Slow Saturdays

Slow is a relative term around here.  We run at the speed of chaos most days, but Saturday mornings afford us a few moments to slow down, catch up on the stack of 500 magazines, watch cartoons and drink PLENTY of coffee. 

After our trip to Napa last month, Dear Hubs and I are hooked on French Press coffee.  There's something more fancy glamorous about making coffee with this method than the traditional pot.  Not  to mention, it does indeed taste fab!  I bought my press on Amazon - easy to find and not expensive actually. 

My new mug is a gift to moi from moi, compliments of a little gift shop around here called elle b gifts.  I just adore the set!  That with a new copy of Food & Wine (a fave) magazine as well as many, many more are set for the reading. 

Once I conquer this leisure style for a few minutes, perhaps I'll set out on something more active today!  Hmmm... there are those oyster topiaries I need to make, that run I need to go on, those drapes I was considering starting, that work I needed to catch up on, the Charmed Life Kids that needs shipping and many more ideas on how to spend the morning.  Yep ... better get crackin!

Happy Saturday, y'all!

Vote 2012: Anxiously Waiting

Polls are closed here now, but we woke up early this morning and were pleasantly surprised by the nice conditions, donuts and coffee, short lines and expedient process to VOTE this morning.  After a long day at the office, I rushed home to prep a quick but patriotic dinner to celebrate election day 2012!  We dined on a festive red, white and blue display and watched as each state has been announced.

Our Menu included:

Uncle Sammies

(BBQ and Cole Slaw Sliders)

Red, White and Blue Nachos

(Blue Chips w Cheese Dip and Bell Pepper)

Stars and Stripes Fruit

(Blueberries, Strawberries with Whipped Topping and Sprinkles)

 

 

A few flags dotted around on the dough bowl display added a festive touch.

 

And the best, of course ... tiny containers of Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream (my personal fave) gave a sweet and patriotic tribute for dessert!

 

Red state, blue state ... too early to call this one - it will definitely be a long night!

Giving Thanks

Another wonderful weekend is coming to a close.  We spent time with friends, family and had an all around great time together.  Today, Baby B and I loaded up in the car and headed across town to see my sweet Nana.  She always loves a visit from us and adores the time with little B, after all ... it's her great grandson and she thinks he's tops (so do we).

Whenever we can, we try to remember to do a little something for the sweet nursing staff that take such good care of Nana each day.  Today's little giftable was a big box of carrot cake whoopie pies.  Nothing says "thank you" better than a sweet, tasty comfort treat.

I've made two big batches of these sweet treats over the past week - they are just so stinkin' good that I had to make plenty! 

 

 

To package them up, I took a white gift box (shirt box size) and put the two pieces of the box inside one another for re-enforcement.  A little two sided tape kept the two pieces together so they kept their shape.  From there, I used a square of burlap as a liner and put it catty-corner on the angle inside the white box form.  A layer of parchment was put down, followed by a small ton these tasty whoopies.  I folded the burlap up around the pies and secured with a seasonal polka dot ribbon.  The tags were made by hand using a copper gold paint pen.  (It was easier to do it free hand than to go print a tag ... yes, I am that lazy).

 

A second little box was whipped together for the nursing coordinator.  She has been a gem and helped out a few times above and beyond.  We wanted to make sure she received one too!

So the sweet pies were made and packaged up with loved and I know thoroughly enjoyed by the kind souls that help Nana each day.  We appreciate what they do so much ... it was only right that we give thanks!

Happy Halloween

We celebrated the scariest day of the year in good style around these parts.  Baby B woke up and headed off to school (unusual for a Wednesday) to participate in the Halloween Parade.  It was the cutest darn thing to watch all of the preschool classes march their costumed selves around the balloon lined walk way outside the school.  Like a good mommy, I stood and froze my derriere off for a good 45 minutes waiting on the festivities (that's love). 

The original costume of choice for Baby B was Bam Bam from the Flintstones.  How cute would that have been - little boy running around with his baseball bat as he always has.  He would have just loved it.  Well, when temps were threatening near freezing range, the thought of a half naked baby was just too terrible to imagine.  And, if you toss tons of layers under his little Bam Bam costume ... it just wouldn't be cute (or make sense), so ... we pulled out the tried and true pumpkin suit!  The good news - it's warm and conducive to layers.  And thus, Baby B was a darling pumpkin, hat and all, this year!

When the walkers class finally surfaced, Baby B was proudly walking and holding the hand of one of his teachers.  He was so darn cute and all smiles as his adoring fans oggled over the cute littles in costumes.  All that was fine and good until he spotted mommy in the crowd.  Then, he made a bee line straight for me, which meant that to continue in the parade ... mommy joined the walkers class. 

 

After we did an elaborate bait and switch with one of the teachers, Baby B's day at school continued without a hitch.  He crafted and did all of the fun things that the walkers class does.  Proudly, he came home with a decorated pumpkin.  And, while I'm not sure if the oddly feathered two eyed (the other is under the feathers) pumpkin is a masterpiece or should be examined, I sure think it's just darling.

 

Once we completed our afternoon nap time, we headed over to sweet bestie A's house for a fall party prior to trick or treat.  Guest stops with a few other friends to say hello, Baby B officially trick or treated one or two houses and then marched himself home. 

 

 

I guess when the baby goes home, he's trying to tell you he's had enough?  The child seriously walked (and knew where to cross the street to get home) at least 5 houses with Dear Hubs chasing behind him.  When we arrived home and everyone shed layers of coats and costumes, we dined on BBQ chicken pizza and salad.  Zsa Zsa and Pops were on hand with a giant pumpkin shaped cupcake for Baby B to enjoy as well.  Enjoy he did (and cover everything in orange frosting!)!  Once bellies were all full, Baby B called it a night, surprisingly close to his normal bedtime too!   

All in all, it was a successful and fun Halloween.  Now, onto November for more festive events and fun!

Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech

Straight off a 10 hour flight home from Barcelona (pics of this fab trip forthcoming), Dear Hubs and I headed back to our Alma Mater for the homecoming game; Georgia Tech versus the Cougars of BYU.  The game (and our team) left something to be desired, but we had a wonderful time catching up with a few faces from our college years, scooting over to check out the new football practice facility (which Dear Hubs was in awe of since the facilities weren't nearly so amazing when he played) and then headed to the game.  In tow all along the way was Baby B.  I can hardly believe it but this was his VERY FIRST GT game.  Last year he was too tiny and this year, we just have had too much going on to make it back to the games.  He enjoyed every bit of the tailgating scene and actually made it to half time of the game ... which was a shocking event all on its own!


I just love these pics of Dear Hubs with Baby B at the practice field.  One of these may find it's way to black and white for Dear Hubs' office!

 

The game was a hit, well ... more specifically the small airplane that flew around the stadium with a large banner advertising free entry to the Cheetah (strip club) was a hit.  Men ....

 

By half time, 2 sippy cups of water, about 85 graham crackers and a soft pretzel had been consumed.  That was our queue that it was time to head home before the impending melt down due to delayed nap ensued.  We stopped at the Varsity for a quick chili dog and rings on our way north.  I love that place!

 

Given performance (of our crew not the team), we will certainly be making a repeat appearance for future games with the Yellow Jackets newest fan!

A is for Apple

Each week, Baby B's little school focuses lessons on a specific letter of the alphabet.  I try my best to re-enforce the learning at home with some sensory use of the letter and examples.  Lucky for me, A came easy for our household.  Not only is fall prime time for apple season, but we found a few great ways to re-enforce that indeed A is for Apple.

The big bowl of apples graces the kitchen counter top.  Not only does it remind us to not go straight for the pantry snacks and to consider this as an alternative, but it's an easy grab for a re-enforcement lesson with B.  Occassionally, I'll grab him and we try making our "a" sound together.  Usually, this ends up with a big mouthful of apple and baby B looking like a little piggy on a bbq with a giant apple hanging out of his mouth!

This week's "a" lesson was perfectly timed for a new recipe I wanted to try for Paula's (that's Deen for those new around these parts) delish apple cake.  It was a smashing success and definitely will be made again and again!  I thought I was being clever by snapping a pic of the finished product as it cooled.  Someone beat me to it and you can see it was well enjoyed by the slice out of the back half in the pic below!  Keep scrolling to the bottom for this FAB recipe!

And then there's the prized bring home from school, baby B's very first school art work.  Awww, my heart melts.  He's growing up way too fast for my taste!  And yes, this pic was taken and the apple picture promptly removed from his clutches.  This is a keepsake, y'all!  Five more seconds with him and it would have been trashed.

Paula's Apple Cake (slightly modified from food.com and the Paula magazine fall 2012)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups chopped apples ( about 3 apples)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F Grease a bunt pan.
2. Mix flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; set aside. Beat oil and sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then stir in apples and vanilla. Add flour mixture until blended; stir in pecans and raisins.
3. Transfer to pan and then drop and shake the pan to release bubbles.
4. Bake 1 1/2 hours until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 minutes.  Once cool, remove from pan (I always try to run a spoon or dull knife around pan first before flipping) and dust with powder sugar.

The Harvest Bounty

Last week, I shared about our big day at Burt's Farm over here.  It was so very fun for the bigs and littles in our family.  I bet you might be wondering what on earth I did with all those giant pumpkin darlings, right?

Well ... a truckload full of the mini pumpkins, dried gords and corn stalks went on a buffet in the kitchen.  You can't tell from this angle, but there are a few in the planter basket itself on the other side.

 

The big boys found a home out front.  The two mega-pumpkins were accompanied by three medium dolls.  Two on the steps and three nestled in the front flower bed on top of a bail of hay.  This felt like a nice replacement for the flowers I never got around to planting!  You can see my pumpkin topiaries and the "fall y'all" pillows on the porch from this view (the how to on the pillows is over here).  And yes, that's my decorating assistant cutting the grass (always) on the front walk!  He's a pretty tall little, you can see how enormous those pumpkins are with the scale to him. 

 

 

And for good measure, one of the mid sized (smaller) pumpkins was added to the bird bath in the side landscaping.  I just love this one because I can see it first thing every morning when I go outside with the diva dogs, when we play in the yard or when I'm racing like a wild woman down the drive!

 

One last snap ... Baby B sure does love these rockers.  I just can't keep him off of the front porch.  He always does a little Goldilocks survey of the four big rockers and then selects this one "the "y'all pillow seat" for his just right fit.  Too sweet!

 

Ten Years

It's hard to believe it was ten years ago today that Dear Hubs and I said our "I do's" at Primrose Cottage in Roswell.  It feels like only yesterday. but Lordy ... looking at the pics now - we looked like babies!  I guess it really has been 10 years! LOL. 

 

And today, these two senior citizen looking peeps are in Napa enjoying a GLORIOUS weekend in wine country.  Pics and juicy details are forth coming once I get the phone to synch! 

 

Happy Anniversary, Dear Hubs.  Thank you for ten wonderful years and for being an incredible husband and father.  Love you.

 

xoxo

b

 

 

Tennis Time

This is dear tennis S.  AKA Hurricane.   Yes, that giant thing in her hand is a beverage mug.  Heavens only knows how much liquid that thing actually holds, but I will tell you that ALTA rules state you aren't to have a potty break until after the 2nd set (if you go to 3 sets).  I have NO eartly idea how she does that with THAT mug!

Hurricane was given the name for her U of Miami gear she sported at practice by our coach G.  She’s sweet and sassy (mostly sassy) but a fierce competitor.  A lefty like me, I’m proud to have been her partner many of times.  Well, that’s when she was holding up the bottom rungs of the line up with me at line 4 or 5.  But, she’s been practicing and now moved on to greener pastures (and better partners) at lines 1 and 2 and winning there with the Mari's (aka the sisters).  
 
Like most of our team, we aren’t your normal ALTA Betty’s like we see in the other teams we play.  You know … the one’s that play 10 times a week, stress over their attire, the gossip and every little dramatic detail of their match.  We, on the other hand, have done this too long together to be so high maintenance. 

Ok, I know those that know me well don’t believe for a split second that I’m not “high maintenance”.  I keep it in check and am on the low drama spectrum compared to the sport … how’s that?  And yes, I did attempt to make tennis ball turned pumpkin cookies just a few weeks ago (details here).

Anywho, today, Hurricane shared her tasty sandwich roll recipe (that's what's in the other hand); which I need to try soon and one thing led to another and we were all comparing tips and tricks on everything under the sun!  Who knew the cookie trick of putting your rolled cookie dough back in the fridge before cutting into the perfect cookie also works for pinwheel sandwiches!  Good to know!

In honor of sassy Hurricane, I'm going to dig back through the ole' files and see what high maintenance tennis tablescapes I can find to share.  My network is acting a bit funny right now.  I think there are a few hiding somewhere in the elaborate file system I've developed (that does nothing more than confuse me and lose files!).  To not make anyone dizzy from the tennis overload, I'll share in a series of flashbacks coming soon!

We won all 5 matches today, so here's to a possible trip to playoffs again this season!

 xoxo

~b

Best Wishes Sweet A

Some of my girls have been besties and sweet friends since way back yonder.  Many of us were sorority sisters and stayed close through the weddings, babies and life events of the past decade errr...few short youthful years.

You may recognize a few of these fresh faced college girls from my pics of besties today!

 

A few of us gathered together in Roswell, GA just a week ago to wish our sweet A the fairest of wishes for her wedding to M.  It was a lovely outdoor service at Primrose Cottage, where Dear Hubs and I said our "I do's" almost ten years ago, followed by a wonderful dinner reception.  I just love the location for it's ties to my family generations back, my hometown and also my own special wedding day.  It's a beautiful old antebellum home in a gorgeous little downtown area of this adorable city.  Here's a few snaps of our bride A.

 

After the ceremony, we claimed our seats in the ballroom.  Table 9 was the destination for most of our crew.  Sorry NYC girls C and K ... y'all had a VIP table all your own. 

 

 

We ate all sorts of yummy delights and then said our well wishes to the bride herself.  I just love these girls.

 

And once everyone's dancin shoes were tired (and my babysitter was ready to retire for the night) ... we grabbed our oh so perfect Krispy Kreme donut favors and headed home. 

 

Twas a night to be remembered.  Congrats and a lifetime of love sweet A and hubby M.  We love y'all!

 

~ xoxo, b

Birthday Breakfast in Bed

Our sweet friend little C, son of bestie P, recently celebrated his big 1-0 birthday.  It's amazing how time flies, it feels like just only yesterday little C was just a small 5 year old getting ready for kindergarten.  It's hard to believe we have already known him this long.  Little C is the kind of kid that is helpful, kind, full of spunk and good spirit and always willing to lend a helping hand.  He's a good egg, that little C. 

 

To help little C celebrate his big day, I put together Birthday Weekend Breakfast in Bed bags for little C and his brother C.  I figured bestie P would only get a little break (and possibly be able to sleep in) if BOTH boys had a breakfast prepared.  So ... we delivered two brown sacks complete with a full breakfast of goodies. 

 

Using Avery full sheet sticker paper, I printed out oversized festive stickers on my color printer.  The stickers give instructions to the littles to place the bag by their bed and enjoy the contents in the morning.  The best part ... the empty bag serves as a trash collector too.  Less mess for mom!

 

 

 

Inside the bag, the littles found a banana, some mini donuts packaged up and milk.  Hershey makes milk boxes that do not require refrigeration until after they are opened.  I added a chocolate straw (why didn't they have those when I was a kid?) that flavors the milk like cookies and cream.  How fun is that! 

 

The banana was all decked out with a riddle sticker.  "What did one birthday banana say to the other?"  Answer ... nothing.  Bananas don't talk.  Remember, I'm dealing with 10 year old humor here. 

 

According to bestie P, little C enjoyed his fabulous breakfast in bed.  So much, he stole the donuts from his brothers bag!  This idea is going in the "must remember to do again" file. 

 

Here's to breakfast in bed, happy birthdays and leisurely weekends!

Beach Baby

Saturday, we loaded up the car with enough stuff to move to a foreign nation for a few months.  No lie.  I know traveling with the little tot means carrying "stuff" for every situation, but lordy be ... this is some STUFF.  Two diva dogs, one tot and enough fixins' to stay for a long time.  That just might be the case!

A short drive later, and a shockingly swimmingly good experience with the gypsy tag alongs ... and we were in South Carolina at Hilton Head Island.  As a child, we vacationed here for years with Zsa Zsa and Dear Ole Dad.  Instantly as we came across the bridge, the old memories of the gold fish pond at the Mariner's Resort, the onion ring loaf at Damon's, the ice cream cones after mini golf and all sorts of related things came rushing back. 

This is the start of my beach chapter with my sweet Baby B.  Strategically (I'm nothing if not strategic), we waited until after the summer rush AND waited until we knew that Baby B was old enough and big enough that he would enjoy the experience.  At 14 months ... I'm convinced we timed it right!  We have a house here for the week.  Beachfront, big enough for an army and with our own pool.  We love it.  Since we knew it would be fun and "a first", Dear Hubs and I invited both sets of grands to join us.  Lala even made it down for a day or two here at the beginning. 

We played, we collected shells, we played some more, we watched waves, we splashed in waves and did just about everything possible to get ourselves completely sandy!  It took just a few split seconds at the beginning to get Baby B comfy with his giant sandbox!  Moments later, he was laughing and enjoying every minute of it.  Of course, two sets of doting grands, a sweet Auntie Lala and Dear Hubs and I were just all grins watching this little tot giggle, splash and enjoy every minute of it!

 

 

 
After hours at the beach, the tot ate like he had never seen food before.  Someone clearly worked up an appetite.  We ended the day with a bike ride and a low country boil.  Yep, I'd put this one in the success column!  He's definitely a beach babe!  Here's to blue skies and big fun this week - cheers y'all!  xoxo