Life of a Toddler

Ever wish you had the freedom and fun as a 20 month old? After being with little man a few weeks ago I can't say I don't think he has a pretty great life...

Waiting for dinner to be ready (in PJs and on the floor)

Playing in the dog crate thinking its the most amazing "fort" ever

Playing outside all day

This is a bit more of how I feel up here in the cold - but still trucking along.

More More

Since I've been pretty much snowed in for the past few days it means I've been forced to be productive. Which is a good thing. I'm not finished with the Spring Collection just yet but I am half way there! Here's a few more pieces that have been made (while being bundled underneath a warm blanket away from the cold snow.)

Yummy Purple Plant

This pic has nothing to do with the rest of the post. I came across it and it made me smile. So enjoy! Now you can read on to the real post.
Hubs and I decided that we were going to revise our grocery budget so we could experience a bit more of the non-free side of our city. (There are way more free things to do here when its not freezing) However I looked up a few budget recipes and came across this little puppy. I've never worked with eggplant before and was pleasantly surprised. Growing up we had a garden which my dad let my sister and me pick out what vegetable we each wanted to be responsible for and she picked eggplant, me - green beans. My mom was never a huge eggplant fan so I don't remember having much growing up and honestly I never thought I liked it that much until the past few years. Its tasty, filling, good for you and of course budget friendly! So here is the recipe for your pleasure.

Easy Eggplant Parmesan:

Ingredients-

1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch-thick pieces (about 8)

2 eggs, beaten with a fork

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (sundried tomato or plain)

2 tbls extra-virgin olive oil

1 jar pasta sauce (roasted vegetable)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven with a baking sheet inside to 375. Coat eggplant slices with beaten egg, then bread with panko crumbs. Spread oil on hot baking sheet and place eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes, flip and bake another 10 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 475. In a 8x10 inch ovenproof dish, layer pasta sauce, then eggplant, and top with cheeses. Repeat, finishing with cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden in spots, about 15 minutes.

Finds and Designs

Good Happy Monday! When "happy" I mean "freezing." I'm not sure I had ever been as cold as I was this past weekend. Ridiculously cold! (Keep in mind I am from the south) However, last night got down to 0 degrees with a 20MPH wind. So in my book that is- stay inside and do NOT leave your house weather. Which is exactly what I plan on doing today. So hopefully I'll have some creative juices flowing and in return, designs being created! I've made a few pieces last week which some of you might have seen on Facebook but here they are again. I'll be putting them up on the website today along with more in the next couple of days!!

$41

$42

$36

Weekend Island

This is where I want to be this weekend OR...

Here!

I hope you all have a great weekend!!

Art Class What?

Good Morning! Well, this is going to be a short little post because I am starting a new position today!! I'm so so so excited about it and have been praying about something like this for a looong time. What am I going to be starting you ask? Well I'll tell you. I'm going to be volunteering at NYC's The Bowery Missions Women's Center and teaching an Art Class! I'm pretty nervous as well as excited for the opportunity. I'm not sure I'm actually qualified but here goes nothing. Ever since moving up here 8 months ago I have been struggling with how to face the poverty on the streets. I've never been quite sure if I should help with money or buying food, etc. I have never given money and have always bought food but sometimes I'm just not sure the appropriate action. Hubs and I are so blessed with all that God has given us (health included) that I want to give back and glorify Him while I am able. So this exciting opportunity surfaced and now I'm off to see what its going to be like!!

Finds

This buying trip so far is the best one yet! I found TONS of great stuff! I can't wait to start designing the first SMD collection. I'm still trying to sort through all of them and organize them into groups so the collection flows. I'm also going to have a larger price range this go-round. Here is the sneak peak until pieces are made...

This isn't even all of them!

I love these birds and already have ideas for them

Year of the Sleeves

I have to confess before blogging that I was at small group last night during the majority of the Golden Globes so I'm only guessing on what I say. With that said, it looked to me (from the pictures and second half of the Globes) like sleeves are making a serious comeback! Everyone had sleeves or a one-shoulder dress. I love it! I hope this trend is here for a while because to be honest I'm kind of over the strapless, etc. Anyway, since I didn't watch fully I can't really comment on anything else that might have happened - so if something did let me know! Here are some pics of (hopefully) the new trend...

I hope you are all reading this from your couch and have this important holiday off!

Snow Dance

Wow! Snow in every state except Florida?! I guess its the Florida in me but I get so excited when it snows. I love being snowed in - lounging in PJ's under a blanket or stomping with Hubs around the park while trying not to slip on the ice. I love it! (We're just missing the fireplace) Another thing I love is the snow on the rooftops and the view from our windows. However, the thing I don't like is trying to fly out in the snow - which is what I'm doing today. I'm flying down to FL (the no snow state) for another jewelry extravaganza. (and tack on seeing some family, of course) I'm wiped out of inventory after Christmas and need more goods! So we'll see if I make it out and like always email me if you're in the "custom market" and I'll be on the lookout.

Someone shoveled a heart in the sidewalk

Now, here are some views from our windows.

Food Inc

Let me just say it again - WAR EAGLE! Okay, so I'm beyond pumped about the game on Monday night and I'm still kicking myself for not going but its been a fun week/weekend here in the city. My friends are still in town because the snow storm cancelled all flights. (Deja Vu of two weeks ago?) So we've been running around the city and having fun as girls do best. Some of the highlights have been the food trips. For the most part, I'm going to let their websites speak for themselves. But I will say that the pictures at Alices Tea Cup do not do this place justice (at least on the Upper East side location) It looks very very childish, etc in the photos but the actual place is cute with a kind of psychedelic twist. Did I mention that the food is great for a lunch/snack place? But if you ever come to the city and are looking for either a fun or a good place for a quick bite here are a few suggestions... 4Food and Alice's Tea Cup.

On another note, its beautiful outside - its a snow covered city!

Proud Plainsman

My beloved Auburn Tigers are playing tonight for the National Championship title in Phoenix. I'm incredibly sad that I can't be there to scream until I can't scream anymore (I've lost my voice many of football games from cheering.) But atlas I will cheer from home and be thankful I had the fabulous opportunity to graduate from the best university ever! WAR EAGLE!

All Over the Place

I have a lot of random thoughts today and I'm not sure how to organize them. But first if yall aren't shopped out after Christmas then head over to Piperlime because they are having an awesome sale! Items are 50% off with another 20% on top of that if you use SMILE during checkout! There are some seriously great shoes for unbelievable prices. On another "fashion" note, Rachael Ray had a whole segment yesterday about guy products, ie guy liner, concealer, etc. And they were promoting these items for straight married men. All I'm going to say is I never want to see my husband carrying around a makeup bag or my dad whip out some guy liner!

Now moving on to this weekend. This week has flown by which is fine since we have a pretty fun weekend ahead of us. One of my Sis' college roommate as well as best friend is staying with us this weekend. Over the past 10 years she's become one of my friends as well. Sis always said that we reminded her of each other and its completely true. Ansley is also a jewelry designer of her own company. Which is actually the reason behind her traveling up to the city - she has a very important trunk show this weekend! Her designs are amazing!! Check out her stuff at Dora Mae. We're also getting together with some of our good friends that we don't get to see as much as we'd like so we're excited about that as well!!! Happy Birthday, C!

On a completely different note, this has been one of my favorite songs for the past 4-5 months and I just found this little girl and her dad loving it as well. Yall might have already seen it but I just found them.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

The boys

Well I recapped New Years Eve yesterday so today will be a recap of Christmas morning. I'm going to basically let the pics speak for themselves. Most of them are of the boys -since there is more of them than us girls. It's pretty fun!

He listened to this musical card over and over and over

Really getting into it

Tuck man even got a present

I made mom a family cookbook with pics of all of us throughout.

Ok, these next few pics need an explanation - all three of the men got this complicated remote control flying helicopter. Every single guy (including Tuck Man, see below) LOVED this and didn't stop playing with it until it was packed in suitcases. However, the funny part is that its incredibly hard to control and so it can take some serious dives into things or humans. It's a bit scary as you'll see in the facial expressions...

A little nervous it might take off an ear or snip off some hair

HAHA This is the best!!! Its about to take off a finger!

I hope yall had as much fun as we did playing with all our new toys!