favorite things: breakfast at grandma's

take note of that recipe people, these are the best waffles on the planet.

It doesn't get much better than this right here.

1 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 beaten egg yolks

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup salad oil

2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Sift together dry ingredients  Combine yolks, milk, and oil; stir into dry ingredients.  Fold in whites, leaving a few fluffs.  Bake. Makes three 10 inch waffles.

Buttermilk Waffles:  Substitute 2 cups buttermilk for sweet milk.  Add 1/2 teaspoon soda and reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons.  Continue as above

a visit to okolona

this weekend we went to church where my grandma grew up. we go there every few years to visit family and pay respects to those who've passed away. a bitter sweet time in recent years. 

 

my grandma was raised in this little bitty farmhouse. she grew up to live in the beautiful home by the lake where we got married. she is living proof of the power of hard work and education. i'm proud as punch to be her granddaughter 

holiday wish list

I updated my Amazon Wish list a few weeks ago and it makes me happy just looking at it. Obviously I'm in to oxfords this season. There is a good mix of pretty things for the home and wardrobe, crafting tools, and household gadgets. Here are just a few of them. It was so hard to pick which ones to share! 

1. A nifty collapsable salad spinner from Bed Bath & Beyond, 2. some cute bow flats from Nordstroms, 3. A fun crafty large circle hole punch, 4. Away too expensive for right now but would love to have flash 5. These Chelsea Crew oxfords I've wanted for over a year but are also too pricey for me to justify buying myself

Just for fun I thought I'd share this fun travel book. Take a look inside! Super cute book with weekend trip plans. Would love to travel through this book with the husband some day. 

Have fun making your wish list this year. 

blog-stagram

hello lovely,
as most of you already know, i'm a blog-aholic. my google reader is filled with great fashion, crafting, & family blogs. i've taken my blogging to the next level by following some of my favorite blogs on instagram. my husband things this is stalking, but hey, they share it! so i guess you can decide for yourself. here are a few of my favorite blogger's instagram feeds. be sure to check out their blogs too. also, i have been lacking in the blogging department and i apologize. i'm going to do better. promise.
xoxo,
alyssa renee

@thiswildidea is one of my favorite feeds i love maddie the coonhound! he travels the country taking awesome photos of his adorable dog balancing on things. she is a pretty amazing dog.

@danamadeit is a wonderfully crafty instagram feed from MADE. dana is an amazing seamstress and mom who shares many free sewing patterns on her blog. she also has three adorable children who model her work.

@elsiecake is elsie larson of a beautiful mess' instagram feed. elsie and her sister (@emmaredvelvet) blog daily and have so many amazing DIY projects to share. i love their instagram feed. they share pics of their adorable dogs interior design, and what is coming up on the blog

and of course...

i follow @bleubird because bleubird vintage is my most favorite blog. miss james is an amazing mom, blogger, and fashion icon. check her out!

I also just started following @thepioneerwoman. not sure how great hers is yet, but i'll let you know.

do you have any other great instagram feeds you can suggest?

a rustic blush wedding

i went to an adorable wedding in Georgia this weekend. the venue was incredible and the details were adorable. not to mention the bride and groom are madly in love. 

snapshots

hello lovely,
well it's been over a week since we returned from our grand european vacation. i figured it was time to check back in on the ol' blog. we had such an amazing adventure. so many beautiful sites with even more beautiful people. we were so blessed to experience such love from our ulster family. honestly, it was so wonderful being with them i wish we would have stayed there longer. london was expensive but one of the best cities i've visited yet. and we got to go to the harry potter studio tour! amazing! then we spent a lovely few nights with some friends from home in paris. honestly that city would have been a bust without them. (not a big paris fan) then ashley and i got to spend some quality time in munich and salzburg. it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. i took over 500 photos so this it was hard to slim them down. i hope they inspire you to make the time to get out of your everyday routine and experience something new. it is well worth it.
xoxo,
alyssa renee

a dream come true