Missing {a personal post}

So recently a horrible thing has occurred. And I'm literally depressed about it! My best friend since 11th grade just moved to Arkansas... This is us! Before prom when we were 16! 

We lived an hour and a half apart and talked every day but she was still close enough that if one of us was having the worst day of our lives the other could be there quickly. She has helped me through things that most people could never even imagine. We really know each other better than anyone and have the best conversations. I feel like now that she's 20 hours away I can't call her. It's weird I know. But it's crushing that she is so far away and I won't get to see her sweet sweet baby girls whenever I go up to see my dad. But!! I know this move is for the best for her family!!! Here's a photo of her precious youngest whom I fell in love with the first time I saw her. 

Love you Megg! 

Xoxo

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Chocolate Pomegranate Tart {Recipe Post}

Tis the season! I have a minor obsession with pomegranates! Whenever they go on sale at The Fresh Market I freak out and buy like 6 of them and then I get home and realize that one was probably enough and they are pretty complicated to peel! LUCKILY! One of my favorite bloggers wrote a post on it! Catherine over at Happily Ever Crafter wrote and amazing post that explains how to!

So! Then I have to figure something out! It came to me in a dream the other night! Chocolate Pomegranate Tart! I am absolutely in love with my recipe for a chocolate tart... Seriously. It is the product of so many failed tarts and experimenting. AND I am going to share it with yall!!!

First off you start with awesome Nilla Wafers and butter and sugar! and you smush and smush and smush until its all crumbs...or put in a food processor if you are smart unlike me!


Then press it into the lovely tart pan that your boyfriend mother bought you!


Then Combine the milk and heavy cream in a pot and cook on medium heat until the edges of the milk start to simmer!


Remove from heat immediately add the chocolate and whisk until combined! Stir in sugar and salt and then whisk the two beaten eggs into the mixture.


Pour on top of the nilla wafers crust and put in the oven at 325 for 20 minutes.


When you pull it out put as many pomegranate seeds on top and chill it in the fridge overnight!
Ingredients
Crust:
30 Nilla Wafers
1 Stick of Melted Butter
2 Tablespoons of Sugar


Filling:
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Milk
10 Ounces of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Large Eggs
Handful of Pomegranate Seeds



Whats your favorite fall time dessert!?
xoxo Jacqueline

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Weekend Rainy Day Attire {OOTD}

Rainy Day by yourjacqueline featuring long sleeve shirts

Well yall, We are officially on day 7 of what will now be known as "The Great Deluge" I have had to get extremely creative with what I am wearing recently because it just will not stop raining! Thank god I have three different pairs of rain boots because without them I would be one sad girl!

Today I had a bit of running around to do with my mom after church so I threw on my absolutely amazing Sperry rain boots, my minnie pants from Jcrew which are my "super comfortable, I dont feel like wearing real pants" pants, and my favorite Chambray from this summer! My newest Stella&Dot Necklace is probably my favorite one yet! It literally goes perfectly with my rain boots and is a pretty statement necklace without being completely over powering and ginormous!

Hope yall enjoyed!
xoxoxo
jYr

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Rainy Day Movies

I dont know about yall, but the past four days in Virginia have been pouring down rain... I really do not do well in the rain, my joints lock up and I am destined to spend the day on the couch shoving my face full of my favorite casserole watching the same 3 or 4 movies. I can watch them over and over and over again and never get sick of them! I figured I would share them with yall!


Sex and The City. Oh lord, I have every episode of every season plus both the movies, I have always been fascinated with Carrie and Big's relationship because I had a similar relationship for many years. I always try and root for them to succeed even though we didn't and never will. There is something about Big's personality that is so precious and likable, even though you cant see it on the surface... He really does love Carrie... I cry every single time Carrie gets left at the alter and she beats up big with the flowers.(Sidenote: I get wayy too attached to my shows) This movie and show have gotten me through the worst breakups and the gloomiest days. '


And the other movie I cry my eyes out at is Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon is the perfect southern lady and I LOVE IT! Seriously, and PATRICK FREAKIN DEMPSEY! Swooning over him is the number one reason that I watch this movie. The quotes from this movie are the absolute best and I literally love it to death! My mother and I quote it back and forth all the time.


Audrey Hepburn has always been a role model to me and Sabrina is one of my favorite movies by her! She plays a confused girl who has a puppy dog crush on the wealthy man that her father works for and she grows up and changes in some of the most phenomenal ways! AND SERIOUSLY look at that dress!! So perfect

What are your rainy day movies?

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Wino Wednesday: Virginia Wineries

Hey yall! I am joining in on the fun of Wino Wednesday, because lets get forreal... I love wine more than anything! And my family shares the same passion! Especially for wine from Virginia! Because this is my first post I will talk about my favorite Virginia Wines!!


Horton Winery has been one of my favorite wineries for pretty much....ever. My mother had a rule that you could drink wine underage only at Sunday Dinner which is a crazy huge thing in our family that usually has no less than 9 guests per week. Horton has a wonderful selection of wines including my ultimate favorite... Cranberry! Perfect for fall right? Their Chateau Le Cabin (Fruit Wines) are absolutely delicious and are some of those "woopsy" wines... you know, the kind that on your fourth glass your realize you are absolutely plastered and cant stand up! Their winery is absolutely magical and is located in Orange County VA! If you are ever up there I highly recommend going up there for a visit!


Mountain Cove Vineyards in Nelson County VA is Virginia's oldest winery! Its small one-man operated winery is absolutely charming and so quaint! The tastings are free there(DOUBLE BONUS) and they have one of the best apple wines I have every had. Their fruit wines contain absolutely no grapes (As opposed to Horton's, which are a blend) so they are a pure fruit wine with absolutely amazing flavor. I love my experience of venturing down the dirt roads and up the side of a mountain to experience the pure "rawness" that was their vineyard.


Okay so my favorite local winery is Saudé Creek Vineyards in New Kent County. My mother and I have spent a few days out there just sitting on that amazing porch, drinking wine, and laughing. My mother's boyfriends family love it so much there they spend most Sundays there! I love the atmosphere, its so welcoming and fresh. My absolute favorite wine by them is the Saudé Creek Blush, which is described on their websites as "A soft, rosy semi-dry blend deriving much of it’s distinctive character from the Touriga grape, our Saudé Creek Blush introduces itself with a round, fruity nose and follows with notes of blackberry and apple, and a subtle hint of peach. A superb accompaniment to fish, chicken, sushi and good conversation."



Me at one of the many wine festivals we have been to this summer!

What are yall's favorite local wineries?!

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Fall Etsy Picks!

Let's get forreal here for a minute, I am obsessed with Etsy. It it my go-to website when I want something super unique, vintage, or crafty. I figured I would show yall a few things I have been obsessing over for the fall!


I will be the first to admit that I hated clutch bags for the longest time because well... Im lazy. I really need straps because I set things down and lose them... HOWEVER! I absolutely adore this linen and leather clutch from HelloVioleta ! Her prices are so reasonable and amazing! Her other bags are too precious too! Go order one... You wont regret it!


I absolutely love candles and fall scented candles are my absolute favorite! I have been searching for a soy candle forever and I have finally found "the one". Still Water Candles has the most amazing scents PLUS it comes in a mason jar! Whats not to love?! The one Im ordering is the pumpkin roll scent! I think it is a change from the boring cinnamon stick that I always end up with.


Okay lets talk scarves yall. They are essential to any autumn outfit because, lets be honest, your outfit just looks kind of boring without them! I have recently fallen in love with Bevas Closet! Her stuff is perfectly in my style every single time! AND super reasonable prices! I promise you will not regret this purchase, people will be asking you where you got your scarf!


I love my Snow Bear! And he loves his bandanas and usually I make them for him but if I don't make them for him then I buy them from etsy! This bandana is too precious with the chevron print... (that can be masculine right?) So this is certainly getting ordered and going on the pup as soon as I order it. This type of bandana goes over their collar so you don't have to worry about the knot fraying, falling off, or the dog being bothered by it!


And last but certainly not least my favorite decoration that I have ordered for the fall yet! This gorgeous sign from The Barn Wood Sign shop is absolutely amazing! I cannot wait to get it and put it proudly in my "rotating seasonal" picture spot in my dining room!

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Crazy About Houndstooth

CAH by yourjacqueline featuring a below knee pencil skirt

Every fall it seems that I fall in love with a pattern that is appearing frequently in the stores! Seriously last summer/ fall it seems like all I had was polka dots everywhere! This year it is houndstooth... I feel like it is such a classic pattern. I can buy a tons of it and keep wearing it for years! Recently I have been obsessed with blazers and pencil skirts because I can use them at the office to express my own individual style! SO! I ventured out to my two favorite spots to get "funky yet classic items" Target and J.Crew! I ordered this amazingly sassy "No.2 pencil skirt" from Jcrew and found this Merona blazer for a steal at target! The Kate spade flats are on order! and Ive been drooling over these lovely orange houndstooth items on etsy!
Whats your favorite fall pattern?!

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Canning Apple Pie Filling {Recipe Post}

Since the beginning of the Great Commonwealth of Virginia was created woman have been canning fruits and veggies to keep them for times that we have to go without! My family is absolutely no different! We can green beans, tomatoes, and everything in between! Its a method that has been passed down through the years! This fall we decided we were going to can Apple Pie Filling and Pumpkin!{Post to come at a later date} I figured I would be generous and share my recipe!



Ingredients
1/2 Bushel of apples (I used Matsu Apples)
8 cups of sugar
2 cups cornstarch
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp of Lemon Juice
16 cups of water
14 quart size jars

Method

Peel, core, and slice your apples into 1 cm slices!


Place them in a bowl of lemon water to keep them from browning!


Mix all of your dry ingredients together (While drinking a Bold Rock, I told yall I was obsessed) and pour them into a stockpot that is filled with the 16 cups of water. Bring to a boil and continuously stir!!! (THIS IS IMPORTANT) Meanwhile have your handy-dandy helper start filling the jars up half way with apple slices!



When the syrup has thickened you will want to remove it from heat and put the 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in the syrup to prevent it from thickening up too much! you then will carefully ladle the syrup over the half filled apples until your apple are covered, then have your handy dandy helper stuff more apples in the jar and repeat ladling the syrup! Once they are filled up to about 1/2 an inch of space you can wipe them down and place lids on them and place them in the pressure canner!



And Voila! You have apple pie filling! One quart sized jar makes one pie! It keeps pretty much forever on the shelf so enjoy!! And please remember always to thank your lovely handy dandy helper. In my case it was my loving mother and grandmother! Scrams prefers not to be pictured because she "is not Julia Child" but heres a picture of my awesome mother who held my hand through this whole process and probably suffered mild sugar burns!


What awesome canning recipes does your family use?!

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What Im Lovin' Wednesday!

wilw 10.2 by yourjacqueline featuring an apple candle

This Wednesday I am really getting into my fall spirit! First up is my go-to candle for the fall! I literally go to Bath and Body Works and buy one AS soon as I start seeing the fall stuff go up! I love their apple candles! PLUS! this one is a three wick candle so that's 3 times the fun!

Next up are my ultimate "lay around the house capris" (I use them to work out too!) Under Armour makes the absolute best capri compression pants! They are perfect for that fall evening when you come home and have NO IDEA what to wear because it gets hot and then its cold and you dont want to put on "real clothes" because you have had to wear heels and grown up clothes all day. (Yep, Im THAT lazy!) Plus they are super reasonably priced!

Now that I have cut off all of my hair I am absolutely in love with the Its a 10! products! All I do it wash my hair, spray a bit of Its a 10 in it and blow dry it! My hair comes out perfect every single time and the spray protects from heat damage! PLUS!!!!! It makes my hair killer soft, like furry puppy soft yall!

Its getting to be Fall and Snow really needs a new collar. His is just pitiful, its getting ragged and not cute and Im just not a fan anymore. Unfortunately Daniel hates certain types of dog collars, mainly the ones that snap together with cheap plastic, so I have spent a solid week looking for this dog a collar that was cute and met "daddy's standards" for him! I found this awesome yellow and grey chevron one that is pretty gender neutral and we are going to see how that does! Dont worry yall! Ill post pictures of his sweet face!

And last but not least! My brand new glass water bottle is amazing! I love that it says Physical Therapy on it because honestly... water is the best physical therapy you can do for your body! PLUS! You are saving a lot of water bottles for getting out into the ocean!

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The Big Change {Fashion & OOTD Post}

So!As I mentioned in my last post I started a new job this week! Finally moving on to a big girl job! Ultimately I believe that I would like to go into banking and financial advising. SO Today I started at Suntrust! I am going to start posting more frequently about how to look stylish in the office! I am starting to find its hard to keep one's fashion identity when you are confined to suits! I have found alternate ways to spice up my outfits!

First Day of Work! by yourjacqueline featuring a sterling silver locket necklace

First off I found this AMAZING unique blazer on super sale! Like... 30 dollars yall! Not even kind of kidding! I am seriously big on the super sales now a days! My Go-to pants are always Banana Republic because they make petites and lets face it my legs are quite stumpy! If you are lucky like I am there is a factory store somewhere near to you and you can get them on sale! Because lets face it, when will black pants ever truly go out of style! I absolutely adore my vintage jewelry that has been passed down from my great grandmother and I have really loved using it to spice up the usually boring outfits! Since today was my first day I did not want to go too crazy so I paired it with this lovely heart locket that Daniel had gotten for me awhile back! And my shoes came from my favorite place to find shoes Off Broadway!


So I decided that if I had a new job I was going to change everything up! I cut all of my hair off and am absolutely loving it! It is so much easier to do in the morning and truly a blessing to only spend 10 minutes on my hair!

What big changes are yall making for the fall!?

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Apple Picking and Wine "Tasting"

Well Since I kick off my new job tomorrow, my mother and I thought it would be a good weekend to get away and just spend some time together! None of the boys were allowed to come even though they missed us terribly I am sure (Yeah right)! We decided it was the perfect time to go out to our favorite orchard in the Western Part of Virginia!



My Grandmother is originally from a town out that way called Lynchburg, and a decent part of her family still lives out that way including her wonderfully classy mother, whom I strive to be on a daily basis. So we already had a place to stay when we got there! My mother and I piled in her brand new Fiat which we have affectionately named "FiFi" and headed down the country roads listening to my awesome iPhone which for some reason has decided to give me every song I have downloaded since I was 13 as music options! SO! That was super fun! We enjoyed singing our hearts out until we could no longer talk! We got to Lynchburg and passed out shortly after Supper. The next morning we met up with my Great-Aunt Jackie (Obviously who I am named after)and headed down to the Farmers Market!



I have always been in love with this market because its absolutely enormous! They have everything including breakfast and every seasonal fruit, vegetable, jam, and preserve you could ever dream of! We met up with one of my closest friends Rebecca (who blogs over at LifewithrMe) I loved walking around with her and listening to her awesome week in which she got tapped into a pretty exclusive club at Sweet Briar! We ate breakfast and bought quite a few veggies and this life changing taziki goat cheese. Not lying yall... I ate the entire container with some fresh baked bread!



Afterwards Mom and I headed out to Drumhellers Orchard where we picked an entire bushel of apples! We picked a great Saturday to go because they were having some sort of fall festival there and there was live music, great food, and cute craft vendors!


I am absolutely in love with these spider pumpkin holders, I have got to figure out where to get them!

... And these hats! Ohmigod SOO cute!

And... I have a major addiction to fresh homemade pork rinds. Judge me I dont even care!

Afterwards we went on to some real fun! We went to three different wineries and a cidery all along the road! I absolutely love Bold Rock's Cider and it is kept in our beer fridge at home on a regular basis! My mom had never been to the three wineries we went to and they were absolutely stunning to say the least! We ended up with 4 or 5 bottles of wine!


Please ignore my silly face, Mom told me to smile!! (Plus! Chopped all of my hair off for the new job)

DelFosse Vineyards! I loved it here! the day before they had a wedding here and I could tell why! The vineyard in general was absolutely stunnign with an impressive tasting room and over 300 acres of exploring space!


Mountain Cove Vineyards Which just happens to be Virginia's oldest vineyard! It was absolutely magical with is rustic buildings and incredible views! I loved their wine!


And last but certainly not least Democracy Vineyards Which was a dramatic difference from Mountain Cove up the road from it! It was a brand new modern looking building with fresh labels that looked a tad out of place in a lovely countryside of Nelson County! But! Their wine was good and their Sangria was even better!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful fall and going on several adventures of your own!

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Cinnamon, Oh Cinnamon

So we have established that my obsession with Fall is in full swing! That paired with my obsession with my brand new kitchen is making Daniel quite fat. Every time he comes down for work there is a whole new thing that I have decided to bake. I absolutely love baking, its my comfort blanket kind of like Linus in the Peanuts! Seriously, when I stress out my loved ones generally come home to find something like 100 cupcakes all frosted and decorated. I do not even generally eat sweets, but I just love the smells, the absolute perfect recipes that have been handed down for years and the way it lights up my favorite little one's face! Growing up my favorite cookie was a snickerdoodle and it always has been! My mothers recipe was good but after the first day they would harden and you could build houses with them! (Sorry Mom!!!) So I tinkered around with the recipe and changed a few things around and VOILA! Perfect snickerdoodles! Next year I am going to try and mess around with maybe pumpkin ones or apple ones! But one thing that any good Southern Woman knows is that you always share your recipes with those you love! SO here yall go!



Jacqueline's Fantastic Snickerdoodles
1/2 Cup of Butter
1/2 Cup of Shortening
1 1/2 Cups of White Sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 3/4 Cups of All Purpose Flour
2 tsps Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt


Cinnamon Sugar:
2 tbsp White Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon



Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Cream together butter, shortening,white sugar, the eggs, and the vanilla.
3. In a bowl sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in four parts.
5. Shape the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (I use a melon baller)
6. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar! (The best part for the little ones to help with)
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes on parchment paper (Until set but not too hard) remove immediately from the baking sheet!






I hope that everyone enjoys this recipe!
Happy Thursday everyone! My lovely mother and I are headed out to the mountains this weekend to pick apples, go to the awesome craft breweries and wineries, and just spending time together!

What are yall doing for the first weekend of fall!?!

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Falling Back Into Things {DIY &Update Post}

So the past few months have been absolutely crazy for Daniel, Snow, and I! We moved our entire lives down the road a bit so I have spent the past month unpacking all of the craziness! I also had a shoulder surgery that pretty much put me on my behind for a solid 6 weeks. I couldnt even drive yall! But luckily all of that nonsense is over and we can start getting back to normal! The first thing I unpacked naturally was my cookbooks! They are now proudly on display in my kitchen!



Snow is settling in nice as well, he loves having the space to run around and play. We live so close to the water that every night he demands that we go and play in the water. Most nights Im enjoying sitting on my nice back deck area and he comes running up with the harness and just whines until I take him. His new favorite spot however is in the kitchen by the back door. I find him here regularly, I think because he loves the sun shining on him and plus... He's just plain nosey.



The cool air this week has made me crave everything fall, So just like every other season I start the great hunt for things to decorate my house with and every recipe that I could possibly bake(Coming in a later blog post). However, I don't know if yall have been to the store to buy a wreath recently but... they are ridiculously expensive. I am sorry, but I refuse to pay 40 dollars for something that is hanging on my door...SO! I did what any other southern lady would do. I went home and looked in my email for those lovely Joann's coupons. If you dont get them, you can sign up Here!! Turns out I could use like four of them! So I went in search of the perfect things to put on my wreath!



I ended up buying these lovely orange and maroon silk hydrangeas, a roll of 4 inch wide burlap, and a 14' wreath form all for 8 dollars! Seriously! The coupons are totally worth it! So I came home and got to work putting it together! All I needed was a hot glue gun, which I already had! So I excitedly spent 15 minutes wrapping the whole wreath form in burlap and hot gluing it as I went! Then I just attached the hydrangeas with florist pins and hot glue and Voila! Instant fall!



What are yall doing to get in the mood for fall?!

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