Friday Find: How Do We Feel About This?

It's been a while since I've browsed Etsy, unless you include my recent frenzied searching for party details as Mac's monkey-fest gets closer and closer.

I happened upon this cowl neckwarmer yesterday and am torn. Do I love it or am I just perplexed by it?

I love the cozy look of it, the autumn orange, the fact that it evokes fall in every way.

I love that it's part necklace, part scarf and part cowlneck sweater.

I'm not a fan of the flower, but I can't tell if it's attached or not.

Love the dramatic swoop, as if two dangling scarf end are flying behind you.

I love the handknit appearance; I can only imagine how this feels to the touch.

To be clear, I'm not in the market for any more orange neckwear - or purple, for that matter. Still, I can't make my mind up on this piece.

What do you think?

If You're Happy and You Know It...

Mac's Mimi taught him to "dance" a few weeks ago, and he's been rocking out every since. When his "Jesus Loves Me" bear sings, it's bouncing time. When I sing him some tunes from our Sunday School class, he starts breaking it down. Every now and then, he dances exclusively out of excitement - no music required.

I caught one such moment on camera and it makes me smile! Babies have a way of finding joy in the simplest things - in this case, the fact that Mac's dad came into the room and was waving at him.

(Please ignore my chatter at the end; I was trying to get Mac to squeeze all his party tricks into one video. Maybe I'll get pattycake and high fives another day!)

Hurting for a Haircut

Sporting a longer 'do in Tigertown last weekend.

Are you anything like me when it comes to haircuts? I go beyond the six week standard stylists recommend for trims. It probably doesn't do my 'do any favors, but it's hard for me to make it in that often!

It's been 10 weeks tomorrow since I got my big chop and my once-lovely layers are starting to look just plain shaggy.

It's funny how I'll cruise along for months then BAM - suddenly my hair is in a state of emergency. The moment I look in the mirror and decide it's time for a trim, I'm in crisis mode. "When oh when can I get my hair cut? This is a disaster!"

The situation goes from fine to a four-alarm fire in no time flat! Once I decide it's time for a trim, my hair gets the memo and ceases to cooperate in anyway. No amount of blowdrying, coaxing or fluffing can get it to look presentable. That's when you know you're hurting for a haircut.

So I'm checking my schedule and Bradley's to see when I can sneak away (without missing a tailgate or leaving Mac to fend for himself) for a long overdue trim.

I saw my stylist at a fundraising event two weeks ago and cringed a little at how it must have looked to her. I'm sure she'll be relieved to see my name on her books!

Does your hair go from "doable" to "disaster" in a hurry?

Saved by Southern Living

The very day after I asked for tailgate treat suggestions, Southern Living came to my rescue with 22 yummy-looking recipes sent right to my inbox. Ding! Just in the nick of time.

Y'all shared some delicious ideas via email, comments and Twitter, too. I'm excited to try Redneck Caviar and Buffalo Chicken Dip for our next tailgate spread. (This weekend's tailgate group will be a lot smaller, so our menu will be very low key.)

While I'm too picky to enjoy most of the recipes everyone suggested, I'm looking forward to having a few recipes under my belt for the rest of the football-loving crowd. (We can't all live off of chicken tenders, cookies and carrot sticks on such occasions!)

Even I can get on board for most of these game day goodies:

Chicken-Vegetable Stew

Confetti Pasta Salad

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Easy Snack Mix

Ham-Stuffed Biscuits with Mustard Butter

Lemony Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Menu Monday and Tailgate Treats

Falling off the meal planning bandwagon never goes well for me; we end up with a pantry full of food but no recipe-ready ingredients for a meal that sounds tasty.

So this week I'm hopping back into meal planning. My stomach (and B's, for sure) is excited to avoid last minute "scrambled eggs and grits" suppers. I love breakfast for dinner, but not three times a week - it's never as much fun out of necessity.

Monday: "Light" Chicken Pot Pie (I add tons of veggies and halve the creamy ingredients, but I still doubt this is considered "light.")

Tuesday: Apricot Pork Chops (Cooking Light)

Wednesday: Garlic Chicken (Cooking Light)

Thursday: Chicken Tacos with Rice

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Game Day! (read: tailgate food)

Sunday: Good Old Fashioned Roast and Potatoes (Crazy Sundays = Crockpot Recipes)

Imagine white chocolate outside and orange cake inside. Perfect for Tigertown!

I tried my first batch of cake balls this weekend, thanks to the advice of many of you on Twitter, as well as the Bakerella recipe. I'm hoping to serve some at Mac's first birthday party next month; I also plan to bring some as a sweet treat for our tailgating friends.


I'll load down a tailgate table with cookies and cakes but I'm a cheese hater and a notoriously picky eater, so many dips, sauces and other tailgates foods are lost on me. You'll find me snacking on chips sans salsa or grabbing vegetables from the tray without ranch. Plain's the name of the game.

That said, I'm at a loss when it comes to a traditional tailgate spread. A sweet friend is giving me a recipe for a yummy sausage dip that Bradley adores.

What other go-to recipes do you have for game days? Help a picky eater (or rather, her husband and friends) out!

Two Days 'Til Tigertown

My Gamecock friends may be living it up in Columbia tonight, but I'm counting down to something even better: game day in Death Valley!

Less than forty-eight hours and I'll be here:



I'm thankful for a Saturday game (Thursday nights just aren't the same) and a 3:30 kickoff. It'll still be warm, but noon games in early September can include more "glowing" than I care to do in a packed stadium.

Can't wait to celebrate college football with 82,000 of my closest friends.

When does college football start for you? Are you dusting off your tailgate gear and putting up your team flags?

Wordless Wednesday: A Teether in the Tub