Happy Friday!!

Lulu & Kit playing in the grass. She's happy, I swear!

Hey y'all! What have you got planned for the weekend? I'm brunching it with Mom on my day off as well as running a million errands, then working on Sunday again. I hope you have much more relaxing planned than I do!

Here's this week's list of funs, pretties, happies, interestings and what-nots to get your weekend kicked off right! Enjoy!

*Did you take me up on my challenge last Friday to do 3 Summer things? If not, here's a great recipe to try! 

*This video made me laugh.

*This is cool. The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method of packing for trips.

*This photographers life and career was changed by one chance encounter.

*Sixteen surprising things about parenting in the Netherlands.

*There's a place where you can swim with baby otters and play with all other kinds of animals. Yes please!!

*I love this! These couples make the best of their rainy day weddings!

*I've posted this before but it makes me genuinely laugh out loud every single time I find it. So even if it was two weeks ago, I'm posting it again. I don't care, it's that amusing to me.

*Mind, Body, Green's 10 songs to make you happy right now! Some of them I can vouch for, some I'm making it to this weekend.

*This is pretty cool. A trove of letters between German POW's in the US and the people who lived in the town around them shines a different light on...well, it's just very poignant, and interesting!

*Eight years after its series end, why the Gilmore Girls fandom lives on.

*Oh the cute sleepy puppy!

*I love this wreath for the Fall!

*This cracked me up! "My baby monitor just produced a paranormal horror movie"! So funny and the teeniest bit creepo!

Have a truly wonderful weekend, guys!

Bastille Day it like a French Gal!

History of the croissant!

Bonjour! It's Bastille Day, and I have no idea why I've always liked and celebrated this holiday. I'm a good ol' 'Merican girl in the Dirty South for crying out loud! However, I just love it and usually hit up my favorite French bakery in town for a fruit boat and tea. I thought it'd be fun today to get some inspiration from these French-inspired lovelies! Why not, oui? Oui!!


First, fashion! I always imagine one of the many reasons the French stereotypically look at Americans the way they do while Americans basically worship French women is somewhere in the French psyche, they imagine the Americans as a clingy lover. One who idolizes and changes in the relationship, when all French people seem to grasp that being a true representation of oneself is key. They certainly don't have articles in French that extol the secrets of the American je ne sais quoi!
Philosophizing aside, it's f-f-f-fashion!

Un: How to create a 5-piece French wardrobe and (theoretically) CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Ha! Love it.

Deux: 12 Secrets to dressing like a French woman!

Trois: How to live like a French Girl!

Food!

Quatre: Poulet Saute Chasseur (Hunter's Chicken). Looks so delicious!

Cinq: Galette de Pomme de Terre (Potato Galette). I love a galette!

Six: 44 Classic French recipes with wine pairing suggestions!

Beauty!

Sept: Twelve French ways to style your hair. SO chic!

Huit: French drugstore products that really work...I'm personally addicted to Rose Witch Hazel.

Neuf: What French women NEVER do to their hair. Fascinating!


Design!

Dix: Seven secrets to French decorating. Love it!

Onze: "French Women" secrets for a healthy home. 

Douze: Eight Feminine French rooms. 

Youngins!

Trieze: What French children are taught about food that American children are not.

Quatorze: This little French bebe, telling quite the tall tale about Winnie the Pooh. My heart, it is so cute!

Au revoir, mes amis!

Wine Smoothies...

Image from High Heels to Hot Wheels

Last week I was looking for a recipe to help me get through my (tiny) freezer full of frozen fruit. I love smoothies, but just haven't been in the mood in the mornings to make them. I didn't want to bake any cakes or casseroles with the fruit because I don't want sweets around the house. Then I stumbled upon a recipe for wine smoothies. Whuh? Yes, wine smoothies. The hubs and I aren't really feeling drinking much (it's too dang hot here in the South right now), but I did brew up a glass last night to see what the hubbub was about. The result? Those things are delicious!

Here are a few recipes from around the web:
*Cooking with Curls. The Classic.
*Dessert for Two. Peach White Wine Slushies.
*High Heels to Hot Wheels. Red Wine Smoothie.

If you're looking for a lovely and light summer indulgence, then this may just be the ticket. But remember to stay hydrated, it's way too hot for over-indulgence! Would you try wine smoothies?

I hope you're having a truly wonderful day!

Friday Happies!

Throwback. Savannah, 2008. I simply cannot believe that was seven years ago. Seriously!

Hello friends! How was your week? Mine went by in an utter blur! This weekend is the BIG yard sale. I am so excited to get rid of all the stuff I've gone through during my KonMari adventure. I have a sneaking feeling I will be getting rid of much more afterward. Anyway, here's this week's list of happies, funs, interestings and what-nots to get you stoked for your weekend adventures!

*An anonymous man donated his wife's wedding dress after she passed. He pinned the sweetest note to it and now it's gained worldwide attention.

*Fascinating. A woman vowed to wear the same outfit every day for the month of May as an experiment with "Decision Fatigue". Here is what she had to say!

*Where you lead... GILMORE GIRLS REUNION!

*This mom owned the dance floor at her son's wedding.

*I (and everyone else on the planet) love this little girl's sassy dance recital! Work it girl!

*Heh. Harry Potter and grownups.

*These guys described what they'd like to see their girlfriend's makeup look like to a makeup artist. The results were...mixed.

*I have been drawn to these simple linen aprons lately.

*I tried this scarf trick yesterday at work and we are all obsessed now.

*I'm going to make these for the hubs for his morning nosh this week.

*Coffee ground soap...I'm super intrigued.

*Every time I find this on the interwebs, I get so dang tickled my eyes water. Mischief managed!

*You know I love these "100 years of" videos! The '05 outfit was straight up Lorelai Gilmore!

*The kitchen registry items we still use today (and the ones we wished we had and hadn't registered for).

*"I tried living like every Instagram fashion girl".

Have a great weekend y'all!!

Plated Recipe #3, or Lulu's Adventure with Tamarind!

I finally completed the third recipe from my Plated order last week and it was my favorite of the three!

Seriously, it was so delicious, my staff at work all asked if they could try the recipe. We're going in together on tamarind paste this week!

Anyway, here is the proof. As rice and peas are not Paleo and they caused my tummy to swell to look as if I were three months pregnant, I will be making it with cauliflower "rice" and broccoli next time. But man oh man, was it good!!

There was a lot more prep for this recipe, but it was well worth it!

I'd never made fried rice before. It was kinda fun!

Best way to make chicken, hands down. 

Ta da!!!

Have you ever cooked with tamarind before? It was a first for me and I'm hooked. It tasted, in its packaged form, almost like a savory apple butter that has been reduced to a thick paste. It was incredible. 

Seriously, y'all need to try Plated! And no, this is (still) not a sponsored post. Have a truly great day y'all!

Plated Experiment #2, or Lu's Adventures with Pork Banh Mi

Happy Thursday, y'all! I have another Plated experiment for you. So, I had no idea going into this thing what the heck Pork Banh Mi is. I was a little intimidated because I have never cooked anything remotely Vietnamese and my husband is a particular fan of the cuisine, as he hails from Biloxi. Well, it's basically a meatball sub but instead of tomato sauce and cheese it has basil, sriracha, herbs and an onion (or shallot) jam. It's delicious!

 

So this is how it all arrived...

Me chopping away while watching Game of Thrones (those horrible White Walkers!).

The pork meatballs after they came out of the oven. Sidenote, I loved how simple this was to make. It was a really quick meal to put together. I'm going to serve it with sweet potato fries or garlic broccoli next time.

The shallot jam. Now here is the only thing I would Lulu-ify here. It needed a bit more sweetness to round out the intensity of the lime, and sriracha. So, when I make this again, and I will, I will tweak that recipe a little bit. 

I'll also not serve it on buns as I'm just not a bread-eater anymore and it was the only thing about it I didn't enjoy or finish.

Perhaps I'll figure out a way to make it more of an appetizer or serve it on skewers with the basil and mint and carrot...gotta think on that a little.

The blurry picture of the recipe card...things were getting heavy on Game of Thrones, sorry!

My finished product with a "prop" beer so it could look like the photograph a little more. Oh, and it was  an Abita Seersucker, if you wanted to know. Delicious!

And here I am, Miss Cheesecake 2015. Don't mind the exercise equipment in the background or the red face either. I'd just had a stellar workout. Thankyouverymuch!

All in all, it's a total keeper, but needed tweaks to suit our palettes better. As I am trying to break my endless desire to tweak every recipe ever, I did make it exactly how the recipe said. Progress, right?

I would recommend something like this during the summer especially because it is light for a meatball sandwich and the Thai basil and mint work very nicely instead of the American go-to of lettuce on a sandwich.

Would you try it?!

Have a truly wonderful day!!

Plated Experiment #1

Hey y'all! Last week I was feeling a bit unorganized and an email popped up directing me to the food delivery service, Plated. I had a discount code so I browsed their weekly menu and selected three dishes to try this week.

What is Plated? Well, it is a really cool site that creates a menu every week. You select what meals you would like delivered and it comes as a serving for two pre-measured with comic strip-style directions.

Last week we ordered Tamarind Chicken with vegetable "fried rice", Salmon with Asparagus, Charred Lemons and Couscous and Vietnamese Pork Buns. I waited all week with baited breath for this package to arrive and it did this Saturday!

The first recipe we made was the Salmon. Here's how it went!

My beautifully photographed recipe cards.

My not as beautifully photographed ingredients.

Nothing against the Hellman's they sent us for the mustard sauce, but Duke's is all we use in our house.

Mustard sauce with thyme and lemon zest. So yummy!

Browning the couscous (I know, not Paleo, but there aren't a tremendous amount of Paleo options, my only complaint).

Seasoned Salmon cooking away. Doesn't that look good?!

Charring the lemons and cooking the asparagus.

So what do y'all think? It turned out pretty and just like the picture!

All in all, I'd say it was a rousing success. The flavors were great, the directions were simple and the recipe says it serves two, but we had a serving leftover for the hubs' lunch the next day.  I can't wait to try the other recipes. I think we'll start picking one or two a week (it keeps me more organized so I don't go to the grocery store and waste money on food I don't prepare).

Would you guys try something like this? It was a little out of my comfort zone and I felt a wee bit silly ordering food, but I"m glad I tried it. Oh, and this post is in no ways sponsored by Plated. I just like it.

Have a wonderful day y'all!!

Feliz Cindo de Mayo!

Hello friends! I hope your weekend was superb! Mine was busy, but I thoroughly enjoyed my day off. I know it's Tuesday, but I didn't recap anything on Monday because I was too sleepy.

Anyway, I am hosting a manager's meeting at my (tiny) house tonight and since it happens to be Cinco de Mayo, I thought I'd bring some delightful, fresh Mexican flavors to the dinner. Here's a few of the things I'm going to make!

Pineapple Salsa. A perfect blend of sweet, tangy and a little spicy. Yum!

I'll also be making a version of these skewers with a dipping sauce (or two). The only things un-Paleo are the corn chips and sour cream. Both of which I could live without (though I probably won't!).

Alls I have to figure out now is a dessert...I think I'll do something simple like these sweet, pan-fried bananas (or plantains if I can find some decent ones at the grocery store).

I love Cinco de Mayo, though it isn't a drinking holiday for me like it is for most who celebrate it as a time of drink specials at bars. It's an eating holiday for me and I like to pay a little tribute to Mexico and it's vibrant culture in my own small ways. What will you be doing to celebrate? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Friday Happies!

Google.

Happy first day of Spring y'all! I hear there's a solar eclipse today too, wow! It may not feel like it everywhere you are, but Winter is officially over. I hate to see it go, but I'm excited for a bright, happy Spring!

What do y'all have in store for your weekend? I'm going to a little beach community with my mom to help her with her art show. I'm very excited and I hope we are so busy we can't stand it! I hope your week has not been too hectic, mine was...eventful (more on that later). In the meantime, here is this week's list of happies, pretties, funnies, interestings and what-nots to make you smile even if you have to work all weekend. Here we go!

*Here's what happened when a woman decided to live according to the Pinterest top pins page for a week. She got so over it so fast! Hilarious.

*I'm terrified of all stinging bugs. Though I love bees, I love them from a big ole distance if possible. Anyway, there has been a wasp hanging around my front door and back door and...I'm just irrationally scared of being stung. So here are two posts about whether to wasp or not to wasp.

*Another share from Yes & Yes, I just love her stuff. How to Celebrate Your Birthday (12 culturally different ways).

*A very under-appreciated frozen vegetable, and some ways to turn it gourmet easily.

*I loved this!! What happens when you put your phone down for a week.

*My "personality vs. name" test was, let's say...close! For some they'd say "accurate" for those who know me better, they'd say "close by no cigar"...Names...and nicknames...http://www.first-names-meanings.com/names/name-LULU.html

*I just love this show! Here are the 31 best sight gags from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. 

*Working mom sends a powerful message without really saying anything about it at all. Good for her!

Google.

*This woman traveled the country in an RV after cancer and losing her husband to help with her grief. Super interesting.

*Did y'all see those beautiful images of the Southern Lights in New Zealand?? Incredible!!
*Seven ways to minimize decision fatigue in your daily life. While you're at it...

*Why you should consider opting out.

*I've had a crush on Stanley Tucci for years, and apparently it is a "thing". So funny!!!

*Genes are crazy! Check out these parents (and some grandparents) and their kids looking pretty near identical!

*I've been working on a post with a similar theme for about a month now. I'll still totally check this book out though: That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us. I love this kind of stuff!!

Have the most spectacular first weekend of Spring ever!!!

Some Inspiration

Google image

There is a secret little town I love about an hour and a half from where I live. It's been a sanctuary for me and my Mama for years. It's become a sanctuary for me and the hubs too. Last year we stayed there for a weekend in a little house. It was magical.

On the drive home we spoke of how good it felt to be in a place that has exactly what you need and not much else. I've spoken about that vibe on here multitudes of times, but I thought today I'd throw some "vacation house mentality" your way.

Don't you just want to go to there?!

A simple space for making simple and delicious meals.

Do some front porch sitting'.

And have a nice cocktail! 

Can't you just feel your shoulders relaxing? I can. It's gonna happen one day! Every day is a choice and I choose a life that is simple and peaceful. What about you? What do you choose? I'd love to know!

I truly have a wonderful day!

Friday Happies!

Just the essentials, ma'am.

Y'all this week...ugh. I've been working my hiney off to stay positive and stay on track lemme tell ya. Whew lordy! Well, y'all know what day it is! It's time for this weeks list of happies, pretties, interestings and what-nots to usher you into your weekend with a smile on your face! Here we go!

*Slang from all over the country! My favorite is the one about the kittens in the oven- whuh?

*We got gators down here. Don't believe me? Just watch!

*These Molasses Clove Cookies sound divine. DIVINE I say!

*In case you missed it, a "visual story" I made called Lazy Sunday Morning. 

*I love this photo project. It makes me want to clean my purse out (in a good way)!

*Ten tips for a more mindful home. I love it!

*I am kinda obsessed with Foodiggety.

*Did y'all catch Alabama Shakes on SNL two weeks ago? Man oh man. That band is good and that girl can SANG!!

And another one because they're seriously one of my favorite bands.

*This is absolutely my new favorite show. I watched the entire season two nights ago. I couldn't stop. She's so positive and well- unbreakable. Plus I love that the theme song came from them auto-tuning the news. It's like 30 Rock (because the Fey produces it), but with way more heart.

*I'm really enjoying Ella's blog, Deliciously Ella. She changed her diet and her life when diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I love the things she comes up with.

*Did y'all see the huge swatch of seabed that had these naturally occurring metal spheres in it? So weird! Our planet is so incredible!!!

*Apparently men in the UK think heterosexual women want something very different in a man than they actually do!! It's comical, really!

*Tallahassee, Florida has claimed the porch swing as its symbol to represent the laid back, Southern "come sit a spell and visit" small town mentality. So cute!

*What's your go-to midnight snack?? Mine's usually a grilled cheese or a tortilla smeared in spicy mustard with cheese and turkey pressed in a skillet.

*Planting seedlings in eggshells. Spring is on it's way y'all! Apparently this helps with end rot!

One week until Spring is officially here! Take some time to enjoy what is left of Winter and to bid it adieu. Have a truly wonderful weekend!

Friday Happies!

Southern Belle vintage Valentine!

Good Friday, kiddos (and a Good Luck Friday the 13th too)! I cannot believe how fast the weeks are flying by these days! Geesh! I hope you have a nice relaxing weekend planned, I'll be working for part of it and celebrating ValenGras (Valentine's + Mardi Gras) for the other part! Woohoo! So, without further ado, here's this week's list of sweets, funnies, pretties, happies, interestings, and what-nots to get your weekend off to a great start!

*The hubs and I enjoyed this speed dating prank...and how awfully cheesy these guys were on a supposed blind date. Ouch.

*Photographs of sweet pits with flower crowns to help people see the sweetness there beneath the bad reputation (it's the people who hurt them, not the pups themselves, y'all!). I think Mr. Fantastic is thinking "Yeah, that's right- I own this look!".


*I go nowhere on Valentine's Day on principal (traffic, crowds *shudder*). However, this would be a beautiful number to wear for a romantic dinner for two any old day of the week.

*Dear Potatoes...Will you be my Valentine? I love you so!

*While we're at it...Valentine's Day is apparently totally different for "Millenials". Technically I am a part of the "Millenial" generation (though I definitely have some thoughts on that), but I have to say...it's totally true!

*Y'all know I loved Anne of Green Gables in 2015! Check out my girl Lizzy Bennet in 2015...totally nailed it!

Mardi Gras beads in the trees!

*Oooweeoo! A DIY Mardi Gras statement necklace (that doesn't have to be so tacky or "I think I have too many beads" suffocatey").

*Sniff! Oh my goodness! This commercial is so sweet and so heartbreaking! I couldn't even remember what it was for! Whoopsie!

*I'm in big-time need for stationery and thank you cards these days. I really liked these. Call me old-fashioned but I am a bit turned off by cards that say "Thanks". Is it too much trouble to say "Thank You"? It's like saying "Yeah" to the Queen or something. I guess it's better than no thank you note at all thought, huh? I've totally been guilty of that before!

*What a cool little birdhouse! This would make a good gift for my Mama. We both have a thing for acorns.

*I thought this was kind of cool. Three woman of various ethnic backgrounds get transformed to look like a royal ancestor.

*Who knew John Reilly could sing like that?! The hubs and I have been listening to this over and over for a few days now!

*Y'all know I'm a candle whore. Every candle on Terrain needs to be at my house right now.

*Well, if this didn't come along right when I needed it. Geez Louise!

*I don't have the best track record for baking...but I wanna make these. Should I even try? I miss New Orleans right now (because that means I can eat them but don't have to attempt to make them)!

Have a great weekend, y'all! I hope it's an awesome one and super relaxing and lovely!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pssst...And here's one for only those with a slightly foul sense of humor. You have been warned (I no likey to upsetty).

Okay, so obviously I'm a movie trailer nerd. But, I love a romantic comedy that's not a romantic comedy, and Amy Schumer and Bill Hader are both my jams, respectively. Enter "Trainwreck". Super not safe for work because of language and hilarious raunch. It looks so funny!!

New Orleans by proxy

Image.

Perhaps because I watched the final episode of Treme. Perhaps because I then watched Skeleton Key (a guilty pleasure favorite of mine)...but I have been missing New Orleans lately. I had planned to make a New Orleans-inspired or truly Southern meal every Sunday beginning a few weeks back. I thought it'd be nice to harken to where we are from every week (instead of just being focused on budget budget budget) but my work schedule changed and I generally got derailed. So, last night while the hubs was at school, I hunkered down and made well- the recipe is called "Gumbolaya". It is like a tremendously delicious Louisiana-inspired stew served over rice. I pulled out my grandmother's cast iron and baked cornbread and y'all!!!! It was all terribly terribly (damn) good!

Now before y'all say you don't like that kind of food, it wasn't spicy (unless you want it to be-which I do- but if you don't you can use regular sweet sausage instead of spicy). And because y'all know I can only follow a recipe for five minutes before doing my own thing, I added a lot more parsley, garlic and cilantro than told to (and no shrimp because of budgets, baby). I also added a whisper of sugar which made a big difference and kept everything from getting a too acidic. Also, don't skimp on the okra if you think you don't like it. It adds a irreplaceable earthiness to it and is a must, not a suggestion!

Well, without further ado, here is the yummiest recipe I've made in a minute!

Recipe here. But I have to admit (and one day I'll have the foresight to prove it to you) my version was prettier, though admittedly less Bon Appetit-y. 

Do y'all have any special weekly meal traditions in your house or with your family? The world (sadly) doesn't run the same way as it did for our grandparents but I always loved the idea of a weekly family meal involving ham, biscuits, fried chicken and green beans. You know- a Southern classic. That'll probably be happening sooner rather than later for my little family unit!

I'd love to hear what y'all do and are up to! I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Colour Therapy- Saffron!

I am all in the mood for the bright, happy cosiness of saffron today! Maybe because it's been so cold and grey, my Vitamin D deficiency kicked in or something.  Just for funsies, I thought I'd spend a little time today sharing some beautiful things to (maybe, hopefully!) get you to feel the metaphorical sunshine on your face too!

In feng shui, a warm happy yellow is a color for health. In meditation, the yellow and orange chakras represent positive use of personal power, meditation and digestion as well as the utilization of creative forces in all aspects of your being (gotta love that!) respectively.  

After this harried holiday season and during this long stretch of cold, and grey we all naturally grow a little internal. I think that's great and really important; but while you're at it, you can at least have a little manmade sunshine in your life. Just because you're cozied in, doesn't mean you have to get all Season Affective Disorder-y on us.

Just think of the daffodils popping out of the frosty ground y'all, they're little shoots of sunshine during the harshest time of year!

Like this punchy saffron sofa!

Velvet pillows! I don't usually like velvet because it makes my teeth hurt to touch it, but the color is fantastic; and if you're not afflicted with the weird velvet/teeth situation then I highly recommend adding them for a comforting texture in your living room or bedroom.

A stunning shade, "Nasturtium" ,to add a pop of color to your walls. I think it'd be pretty painted 3/4 of the way down a wall with a rough border (not with painters tape but kind of eyeballed instead). 

Like this!

This lovely and soft-looking rug from Anthropologie!

Pretty glass beads to wear with a winter white or grey outfit maybe?!

A little bucket/basket to brighten up the inevitable laundry malaise or use as a planter for a leafy friend!

The ultimate soft tee for lounging about in leggings or jammie bottoms (and big wooly socks) watching Netflix marathons.

And last but not least! A delicious recipe to make that will warm your heart and your senses! I truly want to try this! Cardamom & Saffron Pears. Yum yum yum!!!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day, y'all! Don't forget to let the sunshine in!!