A Couscous Recipe That's Quick and Easy and Oh So Tasty!

I've got a really simple couscous recipe that I thought was worthy of sharing with our readers. It's so easy, can be prepared in under 10 minutes, and is excellent served either warm or cold!

All you need are the following ingredients:

(Note I've doubled this recipe so it can be shared with friends, cut ingredients in half if serving 4 people or less.)

• 2 boxes of 'parmesan flavored' couscous (I like the Near East brand)
• About 15 - 20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Green onion, I dice the entire bunch
• 1 yellow pepper, diced

 

The Hostess Gift That Keeps on Growing!

Two years ago, I was given a lovely baby shower by some very dear friends of mine. I've been friends with most of these girls since high school, actually some of the friendships go back to our elementary days. Needless to say, we're all tight so when they offered to throw a shower for me, I knew I had to give them a hostess gift that would be special. I wanted to give them something unique, something that required a little thought and effort. Now, most days I doubt my creative abilities, but I must say I really love the idea I came up with and better yet, it was all mine. :)

So this is going to sound random, but I love succulents. You know, those plants that are water-retaining and do well in dry climates. The most common of them are aloe and agave but my favorite succulent would be the Hens and Chicks. I found this description of them on the website, About.com. The article was written by David Beaulieu who gives a much better description then I could...

Hens and chicks plants are mat-forming succulents that produce clusters of rosettes. The parent rosettes are the "hens," and the smaller rosettes that spring from them are the "chicks" or "chickens.

Love the vibrant green color of these Hens and Chicks.

A Vintage, Patriotic Ice Cream Social

Happy Friday, readers!  I hope that each of you are having a wonderful summer and enjoying time soaking up sun, fun, and time with family and friends.  We have been having a great - albeit very busy - summer 'round our parts.  However, never too busy to enjoy plenty of time at the pool! 

As some of you know, my son turned one earlier this season.  Like most parents, we are pinching ourselves and saying "where did the time go?"  (Not on the sleepless nights though... let's be real here).  We have enjoyed watching our little baby turn into a toddler... little boy?  (say it ain't so!)  In fact, we decided to have two parties to commemorate his turning the BIG ONE! 

Why I love Jess Kamm Photography!

Whenever I really love something I have to share that love here, and I LOVE Jess Kamm Photography! There are many great photographers in the Atlanta area, but one who stands out to me is Jess Kamm. She took some newborn shots of my daughter and each photo was perfection. Of course, I thought my little bundle looked like perfection 24/7, but capturing her all snugly and sleepy takes a lot of skill and even more patience.

Gone Fishin'....

We're on "summer vacation" right now ladies.... but we promise you'll hear back from us real soon! 

Hope you're enjoying whatever you're up to!

xoxo

Lindsay

An Update on iPods from Cohen

In May I wrote a post about a wonderful cause, iPods from Cohen, started by a mother by the name of Megan who tragically lost her first baby to Congenital Heart Defects. When Megan reflected on their time in the hospital, while doctors worked to save her little one, she remembered how helpful it was to have an iPhone. She thought everyone in her shoes should have access to a similar device, so she came up with the brilliant idea to donate iPods to the Hospital in her baby's name. This donation would give every parent a way to connect online, send email updates to family and friends, listen to music, and take pictures/video of their new baby. The iPod would also provide older siblings with some entertainment via gaming apps, making the entire family's time at the hospital a more comfortable one considering their ordeal.

A darn good (and darn easy) salsa "recipe"

Here I am, once again blogging days past our weekly blog release date (which is Friday, for those of you not in-the-Buncolator know).  Let me just confess that I have been on summer time for some time now (and in my world that's similar to what some call beach time, island time, or lake time). 

This picture is really just perfect, as I absolutely love flamingoes.  So happy and so pink.

A stove-top cover? What a fabulous idea! Plus a white wine spritzer that will knock your socks off!

Several days ago my sister had her first wedding shower which was given by some of my parents' very dear friends who went above and beyond to make her day a very special one! From the adorable bride and groom center piece to the delicious food, these women thoroughly outdid themselves and it was so appreciated. This same group of ladies even threw a shower for me when I was a bride-to-be. What can I say, we love these families and we're so grateful for all they've done for us over the years!

Oh Baby! Eggs and Nest Baby Shower

A few weeks ago Catherine and I (alongside some of our other best gals) threw a baby shower for our dear friend Emily.  Emily is a Southern doll with an eye for crafty details and a sentimental heart too.  As such, and this being her first baby, we wanted to throw in some special details to make the day memorable.  I had some eggs and birds' nests I had been dying to use for a party's decor, so we went with an egg and nest theme (perfect for an expectant mama, no)?  And praise be to God, as I write this Emily is enjoying week 3 with her new little girl.  Special times!

Check out pics from out fete below....

These gorgeous flowers are from Adam's Apples... you might remember me talking about them in this post.  This is a wonderful shop in Avondale Estates, GA that provides flowers, candies, specialty candied apples and other chocolate-covered treats, and balloons galore.  I just love them!

Neighborhood Block Party

A few of us in my neighborhood have been saying for years now that we wanted to get everyone together for a block party, but life keeps us busy so the idea always fell by the wayside. Well, this summer we decided to go for it so I called our police department and put in a request to close our street! Considering we get a lot of cut-through traffic the road closing really was a must... so glad my neighbor suggested the idea. There wasn't a cost involved in obtaining the permit either which was nice. Anyway, the process takes about 30 days to complete, so it only made sense to get that going first. After that was set into motion, I sent out an evite to all those I had addresses for and asked them to forward it on to others. This was to be an open invitation to all our neighbors, the more the merrier!