Guess What Day It Is?

My latest project.

A big thank you to everyone who helped pull it off!

The Friday Five

1. What I'm Reading:

We started a book club and this is our latest choice.

From Wikipedia: The Fault in Our Stars is the fourth solo novel by author John Green, published in January 2012. The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee.

 

2. What I'm Watching:

The Butler is such a great movie. Disclaimer: take tissues. One minute I was laughing out loud and the next I was bawling.

3. What I'm Listening to:

It Goes Like This - Thomas Rhett

4. What Recipe I'm Bookmarking:

source

Zucchini Noodles with Pesto from Two Peas & Their Pod.

If only I had a mandoline or julienne peeler.

5. Things I'm Loving:

 

Happy Friday!

What I Baked on Sunday

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
*Slightly adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted almonds)
1-1/4 cups milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir together oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, blueberries, flax seeds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Add milk, egg, and vanilla then stir to combine.
• Pour mixture into a prepared 8×8 baking dish then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes our clean.
• Cool completely then cut into bars and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Microwave to reheat.

Weekend Recap

May Lo came to visit this past weekend! We had the best time just being together and tooling around the upstate. Friday night, we went to Lime Leaf for dinner where we proceeded to stuff ourselves with dumplings and shrimp pad thai. I have yet to find a thai place that I like more.

After dinner we strolled through downtown and passed the Spartaburg WOLI before heading to Main Street to meet up with some friends. Yes, someone donated the ferris wheel to Spartanburg for a few weeks. No, I have not ridden on it.

Saturday, I somehow convinced May Lo to come to the barn with me. She was quite the trooper and I enjoyed getting to share my happy place with her. 

We made it back to Sparkle in time to hit a few shops before tucking in for the evening. You can't beat a quiet evening with games and a delicious meal.

We made this one pan farro with tomatoes. This would be the perfect meal to make for company. You put everything in the pan and in 30 minutes it is ready.

Sunday, we went to church and lunch before she hit the road. It really was such a great weekend. I am so thankful that we are now in driving distance and can do this more often.

Fun Facts Friday

1. It is hard to believe that this is only my third week of work. I feel like I've been here a lot longer. I guess that is what happens when you end up where you are supposed to be.

2. One of my first stops when I got to Spartanburg was the library. #nerdalert Thankfully it is still in walking distance from my new place. (double nerd alert?)

3. I also happen to be living above one of my favorite stores. I made the mistake of stopping by the other day on my lunch break to speak to the owner/family friend. Next thing I know, I left with six new things. They were all 75% off but still my closet is rather small.

4. I made brownies last week and subbed coconut oil for the vegetable oil. Holy moly they were so good. I thought it was just because I hadn't had brownies in a while but my roommate and coworker agreed that the substitution took them to the next level.

5. My bedroom is windowless, so I started using the Wake-up Lite app as my alarm. Thirty minutes before my alarm goes off, my phone brightens and birds start chirping when it is time to wake up.

6. I just realized that I never programmed my voicemail when I got my new phone back in January. Sorry for any confusion.

7. The other day May Lo and I were on the phone both using speaker phone. We said goodbye but neither one of us hung up. She left the room and when she came back she heard singing but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. It was me.

8. We went through quite the debacle with Direct TV. Three visits from the techs, countless phone calls, and a free month later, they finally figured everything out. It's not rocket science people.

9. After 8 years together, I traded in my car for a newer model. It was bittersweet saying goodbye to Dora the Explorer but it was time for an upgrade. DC was rough on her.

10. I had a minor freak out when I realized I left one of my Taylor Swift cds in my old car. You think I'm kidding; I'm not. And yes, I have all of them. I asked my sister to go get it for me. Fortunately, she has it on her computer and is burning me a new copy.

11. One of the biggest differences between DC and SC is how conversations start. In DC, everyone wants to know where you work/who you work for. In SC, everyone is concerned about who you are dating. The conversations I have had over the past few weeks have been comical. Everyone from a campus safety officer to human resources to my new boss wants to know about my love life.

12. If I am not working an event or attending a wedding this fall, you can find me at the barn. I am so happy to be back and could not have asked for a warmer welcome. Even Monty Pony came home to welcome me back!

13. I didn't intend to get so wordy when I started writing. Thanks for making it to the bottom of this post.

14. Here's to a fun weekend in Sparkle City with the sissy. Happy Friday!

What I Baked on Sunday

Easy Thai Red Curry

I love all things Thai food related and couldn't wait to try this recipe from How Sweet Eats. Don't be afraid to buy the red curry paste or coconut oil. Now that I have the ingredients on hand, I am looking forward to experimenting with other recipes. This recipe was super easy and came together in no time. I skipped making the coconut rice since I had some cooked brown rice on hand but I can't wait to try it next time. I would highly recommend making it this week! 

Lately

I apologize for being so MIA lately. I enjoyed taking a break from technology my first week home and then have been so caught up in the move and this new chapter that I have found little time to blog. It also didn't help that we just recently got internet in our apartment but that is a whole other story in itself. I am hoping to keep my blog going as I have loved looking back on the past two years in DC. I can't wait to see what the next two years bring in Spartanburg. In the meantime, here are some photos to catch you up on everything that has been happening lately.

So much needed beach time with a good book. 

Solving the puzzle while waiting for the cable guy.

Beer and darts.

My new walking route.

Experimenting in the kitchen. Recipe to come.

My fortune the night before my first day of work.

And my first day.

#BeccasBachBash

Saturday night we headed to Charlotte to celebrate Becca one last time before her big day. Lauren was sweet enough to host all of us at her house. The original plan was to spend the day on the lake but the rain kept us inside for the majority of the afternoon. We made the most of it by just hanging out and painting each other's nails - typical girl stuff.

Once the primping was complete, we headed out for an early dinner at Vivace. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you are a fan of Italian food. The caprese salad was one of the best I have ever had and the saffron linguine was also incredible.

After dinner, we headed back to the house to shower Becca with lots of fun gifts and surprises before heading out on the town. 

It was such a fun weekend and I loved getting to catch up with everyone. I can't wait to see them again in just a few short weeks when Becca becomes a Mrs.!