"beignet, done that"

 

on our way coming back from destin, we realized we'd have an afternoon to kill in new orleans. and seeing as how none of us had been before, we thought it would be worth checking out. plus, i've always wanted to have a hurricane in the birthplace of its creation!

 

fortunately, we arrived saturday afternoon right as bourbon street got into full swing...

 

[i doubt people follow this just steps away from bourbon street]

 

[lovely musicians everywhere you looked]

 

from there, we ventured over to cafe du monde to eat to our hearts' content in beignets...

 

[so delicious, and, the more i think about it, i could go for an order right now]

 

after we left cafe du monde, we wandered back and stumbled onto a new orleans wedding parade. it was such a treat to see this in person and made me nearly jump in line to celebrate with them!

 

and the best part? we finally found waldo ;)

deja vu

 

as hurricane gabriella moved through the southern part of the gulf, it made for some seriously choppy waters for a couple of days. on one of those days, we decided to trek out to seaside. although it felt like a bit of deja vu from last year, we found new things to love in this sweet, small town.

 

like the rows of colorful beach cruisers everywhere you looked...

 

finding a tucked away bar with a great view...

 

pops of color everywhere you look...

 

a super friendly butterfly that landed on my finger!

 

trying out a new local spot with some of the greatest people...

 

this margherita pizza...

and this mint chocolate gelato. yum.

painting on la playa

 

while on holiday with my family, we had caught wind of a wine & palette-type class in destin and upon hearing it was held on the beach of the beach, we jumped at the chance to go. plus, it was such a treat to paint next to my mom, grandma and brother's girlfriend!

 

since we were out painting on a great beach day, we opted for margies...and with the amazing view, what more could a girl ask for?!

 

[all finished]

 

thanks destin, for giving us a dynamite wine & palette experience!

lately...

 

[taking in the extra sun rays]

 

hello, hello! T and i just got back from spending the past week in sunny destin, florida with my family and we had such a great time but, are now very happy to be back home. needless to say, our pups gave us an earful when we got back! while we get back into the swing of things, i wanted to give you a snapshot of what we were up to...

 

[T received a delicious present for his birthday]

 

[we walked to savor cool treats nearby]

 

[i fell in love repeatedly with this sea of beautiful blues]

 

[there were loads of hilarious conversations with my lovely family...as to be expected]

 

[we were taken to, by far, one of the best seafood dives i've ever been to. and i already miss it]

 

[a little sand crab came to visit]

 

[i started a hilarious new book]

 

[T and i shared a sweet, moonlit walk]

 

[my parents showed off their amazing kite flying skills]

 

[my darling fiancé and i feeling at home by the water]

 

[a yummy shrimp boil held on the beach at sunset]

the summer tart

 

fall is around the corner, which is awesome but, sad since it means that our long, sun-filled days are coming to an end. so, let's toast to our passing season!

 

this drink, i accidentally came up with. it happened just before we trekked out for the gentlemen of the road festival, and, T loved it so much that he thought we should make more for our friends to try. needless to say, it was an instant hit...perfectly light, refreshing, tart but, not too tart.

so let's get to it!

 

the summer tart

 

ingredients:

vodka

cranberry juice cocktail

key lime juice concentrate

frozen peaches

1 masor jar

 

directions:

1. pour 2-3 ounces of vodka in your mason jar.
2. next, pour the cranberry juice up to the "neck" of the jar (the point of the jar where the glass dips in)
3. splash in key lime juice (no more than 2 to 3 squirts of the bottle).
4. place a couple of frozen peaches in.
5. screw on the top of the jar, shake well, and enjoy!

so long summer!

in between

 

[taking a pause in these wide open spaces of my oklahoma]

 

since our engagement, things have been crazy busy (in a good way). but sometimes, it can get hard to take time to focus on the little things that make you smile. so in spirit of these little moments, i thought i would post a few photos of those events in between the big ones :)

 

[getting ready with the girls]

 

[tasting the best pancakes ever...sweet potato with marshmallow glaze]

 

[our first day of being engaged. i love him.]

 

[starting to plan]

 

[drinks before re-living past sorority days]

 

[first outting as an engaged couple]

 

[gorgeous morning run finds]

 

[finally perfecting a layered cake]

 

[one of my favorite family dinners]

 

[helping our sweet friends move]

 

[and thanks cook's illustrated, cod has never tasted so delicious]