Your Southern Peach

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sending all of you lots of love today! I'm spending the day with these two little love bugs and my sweet mom. I can't remember the last time my husband and I went out for dinner on Valentine's Day so we're keeping with the tradition and cooking at home tonight. Menu includes some form of steak and potatoes because they say that's really the way to a man's heart.

How about you? Any big plans for this special day?

Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda

2012-02-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

Interpret as you wish but I think this sonnet is one of the most romantic things I've ever read. I found it when I was planning my wedding and eight years later, it still melts my heart. I'm particularly fond of the second half of the sonnet.

I promise I'll be back to my less mushy self after tomorrow....xoxo

Sunday Best

2012-02-12T06:38:00.000-05:00

Untitled #86 by yoursouthernpeach featuring heart jewelry

J Crew stripe sweater
$52 - jcrew.com

Phase Eight teal skirt
£39 - johnlewis.com

Madewell rubber heels
$98 - madewell.com

Suede shoulder bag
$100 - topshop.com

Alex and Chloe heart jewelry
$90 - alexandchloe.com

R J Graziano animal print jewelry
$50 - stylebop.com

Sunglasses
$90 - sunglasshut.com

20 Valentine's Day finds for your home-loving loved ones
$18 - houzz.com

Life at it's Finest

2012-02-10T07:21:00.001-05:00

Luke dressed himself last weekend. In case you're wondering, his outfit was inspired by an Army medic/helicopter pilot (I'm sure there is some proper title for that) who came to speak at his preschool last week. The contents inside his pockets include a cup, thermometer, vitamins and band aids.

Just a shot of the boys lunch boxes for school. They both got hummus sandwiches which is awesome for those peanut free classrooms.

Did y'all see the moon this week? Wasn't it gorgeous. A few nights ago I literally drove around for 20 minutes with the boys in the back seat of the car trying to get a better view. Finally, Luke informed me, "Mommy, you can't chase the moon." My response.... "I know honey, but we can try."

Jett's first official preschool Valentine to me. Heart melting.... those two little finger prints. He wouldn't cooperate for a picture with the card.

I made this spicy Mexican quinoa soup from Jess at Forgiving Martha. It was so yummy and I loved the texture of the quinoa with all the yummy peppers. By the way, her site is a treasure for any of you foodies out there.

Also for any of you Pinterest addicts out there, I'd love for you to follow my imaginary "Life at it's Finest" board here.

Happy weekending!

Love Notes

2012-02-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

A while ago, I found one of these dry erase ceramic memo boards and placed it in mine and my husband's closet. It's a private spot in our home so whatever is written is for our eyes only. We use it to "pass love notes" and because we never talk about the board and we never see each other writing on the board, it's become like a game for us. Remember when he surprised me with this? The possibilities are endless. A compliment, a surprise, a date, some encouragement or a simple I love you.

Do you plan on writing your special someone a love note for Valentine's Day?

Heart-Shaped Message Board * Scroll Message Board * Beaded Square Message Board * Tropical Leaf Message Board

Show Your Love

2012-02-07T08:21:00.003-05:00

1. Start each day with a kiss
2. Wear your wedding ring at all times
3. Date once a week
4. Accept differences
5. Be polite
6. Be gentle
7. Give gifts
8. Smile often
9. Touch
10. Talk about dreams
11. Select a song that can be "our song"
12. Give back rubs
13. Laugh together
14. Send a card for no reason
15. Do what the other person wants before he or she asks
16. Listen
17. Encourage
18. Do it his or her way
19. Know his or her needs
20. Fix the other person's breakfast
21. Compliment twice a day
22. Call during the day
23. Slow down
24. Hold hands
25. Cuddle
26. Ask for each other's opinion
27. Show respect
28. Welcome the other person home
29. Look your best
30. Wink at each other
31. Celebrate birthdays in a big way
32. Apologize
33. Forgive
34. Set up a romantic getaway
35. Ask "what can I do to make you happier?"
36. Be positive
37. Be kind
38. Be vulnerable
39. Respond quickly to the other person's request
40. Talk about your love
41. Reminince about your favorite times together
42. Treat each other's friends and relatives with courtesy
43. Send flowers every Valentine's Day and annivesary
44. Admit when wrong
45. Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires
46. Pray for each other daily
47. Watch sunsets together
48. Say "I love you" frequently
49. End the day with a hug
50. Remember that unkind remarks can wound deeply and may never be forgotten

Cupid's Arrow

2012-02-06T08:00:00.007-05:00

That darling little devil is at it again! It's that time of year when love is in the air and you never know what might strike you!

Tell me my loves, does Valentine's Day make you giddy with glee or just plain pouty?

(original image found here)

Sunday Best

2012-02-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Untitled #85 by yoursouthernpeach featuring gold bangles

Madewell sweater
$88 - madewell.com

3 1 Phillip Lim pleated skirt
£224 - farfetch.com

Miss Sixty high heels
$90 - misssixty.com

Shoulder handbag
$55 - modcloth.com

Gold bangle
mememeaccessories.com

House of Harlow 1960 gold dangle earrings
$57 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Lemlem cotton scarve
$150 - shoplesnouvelles.com

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture
$32 - bloomingdales.com

Life at it's Finest

2012-02-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Luke's improving with his drawing skills and this is his latest version of a family adventure to the beach.

I look forward to doing this every Saturday. A cup of coffee and the Off Duty section of the WSJ.

Of all the holiday candy out there, Brach's conversation hearts are hands down my favorite. I love slipping them to my husband throughout the day and watching him smile.

A little something I put together for a baby shower. I found the cute little wooden carrier at Marshall's.

Do you know how long this guy has been missing? Finally found him under a chair cushion and despite being sat on for the past month, he's still smiling.

I hope y'all have a great weekend and join me next week for a week full of pink, red, hearts and love!

Fashion Inspired

2012-02-02T05:25:00.004-05:00

It's so easy to get caught up in the beautiful online world of Pinterest, Tumblr and my blog reader that at times I neglect to focus on the beauty that's sitting right in front of me. I'm a very visual person so I enjoy the pretty escape of the internet sometimes but the present moment is most precious of all.

I'm off to the real world now. See you tomorrow for a peak at what that looks like.

Current Makeup Favorites

2012-01-31T23:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I get lost. It usually happens in bookstores and makeup stores. Does that ever happen to you? I'm a total girly girl when it comes to makeup and love discovering new products but I have to keep my daily routine pretty simple. I also religiously wash my face at night and most mornings.

I thought it might be fun for us to share some of our favorite's here on the blog so I'll start this off and you can share one, two or as many as you want in the comments section below! Fun, right? Like a mini makeup party.

Tarte Cheek Stain (color Tipsy): This may be my favorite new find of 2011. The color is so bright and glows on your checks. It lasts a long time too! The texture is different, kinda lipstick like, but it doesn't bother me one single bit. Love it!

Smashbox Sheer Focus: This tinted moisturizer does wonders evening out my skin and it takes seconds to apply. I noticed that shortly after I began using this, I started getting compliments on my skin. It's very lightweight and spreads evenly across the skin.

Clarisonic Mia: This was a huge product in 2011 and I finally bit the bullet and bought one. At first I was using it twice a day and that frequency was way to much for my sensitive skin. My relationship with my Mia was a bit love/hate at first because it left my skin so soft but a bit dry. I've found that an every other day scrub is great for me.

Too Faced Naked Eye Kit: This kit has a lot of great colors and I use most all of them with the exception of the very dark black. I just don't wear a smokey eye very often but it's there if I need it. The thing I love about this kit is it comes with pretty little instruction cards for different looks and a little place to keep the eye brush. I really like having all my shades all in one place cause it helps streamline my routine in the morning.

Erase Paste: Where oh where has this product been all my life? I am very much a night owl and a mom of two boys so my under eyes are often suffering. This lightweight concealer not only conceals but brightens too. I don't leave the house without this. And you can see in my sidebar that I have it proudly displayed!

So there you have it. Some of my favorite makeup pics that I began using in 2011. Now it's your turn to share a product.

Barley, Arugula & Tomato Saute

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! Can you believe this is the last Monday in January? How are you doing on your resolutions and intentions so far? Some of you know that I'm a Weight Watchers member and have been so close (yet so far away) to making my goal for weeks now. Why are the last few pounds the hardest to lose? I'm really hoping to gain my lifetime status before my next birthday in March! (Fingers crossed)

Anyhow, each week they share recipes with us at our meetings and this one I just had to share with y'all. I've made this for my lunch as well as a side for dinner. The recipe has a lot of simple flavors but they combine really nicely. I had never cooked with barley before but it's quite easy, particularly if you buy the quick cooking kind. I hope y'all give it a try because it's become one of my go to favorites.

Recipe: Barley, Arugula and Tomato Saute (adapted from Weight Watchers)

Ingredients:

1 cup barley, cooked
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
2 cups arugula
1 tsp. lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook barley according to package instructions. ( I used fat free chicken stock in my recipe to add flavor!) Set aside.

2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over low heat. Add crushed garlic and saute very briefly (maybe 15 seconds) being careful not to burn.

3. Add grape tomatoes and saute for 1-2 minutes until juices release.

4. Add cooked barley to saute pan and combine.

5. Add arugula and toss for 1-2 minutes until the leaves have wilted down significantly in size.

6. Add lemon zest. ( Don't skip this because the lemon adds so much flavor!)

I added some feta cheese on mine as you can see in the photo above but that's completely optional.

Sunday Best

2012-01-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

MICHAEL Michael Kors polka dot button down shirt
$322 - my-wardrobe.com

Proenza Schouler canvas pants
£695 - brownsfashion.com

Nine west pumps
$99 - ninewest.com

Blue leather bag
fashion.1stdibs.com

Ziba vintage gold earrings
£10 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Monsoon tahitian pearl jewelry
£6 - monsoon.co.uk

Sambag clear shades
125 AUD - thegrandsocial.com.au

Clarins Gloss Prodige
$20 - bloomingdales.com

Life at it's Finest

2012-01-27T08:16:00.000-05:00

I have been completely hooked on grapefruit lately. I crave them morning, noon and night. Isn't there some kind of grapefruit diet? I need to research that further. Helpful hint: use a grapefruit spoon. They make the experience so much more enjoyable.

Why I even bother to paint my nails I have no clue. My nails are always suffering due to overworked dish hands and playing in the dirt outside with the boys. BUT I do find the act of painting my nails very relaxing and it reminds me of my life before kids. Yes, I do remember that life! The color here is OPI Tutti Frutti Tonga.

If my kitchen island is clean I feel like my whole house is clean. Do you have a spot in your house that makes you feel like this? I love that there is no holiday decor, mail, book bags, purses, etc...

My kids eat this pretty much every Wednesday when I'm rushing out the door to my yoga class. I think I have my older son convinced that since it's "Amy's" pizza that I've actually cooked for him. I usually add some carrots, applesauce or lima beans alongside their pizza and call it a day. Om.

My new favorite cocktail. It is so so yummy and I'm delighted to be sharing the recipe today over at Society Social. I've been acting as food contributor for their blog since October and I'm absolutely thrilled with the opportunity. It's really fun sharing my love of food and drink with stylish socials and I hope you'll go over to see what all the buzz is about!

Hope you enjoy life at it's finest this weekend fellow peaches!

Fashion Inspired

2012-01-26T05:00:00.001-05:00

Today I'm going with the flow. Gonna see where the day takes me and enjoy the ride!

Mood Shift by Cerra

2012-01-23T23:35:00.000-05:00

One great thing about being a blogger and sharing a little bit of yourself with the world is that there are complete strangers out there who are willing to send you a little pick me up when you're feeling a little down.

A few months ago, I wrote this post and a few days later Cerra sent me one of their mood shift kits. Pretty cool, right? Some of you may know that I am nine years into my yoga practice and depend on it to keep me "normal." But sometimes it's the little things we do throughout our day that keep us grounded too.

Inside this small bag are little treasures to keep you focused, energized and grateful. Lovely teas, aromatic lotions and cards are all centered around positive affirmations. Love that!

How perfect would this be for a friend's birthday, a new mom, a teacher gift, a gracious hostess or the jetsetter? I also really like their dissolving notes to release all that "stuff."

Hope y'all have a wonderful day and stay focused on the good stuff.

Easy Peppermint Ice Cream

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! This is another post brought to you by leftover candy canes. I seriously buy them in bulk at Christmas. That's how much I love them. You can of course find regular peppermints year round and those would substitute just fine in this recipe. Wouldn't this be a perfect treat for your special Valentine too?

The thing I love about this ice cream recipe is that there are no raw or undercooked eggs involved. The sweetened condensed milk makes for a very easy and creamy end result too. I've made this twice in the past week if that tells you how good it is.

You do need an automatic ice cream maker for this recipe unless you know how to manually churn ice cream yourself. If you do, you have my complete adoration! I own this Cuisinart model which whips up a batch of ice cream faster than you can dry a load of laundry. And don't forget to throw the freezer bowl in the freezer the night before you plan to make this! Okay, now that we have that out of the way, here's the recipe.

Recipe: Easy Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream (adapted from Amanda's Cookin)
Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 tsp. vanilla extract
7 drops red food coloring
1 cup very finely crushed candy canes or peppermint candies (vent out all your frustrations!)

Instructions:

1. Combine first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. Whisk and pour into automatic ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer's instructions. (I let mine go for about 30 minutes.)

3. Pour ice cream into freezer safe container and freeze for a minimum of two hours.

Sunday Best

2012-01-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

Markus Lupfer backless top
$206 - glassworks-studios.com

Oasis a line skirt
£15 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Madewell suede shoes
$195 - madewell.com

TopShop doctor bag
$75 - topshop.com

LORD & TAYLOR gold post earrings
$700 - lordandtaylor.com

Cashmere shawl
£125 - austique.co.uk

Barry M Lip Gloss Wands
$5.09 - asos.com

Life at it's finest

2012-01-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday!

In 2011 I began The Friday Five series which was wonderful fun but now I'm ready to change things up a bit. I'd like to introduce you to my new Friday series titled, "Life at it's finest," brought to you via Instagram. (Let's follow each other! I kinda love it. You can find me as yoursouthernpeach).

"Life at it's finest" looks a lot like this in my head but as you'll see through this series, my everyday life has a course of it's own. (Hope you'll follow me on Pinterest too. It's my part-time lover.)

I hope you like the new series and getting to know me a little better.

My 8:00 AM wake up call while my back was turned making coffee.

Favorite date spot. The peanut butter and chocolate swirled is divine.

French pastry from local bakery. It threatened to haunt me if I didn't take it home with me.

Skinny cords, pink flats and 10 seconds of putting my feet up.

A $15 vintage find. Scoooore!

Be Fun

2012-01-18T08:38:00.000-05:00

Today I'm having a little fun over on Shannon's blog, "I love your crazy." While she's attending an uber stylish blogger conference in Salt Lake City, I'm talking spring fashion.

Pretty fun, right?

Warning...you may want to put on your shades.

Any spring trends you're expecting to be extra fun this year?

Green Smoothie Love

2012-01-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! (or afternoon or evening) It's a new year. You know that...I hope.

Many of us have resolved to live healthier, cleaner, greener. I'm not real sure what that involves for each of you but this green smoothie fits the bill for me. Last year, I shared a recipe that helped me lose 15 lbs and counting. So this year, I've resolved to adopt another healthy recipe from her blog. Yep, the infamous green smoothie. Please don't be afraid.

My conclusion...green smoothies are fun...and yummy...and filling! (Thanks Lesley for convincing me to take the plunge.)

I made a few adjustments and notes to the recipe and feel free to adjust to your own liking too. That's part of the awesomeness of smoothies. You can get a little creative with it.

Ingredients:

1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 green apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 banana
1 inch ginger, peeled and diced
3 dates, pitted and chopped
1 stalk kale, stems removed
1 cup ice

How to:

Blend ingredients, beginning with juices. Mix well, pour into a tall glass and garnish with a silly straw. That last part is absolutely necessary.

A time saving tip: Prepare the ingredients the night before and be ready to go in the morning!

Happy Monday y'all!

Sunday Best

2012-01-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

Untitled #82 by yoursouthernpeach featuring elliott lucca handbags

Precis Petite black stripe shirt
£39 - johnlewis.com

H M short mini skirt
£13 - hm.com

Friis Company patent leather flat
€54 - shopfriiscompany.com

Elliott lucca handbag
$98 - nordstrom.com

Dorothy Perkins white pearl jewelry
$22 - dorothyperkins.com

Kate Spade bow earrings
$68 - katespade.com

Silk shawl
£30 - bruunsbazaar.com

FACE Stockholm® three-pack nail polish
$15 - jcrew.com

Happy Weekending!

2012-01-13T09:08:00.001-05:00

via

We finally have a weekend where we don't have a full schedule. Hip hip hooray!

I'm gonna take some time to enjoy a few simple pleasures. Maybe a nice cozy fire, a cup of hot tea or even better, a few extra hours of sleep!

Do you have any plans for the weekend?

Whatever they are, I hope it's simply wonderful.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

2012-01-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday fellow peaches! I hope you enjoyed our little jaunt to Graceland yesterday. After that trip, I've decided I must own a pair of blue suede shoes. Sooner rather than later.

For those of us who resolved to eat healthier in 2012, here's an alternative to the decadent pie I posted earlier in the week. I nicknamed this smoothie, "The Elvis" and it's so good that I actually made two batches in one day for the boys and I. We put them away like it was our job.

Talk about being "all shook up!" Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Serve with a side of bacon if you really want to "take care of business." Sorry again. I'll stop now.

Here's the recipe... (adapted from here)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 bananas
1/4 ground steel cut oats ( I grind mine in my coffee bean grinder)
1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup milk
dash of cinnamon
1 cup ice

Blend ingredients to a smooth consistency. Garnish and serve immediately.

What to Wear to Graceland

2012-01-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

leather jacket. sunglasses. sequined skirt. blue suede shoes