lady deb & some things.

today was a nice day. my sweet friend deb picked me up & we headed to atlanta to do stuff. she needed her phone fixed bc it was janked which meant a trip to perimeter mall. the mall is bustling this time of year & i love it. people getting loved ones gifts, smells- some really good & some really bad. yankee candle is too much for me. way too much. all kinds of people buying all kinds of things. there were so many people there in the middle of the day? what do these people do?!?

starbucks coffee in hand we wandered around the mall & ended up in a few childrens clothing stores which made me really excited. deb has the cutest 10 month old little girl & if you know me you know i love kids & kids clothes. there was this one store that had the most unique clothing--- hanna anderson --CUTEST CLOTHES. they also have womens clothing & if i had a fist full of dollars i would buy something today.

so when in atlanta you eat something good & you get octane coffee. am i right? yes, i believe i am.
this was debs first time at bartaco & octane. i love introducing my favorite things to new people.

i had a pork tamale & a side of plantains. 

deb had a pork tamale & a side of pineapple.

so good. 

deb is the cutest & i am so glad to get to know another momma out there. isn't she cute?

xox

-e

life lately & a very fun girls night.

i have spent most of my days helping my mom with her house in which she makes me really good meals & she always has my coffee ready when i get to her house. #bestmomever

i started a photo challenge on instagram & you can follow along here

it is a really cool one & its all about celebrating life, beauty & YOU. i never do these, but i decided to do one for the month of september- my birthday month- i have found it is a really cool way to "meet" new people & find some really cool feeds to follow. 

who doesn't want to see artsy pictures of my hair on a pillow?

i have been slumming it in these shoes almost everyday. i have so many shoes but i always wear these. i scored them at target for $7!!!

i went to goodwill the other day & seriously scored a pair of donald pliner shoes for $3.99

go check out his stuff. #ifihadamilliondollars

a brand new pair of sandals that are from tj maxx for $3.99

did i ever tell you i love thrifting?

 you can find my cold brew coffee post here- i made another batch this month for cory & it has been saving us some money!!

cory's sister, jenny, came over last saturday & held her first trunk show for noonday collection

let. me. just. tell. you. looking at their catalog is dangerous! everything they have i love & i cannot wait to get the bracelet i ordered. i love buying things that serve a double purpose. this company is amazing & what they do really pulls on my heart strings. please go look- you will fall in love & i promise you will find something perfect for you or someone you love!

Noonday Collection is a business that uses fashion
to create meaningful opportunities around the world.

                                                             i ordered THIS bracelet. 

so. stinkin. pretty. 

this sweet man of mine has been working so hard, working so many jobs to provide for us & i got him to myself for 5 days! that is like a record unless we are on vacation. i love him so much & i am so very thankful for everything he does & everything that he is. 

last night my friend jessica & her friend lillie went out for a night on the town. that is the saying right?

we went to dinner at the irish pub & then went to get a tattoo at skinwerks

you guys. i had so much fun. my cheeks were hurting from laughing & it so nice to be around people where you don't have to "try" you can just be you & everything is like magic. 

these pretty girls. 

jessica asked me to look sexy & this is what she got. 

however, i hate side profile pictures of me & jessica actually took one i like! i think this means we are meant to be best friends. 

                                                          Psalm 18:33

                                   he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

                                     he causes me to stand on the heights. 

up close. 

i love this girl. jessica is one of a kind. it is so freakin funny how things happen. i don't think its by chance, i think the lord sets things into motion from the very beginning. 

funny story: she was my husbands first kiss. he was in 5th grade & she was a little older & during a pretty intense game of spin the bottle his lips landing either on her nose or chin. so we were probably destined to be friends. the devil really did try to keep us apart- i listened to whispers in my ear about this girl & because i trusted that someone i believed them- wrong move-- side note: make up your own minds about people, don't let someone else opinion of someone keep you from something great. 

every time i would see her at a birthday party or a baby shower (she throws the best) (i have already told my mom for my baby shower its up to her & jessica) we would laugh & have the best time. i would always think to myself hmm.. she isn't at all what i have heard of her, she is so down to earth & so caring & one of the funniest people i know. when someone has character they are the same around every person- those are the good ones you guys, & how they live speaks for itself.  you ever meet those people & you think THIS person is good. THIS person is genuine. THIS person is an overcomer. then you have this moment where you say to yourself wow, i have the opportunity to have a person like this in my life that i can learn so much from but what can i give to them? well, i can give her my time, time to laugh. time to pray, time to get tattoos, time to bring her a donut from lamars,  time to be an encourager. so thats what this little part of the blog is for. so jessica if you are reading, which you probably are because i told you too, be encouraged. YOU are an overcomer & every. single. thing that the devil has stolen from you. every. single moment will be giving back above & beyond what you could expect & when you feel like you are at the end of your rope always remember. 

 ISAIAH 41:13- FOR I AM THE LORD, YOUR GOD, WHO TAKES HOLD OF YOUR RIGHT HAND AND SAYS TO YOU, DO NOT FEAR; I WILL HELP YOU. 

lord sometimes life throws us curve balls & we are left standing wondering what in the world happened. why is this happening to me? what is the point? why are you doing this? we blame you. we need someone to blame to take some of the burden off of our hearts. help us to come to you open arms & just surrender. help us to lay all of the pain & questions at your feet & say lord, whatever the devil has planned your plan is greater. give us strength to face every day. give us strength to forgive those who have wronged us. give us peace to not care what others are thinking. help us remember your word when thoughts come in our minds that are not of you. give us joy in sadness. give us peace when we worry about finances or how things are going to work out. we know that when we are at the end of our rope you are always there to pick us up & give us the strength to trust you & know YOU are always on our side. 

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

i love you girl & i am always a phone call away. know you are surrounded by people who love you & are praying for you. 

--e

                

cold brew joe.

i love it. you love it. we all love it. if you don't like it, well we need to have a talk & i will change your mind.

i was a barista for about 3 years of my life & i really & truly miss it. i miss leaving the coffee house & smelling like espresso, i miss the people you meet & how you remember the regulars drinks just by the sound of their voice or their familiar face. the atmosphere in a coffee shop is a little addicting to say the least. i met one of my best friends working in a coffee shop & to this day we have regular dates at some of my favorite coffee shops.

octane & dancing goats would have to be my favorite. if you are ever in atlanta GIVE THEM A TRY.

now onto the good stuff: this might come as a big shocker to you but YOU can make your OWN cold brew right from the comfort of your home & its EASY!

what will you need:

coffee
coffee bag-  i got mine from amazon here
container - depending on how much you want to make
water- free from the sink

now step 1: if you get pre ground coffee you can use a 1 pound bag which is about 5 1/2 cups

i grind my own & this time i used this coffee below

i used 8 cups of coffee & like i said i grind my own

now pour use coffee into the bag

mine has a draw string like most of them do- so just pull it tightly & drop the bag in the container you are using. 

now fill your container up with water.

for 8 cups of coffee i used 16 quarts of water

now the boring part: waiting.

i let mine sit for about 30 hours. best thing to do is make it in the afternoon when you get home from work & then when you get back the next day it is DONE. 

best way to drink this is anytime of the day any place. 

enjoy!

--E

coffee shop hangs & planning.

& these are a few of my favorite things.

a. planning- which means planners- which means evanda's happy moments all in one beautiful book.

 i love planning, i love writing goals down, coffee dates down, cory's work down, chores, meals, all of it. even if i have already done something i will still write it down and mark through it- i know it sounds crazy but i have always done it.

when i was a kid i use to write down the map of my room & make a list of everything that was in my room- dresser, bed, rug, lamp- all of it & then i would carefully select the best place to put it in my room. i did this once a month. kids would be outside playing & i would re arrange my room over & over & over.

i ordered my new planner after carefully looking for a very long time. i ordered mine from paper source. this literally makes all the difference in the world to me- a pace to fit everything, pockets for certain receipts, stickers you guys! this one has stickers for special days. i forget so much these days because i am just doing so many different things & with cory being a contract employee on most jobs i have to keep up with all of his work for mile purposes at the end of the year.

 planner- life saver

if you sign up with your email you can get 10% off your first order which is not a whole lot but its the thought that counts.

this is the print i chose. ahhh. in just a few days i am sure you will see a pretty little picture on my instagram of it. it was $28 & a good use of my money bc this helps with my sanity.

am i the only one out there that loves planners? planning? organizing?

surely not. 

b. coffee shop hangs-  i love everything about coffee shops. the cute little pastries. the smell of espresso. everyone running around like they are off to do something really important. today i am having a  busy day at a local coffee shop i frequent a lot with my husband. he is off today which i am really happy about. he is taking care of all his stuff with his worship job, & all the other things he does. so even though we are not talking or sharing a yummy little brownie its so nice to look over & see him right beside me. ronda will be meeting me up here in a few & i hope she brings that yummy little baby with her. 

is it weird that i describe babies like i would a dessert. i do that all the time. let me kiss those delicious cheeks. let me see that sweet little muffin. or like above- yummy little baby.

i am sure this will continue when i have my own. which hopefully will be soon. 

all these babies makes me miss all my kiddos at CAD- i will see them soon though!

-- E

pop overs.

i love being surprised.

cory is out of town this week playing for andy velo & i am at home most of the time by myself.

last night i was watching the show "about a boy" which is really funny. i hear a knock at the door & it is my sister & her future brother in law. at first i was like man i have to get out of my pajamas & when she asked if i wanted to go for coffee i was so happy. it doesn't matter that i had already had 2 cups already. 

next thing i know i was walking down peachtree street on the way to cafe intermezzo.

i know i write about this place all the time because it has my absolute favorite caramel cappuccino. ever. but i cannot help it. it is that good.  

a little but of cinnamon on top & BAM. you have yourself a little bit of heaven in a cup. seriously please do yourself a favor & go order this coffee right NOW. 

this is patrick. 

she is so sweet & gorgeous. 

on this new show i am watching they call surprise visits a pop over. i am pretty sure that is the best phrase ever. tonight i am having another pop over with bethany! 

"nashville's" new season came on last night & since we both do not have cable we are going to watch it tonight on hulu. i am hoping my sister will join us as well.

p.s. got a part time job working security for events. pretty excited. 

cheers, 

mrs. estes