Emily Schuman's strawberry biscuit bites are a great summer cookout dessert idea. Here's the recipe from her blog Cupcakes and Cashmere. Strawberry shortcakes are one of my favorite go-to desserts, so if these taste as good as they look, then it's a match made in heaven. Must try this version soon! I admire all of her recipes. Emily has been such an inspiration to me since I stumbled upon her blog a few years ago. Check it out for great recipes, makeup ideas, fashion, photography, and decorating tips.

p.s. To my mom, sister, and brother...I love and miss you guys so much! If any of you make these shortcakes before I do, I want them in the mail stat!

via cupcakesandcashmere.com

Summer read! 

Excited. 

three pretty kitties

"When someone else's happiness is your happiness, that is love"

                       -LDR

I went camping this weekend. Camping won.

explore

Today and tomorrow we will be celebrating the end of the year. But it's a bittersweet feeling - as I say goodbye to the students I've grown so fond of, and my coworkers whom I will miss so much until next year.

introspective tuesday

I went to a retirement party yesterday. The shout-outs and speeches given by the retiring teachers were beautiful and touching. One thing that resonated with me was a quote from a teacher who is closing the door of academia and moving on to different things. She said, "And as I look back at all of my coworkers and friends that I love here, the students I have made a difference to, and the joy I have in my heart for this job, I realize that this was time well spent."

The last few words are special to me because too often I see people (including myself sometimes), trying to get to the end of everything - the end of the day, the end of the week, the end of the month, etc. Sometimes it seems like we are constantly chasing things that we haven't reached yet. It's important to sit back and enjoy the here and now. After all, it's the only thing that is promised to us and the only thing we can control. To me, savoring the little things and expressing true gratitude for what you have in life and who you love is something that should be done every day. I don't get too mushy often but I wanted to spread my feelings : ) Slow down & enjoy what you do.

so...we love our job, and each other.
I'm so excited to spend another year with these ladies!

I'm loving Prevention Magazine's "28 Days to a Healthier Heart." Tips include: drinking green tea, laughing with friends, cutting out sugar, 

indulging in dark chocolate, eating bananas, working out, taking supplements, sleeping habits, etc.

here:

               

<3 Heart Healthy!

brainstorming for maid of honor photos with my sister- 

these are my favorites so far 

via pin

How I feel about switching to nursing:

The perfect day for me would consist of a scenic run, baking desserts, drinking coffee, hanging out with friends, chatting with my sis, laughing a lot, and painting my toes.
Chips and salsa would be nice too.

Sometimes you have to sit back and tell yourself, I'm exactly where I need to be.

So proud of you both!

Enjoy the "land of milk and honey."

"there's a lot of beauty in the ordinary, but isn't that the point?" 

lavender soda pop

 A refreshing summer twist!

lavender, simple syrup, sparkling water

recipe here: Gardenista

lavender-honey soda by asubtlerevelry

pony with a twist

I'm excited to sport my new Thursday 'do

We wake up each morning with high hopes of a good day- a day better than yesterday. We carry out our usual routine of bathing, brushing, and sipping of coffee. The hustle and bustle of life can seem monotonous, and that's why it's important to savor the little things. Get lost, go somewhere, drink your cup of coffee outside, have a picnic, eat dinner on the back porch. Simply enjoy today because it's the most important day of your life. Too often we may take things for granted. The way you live your life is your message to the world - make sure it's inspiring. 

post if you walked or ran at least a mile today, ladies.

happy legs/ happy heart / happy soul!

motivation for a healthy life : ) 

love you, sis!

T R A V E L is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown

via Etsy

sunday funday

The last lone cookie & beautiful Ella

peachy keen

Happy mother's day - I love you mom! I wish

you were here to spend this day with me, 

but I'm so happy for you to be in your home state : )

Favorite nail color of the week. I'm loving this Essie in "Tart Deco."

It's a soft mixture of peach & coral, a fun color that's great for spring

I have everything that I need

why I love mornings:

beautiful still life

"Have more than you show, speak less than you know"

                     - WS


"The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. And the first to forget is the happiest."

                     - CK

I like Mondays. Particularly because it's a fresh, new start.

spring flowers

Greetings from Senorita Disberger's Spanish class!

 This virgin sangria recipe made for a yummy belated Cinco De Mayo celebration

There are many things in life to celebrate, so here's a fun twist to a healthy dessert!
Banana pops!

tips here: bakers royale

Speaking of being thankful, I read an article by Anna Edwards about daily commandments and how they impact us as happy people. She writes, "There's no scientific answer to being virtuous, but the key thing is to have some kind of list on which to flex our ethical muscles. It reminds us that we all need to work at being good, just as we work at anything else that really matters." The list she refers to has the ten commandments for everyday people whom want to strive to be their best selves. Attributes to keep in mind and work on are resilience, empathy, patience, sacrifice, forgiveness, politeness, humor, self-awareness, hope, and confidence. To me, the article was moving and reaffirmed my beliefs : ) 

p.s.

How can you not love this sweet face? 

Yup, I love these sexy sculpted arm workouts from Women' Health Mag. When conditioning for a 5k later this spring, I sometimes forget about my top half. Give em a go!