Can I move in?

As soon as I saw this home of blogger Nicole Cohen in the most recent issue of Rue, I haven't been able to get it out of my head! If I could redo my house, this is the look I would go for. Elegant and chic, yet cozy and approachable. LOVE IT!!!

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Lemon-Berry Pudding Cakes

On Monday my friend Linda, Phil and I kicked off our bi-weekly family dinner night with an Italian theme. My adorable husband made us Chicken Marsala - delish! And Linda and I made Martha Stewart's Lemon-Berry Pudding Cakes for dessert. Let me tell you, they were little cups of pure HEAVEN! In fact, I may have had more than one little cup of heaven that night. And I've been dreaming about them ever since! I might have to break down and make them again this weekend for company :)

Lemon-Berry Pudding Cakes

Makes 6 individual cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 pint blackberries
• 1/2 cup (about 3 lemons) plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for ramekins
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 6 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Boiling water, for pan
• 4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) creme fraiche

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process 2 1/2 ounces blackberries (12 to 15 berries), 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Set sauce aside.

Butter inner top inch of six 6-ounce ramekins; set aside. Whisk together egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in flour and milk in two batches each, beginning with the flour. Whisk in remaining 1/2 cup lemon juice, the salt, and the melted butter, and set aside.

Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until very frothy, about 1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a slow, steady stream; beat until whites hold stiff (but not dry) peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk half the whites into reserved lemon mixture until combined; gently fold in remaining whites with a rubber spatula.

Place the ramekins in a high-sided roasting pan or baking dish, and divide the batter among ramekins, filling each almost to the top. Spoon a few drops of berry sauce onto cakes, and use a toothpick or skewer to swirl sauce into batter. Transfer to oven; pour boiling water into pan, a bit more than halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake until cakes are set and the tops are just starting to turn golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. With tongs, transfer the ramekins from pan to a wire rack, and let cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat creme fraiche in a clean mixing bowl until it holds soft peaks. Serve cakes warm with creme fraiche and remaining blackberries. Enjoy!

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Hillsong United Concert

Last week Phil and I got to go to our third Hillsong United concert at the US Airways Center with about 25 friends from Vertigo. What an AWESOME night of worship! We all got floor tickets, and were standing just about 15 feet from the stage. I don't think I've ever experienced a concert like that - packed in like sardines but loving every minute of it, hands in the air, jumping up and down and singing at the top of my lungs! It was SO much fun! Hillsong United is the youth band of Hillsong Church in Australia. They are so incredibly talented! They put on a great show, but more than that, it's an incredible worship experience. At one point towards the end of the concert, I turned around and saw pretty much every person in that arena on their feet, hands in the air. You could just feel God in that place! Here are some pics Amanda took that night:

Our crew! A bunch of people met us inside, so this was the closest we got to a group shot.

My lifegroup girls! LOVE them!

Another Lifegroup shot.

Candice, Melissa and me.

Me and the hubster <3

Me and my bestie Amanda :)

Here are a few videos I found on YouTube of the concert:

The video below starts just before the band came back on for the encore. I can't even describe how cool it was!

If you've never seen Hillsong United in concert, be sure to see them next time you have the chance! You won't be disappointed! Until then, check out their newest album Aftermath. I can't get enough of it!

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Life-Sized Barbie Dress-up

After weeks of walking into my closet and having "nothing to wear," I decided to enlist the help of one of my besties to remedy the situation. So, Miss Amanda took me shopping at H&M last weekend and we successfully walked out with eight fun new outfits! Amanda is amazing at seeing the potential in pieces and creating great ensembles with them. Check out her blog, Pretty Little Things, for all of my new looks! And let me know which ones you like! The hubs and I are on a new budget, so I have to limit myself and return a few items. Please help me decide which outfits to keep!

Be sure to check out Amanda's blog for the other six looks. And a huge thanks to Miss Amanda for all your help! Love you!

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