It's Official: Shark Week is here!

For those of you living under a rock, tonight marks the beginning of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel! It's incredible to watch and will be a fantastic way to end the the day, week, and month. Tomorrow is a great time to start/review your goals. It will be extra helpful since it is also the beginning of the week! What are you doing to better yourself in August?

It's Official: My headband conundrum.

We try to limit our Costco/Sam Club trips to only when we host large parties but, the other day must have been a slip-up. I came home to see this enormous jar of butter in our refrigerator. Like, I'm not kidding, even Paula Deen would be ashamed. My dad has been sarcastically refusing to use it in his own home because it's too big. It's become a big joke but actually, nobody wants to use it. ITS FIVE POUNDS!!!

After a few days of pranks and getting seriously fed up with its size, the million dollar idea struck! It makes me sound like I'm seven years old but, I own way too many headbands, clips, pins, etc., etc., and everyday is a constant struggle to store them. I just can't figure out a good system. I have so many and I want them all in the same place. I don't like them in buckets because the large ones take over, the clips fall to the bottom and if I can't see them, I won't wear them. I was using a very plain ice cube holder (WTF??) but it quickly ends up always looking a little something like this:

There are a lot of really great things about this craft. For one, it is super easy and requires almost no supplies (at the very least only the jar, the craft paper, tape or glue, scissors and cute ribbon). Second, it looks fine out in the open but can also be stored underneath/inside cabinets. Third, THE LID! The jar is so incredibly big you can fill the inside with enough hair binders, bobby pins, clips and ties to supply an entire senior prom with up-dos. It's literally perfect and there is a ton of room for creativity!

All you have to do is line the outside of the jar with the paper of your choice and tape it down. I also tied a thin ribbon at the bottom of the jar and on the outside of the lid as well. And, WAH-LA! Your perfect headband rack! What do you think?! How do y'all store hair accessories?

It's Official: Birthdazed and confused.

For some reason I have a ton of Leo friends with August birthdays. I love birthdays and always try to find the perfect gift for everyone. It can be tricky but luckily this is a great time of year for giving because it is still summer but back to school is also right around the corner!

The baking beauty: There are a ton of cute (and super affordable!!) items at Bake It Pretty that would be really fun on their own but I also love this Williams Sonoma monogrammed cake plate. You can customize it with one or three initials or leave it plain. How cute is that?

The game-day guru: Judith March has the best selection of fun dresses and many correlate with southern team schools colors. They are perfect to throw on during game-day to look cute and still stay spirited. With only a little over one month before college football begins, this dress would look great on any Auburn Fan!

The techie diva: The perfect gift for any technology lover is a cute way to protect their laptop, e-reader, ipod or phone. Vera Bradley makes super cute, protective and affordable cases for many types of equipment. They come in so many covers and also have a handy little spot inside to hold ID card's for easy travel.

For him: This can be a really thoughtful gift for a guy friend if you know him well because you can fill it with his favorite candies or a movie you know he'll enjoy. It can also give you something to do together on a rainy day. These Sur La Table popcorn bowls will give your gift extra creativity points!

The girl who has everything: A girl who truly has everything will always appreciate fun accessories because she'll always have somewhere to wear them and something to wear them with. This includes scarfs, belts and hair accessories as well as just jewelry. You can never go wrong at staples like Nordstrom, J. Crew or Shopbop.

That being said, the card is always the most important part of a gift. I don't care what anyone say, a gift is worthless without a card. It's the difference between a thoughtful gift and a forced gift. Many times a card and flowers is all you need--so make it memorable! I love going to Papyrus for ideas! 

It's Official: The Lollapalooza countdown begins.

I'm so so so excited!! As my annual trip to Lollapalooza approaches, I have steadily began collecting items and creating outfits. It's the one time of year I really try different trends. This year I've been searching for the perfect carry-all bag and I feel like a Simone Camille might do the trick. But, I'm not sure if it is worth the price... What do y'all think? Sloppy or spicy?

It's Official: The recipe that changed everything.

Broccoli salad has been my go-to grocery store purchase for as long as I can remember. The sauce is mind-blowing. It's legit magic in your mouth--I promise. I never think twice about ordering it but finally realized I wanted the recipe at my disposal. And, at $6.99/lb there was always the possibility of huge savings. So, I did some googling and created my variation on the popular broccoli salad. It's incredibly simple to make and completely worth the time. 

Ingredients: 

1 head of broccoli

1 red pepper

1/2 red onion

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup cashews, toasted

1/2 cup mayonaise

1/4 sup sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)

**I have also seen variations with bacon (4-5 slices, crumbled) almonds (1/4 cup), seedless grapes (1 cup, halved), toasted sunflower seeds (1/4 cup) and/or shredded cheddar cheese**

FLAWLESS TIP: Quickly toast your cashews in the microwave! Arrange on a plate and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir them around and heat for another minute. Done!

Directions: Cut broccoli, red pepper and red onion into bit sized pieces. Around 5 cups of broccoli is a good starting amount that you can easily add to depending on how saucy/dry you like your veggies. Combine the veggies in a large bowl with the raisins and toasted cashews (or bacon/grapes/cheese if you wish!) In a separate bowl, mix together the mayo, sugar and vinegar. Pour this mixture over the broccoli blend and toss them well, combining all the ingredients. This should stay fresh for 2 days if refrigerated. 

It's Official: If you give a man a cookie...

If there is one thing my family can agree on it's that the best things in life have sugar (or salt, or alcohol, or are wildly expensive). But usually just lots and lots of sugar. These cookies have become my secret weapon for everything from coaxing favors to welcoming new neighbors. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 1/3 cup cup baking or all purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1 cup m&ms in your favorite colors! 

1 cup cooking oats **I like Quaker Oats in a can 

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed tight 

1 fairly beaten egg 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted 

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients (1-9) together in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients (10-12) in a separate bowl then combine them with the dry ingredients and mix all together with a large spoon. You may want to use your hands when it starts to harden. Roll the dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-11 minutes. **Serve warm for the best results!

It's Official: In Paula Deen we trust.

The heat index today was absolutely incredible but I can never get enough sun or humidity. Something about southern hospitality, tradition, food and heat is my blood. Manners are not optional and dressing up on game day has becomes an art form. What's not to love y'all?

Strawberry Peach Vodka Collins Popsicles

It's Official: Harry Potter stole my heart.

I have had such a busy summer that I'm unfortunately developing a habit of only posting on holidays. And, obviously, last night was absolutely a holiday as the final installment, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, released at midnight! It's a story devoted to overcoming adversity, learning, growing and staying loyal to family and friends. I've been with the books from the very beginning and have no shame in my obsession. I'm convinced everyone is secretly a closet fan but just too embarrassed to admit it. It's one of the few things I can completely lose myself in and is entirely to blame (applaud) for my initial love of reading.

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love."

My nerdy friends and I hosted a party last night to celebrate the bittersweet ending and did a bunch of things that I'll admit, were completely age-innapropriate. I produced a magical cauldron and overloaded it with a homemade trail mix (aka Honeyduke's Treat Mix). I also brought sandwich bags to load up the leftovers for munching on during the movie. 

The bowl was so deep I knew I couldn't fill the entire thing with food. To cut the depth in half I cut a piece of cardboard, covered it with tinfoil and taped it to the center of the kettle. Then I printed this adorable sign, glued it to some colorful card-stock, added some sparkly beads and strung it with majestic fishing line.

I used Honey Nut Chex as the core of the mix then added Cherrios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, pretzel rods, reese's pieces (Gryffindorish colors) and jumbo marsh-mellows. I think it would have also been cute with gummy worms or gummy spiders as well. This idea can easily be applied to any themed party by tweaking the container and adding different goodies. For example, goldfish, raisins, any assortment of nuts, chocolate chips, granola, or dried fruit all alter the nutrition and look!

It's Official: Today is my favorite holiday!

I'm just going to come right out and say I have no room in my life for those who don't celebrate America. But, actually, what's not to love? It can also be a fairly inexpensive holiday which is always a plus. (Although, I should probably conduct a moment of silence for the money I wasted this weekend...) If you were not fortunate enough to party lakeside this past weekend, I wish you an amazing and relaxing fourth today/tonight! There are so many fun ways to incorporate red, white and blue into your daily lives--send me your favorite creations!!