most used wedding gifts.

wedding season is among us! every spring/summer, j and i sing/play at a ton of weddings. 

i love to listen to him play as the bride is coming down the aisle. (so romantic :)

with weddings on my mind, i thought i would do a poll and ask my friends what their most used wedding gifts have been. this will come in handy not just for brides to be, but also for those of us purchasing gifts!

 (i've used some of our wedding pics throughout this post...enjoy!)

here were the responses: 

overwhelmingly in 1st place: 

magic bullet/blender/food processor

kitchen scissors

toaster oven

cookie sheets

KitchenAid mixer

Betty Crocker cookbook

salad spinner

good knives 

crock pot

cooler

coffee pot & grinder

towels

dinner plates

most surprising/awesome idea:

double camp chair

the funniest response:

double shower head. (it conserves water ;)

 i would love to hear from you! what are your most used wedding gifts?

♥erica

how pinteresting.

wednesdays are some of my favorite days on the blog. :) i love sharing my favorite pins with all of you! here's what i found beautiful, inspiring and helpful this week in the wonderful world of pinterest:

love these two ideas for fridge organiztation!

pinned here.

raspberry dark chocolate banana bread. yes, please.

pinned here.

isn't her hair wonderful?

pinned here.

this is a must have for summer & letting my hair air dry! :)

pinned here.

this maxi dress is ah-mazing!

pinned here.

strawberries and cream dessert. mmm...

pinned here.

diy air freshener with essential oil + baking soda.

pinned here.

love the print on this bag. my eyes are so drawn to tribal this season...

pinned here.

♥erica

creamy sausage + pepper pasta.

i can't take credit for this recipe. our sweet friends kenny and chardonnay came over after our accident last summer and made dinner for us. they came up with this amazing dish and i wanted to share it with all of you! 

ingredients

1 bushel fresh broccoli 

3 sweet bell peppers

1 package of turkey sausage

2 containers of cooking cream cheese (italian cheese and herb)

1 box pasta

salt, pepper, garlic powder

directions

boil the pasta (and towards the end, add the broccoli to the boiling water to cook). sauté the turkey sausage and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. after it starts to brown, add the chopped peppers. after sausage is cooked through, slice into pieces. once pasta and broccoli is done cooking, add it to the pan with the sausage and peppers. slowly fold in the cooking cream cheese. (you might not use all of both the containers, but you will definitely need more than one). it's just that simple! you can top with grated cheese if desired! mmm...

it has great flavor! quick, easy and delicious!

enjoy!

♥erica

i'm loving...

thought i would compile a list of some of my "favorites" as of now...enjoy!

scent

japanese cherry blossom from bath and body works
this is such a classic scent that reminds me of spring.
i've been using this again this season and have been caught occasionally sniffing my skin.

shoes
 
boho sandals from target.
i've been wearing these sandals all the time. so comfy and go with everything!

snack

vanilla yogurt + cocount flakes + chocolate chips. 

mmm...

drink

arizona green tea
since i gave up pop, i've been enjoying more iced tea. this is one of my favorites. (i'm not claiming for it to be "super healthy" but it gives me my fix for a sweet drink.)

blogs

stephanie from henry happened.
her blog is full of creative DIY & style ideas. plus she is one of the sweetest ladies i have had the privilege of meeting through the blogging community!


kristin from iowa girl eats.
this is by far one of my favorite go to blogs for delicious recipes! go check it out...SO many great ideas.


ashley from little miss momma.
this lifestyle blog is a mix of everything from fashion, fun tutorials, recipes and home decor ideas. ashley is so beautiful--inside and out!

makeup item

elf blush in pink passion.

this blush looks super bright, but it's so pretty and glowing on. and at $3.00, why what's not to love?

hair product

redken wool shake.
i know i've already shared my love for this product before, but it's seriously amazing. just a few sprays and you have instant texture that lasts all day!

skincare product

say yes to cucumbers facial towelettes
i was a little skeptical about these at first. but after one use, i'm sold. you don't even have to rinse after using these! they take all the makeup off and leave your skin feeling cool, tingly and refreshed! (i found them at walgreens).

what are you loving lately?


♥erica

high five for friday.

happy memorial day weekend! we have plans to go to my family's lake cottage! bring on the floating, boating and relaxing! :) 

here are five highlights from my week:

five.

the amazing wedges i scored while on vacation. 

(they were 10 dollars, so i got both colors :)

four.

last sunday, jeremy and i were in a concert at a local church.
there's nothing quite like singing with a full orchestra and 200 voice choir! it was awesome!

three.

my earrings came from the giveaway i won!

sweet laura wrote me this note too. made my day!

two.

jeremy's CD arrived this week!! SO excited to see this dream of his fulfilled. i will post details next week about how you can purchase your copy online! (and i'll be doing a giveaway with one of his cd's for a lucky reader! :) 

one.

tonight is the CD release and farewell concert for us before we move to Connecticut in a few weeks. if you are in the Grand Rapids area, you won't want to miss this!

have a great l-o-n-g weekend!! 

♥erica

how pinteresting!

i was just thinking...wow, it sure is crazy that i can do a pinteresting post every week!! 

(there's just THAT much amazing stuff to pin! :) 

here are some of my recent faves:

how awesome are these DIY neon accessories?!

pinned here.

coffee ice cubes in soy or almond milk. brilliant!

pinned here.

this will come in handy someday: a blog series on tips for a healthy pregnancy. 

 pinned here.

love the colors.

pinned here.

mango peach smoothies. mmm...

pinned here.

spinach and feta stuffed chicken. is your mouth watering, yet?

pinned here.

isn't this necklace stunning?

pinned here.

still haven't incorporated neon into my wardrobe yet. these shoes reminded me...

pinned here.

that's a whole lotta mints, but a genius idea!

pinned here.

happy pinning!

♥erica

NOLA.

jeremy and i spent last week with friends in New Orleans on vacation. NOLA is a city unlike any other i've been to. the homes are so beautiful, music fills the air and people are extremely friendly and welcoming. and the seafood was amazing. i actually just realized that most of my pictures were of food...oops. :)
(you can see what left an impression on me...)

here are my random collection of thoughts after our trip:

+southern hospitality is for real.

+the humidity in NOLA is not a joke.

+the overstuffed shrimp po boy from mahoney's on magazine st. is a must.

+if you can, sit by a group of older ladies on the street car (NOT the "trolly"<---only if you're a tourist). they will share sweet stories with you.

+go thrifting at buffalo exchange. amazing merchandise and really helpful staff!

+gas is much cheaper in the south. ($3.29 vs $3.85!)

+cafe dumonde rocked my world. best coffee ever + melt in your mouth beignets. mmm...

+i love how there are frozen yogurt places everywhere.

+for the love of your feet, bring tennis shoes. don't try and be cute, you'll get welts/rashes/blisters on your feet.

+we walk too fast, (as told to us by a local).
+oh my goodness. the crab cakes at copeland's. all i can say is WOW! :)
+matthew mcconaughey likes to chill in New Orleans too! (walked right past him and his beautiful family!)
+if you ever need a condo to rent in New Orleans for vacation, i will hook you up with an amazing one.

♥erica