weekend snapshots

 ^ we worked on the house a good bit this weekend. scofield and his dad tore down a wall in our kitchen, while i did a little work on the bedroom. have definitely made progress, but still have a ways to go!

 ^ "no experience is ever wasted. everything has meaning." nothing like some wise words over a cup of coffee. thanks oprah ;)

 ^ our church recently bought a new building. we've been meeting at a local civic center for a few years, tearing down and setting up each sunday. we finally have our very own, permanent building and we are so excited. so sunday we had a church gathering at the new building and celebrated with a frozen yogurt truck...which i thought was the coolest thing ever. i've seen ice cream trucks and food trucks, but never a frozen yogurt truck! it was amazing.

 ^ note our friend sean in the back ... ha!

hope you had a great weekend! 

Chocolate chip zucchini bread

finally, after what feels like a long hiatus, i'm back in the kitchen! i broke in the kitchen to our new house with this chocolate chip zucchini bread. i made some banana bread last summer, that to this day remains my absolute favorite bread recipe. a lot of things can happen in a year though... like the diagnosis of a banana allergy!? ... so frustrating, i know. so i did some tweaking of last year's banana bread and developed this chocolate chip zucchini bread. it is just what my sweet tooth was craving... with the bonus of a full fruit and vegetable serving. double score.

chocolate chip zucchini bread

ingredients:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup dried dates, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups zucchini, shredded (about 2 zucchini)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 350 F and pour the boiling water over the chopped dates. let the dates and water sit for about ten minutes. in the meantime, beat the eggs with a whisk in a large bowl. whisk in the zucchini, sugar, apple sauce, and vanilla extract. in a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until blended. 

After ten minutes, drain the dates and pat dry. [i did this with a paper towel.] Add the melted butter and dates to the mixture. fold in the chocolate chips. transfer the mixture into a 9x5 inch prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. the bread is ready when a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Let cool before serving.

pinalicious

just some pins i'm loving ...

you can follow along on pinterest here :)
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[images sources: 1, 2, 3, 4]

67 ways to know when you're addicted to coffee...

recently, i had to stay in columbia for two weeks for work.  the orientation for internship was great, but the days and nights away from my husband...not so great. to kill time, i spent a lot of time at this coffee shop, cool beans, every day after i got off. scofield went to school at usc, so it's a coffee shop we spent a lot of time at together when we were dating. so of course, being without him, that's the place i picked to hang out ;). it made me feel better, you know...

anywho, they have this sign above the cream and sugar station, which is hilarious, so i thought i'd share. in college, i lived off of coffee. maybe my system had such an overdose over those four years, that it started to reject all the caffeine, because now i can only handle maybe a cup a day. so in honor of my former coffee drinking days....here you go...

1. you answer the door before people knock.
2. juan valdez named his donkey after you.
3. you haven't blinked since the last lunar eclipse.
4. you grind your coffee beans in your mouth.
5. your eyes stay open when you sneeze.
6. you chew on other people's fingernails.
7. you can jump-start your car without cables.
8. you don't need a hammer to pound nails.
9. you've worn out the handle on your favorite mug.
10. you go to aa meetings just for the free coffee.
11. charles manson thinks you need to calm down.
12. people get dizzy just watching you.
13. the taster's choice souple wants to adopt you.
14. starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.
15. people can test their batteries in your ears
16 .your life's goal is to amount to a hill of beans.
17. you channel surf faster without a remote.
18. when someone says, 'how are you?' you say 'good to the last drop.'
19. you want to be cremated just so you can spend the rest of your life in a coffee can.
20. you want to come back as a coffee mug in your next life.
21. your birthday is a national holiday in brazil.
22. you just completed another sweater and you don't even know how to knit.
23. you're the employee of the month the local coffeehouse and you don't even work there.
24. you walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize its not plugged in.
25. the only time you're standing still is during an earthquake.
26. you're so jittery that people use your hands to blend their margaritas.
27. your taste buds are so numb you could drink your lava lamp.
28. your only source of nutrition comes from 'sweet and low'
29. the nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse.
30. your t-shirt says, 'decaffeinated coffee is the devil's blend.'
31. you spend every vacation visiting 'maxwell house.'
32. you've worn out your third pair of tennis shoes this week.
33. you've build a miniature city out of little plastic stirrers.
34. you can type sixty words per minute...with your feet.'
35. you forget to un-wrap candy bars before eating them.
36. you've worn the finish off your coffee table.
37. you get a speeding ticket even when you're parked.
38. you'd be willing to spend time in a turkish prison.
39. you to to sleep just so you can wake up and smell the coffee.
40. you're offended when people use the word 'brew' to mean beer.
41. you named your cats 'cream' and 'sugar.'
42. you get drunk just so you can sober up.
43. you speak perfect arabic without ever taking a lesson.
44. you lips are permanently stuck in the sipping position.
45. you have a picture of your coffee mug on your coffee mug.
46. you have a conniption over spilled milk.
47. your nervous twitch registers on the richter scale.
48. you don't get mad, you get steamed.
49. your three favorite things in life are...coffee before, coffee during, and coffee after.
50. your lover uses soft lights, romantic music, and a glass of iced coffee to get you in the mood.
5 1.you can't even remember your second cup.
52. you introduce your spouse as your coffee mate.
53. you think CPR stands for 'coffee produces resuscitation.'
54. your first-aid kit contains two pints of coffee with an i.v. hookup.
55. you speed walk in your sleep.
56. you ski uphill.
57. you sleep with your eyes open.
58. you lick your coffeepot clean.
59. all your kids are named 'joe.'
60. you don't sweat, you percolate.
61. instant coffee takes too long.
62. your thermos is on wheels.
63. you don't tan, you roast.
64. you short out motion detectors.
65. you're so wired, you pick up AM radio.
66. you buy & by the barrel.
67.  you can outlast the energizer bunny.

number 22, 52, and 53...my favorite!

happy birthday scofield!!

yesterday was scofield's birthday - i know i'm a little late. but considering we planned on celebrating it tonight, i'm right on time!

so, because i can't help it, here are a few cheesy love lines to my man ....

scofield, our marriage has been one of the most rewarding and molding events thus far. you constantly push me to be the best version of myself, and you are my biggest cheerleader. as your partner, i know that no matter what, we can get through it because of your leadership, love, and friendship. i feel so lucky every day and i am constantly reminded that you are the best decision of my life. happy birthday! i love you!

p.s. i've never known anyone to look more adorable holding a chicken. i mean...could he be any cuter!?

nesting: bedroom inspiration

we have a lot of house projects to complete, and we decided to first work on our bedroom. at our last place, we never really finished the bedroom. i pretended i was going for a minimalistic look, but really... i just never got around to completing it. given, i do like a simple look, but i'm excited to focus more on the decor this go around and spruce it up a bit. 

here's our list of projects for the bedroom:

• scrape the popcorn ceilings
• peel wallpaper
• paint the walls gray
• repaint the closets white
• add shoe shelves in the closet
• add a new white bed spread and sheets
• make a wooden headboard for the bed
• rug for the base of the bed
• new light fixture
• new bedside tables

already making some progress. can't wait to share more!

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[photo source: 1, 2, 3, 4]

our weekend in black mountain

last weekend, scofield and i headed up to black mountain for a relaxing weekend with family. after having just moved into our new house and doing renovations for a couple of weeks, we were excited to get away for a bit. we ate great food, shared laughs, and celebrated scofield's grandfather's birthday. on saturday we headed into town and enjoyed all the cute shops and happy weather. we found an adorable little handmade pig pillow in one of the shops that i am so so excited about. it's already made it's debut on our couch :)

 ^ we stopped into a sweet shop and admired all the goodies, but decided to pass up this go around. i still couldn't help but snap a picture or two ;)

 seriously, so much character in this little town. can't wait to visit again!

a little something for your friday

well, i didn't mean to take a hiatus for a week. i told you things were crazy around here. but, in the middle of unpacking, painting, and and scraping ceilings, i did manage to sit down and watch this hilarious video. i think i probably laughed for five minutes straight. so funny, and so so cute.

happy 4th of july!

the state of my life right now...

lots have been going on lately, and this picture pretty much sums it all up! we bought a house. we've been doing insane amounts of construction on that house. i got a dietetic internship [yayy!!], which means in t-minus 8 months i will be able to take the RD exam to become a registered dietitian. these past two weeks i've had orientation in columbia, so i've pretty much been commuting to and fro' - partially living out of my car. i mean, how am i suppose to pick out an outfit if my clothes are all packed up!? solution...half of my closet is now in my car.

so basically...all aspects of my life are a mess.

our new house. our old house. my car. my brain. i just keep reminding myself it is all going to be worth it. i am going to make it to the end of these 8 months and be an RD, our house is going to be wonderful, and so homey, and so worth the construction process. not to mention we are so so blessed to have all of the help we have had on the new house. and i can't really complain... i've done pretty much none of it from being in columbia. my father-in-law and my husband are both rockstars...and so selfless. so for that i am extremely grateful.

here's to taking a deep breath, and taking it day by day...

around town || popcorn parlor

every time scofield and i go downtown, we always past this cute little popcorn parlor. i've always wanted to go in ... and after becoming obsessed with trader joe's flavored popcorn, i knew it was time to give it a try. so we rented a movie one night, and headed to amanda henry's popcorn parlor to grab a snack for our movie date. there were a million flavors to choose from, so of course it was so hard to decide! they had both sweet and savory - cookies and cream, chocolate, toffee, salt and vinegar, caramel cheddar, and the list goes on. we mixed the creamy dill and parmesan garlic. heavenly combination! 

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amanda henry's popcorn parlor

18 augusta street

greenville, sc

cup o' hope

coffee comes by many names - cup of joe, java, jamoke, mud. but I've never heard it called by one of my favorite names - cup o' hope. mornings often come with a hurried start.  i enter the kitchen in the early hours before i'm fully awake and quickly prepare my coffee only to exit the kitchen in order to shower and get ready for the day. the pressures soon find me as i pour a travel mug and scurry out the door - only to make my coffee a means to an end.  then there are those other mornings...the ones where i sleepily enter the kitchen to prepare the coffee as usual but refuse the temptation to exit as quickly as i've entered. rather, i allow myself a few minutes to listen to the water drip and take in the aroma.  it's in those few moments I have the opportunity to prepare for what will meet me as i leave my front door.  It will come soon enough, but for now i sip my coffee and am slowly filled with hope that whatever comes my way, i can carry.  those are my cup o' hope mornings.

 lately, i've been enjoying seattle's best coffee® house blend in the morning. we are big seattle's best drinkers in my home. we love our coffee dark, rich, and robust, and seattle's best provides just that. when i heard about the new house blend, available at publix until july 4, i knew i had to give it a try before it was too late.

whether i'm pushing through that afternoon slump, or getting up and going in the morning, seattle's best® gives just the boost i need with the taste profile i love. be sure to grab your bag of seattle's best® house blend at publix, and share it via social media with the hashtag #greattaste. i'd love to know how you enjoy your 'cup o' hope'!

this post is in partnership with seattle's best coffee® blogger campaign. all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.  

it's the little things

it's the little things....

like afternoon reading with a cup of coffee / fresh blooms / and raindrops on pink flowers after a summer storm

happy friday!

Dorm Room Re-do with Pottery Barn Teen

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

college was some of the greatest four years. those years were growing and challenging, held life-long friendships, and held the season i got engaged and married. so when pottery barn asked me to create my dream dorm room, i couldn't have been more excited. if i could go back and do it again, i would definitely do it differently. instead of walking the aisles of target and just grabbing things that seemed cute or necessary, i would plan out what i really needed and try to invest in timeless pieces that i could still use in other seasons of my life. with our big move coming up [tomorrow, actually...] i've gone through all of our stuff and thrown out or given away the things we no longer use or need. and i'll tell you what, my college decor and dorm supplies sure haven't hung around. 

what i love about pottery barn teen is that you can find all you need to decorate a room, and all of their items are quality and beautiful. if i could do it all again, i would definitely plan out my space and decorate my dorm room from pottery barn teen. i'm in a major gold phase right now, and i'm a sucker for anything with polka dots, so my mouth is watering over all they have in stock. so consider this my 'dorm room re-do.'

be sure to check pottery barn teen and find more decorating inspiration on their site, here.

this post is sponsored by pottery barn dorm but all opinions are 100% my own.

a little nashville video

here's a little video i put together from our trip to nashville. like i said, we had so much fun and can't wait to go back! you can see pictures from our trip here, here, and here.

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music - magic, by coldplay.

house update

well, it's finally official...we found a house!!! we close in just a few days, and we are head over heels excited! during our house hunting process, we made a lists of 'wants' and 'must-haves.' what we didn't expect was for a house to pop up in our budget with nearly all of our wants and needs...and then some!



wants:

• three bedrooms
• formal dining room
• space for a breakfast table
• nice yard with space for gardening
• brick fireplace
• office space
• large master bath (with a bathtub separate from the shower)
• large walk in closet
• older house with character
• good, safe neighborhood that is well cared for and relatively quiet
• laundry room

must haves:

• at least two bedrooms
• space to grow
• natural light!!
• hardwood floors
• bathroom connected to master bedroom
• in our budget

while this list might not sound like we are too picky.... we are. i was probably a bit of a house hunting snob. i tried to keep an open mind, but there were definitely houses i wouldn't even consider. i knew the style i wanted and i didn't want to settle - even if that meant waiting. luckily, scofield and i were on the same page, and luckily, we didn't have to wait too long. of course, there were some let downs along the way, but we couldn't be happier with the end result. 

our house is a ranch style, which wasn't at the top of my list, so i had to keep an open mind when going to visit. but i didn't have to keep an open mind for long...once we walked in, we immediately fell in love. as we were touring, we quickly found that the house covered nearly all of our needs and wants, and was well within our budget.

we were okay with just two bedrooms, but the house has three - definitely room to grow ;). for now, one of the rooms will be my office, and the other bedroom will be our guest room. there is a master bath connected to the bedroom. where we live now, we have 1 1/2 baths and have to share our bathroom with guests. i'm looking forward to this extra privacy for us, and our guests, and to be able to brush my teeth and jump right into bed! there are also all hardwood floors, a tremendous amount of natural light [eeeeeek, my favorite part!], a beautiful white brick fire place, two sitting rooms, a formal dining room, and a wonderful yard. maybe i'll try my hand at gardening!?

the neighborhood is safe, well kept, and quiet, and the house is older and has character. i didn't get my walk in closet, but we do have a few plans to expand the closet space there is.

and the best part...there is a huge, beautiful, sunroom filled with natural light. i think this is going to be our favorite room of the house. oh, the potential! considering we started out in a 350 sq. ft. garage apartment in our family friend's backyard, we are overwhelmed with joy and excitement over a house of our own and all this space. 

there's a lot of house projects to do and a lot of work to be done, so i can't wait to share the progress and post pictures here!

hope you have a wonderful weekend! we'll be busy packing! :)

photo by amy blackwell

around town || olive and sinclair chocolate co.

'around town'....nashville style!

during our trip, we visited olive and sinclair chocolate co. in east nashville. we heard it was a must-do, and we of course never give up an opportunity for chocolate! i loved the rustic, industrial look of the store. not to mention the staff was so so very kind. you could see the chocolate being made through the windows, and the store smelled heavenly. my favorite part was all of the chocolate samples lying around. after trying all of the flavors, scofield settled on dark chocolate coffee bean, and i took home the dark chocolate sea salt. naturally, those chocolate bars didn't stay around very long. they made the perfect snack for our road trip home :)

what's your favorite kind of chocolate?
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olive and sinclair chocolate co.
1628 fatherland st, nashville tn 37206