Copacetic In Carolina

We're Having A Baby, My Baby & Me

2012-09-25T02:17:00.000-04:00

That's right, we're expecting a little miracle & future UGA/Bama tailgater in March!!!

It's been excruciating keeping this little secret, especially given our journey. If you know us irl then you know we suffered a miscarriage last year before Christmas. Without going into too many details, we faced some dark days of horrible grief and despair. But thanks to our church, friends & family, we never gave up hope that God would bless us again and answer our prayers. We're just over the moon with excitement & anticipation and can't wait to meet our Baby Garner soon!

In case you're wondering, the title of this post comes from one of my favorite 'I Love Lucy' episodes where Lucy tells Ricky they are expecting and he sings her "We're Having A Baby, My Baby and Me." Jeff & I watched this episode the night after we found out our great news & it's a sweet song we con't stop singing :)

A New Venture

2012-08-13T00:10:00.000-04:00

Long time no blog, eh? Well I sure have missed y'all! I hope you've had as fun & busy of a summer as I have. Part of what's kept me from typing away here at Copacetic In Carolina is that I've teamed up with a friend (Christina of UGA Bama Belle) in launching a new blog.

This should come as no huge surprise to y'all considering you know so well my passion for SEC football and tailgating. My Southern Fried Football series from last season is still the most popular posts here! So I'm thrilled to join Christina this season at our new space to talk tailgating all Fall.

And I hope y'all will join us. We'll be posting about SEC football from a Belle's point of view, rivalries, traditions, gorgeous gameday gear, and of course tailgate recipes!

Come on over for our launch today and leave a comment. Better yet, follow us on twitter & pinterest, and tell your friends about the best place to celebrate Gamedays in the South this season!

Words To Live By :: Proverbs 4:20-22

2012-06-24T00:07:00.000-04:00

I love how God demands our attention in this passage from Proverbs.

"Pay attention to my words.... Listen closely.... Don't lose sight of my wisdom"

He's telling us, not asking us, to put his words on the backs of our eyelids, store them deep in our hearts,

memorize them, and let our souls be led by His wisdom.
Here's what I think we miss in this passage: God's reminding us to place our focus not on
our current circumstances & feelings but on HIM.

And there is so much divine power just in God's Word alone,
that it's literally the antidote for living in this world!

My prayer is that God will give us a deep passion for His truth,

help us to cherish His every word, and live out His commands.

And The Winner Is....

2012-06-21T00:10:00.001-04:00

Ashley of Happiness Is...

Just shoot me an email with your mailing address and
Pete Wilson's book Empty Promises will be headed your way!!

I wish I could afford to give each and every one of you a copy.
It's such a fantastic, encouraging read sure to deepen your desire for
a closer relationship with God. Even if you didn't win, I hope you will grab a copy.

Congrats Ashley and thank you everyone for entering the giveaway!

Oh, How Pinteresting! Down By The Sea...

2012-06-20T01:56:00.000-04:00

I've got beach vacation on the brain, y'all. And the countdown is on... we leave for Destin on Saturday for 2 glorious weeks! We'll be blissfully alone at my Inlaws condo next week to celebrate our 2nd anniversary and then the next week all of Jeff's family heads down for our annual vacay together. To say I'm excited is the understatement of the century. We are over-worked, drained and in some serious need of white sand therapy. No surprise then that my favorite pins lately have been beach obsessed.....

Hello lover.....

Summer Seaside Suitcase

Source: sweet-southern-comfort.tumblr.com via Ally on Pinterest

Margarita Watermelon - You best believe I'll be making these

Source: asofainthekitchen.com via Ally on Pinterest

Under the boardwalk

Source: nealcasalphoto.com via Ally on Pinterest

My fave bikini this season. L-O-V-E victoria's secret bikinis!

Source: victoriassecret.com via Ally on Pinterest

All i need is a good book...

Source: inspired-design.tumblr.com via Ally on Pinterest

Speaking of... This is my beach read:

Source: 216.125.140.44 via Three Rivers on Pinterest

Anybody know where I can rent one of these in Destin Beach? Call me!

Source: tumblr.com via Ally on Pinterest

4 words: Strawberry Peach Vodka Pops

Source: endlesssimmer.com via Ally on Pinterest

My mantra for the next 2 weeks

Source: cottagecoastalstore.com via Ally on Pinterest

Seashells by the Seashore

Source: Uploaded by user via Ally on Pinterest

"On a blanket with my Baby is where I'll be"

Source: Uploaded by user via Ally on Pinterest

Happy Anniversary Honey!!

Source: lovely-little-things.blogspot.com via Ally on Pinterest

So what heavenly places are y'all escaping to this summer?

And tell me of your favorite spots at Destin!

Mangia Monday :: Bourbon Peach Ice Cream

2012-06-18T01:45:00.002-04:00

One of the big bonuses from an unusually warm winter is the earlier than usual harvest of peaches in the South! As Jeff & I drove to Birmingham Friday we passed countless road-side stands in South Carolina and Georgia selling fresh produce, namely tomatoes and peaches. I don't know about y'all, but I look forward to this time of year if only for the experience of getting fresh fruits & veggies this time of year from local Southern Growers! So we loaded up the car with fresh string beans, squash, 'maters, peaches & strawberries for the weekend and headed to my Inlaws.

And since yesterday was a celebration of my sweet Father-in-law, I immediately started thinking of ways to make him a special dessert from our haul. I previously told of Jeff's Dad's love of ice cream, so churning some sweet cream was a no-brainer. And I've been dying to make this recipe from Smells Like Home since last summer. Although we didn't make the toffee cookies for ice cream sandwiches (btw how amazing does that sound?!) the ice cream was nothing short of spectacular.

{recipe from Smells Like Home}
4 lg peaches, peeled & pits removed
1 cup whole milk
1/4 sugar
1/2 cup lt brown sugar + 2 TB, separated
2 cups heavy cream
pinch of kosher salt
1 vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
3 TB Bourbon (we used Jim Beam)

1. Roast the peaches: preheat oven to 425. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with PAM. Place peaches skin-side down and sprinkle with brown sugar. Roast peaches for 30-40 mins until they begin to brown and soften. Remove from oven, cool for 15 mins, then remove the skins.

2. While the peaches cool, warm the milk, sugars, 1 cup of the cream and salt in a med saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the warm milk and add the bean and peaches into the warm milk. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a lg bowl. Next, carefully remove the peaches from the milk mixture and set aside.
4. In yet another bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm vanilla-peach mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
5. Stir the mixture constantly over med heat, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens & coats your spoon. Next, pour the custard through a strainer and stir it into the cream. Put the vanilla bean into the custard and stir until cool over an ice bath. Once the custard has cooled, carefully add the peaches to the custard.
6. Cover and chill overnight. Remove the vanilla bean & discard. Also remove the peaches and set aside. Stir in the bourbon to the custard.
7. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the instructions. Dice the peaches (1/2 inch) and stir into the ice cream. Freeze the ice cream for at least 4 hours. Serve with ginger cookies and/or fresh mint. My husband actually crumbled leftover maple bacon on top. To each his own....

Full disclosure: this wasn't the easiest recipe I've ever attempted, but it was well worth the labor for sure. I'm sure there are tons of simpler homemade peach ice cream recipes out there, just don't forget the bourbon. Trust me on this ;)

I hope y'all had a terrific Father's Day with your loved ones this weekend! Speaking of, what special dishes did y'all cook up to celebrate? Feel free to share in the comments. Wishing y'all a great week!

Mangia Mangia y'all!

Words To Live By :: Happy Father's Day!

2012-06-17T00:42:00.000-04:00

My Dad passed away almost 6 years ago, so Father's Day
has been bittersweet to me ever since.

But even in the depth of my worst days of grief,

my Heavenly Father never abandoned me.

Just the opposite!

He's comforted & loved me and blessed me

with a Father-in-law that loves me as his own daughter.

I'm so grateful to be celebrating this day

in worship of our Heavenly Father alongside Jeff & his Dad.

While I miss my Daddy, God reminds me I have so much to be thankful for!

Happy Father's Day y'all!

Book Review & A Giveaway!

2012-06-14T00:25:00.002-04:00

A few years ago when I was new to twitter a young, spiky-haired Pastor from Nashville started following me. His tweets were genuine, funny, and Christ-centered. But I quickly came to realize he's not your
average Pastor. He tweets a lot about his beautiful family.
But what captivated me quickly about Pete Wilson was how well & deeply he loves people.
He's so incredibly passionate about his community, and I don't just mean in Nashville.
He leads the very popular Cross Point Church but I'd say his biggest impact is
leading others even outside Nashville to a more devoted relationship with Christ.

image via

After following him on twitter for a bit I soon started following his blog as well. It quickly became a second devotional for me every morning. Daily Pete stretches my concepts of faith, my personal relationship with God, and especially my commitment to love others. Frankly, in the last 2 years I've learned more from listening, reading & watching Pete love others than I'd learned in all my years of church.

His first book Plan B is one of my favorites! It is so well written in a spirit of love and redemption, that came to me at a point in my life when I really needed to be reminded of God's grace. But his latest book Empty Promises was so good that I read it twice. After I read it initially, practically highlighting every page, my husband wanted to read it so we studied our way through it together. It's not a heavy, wordy textbook, but it is a life-application of God's Word that kept me focused from start to finish.

Watch the trailer for the book (below) and you'll see what I mean:

When I read the subject matter was about idols that block our relationship with God, I really thought this might not apply to me. Ha! Just typing out that admission of arrogance is embarrassing to me now.

Pete so eloquently and gently pointed out how we all battle habits that get in the way of our worship and relationships with a God. Most importantly, he teaches through God's Word how to recognize what it is in your life that's hindering you from utter devotion and how to allow God to fix it. My favorite quote from Pete's book came towards the end:

"We think what we want is a bigger title, better looks, more popularity, larger sums of money, the perfect spouse. However, what we really want is the person we were made for - Jesus - and the place we were made for - heaven."

Everybody's looking for great books to read this summer
and I can't encourage you enough to add Empty Promises to your list.

In fact I love it so much I've decided to
Give Away a copy to one of y'all!!

There are no hoops to jump through to enter. You don't even have to follow my blog.
Just leave me a comment stating that you want to be entered.

And stop back by next Thursday, to see which random winner will win
a copy of Pete Wilson's book Empty Promises!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-06-13T01:44:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday y'all!

I'm linking up with Jamie over at This Kind Of Love

for What I'm Loving Wednesday

{One}
Ashley Brooke Designs.
Well who isn't a fan of Ashley Brooke's cards & illustrations?
But her latest collegiate couples collection is my absolute favorite. I'm obsessed!
I just hope she'll make some custom "house divided" cards for
Jeff's Bama & my Bulldogs! Cute, right?

{Two}
NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams
I saw these reviewed on Emily's blog Southern Gorgeous a few weeks ago
and grabbed a couple (San Paolo & Monte Carlo) last week at Ulta.
Ladies, these matte creams are fabulous!!
Matte lips remind me of WWII era pinup girls but these are so creamy, like a moisturizing lipstick.
The best part? They're only $5.99/each.

{Three}

I truly could not care less about hockey, but this video of a presser

after Monday night's Stanley Cup win by the LA Kings is hysterical!

Goalie Jonathan Quick's 2 year old daughter steals the show:

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;A href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=05daa430-956f-4611-aac3-4860e96e0f34&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;src=v5:embed:syndication:uuids&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;from=shareembed-syndication" target="_new" title="Two-year-old steals show"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Video: Two-year-old steals show&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

{Four}
What I'm reading...
I'm telling anyone who will listen:
GO BUY THIS BOOK!!
It's a life-changer, folks. Trust me.

{Five}
So we're only 2 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days 'til college football season!
And that means I'm kicking into high gear searching for new Gameday dresses.
Of course, my first stop is always Judith March's Fall lookbook.
She never ever disappoints. This year she's debuting these adorable tees
celebrating gridiron heroes for big schools.
Check out Auburn & UGA's. Adorable!

{Six}
My guest post over at Amy's blog, Forever 29 yesterday!
While Amy is enjoying the vacation of a lifetime cruising islands with her best friend,
I shared a recipe that's become a weekly favorite summer side dish around our house.
Click on over to Amy's blog for all the deets on a delish Summer Corn Salad

So what are y'all loving this week?
Head on over to Jamie's blog to link up!

Happy Wednesday y'all!!

Mangia Monday :: Pomegranate Glazed Salmon with Avocado Salsa

2012-06-04T00:09:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite places on the planet is The Fresh Market. In case you're not familiar, they are a gourmet grocer with amazing food, produce, and European pastries, almost like an indoor Farmer's Market. Oh, and it always smells like freshly brewed coffee! In other words, it's a foodie's paradise. We were fortunate to have a TFM in my hometown, and I was fortunate that my parents loved shopping there, allowing me to tag along :) If my Mom was planning a special dinner, throwing a party, or prepping for the holidays, The Fresh Market was always our first stop. So when Jeff & I got married and moved to Charlotte, I was tickled pink to find that a TFM was located in the Queen City. It's not that close to us, but totally worth the drive!

One of the endless benefits of shopping at The Fresh Market is their incredible collection of recipes they share with their customers. And today's recipe, a favorite of mine & Jeff's, is a Fresh Market original, given to me by their Seafood Monger years ago when I was looking for a new way to kick up grilled salmon. It's surprisingly simple, but packed with amazing summer flavor, and versatile enough to use in a variety of different recipes!

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1/4 honey

2 center-cut, wild alaskan salmon fillets

EVOO

freshly ground pepper & kosher salt

1 avocado, peeled & diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 jalapeno, diced & seeds removed

3/4 cup freshly chopped pineapple

1/2 cup freshly diced mango

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

1. In a saucepan, combine the pom juice & honey with a whisk and bring to a boil. Then immediately reduce heat and allow to simmer until it's a syrupy consistency and reduced to a 1/4 cup.

2. Make the salsa by combining the avocado and remaining 5 ingredients. Sprinkle with some kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, then allow to sit refrigerated for 15 minutes before serving.

3. Heat up your grill (can also use a grill pan or skillet) then season the fish with a drizzle of evoo and kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.

4. Grill flesh side down for 2-3 minutes and flip, doing the same on the other side, until the salmon is cooked through to the center - medium rare.

5. Drizzle the fillets with pomegranate glaze then top with avocado salsa & enjoy!

We're huge fans of fish, but I get that it's not everyone's cup of tea. However, I've made this a ton of times and even non-fish people love it :) What I love most about this recipe though, is it's versatility. For example, you can serve the salsa with chips, shred the salmon & serve it with the salsa in fish tacos, or even make salmon burgers with black beans & serve the salsa as a topping. That's actually one of my favorite ways to make this dish. Oh, and the leftovers are pretty amazing too!

Happy Monday and Mangia Mangia y'all!!

Words To Live By

2012-06-03T12:02:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite hymns over the years has always been Seek Ye First.

I even have early memories of singing this in children's church and

listening to my Nana hum the tune in the kitchen. It was one of her favorites too.

The message from Jesus' sermon on the mount is so very simple to us:

Seek after God with diligence in everything we do. Make Him our first priority, live to love Him

& obey His Word, and we will experience His kingdom here on earth & in heaven.

True story: I first memorized this verse after watching an episode of the Cosby Show, ha!

The Huxtables are visiting their beloved Hillman alma mater & Clair sings

this incredible solo (with accompaniment by Spellman Univ. Choir) of Shelton Becton's spiritual:

Skip to the 4:40 mark to hear the solo.

"If you just trust and never doubt what He said,

all good things will be added unto you."

Amen! Happy Sunday y'all :)

Esty Fail :: Southern Belle Boutique scam

2012-05-29T22:45:00.005-04:00

Typically on Wednesdays I pin a fun post about things I'm loving lately, but this week is a little different...

It takes a lot to really tick me off, especially in business. But if there's one attitude I cannot stand and will not tolerate it's a Business Owner who actively seeks to take advantage of me. Enter Southern Belle Boutique on Etsy.

"where style is everything" but business ethics & customer service are non-existent evidently...

I'd been admiring her monogrammed items and thought I'd buy one of her pieces first before making a larger order for goody bag items for a Girls Beach Trip in August. I've always had great success & found the cutest items on Etsy! And I love supporting small businesses, especially those owned by other women.

I ordered a monogrammed water bottle, chose my pattern, frame color, design, etc. and even viewed a proof. Sadly what came in the mail was a water bottle in the wrong color and a crooked design. So disappointing, especially after approving a proof, but mistakes happen right? So, in an effort to allow the store owner Rocksann Page to correct the order, I left some honest, kind feedback on her site.

Rocksann quickly messaged me, begging me to remove my feedback because, according to her, my one negative feedback would destroy her business. As you can imagine, I felt horrible!! Even though my business & legal instincts kicked into overdrive, I chose to follow my emotions and remove my comment in good faith, but before Rocksann agreed to fix my order or refund my money. Shame on me, I knew better....

Not only will I not be receiving a refund for the screwed up order I received, Southern Belle Boutique is refusing to send the correct order that I've already paid for, mind you. Oh and to further rub my nose in the fact that I'm clearly a sucker, her last correspondence was littered with smiley face emoticons while telling me essentially that hell will freeze over before I receive a refund. I'm always intrigued by people who behave this way, as if having a smile on your face while telling me to kick rocks is somehow more polite? #SideEye

I'm frankly stunned over Rocksann's response to fixing a simple error. At a time when consumer confidence has hit record lows and retail, disposable income spending has plummeted, her business practices are not only ethically wrong but staggeringly stupid.

I may not ever receive my money back or the correct item I paid for, but I will do my best to warn anyone within earshot not to do business with this unethical, disingenuous "belle." Caveat Emptor indeed.

Mangia Monday :: Soba Noodle Salad

2012-05-21T00:38:00.001-04:00

I don't care what the calendar says, it's summertime in Dixie. And nothing makes me despise my oven like forecasts of high humidity and insufferable hot temps. So as you can imagine, what's been "cooking" in our home lately is a lot of lighter fare. Salads, fish, cold suppers, hubby grilling on the big green egg, and lots of fruits & veggies will dominate our menus for the foreseeable future for sure. And a new recipe I stumbled upon recently has become an instant fave around the Garner household - Soba Noodle Salad.

I'm obsessed! It's so versatile - you can serve it hot with some stir fry veggies or cold for lunch leftovers. And of course you can experiment with different Asian sauces, like peanut or ginger chili, as well. But my favorite way to serve these noodles lately is with chopped up fresh veggies & herbs from my garden!

1 pkg Sobu noodles (I use Hakubaku brand)

1 cup red bell pepper, julienne

1 large cucumber, peeled & chopped

1 large carrot, peeled & grated

3 scallions, sliced thin

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 TB grapeseed oil (or evoo)

1 TB soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

handful of chopped peanuts or black sesame seeds

optional: chopped & seeded cherry tomatoes, diced avocados, grilled chicken or shrimp

1. Cook noddles according to package directions. In large bowl toss noodles with red pepper, cucumber, carrot, scallions and any other added veggies of your choice.

2. In separate bowl, blend together ingredients for dressing: vinegar, oil, ginger & soy sauce.

3. Pour dressing over noodles and top with cilantro & peanuts/sesame seeds.

4. Serve warm or at room temp. Enjoy!

Bookmark this light dish Ladies; it's just in time for bikini season :) Speaking of, what lighter foods are you eating this Sprummer? Do tell and share your recipes in the comments!

Have a terrific week and Mangia Mangia y'all!!

Words To Live By

2012-05-20T00:07:00.001-04:00

I love this song of praise from Ezra.

It's such a celebration of our Heavenly Father.

And it's also a command to Believers

to never stop seeking God, searching for His strength,

believing that He is with us and will never forsake us.

In my daily devotional, Believing God, Beth Moore

shares some personal wisdom that has stuck with me this week:

"As I go through my day, meeting inevitable challenges
and self-doubts, I depend on and expect Him
to be strong in me. And He is."

And He is. Thank you Lord that you are. Amen!

Praying you all seek His face always.

And The Winner Is...

2012-05-14T00:13:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the 11th commenter, Beth of Feels Like Home To Me

on winning the set of hand-painted monogram bangles from Pretty Paper Girl

I'm giving away to celebrate my 1 year blog anniversary!

Like most of y'all, Beth has been a follower since I started Copacetic In Carolina.

She writes the sweetest blog about her beautiful family.

She's a married mommy of an adorable 4yr old girl with a baby on the way!

Click on over and check out her blog!

Congrats Beth!!

Thank you for being such a sweet, encouraging Blog Friend

You'll have to post a pic of your bangles when they arrive :)

Take Me There Tuesday

2012-05-08T04:17:00.003-04:00

I love finding new, fabulous Bloggers and a couple of weeks ago Laura of Our Life In The Queen City stopped by to say hello. I've become a huge fan of her site ever since. It doesn't hurt that she & her husband

also live in Charlotte, like us! One of the topics the Laura blogs about each Tuesday is travel,
celebrating your favorite getaway spots, dream vacations or even a new restaurant to try.
Since Jeff & I just got back from a whirlwind weekend in Savannah I'm joining her link-up!

For weeks Jeff led me to believe we were gonna have a fancy dinner out and meet friends at Crave Dessert Bar to celebrate my birthday, which would have been just perfect. Instead last Thursday he surprised me

with two plane tickets to Savannah, GA and a weekend of pampering, fantastic food,
and a moonlit carriage ride. That man of mine is a keeper....

I wish we could've stayed longer! In fact, if I could be anywhere today I'd choose our hotel, The Mansion On Forsyth Park. Jeff really did his homework. The Mansion was modern, opulent, historic, and lavish. Walking into the lobby felt like turning a page in The Great Gatsby.

Our suite was filled with candles, a soaking tub, plush linens, and bold design via an ornate white headboard, crushed velvet sofa & gorgeous art. Not to mention five star dining at 700 Drayton,
a private pool, and luxurious Poseidon Spa. It was sheer bliss!

While Charleston is still and will always be my second home and favorite Southern city, Savannah certainly ranks at the top on my list of getaway destinations.
And there's no other place I'd rather stay than the uber chic, romantic Mansion On Forsyth Park!

When was the last time y'all visited Savannah?
Have you stayed at The Mansion on Forsyth Park before?
Be sure to check out Laura's blog this week & join her link up next Tuesday!

*If you haven't already, be sure to enter my Blogaversary Giveaway!*

Happy Birthday Giveaway!

2012-05-07T00:54:00.000-04:00

A year ago today I started this little blog as a creative outlet.

While I wish I had the time to post daily, or even regular series,

I still love to post as often as I can simply because I've grown to LOVE

all of you fabulous Ladies who comment, encourage & spread joy here.

So since not only is this the day after my birthday, but also

the first anniversary of Copacetic In Carolina,

I wanted to thank all of you properly with what I hope

y'all will think is a cute gift perfect for your summer wardrobe!

Aren't they cute? Talk about arm candy!

These are hand-painted bangle sets from Preppy Paper Girl

Choose from:

pink & black

lime & navy

pink & orange

aqua & orange

aqua & pink

pink & navy

pink & lime

navy & yellow

They're also monogrammed, and come in 8 different color combos.

You also get to choose the pattern of the smaller bangle (chevron, stripe or polka dot).

I hope y'all love these as much as I do!

If so, here's how to enter for the giveaway:

You must be a follower of the blog and leave your email addy in the comments.

You'll also want to leave your monogram, choice of bangle color, and pattern.

That's all there is to it!

The giveaway is open until Friday, May 11.

Stop by next Monday to find out who won!

A huge thank you to all of you for being such supportive, encouraging friends of the blog

this last year! You've blessed me beyond measure with your friendship and love :)

Best wishes & good luck y'all!

Words To Live By

2012-05-06T00:06:00.001-04:00

Source: motherletters.com via Ally on Pinterest

That just about sums up my last year.

And I bet it closely sums up yours as well.

Along with the highlight reel of our best days
comes those we wish we could do over.

But who would we be without every single ordained moment?

I believe it's that beautiful blend of the good, bad & challenging

that make us into the very best of who God created us to be.

So embrace it all, each and every wonderful moment,

always hoping, forever persevering, and never

ceasing to thank our glorious God!

Oh, How Pinteresting! Derby Days

2012-05-02T00:11:00.003-04:00

Hey did y'all realize The Kentucky Derby coincides with Cinco De Mayo this year?

If there was ever an excuse to throw a party or attend a fabulous fete, it's this Saturday.

And considering it's also my birthday weekend, you can bet I'll be indulging in a few mint juleps & margaritas!

So for some marvelous Kentucky Derby inspiration, here are my fave America's Race pins:

Full Southern: big hair, big hats, & a big race. Love it!

Source: google.com via Ally on Pinterest

Derby Fashion

Source: thekentuckyderbyguide.com via Ally on Pinterest

Derby party menu ideas via Southern Living

Source: southernliving.com via Ally on Pinterest

A Guide To The Derby!

Source: southernliving.com via Ally on Pinterest

Winning Ribbons Derby Party Decor

Source: penandpaperflowers.blogspot.com via Ally on Pinterest

Kentucky Bourbon Pie Cupcake Recipe

Source: gigiscupcakesusa.com via Ally on Pinterest

Vintage Derby Ticket

Source: jasonsjunk.com via Ally on Pinterest

Derby Infield Punch Recipe

Source: hostessblog.com via Ally on Pinterest

Derby Desserts!

Source: us.mc1621.mail.yahoo.com via Ally on Pinterest

Derby Belles

Source: google.com via Ally on Pinterest

And of course, Derby roses in the winners circle

Source: Uploaded by user via Ally on Pinterest

So who's going to the Derby this year?
And who has attending Kentucky's finest event on their bucketlist?

They don't call it "The Greatest Two Minutes In Sports" for nothing.

Happy Wednesday y'all!

And as always head over to Michelle's blog The Vintage Apple to join her link-up!

Mangia Monday: What's On The Menu

2012-04-30T00:55:00.002-04:00

Last week was crazy busy around the Garner household. Jeff was in New York and I was pulling my hair out meeting an unrealistic deadline at work. Needless to say I'm a stranger in my own kitchen at the moment.
Life bites sometimes. Seriously.

But this week, it's back to our normal routine of home cooked meals and dinners together. Yay!

So I'm linking up with Laura with I'm An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday:

{Monday}

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

Chopped Mexican Salad

Spanish Rice

{Tuesday}

Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Sesame Noodles (instead of rice)

{Wednesday}

Baked Pesto Chicken

Brown Rice

Grilled Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad

{Thursday}

Sweet Potato Crusted Fish with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Mixed Greens & 2 Bean Salad

Mississippi Hush Puppies

{Friday}

Grilled Pork Kebabs with Apples & Potatoes

Risotto Primavera

Big Italian Salad with Pesto Honey Vinaigrette

{Sunday After Church Lunch}

Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells

Italian Garlic Bread with Gorgonzola

Cucumber Tomato & Feta Salad

{Weekly Sweet Tooth Fix}

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

I baked these yesterday afternoon. So good! It'll be a miracle if they last all week.

So what dishes are y'all cooking up this week? Tell me about your best menu planning tips in the comments and feel free to leave some links to your favorite weekly dishes as well.
Be sure to click over to Laura's blog I'm An Organizing Junkie to link-up or peruse a ton of great menus!

Mangia Mangia y'all!

Words To Live By

2012-04-29T00:12:00.001-04:00

via

I just ended the most stressful, longest work week of my career.

If something could go wrong, it did go wrong.

As a result, I'm physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted.

By the end of this hectic week I even found myself questioning my purpose & passion for my work.

Have you ever had days, weeks like that?

But then I remembered this command from Proverbs, the book of the Bible chock full of wisdom.

We're told to simply trust God.

Just trust God's plan and depend not on what our minds see & feel.

And to seek His will for our lives in all that we do.

Then God will make our paths straight.

Life is full of curveballs and stressful situations.

But no matter our circumstance we can rest in the knowledge that our God is faithful.

And His good plan for our lives will come to fruition, if we trust, obey & persevere.

I'm praying we all have a blessed week, trusting God, seeking His will for our lives
and persevering regardless of our current circumstances.

Mangia Monday :: BBQ Chicken Burritos

2012-04-23T00:05:00.001-04:00

I'm always on the hunt for fast, healthy, tasty dinners to serve during the week. A few weeks ago I came across this recipe for BBQ Chicken Burritos via Delish and had to try it. Jeff loved these, and that's always a good sign! I tweaked the original recipe a tad to suit our likes though. For instance, I used
Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, a rotisserie chicken instead of roasted (which was a time saver)
and we opted to add a handful of cheese. Everything's better with cheese, right?

1 (2 lb) roasted or rotisserie chicken, skin & bones removed

1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 cup Goya Black Beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup fresh, canned, or frozen corn (thawed)

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

shredded leafy green lettuce

1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella or gouda cheese

4 (10 inch) whole wheat or spinach tortillas

1. In a skillet over medium heat, toss in your chicken, BBQ sauce, black beans, corn, and Greek yogurt. Sir to combine. Heat up until hot, about 5-10 minutes.

2. In a separate skillet (or in the microwave) warm your tortillas.

3. Begin assembling burritos by first adding leafy lettuce then topping with BBQ chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Next add a sprinkling of cheese of your choice. Then roll the tortilla into a burrito.

4. Cut in half diagonally and serve with cole slaw and Spanish rice. Enjoy!

This is one of those super simple meals I call non-recipes. It's so easy my husband could make it ;)

Have y'all tried this recipe before?

And what super simple meals are your favorites for weeknights?

Give this one a try & let me know what you think!

Mangia Mangia y'all!

Words To Live By

2012-04-22T00:19:00.000-04:00

via

" Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen."

Since childhood my most favorite part of worship every Sunday has been singing the Doxology.

Jeff laughs at me as I nearly leap up from our pew right after the Offertory to sing it, haha.

I can't help it. When I sing those words of praise my heart is filled with joy & thanks.

It's such a great feeling to praise God. Have you ever noticed that?

The more I praise Him, the better I feel, the more I smile.

It makes the saying "you can't out-give God" ring so very true!

I have so much to praise God for today and every day. We all do.

Regardless of our current circumstances, we always have reasons to sing praises to God.

Today I'm praising Him that all of our needs are met, for a beautiful Spring day of rest, that I have family

and friends who love me, that God lets me serve Him, for my salvation, and so much more.

What are you praising God for as you sing the doxology today?

Goodbye Picnik, Hello PicMonkey!

2012-04-20T00:02:00.000-04:00

So as of yesterday the fabulous photo editing package most Bloggers use, Picnik, closed.

Since Google announced their plans to put the kibosh on Picnik, I've been searching for an alternative.

And thanks to one of my favorite Blogs, I found it!

Introducing PicMonkey.

I've been playing around with it for a few days and am sold.

It's like Instagram for photo editing.

What I love about PicMonkey: it's free, super simple to use, and loaded with fun effects.

It's no match for Photoshop, but it offers more than Picnik.

It's worth noting though, while PicMonkey offers a completely free service for now,
it will soon operate like Picnik and reserve some functions for premium members.

To help us all get acclimated, one of my fave Bloggers Ashton over at Something Swanky

has been posting cool tutorials to prove just how easy PicMonkey is to use.

Check out her posts: 5 Really Cool Things You Can Do With PicMonkey and

How To Make A Collage In PicMonkey

For a snapshot preview of PicMonkey, here are my favorite features thus far:

{One} Drag & Drop

Self-explanatory - just drag & drop your image into PicMonkey and start editing

{Two} Labels

Love these new shapes & editable labels!

{Three} Merge

Finally! PicMonkey provides a way to stick multiple layers together which allows you to move around stickers, labels, text, etc without moving around the entire image. Magic!

There's so much more to PicMonkey and I think y'all will love it as much as I do!

Be sure to visit the site, play around with the features and

stop by Something Swanky for Ashton's great tutorials!

So what do you think?

And what imaging package are you turning to now that Picnik has closed?

Have a fabulous weekend y'all!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-04-18T00:14:00.005-04:00

Happy Wednesday y'all!

I'm linking up with Jamie over at This Kind Of Love
for What I'm Loving Wednesday

{One}
I see printables on Pinterest all the time,
but this one really caught my attention today:

Source: darlinglittlethings.tumblr.com via Ally on Pinterest

{Two}
Extremely Hip Seniors Charm Mall With Flash Mob
How cute is this?

{Three}
Turns out, money can buy you happiness.
And it comes in the form of Trader Joe's Cookie Butter.
It's like spreadable gingerbread cookie dough, but even better.

{Four}
My latest DIY project:
chalkboard paint terracotta pots for my kitchen herbs.
I'm thinking of painting the lips of the pots yellow. Whadya think?

{Five}
The LaRoque Summer Collection!
Perfect dresses for wedding and baby shower season.
These are 3 sweet togs I'm eyeing at the moment:

1 // 2 // 3

{Six}
Whoorl's Best Bright & Dark Lip Colors.
Don't you hate buying a new lipgloss/lipstick thinking it's the shade you want
only to find out it looks completely different than you imagined?
Problem solved. Check out Sarah's pics for best colors & nudes!

{Seven}
I tweeted this link out yesterday, but had to post it here as well.
Carlos Whitaker wrote about this beautiful lady, Sophia
and where she finds her joy.
Simply awesome. This just made my day!

So what are y'all loving today?
Head over to Jamie's blog & link up!