Week/Weekend Favorites

- This past week was off to a good start with the Easter basket or I should say Easter cooler my mother gave me for Easter! -

- Enjoying a mid week pizza date with Jay at Old Venice -

- Thursday started off amazing because it was the Aspen Bay tent sale. Of course I went a little overboard as jay would say but I think it was perfectly fine! -

- The weekend began Thursday night when I hosted a Double Birthday Party Fiesta at my house. Don't worry there will be more about this later this week! -

 

Honorable Mentions:

- Cooking out Friday night with friends -

- Getting to go layout Saturday and finally get a little sun -

- This weekend ended with Jay and I going to see "The Other Woman" on Sunday -

Lots of Love,  Natalie

DPM Fragrance

Ladies and gentlemen, it is that time of year again! You have heard me talk about the lovely and eclectic store, located here in Starkville, know as Aspen Bay. Well, twice a year they hold a tent sale here in Starkville, MS at the warehouse where they are hand poured. This is basically like Christmas for anyone who loves their candles. I fell in love and became addicted to them after moving here for college, so I always make it a point to stock up because I am rarely not burning one. Plus, they make great gifts. Just wait because the best part of all is that you can usually get 3 for the price of one. I mean who doesn't love a great deal especially on some heavenly smelling candles?

If you don't think you are familiar with these candles then you have probably never noticed them in these retailers Anthropologie, Francesca's, and Nordstrom. The next time you walk in there I bet you will notice the wonderful aroma of Volcano. Volcano is one of their most popular scents and I truly hope that they never discontinue it. It may be an oldie but its a goodie for sure! Now you know what I will be doing tomorrow!

 

Lots of Love, Natalie

Lemon Icebox Pie

Growing up in the South Lemon Icebox Pie is a staple to every family cookbook. Each family seems to have their own recipe for this but in general they are all fairly similar. This past week I decided to attempt to make my family's recipe for this pie. I am glad I finally tried it because it turned out amazing and was a wonderful Easter dessert. I feel that Lemon Icebox Pie is the perfect spring and summer dessert because it tasty so refreshing and cool on a hot day. By now if you are craving a little Southern comfort below is my family recipe for it! See you tomorrow for a post about one of my favorite days of the year!

Family Recipe Lemon Icebox Pie:

 

Ingredients:

14-16 graham cracker crumbs

6 tbsp. melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (usually about 7-9 lemons)

2 14oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

8 large egg yolks

Cool Whip (however much you want to top it with)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease pie pan.

3. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.

4. Press graham cracker mixture into the bottom and up the side of a 9 inch pie pan to form the crust.

5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk.

6. In a large mixing bowl, beat the lemon zest and egg yolks on high until pale in color.

7. Add sweetened condensed milk mixture to egg mixture and beat until smooth.

8. Pour filling into the pie crust.

9. Bake the pie for about 25 minutes. You want the edges to be set and the center to still jiggle slightly.

10. Cool for about an hour, then refrigerate or freeze for at least 4 hours, just depending on preference.

11. The pie should be good for about a week.

12. Enjoy!

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

 

 

Pleased to meet you

I was very pleased to receive my Birchbox this month. Of course I always look forward to it every month but this month it came with a bonus! I have really enjoyed the deep purple eye liner because I was considering trying out this color and now I have fallen in love. This month's box was themed rainy days and we have definitely had our fair share of those this month in Mississippi. Those rainy days have given me a little more time inside to try out all these goodies. See you tomorrow with another sweet treat recipe!

 

1. Number 4 High Performance Hair Care - Clarifying Shampoo

2. Sumitas - Color Contrast Eyeliner in Jamun (Deep Purple)

3. Color Club - Gala's Gems Collection in Heirloom Pearls

4. KIND Snacks - Healthy Grains Bar in Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt

5. Harvey Prince - Yogini

6. (Bonus) Number 4 High Performance Hair Care - The Reconstructing Masque

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I knew it has been awhile but with my last semester of college drawing to an end things have gotten very busy. Thank you for still checking in and I promise after graduation I will have plenty of time but until then things might continue to be a little spotty. Anyway I had a little free time this past weekend and I decided  I wanted to do a little baking. I found this recipe on Just A Taste. If you are like me and enjoy salty and sweet then this recipe is perfect for you!

Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars:

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, divided
1 cup crushed salted pretzels, divided
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

 

Directions:

1 .Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over two sides. Coat the paper with cooking spray.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the melted butter with the sugar and light brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

4. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the flour and salt just until incorporated. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips and 1/2 a cup of the crushed pretzels.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of crushed pretzels on top, pressing them lightly into the batter.

6. Bake for about 30 until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. While the cookie bars are baking, melt the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in the microwave.

7. Remove the cookie bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan then remove the cookies using the parchment paper overhang. Drizzle the cookie bars with the melted chocolate and allow them to cool until the chocolate hardens.

8. Cut the cookie bars into 16 squares and serve.

The original recipe can be found here. I topped mine with a little vanilla ice cream to finish off the recipe!

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Lets get personal

I figured I would do a post to let you get to know me a little better. Some of these facts you probably already knew from the content that I post on here but some might seem weird or might be completely new to you. I would be interested to hear if any of these facts are true for you too. See you tomorrow!

 

Lots of Love, Natalie

Weekly Favorites

- This week was filled with beautiful blooms thanks to the warmer weather! -

- Finally having a little more free time this week to catch up on my blogging and Pinterest. -

- Doing a little shopping at Aspen Bay. This is my favorite store in Starkville! Even if I don't buy anything I love to visit to see all the creative ways they decorate the store. -

- Getting around to working on my gallery wall that I hope to have up after this weekend! -

- Hopefully the weather will be nice and the rain will hold off so I can attend the Micro-fest in the Cotton District. -

 

Lots of Love, Natalie

The Beauty of Spring

Now that the weather is finally getting warmer it is time to update my Beauty regimen accordingly. Spring always means more time outside which means I will need to protect my skin against the harsh UV rays. I am using Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15. I love this product because it is two in one; it moisturizes while protecting. I have also started using Neutrogena naturals fresh cleansing + makeup remover. This product is wonderful because it has a very light and natural cleanser that also helps to soften and refresh your skin. At night I am applying Boscia Tsubaki Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask. Yes, you read that correctly sleeping mask and it is amazing because all you do is massage it onto your face at night and it goes to work while you sleep. Lastly, I am treating my locks with Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil. The sun really does a number on my hair in the Spring and Summer months so I am testing out this oil to hopefully battle the damage. I would love to hear what products you are using and why. See you tomorrow!

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Old House Depot

This past weekend I decided I would do a little exploring/rediscovering my hometown of Jackson, Ms. I figured this would be a great idea since I will be moving back there after I graduate from MSU in May! I was thrilled to find Old House Depot hidden across from the fairgrounds in downtown Jackson. It was like finding a diamond in the ruff simply because I didn't know that we had a salvage yard like this in Jackson. There were so many interesting pieces inside that could lend themselves to the renovation of a home or just a weekend DIY project. I know I will be visiting Old House Depot many more times once I move back. With that being said if you are looking for old doors, shutter, mantels, glass doorknobs, or old piece of lumber this is the place for you!   

 

 

Lots of Love,  Natalie

Weekend Favorites

- Finishing up the week and starting the weekend with an AMPED class before heading home to Jackson -

 

- Jay's SAE Dodge ball team winning their tournament for charity -

 

- Enjoying a tasty lunch with Jay at The Beagle Bagel Café back home in Jackson, Ms. -

 

- Jay and I spent the day Saturday doing a little shopping and exploring all over our hometown of Jackson! The weather was absolutely perfect for exploring. I always love the bright colors in Fondren.  -

 

- Discovering the amazing Old House Depot in downtown Jackson after hearing about it in DesignSponge article here. It will be the feature in tomorrow's post so be sure to check it out -

 

Lots of Love, Natalie