Week 21 - Birthday Boy

influencing

Sep 26

This past week was my baby son’s first birthday and just as I have with my other boys, I made him a sprinkle smash cake. I took my fancy camera, rolled out some paper, and we did a little photoshoot. The pictures turned out absolutely perfect and match my other boys exactly how I always dreamed it would. It’s been almost 8 years in the making but my first birthday smash cake photoshoot concept is finally complete. The hard part of course is narrowing down which pictures to use and finding the right frame. For his birthday dinner we went to Modestos which has quickly turned into one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Baton Rouge. The food and drinks are always amazing and the service is fast, which with kids can be a make or break experience. We also had his birthday party/family dinner this past weekend and it was one for the books! The cake was just as delicious as it was gorgeous. I made Cosmos for the signature cocktail because signature cocktails are fun and fancy. We slapped together a bunch of our favorite foods from different restaurants. It’s hard to say what we enjoyed more.

I also stood in line once again (this time with my mom) for more of Ms Caroline’s cookies. This week I got there early enough that I was able to try all the flavors. The cookies and cream has now tied the oatmeal cream pie for my top favorites but they’re all so good. Of course after snagging the bag we had to make a loop around the Royal Standard and see what all we couldn’t live without. We each took home a little Mike the Tiger statue and swore we’d have to go back soon.

I think our 100* days are behind us but nevertheless it is still very hot. I’m trying to embrace fall and make simple little swaps with my wardrobe and around the house to help feel more in the spirit but it’s hard. I miss the changing leaves and the crunch sound they make when a knee high boot tromps through them, the cool breezes, the pretty sweaters. I’m hoping to get my Halloween decor set up around the house this week so maybe that will help set the mood.

My BamaRush reel on Instagram hit 150K views which is just thrilling to me. I still get likes and comments on it everyday and I love interacting with people over it. My HomeGoods TikTok still gathers a couple likes here and there but I’m glad it’s died down. I’m still trying to find my footing and my audience. I have the dream of consistency and more frequency but this is the best I can do at the moment. We’ve had so many transitions over the past couple months and we’re still working out new routines and rhythms and work schedules. It’s exciting and I am still having lots of fun and I have tons of ideas that I struggle to get to them all right now. I feel restless because I want to be doing so much more but it’s tough now. I’m trying to remember that baby steps is better than no steps and done is better than perfect. It’s a Marathon not a sprint, right?

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal Season 2 on Netflix.
Rewatching: Ocean’s 13, The Bear
Verity by Colleen Hoover. I’m just a couple of chapters in but wanted to see what all the fuss was about with this book. So far I’m enjoying it. That first line hook had me.
DeuxU Podcast. This is how I knew all about Travis and Taylor. When my family wanted to tell me I had to say…bless, I’ve been knowing. DeuxMoi told me that a long time ago! (IYKYK).
Dark House - This is the best podcast for this time of year. I’m listening to it on my walks through my neighborhood that’s decorated for Halloween and especially as the sunsets, it is a vibe. I absolutely love the girls chemistry and the guests they have on and I honestly don’t know how I didn’t know about this sooner.
Alla Vodka Pizza Pasta by Half Baked Harvest. This is another perennial favorite of mine. We use our favorite jarred tomato sauce and that combined with the pesto is incredible. We also sometimes like to add a little drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Chicken by Half Baked Harvest. A new one! To me anyway, I wasn’t feeling great this week and wanted something healthy that was rich and flavorful but also be easy on my stomach and this was it. Served with buttered sourdough bread and it was an absolute winner. 15/10 will absolutely make again.
Madewell V-Neck Short Sleeve T Shirt in Burnt Clay. I joke in my fall fashion video about being ready for the pumpkin patch but you will absolutely catch me at the pumpkin patch in this shirt.