Oh, how I love Spring!

Our Garden :)

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned to you guys that Spring is my favorite season. Actually it has a hard tie between Spring & Fall; but as it is currently Spring, then Spring wins. There have been several reminders of why lately so I thought I would share them. 

Tomatoes!!! My favorite fruit/vegetable

Peppers! I'm reasonably excited about this, but Seth is  VERY excited!

And, lastly, baby mockingbirds who recently hatched in  our  grill vent thingy.

Yes, friends. Spring is officially here and I couldn't be any more excited about it! I hope you all are having wonderful reminders of regeneration, creation, and God's love wherever you are!

Italian Cream Cake

I recently baked my first cake from scratch for my friend Dia's birthday. It was an italian cream cake and it was DELICIOUS! I used this recipe from allrecipes.com and used some of the suggestions offered up by the user HJONES999 in the review section.

P.S. Don't look at the caloric content on the recipe site... ;)

Italian Cream Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons light cream (I only had half & half so I used that instead)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place parchment paper in three 9" round cake pans.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup shortening, and 2 cups white sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs yokes and 1 tsp vanilla.
4. Mix 2 cups flour and 1 tsp baking powder. Alternate adding small amounts of the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture into the butter & sugar mixture.
5. Add 1 cup flaked coconut. (you can also add in additional walnuts here if you like nuts in your cake)
6. Peak 5 egg whites in separate bowl until a stiff peak forms. Fold egg whites into cake mixture. 
7. Pour cake mixture into three 9" round cake pans. 
8. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Allow to cool before icing.

For Icing:
Mix together 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 4 cups confectioners' sugar until creamy. Add in cream until desired texture is reached. mix in walnuts and coconut. Ice cake between layers and on outside of cake.

Enjoy!

DIY Craft

I went home to Texas in March for my friend Ashlee's wedding and my friend Sarah's bridal shower. Ashlee was such a beautiful bride and we had a blast at her wedding.

The beautiful bride Mrs. Ashlee Silva

I made a chest for Sarah I wanted to share it with you guys! First, here is the finished product.

First, I sanded down this chest that I bought from Hobby Lobby and then painted it blue.

I sanded it down a bit to make the next layer, white stick better.
Then, I painted it white.

Lastly, I sanded it down all over & roughed it up so some blue was showing!

She loved it and is going to use it as a home for all the sentimental things from their courtship! :)

Spring has Sprung!

It is hard being a nurse. I know that most professions are hard. Some days, I am completely mentally wiped out (everyday I'm physically wiped out). I realize each day why they make nursing school as challenging as it is. It is because if you can't make it through that stress & intensity, there is no way you will make it in the field of nursing. Goodness. But, each day is getting better. I love my job, that isn't what I am saying at all. It is just very difficult work.

Seth and I recently decided that we were going to get into better shape. We have begun eating lots of fruits and vegetables and other healthy snacks. Our budget is suffering a bit, but I think it is totally worth it to treat our bodies better! We have also started running more. We've only been at it for a two weeks or so but I already am feeling better! There are some feelings you cannot replace and the way you feel after wearing yourself out on a nice long run. My current motivation, you ask? Seth convinced me to order one size smaller than I was comfortable in for my friend Sarah's wedding. It is Memorial Day weekend and I pick up the dress in two weeks. Pretty good motivation, huh? :)

Spring has sprung here in Alabama. Everything is green. My azaleas are loving the weather. We planted a garden and hopefully we'll have some fresh treats in a month & a half. Our tree in our backyard smells lovely, but I'm still not sure of its purpose. Baseball has begun. Life is good. I love Spring!

Carlos is growing more and more everyday. I wish he would stop. It should be any day now. He weighs a whopping 90 lbs but is a big cuddly bug! I wish everyone could experience the love of owning a dog. I imagine it is quite a bit less than the love you have a for your child, but without the fear and anxiety that comes with raising a child. We are definitely not ready for children, but we will soon be ready for dog number two (well, in a year or so)!

Sorry this post is so lame. This is why I haven't blogged in a while. I don't have much to say. I do have a question for the audience. We are trying to figure out a direction to go in for our guest bedroom. Currently, we have a clean slate. We would love help with the development of this room. Any ideas? We've considered pastel florals, natural earthy tones with a lake/woods theme, and simple cool blues. I would love assistance! :)