Well...
Looks like I'm averaging about 1 post per month these days. :-)
The only thing I can really say is that between work, traveling, and finishing up my first semester of Grad School, keeping up with this blog has (sadly) really fallen to the bottom of the To Do List.
I hope to be able to post some more goodness soon....until then, know that we're doing great, keeping busy, and if we can get through the next two weeks or so, it'll be smooth sailing!
Hope everyone had a Happy Happy Thanksgiving and that you're all getting into the Christmas spirit!!
XO
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Haven't Fallen Off the Face of the Earth
Although it may seem that way from the lack of blog updates in the last month! Wow...has it really been that long since we were packing for our trip to Florida??!!
Way too much has happened since then to try and give the down and dirty details of every event, so here's the highlight reel:
FLORIDA
Oh! It was wonderful! We had such a good time. The weather was great...give or take a few rainy moments here and there. We had a perfect balance of fun and relaxation. It doesn't matter how long you take vacation for, it always flies by way too fast. October is such a wonderful time in Florida. We are already looking forward to our next visit! Here is a little snippet of our photos from the week...
The next weekend was birthday weekend (sort of )!! Barrett's birthday this year fell on Sunday and mine was Tuesday. Our gifts to each other was the new iPhone 4S. We were both due for new phones, so happy birthday to us! :-) Barrett chose to spend his birthday at the Taco Mac watching football. So, a handful of his buddies joined us for a few games. I left him there after the first game to enjoy another one while I came home to get birthday cake ready. :-) On my birthday, I treated myself to a pedicure and then we went out to dinner at The Cowfish. Yum, Yum, Yummy. We both really enjoyed our birthdays this year. :-)
Last weekend we were in Greenville for Homecoming. One word - FREEZING! It was so cold! I seriously had on no less than 5 layers in the shirt department. In addition, not only did I have on two pairs of socks, but I also pulled out an extra pair of fleece gloves and put those around each of my feet. Still cold. Brrr.... Anywho, the Pirates came away with the W, so we'll take it.
This weekend...Barrett's back in Greenville for the ECU vs. Southern Miss game. Speaking of Southern Miss, I am not at the game because I have a research paper due for my class by Thanksgiving. So Barrett was enjoying the game today and I spent my day looking up journal articles. Good times.
Next weekend, we're heading to Wilmington to celebrate the engagement of our friends Claire and Will. Then it's another football game, Thanksgiving, Early Christmas family get together, Louisiana for my brother's college graduation, and then it's December 17. Did I mention I had a research paper to write? What am I doing bloggin!!??
Back to the grind...
Way too much has happened since then to try and give the down and dirty details of every event, so here's the highlight reel:
FLORIDA
Oh! It was wonderful! We had such a good time. The weather was great...give or take a few rainy moments here and there. We had a perfect balance of fun and relaxation. It doesn't matter how long you take vacation for, it always flies by way too fast. October is such a wonderful time in Florida. We are already looking forward to our next visit! Here is a little snippet of our photos from the week...
The next weekend was birthday weekend (sort of )!! Barrett's birthday this year fell on Sunday and mine was Tuesday. Our gifts to each other was the new iPhone 4S. We were both due for new phones, so happy birthday to us! :-) Barrett chose to spend his birthday at the Taco Mac watching football. So, a handful of his buddies joined us for a few games. I left him there after the first game to enjoy another one while I came home to get birthday cake ready. :-) On my birthday, I treated myself to a pedicure and then we went out to dinner at The Cowfish. Yum, Yum, Yummy. We both really enjoyed our birthdays this year. :-)
Last weekend we were in Greenville for Homecoming. One word - FREEZING! It was so cold! I seriously had on no less than 5 layers in the shirt department. In addition, not only did I have on two pairs of socks, but I also pulled out an extra pair of fleece gloves and put those around each of my feet. Still cold. Brrr.... Anywho, the Pirates came away with the W, so we'll take it.
This weekend...Barrett's back in Greenville for the ECU vs. Southern Miss game. Speaking of Southern Miss, I am not at the game because I have a research paper due for my class by Thanksgiving. So Barrett was enjoying the game today and I spent my day looking up journal articles. Good times.
Next weekend, we're heading to Wilmington to celebrate the engagement of our friends Claire and Will. Then it's another football game, Thanksgiving, Early Christmas family get together, Louisiana for my brother's college graduation, and then it's December 17. Did I mention I had a research paper to write? What am I doing bloggin!!??
Back to the grind...
Friday, October 7, 2011
And...We're Off!!
I don't have too much to say for the last few weeks except they've been busy...surprise, surprise! Last weekend we were at a wedding in Burlington and work has kept both of us hopping.
What do we need?? A vacation. Well, good thing we're going on one!
Tomorrow, we head out for Florida for 8 days. We can not wait!! We have almost zero plans...just a lot of relaxing, resting, and quality time spent with each other and Susan & Mike.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to Mary, Greg, Jeff, and Cindy for sharing the Buddy care this week!! He most appreciates it and is ready with lots of good snuggles and wet kisses!
Hope y'all have a great week! I'm sure I'l have gobs of pictures to post when we get back.
:-)
What do we need?? A vacation. Well, good thing we're going on one!
Tomorrow, we head out for Florida for 8 days. We can not wait!! We have almost zero plans...just a lot of relaxing, resting, and quality time spent with each other and Susan & Mike.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to Mary, Greg, Jeff, and Cindy for sharing the Buddy care this week!! He most appreciates it and is ready with lots of good snuggles and wet kisses!
Hope y'all have a great week! I'm sure I'l have gobs of pictures to post when we get back.
:-)
Friday, September 23, 2011
Obsessed.
OK...So, we haven't fallen off the face of the Earth (although my lack of posting would indicate such). However, on top of the fact that it's been super busy (traveling, football, Barrett studying for - and passing! - his Series 7, me starting Grad School, etc...) I have also become mildly obsessed with a new website. So, when I am not on BlackBoard doing school work, if I have free time to be on the internet...I've been submerged in my new obsession - Pinterest. It is sort of hard to explain if you've never used it...but boy oh boy is is AH-MAZING!
Think of it as a giant, endless, worldwide idea board. Need some ideas for some DIY gifts? Pinterest. Need to figure out what to do with that random corner in your house that has no furniture/decoration/storage? Pinterest. Been looking for some good recipes for party food or drink? Pinterest. Seriously, I could look at it ALL day! AND - because it's updated all the time, all day long, from around the world, there are always new, fun things to look at! So, find something you like, and "pin" it to one of your boards that you create (style, recipes, house stuff, etc.) Really - it's my new Facebook (since that's terrible now). Run, don't walk, to your computer and try it now. But, only if you have a few free hours! My To Do List/Honey Do List is a mile long now!!
Two things I worked on last weekend (from my giant list) were a fun ECU wreath and a chalkboard for my kitchen!
We also painted the house a little this weekend. We only started that project about a year and a half ago, so what better time than now to get a little more done. Barrett did most of the work (bless him). We finished the living room/dining room, the hallway outside the kitchen, and the stairs going up to the third floor. All the walls in the hallways/stairwells were white and they were terrible! The just always looked dirty and dingy from Buddy and his toys, people in and out of doors, carrying bags up and down the stairs, etc. Now, they are a beigey/tan color and look SO much better!
So, that's what's up here. We're heading to Greenville this weekend for football. Hopefully we won't be too rained out!
This is what Buddy thinks of this rainy day...
Think of it as a giant, endless, worldwide idea board. Need some ideas for some DIY gifts? Pinterest. Need to figure out what to do with that random corner in your house that has no furniture/decoration/storage? Pinterest. Been looking for some good recipes for party food or drink? Pinterest. Seriously, I could look at it ALL day! AND - because it's updated all the time, all day long, from around the world, there are always new, fun things to look at! So, find something you like, and "pin" it to one of your boards that you create (style, recipes, house stuff, etc.) Really - it's my new Facebook (since that's terrible now). Run, don't walk, to your computer and try it now. But, only if you have a few free hours! My To Do List/Honey Do List is a mile long now!!
Two things I worked on last weekend (from my giant list) were a fun ECU wreath and a chalkboard for my kitchen!
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| Super easy. I'm in love. However, I leaped before I looked and because my front door is not covered by a porch/overhang, I can't really hang it outside because it will be ruined in the rain. Looks like someone is getting an ECU wreath for Chirstmas! :-) |
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| I've been wanting a chalkboard in my kitchen FOREVER! So, finally I bought some chalkboard paint, painted a big rectangle on my wall, bought an empty frame on sale at Michael's, hung the frame, and voila - chalkboard. Thanks for the love note Barrett. :-) |
This is what Buddy thinks of this rainy day...
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| I hear ya dude. |
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Diet Cupcakes...Oxymoron?
In the last few weeks I've made/eaten more cupcakes than I have in the last year. I have a HUGE sweet tooth. Would seriously rather eat baked goods than a full on real meal. So, how to curb the craving without having to buy new, bigger pants? Diet cupcakes.
I'd seen this on the Weight Watchers recipe boards a few times, had always thought about trying it, but it always seemed a little weird to me. However, I finally bit the bullet and boy oh boy were we in for a treat! Here's what you need....
1 box cake mix
9 oz diet soda
That's all. No eggs, no oil, no milk, no nothing but soda. Dump your dry cake mix in a bowl, add 9 oz diet soad, mix, and pour to make a cake or 12 cupcakes. Lighter sodas (Sprite, Ginger Ale, etc) work better with lighter cakes (yellow cake, vanilla cake, lemon cake, etc.) and darker sodas (Coke, Root Beer, etc.) with darker cakes (Devil's Food, Chocolate, etc.). So far, we've had lemon cake with diet ginger ale (cover that bad boy with fresh fruit and whipped cream), strawberry cake with Sprite Zero, and yellow cake with Sprite Zero. Yummo. Bonus: very little clean up required. :-)
Definitely give it a try!!
I'd seen this on the Weight Watchers recipe boards a few times, had always thought about trying it, but it always seemed a little weird to me. However, I finally bit the bullet and boy oh boy were we in for a treat! Here's what you need....
1 box cake mix
9 oz diet soda
That's all. No eggs, no oil, no milk, no nothing but soda. Dump your dry cake mix in a bowl, add 9 oz diet soad, mix, and pour to make a cake or 12 cupcakes. Lighter sodas (Sprite, Ginger Ale, etc) work better with lighter cakes (yellow cake, vanilla cake, lemon cake, etc.) and darker sodas (Coke, Root Beer, etc.) with darker cakes (Devil's Food, Chocolate, etc.). So far, we've had lemon cake with diet ginger ale (cover that bad boy with fresh fruit and whipped cream), strawberry cake with Sprite Zero, and yellow cake with Sprite Zero. Yummo. Bonus: very little clean up required. :-)
Definitely give it a try!!
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| Lemon cake with Diet Gnger Ale |
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| Strawberry cake with Sprite Zero (Happy 4th of July!) |
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| Yellow Cake with Sprite Zero (Happy Birthday Sondra!) |
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tornadoes, Unseasonably Cold Weather, and a Heat Wave? Oh My.
It's been a fairly busy couple of weeks since my last post! This weekend we have literally done nothing, so now's the perfect time for a little catch up post! :-)
The weekend after the 4th, my dad and Sondra came into town from Louisiana for a visit. It was so nice to have them here! We definitely don't get to spend as much time together as we'd like (flights to New Orleans ain't cheap), so we really enjoyed the weekend. When we were trying to figure out what we wanted to do for the weekend we really only had one stipulation...nothing outside! It's just too darn hot these days. So, that put Carowinds, the White Water Center, Crowder's Mountain, and the like all out of the picture. Here's the kicker though...there was literally nothing going on in Charlotte that weekend. NOTHING. No concerts, no shows, no events, no festivals, no nothing. It was like everybody went all out for the 4th of July and then took a week off! After a little brainstorming, we came up with a busy little weekend.
Once they were in town, we headed uptown for lunch at Rock Bottom Brewery, and then went to Discovery Place for the IMAX movie Tornado Alley. Now, I am terrified of weather. Seriously. If I wake up in the middle of the night during a storm, Buddy and I have to get up and investigate. So, I figured this movie would either comepletely terrify me or would make me feel better about storms because I'd be more informed. :-) It did neither. It wasn't necessarily what we thought it was going to be. We figured there's be some pretty serious "in the middle of the tornado" business. Mostly, it was a documentary about some folks making a documentary. Good times. Plus, the film was a little jumpy so I was worried I may have a seizure at any moment. Anywho...since we were there, we figured we'd take a spin aound Discovery Place. We really had a lot of fun! Who says that place is built for kids??
That night, we hung around the house, barbecued some chicken for dinner, and nearly peed our pants giggling so hard playing Music Catchphrase. The next day, Dad and Barrett went out to play a round of golf while Sondra and I went for mani/pedis and to the book store. Perfect day. :-) For dinner, we went out to Chima for dinner. It's a Brazilian steakhouse uptown that we'd been talking about trying for dinner some time. If you're into meat, this is the place. Barrett says it's a glorified all you can eat buffet. There's a big salad bar and then servers come around with varying cuts of meat (lamb, pork, filet, salmon, etc...) and slice you off a hunk until you're so full you can barely breathe. Perfect place for my dad...the meat/potato/bread man. The weekend went way too fast...we're already looking forward to our next visit.
Now...we're just trying to survive this heat! Holy Moly! I mean...I know that in January I was silently begging for warm weather...but this isn't warm weather! It's a blazing inferno! You know it's too hot outside when it's too hot to go to the pool. Really. Barrett's been keeping cool by holing himself up in the guest bedroom studying for the Series 7 Exam. He even packed himself a lunch yesterday...to take upstairs. :-)
Side note - I got approved to take courses as a non-degree student in the University of Southern Mississippi Graduate Program. :-) I won't officially apply for the Masters in Child & Family Studies Program till March, but hopefully getting approved to take these classes before I'm admitted to the program is a good sign that I will get accepted in the Spring. Either way, it's one step forward to getting my Masters. :-)
Hope you all are staying cool and hydrated!
The weekend after the 4th, my dad and Sondra came into town from Louisiana for a visit. It was so nice to have them here! We definitely don't get to spend as much time together as we'd like (flights to New Orleans ain't cheap), so we really enjoyed the weekend. When we were trying to figure out what we wanted to do for the weekend we really only had one stipulation...nothing outside! It's just too darn hot these days. So, that put Carowinds, the White Water Center, Crowder's Mountain, and the like all out of the picture. Here's the kicker though...there was literally nothing going on in Charlotte that weekend. NOTHING. No concerts, no shows, no events, no festivals, no nothing. It was like everybody went all out for the 4th of July and then took a week off! After a little brainstorming, we came up with a busy little weekend.
Once they were in town, we headed uptown for lunch at Rock Bottom Brewery, and then went to Discovery Place for the IMAX movie Tornado Alley. Now, I am terrified of weather. Seriously. If I wake up in the middle of the night during a storm, Buddy and I have to get up and investigate. So, I figured this movie would either comepletely terrify me or would make me feel better about storms because I'd be more informed. :-) It did neither. It wasn't necessarily what we thought it was going to be. We figured there's be some pretty serious "in the middle of the tornado" business. Mostly, it was a documentary about some folks making a documentary. Good times. Plus, the film was a little jumpy so I was worried I may have a seizure at any moment. Anywho...since we were there, we figured we'd take a spin aound Discovery Place. We really had a lot of fun! Who says that place is built for kids??
That night, we hung around the house, barbecued some chicken for dinner, and nearly peed our pants giggling so hard playing Music Catchphrase. The next day, Dad and Barrett went out to play a round of golf while Sondra and I went for mani/pedis and to the book store. Perfect day. :-) For dinner, we went out to Chima for dinner. It's a Brazilian steakhouse uptown that we'd been talking about trying for dinner some time. If you're into meat, this is the place. Barrett says it's a glorified all you can eat buffet. There's a big salad bar and then servers come around with varying cuts of meat (lamb, pork, filet, salmon, etc...) and slice you off a hunk until you're so full you can barely breathe. Perfect place for my dad...the meat/potato/bread man. The weekend went way too fast...we're already looking forward to our next visit.
Last weekend, I was in Lake Lure, NC for Kristi's bachelorette party! We had a BLAST! The weather was pretty much Debbie Downer for the weekend. It figures...the one weekend we'd like to sweat it out and get some sun...we get clouds and 75 degrees. Oh well. We didn't let it rain on our parade!! Poor Lake Lure though. I'm not quite sure they'd ever experienced the likes of us! I think the typical crowd is old folks and families! Good thing we made friends with the manager of the restaurant. :-) They were like, "Hmmm...you guys are fun, and we like you, but we're not really sure what to do with you." Either way, we rocked Lake Lure's world. I am so, so excited for Kristi and Chris!! Can't wait to do more celebrating next month!
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| View from our condo. |
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| Just a little stroll down the mountain. |
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| Dinner Cruise around the lake. Super fun...and educational too! |
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| Site where Dirty Dancing was filmed! |
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| Baby's Stairs |
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| Pretty sure this is illegal. Bartender told me to do it. Whatever. |
Side note - I got approved to take courses as a non-degree student in the University of Southern Mississippi Graduate Program. :-) I won't officially apply for the Masters in Child & Family Studies Program till March, but hopefully getting approved to take these classes before I'm admitted to the program is a good sign that I will get accepted in the Spring. Either way, it's one step forward to getting my Masters. :-)
Hope you all are staying cool and hydrated!
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