I Want, I Need, I Have to Have: Necklace

I have about 4 necklaces I wear on a normal rotation... okay 2... okay really 1 and the second one get bumped when I'm wearing the right shirt.

Since my parent's bought me the "Tiffany heart" in college I've worn it, pretty much everyday.

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(Don't worry, I clean it). I almost wore it on my wedding day, Hubs wanted me to, but I wanted to fancy it up a bit more, so I wore a pearl necklace I've had since I was 13. I bought a brand new singular pearl necklace, but I wore something I've had for 16 years. I'm a simple jewelry kind of girl.

Moving on... this Christmas Hubs about me a super cute birdie necklace from Etsy.

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I've added it into the rotation and I wear it almost once a week. This is BIG for me. Sooo, I've been thinking maybe I need more necklaces like the birdie one? How about just one?

Let's get this out of the way in the beginning, the necklace I really want it this one, from Tiffanys.

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Hint Hubs, hint, hint *nudge, nudge*. Buuut, since I know I won't get this one at least until my birthday in July, I'm not holding my breath. Enter Etsy...

1 - Natural Nest Necklace

2 - Silver Marquis Leaves Necklace

3 - Luxe Silver Teardrop Necklace

4 - Single Crystal Necklace

5 - Wire Whisk - Sterling Charm Necklace

Just because it's fun :)

Frenchie Kisses: Portraits with my New Husband

After the family portraits we dismissed our families and bridal party to enjoy cocktail hour while Mr Frenchie and I took our first photos alone as husband and wife. (Eeee calling him my husband still makes me giddy).

We talked around the winery taking places in areas I’d dreamt of taking wedding pictures, since the first time Mr Frenchie and I visited the winery years ago. Of course, we had to take a picture with the winery’s sign.

As I mentioned, there were a couple areas I’d dreamt of taking our wedding pictures, my favorite was this walkway in the middle of the winery.

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Our photographers had scoped out the same spot, it was perfect.

I love this picture of Mr Frenchie, it’s his classic trying to look cool, but I know I look silly face.


Mr Frenchie doing a better job of looking cool…


Me thinking he’s cute…


This is one of my favorites of Mr Frenchie…


And this is one of his favorites of me…


Next we moved into the barrel room… or snuck in because there was another wedding have a small reception on the other side. They were still milling around outside and we tried hard to get in and out before we were seen and intruding on their day.


This one is probably our best serious picture… if you haven’t noticed, we don’t do serious well.


Lastly we took advantage of this great light before we ran off to be introduced into the reception.

Although I was bummed we missed the entire cocktail hour, I wouldn’t have traded the time I spent with Mr Frenchie alone before the reception madness set in for anything. Are you planning on taking pictures during cocktail hour too?

So Far...
The Beginning
Gettin' Sassy
Me & My Bridesmaids
Mr Frenchie's Morning
Waiting to go down the aisle
The "I Do"s
The Big 'Oops'
Family Portraits

***Note: All photos, unless otherwise noted, are by the fabulously talented, and super awesome to know, Ohana Photographers***

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You didn't know about March of The Penguins (funny story... should I share it?)
2 - You make a grill a mean steak
3 - You like to cuddle
4 - You like lounge music
5 - You like my friends

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

The first thing to bake, on my lists of things to do in my free time, were theses Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars I saw, last week, on Bake at 350.

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Hubs two favorite desserts are chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake, how could I not make these?

Anywhoodle, we were relaxing last night on the couch and I got antsy to do something with my free time, so I decided to just go ahead and make them. I had almost all the ingredients, so why not? And by almost, I mean I was 2oz shy on the cream cheese and about 1 Tbsp shy on the chocolate chips... Oh, and I don't have shortening.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
slightly adapted from Bake at 350 (who adapted them from cookies and cups & The Essential Chocolate Chips Cookbook)

Ingredients...
Crust:
1 & 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 TBSP margarine, melted (remember Hubs is lactose intolerant, but yes he can have cheese... it's weird, it's with pills, moving on)
2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
5 TBPS margarine (I like to use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, baking sticks)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, room temp. [or 8oz if that's what you have ;-)]
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1/3 cups dark chocolate (or you can just use more chocolate chips, if that's what you've got)

Directions...
Preheat oven to 325

Crust:
1 - Grease a 8x8 pan with margarine, line pan with parchment paper and butter the paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides.
2 - Crush graham crackers into 1 & 1/2 cups of crumbs.

3 - Melt butter and add to crumbs are moistened.
4 - Stir in chocolate chips.

5 - Press crust mixture into bottom of pan.
6 - Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.

Cookie Dough:
1- Mix butter(ish stuff), brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth.
2 - Adjust mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated.
3 - Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Cheesecake:
1 - Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

2 - Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.

Topping:
1 - Microwave chocolate at 50% for intervals for a minute, stirring in between, until melted.

The whole she-bang:
1 - Pour cheesecake batter into cooled, baked crust.

2 - Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

3 - Bake (at 325) for 30mins, or until set.
4 - Place back on wire rack.
5 - Drizzle melted chocolate over top.

6 - Place in fridge to chill.

I know I should wait for a better picture, when they're cooled and cut, and pretty, but I'm just so excited to be blogging again :) Perhaps tomorrow I will have a better picture.

I Want, I Need, I Have to Have: Squirrely Things

Two times today I've seen squirrely themed home decor and thought "I want, I need, I have to have". Truth be told, it's all because of the Hubs. For someone who isn't as hip when it comes to pop culture, the guy foretells the future on things that will become popular. He was into mid century modern design long before I started seeing it all over the place and squirrels, he likes squirrels.

Here are a few things I think we need:

1 - Nuts About Snacks Dish


2 - Modern Animal Clock Squirrel

3 - Jonathan Adler squirrel bottle stopper

Truth be told, we got one of there for my SIL law and her boyfriend for Christmas. Maybe we should get these squirrel candle holders instead.

Have you seen any cute squirrel themed goods around the internet?