Musings

Y’all were so so sweet to leave Honey all those comments yesterday.  He’s quite a catch :-)  Someone asked for a picture of his Christmas beard and, unfortunately (?), he broke a long standing tradition when he shaved it early this year for a holiday party.  The really interesting thing is that it was not a costume type event…

 

Have you seen the train wreck that is Dance Moms?  As much as I don’t want to watch it, on the rare occasion I come across it while flipping channels I just can’t seem to turn it off.  Okay, who am I kidding?  I do sometimes every so often seek it out :-)

 

I am thankful for every.single.minute that I have with this little one at home.  He fills my days with so much joy, laughter and silliness.

Lest you think the baby is always tromping around in darling outfits, I thought I should set things straight and share how he looks most days.  I never had trouble dolling the PCP up in smocks and appliques, but this little one has a mind of his own and an (unfortunate) penchant for jerseys and strange socks.

So excited to have found this blog dedicated to reviewing Trader Joe’s wine – Trader Joe’s Wine Compendium.  Although it doesn’t seem to have been updated in a good long while.

And speaking of wine, this is my new favorite red.  It’s $12 at my Publix but less that $8 at my local wine store.  Thanks blonde AW for making our introduction…Apothic Red: The brambly spice of Zinfandel, dark fruit flavors of Syrah, the bold notes of Cabernet Sauvignon and the smooth elegance of Merlot unite to create this captivating red blend.  Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry, complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, brown spice and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and the smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend.

I’ve also been loving the What Kate Wore blog.  You know, because it satiates my obsession with all things princess and fashionable.

And while I’m on the subject of princesses, take a gander at my half-baby.  I’m just a little obsessed with sweet CeeCee and am counting down the minutes till I can get my hands on her again.  And don’t you just adore the hat??!!  Sister found it on etsy.

The littles helped me make these pancake bites earlier in the week.  We followed the instructions in the actual blog post, not in the Pinterest write up and found that it only made six little muffins.  Aside from that snafu, we used what we had on hand (blueberries, bananas & nuts, strawberries and chocolate chips) and the littles adored them. 

 

We have a fun filled weekend of basketball, birthday parties and Falcons cheering ahead.  And the chore of finishing the cleaning and organizing of  this wretched closet.  Yes, I realize that the fact that I wrote “finishing” is surprising because from the looks of it you thought I hadn’t even started.  This is part of my "evaluate" resolution…

Happy three day weekend y’all!

xoxo

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Musings

I’m still under the weather – but thankful that nobody else around here seems to be fazed by any sort of cold bug.  I caught Country Strong last night on some cable network and it was so darn good I couldn’t stand it.  I was completely shocked by both Gwyneth’s and Leighton’s songs.  And I spent the whole two and a half hours swooning over Garrett Hedlund (whose name I’d never heard before last night.)  There’s just something incredibly attractive about a country boy that can croon.

While on the topic of the good old tele, who else is just over the moon with excitement for the Downton Abbey Season 3 premiere tomorrow night??  I will be positively despondent if Mary and Matthew don’t tie the knot and I simply cannot wait to see how things unfold for the Bates’.  (How is it that I feel like I know these people?)

While Honey and the baby did some work around the house, the PCP beat me fair and square in a marathon two hour plus game of Monopoly this morning.  No offense to Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, but I’m thrilled to finally have some real games to play.  (That being said, Memory and Whack-a-Mole are still two of my all time favorites.)

Speaking of the PCP, last night he dazzled me with this little gem of what’s to come:  “I can’t wait to be an uncle when aunchie’s baby hatches.  I’m going to teach her how to wrestle and do ninja karate.”  Love that he a) thinks he’s going to be an uncle and 2) calls the birthing “hatching”.  Just a few more weeks…

 

Have y’all seen this floating around on Facebook?  I seriously… SERIOUSLY… thought the year 2013 was eons away back when Daddy-O took us to see this movie at the good old Victory Drive cinemas.  Eons away AND that I’d probably be in a nursing home by then.  Hard to believe that day in the future was yesterday.

I pinned this chair this week and can’t get it out of my mind.  Y’all know this girl loooooves some pink!  These eyes are peeled for a junk store version I can remake.  Gorgey!

Lastly, I want to ask y’all to send prayers to bestie Ron of Uptown Acorn.  Complications from the flu he’s been battling have left him in ICU for the past two days.  He’s one of the best friends a girl could ask for and I can’t wait for him to be back to his old self – I miss coffee tawk and our daily texts, emails and debriefs on matters of utmost importance (ie. cocktails, decor and crafts gone wrong.)  Much love, Ron!!! xoxo

The sweetest four year old face I’ve ever seen just popped back in my room after I thought he was long gone for the night.  I suppose I’ll have to lie down with him.  Such a shame :-)

xoxo

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HGTV Dream Home 2013

One of my family’s rather untraditional New Year’s traditions is to tune in for the premiere tour of the new HGTV Dream Home.  Afterwards, Mother, Sister and I debrief room by room, talking about every little detail that we loved (and those not-so-much.)  Linda Woodrum has been the dream home designer of choice for quite a few years and is pretty much a celebrity as far as we’re concerned (Sister shopped along side her at Scott’s a few years ago and promptly called to report back on exactly what she was procuring.)  

Without a doubt, my favorite thing about the 2013 Dream Home was its choice location in Kiawah Island.  I mean, I’d have taken any of the houses up for the win over the years, but this one would literally be a DREAM! 




The marsh views from the multiple porches were to die for.

I loved the idea of the old iron Charleston gates over the fire place, but that focal wall felt a little cold to me overall.  However, looking from the other direction, the room was super gorgeous and sumptuous.


While I adored the blues, browns, linens and muted greens, this citron color was a little too prominent for my taste.  That would really be my only complaint.


I could seriously take this pantry and slap it right onto my kitchen.  I love that the look is very attainable and wouldn’t be too outrageous to DIY.  I think this would be a great look for my laundry room that’s on our 2013 project list.  I can’t get enough of the oversized, off centered prints layered over the shelves.  And now I know where I could put a few demijohns around this part without them getting broken (a conundrum I’ve pondered many times.)

I thought this was fun and dramatic and perfect for a powder room.  Love the horizontal pin stripes – a fresh take on the bold striped walls we’ve been seeing for years.

The loft area would be perfect for the littles.  I love the indigo and white but wasn’t crazy about the art.

The master suite was just lovely.  Serene and tranquil and lovely.  The large white framed sea fans were one of my favorite pieces of art in the whole house.  I've been thinking of doing something like this for some time now.




The guest suite was one of my very favorite spaces.  I loved the pops of indigo and the updated traditional bed with the geographic rug.  The bathroom was definitely my favorite of the lot with its clean and simple lines.


The bunk nook was cute and colorful and my littles would love it.  The rope handles on the drawers were a perfect detail!


I really can’t say enough good things about this room.  I just loved every little detail and thought it would make for a super sweet girl room for the girl that’s not all gaga over pink (is there such a thing?).  I used to have the same stripes in the dining room of my old house  - alternating flat paint and satin paint in the same color.


Since the garage is also on our 2013 project list, I was completely wowed by this one.  I mean, check out that polished concrete floor for heaven’s sake.  And that “playroom” is TOO much. 


So that’s a little mini tour of the 2013 HGTV Dream Home.  What did you think?  I know I’d be happy as a clam to move right in :-) 
xoxo

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Just Things

Honey and I went to a holiday supper with great friends last week.  I texted him early in the day and said “tonight is dress up”, clearly meaning for him to don some slacks and a pressed shirt.  Yet, this is what I walked out the door with.


The baby managed to squeeze in one last birthday celebration – an outing to Chuck E Cheese with his best school pal.  Their birthday’s are one week apart and BOTH were in Disney World for the other’s big day. 


I've been recording movies from the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas all month.  We shut all the blinds, light up the tree, pop popcorn and snuggle in sleeping bags to enjoy them.  There are still a few days left!

Between Disney, birthdays, school and class parties, I totally dropped the ball on our Jesse Tree Advent Tradition. To make my guilty heart feel even worse, I’m going to go ahead and admit that this is how we’ve celebrated Advent so far. Oy.
I made “The Bread” from the Pioneer Woman and it was every bit as divine as the reviews claimed it to be! Butter and bread has never tasted so delish.


I bid a solemn farewell to my favorite Upper East Siders on the series finale of Gossip Girl Monday night. All the loose ends were smartly tied up and I was grinning from ear to ear by the final few moments. After six memorable years, what on earth am I going to do with that hour every Monday night? (Honey’s reply: “Did you really just say that?”)


On PJ Tuesday, the baby’s “lunch dessert” was the one leftover cupcake from his party. We put his beloved red glittered 4 candle in it, lit it and sang happy birthday again. Since then, we’ve repeated the ritual in his pimento cheese sandwich at lunch Wednesday and waffles at breakfast Thursday. I don’t know why, but I can’t bear to throw it away. Actually, that’s a lie… I do know why. Things have changed since last Friday.


And speaking Sandy Hook, I read and reread and then read this again earlier in the week.  Every word was burgeoning with the truth and I will never, ever forget it.  In that vein, this is what MY six looks like…

Happy weekend, y’all!
xoxo

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Skyfall

Honey and I were invited to attend a preview showing of Skyfall last night and really had the very best time!  I mean, I’m pretty sure the last movie I saw that wasn’t animated and rated PG was a year ago so I’m pretty much happy as a clam seeing anything targeted at adults.  The twenty-third flick in the 007 franchise and the third showing for Daniel Craig, I found the movie to be just as expected - full of action, suspense and steamy encounters.  And let’s face it, Daniel Craig is pretty easy on the eyes.  Honey felt that there weren't nearly enough things exploding (classic man comment) but that it did a good job setting up story lines for future installments. 

I’m of the opinion that Bond never gets old!  Thank you, Daddy-O, for watching the littles!!
xoxo

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