Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread!

I don't know about y'all, but I love pumpkin.

Seriously, LOVE IT!

Fall is my favorite time of the year & it's just around the corner! 

...sort of. For us Texans true fall doesn't come til like December, ha.

Anyways, on to this delicious recipe!

This was the first time I made this & it was SO GOOD! & my house smelled amazing.. that's a win, win if you ask me.

**Sidenote: I didn't plan on posting this recipe so my pictures aren't that great.. sorry!**

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree 

1 tbsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 2/3 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup + 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Grease & flour loaf pan.
Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
Mix together the dry & wet ingredients.

Whisk together until smooth.
Fold in 1 cup of the choc chips.
Pour into loaf pan. 

Sprinkle 1/4 cup choc chips on top.
Bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool, serve & enjoy!

Linking up with Ashley & Jessica!

I'm back! - Talking about houses, jobs & rings!

Alrighty, after being MIA for quite some time I think I'm finally back on track.

I've already blocked out a few hours today to catch up on all of y'alls blog posts from the past week. 
I just needed a little break!

Oh and Brook lyn.. I know I'm like the world's worst person, but your box is going out TOMORROW and I'll email you the tracking code.. promise! :)

We've been busy, busy, busy around these parts lately!

In the past week/weekend, I've:

+gone to the circus (for the first time)

+babysat/dogsat

+had a game night with BFFs

+tried a new Greek restaurant
(they had $3 mimosas! score!)

+spent time with our favorite little guy

+started REALLY talking about buying a house
(...and looking)

**how gorgeous is this?? ^^^

+went to look at engagement rings ;)

(this wasn't the first time, we've looked several times before BUT we're getting closer & closer to getting engaged now & I'm SO excited!)

+went to the bridal extravaganza 

(for one of my BFFs that's getting married, not me lol)

ANDDDDD Darren has received TWO job offers to be a teacher.

Now it's just a matter of signing the dotted line on the one he chooses!

We are SO excited! :)

I have every intention of blogging every day this week instead of falling off the face of the earth. I'll be sharing a DIY housewarming gift that I meant to share with y'all last week & a recipe & some other fun stuff!

And because I absolutely adore Jason Aldean & just can't get enough, I think I'll share a recent fave of mine with y'all!

Now I'm off to catch up on y'alls lives! ;)

Linking up with Sami!

Weekend Update! {lake, game night & power outage}

Happy Monday y'all!

Does anyone actually say "Happy Monday" ?? No, just me... Cool.

This weekend was fun-filled but I didn't take a whole lot of pictures! 

Weird for me, I know! 

Friday we did a little shopping for a house warming gift for Darren's best friend. (Pictures & tutorial coming Wednesday... it was SO cute y'all!!)

We picked up a Little Caesars pizza & watched movies all night while I put together the gift. It was a low key Friday night & I loved it!

Saturday we woke up bright & early & headed to the lake to meet up with my family. I feel SO lucky to have family that has a lake house & jet skis & a boat... It's amazing! We spend the afternoon riding the jet skis, swimming & being swung around in a tube on the back of the boat. 

After the lake we headed over to Darren's best friend, Matt's new house to give him (and his fiance, Aerial) their housewarming gift & hang out.

They LOVED their gift! 

We headed to dinner then picked up some drinks & headed back to their new place for a game night. We're all SO competitive so we had a ton of fun ;)

Brother jumping off the dock! 

Darren jumping off the dock! 

Brother caught a little fishy! 

Me & momma!! 

I'm on a boat! 

Chillin in the water with my brother & sister! 

 My crazy momma! :)

Our beautiful view for the day! 

Sister jumping off the dock!

Sunday we slept in because we were beyond exhausted from Saturday's festivities. Once we were up we realized we both looked like lobsters... NO JOKE! I don't think my face has ever been this sunburned... & we used SPF 80! wtf?! Needless to say we applied aloe about a million times yesterday.

We wanted some breakfast tacos so we tried a place right up the street.. delicious & cheap. My kind of place!

We hung out around the house & did a little cleaning, then we settled in to watch all of our favorite shows. (Big brother, Dexter & Ray Donovan) 

Well, Houston decided to send a crazy storm our way which knocked out the power & we couldn't watch any of them. (Only half of Big Brother) 

To escape the boredom we headed to the movies & saw Grown Ups 2...

LOVED IT!! 

What did you do this weekend?! Can't wait to read all about it!!

Linking up with Sami!

Week[end] Update - Where does the time go?!

 I swear I blinked & a week went by!

I can't believe I haven't blogged since last Tuesday, it feels so weird.

Time to play catch up & the best way to do that is with lots & lots of pictures! :)

Bear with me because they uploaded out of order!!

Wrinkles on the 4th / my view for the day!

Darren's Samsung Galaxy S4 takes some really cool pictures!

Wrinkles got to spend some time with his Aunt Courtney & Uncle Josh! 

Wrinkles on his birthday with his new $20 pig & birthday treat / He will NOT stop bringing me this dang pig covered in slobber... 

It was SO packed at A Day In The Country! / I love when I get to wear my boots :) 

We got photobombed.. I give that guy props! / Me & two of my BFFs, Chloe & Shelby 

Grimaldis definitely has the best pizza around! / Went kayaking for the first time.. it was fun! :) 

Me & my BFF Shelby at ADITC / We may have snuck in a flask... or two. Sorry, but I'm not paying $15 for a margarita that has basically no alcohol in it! 

 My brother & sis teaching Wrinkles tricks / Handsome Wrinky!

Darren is so cute, "I thought you would like it for your blog" :) / He is officially done with school & now has a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics ... couldn't be more proud!!

We finally caught up on the Walking Dead & season three was BY FAR the best season! This is what we'll look like if we ever become zombies... Let's hope that never happens ;)

PS- A big thank you to all of you that wished Wrinkles a happy birthday!!

PSS- The Bachelorette is kinda boring now. I think it's pretty obvious who Des chooses, especially after Monday's episode. I'll keep watching anyway, but it's just not that great of a season anymore. Thoughts??

Linking up with Shanna!

Happy 1st Birthday Wrinkles!!!

Today is Wrinkles' first birthday!!

I can't believe he's a year old already!

He has seriously made Darren & I both SO SO SO happy.

He really is such a good dog.

Today he gets presents & treats galore!

Here are a few million pictures from our first year with him!

Can't wait for many, many more.

We love our little man more than words can describe :) 

#crazydogparentsandwedontcareonebit


PS- Don't forget to hop on over & wish Taylor a happy birthday & enter for a chance to win a $75 Starbucks giftcard!! :)

Weekend Update! - It's a good one!

Alrighty, I hope y'all are ready for an overhaul of pictures cause I took about five million this weekend!

Don't worry, I narrowed it down a little ;)

Friday, Darren & I went to Potbelly for lunch then headed to Half Price Books to kill some time before our movie started. We went to the dollar theatre (for the first time ever) & saw 42. The movie was pretty good, but it cut off THREE times... Thank goodness we only paid $1.50! haha

After the movie we met up with Darren's parents & ate at Black Eyed Pea. I'm not a huge fan of that place, but they had the CUTEST Texas shaped tiles outside :)

In love with my romper from Cotton On! / Me & D
My new favorite chips! / The Texas shaped tiles!!! LOVE

At Half Price Books (I bought 2 travel books!) / Movie necessities / Margarita dinner necessity!

Saturday we hung out around the house & cleaned up a little. 

Around 3 we headed over to my mom's house to get ready for Pride. I don't think I've mentioned it on here before, but my mom is a lesbian. I know some people aren't okay with gay/lesbian relationships, so if you're against it please just keep it to yourself & skip this paragraph! :) My mom has been dating her girlfriend for almost 7 years now & they're just like any other couple! 

Anyway, me, Darren, my mom & her girlfriend headed down to the gay pride festival/parade around 5:30 & stayed til a little after 10. It was Darren & I's first time there & let me just say... IT WAS A BLAST!!!

Everyone there is so friendly & we scored a ton of free stuff! 

Plus, my mom is like the world's funnest person to hang out with so we always have a good time with her :)

Me & momma / sippin' margaritas before the parade! / me & D

The mayor of Houston / Me with my MILLION beads! / all our free goodies! :)

Sunday we took Wrinkles to get his nails cut (those things grow SO fast) and we had Chipotle for lunch... I haven't had Chipotle in foreverrr so it was definitely a treat! I also made a 4th of July inspired treat & painted my toes all festive! :) We ended the night watching Big Brother & Dexter. Anyone else watch those shows?! I'm obsessed!!

My 4th of July pedicure & 4th of July snack!

Darren's burrito is like 3 times the size of mine lol & Wrinkles sleeping on my foot :)

My favorites for this season of Big Brother so far:

Nick & Spencer! I see them going far!

How was your weekend?!

Linking up with Sami!