Sunday Social

Today's Sunday Social link up is all about being a kid. Wouldn't you like to be a kid again. Not a worry in the world. Sleeping 10+ hours a day. Being "forced" to go outside and play. Ahh...what a wonderful time. 

1. What do you miss most about being a kid?

Naps. Water balloon fights. Saturday morning cartoons. Summer vacation. 

Oh, the 90s...

2. Did you have a nickname growing up? What was it?

No nicknames for me. People just called me Lindsey. In college though, a lot of people just called me by my last name. It is a pretty cool last name, and I don't really want to change it when we get married...but that's another post for another time. 

Gosh, I was a weird kid.

3. What was your favorite thing to do at recess?

Four-square. I was definitely that girl that didn't mind getting dirty or sweaty. In sixth grade I remember playing basketball with some of the boys. I felt so cool.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

I really just wanted to do anything with sports. Either play them. Be a sports psychologist. A trainer. Even in college I toyed with the idea of going into sports marketing. Guess what. None of them panned out....yet!

If there is one thing I am not, it is a surfer.

5. What was your favorite toy?

Hmm....I loved my Light Bright and Legos. I also collected the toys from McDonald Happy Meals. I probably still have them around my mom's house somewhere.

I have all of these.

6. What is the funniest thing you did as a kid that your parents still remind you about?

The house I was born in was just feet away from the beach of Mission Bay in San Diego, so we spend a lot of time in the sand. Apparently I didn't like the sand so much. When I would crawl in it, I wouldn't to get my knees all sandy, so I would stick my butt straight up in the air, like I was doing a bear crawl. My mom loooooooves to remind me of that. 

I was so spoiled.

What were you like as a kid? 

Cheap Customized Save the Dates

I am so lucky to have had so many friends who have done the whole wedding planning thing already. They have such a great perspective to the whole process and are full of sound advice. One of my coworkers just got married earlier this year, so she is my go-to person when I have questions during the day. Her latest bit of advice was a pure gem.

You see, apparently there are vendors on Etsy.com that will create a customized save the date or invitation for you, send you the e-file for a small fee ($5 to $50), and then you can print it yourself either at home or at a print shop. What an easy and economical way to get a professionally designed invitation.

Told you it was a gem.

Once she told me about this, I had to do some digging on Etsy. Here are some of my favorite save the date designs:

Punch card save the dates by Quid Pro Queaux - $9

Printable Save the Date by River St Design - $15

Printable Save the Date card Monogram Design by buljag - $15

Vintage Retro Chalkboard Style Printable Save the Date by Party Monkey - $15

Printable Save the Date w/ Custom Photo by PetiteFamboiseNYC - $15

Printable Save the Date invitation by Kristinb2d - $13

Dip Dye Pocket Size Save the Date by mikiodesign - $15AUD

Tie the Know Save the Date by Angie Makes Websites - $15

Seriously, the options are endless. I was really looking forward to designing and making my own save the dates and invitations, but this option just seems too good to pass up!

What's your favorite design?

Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made this recipe last night and it turned out great! I have made other similar recipes for stuffed bell peppers before, but some were a little lacking in flavor. I think the secret to this one is the chipotle chili powder I picked up from Central Market this weekend (love that place) and the tomato paste. I choose to make this with ground turkey, but it can also be made with ground beef or even ground bison!

Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cilantro (dried or fresh)
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (add more if you like spicier food)
1 15 oz can black beans
1 6 oz can tomato paste
water
2 cups spinach, chopped
4 large bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
salt and pepper to taste
Cheese (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a pan over medium high heat, add oil, onion, and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes, add ground turkey, crumble with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink.

2. Once the turkey is fully cooked, add spices, beans, and tomato paste. This mixture will be pretty thick, so thin it out a bit with some water. I ended up refilling the entire tomato paste can and dumping it in.

3. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Meanwhile, prep the bell peppers by sprinkling the inside with salt and pepper.

4. Take the turkey mixture off the heat and add the spinach. Stir into the mixture until combined. Next spoon about a quarter of the mixture into each bell pepper. Sprinkle cheese on top if you wish, then place each bell pepper on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bell pepper is tender.

B said he wasn't hungry before I made these, but he ended up eating two. And trust me, these are a pretty sizable portion. He probably would have eaten 3 if I wasn't saving that one for lunch tomorrow. So I would say they got his seal of approval.

Enjoy!

What I'm Loving and Pinning Wednesday

 

I'm loving Dr. Jarts BB Cream. I have been hearing a lot about BB cream lately, but had no idea what it was. I got a trial in my latest Birchbox and I'm sold!

Via

I'm loving these tops from Sheinside.com. But the site makes me kinda nervous. Its a Chinese company, which is probably why it's so cheap. Anyone ever order anything from here?

Via

Via

Via

I'm loving that the fall TV season has started. Does that sound lame? It does, I know. Also, thank goodness for DVRs. Shows that have gotten our "season pass":

• How I Met Your Mother...umm...we finally get to meet the mother!
• The Office...obligatory because its the final season
• New Girl
• Go On...the new show with Matthew Perry...the pilot was good, so I'm giving it a shot.
• The New Normal...see above, but not the part about Matthew Perry
• Happy Endings...I hope this show is still on the air because it is one of B and I's favorites.
• Modern Family

 That's a lot of TV. What are your "season pass" shows?

I'm loving this video about how grad school is a scam. I guess I was one of the lucky ones that got a good return on my investment.

I'm loving all my pins from this week! There are a lot since I wasn't feeling well this weekend and spend a lot of time in bed with the iPad.

Love thees painted pumpkins.

Love these cookie cups. Must attempt to make.

Love these center pieces.

Love these shoes. Where do I get them?

Love this necklace. Perfect for Baylor games.

Love this fireplace decor.

Love this idea for a guest book.

Love these matte nude nails.

And these white sparkly nails.

Love this idea for escort cards. Perfect for a fall wedding.

Love the green jeans and boots.

Love these shoes for the wedding.

Love these football whoopie pies. Perfect for a tailgate/game watching party.

What have you been loving and pinning this week?

Wedding Dresses

It's funny how I thought I knew what type of dress would look good on me until I actually tried them on. I am definitely a pear shape (narrower waist, wider hips) so I thought the classic A-line dress would look best. But when I actually tried dresses on (and after I looked back on pictures of me in the dresses), turns out the "fit and flare" style might be the most flattering for my body type. Also, I learned that prefer dresses with straps, low or open backs, and anything with lace and chiffon.

After looking around the internet, here are some dresses with some or all of those details:

Carol Hannah Pemberley

Oddly, I love the high neck on this Carol Hannah dress. I believe is has a low back to off set the more modest front.

Custom David Peck

How gorgeous is the back of this dress? And the train? Stunning! Unfortunately for me, this is a custom dress designed specifically for this bride. Lucky girl!

Melissa Sweet

This dress is very similar to a dress that I have already tried on and loved. What I loved about that dress and this one is how light and airy it is.

Jenny Yoo Georgeanne

Even though this dress is A-Line and strapless, I just love how light it looks with the chiffon overlay.

Watters San Francisco

This was actually a dress that I tried on at the first bridal shop my mom and I went to. It was my least favorite of the ones I tried on that day but was one of my mom's favorite. When I looked back at pictures of this dress on, it was actually the most flattering. Maybe I should trust mom's opinion.

Hailey Paige

I just really love the skirt of this dress. It looks like a cloud.

Jim Hjelm

Open back, bow, lace. Be still my heart.

And as I write this, I am watching all the beautiful dresses at the Emmy's. As much fun as I had trying on wedding dresses, and as much fun as I am sure it is to wear your wedding dress all day, wouldn't it be fun to have a couple times a year to get all dolled up and get to wear amazing gowns? Where do I get that job without being an actress/singer/model?

Social Sunday

I'm linking up again today for another Social Sunday with Neely and Ashley. I really do enjoy reading people's responses. I wish I had time to read each and every one of the posts.

1. What is something you have wanted to do but are afraid of?

Hmm...this is a hard question. There are lots of things I want to do, but what is holding me back isn't really fear. It's more a question of resources. It's not like I want to go sky diving or anything. Yes, I would be afraid to go sky diving, but I also have absolutely no desire to do it.

 

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years I will be in my 30s. B and I will be close to celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary. Maybe (BIIIIIG maybe) we will be starting to think about kids. Hopefully by then we will have been able to cross off every continent except Antarctica on our "travel to" list. For the record, we both have South America, Asia, and Australia left. I fully expect both of us to be a couple steps up in our careers. But who really knows. It's amazing what time like that can bring. 5 years ago I was just graduating from undergrad and just starting my first job.

 

3. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2012?

Honestly, I am really looking forward to 2013. 2013 is going to be a crazy, hectic, exciting, and fulfilling year. 

 

4. What are your hopes for your blog?

I don't really know what my hopes are for this little blog of mine. There isn't really a long term plan other than to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully some people will get something from it. One of my bridesmaids thinks that I should do something like in Julia and Julia. Maybe I will find some classic baking cook book and try to recreate each recipe and blog about it. I think that would be kind of fun. I would also like to get a better camera so I can take better pictures. Not just for the blog, just in general.  

 

5. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city?

Absolutely not. I lived in one city for the first 18 years of my life and then in 3 in the past 6. I don't really know if there will be any city that will ever live up to San Diego I don't really see myself moving back any time soon. B moved around a lot as a kid, so moving just seems normal to him. I fully expect us to move around some as we get different job opportunities. And I will fully welcome those opportunities...not that I don't like Dallas...but I think living in different cities opens yourself up to different people, different lifestyles, and different perspectives. 

 

6. What is your morning routine?

Wake up. Work out (on a good day). Shower. Dress. Make up. Hair. Make breakfast. Drive to work. Check email. Eat breakfast.