{Video Tour} Move-in day!

Alright, guys. This is my first video tour. And it's, um, a little rough. Super shaky video + super awkward me didn't exactly equal an Oscar-worthy film, but for better or worse, here it is! (And if that introduction made you less than thrilled to watch, skip down to the unnarrated, shorter video or to Smokey's video - he seems to like the house!).

Full, narrated house tour...

We've moved!

After so much planning and so much waiting... and some more waiting... we're finally in the new house! We got the keys last Wednesday, spent our first night there on Thanksgiving, and have been slowly making progress with moving everything and unpacking over the last few days. We've got boatloads to do and still don't have internet access (ahhh!! So disconnected from the world!!), so I just wanted to do a quick post to announce the move and ask you to please bear with me as we try to get settled. I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends and stuffed your face full of turkey and treats!!

Living Room Furniture

We are so, SO close to moving in! I know, I'm way overdue for a house update. Strangely enough, now that it's so close to being finished, I haven't been taking pictures. As it was being built, I felt like I had to document what it looked like at each stage since it was constantly evolving. Lately, I just haven't been worrying about it, since I know I can just get pics next time!

{Getaway} Weekend in Asheville

A couple of weeks months ago (where did the fall go?!), I surprised Bryan with a getaway to Asheville, North Carolina for his 30th birthday. One of my best friends lives in Charlotte and has been telling me what a great little city Asheville is for years, but I always figured I'd just go whenever we end up planning a girls weekend down there. I hadn't thought about it as a possibility for this birthday getaway until I stumbled across the fact that Asheville is known for its breweries. Charming, laid back city + mountains + driving distance + dog friendly + BEER = perfect spot to take the hubs!

{DIY} Etched Glass Dog Treat Jar

I just got a Silhouette Portrait. It's my new toy. I've been seeing discount packages offered on various blogs for a while now and have been tempted every time I see a new offer, so I finally pulled the trigger and got one. The deal this time was a glass etching bundle. The deal is over now, unfortunately, but if you're interested in getting one in the future, just keep your eyes open for the packages offered on a lot of craft/DIY blogs (not mine - I'm not an affiliate; I just think the discount blogger packages are the best deal!).

{DIY} Gold & Chalkboard Flower Pots

Back in May when we went to the UK, we had a cookout at our friends' flat. We used some fresh herbs they had growing out back, and I decided I finally needed to get around to planting my own. On my first shopping trip after we got home, I saw some herbs for sale in the grocery store and snatched up every single kind they had. The only problem: I didn't have confidence that I'd actually be able to keep them alive for more than, like, two weeks (plant serial killer - guilty!), so I bought the cheapest little terra cotta planters I could find. Shockingly, my herbs have actually lasted! Since it seems the herbs are here for the long term, I decided to give my basic pots an upgrade with chalkboard paint and gold Rub 'n Buff.

{Recipe} Beignets

Phew, it's been one of those weeks! Since I haven't been posting lately, I thought I'd give you this quick recipe post. And by 'recipe' I mean link to someone else's recipe, along with a rather ugly photo I took since I hadn't originally planned on blogging about these. But even if the photo is ugly, these suckers are tasty!!

{Recipe} White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake (with Greek yogurt!)

I finally got bit by the fall bug last weekend. I usually get really excited about each new season, but I'm a summer girl at heart, and as September rolled around this year, I was feeling kind of bummed that I didn't make the most of my summer. No beach trips. Only a handful of days at the pool. A lack of tanned skin and sun-kissed hair. I kind of wanted to rewind to July. But last weekend as the weather started feeling cooler, I finally accepted the inevitable, and suddenly felt like I desperately needed pumpkins and mums on the patio and some sort of pumpkin baked goods in the oven. A few hours after that feeling initially stuck, and I was chowing down (at an embarrassing rate) on this cheesecake. Although the quantity I ate was a bit excessive, the use of Greek yogurt in this recipe helps to make it a healthier dessert (at least compared to regular cheesecake!).

FMS Photo-A-Day Summer Wrap-up

Guess who hasn't done a monthly photo-a-day wrap-up since May?!? Oops.  In an effort to get fully caught up and avoid doing several of these in a row, today I'm presenting you with this post that is chock full o' photo vomit. 92 pictures, 3 lists of prompts. A jumble of far more photos that anyone could wish to process.  But I like having these as a record and it keeps me accountable - and believe me, I need it, since I'm not staying on top of this so well!!

June photo-a-day pictures (in order from #1-30)

{Recipe} Evil Jungle Prince: A Thai Coconut Curry

I love Thai food. And I love Hawaii. This is a Thai dish that brings back memories of Hawaii, so it's a pretty perfect combination in my eyes. Plus, who can resist a name like Evil Jungle Prince?