Blessings All Around

Oh friends...this week I have a VERY happy heart--another one of my great friends got engaged this past weekend! Julie and Jon, what an incredible couple...so full of energy and life and we all just know they are absolutely perfect for one another! Congrats dear friend--so excited for this next chapter in your life--it's going to be a GREAT one!

More fun blessings going on...tonight I am hosting the ladies at my house for bunco! I haven't had the girls over for entertaining fun in quite some time so I am taking advantage and getting uber excited about a fun and relaxing night--ready to roll those dice and hopefully win some $$.

Next week, I have my first small group meeting/dinner as a provisional member with Junior League Nashville. Some of my friends have participated in JLN and I am so happy to now be joining and putting more time and energy into volunteerism and helping support our community...and hopefully meeting some fabulous women in the process, too!

It's Wednesday, meaning the work week is 1/2 way over...ahhh thank heavens! This weekend, Meg and I are taking a little roadtrip to Memphis to visit with The Fields Family! I cannot wait to get my hands on Little Baby P and spend some quality time with Cami--it's going to be fun fun fun!
Like I said, lots of little blessings... hope you all have a fantastic day!! ;)

Hot and Spicy Corn Dip Recipe

This recipe comes to you from the old favorite Kraft Foods website... if you have people coming over and need something to place throw in the oven, this is my new go-to recipe--to put it nicely, there wasn't an ounce of this leftover after my guests left last week. It is amazing, easy, and oh-so-tasty!

Ingredients

2 cups Frozen corn, thawed, well drained (I used 2 bags which fed about 8 hungry people)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel Cheese, softened

1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese

1 can Rotel

1/24 tsp. Chili Powder

1 box Wheat Thins/Triscuit Crackers

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Mix all ingredients except chili powder and crackers until well blended

Spread into 9-inch pie plate (I used a bakeable ceramic dish)

Srinkle with chili powder

Bake for 20-25 min. or until golden brown and bubbly

Serve hot with the crackers

Summer Parties

You can guarantee that if our house was completely finished, I would be hosting party after party at our place this summer... there is nothing like entertaining your closes friends and family, and summer is the perfect time to host any kind of party--while searching online for some possible shower ideas for friends, I came across some adorable party ideas from my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE party planning website--The Party Dress... not only do theyr feature the fun details of every party and how to tie everything together, but they give you the resources and websites to make any party your very own... love it! 

Patio Party via The Party Dress

Backyard Burger Bash via The Party Dress

Blue and White Porch Party via The Party Dress

Farmhouse Brunch via The Party Dress

Tequila Tasting Party via The Party Dress

Home Sweet Home Housewarming Party via The Party Dress

Stargazing Picnic Party via The Party Dress

Cocktails and Croquet Party via The Party Dress

Ok, so which party would you pick to host and why?? I am totally obsessed with Home Sweet Housewarming idea because we're hoping to have one sooner or later once we actually get the rooms semi-complete and I think it's fun to show all your hard work and your brand new abode!

Foodie Favorites - Breakfast!

Do you ever dream of being a star-studded chef--Julia Child, Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Tom Colicchio, the Barefoot Contessa, or any of the other Food Network/HGTV chefs? Well, I do--I love to cook and now that I have a functional kitchen where I can house all my electrics and gadgets, I plan to invest some major time into all things cooking--baking, grilling, roasting, the list goes on and on.

And with spring finally making it's debut, I have some major recipes I am dying to try for myself, especially in the breakfast department for those lovely Saturday mornings and Sunday brunches:

Mushroom, Spinach, and Gruyere Cheese Quiche via Brown Eyed Baker

Banana, Blueberry, and Strawberry Pancakes via For the Love of Cooking

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread via Love and Olive Oil

Easy Breakfast Crescent Braid via Our Best Bites

Overnight Sausage and Egg Casserole via Our Best Bites

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls via Joy the Baker

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls via Joy the Baker

Apple Fritters via The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Breakfast Burritos via The Pioneer Woman Cooks

{Jingle All the Way}

Happy Friday!!! I am anxiously counting down the hours until my best friends will be in town, gathering at my house for our girl's Christmas weekend... and boy, what a weekend we have planned.

Tonight, we're doing the ultimate girly slumber party! we're getting dressed up in our pajamas {yes this what I am secretly most excited for} and everyone is bringing over appetizers and desserts and we're cooking pizza! {diet going down the drain tonight}... then after dinner, we are going to watch our holiday favorites to include:

My favorite movie of all time... Love Actually: Let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love"

Elf... ''the best way to spread christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear"

The Holiday... and of course "mr. napkinhead"

To top it all off, I will also be making Frozen Hot Chocolate {my recipe hails from Serendippity in NYC so it has to be good!!}... here's how you make it:

Ingredients:
4 oz of your favorite chocolate (We like to use milk chocolate chips--4oz =about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons store-bought hot chocolate powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice cube
slightly sweetened whipped cream
chocolate shavings (optional)

Directions:
Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in microwave on low heat
Once melted, add hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended
Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup milk, stirring until smooth
Cool to room temperature
In blender, place the remaining 1 cup milk, room-temperature chocolate mixture and ice
Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Enjoy!
(Makes about 4 8 oz. servings from one batch)

Tomorrow, we're heading to the mall to get an angel from the Salvation Army Tree, and then we will buy all the presents!! This is something my family has done for years and I am so thankful that my friends want to spoil a little one who otherwise wouldn't have Christmas presents.

Afterwards, in true Southerner style, we will gather around the TV and cheer on the Gators {I swear my family would disown me if I was cheering for Alabama} in the SEC Championship... no VOL matchup this year, but I'm betting we'll be back in the mix soon enough thanks to Mr. Kiffin =)

For dinner, we made plans at a local hotspot--Lime--and then the ladies are hitting the town! I can't wait to hit some of our favorite places that we haven't ventured to in awhile... should be fun and I promise to take LOTS of pictures for all of you!! 

Have a great weekend friends!!!  OXOX

{Party Planning 101}

With the holiday season fast approaching, if you are in need of some fun and festive ideas for your Thanksgiving Feast, Christmas Cocktail, or New Year's Eve Celebration, head over to my other blog, Southern Paperie, for some amazing party planning websites and blogs. They are amazing and will make your party divinely unique!

And if you have any ideas of topics I can post on the SP blog during the holiday season, please let me know... I am currently working on personalized Christmas cards and can't wait to show off some adorable designs I have found online!!