Botans + Dog Sitting

I’m finally home after dog sitting for my best work buddy Gabrielle. Her little critters behaved quite well, although we did have our fits of barking at the neighbors. I was not above participating in that activity. The pups kept me company while I watched true crime and scared myself silly. I watched Investigation Discovery almost exclusively. It definitely gave me nightmares.
I was sure to bring my favorite gadgets and comforts to make myself at home. I’m not going to lie, I brought my tea kettle, french press and coffee.  I can’t do without. I also made sure to bring my iPad for Thought Catalog reading and Pinterest pinning. Some things never change.
 Jay and I went to the Myriad Botanical Gardens in downtown OKC this weekend. It was my first time. I know, well shameful since I’ve been living here for 9 years. It was a rich experience! The air in a green house type environment is always so invigorating. It’s the kind of oxygen that creates superheroes.
 I cracked a joke about this being the butterfly’s paradise, a play on the Coolio song Gangsta’s Paradise. It solicited a sympathy laugh from Jay. He’s so polite. He even overlooked the singing of the parody song and the little dance that went along with it. That’s a true best friend, guys.
 Y’know, it was really sweet of the Urban Planners to name this bridge after me, but I really should call them up and correct them on the spelling. It’s Crystle with a -TLE, not the -TAL you’re used to. It’s OK guys, it happens all the time.
All jokes aside, it’s a lovely area to visit. The new Devon energy tower is going up right next to it. It’s truly a giant addition to the skyline!
 If any of you have the chance to visit the Oklahoma City metro, I definitely recommend the Botanical Gardens.
Have a great weekend!

Baking Bender

 I’ve been pretty crazy about baking lately. It’s mostly because I got an awesome mixer as a wedding gift. Today’s project was banana bread. It wasn’t quite sweet enough! I’m actually in the middle of vamping up the recipe I have to make this bread more moist and sweet. Wish me luck 🙂

 The mixer does all the hard work…it affords me time to catch up on your blogs. 

 I love these little dino molds, they’re so cute!

Rawr! My fossil bread needs work, but it’s pretty cute for now.

Muchísimas Gracias!: Wedding Gifts Galore

Isaac and I are getting pretty good at doing things out of order. We got married on December 23rd, we had our honeymoon prior to that, and this weekend we finally had our wedding party. We definitely march to the beat of our own drum.

My mother-in-law threw us an amazing bash at her house where friends and family brought forth gifts from our registry at Williams-Sonoma. I was quite overwhelmed with the generosity!

 I’ve got my thank you cards completed, they just need to be addressed and mailed. After a Saturday of unpacking the amazing new kitchen ware, a mere “thank you” doesn’t seem sufficient. Can I just stand on a mountain top and shout it to the world? Yes, that. Por favor. 

 My mother-in-law not only threw us a memorable party, she also contributed to my baking dreams with this new kitchen-aid mixer. She’d be proud to hear I’ve already used it to make cookies for my husband; oatmeal chocolate chip, his favorite! And the matte finish in imperial grey is stunning. I can’t take my eyes off it.

We had a grand time clearing out old chipped plates and mix-matched cups. Our kitchen just got a first class make over! We’re so grateful to all our friends and family who shared in our joy. Many thanks to them.

Now off to bake some bread!