Honey in the sun

Outdoor movies, popsicles, cheese&crackers, best friends, picnic baskets, never having plans while always having plans, impromptu Modern Family marathons, nail painting parties, building couches, temporary tattoos galore, cranking up the AC, scaring kids with your white legs...

PEOPLE, THIS IS WHAT SUMMER IS ALL ABOUT!

Every year summer comes along and like clockwork I bust out my countdown till when I get to wear tights again. I always forget the many pros of summer! {the Tennessee heat makes me forget for like 4 seconds and then I come to my senses.}

Baking mini cupcakes is my new favorite thing because well they are uber cute and make you feel like you are soul mates with the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk and most importantly I can convince friends they are way more healthier than the normal cupcakes I bring them and we all feel much better about ourselves. {Also I got those adorable flag toothpicks from my most favorite shop in Ohio!}

There is this thing that me and my friends do where we make a homemade pizza loaded with 2 family size bags of cheese {its safe to say that I'm single handedly supporting the cheese industry. You are welcome family cheese farmers to Wisconsin! Hope the kids are well!} and watch 'Going the Distance'. Its my most favoritest of nights. {It just barely beats The Voice and mac n cheese nights with Wensley} There is green stuffs sticking out because I guess I needz my greenzz!

Guys, my cheese man at Whole Foods gave me a a free tub of cheese. And before I died, I thanked him and flashed a smile, which of course was without a doubt a spinach in my teeth smile. Damn you strawberry and pecan salad. But for real, this cheese is like THE GREATEST! Like God himself came down and churned the cheese himself, this stuff is great.

FLAMING LIPS!!

I can't even do this show justice by writing about it. Anything I say won't convey the wondrous of this show. Giant balloons, confetti galore, human bubble, Wizard of Oz guest appearances, giant hands, lazzzer lights, bears, AND CRAZINESS ETC! I mean I didn't even do two pictures of my new favorite cheese {see above} if that tells you anything!

One of my favorite humans and my most favorite animal!

{Aunt Tessa loves her nephew, Wensley, maybe more than I do because I would never feed him food from my palm because, um, GERMS!}

Going bangless makes me feel like I'm going out without my clothes on! SO EXPOSED! My poor forehead hasn't seen the light of day in one million years. {Shield your eyes! My God, its painful!}

Hope your day is ridiculously wonderful! I'm off to drink 5 cups of coffee and frost a bijillion cupcakes for the people of Nashville {Gosh, so needy} Lets be honest I'm probably gonna get a couple muffins too!

Honey in the sun- Camera Obscura

Help me Rhonda!

I figured since the end of the world is coming this saturday then why not get in one last blog post. {P.s. I am so embarrassed by my blog post counts for 2011... only 12?! I'm officially depressed for myself.. get me a grilled cheese sandwich STAT!}

Interpol at the Ryman. Paul Banks, how are you so beautiful and so talented?! My mind can't fathom and my heart can't stand it! MARRY ME!

How are things on the west coast?
I hear you're moving real fine.
You wear those shoes like a dove.
Now strut those shoes we go roaming in the night.

Sublime Donuts on a mini Atlanta road trip.

Holy sweet cream and sugar. I didn't even know such goodness existed. I started off with the cream cheese danish {you think I got just one!?} and on the way back to good ole Tennessee I broke out the honey cinnamon donut and had a bite of the orange glazed star. I swear on my love to Jimmy Fallon, these are the world's best donuts. RUN to pick up a dozen and then another dozen to freeze so you can have them in a week.

Homemade banana pudding popsicle from King of Pops food truck. Hmm.. I am contemplating how to describe one of the tastiest treats and THE MOST delicious popsicle ever. Ryan Gosling swinging from star to star with you tuck under his arm and his ukulele strapped around his back.. a picinic candle light dinner waiting for you guys at the moon? Yes, that perfectly describes these popsicles.

Our version of flowers for mother's day at the cupcakery.

I was so proud of my purple "carnations" I just about crossed off "seeing my child graduate kindergarten" on my bucket list. But then I realized I would then never qualify for Real Housewives of Nashville.

I just adopted this little nugget.

Wensley St. Clair.

He likes Bravo tv, long walks on the beach, and tearing up all my toilet paper.

Orchids at Scott's Market in Atlanta.

Why do I not fall asleep in a sea of flowers every night? Is there no God?! Is Oprah just a mirage!?!

Hope your friday is fantastic and your weekend is filled with joyous adventures!

Help Me Rhonda- The Beach Boys

**I've had this one repeat all day. Do yourself a favor- have a scoop of butter pecan ice cream and fall in love the stripped shirts and ultimate dreaminess of The Beach Boys.

12 Days of Christmas: Come on let's boogey to the elf dance!

oh christmas music, oh christmas music.

when i'm not listening to mix 92.9 {our continuous christmas music station here in nashville. that conveniently plays DELLLIILAHHHH as well. who doesn't love a little delilah* driving home from work on a cold winter's night} you bet your frosted bottom dollar i'm listening to one of my favorite christmas albums.

A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU FROM PHIL SPECTOR

my love for 60s music and my love for christmas come crashing together like santa's sleigh collides with central park when there isn't enough children believing! enjoyed while sipping on some egg nog and wearing your comfiest of sweaters while twisting and shouting it and dancing the night away to sleigh ride by the ronettes!

SUFJAN STEVENS presents songs for Christmas!

wearing your favorite chunky scarf and cuddled up with your luvv-ah all warm&toasty. listening to sufjan. tis christmas cheer perfection. and when Come on! Let's boogey to the elf dance comes on.. you might just move from the couch to the dance floor.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE BEACH BOYS!

put on your holiday best, you know that shimmer sparkle dress you bust out but once a year.. paired with your faux fur coat {impulse buy.. but oh so worth it} break out the reddest of red lipsticks and celebrate the season with the beach boys and friends and holiday cheer that would put the whos down in whoville to shame. what can i say? their version of merry christmas, baby?! candy-caned, mistletoed CHRISTMAS PERFECTION!

and my three favorite christmas songs not on these albums:

wonderful christmas time- paul mccartney

what christmas means to me- mandisa

christmas time is here- vince guaraldi trio

honorable mention goes out to amy grant. i was raised on her christmas album and i can still hear "tennessee christmas" playing as i ripped open my christmas gift to find out that i did indeed get the shiny blue discman that was on my christmas list! {a*teens cd not included}

HAPPY HOLIDAY SINGING TO YOU!

*if you listen to delilah too, watch out for a kooky gal calling in... i mean i only call every night!!

old soul.

i was rasied on music of the 50s and 60s and i like therapeutic ked shoes more than heels {sorry carrie!} i love old record players and finding vintage treasures at flea markets. i think a day with the grandparents is just as fun as going out dancing. and i want a fake id for the sole purpose of senior citizen discount days at kroger. i remember watching carousel, west side story, oklahoma, and other classics from old school hollywood as a child with grandfather. {VHS! but of course!} you just don't get better than the actors from the golden age of hollywood. they were true movie stars and simply glamourous. and i'm just talking about the ladies. don't even get me started the dreamy men {ohhhh hey clark gable!}

the one the only JUDY GARLAND!

what a movie star.

beautiful, bold, undeniably talented.

some of my most favorite movies are hers. meet me in st. louis is definitely in my all time top five favorite movies.

clang, clang, clang went the trolley.
ding, ding, ding went the bell.
zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings.
from the moment i saw him i fell.

JOAN CRAWFORD.

one of the original flapper gals and unbeatably wonderful.

bette davis.

nominated for 20 academy awards.

{i think, i think.. she's got bette davis eyes}

ingrid bergman.

casablanca anyone!?

"with the whole world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love."
"yeah, it's pretty bad timing. where were you, say, ten years ago?"

and last but certainly not least, the loverly audrey hepburn.

the funny face darling.

"I'm like cat here, a no-name slob. We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us. We don't even belong to each other."

tunes from the golden age.

of romance.

and glamour.

and when confessing your love on a trolley ride was perfectly fine.

have an old hollywood, glamorously fabulous day!

1, 2, 3, 4

i love it when a song so perfectly fits your life. its like someone get warner bros on the phone because when the movie about my life gets made {ha!} i want this song to be playing at this exact moment. {also warner if you're listening, i want "it could only be you" playing when i ate sweet cece's last night. it was damn good}

one, two, three, four

tell me that you love me more.

sleepless long nights

that is what my youth is for.

old teenage hopes are alive at your door

left you with nothing but they want some more

oh, you're changing your heart

oh, you know who you are

sweetheart, bitter heart now i can't tell you apart

cozy and cold, put the horse before the cart

one, two, three, four, five, six, nine, or ten

money can't buy you back the love that you had then

also listening to feist is bringing me back to the glory days circa 2008. and leslie feist's most incredible show. of course these would be the only pictures i have from the show... but hysterical nonetheless. {thanks to facebook and erin for these! ha!} apparently we were total wusses about the rain. and yes, thats a tshirt on my head.

IT'S RAINING MEN!

hot dog, its just drops of h2o.

what song would be the soundtrack to your day today!?

sleigh bells.

there's really only way i can sum up this song.

chaotic. free. striking. fresh.

but see for your self.

All the girls, all the girls these days
All the girls, all the girls these days
Did you do your best today?
Did you do your best today?

All the boys, all the boys these days
All the boys, all the boys these days
Look away, look away, look away
Look away, look away, look away

hope you do some out-of-control dancing today!!

home is wherever i'm with you.

i don't really have a physical place that i call home. but there are those people in my life that whenever i'm with them i'm home, wherever it may be.

and this song is so perfectly wonderful for that.

Holy moly, me, oh my, you’re the apple of my eye

Girl, I’ve never loved one like you

Man, oh man, you’re my best friend, I scream it to the nothingness

There ain’t nothing that I need

Well, hot & heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ

There ain’t nothing please me more than you

I’ll follow you into the park, through the jungle, through the dark

Girl, I’ve never loved one like you

Moats & boats & waterfalls, alley ways & pay phone calls

I’ve been everywhere with you

We laugh until we think we’ll die, barefoot on a summer night

Nothing new is sweeter than with you

And in the sticks we’re running free like it’s only you and me

Geez, you’re something to see.

where is home for you?

waving flag.

i can't listen to this song enough! its so dang inspiring. and if you can tell me that you can listen to this song without grooving to the beat well then i'll shed a tear for you tonight. but what i want to know is when a world wide blogger dance party is gonna happen? i need to step up and start organizing that!

when i get older

i will be stronger

they'll call me freedom

just like a waving flag

last night when i was listening to it for the umpteenth time i came up with this print idea. nothing is impossible!

HAPPY WORLD CUP DAY!!

my girls.

this song says it all.

and in the summer time with the windows rolled down i can't listen to this song enough.

i just want to dance.

and dance.

just stomp my feet and clap my hands.

and twirl.

yes twirling is involved.

there isn't much that i feel i need.

a solid soul and the blood i bleed.
but with a little girl and by my spouse.
i only want a proper house.

i don't mean to seem like i
care about material things
like a social status.
i just want four walls and adobe slats
for my girls.

dare i say this is one of the greatest songs from one of the greatest bands? yeah i dare. i double dog dare.


wishing you a beat-grooving-arms-pumping-hips-moving kind of day!

dominos.

you know the songs that the moment you hear them you are no longer in a stuffy room full of people but instantly free in the middle of sunny field.

with the wind over taking your hair.

and the beat taking over your body.

your eyes are closed.

your arms are moving.

and its beautiful.

i’ve been listening to this song on repeat for the past few days. and every single time i am taken away. my imagination runs free. and when the song isn’t even over yet i can’t wait till i listen to it again.

what song takes you away?

lets go to the hop!

last night something wonderful happened.

i was given a simply wonderful gift.

MY VERY FIRST RECORD PLAYER!

and not only is it a record player, but its quite possibly the best most greatest record player {i mean i might be a tad biased... but for real} not only does it have two giant speakers but it also has a handle and packs up real nice. basically its the new ipod. {don't worry if you see me thumping and grooving my way down the street with this bad boy over my head. lloyd dobler who?} and its pre loved. many a tunes have been played from this little gem. and i love that.

thank you forever jared!

the record worthy of being the first played?

well the beach boys of course!

and the first song?

brian wilson's masterpeice, God only knows.

of course.

i may not always love you.

but long as there are stars above you

you never need to doubt it

i'll make you so sure about it

God only knows what i'd be without you

i predict many nights falling alseep to the beach boys, dancing around to the sly&the family stone, baking to the ronettes, and getting ready for the day to elvis. now i just need a pink ladies jacket to complete my love for the 50s.

i've got some vinyl shopping to do!

right after i tear myself away from the beach boys...

luscious lemon bars.

with summer a mere 10 days away i've caught myself daydreaming more than once-the ice cream man, playing with chalk, flowy dresses, drinking kool-aid 24/7, forgetting to was my hair, going to bed at 5am, waking up at 1, trashy tv {think tough love or the rock of love. vh1 why do you do this to me!?}, board games, no shoes, old school sleepovers, watermelon, sunglasses, cook outs, and ALL THINGS LEMON! {lemonade stands, liz lemon, diet coke with lemon, LEMON BARS!}

to me lemon bars are the perfect summer treat. so light and fresh, with the first bite i pretend i'm in southern california wearing this dress while michael buble whispers sweet nothings to me... mmkay yeah, so they are ridiculously delicious. {plus they feed my current baking obsession with all things citrus!}

while whisking and cracking away i had this song on repeat. dreaming about summer love and riding bicycles. its the perfect lemon bar baking song. {okay its the perfect song for anything. and i haven't stopped listening to it for two months!}

"i love you, yes it's true. you stole my heart and i'm gonna steal yours too."

LEMON BARS

• Ingredients:
  1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
  3 cups granulated sugar
  2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
  1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  1 cup flour
  Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
  For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• 


turn your lemons into lemon bars TODAY!

where's my poodle skirt!?

maybe its the fact i didn't own a single britney spears or n sync album. or the fact i didn't have cable when i was growing up and i just didn't know what year it was. whatever it was i will always love music from the 50s and 60s the most. the two tapes i did have {besides the free odyssey books on tape from chick fil a} was a very worn down tape {yeah tape.. as in cassette. remember those?!} of the now and then soundtrack and a best of the 50s! they were the soundtrack to my childhood and now that i look back on it i wouldn't switch any arron carter or backstreet boys cd for my oldies ever. here's a few of my favorites. get ready to dance!

turn on stand by me, put on your cat eye glasses, do the jitterbug and have a throwback kind of weekend!

p.s. i've been up since 6am jamming to the best of the 50s&60s! even made an epic playlist. and if you want a CD of my favorites feel free to email me and i'll send you one! its too good not to share!

little joys.

throughout tuesday i found a bunch of little joys that added up to be a pretty delighful day!

listening to this song in the morning when i was getting ready for the day. i can't help but feel fabulous.

{and yes, for all you sex&the city lovers its the song from the movie when she is trying on all the different wedding dresses}

getting my peppermint white mocha in a RED CHRISTMAS starbucks cup!

brightened my morning.

{who wants bland white cups when you can have cheerful christmas ones! even if the season is over.}

{i really can take a photo with my eyes open! anything is possible!!}

arrested development mini marathon after my classes.

Michael Bluth: "So, can't a guy call his mother pretty without it seeming strange?"

Buster Bluth: "Amen! And how about that little piece of tail on her? Cute!"

Michael Bluth: "I've opened a door here that I regret."

wearing my favorite bicycle dress on a dreary day.

{yes, that's flowers in the basket! swoon, i dream of spring days.}

finally clearing off my bookshelf and being able to see some of my favorite things again!

C MUG -check

vintage HERSHEY's chocolate poster -check

BOOKS galore -check

CHICAGO cityscape -check {7 months and counting!}

fave photo of me and my sisters -check

i saw a stranger helping another stranger on my way to class.

it was a tiny little moment that put a giant smile on my face.

FREE BAGEL & SCHMEAR at EINSTEIN BROS

i went with the cinnamon sugar with strawberry schmear.

{great way to celebrate the end of "vegan week"}

i hope you find little joys in your day!