White Sangria Recipe!

Hi Lovelies! I made some delicious white sangria today and thought I would share the recipe with you! It's wonderfully festive and a fun switcharoo from the normal holiday drinks. Here's the recipe:

Makes 6 cups

1- 750 ml bottle dry white wine, chilled

3/4 cup peach schnapps

6 T frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 16- ounce package frozen unsweetened sliced peaches

3/4 cup seedless green grapes, halved

Mix together, chill, and enjoy!

<3

Flickr Fun

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To Adventure.

DIY Holiday Gifts

Having trouble finding the perfect gifts for your lovely friends? No worries! Just make something! Here are some great DIY gift ideas to get you started. 

Tissue covered Luminaries

Instructions

Lip Balm

Instructions

Braided Scarf

Instructions

Decoupage Bowls

Instructions

Chalkboard Mug

Instructions

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The Best Things in Life

1. Not knowing the future
2. Knowing that everything is going to be okay
3. Falling asleep to the pitter patter of the  
   rain 
4. Being trusted with a secret
5. Feeling pretty
6. Laughing so much it hurts
7. Making your own adventures
8. Lying in the grass on a warm, sunny day
9. Feeling the sun kiss your face
10. Fluttering of butterflies in your stomach
11. Stealing secret smiles
12. Discovering the person you like, likes you 

    back

13. Breaking the rules
14. Doing what no one thought you could
15. Being you because you are awesome
16. Stopping to enjoy the scenery
17. Taking it all in, all of it
18. Holding hands
19. Knowing how much your family loves you
20. Making your dreams come true

<3

You can call me Master

Hi Lovelies, this weekend was a big weekend! I graduated! You may now call me Master McWilliams. That does have a nice ring to it. I am officially done! 

The experience has been an amazing one and I've met some really rad people. I couldn't have asked for a better experience or better people to share it with. So grateful for an amazing year and half.

With that, I'll leave you with some inspiring words of wisdom from Howard Thurman,

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

 

Skinny Love by Bon Iver

Today I thought I would share with you a beautiful piece of music. I have been listening to this band nonstop since I discovered it on Spotify. This song, in particular, is my favorite. Bon Iver was just nominated for four Grammys, including record of the year and best new artist. 

The bands story is pretty cool. The lead singer, Justin Vernon, locked himself away in a remote cabin in Wisconsin for three months while he wrote and recorded all the songs on the album, Bon Iver. 

Enjoy <3

Wish I was Here Wednesday

Really missing dance these days. Hopefully I'll be able to start back up soon. Fingers crossed. 

<3

Let go or be dragged.

Sometimes you have to let go.

<3

Photo Personality

I thought I would play along with Paislea from Allister Bee and share my photo personality! Happy Thanksgiving!

my name | Kendra

my favorite food | Cookies!

my favorite color | Turquoise

my favorite tv show | Suits

my celebrity crush | Bradley Cooper

my dream vacation | Bhutan

my favorite drink | Mojito

my favorite pet | My kitty, Cricket

my favorite holiday | The Fourth

<3

Those moments.

You know those moments when life is better than your dreams? When you've imagined something over and over again in your head and that something finally comes true? 

And it's even better in real life?  

I live for those moments. I love those moments.

<3 

In life we do things, great things.

Wish I were here Wednesday

How amazing would this be...

Matheran, Maharashtra, India

Product Review: Evolution of Smooth

EOS Lip Balm

My friend recently gifted me one of these little bundles of pure lip joy and I instantly fell in love. This lip balm comes is the awesomest of packaging (I'm sure you noticed the spherical shape) and is 95 percent organic. Don't ask me about the other five...


This lip balm makes my lips feel yummy, it smells great and I look super cool putting it on. :) 

You can check out all the flavors at Evolution of Smooth and buy your EOS lip balm at Target, Walgreens or Riteaid. 

Great Fall Recipe: Butternut Squash Blondies

Do you ever buy something that you don't need just because it's really pretty? Well, I'll admit, I do. I own a blue and green strainer that rarely gets any use for that very reason. Recently, I fell in love with a lovely little ruffle apron and I had to have it. Thing is, I'm not much of a cook. So there wasn't much of a reason to buy it. This recipe was my first attempt at baking anything successfully (with the help of some trusted friends and mother, of course). I think the apron did wonders for my baking ability. 

Looks kind of like this one minus the top

But this isn't about the apron, it's about the brownies. And, dang, were they good. Seriously, I was a little skeptical at first, butternut squash in a brownie? But they ended up being super yummy. The squash makes the brownie deliciously moist and not too sweet. 

Here is the recipe for these delicious Blondies from wholefoods.com

Makes 2 dozen

Grated butternut squash and fresh nutmeg add earthy notes to these addictive sweets. To grate the squash, use a box grater or food processor. Make up to two days ahead, and cut them just before serving.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for the pan

 
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated butternut squash 


1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

 
1 cup 365 Everyday Value White Chocolate Chunks 


1 teaspoon baking powder 


1 1/2 teaspoons grated nutmeg 


1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 
1 cup light brown sugar 


2 eggs


1 tablespoon 365 Everyday Value Organic Vanilla Extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; set aside. In a medium bowl, toss together squash, flour, chocolate, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs together until pale and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in butter and vanilla, then add flour mixture and stir together just until combined. Transfer to prepared pan and bake until just set in the middle and golden brown around the edges, about 30 minutes. Set aside to let cool, then cut into 24 squares and serve.

All of our delicious goodies!

Let me know if you make them and how it goes!

Guest Post at Life Spelled Jen

Hi Lovelies, today I'm guest posting over at Life Spelled Jen and it's all about colored jeans! 

Go check it out! 

Part III: Fire in the ICU

Hi Lovelies. I promised you a thrilling part III, I hope I can deliver. Here is the third and final part of my special series, A Healthy Dose of the Hospital. If you missed part 1 or part 2 you can check them out here. Now to begin. 


Last I left off I had come out of surgery quite gracefully (insert sarcasm) and was beginning my recovery back in the ICU. Normally, this would be where my story gets boring and trails off to vacant thoughts about the whole experience, but not so. This is actually where the story gets really exciting (and almost unbelievable). 


I was just about to finish my first walk through the hall post-op. My nurse opened the ICU doors to find the nurses scurrying in panic to the room two doors down from mine. My nurse stopped one of the other nurses that was running past, "What's going on?" she asked. The other nurse answered back, "There is a fire." My nurse rushed me back to my room and told me to stay put while they put out the fire. I saw from my window into the ICU one nurse rushing to the other room with a fire extinguisher. Five minutes passed with my family and I held up in my room, watching as more nurses and now, admin staff ran into the other room. 


Turns out, they couldn't actually put the fire out and it had spread to the room next to mine. The area outside of my room was beginning to fill up with smoke. My nurse reappeared with a panicked look on her face, barged into my room, "You're the only patient in the ICU that can walk and it looks like we are going to have to evacuate everyone. So I want you to head on out now." She handed mom, dad, and I all masks to wear as we left the ICU. 


Ok then, I said to myself, with a little shrug, far too drugged up on pain killers to really fully grasp the situation. Off we went, Dad on one side, Mom on the other, masks on. As we left through the ICU doors firemen in full gear came running in. I shuffled to get out of their way. We made it out safe so I plopped down on a chair in the waiting area in the hall. My parents and I watched as more firemen rushed from the stairs into the ICU. Holy cow! Was this seriously happening right now? A fire, really? 


So naturally, with all the commotion I got sick...(a basic theme throughout my hospital stay). Thank god for mom! In the midst of all the chaos, she had thought to grab a pillow and a puke bucket! All a girl could ever ask for! I puked right there in the lobby in front of who knows how many people. 


A nurse came running up to my Dad who had been sitting next to me in the lobby, "Sir, can you help? We need as many hands as we can get." Dad jumped up and off he went into the smoky ICU to save the day and help evacuate patients. 


Dad came back 10 minutes later with quite the story. He had aided in the evacuation of a helpless patient on a ventilator. The patient had just undergone some pretty serious surgery judging from his wounds. Dad said the nurses were pulling cords out of the walls left and right trying to get him unattached from all of the machines. I was just glad to have my Dad back safe and sound. 


Another truckload of firemen arrived and came flooding up the stairs, past me, and into the ICU. Surely, they could get this fire under control. At the same time, a nurse had arrived at my makeshift space in the lobby to wheel me away to some place safer (and preferably with a bed).  Off I went, away from the fire. I settled in to a nice room downstairs in the overflow area of the hospital where I would stay until discharge in the morning...


Quite the day, I thought to myself. Did that seriously happen?

You'll be happy to know that no one was hurt in the fire or evacuation process thanks to my Dad, the tireless nurses, and the firemen. The ICU was closed for two days after the fire for a deep cleaning and rebuilding. One nurse mentioned it was the first fire in the hospital's history. 


Thanks for a thrilling visit, Emanuel! A life changer for sure! 

But in all seriousness, Thank you to the amazing nurses and doctors of the Nuero ICU! 

You are beyond kind and caring!

I will see you all again in January for operation numero dos.

Part II: Surgery

Ok, where did I leave off last time? Oh right, brain cyst, must operate. If you didn't get a chance to check out Part I of my series, A Healthy Dose of the Hospital, click here to catch up. 


After visiting the ER, I was instructed to head to Legacy Emanuel to be admitted as a patient where a neurosurgeon was on call and ready for me. We arrived at the hospital and I walked into the nuero ICU to get settled in to my new digs (complete with awesome bed and my very own bathroom). To everyone's surprise in the ICU, I walked in. (The nurses mentioned that most patients coming to the ICU did not usually fair so well). 


It was ackward at first, putting on a silly hospital gown, and socks lined with stickies to reduce the chance I would fall on my way to and from the bathroom and my bed. I didn't feel like I was sick, like I or my condition was deserved of being in the ICU. From my experience in my last job working at a hospital I knew that the ICU was where they put all CRITICAL patients. Was I critical? I mean, I was in pain, but I surely didn't feel critical. 


I settled in for the night, still bewildered by all that was about to take place. Brain surgery in the morning, no biggie. 


I laid down to sleep. Tonight, I thought to myself, I might actually get to sleep well...(minus the hourly check-ups). The thought of a good night's rest excited me. The past month I dreaded falling asleep every night because I knew that in a few hours, when my sleep cycle was at it's deepest, a migraine would sneak up on me and keep me awake and in pain for hours. Wistfully, sleep did not come so easily.   


Although the doctor had prescribed some heavy drugs to reduce the pain, my head still throbbed. The night went by slower than any night had ever gone by. I found myself constantly looking up at the clock only to discover that three minutes had passed. 


Around midnight the night got a bit more exciting. I projectile vomited ALL over the room- the curtains, the computer, the bed, my phone, my legs, my face....everywhere. I felt so bad for the nurses as they cleaned up my mess. EEEWWW. After I had re-situated myself in a new, freshly clean bed, I once again attempted to drift off into Dreamland. No luck. My face had begun to go numb. I called the nurse to let him know. I shifted my sleeping position, hoping that might help the numbness. The numbness persisted. At one point my whole right side of my face was numb up to my eyeballs. It was quite an odd feeling. Half of my tongue, teeth and lips were totally numb, but the other half normal. I finally found a position that relieved the numbness and shut my eyes. 


The rest of the night was thankfully, drama free. In the morning (5am) I was wheeled out of the ICU to get a MRI. Man, those things are horrible with a capital H. That noise! Really? Is that necessary? I had to stay perfectly still for an entire HOUR while this machine made the worst noises I've ever heard.  I'm so glad I shut my eyes before it began because, from what people have told me, it can get scary. 


Around 7am that morning I was informed that my surgery had been moved up due to my deteriorating health. (Apparently projectile vomiting and numbness are not good signs). Surgery took place later that morning around 10am. 

Surgery went well and of course I puked all over myself coming out of anesthesia (I must say, not my finest moment). I had two new wounds where the doctors had inserted a shunt and a brand new haircut. 

Stay tuned for part III of my series: A Healthy Dose of the Hospital, to find out what very unexpected events take place during recovery....seriously, you'll never guess. 

Part 1: An unexpected trip to the ER

Hi Lovelies. As you may have noticed, I've been away from the blogosphere for a bit. But, trust me, I have a very GOOD excuse.    Here is part 1 of my 3 part series, A Healthy Dose of the Hospital. 

Let's start from the beginning:

For the last month I've had daily migraines that were quite disabling. They usually happened at night so, let's just say I was REALLY tired all the time and taking A LOT of Excedrin. On top of that, I had a strange whooshing noise in my ear that had begun to actually effect my hearing as it was getting louder and louder. So all this was good and dandy until last Saturday when I woke up with blurry vision too. 

Fast forward to last Tuesday- I was balled up on the floor with a hairdryer in one hand and the other wiping my tears. This was the worst headache EVER! I couldn't take it anymore! So I called my dad and he decided it was time to go to the ER. I was hesitant to go since I had gotten the ol' brush off from doctors before. 

But we headed there anyway, and, as usual, I got the run around from the doctor. "You look perfectly healthy.""You're young." To the doctor's credit, he wisely decided to do a CT scan just in case....

A few minutes after the CT scan the doctor comes into the room, "Well, I was expecting to see a healthy  scan, but...(I hold my breath) it came back abnormal." DUN DUN DUNN (insert ominous music here) "I've talked to the neurosurgeon at Emanuel and he's preparing for your arrival there."  

Turns out I had developed a cyst in my brain that was putting pressure on my brain stem....yikes 

Tune in for part II of the adventure! Coming soon!

Here kitty, kitty

So I've been looking for a killer Halloween costume for this year and I think I've found one that should work. Last year's costume was quite a disappointment (I waited too long to get organized and ended up going as the lamest tennis player you've ever seen). This year I want something cute, that shows off my figure, but covers everything because (let's be serious here) it's really cold toward the end of October and I don't want to freeze my little butt off. It's cute, cheap, and it's doubtful I'll show up to a party and find my kitty twin. 

What do you think? Any suggestions? 

Obsessing over...

Maxi Skirts

The perfect addition to keep warm, but stay stylish in the cooler weather! 

You can pair this skirt with just about anything! So versatile! <3

Our Doubts are Traitors

Today I'm reminded that you cannot accomplish anything without first attempting. 

Wish I was Here Wednesday

On the water

or up in the air 

or in the trees 

Ode to the Rain

Just a little ode in honor of the first real rain in Portland this Fall

and a reminder to myself about why I named my blog "Dancing in the Rain."

My Fall Favorites

Just wanted to say THANKS to all my favorite bloggers for being a part of my guest series! 

I hope everyone enjoyed it!

Check out my fall favorites this season!

I'm loving the Navajo influence <3

Have a wonderful weekend!

Paislea's Fall Favorites

Please welcome Paislea from Allisterbee, one of my favorite blogs, to the guest post series:
i do have to admit that i am so excited for fall. and now that we're a few weeks into september, the warm weather is dwindling down. some of my favorite fall things include: pumpkins, turning leaves and warm jackets. but i do have to admit that my most favorite part of fall are the huge, comfy, wool socks that i get to pull out of the back of my sock drawer.

at home in sweat pants and pajamas, or out on the town under knee high boots and dresses- i love love love cozy socks. i love how socks are becoming more "appropriate" to wear over tights and under boots so the little tops of them poke out. i love curling up on the couch with little shorts, a oversized sweater, a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate and huge wool socks to keep my toes warm!!

you can find some really cute socks to wear for fall with your boots at a few different locations. i have listed a few below!
<<< | >>>   <<< | >>>
so whether you wear your socks in the comfort of your own home, or out in public as an adorable part of your wardrobe, wear them proud!!















Thanks so much for sharing with us Paislea! You always have such great and creative ideas! Be sure to check out her blog! It's full of unique fashion ideas and so much more!