decked out in love...

I finally took down the Christmas decorations today and put up Valentines. I love decorating with the pinks and reds!

I will only do the mantle this year...going for simplicity {and less to clean up later on}. I have plans to make some love-ly gift cones to hang from the mantle too, but I am open to the possibility that they may not be made until next year.

You can never have to many colors of pinks, too much tulle, a variety of textures, never enough glitter, and always top it off with a vintage brooch...so sweet and love-ly!

I made this Valentines greeting..."Be Mine"...our first Valentines as Mr. & Mrs. Each tag has different trims, vintage pearl buttons, and rhinestones.

back to Texas?

It is sooo cold here today! It was 7 degrees when I left this morning and dropped to 5 degrees in 15 minutes! Yep...5, five, 5 degrees. Do you know how many that is? You can count that on one hand! ...that is if you can pull it out of your coat long enough to straighten out your fingers!

Little Stanley is missing Texas, the warm weather, the rest of his family, the big yard, and the days of no sweaters. He is wondering if he can go back to Texas where its warmer!

sweet friends

I know I tell you all the time... I have the best friends. They are thoughtful, sweet, always there, and such a blessing! Well this last month while I was away was no exception...

Thoughtful Jane got me the neatest gift wrapped in the sweetest way {see above}. Jane came across an "internet journal" and thought of me! How so very sweet! I am so excited to have such a great tool to keep all my favorite sites, blogs, and other web addresses all in one spot. This will help me introduce you to even more cool online finds...this way I will be able to remember them and share them with you! You should have seen the one I tried to create for myself last summer...to no surprise I soon forgot what my color coding meant...home or clothes...or was it a business find? Now I will know!!

Mrs. Diller was so very sweet to be my temporarily shipper! She took care of all my inventory and shipped orders while I was away. This was such a HUGE help and allowed me to keep "the doors" open for January!
I never had a chance to show you what I got for Christmas from Miss Carla. Textile Designs by Susan Meller and Joost Elffers Have you heard of it? Martha loves it I hear and I am so excited that Carla thought of me when she saw this too cool of a book!! It is a compilation of "200 years of European and American patterns organized by motif, style, color, layout, and period"...and if you could see for yourself you too would be most impressed with the 1,823 illustrations in color! Just wait until I learn the names and origins of them all!

Dr-to-be Clarke got my mail daily...I am still sifting through it! Have you sifted through a month's worth of mail before...yikes! Vic and Miss Keeley were sweet enough to pick me up from the airport despite being a late flight...at least I arrived with my luggage! They were also so kind to babysit hubby's truck all month!!

See blessings... and there are many more despite a rough week getting back in the swing of things!

*Disclaimer*...again, I tell you...these friends are mine and I cannot share...I need them too often!

home again...home again...jiggity jig!

I made it home...but it doesn't feel like it. I made it back to Cleveland, but it doesn't feel the same as I left it. You see...home really is where you heart is. Mine didn't come back with me...it didn't make the flight...maybe its delayed!

Its true..."you can take a girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of a girl"...

It was such a blessing being at home in Texas with friends and family for over a month. It wasn't long enough...or was it? It was long enough to make me miss it even more...

LOVEly dinner

Every year for as long as I can remember Mom has always gifted us with a fabulous Valentines Dinner...snazzy, tastey, so special, and has become tradition! Since hubby and I married and moved to the north we haven't been able to enjoy Mom's V-day Dinner each year. Since we were home close enough to Valentines this year she made sure we didn't miss another year yet again this year.

Mom always goes all out on not only dinner and dessert, but the sweetest and most LOVEly decorations too!

This year she treated hubby and I...

and sister and her handsome too!

Mom used her NEW chandelier dishes { yes, see previous post about obsession with dishes... } dishes that Dallas gave her for Christmas this year!

Each year our "place cards" are our baby pictures... { yes, I have always had "that" hair! }

sweet hubby as just a little guy!

Dinner was delicious...as always...from the soup, salad, dinner, and dessert! Mom, of course, served us in style and made everything so perfect! { Mrs. Diller...Mom served your yummy asparagus! } Thank you so much for such a special night Mom!!!

southern belle...

I was so excited that my brother asked me to take he and Mallory's {his preicous girlfriend} pictures before their dance last night. They are precious! {as you can see}... and I am so glad that I was able to be home for such a special evening for them.

adorable!

I had to include this shot of Mallory's gorgeous flowers before Dallas drove off with them on his roof! Thank goodness Krystal found them in the middle of the road BEFORE someone had driven over them!

Dallas' handsome flower!

they are so sweet and silly!

He even wanted a picture with his sis. He is a sweetheart...no wonder his precious southern belle loves him!

waitress for a day... {and snow!}

Yep! No joke and no pay! The school treated my brother's senior class to the Annual Senior Etiquette Day today. I was recruited as help! { It didn't seem to matter to my new boss {my mom} that I have NO waitress experience. } Well...I can no longer say that! I am experienced now!

It is such a wonderful one-day class the school offers the seniors. They came dressed all spiffy for a tasty seven-course meal complete with servers {the recruited mom and in my case, sister}, decked out tables complete with place cards, china, crystal glasses, flatware, and a napkin {not paper of course}! Each recruited mom {or sister} was in charge of furnishing the china, etc. for their table and then they became the servers for their table.

The seniors seemed to enjoy it and the mommas will be so proud that their soon-to-be graduates will enter the "real-world" with table manners! The final course included a champagne toast {sprite with a strawberry!...not about to let a room full of seniors glulp alcohol!}

They toasted each other as seniors, the successful senior prank, the Republican Party, and...the mommas and sister that helped put on a special day! So sweet!

In the middle of all the preparation it began snowing...yep, only happens not very often in Texas...I guess it snuck out of my suitcase. Don't worry southern friends, I'm sure it will be going home with me when I leave!

I learned a lot today...serve on the left and pick up on the right; the hostess sits on the host's right and is served first; the shoes may look cute, but blisters are vicious; and last, but not least...never be a waitress!

lovely lunches with lovely friends...

I have loved getting to catch up and see precious friends who I haven't seen in so long. It has been such a treat to spend time together catching up!

I got to catch up with Kim and Kensi today at their house over a yummy lunch that included Kim's strawberry salad and Carli too! Kensi has become a little image of her momma. She is just precious and loves princesses, pink, tea parties, shoes, and baby dolls...all girl or what!

Its so hard to see how fast she has grown in such a short amount of time. Kim was still pregnant with Kensi Kay the night hubby and I got engaged and she was our flower girl-in-waiting at our wedding because she couldn't even walk yet! She has always had such a precious personality...here she is as a tiny tot. Now...she is all personality accompanied with her stories of starting school in the fall. Wow how fast they grow!

Brandy and I were able to catch up this week over mexican food {she was craving}! I got to hug her newly preggo neck! Her new babe is headed for his/her debute in September!!! As always no matter how much time in between Brandy and I always have plenty to laugh and chat about...no surprise!

lesson #2...watch and learn

Yesterday was Lesson #2 with Mrs. Rebecca. I learned further techniques of soldering and made the sweetest charm! I have always wanted to learn and never thought I would be able to do it. Well...watch and learn!

Step 1: making a nice cut { ok...mine was a little crooked }

Step 2: lining up the glass

Step 3: adding the cooper foil

Step next: smoothing out the crinkles for a good seal

Step must: a clamp is so important since I only have 2 hands...this acts as your 3rd!

Step next: solder away all sides!, but don't forget the flux...and the fact that its homemade and flaws are character! I know, Mrs. Rebecca, I am learning that it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth!

! tada !

We topped off the afternoon with a warm lunch and homemade cookies...with nuts!

Everything must be accompanied with good food!

Mrs. Rebecca, thank you so very much for such a special day! Not only do I now know how to solder and make the prettiest things, but I learned from the best and had the greatest time too! It is always a sweet treat to spend time with you and an blessing to learn from you!

and the winner is...

Every once in a while in life God allows you to see the results of your decisions and you get a peak as to whether or not that decision was a "good" one.
I received an exciting email many months ago...it contained what I thought was the most flattering invitation. T&T was invited to be a part of the hoopla of Hollywood's awards season via an invitation-only gifting suite for the Golden Globes for celebrities and their babies...The B**m B**m Room. I was beyond flattered, quite excited, so honored to be considered, and thoroughly confused as to whether I should accept or not.

After many prayers, a long chat with J. Moore, lots of opinions, and weighing the pros and cons, talking with friends in the business...I still didn't know what to do. Don't you hate that!! "God, I am praying for your Will and receiving NO answer!" He was saying "patience, my child". He didn't leave me hanging forever and I received my answer the afternoon the decision had to be made...he sure did keep me waiting! The answer was "no"...many reasons and I won't bore you with them, but despite the glitzy offer I was able to say this wasn't the best decision for T&T and me this year. This isn't to say in the future it will be better timing...

Well...as you most likely know now...the Golden Globes were announced via a news conference this year...minus the glitz, the glamour, and the hoopla and the A-list preggo celebs were giving birth on Thursday and Friday...one of the 2 days of the gifting suite! I was more than ok not to be there this year and so blessed that God allowed me to see the results of my decision!

all girl!

I got to meet Miss Avery yesterday! She is just precious and every bit the personality that shows through in her pictures! What a blessed little girl who can finally call Texas home with her forever family! I was so impressed with big sister Miss Ashlynn and how so very proud she is of "Baby Avery" she is so happy to be sharing her adorable room with her new baby sis!

Santa brought Ashlynn this adorable makeup mirror and bench...set for a princess. She took such detail in decking me out...powdered my nose, painted my nails, added a little lip stick, and adorned me with a crown! I wish I could go play princess with these precious girls every day!!

shiny & bright

I found a precious chandelier last weekend at little shop that I love to shop while I am home. Ethel always has the most unusual finds! She had just found this chandelier and it was lonely and bare with no prisms. I loved its "bones" and saw its potential. She let mom and I pick out just the prisms we wanted to "drip" from it! We went back this weekend to pick it up after she decked it out in bling...it looks great! Here is the pile of some of the prims as I had to "undress" it since it needs a good dose of spray paint...we are thinking red with a coat of black on top.

This pretty pink chandelier is in my old room. Hubby insisted on helping mom hang it the other night {yes...quite a sight hanging a chandelier in the dark with oly a flashlight!} He wanted to make sure and get some practive before hanging ours.

charming friends!

I tell you the truth, the whole truth...I have the best friends! I also have the sweetest husband! I went by to hug Mrs. Rebecca's neck last week...we got to talking about a new soldering technique she has learned this year and its one that I have always wanted to know how to do. She graciously agreed to give me a "lesson" this week! I have been anxiously awaiting it and also looking forward to spending the morning and afternoon with her catching up.

Well...sweet hubby surprised me with a gift last night...a soldering gun and solder! How sweet {all with a little wrap help from my mom}! He wanted to make sure that I was prepared and had my own tools for my "lesson"! {so very sweet of him!}

My lesson went well...I talked too much, asked way too many questions, and laughed more than anyone should. I think it was a success! It was such a treat to catch up with Mrs. Rebecca {one of the most multi-talented ladies I know}. She showed me how to solder my charms on my charm bracelet and we completed 2 whole bracelets! With local jewelers charging around $9 a charm for this...it was a huge savings and more fun than dropping it off for someone else to do would have been! Wait until you see what I accomplish on lesson #2 next week! Big plans for these little hands!

She prepared the sweetest lunch too complete with her beautiful chandelier dishes and cheesecake for dessert! Yummy! Carli joined us for lunch and I was able to catch up with the newest Mrs. Ballard too!

Don't you wish you had my friends! They are the best and so very good to me I say!

dinner is served...

Hubby and I are feeling MUCH better and enjoying a week of fabulous dinners as we are just getting to catch up with friends { most of them have babies and this left us "unpresentable" and "undesirable" as sick dinner guests the last few weeks! }

Sunday night...we were able to catch up with one of our dearest couple friends and their babe, Luke. I had not gotten to meet Luke before and it was a pleasure to meet the handsome fellow!
Monday night...hubby had dinner with a dear friend of ours that played a part in our meeting and dating {for another post some rainy day}! I went to dinner with Ms. Su and Ericka, some dear family friends of ours that we have known way back into my "crazy-wild-red-headed-days" {those pictures won't be making a post on a rainy day}!

Last night...we had a very special dinner {together} with some more precious family friends...The Smiths. The Smiths have the greatest house out in the country. They converted a barn into a beautiful home and added on some very precious rooms...all topped off with Ms. Katy's artistic touch! They have a wonderful sun porch where we enjoyed dinner amid candles all together on their 16 foot table made out of old wood slats from their family's pecan valley!

making paninis!!

Mom serving up the fresh homemade Tomato Basil Soup! {YummY!} *See recipe below...*

didn't they turn out gorgeous!?!

dinner is served!

Krystal, Miss Keeley, and Ash enjoying dinner

*Tomato Basil Soup {family favorite!!}
{ the closest recipe for LaMadeleine's Tomato Basil Soup I have ever tried! }
-4 cups tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped, or canned whole tomatoes, crushed
-4 cups tomato juice OR part tomato juice and part vegetable or chicken stock
-14 washed fresh basil leaves {or dried}
-1 cup heavy cream
-1/4 pound sweet, unsalted butter
-Salt to taste
-black pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan). Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

happy new year!...sniffle, sniffle

Happy 2008! Half of the family is sick with the sniffles! Hubby, my dad, and I are going on 1 week of a horrible sickness that includes lots of sniffles, fever, coughs, and chills! We have been dopped up on meds round the clock. What a way to ring in the new year!

I can't say I'm sad to see 2007 pass. It was a tough year for many reasons and for many people that I love. While at the same time its hard to believe that 2008 is already here. This year is a year that we have waited on for quite sometime. Hubby will graduate this year from medical school and we will begin a new phase of our journey as residency begins. We are excited to see where it takes us and where it will allow us to go.

{ being sick has put me so behind on my blogging...don't worry the holidays were memories I don't want to forget so I will be sharing them...soon! }