PB&J

This Weekend, No. 6

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:22:00 +0000

Guess what guys....its Monday. UGH. This week is just going to be a load of productive misery for me and I will most likely be absent from the blogging world. Say a little prayer for me! Flying to Illinois on Friday for my Artist Diploma program audition on Saturday! EEP

I'm linking up with Syndal and Sarah for a quick weekend re-cap! Don't forget to let us know how your weekend went!

I started of this weekend with a spring in my step.

Found these lovely jeans on clearance at Marshall's for just $15!! Felt very fortunate someone else didn't snag them up first...

This weekend I attempted another Pinterest recipe. If I had taken a photo of the final product it could have been on one of those awesome "pinterest fail" websites, BUT it was yummy anyways!

This is that recipe floating around for pancakes made out of one mashed up banana and one egg.

I had to try this for myself, and surprisingly the result didn't taste like banana scrambled eggs! It was actually pretty delicious (I added blueberries), but the final presentation was just awful since I couldn't get the shape to hold!

Has anyone else had better luck with banana pancakes? Do share!!

This weekend the weather was beautiful and I enjoyed some quality time sitting in the sun with my pup.

This weekend my parents got back from their cruise and I had to give Winston back :(

I did NOT cry, however I felt like it when I got home last night and realized there would be no puppy snuggles before bed. I miss him already!!!

Until next week...

Happies and Crappies- part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:05:00 +0000

Happy February! Linking up with Sarah and Stephanie for their third weekly....

happies

First of all, precious little man was here all week. I. Love. Him. I can't even describe my joy from how many times I got to snuggle him.

We ate pretty well this week! (and by pretty well, I mean healthy, not like your grandma's-delicious-chicken-spaghetti-and-Pizza-Hut well)

Photo numero uno shows a breakfast I was especially proud of- "wilted" spinach (FANCY) with a fried egg (not quite so fancy), but yum!

Photo numero dos, when adding two handfuls of spinach which are not pictured, represents the amount of fruits/veggies Drew and I consumed in one sitting. Hazzah for juicing!

Tie-up shirt: Valerie Bertinelli (Marshall's)

Sweater: "Ultra-Soft" Cardi (Target)

Jacket: Forever 21 (Amelia's find!)

Denim: YMI (also an Amelia's find)

Shoes: Target (worn here)

Threw together this outfit that turned out pretty fun. I also figured out that straightening my bangs prevents the fun humidity inspired Farrah Fawcett hair-who knew? (Nothing against Farrah Fawcett! I just don't pull that look off quite as well...)

Shoes: Nine West

New!! You guys. I can't help it!!!

1) Marshall's is great.

2) The best boyfriend ever bought them for me.

3) Loafers!

4) Tassles.

crappies

....yeah, I can't think of any right now!

I hope you all have a very blessed start to your brand new month, and don't forget to link-up to share your weekly highlights!

-PB

Winston Weekly

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:25:00 +0000

Happy Middle of the Week- you know what that means :)

Pup picture!

This is a photo from 2009 when Winston was small as a bug! My mom would be nervous to let him outside without supervision for fear that a hawk would carry him away! Also, he would get lost in the bushes.

TOO CUTE.

Food Creations

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:28:00 +0000

Now that I'm in grad school and have a little more time on my hands (but not really...) I am super enjoying learning to cook and/or experimenting in the kitchen.

As far as cooking is concerned, Pinterest has been my best friend and worst enemy. Whyyyy recipe, do you look so good but in reality you suck?!

You might remember a few weeks back when I wrote about my super exciting crock pot recipies that I found via Pinterest. Not so good. Super bummer- I was really excited about them!

*Sidenote- the Italian chicken was GREAT because I realized that these work much better when baked in the oven instead of in a crock pot with added water. In the crock pot all the flavor seems to cook out! Weird- maybe this would be different if you add broth instead of just water. Food for thought.

Today I thought I would introduce my own recipe. Well.....Can you call it a recipe when you made it up as you went? Anywho- this is what rescued my not-so-great chicken fajita crock pot recipe:

I didn't think of taking those fancy step-by-step photos until I tasted this soup and thought "Oh my goodness this is so easy/I'm a genius/I should blog about this!" So, a final product photo is all you get!

I call it: Tortilla Soup. (Original, right?)

But really, thats all it is! I had the leftover chicken that had some onions/tomatoes/peppers and I needed some way to not waste them.

Steps:
1) Chicken broth- I used the (sodium rich, not so good for you) Knorr bouillon cube boiled in two cups of water.
2) Dump in leftover chicken- So eloquent, I'm aware.
3) Dump in leftover rice- Mine just so happened to be of the "spanish" variety.
4) Added several large spoonfuls of rinsed (canned) blackbeans- My measurements are SO spot on, like I said, made this up as I went!
5) Added several drained spoonfuls of corn.
6) Done!

Product- Deliciousness!

I served it up with a light sprinkle of mozzarella, crunched up tortilla chips, and cubed avocado!

Now- get to screwing up some homemade chicken fajitas so you can make this delicious soup!

-PB

*Sidenote again: My Pinterest YUM board (other than having way to many pins) contains my comments on the recipies I have actually tried, generally with the date, and what I would do to modify the recipe.

This Weekend, No. 5

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 23:11:00 +0000

To start off my weekend right, rooms and I drove up to Woody's in Centerville (holla!) to meet my mom to pick up Winston!! I was thrilled to accept the pup-sitting position while my parents cruise it up with Carnival. (it eases the jealousy...)

So basically, thats my weekend ;) Puppy snuggles, puppy walks, puppy games, puppy infused friend times. Woohoooo!

Just kidding. (Kind of...)

*hint- If you just want MORE puppy pictures, follow me on twitter and instagram!

This weekend, rooms invented a delicious drink at Sonic. Seriously y'all, I don't even like tea- don't judge me- and I've had two this weekend. Half lemonade + half tea....Well thats a perfectly normal drink, you say, its even been named!...but get this: + raspberry. Oh yeah. Ok, maybe everyone else in the world knows about this already but I'm pretty darn excited.

This weekend, Drew left for another audition. I say that like I'm annoyed, but really its a pretty cool deal. He's basically an awesome trumpet player, already won one job, and has advanced in handful of other auditions....but this audition is home for him. So until Tuesday, Drew is in Milwaukee, kickin butt (again). Get it, babe! :)

This weekend, I wore these:

Shoes: Bandolino (at Ross!!)

Bought these cuties over the break and forgot to blog about them- how dare I...and yes, I have itty bitty feets.

I hope you all had a restful weekend!
*Sidenote- I think its funny that the aim of weekends used to be fun and now its relax. I'm rambling...

Link up with Sarah or Syndal to share your weekend re-caps!

-PB

The Facts of ME!

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 02:26:00 +0000

Today I'm linking up with Whitney at I Wore Yoga Pants to Work for this fun me me me me post! Thanks Whitney!

I feel like this post should be a lot easier than it has been. I mean, I know myself pretty well...right?
...until I try to make a list, that is. Then I am reduced to ".....I have the cutest dog ever!"
So let us start with that :)

I have the cutest dog EVER. Oh wait...I guess that isn't so much a fact about me as it is a fact about my adorable pup. Ok ok ok, but seriously, just one pic.

*melts*

My favorite food group is meat. That or we could probably just narrow it down to bacon.

I'm at that baby stage in my cooking experience where I need confirmation of the fact that I did a good job. Poor Drew... "Did you like it?!" "Is it okay??" "DID I RUIN IT!?!?"

Ok maybe thats a bit of an exaggeration, but not really.

I have a twin brother, Parker. No, we are not identical (think about it). Yes, we are close. Yes, I love sharing birthdays.

*side note on sharing birthdays:

For as long as I can remember, Parker has been the "wake-up-early on Christmas morning/wakeup-wakeup-wakeup its our birthday" half of our twin-ship. On our birthday, first thing in the morning we would hug each other and say "Happy Birthday" (daw). Not until I moved out of the house did I realize the sentiment of this tradition that we had un-knowingly formed. I'm pretty sure I cried our first birthday apart (don't tell him that) but now we call each other at midnight to be each other's first "Happy Birthday" each year.

That was a little more sentimental than I had planned. But to answer your last question, Yes, we have

twin super-powers.

I also have super hearing powers. That or I just have a weird brain problem (Drew would probably vote for that option).

Ex: Drew's watch. I could hear the second hand and it drove me nuts! Not only did this

freak him out because he couldn't hear it at all, but I actually found the dang thing when he thought he

had lost it (it was in his car) because I could hear it ticking in a box in the back seat.

Not going to lie, I'm actually pretty proud of that moment.

Needless to say, Drew's Christmas present was a new watch without a second hand. Sneak sneaky ;)

*The watch was not the listed price, because I am a poor grad student and Amazon is great.

I absolutely cannot (not using the contraction of cannot looks very strange) study/do homework/read in the library. Does anyone else have this problem? I get so overwhelmed by all the pretty books that I just wander around looking at the shelves and reading titles! Its fascinating to me! It also makes me wish I had spent less of my under-grad on facebook and more time reading all the pretty books. Oops.

But seriously- I love books.

I have played the flute so much I have tendinitis and my hand swells up when I play, but I do it anyways. Embarrassing...or Awesome.

My Baylor Lariat feature includes the worst cheesy newspaper caption to date...

*Guitar hero- seriously? Thats the best you could do?!

I got my letterman jacket in high school from spring board diving as a freshman, and not from playing the flute (which is what most people would expect....because you know, high school letter jackets are super important and all....yes I'm 23).

I threw a flat out temper tantrum and pretty much cried the last time Drew and his friends made me watch a scary movie.

When I get stressed out, this is my go-to mental state:

For the best example, see my favorite blog post in the history of ever: RIGHT HUR. I hope you pee

your pants laughing. Which is pretty much what I'm doing right now.

Who are YOU? Link up :)

-PB

Happies and Crappies- part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:03:00 +0000

I'm not going to lie you guys, my favorite part of this link-up is the shiny gold button. Love it!

Lets mix it up and start with the "crappies" first so we can end on a "happies" note! (TGIF!)

crappies

Not enough practice time. Flute nerd out moment! I've been so busy and a little under the weather that my Feb. 8 audition is sneaking up on me!

Allergy attack! Those darned allergies. Two days ago they just decided to smack me in the face and say "Thought you were doing well? NOPE! SUCKS FOR YOU! HA!"

FOG. Fog is pretty, but lets face it, makes me feel a ~~little bit~~ lot like this:

happie/crappie

Obsessed with Downton (DON'T TELL ME ANYTHING, I HAVEN'T FINISHED SEASON 3)

Watched a certain episode and CRIED for seriously 10 minutes. Couldn't stop! It was nuts.

Anyone out there that feels me on this one?

happies

More 6AM work out success! Call me crazy, but just look at these bright shiny faces that worked out and got to the practice rooms by 8AM :)

Today I'm meeting my mom to pick up Winston! I get to pup sit for the entire week while my parents are cruising. Woohoooo! Also, follow me on instagram for mega Winston photos ;)

Ran about 5 miles outside of the gym with the boyfran. Getting better!!

Started juicing. Check out this cup o' celery/cucumber/spinach/cilantro/apple/orange/lemon!

*ignore the soap stained "fancy" glass ;)

Roomies both got jobs- I love them and I'm excited for them so I thought I'd give them a little shout out.

Did I mention that Winston will be here for a whole week?? Yeah, thats about all I can think about right now.

Happy Friday, y'all! Link up with Sarah and Stephanie and share your "happies and crappies" with us!

-PB

Winston Weekly

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:42:00 +0000

Hello friends!

I've decided to start a new and exciting weekly post!

Wednesday Winston Weekly :)

(Winston Weekly for short)

This week I'm going to start by sharing with you the very first photo I ever saw of Winston. Since he is our "family" dog, I didn't see him for three weeks after my parents got him and this was my introduction!

Can you even believe how wiiiiittle bitty he was?! Oh my goodness, I still can't handle it.

I'd like to take a little poll on how Winston Weekly's should go, so feel free to share your opinion with me!

1) Baby photos, growing up, photos, then photos of now. (chronological, each week)

2) random!

I hope you enjoy my new Wednesday series as much as I do! :)

-PB

Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:11:00 +0000

Before today, I can honestly say that I did not know the "blog hop" exhisted.
Sort of like the "bar crawl," but for being nosey about other people's lives instead of being intoxicated?
Anyways, if you are stopping by from the GFC Hop, Welcome! I'm a little new-ish to blogging, but I love it and I'm excited to find all you wonderful people out there :)
-PB

This Weekend, No. 4

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:32:00 +0000

Happy long weekend to all of you lucky people (like me) that get an extra day off!

This weekend, I started season 2 of Downton Abby. so good.

This weekend, (err...Friday) I was pretty excited about my outfit for the Carol Wincenc masterclass.

Three points about this photo:

Yes, I often take photos in this mirror. Its the woodwind grad "office" (AKA large practice room with extra stuff) and the only full length mirror I have access to without standing on the edge of my tub to see my outfit in the bathroom mirror.....come on, you know you've done that too...
Hair day win!
I swear I took the leg warmers off before I went on stage. It was cold that morning!!

Shirt: ELLE Lace Peplum Top in Ivory (here!)

Skirt: Target (here!)

Belt: came with skirt

Shoes: Blowfish Cherie flat (at DSW)

Now, this is a special skirt and I feel that I must explain. First of all, it was party of my Christmas present from Drew- thanks baby! Second of all- it fits. Never have I ever had a pencil skirt that fit in the (little more full) behind region without making me feel like a skank-ho! SO- go check it out!

This weekend, We actually visited the adorable mom and pop style cafe next door to Drew's house. The bacon was fantastic. I brought my own coffee. Is that rude?

This weekend, I got to hang out with my man's bestie (RP3) and his awesome woman Sarah a lot. Well, two nights in a row is a lot for us and it was great!

The first night of together-ness included an action packed two hour wait for food at La Fiesta- Who's idea was it to go on Friday night?? But, I did get this cutie guy (who actually still lives on my dashboard, Sarah, just so you know).

This weekend, I cooked pork chops for the first time! And quite successfully, I might add.

I mean, I seared them and everything. Definitely have never done any cooking that required searing and baking (go me!). Even the broccoli was extra good!

I used a recipe that has been floating around pinterest that supposedly makes the best broccoli ever.
You shake this brocc up with olive oil, salt, and pepper, cook the brocc on high heat for a short amount of time, then sprinkle with lemon juice and permesan cheese. It was pretty darn good!

(Looks great right? Like I've said in previous posts- most def not a food photographer)

This weekend, I helped with a program that my flute professor, Dr. Arnone, started at Baylor called "Honor Flutes". She invites all the high school and middle school flutists in the area to join a (free) flute choir that she conducts. The music is a challenge for most of them, but the Baylor flute studio jumps in the rehearse and perform with them- the goal being to give them a musical opportunity they might not regularly have the chance to take part in. We also hope that they have a good time, which we all did!

How did you spend your weekend?

Happies and Crappies- part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:04:00 +0000

I'm not sure about y'all, but this week was an emotional blur. Perfect to cap off the week- linking up for.......

Happies

New classes
First day of school outfit
Roomie love
Success in the kitchen
Hearing the amazing Carol Wincenc perform with the Waco Symphony
Performing for said amazing Ms. Wincenc
Coaching a woodwind quintet as a part of my JOB (so cool)
Starting a 6AM (AH) workout routine with my dear friend Darbi
Boyfriend snuggles

Soon to be happies

Hanging with Sarah and RP3 (best friends in law, really)
WEEKEND

______________________________________________________________

Crappies

Grad/TA duties. A LOT of them.
Back to school shock (I have to read HOW MUCH?!)
Oversleeping
Stress arguments
MOLD in my apartment y'all. Mold. Not to mention the management is horrendous.
Family woes, very heavy heart
Missed my last flight option to my only audition this semester

This week has been so nuts, I don't even have pictures to post!

To make up for the lack of photos and for a cheery end to this blog post....

Wittle baby Winston!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

You're welcome.

Happy Friday ;)

For more recent photos of Winston click here and here!

This Weekend, No. 3

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Happy Monday morning! I'm linking up with Syndal for "This Weekend, I..."

This weekend was actually a major bummer for me.

Long story short- I've been working very hard towards a handful of auditions for Artist Diploma programs next year. Sent in pre-screening recordings (takes forever to get them "just right"), and was not nearly as successful as I had hoped.

So of course (as I told my lovely boyfriend) "If I'm gonna suck at the flute at least I'm going to look awesome doing it!" Which was a little dramatic of course, because I'm kinda pretty far from sucking at the flute.....but anyways. He sympathetically "Ok baby'd" me and we went shopping.

Found this lovely gem at one of my local faves, Amelia's. $7!!

Also from Amelias, a fun Forever 21 jacket. $14!!!

I felt a little better.

This weekend I successfully bruched with Drew- my first time making french toast! Yummy

And This morning, I woke up to a freezing Waco, and these fun little not-quite-snow-like beads were everywhere.

Happy Monday everyone- I hope you have a lovely lovely day and a pleasant week!

How was your weekend?

H54F part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Linking up for High Five For Friday!

1.

I love Pinterest, y'all. But how often do we (I) actually accomplish the DYI or meal projects that we pin?

Yesterday, Thanks to a post by Looks Like Homemade, my freezer is now stocked with 7 pre-made yummy meals (for 2 with leftovers)! After two hours of prep time, all of these meals are completely ready to go- crock pot, go to school, done! It makes me giddy just thinking about it.

I did make some modifications to the recipies presented (and left out the soy chicken since my main man is not a fan of soy sauce, sad day right?!) so if you are interested I can post a follow up on how the recipies turned out!

This happened. Coolest dad ever, right? :)

Learned that I CAN trim my own bangs without just ruining my whole life.

Also, I love my Cover Girl NatureLuxe balm.

Date night at one of our local favorites- Sams on the Square, or affectionately "Tacos and Tequila"

But seriously, white queso and black bean dip with a delicious margarita?! YUM.

Hope you all had a lovely week! Its about to be back to the grind- are you ready?

This Weekend, No. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 05:44:00 +0000

This weekend, I packed up and made the trek back to good ol' Waco. What a thrill to find out that all of my cold weather clothes fit into my shared room! Its the little things, y'all.

First thing in Waco, literally as soon as I drove up, I met up with Drew (eeeee!) and we drove to eat dinner with our newly wed friends- the Lott's! It was such a treat to not have to eat fast food the first night back in town. Rachel and Andy cooked up a delicios paleo dinner. I could seriously eat this stuff every day!
Of course margaritas don't exactly fall into the paleo category, but Rachel has started a really great blog on the paleo lifestyle if you are interested.

This weekend, I realized yet again how much I hate being away from Drew for any time at all! He flew off to San Francisco to audition for a trumpet opening in the San Francisco Symphony- such an honor! You might remember back in December when he won a job with the Army, and now he gets to add advancing in SF audition to his ever growing resume. Go baby go! So proud of you :)

Here is a lovely shot that Drew shared with me from his day of sight-seeing:

This weekend, I had a lot of alone time and practiced the flute much more that I had been for the rest of the break. Being alone and being a little bit chilly gave me the opportunity to re-wear and re-style my (fake) furry vest (without shame)! I love this vest. Let me repeat: I love this vest. Quite honestly I can't even tell you where it was originally from, because MARSHALL'S IS AMAZING. Am I right??

I present to you: messy grad room and furry vest photo day #1

Vest: YMI (found it! super sale)

Shirt: Boyfriend hand-me-down

Jeans: a.n.a. (jcp, similar here)

Boots: Sam & Libby Fiddler booties

And messy grad room furry vest day #2

Vest: YMI (found it! super sale)

Sweater: H&M, 2010

Skinnies: Levi's

Boots: Sam & Libby

Flute: Muramatsu ;)

This weekend, I finally watched the entire first season of Downton Abbey. Oh my goodness I do believe that the raving reviews were correct! Must. Watch. More.

What did you do this weekend?

This and That Thursday No.2

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 05:01:00 +0000

Happy 2013, y'all!

Linking up with my beautiful friend Sarah for my 2nd "This and That Thursday"!

This morning while updating my phone, all of my pictures (337) got deleted- Bummer!! I'm sure there is a way to get them back, but I don't have a Mac and I'm totally not new version of iTunes (or Picasa) savvy. Double bummer.

Luckily I snagged this New Years Day photo from the boy one.

That little red ball cube (cube made of....yeah not sure how to describe that one) is the best toy ever invented! We made this cube of 4mm magnets in about....45 minutes. To our defense, we had no idea that we had the exact number of magnets to made a 6*6*6 cube, but we had a blast anyways! My super genius chemist dad brought it home and explained that the name bucky balls comes from the term "buckminsterfullerene" which is basically a soccer ball shaped carbon molecule. Neat, right?

This is my baby Winston on the eve of my departure to Waco. I'm so ready to get into a routine and to get the semester off to a great start, but I've enjoyed every minute with this little man!!

Sweater- Merona, Target (old, similar here)

Jeans- LC Lauren Conrad at Kohl's (old, similar here)

Off to Waco tomorrow for my last full semester as a master's student- what does 2013 offer you?

See my first "This and That" here!

This and That Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 00:19:00 +0000

This is my wonderful cousin (that also happens to beautiful, kind, and a doctor...not fair, right?!) and her crazy fun hubby. It was treat to get a call from them on Christmas day! As you know, the FaceTime thing is new to me but hooray Apple for bringing families together! I was telling them that FaceTime and Skype remind me of that old Carousel of Progress ride at Disney World. The last stop shows you a holidy family playing video games that they are in (Wii, anyone?), using a voice control oven (Siri?!), and talking to Grandma on the tv! Technology is cool, y'all.

That is my Christmas day outfit, including my lovely $.99 Goodwill sweater vest. Love it!

Shirt: Old Navy (here on sale!)

Vest: Coldwater Creek, Goodwill!

Denim: Forever 21, old (similar here)

This is the super sexy (early) 90's apron I inherited on Christmas day because my mother was thoroughly embarrassed that my dad still wore it and bought him a new "manly" one. Score!

That is the face of my cutie cute man who was pouting that we couldn't be together on Christmas day. Saddest/cute face ever, am I right?? Love him.

And have I mentioned he's a total goof? Still love him.

This is the most adorable dog in the entire world, that happens to belong to my family so I may be biased (but seriously look at that face), wearing his sweater because it finally (praise the Lord!) cooled down in Houston! What a stud muffin!

That is documentation of BFF night at our favorite local hang, Sharky's! Nights with Em are the best and we ran into some old friends from middle school- accidental reunion! We also tried watermelon margaritas for the first time. Imagine jolly rancher + margarita = YUM (if you are into that sort of thing).

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day with your family and friends!

Now on the the next holiday-

What are your New Years Eve plans? I'd love to hear from you!

This Weekend, I...

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 21:43:00 +0000

Merry Christmas Eve!

This is my first time linking up with my dear friend Sarah for...

This weekend, I helped my twin brother, Parker (no we are not identical, har har) move in to his very first apartment! Since I've been out of the house for 6 years now and he has lived at home commuting to UH it seems not quite right to have an empty room next to mine at the house! But, its about time!! I'm excited for him to grow up a little bit now ;) hehe Love him!

Meet Parker. Yup, my brother is tough (and single, ladies!)

This weekend, I called up Brittany (a good Baylor friend who is now the assistant band director at my old high school) and we had a little afternoon adventure. Have you guys discovered the apps shopkick and checkpoints?? Seriously all you do is walk in to stores and turn the app on to get points that you can redeem for giftcards!! Pretty cool. If you are really ambitious (like we were this weekend) you can run around the store scanning barcodes for extra points. Its kind of like a grown up scavenger hunt! If you decide to try shopkick, leave a comment, because if I send you an e-vite we will both get extra points! If you want to try checkpoints, use the bonus code paigebrownflute for extra points when you sign up!

This is a photo from when I visited Brittany at a KHS football game last year!

This weekend, I got together with my BFF Emmi for our second annual gingerbread house decorating extravaganza! Last year I started this tradition as a way for Emmi and Drew to spend some time together. You know, the BFF has to approve of the BF (she likes him, don't worry).

Here is Gingerbread Extravaganza 2011...

I should probably admit that Drew was the creator of the beautiful icing icicles.

Sadly, Drew could not join us for Gingerbread Extravaganza 2012 since he is in Wisconsin visiting his family. So Em and I teamed up and made a teeny and adorable gingerbread village, complete with powdered sugar snow! I'm extremely proud, not going to lie.

This weekend, I got to FaceTime with Drew's family! I got passed around to say Hi Jeff, Carol, Poppop, Nikki, Bradley, Colin, Austin, and Boomer. They are such a fun bunch and I'm wishing I could spend some holiday time up in Wisconsin with them!!

Most importantly, this weekend, I got a lot of Winston snuggle time in! Love this little man!!

Visit Sarah to link up and share your weekend with us!

FaceTime!

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:09:00 +0000

I'm not sure whether or not Drew knew I was taking snapshots of him while we chatted last night.... Tehe

This is a documentary of my first FaceTime experience that wasn't sticking my face in front of someone else's phone and waving. Isn't technology great?!?

Hi Babe!

Kisses for Winston!

Flute time!

Oh hey Greg.

Playing "Jingle Bells" for Winston.

Yaaaaay fluuuuurt

K, love you byyyyye!

But seriously, isn't he the cutest?

-PB

Houston Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:34:00 +0000

Top: Ann Taylor LOFT

Skirt: H&M (from a trip to Belgium in 2010)

Shoes: Target (now on sale!)

Today's Christmas break activities included following Winston, shopping, and tanning.

Ok, maybe not tanning, but it was seriously 80 degrees today!!! Not alright with me. Let a girl wear her tights, boot socks, and scarves, am I right? Suppose I can't complain about getting to bust out the super bright red H&M skirt that I don't feel comfortable wearing in any other season.

Christmas shopping with my family is always exciting. We have this little thing we like to call "amnesia shopping."

I'm guessing that you are thinking "What in the world is amnesia shopping?"

Let me enlighten you:

Ever had trouble picking out stuff to buy for a family member? Ever heard a family member say "Ooooo, I like this!" and then not buy it?

That is exactly how "amnesia shopping" was born. Basically...

1. Go shopping as a familial unit

2. Pick out stuff you like

3. Show mom/dad/brother

4. Take note of what they picked out

5. Leave the store

6. Go back and choose what you liked out of what they liked, and by the time presents get opened you

usually hear a lot of "Oh, I forgot about that sweater/book/necklace!"

7. Everyone is happy!

Pretty fun, huh?

How do you shop for family and friends?

Thanks again to the amazing Sarah for her photo talents!!

-PB

Wish List!

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:55:00 +0000

It is completely unfortunate that I get weekly reminders of how I can not afford nor do I have the reason to buy all these lovely items that BHLDN has to offer.

But seriously, if anyone wants to buy me a nice present this year, just browse the whole website and choose literally anything. They are fantastic!!

I wanted to specifically share the add for these beautiful dainty rings. I am a huge fan of the vintage dainty ring trend. I'm lucky enough to have an heirloom vintage ring that belonged to my great grandmother. What a treasure! If I had it on me, I would share a picture with you all- something to look forward to, I suppose!

This specific ring might be my favorite that BHLDN has in stock right now, but it is so hard to choose!

What is your favorite BHLDN item?

But in other new, I got to spend more quality time with my roomie yesterday, and we took a little trip to Kohl's.

Don't you just love their sales??

On top of having a great time with Christina, I scored this beauty! So excited :)

ELLE Lace Peplum Top in Ivory (find it here!)

Loving the specific ivory of this lace- a little bit cream, but with a hint of grey! Very vintage.

Also, check out that velvet bow! The color is just perfect. They also have the shirt in navy and teal as well!

Today I'm matching my new shirt with some burgundy skinnies and flats! This might be my favorite holiday look- although I'm still admiring that shiny LC by Lauren Conrad dress you see in the background of the picture.

What are you wearing this holiday season?

-PB

ARMY Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 20:44:00 +0000

I am SO PROUD to share in the accomplishments of my hard-working and incredibly talented boyfriend!
Join me in welcoming the new, soon to be, Staff Sargent Drew Fremder! WOOHOOOO!!!

After graduating with his MM, Drew will head off to boot camp and upon graduation will be stationed in Ft. Myer, VA as a member of the Pershing's Own.

I told Drew that I am too emotional of a being for what his new job entails!- but what a high and honorable duty. His primary job will be to play "Taps" at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

To better explain the ritual and history involved, Drew sat me down to watch really great short documentary called "Taps." I highly encourage you to watch the video! I'm pretty much at a loss for words other than what I have already shared.

Congrats again to Drew, I could not be more proud of your hard work! Glory be to God for His provision.

-PB

Avocado crazy!

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:31:00 +0000

I'm not sure about you, but I sure am thankful for the avocado craze (and also, bacon).

Today I am excited to have an apartment dinner party with friends so caring that they make up a little non-blood related family. Wonderful!!

My contribution to dinner is, of course, guacamole! Can you believe that just a handful of years ago, I swore to HATE and to always HATE avocados-- I wouldn't even touch one. Silly, silly me, sure am glad I got over that one!

This recipe is fool proof. That is unless you mess it up (tehe). But the great part about this recipe is that everything is 'to taste'! Don't like something? Take it out! Want more of something? Add it!

Of course I need to give credit to my friend Andy Lott, who in time has developed this fantastic concoction of spices and was so generous to share his secrets with me!

**DISCLAIMER: I am not nor will I ever be a food photographer. Or a photographer in general. So, please no passing of judgement on my food photography skills, thanks!

You will need: avocado(s)
garlic salt
pepper
Cavendar's (or a comprable greek seasoning)
Tony's (everyone is familiar with Tony's...right?)
lemon or lime juice
salsa (take your pick!)

First I like to gather my ingredients- to make sure I don't forget anything, which is very likely to happen.

After scooping out the avocados, I like to use a knife to chop them up in to smaller pieces to make the mashing stage a little more managable.

(This is not the most beautiful avocado- sad! But it still tastes great!)

Easy on the garlic salt! It is by far the most potent ingredient.

Lightly dust the top of the avocado with your garlic salt, pepper, Cavendar's, and Tony's. Andy's advice was to use more Tony's! I trust him.

I generally will add one light squirt of lemon juice and about two spoonfuls of salsa per avocado.

Thoroughly mix and mash, to your textural preference, and enjoy!!!!

I hope you have enjoyed my super cookbook worthy terminology and mega cooking experience (Hah!)

This is by far the best guacamole recipe I have tried- Drew and his roomies devour it.

*maybe useful hint* The first time I attempted to use garlic salt in guacamole, I ruined it. Big time. If this happens to you (which I'm sure it wont!) try adding a can of shredded chicken (looks like a tuna can) and dish it up on sandwiches! This might actually be Drew's favorite meal that I make. Yum!!!

Do you have a super secret (or not so secret) yummy avocado recipe?

-PB

Thrifting Away!

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:31:00 +0000

Today I had the lovely honor of spending time with my roommate!
(One would think roommate = lots of time together, but then you get to factor in the grad school and the student teaching and the outside jobs and the blah blah blah and it is not enough time together!)

Boy, do I love this woman.

Did I mention she's engaged? In August I get to be in the wedding of two super wonderful people- Michael and Christina! I'm pretty sure its going to be a rockin' occassion. I'm excited.

This is a picture of my most precious roommate, Christina, and my favorite kitty ever, Adelle!

Today we decided to see if our local Plato's Closet would do us the favor of buying a few un-used items from us- and they did! Maybe not quite as much as I had hoped, but any little bit makes a difference.

Then, I of course turned around and spent the money that I made on new clothes! (Oops?)

Here is a quick snapshot of today's bargains:

Simple neutral striped boatneck T from Gap- $7!

Fun navy (darker in person) shimmer skirt from LOFT- $12!

How would you style my new shirt or skirt? What is your favorite bargain clothes venue?

One last musing! Welcome my little (from our music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon), Kate back to blogger! She is an incredibly intelligent Master's student at FSU studying musicology (super cool, right?!) and is also an avid reader! In her blog she records her musings and reviews of the books that she reads- you are sure to hear about some great reads!

-PB

Merry Gig-mas!

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 04:39:00 +0000

I made a very bitter sweet decision a few months ago. Yes, it was for the sake of $$, BUT I missed my last ever Christmas at Baylor concert!

Christmas at Baylor has always been one of my favorite concerts of the year- not only for the jolly moods and festive attire, but because of the collaboration between the Baylor Orchestra and our Wonderful choirs.

The concert always features Christmas classics, singing by candle light, spectacular choral and orchestra features, and congregational song! Fun, right? It's a lovely way to get in the holiday spirit.

This year, I agreed to play for the Dallas Baptist University's Christmas concerts, like I said, for the $$! I feel like a complete traitor Especially since the concerts were on the same weekend.

Nonetheless, there's just always something about the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah that just gets your blood flowing! What exciting and rich tradition we have, all thanks to a little baby born Ages ago to save our poor wandering souls! Thank you Jesus :)

If you haven't been to DBU, it is a beautiful tiny campus sitting on top of a hill overlooking a lake. It was decorated from head to toe, including this ginormous tree that I insisted we take a photo in front of ;)

What do you do to get into the holiday spirit? Are there any musical traditions you maintain from year to year?

Happy Weekend!
-PB

Coffee Secrets!

noreply@blogger.com (Paige Brown) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 05:41:00 +0000

Sweater: American Eagle (thrifted- so lucky to snag up this gem!) Similar here at Target!

Vest: Marshalls (old)

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: Kelly and Katie (old)

Necklace: Simply Vera at Kohl's (similar here)

Every application in the history of EVER, ok maybe just the applications related to school, are due December 1st. December 1st is this Saturday. Needless to say life is just a little bit crazy right now!

BUT, I remembered my grandmother's wonderful secret recipe for the best coffee ever, which I will share with you.

Over Thanksgiving we were presented with brilliant coffee that reminded me of my Belgian coffee experiences (which are still the best coffee experiences I have ever had). Since my grandmother has spent a good amount of time traveling to European countries, I figured that it was something she had picked up along the way. I asked her about it nonetheless, and you will never guess what it was! Dunkin Donuts. From the grocery store.

Now, the secret is a light sprinkle of cinnamon in the coffee grounds before it is brewed. Who would have though? Not me at lease ;) Delicious!

What are your coffee favorites?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

-PB