5 on Friday

ONE | DESKTOP LOVE

Y'all know I love a good, free, fresh desktop background. It's the little things, right?! And I promise you: this one is perfection. The neutral yet fun spotted background in itself is dreamy!

This picture below sized so it fits on my blog, but on your desktop the quote clearly reads, "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." F Scott Fitzgerald

Via (and it comes in 3 different sizes!)

TWO | PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES
Did you miss this yesterday? You might want to go to the grocery store today so you can bake these this weekend. In advance: you're welcome. :)

Via

THREE | OUTTAKES
This random, candid outtake (snapped by my sista post Mallory's Queen City Shower!) just makes me giggle. It isn't perfect, and neither are we. Weirdos and loving it. (P.S. Hope, do you remember what in the world I was saying to him!?)

FOUR | MARRIAGE

I saw this quote on True Agape Blog's Facebook page (thanks, Cassie!) and screenshotted it. So much truth. So well said. (You might remember Cassie of True Agape from when we collaborated on this post: 6 Things I Wish I Knew Before Marriage!)

Quote taken from True Agape Blog's Facebook Page

FIVE | YA HEARD?
...Carrie's new song!?!? I MEAN. PREACH it, girlfran! Love that this mainstream song is about Jesus and His grace!!!!

Via

 

Cheers to to Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha!

Happy first weekend of October!!!

Pop on over and visit Nina -- because what girl doesn't love flowers in her hair? :) 

 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

 It's officially fall and officially October. Pumpkin flavored everything has taken over every store. And today...I'm going to contribute to that madness.

This past weekend, my brother (our family's best baker) and I made pumpkin snickerdoodles. They were Pinterest inspired, of course. And they did not disappoint! The original recipe is from this lovely blog, and now I'm going to share it with y'all! She conveniently formatted the recipe in printable and PDF version [seen below]. Cheers, Sarah!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl
Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 1 cup {2 sticks} salted butted, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 & 3/4 cup bread flour {or all-purpose flour if you don't have bread flour}
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Sugar Coating:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• Dash of allspice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in pumpkin until well combined.
3. Add egg and vanilla extract.
4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Cover the dough and refrigerate for one hour until firm. {Or overnight.}
7. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
8. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients for the sugar coating.
9. Roll dough into 1 & 1/2 inch balls, then roll in sugar mixture, and place on cookie sheet.
10. At this point, you can flatten the dough with the bottom of a cup, but I prefer mine to be thick and fluffy.
11. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Via High Heels & Grills Blog

Eric (my bro!) and I followed the recipe to a t. The only thing we did a little differently was make the cookies ginormous. :) My mom looked at our cookie pan and told my brother they were way too big. Like dough-bigger-bigger-than-a-golf-ball sized. But as our resident baker, he didn't care and knew they would be even better jumbo sized. Yep. Go, brother, go!

Here was our result! Hello! Big, thick, soft...almost like a muffin top and a cookie had a baby, and this was it.

So good? So good that I had three that night and one for breakfast on Sunday morning. With a cake bite. Which I raved about yesterday in case you missed it. Breakfast of champions, folks. As a self proclaimed salty over sweet girl, I sure have had a major sweet tooth lately. Sorry bout it. Not really though.

Happy fall baking!

Pop on over and visit Nina -- because what girl doesn't love flowers in her hair? :) 

Queen City Baby Shower

Today I am so thrilled to share Baby Hoidal's "Queen City Baby Shower" with y'all. (You might remember reading about Baby Hoidal's gender reveal here -- her parents are some of our very best friends!) 

Since I'm no longer a resident of the QC, my mama offered up her house for us to host the shower. (Thanks, Mommy!) We used Baby Hoidal's nursery as inspiration for the shower theme. Think sophisticated Queen City crowns with grays/golds/whites and pops of pale pink. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the "talking!"

I created the invitation because I'm a control freak and couldn't find anything that was "perfect" on Zazzle. It truly enjoy being able to customize invites and cards. And I got to match the nursery as closely as I could! (I've done this before. Remember? I'm the same way with our Christmas cards. 2012 | 2013)

 The tablescape

Lots of delectable snacks filled this table for the afternoon affair:

cake bites, white chocolate M&Ms, pretzels with cheese dip, chicken salad wraps and croissants, Asain salad, pita chips, pimento cheese and homemade hummus...mmm. (And cake to eat later while Mal opened presents!)

Cake Bites by Carolina Sweet Bites

Okay, we have to talk about these. I mean. Oh dear Lord. Not cake balls/pops. Cake bites. They're bigger. And better. And how the lady makes these, I wish I knew. These were better than spherical cake snack I've ever tasted by 1000...and I've never met a cake ball/pop I didn't like! Heav-en-ly! Hopey had the idea to order these (HOLLA, sista) in vanilla and strawberry after trying a few at Common Grounds Farm Stand in Myers Park. The vanilla was my jam. Does that sound vanilla of me? It's unlike any vanilla you've ever tasted! We are absolutely going to order from this precious company again. Worth every penny. Charlotte ladies: definitely check out Carolina Sweet Bites! Okay, you get the picture. Rave complete. :)

Precious diaper cake that Brooke made!

...that my child dog could've sworn was for her when it arrived. The loveys on top caught her eye.

Fresh Market flowers and pink gumballs (and old debutante pics. Yep.)

 Light pink roses and baby's breath were our picks for the occasion.

The beautiful mommy-to-be and lots and lots of presents to open!

 With the dress she wore home from the hospital as a little babe!

 

Onesie love: "Who needs a prince? I have Daddy."

Lindsay had all the brains behind these practical (and Pinterest-worthy!) favors!

The mama and her hostesses!

My fave preggo in the world.

Mal's dress is from Pickles and Ice Cream. "My" dress is my sister's! It's by Jones New York.

The gals

Mal and her mom and MIL

And Hope's baby who made a debut after the shower was over. That face! Proud auntie over here.

Cheers to the loveliest Queen City Shower celebrating the loveliest two ladies!

Pop on over and visit Nina -- because what girl doesn't love flowers in her hair? :)