Oh, Martha Stewart....

Every time I walk into a Macys my inner radar points me straight to the MARTHA STEWART Collection in the Home department. This has been happening to me ever since I signed up with Macys for my wedding registry. And I can't help it! There is something PERFECT about the displays of the kitchen gadgets and china in different arrays of MS colors like her signature blue, greens, and reds. And then ....it strikes me. I find something I *have* to *have*. And I will admit, it is not just at Macys. Its everywhere you can find Martha like Kmart and Michaels. I make purposeful trips to these stores for all things MS.
And when I shop with Ronnie he tries to control my impulsive buys. I get into this character, too. Almost like a bratty little girl..where I beg and plead "Pllleeeeasssseeeee honnneeyyyy??? Pretty pllleeeaassseeee! and its quite charming how he can imitate me. He is a good hubby, though, and puts up with me and gives in. He's an inner Martha fan, I think. ;-)

Anyways, after work one day this week I went to Macys to make an exchange and, of course, I made my usual stop. I couldn't help but pick up these babies... the matching cookie plate to match my MS Spring kitchen towels. Then, the PRETTIEST MS blue cake stand caught my eye and thought *i have to have this!*. (I really don't...but how cute will my cakes look, especially when our kids have birthdays?) -seriously! I also picked up 2 of her silicone spatula in her signature blue and green. ugh. LOVE! I especially love those spatulas to cook with, though. (I have it in red already.) I like them better than the usual spatulas with the wood because I don't like how water can seep through the crack in the spoon part. (This is my madness, I know....do you see how I justify my weaknesses?)

I just can't say no to anything Martha Stewart. I just can't! :)

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom

Today I remember my childhood idol. Selena. And this is how I will forever remember her by...that smile. I miss her and her music very much as do many people in the world!


Enjoy her in my favorite performance. She is singing Bidi Bidi Bom Bom...LIVE ....during her last BIG concert one month before her tragedy 14 years ago today.

Last One, I promise!

HELP! I need an intervention! I picked up this dress after an exchange at FOREVER 21. I can't help it. I loooove these long flirty dresses. I had to show this one off. It is my favorite by far. Promise this will be my last long dress purchase. Can't wait to wear it in Miami!

A Spring Welcome

We were finally able to enjoy the weekend outside today! It has been raining since Tuesday this week and we hoped it wouldn't ruin our weekend. Luckily, it was a beautiful day today. So, we ran tons of errands to Lowes, Home Depot, Costco and Walmart. We got a bunch of stuff we needed for the house and for the week. But I am pooped!
It was a perfect spring day and it inspired us to pot some flowers for the house. We still have a lot of work to do around our yard and garden, but we figured this would be an easy way to bring spring around our home. The pots are adorable, I think. I love color! We snagged them up at Home Depot and the flowers from Lowes and Walmart. So, now, you are greeted by Spring before you enter our home! Tell me what you think! :)


Close up!


I love these! I don't know what they are called. But don't they look like roses? I love that pink!

SBTB REUNION ON JIMMY FALLON

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Everyone who REALLY knows me knows that Saved by the Bell owns my heart. I am a VERY dedicated fan and have been since I first saw the show. But having the biggest fan website, helping E! with the True Hollywood Story and my memorabilia aside, this is something I have not been able to do by far! Jimmy Fallon is requesting to get the cast together to do a reunion on his show. And he is serious! Dennis Haskins already agreed and now they are waiting for the others. They are also asking fans to sign their petition. AMAZING! This needs to happen! Please share with all of your friends that are fans!
SIGN THE PETITION

Brand New Layout

Finally! The perfect blog template! I am so delighted with it. And it was free! Check out some of this designer's awesome layouts. It was easy to install and how perfect is my "birdie" theme to go with my title "Nesting" in NC....love it and it goes perfectly with the season. Check the blog out at, http://template-mama-freebloggertemplates.blogspot.com Enjoy! :)

Wedding Dress Sketch

I found this wonderful website where you can order a custom sketch of your wedding dress to have and to hold. What a wonderful keepsake to display in your home and then why not pass then down as an heirloom. This sweet find, www.mydreamlines.com, makes custom bridal gown sketches done by artists in the South of France! It's a little pricey ($100), but I think would be worth every penny! They can even add an accessory (veil, bouquet, etc) to the sketch for a little more. It's so perfect! I hope to order mine really soon!

PS Please bare with my new background. I am having a blog identity crisis. Can't seem to find anything that I love!

Life is Good in Oak Ridge

When Ronnie got his new job in NC, he had to start it ASAP. He literally got the call and started packing and just 5 days later he was already living here, while I still had to finish the year out at my school. He was living in NC for about 2 months before I was able to make the official move. Ronnie had no choice but to stay in a long term hotel the first few weeks, which was fine because his company was paying for it. But during that time he began to explore to see which neighborhoods were nice, close to his job, and wondered if it was a good idea to either buy/lease a home or an apartment. I left it all up to him because I just had confidence he knew what would be best for us.

He had his eye on a town called Oak Ridge. It was about 20 minutes from his job. It seemed quiet to him and safe and learned this part of the city had the best school district. Many of the homes in Oak Ridge were too big for us, but he found a quaint and modest neighborhood he thought we could afford and live in. Well, as soon as I made the move he was anxious to show it to me. Remember, I am a city girl in and out. So, when I first saw the neighborhood I was a little thrown back by the space between the homes, the large properties and most of all, the trees! Little did I know how much I would grow to LOVE the peaceful surroundings and openness of living. This is something I had never experienced before. (In Miami, you'd be lucky NOT to find a cookie cutter neighborhood with cars parked everywhere and even up on your property!) Anyways, we absolutely not only just love our home, but the area we live in. It is filled with rich history and community that truly is unique. Here is some info about our humble town called Oak Ridge, that many people call "God's Country".

From Wikipedia:
Oak Ridge is a town in northwestern Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,988 at the 2000 census. The Oak Ridge Military Academy, a private, coed, college-preparatory military boarding school, was established here in 1852. It is the third-oldest military school in the nation still in operation, and it is the official military school of North Carolina, as designated by the state legislature. Until the late 1990s the Oak Ridge area was mostly rural farmland, with numerous tobacco and strawberry farms. However, since its incorporation as a town in 1998, Oak Ridge has undergone rapid suburbanization and population growth. Many of the area's farms have been sold to developers and turned into upper-class housing developments, and several shopping centers have been built around the military academy. Today Oak Ridge is considered to be a wealthy suburb of nearby Greensboro, North Carolina's third-largest city. One rural pastime which is still popular in Oak Ridge is the raising and breeding of horses; each Easter weekend the town hosts a popular horse show. For more information Click Here

Some more facts and pictures:
The Oak Ridge Military Academy centers our town. It was established in 1852. It is the third-oldest military school in the nation still in operation, and it is the official military school of North Carolina, as designated by the state legislature. RONNIE'S GREAT-GRANDFATHER ATTENDED OAK RIDGE! How cool is that?



The Old Mill of Guilford was founded in North Carolina on Beaver Creek in 1767 to grind grain for the early settlers of what is now Guilford County. Today, the mill continues to produce all-natural, stone-ground, whole grain foods, just as it has for over 250 years. And it has YUMMY PANCAKE MIX AND JELLIES!



Before McCafe were all over, we had our very own unique one! This one is cool because it is made of brick (which all commercial buildings have to be because we are a Historic Distric) and even has lounge couches and Nintendo inside!


Chris Daughtry lives in Oak RIdge just up on the other side of the road from us!


Wanna come visit?! :)

Cinco de Mayo on St. Patty's Day!

Ronnie's favorite holiday meal is on St. Patrick's Day. His grandmother has been making him the customary "Corned Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes" almost his whole life. This year wasn't anything different. But we went over to have it on Sunday before St. Patrick's Day.

Then on St. Patrick's Day, after reading a post made by Eli at her blog, I decided we would go Mexican instead! She made a Rachel Ray recipe called Chicken Salsa Verde Bake. She praised it and I thought it would be good idea to make for dinner. I read the recipe and figured it would be really easy! Unfortunately, I didn't have all of the ingredients. Still, this did not discourage me and I went to the pantry to see what I can substitute!

And boy did I ever... But this is when magic happens in the kitchen, I think! Lets just say my hubby was not disappointed!

Here goes my experimental recipe:

You will need: 2 Chicken Breasts, whole white onion, can of corn, can of black beans, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, and shredded cheese

Boil the chicken (about 20 min) and then let cool. After cooling, shred the chicken (with your fingers) and place into a bowl. Rinse black beans and corn then throw into the bowl with the chicken, along with the chopped onions and as much sour cream and salsa you'd like. Mix well. Finally, transfer mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle tortilla chips and shredded cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 30 min.

That's it. It was pretty simple and delicious. You can add or take away more of the ingredients. You can even make it light using light sour cream and cheese. It was really fun to make and I was able to clean up the mess quickly while I waited for it to bake. Enjoy!

Everyday with Rachel Ray Widget

I found this widget over at rachelraymag.com! I thought it to be a really cool tool to help plan weekly dinners. What do you think? You can snag it and post it on your blog, Facebook, and/or if you have a MAC, on your Dashboard. You can save your favorite recipes and even watch videos! Way to go Rachel! Now she doesn't even need us to go to her website for delicious recipes. They come right to our finger tips...too cool! Enjoy!

Your Prayers Are Requested

"For with God nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37)
I recently came upon finding the sister of my very dear friend Annette on Facebook. Annette and I were best of friends growing up and lost touch some when we went to college. So, I was so happy to get in touch with her sister, Michelle. I noticed her beautiful wedding portrait as her profile picture. She just recently became a newlywed this past November and it warmed my heart seeing her as a bride!

Then, I came upon learning that her and her husband were struck with a tragedy just 3 days into their honeymoon. Below is their story in her own words:

On November 29, 2008 Alfredo and I were married. We were blessed to have had a beautiful wedding surrounded by very special people. We began our life together as husband and wife with lots of hopes and dreams for our future like all newlyweds.

The next day we flew to Mexico for our honeymoon. After only 3 days of honeymooning we were faced with a tragedy. Alfredo was in a unexplainable accident in the beaches of Mexico causing him to break his C5 cervical and also compressed his C4 and C6. He is now a quadriplegic and is currently recovering at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

We are praying every day that goes by for him to regain more feeling in his body and that he WILL fully recover. Alfredo is very positive and has a lot of faith that God’s grace will bless him with a miracle. As you can imagine, the medical bills for Alfredo’s very intensive rehab are and will be very large. Very soon his insurance will be maxed out and we will need to pay for his treatments on our own.

We have created a foundation in his name in hopes to help Alfredo financially. If you or anyone that you know can help this very worthy cause it would be immensely appreciated.


Please share this with anyone you think will be able to help.
Thank you for your continued support and prayers.


To contribute to the Alfredo Iglesias Trauma Foundation
Please mail your contribution to:
Coconut Grove Bank
Alfredo Iglesias Foundation
ATTN: Robert Filella 305-756-4550
6400 South Dixie Highway
South Miami, Florida 33143

This has truly saddened me. I can't imagine the shock and life altering change that has struck this newly wed couple. I am asking for your prayers for them. I am sure they would be happy to learn and have the comfort in knowing of the prayers being made in their name. If you could help financially, please do so, as well. Again, I am sure any little can help! Always remember how fortunate and blessed you are in the littlest things. God is good. And He can do all with a little faith in Him!

Thank you so much!
Here is article on El Nuevo Herald

Please share the word with your friends and blog buddies, too!