Booties?

TGIF friends!

This week proved to be a pretty easy week back. Due to super cold temps, I lucked out with a 2 hour delay on both Tuesday and Wednesday.  It definitely made the transition back to early mornings a bit easier. Also funny to see how much better I function when school starts at 9:15 rather than 7:15!

Today I thought I'd share a fashion pondering of late with you.

I'll be honest (and hope I don't offend anyone)...I've never really liked booties. Not really sure why- perhaps they're a bit too edgy for my usual taste?

Anyways- a recent outfit has had me questioning my prior opinion of them.

Last week for my meet up with the sweet Eloquently Emily, I paired a white faux fur vest with a favorite heart Elsa. I loved the combo-- trendy meets uber girlie! I threw on my favorite skinny jeans (here) and Fryes (here) to complete the look.  Since then I have been thinking about the outfit a bit more, though, AND...

I keep thinking that rocking it with booties would be fab!!!

Thoughts?

booties? by sundressesandsmiles featuring jean leggings

I've been proud of myself for taking some fashion risks in the last few months and wearing things that might be out of my usual comfort zone.  Are booties next on the list?

Maybe I can snag a pair on sale as the season comes to an end...

Have a great weekend, my sweeties!

Date Night IN Menu: Tortellini Soup & Chocolate Chess Pie

Happy Hump Day readers!

I think I can, I think I can...slowly but surely I am getting myself back into the routine of school.

Thank you so much for all the blog love and sweet comments about my resolutions for this year.  I already have such a good feeling about 2014 and am seeing so much good in my life.  Power of positive thinking, eh?

Today I am excited to share a delicious, comfort filled date night menu with you.

To set the scene, imagine a snowy night curled up by the fire with a full belly and the one you love.

About a month or so ago, I gave Bryce instructions to keep his Friday night free.  He was dedicated completely to me for the whole evening and and didn't need to worry a thing about dinner. (You see I had just gotten my new KitchenAid mixer and needed an excuse to use it...)

I got home early, gussied myself up, and got cookin'!  I had a picnic style date night in planned and was excited to try some new recipes!

Bryce came home to a picnic blanket on our living room floor, candles, and a bottle of wine set out!  I gave him quick instructions to make a nice fire while I finished up our meal!

I just love our little fireplace!

For the soup:

(Original recipe found here)

Ingredients:

2 whole cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbs olive oil

2 10.75 oz cans of condensed tomato soup

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped OR 2 tbs sun dried tomato paste (I just used tomato paste)

2 cups half and half

2 cups chicken stock

1 tsp onion powder

1 tbs Italian seasoning (I used a local Italian spice blend we got from a farmer's market, YUM!)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 whole 9 oz package of cheese filled tortellini

1 package of sweet Italian sausage (this was not included in original recipe but I added and loved)

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

• Saute garlic with olive oil in large pot over medium heat until golden brown
• Add tomato soup, tomatoes/paste, half and half, chicken stock, and spices
• Bring to a simmer
• Once simmering, drop tortellini into soup and cook according to package directions (likely bringing to a boil and cooking 8-10 min)
• In the meantime, cook the package of sausage in a separate pan, being sure to break it up into little chunks with your spatula
• After tortellini is cooked, add sausage to soup
• Place in bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese

I got a wedge of parmesan and shredded myself.

It was....delish!  Comfort food at its finest!  To top it off, this recipe makes about six servings, so we were able to freeze the leftovers and get two more meals out of it!

Next up:  chocolate chess pie!  I couldn't give Bryce a lovey dovey date night without dessert...

Directions as follows...

(Original recipe found here)

Ingredients:

Crust-

10-11 sheets graham crackers (original, not honey)

5 tbs unsalted butter, melted

3 tbs sugar

1 tbs dark cocoa powder

Filling-

1 stick unsalted butter

1 (1 oz) square unsweetened chocolate (I use the Baker's chocolate bars- 4 rectangles= 1 oz)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Crust-

• Pulse graham crackers in food processor until finely ground.  Add the sugar and cocoa powder.   Give it another pulse.  
• Transfer to bowl and add butter.  Combine until mixed.
• Press into pie plate with the back of a spoon.
• Chill for 20 minutes
• Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 15-20 min
• Cool for 20 min

Filling-

• Melt butter and chocolate together
• Pour into a bowl and whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, an salt.
• When the crust has cooled for 20 min, poor the filling ina nd bake at 325F oven for ~40 min
• Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and glass of your favorite red (optional)

I'm getting hungry just looking at this pic!

Both of these recipes get an A+ in my book!  They were easy and so good.  I made the pie for two other events after this date night and it was a huge crowd pleaser, and, I already have been daydreaming about a small winter dinner party with some friends to serve the soup again.

What are your favorite comfort foods?

Have a great day!

New Year, New Resolutions

Happy Monday friends!

I am trying to be extra bubbly today, despite the fact that it is my first day back at school.  I have a feeling, I'll be indulging in a glass of wine (or three) this evening.

Now that the holiday is up, I really wanted to launch myself into this new year and what better way to do it than reflecting on the last year and looking forward to the year ahead?

We'll start with last year's resolutions (full post here).

1. Blog more:  My goal for 2013 was to blog at least once a week.  I don't think I made it every week, but I know that I came close and also made up for it by blogging 2 or 3 times some weeks.
2. Gripe less:  This resolution was specifically in reference to my relationship with Bryce.  It was honestly an up and down year...summer was really tough (more on that below), but I can say wholeheartedly that I think I found success in this resolution.  Bryce and I have grown so much as a couple this past year and I am the happiest in our relationship that I have ever been.
3. Get fit...again: CHECK!  My goal going into last year was to lose 25 pounds and fit back into my clothes from when I had first met Bryce.  I am happy to say that I exceeded my goal and lost more than 35 pounds!  It's funny because I went from having a closet full of clothes that were too snug to having many clothes that became too loose.  Gave me a great excuse to buy some new wardrobe pretties, though!  
4. Try one new food a month:  I don't think that I actually tried one new food each month. Quite frankly, I forgot about this resolution and every few months would remember it and try something.  2013 did bring many new food experiences though, I tried:  sushi, fennel, and brussel sprouts just to name a few.

Now for 2014, I definitely have some new goals that I'd like to focus on this year.  Here goes:

REVAMP MYSELF AS A BLOGGER

I am really proud of myself for getting back into more blogging.  I still have a lot of room to grow, however.  I know that it's not realistic for me to blog 5x a week like I did when I first started blogging.  I would, however, like to work my way up to 3x a week.  My rule for 2014 is that I'm going to try and post 10x per month...twice a week as a minimum + 2 bonus posts thrown in each month.  I also have been brainstorming a new blog name for quite some time (more than a year, actually) and think I have finally found a name that really defines this blog and who I am now.  Don't get me wrong, I love the name "Sundresses and Smiles" but since creating that name nearly three years ago, I have grown so much as a person.  I think I have finally decided on a name that defines me and can also grow with me.  Stay tuned...I'm in the process of working on a new blog design and hope (fingers crossed) to launch the new design and name for my 3 year blogoversary in March!  

MAKE OUR HOUSE A HOME

Though it may not be completely obvious, this resolution, is really just an extension of the "Gripe Less" resolution from last year.  Let me explain a bit more.  Bryce and I made the decision at the beginning of the summer that I would move in with him when my lease was up at the end of the year.  That being said, I had pretty much been living with him "unofficially" for months.  We discussed that the move was going to be a big project.  As mentioned in some of my House Tour posts (more of those coming in 2014, I promise!), this is just our starter home.  It's not decorated exactly how I'd like it and not filled with all of our forever furniture.  It is sweet, charming, and the place where we fell in love- I adore it- but, it is a small house.  Too small for all our stuff.  We agreed that during my summer break, I would start the process of trying to clean out, reorganize, and even move some things in. That made for a tough summer.  Bryce gave me the freedom to literally tear the house apart, pull things out and reorganize.  He came home almost every day to new projects and piles of things to go through.  Quite honestly, our initial inclination throughout the process was to fight each other. I thought we should get rid of something, he thought we should keep it.  I liked a new room layout, he didn't.  You get the picture.  One of my greatest passions is interior design.  I've thrown some good tantrums about his masculine house stifling my creativity.  I want the house to be a reflection of the both of us.  We've gotten through it, though, and have really learned to compromise. Now that I'm officially in, we're still in the process of figuring out what needs to be stored and what can find a home here.  It's a marathon, not a sprint.  We're both neat freaks and our house has been messy for months as we've navigated this new step in our life together.  But that's the whole point-- we're doing it together.  Sure, we get into some arguments along the way, but now they don't last long.  We realize that the end goal is to build a life together.  So moving into 2014, I want to make a home that is pretty...and neat....and girlie-ish, but I also want to build home full of our love for each other.  

TAKE CHARGE OF MY OWN HAPPINESS

I've always been a pretty happy, bubbly person.  However, as mentioned here, school has been really tough this year.  I'm not happy with my career.  I'm trying to make a change for next year (though I'm still figuring out what exactly that dubious word "change" means for me).  I do know, for certain, though that I'm sticking with my little kinderbabies until the end of the school year in June.  They're the whole point of pushing through this teaching thing each day.  That being said, I have nearly six more months to tough things out.  I hope to really take charge of my own happiness over those next six months.  School may not always be positive and may not always make me happy.  That doesn't, however, have to keep me from being happy.  I am going to move forward into 2014 trying to leave school at school.  No one or no thing can keep me from being happy except myself.  So, 2014...here you have it:  I choose happy.

And finally,

KEEP TRYING NEW FOODS

Maybe not one each month, but....I can handle some new things every now and then, right!?

What can I say?

What do y'all think?

Any advice for me moving forward?

Do you make resolutions?

Pop back later this week for a super yummy recipe (or two)!

Have a great day! 

2013 in Photos

Happy New Year friends!

I took a bit of a holiday blogging hiatus.  Bryce, is typically at work late every night and also just received a big promotion that will put him on the road a lot.  He did, however, take off for the entirety of my vacation, so I have been soaking up every little bit of time with him, as well as time with family.  I'm back and pumped for blogging in 2014!

I, for one, am happy that 2014 is here!

2013 was a tough year so I'm excited looking ahead to the future!

Today, I thought I would share a month by month photo tour of the year, hitting some of the highlights of each month.

Doing this has been fun and has given me an opportunity to reflect on the year and all the positive parts of a challenging year.

I'm also happy to report that this is my first blog post written on my new MacBook Pro!  If y'all remember, I have been in need of a new computer for more than a year.  My dad gave me an old laptop as a loaner, which allowed me to take the time to save up and invest in what I really wanted.  That being said, I have been merging photos, music, and files from 3 different computers over the last week or so and am finally starting to feel "settled" on this new computer.  Having a reliable computer also means that I am better able to blog moving into 2014 and I have quite a few things to blog about from my past year that are way overdue.

So here goes...look forward to reading more about some of these events in the coming months!

JANUARY

We kicked the year off with a getaway to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

It was our first trip, just the two of us, and we had a blast.

(full posts here and here)

 We enjoyed the James Beard Foundation dinner that Bryce's stepbrother put on at Lemaire.

We went to the Chihuly exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

We enjoyed a little snow.

We sadly lost sweet Honcho after he was hit by a car.

FEBRUARY

I visited my best friend, AMF, and we explored Old Lucketts Store in Leesburg, Virginia.

(full post coming soon)

Bryce and I "camped in" for Valentine's day.

MARCH

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day with friends at Shamrock the Block.

Bryce turned 26 on a snowy day at the end of March!

APRIL

I visited one of my oldest friends, ARS, in Orlando.

(full post coming soon)

We did lots of gardening and yard work...

MAY

We celebrated my mom's 50th!

I enjoyed my first Teacher Appreciation Week.

I hosted Mother's Day brunch at Bryce's house.

(full post here)

 AMF visited over Memorial Day weekend.

 Bryce went to London for 10 days and I surprised him with dessert and champagne al fresco on the night of his return!

 I went to the Richmond Greek Festival for the very first time!

We danced the night away at an engagement party for Bryce's cousin.

JUNE

We kicked off my summer with a weekend trip to Charlottesville for a friend's wedding.

(full post here)

We celebrated Father's Day with brunch at Strawberry Street Cafe.

Bryce and I watched the sunrise on a weekend trip to Big Meadows in the Blue Ridge Moutains.

(full post here)

JULY

We enjoyed Fourth of July at the rivah with Bryce's family.

(full post here)

We celebrated our 2 year anniversary of dating with dinner at Can Can, the location of our first date!

I celebrated CLW's engagement with a bunch of girlfriends!

We headed to Nags Head for our annual beach trip with Bryce's dad, stepmom, and grandmother!

(full post coming soon)

AUGUST

We celebrated my dad's birthday with dinner at Edo Squid followed by dessert at Bryce's!

We celebarted CLW's birthday with an RVA Brewery Tour!

We bought lemonade from The Cuties.

I made my first pot roast!

 I went back to school for Teacher Work Week...our theme this year is "Rockin' Our Way to SOL Success" and Kindergarten was assigned the 50s!

SEPTEMBER

We spent a weekend at the rivah for Bryce's cousin's wedding.

We walked to brunch one morning!

Bryce and his best friend brewed their first pumpkin beer and also won some awards in the Dominion Cup brewing competition!

OCTOBER

Our friends, Sarah and Chad, got hitched!

Bryce was a groomsmen and won the skeet shooting competition before the wedding!

Courtesy of Chris Frick Photography

Courtesy of Chris Frick Photography

We hosted a Pumpkin Carving Party!

(full post here)

Bryce came to school and carved a pumpkin with my kiddos!

We were disappointed by the first annual Boulevard Pumpkin Festival...where were all the pumpkins!?

Bryce made these candy corn rice krispy treats for a charity bake sale at work!

 We celebrated Halloween with friends.

NOVEMBER

We spent a weekend at the rivah and went to the Virginia Wine and Oyster Classic.

(full post coming soon)

We spent a long weekend in Easton, Maryland for the Waterfowl Festival.  My favorite artist from the Festival last year was the featured artist this year!

(full post coming soon)

 I surprised Bryce with a date night-in, picnic style!

(recipes coming soon!)

I turned 25 on Thanksgiving!

CWC spent his wedding eve with us and we spoiled him with a big brunch on the morning of his big day!

Later that night, we handed out programs, danced the night away and had an amazing time at their wedding!

DECEMBER

We went to some Christmas parties...

Commonwealth Club Christmas Open House

Bryce's Work Party...right after he was announced as the new Regional Business Manager!!!

CLW and I at the party she and her roommates hosted!

I made an ornament wreath!

(directions found here)

Bryce and I checked out The Jefferson's Christmas decorations and then made our way to 3 different restaurants all in one night!

(full post here)

We made a pit stop in Williamsburg for the day en route to CLW's engagement party.

Lunch at The Trellis

We ate, drank, and were "marry" at CLW's party!

I tried Rent the Runway for the first time and was thrilled with this Shoshanna pretty!

Bryce made eggnog with his family's recipe that is 150 years old!

I made Christmas cookies with my cousin!

(recipe found here)

 I enjoyed a mimosa on Christmas morning and the rest of the day with my family.

We patched up the gallery wall spot and moved my stuff out of the apartment...Bryce and I are now officially roomies!

And finally, we rang in 2014 with some of our best friends!

(full post coming soon!)

Has it been a busy year for you?

All this reminiscing has really caused me to reflect on the past year.  Come back next week for my reflections on 2013's resolutions and to hear what I'll be focusing on in the year ahead!

Have a great day!