LET THE PARTY BEGIN!!!

I AM HEADED TO ATLANTA TODAY WITH THE MOST AMAZING CHICS FOR MY BACHELORETTE WEEKEND!!!!

I WANT TO SCREAM OUT LOUD RIGHT NOW I AM SO EXCITED!!!

I leave you with a little pretty for the day: 

And a glimpse at my Saturday evening outfit, ready to go!!!

HAPPY BACHELORETTE TO ME!

Children of the 80's!

Oh It Was A Fun Night....

One of my bestest threw an 80's party for her hubby who was turning 30!!!

She was ON POINT with decorations and props!  She rented out the upstairs of Tyber Creek and I am really upset with myself for not taking more pictures of her amazing craftyness.

But for now, I share with you some of the highlights and the friends that made the night AWESOME!

Katie and Leann enjoying a little Lite Brite action.  You were not a true kid of the 80's unless you had one of these puppies!

There was a splatter paint backdrop for us to pose against while a camera on a tripod snapped some fabulous shots!

L to R:  Candice, Katie, Leann, Me, Laura

 Everyone did a fabulous job of dressing up.  Some of the costumes were hilarious.

Crimped hair...YES please! 

The birthday boy HIGHLY enjoyed himself!

Jill and Ashley 

Marian and Cliff 

Tiffany and Jake 

Katie and Preston 

Wes and Jill 

Happy Birthday Ryan!

We all had THE BEST time!!!

Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken

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Experimented again in the kitchen last week with a new recipe.  It is SO darn simple to roll your favorite goodness up in a thin chicken breast and bake it.  You REALLY can't mess up or go wrong.  "Charleston" agreed that this would be a good one to have the next time we had friends over for a casual dinner; it's that good. 
Enjoy!

Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken
by:  SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients:
2 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 jalapeños, chopped (remove seeds for milder)

3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

4 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar jack (Sargento)

2 tbsp chopped scallions

8 thin sliced skinless chicken breast cutlets, 3 oz each

1/2 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 1/2 juicy limes, juice of

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and fresh pepper

olive oil non-stick spray


Directions:

Wash and dry chicken cutlets, season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine cream cheese, cheddar, scallions, jalapeño and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl.
Lay chicken cutlets on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of cream cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one, secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent the cheese from oozing out.

Place breadcrumbs in a bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down on a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray
Bake 22-25 minutes, serve immediately

Recipe Found Here:  Jalapeno Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken

A Lifesaver

If you have not had it...consider yourself lucky.

I am talking about the "crud" that's been going around.

I have been battling something for WEEKS now and I am just over it.

I would run a fever one day. Have sinus and head congestion the next.  An ear infection on top of a sinus infection.  And then all the symptoms of the flu (even though I still tell myself I never had the flu).

It has been miserable. 

The only thing that has been my saving grace (yes, even more then all the meds I have been on) is The Body Shop's Shea Body Butter.

I swear to you, this stuff is a miracle.

I have been blowing my nose 1,000 times a day with anything in reach; paper towels, napkins, terrible rough tissues at work.  Right now I SHOULD look like Rudolph but I don't.

It's incredible.

I lather on this body shea butter all around my nose (very sexy) and surrounding dry areas and by the next morning, BOOM.  Soft and soothed as a baby's butt. 

A Higgins Christmas 2012

Christmas this year was more then I could have ever asked for.

Good. Solid. Family Time.

I loved every second.

Mom and "Charleston" before Church on the Sunday before Christmas. 

My motha and fatha before Church

A year ago on Christmas Eve "Charleston" and I got engaged.  Time sure flies.

Dad and Olivia enjoying story time at my Grandmother's house.

My brother-in-law Sam and his little man.

Mom and Dad opening their gifts

Olivia playing with her remote control Umizoomi car from Mimi and Poppie.

Christmas is so much more fun when there are kids involved!

I couldn't get enough of this little guy.  He is such a snuggle-muffin!!!

Mimi and Olivia

Sister playing horsey.  The game you don't want to start because it will NEVER end.  "Do me, Do me, Do me" says Olivia.

We picked names this year to give gifts at my Grandfathers house and Dad got to buy for Shelbie.  He was so proud of the shirt he had picked out.

Mom, Blair and Aunt Lori

Grandaddy and Shelbie

Griffin, Sam, "Charleston"

Mom, Mattie and Grayson

Olivia on Christmas morning checking out  what Santa brought her

Can you tell I am a little obsessed with my niece and nephew?

This is Olivia's "Cheese" face when you tell her to smile for the camera!

And then....check out what "Charleston" gave me this year.  I AM IN LOVE! (yes with him too)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Friends!

Some J Love

He will absolutely HATE me one day.  I will never make the favorite Aunt list but I just can't help myself....

How stinkin' cute is this little face and tushy.

Love you Jackson Scott!!!!!

You light up our life with that precious smile!!! 

Bridal Look

If "Charleston" and I were getting married on New Years Eve, this would be me:

Yes.  YUM!!!!

Bite Sized Goodness

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We had "Charleston's" family over Sunday night for dinner and I wanted to make them a sweet treat to take home with them.  My time was super limited yesterday after church and Christmas shopping so I opted for one of the easiest "recipes" on pintrest.....

I call it:

Nut-thing Like A Pretzle Rolo

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 2:  Lay out square butter pretzles on a baking sheet

Step 3:  Top each pretzle with a MINI Rolo

(They now sell mini rolo's in a bag on the baking or candy aisle so you don't have to unwrap each one indivudually)

Step 4:  Bake for 3 to 4 minutes or until chocolate is soft

Step 5:  Remove from oven and press a pecan half onto the top of each. 

Step 6:  Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on wax paper

DONE! 

Bite Sized Goodness

(I also made a batch with peanuts instead of pecans.  DELICIOUS!)

 

Olivia's Goats

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My niece Olivia got her first official pets a couple weeks ago:

Yeap, she got three goats.

Meet Edgar, Allan and Poe.

Sister says Olivia has become their little mother hen, always wanting to go down to the barn and check on them, feed them and love on them.

I must say...they are kind of cute :)

and what baby goat doesnt need a bath and a good blowout :)

Chicken Rolls with Asparagus and Mozzarella

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I tried this recipe this week and it will become a staple in my kitchen.  Super easy and smart way to sneak those veggies in that "Charleston" usually won't eat;  Just bake them in and he doesn't have a choice!  (Plus, it helps when you smother anything in cheese!)

CHICKEN ROLLS WITH ASPARAGUS AND MOZZARELLA

Thanks to:  Better Balanced Life

Ingredients

•4 chicken cutlets, pounded thin and evenly

•1 bunch of asparagus

•1 tsp. olive oil

•part-skim mozzarella cheese

•non-stick cooking spray

•salt and pepper, for seasoning meat

•whole wheat bread crumbs

 

Directions

1.Sautee asparagus in olive oil until bright green. Set aside.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3.Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

4.Pat chicken dry and lightly season with salt and pepper.

5.Lay out chicken breast, arrange asparagus on top, and sprinkle with mozzarella.

6.Roll chicken around asparagus and cheese; place seam down in baking dish.

7.Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

8.Sprinkle whole wheat bread crumbs on top of chicken.

9.Cook for approximately 30 - 40 minutes or until chicken registers 160/165 degrees with a meat thermometer.

** As always, I changed it up a little myself.  I sprinkled my chicken not only with salt and pepper but some Italian seasoning and then rolled the entire chicken breast in bread crumbs before arranging the asparagus and mozzarella.  I also used Italian bread crumbs because that is what I had on hand!**

Disturbing

I was in the process of posting a recipe that I tried this week when across the news screen here at work and across the speakers came live reporting from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut where, as of right now, 26 people are reportedly dead...18 of those being children. All of this thanks to a shooter that entered the elementary school and opened fire in what they think was a kindergarten class.  HOLY SH*T what is wrong with this world.  I am sitting here trying to control my every emotion as I feel complete sadness for the family and anger that someone can do this.  All I can say right now is pray.  Pray hard for this community and the families and children involved.
Disturbing, selfish, unfair, undeserving......

Life Is Messy.....But Worth The Ride

Geez Louise.  Last week was a serious roller coaster of emotions.

"Charleston's" precious cousin Madelyn passed away so we spent two days in Kingsport, TN with his family.  I will never question God's plan for each of us but sometimes his plan is very hard to accept.  It was a rough two days, watching such a sweet and dear family go through something that no one should EVER experience.  My heart breaks for Aunt Kathy, Uncle Sam and Samantha and I know there is a long road of healing ahead but I hope each day they get a little stronger, knowing Madelyn is in a wonderful place. 

Upon returning to Charlotte after the funeral, a quick trip to the CVS Minute Clinic left me with a diagnosis of an ear infection and a sinus infection.  Along with that came a fever, cough, and all things glorious associated with a cold.  A heavy dose of drugs and a day spent at home in bed turned the table around enough for me to feel better on Saturday.

My precious college girlfriends threw me a Christmas Wedding Shower at Aquavina for lunch Saturday afternoon.  I could not have asked for anything better; it was AMAZING.  We sipped mimosas and enjoyed salad, salmon, fillet and tomato bisque for lunch while I opened fun Christmas decorations for our house!

I can't thank them enough.

In between all of that, "Charleston" and I picked out a Christmas tree and wreath for our house and I am still in the process of finalizing all of the decorations but stay tuned, Christmas decoration photo's to come!

Me with the shower hosts!

Back (L to R):  Ashley Lackey, Me, Lori Carson, Ashley Smithson

Front (L to R):  Laura Faust, Leslie Resnick, Jennifer Tallent, Leann Spadaro

Sara Boehm and Lee Ann Jones ---you were missed!!!

"Charleston" installed a light to shine on our front porch so you can see our wreath at night.  Pretty good little handyman!

Front Door Wreath

First Christmas in our home.

Doesn't it seem like just yesterday that we were picking out pumpkins for Halloween?!!!!!

I promise we showered before the pumpkin patch...don't know why our friends didn't want to stand near us!