In Bloom

Every Spring, I hold my breath and wait for our peony bushes to bloom. They run basically the whole length of our sidewalk and they are so beautiful. Unfortunately, this year it seems they're literally all blooming at once which means that in a week or so, they'll all be gone. But for now, I'll enjoy every square inch of them.

We also have these terrible weeds that grow up, in between the peony bushes every year. They're sticky and pretty much the worst to try to remove. I wish I knew how to prevent them from ever coming back. 

"Ma, this picture would look cute and all, but I need to get up and run towards the swingset..."

 Yesterday morning I went to open up the windows to let some fresh air in before the heat took over and was greeted by this rose bush explosion. Love, love, love me some peach roses and I am SO happy that we have this giant bush to call our own and I'll be sad to leave it whenever we move.

Seriously, my most favorite flowers. Wish you could smell them! ;) Also: Peyton calls peonies, "panties" and it. Is. Hilarious.

Rhett and the Peonies from Sara on Vimeo.

xo,

Sara

Carrot Cake Poke Cake {SPD}



I made this cake for Easter this year. Let me tell you, it was SO good!
{#pinterestdoesitagain}

I actually forgot until about 10pm on Saturday night that I was supposed to make this baby and let it sit overnight. Oops.

So, I ended up staying awake wayyy past my bedtime to create this masterpiece...

but oooh boy was it worth it!





Isn't she a beaut?!

Original recipe found here.

 

Ingredients:



The 9x13 Carrot Cake recipe of your choice, baked and cooled {I used a box mix}

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

8 oz Cool Whip

10.6 oz Cool Whip Vanilla Frosting {Cream Cheese flavor if your store carries it, mine didn't}

6 oz (half a tub) of whipped cream cheese (must be whipped)

Approx. 1/2 cup caramel sundae sauce {I forgot this at the store, so I perused Pinterest really quick and came

across this recipe. Luckily, I had all of the ingredients, so I mixed that up really quick.} 

Approx. 1 cup chopped pecans {sprinkle on as much or as little as you'd like}

Directions:
 

1. Leave the cake in the dish it was baked in -- this is not a free standing cake. {Notice: I baked my cake in a smaller glass 9x13 dish and it ended up being too small and so I transferred it -after it was cool- to the larger red dish you see in the picture.}

2. Poke approximately 20-25 holes {I just poked 'til my heart was content}, spread evenly, over the top of the cake with the bottom of wooden spoon.
3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over top, trying to fill the holes as much as possible.

4. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the cool whip, the cool whip frosting, and the whipped cream cheese until smooth. Spread over top of the cake.

5. Pour the caramel sauce over top of the cake, and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, really overnight is best. {overnight is definately best}

7. Cut into whatever size piece your tummy desires and enjoy!

 

 

Linking up with Ms. Stephanie today:

 

 

 



Easter {a belated post}

Remember how back when I started this blogging venture I said that I knew that I would be lacking time to be consistent with posts?

 

Well... here's a few snapshots from out Easter Sunday {only about 9 days late}.

-In my defense, that was a VERY busy weekend for us, given the fact that we also celebrated Peyton's birthday within that same 2-day time slot.-

 

opening her Easter basket. balloons were leftovers from the party the day before.
ps- this girl would probably never wear pants if she didn't have to. goob.

After opening her Easter basket {at a ridiculously early time of 7:30am} and my 3 hour nap {I told you it was an exhausting weekend} we headed down to my Grammy's house for some delicious Easter dinner.

 



yes, Pey & I matched our outfits on purpose :)

 

While we were there:  Peyton played with my Mom and Aunt Carly's old doll house; she hammed it up with those bunny ears; and for dessert we had Grammy's famous apple pie, my first attempt at an Overnight Carrot Cake {recipe to soon follow}, and Carmen's chocolate ice cream milkshakes. YUM!

 

 

It was the perfect way to relax and enjoy time together as a family after our busy Saturday.

 

 

Although Easter Sunday wasn't the warmest Easter we've had, I still can't believe how this week the weather has gone from chilly to oh-my-gosh-I'm-roasting! It's like we're bypassing "spring" weather altogether. But hey, I'm as ready for the warmth as the next person. Plus, with temps above fah-reezing, that means we get to do this more often:

 

{enjoying time together with my little one while out of the deck}

 

*sigh*

life is good.

 

 

c'mon spring!

"Snow, snow go away

come again another day

No! Just go away...

& you are not welcome back!"

{Until next winter, anyways.}

 

 

But seriously, it's supposed to be SPRING for crying out loud! I am so tired of the weatherman telling us:

 

 

"Oh haaaay, we're gonna have about 5-6 / 10-12 / whatever-range-they-decide-sounds-good inches of that fluffy white stuff falling from the sky tonight/tomorrow/but-really-never."

 

 

Only to be continuously disappointed {errrrvry time, folks!} with the actual happenings. At least we got some snow this time that started out as actual snow and then gradually turned into just freezing rain, rather than just being miserable slush from the get-go.

 

 

source

  

IF WE MUST KEEP HAVING THESE YUCKY SNOW STORMS - I repeat "IF" - I would seriously love it if we could just have one {just one} big, HUGE, 3-ft-deep blanket of snow show up in the middle of the night one night and therefore make everyone take one wonderful, amazing, let's have hot chocolate {with marshmallows, of course!} after sledding all day kind of snow days. And then be done with it all and finally move on to spring?

 

 

Please? Is that too much to ask for, Mama Nature? This chickadee is t.i.r.e.d. of slush. It's either one big storm, or full-blown spring. Take your pick and stick with it!