Fooood

 One of my favorite things, is to EAT.  Is there much else better than food?  I'd argue that there isn't much.  God, Family, Food....looks right to me.  One of the things I love most about the holidays is the food!  And this time of year gives me the perfect excuse to EAT more and COOK more.  Because if I love something more than eating, it's cooking.

There is just something about cooking.  It's like therapy for my soul. I get into the kitchen, bust out one of my amazing Cuisinart pots, onion and garlic.  Oh  my gosh, that smell is heaven. More than that though, there is just something about making food for my Christian.  Preparing a meal and when Christian comes home to a house that smells like BLISS because of something I made.  Wow, it's the best feeling.  He will provide for me, and I will provide for him-in a delicious way!  The 'mmmmmm' when he takes a bite, there ain't nothing better!  There is something to be said about being domestic.  It might not be for all women, but it sure is fulfilling for this woman.  It truly gives me Joy.

Digressing. So. Food. It's a good thing.

So for all you foodies out there that are always looking for something new and amazing to add to your rotation do I have a meal for you!  So here are some amazing new finds.  I LOVE experimenting and trying new things.  Food Network & Pintrest are my cooking go-to's!  Well that and Mr. Alton Brown! He truly is a genius.

Ok: Meal of the week.  Costs about 8 or so bucks to make and it is SO worth it!

Mexican Lime Chicken Soup: Here is what you need:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 hass avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces
• Crushed tortilla chips

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, and voi la! You're done! It literally takes minutes to make.  When you serve the soup you then put crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, avacado slices and cheese as toppings and there you have a perfect 'cold-day' soup.

I hope you cook this and LOVE it! I'm going to start posting some of my favorite meals every week.  I can guarantee that I LOVE them all. Lol whether or not we have the same taste is another question.  So if you don't like them, ummm my bad.  But I will respectfully disagree :P


Good Eating!
Des

Reminiscence

I was sitting on my computer when Christian went home, and was browsing facebook.  I realized how superficial it truly is.  In the fact that I can look at a million status updates and/or profiles and still not know what people are going through.  It reminded me of the quote, "Be kinder than necessary for everyone is facing some some kind of battle." How true this statement is.  We walk through life without a full knowledge of what is going on in the lives of those that surround us.  If we really knew what battles they were facing, I wonder how differently our actions would reflect that.

John 13:35 states, "By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another."  If only we could exercise this even when people are not civil, or gracious, or considerate.  There are reasons why  people tend to act that way.

This is something I personally have realized when it comes to me and Christian.  Pastor was joking in church today about how marriage changes everything, and how when we get married the 'bliss' of non-marriage wears off and suddenly things are very different.  Although he wasn't downing marriage in any way or the changes and seasons that occur, it really hit home for me.  This year for us, has been the toughest year of both of our lives.  We lost a lot of the 'innocent joy' of dating in issues that tested our love in the most intense way.  We've seen sides of each other that both of us wish no one would ever know about, and we've said things that we wouldn't be proud for others to hear. 

I have to say that I can't wait for this year to be over.  Not because it was horrible, although parts of it were, but because it's a huge milestone for me and Christian...that despite ourselves and the circumstances of life, we chose to love.

I've known this wonderful man for about 5 years...wow.  When I think about our 'early' years and where we have come from, I see the reality of Christian's dads statement.  Although I know we'll have a phase of 'honeymoon' in the fact that we're married and living together and our everyday lives will be dramatically different.  Yet, I know the blissful ignorance of one another (I know that sounds bad, but that's why things are 'fluffy' at the beginning...you don't fully know the person), and the fun of learning each other is much less than 'typical' couples I suppose.  Perhaps not.  Yet for us, it does seem that way.  Without our permission, evil stepped into our lives and tried to destroy our love.  I believe this to be true because I know God is Love.  It's who He is, and satan is going to do everything in his power to destroy it. Marriage is also one of the physical, tangible illustrations of God's love and Christ's sacrifice for humanity.  The enemy of our soul is certainly not a fan, and in less than a year we had to get more real with each other than we ever had before, brutal honesty was necessary, and we learned who we really were.

Man, God is good. He is capable of more than I ever imagined, and His sustaining grace has carried us through the hardest year (hopefully ever) of our lives.

I love Christian Warren, and He loves me. We are committed solely to each other.  In this life, on this planet, that means a lot.  Marriage certainly doesn't mean much anymore, and monogamy even less.  That's a whole other story in itself however.

I pray that God would use my past and the pain that has occurred in my life, to make me a better person to other people.  I want to show love, even when it's hard.  I want to show compassion because I don't know the whole story.  I want to show grace and mercy because you never know where someone is in life, and the battle they may be facing.

hmmm.. that's all, well that's all for now. Blessings.

Des

Vintage Love..

This point in wedding planning, I am in vintage bliss.  I have a huge heart for all things vintage.  I do feel at points that God created me a little late, and I was suppose to be born back when style was classy and women wore dresses everyday, because it was everyday wear!  I was meant to be a late 30's early 40's girl.  Sigh, which would make me around 80ish today...sigh.  There is something to be said about tea length dresses, finger wave hairstyles, hats, pearls, and much more.  I know I'm fairly naive when it comes to this topic, because life wasn't all clothes, music, and wonderful acting.  There were hard times, and all I have to say to that is, I know. Sigh, God knows what he's doing.  This is the only time I wish I was an actress, so I could play a part in a movie set in the past and dress up and be around vintage things....but since that's not going to happen...antique stores it is :P

So vintage wedding, sigh :) I thought I'd post some pictures of where my inspiration is taking me.  I hope you enjoy, and if you have any recommendations, or have seen something that would fit, feel free to hit me up with them!   Which reminds me-I'm doing you AND the world a favor by sharing one of the most amazing inventions of our time. Ready?

(P)intrest.  I virtual pin board.  Not only can you find almost anything under the sun from DIY, to the best recipes you've ever seen...it's just the most amazing thing.  Check it out!

Now with wedding beauty. Let me know what you think :)

Since we're having an outside wedding, we'll be doing our programs on the back of fans...it's pratical and so cute, vintage? not sure, but definitely beautiful :)

I love this Ribbon idea, I realize this would take a ridiculous amount of time on allll the chairs, so we're just going to do them on the back row of chairs for the ceremony. Beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mason Jar Love

Simple favors, but with a vintage twist. Gonna try to have a custom stamp made, precious pouches of sweetness :)

Yes we are! Going to have glass bottles of Diet Dp, and Coke Zero, we will have them in silver bins next to the drink table, gives it an oldie vintage feel :)

I love this idea because we can put vintage looking lanterns on the ladders to give it an old feel. plus the soft light will be so romantic <3

I LOVE this idea, maybe not in this way, but having a table of pictures of our parents and grandparents weddings, showing the history of marriage and love in our families, and our understanding of its sacredness

Ok, I could truly keep going, and getting pictures on here isn't as easy as I thought it would be, so I'll end things here.  Enjoy this wonderfully rainy day, xoxoxox

Cheers,
Des

Updates

Being engaged is good. Love is good.

Last weekend I got to spend a blissful saturday with my most favorite people in the world! I truly can not thank God enough for my family.  Not only do I have the best family made up of the best people, but I have an equally amazing soon to be family.  Which that even sounds silly, they are my family now :) I love them so much. My mom and my soon to be mom put this party together, and put together such a fun party! The food was outstanding, and the fellowship was amazing.  Can't beat family.  Wish I had been able to take a picture of ALL of the family together, I need to get on that!

Also last week, I bought my DRESS...dun dun dunnnnn!  This past month has been so bitter sweet for me, because as things continue to be 'checked' off my wedding  'to-do' list I realize that I never have to do this 'thing' again! Kinda sad right?!? In a great way?  I just realized, man I don't have to look for dresses anymore! Since, I will NEVER be getting married again (and I'm 100% positive on this fact), I will only do these things once. So even though planning a wedding can be stressful, and I have been at a loss a few times.  I realized that this season is truly a once-in-a-lifetime gift from God, and I have to soak up every minute.

As a matter of fact in two days it will be November 5-and I will be exactly 6 months away from being a Warren!! :D  So, here is to enjoying six months of wedding planning, six months of beautiful stress, six months of bonding with both my mom's over an exciting times, six months of being on my own for the last time, six months of being at the beginning of the alphabet with Cortez, six months of engagement bliss.  God is good.

Sigh on further news, there is a new addition to the Warren family-and I must say she is the most adorable thing in the world: take a looksee:

Um don't you just want to put her in your pocket! Here is some interesting news: you almost CAN! She is soooo tiny! Sigh I love her already and i've only met her twice.  I believe she is what pepper looked like when she was a baby.  oh how I wish I could have seen pepper as a baby-sigh..but here is Zoey. She's been sick lately with parvo :( But God's hand is on her, keep her in your prayers though!

Welp, that's all for now! Much love!