Inspiration

I love finding quotes in the "Quotes" tab on Pinterest. They are even better when they match my blog theme.

Remember these words, friend.♥

Hearty Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I fell in love with this soup last night! It is the ultimate cold weather-warm your insides kinda meal! The garlic bread complimented the soup nicely... made me feel like I was at Olive Garden eating their chicken gnocchi soup!

Hearty Chicken Gnocchi Soup

*Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups fat free half-and-half

1 cup lowfat milk

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

16 ounce package gnocchi

1-2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken breasts

1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (left this out)

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the chopped onion, carrots and thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent and carrots are slightly tender, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking or stirring constantly, until the flour is lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the uncooked gnocchi and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should thicken up quite a bit while the gnocchi is cooking. Stir in the chicken and spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Step One:

add olive oil

Step Two:

add onions, carrots, and thyme

Step Three:

add garlic

Step Four:

whisk in flour

no photo

Step Five:

add half-and-half

Step Six:

add low fat milk and chicken broth 

Step Six:

bring to boil

Step Seven:

add gnocchi

Step Eight:

add chicken (and spinach*)

This soup seriously made it to my favorites list with the first spoonful! Don't skimp on the pepper at the end... makes it that much better!

Loving Lately: Leggings

I used to be the biggest hater of wearing leggings as pants. Maybe because they used to be poorly worn. But this season, Pinterest has TOTALLY changed my mind! I am totally Loving leggings Lately!

In my world, these looks are too perfect to be true! I hate wearing jeans. Maybe because I am in between two sizes, but having to sit in a desk for almost eight hours makes me want to trade in my American Eagle Original Boot jeans for Victoria Secret yoga pants!

These ladies look so put together in these ensembles! The last outfit is my favorite- I'm a sucker for plaid! 

Are you Loving something Lately? Well make a post and link up with Niki!

Reading Addict

I am beyond in love with reading. It is an obsession. My favorite part is discussing what I've read. I would love to recap on all the bored faces my boy friend has shot my way as I ramble on about a recent chapter. 

I am always looking for new books to read. If someone gives me a good testimonial on a book, I'll read is ASAP! 

Here are just a few of my favorite reads and why I love them dearly!

1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. - We literally just finished reading this novel in my Honors English ll class. It totally amazed me. The cultural enlightenment was one of my favorite parts. It opens your eyes to an otherwise "easy to hate" culture. The actions among the characters totally bewilder you. I didn't think it was possible for one character to posses two traits so different in comparison. But, it is amazing! The movie is also good. Never as good as the book, but it was cool to compare my visualizations to how those of movie producers!

2. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. - I am super good at predicting what will happen next. This book made a liar out of me. It is suspenseful in that way that you don't get bored, but you don't get confused. I'm not a sci-fi person at all but the mysterious vibes Sparks puts off in this novel are off the charts!

3. Something Borrowed by Emily Griffen. - So, so, so, so, so, sooo much better than the movie! Rachel's thoughts throughout the scheme of things are amazingly written. This is the ideal quick summer read! I cannot wait to read the sequel, Something Blue!

I recently started the book Chill Factor by Sandra Brown! Upon request for good reads, my English teacher brought me this and commented that she could not put it down! I am about at chapter five I believe and I'm totally addicted. The imagery is fabulous. I can't wait to read farther!

A few other favorites of mine are anything Nicholas Sparks (I've read them all), Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson (love him as well!)

What are your "must read" suggestions!? I'd LOVE to hear your responses!

Updates

I feel like I haven't been personal with you guys in a lonnng time! The hustle and bustle of getting back into school has shifted blogging from my every day priority to about the 5th priority. I know, terrible. 

Anyways, here are a few "FYI's" I feel you should know!

1. I recently went to the neurologist to continue the quest of finding out why I have daily headaches. No diagnosis, again. However, I am forbidden to drink coffee or diet sundrop. If you know me very well, you know I literally live off these two beverages. I basically cannot consume caffeine... what's left?

2. In my honors english class, we read the novel The Kite Runner. It is so amazing- hands down the best book I ever read. It puts those trashy-"summer reads" to shame. And the movie, great too! I highly recommend to read it!

3. Yesterday for Halloween I was a Toddler in Tiara... proud title-holder of "Little Miss 'Merica".... I was presh!

4. My boy friend, Tyler, got his license yesterday! I feel like just yesterday we were in 8th grade dreaming about this day. Now its here.. where has time gone?

5. I got a Lifeproof phone case! It is amazing. I will be getting it monogrammed. Shocker!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween friends! 

One of my favorite aspects of Halloween is pumpkin carving! Of course, I had to incorporate my monogramming obsession. 

How did you or your family decorate your pumpkin this year! Did you use a little inspiration from Pinterest? Or keep it old school with a scary face?

Coffee Pot Planter

My grandmother is known for her overly huge collection of junk. She will keep things knowing there's no way in heck she will ever use it again. The coffee pot, from the 80's I assume, is no exception. Mamaw had intentions of keeping it, knowing the maker that it went with was not even in existence. So with my crafting abilities, and her love of coffee and plants, I threw together a little ensemble to satisfy both her loves!

what you need:

Spray paint, tape of some sort, and an old coffee pot

*a pencil with an eraser + second color of spray paint if you want polka dots*

Begin by wrapping the brown part of the coffee pot with the tape (Scotch tape)

Shake up your spray paint and add a thing layer of paint, wait for it to dry, then repeat process until pot is evenly covered in paint.

Do not try to apply all the layers needed at once. The paint will drip and leave you in a huge mess. 

Once this is dry, you can apply a clear coat of spray paint for protection and extra shine if you wish. 

Or, you can add polka dots. I grabbed a Styrofoam plate, sprayed some spray paint, dipped my pencil eraser into the paint, and polka-dotted my pot!

Once your dots are done, make sure they are totally dry! After you are sure they are, add a clear coat of spray paint for extra protection and shine!

Then, remove your tape!

My grandmother LOVED the finished product. She then had me to do the same makeover to a small coffee mug to complete her new decoration.

She is going to use the coffee pot to display fresh flowers, and the mug to plant a small flower!