May Books

I am obsessed with the adorable notebooks from Dallas-based May Books.  Paper is one of my favorite things... cannot live without my planner and lists and I am always on the lookout for a good pad to keep on me at all times.  You never know when you are going to need to make a note!

I stumbled across May Books a while back and fell in love with their colors, monograms, and the fact they are made of canvas... super durable and able to withstand being tossed around, thrown in bags, and, hopefully, my toddler.

I had not ordered one yet because I was not completely sold on any of the designs the last time I looked.  However... they have launched some new options and they are fabulous!  I seriously cannot decide which one I like best... but I know I really want one!

Here are the new covers I like best... too many amazing choices!  You can also choose your monogram type and font colors, as well as the type of pages inside such as calendars, meal planners, lines, or dots.  Perfect.

Greek Key Pink

Moroccon Lattice Green

Nautical Rope Navy

Pineapples Pink

In addition to being eco-friendly, preppy, and Texan... I love how the company allows you to view what your cover would look like online prior to purchasing.  I have been to many sites offering custom goods without this feature and it certainly deters me from purchasing.  Here are some samples!

Do you have a notebook from May Books?  Don't you want one now?!



Classic Minestrone Soup

So... I heard today (or yesterday) was National Grilled Cheese Day... I wish I had known earlier or we would have eaten some for dinner!  Next year :  )  No grilled cheese for us lately, but we have been enjoying lots of new recipes as part of my slow cooker experiment. 

Here is a photo of the delicious minestrone soup we had a couple of weeks ago.  Yes, I made it in the slow cooker... the only way to go!

I swiped the recipe from MyRecipes.com (this link should take you directly to the soup) and it was so simple (which is my goal when it comes to cooking).  I made two minor changes to the recipe, using diced celery instead of sliced celery (such a rebel, huh?) and garlic powder instead of cloves (because I am not a fan of mincing) and no one would ever have known the difference had I not just confessed :  )

In addition to making a hearty meal, this soup fared well in the freezer, too.  I enjoyed some for lunch yesterday and it tasted just as good the second time around.  Highly recommend!

Pink & Green Easter

Happy Easter!  I hope everyone had a blessed day :  ) 

Ours was relaxing!  We enjoyed Easter activities at church, both lunch and dinner at my parents' house, watching the final round of the Master's, and indulging in too many yummy treats!  I am still nibbling and it is way too late for such things :  )

I have decided being the Easter Bunny is a tad difficult, ha!  My original plan was for CB to have an entirely pink and green basket but finding everything I wanted in pink and green only was challenging.

She did have a super preppy grosgrain bow, though...

... and Lilly Pulitzer animal crackers!

Here is her new bunny... named Hopsy... (obviously not pink or green)...

... and a few other treats... banana cookies, chalk, and stickers :  )

Finally... here is the adorable dress my mother made her for Easter... she was so bright and festive today!  She had a green cardigan to wear but it was so warm today it was not even close to being needed.

How did you celebrate Easter?

Top Five Tuesday: Books

I am linking up again with Just Peachy for Top Five Tuesday!  This week's list: books... one of my favorite things!  I think I will have to include more than five :  )

AND... I apologize for the lack of an authentic photo of these book covers.  I own all of these except one but when I went to gather them for their photo shoot some of them appear to be missing in action!  Must locate them!

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Awesome story, awesome movie.  Love, love, love.

The Jellyfish Season by Mary Downing Hahn

I have read this book every year since I was about 10 years old.  Highly recommend!

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Really good Austen-esque story... but readable :  )  If you love Jane, Downton Abbey, the English aristocracy in general and the like, this book is for you.

The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman

I read this one a while back and the details are fuzzy... but I remember it being the first book in a very long time I could not put down... very captivating.

The Entire Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

There is not even enough I can say about these.  LOVE.

Harvard Yard

Treasure hunt through American history and New England... perfection :  )

Austenland by Shannon Hale

This one was silly fun but was an entertaining read.  I think it would make a good chick flick!

Colored People by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

I read this as part of my American Lit class as an undergrad. 

Amazing story, everyone should read.

The Price of Admission by Daniel Golden

Great non-fiction read that provides insight into the admissions policies and practices of the Ivy League and other top schools... very interesting and informative look to who gets in... and who doesn't.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

One of my favorite childhood books... who wouldn't want to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

I have a love-hate relationship with this book and with Henry Adams... he caused me post-graduate stress (in the form of research papers, ha!) but his ideas are extremely relevant today... very interesting views on progress and technology.

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde

Clever murder mystery with nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters.  Sounds odd?  It is, but good, imaginative fun.  What if there was a fourth bear?

Okay... 12 books is probably enough for my Top Five!

What are your favorite books?  Recommendations are always welcome!

Arroz con Queso

Tex-Mex is the best food ever created... especially if you can prepare it yourself in your slow cooker!

A few months ago I used my slow cooker for the first time.  Ever.  I have been married for almost eight years... it had been collecting dust in the cabinet above our stovetop all this time. 

As a general rule I have never been a fan of food prepared in a Crock Pot.  Something about food (especially meat) sitting in water cooking really makes me want to be ill.  Also, it seemed so.. 80s (heehee).  However... working part-time and taking care of a toddler (whose meltdown time has always been during dinner prep) made me take a second look at this kitchen appliance... and I am sold.

After a not-so-calm afternoon trying to scramble something together for dinner, I dusted off my slow cooker, took out my copy of Slow Cooker Recipe Collection (a bridal shower present from my grandmother), and chose a recipe to try... arroz con queso. 

It was amazing.  Oh my goodness.  Now, I would like to clarify... if you are looking for a healthy slow cooker meal this is not for you... but it certainly is yummy!

Ingredients
1 can (16 ozs) whole tomatoes, mashed
1 can (16 ozs) Mexican-style beans
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice (I use Mahatma)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup cottage cheese (I used a light version)
1 can (14 ozs) green chili peppers
2 tbs vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (I cheated and used garlic powder)
2 cups  grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used a Colby Jack mix)

Directions
1.  Lightly grease the inside of the slow cooker. 
2.  Mix all the ingredients except one cup grated cheese in a large bowl.
3.  Pour mixture into the slow cooker.
4.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 9 hours.
5.  Before serving, sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

I also added a dollop of Daisy sour cream and served it with Mission Super Thin Tortilla Chips... you could always add some guacamole, too!

This recipe was so easy because it literally took 10 minutes to put together.  The most time consuming part was chopping the onion, which took maybe three or four minutes (I am a slow chopper, ha!)  Then all I had to do was wait... and take in the delicious aroma filling our house!

The best part?  The Hubs said it tasted like it came from a restaurant.  Score.

The Bucket List

Oh, the Bucket List... the things you hope to do and accomplish before... well... let's ignore the actual kicking-the-bucket part :  )  When I was younger there were only three things I knew I had to do… two of them are at the top of this list, and one of them (graduate from Texas A&M) is already done. So… here we go!

1. Learn how to play tennis and actually play it... because there is a difference. I have wanted to play tennis since I was about 10 years old and never have, other than batting a ball back and forth against the garage door with my brother... and I am pretty sure that does not count.

2. Go horseback riding… cannot believe I live in Texas and have never done this!  I am not sure I want to make it an actual hobby but I would like to give it a whirl.

3. Tour the East Coast… everywhere from Florida to Maine and especially small, tucked-away villages and seaside towns. There is a very long list of places I would like to visit… even beginning to list them is daunting.  I am thinking of starting a new feature on this blog highlighting different ones... so much history, so many things to do and experience!

4. Finish writing my book... (shouldn't this one be first?)  OH... and have it published : )  That's the kicker, right?

5. Enjoy a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 in New York City.  I have been to the Big Apple twice and never made it there.  Almost did once.  Long story.

6. Visit Greece and Italy… something inspiring about being where Western civilization began.

7. Learn to play the piano… I took lessons one summer as a child and stopped… wish I had kept going. 

8. Teach college.  My plan behind earning my master’s degree was to have the credentials to teach at the university level and hopefully I will have the opportunity one day.  (Hopefully this coming fall, as I have applied for a few positions).

9. Relax.  If you know me at all you know this will probably be the hardest one for me.  (I am not sure it is really fair to put something impossible on here but I am leaving it, ha!)

10. Learn to play golf well… The Hubs said he would teach me : )  He is an amazing golfer.  He purchased gold clubs for me after we were married but they have only been used for one trip to the driving range.  Hopefully we can get out and play this spring... and hopefully I can exhibit some patience and be a good student : )

11. Visit Disney World… you are never too old for the Magic Kingdom!

12. Spend a summer in the country, preferably in the Northeast.  I really am a city girl but would enjoy this so much!

13. Meet Tom Hanks, Kate Middleton, George W. Bush, Kyle Chandler, and Muffy Aldrich… but only as long as they are all really nice in person.

14. Earn a Ph.D. in American Studies… ideally from Yale but having my sights set on the Ivy League may be pushing it a bit : )

15. Eat at Sardi’s in New York City.

16. Walk Haunted London… I have a book with maps tracing haunted paths throughout the city, including the trail of Jack the Ripper and the alley inspiration for Scrooge’s business in Dickins’ A Christmas Carol.

17. Ride in a hot air balloon.  Preferably over some green rolling hills but I am flexible.

18. Go on a murder mystery weekend in an old English manor or a New England inn.  Spooky.

19. Go sailing.  No real desire to be in charge of the ropes or sails or anything… but I could have some wine or a snack on deck : )

20.  Purchase a Lilly Pulitzer dress.  Sounds simple, but they seem to look cuter on everyone else, ha!  Maybe one needs to be thinner.  I have a few other LP pieces and really love them, so I am hoping to find a well-fitting dress soon!

21.  Watch the entire series of Gilmore Girls... from start to finish.

22.  Visit a working orchard or fruit farm and pick my own fruit :  )  Maybe I can do this while I am summering in the country!  OR... I can head down 35 and pick peaches in South Texas later this spring.

This list is an evolving work-in-progress… it is hard to think of all the things one would like to do and it is easy to forget about the smaller things : ( Oh, and if you can help me accomplish any of these, let me know : )

What is on your Bucket List?

P.S.  If you follow my private family blog and this post looks familiar... it is there, too :  )  I felt like sharing with everyone!

Create Yourself

Pottery Barn Teen

Embracing this quote today.

Everyone can become the person they want to be, even if it is not who you are right now.

Think about...

... how you want to act and react...

... how you want to speak and be spoken to...

... how you want to present yourself...

... what brings you happiness...

... how you want to take care of yourself both inside and out...

... and be that person.

It is never too late to start.