Mrs. Grits

Long Lost Friend

2011-10-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

A while ago my 'real' camera started acting up for no reason. (Not my sad, little point and shoot.) Apparently the aperture control just up and quit working so it was out of commission. This was right before the move so one thing lead to another and things were busy and getting it fixed got put on the back burner. I finally decided to get it fixed last month and I'm so glad I did. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I got it back. Last weekend, the Hubs and I took off for St. Augustine. On our way out of town,we took a walk over the bridge for a little photography expedition. The weather was perfect and I'm loving these photos.

In Case of Zombie Apocalypse...

2011-10-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that a new season of The Walking Dead is right around the corner. For those of you that aren't familiar, it's a show about a zombie outbreak in and around Atlanta and a group of folks trying to survive it all. Pretty scary, huh? It's on AMC so the story is really, really good and last season the Hubs and I were hooked. The last episode ended with the group making their way from the woods outside of town into the city to the CDC, where they hoped they would find help. I also like trying to pick out landmarks and recognizable locations since they film in Atlanta and Senoia, GA.

And it got me thinking...what would I do if 'it' really hit the fan? Obviously I'd need to work out a ton of details like making sure we had a stockpile of food, wine and weapons. My grandad has some land with a little lake on it outside LaGrange, Georgia. He calls it 'The Outback'. Now that I think about it, it's not too far from Columbus (and Fort Benning) and not too far from Atlanta (and the CDC).

Friendly Cows at The Outback

And since my grandad was an Eagle Scout and in the National Guard, he'd be super prepared with cots and fishing supplies and we'd be good to go. Hopefully, it will never come to that, but if it does, I've got a plan! We'll just hang out at the lake, fish and hunt for food, milk cows and have a bonfire every night. Either that, or we'll just take over the world and make it our playground like they did in Zombieland!

Randoms

2011-10-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a lot of photos for work lately and I'm loving the beautiful fall sunshine and cooler weather.

The Hubs and I finally got a chance to explore a little more of Jacksonville. We went out for a date night and enjoyed dinner at European Street (they certainly know how to make a good Sangria!) and the Jacksonville Symphony. I wore my polka dot dress for the first time and I'm loving these earrings from F21.

My Sis visited and we went to see the Grandparents down at The Villages in Lady Lake, FL. If you've never been there, it's quite a sight. Thousands and thousands of retirees scooting around on custom golf carts, playing golf and enjoying happy hour. I wonder if they let 30 year olds in...I could totally enjoy that speed of life...

And enjoy cupcakes too, obviously.

So we've been in Jacksonville a little while now and it has been crazy and busy. We finally got out on the town the other day, since the majority of the weekends we have still been back and forth to Gainesville. Last weekend I went to the opening of Sweet at the Town Center with my new friends Tricia, Natalie and Sonja to enjoy some tasty, tasty cupcakes!

Boston Cream Cupcake (my favorite!)

Finally Fall

2011-10-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

It's still not quite chilly in Florida yet (obviously), but at least it's starting to feel a little bit more like fall around these parts. I got to go out to Micanopy yesterday for some photos for work and we got to see the cutest little corn maze. Coon Hollo is the most adorable little farm! Take a look for yourself...

They even have a donkey named Paco, he was quite friendly.

I am so ready for some more chilly days, hot chocolate and the holidays right around the corner!

A Carolina Weekend

2011-09-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I hit the road for Columbia, SC to see one of my best friends and watch the Gamecocks play. And it was awesome! I miss living so close to Columbia and being able to see my friends whenever I want. I've definitely been homesick lately. I got to Columbia after supper time and we all decided to visit Rockaway's for burgers and some delicious pimento cheese fries. If you're in the area, these are not to be missed!

Saturday we did the requisite tailgate shopping with a quick stop by Target so I could get some jeans. I hope it's not a sign that I'm getting used to the Florida weather, but I packed nothing but shorts and skirts for the weekend and it was a little chilly in SC, which was fabulous. It felt like football weather all weekend long! I enjoyed a fabulous little tailgate with Twyla, Amanda, her husband Lenny, and my new friend Lt. Jill.

I had a great time at the game, even though there were some ridiculously over enthusiastic fans in front of us. I'm all for cheering, but I don't think it's necessary to stand up the entire game, holler until you can barely talk, and wave your spirit rag so hard that you could take someone's eye out. That's just me, but then again I didn't drink a 5th of Kentucky Gentleman and start chugging straight Canadian mist by the 4th quarter like the fellows in front of us. Thankfully, the weather was cool with no rain and the Gamecocks pulled out a win!

My favorite part of the game is always when Cocky comes out of the box to 2001.

(Please excuse the crazy 'spirit rag' in front of us for 1/2 of the video!)

The next morning we had brunch at the Liberty Tap Room (pretty tasty!) and got on the road for Florida. This was the most 'normal' weekend I've had in a while, hanging out with friends and not worrying about jobs or mother in laws. I must start having more fun in my life, soon! Thankfully there is plenty going on this fall, so I'll just have to make the best of it!

A Rant

2011-09-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

This probably seems a little silly to be so bothered about but it is something that really gets under my skin. Why do cashiers and baggers have such a hard time with reusable bags?!? I love my reusable bags and carry them everywhere since they fold up so easily these days.

The biggest reason I love my reusable bags is that it allows me to carry a ton of stuff in just one bag. It has very little to do with the environment. Not that I hate the environment,
I just hate walking out of Walmart or the grocery store with 20 items and 15 bags. And then you get home with a ton of plastic bags. I feel terrible just throwing them away but it takes forever for me to remember to take them back to Publix or Walmart to recycle. It's just a pain in the but.

I hate walking up to the register and having the cashier pick up my reusable bag, stare at it like it's a bomb or something else questionable and then stare at me. Then I have to go through the whole 'it's a reusable bag, I've already paid for it' nonsense. Next the bagger usually tries to put only 3 items in it, or waits for me to tell them it's ok for them to put everything in it. I just wish the managers of these stores would have a team meeting and explain bags. They are all over the place, it's not like I'm the first person to use one. Either that or just let me self check out, like I used to do at home. It's so much easier and my groceries get bagged just as I like.Does this bother anyone else or am I just a weirdo?!?

Monday Randoms

2011-09-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

We moved to Jacksonville! I'm still going back and forth to Gainesville for my job, which is actually pretty great. I'm lucky to have such understanding coworkers to let me work from home a few days a week.

It's still hard to believe that yesterday was the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. I'll never forget sitting in class at Augusta State and hearing the news, going home in time to see the second plane hit, and freaking out/praying the rest of the day. So much has changed since then.

I'm so happy that fall is right around the corner! I'm so ready for this summer to be over for many reasons. Our first summer in Florida was a little awkward, trying to figure out jobs and living situations. Plus fall = football!

I think I have accidentally become a toiletry hoarder. I didn't mean to, I just kept getting great deals with my coupons. Now I'm on a 2 month toiletry shopping freeze. No one needs more than 1 or 2 backup deodorants or shampoos do they?!? The bathroom closet is kind of out of control these days.

I'm so ready to find our new 'normal'. Life has kind of been upside down since we moved to Florida in February. Everything feels different all the time, which is hard for someone like me who really enjoys things to be the same. God has really taught me a lot about getting out of my comfort zone.

I got my eyebrows waxed yesterday for the first time in 6 months. 6 months, people! I don't know why I've been so lazy with everything lately. I need to find a social life soon, so I have a reason to put my face on and look respectable!

We went to the beach yesterday for the first time since we moved here. It was instant stress relief. We'll need to do that more often!

One more week...

2011-08-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

One more week until I move to Jacksonville and get to live with my husband for reals again. I never thought this would be as hard as it is and I'll say one thing, I don't know how military wives do it. I have so much respect for them. I feel bad whining since I at least got to see him on weekends, sometimes for 3 day weekends. I can't imagine how lonely it feels to have your spouse be on the other side of the world for months at a time or even a year.

On a positive note, I really hope this week goes by quickly and that all my job hunting will pay off soon. I'm nervous about finding a new job, but everything will work out like it is supposed to, right? I just keep praying that it will. I have faith that we're getting right back on track and that God is looking out for us. I'm also really excited about exploring a new city and living in a place that neither of us has lived in before. I can't wait to try out new restaurants and figure out which neighborhood will be our new home.

So here's hoping that Jax will be fabulous and all will be 'normal' again sometime in the near future...

More Adventures in Cell Phone Photography

2011-08-20T18:41:00.001-07:00

I am currently obsessed with the photo apps Vignette and Little Photo. I wish they would make instagram for android!

In Hiding...

2011-08-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

I feel like lately I've been in hiding. Things have been really stressful and getting me down and I'm doing my best not to be Eeyore. Since we moved to Gainesville things have been really up and down. One moment I'm really excited about everything being new and the next minute I'm homesick and missing my family. And when you throw a crazy MIL into the mix, things get a little bit more bananas. Well, hopefully things are looking up now. The good news is that Hubs got a great job offer! Yay Hubs! But the bad news is that it's not in Gainesville. So that means another move...this time to Jacksonville.

I'm hopeful that this could be a good place for us. I also think it would be good for us to live in a city that neither of us have lived in before. If anything throughout this whole moving/worrying about jobs/dealing with family ordeal, we have definitely grown closer. I just want things to feel more normal soon. So here's hoping that 'normal' is right around the corner!

Lately...

2011-07-10T17:03:00.001-07:00

Long story short, things are crazy lately. I've been feeling really homesick and far away from all my friends and family. Here's what I've been up to...

I jumped on the anthropologie bandwagon and now have a stylish jewelry holder for my dresser.

I joined Weight Watchers and have been eating lots of yummy summer produce and healthy foods!

I went to the Gator Football Women's Clinic, which was actually really, really cool! We toured the stadium, locker room, weight room and trophy area, met Coach Muschamp and did drills on the football field.

I got to meet the Pouncey Twins!!!

In June we hit the road for St. Augustine to catch up with one of my bffs...

We spent a fabulous afternoon on the beach

Stopped by our favorite watering hole in downtown

In St. Augustine Beach we found a delicious new food spot, Taco Shop

This place had amazing mexi-treats and was so tasty we visited it two days in a row!

I hope everyone is having a fab summer so far!

Weekend Snapshots

2011-06-27T07:44:00.001-07:00

My sister came to visit this weekend and we had a ball!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

Daydreaming

2011-06-14T08:29:00.001-07:00

I wish I was still here by the water in Saint Augustine. Recap coming soon.

Rants and Raves

2011-06-10T07:30:00.001-07:00

A quick list of things I'm loving and hating lately:

Rant: Putting your blinker on to grab a parking spot and having someone else pull in front of you
Rave: Getting in and out of the doctor's office in less than an hour. Bonus points for new Doc!
Rant: Realizing that I need yo get serious about losing weight
Rave: Getting to see one of my favorite people in the world in St Augustine this weekend
Rant: Missing all my favorite TV shows that come on past 10 because we don't have dvr right now
Rave: I'm still reading Water for Elephants and it is as good as everyone said
Rant: I wish there was a Subway closer to my office
Rave: We saw The Hangover 2 last weekend and it did not disappoint!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-02T17:27:00.001-07:00

I finally hit the road to go home for Memorial Day weekend, and it was such a good visit!

I had the best time visiting with my mom, sis and friends. We shopped a bit, had game night, caught up. It was the best weekend I've had in quite a while.

I love shopping for palmettos and crescent moons. Gotta show the love for my favorite state.

Mama bought us new flower flip flops, that are super cute and comfy. Flip flop triplets!

I've been meaning to visit my mom and sisters's new school and classroom's for two years, so we had to squeeze that in, too. My mama is an elementary music teacher, her room wouldn't be complete without fabulous bulletin boards!

My sister's class pet is a teddy bear hamster called Tim Teebow (because he's a good roll model).

Teebow giving me a smooch:

Teebow's Gator Cage:

I have an addiction to the Mellow Mushroom, so we went there for supper Sunday night. I don't even care who judges me. It's delicious pizza, the sauce is the best and the cheese is all stringy and the crust is fantastic and it makes me happy and a little sentimental. For some crazy reason we don't have a Shroom in Gainesville anymore, so I have to get my fix whenever I head out of town.

Mmmm...pretzels and marinara. I could eat that marinara with a spoon!

Monday afternoon we hit Hwy. 25 for Edgefield so we could visit Cooks. They have the freshest produce, snacks, and cheeses.

Ripe, South Carolina peaches! I don't care what anyone says, these peaches are the best. My peaches were so good they didn't last very long. I'm looking forward to my sis bringing me another batch when she visits in June. Maybe I'll be able to restrain myself a little bit and make some peach cobbler or jam.

These tomatoes were so good. There is nothing better than home grown, ripe tomatoes in the summer.

Orange and Grape Nehi soda in the ice chest! Delicious and old school.

I wasn't ready to leave at all on Monday. I wish I could have stayed at least a week longer, so I could hang out and help my mama and sis get ready for the last week of school. Eventually I had to hit the road.

Must have iPod and giant ice water for traveling.

I drove through the Boro on the way back. I will always miss living in Statesboro and good times at Georgia Southern.

I made it back to Florida (still doesn't feel like home yet) just as the sun was setting. Not a bad drive for Memorial Day.

Adventures in Cell Phone Photography

2011-05-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have finally joined the ranks of technology-savvy, modern folks everywhere and gotten a smart phone. No, it's not an iPhone, but it does have a decent camera and fun apps. Here's a few photos from the last week or so. Fair warning, I am totally digging taking photos of all my food.

I tried a new wine this week. The Hubs picked it up from World Market. Isn't that the cutest label?

Every now and then we have really nice hoteliers who will stop by the office with treats, like this giant chocolate chip cookie. It was delicious.

I found some classics at the thrift store the other day. Did anyone not read The BSC while they were growing up? Those books were gold!

There is nothing better than ice cold Mexican Coca-Cola, especially in the summer.

Even boring office snacks look artsy when snapped with a fun camera app!

New combo of red velvet and chocolate yougurt from the shop down the street from my office. It's totally healthy because it has blackberries and strawberries on top, right? And the dark chocolate chips are for my heart.

Beautiful strawberries from the Farmers Market.

Hope y'all enjoyed my random week in photos! Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Vintage Sparkles

2011-05-24T17:18:00.001-07:00

I wish I was stylish and skinny enough to make this work for me.

I'm always jealous of those girls who can make thrift store clothes look fab. I'm sure if Rachel Zoe wore this, it would look like a million bucks, like she bought it somewhere amazing like Paris. Guess I'm just a plain Jane!

Things I Miss...

2011-05-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

Things I miss the most...(beside my family and friends, of course)

Our house

My kitchenaid mixer

The rest of my kitchen tools. I'm beside myself without my microplanes, my good knives, my Lecruset and my Calphalon!

My furniture and everything else that is in storage right now.

My old Kroger (I knew where everything was!) There is a Publix on every corner down here, which is great, but that means I have to learn 16 different Publixes.

Mellow Mushroom (why don't we have one in Gainesville anymore?!?)

Gary's for delicious burgers and fries

The BBQ Barn in North Augusta (They just don't do bbq the same down here, especially pulled pork!)

Living across the street from the Augusta National

Living right down the road from the Boro

My Fabulous coworkers

On hold...

2011-05-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Feeling kind of down and anxious this week, worrying and fretting about when things are going to start to fall together. Soon please?!? Until then, please enjoy a few random photos of the past few weeks. Things have been busy, busy.

I broke in my new Chuck Taylors.

We celebrated Mother's Day with Matt's sis and almost step-sis in Ocala.

Finally visited the Marjorie Kinan Rawlings State Park in Cross Creek. It is gorgeous out there.

We spent Easter with Matt's Dad's side of the family and it was a lot of fun.

I tried the Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Poundcake from Southern Living at Easter. To die for!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

St. Photios Shrine in St. Augustine, Florida

Family Tradition

2011-04-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

My grandparents live in Manchester and LaGrange, Georgia, so I have spent a lot of time in West Georgia. It's very pretty country in those parts! Lots of cute little towns, great places to go antiquing and delicious food. Our family has been visiting Riverbend Restaurant in Thomaston, GA for as long as I can remember.

It's about 25 minutes from my Grandmomma's house in Manchester and it's located down a dirt road on a bend in the Flint River. It's one of those great places where you can take the entire family and enjoyed a laidback meal of really good food, and their sweet tea is just right! I think most of their business comes from repeat customers and word of mouth since they don't have a website and just one sign at the end of the road that you drive down. You'd miss it if you weren't looking.

Hubs and I enjoying the view overlooking the Flint River. We had a great time catching up with all the grandparents and eating yummy fried foods.

The interior is really casual and has that 'down home' feeling

I had fried shrimp, fries and hushpuppies...I was in heaven!

The hubs had delicious fried catfish with fries and hushpuppies...yum!

Two Years...

2011-04-25T17:26:00.001-07:00

Two years ago today, I said 'I do' to my best friend...

...and became a Mrs.

...in front of our favorite people, and I'm so glad I did. He makes me so happy.

Here's to many more years together filled with adventure and laughs!

Scenes from the Sunshine State

2011-04-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

A few photos from our recent adventures in Florida. It sure is a pretty state, especially in the spring!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

More Random!

2011-03-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

More randomness! I know, I really shouldn't have...In the past month I have:

Sang 'Take me out to the ballgame' and watched several Gator baseball games with Matt, his dad and stepmom-I was very proud to see my Georgia Southern Eagles take them down a notch or two.

Fallen in love with the farmers market across the street from my office that is once a week-it's fantastic!

Caught up with the Sis-in Law and all of Matt's cousins as we said goodbye to his Grandaddy

Bought a new bike complete with a rack and panniers (bags) for the back so I can carry groceries home from Publix without having to get in my truck. I love that Gainesville is so bike friendly!

Enjoyed watching crazy fast cars at the drag strip during my first Gatornationals

Random Bits of Everyday Life

2011-03-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

These are the contents of my purse before I cleaned it out tonight. I know things have been busy, but is it really necessary for me to schlep around 4 different lipgloss/lipstick options, 5 different colored pens, 2 sharpies, my lucky koozie, ipod, tylenol, reusable bag, a ridiculous amount of receipts, 3 hair clips, and 3 ponytail holders?!? I have got to get better about cleaning it on a regular basis-I just got in a bad habit of keeping everything semi-important in here before/during/after our move so that I wouldn't lose it. And now I have a purse that feels like a ton of bricks!

Are We There Yet?

2011-03-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have a really hard time comparing myself to where other people are at in their lives. I know in my heart that everyone has their own journey (as cheesy at that may sound) and we don't all do things on the same timeline. I hate to say it but I get a little jealous sometimes thinking about my friends that are already homeowners, for example. Granted, we didn't buy a house in Augusta for multiple reasons-we weren't sure about job security and the housing market. In the end we moved and didn't have to worry about selling a house, so it turned out to be a good thing. I'm so ready to move into a place that will be our place for a very long time. A place where we can paint the walls, and I won't have to pack my stuff up again for a while and the kitchen will be my kitchen. And still sometimes I wonder why we don't own a home yet, or when it will be time to start a family. Does anyone else ever feel this way?

I know that we are at where we are right now, because of the choices that we have made and the plans that God has for us. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I feel like we are on the right path to being where we are supposed to be. It was kind of a leap of faith to pick up and move to Gainesville and I'm really glad that we have. I just have to be patient and keep praying and know that Matt will find a job soon! It feels like our kind of town here, a place where we could stay for a very, very long time and be happy.

Now, I just have to remind myself to be happy where I am at and quit worrying about all the details, and where everyone else is at. It's a piece of cake, right?

Last Week

2011-03-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Life in Gainesville isn't exactly what we expected...most things are better than I expected. The only hiccup so far has been living with family. It's really not that bad, it's just been a little weird and the situation has been exacerbated by the MIL a little bit. She is super stressed out and sad since her dad isn't doing so well health-wise. I totally understand that it is tough, I just wish she would let us help out and encourage her a little bit more.

Things are definitely picking up at work, which is great! I was a little bit anxious at first because I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing or where I should be at all times, but it's getting better. I am really enjoying it, especially meeting new people in town and learning what everyone else is doing. The other part of my job that I really love, is that I get to see what is happening all over town and experience everything like a tourist. Don't get me wrong, I do miss home, but it has been so exciting seeing so many new things that I haven't been homesick in a while. Some of the highlights of last week were:

Savoring Cadbury Egg season

Sipping buckets of beer on the patio with the Hubs and enjoying the beautiful weather

Enjoying tons of Florida strawberries

Eating lunch at one of my favorite pizza places in town-Satchel's

Checking out all the goodies in the the junk shop

Visiting an herb and vegetable farm and then buying some of their products at the farmers market the next day

Trying oxtail for the first time ever, it was amazing!

Eating dessert downtown-Double Trouble Brownie, Chocolate Mousse Cake, and Cheesecake

Gainesville So Far...

2011-03-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts on Gainesville so far...

The weather has been gorgeous since we've been here. Sunshiney, beautiful days. I'm a little anxious about my first Florida summer this year, but right now I'm enjoying the spring. It's even been so nice that I usually eat lunch outside.
Speaking of lunch, I love that there are so many restaurants within walking distance of my office downtown. Last week I tried Big Lou's Pizzeria for a slice at lunch and I wasn't disappointed.
I also discovered a frozen yogurt shops two blocks away from the office. The hardest part is not visiting mochi every day. They have red velvet and cake batter yogurt for crying out loud. DELISH! And it's even healthier if I put fruit on top, right?
I haven't had as hard a time finding my way around town as I thought I would. I'm still getting used to all the numbered streets instead of named streets.
I'm also liking that town is so bike friendly. We might not be biking a ton in the summer when it's so warm, but right now it's nice to be able to bike up to Publix and down to the Mexican restaurant. I already feel healthier!

Cedar Key, FL

2011-03-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

After our first few weeks in Gainesville, we decided to head out of town for a bit and get some rest and relaxation. One of our favorite places nearby is Cedar Key. It's a small fishing town on the Gulf Coast. It's a perfect place to chill out and get away from everything.

We spent most of the day walking around, taking photos and checking out the little shops. The weather was perfect, and it was so nice to get out and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

We weren't really in the mood to go out for supper so we stopped by Cedar Key Pizza to pick up a pie and head back to the patio of our hotel to enjoy it. We weren't disappointed! One thing I really like about Cedar Key is that there are no fast food or chains in town.

While we waited on our pizza we walked around the edge of town and enjoyed the sunset.

The rest of the evening we enjoyed wine on the patio under the stars. Downtown is so small that we were able to take a few 'laps' walking around the main street to people watch and listen to some of musicians playing that night. Before we left town the next morning to come back to reality we walked around downtown a little while longer.

I'm always just a little bit sad the leave the coast, but we'll be back soon, I'm sure.

Moving, etc.

2011-02-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

A few more thoughts on the move...

You never realize how much stuff you have until you have to pack it all in boxes and put it on a truck. I think I have a reasonable amount of things. The hubs thinks I have enough tools and utensils to stock 5 kitchens. I think he is wrong. A girl needs options for baking cupcakes, making cookies and creating fabulous casseroles!
We will never rent from Budget again. Their service was less than satisfactory, they weren't helpful when it came to making sure we had everything we needed, and none of our cars (which are regular cars) would fit on the tow dolly, so we had to make an extra trip back up to Augusta to pick up the 2nd car.
You also never realize how much stuff is really 'essential' for day to day life until you have to put the majority of your things in storage. We're temporarily staying with family until we find a more permanent place and 90% of our stuff is in storage. When I originally packed everything I thought we'd have a lot more stuff with us at the house. I was kind of sad when I had to pick and choose a few cookbooks to keep with me and the rest had to be exiled to storage for a while.
I've really enjoyed learning my way around town and trying out new restaurants so far. So far I've discovered a yummy sandwich place and frozen yogurt within two blocks of my office. Score!
Living with family has been ok so far too. The only hiccup is that I got kind of spoiled in my old kitchen and now I'm cooking somewhere much smaller without all my kitchen gadgets and good knives. I haven't learned my way around the kitchen here yet, so it's kind of awkward like wearing someone else's shoes that don't fit quite right.

The Move Down South

2011-02-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I decided to be brave and apply for a job outside Augusta. I've lived there most of my life and while, I really do like it I wanted to see what else was out there. (I guess I really should say semi-brave since Matt has a lot of family in Florida, so we aren't completely alone which is good.) Since we don't have kids or own a home yet, we thought it might be a good time to branch out a little bit. I was offered a job working for tourism in Gainesville, FL so we decided to take a chance and see what happens.

After my last days of work at my job in Augusta (I miss my coworkers already!) and my cousin's wedding in Atlanta, we spent the better part of a week finishing up packing everything. Thursday the boys hit the road to Gainesville and I stayed one more night to visit with my family.The next day I hopped in my truck that was packed with all of our outdoor stuff (grill, patio furniture, etc.) and hit the road for Florida.

The morning was pretty foggy when I got started.

I passed through Statesboro and waved hi to Georgia Southern!

Hopping on I95 at Savannah

Crossing the state line...

I stopped in Starke at the Dairy Freeze for a strawberry shake.

If you're ever on Hwy 301 heading through town, stop for a shake, you won't regret it!

Welcome to Gainesville

The last stop was unpacking everything nonessential into our storage unit...I'm pretty sure Matt was tired of driving the 24 foot truck at this point...

We managed to get the rest of our things into storage with the help of our friend and the greatest moving buddy ever, Rob. I promise we didn't leave him in storage with all of our stuff!

So now we're here...I started work last week and I'm still getting settled in. Every day feels a little bit better, but I am a tad homesick and hoping that things will slow down soon.

Florida

2011-02-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

Made the big move to Florida yesterday! I'll have a full post soon, but until then...

Family Wedding Weekend

2011-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

My cousin Haley got married in Atlanta this past weekend and we all had a ball celebrating her and Kevin's nuptials!

Haley and her Bridesmaids

Bridal Luncheon...strawberry soup and frozen fruit salad, so cute!

Chocolate Mousse!

Red Velvet Cake with a cheesecake layer in the middle at the rehearsal dinner...to.die.for. So delicious!

Getting makeup done...

Haley and I getting ready to watch her walk down the aisle!

Their sign at Flint Hill Mansion

Aunt Gail and I ready for the wedding!

Cake!

Haley and Me, Bride and Matron of Honor

First Dance as Mr. & Mrs.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Cousins celebrating! Bradley, Haley and Me

Cheers to The Smiths!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Ready for spring!

Changes in LaGrange

2011-01-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

Since my Papa got hitched last fall, he's been living with the new wife at her casa. We really like Mrs. Lynn, although I have to admit, it's been an adjustment going to visit him at the new place. This probably sounds more drastic than it really is...I mean, Mrs. Lynn's place is less than 10 minutes away on the other side of town. I guess the hardest part is just that Papa has lived in the same house ever since Kate and I came along and we are the only two grandkids, so we've never had to share him. I am really happy to see him so happy with Mrs. Lynn and she's so sweet to us, too.

The semi-sad news is that Papa has decided to rent out his house (thank goodness he isn't selling it!) to a family that he knows that needs a new place to live. That's one reason I love Papa so much, he's always willing to help out his friends. He has and always will be the sweetest, wisest man. So last weekend, we packed up and hit the road for LaGrange, to help him sort through nearly 30+ years of living in one house. I haven't even been alive for 30 years, much less lived in one house that long! It was a little emotionally and physically exhausting, and sad at some points, but I'm glad we were able to help. We also found a few treasures along the way...

Papa's Boy Scout Badges

Some of Grandmama's Pottery...

Catching up in the Boro

2011-01-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

Things have been pretty busy lately, since getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. I also have to admit that I was a little sads after the start of the new year. Yeah, it's all great to have a fresh start to a new year, but I already miss the festive feeling of November and December. Everything feels a little better when there are Christmas lights everywhere and celebrations right around every corner. Your day can't be that bad if you come home to a brightly lit Christmas tree, right?

Anyways, I've had a lot on my mind lately and the cloudy weather has been getting me down, so I decided to get out of town for the night and catch up with some old friends in Statesboro.

Two of my college bff's Andy and Kelly.

Cider and a Dirty Hippie (Guiness + Sweetwater 420) makes everything better!

We had a great time catching up and people watching all the college 'kids' while we were out on the town. It's funny what has and hasn't changed about the places we used to go out to while we were in college.

The evening was so much fun that we had to end the night with a quick trip through the McD's drive thru (don't judge!) and some Chocovine. If you haven't tried it, you haven't lived!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

Snowed In

2011-01-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

The weather in Georgia and South Carolina has been a little crazy so far this week. Sunday night snow started to fall and I started getting excited about the thought of a snow day.

It rarely snows down here (although we did get about 5 inches last year!) so when it does we really try to enjoy it. I woke up to snow on the ground Monday, with more snow on the way and got the call that work was canceled-hurray!

So, we spent Monday curled up on the couch watching movies and relaxing. If only every Monday was so stress-free. It was pretty nice to enjoy a big breakfast with some Irish coffee, too!

The temps dropped again last night, causing the roads to freeze over again and since there are a few bridges on my way to work we got the day off again. So, it's been another relaxing day at the house. I've caught up on laundry, vegged out watching daytime tv and even enjoyed a nap. It's been like an extra weekend!

Hello 2011!

2011-01-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

So, it appears I took a little unplanned blog break (yeah, let's call it that instead of laziness) towards the end of 2010. The holidays were a bit busy in between Fakesgiving at work, Thanksgiving with the family, Fakesmas, my birthday, Christmas and New Year's. (It also appears I have a bit of recapping to do!)

It's kind of hard to believe that 2010 is over, although quite a lot happened this year. We celebrated our 1 year anniversary, learned how to live on one income for part of the year, spent more time with family, and tried extreme couponing.

I don't want to set ridiculously high goals that I won't be able to achieve, but I do have a few resolutions this year.

1. Continue to cook more. I got some great cookbooks this Christmas and especially can't wait to try Virginia Willis's Bon Appetit Y'all

and Georgia Cooking by Trisha Yearwood (I tried the chicken pie recipe last night and it was quite tasty!)

2. Eat better and exercise more. This summer was so hot that I practically hibernated to avoid the heat, thus skipping walking and running when I should have.

3. Be a better wife.

4. Read more-should be pretty easy since Santa brought me a Nook for Christmas. I love it!

Georgia Southern is Back!

2010-11-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of my alma mater Georgia Southern. This weekend the Eagles took down our rivals, #1 ranked Appalachian State. My only regret was that I wasn't in Paulson Stadium to see it. Check out the last play...it give me goosebumps!

Ready for the Holidays

2010-11-08T16:27:00.001-08:00

This year it feels like I am ready for the holidays even earlier than usual. That's probably because: 1. We were so frugal this summer on one income that we really didn't do much 2. This summer was so stinkin' hot that I'll take any kind of relief from the heat.

I can't wait for...

Fakesgiving with friends

Thanksgiving with Family

Celebrating my birthday

Eating tons of food

Listening to Papa Frank read the Christmas story

Christmas Ornaments

New Year's Eve

I also can't wait for Christmas music (I'm already listening), decorating the house, drinking warm tasty beverages in red cups from Starbucks, Christmas shopping, baking, and sending Christmas cards! What are y'all looking forward to?

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

We decided to head up to Atlanta for Halloween Saturday at the last minute to visit the Hubs's best friend and his wife (Stephen & Amanda) who are expecting a little one in December. Most of the visit was pretty regular, staying up late chatting and catching up and making the requisite trek to Ikea and Trader Joe's for treats. I love me some Two Buck Chuck...If we only had one in Augusta!!!

We also ended up at a pretty fun Halloween party Saturday night. Stephen's old band was playing together while everyone was in town and there was even a screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Zombieland.

Amanda and I with my favorite costumes of the night, the Yip Yips from Sesame Street!

Me (sans fancy costume) and Amanda (pot bellied piggie)

Amanda and Stephen.

The coolest part of the night was the 'coffin buffet' for all the food. Mr. Skeleton consisted of: rice krispy skull with frosting, french bread arms and legs, cheesecake, chilli and dips for organs, and nuts! All surrounded by chips and cupcakes on the outside.

I'm so glad that November is finally here, honestly that was my first thought this morning. The weather is cooling off and the holidays are right around the corner. Can't wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Thursday Tidbits

2010-10-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling pretty random today and since I'm still a little foggy from antibiotics and cold meds this is about as 'together' as I can be.

I've been sick all week, which is no fun. It has been a little nice to catch up on rest at home, but daytime tv isn't as good as I remember it being and the Price is Right, just isn't the same with Drew Carey.
It still doesn't feel like fall in our neck of the woods. We enjoyed one nice week of cool weather at the beginning of October but now it's back up in the 80's during the day. It just doesn't feel fall-ish if I'm still wearing shorts on the weekends and no tights at work.
Since it has been so warm lately and I've been sick I haven't cooked much. If it would cool off, it would certainly put me in the mood to bake.
I can't believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. I'm really looking forward to enjoying time with both of our families this year, decorating, and shopping for gifts!
I've been super slacking in the exercise department lately and I've really got to do something about that. I think if I could just get myself on a schedule it would help, it just takes so much more effort to workout than it does to sit on the couch and watch the Real Housewives.
Speaking of the Real Housewives, I really enjoyed the ladies from D.C. (except for Michaele, of course) and hopefully Beverly Hills will be fun, too. So far, I'm really liking Kyle and Linda.
I found some fabulous new $2 sunglasses last week and thought I'd try them out on the way to Papa's wedding. I do love a good bargain!
I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Goin' to the Chapel

2010-10-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

We hit the road to LaGrange, Georgia this weekend to visit my family and watch my Papa get hitched! My grandmama passed away about 5 years ago and as much as we miss her, we really didn't want my grandad to stay lonesome.

Kate and I enjoying the reception

The wedding was really sweet and tons of fun, plus it was nice to see family that we only get to see a couple times during the year and meet some new family!

...and here's the happy couple!

Congrats Papa and Mrs. Lynn!

Weekend Roundup

2010-10-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

So, it turns out that fall has been much busier than summer! It's great since this summer kind of sucked and I'm really looking forward to changing leaves and cooler temps. This past weekend we were totally lazy on Friday night, staying in and watching Couples Retreat for the 14th time on HBO. Saturday I had to work a bit, although I can't complain much, my day consisted of working at the Hispanic Festival...

...and then at the Greek Festival! Mmmm...lamb on the spit!

And Feta Fries!!!

I came home and caught up on a little football, thankfully, South Carolina beat Bama although my Georgia Southern Eagles lost to Wofford. We decided to take a last minute camping trip at the lake, so we packed up the truck and hit the road. It was really nice to get out of town for the nice and sleep with the crickets. Hopefully the weather will get just a little bit cooler and we'll be able to enjoy some more camping trips this year! Check out the view right as the sun was going down...

Next weekend, my grandad is getting married, so it should be just as busy and fun!

Wish I Was Here...

2010-10-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a beautiful day in Statesboro, Georgia at Paulson Stadium. Wish I was there cheering on my team...

GO EAGLES!

Brain Dump

2010-09-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

...Inspired by the Blue Eyed Bride and Tale of a GRITS

I haven't blogged for a while because this was one of the worst summers I've had in a while. Except for a quick trip to Florida to visit a set of in-laws and a fabulous visit up to Columbia and Charlotte to see DMB, it was rough.
I'm throughly ready for fall weather, gatherings of friends and fun!
After this terribly hot summer, I've realized that summer is not as fun when you don't have a job that gives you a summer break (like all the fabulous teachers in my life) or you are trying to save money and skip vacation because you are living on 1 income.
I'm finally ready to get back in the kitchen. I got a little bored cooking the same thing over and over this summer, which is entirely my fault since I have plenty of cookbooks. I'm hoping to make one new recipe every other week for the next few months.
In addition to fall weather, I'm ready for fall baking season. I am anxiously awaiting cooler weather so I can use my kitchenaid mixer and bake a ton of delicious goodies in my kitchen.
Football season is here! We are huge college football fans and try to tune in or go to as many Georgia Southern (our alma mater), South Carolina, Florida, South Florida (Matt's other alma mater) games as we can.
I'm trying to get all of my photos and music reorganized and backed up. It makes me nervous to think about losing any of it.
I've realized that I'm completely addicted to tv and need to start reading more books before my brain rots from overexposure to trashy reality tv and random crap.

4th of July

2010-07-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

We went down to Gainesville, FL on a whim and visited Matt's mom and grandparents for the 4th of July. His grandparents have just been moved to assisted living and they seem to be adjusting well, which is good for everyone. The place is really cute, too! It kind of reminds me of a dorm for seniors. Everyone has their own apartment and they have all sorts of social activities. They even have cocktail hour some days! They had a photoboard set up for the 4th of July so we took a few photos for Grandmom and Grandad. Here's me and Matt's Mom being patriotic:

After Gainesville we headed down to Ocala to grill out and shoot fireworks. On the way we stopped in Micanopy (a really tiny town on 441) to try out a pizza place I'd been wanting to visit. Blue Highway certainly lived up to the hype, and if you're in that neck of the woods, I suggest you try the thick crust pizza. It was to die for. It was so good, that I got carried away eating it and forgot to take a photo of the actual pizza.

Since I grew up in South Carolina shooting fireworks, I don't mess around. This year the grand finale was 'Red, White, & BOOM'!

It was so great and much needed to get out of town and enjoy a change of scenery for a while. We've kind of been up to the same old-same old too much these days, and it was amazing how relaxed I felt just after the first hour of being on the road. I hope everyone else had a fabulous 4th of July!

Palmetto Cookies with Royal Icing

2010-07-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

After learning that one of our coworkers was leaving Augusta to move to Charleston last week, we decided to throw her a little farewell party last night. The theme was the lowcountry, of course, and I was so excited that I had a chance to use my new palmetto and crescent moon cookie cutter.
I used store bought cookie dough, since I was a little pressed for time and put it in the freezer ahead of time to make it easier to roll out and cut cookies and once they were baked and cooled I iced them with royal icing.

Here's the recipe I used, it's super easy!

Royal Icing:

2 large egg whites

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

3 cups of sifted confectioners sugar

Combine egg whites and lemon juice with blender. Slowly add sifted sugar and mix until icing thickens. Mine turned out a little thick at first so I added a few teaspoons of warm water to soften it up a bit.

This was my first time icing cookies with homemade royal icing and although I need to work on my technique a little bit the icing tasted delicious and I think the final product turned out pretty cute!

Now I'm on the hunt for a South Carolina shaped cookie cutter. Wouldn't those two be so cute paired together?

Twilight Fever

2010-07-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

I still haven't seen Eclipse, which is fine by me. I enjoy Twilight, but you probably wouldn't call me a 'Twi-hard'. I certainly wouldn't have enjoyed the midnight premiere with all the 15 year olds screaming about Edward and Jacob every time they are on screen.

I did see this lovely mini van on the highway last week and had to take a photo to share. Either the kids are super huge Twilight fans and their parents support them or the entire family adores the books and movies.

If you can't read it text on the top of the van's rear window and monogram it reads: 'And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.' That's some serious Twilight love!

Farmers Market

2010-06-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Check out my goodies from the Farmers Market. Summer crops are here!

Pretty soon my tomato garden and herbs will be ready to go. There's nothing better than fresh tomatoes during the hot summer months!

Neutrogena Sunscreen Review

2010-06-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Light Daily Sunscreen

In the past few years I have tried to be very diligent about wearing sun protection daily. That used to mean using a daily moisturizer with spf in it, rarely higher than spf 15 or spf 30. I thought that if I used anything higher it would have to be in the form of heavy, greasy sunscreen. I was wrong!

I have been using the Neutrogena Ultrasheer Liquid Sunblock every day for the past week and I am very please so far. It smells really fresh and it doesn't feel too heavy. During the week I wear it under my makeup and it doesn't make my skin oily. I'm looking forward to seeing how it works this weekend while we are outdoors most of the day.

Would you like to review UltraSheer®, too? Then go to http://www.giantwavepool.com/ultrasheer!

Or get $2 off your UltraSheer® purchase at http://www.neutrogena.com/suncoupon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Fabulous Giveaway!

2010-06-01T16:43:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend! I will have a full post coming soon about all of our weekend shenanigans. Until then, please venture over to Miss Janice's blog and check out her giveaway in celebration of National Iced Tea Month. Such a great thing to celebrate, in my opinion. It's only the most refreshing beverage evah!

Versatile Blogger Award!

2010-05-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah at Honey, Sugah, Dahlin' was kind enough to give me the Versatile Blogger Award. (Thanks, Sarah!) We've never met, but I feel like we'd be friends since she is also a Georgia Southern Alum. GO EAGLES!

The rules are:

1) Thank the blogger who presented me with this award…done!

2) Share 7 things about myself.

3) Pass on the award to 10 bloggers I have recently discovered and love!

So here we go! Seven random things you might (or might not) want to know…

Here are my seven things:

I (like Sarah) have a ridiculous amount of cookbooks. I do cook a lot, but I should probably make myself some kind of deal that I won't buy another cookbook until I've tried 50 new recipes or something like that. Maybe that should be my challenge for the summer.
I collect carnival glass. My friend Andy probably thinks it's a little bit old lady-ish of me, but that's fine. I like it because each piece is a little bit unique and it reminds me of my Granny Grits (my great grandmother).
One of my favorite places in the world is St. Augustine. My husband took me there to celebrate our first year of dating and we've been back many times since. It's so laidback, you can walk practically everywhere, there are great outlets and the drinks are cheap!
I love photography and hope that one day I'll have the opportunity to turn it into an occupation instead of just a semi-part time occupation.
I'd love to live at or near the beach at some point in my life. Maybe even just for a summer...seems like you'd almost have to be in a good mood if you lived close enough to the ocean, right?
I am a proud Southerner, but if I had to choose any other culture to be a part of, it would be Italian. I love Italian food and could eat it 24/7 and the people seem like they really enjoy life. Plus, how pretty is Italy in the movies? I hope I get to visit one day!
I am obsessed with being frugal. I subscribe to 'frugal' blogs, print coupons, clip coupons and I'm always on the lookout for a deal. I rarely pay full price for groceries, clothes and a lot of other things. I love to save $$$!

And here's who my recent favorite bloggers are:

Katie at Tale of a G.R.I.T.S.

Amanda at I Love You Days

Leslie at lmstoehr

Mrs. M at My Life as Mrs. M.

Stacey at The Bowman Family

Katie at Don't Warn the Tadpoles

Brandie at Brandi Nell the Southern Bell

Tammy at Sprout! Coming Soon

Lori at Baby Hennesy

Carolina Girl at Ramblings of a 30 Something Year Old Carolina Girl

Finally Friday!

2010-05-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness it's Friday! It felt like it would never get here this week. This weekend I'm looking forward to:

gorgeous weather
buying a few summer treats for myself at CVS (nail polish, etc.)
grilling out hamburgers
heading downtown to see what the Saturday Market on the River is all about
starting a new book
relaxing

It should be a fun weekend in Augusta! Have y'all got any weekend plans?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T15:51:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day 2010

Summer Lovin'

2010-05-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about summer (which is really right around the corner here in Georgia!) is home grown tomatoes. I love tomatoes all year round and will practically eat anything with marinara, salsa, or any other kind of red sauce. I also like to just slice up tomatoes to enjoy as a snack. Salt or no salt, I love them either way. I might be a little obsessed with them, especially my own plants. There's just something about tomatoes that come straight out of the garden and into my kitchen during the summer!

Here's a few of my little cherries from last year:

I posted earlier this spring about my tomato seedlings. This is the second year I have tried to grow my 'maters from seeds to plants. I have to tell y'all, it is much harder than it looks. Too much water, not enough water, or too much sun and half the seedling tray is gone and unable to be resuscitated. Matt was really helpful this year with keeping them watered and sunned while they were babies, but inevitably we were left with about 6 seedlings that were healthy enough to be planted. After a few weeks in the ground we were left with about 2 plants that would be able to make it, thanks to another cold snap, too much wind and a few neighborhood birds that love to nibble on tomato leaves. I still wanted a whole garden full of tomatoes so we filled in with a few tomato plants we found at the flea. (They are surprisingly sturdy so far!) Last night I bought the last tomato to fill the garden and it is a 'Talledega' tomato. I've never heard of this kind of tomato before, but we're going to give it a shot and his nickname will be 'Ricky Bobby'.

Here's Ricky Bobby being planted in my garden:

The first tomatoes of the season growing on my 'early girl' tomato. She will probably be named 'Scarlet O'Hara' because she has lovely green leaves like Scarlet's famous green dress.

Another view of the garden. Last year we tried two topsy turvies as well, and they barely produced anything. I decided to concentrate on plants in the ground this year and I hope it pays off!

I'm working on growing a few herbs too (parsley, basil, oregano, etc.) but those are moving slow too. Hopefully I'll have something to share soon, since they would be a perfect addition to the homemade spaghetti sauce I'm going to try to make after my tomato harvest this summer.

Another busy week!

2010-04-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated our 1 year anniversary (full post coming soon!). On Sunday I spent the better part of the day taking photos for a baby shower and then maternity pics afterwards. I haven't really done maternity photos before, but I think they turned out pretty cute. We had a great location and the afternoon light was really, really pretty.

Monday, my parents called and we went to meet them for dinner at the Village Deli. If you're ever in Augusta, you have to try this place. They have the best burgers and sandwiches and everyone is always so nice. I tried the french dip for the first time and it was so good. Although, how can you go wrong with a sandwich that is dipped in au jus?

This week I hosted (along with one of my coworkers) a shower for a friend at work who is getting married in less than a month. The first half of the week was spent in preparation getting the house ready and wrapping her gift. Oh, and making sure all the food was taken care of! She is a sweetheart and it is sure to be a fabulous wedding. Our theme was a tea party bridal shower so we had tiny pimento cheese sandwiches, fruit and cheese, petit fours and sweet tea vodka!

Our Tea Party spread:

Me and the lovely bride, Stacey

I had a great time inviting everyone over and it was a really good excuse to get the house super spiffy. Hubs said I should start entertaining more so we'd be motivated to stay clean. Works for me!

This weekend should be relaxing, although I'm determined to clean up around the house more and organize. I realized this week that we have too many books. I'm a reader and I'd love to keep copies of everything I've read, but it just isn't practical. For starters, we don't really have the space for a full library. As it is, I keep my cookbooks in their own separate cabinet because I refuse to part with any of them. The rest of my fiction and non fiction really should be passed along to family or friends who'd like to read. Maybe I could do a giveaway or book swap soon. Hmmm...

Spring Fever

2010-04-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

I was so glad when April finally rolled around this year. Once March is over, I'm usually ready to start enjoying warmer weather and sitting out on a patio somewhere enjoying a cold beer. April has been busy, but the weather has been gorgeous so I can't really complain.

We took a boat tour on the Augusta Canal and enjoyed the sites one day last week, it was gorgeous outside!

Our old gas grilled died at the end of last summer and we put off getting a new one for a while. Thankfully, Matt found a great deal on a new one and we've been grilling up a storm! it's been really nice being able to cook and eat outside since the weather is so great these days.

The easter beagle brought me lots of sweet treats and we enjoyed Easter supper with Matt's dad, stepbrother and my dad.

Masters week was fabulous in Augusta this year! Matt's dad came to visit and go to the practice rounds with him on Monday. They had a great time since the weather was so nice. Last year when he came it was super cold and rainy, unfortunately.

Wednesday I got to enjoy the course and the Par 3 tournament with my friends Carrie and Stacey.

I hope the rest of April and May is just as fun! I've got a bridal shower that I'm hosting next week and our 1 year anniversary is right around the corner...

Masters Triplets

2010-04-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

These guys were my favorites for 'Most Creative Outfit' at the Masters last year!

Masters Monday

2010-04-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood here in Augusta...

Tomatoes Are On The Way

2010-03-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

There's nothing I love more than tomatoes. Seriously, I eat them like apples year-round! Last year I grew my first crop from seeds to plants and I was successful, surprisingly. This year I'm planting big boys, early girls, rutgers, grape and cherry tomatoes. I can't wait for summer sun and homegrown tomatoes, right off the vine!

Last week my tomato and seedlings were barely peeking through the dirt:

This week they are getting bigger:

Pretty soon, it will be time to harden them off and plan them outside. Spring and summer are right around the corner, thank goodness.

My herb garden is sprouting too! I'll have parsley, oregano, chives and cilantro in no time.

Hurry up Spring!

2010-03-04T05:04:00.000-08:00

Things have been eventful and uneventful lately. We've had a few changes that we didn't expect lately, but that's life right? Everything else has been business as usual. I'm totally over the cold weather, and especially gray days. Can it please be springtime like, yesterday?!? I was thrilled that it snowed this year, especially enough to stick and enough to make snowmen and enjoy it, but now I'm done with winter. It has been colder than usual this year and I'm over it. All I can think about lately is blue skies and warm weather. I can't wait for spring days when it is nice enough to sit outside and enjoy cold beer on someone's patio, or sit outside and enjoy a slice at the Mellow Mushroom.

I'm also looking forward to:

Masters Week in Augusta
Easter
Camping at the Lake
Driving around with my windows down
Visiting family in Florida this summer

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

It's almost time in Augusta...

2010 So far...

2010-03-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

This year has been pretty busy so far. I can't believe it is March already, but I'm so glad that it is almost springtime. Here's what we've been up to so far!

In February...

We celebrated Matt's 30th birthday with a surprise trip to Savannah.

We got almost 6 inches of snow in Augusta! (This almost never happens!)

I started my search for more carnival glass at flea markets and antique marts. I love this stuff!

In January...

I went to a bluegrass concert (Blue Highway) at the Imperial with a few of my work girls. The company was great and the band was even better than expected!

I hung out with the sis, and enjoyed a HUGE ice cream cone from McD's.

I went to visit one of my best friends, Kelly in Savannah, since I hadn't seen her since the fall. i had a great weekend relaxing and wandering around downtown.

I took the hubs to see Willie Nelson and his family band for the first time. I'd seen him twice previously and this time wasn't a disappointment either. I heart Willie and most of his songs.

Snow in Augusta

2010-02-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

It is actually snowing in Augusta, Georgia right now! This is my front yard. Thought I'd post a quick pic before I head back out to enjoy the snow.

Fortune Cookie

2010-02-08T10:46:00.001-08:00

I got this fortune last Friday afternoon at lunch...and it was quite fitting. Not that I am a 'firm' believer in fortunes. (I know you make your own fortune/destiny, whatever, but that is another post for another time.) These days what you find in the fortune cookie isn't so much a fortune as a quote or advice. This one seemed to be particularly relevant because I had a big event for work on Saturday morning (which went great!) and I have a two other projects I have to finish before the end of the month.

I'm not usually a procrastinator, but lately it just feels easier to stress about it instead of actually get the work done. Since I received this little piece of advice via the New China Buffet, I've decided to get motivated, stay determined and finish my work! I will also be glad once everything is finished because it will be off my plate and I have a lot more to look forward to this spring. I have a work related trip to Nashville in March (Yay! Nashville!) and the Masters are right around the corner. Come on, Spring!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T05:37:00.000-08:00

Old School

2010-01-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been sick of the gray weather because I want to get outside and take some photos! Since I can't get out and photograph more of my city, I've decided to post some old shots from when I was in school. Hopefully it will encourage me to get outside soon and stretch my creative muscles!

Palmetto on Cumberland Island

Christie*

Kelly

Cindell

Keeping my fingers crossed for photo-friendly weather soon...

*(I depended on my lovely friends to model for me back in the day!)

New Year. New Haircut

2010-01-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

January 2010

Please pardon the lack of posts lately. Work has been nuts since I got back from Christmas vacation and I'm trying to figure out my new schedule which involves: getting organized, exercising more, making supper and trying to figure out when to hang out with my husband now that it is officially tax season.

Too Many Books?

2010-01-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

Too many books? That's just crazy talk, right? Lately Matt has been complaining that I have too many books, as they are piled up on the bookshelf, in my closet, and anywhere else they will fit. I just can't help it. I have a bad habit of buying books faster than I can read them. I also don't like getting rid of books once I read them, especially if I like them. I know we don't have the room, but I'd love to have my very own library one day. I'm donating a few and taking a few to consign at a local new/used bookstore. One of my new years resolutions is to read more (and donate or share books once I am finished with them), so hopefully that will help. Currently I'm reading:

The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain (AKA my Travel Channel Crush): He's so sarcastic and I just can't get enough of No Reservations. I love his style of writing, it makes me want to learn more about food and cooking.

It Ain't All About the Cookin': Paula's biography! I've been waiting to read this for a while, and was really excited to receive it from Santa Claus.

New Moon: Slowly working my way through the Twilight series, not b/c I don't like it, but because I want to make it last longer! I love it!

Never Make the Same Mistake Twice, by Nene Leakes: a birthday gift from some of my girls who know I love RHOA and Nene. I haven't gotten that far into it, but I'm liking it so far.

What are your favorite books lately?

Beauty Resolutions

2010-01-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

I've decided to make a few more resolutions for the new year, inspired by this post on the Sephora blog. Here are my 2010 Beauty Resolutions:

Never go to bed with makeup on my face. I'm really bad about this sometimes, and I know it is horrible for your skin.
Continue to wear sunscreen everyday, spf 25 or higher. I know a few folks our parents age that have really bad wrinkles because they were sun worshipers. I do love getting vitamin D outside, but no more excessive tanning for me.
Wax my eyebrows regularly. I'm really bad about letting this one slide because I hate waiting for an appointment.
Be a little more adventurous with my daily makeup routine and at least switch up my eyeshadow from time to time. Don't want to get in a rut by wearing the same color 24/7!

New Years Goals

2010-01-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

I like to say 'goals' better than 'resolutions'. For some reason, I think that makes it seem more attainable. In any event, here are a few of the things I'd like to work toward in 2010.

Read more. I need to start turning off the tv (as much as I love it). I really think I might have a tiny addiction to it, so this can't possibly be a bad thing. I have a huge stack of books I've been meaning to read for a while, so it's time to get down to it!

Keep in touch better. I really want to do a better job of keeping up with our friends and family. Last year was a little bit nuts with the wedding and what not, so we should have a little more time this year.

Exercise/be healthier. I already have a plan to cook a little bit lighter this year and watch my portions. I also got the Nike plus that works with your iPod and running shoes to keep you in sync with your music and track your progress. I can't wait to try it out.

Be a better wife. Year one has been great so far and I want the next one to be even better!

What are your goals for 2010?

2009 in Review

2009-12-31T10:24:00.001-08:00

2009 was a great year for me. Of course there were some ups and downs but overall it has been great!

Rang in the New Year in '09 with friends:

Had a fabulous time celebrating all my girls during my bachelorette weekend in Savannah:

GOT MARRIED!:

Spent our honeymoon in fabulous Key West, FL:

Celebrated a good friend's 50th birthday on Hilton Head Island, SC:

Baked and cooked a ton with fresh fruits and veggies this summer and nearly perfected my strawberry cake:

Chopped my hair off for Locks of Love:

Started my own garden:

Enjoyed football, camping, and fabulous weather in the fall:

Hosted Fakesgiving at our house for all of our friends:

Spent Thanksgiving with my family in Manchester and LaGrange, GA:

Spent Christmas in Florida with Matt's family (my new family). Here's Papa reading the Christmas story:

I hope everyone else had a great 2009 and is looking forward to more family, friends and fun in 2010. Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-12-30T20:11:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the belated post. There is much to come on Christmas soon, too! In the meantime, please enjoy a few photos from my birthday in St. Augustine, Florida.

I love that place. I swear, I could move down there in a heartbeat.

Family Tradition

2009-12-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

Last year, my little sis and I started a new Christmas tradition, since we aren't always together on Christmas now. (Because I'm married and have two families now, and all that good stuff!) We have an annual 'Mitchum Sister Movie Night' and watch our favorite Christmas movies and eat and make cookies.

There will be Home Alone (we can practically recite the entire movie!)

a large cheese pizza just for us!

Elf,

and plenty of Christmas cookies!

I can't wait for tonight!

New Ornaments

2009-12-15T17:36:00.001-08:00

I just couldn't help but add a few more ornaments to our collection this year. Especially since it is our First Married Christmas. Here is the 'M' near the top of our tree:

I was more than happy to change my name when I got married earlier this year. I do have to admit that I was glad our last initials were the same, since I have a few things embroidered or monogrammed with 'M'. Here's one of my favorites, a jingle bell snowflake:

Sparkly Snowflakes are always fabulous!

Tis the Season!

2009-12-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

Last night was our office Christmas party at the boss's house. We have a great office and everyone gets along for the most part, so it was pretty fun!

Here's me and two of my work girls:

I hope everyone else is having fun celebrating the Christmas season!

What I've Been Up To Lately...

2009-12-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

In addition to all the wonderful Christmas shenanigans that are going on lately (Christmas parties, shopping and wrapping presents, decorating, eating candy canes and cookies and watching Christmas movies on tv) I've also been shooting quite a bit. Here's a look at my latest series of family portraits and Christmas card photos:

Jessica and her Daughters

Baby Jace

Miss Mattie

Mamie and her three Sisters

Fakesgiving 2009

2009-12-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

So, I know I'm way behind and Fakesgiving actually happened weeks ago, but I'm sure y'all want to see how it turned out, right?12 of our friends came from all over (everyone was from out of town but 1, and we even had 2 international guests this year!) and it was a blast!

Kelly's Hubby, Eliot and their puppy dog Mims in her Christmas sweater (E is Scottish!)

Kelly and Mims in her doggy jacket

Thorben and Twyla (He's from Germany!)

Kelly's delicious cheese ball:

Turkey and Mashed Potatoes, my favorite!

Me and the BFF, Andy who is a fantastic cook!

Me and Miss Twy -totally related :-)

Mrs. Mikell and Mrs. Meikle (we're convince that we're Scottish cousins b/c of our husbands' roots!)

The dessert table halfway through the night

(nevermind the papa johns box in the corner-one of the boys who don't cook brought cinnastix!):

Andy brought delicious treats! Red Velvet Cake and Pralines!

The end of the evening was spent around the bonfire with glasses of wine and good conversation:

Favorite Ornaments

2009-12-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

This week has been cold and busy, hence the lack of blog posts. If I'm not working, getting ready for Christmas vacation or wrapping Christmas presents, I'm trying to stay warm. I really don't remember it being this cold so early last year. I thought since I didn't have time for a huge post I'd share a few of my favorite Christmas ornaments. We used to have a 'Statesboro Blues' tree when we first started dating. It was completely blue and white, as a nod to Statesboro and our alma matter, Georgia Southern. Since we've been together, we have started collecting ornaments and receiving them as gifts. I've even started creating some of my own. Hopefully our collection will get even bigger and better. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is pulling out the ornaments and putting them on the tree, it's like they are new every year!

The engagement ornament Matt's mom got us last year.

I painted this one for our first 'married' Christmas. It has our last name on one side and wedding date on the other.

This one is a tiny piggy bank, which I got Matt for his first year in accounting. I thought it was cute, even though his job has nothing to do with 'counting' or change.

This one is from my best friend, TW and I love it because it looks lovely and old-school.

What are your favorite Christmas ornaments?

Over the Top!

2009-12-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I have been really bad about passing along Blog awards lately, so I"m trying to catch up. Sorry y'all!

1. Thank the person who gave it to you – Thanks for thinking of me Amanda! Her blog is super cute and always reminds me to be thankful for my Hubs.
2. Answer the questions below using only 1 word answers.
3. Pass it on to 6 other bloggers you think are Over The Top!

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your hair? dark
3. Your mother? energetic
4. Your father? tall
5. Your favorite food? pizza
6. Your dream last night? crazy
7. Your favorite drink? wine
8. Your dream/goal? photography
9. What room are you in? kitchen
10. Your hobby? cooking
11. Your fear? alone
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? content
13. Where were you last night? Augusta
14. Something you aren’t? blonde
15. Muffins? Strawberry
16. Wish list item? Relaxation
17. Where did you grow up? South
18. Last thing you did? ate
19. What are you wearing? earrings
20. Your TV? off
21. Your pets? none
22. Your friends? funny
23. Your life? fabulous
24. Your mood? anxious
25. Missing someone? totally
26. Vehicle? truck
27. Something you’re not wearing? socks
28. Your favorite store? Sephora
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? morning
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday
32. Your best friend? amazing
33. One place that I go over and over? Kroger
34. One person who emails me regularly? Andy
35. Favorite place to eat? Mellow Mushroom

Here are 6 ladies I think are marvelously OVER THE TOP!

1. Erin at Blue Eyed Bride

2. Katie at Don't Warn the Tadpoles

3. Stephanie at Walking Contradiction

4. Lori at Holley Ryan Happenings

5. Stacey at The Bowman Family

6. Maggie at The Freckled Citizen

Christmas in Augusta

2009-12-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is here, so I thought I'd share a few photos of downtown Augusta with y'all. Especially since I missed Wordless Wednesday this week!

It has been crazybusy lately and I can't wait for Christmas break. I thoroughly plan on enjoying it by visiting with family, reading a ton, partaking in Christmas cocktails and basically relaxing.

Fra-gee-lay!

2009-12-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

I love the movie A Christmas Story...

'It's a major award!...Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian!'

'Uh, I think it says "Fragile", dear.

'Oh Yeah.'

Here is my office door decorated for Christmas! We're having a decorating contest and I'm in it to win it. I spent 3 hours putting this together last night. I didn't think it would take that long until I started on the fishnet hose...Either way, I'm really excited about the way it turned out.

Oh Christmas Tree!

2009-11-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick look at our Christmas Tree. It needs a little bit more work, but I'm so glad it is up finally. It means Christmas is really here!

One of the ornaments I hand painted this year-a South Carolina Palmetto and Crescent Moon. I love my state!

Thankful

2009-11-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

This year I have many blessings to be thankful for:

Marrying my best friend this year!

A great family.

My new family that has welcomed me with open arms.

The Best friends a girl could ask for!

My cameras, so that I can photograph weddings and catch snapshots of all of our friends and adventures!

Always having more than enough food on the table.

Living in the South and getting to enjoy beautiful weather for the better part of the year.

The ability to be able to travel with my family and friends to amazing places like:

Key West, FL

St. Augustine, FL

An awesome job that allows me to tell everyone why my city (Augusta GA) is so wonderful and gives me the opportunity to travel to cool places like Indianapolis every once in a while.

Excited!

2009-11-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to see these guys tomorrow in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

It is one of my favorite things about Turkey Day and the official start of the Christmas season!

I hope everyone has a fabulous and blessed Thanksgiving.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

Fakesgiving Preview

2009-11-22T17:32:00.000-08:00

Fakesgiving 2009 was a success! I'm still exhausted from all the cooking, eating and catching up with old friends. Here's a quick look at the bird from Saturday night. Meet Burt the Turkey!

Indianapolis Part 2

2009-11-21T08:29:00.000-08:00

Our second day in Indianapolis was great! Carrie and I had the morning to ourselves to check out downtown and see what we could find. First was a delicious breakfast at Einstein Bagels. We actually have an Einstein down the street from my house, but I never tried it before and was pleasantly surprised.

The egg sandwich on challah bread was so delicious!Next we headed out to check out the visitor center at White River State Park (we always check them out wherever we go, since we're in tourism and like to see how other folks do it). The visitor center was really helpful and told us that the NCAA Hall of Champions was just on the other side of the park. This was terrific news, since we are both huge sports fans, especially football. The downstairs was basically a hall of trophies and other memorabilia, but the upstairs was more interactive. You got to play a portion of each NCAA sport, and try your hand at being a referee for different sports. The whole place was really cool!

Our hotel was right across the street from the capitol, which was really pretty.

The weather was gorgeous the entire time we were visiting!

The rest of the afternoon we had several classes and lots of learning. Afterwards, we went to supper at the Weber Grill. We weren't sure what it was all about at first, but we learned that most of the dishes are made on Weber charcoal grills (like the one you have in your very own backyard!).

I'm not sure how this restaurant would go over in the south, since everyone has their own grill but the food was phenomenal. We tried the Weber sampler, which was basically 'plate of meat' and it did not disappoint.

The mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes and roast corn on the cob we tried for sides was pretty good too! By the end of the night we were stuffed and completely satisfied and our walk back to the hotel kept us from completely passing out from full bellies and happiness!

Cooking up a Storm!

2009-11-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

This week has been crazy busy at work and at home. There's a lot of new things going on in the office, so I've been a little slammed. At home we're gearing up for Fakesgiving weekend 2009, which is sure to be a success! Here's the poundcake I made for our work's Thanksgiving/Fakesgiving lunch today. It turned out really buttery and delicious!

I'm also still regularly cooking at home, too! Here's our delicious chicken enchiladas from last night. Mmmmm...melty cheese!

Alright, back to the grind! I've got to get back to straightening up and cleaning the house for guests this weekend. I'm so glad it's Thursday already!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

Indianapolis Part 1

2009-11-16T04:05:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a fantastic trip to Indianapolis last week. I was up there for work and learned a ton of new stuff about tourism. Yay for learning!
Our first night we arrived in the Indianapolis airport, which is beautiful, to find the coolest vending machine I've ever seen. No worries about makeup emergencies, Sephora's got you covered!We took the shuttle into downtown to check into our hotel and it was awesome. You can't beat $7 a pop for nearly direct service from the airport. I think it only took us about 20 minutes to get there and it was a lot cleaner and roomier than a cab. Plus we got to check out some sites on the way.
After we checked in we were starving, so we headed down the street to the Rock Bottom Brewery. The beer was great and the pizza was delicious! It was a quite a long day with all the traveling, bad weather and airport delays in Atlanta so we were all ready for a good night's rest. All in all it was a great start to our trip and Indianapolis did not disappoint on our first night!

Back from Indy

2009-11-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

I arrived back in Augusta from Indianapolis last night around 9:30, and I was exhausted! I think it was a combination of walking around exploring the city, learning a ton for about 3 days, having a great time, and the exhaustion of traveling. I've got a lot of catching up to do this weekend, laundry, a little bit of housekeeping and errands, and a bunch of exercise on my to do list, since we enjoyed such great food the entire time we were in Indiana. Then it's right back to work on Monday and preparing for Fakesgiving 2009!
I'll have a full post with photos and an Indianapolis wrap-up soon. We had a really great time in the Midwest.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas Already?

2009-11-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

There are Christmas trees in downtown Augusta already! Isn't this a little earlier than usual?I can't say that I really mind stores putting up decorations to by and presents out early though. The longer I can shop and enjoy the season, the better!