There Ain't No Place Like Birmingham

This weekend was fabulous.

Jana and I dined at Do Di Yo's on Saturday night. Holy Smokes. SO GOOD. I miss Birmingham's Greek food when I'm in Auburn. The whole restaurant was an experience and I'm so sad we had to eat so fast and couldn't fully enjoy it.

"There are two kinds of people: those who are Greek and those who wish they were Greek." Mr. Portokalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding

So true.

We ordered fried doughnuts for dessert. Soaked in honey. Best I've ever had. Ever. And I've tried a lot, so that's saying something. I think I scared our waiter when we ordered these. I wouldn't let him get through the rest of the dessert menu. I just wanted these.

Step Sing at Samford! I think I've been almost every year since I was in middle school. This is pretty much the only evening I begin to second guess my decision to go to Auburn. It was probably one of the better shows they've had... right up there with DAP's Monster performance. Dudes-A-Plenty, get at me.

Visited this sweet little squirt while Caroline and I caught up with Momma Ashley. I'm looking forward to hanging out together this summer!

Hope all of your weekends were lovely, lovely, lovely!

Treasure

It's finding little gems like this that make me love small town life.

Chicken, Veggies, Soy, Rice

I was blessed beyond measure to serve as a D-Now leader this past weekend in my home church alongside some of my nearest and dearest friends. It was a wonderful weekend and I was so encouraged to watch my sweet group of eleventh grade girls grow in understanding the movement of Christ!

I have been so challenged recently in giving of my money to glorify God beyond tithing. This weekend provided a wonderful opportunity to see where some of that is going, and I want to encourage you to pray over where God wants you to give! Here are a few of my favorite ministries and ways to contribute...

We participated in Feed My Starving Children on Friday night. What an experience it was! Total, our church and community packed enough food to feed 1,494 children for an entire year!

Read more and donate HERE.

It's okay, you can be jealous of our hairnets.

"Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor." Proverbs 22:9

Maybe you want to support some workers being called to His field. Meet Dana and Laura, two Auburn grads called to serve the Lord in Uganda. In efforts to raise funds for their trip, they are selling some super cute threads HERE. I bought mine this past week and am so excited to sport that bad boy around campus.

Um, how precious are they?

"I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." Acts 20:24

Last, but not least, Urban Purpose is a ministry near and dear to my heart. I had the opportunity to work with them last spring break and occasional Sundays when I'm home and don't have to get back to Auburn. Started by two men in our church, this ministry is devoted to building relationships with Birmingham's homeless population and seeking to meet physical needs while actively sharing the Gospel. Read more and donate HERE.

Through these ministries, may God be glorified above all else.

Master Plan

So I don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to keeping this little ole blog updated. The little number next to the months in the archives hardly ever goes above 4, if even that. I would say one of my new year resolutions would be to update this more, but a) that would be a lie and b) I don't make new year resolutions, so that pretty much just explains the first point. Anyway, if you're still reading, kudos! You definitely gained some cool points in my book, or you would rather just spend your Friday nights alone cuddled up in your jammies with a classic DVD in, a gallon of rocky road, some nice candles from Target (jasmine bamboo is my personal favorite-- it smells like an L.L. Bean catalog), and google reader just calling your name. But hey, that's just a guess.

Anyway, keeping on the track of self-disclosure, while I'm enjoying my typical Friday night (re-read that last paragraph one more time if you still don't get it) I usually paint my nails. I don't think it's any big secret that I'm not very fashion-forward, so trying to keep up with fun nail colors is about as trendy as I get. Enter my favorite nail varnish, possibly of all time: Essie in Master Plan. I wear it to class, to work, and I would have worn it to deb ball but my mom made me change it. It wasn't worth the arguement, you know? Anyway, I get SO many compliments on it! It's fun and fresh and a wonderful neutral but still a little understated and semi-professional. Bonus: it transitions seasons well because I wore it all summer, through fall, and into winter. Bam. Talk about bang for your buck.

Going back into my first thought of being a bad blogger, sorry this post is weird in my sad little attempt to give you something to gander upon on your kicking Friday night. Especially considering I just posted a picture of my fingernails for you to see. Awkward? Eh, good thing we're friends. And if we aren't, we sure as heck are now.

But what are your favorite nail colors? I've heard everyone talking about OPI's You Don't Know Jacques, but haven't been brave enought to try it!

Southern Charm

I have rekindled my love for Southern Living.

I know, rekindled? Where did the love ever go?

Funny little story about my stubbornness, actually...

My mom always told me (as in, from a very young age when I had just learned to read and insisted upon picking up every piece of print I could find, including her copious copies of SL) that I should major in journalism and work at Southern Living.

Wrong. So, so wrong.

I REFUSED to go this path. And in some ways, I still do. Even as an English major, I don't particularly love writing. It is more of a necessary evil. I don't like to be told what I am supposed to write about. I'd rather just talk through my own free-floating ideas. Hah, surprise.

Anyway, out of spite, I guess, I snuffed my nose to anything Southern Living, lest my mother think she won the fight.

I like to call these my dark years. Because really, who was I kidding?

And then I grew up, accepting myself for the old soul I really am. And I realized that Southern Living people were my people. What had I done ignoring those beautiful tablescapes, delectable recipes, and page after page of Southern charm? Man, Southerners KNOW hospitality.

So I soaked it all up again.

And then this semester I discovered the SL twitter.

Shoot. That was the best transit ride home in some time.

Around Thanksgiving, they tweeted the article on their Christmas Gift Guide.

I can't even deal. Y'all, I seriously want everything on this list. Every item is sure to please any southern belle or beau.

And then I saw it. A most precious pie carrier. Made by Vonny, I didn't even know they existed, but as much as I like to bake and surprise friends and classmates with a sweet treat, I knew I would use such a stylish little tote on the reg.

Typical SL move, they linked up to a site where you could buy it (and the matching casserole carrier) monogrammed.

Lucky for me, my boss decided to carry the line of Vonny products. And that meant employee discount. Bonus: I know how to monogram. Merry Christmas to me from me.

I mean, please. Just tell me this isn't cute.

I think my Happy Birthday to me from me present will be that matching casserole carrier.

Swoon.

Moral of the story: don't turn your back on SL. And don't put Twinkies on your pizza. (Actually, that last one is from Heavyweights, but I think it is pretty sound advice, nevertheless.)

Liebster Blog Awards

My sweet friend Ashley told me that I was one of 5 ballers to win the Liebster Blog Award! This is given to bloggers who have <200 followers. The word liebster is a German word that means dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, and many many other like words. I am so grateful for Ashley and everything she has meant in my life and for this award! (Also, please let me come hang out with you and EA over Thanksgiving!)

As a way to keep the award going, the recipients of this award are to nominate 5 outstanding bloggers with less than 200 followers.

The rules of the Liebster Blog Award are to link back to the blogger who gave it to you, reveal your top 5 bloggers and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog, copy and paste the award on your blog. Finally, have faith that your followers will spread the word too!

Here it goes...

1. Jana at I Will Hold On Hope. You can thank her for getting me started on blogging. That's right, positive peer pressure, people. And thanks to her I have a Twitter too. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? She is a highly talented photographer and I encourage you to check out some of her wedding and engagement work!

2. Emily Grace at Learning Grace. What. A. Champ. Emily Grace speaks God's truth with every word. She is always a encouragement and her blog highlights what she's learning through life as an undergrad.

3. Maegan at Lavished With Love. What a faithful teacher! She invests in me via her blog even hundreds of miles away. I have so enjoyed her honest (and usually hilarious) daily encounters with motherhood. What a blessing to be able to watch her on this journey!

4. Caroline and Alex at Untangled Lines. You want to be inspired to step back from the computer and live life? Take a look at the blog they co-author. If I didn't know you two better, I'd say all you do is just frolic around outside and hang out with cool musical artists. But I've seen your mound of chemical engineering work (Carol) and your stack of Burney novels (Alex).

5. Hillary at Essential, yet Appealed. She blogs about Jesus, America, and Southern culture. I mean, what more do you want?

(We have a class blog for my Milton class and I almost posted it for this award just to be funny. But I think it would make most normal, sane people curl up and cry.)

Steadfastness

If I could be one thing I am not, that would be steadfast. This word may be the defining word of the summer. I'm constantly reminded of the Lord's steadfast love, but how often do I show such love and devotion? It is my prayer for the Lord to create in me a steadfast heart, and he has showered my life with examples of such.

Today was a day full of filling my "love tank." First there was breakfast with sweet Emily Grace, whose name fits her all too perfectly. Never have I seen such a godly person with a more tender heart than hers. I appreciate her willingness to stay updated on my life, even when I don't do such a hot job keeping up with hers. Her openness to ask me real, raw, and challenging questions while sharing in my trials and triumphs is always a blessing. Plus, she always picks really good restaurants, so telling her my struggles is much more enjoyable over great food. And she has a blog that is to die for.

Sweet summertime memories of Free Friday Flicks in Homewood Park

Next there was a fro yo date with my long time friend, Ana Marie. Side by side we endured middle school days, so life always looks pretty bright when we get together. Her spirit always teems with joy so infectious I can hardly walk away from her without my sides splitting from laughter. She is such a precious reminder of where I've been and how far I have to go. We keep each other humble and we're practically the same person in so many ways. Even though we hardly see each other as much as we would like, we have an uncanny knack for picking up exactly where we left off. And the stories we tell always seem to get even more hilarious with time.

Tacky Christmas 2 years running.

Growing up is a hard business, but it is entirely more bearable with the steadfastness of people going through the same thing. Grateful for not only these two, but to the solid group I have surrounding me. How blessed am I for the Lord to let me share in these girls' lives!

Bread#winning

Hillary told me my strength was in my baked goods. And I'm okay with that. I have literally been drooling over this recipe from Joy the Baker (whose food blog is to die for) for days, and today I finally tried it. Good thing it practically took all day. It was the most agonizing thing getting one step further and then having to wait thirty more minutes for the dough to rise. But it was so worth it. I mean, really really worth it. Like it came out of the oven and before it even had a chance to even think about beginning to cool, I was stuffing it in my mouth. It was awesome on its own, but if I could perfect a really thick cream cheese icing... oh, I can't even deal.

Before it went in the oven.

And after. I think it could have stood a little more butter, but this wasn't Paula Deen's recipe.

Sorry I always use the camera on my phone. One day I'll remember to use my big girl one. And I wish I had snapped a picture of the inside, but I was running out the door. Next time.

obsession of the moment...

Bikes. Which is kind of ironic considering 1) I'm the most uncoordinated person ever 2) I don't think I've ridden a bike in quite a few years 3) I'm pretty sure my parents got rid of my bike because of point number two.

Who says there have to be rules for obsessions?

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My Name Peggy

I've watched a lot of television this break since I've been out due to wisdom teeth surgery and a bout with strep throat. This is definitely my favorite commercial right now. Happy Time.

fuzzy forest critters

I dig autumn...even if it feels like winter instead. As much as I'm not an outdoorsy, granola girl, I do like to appreciate the inspiration little woodland creatures contribute to design this time of year.

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repurpose

I don't know if things like this make my inner librarian cry or rejoice. But I do know that I am completely infatuated with using old book pages to create something whimsical. Maybe I'll cover my chair project in them instead...

photos from design is mine and notes from a cottage industry

justin timberlake only gets better with age

one is silver and the other is gold

Why do I have the coolest roomate & psuedoroommmate in the entire world?

make do and mend

I'm really excited about this craft project! I found something somewhat similar on this site, but I really wanted to make it my own. I used plain needlepoint hoops, patterned fabrics, fabric glue, and some pinking shears to make this happen. No sewing at all. (P.S. If someone wants to teach me how to sew, I've been dying to know.)

(maybe I'll do something on the green gingham ones later.)

What does a clam do on his birthday?

He shellebrates!

One of my roommates is turning 20 this weekend! We're throwing her a little dessert buffet party after her family leaves to go back home. We're cooking up (no pun intended) a few ideas for sweet treats, but we would love your suggestions for your favorite dessert recipes!

The invitations. :)

Opulence, I has it.

This commercial cracks me up. I don't even know why, but every time I hear it come on one of the TVs in the house, I run to catch it again. Even my dad and I quote it. I think I've come to the point where I enjoy watching TV just for the good advertisements.

a house is built of walls and beams, but a home is built of love and dreams.

Why I LOVE Birmingham and will miss it:

1. See my favorite Birmingham restaurants. This enough is reason to love it.

2. It's kind of under the radar, but the art scene here is definitely present. Sure, we have a nice museum. But there are always art festivals going on somewhere. Magic City Art Connection ALWAYS has something going on.

3. Birmingham has a pretty legit music scene. All of the big names come here, but there's definitely plenty of the coffeehouse shows to go around. And around. And around. And on the off chance that a musical artist is on tour and doesn't come here, chances are they'll probably

hit Atlanta, which is close enough.

4. There are all different kinds of people here. Birmingham isn't just for yuppies or baby boomers, people of every age, race, nationality, etc. are here.

5. Like Goldilocks taking baby bear's porridge because it's "justttt right," Birmingham's size is just the same.

6. 4 hours from the beach. 2 from Lake Martin. 2 from Atlanta. 3 from Nashville. Holla.

7. The shopping is pretty legit. Big chain stores, small boutiques, specialty stores...you name it, we've got it.

8. While we may not be New Orleans (pre-Katrina) or Mobile with old French charm or St. Augustine with Spanish influenced architecture, we've still got plenty of cuteness to go around. Just take a drive through some residential parts of Homewood.

9. You want to learn defensive driving and/or navigation? Try driving around this city. There are some crazies out on the road. And all of the one way streets, random alleys, and weird turns are sure to get even the most seasoned drivers turned around.

10. As sappy as it sounds, this is where my roots are. My family is here. My friends are here. This is familiar. This is home.

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world

10 Test Birmingham Restaurants.

1. Ocean Holy smokes. Best meal of my life. Words cannot even describe how amazing it is.

2. Rojo Superrrr trendy, but delish. And everyone can go there and be happy since there's an American side of the menu as well as a Latin American side. (Go for the second.) And if you don't take my word for it, I mean, Bob Dylan eats there. NBD.

3. Nabeel's Greek food at its finest. And the little market attached is super cute, too.

4. Savage's Bakery I've been going here since I was in the womb. IT IS SO GOOD. Lunch or just a snack, it's one of the best bakeries in town.

5. Surin West I'm not super into Thai food, but I will eat just about anything here.

6 Iz Cafe Best chicken salad and lemon squares in town. For sure.

7. Taziki's Is it sad that I know what their specials are everyday and always get them on Wednesdays and weekends?

8. New York Pizza We used to celebrate our wins (and heck, our losses, too) for church league here because they have the best pizza in town.

9. Pappas' Grill These people are legit off the boat from Greece. And they fight all the time, but Mrs. Papas wins every time. It is like watching a scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. And they have the best hamburger in town. Odd, for a Greek restaurant, but it's true.

10. Cobb Lane Too bad it closed. Super upsetting. I used to have tea parties here when I was itty bitty.

one day the sun will come out

This is one of the most beeeeauuuutiful songs of life.