pretty plain janes

six weeks

August 11, 2014

I can’t believe it’s been six weeks since Bingham was born. I can’t believe I have 2 kids. I can believe I am posting a full body picture of myself on the internet six weeks postpartum.

Oh the high and lows of the first six weeks (and many months after). On one hand I feel great. Even better than I did after having Jettie in fact. On the other I feel impatient and slightly defeated. Getting my body back in to shape is going to take time, I know this. But gosh wouldn’t it be nice if we all looked like Jessica Alba in a bikini six weeks after giving birth (insert hand slap across the face for the celebrity comparison reference).

At first we thought we would take a few of just me. We failed. I do sort of love Jettie whizzing by as I am snootily looking the other way though.

Shortly after Bingham wanted in on the action.

And then we just gave up and ended up with a sequence of images that make my heart smile. This is my life and I would not want it any other way.

It’s been six weeks of comfy clothes. Flowy tops, flats and anything with stretch rule my wardrobe at the moment. It’s not exactly my favorite, but being that this is my second time around I know that slowly but surely my usual attire will creep it’s way back into my life. Staring at this handsome little face the last six weeks helps too.

Have a great week everyone!

Posted in outfits, style | Tagged Post by Brandy J | 8 Comments

one year

August 8, 2014

Tomorrow is Josh and I’s very first wedding anniversary. Looking back at the past year and that magical day gives me butterflies in my stomach like nothing else can. I would relive our wedding day a million times over if I could- but I am also so thankful for a marriage that is just as beautiful as that special day was.

The morning of our wedding I sat down and wrote Josh a letter.. spilling out every promise and hope I had for our marriage. Looking back on this year, I can’t help but laugh thinking of all of the things that were in store for us that we never could have planned for or anticipated. Words are usually my strong suit, but I think he had it right that day. He simply wrote me this:

My love is not fragile. It will not leave you; you are my heart and soul. Everything that I am you are a part of- know that I cherish you and always will.

Just like that.

At one year, all I can say is how incredibly thankful I am to call this man my husband. Countless times I have looked at him and thought it could never have been anyone else. Our year has been filled with ups and downs, but I have never been alone. He has firmly held my hand through the most pain filled season of our life and held me up on the hardest days. This excerpt from a book I love (while talking about wedding traditions), has tugged at my heart for the last few weeks:

“But my favorite interpretation is the one where the wine in the glass is a symbol for all of life, and when the bride and groom drink it, they accept both the bitter and the sweet aspects of life. They accept that sometimes they’ll celebrate and sometimes they’ll mourn, in the same way that sometimes they’ll drink wine and sometimes glasses will shatter.”

Life is not our plan, and neither is marriage. All we can know for certain is that the person we choose to experience life with was made to brace every fall, and love us every single day- flaws and all. I am so grateful for a husband who gaurds my heart and loves me fiercly.

xo,

Posted in the maxeys | Tagged Post by Shan | Leave a comment

lemon, basil, asiago and goat cheese pizza

August 7, 2014

Hi my name is Brandy and I am addicted to competitive cooking shows. There is something about people frantically preparing a dish as if their life solely depended on it, I love it. Chopped, Master Chef, The Next Food Network Star – they all have my heart. (Along with Project Runway and my dirty little secret Dance Moms, but we won’t talk about that.). Last night I channeled my coveted cooking shows and stared into my fridge and pantry as if they were a mystery basket. In the background I could hear Ted Allen saying “in your basket you have frozen pizza dough, lemons, basil and cheese.” Yes, easiest mystery basket ever but hey, I am an amateur level competitor at best.

This was definitely a meal made from a very sparse “need to make a trip to the grocery” kitchen. Luckily we had one frozen pizza crust left in the freezer and a variety of cheeses to chose from (including the asiago leftover from this antipasto salad). Of course cheese and pizza crust are good on their own but once I spied the lemon I thought why not? It’s fresh, screams summer and pairs really well with goat cheese. Add some basil and we had ourselves a pretty tasty pizza. Would Graham, Giada or any of the other judges be impressed? Undoubtedly no. But my man was so I am chalking this one up as a win.

Oh pizza, how I love you so. Thanks for being so delicious and versatile.

Enjoy!

lemon, basil, asiago and goat cheese pizza

Ingredients

1 pizza crust
3oz goat cheese
½ cup shredded asiago cheese
1 small lemon thinly sliced (I used a mandolin)
large handful of fresh basil (half whole leaf, half chopped)
olive oil, salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven 500 degrees fahrenheit one hour before baking pizza.
Spread pizza dough out on baking sheet and top with crumbled goat cheese, asiago and lemons. Tuck a whole basil leaf under each lemon slice.
Bake on top rack in oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden. (You can turn broiler on at the end for 30 to 60 seconds to get a little char on the top. Watch it though as it can burn quickly.)
Top with chopped basil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Posted in recipes, vegetarian, what's cooking | Tagged Post by Brandy J | 3 Comments

banana cake

August 6, 2014

This recipe went a bit astray- sort of like my day. I got up early today, was at the grocery by 7am (yes. seriously. 7am!) and was ready to zoom through my to-do list. (This blog post was on that list. Wait. It’s 6pm? How did that happen?) Seriously though, its been one of those days.

My mind is a million different places. It’s on work, it’s on Josh and I’s anniversary that is this Saturday, it’s on my messy house, my never ending pile of dishes, my upcoming doctor appointment. I just burnt two trays of cookies, which I never do. Pistachio shells covered my living room rug an hour ago. I’m a walking tornado. Can I check out from life for today? (You can just lock me in a room with a hunk of this cake- I think I will be just fine!)

Let’s move on to happy things, like this banana cake that almost wasn’t. This recipe was for banana “bars”, but I threw in some cinnamon, made them in a smaller pan and decided that in this version they are indeed cake. Yummy cake at that. Double plus, the recipe used up the 4 over-ripe bananas that were attracting gnats, and those gnats were multiplying at a terrifying rate. Why do gnats have to come with summer time? Can we all just mutually agree to exile them? Back to the cake. Light, nutty, with a bit of sweet frosting, it certainly made my day a little brighter today. On top of that, its not overly sweet- you could eat a piece for breakfast and not feel terrible about yourself (which I fully intend to do tomorrow.) Truly, this recipe is quick and simple and perfect for a busy day, or a set of over-ripe banana’s.

banana cake

Ingredients

Cake:
•1 ½ cups sugar
•1 cup sour cream
•½ cup butter, softened
•2 eggs
•1 ¾ cups (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
•2 teaspoons vanilla
•2 cups flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•¾ teaspoon salt
•½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
cinnamon for sprinking the top
Icing:
•½ cup butter
•3 cups powdered sugar
•1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
•about 3 tablespoons milk or half and half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F, and butter & flour a 10x10 pan. (Other sizes will work too, with adjusted baking time- the thickness will just vary.)
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs. Beat until smooth. Add bananas and vanilla, and beat a minute longer.
In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix unil just combined. Fold in chopped walnuts.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and comes clean from the center of the cake.
Prepare frosting by heating the butter on the stove- stirring frequently until the butter is a light, nutty brown. Remove from heat, and stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. The frosting should be fairly thick, and will spread evenly when applied to the warm cake.
Let cool to set frosting, and serve!

Posted in recipes, something sweet | Tagged Post by Shan | 3 Comments

favorite beauty vloggers

August 5, 2014

Makeup application, hair techniques and beauty product “how to’s” can sometimes be better explained via video. Enter YouTube and beauty vloggers. Do a search on the perfect cat eye and you’ll find thousands of video tutorials to turn to. Wait, you don’t want a plethora to chose from? I don’t blame you. Here is a handful of vloggers that I not only learn from and trust but love their personality as well:

Michelle Phan With her warm personality and easy to follow tutorials it is no surprise that this girl has over 6 million subscribers. She is truly the queen of YouTube beauty vloggers (and has her own makeup line).

Kandee Johnson She is a mother of FOUR and makeup artist to the stars with a seriously intoxicating personality. It is hard not to instantly like Kandee and her amazing makeup tutorials and reviews.

Pixiwoo Sisters Sam and Nic teamed up to create tutorials inspired by celebrities. So many celebrities in fact that they have broken them down alphabetically. The transformations are absolutely stunning!

MaskCara I was thrilled to find out that one of my absolute favorite beauty bloggers has a YouTube channel as well! She has incredible useful everyday tips and DIYs. Her personality is also as fun as her writing. (And she is one gorgeous momma!)

Sprinkle of Glitter This Brit will make you smile even on the darkest of days. I believe the first video I saw of hers was a lipstick review and I was instantly addicted. Everything from guests to products to shenanigans this channel is simply fun.

Do you have a favorite beauty vlogger? We would love to hear about them!

xo,

Posted in beauty, web love | Tagged Post by Brandy J | 2 Comments

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lemon, basil, asiago and goat cheese pizza

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