...in wanderland

Hi journal! Big news! Miss Jade is back from Africa! First time...

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:15:00 -0500

Hi journal! Big news! Miss Jade is back from Africa! First time I’ve seen her face in weeks! Look how blissfully happy she is to see me! Har. She & her husband Nathan found their little boy and he is nearly the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life! You can visit her blog to read more about him! Anyways, we went to a spa last night and got twinsie massages for our big bff reunion party. I got a deep tissue massage for the very first time ever and I kid you not, physical abuse is a paid gig these days. Apparently this girl was actually jamming her elbows into me. RUUUUDE!

Heres how I would describe my deep tissue experience:
Serene, relaxing, and then PAIN, PAIN, HOLY CRAP KILL ME NOW, serene, relaxing. Immediately afterward I felt surges of energy zipping through my body, so she definitely wasn’t hurting me for no reason, thank you baby jesus! However, this morning was a little bit like death. Have you ever been beaten up? Me either, but I bet this is what it feels like. Apparently the massage releases toxins and all kinds of nasty stuff from your body. Worth it? I’ll let you know later on… when I’m able to lift my arm and stuff.

Are you all enjoying your November?! Two weeks until Thanksgiving!

♥

Once upon a time the most perfect dessert was created in my...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:42:00 -0500

Once upon a time the most perfect dessert was created in my kitchen. It involved marshmallows, peanut butter, rice krispies, chocolate, and carbs. Look at it people! Three layers of delicious and addicting. You may want to cut them into bars and serve them to lots of other people…..and by this I mean get them the heck out of your house as soon as possible because you’ll end up eating a quarter of the pan for breakfast. Say whaaaat? ‘Ew Liz. Ew. You are so unhealthy.’ Whatever! I eat broccoli and cucumbers and soy chicken the rest of the live long day.

So all I’m saying is, make these.
Here’s the recipe from All Recipes.com.
Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

p.s.
I doubled the rice krispy topping, and I suggest you do as well…
otherwise it won’t cover all the marshmallow and it’ll look super lame.

♥ Liz

This post is dedicated to the so very gorgeous & sweet...

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:58:00 -0500

This post is dedicated to the so very gorgeous & sweet hearted Christy Chaffin and her brand new fianceee Chris! Woooeee! Is it just me or do they look really mega hot together? Isn’t love awesome? Gettin married is even more awesome. I would not personally know this, but I’ve heard its pretty sweet and life changing and stuff! Soooo…everyone needs to follow her here, because she is so hilarious and so creative and talented and amazing!
You love her already!

p.s.
Congratulations Christy!!

♥

city sidewalks

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:05:00 -0400

I have been dreaming more about New York City lately.
I told my Dad that all I wanted for Christmas was to see the city.
He said, “I do too.’ Wow Dad!
Then he told me his address growing up in greenwich village.. 15 Sheridan Square.
How amazing is that address! It sounds so hip.

I can just imagine visiting before Christmas, and seeing the twinkly lights,
and walking through the village, and central park, and the upper west side and eating cute little dinners, and getting tickets to see Regis & Kelly and Martha Stewart. (Don’t make fun of me!) And going to kitschy little childrens bookstores all decorated for Christmas, and seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway, and the ballet performing the Nutcracker! (Oh my goodness, it’s been my childhood dream to see the freagin sugar plum fairies!) Visiting the huge decorated tree in Bryant Park, iceskating, bundling up, and drinking hot tea 24/7.

The sheer joyousness of it all overwhelms my brain.
This is what central park looks like right now! So magical!

♥ Liz

Eisley- AmbulanceA brand new track from their EP “Fire...

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:48:00 -0400

Eisley- Ambulance
A brand new track from their EP “Fire Kite”…
Stacy wrote this song about Sherri’s divorce.
Such a beautiful little creation.

Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition...

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:42:42 -0400

Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness.

-Mother Theresa

Fudge baking.Of course I shot video! ♥

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:05:00 -0400

Fudge baking.
Of course I shot video!

♥

Sophie.Precious little face.

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0400

Sophie.
Precious little face.

Maddix showing off her fierce bobcat tattoo. We were hoping for...

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:55:30 -0400

Maddix showing off her fierce bobcat tattoo.
We were hoping for a butterfly, but tattoo machine thought a teeth bearing bobcat would be good for a 3 year old girl. She said she didn’t really like it and that it looked mean, but I told her it was just a kitty laughing. She liked that.

Yesterday I was blessed to spend the evening with one of my...

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:38:00 -0400

Yesterday I was blessed to spend the evening with one of my favorite
families on earth. We got pizza. We talked. We played. We fake tattooed. We baked! Fudge! My fudge. The recipe down below! It was such a lovely little time and I was glad I got to see my dear friend before she left the continent.

Jade and her husband Nathan are leaving for Uganda, Africa in one week to adopt a precious little dumpling baby. I am secretly hoping God has a brother & sister duo waiting for them, but whatevs. Please remember them in your prayers in the coming days as things start getting closer to take off time. Pray for their safety to and from, pray for their health, for joy & peace to replace any kind of anxiousness, and ultimately for their little babypants who is awaiting their arrival. Pray for their two girls, Maddix & Sophie, who are staying home, that God will be preparing their minds and hearts for all of this newness and tons more fun!

Also, pray for the little ones who have no one to hold them, to hear that they are loved. For those who are forced to sleep in filth and go hungry. Pray for them. I am so in awe of those who God calls to adopt. God promises he will never leave us or forsake us and what a joy to actually personally know a couple who through God, will be a saving grace to a child who needs love.

♥

Fudge! Just in time for Christmas! Har. Ya’ll, it is kinda...

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:32:02 -0400

Fudge! Just in time for Christmas! Har. Ya’ll, it is kinda sick how much I love the Holidays. Can we just skip Halloween? I’ve already started making a mega funtime holiday folder full of ‘how to’s’ for homemade ornaments, homemade presents, christmas dresses, glittery hair bows, recipes, etc etc etc. That’s later. But for now, fudge. Easiest fudge I’ve ever made in my life. No temperature taking, no boiling, easy easy easy. And delicious.

Speedy Fudge

1/2 cup milk
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
2/3 cup baking cocoa
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Place the first four ingredients in the order listed in a large 3-qt. baking dish (do not stir). Place in a 350 degrees oven for 15 minutes or until butter is melted. Carefully transfer to a mixing bowl. Add vanilla; beat on high for 2 minutes. Stir in nuts. Pour into a buttered 8 or 9 inch baking pan. Cool before cutting.

Well oh my goodness Kate Spade, your fall fashion line is just...

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:19:00 -0400

Well oh my goodness Kate Spade,
your fall fashion line is just too precious for words!

-Liz

Karen O & The Kids: All Is Love This song is something else....

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:07:00 -0400

Karen O & The Kids: All Is Love

This song is something else. It has been swarming my brain every single day.
I started singing it in the coffee aisle today, no big deal!
So, updates updates. I have been blessed with a huge influx of photoshootin dates.
Three of em are (lord willing) taking me to Texas. Yeehaw Texas!
Also, my heart has been stirred. I was raised in the country but the artsy part of me came from my Dad’s side, and his family grew up in NYC. I need to visit. I feel unsettled. I feel like something is out there undiscovered that NEEDS discovered!

My desires thus far:
Be a godly wife.
Be a godly mom.
Create Create Create.
Capture hearts through photos.
See lives radically changed for Jesus.
Cook up sweets & savories until I die.

Sound good? I think so too. I’m ready for some serious adventuring!
This amazing picture by NikiLynn kind of sums up my heart right now.
Woooee!

Happy October!
Love, Liz

I hope you’ll all get a ticket in your hometown to see...

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:46:00 -0400

I hope you’ll all get a ticket in your hometown to see this ONE NIGHT ONE TIME showing of “We’re All In This Together” on November 4th, 2009 at 7:30PM EST. A documentary that focuses on justice, compassion, and mercy. From there, local communities will be able to connect and find ways to start serving…as groups.. as individuals.. whatever!

The point is to stop ignoring.
To give to others what we have in abundance.
To not just preach the good news…but be the good news.
To see where a screening is playing in your area click HERE.
And then in the upper right table enter your zipcode to search!

Let’s do this!

Love,
Liz

Oh my goodness! Did anyone else throw a first day of fall...

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:43:00 -0400

Oh my goodness! Did anyone else throw a first day of fall party?!
Autumn is the RULER of all seasons. It comes second to Christmas for my favorite time of the year! In honor of this glorious day I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with pumpkin buttercream frosting. Pumpkin pumpkin everywhere! However, I committed one of the dont’s of baking world and put the frosting on when the cookies were still warm. How dare you expect me to wait when the smell of warm sugary pumpkin was takin over the house! Thus, they look kinda goooooey in the picture. Gooey and AMAZING. Have you ever had pumpkin frosting? Have you ever had MY pumpkin frosting? I guarantee it would blow your face off.

You’re probably asking yourself “Gosh dang Liz, isn’t a cookie by itself enough? Why the frosting?” Because frosting is flickin perfection and the world needs more of it, that’s why.

Here’s the recipe. Go wild!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

½ cups butter (I used Earth Balance butter)
1-½ cup Sugar (I used 1/2 cup agave, 2 tablespoons stevia)
1 whole Egg (I used 1/4 cup eggbeaters)
1 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
2-½ cups Flour
1 cup Chocolate Chips

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Add dry to wet.
Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Beat together and spoon onto your cookies! Or eat it out of the bowl like I did. And then feel so sick you don’t want a cookie. This balances out right?

Man oh man today ruled! Chicago Green City Market was absolutely...

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:21:00 -0400

Man oh man today ruled! Chicago Green City Market was absolutely amazing!
It was HUGE. They were makin crepes, smoothies, apple cider, apple cider donuts, plum cobbler, artistan breads, salsa, tofu veggie meals, etc. Wow oh wow! I got some purple haze carrots, some sweet things, and the sexiest lookin zucchini I’ve ever seen in my life. Also, flowers, lots and lots and lots of flowers. We’re talking 40 stems of various beautiful flowers for under $20! What! Okay Chicago, that was such an unnecessary thing to rub in my face. I am now officially jealous of anyone who gets to visit this market every single week.

p.s.

I told you I slept with blueberries! And by slept I mean not at all. Last night was insanity.
Not one single hour of sleep for this girl.
Sometimes hotels and I can be friends, sometimes we can’t.
I blame those huge flickin blueberries. Notice how my bed is totally messed up?
That was me trying to sleep in every single direction. Ahahaha. Goodness gracious.
I am exhausted!

Bedtime is exactly now. Don’t even try to stop me!

Meet Babycakes, a humble little vegan bakery in NYC. I DREAM of...

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:57:00 -0400

Meet Babycakes, a humble little vegan bakery in NYC.
I DREAM of visiting and walking out with my arms full of delicious sweets.
This is a video that documented their joyousness when the first cookbook came out 4 months ago. So adorable!! Fact: If I ever own a shop I am only hiring people who will come to work and dance all day. Not to girl rock band music though. Gag.

I’ve seen this fancy little book in bookstores but I’ve never allowed myself to get it. I have soooo many other vegan baking books, and how many different ways can you make a banana bread, you know? Whatever Liz! You are soooo wrong. Totally need this book.
You can watch Erin McKenna, the owner of the shop, on Martha Stewart here!

Someone wants to take me to NYC and go here right? RIGHT?!

Cake by:Classic CakesCarmel, IN

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:06:17 -0400

Cake by:
Classic Cakes
Carmel, IN

Pom Pom ballsssss! I saw the idea for this in a Martha Stewart...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:49:00 -0400

Pom Pom ballsssss! I saw the idea for this in a Martha Stewart mag years ago.
You take large sheets of tissue paper, accordion fold them, tie the middle with wire, and then pull apart to make a ball! Easy and so cute! These things were a serious hit. Jade kept them and put them somewhere. Her house is full of huge balls now.

Also, twinkly lights. I was getting nervous when I couldn’t find the lights I wanted. I was super specific about having big bulbs. Thank the good lord that I so very randomly saw them at Target the same day, and they were on clearance. Dang Target, you rule!

I am so so so grateful I had help setting up this thing. Some boys and girls came over and helped string everything all over the backyard. Couldn’t have done it without them.

I found this tiered dessert stand at Target for $10! I...

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:23:00 -0400

I found this tiered dessert stand at Target for $10! I spraypainted it white and then went to flea markets, antique stores, and anthropologie looking for perfect little plates.
Anthropologie is a nightmare. I was walking around with like 10 plates before I realized I was losing control. Man, that store. I also found the PERFECT table runner for $4. Holy heck, bargains are effin sweet!

I picked up some fresh strawberries, grapes, and dipped pretzels in chocolate and whaaaam, treats!