Twiggie Makes by Candace Grahl

My mother in law was in town this weekend to help out with the monkies while hubby was away. This meant a little more free time to myself and I got to tackle not only my inbox but also my feed reader (which I knocked out completely on Sunday, went back to check on it today and am yet again waaaaaaay behind. Blergh.) But while sifting through literally hundreds of updated feeds I found some little gems along the way that made my back straighten and my eyes perk up just a little bit more. So here ya go: Top Ten Pretty-To-Me Links.

1) Vintage Paper Parade I just love this etsy shop. Super simple but super cute stationery - I can not narrow down which is my favorite, love it all! (and Pepper Design Blog is doing a giveaway so head on over to score some adorable and f-r-e-e goods)

2) Red & Teal Wedding While perusing the archives of one of my favorite photography blogs, I found this little gem and it blew me away. I would love to say I have the cahoonah’s to do such a bright color scheme for my wedding but isn’t it gorgeous?! And the cake, did you see the cake? OhMyGoshIJustLoveIt. LOVE. IT. *swoon* *drool* *sigh*

3) Best Easter Baskets Easter is one of my favorite holidays but sometimes the “cutesyness” of it overwhelms me. However, I am always a sucker for a beautifully designed and executed Easter basket. My favorite? The dyed Easter basket. So incredibly simple but so lovely.

4) Beautiful Cherry Blossom Cookies Aren’t these cookies amazing?? I don’t think I could bring myself to eat one! Wait, who are we kidding - of course I could. But I would take tons of pictures first.

5) DIY Ruffles and Lace Tank Top Sewing can be such a fussy process, one that irritates and bores me but I think I will blow the dust off of my sewing machine to make one of these - pink puffy *heart* this.

6) Only the best cake ever Today. (cuz we all know I will change my mind when I find another one tomorrow) but still, so stunning (Brandi, I think you should have this cake for Bug’s 2nd birthday party. Just a thought *wink*).

7) Macaron pops Love me some macarons. Love me some lolli’s. Love me some Bakerella.

8) Shauna Younge I am a huge Amy Atlas fan and love seeing what her genius-mind comes up with but I found another pro in the dessert bar field and I can’t get enough of her stuff either! Her “LOVE” dessert table knocked my socks off - so sweet and I am totally digging the silhouette’s.

9) Pentunia Pickle Bottom Cosmopolitan Carryall I mean, the name is just fabulous on it’s own (Petunia…so lovely). But then the description makes my eyelids flutter “Sapphire blue and Ocean Mist vintage inspired floral European cut velvet with coordinating sapphire blue wool tweed and sapphire blue water resistant lining” What does it all mean? I don’t care. All I know is she takes my breath away.

10) Simple yet Adorable Cuppie Today kicked my butt, especially between the hours of 3pm to 7pm, so to stumble upon this little gem really brought a sense of peace and tranquility to my mind. Is it weird that food does that? No? Good. A little yummy topped with sweetness on a backdrop of happiness. I know it’s weird but I’m 10% auditory, 90% visual so it just happens that way. But man, isn’t it a beauty.

Well, I guess it’s week 1 for me since I’m just now jumping in. I was thinking of tackling mini-posts but even those can be a little intimidating. There’s Top Ten Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday & I keep thinking I want to start a Confession Thursdays cuz Lord knows I got lots of those…

So anyways, back to 52 new things. Brandi, I don’t even know if I’m doing it right but I’m giving it a shot! One of my goals for the new year was to try a new recipe every week. I hate cooking. I love baking (love. love. love.), but hate cooking. Because of said hatred, I cook the same things over & over. I’ve got a solid dozen recipes, but we’ve been eating those over & over since hubby & I said “I do” seven years ago. Hubby loves when he comes home & dinner is on the table. Seriously, he beams - that’s the only reason I do it. That & I don’t want my children to tell their teachers that “mommy makes the best turkey, cheese & ketchup crackers ever!” So to try & make the whole thing enjoyable for everyone I am experimenting with some new dishes. This one I did last night & it was so good, but so unbelievably filling I am pretty sure I was still stuffed well into this afternoon.

It’s Warm Tortellini Salad & Roasted Tomatoes with Green Beans. The only thing different that I did was I didn’t cook the green beans with the tortellini, but instead sauteed them with extra virgin olive oil & garlic salt. It was super delicious & like I said verrrrrrry filling. Go on, give it a go!

WAIT! Nobody move just yet! I make no promises a post shall follow up this one in the next 30 days (or 6 months) but dang it I’m gonna try! Blogging is one of those things I wish I had more time for. And it’s not that I have no time, it’s just what free time I have I just can’t make myself do it. But I am giving into the siren’s call yet again so y’all pray for me cuz I really want it to work this time. Sometime I feel like this blog is just a bad boyfriend, yanno?

First, did I blow debris into anyone’s face as I dusted off this thing? Yeah? Sorry about that. I feel like we need an icebreaker game or something, get reacquainted again. Many of you are following me on twitter so you know what I’ve been up to. I thought about posting one of Amanda’s fun Top Ten Tuesday list of all the things I’ve been up to since we last spoke but man alive, I blacked out thinking about that. You would’ve been bored to tears. So instead I’m just gonna hit the ground running with what’s been on my mind-grapes. Oh, & for those of you who don’t know, I am slightly obsessed with the show 30Rock. Love it. LOVE. IT. I think my goal for last year was to work as many quotes from the show into every day conversation as I could & hubby can attest to that as I tried. He said, & I quote, “Please stop, you’re killing the magic”. So be ready to catch ‘em (Heather, so far you’re the only person who’s risen to the challenge of identifying them but I challenge others. Maybe I’ll start doing a contest or something).

Okay so this was a little painful! Easing back into blogging is definitely intimidating. I know I’ll get the feel for it again & don’t want to be scared away but geeeez I feel rusty! Okay wait someone wants to say hello:

Hey Conner, what’s up? You wanna tell them what? ‘kay, go ahead sweetie

Aww that’s so sweet, well…what…oh, sorry…

K, are you done? I don’t want to be rude…

….how ’bout now?

G’nite to you too.