c e l e b r a t e

Happy Birthday, Layla Claire! My first furbaby is finally four years old. Layla is a black maltipoo. She weighs eight pounds {always, no matter how fluffy her hair gets or how chunky my brothers claim she has gotten}, loves to kiss, play with her ball, and loves her mommy! She is such a joy to have in my life. I love how excited she gets every time I come home, how she snuggles so tight against my back every night, and how funny she is when she 'fights' her big sister, Samantha. 

To celebrate, I treated the girls to a puppy-approved ice cream party of whipped cream and sprinkles served in vintage ice cream bowls. They were a little suspicious at first as they're rarely ever given people food {although they've been known to sneak a quesadilla or two off the coffee table and into the bed...Layla...} but they seemed to enjoy their afternoon treat! The girls definitely liked the plain whipped cream better than the usual pet store birthday treats I find; I'll have to think of something for Samantha's birthday in August! 

Tassels & Poms

Dress | Earrings | Shoes

Need an easy, breezy look for a springtime garden soiree? Then I've got the look for you! Off the should tops and dresses are one of the hottest styles right now, and this light and airy barely-blush pink dress from Tobi.com is perfect for a steamy summer evening event. I especially love the fun flutter sleeves, and the teeny tiny white pom pom detailing along the bottom of the dress. 

Two of my favorite warm weather staples are tassel earrings and my Jacks. These Baublebar tassels are super light weight and come in over 20 colors! I think I'm due for an emerald pair sometime soon. The Devyn mid-wedge Jack Roger sandal is a great everyday wedge. It's not high, but makes the simplest sundress slightly more "fancy" as I like to say. And of course, it still has that traditional "Jacks" vibe that I love. I tend to lean towards the platinum color of Jacks shoes, but this gold is really fun, too, and still what I'd consider a neutral! 

Now to get to party planning! CJM and I keep discussing a housewarming party...pineapple party or low country boil?  

This post contains affiliate links.  If you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms, I may make a commission from it. This post is in partnership with Tobi.com. 

Southern Style Deviled Eggs

As I'm getting ready for our first family dinner in our new home tonight, I realized that I needed just one more dish to round out my dinner menu of one dish pork tenderloin, cheesy spinach, and yeast rolls. So I whipped up my tried and true, and often requested, delicious deviled eggs.

So easy, and so yummy, I wanted to share with you ahead of Easter and a spring season of get togethers! To start, fill a pot of with however many eggs you desire, covering the eggs with cold water. Be sure to sprinkle a little salt in the pot before bringing the water to a rolling boil on the stove. Once the eggs start bouncing around in the boil, remove them from the heat and cover for at least ten minutes. Then, submerge the eggs in an ice bath until they're nice and chilled.

Once the eggs cool, slice them in half, setting aside the whites and putting the yolk in a mixing bowl. Now here comes the really technical part: mix together a two large spoonfuls of mayonnaise {only Blue Plate or Duke's will do!}, a fork-full of sweet relish, a generous squirt of mustard, and a large dash of salt and pepper.

Mix together on high with a hand mixer until smooth, and a beautiful, pastel yellow. Be sure to taste test... I like mine a little more "mustard-y" and yellow than some folks. Fill a sandwich bag with the mix like a piping bag, trim the tip, and fill the hard boiled egg white with swirls of golden filling. I like to top mine of with a generous sprinkle of paprika, and occasionally half of a green olive!

I use this same "recipe" to make egg salad, except I chop up the whites and include in the mix. Then I like to toast some whole wheat bread to complete the sandwich. What a steal...two recipes in one blog post!