Words To Live By :: Proverbs 4:20-22

I love how God demands our attention in this passage from Proverbs.

"Pay attention to my words.... Listen closely.... Don't lose sight of my wisdom"

He's telling us, not asking us, to put his words on the backs of our eyelids, store them deep in our hearts,

memorize them, and let our souls be led by His wisdom.
Here's what I think we miss in this passage: God's reminding us to place our focus not on
our current circumstances & feelings but on HIM.

And there is so much divine power just in God's Word alone,
that it's literally the antidote for living in this world! 

My prayer is that God will give us a deep passion for His truth, 

help us to cherish His every word, and live out His commands.

And The Winner Is....

Ashley of Happiness Is...

Just shoot me an email with your mailing address and
Pete Wilson's book Empty Promises will be headed your way!!

I wish I could afford to give each and every one of you a copy.
It's such a fantastic, encouraging read sure to deepen your desire for
a closer relationship with God. Even if you didn't win, I hope you will grab a copy.

Congrats Ashley and thank you everyone for entering the giveaway!

Oh, How Pinteresting! Down By The Sea...

I've got beach vacation on the brain, y'all. And the countdown is on... we leave for Destin on Saturday for 2 glorious weeks! We'll be blissfully alone at my Inlaws condo next week to celebrate our 2nd anniversary and then the next week all of Jeff's family heads down for our annual vacay together. To say I'm excited is the understatement of the century. We are over-worked, drained and in some serious need of white sand therapy. No surprise then that my favorite pins lately have been beach obsessed.....

Hello lover.....

Summer Seaside Suitcase

                                                                   Source: sweet-southern-comfort.tumblr.com via Ally on Pinterest

                                                                   

Margarita Watermelon - You best believe I'll be making these

                                                                       Source: asofainthekitchen.com via Ally on Pinterest

Under the boardwalk

                                                                            Source: nealcasalphoto.com via Ally on Pinterest

My fave bikini this season. L-O-V-E victoria's secret bikinis!

                                                                           Source: victoriassecret.com via Ally on Pinterest

All i need is a good book...

                                                                  Source: inspired-design.tumblr.com via Ally on Pinterest

Speaking of... This is my beach read:

                                                                     Source: 216.125.140.44 via Three Rivers on Pinterest

Anybody know where I can rent one of these in Destin Beach? Call me!

                                                             Source: tumblr.com via Ally on Pinterest

4 words: Strawberry Peach Vodka Pops

                                                                              Source: endlesssimmer.com via Ally on Pinterest

My mantra for the next 2 weeks

                                                                        Source: cottagecoastalstore.com via Ally on Pinterest

Seashells by the Seashore 

                                                                                     Source: Uploaded by user via Ally on Pinterest

"On a blanket with my Baby is where I'll be"

                                                                                    Source: Uploaded by user via Ally on Pinterest

Happy Anniversary Honey!!

                                                               Source: lovely-little-things.blogspot.com via Ally on Pinterest

So what heavenly places are y'all escaping to this summer?

And tell me of your favorite spots at Destin!

Mangia Monday :: Bourbon Peach Ice Cream

One of the big bonuses from an unusually warm winter is the earlier than usual harvest of peaches in the South! As Jeff & I drove to Birmingham Friday we passed countless road-side stands in South Carolina and Georgia selling fresh produce, namely tomatoes and peaches. I don't know about y'all, but I look forward to this time of year if only for the experience of getting fresh fruits & veggies this time of year from local Southern Growers! So we loaded up the car with fresh string beans, squash, 'maters, peaches & strawberries for the weekend and headed to my Inlaws.

And since yesterday was a celebration of my sweet Father-in-law, I immediately started thinking of ways to make him a special dessert from our haul. I previously told of Jeff's Dad's love of ice cream, so churning some sweet cream was a no-brainer. And I've been dying to make this recipe from Smells Like Home since last summer. Although we didn't make the toffee cookies for ice cream sandwiches (btw how amazing does that sound?!) the ice cream was nothing short of spectacular.

{recipe from Smells Like Home}
4 lg peaches, peeled & pits removed
1 cup whole milk
1/4 sugar
1/2 cup lt brown sugar + 2 TB, separated
2 cups heavy cream
pinch of kosher salt
1 vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
3 TB Bourbon (we used Jim Beam)

1. Roast the peaches: preheat oven to 425.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with PAM.  Place peaches skin-side down and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Roast peaches for 30-40 mins until they begin to brown and soften.  Remove from oven, cool for 15 mins, then remove the skins.

2. While the peaches cool, warm the milk, sugars, 1 cup of the cream and salt in a med saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warm milk and add the bean and peaches into the warm milk. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a lg bowl. Next, carefully remove the peaches from the milk mixture and set aside.  
4. In yet another bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm vanilla-peach mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
5. Stir the mixture constantly over med heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens & coats your spoon.  Next, pour the custard through a strainer and stir it into the cream.  Put the vanilla bean into the custard and stir until cool over an ice bath.  Once the custard has cooled, carefully add the peaches to the custard.
6. Cover and chill overnight. Remove the vanilla bean & discard. Also remove the peaches and set aside. Stir in the bourbon to the custard.  
7. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the instructions.  Dice the peaches (1/2 inch) and stir into the ice cream. Freeze the ice cream for at least 4 hours. Serve with ginger cookies and/or fresh mint. My husband actually crumbled leftover maple bacon on top. To each his own....

Full disclosure: this wasn't the easiest recipe I've ever attempted, but it was well worth the labor for sure. I'm sure there are tons of simpler homemade peach ice cream recipes out there, just don't forget the bourbon. Trust me on this ;) 

I hope y'all had a terrific Father's Day with your loved ones this weekend! Speaking of, what special dishes did y'all cook up to celebrate? Feel free to share in the comments. Wishing y'all a great week!

Mangia Mangia y'all!

Words To Live By :: Happy Father's Day!

My Dad passed away almost 6 years ago, so Father's Day
has been bittersweet to me ever since. 

But even in the depth of my worst days of grief, 

my Heavenly Father never abandoned me.

Just the opposite!

He's comforted & loved me and blessed me 

with a Father-in-law that loves me as his own daughter.

I'm so grateful to be celebrating this day 

in worship of our Heavenly Father alongside Jeff & his Dad.

While I miss my Daddy, God reminds me I have so much to be thankful for!

Happy Father's Day y'all!

Book Review & A Giveaway!

A few years ago when I was new to twitter a young, spiky-haired Pastor from Nashville started following me. His tweets were genuine, funny, and Christ-centered. But I quickly came to realize he's not your
average Pastor. He tweets a lot about his beautiful family.
But what captivated me quickly about Pete Wilson was how well & deeply he loves people.
He's so incredibly passionate about his community, and I don't just mean in Nashville.
He leads the very popular Cross Point Church but I'd say his biggest impact is
leading others even outside Nashville to a more devoted relationship with Christ. 

image via

After following him on twitter for a bit I soon started following his blog as well. It quickly became a second devotional for me every morning. Daily Pete stretches my concepts of faith, my personal relationship with God, and especially my commitment to love others. Frankly, in the last 2 years I've learned more from listening, reading & watching Pete love others than I'd learned in all my years of church. 

His first book Plan B is one of my favorites! It is so well written in a spirit of love and redemption, that came to me at a point in my life when I really needed to be reminded of God's grace. But his latest book Empty Promises was so good that I read it twice. After I read it initially, practically highlighting every page, my husband wanted to read it so we studied our way through it together. It's not a heavy, wordy textbook, but it is a life-application of God's Word that kept me focused from start to finish.

Watch the trailer for the book (below) and you'll see what I mean:

When I read the subject matter was about idols that block our relationship with God, I really thought this might not apply to me. Ha! Just typing out that admission of arrogance is embarrassing to me now.

Pete so eloquently and gently pointed out how we all battle habits that get in the way of our worship and relationships with a God. Most importantly, he teaches through God's Word how to recognize what it is in your life that's hindering you from utter devotion and how to allow God to fix it. My favorite quote from Pete's book came towards the end: 

"We think what we want is a bigger title, better looks, more popularity, larger sums of money, the perfect spouse. However, what we really want is the person we were made for - Jesus - and the place we were made for - heaven."

Everybody's looking for great books to read this summer
and I can't encourage you enough to add Empty Promises to your list.


In fact I love it so much I've decided to
Give Away a copy to one of y'all!!


There are no hoops to jump through to enter. You don't even have to follow my blog.
Just leave me a comment stating that you want to be entered.

And stop back by next Thursday, to see which random winner will win
a copy of Pete Wilson's book Empty Promises!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Wednesday y'all!

I'm linking up with Jamie over at This Kind Of Love

for What I'm Loving Wednesday

{One}
Ashley Brooke Designs.
Well who isn't a fan of Ashley Brooke's cards & illustrations?
But her latest collegiate couples collection is my absolute favorite. I'm obsessed!
I just hope she'll make some custom "house divided" cards for
Jeff's Bama & my Bulldogs! Cute, right?




{Two}
NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams
I saw these reviewed on Emily's blog Southern Gorgeous a few weeks ago
and grabbed a couple (San Paolo & Monte Carlo) last week at Ulta. 
Ladies, these matte creams are fabulous!!
Matte lips remind me of WWII era pinup girls but these are so creamy, like a moisturizing lipstick.
The best part? They're only $5.99/each. 

{Three}

I truly could not care less about hockey, but this video of a presser

after Monday night's Stanley Cup win by the LA Kings is hysterical!

Goalie Jonathan Quick's 2 year old daughter steals the show:

{Four}
What I'm reading...
I'm telling anyone who will listen:
GO BUY THIS BOOK!!
It's a life-changer, folks. Trust me.

{Five}
So we're only 2 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days 'til college football season!
And that means I'm kicking into high gear searching for new Gameday dresses.
Of course, my first stop is always Judith March's Fall lookbook.
She never ever disappoints. This year she's debuting these adorable tees 
celebrating gridiron heroes for big schools.
Check out Auburn & UGA's. Adorable!

{Six}
My guest post over at Amy's blog, Forever 29 yesterday!
While Amy is enjoying the vacation of a lifetime cruising islands with her best friend,
I shared a recipe that's become a weekly favorite summer side dish around our house.
Click on over to Amy's blog for all the deets on a delish Summer Corn Salad

So what are y'all loving this week?
Head on over to Jamie's blog to link up!




Happy Wednesday y'all!!

Mangia Monday :: Pomegranate Glazed Salmon with Avocado Salsa

One of my favorite places on the planet is The Fresh Market. In case you're not familiar, they are a gourmet grocer with amazing food, produce, and European pastries, almost like an indoor Farmer's Market. Oh, and it always smells like freshly brewed coffee! In other words, it's a foodie's paradise. We were fortunate to have a TFM in my hometown, and I was fortunate that my parents loved shopping there, allowing me to tag along :) If my Mom was planning a special dinner, throwing a party, or prepping for the holidays, The Fresh Market was always our first stop. So when Jeff & I got married and moved to Charlotte, I was tickled pink to find that a TFM was located in the Queen City. It's not that close to us, but totally worth the drive!

One of the endless benefits of shopping at The Fresh Market is their incredible collection of recipes they share with their customers. And today's recipe, a favorite of mine & Jeff's, is a Fresh Market original, given to me by their Seafood Monger years ago when I was looking for a new way to kick up grilled salmon. It's surprisingly simple, but packed with amazing summer flavor, and versatile enough to use in a variety of different recipes!

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/4 honey

2 center-cut, wild alaskan salmon fillets 

EVOO

freshly ground pepper & kosher salt

1 avocado, peeled & diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 jalapeno, diced & seeds removed

3/4 cup freshly chopped pineapple

1/2 cup freshly diced mango

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

1. In a saucepan, combine the pom juice & honey with a whisk and bring to a boil. Then immediately reduce heat and allow to simmer until it's a syrupy consistency and reduced to a 1/4 cup. 

2. Make the salsa by combining the avocado and remaining 5 ingredients. Sprinkle with some kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, then allow to sit refrigerated for 15 minutes before serving.

3. Heat up your grill (can also use a grill pan or skillet) then season the fish with a drizzle of evoo and kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.

4. Grill flesh side down for 2-3 minutes and flip, doing the same on the other side, until the salmon is cooked through to the center - medium rare. 

5. Drizzle the fillets with pomegranate glaze then top with avocado salsa & enjoy!

We're huge fans of fish, but I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea. However, I've made this a ton of times and even non-fish people love it :) What I love most about this recipe though, is it's versatility. For example, you can serve the salsa with chips, shred the salmon & serve it with the salsa in fish tacos, or even make salmon burgers with black beans & serve the salsa as a topping. That's actually one of my favorite ways to make this dish. Oh, and the leftovers are pretty amazing too! 

Happy Monday and Mangia Mangia y'all!!

Words To Live By

One of my favorite hymns over the years has always been Seek Ye First.

I even have early memories of singing this in children's church and

listening to my Nana hum the tune in the kitchen. It was one of her favorites too.

The message from Jesus' sermon on the mount is so very simple to us:

Seek after God with diligence in everything we do. Make Him our first priority, live to love Him

& obey His Word, and we will experience His kingdom here on earth & in heaven.

True story: I first memorized this verse after watching an episode of the Cosby Show, ha!

The Huxtables are visiting their beloved Hillman alma mater & Clair sings

this incredible solo (with accompaniment by Spellman Univ. Choir) of Shelton Becton's spiritual:

Skip to the 4:40 mark to hear the solo. 

"If you just trust and never doubt what He said, 

all good things will be added unto you."

Amen! Happy Sunday y'all :)