Kilt Crazy!

Finally, finally, after living in Scotland for approximately 11 months and 12 days, Mike wore a kilt!

And he looked mighty good in it, if I say so myself.

He had to basically assemble his kilt attire, which involves several specific accessories.

We had fun with a little photoshoot outside our flat before we took off for the wedding!

The layout of a Scottish wedding is a tad different than your typical American Big Day. The "first round" of guests are invited to the ceremony, cocktails and a sit-down dinner. Then a "second round" of guests are invited to join the official reception. It's an interesting break-up of the usual free-flowing format in the US, but the dance floor, the music and the fun are all very much the same!

But then you've got a gorgeous granite cathedral and kilt-clad gents, which are not-so-subtle reminders that we were clearly in Scotland for the newlywed's special day.

What did Mike carry inside his sporran (which is Gaelic for purse, by the way)?

So glad you asked.

Let's see... there was a cell phone, a flask and some money. Everything you need!

The photographer snapped a couple cool photos of all the guys who wore kilts to the wedding, standing behind the bride. Neat, huh?

Here we are with the groom!

There was a lot of dancing and singing...

And pipers piping.

Congrats to the happy couple! And thanks for our true Scottish wedding experience!

Clear as Glass

There's just something so elegant about a cluster of gorgeous petals propped inside a glass jar.

{via Style Me Pretty}

I've saved several pickle jars and decorated them with frosted glass paint for a unique effect.

Mason jars are especially multipurpose. You can make wire handles or paint with stencils to personalize them and use for gifts or storage.

{via Cornerstone Events}

Keep it simple and use a mason jar with small branches from your yard or sticks of wheat, like this one.

{Bravo Bride}

Organize crafts or supplies with some mounted boards and a couple of hose clamps.

{via Weeping Cheeries}

If all else fails, they work just fine as a drinking glass. Cheers!

{The District Domestic}

With an Umbrella, Please!

How tropically delicious do these pina colada cupcakes from Homemade by Holman look?

Mmmm mmmmm.

I could eat three of them right now. Ok, maybe one. But I'd want three.

Get the recipe here.

Minty Fresh

Mint green has been a popular color this year, especially through spring and summer. I might have to try it out on nails or a cardigan or something to break up my turquoise obsession.

{via Style Me Pretty}

My Recipes: Pork Chop Deep Dish

I hadn't preplanned this dinner, other than knowing I was going to cook pork chops. And the husband had snuck a bag of baby potatoes into the cart at the grocery store, which are a bit too small to peel or mash, so I decided that roasting them would be the best option. But I wanted to add some other raw veggies to our meal (I'm really into cooked cherry tomatoes right now), as well as some fresh salsa I'd found tucked away on the shelf at Tesco (grocer)... so I pulled out my trusty ceramic "deep dish" pan and went to work!

Ingredients

3-5 medium-sized pork chops (bone-in or boneless, doesn't matter)

Grill seasoning (I use McCormicks Steak seasoning)

2 white onions, chopped into large pieces

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large zucchini, chopped (here they're called courgettes)

Couple handfuls of baby potatoes, halved

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Worcestshire Sauce

Salsa of your choice (optional)

Cooking Instructions

In a very large oven-safe pan or casserole dish, arrange the pork chops along the bottom. Coat generously with Worcestshire Sauce and sprinkle with steak seasoning. Then add in potatoes, zucchini, onions and tomatoes - arranging them around the edges of the pan.

Drizzle with EVOO, then sprinkle on another layer of grill seasoning. Top off with salsa, if desired, and bake at 425F for about 45 minutes. Go about your evening - laundry, shower, Facebooking, etc.

When veggies are soft to the touch, dinner is ready! Spoon onto plates, two chops per person, and enjoy!

"I ended up turning down a full scholarship of music at the conservatory to pay to go to cooking school."

~Emeril Lagasse