sunflowers.

I adore Sunflowers. I love having fresh ones at home. My bridal shower was sunflower themed, as well. They just make me smile looking at them. This weekend we drove passed a sunflower farm field. It was so beautiful! I hope to go back this coming weekend to pick fresh ones from the field. I'll blog about them if I am successful at picking out some nice ones. I don't think I will have trouble. :)

coca-cola brownies

One of my favorite treats to make at home are brownies. But I make them a little different by changing up 2 specifics ingredients. 1. use butter instead of oil and 2. use coke instead of water! sound crazy! But it's not. It was inspired by Cracker Barrel's Coca-Cola Cake, which I L♥VE! It is seasonal, so making the brownies this way helps when I have cravings for it. The coke makes the chocolate richer. The butter trick was suggested to me by my lovely bff Jackie. Butter just makes everything taste better! I picked up a box of Ghirardelli (the best in my opinion) to make as a weekend treat. Hope your weekend is just as sweet!

Banana Delight

*I forgot to take a picture of my creation, so Martha's version of it will have to do!*

This past weekend we hosted another BBQ get together. I decided I wanted to make Banana Pudding. I thought it would be an easy, sweet and refreshing summer dessert. And it was a hit. Everyone LOVED it! I can't tell you how simple it is to put together. And if you wanted it to be light on the calories, all you have to do is substitute some items with fat-free or light versions of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs. Jello instant vanilla pudding (You can go the sugar free route to make it easy on the calories)

Milk (for the pudding)

About 4 ripe bananas

1 box of Vanilla Wafers

Cool Whip (Again, you can get the fat-free version or just omit all together. It would still be delicious without the whipped cream topping)

Directions:

1. In a big bowl, prepare the vanilla pudding. After whipping it together, the pudding will be set in about 5 minutes.

2. Cut bananas into slices.

3. In a dish of your choice, prepare the dessert by layering the ingredients. I chose to layer the vanilla wafers first, then pour the pudding, then layer the bananas, and repeat!

4. After all the wafers, bananas, and pudding are layered, top with the cool whip.

5. Enjoy!

window shopping at Pier 1

I went to Pier 1 last week and couldn't help but fall in love so many cute things! I am on a budget, so I didn't buy anything, but I decided I'd take pics of the items I thought were adorable and share them with you. I love going to Pier 1 for home decorating. And they usually have really good sales. Hope you like what I saw!

Ever since Ronnie brought me back an authentic tea set from China, I've been obsessed! I thought these were so cute! My favorite is the rose one in the front. It would be really pretty in a little girl's room as decoration.

I thought these jars would look so great in a kitchen because of the labels already on them. You can personally label them in your own handwriting in chalk. Fill it up with cookies, coffee beans, or even an office or craft room filled with ribbon and yarn! Super cute!

This cupcake jar is extremely charming! I almost took it home, but I am going to wait until it goes on sale. Hopefully I can snag it up! I just ♥ it!

This notepad just says it all!

This rug caught my eye. I thought it was a gorgeous!

I thought these cute owl wine toppers would make a great birthday present for a co-worker or neighbor. Or maybe even a hostess gift. Really unique and you can't have too many of these. Really fun!

And that's it. Hope you enjoyed my little virtual shopping tour at Pier 1! :)

apple's ibooks app ♥

I'm LOVING apple's iBooks app! It's available on the iPad and it probably works and looks the best on it, too. But as I wait to get the iPad, I am currently enjoying it on the iPhone. You have a library at your fingertips. GENIUS. And it comes at a perfect time for me, so that I can catch up on summer reading. There are free books to download and the latest best-selling books. I want to download Tori Spelling's latest book, Uncharted Teri"Tori".

but before I do that I wanted to get your latest recommendations for summer readings. What are YOU currently reading?

feeling 15 again!

Don't know why it captured my eye today in the salon. "No Room for the Blues" by OPI. Am I crazy?! Well, it's the summer!!! I kinda like it.... wonder what my conservative hubs will say????? :)

hot in cleveland is hot, hot, hot!

I ♥ Betty White. I really do! But I've loved her before all of her current popularity. Growing up, I'd watch her on Maude, and Mama's Family (one of my favorites!),The Mary Tyler Moore Show and of course The Golden Girls. I've always been an old soul when it comes to TV. I remember staying up late as a little girl in the summers when I'd visit my Tita to watch All in the Family, which came on at 11pm (I'd only get away doing it when I'd visit my gradmother, of course!). That's how much I loved the old shows. And don't even get my started watching Betty on the old game shows because I still LOVE those, too! Match Game, Pyramid and Password...she was the QUEEN of the game shows. And she even married the Pyramid host Allen Ludden!

Anyways, that is why I'm stoked about her being on TV again! I haven't watched it yet because the moving has gotten in the way, but I will catch up. The show is called "Hot in Cleveland" and it is TV Land's first scripted original sitcom. FINALLY a sitcom shot before a live studio audience is BACK on TV! That's enough to make it a GREAT show! Have you watched it? How much do you love it? If you haven't, please give it a shot. It's on TV Land Wednesdays at 10pm.

Go Betty! ♥

addicted.