9.21.2012

Fun Friday Fav's!

Short and sweet today... just a few of my favorites!



This fabulous necklace from Luulla.


Word Art. {Of any kind really} Above is one I made for some good friends of ours.
Jack & Jilly designs also has some great pieces. 



Lace and Mason Jars. 
{I wish I could give photo credit here, but couldn't find the source}



Chevron, especially in orange {hello game day}



Beautiful Custom Vases. 

9.18.2012

Mango Tango 2012

Mangofest 2012

Our annual girls' trip was this past weekend - what a perfect getaway with the gals!  We ate a lot, drank a lot more and laid in the sun for three beautiful days. It was amazing an I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Time with these girls reminds me how lucky we are to have each other!  
Love you MANGOS!



Mango 2012 was a perfect example! 















Until next year.... xo, Trace

9.12.2012

Bloody Mary Bar

This weekend was our annual wine festival and brunch here in Lexington, and I just wanted to share a fun addition to the party.  We had a bloody mary bar to jump start the morning and it was a hit!  I printed and framed a fun instruction sheet below for those who were not so familiar to the bloody mary drink.  We also served them in mason jars with lots of fixins's!



Bloody Mary Bar

1.         Fill your cup with ice
2.         Add 2 oz. Vodka
3.         Top ice with your spices & sauces - Feel free to get creative here…you can “Slap your mama” or “Punch your daddy” and don’t forget the hot sauce!
4.         Squeeze a lemon & lime on top
5.         Add 3 oz. bloody mary mix
6.         Shake Well!
7.         Garnish with celery, olives, pickles and more lemons & limes!
8.         Enjoy!! 










9.06.2012

Pete's Picks of the Week


Merona® Mali Tassel Flats - sale priced for $13.99 at Target! 


 

Cupcake Red Velvet Wine - just amazing.  

We polished off the entire bottle last night with J's homemade turkey spaghetti! 





Great napkins!!  

What could possibly be more fitting for the wine festival this weekend? 



Silk polka-dot blouse - Old Navy $26.99 





An adorable tailgating platter - $38 from the gifting spot 

Just in time for football season!






Black Suade Wedges from Payless - $26.99 and worth every penny. Adorable!










Bubble Necklace - $14.99 in teal!






I did lots of fun shopping this week - only a few of which I posted above.  

Let's just say thanks end of year bonus.. that finally got put to use! 







9.04.2012

Cajun Fried Labor Day

I hope everyone had a Happy Labor Day weekend!!  It goes without saying that Labor Day is always one of the best holidays... and so many of my fondest childhood {and college} memories were spent on the water soaking up one last long weekend of sun before school {and sports} were really in full swing. This was one of the first Labor Days that I can recall being spent on the coast... with my feet in the sand and a frosty bev in my hand!  So, the hubs made up for it by taking me to spend the day at the river.  We slept in {bonus points} and then packed a picnic and heading up to the Maury Shore. :)

When we first arrived - the day looked to be something like this...



So, we explored instead and found this fun waterfall!

...and after the rain cleared, it was sunny skies all afternoon.  The perfect day on the river! That evening we topped off the weekend with a good ole fashioned Cajun fish fry. My dad has made the recipe for as long as I can remember, so it's kinda a family tradition. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

The guys soaking up some sun while we prepped for dinner. 


Cajun Fried Catfish... a true southern favorite!


Makes 6 servings

3-4 lbs catfish fillets
1 cup yellow mustard
1 cup Louisiana hot sauce
3 cups white flour
Tony Chachere's seasoning
Black pepper1 gallon vegetable oil (any kind will do)
1 large black iron pot for frying 

Place the mustard in one bowl and the hot sauce in a separate bowl. Place the flour in a larger bowl and add about 2-3 tablespoons of Tony's seasoning and a good amount of pepper to the flour. Mix well.

Take the catfish and dip into the hot sauce first, then the mustard. Make sure it is completely covered with one, then the other.  Next take the catfish and put it into the flour mixture, make sure you coat it very well, then lay it out on wax paper. After you've done this with all of the fish, sprinkle the fish with Tony's (optional).

Heat the oil in your black iron skillet, to 350 degrees (do not get any hotter) slowly add fish and fry until golden brown. The fish will float when done. Do not put more than 4-5 pieces in at one time. Take out and place on pan lined with brown paper bag or paper towels. You may want to sprinkle with Tony's again. 



....and don't forget the cole-slaw, hushpuppies and french fries.  Happy Labor Day folks!