KT's Refinishing School Spring Break: You Had Me at Handmade

It's Friday and you know what that means, another Spring Break feature!  What better way to kick off the weekend than a post from the lovely and talented Lauren at You Had Me at Handmade?

In December, I was a guest blogger on her site during her You Had Me at Holidays series and I am delighted to have her here today!  Lauren is a real life friend whose blog is a constant source of inspiration.  She has a great eye for design, home decor and fashion and runs the sweetest shop, Clever Betty.  If you are not following Lauren, you are definitely missing out!

Hi there! I'm Lauren, and I'm the lady behind the blog at You Had Me at Handmade, where I write about my life and loves, my handmade business- Clever Betty- and all of the wonderful handmade artists, designers and things that I find around the web. I'm thrilled to be a part of KT's Spring Break guest posting event today!

There's plenty of things that I love about Spring. So many that I honestly had a hard time narrowing down what to write about for KT's guest posting event! I love how suddenly flowers start to bloom in Spring. I love being able to wear skirts without needing boots and tights to keep my feet warm. I love wearing sunglasses when I'm driving with the sunroof open. I love open windows while I'm lounging on the couch, knowing that it will soon be my birthday, outdoor dining, walks and picnics in the park and the thrill that Summer is just around the corner. I could keep going for miles and miles...

So how'd I finally narrow it down to one subject? Well, I saw the sign, friends. And I continue to see it just about every time I get in my car these days. It looks a little something like this:

Now I haven't actually seen that sign in particular, but let me tell you. St. Louis is FULL of similar ones. Fish fry events during Lent in St. Louis are absolutely one of my favorite parts of Spring. Now this might come as a surprise to those who know me, as I really don't eat seafood... well, pretty much ever. But when it's battered and deep fried and served with a beer on a Friday night at a local church, you can Count. Me. In. I love the atmosphere, the good food, and the way our city has made Fridays during Lent into such a giant celebration!

My favorite fish fry? Most definitely St. Cecilia Catholic Church. If you live in St. Louis or have the chance to come here on a Friday before Lent is over, (like today... you might find Sean and I waiting in line this lovely April 1st!) I strongly recommend checking out this fish fry- and getting there early:

St. Cecilia Catholic Church

906 Eichelberger Street
St Louis, MO 63111

Not only is the church itself one of the most beautiful in St. Louis, St. Cecilia has a very large Hispanic population and thus, they serve a Mexican Fish Fry during Lent. Now that's what I'm talking about! The Chile Relleno is absolutely To. Die. For. The whole Parish gets involved- from selling beer and tamales to guests waiting in line, to kids dancing and playing mariachi music in Mexican skirts and sombreros.

If you're as excited about fish fry events in the St. Louis area as I am, you can even check here to find one that's close to you or that fits the style of fish fry that you're looking for. Seriously, any city that requires a fish fry finder on a local news station's website is alright with me!

Does your city have an abundance of fish fry Fridays during Lent? Have you been to any in St. Louis that you'd recommend?

What gets you excited during Spring?

Thanks for having me, KT! It's been a blast!

Images via Y108, St. Cecilia and STL Today

Mmm Fish Fries.  Growing up, we would often travel to my grandparents' home in Peoria for Easter which meant a fish fry at KofC (that's Knights of Columbus not Kentucky Fried Chicken) with whole fried catfish, baked potato and rye bread.  Imagine my surprise when I moved to St. Louis and was served pasta with my fried fish!  So far, J and I have only been to St. Gerard's in Kirkwood for fish fries, but after this post, I think we have a new place to try out :)

Thanks again Lauren for this post and for being a part of this series!  Happy weekend everyone!

KT's Refinishing School Spring Break: Can You Come Home?

Welcome back!  Today, Starlet will be sharing some gorgeous fashion pieces perfect for Spring.  Starlet is the creative genius behind Can You Come Home where she shares everything from day trips in the Bay Area (where she has scored some amazing furniture), photos of her adorable cats Coco and Chanel (Woods wants to be friends) and details of her garden.  As an apartment dweller, I am most in awe of her garden and can't wait for the day that we can swap gardening tips together!  Starlet is sweet, smart and creative; her blog is definitely a must read.  Here's Starlet...

Hello everyone!
It's Starlet visiting from CanYouComeHome today. It's such a privilege to be able to guest blog for one of my favorite blogs here at KT's Refinishing School.
I hope y'all are doing good this week. With all the gloominess from the unfortunate events around the world, I think that it is okay to give ourselves a little brightness at the end of the tunnel. So I am very pleased to share with you a touch of spring to lift up our chins.
And I thought bringing poppies here would do just that.

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Bonnie on Pinterest

Some of the houses in my neighborhood are so cheerful with these happy campers. It's so hard not to think spring shopping when you see them, because although it has been raining a lot lately, the smell of spring really is here.
So here are the ones that I'm swooning over to create a poppy-inspired light and airy spring day look:
{These tiny elegant drops multiplies the sophistication level by so many folds!}

Source: bhldn.com via Starlet on Pinterest

{You can definitely opt into a more statement earrings like these amazingly put together pieces}

Source: elinorvoytal.bigcartel.com via Starlet on Pinterest

{This 20s inspired dress by Anna Sui just makes me want to dance in the rain!}

Source: bhldn.com via Starlet on Pinterest

{A touch of gray clutch sort of bringing everything back to the ground without making the whole look too heavy}

Source: google.com via Sarah on Pinterest

{And lastly, the shoes! You can dress it up with these delicate look}

Source: net-a-porter.com via Starlet on Pinterest

{or dress it down in a very chic way!}

Source: jcrew.com via Starlet on Pinterest

P.S. If these beautiful things are way too feminine for you, simply slip on this boyfriend blazer to toughen up the look!

 

Source: modcloth.com via Starlet on Pinterest

I hope my choices above have excited some ideas to create fun, spring looks to uplift our moods and everyone else around us :)
Thank you so much for being with me today and have a great, great day!
XOStarlet

I love all of those choices, especially those shoes--feminine, flirty and fun!  We have Geek Ball (a law school dance for the law publications) tomorrow night and I think an outfit like this would be perfect.  You are tempting me, Starlet :)  Thank you so very much for participating!

Only two more workdays until the weekend and Lauren from You Had Me at Homemade will be kicking off the weekend in style, something you definitely won't want to miss!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

KT's Refinishing School Spring Break: It's Baking Time with Ashly at Moon Walk

I am so excited to share today's feature with you all!  Ashly at Moon Walk has quickly become a great blog friend and her blog is a staple that I check daily for ideas and inspiration on everything from home decor to fashion to food.  I hope to someday make it out East so we can meet in person!  Today she is sharing a yummy spring time recipe for you that I think you will just love.  Here she is!

First off, Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ashly from Moon Walk and I am honored to be here today at KT's Refinishing School. Even though I have never met KT, I really consider her to be a friend and an inspiration as a blogger.

Ahhh, Spring Break! Every time I hear that word it makes me think back to my college days at UMASS Amherst. I must admit, I never got a chance to go on Spring Break but I always dreamed about it. My Spring breaks were spent at home with my family, lounging around and somehow always doing a whole lotta baking with my mom. I don't know if it was out of sheer bordom or that fact that my mom and I adore everything about food but that's just what we did. Cookies, cakes, bread...you name it, we made it!

One of my favorite Spring time treats to make is Raspberry Lemon Tea Cake. There's just something about it that makes me think Spring! Maybe it's the sweet, fresh raspberries! Who knows. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

3/4 cup Vanilla Yogurt

2 eggs

1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Sugar

1 tbsp Lemon Zest

1 cup fresh Raspberries

Whisk dry ingredients together. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs, vanilla, sugar and lemon zest. Lightly whisk in dry ingredients until incorporated. Fold in raspberries into the batter. Pour into lightly sprayed baking pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes in 350 oven.

It's that easy. So get baking! What's your favorite Spring time sweet? Dish! I'm dying to hear. Thanks again to KT for letting me be a guest blogger on the Spring Break series. Make sure to stop by Moon Walk to let me know how your Raspberry Lemon Tea Cake turned out. 

Doesn't that look delicious?  I especially love the plate Ashly used in the photos--looks perfect for an afternoon tea and definitely evokes Spring time.  Thanks again Ashly for being a part of this series!

Tomorrow Starlet at :: Can You Come Home :: will be sharing some of her favorite Spring fashion pieces so stay tuned!

KT's Refinishing School Spring Break: Long Distance Loving

Today {av} from Long Distance Loving will be sharing with us some tips on dating long distance, which is very appropriate considering the first of many times J and I dated long distance was during our Spring Break sophomore year!

{av} has a wonderful blog that covers everything from dating tips to her favorite accessories. She is the genius behind Friday's Fancies which allows you to opportunity to put together dream outfits without spending a penny. I visit her blog often for a daily dose of inspiration! Without further ado, here she is...

Hi! My name is {av}--and I'm the voice behind {long distance loving}! 

I was so happy KT asked me to blog in her absence!

My husband, {cv}, and I started dating in August 2005. We had nine wonderful months together while we were both students at Georgetown. {cv} graduated in May 2006 and we made the long distance commitment before I left to study abroad in France that summer. He was headed to North Carolina for work and I still had another year of school. Even though we were in totally different places in our lives, we managed to overcome the differences because of the love we shared--with a little help from what I've deemed as the most important long distance accessory: the phone.

{left column: top middle bottom ~ right column: top middle middle bottom}

Our long distance days started with the Atlantic Ocean between us, while I was on a super tight student budget. Talking on the phone wasn't easy and the six-hour time difference took its toll on us. He was working until midnight in North Carolina and I had class by 8:00am in France. This meant we typically talked when he was on his way home from the office, right around the time I was getting up for class. It wasn't ideal. I was barely coherent in our conversations because I had just woken up. I was constantly worried I would miss his call, so I didn't sleep well all summer. Let's also not forget he was exhausted after a long day of work. All these things combined? Not that much fun.

However, that summer helped us realize something very important: if we could make our relationship work with an ocean between us {coupled with a six-hour time difference}, we could make it through anything. The phone remained an important extension of myself throughout the remaining 34 months of long distance. I've been asked on a number of occasions how we made it work. Though I'm no expert, I do have a little experience on the matter ;) so here is my advice:

1) There will be days when it seems like you have nothing in common, but don't get down. Not every call will be stellar. Remember: there are days when you barely have the energy to have a dialogue with yourself, let alone have a dialogue with another person. 

2) Manage your expectations about what you can accomplish in a phone call. Don't expect to solve all your problems over the phone. Weekend visits, new technology like skype, and patience will certainly assist in that capability, but the phone isn't a miracle worker.

3) Use the phone to find out new things about one another. After three years on the phone, I was still learning new things about {cv} on a regular basis because I became more in tune with his emotions and his tone. In turn, I knew when to push his buttons and when to hold back ;) This has helped tremendously now that we're in the same place too!

4) Don't be that couple. FInd a happy medium between your friends and your significant other. Try to find opportunities to chat outside of the time when you're with your friends.

How do you think the phone helps {or hurts} a long distance relationship?

Thanks again to KT for having me--make sure to stop by {long distance loving} for lots more on long distance relationships and the long distance love affairs I have with clothes, home goods, and travel destinations I can't afford quite yet ;) xoxo {av}

Aren't those some great tips?! They definitely ring true for me in the time J and I spent apart over the years (including during J's first year of law school when I was in California with my family).

Thank you so much for sharing those tips with us, {av}! I think they are applicable for all of us who sometimes have to deal with absences of our significant other, whether it's short term during a business trip or longer due to other circumstances. Hope you all are having a great day!

KT's Refinishing School Spring Break: A Modern Day Wife's Journey

First up in our Spring Break line-up is Lauren from A Modern Day Wife's Journey.

Lauren has quickly become a great blog friend and is always inspiring me with her gorgeous home decor deals and her posts often remind me to be grateful for the little things and for everything I've been given in this life! She and her husband live in sunny Florida with their adorable dog Scooby.  Lauren, take it away...

Hi everyone! It's Lauren here from A Modern Day Wife's Journey guest blogging today for KT's spring break special! This is my first guest blog post so I hope you find it entertaining and fun :-) Thanks KT for having me share a little today with your readers.

I decided to blog today about my favorite things about spring/summer..hope you enjoy!

A few of my favorite things...

I am a huge beach girl being from Florida so of course one of my favorite things about the spring/summertime is being about to go to the beach and have a few tropical beverages and curl up with a good book! My husband and I go to the beach at least two times a year for a little getaway and we love being so close to our beaches here!

of course I love shopping for beach gear such a cute bathing suits from Victoria's Secret and of course stocking up no flip flops and many cover ups and sundresses. I also have a TON of cute beach bags which always come in handy and of course my SPF usually in 30 or higher always!

I can't leave out all the delicious food of the summer now can I??? We love to BBQ, eat watermelon, treat myself to ice cream and then of course a fruity cocktail or sweet tea!

did I just make you hungry/thirsty? ;-)

Also of course I love spending time with my husband, family & friends..I figured I would end my post with some of my favorite pictures of us at the beach on vacations since we always have a blast!

This picture was from our FIRST beach trip together in 2006..we look so young!

This was from a beach weekend we went on our first year as newlyweds we had a great time!

This picture was from 2008 when we went to the beach for the 4th of July with my family and extended family..it was such a blast!

My family has always been a huge fan of taking beach trips! Here is my sister, dad, me and my mom :-)

These pictures were from our 2009 beach weekend with my family we had such wonderful weather!

We love going to the beach..obviously ;-)

 Picture from our 3rd anniversary beach weekend last summer..can't wait to go back in May!

Thanks for reading my post and have a wonderful day!
~L

Aren't those pictures great?  Makes me want to sit on a beach and sip on a strawberry daiquiri with some sand between my toes right now!  

Thanks again Lauren for sharing some of your favorite things and getting us in the mood for Summer. 

Come back tomorrow for more Spring Break goodness!

KT's Refinishing School Spring Break

With perhaps the busiest two weeks of the year approaching at work, I have decided to take a break.  In an ideal world, I'd be taking a Spring Break somewhere warm but alas, I no longer have them as a member of the working world.  Instead, I will be taking a break from blogging.

Do not fear, however, ten lovely and talented ladies have volunteered to share with you some aspect of Spring Break and Spring more generally with you while I am gone, whether it's a Spring-time recipe, memories from a Spring Break trip or a smart and creative craft just in time for Easter!  I am very excited to share these guest posts with you and hope you enjoy yourselves.  I'll be popping in now and then to say hello when I can but will largely let these lovelies speak for themselves!

Here's what you can expect around here in the next two weeks:

Today: Lauren at A Modern Day Wife's Journey
Tuesday, March 29th: {av} at Long Distance Loving
Wednesday, March 30th: Ashly at Moonwalk
Thursday, March 31st: Starlet at :: Can You Come Home ::
Friday, April 1st: Lauren at You Had Me At Handmade

Monday, April 4th: Mallori at Aiukli Because Life is Beautiful
Tuesday, April 5th: Courtney at The Granola Chronicles
Wednesday, April 6th: Stacy at Every Little Thing
Thursday, April 7th: Lesley at Mrs. Z(ed)-A Crafty Librarian
Friday, April 8th: Gina at Temporary Nest

I'd like to extend a big thank you to all of my guest bloggers for participating.  Happy Spring everyone!

Under the Weather

Literally and figuratively.  I woke up to a "wintry mix" on the ground this morning and a cold, one that J had earlier this week and since then, I have been fighting off in vain.

Image via weheartit

Good thing we cleaned the house on Sunday.  Now if I could bounce back before J's mom arrives, that would be great! 

Enough of my whining, I have lots of surprises in the next two weeks in the form of some wonderful guest bloggers as part of KT's Refinishing School's Spring Break so stayed tuned later this weekend for details!

Happy Friday everyone!