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flowers make everything better

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my parents are coming in town tonight, and on my trip to the grocery store earlier in the week, i grabbed a bunch of flowers to put out in the condo.  my mom always puts fresh flowers in my bedroom and bathroom when i visit birmingham, so i like to do the same for her.

i separated the bunch between a tall bottle in the living room and this smaller vase in the guest bedroom.

fleurs.

fleurs.

my work week has been less than extraordinary, and i’ve come home the past couple of nights feeling deflated.  yes, i think that’s the right word to use here.  deflated.  i’ve begun each day with such high hopes.  even hearing my favorite songs on the radio on my morning commute set the expectation high.  however, the days have failed to fully deliver.  and we’re only halfway through the week!

when i got home last night, i went in the guest bedroom to switch on the lamps, and i paused for a moment when these flowers on the dresser sweetly faced me.  i couldn’t help but revel in the simple beauty of these earthly treasures.  the wrinkle in my brow was quickly wiped away as a smile crept onto my face.

these delicate flowers reminded me that although we may find ourselves caught up in the stresses of day-to-day life, the good Lord promises that He is on our side and that we are welcome to enjoy the journey while we take it.

’tis picnic season!

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picnic

a couple of weeks ago, i had the brilliant idea for kyle and i to surprise kari, his fiancée, with an impromptu trip to piedmont park, where they would just happen upon a wonderfully laid out picnic with goodies for a fun-filled afternoon.  i was up quite late pulling everything together, but it was certainly worth it.  we spent a delightful day under a tree as the rain lightly fell down around us.  there was no shortage of people watching, giggling, story-telling, and good company.  and then when i thought it couldn’t get any better, we went to the dog park afterwards to watch all the pups romp around in the sun.  the perfect saturday afternoon with my favorite people.

the treats we dined on were so delicious that i knew i couldn’t keep them to myself!  the antipasto pasta salad and pineapple-mango salsa were delicious, but my favorites were the blackberry lemonade, lady marmalade chicken salad, and homemade rice krispy treats.

p.s.  my secret for the rice krispy treats is to double the marshmallow filling.  YES.  you know it’s what you want.  for the rice krispy treats, melt six tablespoons of butter on the stovetop.  add 16 ounces of mini marshmallows and melt.  stir until combined.  measure out six cups of rice krispy treats into a large mixing bowl, add the melted marshmallow mixture (say that five times fast), and fold with a spatula until incorporated.  mash mixture into a 9 x 13 pan that has been liberally coated with non-stick spray.  NOMS.

the best week of my year

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this past week i was disconnected from reality.  where was i?  knoxville, tennessee.  every may the global finals for the program destination imagination are held here, and as a volunteer, i have the honor and privilege to work with some of my favorite people.  it always passes too quickly, and there is a week of saddening withdrawal when i leave.  but in those several days, when we are on our feet from sunup to sundown and catching only winks of sleep, i am the happiest i can be.

i grew up participating in destination imagination throughout grade school, nine years to be exact.  the program truly did change my life, and the lessons i learned and experiences i had molded me into the person i am today.  this program teaches kids of all ages how to work on a team toward a common goal, how to compromise and encourage ideas, how to manage time and people, and, most importantly, how to accept others and themselves for all the things they are.  destination imagination is a program i believe in with all my heart, and i hope i can continue to be a part of it as long as they will have me.

this year i had the pleasure of reconnecting with friends from all over the country and the world, including jamie baby from michigan, brian from westfield, maria from illinois, megan and avery from pennsylvania, rachel from texas, hector from puerto rico, and adam from pittsburgh.  it was also a riot to meet all my new friends like pete from denver, olivia from indiana, bailey from wisconsin, kevin from chicago, and bri and misti from arkansas.  (my sincerest apologies to any folks i may have missed!)  these people are my once-a-year family, and they understand me through and through.  we get each other in a way that other people simply cannot, and saying goodbye to them at breakfast on sunday is always a sad moment.  good thing we have memories from our challenge rooms, chicken lunches, teamwork, mug clubs, rose and the door, tony williams, #shame, RAD, james cameron films, beginning the day late and finishing early, duct tape, and an officials party that was the best yet.  yes, these are all inside jokes, and no, you probably will not understand a single one of them.  however, this post is for them, and this week was one for the books.

to my destination imagination family out there, i miss you all already.  until next time, judy dadah!

lemon lime pound cake

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lime

doesn’t that just sound delicious?  i’d been snooping around on ree drummond’s web site in search of a perfect spring treat to make.  thankfully this recipe for lemon lime pound cake was front and center in the desserts section, and with such a beautiful finish, there was no question i’d be making it in the near future.

although i didn’t have a fancy pan like ree, i used my standard bundt pan, and the cake was still incredibly delicious.  the pound cake is dense and moist and perfectly complemented by the zesty and sweet glaze.  this cake was well-received at my office, so i highly recommend you get that grater and mixer out and get to work!

dear diary

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diary

i took some serious elbow grease to the condo this weekend, cleaning that thing from top to bottom and left to right.  in the midst of dusting my bedroom bookshelf, i stumbled across an old spiral journal and couldn’t help but smile.  my old diary!  one of many, i assure you.

it was a gift from my aunt tutti and cousin hannah, how many years ago i do not know.  wait, i take that back, i’m going to guess eleven years ago since the first entry is dated february 2003.  dang!  i’ve held onto this little guy for just a bit, yes?

i read the first few entries and took a deep walk down memory lane.  i literally wrote about everything in my day, from school to band practice to what my brothers were doing to what we were eating for dinner to what we watched on tv.  i cannot help but picture fourteen year old kelsey writing diligently in her diary each evening, recapping her day and reflecting on all the problems that freshmen high schoolers have.

it was fun to see my handwriting change throughout those years, from very precise to very girly to very cool and artsy.

the daily entries were interrupted every now and then by other thoughts and feelings and aspirations.  one page contained a list of “things to do before i die.”  well, i was quite ambitious then, wasn’t i?  it included the following:  roll a house (done), bungee jump, go abroad (next year – fingers crossed!), have the perfect kiss (ah, such a romantic), give blood, ride a train, and go to college.  the list goes on and on, but i’m not looking to embarrass myself too much today.

i apparently was also a quote fanatic then.  there are pages and pages of inspiration and wisdom here!  below are some of my favorites i had jotted down.

“the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  frederick buechner

“all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”  walt disney

“always do right.  this will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”  mark twain

“the measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.”  thomas babington macaulay

i’ve carried the journal around with me all week, and when i see it peeking out of my bag, i cannot help but smile.  it tickles me to read about my high school days and everything that came with them.  it makes me even happier knowing that i kind of get to keep a journal or diary here with you all.  as all my friend and boy and fashion problems come to mind, i’m sure you’ll get to read all about them.

chocolate and more chocolate

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chocolate

i was so kindly reminded recently that it had been a while since i had brought a homemade treat into the office for everyone.  well, way to be subtle…ha.  anyway, i did admit i hadn’t baked in a while, so i made these simple treats for this ravenous crowd:  life by chocolate cupcakes.  they’re so tasty and easy that you need to give them a try yourself!  click on for the recipe.

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oh, ooh whoa, the sweetest thing

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i, like most folks, had a bit of a time adjusting to the lesser hours of sleep with the arrival of daylight savings time.  my monday this week wasn’t too horrendous, but that sluggish feeling was quite thick throughout the office.

i had eaten my lunch that afternoon and found my way back to my desk, ready to tackle the rest of my day.  my co-workers philip and amy returned soon thereafter and presented me with the sweetest token:  a thin mint cupcake from gigi’s!  it was the kindest and most thoughtful gesture.  they were being kind simply because they wanted to be.  perhaps that is something we could all strive to do a little more often.

gigis

introducing mr. jefferson

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jefferson

when we went to washington, dc last december, i insisted we visit the jefferson memorial before we leave; it’s one of my favorites!  this memorial isn’t necessarily out of the way, but it isn’t exactly near a whole lot either; it sits in west potomac park, across the way from the white house, where third president thomas jefferson once lived.  there were plenty of folks involved in the creation of this memorial, including designer john russell pope (who also architected the national archives building), philadelphia builder john mcshain, and sculptors rudulph evans and adolph a. weinman.  the pantheon-inspired building was completed in 1943, and the 19-foot, 10,000 pound bronze statue was then added in 1947.

eric, kyle, kari, and i made the brisk trek over to see him and snapped this picture.  I LOVE IT.

summertime in march

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pasta

last night i was looking around for an easy dinner recipe, something that required limited pots, pans, and clean-up.  as i was poking around on ree drummond’s site, i came upon her version of pasta salad.  it was a wonderful choice on a cool march evening!  i paired it with oven-baked italian sausage and had the nicest meal while watching the women of the bachelor tear apart sweet juan pablo.  “it’s okay!”

the inspiration

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for my 25th birthday last summer, i wanted to have a photo shoot, video shoot, hootin’ and hollerin’ time with my friends.  we got some wacky outfits, a few cameras (thanks, nathan and eric!), about 20 bags of cheetos, 10 bottles of champagne and let the magic happen.

our mastermind eric put the shoot to music for our own video.  check it out here!  yolo!

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