Category: LIFE

Gift Guide: The Photographer

by Madison

Happy Blogmas Day 3! We are doing this, y’all!!

Today is the first of a few gift guides — it’s not too late! I am not done shopping for my family and friends and if you are, MAJOR props. If you have a photographer friend, family member, or are a photographer and need some Christmas list ideas, this post is for you. The entire image above is clickable (simply click on the red boxes with a + on them) and shopable except for these 4 extra special gift ideas:

Illustration
An illustration is a perfect gift that elevates an already present photo. I personally use @denofdreamers Tara Nix for my illustrations. She is affordable and her images are so quality! I gifted my boyfriend the image above for our 1 year anniversary and it was such a special gift.

Brevite Jumper Backpack:
CAN’T RECOMMEND ENOUGH. Holds everything. So many compartments and places for everything a photographer could need at a shoot or for a workday at a coffee shop. Seriously, get this for the photographer in your life.

Gift THEM a photoshoot (branding/headshot or a simple family/couple shoot!)
As a photographer, I would LOVE to be gifted a branding session or a couples session to have photos taken OF me! It is really important to get in front of the camera to learn how your clients feel but also just to get some updated photos of yourself! Clients want to see their photographer’s face sometimes too (: You can learn how to gift a photo session in this post I wrote.

Workshop from their photographers
Some photographers like Dawn Charles offer workshops, resources, guides, etc. that can be SO helpful for new and intermediate photographers. The photographer in your life definitely has a favorite photographer of their own… ask them who they are and then do the research to see if they offer a course or workshop!

GIFTCARDS!
Specifically to coffee shops. Starbucks would be great. Or even a Trade coffee subscription! They need their editing fuel!

I hope you were able to get some good gift ideas from this post! Happy shopping!!

PS: If you feel so inclined, I would LOVE to hear how you got to this post. Instagram? Facebook? A friend?

PPS: Feel free to share this post!!!

Amazon Prime Day 2020

by Madison

Let’s make this short and sweet. Here is everything I have bought on Amazon over the last 6 months and then below that is everything I have on my wishlist for this year’s Prime Day. Happy shopping y’all!!

HAVE:

WANT:

Gluten and Dairy-Free Spicy Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Dressing

by Madison

I am soooooo excited to write about this recipe. My family has been making this caesar salad recipe for as long as I can remember. We would make it every Friday night with either pizza or hot dogs or hamburgers and I would look forward to having this dressing all week. We had this recipe on our book stand on our kitchen counter for my entire childhood. ANYWAYS, all of that to say that this recipe has withstood the test of time and is the best caesar dressing you will ever have — and it’s SO easy. So let’s get to it.

Caesar Dressing Grocery List:
1 Tablespoon + 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic or 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (add more of either if you love garlic)
1 egg
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
Half of a 12oz can of anchovy fillets, drained
A few sprinkles of pepper
Head of romaine or container of baby spring mix
Optional: Dairy-free or regular shaved parmesan
Optional: Gluten-free or regular seasoned croutons

Spicy Grilled Chicken Grocery List:
1lb chicken breast (or prepackaged grilled chicken strips from Costco or your favorite grocery store); cut into bite-sized pieces if you don’t prefer strips
1 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce

Let’s cook:
1. Marinate your chicken in buffalo sauce. I marinate mine for 2 hours-ish. You can marinate longer or shorter. I am all about the flavor and the longer the marinade, the better, IMO.
2. Place all of the ingredients from the caesar dressing grocery list above into a food processer. This Ninja food processor works perfectly to mix all of these yummy flavors together.
3. Cook your chicken. You can grill your marinated chicken breasts on your outdoor grill. You can also place your marinated chicken on a hot pan; cover. Flip and cook to your liking. You can also bake your chicken! However you prefer to cook your chicken, go for it.
4. Prepare your spring mix and romaine (or whatever lettuce you choose) and pour a generous amount of dressing atop the lettuce. Toss in the dressing.
5. Place your marinated (or simply grilled chicken, it’s great either way!) right on top.
6. Enjoy!

If it’s not easy, I don’t want it. This dressing is full of flavor and lasts so long in the fridge for a full week of delicious salad. Also, the chicken marinated in the pre-made buffalo sauce is a no brainer. We enjoyed this meal with seasoned fries but you can add veggies or any other side to complement the salad. You can also make this salad as a side! I just love it so much I eat it as my entree. This recipe highlights an incredible GF/DF caesar dressing that is a staple in my personal recipe book. I would LOVE to hear and see you guys make this recipe so make sure to tag me on Instagram @MadisonCrowley. You can also keep up there to see more day-to-day recipes before they hit the blog.

I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I and my family do!!!

Gluten and Dairy-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Recipe

by Madison

I would live in Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce if I could. I could drink that stuff like coffee. I mean, my stomach couldn’t physically handle that. But if I could, I would.

That means I would eat buffalo wings (gluten-free boneless or bone in, whichever) all day long. And I mean, we shouldn’t just sit around eating chicken wings all day if we are striving to be our healthiest selves. I have seen this recipe going around during quarantine and decided it was finally time to try it out for myself!!!

For those of you who have been reading my blog from the beginning, welcome back and welcome to a new era of V&L. Where I spend my money has changed, where I spend my time has changed, and where I spend the majority of my efforts for work/passion projects have changed. Instead of buying incessant amounts of clothes, I am buying food and making new recipes that I can share and help people who can’t eat dairy or gluten add some new meals to their repertoire.

With that being said, let’s dive into this yummy recipe.

Grocery List:
¾ cup gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour)
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup oat milk (or whatever milk you prefer)
1 head cauliflower
Buffalo sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce)

Let’s cook:
1. Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, add the gluten-free flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oat milk, and stir until well-combined.
3. Cut the head of cauliflower into small florets. You want them bite-sized so that you can evenly coat them with the mixture. You want every side covered!! Add the cauliflower florets to the batter.
4. Arrange the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, bake for another 10 minutes.
5. Brush buffalo sauce evenly on all sides of the florets. I like a heavy dose, as stated at the beginning of this post, so feel free to douse those suckers. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, bake for another 10 minutes.

After making this recipe from a different one, I changed some things up to achieve peak buffalo bite perfection. We didn’t lather the buffalo sauce enough or make sure to evenly coat the batter on all sides. Flipping is important so that all of the sides of the florets are as crispy as possible.

Tbh, they taste freaking delicious. They aren’t chicken wings, but they are crispy at first bite and the perfect texture inside once you start chewing. They are a great alternative for chowing down on heavily battered and fried chicken wings or strips and also a great way for kids (or adults who don’t like veggies – ME) to get some nutrients in. I am not sure if this would work for other veggies but who knows! It just might. We put potato salad and pineapple with these and I got the Follow Your Heart vegan ranch to dip mine in.

Make sure to follow along at @MadisonCrowley for more in-the-moment recipes and photos! Feel free to share if you used this recipe and loved it!!

Moving Series Part One: Everything But the Furniture

by Madison

It’s moving time! I have tried (and tried and tried) to be a vlogger. Like multiple times. I can’t stand the editing process. And making sure I get enough clips. And making my friends and family be a part of it. Maybe I will change my mind, who knows. But for now, I am making moving blogs a thing as opposed to moving vlogs.

I am obsessed with moving vlogs, but it is hard to find everything they talk about, definitely not as shop-able! If that is the goal, of course. So, let’s make moving blogs a thing. Starting with the first in this series titled Everything But the Furniture. The reason for this is that I want to do an entire post on the items I get to furnish my apartment and how I chose them. But this post is going to be more of the essentials and random things I have gotten thus-far in the process. As I continue, and actually move in, there will be photos and live styling of how I put everything together. Exciting stuff, amiright?

I made this post super easily shoppable, the picture at the top of this post is completely clickable! Simply click on the product you’re interested in and shop away!

Most of the items are pretty self-explanatory, but here are a few honorable mentions that deserve a little more detail:
+ Malin+Goetz candle: I mean, that pricepoint is hefty, I am not even gonna lie. But for your home to smell like an expensive luxury interior design store? I am all for it. My favorite thing is to elevate your space in small ways that can make a huge difference. I am not going to buy a $2,000 bed but I will buy one that looks expensive. There are some things that are meant to be splurged on, candles are one of them.
+ COMPAGNIE DE PROVENCE soap: Again, another thing to splurge on. I am going to do a whole post on simple ways to elevate your bathroom (and make it feel like a fancy hotel bathroom) and this is one of those steps! This soap smells like heaven, lasts forever, and looks perfect on your bathroom counter.
+ AllClad pans: These are the best pans I have ever used. Take 1 second to wipe clean and never have anything stuck to them. My parents have had them for over 2 years and they are like brand new. They are absolutely worth the price point and the only pans I will ever buy!

I have a LOT more on my to-buy list as I am taking as little as possible from my current place and have been saving for a while in order to purchase all new things. The space that you live in daily should be your favorite space. The things that you use daily should make you feel at ease and bring you some form of joy, not to be too Marie Kondo over here. For me, living in a dark space with items that aren’t easy to use or are old or don’t work well doesn’t make sense to me. I would rather save in other areas and splurge on items that are going to elevate my every day. Kind of like how changing your phone case seems like a huge life change. Or changing your hair brush, mousepad, etc. Things that are essential that you use every day all day deserve upgrading! This is a hill I will die on.

Items I am still going to buy (that aren’t furniture)
+ Dyson Vacuum
+ Roku TV
+ Throw pillows
+ Plates & utensils
+ Single-cup Keurig
+ Hangers
+ Curtains
+ Vase
I will be doing a bunch of hauls on my IG as that is the easiest form of videoing for me so hop on over to @MadisonCrowley to see me unbox everything mentioned in this post (I shipped it all to Georgia) and the future stuff I buy to add to the apartment! I will document the move-in process as well as decorating! I am going minimal but classic and am excited about some of the art pieces I am going to be hanging on the walls!

I am so stoked for this. It has really given me something to look forward to during this quarantine. I would have liked to be able to shop for some of this stuff at the store but that’s just what happens when a deadly virus takes over the world!

Thanks for stopping by and reading the first part of this exciting series for me. Let me know if there are things I need to add to my list or if you have any of these items and love them too!

Don’t forget to head to my Instagram where more of the daily fun happens:
@MadisonCrowley

‘Til next time!
xx, Madison

How to Fly Spirit Airlines with One Carry-On and Enjoy It.

by Madison

One carry-on? Yup. You read that right. Shocking, especially if you know me.

I am here to share the in’s and out’s of flying with Spirit, how I prepped, my experience, and why I would 100% do it again.

Before booking my roundtrip Spirit flight from LAX to Atlanta (for only $167 I might add… that is unheard of, honestly) I did a little research. I wanted to make sure that I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and where I needed to set my expectations. I read a few awesome blog posts (like this one) and figured I was ready to take the plunge. I didn’t have anywhere to be, technically, until the morning after my flight, so I was accepting any potential delay and clicked “confirm purchase” on the website. A couple of things that I did when purchasing this flight:

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Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free Trader Joe’s Grocery List

by Madison

Hi! What’s up! Welcome back to Vogue and a Latte.

Today I am sharing my simple, weekly Trader Joe’s grocery list with you guys! Being gluten and dairy-free has its struggles, that’s for dang sure. But I have found some incredible replacements for items that I wouldn’t want to live without and have also created new meals and recipes while expanding my palette. I have gotten a little bit healthier since cutting out gluten and dairy, I wish I could say that was my choosing LOL. So my meals are healthy-ish, some by choice and some not. I always like to add in those comfort food cravings ( like my faaaave GF/DF ranch and fries ) when I can. At the bottom, I will outline a couple of meals that I throw together with these items! Honestly, it changes weekly depending on my mood and what I want to eat, but a lot of these items are staples and things that I eat each and every day.

Some meals I throw together:

☆ Hot dogs + carrots + sauerkraut + arugula
☆ Eggs + bagels + arugula + bacon + tomato
☆ Sliced bread + avocado + EVOO + pepper flakes + eggs
☆ Waffles + peanut butte + agave + chia seeds
☆ Sliced bread + turkey + mayo + tomato
☆ Chicken nuggets + ranch + lettuce combo
☆ Canned chicken + mayo + hot sauce + tortilla chips
☆ Lettuce combo + shrimp + spices + EVOO + peppers + tomato
☆ Rice + grilled chicken + spices + beans + avocado
☆ Roasted arugula/kale + grilled chicken + bacon + veggies + ranch

You can see that I am horrible at adding fruits and veggies, I am a work in process. Each time I go to the grocery store I try to add one new veggie and one new fruit to see how much I actually eat them. I HATE wasting produce but I also need to be eating so many more greens and fruits. For example, I got some bananas last night at Target to try and see if I will eat them with some peanut butter or grab out the door. If I don’t, I will grab some grapes next time or an orange and see if I reach for those more than others. I just wanna be healthy but I wanna enjoy it, ya know?

If y’all are into this, I think I am going to do a GF/DF charcuterie board post next! I am so into finding ways to enjoy the things that I love while also not killing my stomach. This digestion journey has been a TREK but it’s all about the mental game in my opinion.

Do you have any items you can’t leave Trader Joe’s without? Try any of these items on the list and love them? Leave a comment or shoot me a DM!

You can always follow along with my daily life on Instagram at @MadisonCrowley. It’s pretty real over there, not super glam at all times, but I am always sharing tips, tricks, and what’s really happening in my life.

Hope you loved this post! Have a fantastic and blessed day! xx

When God literally stops you in your tracks.

by Madison

I am back again with another traffic light story. God speaks to me when I am driving, when I am the most un-Godly version of myself. Our God has a sense of humor, FYI. If you haven’t read my other post where I talk about my love/hate relationship with patience and red lights, read it here.

Last Saturday, I was driving to a photoshoot at the beach. It was early, I was tired, feeling uncreative, and somewhat dreading the small talk I was about to partake in. It’s SO cool that I get to meet new people each and every week and be a shining light for Jesus. At least it’s cool until I haven’t had my coffee or am not in my shining light of Jesus mood.

Besides the early morning and lack of motivation, I was ignoring God. I was ignoring the gut feeling that God has given me (and you). I was ignoring facts, ignoring myself, and ignoring sound counsel from friends. I was ignoring God’s word and I was ignoring the shallow emptiness that was slowly beginning to creep back into my life. The familiar tendency to search, to please, and to gain satisfaction from life instead of God. From people, instead of God.

I was driving along, actually, the same place I was driving in my previous post, just the opposite direction, and suddenly, out of nowhere, the light turned yellow. I was annoyed and verbally said, “What the heck, there is NO ONE HERE” as I slammed on my brakes. I probably slammed my steering wheel too, dramatic. (I wonder how Jesus would have spoken as he drove????) There was no one on the road. Not a soul. And yet still the light turned from green to yellow to a halting red. At that exact moment, I recognized my annoyance and remembered Jesus. I remembered the patience that he had been teaching me (until I decided to ignore him) and thought okay God, I get it. I hear you. You’re trying to tell me something. And immediately, I kid you not, immediately, the light turned green. I was stunned because lights normally last like 5 whole minutes and I was suddenly no longer forced to be stopped and sit in my guilt, but I was allowed to go. I thought I was going to have to sit in patience, in self-control and learn some long lesson, but the light turned. Maybe that’s what growing in our relationship with Christ looks like. Understanding his character and needing less long life lessons and more quick snaps to turn your attention back on his face?? Idk, I’m still learning.

I was driving along, depending on myself (and coffee) and God L I T E R A L L Y stopped me in my tracks to say, “Ummm hey, hi. Remember me? I’m God. I have your best interest in mind and I have something really neat coming soon for you. Quit what you’re doing right now that you know isn’t from me. Cool, now that we’ve got that cleared up, continue on.” I was ignoring him, I wasn’t listening, and he got my attention. God doesn’t always work like this, and sometimes we pretend not to see it, but I couldn’t ignore this.

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25 Things I Learned By 25

by Madison
  1. You are much stronger than you think.
  2. You were not created to be isolated.
  3. No one thinks about you even remotely close to as often as you think they do.
  4. Adults have wisdom that you should listen to.
  5. Toxic people are not worth keeping in your life, no matter how fun they might be. Don’t let anticipation take away from the present moment.
  6. Keep tabs on your mental health. Tending to it is always your best yes.
  7. God is sovereign and every action has a purpose. (Yes, every single one.)
  8. Ask for what you want or you won’t get it. Your friends aren’t mind readers. Neither are employers, leaders, boyfriends, or family members.
  9. Take time to learn your friends. Understand what they love and what makes them smile. Repeat these things and cherish those who know you and who root for you time, and time again. Even after you fall and get back up.
  10. You will always get back up.
  11. Spend time with people who don’t deplete you.
  12. Research what you have doubts about.
  13. Don’t speak on what you don’t know. And I mean truly know.
  14. You often don’t know the whole story. Or even half of the story.
  15. Everyone you see is struggling with something, big or small.
  16. It is always valuable to lift people UP. Encourage one another. Brighten someone’s day, any chance that you get.
  17. Save money, but also book that flight.
  18. When you look back on life, you will remember experiences with those you love, not handbags.
  19. Done is better than perfect, in most cases. Don’t let the fear of failure paralyze you from taking the first step.
  20. When someone is being mean or rude, it most likely has nothing to do with you. Unless you were intentionally mean to them, then that certainly won’t get you very far.
  21. Making a timeline for your life only sets you up for failure. Things change, all of the time.
  22. You can’t control other people or what decisions they make. You are only in control of your own actions.
  23. Your worth should never be placed in another human being. Or your relationship status.
  24. Your darkest moments in life won’t stay dark forever.
  25. Don’t dread getting older, it’s where the fun really begins.

To the girl who is (not so) patiently waiting.

by Madison

Last week, I was on my way back from spin class, in a major hurry to get home to my dog, eat some good food, and just relax after a long work day. Doesn’t sound like something you would need to hurry for, but that’s just me sometimes. My gas light blinked on and I read the words, “Warning: Low Fuel”. I was pissed at myself for not getting gas sooner but also kind of pissed at myself for even being mad that I had to stop and get gas. I didn’t REALLY have anywhere to be, I was just impatient pretty much for no reason. I have been noticing myself doing that a lot more lately and this time seemed extra prevalent. I was cruising down the street and hit a red light right next to a Shell station. I’m not sure if Shell stations are ridiculously expensive where you live, but here they are one of the most expensive gas stations around. $0.50 – $0.60 more PER GALLON, which makes a huge difference when gas is already $3.50 a gallon. Crazy, I know.

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