Have you heard?

Sprinkles Cupcakes is coming out with ice cream in May!
I can't wait to see what flavors they unveil! Why do I love dessert so much?!

Happy Friday!

http://theeverygirl.com/feature/candace-nelson-of-sprinkles-cupcakes/

Sincerely,
Sara Cate

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Source: etsy.com via Sara on Pinterest

-a version of the quote by Aristotle

Our Adventure Book

Source: etsy.com via Sara on Pinterest

Although our house didn't get swept away by balloons, nor did we didn't find a large historic bird, and we didn't meet any talking dogs, we definitely had an adventure this past weekend.

My friend Jordan came to visit me in Tucson as we met her sweet, non-talking sheltie named Bailey.

Dashing and Bailey - the 8.5 lb fully grown Sheltie!

Jordan, Bailey, Dashing, and I took an adventure walk though the desert near our house. We encountered a wild rattle snake. I don't have a picture of the snake. It actually was rattling at us. We scurried away quite quickly. Even Dashing jumped when the rattling started!

We didn't visit Paradise Falls, but did cheers to tropical drinks......

Tangerine beer at my favorite gastropub Noble Hops

The famous Tucson Eegee's - it's not a slushie, but it's not a smoothie. It's an Eegees.
I had strawberry pina colada. YUM

Then we were wisked away on a Trolley Pub for a friend's birthday evening. This is equally as odd of a mode of transportation as a house floating away via helium. A Trolley Pub where a group of awesome people pay to jump on a 15 person wagon with bicycle pedals and use their own leg power to pedal the trolley to surrounding establishments of choice (aka: bars) . There is a driver who steers the trolley, but it can only go forwards. For reverse, you all have to jump off the trolley and push it backwards while the company driver steers. 

http://www.trolleypubtucson.com/#!home|mainPage

It was OUR ADVENTURE and I'm glad I not have it in my blog "book."

Hope your weekend was an adventure to remember!

Sincerely,
Sara Cate

Give me a break, Give me a break

You know those days when you're sitting at your computer, and you think to yourself " I would so much rather be [fill in the blank]." You think of all possibilities: napping, cleaning, golfing, shopping, reading, exercising, cocktail-ing (not a word, but I'd like it to be). We'll last week, it happened!

My office saves all of our documents on a shared server and then all of our backups are online on Dropbox (If you haven't used Dropbox,  you should.I'll explain below). Well, all of the internet and servers went down around 3pm. So what's a girl and her co-workers to do??

Play cards until the office released us at 4pm to go home. As a joke, we had to protect our identities in the photo. However, it was our boss that took the photo when she found us. She classified it as team-building.

I hope you get your break this Friday and have a wonderful cocktail-ing weekend!

My friend Jordan is coming to spend the weekend with me and Dashing. I'll share photos and recipes from her visit next week!

Sincerely,
Sara Cate

*Dropbox is essentially an online flash drive that you can pull up on any computer with internet. You can even save an icon to your desktop so you don't have to open the webpage each time you edit/create a document. It also works with iPad and iPhone! Just download the Dropbox app. You can share single files, file folders, etc. You can grant edit access or just viewing access and share these with a simple link! It's FANTASTIC! Try it out, IT'S FREE! They give you something like 500MB free and then when you invite more people you are rewarded with more space! You can also buy more space. So use think link and sign up to give it a shot, we'll both be rewarded with more space!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Source: wallquotes.com via Sara on Pinterest

If the shoe fits (or not) wear it.

At work, I park in a parking garage about .5 mi away from my office building (oh college campuses!). So, I always wear walking flip flops/flats/uggs when making this trek to the office. My feet should be thanking me that I don't wear my 3 inch heels on this hike. I keep my standard pair of black peep toe pumps in my office drawer to change into at 8am.

However, last Wednesday, I made it to my office only to remember I took my black heels home for the weekend. I had been wearing tan/grey heels on Monday and Tuesday and therefore hadn't realized my black heels were still at home. Oh, well, I thought. I guess my rhinestone JCrew flip flops would have to make it through the day.

That is, until I comedically told my boss, and she said "But you have your awards ceremony today!"
Me: "Oh no!"

You see, last week I was notified that I was a nominee for a College of Medicine excellence award and was invited to the awards ceremony. I was honored to be recognized for my work and looked forward to the ceremony.

The ceremony was taking place on Wednesday, the only day I had forgotten my heels. The ceremony where I would be wearing flip flops in front of Deans from all of the health science colleges, University administration, and guests attendees of staff and faculty. NOOOOOOOO! I had totally forgotten.

So what do I do? Use my inner resourceful sorority girl and call a current sorority girl at the University and friend, Shannon from More to Hollywood,  with a desperate plea for some black heels. Sure enough, she came through like a champ! Although they were a size too big, it wasn't anything a wad of tissues couldn't fix! (see left)

At the ceremony being recognized as a nominee.

Although I didn't win, I had a great time AND DIDN'T EVEN TRIP in the borrowed shoes!

Remember, things may not always happen the way you want them to, but if you stop, take a deep breath, and think, you will find a reasonable solution and enjoy the hilarity in the meantime.

Sincerely,

Sara Cate

Weekend Recap

This weekend was freezing in my book (50s-60s). Yes, I realize that is not cold to everyone, but for Az in the spring it is cold!

In spite of the cold weather.......
I went on a 3 mi run then 3 mi walk in the desert - it was beautiful.

Unedited! Oro Valley, Arizona

Because of the cold weather......
Dashing and I made warm desserts. Nutella Mug Cakes with vanilla bean ice cream! DELICIOUS. Thank you Pinterest.

Nutella mug cake in Anthropologie Bowl

Did you do or make anything new this weekend? Do share!

PS: Those funny stories I promised on Friday you are piling up! I'll start with story 1 tomorrow (Tuesday).

Sincerely,
Sara Cate

Meet Red

Don't mind if I do. Cheers to Friday!

PS: I can't wait to tell you about 
two awesome stories next week. Stay tuned! 

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Source: etsy.com via Sara on Pinterest

You can't wear white to a wedding.

Just had to share this story from two weeks ago.

Dashing has a funny side. He openly admits that he will never be fully grown up and has no intentions on changing that. He is silly, ironic, and clever; not to mention he is phenomenal at impressions. Needless to say he is always making me laugh - sometimes even at myself.

Well...we went shopping for a suit for Dashing to attend Lizy's wedding. I think he tried on no less than 50 suits at multiple stores. He is also very picky on clothing "The top coat button should be above my belly button" "I would prefer it be three pieces" "The pockets cannot be slanted" "It has to be a trim fit." He inherited the female shopping gene.

Anyways, he finally found one he wanted. Badly. The problem....it was a white suit.

Me: You can't wear a white suit to her wedding, and it's not even a day wedding. No.
Dashing: I don't see why not. I look good in it.
Me: No
Dashing: I'm going to ask the bride.
Me: Are you kidding!? It's two days before the wedding. Don't bother her.

A few minutes later.

Dashing: She said no.
Me: What?? You asked her?
Dashing: Oh yes, I sent her a photo. (below)

Me: Oh Geez.
Dashing: But she did say I look damn good.

We left the store with the white suit in hand. I think he walked around like he was the king of the world that day.

Note: He wore a charcoal suit to the wedding. WITH a bow tie. However, he did wear the white coat to brunch the following morning. Figures.

Weekend Recap

Dashing actually had the day off of work (completely serendipitous though) and we drove up north to see our family for Easter.

We went to Easter church service. Doesn't Dashing look so pretty in his Easter colored shirt and tie : ) I love that he likes to wear purples and pinks! Then off to brunch with the extended family. We ended the day at my SIL/BIL's house playing with my 11 month old niece - who is soooo fun to be around. We ate dinner and enjoyed some desserts I made. I am usually the one to bring dessert because everyone knows I love to bake!

DESSERTS SERVED:

Oreo Fudge Brownies from Simply Baking: THESE WERE SOOOO DELICIOUS. I served them with vanilla bean ice cream. Everyone wanted to recipe. I have to say that these were the best brownies I've had in a long long time. So easy to make too!



Carrot Cake: AMAZING. Definitely one to make if you like Carrot Cake. Everyone loved it.



I hope you had a wonderful weekend too!

Sincerely,
Sara Cate

Good Friday & Happy Easter

Today is Good Friday. It's time to be thankful for the sacrifice that has been made for me, a time to reflect on the meaning of faith and grace, and to wait for Easter to come. For me, that means attending  church service, thinking about my faith, giving thanks, and spending time with family.

Our family gatherings for Easter, Christmas, or really for any reason, always includes lots of food and drink. It's a way to bring everyone together to celebrate.

So what shall I bring on Easter Sunday to share the news that Christ has risen?

How about Hot Cross Buns?! HCBs are spiced buns with currants or rasins marked with an icing cross traditionally eaten on Good Friday. Kelly from Eat Yourself Skinny just posted an amazing recipe of them.

Or maybe some sort of Carrot Cake Balls. Aren't these awesome?!

Source: urbanposer.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

But Macaroons are always so pretty and tasty too! I love watching Simply Baking with Lorraine Pascale on the Cooking Channel - check her out!

Source: bbc.co.uk via Sara on Pinterest

SO MANY DELICIOUS CHOICES!

What will you be doing this weekend? Any recipes to share?

Wedding Tradtions

I received a lot of questions about the Cake Pull I mentioned in Tuesday's post on my friend Lizy's wedding and thought I'd talk about it.

I LOVE traditions. There is such history and meaning to them that I feel like it unites me to something greater. When Dashing and I were married, we used the traditional Lutheran wedding vows, I wore the traditional white dress and he, a black tux. My father walked me down the aisle to give me away. We had a first dance, cut the cake, bouquet and garter toss.... you get the picture. (all wedding posts here)

We also followed the southern tradition of the "Stand-in Bride." Essentially, this is a tradition that the bride only walks down the aisle to her husband ONCE. Walking down the aisle to your husband at the rehearsal and then the ceremony would be twice, so instead, a close friend does the rehearsal for you while you watch. When we told our pastor we wanted to observe this tradition in Arizona, he was taken off guard and said he had never heard of this. He called his friend, a pastor in the south, to ask about this. To our pastor's surprise, he said "oh yes, we do that all the time." And so, we did it! Our close friend Jordan assumed my role at the rehearsal. I got to watch how the whole thing looks, and hear an abbreviation of our vows spoken by my best friend. It was actually hysterical. Dashing, Jordan, and I were all laughing. Jordan was blushing the whole time. PRICELESS! Sometimes Dashing refers to Jordan as his first wife. Makes for awesome memories and an unbreakable bond between the three of us.

Now for the cake pull - I didn't do a cake pull, but did participate in one for my dear friend Emily in her home state of Louisiana. A cake pull is a Victorian tradition that has settled in the South (they love their traditions in the south!). A variety of charms are tied to ribbons and put into the cake with the ribbon sticking out. Before the cutting of the cake, bridesmaids all take a ribbon and pull out a charm. Each charm has a meaning/fortune of sorts, like a dolphin for a life of joy and playfulness; a captain's wheel for confidence.  Lizy was having a more non-traditional wedding, so I thought this would be a fun twist to have during the day. I brought cupcakes to do the cake pull.

Some rig it for the Bride to receive the Eiffel Tower charm to wish her the best on her honeymoon and for a life of adventure and travel. It was so appropriate at Lizy's wedding as her husband proposed to her in Paris! When she pulled the charm, she loved it so much she tied it to her bouquet for the wedding. See, aren't traditions awesome! (Read about more wedding traditions here)

Sincerely,
Sara Cate

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Source: bit.ly via Sara on Pinterest

Wedding Weekend at the Valley Ho

This past weekend, I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my friend Lizy's wedding. After some pampering on Friday, I had to mentally prep for my speech at the rehearsal dinner. Saturday was the big day at the Hotel Valley Ho  in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was beautiful, modern, lovely, and personal. It was perfect for this couple. During the ceremony, they shared 10 reasons why I love you. This couple is hysterical, yet sentimental. We were all laughing and crying at the same time. It was such a wonderful addition to the ceremony. They are now in Maui basking in the sun. Congratulations and best wishes to the bride and groom!

The Hotel Valley Ho

The getting ready suite

Me (in rollers), Bride, Bridesmaid

I brought cupcakes for a cake pull!

The bride tied her charm to her bouquet : )

The breathtakingly beautiful bride

Her dress Lillian Lottie

Bridesmaids lounging before the ceremony.

Flower fight.

Courtyard at the hotel. Bridesmaids dresses Two Birds.

Ceremony. Seats in round circle.

The cocktail hour was on the rooftop.

Bridesmaids enjoying the cocktail hour.

The bouquet toss.

Venue: Hotel Valley Ho
Dress: Lillian Lottie
Bridesmaids dresses: Two Birds