have pizza, will smile

if its a monday, and a giant meteor hasn't crashed into franklin, then you can bet that we'll be a mellow mushroom. and i can always count on tess to be goofy with me. suddenly pizza dates are turned into games of who can smile the biggest!

whhha-hutt you don't play with your food?!?

you don't turn delicious crust into giant smiles grinning back at you?!

i took tess back to school shopping {at the mall.. gag. when did the mall become so awful!?} and she bought a shirt from the juniors department!! WHEN DID SHE GET SO OLD!? i told her to please never grow up. i'm anxiously awaiting her next birthday to see if she takes my advice and refuses to age a year. HAPPY FIRST DAY OF MIDDLE SCHOOL! with your crazy kicks and your spunky style i'll know you'll make a great impression. but its your kind and caring heart, sharp wit, and your unique personality that will make you soar with no wings needed. {so i'm a big ball oh cheese today... its whateve}

hope your day is magically marvelous!

p.s. paislea wrote up some of her own embarrassing moments too! way too funny. the one about her signing "you know me love xoxo GG" at the end of conversations nearly killed me!

weekends in franklin.

i am one lucky gal. cheesecake factory TWICE in one week! {call CA-cheesecake annoymous- and sign me up. i need help!} its just too good. got sephani's red velvet cheesecake. new favorite. {p.s. t swift sighting!}

shopping trips to target always prove to be the most fun when sisters are included! yes we stopped by the shoes, browsed through the music, and ogled and the new liberty of londen line, but the best part was the toy section where we were completely ridiculous and absolutely goofy. {oh how i love these girls.} but sometimes i have to remind them who's older and ultimately more powerful.

we got a little face work done.

real housewives of orange county ladies ain't got nothing on us.

ever since i made a bop it reference in my reverse letters i've been dying to play it! low and behold they have this new fancy version. so close to buying it, but i don't think the roommate would approve of hearing "TWIST IT" at 3 in morning. but you best believe i played it at the store! score 75 thank you very much!

thumbs up.

when do i go a weekend without baking. {oh yeah that one time when i was 2.} i tried out a recipe from my new book, the hummingbird bakery cookbook. i just got it for my birthday and i'm seriously obsessed! {if you are looking for new recipes then get this cookbook, its too cute!} all the recipes look divine {next on my list is lavender cupcakes, and the muffins OH THE GLORIOUS MUFFINS}. so while the sun streamed in and edith piaf {with a little animal collective} blasting i whipped up a batch of the most delicious, most fluffiest and light LEMON CUPCAKES ever.

{before i delivered them to my friend, me and tess manged to sneak away two for ourselves!}

and because i love this recipe so much i typed it up for you!

LEMON CUPCAKES

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp grated lemon zest

3 tbsp butter {only 3 tbsp. of butter!? you're basically eating fruit!}

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

lemon frosting {to die for. best icing hand down!}

2 cups confectioners' sugar

5 tbsp butter

2 tbsp lemon zest

2 tbsp whole milk

preheat oven to 325 F. Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and butter in mixer on slow speed. gradually pour in the milk and beat till just incorporated. add egg and continue beating. continue mixing for a couple minutes until batter is smooth. spoon batter into baking cups until 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.

lemon frosting: beat together confectioners' sugar, butter, and lemon zest on medium slow speed. slowly pour in the milk on a slow speed and gradually turn the mixer up to high speed. continue beating for 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. spoon frosting on cupcakes and decorate!

p.s. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY!

haus of cheesecake.

i'm back in nashville and all i can think about is how i want to flee to the cleve. i tried to convince Memo into getting a blog. no such luck. but before i jet-setted {i like to pretend i wear a creme suit with a giant pashmina and some sultry heels when i travel and i have long flowy hair, when reality i'm wearing a blue striped skirt with a t shirt.} we had to stopped at CHEESECAKE FACTORY {normally i don't like chains. oh wait, thats not true, i so do} why must their food be so decadent and so giant?! i love it. and the restaurants always look like castles. so i feel like a most important guest. {that is until they squish you so close between tables you can hear the old man two tables down chomping on his beets.} but i'll do anything for one bite of the heavenly cheesecake.

me and Memo got the same thing! {actually we got the same think every restaurant we went. too funny.} chinese salad with edamame instead of chicken. so light and fresh. and the leftovers are the greatest. {we might as well have been sitting on the highest tower of the great wall of china, watching jackie chan do insane stunts whilst sipping on some green tea}

caught Memo mid-bite.

"you'll thank me later for taking all these pictures!"

"oh i don't know about that. not if they will be all over your blog"

you can't go to the cheesecake factory and not get cheesecake. {its why you skip the bread, which i usually/always forget to do} i usually get CRAIG's CRAZY CARROT CHEESECAKE {seriously run to your nearest cheesecake factory and try this asap!} its layered with their carrot cake and classic cheesecake with dollops of cream cheese icing instead of whipped cream. but i was feeling like 100% cheesecake and something a little fruity so i got white chocolate raspberry truffle. deliciousness.

sadly now that i'm no longer in ohio its back to regularly scheduled meals. no more fancy meals complete with decadent dessert. it's back to reality where there is no shopping all day, no such thing as a 3 hour visit to adorable book shops like The Learned Owl, no more Smokey{Memo's cat}, no more wonderful stories of cupcakes and coffee, no late night crafting adventures. its back to my responsibilities. bleh. oh can't i go back!?