A Leopard Longing...

This morning I was sipping my coffee and doing the usual, reading lots of blogs  working diligently in order to stay one step head of the office game.

In doing so, I stumbled upon this picture:

Photo via City Sage

I thought to myself, I need those leopard print skinny jeans for fall. I would rock them so hard with some booties and blousy top. It would be soft but edgy, right?

Then I headed over to another blog... and look what was right there in front of me:

Photo via Just B

This blog had a link to purchase these little leopard funsies. I took it as I sign. At this point I was thinking it was fate. I could foresee a Friday night out on the town rocking this kitties while kicking back cocktails like it's my job. However, I clicked the link.

They are Currently/Elliot are run about $200.

I can't justify purchasing $200 leopard skinnies, just like I can't justify purchasing $200 orange skinnies for gameday.

So alas, I shall dream of the fun that would have been... and in reality I shall toss on skinnies that cost much less, as I tend to be more of a budget minded fashionista.

On the Menu

Occasionally I like to attempt to WOW Ryan with my culinary skills. My mom is an ace in the kitchen... I'm not even going to talk about how good her cornbread is because I couldn't put it in to words. Mmmm....

My mama always made a good ole home-cooked meal with love several night a week when we were growing up. She's just a good wife and mama like that. So I think Ryan believes that it is in my genetic make-up to throw down in the kitchen. 

And let me tell you, I give it my best. I'm a firm believer in that anyone can cook if you can read. Recipes are out there by the thousands. Read, do what it says, eat. Hopefully it's good.... sometimes it is not. I can honestly say Ryan and I have tested a few fails. I love Ryan though because the few times I've tried a recipe that hasn't turned out so well he eats it and tells me it's good, even though we both know it's not. I'm normally the one to say, "that was terrible. never again."

This week I tested out an easy casserole called Bubble Up Enchiladas. It was a super easy one dish meal.

Here's the link for the recipe. (I used the leanest ground beef instead of ground turkey since there is that weird recall on ground turkey right now. I also added half a chopped onion to the meat as it was browning.). You can add corn, black beans, top with sour cream... you name it. It was delicious.

I'm hoping to test out Paula Deen's Shrimp and Wild Rice before the week's end.

I will let you know how it turns out.

Happy Hump Day, Yall!

O.T.W.

Over the weekend...

... Friday night I had a little date night with my man, which included Mexican and movie watching. We watched Your Highness starring James Franco and Natalie Portman.

Sweet Maggie and Ryan before we headed out for dinner.

It's a bit ridiculous but funny all the same. Not a movie everyone will enjoy.

Saturday around lunch a summer storm blew in. It didn't last thirty minutes but had some strong winds and scary lightning. Well, Maggie and I were sitting calmly on the bed checking the weather app on my phone, when all of a sudden I heard a loud pop and then a bang. Maggie started barking and I grabbed her and ran. It was instinctive. Needless to say, when I looked out side I saw this:

It looks smaller in the pic. Trust me... it's rather big limb.

Turns out this huge limb snapped right off the tree and bounced right off the side of our house. Upon initial inspection it doesn't look like it did too much damage... just a dented the gutters a bit.

After the storm passed on Saturday I ventured to Auburn for an afternoon of shopping and dinner/drinks with my best good friend, Kaci.

We had dinner at Moe's Original BBQ, a new-ish restaurant downtown. The food was awesome and the atmosphere great! I highly recommend it. I can't wait to go back with Ryan in tow.  After the food is gone a band gets started.

I had so much fun catching up with sweet Kaci. She and I were roommates while we were in school at Auburn. I can't tell you how many late night chats we had or laughs we shared.

On Sunday I ventured back to Auburn with Deidra to meet Kaci for the matinee of The Help. Now, I read this book and I loved it. LOVED IT. Who didn't?

But the movie is awesome. We laughed, cried, people clapped and even cheered. It was so so good. Go see it!!

After the movie Deidra and I hit up J. Tokyo for sushi and Gimlets.


Please note the straw is on the outside of the glass. Fancy bartending trick.



It was a fun filled weekend, I must say!

InstaFUN

My latest obsession is the app Instagram. I love taking pictures of random things and people and posting it to share with others. It's just fun.

The app is free so download it and follow me @jtsanford. We can have InstaFUN together, y'all!

O.T.W- Pizza & Beer, Monograms & Mimosas, & Gilling by The Pool

Over the weekend...

The title pretty much sums up our weekend.

As I mentioned Friday some of our friends were the headlining act at Chuck's on Friday night. We headed down to the local hangout for pizza, beer, and good music.

They rocked it and made us quite proud. The crowd was loving them too... If I'm not mistaken a few folks inquired as to how to hire them out.

On Saturday morning my mom, aunt, cousin, grandmother, and I hosted a Monograms and Mimosas shower for my cousin. Everything from the food to the fellowship turned out awesome. It was lots of fun.

I have to be honest here and state that even though I was a hostess I drank my weight in Mimosas and spent Saturday afternoon blissfully napping. It felt so good!

Saturday night we headed over the The Pool for a family get together. Everyone swam, had a few cocktails and enjoyed a great meal.

Sunday involved a good bit of TV, some cleaning of the carpet in the bedroom, and a really greasy cheeseburger from Bucks (if you are an AC reader you can respect a Bucks Burger)!

This afternoon will consist of some serious cardio to make up for it!

Welcome to the work week, folks. Let's hope it treats us all well!

It's FIRDAY, Y'all!

Last night, as we were settling into bed, I made everyone in our household pose for an impromptu photo session using a crazy app for my phone:

Maggie wins for the cutest!!

Tonight Ryan and I are hitting up a local hang out for music, pizza, and drinks. Several of our friends happen to be the 'live entertainment' so it should be a lot of fun!

Hope everyone has a stellar weekend. See you on the other side of Sunday!

I call this photo: Side Eye

Maggie is giving me a look as if to say:

"Don't be messing with me while I'm sitting next to a sock looking out the window. This is my happy place. Find your own."

I must say... I can respect that.

O.T.W. Laid Back... with My Mind on My Money and Money on My Mind

Over the weekend...

... we straight up took it easy. 

On Saturday I got some much needed cleaning done around the house, while Ryan worked in the yard. By lunch we were both ready for some rest and relaxation.

I headed to the pool to hang with my family as well as Deidra and Ryan headed to the lake for some time with the boys. (I often wonder what it is exactly boys do when they get together, hmmm)

Saturday evening Deidra and I hit up Mexican for some chips and guac... then without really having any plans or any where to be we headed to my house to hang out.

Then I realized that TLC's wedding special about Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo would be airing shortly.

We did what any normal people would do... Deidra and I made some homemade chocolate chip cookies and popped a bottle of champagne!! Holla.

I'm not sure if the champagne had us loving the show or if it was just that good, but we really enjoyed it.

I will say that Vanessa is beautiful. Stunning, even. She was gorgeous in the entire show... up until her actual wedding. Her dress was blah, and her hair and make up were even more so underwhelming, but I think the heat and humidity played a part in that. 

At the end of the day I think she and Nick are madly in love.  (but I thought he and Jessica were too)

Sunday... we took it super easy. We watched TV, (and by "watched TV" I mean  we watched The Braves because Ryan was in charge of the remote), laid around and I ended up doing our grocery shopping for the week.

Maggie is great at taking it easy.

Hope yall had a chilled out weekend too.

*Oh and I went ahead and checked- TLC will air the wedding special again on Friday morning (08/05) at 10:00am CST.. Set your TiVo, you will not regret it.