Cross My Heart

I've been working on a very special wedding and I've finally finished. I can't give anymore details until the wedding is over but here is a sneak peak at a few of the necklaces...

Beans + Soup

So after getting some yummy looking recipes from yall yesterday I picked one for dinner last night. It actually surpassed my expectations! (Thank you, Jenny for the awesome recipe) The recipe is for Tuscan Bean Soup. Yum. This was the first time that I had eaten a Tuscan Bean Soup let alone ever made this soup. I don't think its suppose to be as thick as I made it so just disregard the last picture. Its a very hearty soup for the Fall! I'm also sure that Jenny's looks and probably tastes better but our household still ate it up! So like I said yesterday, I'm sharing the recipes with yall - from yall. Enjoy!

Onion, carrots and celery first

tomato paste and garlic (look at the mound of garlic)

Then the yummy bacon and tomato sauce

Cannellini beans

I don't think its normally this thick (although I do love thick soups)

Tuscan Bean Soup-

2 slices maple bacon, cut into small chunks (if you're like me then you might need more since I ate 2 after I cooked them because they smelled so good - then I had to cook 2 more)

Chop the below 4 ingredients-

1 small sweet onion

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

2 cloves garlic (I of course used more since we LOVE garlic)

Pinch or two of Red pepper

2 Bay leaves

Fresh thyme

1 jar San Marzano tomato sauce

¼ cup tomato paste (I accidentally used the whole can oops!)

2 cans cannelini beans

2 boxes chicken stock (28 ounces total)

Salt

Pepper

Elbow pasta - ½ lb (or a little less)

1) In deep pot, render the bacon until just crispy - set aside in a bowl leaving the bacon oil in the pot.

2) In the same pot add 2 TBLS olive oil along with diced onion, carrot, celery and salt and pepper. Sauté for 10-12 minutes until soft throughout.

3) Add garlic and tomato paste, sauté another 2-3 minutes.

4) Add back the bacon with 1 jar San Marzano tomato sauce, 2 boxes of chicken sauce, fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, salt, pepper and red pepper, to taste.

5) Cook for 30 minutes on med - low heat.

6) Drain 2 cans of cannelini beans and add to pot. Cook another 15-20 min.

7) Add elbow pasta and cook on med-low until pasta is just done.

8) Serve with olive oil drizzled on top and freshly ground pepper.

For a less chunky soup, after adding the garlic and tomato paste, pulse an immersion blender through the vegetable mixture a few time

Fall Food

Since Fall is here (hooray) I'm looking for new Fall recipes. I love Fall cooking - busting out the crock-pot, pumpkin bread, chili and soups - BUT I need more! So if anyone has any would you share?!

Adventures in TV

Since my brain is slow to start this rainy foggy Monday morning I am going to leave you with a picture capturing what we did for most of Saturday/Saturday night. It was perfect!

That's right 3 football games at once! If only we had a front lawn to watch them on like the good ole college days. Go gators and War Eagle!

Newbies

I've gone from an apartment full of people to a lonely quiet apartment now that everyone including the Hubs is gone (he's coming back though!) So in order to pass the time, as well as catch up from last week, I've been busy making new pieces and working on those custom orders. Take a peek...

This is a top from the new Whitney Port collection at Piperlime... wouldn't the necklaces look good with that top?!

Drink it Up!

Last week during a quick trip to Whole Foods there was a drink tasting - now you know I don't pass up anything free! So I choose my flavor and decided that it was a perfect special drink for Sis to sip on while we had wine (she's preggers, remember?) So we grabbed a 4 pack and headed home. Well, there was one left over from the weekend and I decided to give it a go yesterday afternoon. It was delicious!! One of my new favorite drinks! I thought I should pass along this little gem of a drink.

Gus - a bit fizzy with a natural flavor

Family, Food and Bears Oh my!

This past week/weekend was a blast and I'm sad it's over! As you know, my mom came in town for a whole week followed by my Sis/baby and Dad coming in on Thursday. It was so much fun to show them around our new "big" city. Mom and I had some great uninterrupted quality time that we really gotten in a couple of years. We all ate at some good restaurants, shopped some good shops, saw some interesting people (the kind you can only see in NYC) went to a flea market, had desserts at Mandarin Oriental (yep, desserts - plural) went to the Central Park Zoo/FAO Schwartz, saw some great Broadway plays, and of course went on the rooftop! Even though that was a crazy amount of things to accomplish I felt like we needed another week to be complete. There's always next time!

Now I'm working on restocking my supplies for the Holiday collection and custom orders! I love this part!

Central Park Polar Bears!

I have now witnessed the phrase "a kid in a candy store" in person. Little man was in heaven in FAO Schwartz!

The girls with Little Man

Little man and Dad pointing at the moon

Birthday Love

Like I said at the beginning of this month - this is a month of very special birthdays. Today is my Mom-in-laws birthday! She is such a fun woman and great M-i-L. She has a great sense of humor which always makes traveling to their house fun. And she has a great sense of fashion which makes shopping with her amazing. She also loves her family well! (Not to mention she raised a pretty awesome son!)

Happy happy birthday, Sally! We love you!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Feeling like Fall

As my mom and I walked around the city today it definitely is feeling like Fall! High of 70 with a little wind. Glorious!!! I say this every year - but I LOVE Fall (especially the beginning!) I also love Fall clothing more than any other season. However, mom and I have been shopping for the past 3 days and so far we've come away with very very little. (I did get 2 candles today though!) I just can't find anything I''m dying to pay more than $50 for right now. So I resort to online shopping...

Here are some season favorites... what are yours?

Piperlime

Piperlime

Piperlime (I own this one and it's great!)

Shopbop

Tired Days

Yesterday I was just too tired to post. My weekend started on Thursday morning and went until Sunday night. It was fantastic! My old roommate got married and is now on an island relaxing with her new Hubby. During the weekend, I bunked in a basement with an old friend that now live cross the country and caught up with my great friends from back in Charlotte. We felt like we were back in high school and having a slumber party. Needless to say, not much sleep was had these past 4 days in the great DC area. And it was totally worth it! I'm also not sure I've ever danced so much at any wedding except my own. They know how to throw a wedding!

And also my mom came in town yesterday morning for the entire week! The rest of the fam is coming on Thursday for the weekend (except my bro-in-law ... we'll miss you) We've already had fun in our one day of hanging out and now we have many more. I'm so excited.

Here are some pics from the tiring and awesome weekend...

The bride helping us making our bouquets (such a cool and fun idea)

Close-up of bouquets

First dance - the groom is also a great dancer

Happy Weekends

I'm in DC now getting ready to go to the bridesmaid luncheon for my old roommate that I've known since Freshman year of high school! Remember that bachelorette weekend a couple of weekends ago? Well, the wedding is this weekend! I remember the first time David came to pick Helen up for the 1st time in his short bus. Yep, a short bus. It was pretty classic. And now 4 years later they're getting hitched!!

I'm so excited to celebrate this long awaited marriage as well as see all my Charlotte friends.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! See you Monday.

We know how to have fun! :)

Birthday Wishes

Today is my sister's birthday! I am so thankful that God decided to send me into the Spencer family not only because I have incredible parents but also because I have such an awesome cool older sister! Granted while we were growing up she bossed me, little drama queen, around until she couldn't boss me anymore. But after that stage we became best friends. She's one of the most fun persons to be with because she has such a great outlook on life and is always up for anything and everything. She's always happy in a very genuine way and always "real." Her laugh is absolutely contagious. I hate how far away we live from each other and miss her so much! Happy 31st birthday sis!!! I love you!

Some old pics

Did I mention that I put even more pieces up on the website?!

Weekend of Labor

So after sending out the emails and marketing campaigns regarding the 1st installment of SMDs Fall 2010 line, Hubs and I caught a plane to Roanoke, VA. (We did have a Friday night date in the airport before leaving) Our final destination was Kingsport, TN for one of our best family friend's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and so special! During the ceremony, I took a silent trip down memory lane thinking about all the fun memories we had with such a wonderful family and their son we were celebrating. Then came the fun reception where the little guy had a ball dancing to the band, even when he was the only one on the dance floor! After all of the wedding festivities, we ventured out for some good ole' fashioned food sampling! For such a small town, Kingsport has some great little hole in the wall places. (Not to mention how refreshing it is to see old men sitting in front of their stores in rockers, hearing everyone chit chat at the diners, and wander through Antique store after another.) Some of our favorites were Pals and Seavers Doughnuts. side note: Pals was featured on the Food Network for their burgers. Anyway, I wish I could let each of you taste the sauce burger and glazed doughnut but unfortunately I cannot follow through. So maybe you all should take a little trip and find out for yourselves. Here are some fun pics from the weekend...

Labor Day Sale!

I hope you all had as wonderful of a long Labor Day weekend as we did traveling to a very special wedding, hanging out in the park with friends, and finishing it off with dinner with more friends. If you didn't then maybe a sale will help cure those back to work blues... Check out the summer necklaces to see the already reduced prices! No need to do anything but buy! Happy short week!

2010 Fall SMD Launch

I'm super excited to share with you all the first installment of the 2010 Fall Collection! Since metals and glamour is all the rage this season you're going to see a bit more chain, length and glam than normal. I also designed the "Team" jewelry this year to be incorporated into the regular line. Therefore, if you see your team colors then grab it and where it proudly to that tailgate or just sitting at home on the couch! I hope you enjoy the first of the Fall collection! Let me know if there is something you're wanting to see more of and I'll try to work it in.

Team Jewels-

Bridal/Sophisticated...

Go check the rest!!!

Fall Day

Okay, here's one more sneak peak before the launch for Fall tomorrow. Also, y'all are the first to know that I will be having a Labor Day sale for those bit more summery pieces to make room for the new collection! Busy day today, so I must get moving...