Moon & Lola.

Today I'm honored to host yet another guest blogger! This fashionable post is provided by Lisa Shoreland of Go College {check out her latest piece on getting teaching grants}. Lisa is friends with Maria and is delighted to share some of her favorite {and now my favorite} jewelry!

I am always on the look out for the latest fashions and when I ran across Moon & Lola, I knew it was love! Each style is SO unique and handmade, you would think that the prices would be astronomical, but they range from $30 to $65 on average! I've checked on line a few times and they seem to post new styles every couple of months. If you check out the Press page, it appears that all sorts of celebs have been spotted wearing M&L, from Christina Applegate to Faith Hill. Super cute and you can dress these looks up or down easily!

I love them all, but my fav's are definitely St. Barth and Philly earrings as well as the Explora bracelet. These hot pieces with a pair of jeggings and some riding boots, forget about it!

http://www.moonandlola.com/prilly.html

http://www.moonandlola.com/stbarth.html

http://www.moonandlola.com/explora.html

You can check it all out at www.moonandlola.com! Thank you Lisa!

The voice of Truth.

When heavy thoughts of post-graduation plans become too much to bare, my only solace is the Word, werd? All of the voices are muddled, and the light on the path is dim. BUT I know that staying in continual prayer and praise will enable me to tune my ears to hear the voice of Truth.

{Flashback from Junior year of high school. 5 whole years ago. My, how time flies.}

{"Voice of Truth" - Casting Crowns}

Oh, what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
to climb out of this boat I'm in
onto the crashing waves,
to step out of my comfort zone
into the realm of the unknown
where Jesus is,
and he's holding out his hand.

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me,
reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed.
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win.
You'll never win."

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story.
The Voice of Truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says "This is for My glory."
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth.

Oh, what I would do to have
the kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone,
surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor,
wishing they'd have had the strength to stand.

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground,
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down.
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of JESUS,
singing over me.

I will listen and believe,
I will listen and believe the Voice of Truth.
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of Truth!

You can visit my YouTube channel here. Or check out some music posts you may have missed: here, HERE, h.e.r.e, here, or *here*!

Fried cookie dough rolls.

Whenever the roomies and I venture over to Birmingham {which lately has been more weekends than not}, we can't bare to leave until we've visited Jackson's for a few fried cookie dough rolls. Now, these delicacies are not for the faint of heart...they are RICH, gooey, and sweeter than sweet. And they are also an hour away when late night sweet tooth cravings kick in full force. So, being the resourceful college students we are, we decided to have a go at making some of our own!

Apparently fried cookie dough rolls aren't such a popular item to make at home. {Who would have guessed?} Seeing as how there were no quick and easy recipes online, we made up our own recipe and flew by the seat of our pants {which is really more my cooking style anyway}. Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets and TollHouse chocolate chip cookie dough looked promising enough!

We started off by making a pocket for our cookie dough and mashing the edges with a fork. Once the canola oil reached its smoke point, we tossed our little tartlet in!

My cute little idea turned out to be a total FAILURE. The pastry dough didn't fry all the way through, and I may or may not have spit out that sour and sticky bite into my lap. Thank goodness for our men, shameless and confident in their manhood, who saved the day with an ingenious fried cookie dough roll technique...

Number one rule in cookie dough roll frying: you have to spread the pastry dough super thin. Like until you can see through it thin. It guarantees maximum crispiness. Exhibit A...

I know this resembles a nasty butterfly cocoon, but I promise crossmyheart that its irresistibly delicious. See?

I LOVE SUGAR!

What have you been whipping up in the kitchen lately?

Diana Warner discount.

Creative post title, huh? There's a discount code for Diana Warner jewelry! {I bet you didn't see that coming.} Through March 31st, you can get 20% off online by entering DWONLINE20 at checkout. What a deal lovies! Here's what I've been eyeing on her website lately...

{Tere earring in rose gold and gold.}

{Sarah sparkle hoop.}

{Stephanie earrings in antique brass.}

Ready, set, go play, ladies!

Stylish blogger award.

Happy Monday sweethearts! In tune with my anti-procrastination attitude, I'm knocking out something I've been meaning to do for a long while now. Over a month ago, Sarah @ Cubicle Sanity oh so graciously bestowed upon me the Stylish Blogger Award! Needless to say, I'm a slack-master {and this isn't the first time}. When I got tagged again yesterday by Jesslyn Amber {LOVE her name}, I decided it was about time. So here are the rules mah friends:

1. Link back and thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 5 recently discovered blogs.

4. Contact them and tell them about their award.

Here we go!

ONE. I make to-do lists almost every. single. livelong. day. My brain tends to get sidetracked at the drop of a hat, so these babies keep me trucking along when I get distracted. {Note: Try to find writing this post on my to-do lists. Keep in mind these were from weeks ago...whoops.} My to-do lists usually include a few doodles and frills along with my verse of the day, which keeps my HEART on the right track too.

TWO. I can sing the alphabet backwards while playing the piano upside-down. {Get that?} And better yet, I can do it in 3.7 second. It's the best party trick I got, and it's how I got Mark to ask me out. {Kidding!}

THREE. All of my hangers match. Anal-retentive? I prefer organized to a T. There's nothing worse than a tangled mess of hangers to start off your Monday morning, so I've eliminated the stress and spruced up my closet a bit in the process. At least my clothes aren't color-coded, right?

FOUR. I have a dreambook. All the pretty houses and vacation spots and wedding dresses that tug at my heartstrings have been torn out of magazines and taped in my "hope chest" book. I know things are just THINGS, but every girl can dream.

FIVE. I'm a little mega scarf-crazy. I'm talking 9-scarves-in-my-closet-and-9-displayed-on-the-wall crazy. I wear scarves so much that when I went to San Diego with Mark's family, his Dad dubbed me "the scarf lady." Is there such a thing as Scarfaholics Anonymous? Because I need help. They are just so irresistibly glamorous!

SIX. Diet Dr. Pepper is my daily fuel. Without fail, I crack open a can of DDP every afternoon. That is, until Lent started. I gave up my caffeine pick-me-up and traded it for spiritual pick-me-up time with the Man Upstairs. So far so good, but 40 days without soda is proving to be much more challenging than I at first realized. I'm 12 days soda sober and craving it more than ever. I think I can, I think I can!

SEVEN. My roommates and I have a bucket list to bust through before we graduate in 7 weeks {cue: rapid heartbeat}. We have fun around these parts and wanted to guarantee that our last semester of college together would be the most exciting jam-packed good time we've ever had. Foam party has since been crossed off after St. Patty's Day at the beach, but we still have a ways to go. Hang onto your hats, ladies, because these next couple of months are going to be a wild ride!

Now it's your turn lovies:

Royar @ Young Southern Prep

Amber @ My Simply Sweet Life As My Best Friend's Wife

Hailey @ Tied Together With A Smile

Amanda @ The Accessory

Meg @ Megan Land

Love, joy, peace, patience.

Miramar Beach, Florida

{Spring Break 2011}

To be completely real, putting life on p . a . u . s . e and RESTING is straight up hard for me. This week has challenged me to quiet my thoughts and center myself in our Creator's peace, restoring myself to do His will with joy and freshness. So often, I find my identity in achievements and knocking out to-do lists...BUT preventing myself from being productive during Spring Break has revealed that my Maker does NOT value or favor me any more when I perform well. He delights in my quality time with Him, my heart yearning for Him, and my desire to please Him. Kelly Needham said it best...

"It has caused me to realize how much I define my worth by what I can accomplish in a day. When will I finally get it in my head that my worth isn’t defined by my daily activities or accomplishments but by my relationship with Jesus?"

.....

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

{Ephesians 2:8-9}

{Post title from Galatians 5:22.}

Spring break baby.

SB '11 has commenced, and I'm outta here homies! My brain has been switched off, my planner has been left behind, and productivity is off limits. If I can find time between the leisure reading and sun bathing, I may squeak out a few posts. But who knows! Cheers to taking a hiatus from this fast-paced life for a full week!

What is your favorite way to wind down?

Friday's five things.

Dear Mrs. Ladybug, thank you for being a sign of good luck during a tough week. For some reason unbeknownst to me, my family always gave me ladybug-themed gifts as a child, including a sleeping bag, chalkboard, jewelry box, and painting. I also remember buying batches of live ladybugs to release in our garden with my mom. For all these reasons, you are a reminder of the simpler days of being a careless kid. Thank you for being a little wink from God!

Dear deep-tissue massage, thank you for breaking down layers of stress and caffeine-induced late nights. You are the reason why I don't look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Although most people don't enjoy being karate chopped and jabbed with elbows, I couldn't imagine anything better after a week of being imprisoned at my desk. Thank you for subduing the pangs of scoliosis.

Dear Caring Days Adult Day Care, thank you for being a beacon of hope for community members with dementia. Your stories of bringing joy back to elderly citizens brought tears to my eyes this week. Thank you for reminding me that our vision as college students can be so narrow. Thank you for inspiring me to invest in giving back to Tuscaloosa.

Dear Apostle Paul, thank you for writing the Epistle to the Ephesians way back when. It's chock full of pretty neat stuff that challenges me and brings to surface the faults of my heart. Exhibit A: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.”

-Ephesians 4:31-32

Dear Spring Break 2011, thank you for saving me from the semester from H-E-double hockey sticks. I have no doubt that we will get along just great. A road trip and beach getaway with the besties has never sounded better, and I have no doubt that these memories will be some of my fondest. Let's do this!

What are you sweethearts up to this weekend?

Surprise ball.

I'm itching to make one of these little pressies for a special friend...possibly filled with personalized notes and goodies? What a creative and quirky way to brighten someone's day!

Any ideas for creating my own surprise ball?

No place like home.

Aside from long-winded fireside chats and equally long bear hugs, some of my favorite things about home are the fresh flowers and food. Between the pickin's from the backyard botanical garden and the bouquets Dad brings home, our house is perpetually decked out with sweet-smelling blooms.

Switching tracks from one happy thought to another...let me introduce you to one of my Mama's claims to fame...her special grilled onions.

I promise I'll include the recipe once I get it down pat myself. I know it involves big yellow sweet onions and lots of butter and brown stuff, but the details get a little hazy. I'll get back to you on the how-to on this one.

{Build foil tent, place on the grill, and wait...}

{And wait...}

{And wait...then you finally have irresistible caramelized onions ready to complement any dish.}

{While we waited, we threw together some makeshift bruschetta to tide us over.}

Time for the main event!

{The ingredients for a secret recipe from Mr. Master Griller a.k.a. Dad.}

{Nothing like a good ole' steak grilled to perfection. These tasty slices of heaven are masterpieces.}

{That's a cute vegetable if I've ever seen one. Mini zucchinis!}

{And to top it all off...some quinoa and wild rice. This is a meal fit for the most rigorous of judges on Iron Chef...it would pass their taste tests with flying flavors. For me, it certainly takes the cake. I die!}

What is your favorite home-cooked meal?

Busy is a drug.

{via jon horton}

This NOOMA video by Rob Bell completely changed my perspective today. I've said YES to so many petty commitments that I've been saying NO to spending time with friends. FELLOWSHIP is my starfish that I just can't grab a hold of because my hands are filled with broken shells of meetings and assignments. {I realize this makes no sense quite yet. Watch the video to understand the metaphor!} My prayer this week is for a transformed heart geared towards PEOPLE instead of to-do lists.

What is your starfish?

Friday's five things.

If you don't mind, I'm switching things up today. I've been hardcore blog procrastinating lately and have put off following through in a little blog game called Five things I can't live without. I was tagged by Ally of Medical Prepster a whopping MONTH ago and am just now getting all of my duckies in a row. I figured that today's Friday's five things. was the perfect avenue for revealing my answers. Here's to hoping that it's better late than never!

Five things I can't would strongly dislike to live without.

{Excluding family, friends, and faith. DUH.}


1. The iPhone.

{This little piece of technology still blows my mind. You hold 2,000 of my favorite songs, wake me up, vibrate with breaking news alerts, tell me the weather, correct my misspelled words, keep my emails organized, take sweet pictures, buzz with daily Bible verses, allow me to talk face-to-face with my favorite people, and keep my bank account in order. The world is literally at my fingertips. And at my fingertips is usually my iPhone.}

2. SWEETS!

{My sweet tooth is about five times the size of my body. It is outrageously out of control. Case in point: I turn on Cupcake Wars while I run on the treadmill. If I could eat to my heart's desire without obesity and high-cholesterol warnings lurking in my fears, I would eat Lucky Charms for breakfast, Sugar Patch Kids for morning snack, caramel cake and strawberry cupcakes for lunch, Jelly Beans for afternoon snack, tiramisu for dinner, and mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. No doubt about it.}

3. My pretty planner.

{My life is carazay. Most days I'm running a mile a minute zipping around here and there doing this and that. You know how I do it? With a large dose of the good Lord's strength and my PLANNER. Each hour is outlined in this baby with color coated to-do lists and meetings galore. Anal-retentive? I prefer well-orchestrated.}


 4. Fantastic music.

{I thrive off of tap-your-feet, goosebump-inducing, move-you-to-the-core, straight-up good music. Who doesn't though right? Aside from the mixed and burned CDs I get from sweet friends, I buy all of my music and get a kick out of discovering crazy awesome songs no one knows about. I can frequently be spotted shamelessly jamming out to rockin' tunes in my car by myself.}


5. The good book.

{This probably doesn't come as a surprise to you that my Bible is on this list. But it may surprise you that I just started thoroughly reading the Word a couple years ago. Boasting thousands of pages, the good book can be a little daunting and intimidating. Interested? Start with a devotional or a short reading plan or even read the new testament in a year. At the very least, you'll read about a lot of love and good news. Favorite verse: Galatians 5:22-23.}

And now it's your turn!

I'm tagging the following sweethearts to continue the fun:

Politically Sweet

simple & lovely

cubicle sanity

Perpetual Pefection

ifs, ands & butts

What can't you live without?

Warm weather, a girl, and her grill.

Today, I am delighted to host yet another guest blogger! Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online degrees, and what it takes for adult students studying through an online Ph.D degree program to succeed. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop. I have no doubt in my mind that you will enjoy her illustrative writing and yummy recipe idea! Take it away...

I am a self-proclaimed domestic engineer.  While I spend most of my days chasing after my sons and doing a variety of boring chores required to keep my household functioning, my favorite time is spent in the kitchen.  I’m not sure if it’s because I just enjoy preparing food or if it is because preparing food leads to a family meal.  Nonetheless, I simply adore being in my kitchen.  ADORE IT.  The second I walk into my kitchen and tie on an apron, I feel a change deep down to my toes.  My smile seems wider, my hair shinier, my eyes have a sparkle and my soul glows.  Okay, that was totally sickening, wasn’t it?  

I live in the South and the weather around here has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, lately.  One day, it might be cold enough to warrant a dinner of chili and cornbread, then the next day it is warm enough to leave you jonesing for a cold, fruity beverage complete with a paper umbrella.  The thing is, I always plan my weekly menu around the weather forecast.  It might sound crazy, but think about it - would you really want to eat chili when it’s 80 degrees outside?  Probably not.  

All of that being said, these recent warm days have left me anxious to fire up the grill.  What goes better with warm temps than grilled food, I ask you? So, I decided to break out one of my favorite warm-weather recipes a little earlier than usual.   It’s a recipe for marinated shrimp that are grilled to a golden perfection.   I’d love to share my marinade recipe so that you, too, can transport your mind to somewhere warm and sunny.  And, away we go...

St. Somewhere Shrimp

+ 1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined (heads removed)

+ 1/4 cup dry vermouth

+ 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

+ 1 tablespoon olive oil

+ 2 tablespoons fresh thyme

+ 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram

+ 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

+ 4 cloves garlic, minced

+ 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

+ salt, to taste

Combine all of the above ingredients into a bowl or zipper plastic bag.  Allow to marinate overnight.  Place the shrimp on skewers (I use wooden skewers that have soaked in water for at least an hour) and cook them over a hot grill until they’re done (pink and firm to the touch).  Enjoy!

I love to serve these shrimp with a side of grilled bell peppers, mushrooms and onions.  Throw in a green salad, some crusty bread and perhaps a pasta salad and you have a fabulous, grilled dinner to celebrate a warm, sunshine-filled day.

Thank you Maria for gracing us with your presence. It was quite the pleasure!

Heritage house.

A few weeks ago, my roommates and I discovered this little hipster gem called Heritage House Coffee & Tea a few miles from campus. Think coffee house meets art gallery with a touch of Christian influence and Southern charm. Bingo! Perfect combo. Needless to say, Heritage House is my sweet escape.

{This morning bran muffin was to die for! Lots of flavor, lots of good nutrients!}

 {Iced toffee coffee. Gives me that busy bee buzz.}

{This is what the little sweet tooth devil on my left shoulder was tempting me to get. I decided against it but made Mark get it so I could steal a bite!}

{This is where my photography will be up for sale soon!}

What is your favorite coffee shop?