Welcome to Mrs. Smithville

First World Problems

2012-01-26T09:28:00.001-05:00

1. We exclusively used the Keurig for so long that I've forgotten how to make a proper pot of coffee. Anyone have any ratio suggestions? I think I use a different one every time. So basically, you never know what you're going to get.

2. Why is it so hard to pick out a bottle brush? And a sippy cup? Too many options.

3. Its time for Ty's 6 month photo shoot and I have no idea what he's going to wear or where we're going to take them. He'll be taking these solo so I need to find something super cute. And carve out the time in my schedule to go buy it.

4. Lately, most of my emails are from Pinterest. Not surprisingly, people seem to be really into quotes and house stuff right now. Ever so often I get the urge to go through and tidy up my boards - you know, clear out the ones that are stupid, re-organize the ones I'm keeping - but I feel guilty about deleting a pin that has been repinned a million times. So I usually keep it. Anyone else feel that way?

5. I wish I could choose which posts from some bloggers show up in my GoogleReader. Or maybe its just time to clean out my reader. The bad is starting to outweigh the good on some of them.

6a. (plucked from my Tweets) People who don't know what they want annoy me. Particularly brides.

6b. If you don't have a wedding date, why are you buying a wedding dress?

7. I dont have time to play the Sims. I really want to find that time.

8. I hate that so many companies have jumped on the Facebook bandwagon. I feel like I'm missing out on promotions because I'm not on Facebook. I'd re-activate my account but the idea of doing that just...ech, it just sounds terrible.

♥

Our Keurig is on leave

2012-01-22T22:51:00.001-05:00

We are coffee drinkers here in Smithville.

And we have little to no tolerance for our coffee maker leaking or failing to make our coffee whenever we tell it to.

A few months ago our Keurig started acting up. It wouldn't brew coffee! Hubs managed to fix it before I ran out to Starbucks and it worked fine up until a couple weeks ago when it started leaking. Hubs hasn't figured out how to fix that yet.

Y'all. A leaking coffee maker is an accident just waiting to happen. So I went out and bought a cheapo 12 cup Mr. Coffee and put our Keurig on unpaid administrative leave (lol).

Part of me is over the novelty of it all and wants to get back to the task at hand: consuming copious amounts of coffee. But another part of me hopes it's just going through a phase ( it's only a year old).

I guess time will tell. Well, Hubs will tell cause he's it's only chance of making a comeback since I'm not paying to have it looked at and I'm not handy. Lol.

Purees, High Chairs, and Sitting ...Oh My!

2012-01-21T13:23:00.001-05:00

Tyler's first meal in his highchair.

The last couple of weeks have been big for BabyKakes.

He started eating food. At exactly 5 months and 1 day old. His first meal was a bit of multigrain rice cereal mixed with breast milk. I could go on all day about how you're supposed to introduce food, but I went with my gut. He's had organic sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans and peas, and most recently, apples and strawberries. He loves it all.
He also ate in his high chair for the first time....which means he's mostly sitting up! Yes, milestones all over the place. Auntie Dani helped me pick out the high chair that was a gift from his BomBon (Hubs' mom). I love having a dedicated place to feed him and am thinking about leaving a basket in the kitchen to hold bibs and washcloths for easy access/cleanup.
We've also increased his bottles from 4oz to 6oz. He's still supposed to get most of his nutrition from breastmilk/formula, so its nice to pack fewer larger bottles. More food for our greedy guy and less bottles for us to wash. Win-win situation.

Ty is still the sweetest baby and we thank God every day for our little guy who eats like a champ, cries minimally, grins at everyone, and sleeps through the night. We got lucky and we know it.

♥

Adding a few more House Goals to the list

2012-01-21T12:01:00.001-05:00

Is it possible to reasonably expand my list of House Goals? Because lately I've been obsessed with:

Mirrors in the dining room. The walls in there are completely blank. I think a miror would be totally chic and maybe some open shelving on the wall across from the window for extra storage.

Source: bostondesignguide.com via Patti on Pinterest

Finding a wall to paint in chalkboard paint.

Source: 4men1lady.com via Patti on Pinterest

Creating a custom closet feel in our walk-in closet. Getting an actual custom closet in the master is not happening right now. At least I dont think. In the meantime, I'm going to get some assistance. She doesnt know this yet, but I'm going to recruit Naima to help me with ours. She has some of the most organized closets I've ever seen. Ever.

Source: tumblr.com via Patti on Pinterest

Removing our nasty bane-of-my-existence shower door and putting up a rod and cute curtain. Hubs is NOT feeling this idea right now. Gonna have to be really strategic to pull this one off.

Source: westelm.com via Patti on Pinterest

Redressing our bed. Our current comforter can be a bit warm so I'm thinking of going back to the white comforter cover and doing a lightweight quilt underneath for some variety.

Source: homegoods.com via Patti on Pinterest

Hang something on the wall behind our bed. Its just so empty back there right now. I'm really feeling this whole behind and next to the bed setup and am on the hunt for the components.

Source: conspicuousstyle.com via Patti on Pinterest

Finding a cocktail ottoman to replace our coffee table. Ultimately we want to replace our sofas, but the coffee table is this year's priority. Our glass one is an accident just waiting to happen when Ty starts pulling up.

Source: roomstogo.com via Patti on Pinterest

I think I'm officially adding all this stuff to this year's list. If I'm going to work on them I may as well get some credit for crossing them off my list, right? Right.

♥

2012 Goals

2012-01-03T20:01:00.002-05:00

This whole thing started when I was trying to decide what I wanted to do to the house this calendar year. Mostly becasue of the whole limited time and resources thing, I needed to prioritize my (seemingly neverending list).

Well, after I came up with what seems to be a reasonable list of projects to tackle, I started thinking about the work I wanted to do on myself this year. Again, I started jotting down some areas that I'd like to work on. Not resolutions per se, but goals to focus my attention in the upcoming year.

House Goals

Closet solutions - Our closets (all 8 of them) are varying degrees of hot messes. I want to de-clutter, organize, and come up with better solutions for storing our belongings.
Figure out DVD storage - We've amassed quite a DVD collection and what we're currently using is completely inadequate. Before Ty gets too mobile, we'd like to figure out a way to store the DVDs while leaving room for our collection to grow.
Purchase a grill - This is just a matter of selecting a grill and buying it. It just needs to happen before August because we're planning to grill-out for baby's first birthday party (tentatively scheduled for August 11th)
Start saving for a fence - Before we can build a fence we need a survey. And money. The last estimate we got, and I believe it was a conservative one, was $3000. We will definitely need to start tucking away cash so that we can maybe build the fence in 2013.
Get a headboard for our master bedroom - We have a king-sized bed and I'd like something upholstered. Or maybe dark wood. We'll either purchase something or I'll DIY...once I decide what I want.
Create frame collage in living room - There's an odd wall (the other side of the stairs) that is just asking for something fun
Hang more drapes - our bedroom and the living room could really use some drapes. Trifling-ly, I already have 3 sets of long white drapes waiting to be hung in our bedroom. No clue what I want to do in the living room. Maybe navy and white stripes. Maybe not.

Patti Goals

Be less lazy - I think we're all lazy but sometimes I really need to follow through. So that means fold that basket of laundry when it comes out of the wash, or clean up the kitchen as I'm cooking (or done eating), or being more proactive about going to bed at a decent hour. This whole is dedicated to doing better.
Move more - I've already lost what little weight I gained during my pregnancy, but I dont want to become sedentary. I'm still going to start running and my running partner has suggested we shoot for a 5k later on this year. I think it will be quite a challenge.
Blog more - I have to remember that all posts aren't long and involved. Sometimes I can just pop by and say hi. Sometimes I'm pretty sure I could pacify you with a picture of the baby doing something cute (which he does a lot). I'd love to share my life as it happens rather than briefly summarize it (waay) after the fact.
Pack my lunch more often - This goes hand in hand with being less lazy. I usually have the food (or can add it to my grocery list to pick some lunch solutions up), I just dont pack the lunch. And with it being so cold lately (I have to remember it is winter), I'm not motivated to leave the building to grab lunch.
Have less debt - This mostly pertains to paying down the debt we do have (and not accruing any additional). This will be my main financial goal until the stinky debt goes bye-bye.
Appreciate my people more - I have the best friends. I'm incredibly blessed to have them in my life and this year I want to find ways to show them that I appreciate them loving me and my family.

I know these two lists, as they currently stand, are manageable. Now that I've declared them publicly, I'm looking forward to working on them and hopefully sharing my progress here on ye old blog.

♥

2011 in Review

2012-01-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

2011 was a hell of a year.

That's Hubs on the right, right after they'd been pinned with their badges - no clue what they're discussing.

January - Hubs graduates from the Police Academy. We finally find the house we're looking for and by the end of the month we have a contract on it. Oh, and I'm (thankfully) still pregnant.

February - I don't remember what happened, but I know sometime around this date the house situation imploded. I tried very hard not to get too stressed out, but it was hard. Underwriters are no joke; they will be ALL UP IN your business.

March - Mom turned 60 and had a fabulous party in South Florida. It was on the water and I sweated out my hair (noteworthy because prior to then, that hadn't happened in about 5 years). Oh and mom asked me to make her some programs and table numbers. She had an open bar, a DJ, and the food was on stations all around the room. It was awesome. After mom's party, we found out we were expecting a boy. And on the very last day of the month we closed on our house.

Welcome to Smithville!

April - We move. Actually, Hubs and the movers moved us. I went to work that day. Yes, it was as amazing as it sounds. My MIL came up that weekend to help us unpack. That was...less amazing. But it was nice to be essentially unpacked almost immediately.

Approximately 29 weeks along

May - I turned 29. Hubs and I spent the day doing stuff I wanted to do - I got my nails done, had a prenatal ~~massage~~ facial, and ate some delicious stuff. Hubs is cut loose from his 20 week field training period and has his own patrol car. Towards the end of the month Mom hosted a baby shower for me at her house. The travel part went smoothly and I had a fantastic time at the shower. Krissi came down from Gainesville and I realized (for about the millionth time) how much I miss her.

My cousin Cheryl, Me, Miss Toni, Mom, and Krissi at my shower (mom's house)

June and July - These two months were kinda a photo-less blur. I had 2 more baby showers and strangers finally noticed I was pregnant. I also finished up several house projects (we painted, purchased furniture, hung drapes) and started prepping the baby's cloth diapers. We recieve a ton of baby gifts and I finally buy my stroller (yes, its as awesome as I thought it would be).

Ty's birth announcement. Images by Rachel Melton Photography; Design by Sarah Luke of Less Ordinary Designs

August - Tyler is born a couple days before his due date. Exactly 2 weeks later, Hubs turns 28. I start breastfeeding. Ty had his days and nights totally mixed up so I was basically a zombie for the next month or so.

I needed one of these for posterity. Taken late one night on the webcam

September - Naima gets married! It was a mad dash to get my 'maids dress altered so that I could actually wear it (it was entirely too big). Mom comes up to coordinate the wedding for me and MIL comes up to babysit. I have a bit of champagne at the wedding. First drink in almost a year. Ty also has his first trip to Columbia, SC to visit with my in-laws.

Image courtesy of Rachel Melton

October - Hubs and I celebrate our 2nd anniversary in Chattanooga. Of course we take the baby. This month he starts sleeping through the night, in his room, and in his crib. Important milestones! I go back to work after 9 weeks of maternity leave and determine there's no way I'd cut it as a SAHM. Ty starts daycare and wearing cloth diapers part-time (in the evenings and on weekends).

Image courtesy of Rachel Melton

November - We take family photos at Piedmont Park. I host my first Thanksgiving dinner. All but the cranberry sauce and Honeybaked ham (that MIL brought) was made from scratch. Oh, and I got dinner on the table early. Total rockstar.

I love these baby socks. Taken Christmas day.

December - MIL turned 50 and we ventured back to Columbia to celebrate. We spend Christmas in South Florida and Ty officially has his first two airplane flights (he was an angel). We rent baby gear to cover us while in Florida and spend a ton of time laughing with family and friends. Oh and I bake, alot. Hubs and my co-workers enjoyed homemade oreos, snowballs, sugar cookies, and red velvet sandwich cookies. Everything was delicious.

Like I said, 2011 was a hell of a year. But in an amazingly good way. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings.

♥

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:41:00.002-05:00

Popping in to wish you and yours a very merry holiday season!

♥, Patti

PS - I miss blogging. I really do. And at least once a week I compose a post in my head. Never seem to make it to the blog to jot them down. Ahh well, here's hoping I do a bit better next year :)

Ty's Birth: Part 3 - More Labor and Delivery

2011-09-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, last I left off I'd gotten my epidural and was generally feeling okay. Honestly, the next several hours are a blur. The only things I remember from right after the epidural was being able to finally sleep a bit (remember, I'd been trying to get back to sleep all day), visiting with Hubs, Brewski and eventually my MIL, and watching some TV. Brewski brought some awesome snacks (that I didn't get to eat until several days later) and helped keep the mood light. Love him.

Somewhere in here I got put on oxygen. I think it was supposed to help the baby. At least that's what they told me. Let me tell you that oxygen mask sucked so bad. It was uncomfortable and I couldn't talk to people while wearing it. But it was for the baby, right?

Around 7 or 8pm the hospital changed shifts and I got a new Dr, equipped with his own set of residents (yes, a la Grey's Anatomy). I'd never met this Doctor and while he wasnt as nice as my previous Dr (who I knew) he was fine. All this time, the baby is still not really doing well with labor and the new Dr. decides to take me off the pitocin to see if Ty would tolerate that a little better. Even at the risk of it slowing down my labor. I think he said something like "I'll be back in four hours to see how you've progressed." I was also told to keep the mask on (you know I was taking it off when I could get away with it) and to only lay on one side. Of course it was the side that didn't face the TV.

Well, a couple hours later, the baby had stabilized and I got put back on the pitocin. Then I got taken off of it again. And I think I got put on it one more time. I got several checks ot make sure I was dilating and to see what position the baby was in. When I first arrived at the hospital, I was dilating but the baby had not dropped. Eventually, he started to drop and was eventually pushed down to a better position. Mind you, my stomach was not numb. So that part hurt like hell. I was essenially instructed to push (like delivery pushes) while they physically pushed Ty into the birth canal. It was awful, but he moved. After that episode my epidural started to wear off. Nope, not kidding. So I called the nurse, who called the anesthesiologist (Jim) to re-up my epi. The difference between feeling the contractions before and now is that they're coming back to back and they're waay more intense. I was not trying to be feeling those!

Midnight comes and goes (its now August 8th) and I'm still pregnant. Every 30 minutes or so, something pops up on one of my monitors that sends my Drs rushing in. I'm over them. I'm over the oxygen mask. I'm over Hubs telling me to put the oxygen mask back on. I'm over laying on my right side not being able to move. I don't want to hear the song that my MIL wrote for Ty that for some reason couldnt wait until he was born. I'm thirsty (did I mention I couldnt have anything other than ice chips?!). And for the first time in almost 40 weeks, I'm over being pregnant. I lean over to tell Hubs (who like a sweetheart is sitting next to me holding my hand) that I'm not sure I cant do it. That I don't know if I can do it when the time comes.

Literally minutes after that confession to Hubs the Drs race in again due to something on the monitors. they tell Hubs to put on the scrubs they gave him when we arrived in L&D (you know, just in case) and they trn to me to say that they're sorry, but they are just not comfortable with the way my labor has been going, and that they're going to do a Cesarian. An operating room was already prepped (it had been hours ago) and I was being rolled around the corner to it (it was literally like around the corner). It was so quick that I barely had a chance to process that I was about to have the baby cut out of me. I was terrified and relieved. Surgery is scary, but at least I wouldn't have to push.

The operating room looks just like the ones on TV and is freezing cold. They Drs and nurses prep me for surgery and Jim (my same/fave anesthesiologist) pumps me full of more numbing drugs. I start shaking profusely (due to the cold? the drugs? idk), and Jim diligently straps my arms down (I'm guessing thats standard) and finds me some warm blankets.They put the curtain up and Hubs comes in the room. I didnt even realize they'd cut me open when I started feeling the pressure of them pulling the baby out. They must have had him out in about 15-20 minutes. Seriously. It took them longer to sew me back up than it did for them to get him out. I think Hubs got to see him coming out, and to hang out while they did their after-birth procedures. He then brought him over so I could meet him.

Now it was time to cry again. It was a happy cry. He was here. He was healthy and perfect. And after 19+ hours, labor was finally over.

Ty's Birth: Part 2 - Triage to Epidural

2011-09-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

We got to the hospital around noon and Hubs dropped meoff in the emergency entrance so that I could start checking in. We never did ahospital tour, but I was hoping that because I was an Emory patient (as intheir OB practice) that I could just give them my name and they’d let me in.That’s pretty much how it worked. The lady took my name and insurance card,commented on how I didn’t appear to be in labor (eye roll) and asked me if Ineeded a wheel chair (I didn’t). Then Jase and I were escorted to what is nowknown to be a triage room. Here they assessed my contractions (strength,duration), the baby’s heartbeat, and my vitals. Since I was convinced they’d besending me home, I pulled out Brew’s iPad to continue playing Tiny Tower (Ilooove Tiny Tower. Totally my kind of game – lol). At this point it was a waiting game. Waitingfor the doctor to check to see if I’m dilated, waiting to see the report on thebaby’s heart rate, waiting to see when they’re sending me home.

The doctor came in and determined I was 3cm dilated. More than I'd thought. Right behind him comes the nurse...holding an IV kit. It was at this point that they told me they'd be keeping me. Not necessarily because of how far I'd dilated, but because the baby wasn't tolerating labor well. Specifically, his heart rate had been a little all over the place, and that it especially fell when I contracted. Not good. SO they were going to not only keep me, but induce me. I hadn't wanted an induction, but I was willing to do whatever was necessary for Ty. It took a few nurses to find a good candidate vein for my IV but it was in my 1pm. Let me just tell you - the IV freaked me out. I'd never had one before, but I'd imagined it would be awful and it it was. I couldn't look at it for hours. After I got the IV timestamped (evidently you're not supposed to keep them in but for so long), I was rolled into a labor and delivery (L&D) room.

Once I got to L&D, I met my nurse I got hooked up to my IV cocktail (some fluids, some pitocin to jump start my labor), and tried to settle in to labor. Well, like I mentioned before I'd already spent half the day in labor so there was little relaxing. And the pitocin made it so much worse. I'd been there an hour or so before I told the nurse I needed some pain killers, and then lasted maybe another hour or so before I requested my epidural. I'd like to think that I might have made it further if I weren't induced, but I cant really be sure. Thankfully the nurse had given me a bag of fluid from the start because I needed to drain the bag (and my bladder several times) before I could get my epidural.

Somewhere in here they decided to break my water. I was about 4cm at this point, and was on the pitocin. When they broke my water they discovered the baby had pooped in utero and proceeded to freak out. Its not a good thing when a baby poops in the womb because the fecal matter can get in their lungs and make them super sick. They couldn't really do anything about it at this point, but they had a heads up about it, and would need to take immediate action (mostly suctioning the poop out of his lungs/air cavity if its gotten there) as soon as Ty left my womb. For a reason I'm not really sure of, they decided to pump liquid back into my womb so that the baby could still have some water to float around in. Like I said, I dont really know why they did that, but it didn't hurt and I kinda forgot all about it...until the anesthesiologist arrived to give me my epidural.

In typical Patti fashion, at that moment I realized I needed to pee. But it was too late. In addition to the epi, I was getting a catheter (since I wouldn't be able to walk myself to the bathroom anymore) and they were going to insert the baby's monitor and the one that measures my contractions inside my uterus. Anyway, back to the epi. Once they explained the procedure, I was told to sit up and scoot to the edge of the bed. That's when I remembered/felt the water they'd pumped back into my uterus...as it was falling out of me! It basically felt like the bottom had fallen out of my bladder! I was so embarrassed. But I didn't have time to dwell on that because I was trying to concentrate on slouching and breathing and not moving so that I the gigantor needle they were inserting into my spine (that I was also trying NOT to concentrate on) wouldn't paralyze me. I am pleased to say it took longer for me to get into position than it did for them to actually do the procedure. Then I was told to lay down and the drugs were injected. I could feel the coolness from the injection moving through the tube (I was laying on it)... and the beginnings of another contraction... and then nothing. I couldn't feel my contractions anymore! I could finally relax. It was about 3 or 4pm.

About an hour or so after the epidural kicked in

[to be continued...]

♥

Ty's Birth: Part 1 - Before the Hospital

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm going to say I officially went into labor on Sunday, August 7th, 3 days before my due date. I woke up around 615am to what felt like a crazy menstrualcramp. Pretty sure that’s what woke me up. Didn’t think anything of it and wantedto go back to sleep. Hubs was up getting ready for work and I let him. Fastforward 2-3 hours later and I’m still having cramps. I lost a couple pieces ofmy mucus plug, and kept going to the bathroom to poop.

The doctor said that I’d need to go to the hospital ifthe contractions came every 5 minutes, were at least 1 minute in duration, andthis went on for at least an hour. I’d started timing the cramps around 7 orso, and they were coming semi-regularly – every 5 to 7 minutes. I never got theduration timing together, and I’d definitely been cramping over an hour, but Ididn’t think I was totally in labor. Maybe pre-labor. I did call my mom to tellher and she told me to be sure to get a garbage bag to protect our mattress incase my water broke. Gotta love her practicality.

I spent the next 2-3 hours trying to go back tosleep. And being on the verge oftears/crying. And coming to terms with the fact that I might be in labor.During an especially bad contraction, I called Jase and asked him to come home.I didn’t want to go to the hospital, but I wanted him to be there with me whileI labored. Actually, no, that sounds too logical. I called Jase because Irealized that I felt completely unprepared for labor and delivery, and I wasafraid. I needed to be comforted, supported and reassured. I needed my husband.Once he got home and witnessed acontraction, he started his Go To the Hospital campaign. I didn’t want to beone of those lame 1^st time moms that thought they were in labor, butweren’t. It took him an entire hour to convince me to go, and another 30minutes or so for us to leave the house since I was determined to shower beforeI left. Since I hadn’t eaten that day, on the way we stopped at McDonalds topick up a snack (in case they decided to keep me). A hamburger and a small Dr.Pepper. I wasn’t hungry and had to forceit down. It was 11:30am. I’d been in labor for at least 5 and a half hours.

[to be continued...]

♥

A Few Things

2011-09-27T16:53:00.000-04:00

- Today I got my hair done. Okay, that's not really the news, cause this time of year I'm in the salon every two weeks. The difference is that when I go back to work (2 weeks from now), I'm going to have to be more strategic about when I go. The salon offers a discount for standing appointments, and I think I'm going to set up for one on one of the days that Hubs is off from work - either Mondays or Tuesdays. Should be fun.

- Speaking of fun, in addition to a salon trip, I got to go to my favorite HomeGoods (didn't buy anything), Michaels (to pick up ink pads and various other questionably-needed craft supplies), and...Crate&Barrel! OMG I love Crate&Barrel. I had been eying several things on their site so it was nice to see them in person before I coughed up the cash for shipping. I ended up buying this, this, this and this.

- Did I mention I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year? My Crate&Barrel list might have tipped you off. I've been campaigning to host Thanksgiving dinner for about 6 months and am super excited about it. As in already-started-menu-planning excited. I wanna blog about the menu and my prep plan once its finalized.

- The baby slept 6+ hours last night. If I'm not mistaken thats considered sleeping through the night - even though he went to bed at 3am. I woke up feeling like a new woman. In fact, I woke him up because he needed to eat before my appointment. Who knows how much longer he might have slept if I'd left him alone. Oh, and none of those hours were in our bed! Double achievement.

- Speaking of Ty, I actually finished typing up his birth story. Can you believe it? Like before his first birthday (lol). I split it up over 3 posts that will all publish tomorrow. That way it wont drag it out terribly longer than needed.

- Pumpkin Spice Lattes speak to my soul. Seriously. I mourn them every year when they go. Yeah, I'm one of those people.

- Our laundry room flooded last week. Its located on the second floor and water seeped into the hallway, our bedroom, the dining room and the garage. Its a mess, but already in the process of being straightened out. At least the fans are gone and we managed to dry out the house before the mildew set in.

- My return address stamp arrived today. I'm dying to use it. Maybe it will be the kick in the pants I need to finally assemble and mail Ty's birth announcements. Its not like I dont have them. Or their envelopes. Or postage stamps. Trifflin, I know.

- And just because it needs reiterating, I'm going back to work in 2 weeks. Two weeks!! I'll miss sleeping in, but I realize I need to work. I left the house today for 5 hours and it was amazing. I needed to get out. To spend some time moving on my own time and interacting with adults. I needed to miss my baby. So believe it or not, I'll be ready when its time to go back....and working from home as much as possible.

- Oh, and I also realized I'd go crazy as a stay at home mom. The cooking I don't mind that much, but the cleaning? We'd need a maid. Hell, we need a maid now.

♥

Strong Tower

2011-09-22T14:45:00.001-04:00

Plucked from my latest Pinterest finds. Love the words and the image. Found here.

♥

Traveling with Baby

2011-09-21T01:07:00.003-04:00

Earlier today we got back from a "weekend" (think: Sun-Tues rather than Fri-Sun) trip to my in-laws. Although it probably was not the best weekend to visit (due to some family situations not involving us), we had a good time. Those of you who know me OTB (off the blog), know that my inlaws come visit regularly, but the last time we were there, I was pregnant - but didn't know it yet - so a visit from us was long overdue.

Anyway, as I was putting Ty to bed, I was thinking about all of the stuff we learned this trip:

1. Ty needs a bag. Not a diaper bag, but a weekend type of bag. I carry a Vera Bradley Weekender, and Hubs carries a leather duffel, but I didn't have anything for Ty's clothes. So his weekend gear ended up in one of my VB totes. Going to have to give some thought to what I want to use for his "luggage." Any suggestions?

2. I got a chance to use my nursing cover for the first time. The baby didnt hate it, which makes it a big win.

3. We'd gotten away from putting Ty in his bassinet, but decided to try it again while in SC. Glad we did because now he will mysteriously sleep in it (for 4-5 hours in a row!!). We're slowing moving towards baby sleeping his own bed (in his room down the hall).

4. I had a good time playing with my brother in law's iPad. I essentially hogged it all weekend (and he was sweet enough to allow it) and am totally in love. Hubs has been hinting at getting me one for Christmas. Normally I'd discourage him from spending that much on a gift for me, but I'm starting to want one and I secretly hope he gets it.

5. I had no idea how many diapers to pack (I dont keep very good track of his diaper changes/feedings anymore), or how many outfits, so I packed several sleepers, enough onesies for 2-3 changes (although at home I typically change his clothes once a day) daily, and several socks and blankets. Wouldnt you know this would be the trip that he peed through 2 outfits, had a couple of almost-blowout poops, and projectile spit up the better part of a formula bottle?! I'm so glad I packed all those extra clothes and will be doing it again in prep for our anniversary trip to Chattanooga.

6. When I'm out on quick trips with the baby, I dont like his diaper bag. Its a backpack that Hubs picked out, but the more I use it, the more I dont like it. The organization inside is counter-intuitive, the straps are awkward, and things kinda get lost in the bottom. I havent picked out whats to me "my" diaper bag, partly because I dont want to maintain two bags. Not sure about the long-term solution just yet - lol.

7. I rode in the backseat almost the whole way to and from SC. I'm guessing its going to be like that for road trips until the baby is able to kinda entertain himself. Not as bad as it sounds, but definitely an adjustment.

As you can see, lots of baby breakthroughs, which I'm glad for. Last week I considered cancelling Chattanooga because I got wrapped up in the uncertainty of traveling with a newborn. Now I'm feeling much better about it and am starting to get excited again.

♥

Smithville Tour: The Nursery

2011-09-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

The nursery is probably one of my most favorite rooms in the house - and not because I spend alot of time in there - lol. Its just a fun space, and was one of the first in the house to really be "completed."

These prints - inspired by a letterpress subliminal art series that I put my own little spin on - make me giggle. They're hanging over the crib kinda high hang over the crib because I'm afraid that my son will try to swat at them when he starts standing and getting into stuff. Thats why I dont have a picture with them and the crib in the same shot (lame, but true).

Oh nevermind, I found one! The crib is one of the first things we picked out for the nursery - way before we knew we were having a baby boy. For awhile, I was concerned that the white was too girly, but ultimately figured that the two-tone coloring and the modern design was too much like what I wanted to care. Off to the side, you can also see his diaper thingie. I dont use it (its just as easy for me to take the diapers downstairs to the kitchen trash), but I think Jase does. Full disclosure: the photo is slightly misleading. Or maybe I should just say its out of date. Now that the baby's here, we've also added a laundry hamper and a wetbag that I throw his cloth diapers in.

Moving on around his room, here's a shot of his closet. Lots of onesies on the rack, baby shoes and misc items up top, and diapers/wipes on the floor. Oh, I just noticed his diaper backpack (Daddy's request) is in this picture. It lives downstairs now. I'm planning to pick out a bag for me (something considerably more stylish), but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Maybe I'll blog about my top contenders - lol.

Normally I wouldnt post a photo of a door, but I wanted to show you his name sign. We got it at my work baby shower and it was Jase's idea to put it on his door. Especially since it matches the color scheme. I have to admit, now that its up there it is pretty cute.

Rather than getting a separate piece of furniture, like many parents we opted to put the changing pad right on top of a small dresser. I ended up ordering this pad from Amazon beause the standard ones are kinda long and I knew I wanted to have some room to store supplies/decorations. Believe it or not, the decorations are still up there, along with his baby lotion, cloth wipe solution, and his diaper rash creme. Oh, and to give the dresser a bit of personality (some of you may recognize it from Ikea), I added some decorative knobs in the nursery colors.

Above the changing pad I hung a mobile. DIY of course, made of one of my favorite materials: ribbon! This mobile cost me less than $5 to put together because I had almost all of the ribbon already (yeah, my collection is vast and borderline out of control).

Here's a close up of the items on the dresser. Again, I DIY'd some art that I loved, stuck it in an Ikea frame along with a pair of baby sneakers and a teal piggy bank. He recently received a piggy bank shaped like a train engine (and engraved with his name, birth date and something about getting on the right track) that we're going to swap out for the pig. Or maybe we'll just put the pig somewhere else.

And if you're interested, here's a closeup of whats in the dresser. In case you were wondering where the actual diapering supplies are, they're in this top drawer. Maybe I'm a little wierd, but I love that this stuff has a home that's tucked away for when you're not changing a diaper.

The second drawer houses his onesies and sleepers. Oh, and basket full of socks and a stack of hats. Since we're home most days and I keep the house pretty much at 77 degrees all the time, he doesnt wear socks often. In fact, I dont even know if he hates them yet. So far, he really only wears them when we go out. *shrug* And he's never worn any of those hats. I just hate to cover up those curls with a hat - especially when we dont go anywhere most days.

The bottom drawer contains blanket and other misc items for now. Thankfully, its not full. I'm feeling like we'll eventually need that space.

Here's the rocking corner. I went back and forth (ask Dani) about whether I wanted a rocker or a glider. I ended up going with the rocker because all of the gliders I liked were really expensive and I wasnt sure how much time I'd really spend in the chair. If Ty hated rocking, we'd just put this chair on the porch. I mostly nurse in the chair, but I think he likes it okay. Accessorizing it are a blanket I ordered off Etsy and his Boppy. Another thing we only use sometimes right now. As he gets older, I imagine we'll use it a little more. Oh, and that lamp. I love that lamp. Well, I particularly love that little table. Its the perfect size for my phone, my kindle, and sometimes my water - in otherwords my nursing gear. Nursing is not an exciting activity...you gotta have some gear.

You also probably noticed that small ottoman off to the side. Well, inside I stashed the beginnings of Ty's toy collection. Gotta love a storage ottoman.

Here's a better shot of the window. Both the curtains and the bunting are DIY. Truth be told, that bunting was not originally part of the design for this room. But I ended up finding a super easy looking tutorial (it was easy in principle, but still alot of work) and took the plunge. I'm so glad I did because I think it really pulls the room together - thanks to it highlighting all of the nursery colors.

Underneath the window I set up what I call a window seat. Its really a 1x5 Ikea bookshelf laid on its side. Its pulling double duty as book shelf and storage. As you can see in the middle one I've stashed the extra crib sheets. He hasnt slept in his crib much, so he hasnt soiled a sheet yet - lol. I got them on clearance at Target, so he has like 4 or 5 of them.

And as customary, his stuffed animals sit on top. The bunny and soft truck were gifts from his grandparents (Hubs' parents, affectionally known as BomBon and Grump), and the other two bears are mine. Once Ty is bigger, I figure this bench will be a good place to sit him down to put on shoes, or could add a cushion and make it more like a real window seat. Technically, the shelf can be wall mounted, so we could decide to go in a whole other direction entirely down the line.

I'm going to end the tour with a closeup of the bunting. Just cause its cute and fun. Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Source List:

Paint: Sherwin Williams Atmospheric
Anmal print: Alexander Henry 2D Zoo - Pool
Crib: BabyMod Olivia (Walmart)
Dresser: Ikea Hemnes
Window seat: Ikea Expedit
Rocking chair: Cracker Barrel
Leather storage ottoman: TJ Maxx
Mobile, bunting, drapes and art: DIY
Lamp: Target
Changing pad: Target
Fabric bins: ClosetMaid (Target)
Changing pad cover and crib sheet: Tiddliwinks Safari collection (discontinued)

♥

Stamp!

2011-09-15T22:02:00.001-04:00

Everyone has a list of things they've always wanted, right?

Well, mine has alot of random things - like twistable crayons and color pencils, doughnut pans, and expensive strollers - on it. A long standing item on that list has been a return address stamp or embosser. And I promised myself that as soon as we got a house that we'd get one. Fast forward almost 6 months (eek, can you believe we moved in almost 6 months ago?!) and I still hadn't gotten one.

Today I decided to remedy that.

For the longest, I thought I wanted something fancy and scripty. Like caligraphy or some other hand lettering. I even considered asking J to hand letter me a stamp and I have it produced somewhere. But then I realized that a fancy scripty return address stamp might look wierd next to my own (decidedly more unpredictable and less fancy) handwriting. So I figured something typeset and fonteriffic (yup, totally mad that up) might be a better fit.

And with that in mind, to Etsy I went.

There are A MILLION return address stamps on Etsy. And most of them, frankly, are pretty banal. I wanted something that would be fun and interesting - something I hadn't seen before, and that wouldn't depend on including our first names (since ideally, it would be a Smithville stamp, not just me and Hubs). Oh, and I also didnt want to spend a forturne. I'll save you the extra (and probably unecessary prose) about the ones that I rejected for one reason or another and just show you the one I purchased (you're welcome). Its from Etsy seller chattypress.

I'm totally smitten. By some stroke of luck, the seller just happened to be working on another proof when my order came through, so she went ahead and did my proof too. Talk about instant gratification! Now I just have to find/order some ink so that as soon as my stamp arrives, I can get to stampin. Stamp!

Now I kinda want one with just my name on it....but I realize thats pushing it. I also still want that embosser. Maybe I'll see how often I actually use this one and go from there - lol.

♥

Tyler at One Month

2011-09-14T00:39:00.000-04:00

One Month Stats: 8 pounds, 1.5 oz, 21.75 inches long
Size: Mostly newborn and some 0-3 months (newborn diapers).
Nicknames: Baby Kakes, Babby Bubba, Ty Ty, Little Man, Grunty
Must haves: Mommy's boob, pacifier
Milestones this month (in no particular order): Pushing up with arms and legs, rolling over, turning head from side to side, first cloth diapers, first bath, wet mommy and daddy's bed, first stroller outing, first photo shoot (newborn, 7 days old), smacking your lips, scooting around your crib/packnplay, first Skype.

Dear Ty,

This has been the most amazing month of our lives and we're so glad we finally got to meet you! You're such a sweet baby, not requiring much from us than a full belly and lots of snuggly naps - which we happily oblige you with. You're nursing like a champ, and mommy loves that she can give you (what seems to be) your favorite (and only) food right now. Your sleeping...well, you do sleep most of the day, but generally only a few hours or so at a time. Thats okay, we know that you'll eventually get into your own rhythm. Once we realized that you're a stomach sleeper, we all started sleeping alot more.

Everyday you're discovering more about life outside the womb. And revealing more of your personality. You're already such an independent baby - trying to put your pacifier back in your mouth when it falls out, "helping" mommy breastfeed you, and scooting around when you're looking for something to eat. You inherited that independent streak from mommy and daddy and we're already gearing up for your next moves - lol. You make some of the funniest little faces and we know your first real smiles are right around the corner. You're a grunty baby - often making noises while napping and during the night (and of course when you're hungry). Wet diapers don't seem to phase you much now, but we're expecting that to change as you get a little older.

This first month was a big adjustment for all of us, and we made it. Thanks for being so patient with us while we try to figure out what you want and need. Your dad and I feel so privileged to be your parents and we hope we're doing a good job. We are totally in love and we cant imagine life without you.

Love you forever and ever,
Mommy

Still Here (and still up late)

2011-08-30T02:34:00.000-04:00

Baby Ty - 2.5 weeks old (taken on my Blackberry)

I cant believe my baby is 3 weeks old already. His favorite place to sleep is on my chest (or probably anyone's chest, but he's on mine the most), so I spend alot of time looking at this little face. I should take more pictures (with a real camera) because I know he wont be this tiny for long.

Just wanted to pop in and say hi, and let you know I'm adjusting to mommyhood okay. We're even getting the hang of breast feeding, and the baby seems to be moving towards a schedule. Unfortunately, it currently involves him going down around 2am. So yeah, I'm reliably up this late. And essentially worthless before 11am - lol.

Okay, we're going to lay down now. Night!

♥

Late Night Mommy Thoughts

2011-08-19T04:01:00.000-04:00

First of all, thanks to everyone for the kind comments about baby Tyler. I know that people don't have to say your baby is cute (its not just me that feels that way, right?), so it means alot to hear it so often. He's been charming the pants off everyone he meets. I need to take some pictures with my actual camera (rather than my blackberry). It took me a while to pick out a photo for the blog because I didnt like his hair - lol. Would you believe its actually really curly? I have no idea how the nurse got it to lay down like that. If I didnt know any better, I'd think she used some product. Needless to say, once it got wet it curled right on up. He got it honest; both Hubs and I have naturally curly hair.

Anyway, thats not what I came by to post about. Well, at least I dont think it is. I'm here because its 3:15am and I'm downstairs watching Chopped reruns waiting for the baby to wake up. We came down after his last feeding (he eats every 2-3 hours) because he wouldn't settle down - even after nursing, a diaper change, and a stint in the rocking chair. So were downstairs, where he can be as loud as he wants. And wouldnt you know as soon as we settled into the sofa, he got all snuggly and went to sleep. I'm guessing he just wanted to be held (cause lord knows he's been eating like he's going through a growth spurt). Considering he doesn't ask much of us, I'm okay with obliging him like that.

At this point, I'd guess we're about halfway through his sleep/eat cycle, so its not worth me trying to go to sleep until after I feed him again. He's a notoriously slow nurser (wait, is this TMI? Oh well, this next paragraph will likely be about breastfeeding, so if you're grossed out, skip it, k.), typically attacking my boob after rooting, tasting a few gulps (like we'd take a sip of wine, with lip smacks and all - its really hilarious), and then slowly savoring his meal. Seriously, when he's not terribly worked up, he nurses for like 30 minutes (less if he's eaten more frequently). When he's fussy already he has a terrible latch, is likely to latch on and off multiple times (each time kinda attacking it). Not remotely fun when he's fussy. He's frustrated, I'm frustrated and sore, and all the while we still have to get through the feeding - lol.

Hold on, the baby just woke up.

Okay, I'm back (he nursed about 20 minutes if you're interested). That was a surprisingly easy nursing session (think: not fussy), and he's already back on my chest drifting off to baby dreamland. As soon as he's asleep I'll probably nestle into the sofa and try and catch a few Zzs.

This is kinda what it felt like in the hospital. Thanks to my c-section I spent 4 days (5 if you count that first day where I labored for 12+ hours pre-surgery) hanging out with Jase and the nurses. They came in at all times of the day and night to check on me and the baby and take our vitals. The OB liked to come in between 4 and 5am (no lie) to check on me! Needless to say, I was only well rested due to the drugs making me drowsy, and I learned what time TV goes off. Like did you know that Food Network goes off at 5am? Right in time for the news broadcasts - lol.

I'm still not all that sleepy, but I'm pressing my luck. I'm supposed to sleep when the baby does, and since he's lucky enough to sleep on mommy's chest tonight (that doesnt happen most "nights"), mommy might want to go ahead and get some sleep too.

A couple of weeks ago I took a full array of nursery pics (along with some other house tour pics) so maybe I'll get it together to share those soon. I've also been jotting down some thoughts about breastfeeding, and my hospital experience in general that ya'll might find interesting. Last but not least, I've started writing Ty's birth story. It generally has 3 acts - the part where I labored at home, my triage experience where they opted to induce me, and then labor and delivery. Okay, delivery was mostly me going into the OR, so really just labor. I've written the first two parts already, but I'm having trouble re-living the labor part. As I mentioned earlier, I labored 12+ hours at the hospital only to have an emergency c-section. And there were several things that happened during that time that were frankly kinda traumatic. I'm not sure I'm going to blog my birth story, but if I get it written, why not, right? We'll see.

Okay, I'm tagging out. Night night ya'll.

♥

Introducing Baby Ty

2011-08-08T15:51:00.000-04:00

Tyler James Smith

Born August 8, 2011 at 1:18am via emergency c-section

7 lbs 1 oz - 20.5 inches long

We are completely in love

♥

Drug Free?

2011-07-21T12:04:00.005-04:00

I'm starting to be totally over the discussions of my intented drug use during birth.

I dont understand why people (both mothers and non) are so interested in this topic! Why do people care?! I can't decide if the "natural" or the "drug" camp is worse. People who have natural births make it their business to try and convince you to do it too. And women who get the drugs have no problems telling you how awesome they were. Both camps act as if their baby is somehow cooler because of the way they came into the world. No, no one talks about the pain or the things that go wrong (in either camp), so I've gotten used to that. But I dont understand why this is a popular topic period.

I have to pause here and say that those who know me best (e.g. MamaP, Ty's Auntie Team*) tend to not bring up labor and delivery with me. Aside from my mama, they also have zero interest in being in the delivery room. Love them.

Just yesterday I was talking to my MIL (who's already obsessed with Ty) and she was telling Hubs and I about the new addition to the family - his cousin's girlfriend had a baby yesterday. The only thing I learned from the conversation about the baby is that his name is Mason and "she tried to do it without drugs, but couldnt."

Why did that make the list of important things to share about the birth? Not how big he is, or even that he's healthy and strong. No. That she had a drug-assisted birth.

I'm over it.

Since I'm terrible at recaps (never managed to recap my wedding or our Eurotrip, did I? LOL) its safe to say I probably wont be writing up my birth story. And I'm thinking of keeping that detail - the drug one - to myself. Well, me and Hubs. I already get lots of feedback (both positive and negative) from women on my current plan to wing it. I'm not looking forward to discussing what actually happened after he comes.

Anyway, I kinda reached my over-it point while on the phone with MIL (admittedly not my finest moment) and blurted out that I just may keep the drug choice to myself. Her response? "Well I wont know anyway since I wont be in the delivery room."

Yeah...about that. We told MIL she couldnt be in the delivery room. My delivery room list has always been crazy short - just Hubs and my mom. And since Mom will fly up once I go into labor, its possible she'll miss the birth altogether. So Hubs and I will likely be going it alone. Which is perfectly fine with me. MIL, however, is a little salty about that. We told her several weeks ago (like way back in my 2nd trimester) and she has yet to get over it. I just dont bring it up. (Honestly, I think she's secretly hoping I'll change my mind in the heat of labor. Highly doubt it. Tauruses are impossibily stubborn).

So yeah. I think I'm going to see if we can keep it to ourselves. Just as an experiment. I havent decided how I'll respond to people when they ask (cause they invariably will), but I'll think of something. And if I end up sharing it with folks, it will be on my terms.

This kinda feels like when I told people to arrive ontime because the doors were closing 10 minutes early for our wedding ceremony. Some guests were very surprised when it actually happened. They must have believed me though because our ceremony started on time and everyone was seated before it did. Exactly as I intended.

♥

*Most of ya'll know I'm an only child and my best girfriends are like my sisters. They have known me the longest and know me best, and I tend to refer to them as Ty's Auntie Team (thanks Yeezy).

37 Weeks In

2011-07-20T15:05:00.000-04:00

37 weeks! We made it! According to BabyCenter, I have about 21 days til my due date. We’ve officially crossed over into “any day now” territory. Since the doctors consider the baby to be full term at 37 weeks (although 40 weeks is still the goal), and if I go into labor tomorrow (hell, today), they wouldn’t bat an eyelash and Ty would not be considered a preemie. Since I didnt blog throughout my pregnancy, I figured I'd share some general baby/pregnancy thoughts as the end draws near.

- I’m not remotely concerned about the fact that I have yet to pack a hospital bag. I have a list, and a bag identified, but I’ve only put a few things in there. Push come to shove, I can walk Hubs through packing my overnight essentials for me. No biggie; the bag will be packed. Hell, we just installed his car seat last night.

- My coworkers are very concerned about me going into labor at work. Yes, I’m planning to work up until I go, and those of you that follow me on Twitter know that I typically walk to my OB appointments because the hospital is that close to my job. I’m planning to work from home more (like most of August), so that I’ll start laboring there. If that plan fails, I’ll just be in labor at work. Someone can call Hubs and he can meet me at the hospital. Whatevs.

- The baby likes to be on my right side. And his little feet are...well, I can definitely feel both of them these days. Oh, and he’s been head down (i.e. in the proper position) for several weeks now. So those feet, they’re right in my chest cavity. My little guy is running out of room.

- I’ve finally graduated up to 3 pillows – 2 under my head and one under my belly. But I’m still sleeping through the night with a few bathroom breaks. Thank goodness.

- I’m still in my regular clothes. I always said I’d need some maternity pants, and while that’s mostly true, I’m getting by without. While talking about other body things, my rings still fit and I picked up a couple of inches (in length) of hair.

- The main discomfort I have is that I get pelvic pain. Nothing debilitating, but I can tell if I haven’t gotten up in awhile. Oh, and indigestion during my 1st trimester. That’s it. *knock on wood*

- I’m still planning to (essentially) wing labor and delivery.

- I’m already starting to feel overwhelmed by the “baby stuff.” And we have very little extra baby gear – no bouncer, swing, bumbo, etc. Clothes. He’s got more of those than I’m convinced he’ll have a chance to wear.

- I’m getting excited about meeting him. We’re starting to have the “I wonder who he’ll look like” conversations. And we often wonder about his temperament. He definitely has a personality as a fetus, so we’re trying to brace ourselves.

- D-Day (delivery day) will also mark my mom’s first visit to the new house. She’s going to have quite the thrilling visit next month – lol.

- While I didn’t have maternity photos taken (I arguably didn’t pop until about 6 weeks ago), we’re definitely having newborn photos taken. Part of this is because I want to be fair to subsequent kiddos – I don’t see taking multiple sets of maternity photos, but newborn photos I can get down with over and over again.

- I’m planning to stay out 8-10 weeks. Probably closer to 8. And I’m over people telling me that I’ll want more time. They may very well be right, but these are often the same folks that say they wish they could stay home full time with the baby. I know I’m not that (i.e. SAHM) lady, so why is it not plausible that I’ll be ready for my maternity leave to end? I’m rarely excited about actually coming to work (I don’t mind it when I get here and I like my job), but I will be looking forward to someone else changing some diapers and receiving my full-sized paychecks again.

♥

Smithville Tour: Dining Room (In-Progress)

2011-07-18T21:41:00.000-04:00

I'm back (sooner than even I expected) with the next stop on the Smithville tour :)

Welcome to our dining room. Its next door neighbors (i.e. right across the foyer) with my office.

I only took one photo because this is the whole room. Right now, its a functional room if not a decorated one. I'm cool with that. I love that it gets lots of natural light (its on the front of the house like my office), and it has that panelling on all the walls. When we were house hunting, I always favored the dining rooms with the panelling over those with chair rails. Oh, and there's crown moulding. ::swoon:: This room definitely has good bones.

The plan? Well, for starters, we want to paint. Not sure what color, but my first choice these days is navy. It used to be plum, but Hubs has kinda vetoed that (which just means I'd have to campaign heavily if I really want it - lol). Dont get me wrong, the tan is lovely but EVERYWHERE.

That sorry excuse for a chandelier will also have to go. I want something kind of dramatic to put in its place. I also want to add some lush drapery and maybe some mirrors on one of those walls. This room will probably end up being the most formal in the house. Okay, maybe formal isnt the right word. Lets say elegant. I'm definitely going for polished and elegant in this room. I think this table and chairs is a step in the right direction. But I picked it out, so naturally I feel that way - lol.

We've started tossing around some paint ideas because we know it will give us the biggest bang for our buck. We're in no rush to make a decision because not only will this paint need to coordinate with the teal, but the tan and white present on rest of the 1st level. So see, no rush.

In the meantime, I'm just going to keep buying long stemmed flowers (those are snap dragons from Trader Joes) that make me smile to pretty that table up.

♥

Shopping Til I Drop

2011-07-17T11:45:00.001-04:00

Guess who isnt allowed to buy anything (other than the necessities) this upcoming week? If you guessed me, you'd be totally right. I spent most of this week shopping, and....well, we all know I should probably find something else to do. Ah well. Wanna see what I got?

For most of the week (Tuesday thru Thursday) I was in a SAS Programming II training class (for work) and it was boring. I loved the coworkers I was with, but PROC TRANSPOSE (while cool) is just not that exciting. So I shopped.

I ordered my favorite facewash from Sephora (using Ebates of course) since I'm almost out. Its not cheap, but considering its the only thing I'm using on my face this summer (no need for a moisturizer), its awesome. Plus, it removes makeup (on the rare occasion I'm wearing it) and keeps my pores clean.

closet dividers from Etsy seller pipsqueakkids

Then I popped over to Etsy to get some closet dividers for the nursery (since this baby already has an unbelievable amount of clothing) and some of those monthly onesie stickers.

monthly onesie stickers from Etsy seller purplepossom

Why did it take me so long to pick out monthly onesie stickers?! Like seriously, I looked at the same few sets for like an hour. Even my co-workers chimed in. The second runner up was a set with some cute whales on them, but they just seemed a little too baby (does that make any sense?). Like i'm not sure I'd want to see 12 photos (taking one of him every month) in that same little (cute) whale.

Then I started shopping for Hubs' birthday. I almost always buy him some clothes as part of his gift and I dont think I've bought him clothes since before the cruise last year. Here's what I threw in my cart:

Ringer Tee

Lightweight Hoodie

Linen Blend Shirt

Stretch Slim Fit Shirt

And of course I had to pick up a couple of things for Ty (who needs nothing ::sigh::)...

Knit Military Jacket

Striped Zip Jacket

When I got to work on Friday, rather than do something work-related, I proceeded to purchase all of these items (plus a few things for myself), and book Hubs' birthday massage and pedicure.

On the way home, I stopped by (what used to be) my favorite spa thats closing its doors. I didnt expect to find anything awesome, but I walked away with some brand new bottles of nail polish (O.P.I, not pictured) and some glassware.

Annnd since I was in the area, I popped into my favorite HomeGoods store (the one on Piedmont near the Lindbergh MARTA station) and picked up some white serveware that matches our china perfectly. Normally, I'd probably pass, but I dont see the dotted-serveware often and I had to have it.

You'd think I was done, right? On Saturday I called myself engaging in some free entertainment. Returned some items, ran some errands, picked up our Harry Potter tickets (which was AWESOME!!!), and then bought a couple of baby books (Baby411 and On Becoming Babywise) from Barnes & Noble. Normally I buy books on my Kindle, but since I knew Hubs might want to thumb through them too (he did), I figured a paper book would work out better. So far it has.

As you can see, I really need to find something else (think: free) to do with my time. I dont even want to think about how much money I spent. Even with my recent promotion, my bank account cant sustain this type of shopping long-term. Plus, I still need to pick up some nursing gear and I need to be working on buying new shoes since I'm starting to wear my current collection out.

Mmm, more shopping.

♥

Couple Friends

2011-07-12T18:48:00.003-04:00

Evidently, around this time last year I was thinking about our couple friends. How do I know, because I found this (seemingly) complete post in my drafts:

7.16.2010

Hubs and I have a good number of couple friends – some that we’ve inherited from before we became a couple and several that we’ve cultivated since our merge. For the most part, either the girls or guys were previously friends, and the partner has forged a friendship with the friends’ partner. So far its worked out pretty well. Our friends are cool, and they tend to date cool people as well.

But what happens when one of those couples breaks up?

You’d like to think that the friendships would be maintained, but what happens when they start to date new people?

Obviously, were going through this now. My loyalties lie where they always have (in my pod), and Hubs’ loyalties...well, they’re fairly deeply planted with his little brother. But we’d both formed relationships with what was a package deal. I still care for Hub’s little brother, and he cares for my podmate, but things are different now...and I’m not sure how this new dynamic is going to play out in the long run.

Maybe that’s why I’m thinking (and blogging) about it now. Before something kicks up. They’ve both moved on, but its plausible, inevitable really, that we’ll host an event down the line where all parties (the old couple and their new partners) could be in attendance.

I really hope it won’t be too weird.

...oh and the rest of our couple friends need to hurry up and get married so I don’t have to worry about this stuff.

♥

I don't exactly remember writing this post, but I do remember feeling this way. And I wish I could say a year later that I was blowing the situation completely out of proportion, but I wasnt. Things are definitely different (I cant remember the last time I talked with my podmate's ex, but Hubs talks to him semi-regularly), but they're really good. Hubs and my podmate get along as fabulously as ever, and we're looking forward to seeing her and LC in September here in Atlanta.

We haven't had that event where everyone's shown up yet, but I still wouldnt be surprised if it happened. Thats just the kind of luck that we seem to have - lol.

♥

Smithville Tour: My Office

2011-07-11T20:58:00.001-04:00

I am almost certain that this house tour is going to to take forever. Why? Cause I'm lazy. And wordy. And almost 9 months pregnant. But lets not bring baby Ty into this (he's really a good fetus). Its mostly because after I do the "decorating" I rarely have the energy to turn around and blog about it. ::sigh::

But anyway, on to this tour. Some rooms are more complete than others, and I'm starting in one such room - my office. Yes yes, the teal surprise room. Oh and excuse the lighting...its not great. But I figured I should go ahead and take the pics while I was in the mood and hope for the best.

Here's the view from the foyer. See, this room lives in what was (probably) meant to the the formal living room. But we're not formal living room type of people. Trust me, we'd never ever use this room that way. So I figured if we needed to furnish the room, lets make it useful. I've always wanted an office with a big window and plenty of space to organize/store my crafty goodness. Now I have one. Wait, no. Now I have a teal one. A teal office beats a regular office any day (at least in my world - lol).

Okay, back to the office. Since I painted it such a dark teal, I wanted lots of white pieces for contrast. I love dark wood (you'll see, its all over the house), so I knew that would work too. I fell in love with this gray and white chevron fabric (Premier Fabrics Zigzag in Ash Gray/White) several months ago and when I started working on this room, I knew it would be perfect.

I decided to do accents of green because....well, because I have this thing for teal and green together. I hadnt originally planned to go this route, but I was racking my brain trying to come up with something, and it finally hit me - use green silly. Teal, green, white, gray. Awesome.

Here's a closeup of my desk. I got this desk about 7 years ago from Target, and although the finish is starting to show some wear, I still really love it. Its long enough to accomodate a stack of papers, my desktop monitor, my mug-o-writing utensils, and a cute lamp without everything feeling all cramped (I hate a cramped desk).

Our wireless printer and desktop tower hang out in that corner. Nothing exciting or noteworthy except for the fact that we already had all of that stuff - lol.

Now lets talk about the chair. Believe it or not, this chair is from IKEA. Its actually designed to be a dining chair, but I liked that its wide, cushioned, and slipcovered. Oh, and I think its pretty cute. Why are desk chairs notoriously ugly? I know they're supposed to be practical, but is it too much to get something that is cute also? Anyway, yes. Chair from IKEA. Oh, and I draped that Vera tote on there because it matches. Interestingly, it doesnt slip off when I sit down, so it will probably hang out there for awhile.

On the wall behind the window, you'll see what used to be an empty wall. I made that memo/inspiration board using a large canvas (I think its 24x36), linining it with cork, covereing it with white fabric, and putting a green ribbon on there for a little decoration. I love having places to stash notes, lists, fabric and photos, and this is working out fabulously. One day I may move it and do a photo/gallery wall.

Next to the board, I hung some DIY "art" prints. I saw that "Be Awesome" print on Pinterest, and remixed it with turquoise and hearts (naturally). The inital print on the right was kinda a fluke. I wanted something gray, but didnt know what, so I just did my initials in one my favorite fonts, Albemarle Swash. Push it to the bottom right hand corner and you have something that looks semi-intentional (or at least let me keep thinking that, k?).

Oh, and totally random you'll see what appears to be a random trash can sitting on top of a sewing machine. I got that machine on Black Friday and have yet to take it out of the box (shame, I know). I use the trash can to store my yard stick, large tubes (that one has a fab wedding photo of us that needs to be framed), and wrapping paper. When I first started doing that, Hubs would look at me strangely. But I hate having to look for any of those things and the trash can wrangles them all so nicely. How do ya'll store your yard sticks?

Here's a closeup of my board. I think that little bow is my favorite detail up there (born totally out of necessity cause I wasnt careful glueing it down). Yes, thats a photo of me as a 3 year old. And that animal swatch is a piece of the inspiration fabric for the nursery. I'm starting to plan our anniversary trip to Chattanooga, and that planning list will be pinned up there tonight.

Dont ask me why I thought you'd be interested in a close up of my shelves, but here it is - lol. I cant believe I didnt mention this before, but if you didnt recognize it, the shelves are none other than the infamous IKEA Expedit. I knew I wanted it to make a big statement, so I went for the big one (5x5), even if I wasnt exactly sure it would fit in our car (it did). Counterclockwise from top left, you'll see my crayons, color pencils, sewing and fancy Martha Stewart glitter, my scissors/cutting stuff and paint brushes, my small collection of Food Network and Real Simple magazines, and a small stack of green boxes (again, from IKEA) that I keep meaning to label. If I remember correctly, one of those has adhesives in it (glue runners, glue dots, craft glue, etc), and that other one...um, I dont remember whats in that other one. I know its not acrylic paints (box is too small).

The biggest boxes (at the very bottom) house my growing fabric and ribbon collections, miscelanous cords, and miscelaneous objects (e.g. my MS and Ph.D. that have yet to be framed). Sprinkled throughout are other boxes, whats left of my paper books (gotta thank the Kindle for totally downsizing me), and more craft supplies. I'm actually surprised that I managed to put something in every cube, but I dont think its so packed that I wont have room to grow.

Last, but certainly not least here's my favorite chair (that I never actually sit in). I found it on a random TJMaxx visit, and purchased it without knowing if it would work in that room (or in our bedroom). Its a darker gray than the curtains (which is why I think it works) and I love that nailhead trim. I threw my Vera travel pillow (a gift from my MnOH Krissi) up there cause its cute.

So, there's my office! Its one of the first rooms you see when you walk in our front door and I absolutely love the way its coming together. As I mentioned earlier, this room is mostly complete. We have quite a few papers that need a home, so something with drawers/file storage is needed. Some sort of credenza or something. Oh and that awful light has to go. I'm thinking a chandelier or something with a drum shade. We'll see what I come up with.

Hope you enjoyed the tour :)

♥

P.S. Are ya'll interested in source lists? I can add those to these tour posts if you're interested in them. Just let me know in the comments.

Teal Surprise

2011-06-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

I had totally planned to blog about something else, but I'm so excited, I had to share this first.

Today while fetching me from my building to take us to my Dr's appointment (I usually walk if I'm going alone, but if Hubs comes, he picks me up), Hubs told me he had a surprise for me at home.

Naturally, I wanted to know what it was. And he normally tells me. I should have known it was something really big when he wouldn't. He wouldn't even give me a hint. I asked about it several more times before I resigned myself to just seeing whatever it was when I got home.

I'd been home 5 minutes, talking to Hubs in the kitchen (our normal), when something told me to look up. From the kitchen, I can see into the front/entry way of the house (note to self: blog a house tour asap) which includes our dining room and my office.

And I immediately noticed that one of the rooms no longer looked like the other. My office was now teal. A delicious moody teal that makes all the white (trim, columns) completely pop. My teal!

See, my office has been in need of some attention since we moved in. I never established a really good system for storing my craft stuff, so my supplies lived in bins, buckets, and whatever else I could find to hide stuff away. It got worse when we actually arrived. Stuff was/is everywhere. It looked like my boxes exploded. I was waiting to get some new furniture/storage until we painted the room. But we couldnt do that until I picked out a color...and convinced Hubs to help me (ladder + preggo = not good). So with my shower looming on the horizon (July 9th at Casa Smithville), I bought some paint last night and made plans with Hubs to get the room painted by next week. He agreed, but he didnt look happy about it. Who knew it was because he'd already decided to surprise me with it.

This is definitely one of the best surprises ever. Since he did the bulk of the work, I offered to do some of the trim/touch up work. Turns out my hand is steadier than his, and since I was painting, he could watch my back as I stood on a chair to touch up the ceiling. It was my first time painting a room and I've decided we make a good painting team. He can roll, and I'll cut in/detail with the small brush :)

Now that my room is painted, I can move forward with making my drapes (gray and white chevron), buying my storage and getting it assembled, and accessorizing. Once I have a few more things in here, I'll definitely show you some pics. Too bad I dont have any before pics. Believe it or not, I'd actually planned to snap some today when I got home, but Hubs had other ideas - lol.

I'm so excited!!

♥

P.S. - I have to thank all of you for your support/input on the stroller. I'm almost certain we're going to get it, but we probably wont purchase it until next month or so. You rock!

Strollin

2011-06-18T10:26:00.000-04:00

I can’t believe I’m still blogging about this baby! With less than 8 weeks to go, we're getting around to the purchases/decisions that we've been putting off. Like a diaper bag. And this stroller situation...

A couple nights ago Hubs and I had a very serious conversation about strollers.

Okay, so I had a serious conversation. He started with “get the stroller you want” and ended with...you guessed it: “get the stroller you want.” Sigh, maybe my husband does understand me after all.

So what’s the problem? Well...

It’s expensive. As in costs more-than-all-of-his-furniture combined expensive.

This is our first baby, and we’re not really sure how much we’re going to need/use a stroller. We have an idea, but until the baby arrives, we can’t be certain it will meet our needs.

I only want to buy one stroller (if possible). I know I could get what’s essentially a car seat carrier, or even a travel system, but I don’t like how they look (both) or the bulk of the travel system (Initially, you clip the car seat into the regular stroller. Yes. Its as ridiculous looking as it sounds). So I’d buy some quick fix only to buy another one months down the line,

I hear it’s large even when folded. Since I didn’t ask if I could try fitting it in my trunk, and people rarely offer a stroller to compare it to (size-wise), I can’t verify how much of an issue this is. (not to mention my trunk is usually empty. Now my backseat? A whole other issue - lol)

It’s expensive. Yes, it needed to be repeated.

The only reason I come back to it is that this is the stroller that I compare all others to. Not kidding. I can’t decide if my reasons for moving towards buying it are really valid, or if they are just my mind’s way of justifying such a large purchase. And as you can see Hubs is very little help (see his main contributions above). So maybe ya’ll can weigh in. Here’s my list:

This is a good looking stroller and I can totally see myself pushing it around.

The ride is really smooth and it turns like a dream. I tend to run into stuff, so easy maneuverability is a requirement.

It’s fairly easy for me to take down and put back up. I don’t think any of them will be extremely easy until I have to use it regularly

It has a telescoping handle (great for Hubs who has at least 7 inches on me), and a huge storage basked underneath (great for me who will most likely be in charge of baby gear (not an official designation, but lets be forreal)).

It comes with a basinet. Making the stroller function like those cute pram/carriages that used to be the rage back in the day. Seems like it would be super comfy for the baby to lay down while strolling rather than being all hemmed up in his carseat. Plus, he can sleep in it at home and on the road (i.e. his first Christmas in FL this December).

The seat has a bunch of different configurations, including tilty ones (yes, that’s an official term) for when he’s littler and completely upright (0 degrees) for when he’s big.

It can covert to a double (or I think a triple) stroller making this the only stroller we’d have to buy.

The reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Amazon, Buybuybaby, BabyCenter, Babble, everywhere.

So at this point I’m asking you (like I asked Hubs who, to his defense, has heard these reasons a million times already) to get some feedback. He told me to get the stroller I want.

Whatcha think? Would you get it?

Maybe I’ll wait a little while longer. He won’t need to stroll for the first month or so, right? Maybe I can just put it off til then – lol.

♥

Template Help

2011-06-16T20:08:00.001-04:00

I need a new template for this here blog. This black one satisfied my frustration with the old one (by removing it from my sight - lol), but now its kinda depressing.

I'm looking for something colorful, stylish, and preferrably free. Any one have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance ya'll!

♥

Why I'm not worried about labor and delivery

2011-06-11T23:06:00.000-04:00

I know, its my first week back and I'm already blogging about the baby - lol.

Interestingly, I've gotten different kinds of questions as I move through this pregnancy. In the beginning, all people wanted to talk about was morning sickness. Then I started getting the gender question - if we knew, when we'd find out, IF we were going to find out. And once we found out, it was all about whether it was what we wanted, if we were excited, what we were going to name him, blah blah blah. Somewhere in there it occurred to people that I was carrying small. In fact, I wish I had a $1 for everytime someone said I wasnt big enough or I didnt look pregnant. (How do you even respond to a comment like that? So pointless and annoying.)

And the latest round of questioning? All about labor and delivery. What our plans are, if I'm going to do it natural, did we go to a birth class, am I nervous, dont I realize its going to hurt, etc etc etc. And oddly, I get these questions from people who dont have children. Its like they read somewhere that this is the type of stuff that pregnant women like to talk about!

While I tend to humor folks and answer their questions to the best of my ability, I find that they're usually expecting something other that what I tell them. Why? Becuase I'm way too calm about this delivery bit. In fact, my plan is very simple and non-committal: try to do it naturally, and if not, get the drugs.

Yup, thats it.

I've done some research, but we havent stepped foot in a class. Hell, we haven't really even discussed the delivery room plan (except that only Hubs and my mom are allowed in). I'm probably walking the line of being too casual and grossly underprepared, but I'm choosing not to get worked up about it. This baby has to come out somehow, and I'm hoping its not via c-section. I'll try to labor at home as much as I can. But aside from that, I dont have many plans, and my expectations are very straight forward:

I'm expecting it to hurt.
I'm expecting to get through it (with or without the help of the drugs).

To be perfectly honest, I dont spend much time thinking about delivering this baby...until someone asks me about it (and shares their own birth story). I've always hoped that this pregnancy would end in a delivery, and I'm excited every day I'm getting closer to that outcome. I'm not worried about it because I believe it will be fine. And come August, I'll have a bouncing baby boy to snuggle in my arms.

♥

Hi

2011-06-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

I cant believe its been almost a year since I posted on this blog!

And its been a pretty crazy year. Lets see...

I finally escaped grad school
Hubs got his police job, graduated from the academy, and is now patrolling on his own.
We started shopping for a house.
I got knocked up. A baby boy due August 10th.
We did Christmas in FL. My fave.
My mama (MamaP) turned 60 and had a FAB party.
We bought a house...with a garage. Changed my life.
We hired movers and painters. Both were worth EVERY penny spent.
I had a baby shower. It was awesome. There are 2 more scheduled.

So that brings us up fairly current I think. The last couple of months, we've just been buying stuff for the house and trying to get situated (as best we can) before the baby comes and rocks our world.

I'm thinking I should have things to blog about, if nothing else house stuff, and marriage stuff (are we still considered newlyweds?), some of my DIY projects around the house, and maybe my Pinterest obsession (thanks to Jameil), and of course the baby. I dont want the blog to become baby central, but it might. You've been warned. *wink*

I'm hungry, so I'm done for now. I'll be back soon. Looks like I should have plenty to talk about - lol.

♥

Naked

2010-08-09T10:22:00.001-04:00

Today I forgot my rings at home and my hand feels surprisingly naked.

I'm not one of those girls that's vowed to never leave home without my e-ring or my wedding band. I love them, and plan to always have them, but Hubs has been talking about upgrading me down the line and I'm looking forward to how the inhabitant of my 4th finger - left hand will evolve.

I take my rings off daily to apply lotion. The lotion gets into all the crevices of the rings and makes them all gunky. Plus, rubbing something on my hands while wearing my e-ring is kind of a pain - quite literally. Since I've started wearing summer hair, I also take my rings off when its time for the weekly wash and detangle. My hair gets all tangled and snarled in my e-ring and it makes me angry (for reals) so they come off when its time to deal with the hair. Any other time one or are left at home its still on purpose. Like when we went to Europe, I opted to wear only my wedding band since everything I read said leave the really expensive jewelry at home. While my band was not cheap, my e-ring came in at a considerably higher price point. And I won't even get into the number of times I've damaged my e-ring and had to have it repaired...

Point is, I purposely remove my rings regularly. So today's naked feeling is quite...surprising.

&hearts;

Single-tasking

2010-08-03T16:56:00.001-04:00

At some point I forgot how to do nothing.

And since I have to always do something, I’ve tried to fill the time with doing non-work things, like cooking or even catching up on the DVR. And to enhance their enjoyment by only doing one of those things at a time.

But I noticed last night while attempting to just watch TV that I kept trying to do other things too. At first, it was Twitter. I sent some texts. Took a few phone calls. And then I moved on to adding stuff to my ToDo list and thinking about responding to emails and cleaning out my inbox. I got so worked up about wasting time by single-tasking that I was unable to really enjoy the show I was watching (either that or it was just bad – lol) and succumbed to going to the sunroom to start working on the computer.

Thankfully Brew came over to hang out with me and I did manage (mostly) to enjoy some bestie QT while I could. I also used that time to scope out my ticket to NYC in November, discuss our lil sister’s wedding in October, and check the mail.

Pitiful, I know.

Stylist Self-Promotion

2010-08-02T21:48:00.002-04:00

The other day, while signing away my life and first born child at the carwash/autolube place, a lady walked up to me, offered me her card and told me she shouldn't give me her card looking the way she does, but was doing it anyway. It wasn't until I she sat back down and I had a chance to look at her card that I was told/realized that she's a hair stylist. (And that her hair was kind of a mess, hence that disclaimer she issued - lol).

My first thought was "Do I look like I need a hair stylist? Cause this here on my head was intentional." Note: I'm wearing my summer hair these days. Its curly, and big, and kinda doin its own thing...just the way I like it. Plus, I'm particular about who does my hair, and I'm not in the market for a stylist (like many I know).

But then I realized that it was equally likely that she just trying to drum up some business and was passing out cards to any woman of color she saw on the street.

Or was she?

At this point, she engaged me in a little small talk about the party consulting she'd just overheard me do. I politely asked where her shop was (conveniently up the street) and she informed me that she is there Monday-Friday. I found it interesting that she doesn't work on Saturdays, but I was careful to not make her think I might actually come in. If I were really a potential client I'd ask about her natural hair technique and what time she takes her latest appointment. Alas, I wasn't.

Towards the end of the chat, I heard the call for my Altima and promptly excused myself. As I walked to my car I couldn't help flashing back to HS when Stace got a big orang-y yellow comb as a secret sister gift Freshman year. At the time we couldn't figure out if they were trying to be creative and practical (she did have A LOT of hair) on a budget or if she was saying Stace needed to comb her hair.

I guess we'll never really know on both fronts, will we?

♥

Dr. Patti and Where the heck Ive been lately

2010-07-16T18:41:00.001-04:00

Guess who’s back?!

I know, I know. I just completely abandoned ye old blog. But it was for a good reason, I promise. Actually, it was for several good reasons, the first of which is that I'M GRADUATING! Between dissertation analyses, writing, edits and trying to be a rock star at work, something absolutely had to go...so the blog (along with most of my cooking, baking, and housekeeping responsibilities) totally fell by the wayside. However, as of last Friday, I have successfully defended my dissertation and am now Dr. Patti!

I still can hardly believe it.

Two weeks from today MamaP, Granma and the Auntie Team will be headed to Atlanta to see me graduate. And then...we’re going to celebrate. I’ll probably talk more about my dissertation and graduation later on (including the fab red, black and white announcements that I made), but for now, the excitement is in the news that I’m done. Done done done!

Lets see, what else has been going on?

Well, we (the Smiths) went to Europe last month. It was amazing. We had some fairly dramatic flights, but thankfully we made it there and back safely. We cant wait to go abroad again.
I got a promotion at work! Nothing really changes in my day-to-day, except that now I earn a little more per hour. Score!
My podmate moved to NYC in June. I am so excited for her. She also has a new boyfriend. Double excited! I got to see her last month in DC, and I’m tentatively planning to go see the new abode/city during my Veterans Day break (gotta love Federal holidays) in November. Sooo excited.
I’ve also been hitting some important 30Before 30 Goals. Like our Emergency Fund hitting the $1k mark (check!) and me starting a Car Downpayment Savings account. Yes, that’s a new one. I realized a few months ago that I’m not allowed to have a Roth IRA and a 401k (nor would I be able to tuck away that much extra money), so I changed it to another goal – my car downpayment. Hopefully in 4 years, when I want to replace my car, I’ll have a sizable amount saved up to apply to that low. Gotta try and keep those payments low.
Yesterday I hosted another baby shower at work. I know, I never got around to showing you pics from the last one I did. This one had an airplane theme – as the dad is an airplane mechanic. Not to pop my own collar, but it was awesome. Several people told me that I should do parties and events professionally. I totally agree.
We’ve been babysitting Hubs’ adorable 8 month old cousin Maalik a lot lately. That thang makes me want a baby. Everyone keeps telling me that a pet is a good practice for a baby, and that we should get one of those first. Believe it or not, I’d much rather just have the baby.

I think that’s it for now. I’m planning to be around more often. And I’m also planning to cook more, bake more, and workout more. Oh, and finally finish my wedding recaps if anyone is interested in still reading them.

It feels good to be back. I missed ya’ll.

♥

WW Wednesday 6/23/10

2010-06-23T10:28:00.003-04:00

WW Wednesday 6/16/10

2010-06-16T10:30:00.002-04:00

WW Wednesday 6/9/10

2010-06-09T10:19:00.002-04:00

WW Wednesday 6/2/10

2010-06-02T10:12:00.005-04:00

WW Wednesday 5/26/10

2010-05-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

WW Wednesday 5/19/10

2010-05-19T09:55:00.001-04:00

WW Wednesday 5/12/10

2010-05-12T10:02:00.000-04:00

Mirena

2010-05-06T14:35:00.011-04:00

I try not to talk too much about babies around here. Truth is, I’m battling a pretty severe case of baby fever these days. My head knows that now is not a good time, so I can talk a good game. But my heart...thats another matter entirely. And don’t even get me started on how Hubs feels.

Thankfully my head knows that if I’m (or at least part of me is) serious about not conceiving anytime soon, I need good birth control (BC). So that’s why about a year ago, I talked to my doctor about Mirena. I know, I sound like that lady on the commercial, don’t I – lol).

I have tried quite a few versions of BC, and because I couldn’t seem to settle on one I liked, MamaP suggested I look into an IUD. Mirena is a hormaonal IUD, and 99.8% effective against pregnancy. It is inserted directly into your uterus (your doctor has to insert and remove it) so you don’t have to do anything to be protected. Also, it’s good for 5 years and pays for itself within the first one. I got mine using the graduate student insurance, and had it inserted at the campus health center. Mine paid for itself in like 3-4 months.

Overall, my experience with Mirena has been great and awful. I’ve experienced some of the negative side effects – namely a lot of skin problems and a bit of weight gain. But I’ve also experienced some of the positive ones. My cycle has virtually disappeared. Without getting into too much detail, I’m still ovulating, but the lining of my uterus is so thin (on purpose) that I don’t [[fill in the blank]. Plus, Mirena makes my uterus inhospitatable, which is a really good thing. But because of the bad things being really depressing and just...bad, we’re going to have to part ways later on this month.

You can imagine I’m both happy and unhappy about that.

I love the freedom that Mirena affords. But after a year of suffering through the side effects, I think I’m ready to take my chances with something else. My first choice is to get back on Ortho-Lo, and I plan to leave the doctors office with a new prescription in tow. I’m going to have to be 10x more diligent about taking my pill this go round or I’m going to be someone’s mama.

If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is.

♥

WW Wednesday 5/5/10

2010-05-05T21:59:00.003-04:00

The Name Game: Credit Card Edition

2010-05-04T13:31:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, I am still not finished changing my name on stuff. Hmm, that’s probably not that hard to believe, huh. I seem to be taking my sweet precious time with this task.

But anyway, last week I decided to tackle my credit cards. Between regular cards and store cards, I have about 10 – so I was NOT looking forward to dealing with having my name changed on them. As such I put it off. And put it off. And put it off some more. I had it in my mind that I’d have to write this detailed letter and send copies of all my information, just to get a new card issued in my new name. Having to go through all that just didn’t seem worth the time or effort. Especially since I’ve been using my cards this whole time with no problems.

With us going abroad, I figured I should at the very least try and get the cards I plan to take with me switched over. I’d hate to get overseas and not be able to fully flex my monetary muscle (lol). In preparation, I made a list of all my cards, and their toll-free numbers. I found a letter template online that I’d planned to personalize with my name(s) and account information.

First stop was the bank. Since I have 3 cards issued by BOA, I thought that would feel good to get all 3 of those crossed off the list. When I finally got to a rep, she informed me that I didn’t need to mail a form letter, but that she would send me a form to fill out. All I’d need to include was some information about myself , my new name and the reason for the change. T hats it. No copy of my marriage license. No copy of my drivers license. No first born child. I kid, I kid.

Needless to say I hung up pleasantly surprised and ready to tackle a few more cards. The next ones were even easier. My cards issued by WFNN only needed to know what I wanted my new name to be. Like, I just told them over the phone (!). Same with Target and Macys. They didn’t need ANY verification. It was unbelievable.

I spent more maneuvering the automated systems than I did to actually requesting the name change. Crazy, huh.

And I’m glad I hadn’t spend much time on my form letter – other than to format it. Turns out Old Navy is the only store that needs to get a letter from me accompanied by a copy of my marriage license. Thanks alot Gap, Inc.

Within the next couple of weeks I should be set with credit cards sporting my legal name. I’ll be interested to see how many have the hyphen and how many leave it off. So far, I’m at about half and half – lol.

♥

Spotted: MS Ruffle Throw

2010-05-04T10:50:00.001-04:00

I love a good throw. To me, no living room/den is complete without one (or several). But a ruffled one that feels like cashmere? Completely and utterly swoon worthy. Especially that beige one. I'm seriously considering using one of my giftcards to buy one for Smithville. Thanks Martha!

{found here and in stores}

♥

2010 Goals (April Update)

2010-04-29T18:59:00.046-04:00

It feels like I just updated you, but I really haven't done this since February (lol). Lots of things have been going on and there are even a couple of *new* goals on this year's list.

On deck for 2010:

Workout 3x a week for at least 6 months.
This has COMPLETELY fallen by the wayside. I really want to do better and am going to. It is imperative that I develop a habit of working out, and if I have to force feed it, I will. ::giggles::

Visit Europe
We're flying out June 4th! Our eDocs are printed, the ship has been scoped out, and I've started thinking about packing lists and plane necessities. I'm planning to dedicate several posts to this very soon.

Host a holiday dinner
No update on this item. Still in the plan though. I feel like I'm going to have to remind everyone that I'm planning to do Thanksgiving much closer to November though - lol.

Bake bread from scratch - Done!

Complete my PhD
I'm actually way ahead of schedule on this item. I submitted my IRB application in February and my studies were approved in March. Then I hit the ground running. My data collection that was supposed to go through this summer is done done done (in my best Chrisette Michele impersonation). But this development has completely shaken up my timeline. While I was originally planning to finish in time for a December graduation, I am now trying to finish this summer. Summer graduation is July 31st, and my dissertation would need to be completed the first part of that month. I think I can do it. I'm just waiting to hear back from my committee before I fully commit. There are so many things to do; its kinda awesome and overwhelming at the same time.

Make homemade jam/learn to can something - Done!

Learn to knit or crochet
I still wanna do this. Definitely in the later part of the year. No real update - lol.

Cook 1 vegetarian meal a week for 1 month - Done!

Take a wine tasting course with Hubs
No update here. I think my Groupon expires in July, so I give this some thought. Maybe we can go sometime next month.

Plant an herb garden
Done! But I havent blogged about it yet. I'm still waiting to see if my herbs make it. (spoiler alert!) I planted thyme, rosemary and sweet basil, but didint realize that my kitchen does NOT get alot of sun. Now the herbs are in the sunroom and it takes both me and Hubs to remember to open the blinds and shed some light on them. So we'll have to see about this. Still a done though.

Experience Disney with Hubs
We got our tickets (!) and will be going in the second half of the year. Right now its going to be a road trip with Naima + Bakari (Bakima), so definitely after Europe, and after Bakima moves in August. Remember, at last update Hubs and I were signed up with Disney and the HandsOn network to Give a Day so that we could Get a Day at Disney. I signed us up to help with a Saturday enrichment program at a city elementary school. Three hours of our time for free Disney tix...totally worthwhile.

Complete a tour on Rock Band
This one makes me sad. Between everything that we always have going on, I havent had a chance to spend much time on my Rockband career. Still keeping hope alive on this one for this year.

Host an adult slumber party with my girlfriends
No update on this one yet either. In fact, I haven't even started to discuss possible dates with the ladies yet. I better get on that.

*New* Have at least $1000 in our Emergency Fund
This kinda speaks for itself. We're almost halfway there, and I'd like to be done with this by the end of the year at the very latest.

*New* Plan or coordinate another bride's wedding
As many of you already know, Bakima is getting married! And they asked me to be their wedding planner! Technically, this probably belongs on the 2011 list, since the event is scheduled for September 2010, but I figured I'd throw it on here now since we've alwready started working on it. Once we get the venue contract signed, I'm going to start campaigning for Naima to write another guest post about it. Hmm, I guess the cat's out the bag now...Naima, you've been warned - lol.

♥

WW Wednesday 4/28/10

2010-04-28T09:52:00.003-04:00

Spotted: DvF for Kindle

2010-04-27T13:13:00.001-04:00

When I got Calliope (my Kindle), I knew she needed a case. In fact, I was unwilling to let her leave the house without one. But in an effort to be practical (and introduce her to the elements as quickly as possible), I went ahead and got a standard case. But its so boring. Especially, when compared to something like this new gem from Diane von Furstenburg:

{found here}

Black and white on the outside. Bright happy pink on the inside. The only thing that would make this more perfect is if she had put her Hearts print on it like my suitcase. Yes, I have a heart suitcase that is as fab as you imagine it to be - lol. So pretty, but so impractical. Available 5/7/2010.

♥

Know your interest rate(s)

2010-04-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

Lately, a lot of my disposable income has been going toward my credit cards. I have an uncomfortable amount of credit card debt that I am feverishly trying to pay down before we get a house and/or a baby. And before my student loan payments kick in. This is in addition to some fairly aggressive savings goals and a European vacation (that were leaving for in oh... 38 days). Rough? Yes. Impossible? Of course not.

Well yesterday, I was doing some shopping online and checking my credit card balances. I had just shaved off a nice little chunk on my AmEx and was plotting my next move. I briefly considered just paying it off, since I had the money, but ultimately settled for planning to pay several more chunks over the next few months so that I could save a little more vacation spending money. While checking the balance, something told me to check the interest rate. I thought it was around 8 or 10% but wasn’t sure. The minimum payments had slowly been creeping up, and I’d never really stopped to find out why. Since I don’t actively use this card, and the balance should have been relatively constant, I should have known the interest rate was the culprit. When I finally investigated, I almost spit out my coffee.

It was 24 percent.

I could. not. believe it. When in the world did 24% happen?

I want you to know that I immediately paid that balance. The WHOLE THING. There was no way the bank was getting any more interest from me on this account. I felt like I was being robbed. And the worst part is that I really didn’t know how long it had been going on.

Paying the balance in one fell swoop, before I had planned to was bittersweet. While I didn’t like parting with my hard-saved money like that, I do rather enjoy seeing another zero balance when I log into my online banking.

So I guess this is kinda a cautionary tale. If you’re carrying some credit card debt (like most people I know are), make sure you’re aware of the terms you’re borrowing under (‘cause you know credit cards are basically loans, right?). Don’t get caught for the okey-doke, for even a little while, like I did.

♥

Must Make Monday: Peach Crunch Cake Recipe

2010-04-26T13:12:00.017-04:00

I am always looking for a quick and easy dessert that can be made with items I'm likely to have in my pantry. Call me wierd, but I almost always have a couple boxes of brownie mix, cake mix, various flowers and sugars hanging out in my pantry. I discovered this recipe one afternoon at work (while making my grocery list - score!) and opted to pick up a can of peaches, just in case I had time to throw this together. It took me about 2 weeks to get around to it, but its definitely a keeper.

This cake, courtesy of the immensely talented Bakerella, is essentially a dump cake. Its very similar to the Pumpkin Pie Cake I blogged about last fall. I wont say you cant mess this up, but I have a hard time imagining that you could. I recommend you go ahead the ingredients on your next shopping trip so you'll be ready when your next hankering for simple baked goodness appears.

♥

Ingredients
1 big can (28 oz) can of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Layer ingredients in a 13 x 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches (juice and all). Bake for about 40 minutes.Serve warm or cold...with or without ice cream.

♥

J Heart P: ...til about 10:50am

2010-04-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

Previously: girlparty in the bridal suite, time to put on the dress

Around 10:20 we left bridal suite to meet the Hyatt Place shuttle. I had arranged for the guys and the girls to (separately) take the hotel shuttle over to the venue. The boys were ~~ordered~~ instructed to be downstairs at 10:20 to meet the shuttle. We came down in time to hop on around 10:35. Chelsey left a little ahread of us so that she could snap a few pre-ceremony pics.

Our venue was absolutely perfect. Its an old church that is now a theater for the performing arts, right in the middle of West Palm Beach's favorite place to eat, live and shop. Cute cute cute.

My hostess team and Coordinator (my fab Godmommy) arrived around 10 to start on their various pre-ceremony tasks. The guests were scheduled to start arriving around 10:30. I'm not sure what time they actually showed up, and since I'm always afraid of people arriving before you're ready, I told the team to have the bathroom baskets and guestbook out as early as 10:20. Anal, I know.

This is Hub's awesome Aunt Phyllis signing the guest book (and smiling at the photos). Sidenote: Aunt Phyllis is gangsta..in a good way. She and MamaD are sisters-in-law, and have both been married almost 30 years. Definitely one of my favorite Auntie-in-Laws. Our guest book was a hit! It hung out on a table with the programs, positioned right where people entered the venue. It was a simple and elegant set-up; exactly what I envisioned.

If I had to guess, I'd say this picture was taken right around the time the doors were closed. See, I was adamant that our ceremony start on time. Belligerently adamant. I refused to have people waltzing into our large but intimate ceremony all late and was prepared to (have the hostesses) make an example out of someone if needed. I also didn't want them walking on our aisle runner before we had a chance to, so I had our florist line the side closest to the aisle with white ribbon and hydrangeas. Again, simple and elegant. Oh, and effective. Guests were asked to arrive and be seated 10 minutes prior to ceremony start. The hostesses were closing the doors (per my instructions) at 10:50. Yeah...I know that was kinda gangsta.

But we started on time.

♥

Emergency Fund

2010-04-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about emergency funds alot lately. Particularly where ours should live and how much it should have in it. Note: this money is in addition to what lives in our savings accounts. It would be solely for use during an emergency situation, and will hopefully sit untouched for a very very very long time.

As far as how much it should have in it, in a perfect world, ours would have about $10K. But seeing that 10K was almost half of our wedding budget, and we have a laundry list of other savings/paying goals, 10K is not going to happen. So that got me to thinking about a more attainable goal. Like $1000. Granted, that wouldn't go terribly far, but it could handle some small-ish, unplanned car repair or our insurance deductibles. It could also purchase me a fab new laptop if mine suddenly decides to jump off the curb (which would be a total emergency for me and my dissertation). I imagine that as we move along - buy a home, have some kiddos - we'll need to move closer to the 10K. Until then, I think it'll be okay.

I pretty much have the location part figured out. I know us. This money needs to be out of sight yet reachable - so that we aren't tempted, but can access it if we need it. A few years ago I opened up a formerly high-interest bearing ING Savings account. We can thank the economic downturn for the emphasis on formerly. But anyway, storing our money with ING lets us earn a little money (and I do mean little), while only being about 2 business days away if we needed it.

Ahh, the joys of getting older and trying to be responsible...

How about you? Do you have an emergency fund? If so, H=how did you decide how much to stash in it?

♥

WW Wednesday 4/21/10

2010-04-21T09:50:00.005-04:00

Must Make Monday: Southern-Style Baked Beans Recipe

2010-04-19T14:54:00.001-04:00

I've always wanted to learn to make good baked beans. Like the one's you have when you eat out. Thick and tender, with bits of onion. Sweet from brown sugar, but still a little tangy. The perfect complement to barbecue. Well, last month, Naima and Bakari hosted a small fish fry and Hubs volunteered us to bring potato salad...from Walmart.

[insert incredulous gasp here]

Once I shut down that Walmart nonsense and offered to make some from scratch, I volunteered to bring baked beans as an accompaniment. Despite Naima not liking baked beans (or any bean, for that matter), I decided that since Bakari, Hubs and I like them, 3 out of 4 would have to do. Because baked beans were made to hang out with potato salad and fried fish.

This recipe is primarily courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. I only discovered her a few months ago, but she makes some seriously tasty food. Her original recipe serves 18, so I did some creative hacking and adapted this for 4-6. Not surprisingly, bacon is a stand out star in this show. And honestly, I think the bacon is what ultimately got Naima to try these beans. She loved them. And we did too.

♥

Ingredients
3 slices thick-cut bacon, halved
1 small onion, cut into small dice
1/4 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
1 large can (28 oz) pork and beans
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1.5 tbs cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased smallish (e.g. 1-2 quart) baking dish. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Serves 4-6

Strawberry Jam

2010-04-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

"Jam, whoa jam." -- Guy

Last Thursday I decided to make strawberry jam. Who knows why. But I do know that strawberries are very reasonable right now, and this batch of jam cost me about $3. I know you're probably thinking "Why would I bother making it when I can BUY jam for $3?" Well, because the homemade stuff tastes better. End of story.

Just kidding! I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. I've come equipped with pics and an easy peasy recipe to follow.

The ingredients: strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. MamaP turned me on to this Minute Maid juice. Its super cheap and can be found in the freezer section. I always have a bottle in my fridge and one in my freezer.

Gotta remove the tops. I probably could have removed a little less top, but ah well.

Load the berries into your food chopper or processor (or just cut them up kinda small).

I'm a little anal, so I cut them in half before throwing them in my chopper.

Love this little chopper! It was a gift from MamaP (as is a good bit of my kitchen gear). I think she got it for like $5 from Walgreens - lol.

Throw your berries in a skillet with the sugar and lemon juice. Give it a good stir and cook over medium heat.

After about 15 minutes it will look like this. Watch it though - bubbles are good, but in moderation.

That spot in the middle is where I stuck my spoon. If I had thought about it I would have made a heart. But you can see that my jam is clearly staying put. Its ready!

I served the still warm jam that night over biscuits. Yup, just jam and biscuits for dinner. No pics because we kinda ate them before I remembered I should snap a picture. So you'll have to use your imagination...or make your own batch. Mmmmm, jam.

Ingredients:
1 Quart Strawberries (about 4 cups)
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsps Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions
1. Clean and hull the strawberries, then put them into a food processor until they are coarsely chopped. Don't over chop them, they should still be chunky.
2. Place the chopped strawberries into a skillet and stir in the sugar and lemon juice
3. Cook the ingredients over medium heat, about 10-15 minutes. The jam should be thick enough that if you move a spoon through it, it leaves a path, and there should be bubbles all over the surface.
4. Transfer to a jam jar and let cool.

♥

WW Wednesday 4/14/10

2010-04-14T09:43:00.000-04:00

J Heart P: Time to Put on the Dress

2010-04-14T09:12:00.001-04:00

*Due to some technical difficulties, some of you may be reading this for the second time. Sorry!!*

Previously: girl party in the bridal suite

Last I left off, my hair and makeup were done and all the 'maids were dressed. And we were on schedule (!). For the sake of the budget, we asked our photographer Chelsey to arrive at 10am. Her first order of business: formal dress photos!

::swoon::

She also snapped a nice pic of the 'maids gifts that were stashed in a corner. I spent a good bit of planning time plotting my 'maids gifts. I mean I went back and forth about them and ultimately decided that while almost everyone would get the same thing, they'd be as personalized as possible. Every maid received: a resuable shopping tote with their initial on it (pictured above), a small clutch, teal and kiwi earrings, a silver bracelet with a heart charm, and one of my bridesmaid's emergency kits.

Interestingly, as much thought as I put into them, I almost forgot to give them out! They were out of sight (on purpose) and it wasn't until I was almost dressed that I remembered. See, that's what happens when you don't put stuff on your day-of timeline - lol.

There was lots of smiling and hugging. They loved them!

Now it was time to get dressed. Wait, no. I should say now it was time for my dress elves MdOH Dani and MnOH Krissi to go to work. You'd think they had a meeting to strategize or something. It was so quick and painless. The smoothest thing ever. Seriously, all I had to do was do what they told me to do....

...and the next thing I knew, I was in that dress. It was so fast, you wouldnt know that my dress had a corset AND fully-functional buttons going up the back. I had read somewhere that knitting needles would help tremendously with buttons, and I think they did. The whole thing was like magic. Not a single hair out of place, not a bit of makeup smudged. You'd think they did this professionally. I'm still in awe just thinking about it.

How fun is this shoe shot? Flat shoes are so me, and having my toes out all day ended up being so comfy! However, I should have picked up on how heavy my dress was - it got really hot underneath and picking it all up was more than a notion. More on that later though.

Althea my stylist ended up on veil duty. Idunno who normally handles that part, but it made sense for Althea to place the veil since she had placed everything else on my head that day - hehehe.

Dress, check. Vera Bradley clutch in wedding colors, check. Engagement ring on right hand, check.

Quick kiss from MamaP, check. Sidenote: I think this is one of MamaP's favorite ways to kiss me. I have several pictures of us, just like this, through the years. She's so cute.

Right after this picture was taken, I shouted out my final pre-departure time check request. Since the girls had taken my phone, I had to keep asking what time it was so that we stayed on schedule (always the planner). As I suspected it was time to go. So we all hopped in the elevator...

..and emerged in the lobby so that we could take the 10 minute ride over to the venue.

It was time to get married, and I was ready! ♥

[all photos courtesy of our fab photographer Chelsey!]

Spotted: Personalized Wire Hangers

2010-04-13T12:56:00.001-04:00

[source]

Normally I don't get excited about wire hangers, but just look at them! Made by Etsy seller LilaFrances and found via Heather at We Met in a Bar, these suckers make me swoon. I'm pretty sure they're made for wedding dresses and/or lingerie. Perfect for those coveted wedding dress pictures (wait, people don't have pro pics taken of their lingerie, right?). Since I'm past that (and my dress will soon be leaving the building), luckily they also come with just a heart or wee-sized for little one's.

[source]

I really wanna find a reason to get one of these.

♥

Must Make Monday: Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe

2010-04-12T11:02:00.058-04:00

A few weeks ago I co-hosted a baby shower at work. I was primarily in charge of favors and decor, but I wanted to help Lisa (my co-host) with something on the food side. Namely something with meat in it, as she and the then mommy-to-be are vegetarians. For some reason I got it in my head that chicken salad would be perfect and that I'd serve it on sliced rolls for mini sandwiches. I know, I know. Just making more work for myself. Since it was for a work event I wanted it to be relatively easy, but still kinda impressive and exceptionally tasty. This chicken salad from Annie's Eats delivered on all fronts.

In a perfect world I'd have some of this made every week for my lunches. But since I don't live in a perfect world, I'll have to settle for sharing it with you (hehehe, you're totally welcome).

Oh, by the way, this is definitely one of those "tailor to your tastes" recipes. If you don't do nuts (like Hubs, though it didn't stop him from sampling it), or cranberries, or chicken even, simply substitute them or leave them out.

♥

Ingredients
4 cups of cubed cooked chicken
1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (I skipped toasting them)
1 rib celery, finely diced
2-4 tbsp. finely minced onion
1 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix well until thoroughly combined. Adjust shallot and seasonings to taste. Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to allow flavors to meld. Serve.

Snapshot Sunday: New Car

2010-04-11T15:24:00.002-04:00

Snapshot Sunday: my newest blog feature. One picture, one paragraph, one quick glimpse into the goings on in Smithville. Enjoy!

If you follow us on Twitter or are our friends on Facebook, then this is old news. But for everyone else, a few weeks ago we bought Hubs a new-to-us Dodge Charger. This is the first time time either of us has purchased a car (MamaP purchased Ash for me), and I was incredibly nervous. We went to Carmax and thankfully didn't feel pressured to buy at any time. The car has low mileage and is only 2 years old - overall, a pretty good deal. Not to mention Hubs loves it to pieces. That above all else makes it completely worthwhile. See that look on his face? Its priceless.

♥

Must Make Monday: Peach Cobbler Muffin Recipe

2010-04-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking of starting a new feature on the blog...well, actually several. Partly to motivate me to post, partly to organize the posts a bit. Naturally, there needs to be a place for my recipes that I keep saying you must make, so right now they're moving to Mondays. Lets just play the scheduling thing by ear, kay?

Last Tuesday I made Peach Cobbler muffins. Tuesday evening, Hubs had one. It took him a curiously long time to respond, but when he did, he swooned. And grinned. And told me I was the best wife on the planet. And then he got slightly irate becuase he thought I'd been holding out on him (I hadn't). And then told me that these were the best muffins ever, and that I only needed to make these from now on. The next morning he called me at work. Not to talk about his day, or ask how mine was going but to find out what he had to do to get me to make more of these muffins.

I've created a monster. ::sigh::

I must admit that the muffins are good. Reaalllly good. So good that I willingly agreed to make another batch for the Smiths during our Easter visit. Hubs had hyped them up, and they delivered in a major way. Thankfully one of their best features is that MamaD (my mommy-inlaw) already had everything but the oats and peaches (which I brought with me). Even with her expired baking powder (smh), they turned out great.

If you enjoy peach cobbler, but would maybe like the flavors for breakfast, this is your muffin. I also think that baked apples or even mixed berries would be nice as a muffin-izing of apple pie or berry cobbler.

Peach cobbler + muffin = yum.

♥

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup self rising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
29 ounce can peaches, drained well and chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions
Prepare muffin pan by spraying with Pam or using muffin liners. In large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon. In separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, peaches, oil and vanilla. Pour egg mixture all at once into flour mixture: stir just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until tested done. Makes one dozen.

Today

2010-03-29T22:22:00.000-04:00

Hubs has been dropping me off at work lately. I love it. Most mornings its an opportunity for us to chat, and listen to the morning show together. This morning I'm not sure what happened. I spent most of the ride in my head, working through my to-list for work and figuring out if I'd be able to leave early (I wasnt). I wanna do better cause I want Hubs to continue delivering me to work (lol). If I'm going to spend the whole ride thinking I should just take the MARTA, right?

....

I hit up 2 grocery stores in 2 hours. We all know how I feel about Publix, but unfortunately, they only have whole birds "on sale." While Kroger may be sketch, I can count on them to have some sale meat. Boneless skinless thighs and drumsticks? Thankyouverymuch.

...

You know how you always have that one pushy co-worker? Usually older, and allegedly more experienced. In my case, he's white, Irish, single, and a lifer at the IRS. Why on earth would he would he want to give me advice? Today's gem: Hubs and I need to buy a house to capitalize on the first time home buyers credit. But not just any house. His house. [insert eye roll here]. Hubs and I are all over owning a home some day in the near future, but I promise that day wont happen before June 30th.

...

Last week was not a good eating week here in Smithville. I'm pretty sure I didnt cook (before Friday in prep for a fish fry) and I know we ate a bunch of crap. When I reflect on weeks like that, I feel bad. I know how bad eating out is for our budget, but I do it anyway. Out of sheer laziness and exhaustion. Not really an excuse though.

...

Tonight I stopped by Wendys on the way home from the grocery stores. While I really wanted a fried chicken sandwich, fries, and a vanilla frosty, I'd talked myself into doing a better thing and ordering a salad (and my vanilla frosty - lol). WHen I pulled up to the drive thru a random negro informed me that the restaurant had just been robbed and that they were not serving customers until after the police left. *blinks* Sure enough when I circled around the building, I saw some cops writing reports and looking all cop-like. I took that as a sign from God that I needed to eat at home.

...

I took the bus home from work today. I've officially ridden the bus more this month than I have in the entire almost 10 years that I've lived in Georgia. I plan to ride the bus more often. Its literally a 7 minute ride from the MARTA station, and I have to walk a few minutes (literally) to our place. I'm sure I'll mind the walk a little more when its rainy out, but in the meantime I'm going to keep on because I need the exercise.

...

I had all these grandiose plans to clean up the kitchen, do some advance cooking, and maybe fold some laundry. Oh, and to go to bed early. What did I actually accomplish? I went grocery shopping, cooked one dish, and checked to make sure undergrads were still taking my survey. They are. Is it bad that I consider the evening a success?

...

So as I type this, I'm listening to the Frank and Wanda Show on the CW. A Creflo Dollar commercial just came on. Evidently he has a morning show on daily at 630am. That man creeps me out something awful. I know he's a man of the cloth, but I cannot imagine starting my day looking at him. #sorry.

♥

Real Quick

2010-03-25T09:49:00.000-04:00

I miss the days when:

...bad weaves were not socially acceptable. Ladies, as a people I really need us to get it together.

...people cared at least a little bit about retaining your business and keeping you, the customer, happy.

...banks and credit cards didn't cover your overdrafts. Back in the day people's cards actually got declined. I don't think that was necessarily a bad thing.

...I got to yell at the Cable company. Now Hubs manages that bill. Thankfully.

...I could kinda live off $75 a month. Life was so much simpler in undergrad.

...I remembered what days my shows come on. If something ever happened to our DVR I'd be completely out of luck.

...neither I nor Dani had anywhere to be before noon. It was our time to watch our shows (yes, I'm really into my shows) and catch up on AIM.

...people didn't ask Hubs and I when we were planning to procreate. Seriously, can we have a moment to just be young and in love?! Get outta my womb!

♥

Smoked Turkey and Lentil Soup Recipe

2010-03-23T21:42:00.000-04:00

A haiku for soup:

   I made soup tonight.
   Soup is dangerously good.
   And really easy.

So what kind of soup would make me write really really bad poetry? Soup thats made with smoked turkey, lentils and a slammin deluxed-up mirepoix. Yes, it requires a good bit of chopping on the front end, but its totally worth it.

Trust me. I wouldnt steer you wrong.

I got this recipe last year from my Officemate Laura. I'm not sure where she got it from but I know she and her then-vegetarian boyfriend (now he eats from all the food groups) came in one morning raving about it. So, I guess you could say this soup is so good that it makes a vegetarian eat meat.

Yeah...I really like the sound of that.

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 large carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
5 cups chicken stock
2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf (i didn't have, so i didn't use)
1/2 cup lentils
3 oz smoked turkey meat, diced
salt and pepper

Directions
Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the carrot, onion, leek, celery, and mushrooms. Cook 3-5 minutes until golden.

Stir in wine and chicken stock. Bring to boil and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Add thyme and bay leaf. Lower heat, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the lentils and continue cooking, covered, for a further 30-40 minutes until they are just tender. Stir the soup occasionally.

Add the turkey and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until just heated through.

♥

J Heart P: Girl Party in the Bridal Suite

2010-03-03T10:03:00.253-05:00

I'm finally ready to start my recaps. I'm titling them J Heart P becuase over time that (along with Jason Hearts Patti) kinda turned into our theme. I never got completely out of hand with it, but there were touches of J ♥ P all over our wedding day. I'm starting the recaps at the beginning of the day - getting ready in the Bridal Suite. All of these pictures were taken by my cousin Kristen who I asked to be our unofficial photographer until our photographer Chelsey arrived at 10. Lets get started!

Our wedding day story starts here. At the Hyatt Place West Palm Beach Downtown. We picked this hotel because its cute (duh!) and because it is within walking distance to the wedding venue. Would I recommend walking there? Of course not. But I was getting married that day, even if I had to walk there myself - lol. Because it was closest to the venue and we got it for a competitive rate, alot of our friends and family were staying there. So you already know with my Spelman sisters being literally down the hall (just like undergrad), I went to bed late the night before the wedding.

By late I mean 11 or 11:30pm. Normal by most standards unless you had a 6:30 am wake-up like I did. What did you expect when the wedding was scheduled for 11am?Well, also to be expected, I woke up late. If I remember correctly, my alarm was set for 6:30pm rather than 6:30 am. Thankfully, BM Tamerah was staying down the hall and knocked on my door (and rang the door bell) promptly at 6:50am reporting for duty.

From that point on there was a steady stream of suite visitors: 'maids, mamas, friends, and people coming to pretty us up.

Althea, my FL stylist, arrived at 7am to get to work. She had 3 heads to handle that morning - mine, MdOH Dani and BM Tamerah. Neither Dani nor I have relaxers, and she'd washed and pressed us the day before. Mine held up pretty well on Friday (you never really know in SoFla), so she could pretty much start styling right away.

At some point while I was in the chair, the 'maids brought me some breakfast and hot tea. I had mostly lost my voice by Saturday morning, so the tea was soothing. Then I was given a mimosa!

Naturally, BTB Naima immediately got to the business of breakfast. Next to her BM Dionne had started working out her makeup strategy. She ended up doing hers, Naima's and my cousin BM Melissa's makeup that day. And she did an amazing job.

MnOH Krissi did her hair before she came. She has super thick naturally wavy/curly hair, and I can imagine she really wrestled with it to get it that straight - lol. BM Melissa (sitting next to her) is one of the few pieces of evidence supporting that it was early. I know this picture was taken before 8am. And she is so not a morning person - lol.

I also want to point out all of the Peacock Vera Bradley in the room. Krissi loved Peacock and so did I (it was our wedding Vera pattern). So between the two of us, there was tons of it in the building.

Thank God Dani brought her computer because I forgot to print out the picture of Angela's hair. So what did we do? We just pulled it up on her laptop and kept it moving.

This is a picture of the hoodie MdOH Dani had made for me. I don't think I ever actually wore it that morning, but I've been wearing it around Casa Smithville. Its perfect.

This is a closeup of my bridal gear that I did actually wear that morning. Interestingly, I never bothered to purchase any bridal getting ready wear. About a month before the wedding, Dani ordered my hoodie, so I knew about that. But at the rehearsal MnOH Krissi surprised me with some lounge pants and a tank top with (half of) my new last name. I was soo surprised. I wear those pants ALL the time.

Here's a picture of Nicole, the makeup artist. As I mentioned earlier, Dionne did alot of makeup that day, but we hired Nicole to do my makeup, MamaP and MamaD's makeup. I dont have any good pics of their makeup in progress, but they both looked so pretty when Nicole finished with them.

Together, Dani and Ash (her little sister and October 2010 bride) did Dani's makeup.

And here's Dionne doing Melissa's makeup.

Oooh, here's a closeup of my updo. Althea did an amazing job with my hair. I had no idea how pretty it was until I saw this picture. Dont get me wrong, people had been complimenting me all day, but all I knew was that it was up, and still touchable. But most importantly was that it was still up - lol.

My sister-in-law Nakia stopped by to say hey. She looked soo pretty.

And after awhile Darines our florist came by to deliver the personal flowers (i.e. the bouquets and corsages). Mine was white hydrangea and white roses, while the 'maids had green button mums and white roses. When they were holding their flowers, they were walking representations of the wedding colors :)

I loved working with Darines and I loved my flowers. They were EXACTLY what I asked for and did not break the budget. I'd highly recommend her.

And did I mention there were mimosas? I drank sooo many mimosas that day. Somehow we ended up with like 6 bottles of champagne in the bridal suite so I drank 1 that morning, but I had 1 at the reception, and I drank several more that afternoon and evening while we entertained guests in our suite.Love love love mimosas.

Hey, here's GM Brew! Brew and I have been close friends since I was in the 10th grade and he's like a big brother. If you know Brew, you aren't surprised to see him here. For all intensive purposes, GM Brew was on Team Bride. We liked to think of him as our man on the inside. We knew we could depend on him to keep everyone else on track. Thank God for Brew.

More makeup. But you can really see Naima's curls in this pic. Off topic, her stylist here in Atlanta Deb, sits right next to my stylist Giovanni. I didn't know Deb that well at the time, but I made it a point to compliment her on the fabulousness that was Naima's hair that day.So cute. So Naima.

Here's Althea doing Dani's hair. Can you believe she did 3 heads in about 3 hours? Amazing, huh.

Here's a closeup of the flower she put in my hair. I made this flower for like $5 using materials from Hobby Lobby. Just what I wanted for the low low.

My cousin Kristen, our lovely unofficial photographer, and MamaP. Yup, Kristen also did hair that day. She's so fab. She's my first cousin and BM Melissa's little sister. Definitely a fun addition to the bridal suite.

I told the 'maids that I wanted them to be dressed and pretty much ready to go by 9:45am. This would give us a little wiggle room if we were a little behind schedule, but would ensure that everyone (but me) was dressed by the time Chelsey arrived. Plus, I knew I would need their help getting into my dress (more about that later).

Here's MnOH Krissi...

..and MdOH Dani all dressed and ready to go. As you can see, they're wearing the brooches I ordered for them off Etsy. I wanted them to be distinguished from the other maids, but not soo much that they looked out of place. Their brooches were so cute, it took everything in me not to order one for myself. A simple and elegant accessory.

I'm going to pause here with a picture of me, all bright eyed and smiles with my make up and hair completed. And on schedule! In fact, right after this picture was taken, we got a knock at the door signaling that Chelsey our photographer had arrived. Up next: I finally put on my dress and we leave to get me hitched. Stay tuned...

(all photos courtesy of my cousin Kristen M. unless otherwise noted)

♥

(I was tagged!) 10 Things That Make Me Happy

2010-03-02T19:50:00.005-05:00

Forever ago (okay, like last week) I was tagged by Dana at Sweeping Through Life and the tag has 2 conditions: I have to list 10 things that make me happy, and I'm supposed to tag 10 other bloggers and link back to the person who tagged me.

For some reason I really wanted to do this, but since I don't normally, I'm going to skip then second condition. I'm pretty sure that only a couple people I'd tag out would actually consider doing it. So here's what I'm going to do. I'll list my 10 happy things and if you want to share some of yours, you're totally welcome to do so in the comments. Fair enough? Great!

10 Things that Make Me Happy

H. Jason C. Smith Also known as “Hubs.” Definitely my most favorite man on the planet.
Rockband. – I don’t fool with the guitar, but I rock out on the bass and am becoming increasingly proficient on the drum set. And don’t get me started on vocals. Hubs is talking about getting me a stand so I can play and sing “Makes Me Wonder.” I’m a total rockstar.
Having the high score on Wii Sports Resort Basketball. Although I do wish Hubs would go ahead and beat my record...he’s so much easier to play with when he’s winning – lol).
Cooking and baking for people who like to eat (i.e. my loved ones). Maybe its just me, but people who like to eat seem to appreciate and enjoy the food more.
Publix. 5 words: Where. shopping. is. a. pleasure.
Groupings of color arrays. RoyGBiv anyone? Okay, I admit this one is kinda odd, but if you’ve ever seen how I arrange the bath towels in our linen closet, you’ll understand what I mean.
Things that are heart shaped and/or decorated with hearts. As I explained on Valentines Day, if its got hearts on it, I’m generally all over it.
Cupcakes. According to MamaP, I’ve loved these for most of my existence. To this day, they’re one of my favorite things to buy and bake.
Pedicures. Since we’ve been trying to save more money (and pay off our debt), I’ve sacrificed my monthly pedicures (even during the winter). I haven’t had one since the first part of this past December, so I am long overdue. Maybe I’ll wait and get one with MamaP when I’m home for her birthday.
Paying off a credit card. This one is self-explanatory, but I’m falling in love with being debt free and every time I send in a payment (more than the minimum) and pay those suckers off, I swoon. Even if its only my Old Navy Card - lol.

So spill it. What does your list look like?

♥

Album Sneak Peak

2010-03-02T18:22:00.000-05:00

This is one of the spreads towards the middle of the album. Disregard those orange lines - they're for design/layout purposes and wont appear in the final version. There are 10-12 spreads in total. When I get the final proofs, I'll share them and tell you more about the album designer and going through the process. In the meantime, just know its going to be fabulous!

♥

Need More Hours

2010-02-28T23:16:00.004-05:00

I need to get it together.

Exhibit A: I told myself that I would start my wedding recaps after I got my dissertation IRB submitted. Well that day came and went and I havent started a single recap. Not even in draft form. I've thought about it, yes. Even made a list of post topics. But do any of them exist yet? Nope.

Exhibit B: I was also tagged in a cute survey thingy. I never ever do them but this was about things I loved by one of my favorite wife-bloggers Dana. Even starred it in my Google Reader so that I could complete it and post my responses. Have I started it? You already know...

Exhibit C: This afternoon I finally got around to working on our album. Most of the spreads our album designer created are absolutely fabulous. I just had a few issues/suggestions/edits. Like, literally 3. And it took me 2 full weeks to get back to her. And then I had the bright idea to post a sneak peak of one of the layouts on the blog. Did I do that? Have you seen it? Course not. Shame.

So whats my deal? I have no idea. But I do know between trying to cook 5 days a week, visit the gym 3 times a week, working with BTB Naima on her wedding (and getting my business slowly off the ground), visiting with friends and family, trying minimize the "stuff" that lives in our house, being a rockstar at work, and all the other things that go on here in Smithville, I....just dont feel like I have enough hours in the day.

To a large degree I like being busy. But what tends to happen is that I go hard and then I crash. Either my body decides its going to shut down, or my brain stops working efficiently, or I do something else that forces a work-stoppage.

I'd really like to avoid that if possible, so I need to get it together. Like yesterday.

Here's hoping that this week I'll do a little better...

♥

WW Wednesday 2/24/10

2010-02-24T07:07:00.003-05:00

Meatless Mondays Week 4: Sweet Potato Risotto

2010-02-23T22:23:00.000-05:00

Guess what ya'll? This was our last 30 Before 30 Meatless Monday! Although I have several food goals, I'm actually really proud of this one. Prior to this month, I'd never done much vegetarian cooking. The most surprising part is how supportive Hubs was through this process. Every week he dutifully took his vegetarian lunch on Tuesdays (remember, he eats Monday night dinner on Tuesday) and would give me some good feedback on the recipe. Granted, it was usually centered on what kind of meat to add for next time (lol), but it was good feedback nonetheless.

Last night I had a special treat: Hubs helped me cook dinner! He worked a double on Sunday which meant he was home when I got off from work. I love cooking dinner with him, especially when were having sweet potatoes. For some reason, I have alot of trouble cutting them, so he always does that part.

This was my very first time making risotto, and I think it turned out great. It really does get creamy as it goes along. While the potatoes were a nice textural addition, I think next time were going to scrap them in favor of sauteed shrimp and steamed broccoli. Whatever I do, I'll have to add some cheese. Pretty sure leaving it out is a deal breaker - lol.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

Directions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed.

Measure 3½ cups of water. Add ¾ cup at a time and cook, stirring occasionally and waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. It should take 25 to 30 minutes for all the water to be absorbed.

Stir in the Parmesan and oregano. Serve immediately.

♥

Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!!!

2010-02-23T19:56:00.001-05:00

Naima and Bakari are some of our best friends and newly engaged (like, ring is still being re-sized, new). I've been trying to get Naima to write a post on this blog since I started it. I wanted her to cover pets (between her and Bakari they have 4 cats and a gang of fish) and/or her restaurant adventures (cause she loooves to eat). Who knew it would take a new piece of jewelry (and being called out on Twitter and in the comments section) to bring her to the blog?! Thanks Bakari for helping a sistah out! So without further ado, Bakari and Naima's long-awaited engagement story, straight from the BTB's mouth. Hopefully, the first of many stories from her. Take it away Naima... ♥

I found out in January that my work team was having its annual meeting in New Orleans in February. As luck would have it, the meeting fell between the Saints' Super Bowl victory and Fat Tuesday. We were encouraged to stay over the long weekend since President's Day was a company holiday; we just had to pay for our own hotel, etc. for the additional nights. Never one to miss an opportunity to turn a business trip into a vacation, I convinced Bakari to fly out to NOLA on Friday and fly back to Atlanta with me on Monday. Needless to say, it didn't take very much convincing at all! After some discouraging hotel searches, we decided to extend our stay at the Ritz-Carlton, which is where I was staying for the meeting*.

Wednesday night (my first night in New Orleans) I got sick. As in, couldn't-keep-food-down sick. I was a mess. Thursday night I got sick again. Thankfully, Bakari (barely) made it in on Friday morning. I say barely, because there was snow in Atlanta that day (inches even!!) and had he not been on an early morning flight, he wouldn't have made it out. Flights cancelled and everything. At some point on Friday, Bakari went to the Walgreens across the street and bought gobs of H2O, Gatorade, Powerade, and other get well aids for me -- he's the best!!! He also brought me dinner from the restaurant downstairs (which I couldn't bring myself to eat). We stayed in Friday night (I got sick again) and did a whole lot of nothing.

On Saturday afternoon we walked around the French Quarter, watched some parades (I swear, any time of day there was a parade going on), and had dinner. I got sick again on Saturday night. Boo!!!

Bakari made another trip to Walgreens on Sunday morning to restock my get-well-aids stash. He'd made Valentine's Day brunch reservations at Arnaud's for 1:30pm, but we decided not to go because my stomach was still being suspect. It was Sunday afternoon before I found the motivation to get out of bed. As I was getting ready I noticed a little gift bag sitting on the table beside the bed, so I mentioned that we should open our V-Day gifts before leaving the hotel. He suggested we sit on the side of the bed next to the table and open our gifts; he opened his card (I apologized for not getting him a real gift) and then I opened mine. It was an amazingly sweet card, of course. My next gift (the one in the gift bag that I'd spotted) was from Oliver & Nigel -- BKA "Oligel" -- his cats. It was a digital picture keychain that told the story of how Oligel wanted to be my cats too, so they saved up their life savings -- all $1.32 of it -- and gave it to Bakari to buy something nice for me. There was a picture of Nigel gazing at $1.32 worth of change that nearly made me fall off of the bed laughing!! At some point at the end of the story, Bakari had grabbed a glass of water and took a drink "because he was thirsty" (probably because he'd just narrated Oligel's story, but mostly because he was setting up his master plan). He asked me to hand him the ice bucket (the water in his glass was room temperature, so that wasn't out of the ordinary) and said it was a good thing he'd "gotten some ice while he was out". I grab it off the bedside table and hand it to him and he tells me to open it. I oblige, and inside is a ring box!! I open the box and starting crying (I'd told myself I wasn't going to cry!!) and he takes the ring out and puts it on my finger and asks me to marry him. Obviously, I said yes!! Once we finally left the hotel (I spent the 30-45 minutes making phone calls and squealing), we caught a few more parades and ended the night with dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Bakari later told me that he didn’t want to be “that guy” who proposed on V-Day, but with me being sick, he had no choice. I’m glad it turned out the way that it did!!

*When we checked out on Monday, our hotel account showed a $0 balance. When I got back into the office on Tuesday, I checked with the person who had coordinated the trip to find out how much we owed. Turns out, the company had decided to comp our ENTIRE stay. Woohoo!!

The new bride could use your input

2010-02-21T23:15:00.003-05:00

Aaaand so the wedding planning begins!

Tonight, the Bride-to-be (BTB) Naima* and I had our first wedding planning session. For it to be our first meeting, I think we accomplished ALOT. We started with the basics. I walked her through a planning timeline, reiterated that it was her wedding and that she would have to make some decisions (which I would totally back her up on), and then recommended some blogs/reading. She took some notes and showed me her shiny new binder (we picked the same one - lol) and we talked about how to fill it up. We even got some quasi-helpful feedback from the groom to be.

The other major thing we discussed was the color scheme. Color schemes are one of my absolute favorite parts of event planning (and my daily life, period) so naturally I wanted to get her to thinking about them sooner rather than later. Sunflowers are her favorite and she's already said that she'd love to incorporate yellows and sunflowers in the decor. So, at the risk of overwhelming her, I put together a slideshow with all the yellow combos I could find on the wedding-interwebs. I think I ended up finding about with about 15 or 16 combos. We spent a little time viewing/discussing each one, and I encouraged her to go with her gut. I knew some would get shot down, but I also knew that some would move her (in a good way) and would make the short list for further consideration.

I was totally right.
Love when that happens.

She narrowed the field down to five potential combos. They are all fabulous, and thankfully she has a good bit of time before she has to finalize the choice. In the meantime, I told her I would put them on the blog for ya'll to see and hopefully share a little input. Let us know what you think in the comments. Here's whats up for consideration (in no particular order):

Combo A: Navy, yellow and white

Combo B: Aqua, yellow and white

Combo C: Yellow and blues (sky, slate, dark turquoise, navy)

Combo D: Yellow, green and brown

Combo E: Yellow, white and pewter

Between you and me, I'm pretty sure the contest is between Combos A and B. She and the groom-to-be (GTB) both love navy, so it would be a good choice for them. But the aqua paired with the yellow and white surprised her in a good way. Its a little different and I think she was drawn to it. But who says she has to be limited to 3 colors? Not me! I could easily see putting A and B together (yellow, white, navy, aqua), but we'll see what the bride decides.

If she decides.
She's talking about putting it up to a vote amongst the 'maids - lol.

In the meantime, feel free to let us know what you think in the comments. If it comes to a 'maids vote, I've already made my choice (yes, I'm going to be a planner/bridesmaid!), but I will officially go on record as being pleased with whatever she decides to go with.

♥

*formerly BM Naima. Bride-to-be totally trumps bridesmaid (in my book) so a name change was in order. :)

WW Wednesday 2/17/10

2010-02-17T07:07:00.004-05:00

♥

I have the most wonderful news...

2010-02-16T19:21:00.002-05:00

[the new bride and groom at our wedding, taken by Chelsey]

...BM Naima and Bakari are getting married!

Bakari popped the question on Valentines Day while they were in New Orleans. Personally, I've been waiting for it to happen any day now; these two are totally made for each other.

I am TOO excited.

Naima is still in the pre-planning stages, so there aren't any details to report yet (other than she said Yes!). But since I've already been enlisted to help, I'll be sure to report out on my wedding planning experiences from the other side of the broom.

I'm so excited and I just cant hide it...

♥

Meatless Mondays Week 3: Baked Rigatoni w/ Ricotta and Collard Greens

2010-02-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

Most everything I could say about this dish can be summed up in the following statement: If you love collard greens then this dish is for you.

If you just like collard greens, or you only like them prepared certain ways, then I'm not sure how you're going to feel. Hmm, on second thought, I think you'll like it too, but not as much as those of us that LOOVE collards. Hubs has never had it, but thanks to the cheese and pasta, I'm sure he'll manage just fine. I love it as written, and could have probably added a few more greens...ahh well, maybe next time.

One more thing before I stop prattling: if you're not so into collards, but are feeling the flavors and method (it kinda felt like making a baked ziti - lol), you can totally substitute another type of green (e.g. kale) or spinach in place of the collards.

But why in the world you do something like that?

::giggles::

Makes 8-10 servings (I halved it for us)

Ingredients
16oz box rigatoni or penne pasta
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb collard greens, washed,drained and chopped (I use the already prepped ones in the bag)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella (I had Italian blend, so thats what went in the pot)
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; saute onion 5 minutes or until just brown. Add garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and add greens. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until greens are tender, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle greens with flour. Cook uncovered, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring well. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta, mozzarella and next 5 ingredients. Check your seasonings - you'll probably need to add a little more salt Place into prepared dish and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan (I sprinkled a little more mozzarella on top too).

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

♥

Spotted: Husband

2010-02-15T10:31:00.003-05:00

I like to think that this face appears because he's smiling at me. Makes me swoon every time.

I am so lucky.

♥

The Vanilla Extract Project: Proof

2010-02-14T18:54:00.000-05:00

I mentioned last week that I'd finished my vanilla extract, but I never showed you what the "final product" looked like. So here it is, pictured with my Valentines Day roses from Hubs. I started using it last month and am thinking about adding a few beans and topping off the vodka. Definitely not urgent; as you can see if I never top it off, this will definitely last me awhile.

Overall I consider this project to be an extremely worthwhile use of my time. As much vanilla extract as I go through, its a shame I didn't think to do this sooner.

♥

I made bread!

2010-02-14T14:45:00.007-05:00

Ohmigosh, I made bread!!!!!!!!!!

You have no idea how excited I am.
Okay, maybe the ten exclamation points tipped you off - lol.

I've only attempted bread once before, but the recipe I was working from had some unreasonable rise time (like 12 hours) and I flaked/forgot about the bread before I got a chance to knead it. This time I took great care to choose an extremely easy recipe, that could be accomplished within one afternoon, to be my introduction to bread making.

Enter Joy the Baker.

Joy's blog is one of my favorites (Like I wish I knew her in real life so that we could bake and have coffees together). And lucky for me a week or so ago she posted an easy recipe for 2 round loaves of crusty bread. Seriously, the bread had like 4 ingredients. I especially liked that she took pictures at every state of the process so that a novice bread baker - like yours truly - could see what everything was supposed to look like. These pictures helped TREMENDOUSLY.

Since I was equal parts leery (that I'd mess it up) and excited (that I didnt mess it up), I only took a couple of pictures...towards the very end of the process.

In this pic, the loaves are doing their final rest under a damp towel.

And here they are fresh out of the oven! They arent the cutest things ever (okay, that one on the left is pretty cute), but I am so pleased with myself.

Taste is the true marker of my success (I cut the uglier one). These little things taste great! Crunchy on the outside, a nice smooth crumb on the inside. Perfect for sopping.

Up until last night, bread was one of the final frontiers for me baking-wise. I think its the yeast that kept me at bay. Naturally, I wanted to conquer it. To me there's something inherently loving and nurturing about fresh baked bread. I cant believe I was finally able to do it. We are eating some of this TONIGHT with our Valentine's Day dinner.

If you're considering making this, I'd strongly recommend you visit Joy's blog and take a gander at her post on this bread. Seriously, only 4 ingredients (one of which is warm water) and several hours of your day stand between you and adorable little loaves of bread of your own.

30 Before 30 Goal: "Bake bread from scratch." Consider yourself accomplished.

♥

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T12:10:00.003-05:00

{source}
Happy Valentine's Day ya'll! According to Hubs, today is one of my Big 3 Holidays - Valentines Day, my Birthday, and Christmas. And for the most part he's absolutely right. Except, I'm pretty sure I love Valentines Day more than most people I know. Seriously. I've always celebrated it, regardless of my relationship status, even when I had to spend it alone. Why? Because of the hearts. Ya'll knew I loved hearts, right?

I wish I had $1 for every time I've had to tell someone I loooove this holiday because of the hearts. If they'd do this some other time of the year, I'd love that day too. I kinda agree with the fellas that Valentines Day feels like a made up holiday. Do I care? No. Hubs always plans a special activity and brings me flowers, and before him, MamaP always made sure to send a package-o-love so that I'd feel special. But the most self-serving by-product of this questionably made up holiday is that everything has hearts on it. Like, EVERYTHING. I have plates, glasses, dishtowels, pot holders, molds, cutters, zillions of mugs and even my apron - all covered in hearts. And don't even get me started on the heart shaped jewelry.

Despite believing that Valentines Day could be fictitious, I do stand behind the idea of spreading love and showing others you care at least one day of the year. One of the ways I do it is by cooking and baking. Yes, I cook and or/bake almost daily, but I especially do it on Valentines Day. But when you really think about those people you are blessed to have in your life - those who love you flaws and all, lift you up, inspire you, challenge you to be better - doesn't it seem kinda half-assed to only love on them one day a year? If anything, Valentines Day should be the jumping off point for your loving through the year - because like Mr. Benjamin said, everyday is the 14th.

We've been celebrating Valentines Day since Friday since Hubs has to work today. As such, its been a fairly normal Sunday here in Smithville and I'll spend a good chunk of the day cooking, dissertation-ing (yup, totally made that up), and likely doing some laundry. Oh and blogging. One of my favorite parts about this holiday is creating a really nice meal for Hubs (the other is getting myself new heart swag - lol). Tonight we're having pork chops, cabbage, brown rice pilaf and glazed carrots. I'm pairing it with homemade crusty bread (!), a bottle of our favorite red wine, and heart shaped rice krispies dipped in chocolate for desert. Its going to be delicious.

So from our home to yours, Happy Valentine's Day. We hope your day is filled with all the love you can stand...and then some.

xoxox,
Mr. and Mrs. Smith

♥

Our (Fabulous) Card Collage

2010-02-13T19:22:00.000-05:00

Look what arrived this week (and I'm just getting around to blogging about?!

Its our card collage!

I forgot that it came matted already, so I just need to go find a frame for it. Its probably about 16x20 with the mat. Hubs thought it was going to be larger (admittedly I had no idea what the sizing was), but the collage itself is about 11 by 14 inches of sentimental fabulousness.

Still haven't finalized its resting place. I kinda want to put it up in our room, but I kinda want to display it somewhere more public (since our bedroom generally looks like a hurricane hit it - lol). There's an empty spot over a bookcase in the sunroom that might be nice. WE'll see.

In the meantime, it lives in the cardboard folder it was shipped in. I love it.

♥

Month-By-Month Baby Pics

2010-02-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

I found this over at Nicole's blog Making it Lovely (btw, isn't that a fab name for a design blog?). She's taking a pic of her daughter each month, in the same outfit and the same chair, for the first 2 years of her life. Babies grow so fast, it really places the emphasis on how much she changes from month to month. Looove this idea for baby pictures!

I'm not sure what Nicole ultimately plans to do with the pics, but if it were me (and yes, I totally hope to do this with our children*), I'd frame the collage. Maybe not 2 years worth, but definitely 1 year, 12 pics. If I did something like this I could see the grandparents being all over it. I could also see using a collage like this as part of the decor for a 1st Birthday Party.

Cute cute cute.

♥

*No, I'm not trying to "tell you something" on the sly - lol. We're not expecting, nor are we expecting-to-expect anytime soon. Loveyou tho!

MTVs Teen Mom

2010-02-11T18:10:00.000-05:00

Ever so often I think to myself: I am so glad I made it out of HS without a baby. And then I add on that I'm actually glad I made it out of my teens, out of undergrad, and (soon) out of grad school...without a baby.

As you can see, teen pregnancy (or lack of a teen pregnancy) is something I think about occasionally. So you can imagine I was definitely interested when I saw the ads introducing 16 and Pregnant on MTV last year. The media still manages to paint a fairly rosy picture of getting pregnant (shopping/showering heavy, labor/sleeplessness lite), and 16 and Pregnant did its duty to smash it to little bits. I think everyone - teenagers and mid 20's people like my self - should watch at least a couple episodes of the show. Even I learned a little something.

But MTV didn't stop there. They continued to film a subset (about half) of the new mothers on a sister show called Teen Mom. This show illustrates the daily grind of being a parent, the sacrifices that parents (especially teenaged ones make), and what it really means to stay together for the baby (Amber & Maci). Or what its like to give your baby up for adoption (Katelynn). In some respects, its the story of any new mother - trying to be a good mom, figure out how to make their old life fit with their new one, and not mess up the baby. But it also shows us whats its like to manage all that as a teenager - when you're still trying to figure out who you are, who you're becoming, and who you want to be. I cant say it enough: I am so glad I made it out of my teens (and undergrad) sans-baby.

One of my favorite aspects of both shows is that they take the time to define terms you've likely heard, but have no idea what they mean. Like epidural or IUD or episiotomy. You get to see what a doctor's appointment is like, and hear the doctors/nurses/midwives advice. You also get to see the parents reactions. Some of them are a little overbearing, but if my teenaged daughter thought that she could hang out all night while I stayed at home watching her baby (Farrah), then she'd hear my mouth too. I'm just sayin...

So congrats MTV. You finally set aside some time in your lineup to air something that people should actually watch. You finally got something right. Lord knows that most of the stuff your target demographic will watch is complete and utter dribble.

(the new season starts on Feb 16th, whos gonna watch with me?)

♥

Superbowl Party: Sneak Peak

2010-02-09T22:32:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned on Sunday, I asked Naima and Bakari to come by a little early on Sunday to help me get the food on the table. Naima is the best kitchen help because she'll do anything you ask her to do. Pour dip without spilling...cleaning up the unintentional spill that happened anyway (true story)...taking blog-worthy pictures of the food...check, check, check! She's awesome. And that Bakari? He aint half bad either (hehehe).

I'm supposed to be in bed by now (or at least moving in that general direction), but I wanted to share at least one of the fab pics Naima took of the food that day. Hopefully tomorrow I can share some of the other ones plus some guaranteed crowd pleasing recipes.

Night night!

♥

Meatless Mondays Week 2: Spaghetti with Zucchini and Garlic

2010-02-08T19:46:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I'm pretty sure I committed the #1 vegetarian cooking sin*: I tried to turn a side dish into an entree.

Now, to my defense, I didn't realize that I was doing this until I'd done it. For some reason, I imagined there would be more of a veggie presence than there was. Idunno why it didn't click that 2 zucchini are really not that many, and if I had thought about it I could have easily tweaked the oil and garlic, and tossed in some yellow squash, carrots and maybe even some onions to round it out.

Ahh well. You live and you learn. And you eat. Cause despite its entree-like shortcomings, this was absolutely delicious! I don't think Hubs is going to go for this alone (thank goodness for rotisserie chicken), but I loved it as is, and am looking forward to tomorrow's leftovers for lunch.

Moral of the story: If you're interested in a side dish, make as directed. And be sure to squeeze the water out of the zucchini before you saute it. If you want this to be the main event, you might want to beef it up with some additional vegetables, and some protein. Either way, olive oil + garlic = all good.

Ingredients
2 small to medium zucchini
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano

Directions
Pile up 2 or 3 layers of paper towels on a work surface. Working on the paper towels, shred zucchinis using a box grater holding the zucchini at an angle.

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan Add chopped garlic to the oil. When garlic speaks by sizzling in oil, add shredded zucchini. Season zucchini with salt and pepper. Saute shredded zucchini 7 to 10 minutes. Add hot, drained pasta to the pan. Toss spaghetti with zucchini and garlic oil. Add a couple of handfuls of grated cheese to the pan. Adjust seasoning and serve.

♥

*at least according to Top Chef

Super Bowl Party

2010-02-07T09:44:00.000-05:00

Morning y'all!

I cant chat long because today is going to be craaazy busy. Hubs is hosting a Super Bowl party and I offered to cater it for him. Lol - yes, I really have been calling myself the caterer. So far its worked out fine - pretty much he doesnt care what I make as long as it tastes good. We only had 1 snag with the Chili Lime wings. He thought they were going to be buffalo and was not thrilled when I told them they werent. See, I dont really care for most buffalo wings, so he would have needed to explicitly tell me he wanted Buffalo. Left to my own devices (obviously), that would not be my choice.

I've been tweaking this menu all week, but here's the final menu:

Chili Lime Fried Wings
Teriyaki wings
Mozzarella sticks
Potato skins
Veggie Tray
Rotel Dip
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Brownies
Rum Cake

Last night while Hubs cleaned like a Merry Maid, I was able to get started on a lot of my prep work. Thankfully Naima and Bakari are coming over a little early to help me get it all on the table. Its going to be a long day, but a fun one. Now I'm off to the gym (#3 this week) so I can get back to start cooking.

Yay party!

♥

2010 Goals

2010-02-06T14:01:00.003-05:00

By now, you all probably know about my 30 Before 30 list. What you don't know (but likely assumed, cause y'all know me) is that I've already plotted out when I plan to accomplish all 30 goals. I only had a few months in 2009, and I did okay - the pumpkin carving party, my vanilla extract, and a NaBloPoMo. But for 2010 I'm planning to accomplish 13!

Periodically I'm going to stop in and share my progress (if any). A lot of times I forget to blog about things that are going on, or I don't feel like I have enough content for a quickie. So this will give me an excuse to update y'all without beating it to death. Plus, it will make me more accountable. If you don't hear about them, I know someone is bound to call me out - lol. So here goes.

On deck for 2010:

Workout 3x a week for at least 6 months.
Not quite ready to commit on January 1st (doesn't it seem so cliche to start working out the first of the year), I waited 2 weeks and eased into a "Bellydancing class" with Naima that kicked our asses. The fact that it wasn't really a dance class didn't help. If anything it was like rhythmic Pilates (if such a class exists). Needless to say I haven't been back, but I have been visiting the gym as planned - I'm on week 3, and should finish this up mid-June. By then I hope its a habit that I will gladly keep up.

Visit Europe
Hubs and I are going to Europe this summer! I'm not sure I've blogged about it yet, but we're flying to Barcelona in June and going on a 7 day Mediterranean cruise hitting up ports in Spain and Italy. When I mail this check on Monday, our trip will be completely paid off - airfare, cruise fair, hotel, everything! We already have our passports (including my newly issued hyphenated one), and are both stoked! Get ready Europe, the Smiths are coming to town.

Host a holiday dinner
Right now I'm scheduled to host Thanksgiving dinner at Casa Smithville! As you can imagine, I'm pretty excited. I'm thinking cloth tablecloth, our china, and lots of delicious fabulousness. But it is only February (lol). I'll keep you updated as the plans develop.

Bake bread from scratch
Bread at the very top of my list of things to make. I've found lotsof easy recipes, so I just have to pick one and set aside a lazy Saturday to try it out. Maybe even next Saturday.

Complete my PhD
Ya'll already know the latest on this goal (since I blogged about it on Friday - lol). I don't know how much I'll be talking about this, but even if I don't mention it, from this point on there's likely something going on.

Make homemade jam/learn to can something
Canning was all the rage last summer/fall in the blogs I read. Made me realize I've never canned a single thing. Gotta change that. At least so I can say I've had the experience. I'd really like to do something with strawberries - jam or preserves (don't know the difference). On tap for this summer.

Learn to knit or crochet
I think this is going to be another activity with Naima. Several months ago while visiting Paper Source in Virginia Highlands, we came across this a.dor.a.ble knitting store. Everything was so cute and the yarn felt amazing. The best part is that they regularly hold beginner classes. We talked about taking one sometime this year, but haven't set a date yet.

Cook 1 vegetarian meal a week for 1 month
Meatless Mondays is in effect for February. This week I'm making a Rachael Ray recipe that Jameil suggested. Should be yummy.

Take a wine tasting course with Hubs
Last month I purchased a Groupon for a wine tasting course. I thought I purchased two, but turns out I only got one. Haven't decided if I'm going to use it alone, or purchase a regular priced one so that Hubs can do it too. Knowing me, I'll be getting Hubs one so we can do to together.

Plant an herb garden
Since we're apartment dwellers, and opted for the sun room over the porch, any herb garden I had would need to be indoors. I've been researching indoor herbs and have a few ideas rattling around. This is on tap for the spring - March or April definitely.

Experience Disney with Hubs
I really want this to happen this year, but I'm not sure its going to. Belive it or not Hubs has never been, and I really want him to experience it BEFORE we have little ones. The plan is to try and get a free ticket and then tack on an overnight trip during one of our visits home. December would be optimal, but we'll have to see.

Complete a tour on Rock Band
The problem with Rock Band is that I cant determine when the game is actually over. At least in Guitar Hero, I was told how much of my career I had completed. In Rockband I feel like I'm playing blind. It doesn't help that lately I haven't had much time to dedicate to it, but I'm hoping that I can knock this out by the end of this year.

Host an adult slumber party with my girlfriends
I don't have any real plans for this yet. But I wanna do it and I'm hoping this will happen in 2010.

♥

ABD

2010-02-05T23:54:00.000-05:00

At one point in my life (not all that long ago), I primarily identified myself as a student. First it was an IB student, then a (fabulous) Spelman undergrad, and then finally a graduate student. Doctoral student even, on an especially academic day.

Well as of today, I'm not just a student. I'm ABD: All But Dissertation. That's right folks, I'm actually going to do this thang. This afternoon I ventured back to Athens to formally propose both of my studies to my committee, and they were approved! With minimal suggestions/tweaks. If all goes to plan, I will be able to collect some data by the end of the semester, the rest this summer, and graduate in December.

Its going to be ALOT of work - especially with working full time, being a wife all the time, and trying to make progress on my list - but this has been a looong time coming. Like almost 6 years coming. I'm beyond ready to complete the last degree I ever intend to receive, end the student chapter of my life, and move on to cooler things.

...Say my name: Dr. Patti!

::hehehe::

♥

Chicken and Mushroom Marsala Recipe

2010-02-04T13:23:00.001-05:00

On Monday I shared that February was the month I chose for Meatless Mondays. But I'm also trying another new thing this month: advance menu planning. Normally I only plan our meals a couple of days in advance (if that), buy things I know we'll eventually eat every week at the store, and wing it. That system works, but its not efficient, and as a result, many weeks I visit a grocery store 2-3 times.

This month, taking into consideration our plans and our eating habits, I've planned our meals for the whole month. Just dinners. Lunches will be leftovers, soup, hotdogs, salads, and other easy stuff. Breakfasts will be the same way - our normal stuff. And I'm keeping track of it all using my GoogleCalendar. [If this works, I'll explain my system a little more in another post]

Onto the food. Last night I made Chicken Marsala. What can I say about this dish? Well, I could start by saying that I don't remember where I got the recipe from (cant have ya'll thinking its a Patti original). And that it only requires a few extra ingredients outside of things I normally have in the house (huuuge plus). And that whenever I make it I wonder why I don't make it way more often. Oh, and that that its easy enough for a weeknight, but delicious enough for company. Yes, this dish can be quite impressive. Which just makes me love it that much more.

The mushrooms really steal the show. Yeah, the chicken is nice, but those mushrooms. Mmmm the mushrooms. I imagine they would be really good over a steak marinated in Marsala wine or even over a baked potato. I don't know if people just eat sides of mushrooms, but they'd probably be good like that too - lol.

Mmmm, mushrooms.

Ingredients
3 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin (about 2 ½ pounds), halved
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 onion sliced thin
¾ lb mushrooms, sliced thin
½ cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth

Directions
Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 ½ tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms stirring occasionally, until the liquid the mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.

Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around the chicken and serve.

Serves 6

♥

123 Days Later

2010-02-03T09:10:00.002-05:00

Please excuse the pic, I know the lighting is terrible.

Hubs and I have been married 4 months, and its finally starting to look like it here in Smithville. I never wanted to be that bride who has wedding photos covering every flat surface, so I've taken my time and been very strategic about wedding photos.

Believe it or not, the only wedding picture currently displayed in our home is the one above. I completely "reorganized" the mantle to accommodate it. The print itself is a 16x20, but I had it put in a black 22x28 frame so that I could have lots of white mat around it. We really love how it turned out and get tons of compliments on it.

I also had another large print made, but I haven't gotten around to framing it yet. Partly because I know its going to be expensive (the print is 20x30). THe other part is that I'm not sure where to put it. It needs a large wall, and while we have some wall space, its a long wall that runs the length of the living/dining area, and then turns into the hallway. So I'm thinking we'll save it for when we get a house, and put it up then. I'm also thinking about putting a smaller print (like 11x14) up on one of the smaller walls in our bedroom. Haven't picked the print or the wall yet - lol.

Back in October I talked about wanting a card collage made from cards I got at my showers and wedding cards. Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know that I ordered it! Last week Kris sent me a photo update - she's made all the cuts and is finalizing the layout as we speak. She is so great to work with and I cant wait to see our finished collage. Nope, not sure where were going to put it yet, but I do know its getting a black frame and a white mat to match the rest of our framed decor. Soo excited!

I also have one other major wedding project in progress....our professional album! We are still in the very early stages - selecting pictures, discussing layout and photo priority - but I'm pretty excited about it already. I'll keep you posted.

Last, but certainly not least, I'm getting to where I'm ready to start my wedding recaps. Posting the pics on facebook definitely helped (since I went ahead and caption-ed most of them). I'm not going to promise a date to start, but I have anywhere around 10 posts planned. I'm planning to show lots of pictures from that day, share information about how I stayed organized, and divulge some budget details. It should be good. And hopefully it will be useful.

I still really cant believe that were already 4 months into our marriage. Life as a Mrs. Smith still feels really good.

♥

(Temporary) Shopping Satisfaction

2010-02-02T11:42:00.000-05:00

I have been shopping for a good black handbag for as long as I can remember. Easily since last summer. I was/am looking for something that has a decent size on it, and isn't too trendy. Quality. Leather preferably. Something I can carry for awhile and wont wear out before I'm ready to replace it.

I've been eyeing this bag for awhile at Old Navy and finally took the plunge and ordered it (its no longer in the stores, but is available online).

I am so glad I ordered it! At less than $15 (gotta love a coupon), this bag was practically a steal. It holds quite a bit of stuff, and the big strap is surprisingly useful. Its pleather (faux leather) so I am definitely concerned about a strap popping or unraveling, but I'm going to try to be gentle.

While I'm still holding out for the next quality edition to my bag collection, I'm thrilled that I now have a cute and inexpensive black option. Overall, consider me temporarily satisfied.

♥

Meatless Mondays Week 1: Minestrone Soup

2010-02-01T22:16:00.005-05:00

30 Before 30 Goal: Cook 1 vegetarian meal a week for 1 month.

Its time ya'll. This month, I'm going to knock out my vegetarian cooking/eating goal. I feel like its kind of cheating to pick the shortest month for Meatless Mondays, but not enough to turn myself in to the teacher (lol). I've already selected all 4 dishes (some standbys, some new) to prepare this month, so I have no excuse.

Tonight's selection is an old standby. Its ridiculously easy, cost effective, and yummy. I got this recipe a couple of years ago from my friend Whitney and keep the ingredients in my pantry for nights when I want to eat at home, but need to throw it together.

This minestrone soup never disappoints. Its really good as written, but gets even better when you throw your special spin on it. Sometimes I sub egg noodles, or I throw in a handful of fresh spinach right at the end. When I'm lazy, I skip the onions, garlic and EVOO* all together. Almost always I throw in a small can of corn. See, its kinda a do-your-own-thang situation. Serve it with some crusty bread or a cheese quesadilla to really set it off.

Ingredients
1.5 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, italian recipe, undrained
2 cans (14.5 oz) mixed veggies, drained
3 cups chicken broth
6 oz. bow tie pasta

Directions
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are almost translucent and tender. Add tomatoes, veggies and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add uncooked pasta and simmer for about 20 minutes or until pasta is done.

Serves 6

♥

*I cannot believe I wrote EVOO. Is it just me or do I hear Jameil squealing from Gainesville? :)

Brown Bagging It

2010-01-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

We have been on some other ish here in Smithville. More is the name of the game. Exercising more, eating at home more, paying more on our debt, saving more (when possible), and getting more organized.

So far, eating at home more is giving us the biggest bang for our buck. This includes breakfasts, lunches (and snacks), and dinners. It allows us to control what were putting in our bodies, how often we eat, and is saving us an incredible amount of money. Plus plus and plus!

I’d gotten lazy about lunch, so it’s been an adjustment trying to get back in the habit of bringing it everyday, and making sure there is food in the fridge/pantry to make it with. Most days I just get lucky – there’s little done in the name of advanced planning other than “hmm, there’s a little of this left and a little of that...there’s lunch.” Today, while enjoying a special treat (leftovers from last night, no less), I realized that I’ve gravitated towards one-container types of dishes that are hearty, warm up well, and are easy to assemble in the morning.

Here’s what’s been in my lunchbox lately:

Salads. Kind of a no-brainer. I love a purchased salad, but I make a decent one at home. Last week I sprinkled bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms, over my greens and used a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Yum.

Progresso lite soups. Have you tried these? I typically go all the way lite, and get the vegetarian ones. Always on sale. What I love most is that its tasty and less than 150 calories for the whole can. I keep a Tupperware and spoons at my desk, and sometimes you’ll find a can of soup there too. Perfect for when there aren’t any leftovers available.

Chili. Ya’ll know how we feel about chili. We love chili. There is something so satisfying about throwing some meager ingredients into my dutch oven or crockpot and a few hours later finding that something deliciously wonderful has been created. Best part about chili? Each day it gets better.

Cabbage and rice. This week, it was brown rice, but yellow rice is just as satisfying. And I’m not even going to get into how cheap cabbage is. They’re practically giving it away! I usually make a rice bed, and then just throw my cabbage on top. Doesn’t matter if they touch – I’m just going to mix them together anyway. Sooo satisfying.

Collard greens and macaroni and cheese. I’m pretty sure it ought to be a crime to love collards the way I do. I could eat them EVERY day. Normally I only do collards when we have houseguests, but it turns out that collards and macaroni (already prepped, chillin in the freezer) was the easiest thing for me to throw together. Most. favorite. lunch. ever.

never thought I’d write a post inspired by lunch...

♥

WW Wednesday 1/27/10

2010-01-27T21:32:00.002-05:00

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Chili Recipe

2010-01-23T22:34:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was almost a complete wash. I went to the optometrist, got my eyes dialated (that was sooo wierd), slept off the dilation, and made this chili. And today, all I manaaged to do was read my new Percy Jackson book, go to the gym, and blog about this chili. So see, this chili has been a very important part of my life for the past few days. And as tasty as it is, I'm pretty sure it will be a regular part of our chili rotation from now on.

I'm not sure it really tastes like chicken enchiladas, but I'm not sure that really matters. I paired it with some fresh cornbread, and it was all good in our hood.

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs chicken
1 ½ cups prepared enchilada sauce
2 chopped celery stalks
2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes with seasoning (your choice)
2 (15 oz) cans beans (pinto, black, kidney – I did 1 black, 1 pinto)
1 onion, diced
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Directions
Pour enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Add beans, celery, onion and spices. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (or on high for 4 hours), or until flavors have combined. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Serves 6

♥

WW Wednesday 1/20/10

2010-01-20T21:32:00.000-05:00

WW Wednesday 1/13/10

2010-01-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

College in America

2010-01-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

I love visuals, so when I saw this I knew I had to pass it along.

Source: Online Colleges and Universities

Personally, I'd love to see how these numbers shake out for HBCUs. Think the numbers would be better? Worse? About the same?

{found via Fabulously Broke in the City}

♥

Tis the season...

2010-01-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

....for taxes!

Because of my employer, I feel quasi-obligated to blog about preparing for tax season. [Okay, maybe obligated is the wrong word. Kinda like I have an opportunity to drop some knowledge.] But for that same reason I hesitate to do so. There are so many things I could share that I've learned at work, but I don't want any of you going around saying "Patti told me I could write [random expense] off on my taxes." LOL. Actually, I don't think I've ever explicitly disclosed which federal agency I work for - but I'm sure you've put it together by now.

For the gazillionth time: No, I'm not looking at your taxes.

Actually, I will say 1 thing. If you're single, with no dependents and no investments, you are wasting your money by paying someone to do your taxes. I still cant believe that Hubs has thrown his money away at H&R Block the past 2 tax seasons. [He could have given it to me!] I've prepared my own return since I left undergrad. And I'm doing ours this year. I promise they are not that difficult. Especially when you use a software and submit them electronically.

Okay, maybe I have one more bit of advice: Please submit your tax return electronically. Tell everyone you know. It costs an unbelievable amount of time and resources to process a paper return. And time! Talk about wasting taxpayer's money...

::stepping down from soap box::

♥

PS - If you have questions (no matter the level of complexity), IRS.gov is an excellent resource. Trust me, I visit that site ALL the time.

Week In Review

2010-01-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

Ugh.

I could/should be blogging about any number of things, but I don't feel like it. Its like I wish I could hire someone to type my posts while I just talk, ya know? Oh well. In the meantime, here's whats swirled around in my head this week (and last), but never quite got posted:

I hate snow. I hate that Atlanta gets all frenetic at the slight possibility of snow. I wont go on and on, but the possibility of snow puts me in a bad way. Mostly cause I know the snow never really comes here when they think it will. Boo snow.

I got most of the professional images from our photographer before Christmas. They are absolutely fabulous. I'm just waiting on some pics of our save the date and our invite suite. Haven't been motivated to blog about the wedding yet, but finally ordered some prints for framing, and found someone to make our fancy album. Oh, and I've also started working with Kris on our card collage (toldya I really wanted one). Three months later, I still love teal and kiwi together, and looking at images from our wedding. But I'm also beside-myself-thrilled that its over. LOL.

We got new bedding for our bedroom this week. I've been wanting new bedding since July or August. I even used some shower gift money to get the stuff off our Crate and Barrel registry, only for Hubs to call it retro - #decorfail. Of course, after he said that I started thinking that too, and promptly returned it. Our bedding is crimson, cream, tan, and pin tucked. I love a good texture. And I love a little red in the bedroom. Now I gotta decide what to do about window treatments and wall decor. Always something to pretty-up.

I took down the Christmas decorations last night. Well, most of them. I'm kinda sad to see them go, but its January. The holiday ship has sailed, right? I'm still going to put up pics (probably just pics, hopefully this weekend) of our tree, wreath and mantle. They were really cute and I'm kinda sad I couldn't get it together before 2010 started.

Speaking of Christmas, Hubs got me a Kindle! I loooove it. Like, way more than I've loved a gadget in a very long time. Even more than I love my blackberry. Definitely one of the best gifts ever from him. And that's saying alot.

I'm not big on New Years Resolutions. Never have been. For several years, my resolution had been to trust my gut and stay true to myself. Thats worked out pretty well. This year I'm just going to tackle some of my 30 Before 30 goals. Especially the financial ones. Hubs and I have been talking alot about paying down our debt, saving for retirement (gotta love compound interest), home buying and family starting. All of that takes money, and we'd like to still be able to enjoy life while were living it...which will take planning.

Why did I see a colleague wearing a purple scrunchie on Tuesday? Not a pony elastic, but a straight up satin scrunchie. And yesterday, I saw one better: a lady in a plaid pleated wrap skirt. Yes, a la mid-90s. I cant tell you the last time I saw one of those in the stores, so I'm pretty sure she's had it since the 90s. Scrunchies and plaid skirt in the same week. Did I miss the memo about 90s week?

I think that's it for now. Off to figure out where I put those pics of our holiday decor...

♥

WW Wedneday 1/6/10

2010-01-06T21:30:00.000-05:00