Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Psalm 139:14

 

 
 

 Happy Weekend, everyone.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Happy Friday!

I teach at a private, Lutheran school in Orange, California.  I love teaching, and I especially love teaching at a Christian school.  This week we celebrated National Lutheran Schools Week.  It was packed with fun events for the kids.  Let me give you a brief synopsis of our week.

Monday: 

Pre-K Play Day

{preschoolers visit my 6th grade class - my "big kids" love it!}

Tuesday: 

 Denim for Disciples Day

{kids get to wear jeans when they typically wear school uniforms.}

Teacher Switch Day

{the 5th graders come our my classroom and get a preview of 6th grade}

Wednesday: 

Ash Wednesday

{special Chapel service}

National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

Faculty vs. Student Volleyball Game

{We won; woo-hoo!  And my body's still paying for it.}

Thursday:  

PJ Day

{Students wear PJs to school...teachers, too!}

Faculty vs. Student Basketball Game

Open House/Curriculum Fair at night

Friday: 

Special Friends Day

{What used to be "Grandparents Day" has turned into Special Friends Day.  Adults from ages 18 up come to the classroom on this day.}

Such a fun week...but I am one EXHAUSTED teacher. 

Off to Happy-Hour with some of my teacher friends at Islands...we need it!

{image via Hip Hostess}

CHEERS!

It's All Greek To Me!

I'd like to think that even if I weren't Greek, I'd still love Greek food...REALLY good, fresh Greek food.  If you think Greek food simply consists of pita bread and hummus...you're wrong.  Check out the other yummy dishes Greek cuisine has to offer.  Here are some of my favorites!

THIS is how a Greek Salad is done...no lettuce! 

Lamb Souvlaki...deliciousness on a stick. Sprinkled with a little bit of lemon...perfection.

Pasticcio ~ our version of lasagna {and yes, in my opinion, it's better!}  There's a heavenly, thick bechamel sauce on the top and a hint of cinnamon in the pasta.  Yum!

Moussaka ~ the "vegetarian" version of Pasticcio.  Filled with yummy eggplant instead of pasta and meat. {You may remember this dish from a scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when a student asks with disgust, "Moose Caca?"} 

Spanakopita ~ spinach pies with cheese.

Saganaki!  This is a cheese-lover's dream.  Sharp cheese fried in wine over an open flame.  Enough said.

Feta ~ good, sharp feta.  The one found at your local Trader Joe's just can't compare.

Kalamata Olives...I could eat these like candy.

Classic white bean hummus with olive oil and crusty bread.

Grilled octopus with lemon...seriously delicious.  In Greece, they are caught in the morning and cooked perfection later in the day.  When done right, this is delicious! 

{When it's cooked wrong, it feels like you're chewing rubber - yuck!}

Fried Calamari {in good olive oil} drizzled with lemon.

Dolmades ~ stuffed grape leaves.  A yummy snack or meal.

Gyro...pronounced yee-ro (not jy-row or guy-row).  A gyro is like the "hamburger" of Greece - you can find them everywhere - and they are delicious!  The white sauce is a creamy tsatsiki sauce - made with yogurt and cucumber.  Yum!

Soutzoukakia...I know, it's a mouthful to say.  These are basically really tender, juicy meatballs slow-cooked in a tomato sauce.

Avgolemono - soup with lemon, egg, and rice.  Delicious whether you are well or ill!

Fasolada...bean soup.  Hearty and satisfying.

Baklava! Layers of flaky phyllo dough {pronounced fee-low}, walnuts, cinnamon, and honey.

One of my favorite summer treats ~ watermelon and feta.  Sounds like an odd combination, but it is heavenly.

One of my favorite breakfasts ~ Greek yogurt with drizzled honey.  Perfectly sweet and tart.

Loukoumades ~ the Greek doughnut eaten as dessert.  These little dough balls are fried, then tossed in honey, and sprinkled with cinnamon.  When you bite into them, the honey oozes into your mouth.  Divine!

Nescafe Frappe!  The "go-to" Greek iced coffee drink.  Ahh...somebody take me here.

I love how the Greeks eat.  Nothing fancy about it ~ just good, fresh local ingredients cooked with love to perfection.

OPA!

Baby Brooklyn's Baby Shower!

Yesterday we had a Baby Shower for my sister's second baby ~ Brooklyn Jane.

The shower was definitely a collaborative event.  My sister's sister-in-law & mother-in-law were the hosts.  I did the desserts and my mom did the decor.  Usually this is not how I operate {I have to admit, I'm a pretty big control freak}, BUT...it turned out great.  And it was way less stressful!

Here are some pictures from the day...

Brooklyn's adorable bedding was the inspiration for the shower ~ I used a blanket of hers on the dessert table.  Love the pink and green!

Marshmallow Pops

My mom made all of these amazing cupcake liner topiaries herself ~ impressive!

What's cuter than a strand of hanging onesies?

Angels Baseball Baby

My sister, the glowing mama!

My first-born niece, Madison Rae ~ the big sister!

Aunties ~ ready for one more niece to love!

Maddie is at such a fun age.  She said, "Auntie, the marshmallow is so tasty!" after I took this.

Such a good helper

The look of a successful party!

We are all SO excited to meet Baby Brooklyn...hurry up, April! 

xoxo

"Auntie Ashley"

Baby Showers Galore!

It's another busy weekend around here!  Tomorrow is my sister's baby shower so I'm busy making cupcakes and marshmallow pops {pictures to come!}. 

I'm at the age where I feel like I'm going to either a bridal shower or a baby shower every weekend ~ and I love it! 

Here's some Baby Shower inspiration for you {via Martha Stewart}...simply adorable.

{onesie cookies}

{baby blocks cake}

{nesting blue bird cupcakes}

{lollipop cupcakes}

I can't wait to meet Brooklyn Jane, niece #3!

Beautiful Cakes ~ The Sweet & Saucy Shop!

If I could plan our wedding all over again, the ONLY thing I'd do differently is get my cake from The Sweet & Saucy Shop.  Melody, the owner, and her team make the most beautiful and stylish cakes, desserts, pops, and more!

They're all too amazing to comment on individually.  Which one is your favorite?

Be sure to stop by the Sweet & Saucy Shop if you're in the Long Beach area, or visit their site online.

If nothing else, follow Melody's blog to keep up with her beautiful work!

{all images courtesy of My Sweet & Saucy Shop}