friday's fabulousness

1. this lady is coming to town today! so happy to be spending the weekend with one of my besties.

2. the halloween season is officially starting for us...not only did i decorate the house last night but we'll also be going to a haunted house this weekend. either here or here.

3. came back to work this week. so glad to see my girls again. didn't even realize how much i missed them. and tomorrow i get to see liv play soccer. can't wait for the hilarity of four year old girls running around a field with a ball! :)

4. check out this awesome outfit. i'll be spending the weekend (with said bestie) trying to find all the things that make this outfit so great.

even the s'more.

Source: laurenwakefieldphotography.com via Lauryn on Pinterest

5. not sure if i've mentioned this but,

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

oh, wait i have mentioned it, you say. oh shoot. well give me a break, i'm still relishing in the bask of the awesomeness that it is. and you should let me because it only happens once!

happy birthday aunt lynn!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNN!!!!!

i hope you have the best birthday yet.

love you,

ash

fall favorites: clothing

here is my list of five fall fashion must haves!

(didn't you just love that alliteration?!)

1. corduroy

corduroy by ashley-peavler featuring green corduroy pants

2. boots

boots by ashley-peavler featuring over the knee thigh high boots

3. sweaters

sweaters by ashley-peavler featuring a crew neck shirt

4. leather

leather by ashley-peavler featuring nude pumps

5. scarves

scarves by ashley-peavler featuring striped scarves

what's on your must have list for this fall season?

wishes: capes

how do we feel about capes?

capes by ashley-peavler featuring a wool cape

i think i like.

wishes: all things native american

i love the native american trend that's in full swing this fall.

while i probably won't go all out like some of the pictures i've seen, there are some things i would love to incorporate into my closet or home...

native american by ashley-peavler featuring minnetonka shoes

Source: laybabylay.com via Megan on Pinterest

i know, this is a nursery pallet but i just love the furniture, rug and pillows!

so would you try this trend?

wishes: the wedding

answer me this...

dogs

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

wedding do

Source: weheartit.com via Ashley on Pinterest

or don't

Source: weddings.theknot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

we all know T and i are obsessed with our yellow lab, dallas. but we also don't want to be those people. the ones that have to include the dog in everything. what's your thought?

fall favorites: football

so i know i missed the "fall is finally here" bandwagon last friday but i'm finally catching up...give a girl a break, she just got engaged! ;) you knew i had to. 

here's my first post of fall favorites. i'll be posting periodically about all my fav fall things, y'all. it's going to be awesome!

FOOTBALL let me start by saying I LOVE FOOTBALL! seriously. i'm not one of those girls that says that but has no idea what's going on. i actually know quite a bit about football. plus i love watching the game with my buds and a beer in my hand. ok, so last night i watched it in agonizing elbow pain (another story) and no beer. but plenty of asprin! 

these are my boys. my big boys, if you will.

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

their not what they used to be but i'll be a forever fan no matter what. some seasons just involve a little more yelling at the tv! 

 now, here's when we were legendary...ah the golden years of football!

Source: None via Ashley on Pinterest

and here are my little boys (because they're not pros, yet). we haven't had too many successful seasons. and many people say they can't wait for basketball season already, but i'm a loyal fan through and through, and boys, you're doing great!

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

now with football comes tailgating, food, beer and fun!

Source: countryliving.com via Chriseda on Pinterest

now that's tailgating in style. 

although most of our tailgating looks more like this...

Source: theodmgroup.com via Ashley on Pinterest

but more blue. less red. blech. 

some of my fav things to bring to the tailgate include good friends, good food and good beer.

Source: southernliving.com via Martha on Pinterest

Source: christyrobbins.blogspot.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Source: blog.tinyprints.com via Pam on Pinterest

Source: None via Marian on Pinterest

(and sam adams happens to be my fav!)

 we play a lot of this...

Source: None via Hailey on Pinterest

this is freaking awesome and i sooooo want one now!

Source: google.com via Jenny on Pinterest

and for those of us who stay at home, wouldn't it be fun to throw a party of our own?!

Source: issuu.com via Rebecca - on Pinterest

so what kind of tailgating do you do? at the game? at home? do you even like football? let's discuss!

wishes: the wedding

so i'm terrified pretty excited about all the wedding inspirations out there. 

and i'm pretty sure the future of this blog will be taken over by all things related to weddings (sorry!).

BUT, can someone please find me this (preferably in lexington or louisville)? thanks.

Source: fordancersanddreamers.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

weekend recap

best. weekend. ever. ENGAGEMENT. shopping. sewing. eating. celebrating. love. love. love.

seriously, the best weekend of my life.

i can't wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.

T- i couldn't be happier than i am with you. you bring out the best in me and i cannot wait to be your wife. always.

and because i know y'all want to see it...

recipe of the week

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

i originally got the idea from the pioneer woman but changed it up a little!

ingredients

CAKE:

2 sticks of unsalted butter (i used margarine)

3 cups of granulated sugar (i used splenda)

6 eggs (yes, 6!)

1 cup of natural applesauce (she uses sour cream but i hate that junk plus this is way better for you!)

1.5 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

ICING/FILLING

i used this exact recipe for the icing (sorry, didn't even try to make this a bit healthier!)

2 cartons fresh strawberries (you might 1 need more if you want to garnish the top of the cake)

2 sticks unsalted butter

3 to 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

up to 4 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream (i used milk and it turned out great!)

directions

CAKE:

beat softened butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy

add eggs two at a time, mixing thoroughly

add the applesauce and vanilla

sift the flour and baking soda and add slowly to the mixture

mix on low until all the of the flour mixture is added

be sure to mix thoroughly but DO NOT over mix!

spray your pan (i used three 9 inch round pans) with PAM or use butter and flour so your cake will not stick

put in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes

ICING/FILLING:

slice strawberries and put in bowl with sugar (i used splenda) for at least 30 minutes (i left mine over night)

beat butter for a few minutes on medium

add 3 cups of the confectioners sugar and beat on low until sugar is incorporated with the butter

increase speed to medium and add vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons of milk and beat for 3 minutes

if your icing needs to be stiffened add remaining sugar, if it needs to be thinned add remaining milk (i did not need to add anything)

once your cakes have cooled you can put the icing and strawberries between each layer and then ice the cake with the remaining icing. i also topped my cake with some extra slices of strawberry.

FYI: if you choose to do this the night before be aware that your strawberries will be very syrupy and therefore your cake will be runny. it made the cake very delicious but also very messy! but, i don't think my family minded the mess ;)

weekend recap

lazy weekend. sickly weekend. injury weekend. fun weekend.

i'll explain.

lazy: i was in my pj's for the majority of the weekend. seriously.

sickly: i was sick. which led to the laziness. head cold. better now.

injury: dallas torn his pads on three paws. he's only got four so he's really not doing too hot. and that's why there's a pic of him. well that and because i wasn't about to show you my hotness all weekend. and i do mean hotness because of my 100.1 fever i woke up with saturday morning.

fun: after feeling a bit better saturday afternoon i got to have dinner with T and josh. sunday T and i made it out of the house for a couple of hours and stuffed our faces with rosemary, garlic and olive oil french fries. yummo. we watched star wars from beginning to end (my first time ever to watch them.). i finished the friday night lights series (why do i cry when a tv show is over? remember friends? cry baby.). finalized my plans for louisville this week. cuddled with my boys. facetimed with mom and myra (and the rest of their crews!) in austin. and ate mac and cheese and frosted flakes for dinner.

sounds like a winning weekend to me.

how was yours?

oh and did i mention i'm on vacation? that's why it's 1:36 am and i'm still up!

crafts: pillows

today i've got a pillow tutorial for you! yay, even though you're probably thinking, "another pillow tutorial? those are all over blog land." but i'm doing it anyway because i finally sewed with burlap and had to blog about it!

i started by ironing my fabric and cutting two sqaures 15.5" all around.

then i cut out a heart for the center of the pillow from my tan burlap to match the black and tan fabric i used for the pillow.

pin the heart to your fabric. and sew all the way around.

i used a straight stitch but you could use a zig zag or other decorative stitch. i also used white thread and you can hardly see it!

then put your fabric pieces wrong sides together and pin.

sew all the way around with a 1/4" seam allowance until you get to the bottom of the pillow. leave a 3 to 4 inch gap so you can stuff the pillow. i also recommend doing this on the bottom of the pillow since you'll be hand sewing the seam up and it won't be as noticeable on the bottom. turn inside out, making sure to turn your corners all the way so you'll have nice, pointy corners!

fill the pillow with fiber fill. make sure you stuff that junk all the way in there! we don't want any flat, frumpy looking pillows!

once you're done stuffing, pull your open seams together and pin. hand stitch the opening closed.

and there you go! you've got yourself a cute little pillow with a burlap heart on it.

i gave this pillow to my great grandmother for her birthday a few weeks ago and she loved it!

now that i've sewn with burlap, i can't wait to do it again. it's really not that scary!

friday's fabulousness

1. my new missoni for target ballet flats (yes, the ones from the girls section!). i've already worn them twice since tuesday and i LOVE them!

2. the big game is tomorrow...i'm talking about UK vs. UofL. the cats are favored to win (duh!) but i'm sure it'll be a pretty good game. rest assured i'll be wearing my blue ALL day!

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

3. i found a great tutorial here for no heat curls. not too shabby if i do say so myself!

4. hilarity.

Source: prischarming.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

clearly, this happens to me a lot.

5. i'm officially on vacation after work today! and while i won't be here...

Source: travelagentcentral.com via Cassie on Pinterest

you can find me in louisville tuesday and wednesday, hanging out with T, hiking at the gorge, and doing many, many projects from here and here!

i hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. and before i forget...

GO CATS!!!

whimsy bits: birthday tees

last weekend i made a couple of state tees for my little cousin, bennett. she's turning two later this month and along with her mommy and daddy will be moving to arizona soon.

i wanted to make her a shirt with kentucky appliqued on (and put a little something on the city she's lives in now) and then just decided to try something new and make her an arizona shirt as well.

on the arizona tee i tried a reverse applique. i had never done this before but it turned out so nicely and was actually very easy to do.

i thought kentucky would be hard to applique but i just took my time and it came out so nice. best applique i've ever done! and since they're from louisville, i appliqued a little pink heart where the city is located.

i loved making these tees and they were super affordable and only took about an hour for me to do both from beginning to end! i'll be doing more of these for sure. thinking of adding them to my etsy shop in the little bits section. what do you think?