amazing race

has anyone ever seen that show "Amazing Race"? well, i had never seen it but the young singles at my church had their own version this weekend.

first clue: on the back of a puzzle

this was one of the challenges.


it sounded so fun and creative so i got 3 team members together (matt, amanda, and carol) to play. there were 12 teams, each representing a county. we were Jamaica. unfort, we couldn't find any Jamaican clothes so we just went as "tourist in Jamaica." let's just say if you were anywhere on saturday between prestonwood, the convention center in downtown, and 35, you may have seen young singles sprinting/driving erratically around the town, that was us & i apologize on our behalf.

we got 3rd out of 12 teams. pretty good for the underdogs.

ps. my body still hurts. i think we sprinted 5 miles the over the course of the day.

new recipie monday.

week 2: Balsamic Poached Chicken with New Potatoes and Asparagus

roommate is an aggie (obvious by the ginormous ring) but don't hold that against her. pretty good right?

Recipe Notes: very quick and easy to make, i LOVE balsamic anything. the potatoes were also delicious and lasted all week for leftovers!

ps. sorry for all the food pictures lately... i swear i'm doing other things besides eating & blogging.

what it's all about.

Last Thursday, i had the huge honor of assisting with the groundbreaking of Clifton Reese's dedication and the celebration of the partnership between H.I.S. BridgeBuilders, Prestonwood Baptist Church, and Habitat for Humanity. Click here to see some coverage of the event. Clifton & his beautiful wife Seandra

my dad's speech in front of the mayor & Janet Huckabee (i think he was a little nervous)

Mike {the founder/my boss} and Mayor Leppert

It was a special day for me because:

1) I work for BridgeBuilders

2)I go to church at Prestonwood

3)My dad's the CEO at Habitat & I got to see him give a speech

4) Clifton & his family are very close to my heart/my favorite people ever

Needless to say it was a joyous occasion, which the city leaders and community got to see how God is truly working through this community in a spectacular & powerful way. My dream and prayer is to see the inner-city of Dallas, be transformed into a community of hope instead of filled with hopelessness and despair. A place where national leaders can really see a holistic view of community restoration and take note of how to properly fight poverty. Thursday was truly a glimpse of how the Church should look like today; a collaboration of believers fighting to spread the Good News of the Gospel and take care of the poor.

As always, let me know if you are interested in volunteering, attending a bible study, or working on a Habitat Home in the weeks to come.

because it's friday...

and it's adorable...i LOVE me some conan

we're baptist women. what would you expect?

being the good baptist girls that we are, when bad things happen, we bake. it's like instinct. so upon hearing about Jessica's Grandpa's passing, the dallas working-part of the posse got together and tried out some new recipes. it's how we grieve....

putting all that bakeware to good use.

cupcakes.

when there is posse, there is puppy chow.

the goods.

sometimes greiving is a beautiful & delicious thing.

new recipie monday.

welcome to my new series: new recipe monday.

every monday, the roommate and i are trying out a new recipe. carol likes to try new recipes and i like to eat. it's a pretty good team.

week 1: Chicken, Zucchini, and Prosciutto

i cut the vegetables. i'm a pretty good sous chef.

madison is very interested in what we are cooking.

final product:

recipe notes: you can substitute grilled ham instead of prosciutto (if you're on a budget like us), also don't forget the lemon at the end - i think that was my favorite part.

i rate this recipe 4 outta 5 stars. very flavorful and was good for leftovers too.

week 2: Balsamic Poached Chicken with New Potatoes and Asparagus.

pancake dinner

word: brinner
definition: breakfast + dinner
the toppings & snacks

the cookthe guests

about a month ago {yes, i know - way belated}, we had pancake dinner at our house. carol's recipie is delish. i don't even like breakfast & i love her pancakes. about 20 girls showed up. we pretty much threw it together in 30 mintues after work but hey, it worked! i'm thinking another one needs to happen again. plus we have 2 cans of whipped cream still.

countdown to cowboys 1st game in the new stadium: 9 hours.

i'm super excited about this year. you better beleive i'll be watching the game tonight verse the titans. let's not disappoint boys.

superbowl bound baby.

crazy busy.

more to come this weekend....

happy weekend.

from {here}

countdown to california: 19 days.

one year.

today signifies a big milestone in my professional career.

one year of "big-girl" full-time employment. i've never worked full-time 40 hour weeks for one year my entire life.

i'd like to thank the following people/things for making this year of work enjoyable/bearable at times. in no particular order.

1. my mother - i can always call her and just complain, whine, & cry and she ALWAYS listens.

2. shrm website (society for human resources) - you saved my life & made me seem like i knew what i was talking about more than once this last year.

3. lunch outtings - thank you for all those people who go to lunch with me. it's the highlight of my week sometimes.

4. my co-workers - so encouraging and always keep things interesting

5. blogs - endless searching & reading & inspiration.

6. pandora - what would i do without you to keep music in my life? i've listened to more music this year than i ever have. let's just say that i've already listened to 40 hours this month on this computer alone.

7. my friends - for always keeping those weekends interesting and worth surving the workweek!

8. the break room- thank goodness for a full fridge of drinks and candy for those 3 o'clock crashes (although my dentist might disagree). i can always count on you.

this year has been one of the best!

belated birthday.

amy a is the big 2-3. time to celebrate with cheesecake.

she was working in dallas temporarily but j&j had to be lame and transfer her. we will miss her.

celina & allie.

allie & amy.
amy & boho.

one side of the table.

good pic valet man.

nice sorority squats everyone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!

-come back to dallas soon-

glee for glee.

who's excited?! i am. you can watch the pilot {here}

carol's mom

meet my roommate carol. if don't think i've done a proper introduction.

carol & i have been living together in our first "real-world" apartment since feb. of this year. she is a marketing coordinator for a forture 100 company in dfw. i'm not sure if i can even say the company because i'm sure they have rules against that :) i meet carol during our church's weekly bible studies and i was blown away with her knowledge and heart for the word. we get along great & has made this transition into the real world a pleasure! she has crazy curly hair like me, cooks great, and possess the same sense of humor! she's honest, trustworthy, and fun, and she even loves madison (my gremlin dog).

however the point of this post is that her mom, ann, was diagnosed earlier this summer with breast cancer. she has already had her double mastectomy and it went as well as it could be. praise be to God! today, however, is her first day of chemo. as the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, i understand that surgery is usually the lease of your worries but the post-op, recovery, and chemo part is the hardest. please pray that she isn't allergic and does not have a bad reaction to the chemo today. pray for the strength of her family (husband, brent, carol, & nathan). the lacey's are an awesome family! if you'd like updates click {here}. thanks for your prayers!

i know it's everywhere BUT

i really want to paint a whole wall in my apartment with chalkboard paint. how fun would that be. you can buy it {here} for only $7/gallon. holla.

here are my favorite colors:

genius pink genius

sweet tangerine

deep ocean

bon bonbon

ya like roommate?

mandy lynee.

I saw her photos on this {blog} and instantly fell in love...

check her photos out {here}. lovely feeling of funky vintage (copyright ashley dubose).

ps. God is good all the time.

blueberry muffins.

look who's being domestic at the crack of dawn sunday...

ingredient prep in my prep bowls.

add those blueberries.

voila. you can just call me betty for short.

notes for next time. less wisking of the batter & take better pictures. i guess you live & you learn!