today's agenda

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it's a goodwill kind of day. here's to hoping i find loads of good stuff that i don't need. 

what i wish boys would wear

it would be cool if more boys dressed like this. i wouldn't hate it.

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but then again. give me a boy in jeans, chucks, and a simple striped shirt, and i'm swooning for days.

on second thought, i think it may be the way some of these pictures are taken that makes them look so stylish. if i saw a guy wearing some of these outfits in the real world i might look at him and think tool. but who knows. how about more boys start dressing like this so i can figure it out. 

thursday night

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raw cookie dough batter and jack johnson pandora station with the rooms.

happy friday eve! 

i spy diy

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i recently found jenni's blog, i spy diy, and now i check in on a daily basis even on weekends when blogger's typically don't post. dedication is the word you're looking for.

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how cute is she? she has amazing style and tons of diy projects. she's my current muse.

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spray paint clutch.

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heartbeat necklace.

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heart rings. 

the dress she's wearing in the first photo? the pattern is safety pins. safety pins, people. she's a diy guru, and she's rocking a safety pin dress. she's clever, that one.

also, she can dance. see below.

anyone wanna buy her book for me? please? i'll send you a thank you card.

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on the calendar

cannot WAIT for november 17th to roll around. 

make yourself proud

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i tend to second guess myself. i tend to worry about what people will think of me if i do this over that. i tend to overanalyze imaginary situations and conversations. i tend to keep quiet when i know i should speak up.

what i really need to do is this. pray. think clearly. then, make a choice/choose a path/take a stance.

i will never be able to please everyone at once. it sounds a bit odd, but this always brings me release and comfort. i can be a total people pleaser, wanting everyone to be happy as once. i get stressed if i feel people are unhappy with my decisions. i have to remind myself that if i have considered the Lord in my decision and made myself proud, that's all i can do. and that is enough.

just the girls

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my mom comes to play today! she hasn't seen our new place since we moved in march. excited to show her our new digs and romp around town with her. i imagine we'll get coffee and go thrifting and find a bookstore or two. maybe hit up trader joe's and grab lunch somewhere yummy. oh, yes. it shall be delightful. 

happy friday! what are your weekend plans?

one way to spot a jerk

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 check please. 

sweet summatime

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cute wallpaper alert! head over to nicole's classes blog and download these cutie pie brown patterns fo free! save them to your computer and use them for your desktop wallpaper, blog background, whatever your creative mind can come up with.

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i'm using the tippy top image to make my desktop a little brighter and happier. summer can be a real loser sometimes (hello, sweat stains and hot hot heat), but it sure does have a great wardrobe of fun colors.

monday already?

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this past weekend was just delightful. i spent the whole weekend with miss blooming branch in her stomping grounds of charlotte and concord.

we enjoyed a gavin degraw/colbie caillat concert on friday night and spent the majority of the rest of our weekend thrifting, yard saling, shopping at concord mills, grabbing americanos and chai lattes at dilworth coffee, hanging with her family, watching movies (one thriller, one weepy, one romantic), eating junk food, and drinking wine. bliss. 

i spent way too much money on clothes and food, but you know what? totally worth it. i can eat ramen noodles for the rest of the month. actually, that will help my wallet and my waistline. after this weekend, both need some reining in. 

all that fun, and i didn't take one single picture. not one. good thing chelsea is addicted to instagram. 

how was your weekend? 

also, happy (late) father's day to my dad and step-dad! love you both vuurrrry much. 

cap and gown

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this past weekend my little brother graduated from high school. i can't tell you how proud i am of him. but i will try. 

i am SO proud of him.

they told us not to cheer for our respective graduate, but i couldn't help but let out a little whoop! when they called his name. (they almost pronounced our last name right. half point.)

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i got all weepy when i saw him in his cap and gown for the first time on the field. and then again when i watched him walk across the stage. and again when he spotted us waving to him from the stands. and then once more when i got to finally hug him. i'm actually feeling a little emotional writing this now. what the heck. i think if he reads this, he will think i'm a moron.

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hanging with the graduate at cracker barrel. it's what we do. 

to all the grads of 2012, in the words of mindy kaling, i hope you didn't peak in high school. ok. congratulations!

june mix

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feeling a little out of sorts lately. family stuff. life stuff. work stuff.
i'll spare you the details and save the drama for my momma.
you guys get music. plain and simple.
roll out the {somewhat melancholy} tunes!

*june mix*

bloom : the paper kites (download a free single!)

something other than : heather woods broderick

red: lost in the trees

half asleep : school of seven bells

dark into light : shawn lee

palomino : mates of state (free!)

heart : moths (free!)

featherstone : the paper kites

fire escape : matthew mayfield

i will not take my love away : matt wertz

vagabond : mandy lee

we move lightly : dustin o'halloran

heavy heart : madi diaz


happy june, ya'll!

carmelitas

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i work in an office where food is never lacking. people bring their leftover snacks and desserts into the community kitchen all the time. some mornings i walk in and see a mound of chocolate chunk cookies and pecan turtle cake and salt water taffy piled up in the middle of the table. it is a blessing. it is a curse. 

carmelitas were first introduced to me by a sweet co-worker. i briefly mentioned them a few posts back and promised a full post in the near future. i try to make good on my promises here on the bloggy, so without further delay, i bring you the carmelita. 

*c a r m e l i t a s*

ingredients

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32 caramel squares, unwrapped

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1/2 cup heavy cream

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3/4 cup butter, melted

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3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

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1 cup flour

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1 cup rolled oats

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1 teaspoon baking soda

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6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

preparation

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combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. stir until completely smooth; set aside.

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 in a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. 

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pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan. (i don't own a 8 x 8 pan so i made mine in this pan. 9 x 13? results were still delicious.) bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

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remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. 

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pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips.

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crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. 

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remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.*

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eat, gain weight, enjoy. 

*a stint in the fridge will help them cool off if you're pinched for time. they shouldn't be served cold, but all of that molten caramel takes a long time to cool down. they should be stored and served at room temperature. full recipe post here.