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Friday, July 29, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

This past week my parents, sister and brother were coming over for dinner and I forgot to plan a dessert. I had to work later than usual, leaving me with 1 hour from the time I left work to their expected arrival. I jumped on Pinterest for some inspiration.  Chocolate chip cookie dough dip....thank you for popping up!

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 block (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips


1. Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan on  medium heat. Stir until brown sugar dissolves
2. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Set aside
3. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar for 1 minute
4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute
5. Wait until mixture is cool then add in the chocolate chips
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving
7. I served with mini chocolate chip cookies and vanilla wafers but other serving options are Oreos, Ritz Crackers, pretzels



This dip is amazeballs.





Thursday, July 28, 2011

Our first look

I've shared every single aspect of our wedding from the ceremony details to my wonderful wedding showers but today I wanted to share pictures of us. Me and my husband on our wedding day...

Jon and I chose to see each other before our wedding ceremony and I am so glad we did! We chose to see each other beforehand for a couple of reasons. The first is because we wanted to utilize the natural light for pictures (our wedding was at 5:30pm in the wintertime) and also get as many pictures as we could so we could enjoy our cocktail hour with our guests. I did not want Jon's groomsmen to see me before so we waited to take wedding party pictures until after the ceremony. The second and most important reason was this. I wanted the first time that I saw Jon on our wedding day to be a moment shared between us and not our entire wedding. Seeing Jon before walking down the aisle made the butterflies disappear. I was so confident and ready to marry him. I will never forget those precious moments and the look in his eyes when he saw his bride. Our photographer and videographer were the only ones present (although my bridesmaids and parents watched through the windows and I also saw a few hotel guests peeking inside their rooms).





Our photographer positioned us in the beautiful courtyard of our venue and counted to three so we could turn around at the same time...





I love looking at all of the pictures from our wedding but our first look pictures are my favorite. They are so full of love and emotion, you can see the excitement in our faces.




We had decided that we wanted to save our first kiss for the altar and you can see in our wedding video trailer Jon going in for the kill and me shaking my head :-)


He did bargain for a kiss on the cheek


I hated saying goodbye but loved the fact that the next time I saw Jon we would be standing before our friends and family becoming man and wife. 


Next week we will be celebrating 6 months of marriage! Time flies when you're in love.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Celebrities are just like US

I subscribe to US Weekly...the classiest of gossip magazines and have made a discovery. Celebrities are more human than I thought!! Each week, 2 pages are devoted to pictures of stars doing everyday activities, letting us know that they are just like us commoners. Here is a collection of my favorite blurbs over the past couple of issues....



 What?! Celebrities eyes are sensitive?!


 Come on, who doesn't?


 She is a thug in a cocktail dress!


 Eww...they don't have people to hire for that?


Noooooo... I don't believe it!
We are weeks away from our celebrity stalking weekend getaway to LA and as much as I like to think celebs are "just like us"...I will probably have a panic attack if I see the Kardashians or run into the cast of SNL.

Question: have you ever met a celebrity/athlete/politician? Were they "normal"? Super sweet? Stuck up? Douche-y?

Monday, July 25, 2011

Mary's Fancy Birthday

One of my very best friends in the whole world, Mary Amanda, had a birthday 2 weeks ago! Her husband coordinated a surprise party for her 30th with a "fancy pants, wine and cheese" theme. As we were waiting for the guest of honor to show up, a few of us were laughing, realizing we've made it a habit to only have dress up get togethers. I squeezed into an old prom dress while my hubby wore his tux (we ended up buying his tux for our wedding so we could alter it). 

 The group before Mary arrived and yes...Scott in the middle looks straight outta Weekend At Bernies

Jon was drinking coffee liquer, tequila and milk...hmmm

I was in charge of the camera (that took blurry pics) while Jon  had the FlipVideo in hand at her arrival. She seemed genuinely surprised! You will hear here continue to mention "McGarry in his graduation outfit". Our buddy Justin just graduated with his MBA and wore his Harry Potter-esque grad gown to go with the fancy theme. We had sprinkled rose petals on the floor and I guess the first person she saw was Justin and was SO confused as to why there were rose petals on the ground and Justin in a graduation gown. Lol!





Before becoming a full time mommy (a HOTT one at that!), Mary Amanda was a corporate events planner and seriously has a knack for creativity, style and attention to detail. She can throw one hell of a party whether it be for 500 nerdy network engineers in Vegas or a surprise 30th for her hubby 3 weeks after giving birth! 


Husband and wife

I loved this wine label!

I tried my hand at homemade sugar cookies and buttercream frosting (recipe to come) and made these adorable margarita shaped cookies! And yes that is a Smirnoff Ice in the corner ha


As the night went on and more wine was consumed, we changed out of our fancy clothes and into swim suits and comfy clothes (they have an awesome pool!). Jon managed to stay in his tux the entire night despite the 100+ degree Texas heat.


Somehow a box of Franzia found its way to the party so what more fun than the birthday girl drinking straight outta the box?!


Sometime after midnight there was a knock on the door and my tux-ed husband answered it. Turns out there was a noise complaint and a cop stopped by to make sure we weren't "juveniles". Classy right?! It was such a fun night and I am so glad we got to celebrate with you MAN!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

"Poppy" Chow

You read that right. Not puppy chow. Poppy chow. I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and brought it to my parent's house for a BBQ. You probably have most of the ingredients on hand and it will take you about 5 minutes to make!

Ingredients
1 and 1/2 bags of popped pop corn (not the super buttery or kettle corn, just regular)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


1. Put the pop corn in a LARGE bowl
2. In a smaller bowl, use the microwave to melt the chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter. Stir in vanilla


3. Pour the melted mixture over the popcorn and with a spatula or large spoon, stir and mix until the popcorn is fully coated with the chocolate/peanut butter
4. Sift the powdered sugar over the popcorn until evenly covered.
5. Let the chocolate set for about 30 minutes before serving
6. Enjoy!


The poppy chow was pretty darn delicious but I must say I like the crunch of real puppy chow a bit more. Needless to say, it was fun to try a new recipe! 

Friday, July 22, 2011

Gettin' crafty

Here are some of the crafts I have been working on lately...

Easy Silhouettes


Step 1: I printed out a few cute pictures of Ernie using the infrared exposure so I could see the lines clearly then I cut out his body



Step 2: I painted each picture with black acrylic paint (which was kinda hard with Ernie in my lap!)



Step 3: I cut ivory cardstock paper into 4 4x6 inch cards and  glued each picture onto a card. My next mission is to look for a cute frame to house 2 vertical and 2 horizontal 4x6s.


Someone was too tired to help...


Owls

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you will know that I have a new owl obsession. The one on the left was $.99 at Goodwill and the one on the right was $6 at Hobby Lobby.


I snagged this beaten up rat of an owl for $.59 at Goodwill yesterday and wanted to give him some TLC...


White spray paint is my new best friend...


And wa-la...


And one more...

Decorative Balls with Thumbtacks

I bought brand new styrofoam balls (which can get expensive) at Goodwill for $.99 and 2 packs of old fashioned thumbtacks for $3.99 from Office Max (I couldn't find the exact ones anywhere else)
I put 1 tack on at a time in a circular pattern. I used a medium sized styrofoam ball that took me an hour to fill and approximately 600 tacks. Next time I will use the little balls!


Once again, my white spray paint came in handy. Check out the finished product...




Ernie was whining because I took a few pictures to get the right shot (the white was overbearing) and he thought it was his ball

Happy Friday! 

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Being a wife....

...is the best feeling in the world. I love it. I love everything about being a wife, everything about marriage and most importantly, everything about my husband. Today's post is pretty deep. As much as I would love to be "the perfect wife", I struggle with priorities, especially with my faith and I wanted to open up to you guys.


As I've said before, I am not ashamed to claim my faith as a Christian and the same goes for my husband. First and foremost, my heart belongs to Jesus, and then to my husband, which at times, has been a struggle. I am selfish. I want instant gratification. I put myself first. I am human. Stated in the first book of the bible Genesis, our sole purpose on this earth is to reflect the image of God and worship him alone. Somedays I find myself worshiping other things, putting everyday tasks and events before my God. Whether it be my husband, my physical appearance or pouring myself into planning my wedding, there are times where I fail to put Him first. I've copied and pasted an article that I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. This article is amazing. It gives you insight and explanation on the many bible verses about marriage and submission. The article below is medicine for my heart and I hope it can speak to you too whether you are a wife, engaged to be married or hope to be one day.


1 Peter 3:1  Likewise, wives,  be subject to your own husbands

Any woman who has turned to the Bible for an understanding of what it is to be a biblical wife has encountered this verse.  Like an old familiar friend, we strive to know its meaning and go about applying modern-day relevance to this command. 

It Starts with, "Likewise"

All too often, we skim over the most important piece.  We jump straight to the slightly heavy-feeling task of defining wife, submission, and the subsequent implications for our lives. We do not stop to consider the likewise.
Likewise changes everything. It means similarly; in like manner. 1 Peter 2 discusses Jesus’ mission, life, and death -- so that becoming wife is even possible. Who he is and what he has done paves the way for women to be wives. Often, we look to the Proverbs 31 woman alone for our template of female godliness. We are tempted to think, “She was the wife who did it all. Let’s copy her”.

It’s All About Him, Not Her


Jesus alone is our means, our model, and our motivation for biblical wife. And yes, I do realize he wasn’t a woman.  Peter is telling us ladies that as Jesus subjected himself to obedience and suffering, we must likewise place our hope and purpose into the hands of the Father to be wives at all. He exchanged our sin for his righteousness so we could offer something of his love and selflessness in our marriages. 

Mine before Mrs.


We belong to Jesus. God calls us to be his daughters as the core identity of our womanhood. For some, he will call to become wife in addition, but never in competition, to that identity. Being a godly wife flows from being a committed daughter. 

4 R’s for the Biblical Wife

Reason: Worship
Genesis 1:27 tells us we are, male and female, created in the image of God. Our sole reason for living is to reflect the image of our Father in worship of Him alone. John 4:23 lays out the call, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” As women and as wives, we are to pour out our lives in worship to the King. 

Role: Helper
The role woman was given by God in Genesis 2:18 is helper. It is the Hebrew word ezer which God also uses for himself in Psalms, John, and Hebrews. Helper is not a second-class position. It is a high calling accepted with humility and confidence. We are not vying with our men to “arrive” someday as something other than what we were called to be -- a support, advisor, comfort, and friend to our husbands.
“A marriage license and a sparkling ring do not automatically transform a woman into a wife who honors God.”
Response: Submission
Submission is the heart response of a godly woman who has put herself under Christ and her husband. It is an act of the will carried out joyfully and willingly because she recognizes the gift of grace she has received. Submission is the single-most precious place of safety and freedom that a woman could ever know. Deep belief and complete trust in Jesus to sustain a wife makes submission to even the most difficult man possible.

Responsibility: Respect
Ephesians 5:33 urges wives to see to it that we respect our husbands. It is a command and not a suggestion. It is our responsibility to communicate respect in our words, tone of voice, attitudes, and actions. True respect for our husbands will spring out of a hear that rejoices in the grace we as wives have received and the grace that we know our husbands need. They desire your respect; they need Jesus. The most respectful posture you can take as a wife is one of grace -- the same grace offered to you in your time of need.

 

In Christ Alone

We try to muster up submission, respect, and help for our men without humbly recognizing this thing called wife is made possible by Jesus alone. A marriage license and a sparkling ring do not automatically transform a woman into a wife who honors God. The grace offered and the righteousness bestowed at the cross is what makes you a godly wife who willingly subjects herself to her husband. Dying to yourself because the Savior died for you is the call for the biblical wife. Your marriage will thrive because of life found in Christ; recognizing your daily need for a Savior and dependent upon his righteousness alone.





Monday, July 18, 2011

Weekend things

Hi y'all! I normally have a plan for what to post each day but I couldn't think of what I wanted to post this morning. As I was getting ready, wishing I could hop back in bed and spend the day watching movies with my hubby...I figured I would just post some weekend randoms because we had a great weekend! No we didn't attend a fancy soiree or keg party but we had a fabulous time eating crap, watching movies and soaking up the sun. Here are some randoms from this weekend:

  • We have been SUPER obsessed with froyo lately and found the most amazing froyo shop by our house (it is Yogurtland and it is a nation wide franchise). They partner with Ghiradelli so you can imagine how good their chocolate flavors are. Friday night Jon was bummed because his favorite flavor, Graham Cracker, was no longer offered. He is considering calling their corporate HQ and begging for its return
  • Since Netflix is now doubling in price (eye roll), we have been trying to watch tons of movies to feel like we are getting our monies worth. Thursday we watched Slumdog Millionaire (one of our favorites) and if I could, I would go adopt 10 littles from Mumbai. They are so cute. Friday night we watched Casino which if you can believe, is longer than Harry Potter! It is one of my hubby's favorite movies and it turned out to be really good. Check out how young Mr. De Niro is (oh and Joe Pesci...I couldn't help but to think of Home Alone when he would speak)
  • Saturday Jon made a delicious breakfast...fried eggs, muenster cheese and skirt steak on bagel thins...try it! We went to Home Depot and browsed every aisle (because we are cool like that). Currently we are loving everything HGTV and are so excited to start the home buying process in a couple of months. We've talked about buying a house that needs some work, nothing architectural, just cosmetic and neither of us really knew what "stuff" costs so we looked at appliances, granite, wood floors, lighting. It was fun and boy the people at Home Depot have awesome customer service (one guy even said to my husband "man you must lift weights", needless to say it made his day!). We also went to Home Goods where Jon was loving this kitty pillow. Jon grew up with tons of cats and is now highly allergic (blessing in disguise because we would probably have 10 cats if he wasn't allergic)

  • I have been craving Chick Fila SO bad lately (if you ain't from Texas, you are missing out, they have the most delicious chicken sandwiches and waffle fries and some damn cute marketing). Google told us there was one 3 miles from our house (we live North Central Austin and there are so few chains around us so that's why we had to use the WWW). Turns out it was in one of the dorms at The University of Texas and we weren't about to deal with parking, hanging out with college freshman so we went to our first date place, Kerby Lane. KL is a 24 hour funky Austin gem known for their breakfast and tattooed, mohawked, pierced wait staff. We ALWAYS get breakfast when we go but I was craving a turkey sandwich. I was thoroughly disappointed with the amount of meat that was on my sandwich (the size of a penny) and we got it for free. We love that place so much that it doesn't scare me away, I just know that I should always get breakfast!
  • We fell asleep on the couch watching When In Rome (a Netflix instant watch) and I don't think it was from the food coma. It was kinda funny and cute but mostly just dumb. 
  • Note to self: go to the gym at 730pm on Saturday nights. Normally our gym is jam packed on the weekends, especially with college kids and it was nice to actually be able to use the machines! We are so lame
  • We ate Campbell's Chunky Soup and egg sandwiches for dinner...yep we are livin' the life...and my little sister came over to hang after she got off babysitting. 
  • Sunday morning we got Torchy's tacos for breakfast since we'd only eaten their regular tacos. I wasn't that impressed with their breakfast, I guess since their regular tacos are so out of this world, I expected better. Check out my post about Torchy's here
  • We dropped off Ernie at my parents house and went to church. We sat next to a brand new baby, probably 2 weeks old and I was in heaven. He was squirming, hiccuping and sucking on his binky, so cute! A few minutes later, Jon looked at me with fear in his eyes and then I smelt it. This 8 lb cutie pie was stewing up something nasty in his diaper. OMG! Awful!! But it was funny. Church was great. Our church is offering the opportunity to sponsor a child from Haiti and for some reason that really spoke to us. We are praying about it. 
  • We went to the gym by our church then spent the rest of the afternoon at my parents pool with our friends Justin and Leah. It has been so darn hot in Austin and the pool felt so good! We are a little crispy today but it was totally worth it. Ernie was a little fish in the pool and therefore was exhausted on the way home.
  • To end our weekend of not so healthy eating, we picked up Phil's Icehouse which is the greatest burger place known to man. I wanted to take a few pics but the take out bags smooshed our food. It was still delicious. Jon got the sampler, 3 little burgers, 1 with bbq sauce/cheese/onions, 1 smothered in chili and 1 with blue cheese. I got my chicken sandwich fix with sweet potato fries. Jon also surprised me with a chocolate milkshake. Go big or go home right?
  • We spent the remainder of the evening watching some House Hunters and the Mecum Auto Auction.
Sometimes you just need a weekend to relax and rejuvenate and this weekend was just that, my husband is the best company. We both have a busy week but were happy to selfishly spend the entire weekend doing a whole lot of nothing together :-)


xo

Ruthie
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