I'm in shock. There's really no better way to describe it.
A guy in my class had a change of heart this morning about where he was going to travel abroad for his international rotation, making it not only possible for me to go to Europe, but also for me to go with my travel partner of choice. I've spent the past several days on my knees about this, praying that there would be a way for me to get to travel Europe through this opportunity, but had pretty much given up on the thought of Kirsten and I getting to travel together. I spent the morning with my hands shaking during class because I was so nervous about the selection process....I hate when things are out of my control. After it was all said and done, Kirsten and I will be in Stockholm, Sweden for a month in April 2013 and will have the chance to travel for the month beforehand with 4 other girls from school.
Praise the Lord, He is ever faithful! I've always known this, but sometimes its nice to be slapped in the face with the goodness of His hand! Thank you, Lord!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Juggling Life
Its been a full month since I've blogged, and this is largely due to the fact that I'm trying to settle down into school again! This year I'm a graduate student x2....I'm not only finishing my last semester of didactic course work in pharmacy school, but I'm also taking two classes in pursuit of my MBA. Effectively, I'm taking 22 hours of classes this semester! Add on top of that the fact that my class is currently trying to finish up the selection process for our rotations that start this January, and you have yourself one chaotic month.
It hasn't been all work and no play though....I've already made a trip to Knoxville to watch my VOLS play, I've made my last trip to the lake for the year (very sad about that...it rained pretty much all of Labor Day weekend), I've caught up with friends from pharmacy school, and am headed to a Bachelorette Weekend (my 3rd this year....yikes) this weekend.
I've got several recipes and projects I'm hoping to have the chance to try in the next few weeks.....Pinterest could be detrimental to my grades, but its great for creativity!
It hasn't been all work and no play though....I've already made a trip to Knoxville to watch my VOLS play, I've made my last trip to the lake for the year (very sad about that...it rained pretty much all of Labor Day weekend), I've caught up with friends from pharmacy school, and am headed to a Bachelorette Weekend (my 3rd this year....yikes) this weekend.
I've got several recipes and projects I'm hoping to have the chance to try in the next few weeks.....Pinterest could be detrimental to my grades, but its great for creativity!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Hosting a Bridal Shower
Lots of people say that your mid-twenties are a time to try new things, to figure out who you really are, and to settle into life post-college. For me, my mid-twenties has largely been about attending weddings! Wedding fever is in full swing in the south, and several of my good friends are in the process of starting their lives as Mr. and Mrs. My college best friend, Kat, got married last month, and one of my childhood best friends, Chancey is getting married in October!
Chancey is one of those people who has the most infectious laugh. If she's laughing, you can't help but laugh along with her. My mom and I threw a bridal shower for her last night at our house and had a wonderful time! It was her first wedding event of several, and I'm sure the rest will be just as fun! She got amazing gifts!
Chancey is one of those people who has the most infectious laugh. If she's laughing, you can't help but laugh along with her. My mom and I threw a bridal shower for her last night at our house and had a wonderful time! It was her first wedding event of several, and I'm sure the rest will be just as fun! She got amazing gifts!
The Table
Fruit Bowl (Confession: its fruit from Chik-fila! It was delicious and beat cutting up all that fruit myself!)
Almond flavored cake with Chancey's new monogram
Chicken Salad Tarts (foreground), CheeseBall and Crackers (background)
Veggie Tray
Caprese Salad Kabobs with Reduced Balsamic Vinegar Glaze (my new favorite appetizer...I'm taking it everywhere!) I previously made it here
White Chocolate Covered Strawberries (foreground), Pork Tenderloin on Rolls (background)
Sheilah (hostess), Jeannie (Mother of the Bride), Chancey (Bride), Me (Hostess/Bridesmaid), Teresa (Hostess/My mom)
Lifelong Friends
Chancey with 3 of her 5 Bridesmaids
We had a great turnout, I think in part because we held the shower on a Tuesday after work! Lots of guests came straight over from their jobs, instead of having to get out again after church on a Sunday. We made sure to have some heartier food (pork tenderloin, chicken salad, etc), plus some wine--it is a party, afterall--to make sure our guests didn't go hungry!
Friday, July 29, 2011
My Best Friend's Wedding
My college best friend, Kat, got married almost two whole weeks ago! She was a beautiful bride and so calm throughout her big day! We've been friends through many ups and downs in both of our lives and I'm so thankful to have her in my life. Here are a few pictures from her big wedding weekend...
Rehearsal Dinner: Meghan, Kat, Me (college bffs)
Zeta Girls
Beautiful Bride and Best Friend, Kat
Favorite picture
My date, Darrin, who was such a good sport. The wedding weekend was busy!
Congratulations to Kat and Tyler! So happy for you and love you both!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Caprese Salad Kabobs!
I've never been a big dairy eater...I don't drink milk, I eat cheese in moderation, I'm not even a huge ice cream fan. But in the past year or so I have fallen in love with Caprese Salads. In case you are unfamiliar with them, they are made up of Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil, and Balsamic Vinegar. I needed a quick appetizer to take to a friend's house for a porch party, and decided to make a mini-version of a Caprese Salad. These are a great, easy-to-make appetizer to make (and take) somewhere when you need something last minute!
You Need:
Cherry Tomatoes
Mozzarella Cheese
Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar
Toothpicks
Preparation:
1. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and thread a toothpick through the center.
2. Tear basil leaves into small pieces. Thread them onto the the toothpick beside the tomato.
3. Slice the Mozzarella into the appropriate size and place them onto the toothpick
4. Pour Balsamic Vinegar into a small bowl to use as a dip.
So cute. So simple. So good!
EDIT: Found tiny mozzarella balls (similarly sized to the cherry tomatoes!) at Sam's Club in a medium sized tub. They were absolutely PERFECT for this appetizer....much cuter than the slices I had to use the first time around!
You Need:
Cherry Tomatoes
Mozzarella Cheese
Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar
Toothpicks
Preparation:
1. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and thread a toothpick through the center.
2. Tear basil leaves into small pieces. Thread them onto the the toothpick beside the tomato.
3. Slice the Mozzarella into the appropriate size and place them onto the toothpick
4. Pour Balsamic Vinegar into a small bowl to use as a dip.
So cute. So simple. So good!
EDIT: Found tiny mozzarella balls (similarly sized to the cherry tomatoes!) at Sam's Club in a medium sized tub. They were absolutely PERFECT for this appetizer....much cuter than the slices I had to use the first time around!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Jack Rogers Giveaway!
I recently bought my first pair of Jack Rogers Navajo Sandals (alright, I bought two pairs!) I've been looking at my roommate's pair for over a year now and decided it was time I had some of my own! I bought them in Black (with Black Stitching) and in Silver (with Silver Stitching) and have worn nothing else for the past week! I'm completely obsessed!
The College Prepster (www.thecollegeprepster.com) is hosting a giveaway for a pair of Jack Rogers Sandals, so naturally I'm entering! They're just coming out with a collegiate inspired line, and I'm hoping they'll venture into making me some Tennessee Orange and White ones before too long!
www.jackrogersusa.com
The College Prepster (www.thecollegeprepster.com) is hosting a giveaway for a pair of Jack Rogers Sandals, so naturally I'm entering! They're just coming out with a collegiate inspired line, and I'm hoping they'll venture into making me some Tennessee Orange and White ones before too long!
www.jackrogersusa.com
4th of July Goodies!
I fully intended on posting this on July 3rd (the day I made these yummy snacks), but the excitement of the 4th of July Weekend (which I love) and a date that night resulted in me not getting a post completed. So, here is a sampling of the yummy 4th of July goodies I made for family and friends to enjoy at the lake!
Red,White, and Blue Strawberries
As I've said before, I absolutely love strawberries. They've been my favorite fruit since forever and I love them in most anything: salads, desserts, snacks, it doesn't matter! One of my best friends, Melissa, showed me this idea and we decided they were too cute to pass up!
You need:
Strawberries
White Chocolate Chips
Crisco
Sugar
Blue Food Coloring
Preparation
1. Wash the strawberries and dry them off. Drying them off is important because it allows the chocolate to actually stick to the strawberries.
2. To make the granulated sugar blue, place sugar into a Ziploc bag and add drops of blue food coloring until your desired color is reached. It helps if you drip the food coloring onto the side of the Ziploc instead of onto the sugar. Then, work the color throughout the sugar by kneading the closed bag with your hands. Place the colored sugar into a bowl.
3. In a double boiler (or a sauce pan on low heat), combine 1 tablespoon of Crisco per cup of White Chocolate chips. The Crisco helps the chocolate chips to stay creamy enough to dip the strawberries in. The first batch I made didn't turn out as pretty because I didn't use enough Crisco, thinking it was unnecessary--this made the chocolate lumpy and the dipping process not as easy. Let the chocolate chips and the Crisco melt together, stirring pretty continuously.
4. Dip the strawberries into the melted white chocolate (holding onto the stem), then immediately dip the bottom tip into the blue sugar. Repeat until you run out of strawberries (or chocolate!).
Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes
I wanted to make cupcakes in the shape of a flag after seeing them done in a magazine (I have no idea which one). I searched the internet for a made from scratch cupcake recipe, but I'm still in the process of tweaking it so it is exactly the taste I want. They turned out fine, but were nothing to write home about just yet...here's a picture of the finished product!
Red,White, and Blue Strawberries
As I've said before, I absolutely love strawberries. They've been my favorite fruit since forever and I love them in most anything: salads, desserts, snacks, it doesn't matter! One of my best friends, Melissa, showed me this idea and we decided they were too cute to pass up!
You need:
Strawberries
White Chocolate Chips
Crisco
Sugar
Blue Food Coloring
Preparation
1. Wash the strawberries and dry them off. Drying them off is important because it allows the chocolate to actually stick to the strawberries.
2. To make the granulated sugar blue, place sugar into a Ziploc bag and add drops of blue food coloring until your desired color is reached. It helps if you drip the food coloring onto the side of the Ziploc instead of onto the sugar. Then, work the color throughout the sugar by kneading the closed bag with your hands. Place the colored sugar into a bowl.
3. In a double boiler (or a sauce pan on low heat), combine 1 tablespoon of Crisco per cup of White Chocolate chips. The Crisco helps the chocolate chips to stay creamy enough to dip the strawberries in. The first batch I made didn't turn out as pretty because I didn't use enough Crisco, thinking it was unnecessary--this made the chocolate lumpy and the dipping process not as easy. Let the chocolate chips and the Crisco melt together, stirring pretty continuously.
4. Dip the strawberries into the melted white chocolate (holding onto the stem), then immediately dip the bottom tip into the blue sugar. Repeat until you run out of strawberries (or chocolate!).
These were some of the first done...they aren't as pretty as the ones at the end, but of course, I forgot to take pictures of the pretty ones!
Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes
I wanted to make cupcakes in the shape of a flag after seeing them done in a magazine (I have no idea which one). I searched the internet for a made from scratch cupcake recipe, but I'm still in the process of tweaking it so it is exactly the taste I want. They turned out fine, but were nothing to write home about just yet...here's a picture of the finished product!
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