On Tuesday, our beloved little puppy turned six! Not only did she turn six, but she did so on November 6 and was born in 2006! So I decided to make her “golden birthday” a little extra special with a puppy cake covered in golden yellow “frosting” made with cream cheese, peanut butter, milk and honey. I realize that this makes me a certifiably crazy puppy parent. But until we have children, Nutmeg is our baby, and we both love … Read More

WHO: Karlie Van Soelen WHAT: Director of Communications & Missions at Federated Fellowship Church BLOG: http://karlievansoelen.wordpress.com/ I grew up in small town called Pella, IA, recently graduated in May, got married in June, and am the Director of Communications & Missions at Federated Fellowship Church: http://federatedfellowship.org/. I design at my job and on the side and love to sing. 1. Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people [woman], a royal priesthood [daughter], a holy nation [woman], God’s special … Read More

We returned yesterday from our trip to Napa Valley. My mom and I, along with our friend, Polly, had a great time drinking wonderful wine, sleeping in and working out to balance all the amazing food we ate. We also met up with our friends, Emily and Cody, who live in Sonoma. Cody is becoming a wine maker, and they showed us around his workplace while we were there. It made me a little jealous of the adventure they are … Read More

WHO: Julie Wunder WHAT: Meteorologist, Runner, Animal Advocate and New Blogger BLOG: Running in a Skirt Hello, E&C readers! My name is Julie, and I love smiles, the color pink, football and country music. I have been reading and enjoying Madison’s “My 5 Things” series on Espresso and Cream. It seems like life gets so crazy these days that sometimes we forget to step back and appreciate all the beautiful things in the world. I think it’s amazing she’s bringing … Read More

It’s early Sunday morning and, per usual, our apartment is still, quiet and peaceful. Most mornings throughout the week, and even the weekends, I choose to rise earlier than Joe so I can have 30 minutes to an hour of quiet time to myself. I make my coffee, get breakfast ready and sit at the island table. Sometimes I work through my devotional or read a bit from my Bible, other times I catch up on blogs or sift through … Read More

Last weekend I spoke to a group of women at our church about hospitality, recipes and my life as a food editor. I had so much fun with the women, and loved that it was a small group so we could talk casually. A few of the ladies mentioned that I should put up photos of our apartment, and so today I’m doing just that! I don’t know what took me so long, or why I never thought to put … Read More

I’m so sorry that I left you hanging yesterday without a “5 Things” post. I was feeling under the weather and didn’t go to work, so the post didn’t get put together. But I promise I’ll have something ready for you next Tuesday! During last week’s giveaway, so many of you mentioned that you were excited to bake pumpkin bread this fall. I don’t know why, but I’ve never made pumpkin bread, despite making endless variations of banana bread. Crazy, … Read More

Happy Monday, friends! Thanks to everyone who entered the Anthropologie giveaway. I loved reading what you were going to make this fall. So many of you said that you were going to bake pumpkin bread that I whipped up a batch this weekend. I’ll be sharing the recipe later this week! Without further delay, the winner of the giveaway is: Anna, please send me an e-mail (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) with the address you would like to have the apron sent to! On … Read More

Because it’s Friday, and because I love Anthropologie, let’s do a little giveaway, shall we? I have a serious love of all things Anthropologie, especially the items that are in no way necessary, like pretty little plates, fancy pajamas and apron’s that look like dresses. But the practical part of my brain usually wins when it comes to purchasing such items. Do I really need an apron or pajamas that are pretty enough to wear out in public? Not really. … Read More