oh, sweet joy!: May 2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

the beach

((chase & i taking the house tandem bike around the neighborhood last night. doesn't this look like a scene from now & then? haha))

Well, hello and Happy Memorial Day!

We are in Destin celebrating my in-law's 30th wedding anniversary and having so much fun soaking up the sun, enjoying family, and getting some relaxing in.

Here are some inspiring beach photos/scenes I found via pinterest & we heart it.

Enjoy!

Starfish are so cute!

A charming beach picnic. Yes, please!

How fun is this!?

Yowza.

Have a lovely holiday, friends.

love.

Friday, May 27, 2011

favorite things friday ((brought to you by the color green))

I've been so inspired by the green grass & trees that have finally started to be the center of attention here in Boulder. We've had lots of rain lately, and when the sun finally decides to come out, everything is SO green and gorgeous!

This week, I found a few things that are awesome & have one common factor: the color green.

1. NEW Crochet Toms. SO cool. I hope they come out with more color options of these summer must-haves!

2. Mint Cupcake Vintage Necklace from Lonkoosh on Etsy.

3. Diane von Furstenberg's "Reina" Dress available at Nordstrom

((what? I have expensive taste. sue me.))

4. Drawing Parallels Skirt from Anthropologie ((I have it in fuchsia!))

Another fun green find: Jade Rosette Necklace from one of my sponsors, LooLaBee Simplicity

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PS We're in Texas & my cousin gets married TODAY! Happy wedding day Kaylie & JR!

(( why am i always on your left side in photos? ;) ))

love.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

summer of pies: part two ((coconut cream pie))

There are a lot of things that Chase loves and some of those include:

((in no particular order))

the Lord

family

bbq

cinnamon

good chocolate

coconut

I told Chase that I think my next pie should be a coconut cream pie with a meringue on top.

His jaw dropped, he looked at me and said,

"That might be one of your greatest accomplishments in life, if you do."

I'm not sure what that says about my accomplishments, but I'll take the excitement.

I searched my trusty hometown cookbook and found a coconut pie recipe, from none other than my Memaw. Score.

I pretty much botched every step of making this pie, but the end result was an average looking, DELICIOUS pie. ((I should probably get out my thesaurus to stop using the word delicious.)) First, I forgot to poke holes in the pie crust, so it bubbled up. Then, I forgot to mix the coconut in the filling after I had cooked it. Therefore, I mixed it with the filling in the pie crust. ~~When life gives you coconuts, friends...you make a coconut pie. Write that down.~~

I also over-whipped the meringue, so it "weeped." Oh well!

This was my first meringue to try and I didn't exactly win, but didn't exactly fail either. There are many years ahead of perfecting that meringue ;)

Chase wasn't home, so here is my self portrait with the pie. Ha!

Ready for the recipe? Here ya go :)

Filling:
1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons of flour
1/4 tsp of salt
2 egg yolks ((save egg whites for meringue))
1 1/2 c. milk
1 cup sweetened coconut
vanilla

Mix cup of sugar with flour, salt, egg yolks and milk, cook until thick. Add vanilla. Stir in coconut. Pour into a baked pie shell and top with meringue.

Meringue:
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
4 Tablespoons of sugar

Beat 2 egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar until stiff. Spread on top of pie filling. Brown meringue in oven for 5 to 6 minutes at 350°

((Optional: Put some extra coconut on top of meringue before putting it into oven))

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Eat a giant piece. Feel good about it. Share with some friends. Feel even better about it.

Next challenge: making/rolling my own pie crust. Yikes.

love.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

it's the little things

Grab some coffee ((or tea, if you prefer)), take a seat next to me and let's chat about the little things in life that are making today sweet, shall we?

((photo credit))

Robins battling other birds for worms that have been "uprooted" and found stranded on the trail because of the rain last night.

Orange poppies blooming next to bright pink tulips.

A nice, cool four mile morning run and returning merely minutes before a downpour//thunderstorm.

Tired legs going 2 miles more than planned.

Runners on the trail that take themselves WAY too seriously.

Reflections in still ponds.

Swedish fish.

Spending the morning doing things for me.

Spending the afternoon doing things to bless others.

Starbucks tall drip with room for cream & two pumps of cinnamon dulce. :)

Coral toes.

Enjoying last piece of coconut cream pie I made last night. ((more on that soon to come))

Finishing a good book ((the help)) and already having another one all lined up & ready for our trip tomorrow ((water for elephants)).

Mac & Cheese for lunch.

Cashier at Target asking me as a greeting, "what's good?"

Knowing that tomorrow evening I'll be in Texas...hopefully enjoying some BBQ.

Having a week of NO work..just family, relaxation, a wedding, the beach, reading books & flipping through magazines, good food, and a jumpstart on my summer tan.

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So tell me, what's good?

love.

Monday, May 23, 2011

((guest post)) peanut butter cups: vegan recipe by dianapantz

hey everybody!

i'm diana and i run an etsy shop full of fun baby items, market totes, photos and hand-knit items.

i also blog over here. i post about daily life, being a bike commuter, vegan living and my journey as a crafter building a business from the bottom up.

im very nice, i love the library and i always bring my own bag to the store.

come over and be my friend!

today, i have one of my FAVORITE vegan treats to share with you.

[and for all of you dairy lovers ; keep reading! i promise you will LOVE these!!]

chocolate peanut butter cups :

[from the kind diet, by alicia silverstone]

you'll need :

1/2 cup vegan butter [LOVE earth balance]

3/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup graham crackers crumbs [about 10 cracker squares]

1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener [i used agave]

1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate chips [you can use semi-sweet, or dark chocolate if you have them on hand]

1/4 cup soy, rice or nut milk

1/4 cup chopped pecans, almonds or peanuts [optional]

to make :

* line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. set aside

* melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. stir in the peanut butter, cracker crumbs and maple sugar [or whatever sweetener you are using] and mix well. remove mixture from the heat. evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.

*combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. top with chopped nuts [optional]. place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours before ~~eating the whole pan~~ serving.

want to make them a tad healthier?

substitute 1/2 cup of applesauce for 1/2 cup butter.

these are soooo delish!

enjoy!

let me know if you have any questions!

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thanks Diana!

love.

Friday, May 20, 2011

favorite things friday ((guest post from andrea at four flights of fancy))

Hi Yellow Songbird readers, I'm Andrea from Four Flights of Fancy and I'm so glad Kim invited me to be a guest blogger for Favorite Things Friday.

With Spring in full force and Summer just around the corner, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite beauty products that are refreshing, fun and best of all, cheap! I find beauty products a great way to update a look without having to spend a ton of money, so i've always got my eyes peeled for a good deal on a fun new product.

Here's what I'm currently loving, all of which are under $10 actually except for the Vitamin C spray:

Because you can't get bright enough this season, two fantastically bright polishes in a rich pink and coral:

1. Essie Mod Squad Nail Polish

2. Essie Boat House Nail Polish

Brighten up your lips a bit with this classic Maybelline color:

3. Maybelline Coral Crush

For a healthy glow without being in the sun, and for a refreshing spray after you get out of the sun:

4. Jergens Natural Glow body lotion

5. The Body Shop Vitamin C Energizing Face Spritz

A fun way to moisturize your lips in cute pops of color that taste good too:

6. EOS Organic lip balm

And lastly, to help your house smell great while lounging around:

7. Bella Vanilla Amber Candle found at Target for $9.99

Thanks for having me Kim! I hope you have some fun with your beauty routine this season :)

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Thanks so much Andrea! Such a fun change up and a perfect favorites list to get our skin ready for summer time!

love.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

pie in the sky ((summer of pies, take one))

All the women in my family make beautiful, delicious, scrumptious, perfect pies...

Pecan Pie. Apple Pie. Chocolate Chip Pie. Chocolate Pie. Lemon Meringue Pie. You name it. They've baked it & made it look easy.

..and yet..

I've only been able to conquer cupcakes. Besides the pumpkin pie & a chicken pot pie, I haven't ever made a legit, southern, givemetwopiecesoratleastahugepieceanddon'tforgetthebluebell pie.

SO...I have officially declared this summer ((even though it's still spring)):

the summer of pies.

First up: Mrs. Hansen's Apple Pie.

((Mrs. Hansen was my dad's college roommate's mother))

6 apples, peeled & sliced ((I used Granny Smith))

4 T. flour

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon ((i upped it to a Tablespoon it because Chaser looooves his cinnamon))

1/2 stick margarine ((psh. butter, please))

Double pie crust

Combine flour, sugars & cinnamon. Mix with apples.

Pour on top of unbaked pie crust. Slice butter & place on top of apples. Place top crust on pie ((I cut mine into strips, brushed it with "egg wash" and sprinkled some sugar to make it pretty)). Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400°.

Just look at that bubbly, gooey, buttery goodness!

I'll go ahead and say that I passed this first pie test with flying colors. I'm sure I'll be humbled when I try my first meringue.

So, with all of that said...get excited for some scrumptious pie recipes, inevitably some kitchen mishaps, and some mouthwatering photos. The goal is to make one every other weekend, ((for my thighs' sake, not every week)) throughout the summer. So won't you come along during this journey of learning the ins & outs of this old fashioned southern delicacy? It almost feels like a rite of passage, y'all. I'm excited! And maybe if you're lucky, you'll get some better quality photos vs. ones taken on my iphone. Doubt it ;)

Look out, Paula Deen. I've got butter in my 'fridge and I ((kind of)) know how to use it.

love.

**a trick i learned: all of our brown sugar was rock hard...so i cut a chunk off using a knife, put it in a bowl, microwaved it for 10 second increments until it was soft again**

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

sponsor highlight + giveaway: three leaves toys, rusted chain, maddy n bella

The winners of last week's giveaways are:

Just Lovely Things:

Rouge & Whimsy:

Winners, email me and I will get your information sent along to the shop owners!

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Again, we have THREE sponsors to highlight today with some incredible giveaways to go alongside them! There will be FOUR WINNERS OF TODAY'S GIVEAWAYS! That said, get pumped! :)

First up, we've got The Rusted Chain. Beki sells gorgeous hand stamped jewelry that is personal, inspiring, and beautiful. Beki has been making jewelry since 2003 and it is evident in her design and quality. Just look at these beauties!

I will take one of each, please and thank you :) Beki is INCREDIBLY generous and is giving away not one, but TWO $25 gift certificates to The Rusted Chain! I'm 100% jealous.

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Next up, we have maddynbella. Courtney is the designer behind this collection and is such a sweet and talented soul. I love her whimsical pieces and how she brings together simple and intricate design.

Courtney is not only giving away one of these gorgeous bracelets ((winner chooses color)), but is also offering every one of you readers a 15% discount off your order with the code: HAPPY

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Last, but certainly not least, I'm exciting to tell you about a local company, three leaves toys! Based out of Denver, three leaves toys, makes organic wooden teething toys for your little ones. They make such fun designs that are adorable and you don't have to worry about toxins going into your little one's system...these teething toys are natural & handmade! What a wonderful combination :)

This husband & wife duo are offering the chance to win a $25 gift certificate to their shop! Furthermore, use code OHSWEET16 to get 16% off your purchase. FUN!

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Here's how you enter ALL three of the giveaways. Only 2 entries per person, please :)

1. Visit these shops & let me know what is catching your eye in at least one of their shops.

Here are the links again for easy browsing

Three Leaves Toys * The Rusted Chain * MaddynBella

2. Tweet, facebook, or blog about this giveaway. Feel free to use this:

BALLER giveaway from @therustedchain, @maddynbella, & three leaves toys (@anewhistory) on @ohsweetjoy's blog! http://tinyurl.com/2ddk985

love.

happy birthday, kelleybellybaxley

Happy birthday to the most fun gal I know.

I love you, Kelley! I wish, more than anything, that I could come to Austin and celebrate with you!

((one of the ONLY serious photos I could find))

I have a million ridiculous photos to choose from, which I'm so thankful for.
These made the final cut.

love.

what i wore wednesday ((via polyvore))

It is straight up YUCKY outside, but I've made the most of today regardless. I put on this sunny little skirt ((who cares that I wore it to work last night also)) and have spent the day cleaning the house, reading in a coffee shop sipping a mocha, and snuggling in our comfy chair reading the Help. Since it's so rainy outside and isn't exactly photo-opp weather...I thought I'd do a WIWW via polyvore. I'm still getting used to it, but have so much fun putting together sets on this site.