44

     It's my 44th birthday today. GULP! Today I have felt really thankful.  I was thinking of things I am thankful for and some of my favorite things that make me smile.  I decided to do a list of 44 of my favorite things.  Some things are little and need no explanation and others I have wanted to write about for a while so hear we go!

1. My wedding rings.  I had my rings redone for our 10 year wedding anniversary because my diamond actually chipped and started to shatter when I had hit it just right.  I never wanted to change the style but they melted my actual ring and made stackable rings that I could change up how I wear them.  I love them.

2. My job at Wellspring Preschool.  I love the kids and women I work with.  Many laughs and love.

3. Nashville Flea Market.  Held on the fourth weekend of the month.  Lots of venders and I LOVE flea markets!  I have found many treasures there.

4.  Barre Amped.  A workout I have done for a year and have built muscle I never knew that I had. You can buy the videos on amazon.

5. Aldi's french vanilla coffee.  It is cheap and it's my favorite.  True coffee people might gag but I love it.

6. Brown leather purses.  I have a lot of them in different styles.  I bought an old worn used one at the Nashville flea market and I get compliments on it every single day.  I think  I paid $15 for it.  I LOVE IT!  I always gravitate to the same style of purse all the time.

7. Day planners.  I love to write and I can't do a calendar on my phone.  I have used an Erin Condren planner for the last 5 years but I am switching to one slightly cheaper from Plum Paper this year.

8. Wasi tape.  I use it most in my day planners to mark off vacations or visitors.  It makes the planner extra cute!

9. Colorful pens. Very protective over my pens.  I use them in my bible, day planner, note cards….no one uses mama's pens.

10. ESV Journaling Bible.  I love the ESV version for my bible reading the best and I love to write and take notes.  This gives me the opportunity to do both.

11. The devotional "New Morning Mercies" by Paul Tripp.  I have written about it many times.  In my opinion, it is the best daily devotional out there.

12.  The podcast "Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey".  LOVE!  Obsessed!  Want to be Jamie's BFF.  We don't have cable right now so I listen to her a lot.  I found her while packing up our apartment this summer and I was hooked!  I work out to her, cook to her, clean…LOVE!

13.  Jen Wilkin bible studies (I trust what she teaches) and also her book "Women of the Word" on how to study the bible.  Love Jen!

14.  Amazon fire.  Lucy took over my old iPad and I couldn't afford and didn't need a new one.  The Amazon Fire does everything I want and need.

15.  Amazon Prime.  Life changer.

16.  Essential Oils.  I'm not obsessed but there are a few I love and I do believe that some of them really work.  I buy Young Living oils and Thieves (to fight sickness) is my go to oils.  I rub it on the girls' feet when they are getting sick and I diffuse it.  They love it!

17. Epsom salts. A must after barre class!

18. Modern Calligraphy.  I want to master writing this way.

19. Dear Mushka jewelry.  Love the woman behind it and the message of each piece of jewelry.

20.  The Faded Farmhouse and The Tin Cottage.  My two favorite local stores.

21. Soccer games.  There are these two players.  You might have heard of them? Ivy and Lucy Elliott? Yea, I could watch them play all day!

22. Pinterest

23. The Wet brush.  I cannot brush my hair with any other brush anymore.  Love it!  Great for kids also.

24.  Target $ section.  AWWWWWW…..

25.  Local Coffee shops.  (Shout out to Muletown, Barista Parlor, Fido, Frothey Monkey)

26. Trucker Hats.  The worn looking the better.  The only hat I feel like I can pull off.  Part of my soccer watching attire.

27.  5 Daughters Bakery.  Nothing like it.  Nobody disagrees.  100 layer cronut.  It's not just a donut.  I'm sure Jesus will serve them in heaven.

28. Instagram

29.  Spotify/ Amazon Music

30. Yeti cups (or a knock of they sell in the camping section at Walmart that is exactly like it and WAY cheaper).  It's hard for me to drink out of anything else.  It's a MUST for summertime.

31.  Sonic Happy Hour.  It has ruined me.  I can't bring myself to buy a drink at full price when I can buy it for half off daily from 2-4.  I get off work at 2 so…..

32. Ivy Elliott praying.  The sweetest sound to my ears.  It's sincere and beautiful.

33. Lucy Elliott reading a book to me.  That girl is impressive!

34.  Ballet flats.  Kelli Elliott doesn't do heels.  Kelli Elliott falls down a lot.  Kelli Elliott needs to be close to the ground.

35.  Glitter eyeshadow.  I wear it every single day.  It sounds creepy but I hope I make it work.  Younique has a great one and so does Mac.

36.  Grace.  I want to know more of it.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing, it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9 

37.  Country Living Fair.  In the spring, Country Living magazine brings their fair to Nashville.  It is THE BEST!  I save my money for that one!

38.  Joanna Gaines.  Everything about her.  Love her style, decorating, show, blog….everything!

39.  Tito's.  My neighborhood mexican restaurant.  I have my "usual" usually AT LEAST every other week if not every week.  I call it the "neighborhood hang".

40.  Singing.  I grew up singing in the church and it has been one of my favorite things to do in my whole life.  I have been grateful to God for every opportunity.  So thankful that He would have ever used me.

41.  Iverson Carpentry.  I guess I will call it that, what my Tennessee pops has created for me.  I will cherish his pieces forever.

42.  Estate sales.  LOVE THEM and the surrounding Nashville area has some great ones!

43.  My girlfriends.  Man.  I could cry.  I am beyond loyal to them and they are loyal to me.  Besides my family.  There truly has been nothing in my life that has been sweeter.  Ride or die.  I don't even have to name them.  They know and most of you do to.

44.  My family.  My mom here. My siblings. My girls….. when I wanted all boys, then the Lord gives me two girls that fit me to perfection.  They are two of the biggest lights in my life.  And Matt.  He was tailor made for me for sure and I love doing life with him.

Thank you Jesus for these blessings!  I'm a blessed girl! xoxo

Exploring Tennessee

I finally downloaded a lot of pictures off of my phone yesterday and saw so many things that I wanted to share with ya'll.  As I would take these pictures I would always think, "Oh man, I have to blog about this place!"  Then time would get away from me and I wouldn't do it. So...here are some snapshots of some fun Nashville and neighborhood finds.

First up is the cutest new coffee shop in Franklin called "Frothy Monkey".  I had been to their first location in Nashville and was waiting for this one to open up because it was a lot closer to where I live.   It is always busy and I was happy to hear that they opened seating upstairs.  I have only had coffee (the Turtle mocha was amazing!) but the food looks incredible!  

One of my favorite blessings since moving here was meeting my friend Whitney.  She has been so fun to get to know.  You know the girl who seems good at everything creative?  That's Whitney!  I love our lunch dates which now includes her yummy son ,Liam.  She gave me such a special treat when she invited me to a recording session her dad was doing.  He had arranged some songs to be recorded for the Christian  groups, First Call  and Steve Green.   For those who really know me you know that I LOVED it  and it was so much fun to watch.  I tried really hard to be on my best behavior!

Matt and I kept hearing about a yummy burger spot called The Pharmacy.  It. Was. Unbelievable.  Matt had the Farm burger which is one of their most popular.  It had beef, ham, bacon with an egg on top. I was afraid that if I ate that I would die right there of a heart attack so I went for a plain old cheeseburger.  It was so good.  The buns were made locally.  They make their own sodas like an old fashioned soda shop and they might make their own beers also.  I didn't have a soda and decided to wait until Ivy was with us to have that special treat.

A beautiful picture of downtown Nashville.

I had been part of an auction for a family in our church who was adopting.  I got tickets to a fun jumpy house called Pump it Up.  Even though I was a little freaked out about the germ factor, I told myself I would spray the girls down when we got home and I let them have a blast.

Here is my hard working husband cooking at Waffle House.  I stopped by to see him one day.  Having never worked in a restaurant before, he is getting to be quite a cook cook!

Matt and I visited a shop called Nashville Pickers and it reminded us that Antique Archaeology from the show American Pickers had opened a new location in Nashville.  The original is not far from my parent's house but this was fun to visit the Nashville store.

One restaurant that we have been really wanting to go to since we have moved here is Burger Up.  We visited the one in Nashville and it was so yummy!  Everything they make is grown locally.  

They even make their own ketchup and mustard.  I had the Memphis burger and truffle fries.  I will have that burger again.  The bun (made locally) was so soft and everything tasted so fresh. 

I asked about kids menus and it was really cute because they have a basket full of children's books and inside the cover is the menu taped to it.  

We have joined a rec center as a family and when we went yesterday, they were having a craft fair.  They let kids to all kinds of crafts for free.  Painting, coloring masks, making notebooks, making pottery and face painting!  My girls loved it and I thought it was really fun.

I have saved a couple other places that I want to blog about individually so stay tuned!

One of my Favorite Things

Ivy in the kitchen...teaching her early how to love and serve others in the home.

Making apple crisp
On top of the refrigerator is where I keep my favorite cook books. I own every cook book of Paula Deen (my favorite lady) and Katie Lee Joel (best meat loaf recipe ever!)
Here is where I keep the rest of my cook books and recipes.

I said in yesterday's post how much I love to cook. I didn't grow up cooking but my dad loves food and loves to cook . I think it was my friend Ashley who got me into cooking and I have loved it ever since. I LOVE having Ivy in the kitchen and cooking something with her. She has her own chef's hat and apron (thanks mom), her own set of cook books (I was just thinking today how I need to get Lucy her own set now), and she thumbs through them to tell me what she would like to make....although she eats and licks tons of the ingredients and I have to keep my eye on her. The girl loves food like her mama!
I had been looking for something quick to write my tried and true recipes in. Something that I could grab quick and not have to sort through all of my books to get to. The set of recipes that I make all the time. Then my gal pal Paula Deen came out with this cute recipe journal to write in. It has recipe cards in the back and it has sections for different categories. Now, I use this more than any of the other books and guess what....I HAVE ONE AS A GIVEAWAY!

So here's how it is going to work. You leave me a comment under this post and tell me your favorite tried and true recipe. The one you make the most. It can be the one your family loves the most or the one you make the most when guests come over. You don't have to write out the whole recipe but I think it would be fun if I post the winner's recipe after the contest is over. I am going to leave the contest open until Monday morning, then I will probably have Ivy pick a name out of a bowl. Good luck!
* my cookbook wish list:

"Home cooking with Trisha Yearwood, Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends", by Trisha Yearwood

"The Pioneer Woman Cooks", by Ree Drummond

"The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen, Live Well,Laugh Often, cook Much" by, Teri Edwards, Serena Thompson