Summer Lovin'

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!

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...

2010 So far...

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.

New Years Goals

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 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!

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.

Fakesgiving 2009

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: