O My!
- Laurel And Fern
- Mary Makes Good
- Twinspiration

- This Frank Lloyd Wright Apprentice-Designed Home in Texas Is Mid-Century Perfection – Yes it is!  I want to move in immediately!  Too bad it’s in Texas & out of my price range!  Total perfection!

- Ambrosia Whipped Yogurt Fruit Parfaits – Delicious!

- Mojito Water – This is ridiculously easy to make & looks so refreshing!

- Your New Dream Kitchen Might Straddle the Line Between Indoors & Out – I was just talking with my husband about this kitchen concept!  It’s a total dream kitchen feature for sure!

-7 Five-Ingredient Baking Projects You Should Make This Weekend – Easy weekend baking?  I’m in!

- Before & After: A Whole House Update for Under $55k – What a gorgeous transformation!

- An Heirloom-Filled Country Home in Australia – I have total house envy over here!  I wish my house could be this cool!

- Strawberry + Rhubarb Yogurt Cake – I’ve never cooked with rhubarb before & I think now is the time to try!

- 1 Muffin Batter For Infinite Muffin Recipes – I’ve slowed down on making muffins lately, but this recipe reignites my muffin obsession!

- Pistachio Rose Rice Pudding – Pistachios & rice pudding are my favorites!  Great combo!

- Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe – I love a good salsa & this looks great!

- 8 Very Fine Things To Make With Strawberries – I can’t get enough of fresh strawberries this season!  My love for strawberries also led me to this…

- Fresh Strawberry Pie – I’m a huge fan of strawberry pies & this one looks fantastic!

Have a great weekend!

When I was growing up, my parents raised goats.  We always had baby goats in the springtime.  Back then, goats were a rarity.  We used to have people stop their cars on the road to check out these exotic animals!  That died down with the alpaca craze of the 2000s & when goats became more popular.

All of my parents’ breeding goats were passed away by about 2010 & the farm became a weird place.  They still had one goose left, who, over the years, had taken on the role as a goat.  That winter with all of the goats gone was a sad time for the goose.  Luckily for the goose, my uncle gave my mom his 2 goats & everything was right with the world again.

Since then, my parents have added 5 more goats to the mix & recently bought 4 ponies.  When they bought 2 at an auction, they learned they were pregnant.  Baby ponies were a new thing to the farm.  While my mom brought her 2 ponies from childhood to the farm, they were older & never had babies.

One of the ponies had her baby about a month ago.

Meet Sergio:

He’s the cutest little thing.  He’s also full of energy & so strong.  He plays nonstop until he falls into a deep sleep in his stable.  I’ve never been a “horse person”, but I just love little Sergio!  I can’t wait to watch him grow up!

Here are some more pics of the little guy:

Last week, I posted some Mother’s Day gift ideas under $25.  If a handmade gift is more of your style, here are some links to some amazing DIY gifts!

- 33 Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts
- 10 Homemade Gift Ideas For Mother’s Day
- 6 Mother’s Day DIYs That Are So Easy You Have No Excuse
- 3 Special Mother’s Day Gifts
- 3 Natural DIY Shower Products
- 12 Last Minute DIY Mother’s Day Gifts
- 25 Thoughtful DIY Gifts For Her Ideas
- 9 Epic Mother’s Day Ideas From Pinterest Your Mom Will Never Expect

Happy Saturday!  Here’s what I loved this week in the blog-o-sphere!

New (to me) blogs I followed this week:

- …love Maegan
- almost makes perfect
- Arts and Classy
- City Farmhouse
- Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
- Delicious Bites
- Dessert for Two
- Dolly Dowsie
- Garvin and Co.

- Pistachio Cake – I love pistachios anyway, but this cake looks delish & easy to make.

- A Stained Glass Cabin In The Woods – I didn’t even remember bookmarking this…but I’m so glad I did! This is so adorable and the stained glass is fantastic!

- Strawberry Gin Lemonades – You don’t even need to talk me into this.  I’m in!

- A Photographer's "Found & Foraged" South End Row House – How cool is this house?!

- A 1914 Pharmacy Becomes A Restaurant in Davidson, NC – This restaurant is gorgeous!

- How To Make Yogurt—And Greek Yogurt – I’m totally trying this!

- No Bake Peanut Butter Snickers Cheesecake – I need this in my life immediately!

- Cocktail Idea: Giant Fruit Ice Cubes –This is the coolest idea ever!  Doing this ASAP!

- Inside a Real-Life Miss Havisham Mansion For Sale – I loved reading this story & wish I could buy this house!

- 3 Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake – I really want to try this!  It’s 3 ingredients!

- The Best Guacamole – You can’t argue with a title like that!

- Chicken Cobb Ranch Salad With Homemade Ranch – I’ve always wanted to try homemade ranch dressing & I think now is the time!  This recipe looks fairly simple to make.

- Reese's Peanut Butter Bars – This recipe has only 4 ingredients & one of them are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, one of my faves!  I’ll be trying this for sure!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.

Mother’s Day is May 14!

Are you ready?

My mom is always the toughest person to buy for.  She’s one of those “Don’t get me anything!” types, which would be cool, except I have to get her stuff.  This year, she asked for a yard rake, so that something.

If you’re like me & can’t figure out what to get mom for her special day, here are 25 suggestions!  The best part?  They’re all under $25!  That way, you can mix and match & get the perfect gifts!

1.  Bath Bombs Gift Set ($11.97)
2.  Pinkleaf Nature Spa Gift Set ($23.99)
3.  HUAN XUN Necklaces/Earrings ($5.99-$9.99)
4.  Yankee Candle Vanilla Cupcake Large Jar Candle ($19.87)
5.  Gourmia Compact Electric Coffee Grinder ($24.99)

6.  100 Page Recipe Book (Blank) ($6.99)
7.  The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook ($9.04)
8.  Totally Bamboo 3 Piece Cutting Board Set ($12.99)
9.  Babycakes Mini Cake Pop Maker ($13.84)
10.  3 Piece Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set ($23.99)

11.  Black + Decker Electric Citrus Juicer ($15.89)
12.  Island Dreams Adult Coloring Book ($4.49)
13.  Godiva Chocolatier Chocolate Biscuit Box ($25)
14.  Napier Color Declaration Swarovski Earrings ($14.78)
15.  XOXO Women’s Silver-Tone Bracelet Watch ($15.99)

16.  Nine West Caitlin Pouch ($15.77)
17.  Winter Warm Indoor Shoe ($8.99)
18.  Ecstasy Soaps Set ($12.97)
19.  Vegan Leather 17 card wallet ($12.99)
20.  Dare To Be Remarkable Charm Necklace ($19.99)

21.  Sterling Silver “Mom” Necklace ($20.27)
22.  Recycled Vintage Mason Jar Drop Earrings ($19.60)
23.  Zero Fox Given Travel Tumbler ($19.99)
24.  Bug Repellant Outdoor Soy Candle ($20.70)
25.  Dandelion Wish Pendant Necklace ($24.99)