Putting Down my Phone, Signing Off & Making a Quiche

Well the summer flew by, and like the rest of 2020 it kind of just felt very blah compared to normal.  There were certainly some highs, but I felt very stuck in my head for most of it.  With the fall coming and because I am taking a leadership class this semester, I am going to aim to try something new.  I am going to try to get out of my head, I am going to try to be more mindful about what is going on around me, where I want to go and what I want to get out of the rest of this year.  I am going to put my phone down, logout of social media and pay attention to what is going on in life.  I am going to spend some time here sharing what it feels like.  I am going to spend time thinking about the future and what I want out of it for myself and with my husband.  

Last fall I started an evening MBA program and honestly wasn't sure why, other than I thought it was something I should maybe do, and something that would make my mom proud.  But my real purpose was to do something for myself.  I am a nerd at my heart, let's be real, I still take notes in a spiral notebook, and I am hoping through these classes, semesters, years I can better myself, while maybe learning how to better take in the world.  I want to stop caring about what people I don't even really know are doing and start focusing on my friends through actual connections.  I don't know if I will epically fail at this, but I have to give it try, and I will start with giving myself a moment to breath and start with a pep talk.

(I had the opportunity to start this semester by writing "welcome to a new school year notes" to 10 school-age kids.  Little did I know, I was really giving myself a pep talk for the rest of the year.)

Summer & Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Oreo Cookie Sandwiches

Hey peeps, it's summer, and although it's a weird one, I am excited to be taking a few days off this week to hang out with my mom.  What have you been up to this summer?  I hate to say the most summer thing I have done thus far is spending the day on a boat over July 4th.  That and a few too many trips to a winery nearby where there have been picnics and relaxing.  (If you are ever near Richmond, I do highly recommend grabbing some lunch and wine at Upper Shirley.)  Next week though there will be wine, food and hopefully just relaxing at an Airbnb.  I feel like such a weirdo, but I love baking/cooking in other people's kitchens, especially at rental houses.  I will never forget baking in this kitchen in Glasgow, Scotland.  I mean how cute is this apartment and kitchen?!  I just wanted to move in for a month and hangout a while.  Also, I really just wanted to move to Glasgow and live there a while.  Yeah, yeah it rains a lot, but if you have never been to Scotland you are missing out, especially if you haven't been in the summer when the days are amazingly long.  With the summer heat that has been pounding Virginia for the past month, I really miss a slightly misty run in Scotland.

Any who I digress...last weekend with the charity bake sale I baked more treats in 24 hours, than I have at one time in my life.  More than I have done for any of the weddings I have provided desserts for.  And while it was crazy tiring, it felt absolutely amazing, and made me feel so blessed.  When it was all done you might have thought I would be done for a bit, but why stop now.  Plus, I had leftover cookie dough, buttercream and Oreos.  Which one more morning while showering made me think up these.  (Does anyone else have their best ideas while showering or even doing their hair...or is it just me?)  

Dreams & S'mores Blondies

Good morning!  Hi!  This morning I was left thinking about dreams.  Not the ones that you have at night or during that mid-afternoon nap (anyone else love a good nap?), but the ones you daydream about.  The ones that you think I wish I could do this or in the future someday maybe...  Spending loads of time at home looking up quotes to write on the sidewalk in front of my house and baking over the past nearly 5 months has left me dreaming of the future.  Dreaming not only about travel, seeing large groups of friends all at once, or even finally planning an event like normal again, but the future I thought I wanted years ago and think I might still want. 

You see about a year or two out of college, actually about the time I started this blog, I started saving money for my dream.  Not for a rainy day, not for travel to faraway places, not for a house (although this is where that money ended up going), but to open a bakery.  I just find such pure JOY in baking for others.  Even when I have been on my feet for hours; even when I have forgotten to eat, and Charles has to get me to sit down and take a break; I just love the look on someone’s face when they take a bite and think this is delicious!  It’s the same high I get when I get to do wedding planning.  I might have been on my feet for hours on end but seeing a bride and groom truly happy is like no other feeling.