You Can Quote This

Things have been going really great here in our household lately. I feel like both Matt and I have some exciting, new adventures brewing. I can't wait until they all come full circle! Today I thought I would share some inpirational, funny, and honest quotes with y'all.

Enjoy.




Might I just add, I did win the "Hustle Award" in high school basketball... haha ;)




love this

pretty much...

:)

All images found via Pinterest.

What2Wear Wednesday

Try adding a hat to the mix...

As the cool air blows in, colorful pants (think warm jewel tones) and cute hats are a must! I've been a little under the weather these past few days, but something about this outfit and {even more} the day this picture was taken (beautiful weather and a date with the best husband in the world) makes me feel much better!

Fedora: Target, Shirt: PacSun (similar here), Belt: Old Navy, Pants: similar here, Shoes: TOMS

Where We Live

St. Mary's County...

Initially, when I first heard we were moving to Southern Maryland, I was excited for a change of scenery. Although, in January as we began to settle into our new home, I realized Southern Maryland is a lot like eastern North Carolina. There's plenty of farm land, country accents are not only accepted but also encouraged, and tractor pulls are prevalent (just a side note: I've never, ever been to a tractor pull in my life). We are close to D.C., Annapolis, and Baltimore which are all bustling cities that make for awesome day trips. But don't count out our new home turf for fun and entertainment.

I think Matt and I discover something new to do each month, and we are learning that Southern Maryland has tons to offer! Just this week we experienced the county fair and all its glory. It was not much different than Nash or Wilson County fairs. We enjoyed funnel cakes, candied apples, and we were able to pet some of the finest, award-winning farm animals in the county.

There are several wineries in and around St. Mary's County. Yesterday we finally visited Woodlawn Farm and enjoyed a wine tasting. The farm was gorgeous, and the wine was great! We will most definitely be visiting again soon. I can't wait to tour other wineries in the area.

The fair!

cute little sheered sheep

and big Clydesdales 

how to eat a funnel cake...

giant pumpkin, funnel cake (half cinnamon sugar/ half powdered sugar), me and chickens, Matt and a caramel apple

yummy food at Spinnakers

Point Lookout Marina

Woodlawn Farm (Slack wine tasting) 

the wine connoisseur  

Slack wine

love wine tastings

We're enjoying where we live and continuing to explore new places every week! My only complaint and one huge difference between Eastern NC and St. Mary's County: no boiled peanuts. I have been craving them since June! Surely, the fair would have boiled peanuts, right?! No. No boiled peanuts at the fair, on the side of the road, at the local convenient store, or anywhere for that matter. I am shocked, so I guess I'll be making my own boiled peanuts this year...

Our Week + Matt's Bruschetta

It's been a slow week here at the Stevens' household. Luckily, Matt has been on 'holiday' duty. It has been awesome to have him home almost every night. I think I'm spoiled... He made dinner for us, did some laundry, and was pretty much the awesome husband I already knew he was... ;) Also, those bar stools I mentioned last Friday, well, they arrived! I am so happy with them. I was a little worried they might be too short, since we have such a high counter; but they are just right!



The bar stools from World Market!


Those of you who know me well, know that I try to stick to a vegetarian diet with little dairy in the mix (let's not get too crazy and say I don't EVER eat meat or cheese i.e. the ooey gooey mozzarella below). I'm always searching for something new to make, and this recipe from Clean, Green, Simple definitely added some variety to the mix! It's called buffalo cauliflower, and it turned out great!


buffalo cauliflower


I also wanted to share Matt's recipe for his take on bruschetta. It was amazing, and not to mention, it was super simple and quick!


the cute chef ;)



Matt's Bruschetta

1/2 loaf of Sourdough bread

2 medium tomatoes

About a handful of fresh basil (torn)

Mozzarella Cheese

Olive Oil

Balsamic

Salt & Pepper

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

 

1. Slice bread into 1/2" slices and place on a baking sheet.

2. Drizzle sliced bread with olive oil.

3. Slice tomatoes and divide evenly among the bread.

4. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.

5. Place basil on top of tomatoes.

6. Top with mozzarella.

7. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes.



dinner is served

 

 

Be sure to let me know if you try out the recipe! I'm telling you it's a keeper, especially for those nights when you really don't feel like cooking. You can whip it up in no time. :)

 

 

 

 

Happy Weekend!

What2Wear Wednesday

I love a blazer...

...and a maxi dress

enjoy.

Photo Cred: Heather Beasley Bow + Arrow Photography
Blazer: Borrowed from my sister ;) Similar here, Dress: Lush- similar here, Shoes: Target (last season),
Necklace: Forever21, Earrings & Watch: Kohl's

Please feel free to pin away & don't forget to follow me!

The Good, The Bad, & The Awesome

A recap of last week with Instagram and the good, the bad, and the just plain awesome!

The Good

. Buying a new TV (it’s a big one…)
. Cute little Flip butt poking out of the covers

. Discovering new online shopping sites like Uncovet

. Making awkward faces to see baby smiles and laughter

. Stalking a bench at Marshall's for over a month, and it finally going on Clearance…

. Starting Christmas shopping early...Oh yes, I most certainly have.

. Pictures of husband in uniform ;)

 

 

The Bad

. When no one listens to you at Trivia although you were right

. Waiting in line 30 minutes at the Commissary, because you have 5 more items than allowed in order to use to the “Express” lane

. Husband loses debit card

. Husband doesn’t seem to care debit card is missing…

. The bar stools I ordered still haven’t arrived even though I keep checking the shipment process and they were supposed to arrive like forever ago...

. Returning library books 2 minutes late...grr!

 

 

The AWESOME

. The TV is mounted on the wall!! (Yes, I might be a little too excited about this)
. Cute mugs from friends asking Matt to be a groomsman in their wedding!!

. Making ridiculously good panang curry with sweet potatoes

. Launch is back every Sunday evening

. Three day weekends

. Running over three miles without walking!

. New TV premieres…I can’t wait to watch Revolution tonight.

. The arrival of fall-like weather

"And may the odds be ever in your favor."

As I mentioned in my Monday post, this past Sunday was our church's youth fall kickoff event. Matt and I began volunteering with the youth soon after we moved to Maryland. We've had a blast getting to know the kids and making great friends with other youth leaders. Matt and I were tasked with the adventure to host the first annual "Southpoint Student Ministries Hunger Games" where only the silliest, craziest, and frankly the hungriest survive! 

Matt and I dressed in our best Haymitch and Effie attire, and I donned my finest British accent. We divided the youth into districts 9, 10, 11, & 12. 



Let the games begin...
'Cinna'mon Toast Crunch Easting Contest: We gave one student from each district (boys first round, girls second round) a cup of cinnamon toast crunch (no milk). Whoever ate it the fastest won!

Next...
Peeta Flip: Two students from each district put swim flippers on their feet. Then they put pita bread on the flipper, flipped it up in the air, and without using their hands, tried to toss it through a fellow district member's arms. Unfortunately no pictures... 



We ended with a group game...
Arena Style Paper, Rock, Scissors...except we did Sword, Bow, Beast: Sword beats beast, beast beats bow, bow beats sword. Teams met in the middle of the "arena," counted down, and did their chosen motion. Whoever lost ran back to their side while they were chased by the winning district. Whoever was tagged on the losing team had to join the winning district.

It was an awesome time! Matt and I are both looking forward to a new year with the youth! I can only imagine what great things God has in store for not only the kids, but for Matt and me.

What2Wear Wednesday

A Summer Look with Fall Ambitions



I wore this over Labor Day weekend, and I am just now getting around to posting it. I know, I know it’s kind of chilly (well, at least for my fellow Marylanders); I had to turn on the heat while driving to work this morning... But this outfit is just too fabulous to overlook! Plus, I’m sure there are still a few scorchers out there just waiting to send one last “punch” before fall truly arrives.

If you really like the look, but thinking it’s too cold to wear…by adding a few more items, the outfit is ready for those chilly days ahead. Try some opaque tights, booties, and a leather blazer. You’ve now successfully gone from the dog days of summer to the brisk mornings of autumn. Easy peasy, right?!

Photo Cred: Heather Beasley Bow + Arrow Photography
Blouse & Necklace: Forever21, Shorts: Found at a resale boutique in Wilmington, NC,
Shoes (bought last spring): Jessica Simpson, Watch: Kohls, Bracelet: a gift from Daily Chic

Feast your eyes on these lovely finds…

Leather Blazer from Lulus



Tights from Free People

Vince Camuto Bootie from Nordstom

So, maybe you've got a cute summer outfit that's just dying to be worn this fall. Get creative and add some accessories to make it a fall-worthy look!

"Can I take your trash?"

We had yet another fabulous weekend. I am so happy that Matt and I had the opportunity to spend some time with Sarah and her boyfriend, Alex. Sarah and I were able to pick up right where we left off when we last saw each other. It’s really great knowing I have friends like Sarah. No matter the distance between us, we will always share a special bond that only grows stronger as time passes. They didn’t arrive until late Friday evening which was perfectly fine with me, because our apartment needed a thorough cleaning. Sure, you can call me anal.… Matt knows just how OCD I can be about particular things, i.e. the dishwasher, how to fold towels, and how to make our bed (just to name a few… wink, wink).


I also made "dump" cake while waiting for Sarah & Alex
to arrive!

On Saturday we left Lexington Park around 11:30 a.m. to head to the Nationals game in D.C. We were all impressed, especially with our lunch! Since we didn’t have an opportunity to eat before the game, we decided we would just settle for vendor food. Although, we didn’t have to settle at all! They have a restaurant out in center field called Red Porch. We were all surprised at how affordable the menu was and how delicious everything tasted, not to mention we were seated in center field with an excellent view of the game.

 

The game was rain delayed in the 9^th inning, so we didn’t get to see the end of the game. Instead we bought $5 ponchos and made a mad dash for the metro. I think that was the best $5 we spent the entire night. Until that awkward moment later in the evening when Sarah is holding the ponchos and a waiter asks her if she would like him to throw out her trash… classy.

 

We made it back home that night by 10:30 p.m., but we were all so exhausted that we passed out almost immediately after walking through the door. I think we all caught a glimpse of the grumpy, tired Matt. He’s a completely different person. It’s scary and funny all at the same time.

We spent Sunday morning at church. Afterwards made a quick stop by a local farmer’s market and ate lunch at Blue Wind. Sarah and Alex left shortly after lunch. It was sad to see them go, but we had such a great time together.

 

Sarah, I can’t wait until your next visit. J

 

On a side note, Matt and I had an eventful Sunday evening with all the Southpoint Church students at Launch, but I think I’ll save that for later. It deserves its own post!