window boxes

spring is officially here! my heart is so happy knowing that the temps are rising, the days are getting longer, and the world outside is getting brighter & greener each day. this weekend i have grand plans of planting our garden and putting together our window boxes.  when we first moved in last june, the very first thing i did to make the house our home was add window boxes out front.  i'm so excited to fill the boxes with flowers and greens again.  below are some of my inspirations...

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last year i used sweet potato vines and plan to get them again this year.  i love how full they become, and especially love how they cascade down the front of the house by the end of summer.

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{something about all shades of green}

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chocolate chip cake

good monday morning... but is monday morning ever really good? anyway...our weekend was relaxing and busy all at the same time.  we had some family visiting from out of town and i feel like it made our easter holiday even more special.  this year, i made sautéed green beans and a chocolate chip cake.  i've made the cake several times before and it is always a hit, so i wanted to share this recipe. it's fairly simple, and doesn't require too many ingredients.  (i received this recipe from a family friend at my wedding shower) enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cake

1 cup of room temperature butter

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix above until light and fluffy

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg

In a separate bowl combine:

3 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Add the dry ingredients to the creamy mixture a little bit at a time, alternately with 1 cup of milk.  Mix well.  Stir in  1 bag of semi-sweet MINI chocolate chips

Place batter into a well greased and floured tube or bundt pan

Bake in 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

When cool, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy!

please excuse my amateur food photography :)

have a great day!