what i'm pinning

Thanks to Shannon, I am obsessed in love with  having a lot of fun on Pinterest these days!

Here's what I'm loving...

For the home...

Made from a window pane and scrapbook/wall paper! Courtesy

...for Baby's room...

Love this soft, sweet color palette. Courtesy

And this bolder one... Courtesy

...and, most importantly, for my ever-expanding tummy...

Jalapeno Popper Dip. I think I died a little when I saw this...and added it to my list of cravings. Courtesy

Followed by some sweetness. Easy Cookies and Cream Cake. Courtesy

I'm linking up to The Vintage Apple's bloghop today (thanks for the idea, Mols!) - follow me on Pinterest here!

salted caramel ice cream...check!

We enjoyed a lot of wonderful time with friends this past weekend...dinner and dessert with Katie and Jon, and a girl's day/boy's golf with Amanda and Dave, respectively, followed by dinner all together.

- We tried a delicious new "Boston" seafood restaurant in East Nashville with Katie and Jon - I would definitely recommend it. Batter'd & Fried had a great ambiance and the food was yummy! If you're the sushi type, try the Green Goddess Roll - YUM!

Courtesy

- Saturday night was reserved for fried pickles with the Chaney's, and they did not disappoint! Despite a long day of golfing and pedicures (don't laugh, it's hard work not kicking the pedicurist when she tickles your foot!), we had some great conversations and got some valuable advice from Daddy Chaney - and can't forget dining alongside some of Hendersonville's finest (ducks, that is). If you're up that way, check out Barefoot Charlies Crab Cake Melt and Chicken Quesadilla - you'll be glad you did!

Courtesy

But I have to say, the highlight of the weekend (food-wise of course, the company was all fantastic) was our inaugural trip to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. You might remember my craving for all things salted caramel...well, Katie helped me satisfy that one Friday night! Despite a long line, it was worth the wait! 

Naturally, the only pictures I took centered around this delectable treat!

Jeni's has quite an assortment of flavors! Some of them sound amazing...some (like Queen City Cayenne?) are not quite my cup of tea! But the employees are very friendly and let you try as many as you want!

Ready for ice cream!

My cone - The Buckeye State on top, followed by (what else?!) Salted Caramel.

Bob's three scoops of Buckeye State deliciousness! Can't get any better than Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

If you're headed that way, be prepared for a wait, but I'd suggest trying any of the above or the Lemon Raspberry - amazing! Oh, and b/c I'm sure you're curious - the Salted Caramel was a-mazing. Just the right amount of salt, caramel and a slightly burnt taste (which sounds strange, but it surprisingly perfect)! I'm sure the baby will want to go back for more...

Thanks for a great weekend, friends!

what i've learned...

...in the past 15 weeks.

FYI, I wrote most of this post before you all even knew I was pregnant (most of you anyway) in the height of the first trimester "yuckiness." Consider this my warning to all of you future-pregnant women :)

1. water is gross. especially lukewarm water. I can drink tons of water on any given day. tell me I need to drink XX oz a day...not going to happen.

2. large chunks of meat are quite possibly the grossest thing there is. Steak? Grilled Chicken? No, thank you.

3. pickles are a pregnant woman's gift from God.

4. milkshakes for breakfast are a.ma.zing.

5. husbands who clean and cook while you lie on the couch nightly are also a gift from God. I would trade all the pickles in the world for that gift.

6. it's possible to feel excitement, fear, anxiety, bliss, exhilaration and just about every emotion you could imagine at. the. same. time.

7. pregnant women really can cry at anything. And the things that set those tears up? Like the sushi place being closed? Woah, nellie. All I can say is, poor Bob.

8. grandchildren are really the happiest thing in the world for parents. Even in the midst of immense grief, my mom and dad really showed me how much they love me and this baby already.

9. prenatal vitamins are nasty. Holding your nose, taking a drink and THEN inserting the vitamin in your mouth actually helps. (Thanks for that tip, Bob.) And if all else fails, get the very expensive, easy-to-swallow ones from your doctor.

10. there is a shocking amount of my pants that (worn with an appropriate length top) that can be unbuttoned for the entire day without anyone noticing.

11. pregnant women aren't (as I previously assumed) wimpy. It's possible to get up at the last possible minute for work, sit at a desk all day, take a nap at work (kidding!), come straight home, take a power nap, eat dinner and go right to bed. And still be tired.

12. maternity clothes are scary.

13. sometimes the sweetest sight in the world can be found in the dashboard of my husband's car when I borrowed it one day making the nausea and exhaustion really feel worth it:

 

fruit pizza

I'm slightly obsessed with all things fruit now - and who wouldn't be, fruit is fantastic this summer! - so when my Mom and I saw a fruit pizza on the Food Network, we decided to make it for our 4th of July celebration. 

I'm a "semi-homemade" kind of gal, so we skipped the homemade sugar cookie crust and went for a recipe that used the pre-made, store bought, easy kind. Topped with a cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture, seasonal fruits and a drizzle of chocolate - yes, please! My family devoured it.

It's a Paula Deen recipe, so you know it has to be good! (And bad for you!)

Ingredients

Pizza Dough:

• 1 package store bought sugar cookie dough

Toppings:

• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 large peach, sliced
• 1 large green apple, sliced
• 1 large orange, sectioned
• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 6 ounces fresh blueberries
• 6 ounces fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
• 1/2 cup chocolate syrup

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Flatten cookie dough onto a 6-inch pizza pan. Bake until firm to touch, about 11 to 15 minutes. Cool. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar. Spread the baked cookie with the cream cheese mixture and decorate with sliced fruit. In a small bowl, combine melted white chocolate with chocolate syrup. Top the pizza with remaining berries and chocolate mixture. Slice and serve immediately.

Enjoy! (And don't expect leftovers!)

pickles and ice cream?

Well, not together, please, but I'll take a serving of each!

Courtesy

I feel like the cravings have hit me all of the sudden. Maybe it's because I'm officially in my second trimester and can focus on things other than sleeping (well most of the time) and nausea? Up until now, there were just things I wanted to eat but I didn't have to have them. Now? I have to have them. Any or all of the following will do...I'll be your best friend forever!

Tomatoes. I don't even like tomatoes normally. Now, all I can think about is diced tomatoes. Preferably on a soft taco. Did I mention I don't normally eat soft tacos either? Crunchy for me, please.

Courtesy

Shannon tried to help me fulfill this craving today at lunch, but unfortunately, I think I'm still going to have to make my own...with lots and lots of diced tomatoes. 

Fried Pickles. At first it was just pickles in general, now fried. Mmmmm. Amanda promises me that this is one craving she doesn't mind supporting. :P

Courtesy

I'll take my pickles with a side of Ranch, please.

Sushi. I know, I know...but I promise to only eat the cooked kind. My quest for sushi this weekend was left unfulfilled. Don't feel bad for me, feel bad for Bob...trust me.

Courtesy

Salted Caramel Ice Cream. This is the one I haven't actually had yet. But oh. my. goodness. can you imagine the deliciousness? Katie's blog about it peaked my interest, but now it's on my list of must-haves.

Courtesy

Come to think of it...I could really go for a bowl right now, in this 100 degree weather. Any takers? :)

Do me a favor and don't tell me what you've been craving, please!

life's a beach

For the Fourth, we took our annual trip to the beach with my side of the family. Though we missed my brother, we were glad to spend time with my parents, sister and brother-in-law. 

We spent our time on my dad's boat, in the water, at the beach, shopping (the girls), golfing (the boys) and at the pool. Oh, and eating. Baby S and I like to eat and, luckily, so does my family! Fruit Pizza was the hit of the weekend - recipe to come!

As usual, I'm terrible at taking my camera out - plus I didn't want to risk the sand and water - but I did take these few pictures from the balcony of my parent's condo on our last night.

It was Tanner's first trip to the beach. Unfortunately, we had to leave Grace behind. There's a weight limit on dogs at my parent's condo and she exceeds it by just a little. :(

He loved being out on the balcony, feeling the wind in his hair...

What oil spill? Perdido Key is just as beautiful as ever.

 

 

It was a Cavalier reunion. This picture really shows their personalities. Laid-back Murphy and hyperactive Tanner!

Bailey would rather be inside in the A/C.

Thanks for a great trip, Mom and Dad! Next year, we'll have a six-month old along for our annual 4th of July vacation!

and baby makes three...

As all (33) of you have undoubtedly heard, there is big news for the Somerville household...we're adding a little one to the mix! We found out at the end of April and are expecting him or her to arrive around 1.7.2012. 

Baby S at 8 weeks

As I've been told repeatedly that I must post belly shots, here goes nothing...

8 weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks 

I am most definitely showing (and I can see now why pregnant women always crop their faces out of the pictures - probably should have cropped my tushie out of that second one!), though I can get away with it in baggy shirts and if you didn't know me that well. Who am I kidding? I stopped being able to button my pants about the time the first photo was taken! I'm down to sundresses and I'm rocking the belly band when I must wear pants.

Anyways, I'm 14 weeks (tomorrow) and all looked good at the last doctor's appointment, so we are anxious to get ready for our new addition! Counting down the weeks til we find out if he's a boy or she's a girl! <3