Such Great Heights

Yikes, it's already kinda been a long week, and it is only Wednesday. I'm battling another cold...about my fifth time being sick this winter. I used to never get sick and this time it's a sinus infection. I'm blaming my night shift lifestyle. We're constantly butting heads, but I will win!

At least we're one day closer to the weekend, right? I'm looking forward to a long weekend off, only two more nights of work to go. And to top it off, the temperatures here in the tundra of Rhode Island are supposed to reach the 50's by the end of the week. I can't wait for all the dirty snow to melt away, and be able to see my backyard again. So I'm ready for this little taste of spring. Here are some more things that have brightened my week. Luckily, I've got quite a few :)

Red Velvet cookie sandwiches for my Valentine. I posted the recipe here, and let me tell you, they are as good as the look!

Pretty roses from the hubby.

Enclosed in one of those envelopes pictured above? Tickets to see Iron & Wine at the House of Blues in Boston. SO.excited! Do you remember this song from Garden State? It's one of my favorite movies.


Last night, I got this email while I was at work. Just because. LOVE my hubby. And yay for a spa day. I so need it!

And last but not least, I'm taking part in this little blog crawl, organized by the lovey Jillian of cornflake dreams, which I'm so excited to be a part of! Check out the link of the left side of her blog to follow along with some pretty awesome bloggers...and stay tuned for my post on Saturday!

Anything making your week extra special? I'd love to hear about it!

A Day of Love

Happy Valentine's Day friends! I thought I would take today to share some photos of the most love filled day I can remember...our wedding day! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

All Photos courtesy of Melissa Robotti Photography

 Hope you all have a wonderful, love filled Monday!

Fancy Friday: Date Night

I had so much fun putting together my Fancy Friday outfit last week, so I've been looking forward to linking up with {av} again this week! And my obsession with polyvore continues on.

So here it is, my second installment. I'm pretty sure this is what the much cooler version of myself would wear out for a fancy Valentine's Day date. Truth be told, I'll most likely never own a pair of Louboutins...a girl can dream, right? And in actuality, I'll be sporting a really hot pair of light blue scrubs tonight, with my stethoscope being the accessory of choice :)

But seriously, I would LOVE to own, or even just wear that dress. I think the feminine lace details are just gorgeous. Sexy, but not overdone. Love that.

And how fun are those little hearts? Pretty and sparkly for a little Valentine flair. I'm not sure I could pull off that headband, but those loose curls and the red lips are perfect match for this outfit, I think. MAC's Ruby Woo is my red of choice. Pair everything with some sparkly diamond studs, gold stacking bangles and a hot pink clutch and you're ready to wow your Valentine!

What would you love to wear on this Fancy Friday? Got a hot Valentine's date? Head on over to {long distance loving} and link up, I'd love to see! Happy Friday!

Sweet Treats

Lately, I've had the urge to have a date with my kitchen aid. The poor beauty has been a little neglected since we've been busy with moving and unpacking/decorating/organizing.  So I think this will be the weekend, because what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with baked goods?

{via}

Some Sweet Ideas

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

1 Box red velvet cake mix
1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 Eggs

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix ingredients until combined.
• Drop spoonfuls of cookie batter onto baking sheet about two inches apart.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.
• Cool.

Recipe & Photo

Cream Cheese Filling
1/2 Cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 8 oz. Package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 1lb. Box of confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

• In a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and vanilla.
• Gradually add sugar and mix until smooth.

Makes about 24 cookies or 12 cookie sandwiches



Molten Mocha Cakes

*Serves 2

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for ramekins and serving
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• Pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

{Recipe & Photo}

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, then dust with sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour, and whisk just until combined (do not over mix). Pour batter into prepared ramekins. (Recipe can be made ahead up to this point.)
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Dust with sugar; serve immediately.
   
   
   Valentine Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup pale-pink or white sanding sugar (optional)
• Petal dust in pink, orange, and violet tones (optional)
• 2/3 cup apricot or strawberry jam, slightly warmed (optional)

{Recipe & Photo}

1. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture to mixer bowl, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Wrap dough in plastic; chill until firm, 1 hour or overnight.
2. To color white sanding sugar, if using: Place a few tablespoons in a small bowl. Mix in petal dust with a toothpick, a bit at a time, until desired shade is reached. Colored sanding sugar will last indefinitely.
3. Heat oven with two racks centered to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out hearts using any 1- to 3 1/2-inch heart cookie cutters. If desired, cut centers out of some hearts. Transfer with spatula to baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using. Bake until just golden but not too brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack. Continue with dough; reroll scraps.
4. To make sandwich hearts: Brush bottom heart lightly with jam; cover with a second heart with center cut out; jam will adhere hearts. Fill cut-out area with more jam. Cookies will keep, in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1 week.

So Friday, it's penciled in. Date with the Kitchen Aid. YUM!

It's Friday, I'm in love.

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Happy Weekend, friends! Enjoy!