Tuesday {In the Kitchen}

Hello loves! I hope you had a great start to the week! My sweet hubby finally made it home and I couldn't be more thrilled!! Seriously, you just never realize how important someone is to you until you have to live without them. Anyway, after being on boat for the past 10 days, I knew he would be needing some good home cookin', something healthy, packed with protein and filling. So I made him a few of our favorite things, a rosemary chicken skillet, I found here thanks to Pinterest, and our new favorite side dish proscuitto wrapped asparagus.

The rosemary chicken skillet has become a keeper on our go-to list of dinners! It's pretty quick, (takes about 30 minutes) and is packed full of flavor!!!

Recipe from Minimally Invasive blog and originally adapted from Food Network

3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons leaves2 cloves garlic, smashedPinch of red pepper flakesJuice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil4-6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (6 to 8 ounces each)10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet, place chicken over mushrooms and potatoes and drizzle with any marinade remaining in the bowl and the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

{Image Credit: Minimally Invasive Blog}

This week...

I'm ready for my man to be home...it's been a long 10-now 11 days without him and I'm just ready for him to be home! His trip home has been an adventure to say the least, but I seriously can't wait to hear about all of his Amazon adventures! Since he's been gone I realize 1) just how important he is to me in even the little minute things in our lives 2) what a wonderful leader he is for our family...and I realize after 10-11 days without any communication with him what a blessing he really is in my life.

I'm thankful to ALL of my friends...for taking care of me, making dinner for me, taking me to dinner, and keeping me company! I seriously have THE BEST friends and church you could possibly ask for!

I'm ready for the leak in our apartment to be fixed...yes, leak...outside the A/C unit closet. The carpet has been wet for over a week. Maintenance has come out 4 times now and its not our A/C and its not the A/C in the apartment above us...but the carpet makes a nasty squish sound and you step away leaving a foot print in the carpet and a wet food! yuck!

I'm ready for a super busy week at work...busy is good, but we have a big client presentation/business trip this week. It's both exciting and scary! But we are up for the challenge!

PR Week at CrossFit...yup! This is going to be interesting! It's my first PR week at CrossFit, but it'll be nice to really take a good look at where I am physically and how much I've improved since I started weight training a year and a half ago.

I'm glad I got my apartment cleaned and organized...it was a chore..but I feel so much better having clean laundry and a clean, organized home. And I'm thrilled to show you all my latest projects!

It's gonna be quite a week ladies! Happy Monday!

{Image Credit: Cape Cod Collegiate}

Tuesday {In the Kitchen}

I love being organized! I am not the best at actually following through with it in all areas of my life, but when I do spend the time organizing I find that I am so much more relaxed and less stressed. And one area that I admit has to be organized at all times is my kitchen!

When I walk in my kitchen I like the space to be clean, organized and easy to navigate. One of the areas I've been slowly working on is our pantry. I confess, we don't have a whole lot of prepackaged food, but the few staples we do have, I can't stand the keep in the original packaging. It just seems to take up so much extra space and things tend to get lost, or stale.

So I decided to keep all of our pre-packaged foods in these amazing OXO Pop Top containers! They are clear so you can easily see what's in side, they are super sturdy and they stack perfectly on top of one another, allowing you to use all the available space in your pantry! In a small apartment every little bit of space is needed. They are expensive, but I started my pantry with a basic 5 piece set and have since been ordering the individual sizes as I've discovered which sizes I've needed.

They are so worth every penny and remember it's an investment that will last for many years to come!

{Image Credit: Amazon}

Weekend Review

Happy Monday lovlies! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. It was a long, packed, yet fun weekend! Without the hubby here I was worried about being bored and lonely, especially on the weekend, but thankfully I have a great community of friends and they took me in as part of their families this weekend! I seriously don't think I could ask for better friends than the ones I've been blessed with. Needless to say though, it was still a busy weekend and there wasn't much down time, so now that it's Monday I'm pretty exhausted. Either way, I'll make it! And I'm excited to see what the week has in store!

Have a great one! :)

{Image Credit: That Inspirational Girl Tumblr}

Week in Review

Here are a few things that happened this week...

- did my first blog post on an awesome company! And actually had them tweet me back! How awesome!!!

- had a few rough days at CrossFit, but I guess you can't be great everyday, I'm a perfectionist so I feel like I have to be great at everything everyday, and then I realize how incredibly imperfect I am.

- booked a trip to visit family in Dallas over Labor Day weekend, and I honestly can't wait! Visiting Dallas means going home, spending time with some incredible family and friends, good shopping, and this time it also means seeing my mom who I haven't seen since Christmas and celebrating my grandmothers 75th birthday!

- started planning a girls weekend with my very best friend! It's been far too long since we've had a change to hang out and catch up so and the distance doesn't help so we are definitely overdue on a little fun together!

- said a true good bye for the first time in about two years to my sweet husband. He will only be gone for 10 days, but since he'll be on a boat heading to help small villages along the Amazon River I won't have any communication with him. I won't lie this is both scary and exciting. I am so proud of my husband for following God's call for him to be a part of this trip! I know He has incredible things planned for his team! And I know I will grow so much during this time, I know God wants to work in my heart as well, teaching me to fully trust in Him alone not only for my life but also for Chris'. I have no doubt that some awesome things will happen in the coming week!

{Image Credit: Sorelle In Style}

A Heavy Day

Please excuse my lack of an interesting post today, not that most them are really all that interesting to begin with. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Yesterday, was a trying day. We had a family member unexpectedly take their life, while there's is so much more to the story I'll save you the details. It's simply a sad sad situation, and as you can imagine there are about a hundred things going on at once.

So I woke up yesterday, emotional tired and exhausted. My husband and I went to CrossFit as usual...and while this workout wasn't anything out of the ordinary it seemed physically much harder because my body wasn't having it. But instead of giving up and crying (which I totally felt like doing, and by the way you can't cry at CrossFit, it's like a commandment or something), I just got mad and finished the darn exercise. Only after finishing the workout did I finally let the tears just stream from my face. Most would look at me and think it was because of the workout, it was just tough, and in part I was upset because physically it wasn't my best day, in fact since being at CF it was probably my worst, but it was mostly due to the emotion and unrest I held inside.

The rest of the day at work was about the same. Forgot my breakfast, stopped for a nasty frozen then reheated breakfast sandwich (not g-free and tasted awful, but I was in desperate need of protein after the workout), trying to help console loved ones, all while trying to make it through a terribly slow day at work. Ugh! Seriously not the bright chipper day I would have liked.

Needless to say we all encounter moments or day in our lives similar to this. Days where we just don't understand why God brings us to where we are. What we also don't realize is where He is taking us. We don't see the whole story, the big picture. Our journey, whether good or bad, is all a part of our ultimate sanctification, our road to becoming more like Him. And we aren't alone in our pain and suffering, others around us suffer as well, some in different ways than others. We aren't clones, we are all individuals created in His image. We can't understand what someone is going through, but we can feel their hurt! I know I do! Our suffering helps us see God clearer, helps us trust Him in greater ways than we can possibly comprehend, helps us share our weaknesses and burdens with our community, and ultimately draws us closer to Him.

It's okay to grieve, to have off days, even to feel tired and exhausted and just emotionally worn out, but we can't give up. It's not the end, we can't see the big picture, but we should instead look to Him because He can!

{Image Credit: The Everygirl Tumblr via Coffee Stained Cashmere}

Blazer Love + Two Penny Blue

I have to say I absolutely love a nice blazer! They are so classic and versatile. Every woman should have a few in their wardrobe!

As I was perusing new blogs and websites recently I ran across Two Penny Blue! If you haven't checked out their online boutique you definitely should! They have a fabulous selection of classic blazers that would look good on anyone! I'm also loving that these blazers and accessories not only look chic, they also support a wonderful cause! With each blazer purchase a school uniform will be given to a girl in Africa, helping promote not only her education but also her self-esteem. You can read more about how Two Penny Blue gives back here.

Here are a few of the pieces from their premier collection that I'm simply loving! What I wouldn't give to be wearing on of the Cambridge Blazer in Linen right now!

Two Penny Blue also carries an awesome line of jewelry, umbrellas and bags!

My fav! The Cambridge Blazer in linen

Hudson Blazer

The Ikat Topper

{Image Credit: Two Penny Blue Pinterest via 2PennyBlue.com}

Tuesday {In the Kitchen}

{Image Credit: Maillardville Manor blog}

Morning lovies! Today I wanted to do a recap of a feature from The Evergirl (p.s. if you haven't seen or read The Everygirl, it  is MUST!) for our In the Kitchen series.

Equipping your kitchen with the right tools is one of the first steps to good cooking (and baking)! I remember a little over a year ago I was registering for our wedding and I had absolutely no idea what kitchen items I was really going to need/use. I mean I knew the basics, a good set up of pots and pans, some good kitchen knives, and a cutting board, but it wasn't until I got married and begin my journey to healthier lifestyle with my new husband that I really understood what things I would need in order to make fabulous meals for our little family.

A few months ago, The Everygirl, did a feature called "Kitchen Essentials for The Everygirl"(you can check it out here). I so desperately wish I had seen this feature before registering! Not only is it packed with great information, but it also provided a "Handbook" with a guide to the basic tools needed for your kitchen. As you know, my hubby and I rarely eat out except maybe once on the weekends, the rest of the week we cook from home so we have to make sure we have excellent tools that will last us well into the future. In some cases it means making an investment, but it's nice to know that we have a few top of the line pieces that will last us through daily use for years to come.

{Image Credits: The Everygirl 1, 2}

Back to Work

Happy Monday loves! So sorry I was absent last week. I promise it was completely unintentional, I'm still trying to figure out how to manage my blogging with all my other responsibilities. I hope you'll forgive me for my absence.

Last week I spent Wednesday through Friday on yet another business trip. I absolutely love traveling for work but it can be tiring! Lately it has been taking me to so many cool cities including Cincinnati, Dayton, and Portland, cities I'd never dream of going on my own! I'm so thankful to have a job that allows me to see the country! But anyway, it is yet another Monday and unfortunately time for me to report back to the office.

While the set up of our office isn't really all that bad, here are a few offices I'd rather be in.

{Image Credit: Coco + Kelley}

{Image Credit: BHG}

{Image Credit: Pinterest via The Everygirl}

Happy Monday loves!

xoxo, Meg

It's Finally Friday

Yes, lovlies, it's finally Friday! And I couldn't be more in need of a good weekend. You'd think that having a mini weekend in the middle of the week would have made the week go by faster, and believe me it definitely helped and was much needed day of rest from this week of chaos, but nothing beats two days off. This week I was finally able to put the finishing touches on one of our projects at work and call it closed. The last two months have been non-stop, I kid you not, but I've put my heart and soul into it and needless to say I'm ready to breathe again! 

Just gotta get through today and we are free for the weekend loves!

{Image Credit: Note to Sarah Tumblr}

High-Fashion Bridal Shoot

I recently modeled in a bridal shoot for my super talented friend, Courtney Miller. Yes, I did have bridal photos done before the Mr. and I got married, but I wanted to help out a dear friend of mine and I thought to myself, hey, it not only gives me a reason to get my hair and makeup done, but it also gives me an excuse to pull my wedding dress out of the closet and wear it one more time!

I'm so far from a professional model, but my friends worked their magic all afternoon on my hair and makeup before we ventured out to do the shoot. I had such an awesome time hanging out with some of my favorite girls. And I am so in LOVE with how the photos turned out! So is Mr. W, so much so that we will be getting a few prints to hang around our home.

If you are looking for a fantastic photographer/make up artist be sure to check out Courtney Miller Photographer. God has truly given this woman with an incredible talent and eye for design and I'm so blessed to call her my dear friend. She is professional, funny and so easy to work with.

Courtney's images range from high-fashion and commercial style photography to weddings, bridals and maternity. She even captures some pretty incredible under water photos.

I'm also excited to announce that Courtney is one my first sponsor on Style & Strength!

Photography: Courtney Miller Photography
Make Up: Courtney Miller
Hair: Brittany
Assitant: Jenna Ragsdale
Dress: Maggie Sottero

Tuesday {In the Kitchen} Grilled Bruschetta

During our trip to New Hampshire two weeks ago we experienced an uncharacteristic warm front. The homes on the lake don't have air conditioning, so we spent most of our time outside where the air felt a tad cooler. In an effort to keep the house cool we decided to do some cooking outside. We also needed to use these amazing cherry tomatoes we found at the market before they went bad so I decided to try and make one of my favorite appetizers outside. It turned out to be a perfect start to our meal! 

You can make this a gluten-free recipe by simply using a gluten-free loaf of bread.

Grilled Bruschetta

Ingredients:
Loaf of fresh bread (your choice: sourdough, french, etc.)
Package of grape or cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves
Parmesan Cheese (optional)


Heat grill to a medium - medium high temperature.


Cut bread into thin slices (I cut my slices thin, then cut the slices in half to make them almost bite size).


Place chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh basil and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.


Place bread on heated grill, close lid and let crisp for 3-4 minutes (check to make sure it's not burning). Then flip and cook the same amount of time on the other side.


Once the bread is heated spoon the tomato mixture on top of the grilled bread slices, and if you'd like, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Weekend Recap & New Cleaning Schedule

{Image Credit: Cape Cod Collegiate Tumblr}

This weekend was very nice. Being an early riser, I was up bright and early Saturday morning with a cup of coffee in hand and I immediately got to work on a few projects I've been meaning to complete. Turns out the project was a total flop, funny how that happens.

Anyway, I was also able to spend most of the day Sunday after church cleaning up around the apartment. The place has literally been a train wreck since we got back from our vacation last weekend. There wasn't much time for laundry and cleaning when we returned, so this weekend I spent a few hours doing some laundry and some deep cleaning (i.e. the ceiling fans! Disgusting! And if they are constantly going I don't quite understand how they collect so much dust! Ugh gross!) Needless to say, the ceiling fans are a lovely shade of white again!

This week I also plan to put a new cleaning schedule into effect to see if I can stay on top of our organization and cleaning a little better. I don't know about you all but I love a clean home. There is nothing worse to me than coming home from a long day of work to a huge mess and paper piles occupying ever surface. 

After reading this post, I was inspired to create a similar cleaning schedule. Here is the schedule I came up with last week based on our weekly schedules. I'm sure I'll miss things here and there, but my hope is to spread the cleaning out through the week so it doesn't look like a tornado blew through by Wednesday evening.

Weekly Cleaning:

Monday: Dust, clean floors (vacuum all carpets/rugs, sweep and mop kitchen and bathroom), windex mirrors and glass

Tuesday: Clean bathroom, water indoor plants

Wednesday: Clean kitchen counters, clean stove top, wipe down refrigerator

Saturday: Wash sheets, pay bills, review finances, file paperwork, clean cluttered drawers, sweep patio, etc.

Sunday: Grocery shopping, clean out refrigerator

Daily Cleaning:

- Clean dishes after every meal

- Clean kitchen counters

- Clean bathroom counter

- Spray down shower walls

- Water flowers

Monthly Cleaning:

- Clean ceiling fans and light fixtures

- Wipe down blinds

- Clean windows

- Clean vents

- Wash bath mats/shower curtain