congrats, bonnie & kevin

Wedding season has began and we are kicking it off with two of my best friends are getting married. There are no words that can describe how excited and happy I am for them. They both have had such a huge impact in my life. I would not be where I am or who I am if it weren't for either of them. I feel so blessed to call them my friends. And now, the two are joining together in marriage. It's every girl's (who plays matchmaker) dream come true. Except I don't take credit for them getting together even though the spark was lit on Gary and my wedding day.  There were many parts that came into play, including Bonnie's maid of honor speech that charmed Kevin and a little too much time at the bar that emboldened Kevin to approach Bonnie. All I can say is that with a leap of faith and an open-heart, that is where we all find our happy endings. 

In the mist of their wedding planning, Bonnie asked me for help with their wedding paper goods. I was more than honored. They were looking for a floral design with the colors teal and orange. I was basically free to design something based one those few criteria. My favorite favorite thing are the placecards, which I was able to use my Silhouette cameo to create.

Congratulations, Bonnie & Kevin. I love you guys. 

rustic strawberry pie

It's strawberry season! The local strawberries here are to die for. We've been getting a ton from Oakview Farms through our Eat South CSA. But these were picked up from the Southern Makers event in downtown Montgomery a couple of weeks ago. Not to go off the topic of strawberries here but I have to tell you guys a little more about this event. It was an one day event which gathered Alabama-based chefs, artists, breweries, craftsmen, and designers to celebrate the creativity and innovation happening in the state. There were a ton of food, live music, workshops, activities for kids, panel discussions, and maker's bazaar. My favorite booths were Anchor and Daisy's (owned by my talented, beautiful neighbor), Matter's, and Susan Starr's (which I'm a bit bias since I had a hand in designing it). It was such a fun day; I enjoyed an amazing cup of honey latte from Mama Mocha's, ate food prepared by my favorite Alabama chef, David Bancroft. and won myself a cool little stool from Plenty Design Coop thru the silent auction. This event really showed what hidden gems Alabama holds.

Now back to strawberries. We usually just eat them fresh and whole, but we go ourselves a bucketful; I didn't think we would be able to finish them before they went bad. This is when my mom would say the Chinese proverb, "Big eyes, small belly." Which is not always a bad thing in this case since I made some pie out of it.

This is actually not just a strawberry pie, its a strawberry lime pie. I love all lemon and lime pies, so why not? And this crust is like a piece of heaven. I kid you not. Make it and you'll see! I promise that you will not regret it. Not sure if it was the fresh strawberries or the flaky, butter crust but Gary and I polished this baby off (literally) minutes after it came out of the oven. It played out something like this:

Gary: Can I have a taste?
Me: Of course.
Gary: (mouth full) This is... oh my god... so good.
Me: Let me have a bite.
Gary: (feeds me a piece) Can I have another piece?
Me: Sure, only if you cut me a piece too.
(We finish our respective pieces)
Gary: I'm just going to have another piece.
Me: Me too.
(Repeat last two lines. Gary and I look down at an empty plate.)

teacher appreciation week

To kick off teacher appreciation week, I brought in some homemade granola for the teachers at Austin's daycare. I'm so glad I did because I saw that other parents had brought doughnuts and other sugary sweets. I'm sure the teachers were happy to see something healthier on the table. To add a special note, I printed a short message on some cardstock and tied it on with some ribbons. Voila!

raspberry red velvet

It felt like it was just yesterday when we were counting down to the new year and raising glasses of champagne. Can you believe it’s spring already? Even though I can’t, I’m completely embracing it. I’m looking forward to constant sunshine and warm breezes but what I’m most excited for are the fruits of spring: berries... strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.



To celebrate spring, I recently made a rendition of my classic red velvet cupcakes with fresh raspberries. These. Were. Amazing. I don’t know why I never thought of this sooner. And I must admit, my red velvets will never be without fresh berries again (as long as I can get a hold of them).