Peppermint Essential Oil Cookies

Who doesn't love chocolate peppermint anything? We can't get enough of it, especially during the holiday season! I decided I wanted to try out baking with my peppermint essential oil from doTERRA® for the first time and it turned out SO well! I highly recommend this super easy recipe - it's cute, simple, and absolutely delicious!

To make these cookies, I purchased a pre-made sugar cookie mix from Betty Crocker, followed the instructions to a tee, and then mixed in 5 drops of doTERRA's peppermint essential oil. I rolled each cookie into a one-inch circle and baked as directed. The small amount of peppermint oil added huge flavor to the cookies - Tim and I both definitely overindulged. ;) Once they came out of the oven, I let them cool a bit and then placed candy cane Hershey's Kisses in the center of each one. Warning: allow the cookies to cool completely before trying to move them or you'll have melted candy cane kisses spread across the batch.

Full disclosure: I made two batches of these because the first ones didn't turn out so well! I took the first batch out of the oven, immediately placed the candy cane Hershey's kisses in the middle of each, and then left them on top of the hot oven while we were cooking dinner. I quickly found out that's a no-no ;) The kisses melted all over the cookies and ruined what I thought was going to be quite the photogenic batch. Luckily the second batch turned out much better!

If you try out this recipe, let me know what you think! Make sure to bake extra because they'll go fast. ;)

Our Wedding // Part 2

In honor of our one-year wedding anniversary this year, I thought it would be the perfect time to finally get our whole wedding story written down and shared with all of you!

In Part 1 of our wedding story, I tell you about the week before our wedding, all the fun we had, and all the celebrations that occurred before we said "I do." Part 2 is all about the morning of - getting ready! 

First of all, how adorable is this rental house we were blessed to be able to get ready in before the ceremony? It was such a steal that my family was able to rent it; it just so happens someone had canceled their reservation only a day or two before we saw it available online and, luckily, they snapped it up right away. 

Part 1 ended with "I went to bed that night with butterflies because I knew in less than 12 hours, I would be married to the man of my dreams. The next morning I woke up and the fairytale, most-perfect wedding day I could have ever asked for began." Now, let's get to the details ;)

Planning the wedding, Tim and I decided to go with a brunch-timed wedding. It was not only so unique, but also quite a bit cheaper than serving a full dinner. That being said, we knew we'd have to sacrifice a bit on the time we would need to wake up to be ready for 9 a.m. bridal party pictures and an 11 a.m. ceremony start time. I thought, "oh, I'll probably have to wake up around 6 a.m." Nope. I had no idea hair and makeup could take so long, haha.

It was just my mom and I who wanted to get our hair and makeup done so my hair dresser, Chrystal (so recommended, by the way!), decided she would do my mom's first and then mine. My mom woke up at 4 a.m. (yep, you read that right) to start getting her hair and makeup done. By that point of the morning I couldn't continue to sleep (way too excited!), so I got up, went downstairs, had a bagel and some tea and chatted with Chrystal, Chantelle (her assistant and sister), and my mom. While the butterflies in my stomach were definitely still there, I was as calm as ever and sitting down there in the peace and quiet of the early morning was actually the most perfect way to start our wedding day.

I honestly can't tell you what else was going on while I was having my hair and makeup done. I was just so in the moment chatting with everyone in the room, while at the same time thinking "this is so surreal! Is the day we've been waiting for for what seems like forever really finally here?" 

I was sitting in front of this beautiful, big bay window looking out on the drizzly morning sky with a sense that all was right in the world - that in just a couple of hours I would be walking down the aisle to marry the love of my life.

There were a few very special items I had with me on my wedding day. One was a gold heart, attached to my garter, that belonged to my late grandmother (my mom's mom). I also had my late grandmother's rosary on my bouquet. The last item was a blue ring that my mom gave to my sister for her "something blue" on her wedding day and my sister gave to me for my "something blue" on my wedding day. So happy I could incorporate all three into our special day.

I truly felt like a princess. Everyone kept asking me if they could do anything for me and telling me how gorgeous I looked (I thought, "I could get used to this!") ;) But in all seriousness, the love and support we felt that entire week, not to mention the day of, was overwhelming and humbling. We are so, so lucky to have all of the people in our lives that we do. Special thanks to my mom, Tim's mom, and my amazing bridesmaids for helping make the morning quite spectacular.

When the guys arrived to the house, I was promptly whisked away so Tim wouldn't see me before our "first look," a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life. More on that in part 3.

(Photography credit: Gregory Bartning of BelleImages)

Style // Chambray & Tulips

This chambray shirt has always been one of my favorites. I like that it buttons all the way up the front and that the sleeves have some fun structure to them. It also goes with almost anything since it's fairly neutral.

The capris are from Gap, but I actually thrifted them from a store in Portland. Such a good find! I stole the fedora from Tim... it's one of his favorites and just happened to go perfectly with my outfit ;)

My shoes are Toms lace-ups with a floral print. I got them when my friend Rachel and I went to the Toms Warehouse Sale together in Corona a couple of years ago. The wait was insanely long, but once you got in, it was awesome! There were such unique styles and everything was marked down to an incredible price! It was such a fun day spent with a wonderful friend.

I'm not going to lie, even though the tulips make these photos look bright and cheery, it was pretty cold outside! I had to throw on my sweater from Cotton On for the rest of the photos out in this beautiful, expansive field across from the tulip farm.

I'll be the first to admit I have a love affair with Dooney & Bourke. This bag goes with every outfit and is the perfect size to carry around the essentials plus my camera or a good book. When I was younger, my best friend's mom bought their bags and I think I subconsciously fell in love with the brand when I was 7. ;) I'm currently obsessing over one of their totes that would be perfect for work!

Outfit details: Blouse // Jessica Simpson (Macy's) | Capris // Gap (Thrifted) | Fedora // H&M | Shoes // Toms | Purse // Dooney & Bourke