What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday? {#9}

Happy Wednesday! Hopefully your week's going by quickly and not dragging!

To get through the hump, let's talk about what's hap-"pinning" lately! Link up with Jessi and I below about anything that you've been pinning, things you've been up to lately...anything!

This weekend Cooper is turning 7, and I've been looking back at photos of him over the last 7 years, and I figured I'd share a few of them with you since there are so many cute ones of him--too many to choose!

I love so many things about Cooper...

~he is the absolute sweetest intentioned dog ever, loving everyone he meets

~his tail wiggles could power a village if we hooked it up to a generator

~he is the best cuddler on the planet (and will welcome himself into your lap without hesitation)

~he's a great road trip partner (whether I'm in the driver's seat or the passenger seat)

~he loves cheese just as much as I do (and knows immediately when the cheese drawer gets opened)

~he makes me want to stay home from work just to get in some extra snuggles

~he loves being around kids-even when they dress him up in silly clothes

~he's come to work with me before, and eagerly awaits meeting all of the kids

~he loves the snow and will barrel head first into a pile of it, snowplowing his way around

~he was a trooper through months and months of seizures (which have, thankfully, been taken care of with medicine!)

~he's super smart and can always tell when we are leaving on a trip, or just out of the house (and will refuse to give us nose licks when this happens)

~he does some of the funniest poses when awake and asleep

~he brings so much happiness to our family

And just to continue the dog-loving theme, I saw these quotes and sentiments which totally rang true to me:

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If you couldn't tell, Cooper is pretty special to us...hopefully you enjoyed the little look back at some of Cooper's highlights--I know my heart is filled with all kinds of warm fuzzies right now :)

Now it's your turn to link up with my beautiful co-host, Jessi, and I and share what's hap-"pinning" with you!

{Recipe Files}: Lemon Orzo Shrimp

I've got a suuuuper easy recipe for you today! It's another one from Damn Delicious that I stumbled upon the other weekend and knew I had to make it. 

*Note: this is originally a one-pot/pan dish, but I used a pan and a baking dish because I wasn't sure my pan was oven-safe.

You can also totally make this dish without the shrimp and it would still taste just as good!

What You Need:

~1 lb shrimp (I used frozen, and thawed it, because we had a bag in our freezer)
~8 oz orzo pasta, uncooked
~1 Tbsp olive oil
~1 can diced tomatoes
~salt and pepper
~1.5 tsp minced garlic
~2 cups chicken broth
~1 small onion, diced
~1/2 tsp dried oregano~1 cup (or slightly more) frozen peas
~juice of 1 lemon
~1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Season your shrimp with salt and pepper. (I put mine in a colander and then tossed it around to combine). Set aside.

3.  Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet (if you don't have one, just use a regular skillet) over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, onion and oregano and cook until the onions cook through. Stir frequently.

4. Add in the dried orzo pasta and let it cook/brown up a bit (about 2 minutes).

5. Add in chicken broth and 1/2 C of water.  Bring everything to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium, cooking until the pasta is cooked through (follow package directions).

6. Stir in the tomatoes, peas, lemon juice and shrimp. *If you aren't using an oven-proof skillet, transfer everything into a baking dish* Top with parmesan cheese.

7. Put in the oven and cook until shrimp are cooked through (12-14 minutes if using uncooked shrimp). I used pre-cooked shrimp so I only left mine in for about 5 minutes to get the cheese melty.

Serve it up!!

It was light, easy to pull together, and pretty quick, too.
This made 4 good sized meals for us!

Don't forget to get your post ready so you can link up with Jessi and I tomorrow for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday!

Weekending Highlights

I can't believe the last weekend of September is over already! Luckily mine was filled with lots of good stuff!

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My weekend highlights included:

~Friday impromptu after-work happy hour with MG at YardHouse to reward ourselves for a successful end to a long week: blueberry wheat beer for me!

~A bunch of delicious food (omg the vampire tacos!)

~Low key night in--started last season of Homeland

~Slept in

~Took advantage of the 40% off at Loft and bought more things than I should have a few things

~Stopped by the condo to fix something and got to hang with our friends for a bit

~Dropped off 3 bags of stuff at Goodwill

~Had lunch at our favorite spot near our old condo

~Got my wedding and engagement rings cleaned (so sparkly!!)

~Saw Sicario at the movie theater--really intense but very good!

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~Watched a bunch more episodes of Homeland until midnight because we couldn't stop--2 more episodes left!

~Sunday morning massage

~Headed to my friend's house to drive together to our other friends' baby shower

don't mind the dogs trying to get in the pic and hand us his bone lol

~Spent the afternoon with friends showering the mama-to-be, and eating delicious cupcakes

~Won another baby shower game (the word scramble gets me a win every time) and won this cute basket of tea-related things

~Ran some errands and then had Thai for dinner

~took it easy and got in some snuggles with Coop

~kept an eye on the super blood moon before bed

I hope your weekends were fabulous and you're ready to take on the week!!

Linking up with these pretties today:

Friday Faves!

Happy Friday! We made it through another week, and at the end of this one we have Fall!

I've loved seeing everyone's Fall inspiration throughout the week :)
In our area, the Pope graced us with a visit--it messed up some commutes, but I've definitely enjoyed watching him on tv and interacting with "the people". One of our friends is one of the Pope's right hand men while he's in the US so I can't wait to hear the stories!

Let's talk favorites!

Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday// 5 on Friday

{1} Fall TV is back!

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It's all finally back! Nashville, Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, Greys (although I'm not sold on Greys anymore--last night's episode kinda stunk), and new shows...it's all back and I'm super excited for what these seasons hold!

{2}- Fall Sales
Thanks to Natalie's blog post the other day about a super cute striped tunic, on sale at Old Navy for $14, I was able to snatch one up (to complete that Fall look I've been dying for), along with two other pieces--a cute flannel and a pretty burgundy dress:

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{3}-Fall Quote
I saw this on the first day of Fall and I loved it. The perfect way to look at a new season:

{4} My Husband
Yes he's always a favorite, but this week, he's been extra amazing. MG's been working late a lot of the nights this week for work (as in he came home at 9:30 one night) After a really trying day on Tuesday for me, I came home on Wednesday after work to find that he'd spent his morning before work unloading the dishwasher, cleaning the counters in the kitchen, and building the end table for the basement. And on top of it all? I had a sweet note waiting for me, too. It really is the little things that make my heart swell. He's the best.

{5} Funnies

When your husband tells you that he just saw the "biggest bug he's ever seen" in your living room, goes to kill it...and then can't find it again...

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When you're sitting in a meeting with someone who won't stop talking or asking questions...all of which are pointless and just delaying the end of the meeting

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When the mornings start out in the low 60s and you get to work and the AC is still on

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When it's Friday at 4pm

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I hope you have an easy Friday and a fantastic weekend!

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Wouldn't you want to be best friends with these stunning pieces?

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Diamonds always win in the gift department--gorgeous, timeless, and sparkly!

I partnered with Anjolee to give you my top 10 pieces of jewelry for an anniversary gift (Guys, it's time to pay attention! ;)

1. Anniversary Band

Single Row Eternity Ring

I love my eternity wedding band, and I also have diamonds along the band on my engagement ring. I think an eternity ring for an anniversary gift would be so beautiful and add another layer of shine to my ring finger!

2. Studs

Trillium Diamond Studs

Studs don't have to be boring! These are beautiful and could be worn daily. These earrings also come in a group of 4. I would be happy to open up a jewelry box that had these beauties in it for an anniversary present!

3. Silver and Diamonds

Solitaire Teardrop Designer Diamond Earrings

These are a bit more affordable than some of the other pieces, but still add elegance to any outfit. You could very easily wear these to an anniversary dinner date night and get lots of compliments!

4. Circle Necklace

Double Drop Circle Diamond Necklace

I think this would be a beautiful anniversary gift--Two circles. Two people. The symbolism is perfect and the necklace is gorgeous. You could wear this every day or on special occasions.

5.  Gold Lover

Small Flat Oval Link Metal Bracelet

For the person who loves gold, this is a piece you could wear daily, and even layer with a chunky watch. 

6. Drop Earrings

Surrounded With Love Diamond Drop Earrings

I actually have a pair of earrings very similar to these, that I wore for my wedding day (also a great gift for that occasion as well!) and I love wearing them with a fancier outfit. Plus, when I put them on, it's a fun reminder of my wedding day.

7.  Red Carpet Bracelet

Red Carpet Bracelet

Now this beauty would obviously be for a VERY special occasion because the pricetag is kinda high--it's called the red carpet bracelet and I can see why. It's a stunner!

8. Diamond Studs

Cushion Cut Diamond Studs

I looooove these. I could see wearing them to work every single day to add a bit of sparkle to my work attire. And I kinda like that these are cushion cut, which is what my engagement ring is!

9. Journey Necklace

Perpetual Romance Journey Necklace

I think the name of this one says it all--love is a journey, and every anniversary you're celebrating another year of that journey together. I love the circle, signifying endless love and the diamonds around it.

10.  Interlocking Ring

Captivating Woven Band

If you didn't want another band for your ring finger, this would be a beautiful piece to wear on your other hand, and adds quite a statement! I love the criss-crossing details on this ring.

There's such a wide range of jewelry to choose from on Anjolee's website: rings, earrings, bracelets, diamond necklaces, and at a variety of price points.
Even better is the fact that you can customize the pieces! So if you want gemstones instead of diamonds, you can specify that as well.

If you (or your guy) is looking for a spot that has beautiful jewelry, keep Anjolee in mind, and check out some of the pieces I recommend for an anniversary gift! You can sneakily leave pictures or hints around the house for your loved one to find ;)

What's your favorite from my top 10?