We're Expecting!!!!!!!!!!!

Hehe...  I'm so mean... 

Raise your hands if you got a little too excited when you read the title of this post? 

(I see you, Mom) 

No, friends, we aren't literally expecting. *knocks on wood* 

However, we have some pretttttty exciting news! Josh and I have officially decided to adopt a third fur baby!! Our breeder finally sent us some updated photo's on our new buddy, and I couldn't WAIT to share them with the world. Literally, everyone has had to take a moment to look at them with me. Sorry I'm not sorry :)

Meet Sir Duke Treadway...

 I'm sorry, if you don't think that's the cutest little bundle of chunk, then you just need to exit off this blog and never return. If you don't like puppies, you must lead a really sad life. Just sayin' because ... LOOK. AT. THAT. FACE! 

We pick him up at the end of March and are all too excited, literally, and counting down the days..the minutes...the seconds... 'til he's in our loving arms. Is it a tad crazy to throw him a "Welcome Home" party? Hm... that's an idea...to be considered! (making a note in my Erin Condren as we speak) We bought the new dog food that is special for his English Bulldog tummy, his collar, his dog bowls, fun toys and special soaps for his delicate skin. We've been to Pet Smart at least 30 times this week alone (not kidding), and have read every article on EBD's that we can find. Josh has even decided that he wants to make 'ol Duke a customized dog bed out of pallets and reclaimed wood! 

*perfect segue into my next exciting topic*

A dream of mine has always been to start my very own boutique, sell everything monogram-able and all things pinky & girly. Well everyone, it is sort of coming true! 

I'm not sure if you have noticed my new tab at the top of the blog labeled "Treasures & Trinkets" but if not, go do so right now (pretty please). 

 You will read all about our new, and still under construction, Etsy shop. 

Josh is going to feature his handy reclaimed/ pallet wood furniture and I am going to start my hobby of monogramming everything! 

Coming to online shelves a click away, and close to you, very soon!

Thank you for your continued support in reading my posts here on Pretty Big Things! Seems like everything happening right now is no small thing, but I suppose that's the point, right?! These small, joyous moments are new chapters in my life that I am absolutely thrilled to share with you, in a big way. I can't express how blessed I am and how lucky I feel for that. 

Life is truly amazing, if you let it be! Go after your dreams, don't stop 'til they're a reality! Work hard. Play hard. Give God the glory :) 

'til next time, y'all! 

With love,

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope this post finds each and every one of you doing well on this frigid morning, or at least, in my opinion, it is severely cold here in Charlotte, NC. Maybe that's just my thin-Florida-girl blood talking, who knows. Anyways, I hope that you're all snuggled up in bed, underneath multiple layers of blankets and possibly sipping something warm (while reading this fun post, of course). For me? Not so much. Yay, weekend work! (note: sarcasm) Don't get me wrong, I love my job and am very thankful for it... but who knows someone who actually likes leaving their bed at 7:15AM on a Saturday morning? Go ahead... I'll wait.

In the meantime, I have a fun Valentine's Day recipe/ craft that I made last night, and am thrilled to share with you now! Chocolate covered strawberries can be costly if bought through a "1-800" number delivery service, so why not try to make them yourself? It was so super easy that you could even get your kids involved! Maybe you could have your sweetheart help you make them as a romantic Valentine's day activity?! Oh, the possibilities. *wink*

 

 

Here is the recipe and simple step by step directions on how to make these awesome Valentine's Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

 

You Will Need:

• 1-2 packages of fresh strawberries, quantity is up to you
• 1 package of Chocolate & White Chocolate "Candy Quick" (find in the baking aisle of your grocery store, also known as "Almond Bark")
• A straw
• Wax paper
• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. You might be thinking... why a straw? Oh my, you guys, once you see this trick, you'll never cut the tops off of strawberries again! Check it out on my Pinterest by clicking the link to the right, and going to the "Healthy Eats" board or see the picture below. It's pretty simple, though, you just take a straw and push it up through the bottom of the strawberry. It will take the stem from the top right off and helps save more strawberry for eatin'! What, what?!
   

   
2. Rinse the strawberries gently and thoroughly, then individually dry them off with a paper towel. This way the chocolate will stick better to the fruit :)
3. Place the Chocolate Candy Quick in a microwavable-safe bowl. Nuke it for 30seconds to a minute at a time, stirring it each time in between, until it is a melted pool of chocolate-y goodness ...and refrain from diving in.
4. Now, this is the fun/messy part and you can execute it however you prefer. I, myself, held the strawberry with two fingers and swirled it in the pool of chocolate, allowed the excess to drip off, and then placed it on the wax paper on the counter. Sure, my fingers were covered in chocolate afterwards, but I wasn't complaining. I suppose if you wanted to use a spoon or a fork to dip it in there, you could... but, life's too short to not get messy from time to time. Just saying.
5. Once all the strawberries are covered in chocolate to your liking, then place the White Chocolate Candy Quick in a microwavable-safe bowl and repeat step 3.
6. Take a fork, swirl it around in the white chocolate, and then drizzle the dripping white chocolate from the fork all over the top of the strawberries. Get creative! Make swirls, lines and patterns. There is no wrong way to do this!
7. Optional, while the chocolate has yet to be cooled, sprinkle on some fun toppings!
8. Allow the chocolate to harden by placing them in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
9. Enjoy :)

 

Simple, easy, and oh-so-good! Good luck eating just one, and remember to enjoy these sweet moments with the ones you love.

I'm engaged, y'all!

Hold the freakin' phone... I AM ENGAGED! Josh (finally, yes) got down on one knee!! After 5 happy years, which were filled with many growing pains and plenty of bumps in the road, I have the privilege to call this sweet man my FIANCE! What?! Is this even real life...

It was just a regular Friday night when Josh decided it was time, and honestly, it totally caught me by surprise! I knew we were getting more serious about it being in our future, but I didn't know when... how... where... I was grungy to say the least, I had just came home from work with a bun on top of my head, make up melting off my face, and smelling like a nursing home (mm, sexy). The only thing I had on my mind was a margarita, especially after the long work day I had just endured. Hindsight is 20/20 for sure, because now that I think back on it, he was pacing around the house like he was forgetting something. I was standing at the kitchen counter going through the mail, like any other day, and I asked him if he was ready to go eat. My back turned to him, he started talking and I could hear a quiver in his voice as he took a deep breath. He began by saying, "I know you've had a long day, " which for the record, caught me off guard because we had already discussed my not-so-fabulous day, "but I was hoping I could make it better." That's when I turned around to look at him with a quizzical expression on my face, and he reached into his Carhartt jacket pocket with shaking hands to pull out a little black box. Some people talk about it all being in slow motion for them, the moment that they were proposed to, but I can't say the same. Before I knew it, a bunch of words came out of his mouth and he was down on one knee.... but all I could focus on was the fact that his eyes were red from tearing up, and he had this beautiful look on his face of true love. I do remember him asking, "I was hoping you'd spend the rest of your life with me." Crying and hugging then commenced for what felt like forever, I just couldn't believe it. I had to shake myself to remember to say, "YES!" This man, who used to always say he wasn't sure he wanted to get married, just proposed! To me! Ha! Bless his soul. I suppose after five years he knows what kind of craziness he's marrying, but all I know is that I haven't ever been so happy! Those were some of the happiest phone calls I've ever made to my Mom, my friends, and my sister... my best friend screamed in my ear for like 30 seconds, no joke. I wasn't mad at her for it either. Everyone who knows me, knows how long I have been waiting for this moment. It's finally here. 

And in case you were wondering, yes, I did get my margarita! ;)