Thankful Thursday

{a night owl blog}

• cooler fall weather
• having 2 hours to myself in the middle of the day
• a nice unplanned dinner date with the hubs
• documentaries that make you think
• hubs telling me happy birthday at 12:01
• Benjamin sleeping in his new bed AND loving it
• birthday party crafts galore
• to have my birthday fall so close to my favorite holiday
• late night haircuts in my living room
• making a vampire owl birthday cake
• sushi for dinner
• "vampire kiss" martini
• a bonfire with dinner and smores to celebrate the 1st day of fall
• showing my hubby some love with a fun fall printable
• my Mom showing up with tons of groceries for the party
• coffee and a movie with Benjamin

While this post is two days late, better late than never, right?

<3

Erica

Thankful Thursday

{pinterest}

• sleeping for 12 hours
• getting my car back!
• holding hands with Benjamin until we both fall asleep
• finishing my birthday invitations
• having a good and busy night at work
• using my hot glue gun
• going to a beautiful baby shower put together by my BFF
• getting a gorgeous hutch for my kitchen
• staying up late chatting with my Mom
• encouragement from a sweet friend
• crashing Mom & Randy's football party
• beginning to decorate for my upcoming vampire party
• talks with the hubs
• afternoon naps
• being in party planning overdrive
• finding a really cool 'Dracula's Pub' sign
• enjoying a mini play with Benjamin
• "The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."
• dancing with Benjamin at Lowes
• my local library
• Benjamin walking back and forth with me while I cut the grass

<3 Erica

Thankful Thursday

{via nest of posies}

• my sweet husband working really hard on my birthday invitations
• the many hugs & kiss from Benjamin
• Netflix - I'm glee-king super hard right now
• tailgating at Clemson
• long talks with my Mom
• dancing at the Esso club
• naps
• tacos
• decorating the house in lieu of the midnight release of Destiny 
• my Mom volunteering to wash all our laundry after my washing machine broke down
• inspiration - the BIG kind that gets you all fired up
• coming across "Crafting a Business" at the library
• brainstorming career ideas with my BFF until 4am

With Love,

Erica

Thankful Thursday

Give thanks with a grateful heart.

• late night conversations with my BFF
• having a hard working hubby
• a yummy lunch date with my Boo
• a shopping adventure
• getting my rings cleaned
• finding the perfect "vials" for my invitations
• new shoes
• sushi date with friends
• Benjamin letting me hold him like a baby
• having a successful "first day" of "preschool"
• feeling the love in the air
• that feeling right after practicing yoga
• successfully baking a cake from scratch
• homeschool planning - it's tons of fun
• getting excited about Halloween
• dinner with lots of friends
• putting out our Halloween decorations

I'm enjoying this practice. I'm looking forward to having a notebook full of gratitude :)

<3 Erica

a celebration

Last night at work I witnessed a family celebrating an engagement. Their smiles and laughter was contagious. A few times I even caught the young couple holding hands and casting sweet glances.

I was SO inspired by their excitement I decided to bake my hubbys favorite kind of cake from scratch and surprise him with it this evening after work.

As a woman of the South, Paula Deen's website is one of the first places I looked

Grandma Heirs' Carrot Cake

Ingredients
Butter, for pans
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c vege oil
3 c grated carrots
1 1/2 c chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) pkgs cream cheese at room temp
1 stick salted butter at room temp
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c pecans


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease, flour, and line pans with parchment paper.

In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add eggs and vege oil using a hand mixer until well combined. Fold in carrots and pecans.

Pour into pans. Bake for approx 40 mins.

Cool for 5 mins, remove from pans, place on wax paper and allow to cool completely.

For the frosting:
Add all ingredients, except nuts, into medium bowl and beat until fluffy. Fold in nuts.

Frost and stack.

Thankful Thursday

Gratitude.
It's not always an easy practice. But it's important, especially for me.
It improves our relationships, our health, and our emotions.
It's science.

I've had a heavy heart this afternoon. Working on my thankful list has helped. I'm looking forward to keeping a weekly "Thankful" list again.

• being the little spoon
• hot coffee on a sore throat
• encouraging conversations with my BFF
• inspirational movies
• podcasts while cleaning
• big fuzzy blankets
• drinks with friends
• getting back on the schedule at Flat Rock
• owl mugs
• warm spots on the carpet where the sun is shining in
• finishing a crochet owl hat
• a bright pink yoga mat

I encourage you to keep a gratitude journal, list, sticky note, whatever floats your boat. It can make a big difference in your day to day.