For the love of...US

What a crazy year it’s been…

A little over a year ago, I met the most amazing guy…we went out, we had some dinner, we went to Ikea…we fell in love.

Since then we’ve had about a million adventures and made some really great memories. With Evan’s birthday fast approaching, I wanted to give him something heartfelt and original. Well, maybe not so original…Evan and I recently went to church with my friend Rachel and there was this amazing painting behind the pastor…I might have used that piece as my inspiration, but I definitely made it my own!

What I did was paint the entire canvas red and let it dry. Then I layered different colors top of it with no real rhyme or reason. Finally, I painted a big red heart smack-dab in the center.

While that dried, I sketched out some of the things I wanted to put on our “For the Love of Us” painting. In case you couldn’t tell what really is on there, it’s a year’s worth of inside jokes, things that we’ve done, places we’ve been and a lot of who we are. Evan’s family is from California, mine is from Georgia, we’ve taken quite a few trips this year, we got a dog, we love Ikea…just the usual stuff.

Anyway, after about 3 hours of sketching, I didn’t want to have to re-do all of my pictures, so I decided to use transfer paper and then go over those pictures with sharpie later…

This also allowed me to cut the pictures out and place them where I wanted to and mix it up a bit. So, that’s what I did. After I’d placed all of my important pieces, I realized I had a lot of space left over so I filled in with little phrases we say, tiny little things that only make sense to us.

Now I was planning on giving this to Evan on his actual birthday, but he had to go pick up the pup from my place and I forgot to hide it before I left. Anyway, he saw it way before he was supposed to and now it’s hanging over Evan’s couch. He loved it! (or so he says! Haha)

So, as I've been spending quite some time outside with the nanners this summer, I've taken a good hard look at my midsection. We are not pleased. (yes, I'm invoking the royal "we" here...I like to pretend I'm a princess sometimes...get over it.)

It's not that I'm big or even that out of shape, but compared to where I used to be when I was dancing and singing and running around like a mad woman in high school, there is something to be desired. Don't worry, this is not going to be a "Debbie Downer," self-loathing post. Quite the opposite, really.

Seeing so much of my stomach, which has been in hibernation until recently, has made me realize that if I just pay a little attention to what I eat and actually make an attempt to work out every so often, I will be a happier, healthier me.

I've already done a bit of research on exercise that can reduce stress and help me tone up and I've decided to start doing pilates a couple of times a week. That started last night with my friend, Casey and a trip to Target. I honestly felt sore this morning (sad, right?) and it made me feel like keeping up the trend of healthy living.

So I opted for yogurt instead of cupcakes this afternoon and I felt inspired to cook for Evan and myself tonight. Unfortunately, all I had in my freezer were toaster struedels, pizzas and vodka. Not really much you can do with that (although the vodka might replace my glass of wine tonight...what's up Ketel One? It's stress-reduction in a bottle).

Evan saved the day, though. He dashed off to the grocery after work and before tonight's summer storm settled in. When he got back, I started cooking. Here's tonight's somewhat healthy summer meal:

Caprese Chicken and Couscous

Doesn't it look yummy?! :) I love all of these ingredients and I feel like it's pretty healthy.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Tenderloins (Evan opted for the free-range, organic ones. Do we get double healthy points for that?)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (we got ours in Napa at Lava Vines Vineyard. It is the best stuff ever. Honestly. It's to die for! www.lavavine.com check it out!) 
• Minced Garlic or whole cloves minced
• Kosher Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Italian Seasoning
• Fresh Basil
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Couscous (I recommend Near East's Garlic and Olive Oil variety--it's done in 5 minutes!)

Start off by lightly coating the pan in olive oil. Add garlic and basil and sauté. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and balsamic vinegar. Warm for a few minutes.

Salt and pepper chicken before adding into vinegar mixture. Cook over medium heat, flipping a couple of times to make sure it's cooking evenly.

While the chicken is cooking, get started on the couscous. Just follow the directions on the box. If you can't make this stuff...go with the pizza and vodka in the freezer. 

After the couscous has started, halve the cherry tomatoes and throw them in the mix. Stir and flip and add seasoning if you feel it needs a little something extra. 

Add a few pearls of cheese while the pan is still hot. 

When it's all cooked and yummy looking, fluff the couscous and serve it all up. Add a few more pearls of cheese and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. 

Enjoy! :) I know we did! 

And for dessert? Yeah, I fell for the yoplait commercials and am trying the "dessert" flavors of their light yogurt. Jury's still out on these. 

Welcome to the World, Jaxen Lewis Knight!

First off, I have to say congratulations to my dear friends Danielle and JD on their adorable new addition, Jaxen! That is precisely what this post is about, as well!

JD is in the army and therefore travels quite a bit, so Danielle and JD decided to make Jaxen’s nursery travel-themed! They’ve decided to go with a vintage-map look in brown and navy blue, which is where I started for this piece.

I’d love to say that I made a deliberate decision to use four small canvases, but honestly, I was going to see them the day they came home from the hospital and I just so happened to have four small ones instead of one large one. So that’s what I used. I do feel like it gave it a bit more character than the traditional route. Then again, I think it goes without saying that none of my friends have really been “traditional” when it comes to their nurseries.

Anyway, I started by washing each canvas with a light brown paint and using a hair dryer to dry them quickly. Then I sanded them a bit to give them a more old-world feel. Next came the hard part…the map it self posed quite some problems. I found an old map online and printed it out. Then I used a little trick that Gen’s mom taught me…I laid a grid down on top of the map and used it as a reference guide for where exactly things needed to go on the canvases. (how is it that Gen keeps coming up in my posts? Haha)

Once the basic outline was done, I brushed from the outside in, filling in the shapes with a darker brown. I was hoping to make the edges darker than the middle, but it worked in some ways and not in others. Once that layer was dry, I sanded yet again. Once I was finished with the background of the map, I mixed up a shade of navy blue and wrote Jaxen’s name on the canvases and outlined them all in blue.

Sadly, now I have a large blue stain on my carpet (goodbye security deposit…) thanks to my clumsy puppy!

All in all, I think it turned out rather well! I love giving my friends custom gifts rather than store-bought ones. I feel like I’m passing a piece of my heart on to them and hopefully it will bring love and happiness to those in their lives. Cheesy, right? Well, that’s me!

Congrats, JD and Dani! Thanks for bringing yet ANOTHER boy into our group! Let’s see…that’s number 7, I believe! Maybe we’ll see a girl sometime soon? (And no…I don’t mean from myself. I’d kinda like to get something small and sparkly first! Hint hint…E)

And Puppy makes more...work

It was a normal Saturday afternoon here in Atlanta. Evan and I love festivals and there just so happened to be one of our favorites going on that weekend! 420 Fest is thrown every year by Sweetwater Brewery to celebrate Earth Day (Yeah, it’s been a while since all this happened…Sorry for the delay in updating things! It’s been quite a busy few weeks and I’m just now sitting down to take the time to update things!) and give people a taste of their lovely, delicious beer!

There were SO many adorable couples with their even cuter puppies…and there was also a booth there with puppies for adoption. Rescue Me! Animal Project had a great selection of adorable puppies and kittens and (shocker) I fell in love with one of them.

Note to all boyfriends out there…girlfriend + beer + precious puppies = a really bad idea. Unless you’re totally ready for a commitment with your significant other. One that doesn’t involve a ring, a ceremony, or an exorbitant amount of money, that is. Ok, well an exorbitant amount of money will probably be spent regardless, but yeah. Needless to say, I found the (second) love of my life on this fateful day.

We took Cali to Centennial Park and she was tuckered out!

Have you ever seen the look in an animal’s eyes on those uber depressing Sarah McLaughlin ASPCA commercials that say “love me…all I want is some love and a home. Please love me and take me home with you…” and you either change the channel or sit there eating lots of carbs and crying hysterically? Well, you can’t do that in person. While looking at the bigger dogs, I met with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen. And I fell in love.

After talking to the Rescue Me! Animal Project people, I found out that what they’re doing is actually really cool. The animals they rescue never go to a shelter. They always keep their available pups with a foster parent until they can find a home. I feel like they are preparing their pups for their future homes. After about an hour of talking to Audrey, the sad-eyed puppy’s foster mom, I decided I had to have this little girl!

Such a happy girl!

A little paperwork, a few giddy calls, a home inspection and a visit to a pet collar boutique booth at the festival (please check out Hollywoof Styles on Etsy!!!), Evan and I had a dog!

Cali's Collar
Thanks to Hollywoof Styles on Etsy.com

I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this puppy is! She has completely changed my life, in all the best ways possible. I never thought I could love an animal so much. I mean, I love my cat. I really do. But she doesn’t give me the unconditional love that Cali (oh, yeah, that’s what we named her!) has given me from the moment she became mine. I get to take her to work with me and she is so amazing with the kids. She is the best thing ever!

Shepp and Cali chillin' on a hot summer day!

In case you're wondering, Cali is a Catahoula mixed with something small (maybe a jack russell? something small and sweet, for sure!). She was kept with her mother and other littermates until the time she came to live with us. She has the best temperment and is nothing short of perfection! 

Anyway, here is the scoop…if you’re looking to adopt, please check out Rescue Me! Animal Project on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rescue-Me-Animal-Project/133822049274?ref=ts) and once you’ve got your precious bundle of fur, stop by Hollywoof Styles to accessorize your precious pooch! (http://www.etsy.com/shop/hollywoofstyles?ref=ss_profile) And FYI, they donate a percentage of their proceeds to various animal rescue groups!


PS...Cali's mom, EmmyLou is still available from Rescue Me! Check her out!!