Friday Senses

Making Finished: Knit Ballet Bag!

Seeing: Gorgeous photos in my new cookbook!

Hearing: Circuit Rider podcast.

Smelling: Chicken Marinated in Pineapple and Garlic

Tasting: Hopefully that chicken soon!

Feeling: Hopeful.

Reading: The Heart has a Home. It always comforts me.

Loving: Family, always.

Wishing: These two weeks will go by quickly!

Date Night

Hat: Francesca's Collections, Dress: Bella Mia(plymouth,mi), Shoes: Blowfish

Date Night Itinerary:

B&N 

Thai food

Two great places. We started out at B&N and picked up this. My new favorite cookbook. Then we went to use our giftcards at Olive Garden, but the wait was an hour and a half!! So we opted for Thai, never a wait! All I have to say is, the soup, whatever it was called, I'm still thinking about it. Coconut Milk, chicken, green onion and some sort of spice. Yep!

Date nights are always more than food, husband always encourages me and it's the best way to end a long week! The weeks have been long around here lately. Why do the weekends go so fast?!

Chopped

Bow,Top&Shoes: Francesca's Collections, Pants: Target

Today, my dad is cooking dinner, pretending he is on chopped. Complete with commentary, mystery basket ingredients picked out by me and he's being timed. Now, excuse me while I am laughing(snorting) at  with my goofy dad.

Choices

Necklace&Purse: Francesca's Collections: Top: AE, Pants: Gap, Shoes: Blowfish

I had to make some decisions this week (I didn't want to have to choose). Essentially my boss made me choose between work or my dance classes. I am taking dance to audition for this school and I want to eventually teach dance to children that might not have the option to choose dance. So I had to quit. Now, I don't know exactly what to do, but I am still dancing and will now begin my job search. blah It was a hard decision, some tears involved, but I had to choose between dance and other things before and this is my second chance. My chance to do what I really want. What I want to use to change lives and hearts and push them closer to my Lord. I'l keeping choosing that, as long as I breathe. 

Green

Top: H&M, Necklace: AE, Skirt: F21, Shoes: Francesca's Collections

This was my St. Patrick's Day outfit. I know I'm a little very late in posting this. But I love the pretty green skirt and we had quite the fun/relaxing day. It involved thrifting, fro-yo, homemade teriyaki salmon, green whipped cream and stylemint.

I'd say it was a good day.

Friday Senses

Making: Roasted Cabbage and Huevos Rancheros.

Ingredients:

Purple Cabbage

Gorgonzola

Olive oil S&P

Recipe: 

Preheat oven to 425. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the cabbage and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes or until the ends are crispy. Sprinkle Gorgonzola on top and bake for a few more minutes. 

Ingredients: 

Tortillas

Avocado Cream sauce

Cooked Herbed Tofu

Black Beans

Cabbage

Black Olives

Fried egg

Recipe: 

Layer "taco" with avocado cream sauce, tofu, black beans and olives. Sprinkle on cabbage and top with a fried egg.

Seeing: New yarn, ready for a new project.

Hearing: Martha Stewart 

Smelling: My minty lush face mask.

Tasting:  Thirst-quenching water.

Feeling: Accomplished, renewed my driver's license and finished a bag I was knitting.

Reading: (still reading) Condition for Dance, an intimidating read

Loving: Bike rides on the weekends!

Wishing: For my therabands to come from amazon!

DIY Toms Sandals

One of  my favorite things about summer is open-toed shoes of all varieties. Heels, sandals, flip-flops, gladiators, wedges.. okay, so maybe most of those fall into the "sandal" category. I just love freshly painted toe nails, peeking out of a cute pair of shoes.

 I love my toms shoes but this pair had so many holes, they were just too trashy to wear. I saw a couple of pictures on pinterest that turned them into sandals. This was my take on some of those pictures.

Start with an old pair of beloved toms. This is my first pair:

 Grab some scissors and start by cutting the front of the shoe, where your toes would be. Start with little cuts, because of course, you can always cut again..but if you cut too much. Wah, Wah. 

I cut a diagonal about 1/2 in. from the seam. Try them on and cut more if you like.

Then cut two semi circles, one on either side of the shoe, you will probably have to even them out a bit, but it's okay if they aren't perfect.

Next cut two semi circles, one on either side of the shoe, closer to your heel right around the arch of your foot. Trim up any loose strings or uneven cuts.

Lastly I sewed on a little piece of fabric that I had painted on early to the top of the shoe. 

I had painted "true to... my love" on the sides that were now cut out. It was really easy to sew!

 I can't wait to wear them!

Chocolate Crostini

 Ingredients: 

1/2 loaf of a french baguette 

dark chocolate

nutelle

almonds (chopped)

pistachios (chopped)

dried cherries 

pears (thinly sliced)

olive oil

sea salt

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the baguette into 1/2 in. slices, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes then flip and brush with olive oil and bake for 3-5 minutes just until crispy. Then top half of the crostini with chocolate, pistachios, cherries and sea salt. Top the other slices with nutella and almonds and place the pan back in the oven for 2-3 minutes just until the chocolate melts. Top the nutella crostini with a slice of pear. 

Trust me, these are addicting.

Spots

Necklace: AE, Top: Anthropologie, Belt: Aerie, Skirt: Thrifted, Shoes: Francesca's Collection

I am loving polka dots lately. I found this cute skirt at the thrift store but it was a little too long. Wouldn't you know, my husband came to the rescue and took the hem up 5". He didn't even know if he could sew! I'd say he did a pretty good job. Maybe we should think about opening a tailor shop...uh?

Date Night

At "Yo-MaMa". Yes folks, yo-mama. Despite the name eluding to terrible, over-used jokes that I usually pretend I don't hear, I may have been converted from my beloved yogurtland. Yogurtland, if you are reading this, please just know that it is too hard to be long-distance when fro-yo is involved and yes, it was definitely me.

We also went to dinner at Zin. I'm still thinking about the rosemary crusted scallops. Unfortunately most of the risotto served with it ended up all over my clothes. All night long I would find another random piece and brush it off...ick! On that note, I might hide in my house for a few days so no one sees the awkward girl with risotto all over her red pants.

Friday Senses

My mom bought this book a long time ago and I have never seen it until now! It is so precious!

I found this interesting little recipe in it and had to try it. I am not a fig or raisin lover but this cake made me change my mind.

 Making: Old Testament Cake with Coconut Butter

Old Testament Cake with Coconut Butter

1/2c Psalm 55:21

1c Jeremiah 6:20 

3 Isaiah 10;14

3T 1 Samuel 14:25

1/2t Leviticus 2:13

2c 1 Kings 4;22

2t Amos 4:5 

2t 2 Chronicles 9:9 (1t each Cinnamon and Nutmeg)

1/2c Judges 4:19

1c Nahum 3:12 (chopped)

1c Numbers 17:8 (sliced)

1c 2 Samuel 6:19

Look up these verses to find what the ingredients are!

Recipe:

Cream butter and sugar. Add Honey and beaten egg yolks. Add remaining dry ingredients, mixed alternatively with milk. Stir in fruit and nuts. Fold in beaten egg whites last. Bake at 325° for 45 minutes in a greased 9x13" pan. Served with coconut butter.  Just put flaked coconut in the food processor for about 15 minutes. Yum!

Seeing: Sun shining. yes!

Hearing: Food network on my t.v. 

Smelling: Spring!

Tasting:  Thirst-quenching water.

Feeling: Antsy, ready for a walk in the sun

Reading: Condition for Dance, an intimidating read

Loving: The blogging community, I'm meeting some amazing people on here!
Wishing: For "pointe-shoe Friday". Best part of my week.

Compose Yourself Girl

Necklace: Element Style, Sweater: AE, Belt: F21, Top: H&M, Leggings: Windsor,  Shoes: Francesca's Collections

Check out that floor burn from my Modern Class!

It's been a stressful weekend because of work. So I took a minute to take and breath and create a list of things that help me de-stress (list making is therapeutic to me). So let's talk composure:

1. Pray 

2. Knitting/Crafting 

3. Cooking/baking (mostly baking)

4. Chocolate

5. Kombucha

6. Reading blogs/working on my little blog

7. Dance

What do you do to relieve stress?