Happy Birthday, Z & Z!

It's hard to believe that the "Z" dogs are 4 years old today. It really just seems like yesterday when we picked them up and I rode in the back of the car with them for the 2 hours trip home.

I remember that during our first weekend, no one really slept much. Seen here at 7 weeks old.


They did help us finish our wedding Save the Date cards by posing for us.

Zoe's favorite past time - swimming at the lake.

Here they are this past Christmas.

And today, enjoying a celebratory drink & cookie!

Pregnant Woman in need of congestion relief

Here's my latest love note to Mother Earth:

Dear Mother Earth,

I hope you are having a beautiful day. Currently, I'm not doing so great. Yesterday, from 3PM to about 9PM, I had about 10% use of my nasal passages. I finally propped myself up on about 90 pillows to make that number rise to about 40%. Being "with child" and all, I'm really limited on what I can snort or swallow. The stuff from my allergist isn't cutting it. (Yes, I know it may take a few days, but I'm a little desperate. Breathing is kind of important.) I am asking you to please dispose of all pollen and ragweed from my nearby vicinity.

XO,
Susan D.

Any neti-pot users out there or anyone feeling the same way? If we're in a 300 mile radius from each other, I'm sure we are. I'm looking for an all natural (or Pregnancy B category) remedy that I can add to my non-effective nasal spray and antihistamine!

Documenting the belly

20 weeks, 3 days on Easter Sunday

I felt the babies move for the first time this week. I've been waiting for these so-called flutters, but today, I think I felt someone flip over. More like riding a roller coaster sensation, than a flutter.

Making me happy

A few things that are making me happy ....

A much needed pedicure in OPI's Pansy

Daffodils from my yard that have a found a home near our kitchen sink

Ben & Jerry's

This one's a little bittersweet - New bras that actually fit. At least for now.

Take5 Tuesday

I was looking for a little Tuesday fill-in, so here goes. Thanks to Take5 Tuesday.


I chose the topic of my 5 favorite Breakfast Foods, so here goes:

One of my favorite as of late is Old Fashioned Quaker oatmeal mixed with skim milk, raisins, cinnamon, and ground flax seed. Ok, the flax seed stuff isn't my favorite, but it's good for you.

The breakfast casserole that my mom makes - eggs, sausage, cheese, and sourdough bread all mixed together in a yummy baked goodness. Can it really get much better?

Omelets. I am not a huge fan of eggs, but when eggs meet cheese and salsa, they become my friend.

Pancakes. Don't have them often, but they definitely earn a space in the top 5.

Biscuits and raspberry preserves. Yes, I know I'm in the South, but this Southern girl doesn't like gravy. Give me a homemade biscuit and homemade preserves with a glass of milk, and I'm a happy girl.

Why I shouldn't take sick days

1) I've stayed on my work email most of the day, working anyway despite not being able to breathe properly and nursing a sore throat. Oh well, I'm still in my PJ's so that counts for something.

2) I can watch A Baby Story on TLC and see a woman give birth to what looked like a toddler. Ummmm, a little scary to this first time new-mom-to-be.

Have you heard?

We recently featured this company in our magazine. Of course, Oprah wrote about it 2 years ago. Guess we were a tad slow!

It can actually replace your google or yahoo search engine and the great thing is that you can choose your favorite charity or non-profit and proceeds go back to that non-profit. You can also shop via their site and make more money for your chosen non-profit.

I personally volunteer for a non-profit and we're up to nearly $2.00, but every little bit counts. So, do your good deed today, use Good Search, pick your charity, do a little searching online like you would anyway, and raise money for someone who needs it.

Baby naming is hard

A co-worker sent this article to me yesterday. I really couldn't believe some of the names that they found in past censuses. King Arthur? Ima Hooker? Candy Storh? Really? Plus, do you really want your child to have to grow up dealing with this?

Yesterday, Hubby met a family with twin girls named "Maggie" and "Valley." For those of you not as familiar with NC, when I hear Maggie Valley, this is what I envision. While picturesque and scenic, not what I would plan to name my children.

I did work with a guy whose last name was Naylor. He always joked that he would name his kids Woody and Didde. I digress ...

Walking dogs = out of breath

Pregnancy observation #12546

Either I am way out of shape or having 12 ounces of baby inside me is already cutting into my lung capacity.

Back from the beach

It's only 7:30 and I can hear two sleeping dogs snoring from their kennels. Hubby & I headed to Wrightsville Beach for the weekend to celebrate my birthday, and the pups went to Air Canine for a weekend of swimming, running, and baths.

We had a good, very relaxing weekend, albeit cold and windy. Walks on the beach were pretty short, but it's still nice to have the ocean as your backyard. Lots of eating and napping, a little shopping, and I even stayed up to watch UNC beat Duke last night. Go Heels! I think my afternoon nap helped me out for the 9pm game. And, not to forget my alma mater, a little shout out to the Peay for making it to the NCAA tourney!

As always, it's nice to be home. Loving the daylight savings time ... I'm sure I'll grumble tomorrow morning, but for now, I love the extra daylight.

See you next week!

We're off for a few days of R&R. See you on Monday!

Lipstick dilemna

Oh the topic is heavy and serious today .... I have been unhappy with my current lipstick/lip gloss choices.

I used to wear Clinique's Black Honey. It always seemed to be a good standby.

I love Stila's LipGlaze in Berry, but wanted to try something new.

I flirted with Benefit, Bobbi Brown, Chanel, MAC, Target brands and others. Help. What's a girl to do?

I'm brunette, fair skinned, with hazel eyes. Anyone out there with a perfect shade for me?

5 things I've learned ...

I've been tagged by Kim to tell 5 things that I learned and with her great suggestion, I think I'll do the pregnancy theme.

1. I have learned that when a pregnant woman says she's hungry, it means she's hungry, like right now, this very second and she must eat immediately. In my case, you may not know what you want, but food better by nearby. Peanut butter crackers are now a staple in my house.

2. From attending pre-natal yoga classes, I have really learned how pregnancy looks different on everyone. I know that everyone's bodies are different, but I'm always amazed at how different women carry, who gets swollen ankles, who complains of the increasing bra size, and those lucky girls who turn around and you can't even tell that they are pregnant.

3. I'm beginning to think that something is in the water in our neighborhood. We will be having the 4th set of twins on our street (East side & West side together), and at least the 6th set in the neighborhood. I've learned that there was a family with quads, but they have moved.

4. I now understand when a pregnant woman says that she can't touch or cook raw chicken, can't remember why she walked into a room, remember an answer to a simple question, or the sheer thought of a specific food makes her nauseous.

5. If we had the means to afford it, I would be like Tom & Katie and rent an ultrasound machine so I could look at the babies on a daily basis. We went today for a very detailed and long ultrasound and I enjoyed every minute.

I won't tag anyone, but if you're looking for a topic, feel free to tag yourself!

I'm in trouble

I was in a candy conversation last week with two of my co-workers. Yes, we were actually talking about what kind of candy we liked. You know the norm - dark chocolate, peanut butter and chocolate, and then I discovered that these two women and I are soul mates. We all love hot tamales.

One of them bought about 6 big boxes and filled up a cute little jar that now sits near our desks, along with another jar of Good n Plenty's.

I restrained until the afternoon yesterday, but one of the women was already nibbling before 8:30. I hope I don't eat the entire jar!

Here's the cheesy macaroni casserole

This is a link to the casserole recipe aka Taco Bake that we made this weekend. Very yummy, very easy, probably not very healthy seeing that Mac & Cheese is the main ingredient, but I guess that's beside the point. I think Hubby commented "now this is comfort food." and I think he was right.

Week in review

Not much in the way of posts this week ... so what else have I been doing?

Working - busy and good. Our department is getting restructured and we are adding an event planner and my boss is changing. I think it's for the best, but like anything, it's change and an adjustment for all of us.

Sleeping - due to some sciatic nerve pain and being pregnant, I've started sleeping with a pillow between my knees. The problem is I end up kicking it out of bed every night, so I'm not sure if it's doing much good.

Eating - we made a yummy and easy beef/pasta/cheese/salsa mexican style casserole this weekend and I think I ate it for every meal for a few days. Well, not breakfast. For breakfast, I made some yummy banana bread that Zoe (whom I caught red-pawed) also nibbled on. Naughty girl.

Meeting - lots of Junior League meetings this week. 3 in all this week.

Exercising - I started prenatal yoga which is great. Lots of stretching and preparing our muscles for childbirth. All I can think about is that I may be destined for a C-section, but at least my thighs will be strong.

Shopping - Mainly just looking at this point. The Spring influx of consignment sales is starting, so I'll be hitting the Moms of Multiples sale this Friday on my lunch hour. I also found this adorable website for crib bedding. I've ordered swatches of fabric, so cross your fingers.

I'm a Smart Marketing Genius!

Hey, it's what this test told me that I was! At least someone thinks that I am. Hmmm, possibly I should add this to my resume or tell my boss at my next review. In all actuality, it may mean that I watch too much TV and read Ad Age on a consistent basis!

Take it for yourself.

Thanks to Kimba for the link!

Southern Proper does it again

A little distraction came across my email during the debate. An announcement of "Southern Drawls" by Southern Proper. Aren't these cute? Of course, I love them because of the tiny little black labs! Check out Beau, their black lab on the website. Adorable.

Hopefully, I'm not to blame

From time to time, we receive an automated reminder message for a man who doesn't live at our house for an upcoming appointment with his Doctor. Lately, I've noticed that just the hospital name will show up on our Caller ID, but no message.

I haven't been able to find a phone number with a real person so I can try to call back someone to tell them that this man doesn't live here, so he probably doesn't even know about his appointments.

Then my mind really starts racing ... what if these appointments are life-threatening and he doesn't know about it? In my mind, he's elderly and probably has to have someone to drive him to these appointments. He doesn't even realize that he's been missing out on these for several months. All because of me and my answering machine. His days are probably numbered.

Hubby would tell me that I have an OVERactive imagination, but I still can't help but wonder who this guy is, what appointments is he missing, and does he realize that he's not even receiving his little automated reminder calls?

Ok, and is anyone else on Blogger whose spell check isn't working? This is also very scary, because there is no telling how poor my spelling is without that handy little device!

Things I'm loving today

These cute Emma dishes from Pottery Barn. We have the white, but I could almost convince myself to switch. Or add a set of the green to mix & match.

That my jonquils are starting to bloom. Since we moved in the new house in September, we weren't sure about all of the flowers that were planted. These are my favorite, so I was excited to see them. I just hope they make it since it's not even Spring yet.

Hot Tamales from my Hubby for Valentine's Day. Yum. Glad I've had no strange aversion to artificially flavored cinnamon candy!

The flowers that Hubby also gave me for V-Day - pale green hydrangea, deep red roses, and blackberries.

If we decide not to find out the genders of the babies, I think this crib bedding is so much fun. What's not to love? Argyle & polka dots?

Asking for invites, please

All Things Kimba and MMM, may I please have an invite to read? You can find my email in my contact information.

Many thanks!

Documenting the belly

15 weeks

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh

It's snowing!! I know if you are in MN or anywhere in the North, you really want to hit me, but I didn't realize that snow was even predicted for today. So imagine my surprise when leaving my friend's house that it is really coming down, sticking to everything, and looking beautiful outside.

Of course, I did see jonquils popping out the other day, so that makes me kind of sad, but I have been wanting atleast one good snow this year, so maybe I'm in luck. I think it's supposed to end later tonight, but I can still enjoy it for a little while.

I'm worse than a school kid wondering if schools is closed tomorrow. Hubby took pictures for me this morning, as shown above.

I promise ...

That I'm not turning this into a baby blog, but have you seen this? Leave it to Kate Spade to design such a simple and adorable stroller. Oh, if they had it in a twin, I'd be in trouble.

Babies R Us and SUV's, oh my

We started out yesterday morning by checking out a baby consignment sale ... no, you can't buy any babies there, but hoardes of baby clothes, toys, equipment, etc. Needless to say, Hubby and I were a wee bit overwhelmed by the whole thing, decided that if we knew the genders, I could have racked up on adorable Ralph Lauren dresses, but other than that, we thought a lot of the equipment looked a little more used and worn than we hoped, so we left.

Since we just needed a little more stimulation, we then went to Babies R Us, where it was more sensory overload. We did test out some twin strollers, were given advice by passer-by's (the side by side strollers are too big for anywhere inside) (duh), Hubby tested out some gliders, and I decided that I didn't like any bedding they had, we looked for the eleusive "twin pack and play", squeezed a few teddy bears, and once again, it was enough, so we left.

By now, I'm hungry, so a little lunch was in order. I say little, but I ate an entire pizza from here, along with a salad, and really contemplated a lemon bar. I didn't even feel stuffed. Scary!

On we went to CarMax for more sensory overload, but this time in car form. Since we know that the Audi A4 will be too small for two car seats, I really just wanted to see what some of the SUV's were like, so we did a lot of sitting and measuring. My favorite of the day, the Acura MDX. It had the most storage space, but doesn't feel huge and I can see over the top of the hood. I'm 5'3", so this matters. It's still pretty sporty - friends keep telling me to suck it up and buy a minivan, but I just can't do it. I may change my mind in a couple of years, but for now, I'm sticking to my decision.

From there, it was home - we managed to come home empty handed, but I enjoyed a 2 hour nap for me and hubby found the twin pack and play online where it had mixed reviews.

Livin' for the weekend

Ok, I must really have no life because I'm excited because I actually have plans for both Friday and Saturday night. Plus, I've had them both since Monday.

Tomorrow night, I'm getting together with several girls from the Junior League for dinner. I see most of these ladies on a regular basis, but we don't always have time for true social time. It will be nice to relax and enjoy a nice dinner and not talk "League" business.

On Saturday, Hubby and I are attending a dinner group that is part of our church. We have been a little slack in our church attendance lately and when we were invited to join a group, I felt like we really should go and get up and go to church the next day. It's with 3 other couples that we know from church, but don't really know well, so I hope it will be good to meet a few new people.

Hubby is at a triathalon class at the gym and I'm getting hungry and have no idea what I want for dinner. (Story of my life.) Must go forage around the kitchen to see if there is anything other than pimento cheese and wheat thins that I should have .

Big ol Sap

Did I tell you what I did during the Super Bowl? I cried, or teared up or whatever you want to call it. No, not because of the Patriots loss, it was because of this ... At least I can claim pregnancy, but did this ad pull at anyone else's heartstrings?

Some news to share ...

I wanted to let you in on some news that I've been writing about in recent posts, but of course, a few hints before I let you in on the secret ...

My typical 10am snack has changed from a banana to this ...

My daily vitamin intake has increased as well ... (I'm kind of embarrased, because my hands look really dry in this photo.)

I carry this prescription around, just in case ...

I've often found these treats to be really, really good ...

My nighttime reading has changed from this ....

to this ...

Several of my pants have this fancy waistband ...

And we've started receiving sweet little gifts like these ...

I'm sure you've guessed, but the news is that I'm expecting and due August 7, but our big news is that I'm expecting TWINS!! So that surprise that I hinted about on Tuesday will more than likely be here by mid July.

And, yes, Zeus & Zoe know the news. We're not sure if they understand that this means fewer belly rubs for them and getting used to lots of crying and diapers, but we think they'll be a great big "sister" and "brother." Or, if worse comes to worse, we can just saddle a baby on each dog!

Preppy drama at work

For our upcoming issue of the magazine, one of the features is including a guide to Preppy. Yes, did I tell you that I love working here? There will be fun stories on several stores, boutiques, and designers that contribute to the classic style in our state. Hello, this designer is from NC. How can we not do an article about him? With every issue, we send postcards to our advertisers reminding them about deadlines for the next issue and for this particular card, we featured our preppy article.

Well, one of our not-so-preppy clients sent a rather scathing email stating that calling out preppy was basically a racial slur. Now, we never meant any of this to be anything but a fun set of stories on style, shopping, and maybe a sidebar on good tennis courts and which bar makes the best G&T. Luckily, one of our sales reps talked to the woman, helped her understand our side, and made it all better.

What was even better is that another sales rep decided that now every Friday at our office should be deemed Preppy Friday. Whoopee! I finally won't stand out in my cable knit sweater over button down shirt with pearl earrings ensemble anymore!

Say hello to my little friend ...

One of my very best friends has started her own blog. Please stop by and say hello! Just wanting to make sure I keep up my Southern hospitality.

She and I have attended elementary school together, worked at Yellowstone together, attended grad school and lived together, were each others maids/matrons of honors in our weddings, and I am the Godmother to her son. Now, if we could just live in the same state again, we'd be even happier! A girl could not ask for a better friend. Now, don't go digging around for any dirt on me ... I'm hoping it is buried deep. Don't ask about cheese waffles or picking up men at the grocery. I will deny, deny, deny.

San Antonio, Revisited

I wanted to share a few pictures and details of our trip to San Antonio.

1) It was really cold when we arrived and of course, we were anticipating 70 degrees and sunny. No such luck - my friend who now lives there arrived for dinner in her coat, scarves, and gloves. The first time she had to wear them since she's been there. It was great to see her - she looks wonderful and really loves the area.

2) I looove the tableside guacamole. So fresh and yummy. We had it at the Iron Cactus and Boudro's and my favorite was the Iron Cactus.

3) We heard several mariachi bands and other entertainers. My favorite was the all female group who performed for the opening session of the Junior League. Aren't they pretty?

We also noticed this Hispanic bagpiper. Good, just not what we were expecting.

And I had to take this picture on our last night. We were at Rita's on the River and this very flexible duo did a little fancy Texas Two-Steppin on the dance floor. This guy could do the splits and he did them, several times!

4) Of course, no trip to San Antonio is complete without a trip to the Alamo.

5) There was a street fair occurring on Saturday. Some very sad animals were on display.

6) And of course, the real reason I was there ... The Junior League. It was a great conference - jam packed with training and information.

Tuesday Meme

Since I've been meaning to post, but haven't yet and Kimba had this up on her blog... thank you, Kimba for the inspiration!

4 Jobs I've Had:
1) Waitress in Yellowstone National Park for the summer.
2) Assistant Marketing Director for a Regional Shopping Center.
3) Counter clerk at a Dry Cleaners when I was in college.
4) Marketing Manager for a state wide magazine.

4 Movies I've Watched Over and Over:
1) Less Than Zero
2) A River Runs Through It
3) Breakfast Club
4) Pretty In Pink

4 Places I Have Lived:
1) Chattanooga, TN
2) Clarksville, TN
3) Yellowstone National Park, WY
4) Greensboro, NC

4 Shows I Watch:
1) Project Runway
2) Nip/Tuck
3) John & Kate Plus 8
4) Amazing Race

4 Places I've Been:
1) Antigua
2) Paris
3) San Francisco
4) Key West

4 People Who E-mail Me Regularly:
1) My friend Karen
2) Our Junior League President
3) Listingbook.com
4) Our Junior League Office Manager

4 Favorite Things to Eat:
1) Hot Tamales candy
2) Twice baked potatoes, preferably my mom's
3) Raspberry lady cake from Maxie B's
4) Grilled salmon

4 Places I'd Rather Be:
1) Caribbean (my boss is there and we're all jealous)
2) At my parents house - it's been almost a year since I've been home
3) Getting a massage
4) Taking a nap

4 Things I Look Forward To This Year:
1) A surprise that will take place in July or August
2) Our 3rd anniversary in November
3) A relatively big birthday for me in March
4) Hopefully a few trips to the lake this summer

Off to the land of tableside guacamole

I'm heading out of town and can't wait to try out this place. When I read that their menu offers guacamole, freshly prepared at your table, I was hooked. I'm attending a Junior League leadership conference and I'll also be able to see one of my very dearest childhood friends who lives in the same city, so hopefully a good trip altogether. See you next week.

Finally, a little something

So my amaryllis may bloom after all.

"Important" Doggie News

I had to chuckle when I read this story in today's paper. Zeus & Zoe aren't really sure if they like Miss Babe Ruth. I think they may be a tad bit jealous since she does get a lot of publicity and they also think that they are certain they could replace her if she was ever unable to fulfill her role on the baseball team. Call it 1st runner up jealousy if you will.

It's snowing!

After our so called "snow" earlier this week (a little snow that turned into rain with a little sleet), I was excited to hear the weather forecast for Saturday. Our original forecast called for 2-4 inches that would have started early this morning. I woke up like a school kid, saw nothing and went back to bed disappointed. Our new forecast has called for 1 inch of wet snow once the moisture and temperatures finally get their act together.

It's been snowing for about an hour and is beginning to look like this...

I'm hoping it continues - at least enough to cover the ground and look pretty.

Asking for an invite

More, More, More and All Things Pink and Green and In Between... I miss reading. May I have an invite, please?

susanzdavis at yahoo dot com

Thank you!

Let it snow

According to local weather reports, this is heading our way. What is crazy, 2 inches of snow will shut our city down. As in no schools, plows, salt trucks, mayhem in the milk aisle at the grocery, and overall general mass hysteria. Ok, so maybe not that last part, but close enough.

Our office has a "show even if it does snow" policy, so I won't be enjoying the day, sitting in my PJ's, two dogs at my feet while sipping hot chocolate or out building snowmen. We tend to get ice over snow here, which really causes havoc because no one can really drive in it, but everyone tries. Lucky for me, if it's bad, Hubby won't have to work, so I can have a built in chauffeur.

What gives?

Considering myself the main gadget user in the family, Hubby came home last night with a Blackberry. I've been eyeballing them for some time and several of my friends have them. I was always envious as they checked emails while waiting for their lunch to arrive while I sat and fiddled with my napkin. They just seemed to always be on top of things, because they carried around this little device that kept them connected to anyone and everything.

I've already started offering a trade of my cool Razor phone. Not sure if it's that cool anymore, but I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. When I asked him if he knew how to work it, his reply was "no, but there's a huge book that goes along with it."

Maybe victory will be mine after all.....

Do your dogs do this?

As you may know, we have 2 black labs who make us smile each and every day, and from time to time, make us turn our head to the side and say "what is going through their doggie brain?". Point in case, they have several different toys - mainly nylabone or other hard rubbery types that are good for aggressive chewers. You can normally find one or two lying around their bed, in their kennel, or near the basket where we keep them. Yesterday I noticed that I had one in my dirty clothes basket, one was in the closet on Hubby's shoes, one in our bathroom, and one of the coffee table. Today, they are all gone and somewhere else. They probably just bring them along, drop them and forget them, but it really does seem kind of strange. They either must remember where they left them or are such creatures of habit that they reclaim them on their next trip to that spot. Anyone else noticing deposits of doggie toys in your home?

Slackers R Us

We finally un-decorated the tree last night. Well, the lights are still on, so a big, bare tree still stands in our family room, but at least the decorations are safely wrapped in tissue, sitting in big Tupperware tubs, ready to be put away until next year. No more candles in the windows, wreaths on the door, Santas proudly displayed or stocking hung. Thank God. I was just over seeing everything around, but we had guests on New Year's Day, then I was out of town for work last weekend, and Hubby had the duty of cleaning out the old house.

Speaking of the old house, we closed on the sale on Monday. Whoo-hoo! Our cute realtor dropped off a large check to me at work and I halfway contemplated booking a flight to the Caribbean and finding a little hut, but then I went back to my desk and proceeded to call Hubby. I think he would have been rather suspicious.

In other news, we have some exciting happenings that will be taking place later this year... I will fill you in soon. Kind of life-changing, people.

Oh, and I found the cutest sweater and shorts at Target last night. The shorts were $17.99 and the sweater, $24.99. How can you go wrong? I bought the sweater in green, but I could have really also bought the grey and pink.

Writer's Block

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

Busy, busy, busy

Not only was hard to get back into the swing of things after vacation, but this week has flown by and been extremely busy. I've had meetings and appointments (what, on my 1st day back!?), I'm working an event this weekend, we close on the sale of our old house on Monday (Whoo-hoo), still need to take the Christmas decor down, and Junior League is kicking back in. Two meetings this week, and one the next. All good, but just feeling a little overwhelmed and no time to blog. I hope to be back on track soon.

Have a great weekend!

2007 in review

It really doesn't seem possible that 2008 is here. I know I say that every year, but this year seems to have flown.

The big highlights this year have included...

Starting a new job in April that I really do love. Yes, there are challenges and issues as with any job, but I believe in what the company says and does, it's small enough that I can make my own decisions, our people are smart and funny, and I love our product.

The pups turned 3 on March 26.

I ran my 2nd half marathon in April. I didn't train enough due to the new job, but it was still a great time and I look forward to more in the future.

We traveled to Key West, FL, Charleston,SC, Asheville, NC and probably a few other cities in between.

In September, Hubby and I bought our first house together. This was my first time as a home buyer and Hubby's second. All in all, it was a good experience - a little stressful at times, but we love our house and are so glad to be settled. And even better, the sale on the other house closes next week.

We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on November 12.

I am looking forward to 2008 for some new adventures in our life. Stay tuned...

Happy New Year!

A little sap for the holidays

Hubby and I went to see P.S. I love you last night. I know, I know... I drag him to chick flicks all the time, but this one started at 7 and that was really the time we wanted to go and Juno isn't on here yet. While it's a little predictable at times, it really was a sweet and charming movie. I may be a little emotional right now, but I did find myself tearing up from time to time.


I have also found a new guy to add to my list! Hubby told me that since I was now married, the list had to be closed for new additions, but anyway. Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Apparently, he's been on Grey's, but I've missed him. I don't use this term much, but he's hot.

So, if you're looking for a good cry or a good chick flick, go see it.

Ready for Spring

My little purchase at Williams-Sonoma has me ready for Spring! Well, crap. The ones I bought aren't available on their website. Any way, picture these pot holders, but in a bright yellow, green, and white stripe. I have old ones that have seen better days & I believe caught on fire once or twice. Also, if they are sampling their lemon poppy seed cake with lemon curd, try it. So yummy.

The holidays were busy - my parents leave tomorrow after a week long visit, we traveled to visit Hubby's family for Christmas, and have been enjoying some time off from work and much needed R&R. We had dinner at one of our favorite Italian places tonight - good bread with olive oil of course, and I enjoyed the smoked chicken ravioli with tomato cream sauce. Yum again.

Merry Christmas!

The packages are wrapped, stockings are hung,and my family is here. We're off tomorrow for more family & holiday fun.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a New Year full of joy and happiness!

Love,
Susan, Hubby, Zeus & Zoe

Blogger hates me

I have a nice little holiday post to share, but I haven't been able to upload pictures. Hmmmmm.

So, I did remember milk for my cereal today.
I am on the major countdown of 3 days until vacation and I'm hoping that we leave early on Friday.
My parents arrive on Friday as well - first time to see the new house and then we will all travel together to my inlaws (first time we've all been together since the wedding).
Cards are mailed.
Some presents bought, but if I can ever post a picture of my tree, you will see that nothing is wrapped & underneath!
It's finally cold like it should be in December, but of course now it's fa-reezing and rainy outside.

Hopefully, a holiday post later today.

I need a vacation

Blogger ate my last post, I sat down to eat my cereal & had forgotten to add the milk. I need a vacation and it can't get here soon enough!

White Elephant

Do you guys play White Elephant? Today is our holiday work luncheon and we have all been asked to bring a wrapped, untagged present. The gift should be something that we already own - nothing that you have to go out and buy. It's really fun - everyone chooses a number and that is the order in which you choose your gift. From there, you can steal a gift, pick a new present, etc. It makes for loads of entertainment and a few good laughs.

I decided that the wrapping should really look good, so people would really want to choose my present.

The actual gift is a regift... sorry Aunt M., if you're reading... It's a Santa shaped cookie jar. We didn't personally love it, but hopefully one of my co-workers will!

Menu ideas?

I'm throwing a little birthday party for Hubby this Saturday. Big 37! Whoo! I'm keeping it simple - heavy h'or dourves, wine, beer, etc. I feel like I need one more substantial dish & another vegetarian/light dish. (Clearly not for Hubby - he's anti-vegetarian, but for our friends).

Here's what I have so far...
Paula Deen's sausage cups - phyllo dough cups filled with a mixture of sausage, ranch dressing, cheese, olives, etc... baked in the oven. Yummy.
Paula Deen's cheesy shrimp on grit cakes - small grit cakes topped with shrimp, cheese & probably butter. Have never made them, but sound wonderful.
Meatballs - the not so secret, secret family recipe - the sauce is chili paste and grape jelly. Delish.
Crudites - or as my mama used to say, a relish tray
Red Velvet Cake from our favorite bakery
Crack rock aka Cookie candy, a favorite sweet with chocolate, toffee, butter, and sugar

Any ideas? I'm looking for relatively easy and yummy. Please post any of your ideas in the comments and I will happily share all recipes in one collective post. Thanks for your help!

This "winterlike" weather...

Isn't it wrong that my car thermometer read 80 degrees today? Hello!?! It's December 11 - it should be cold and crisp and I should be singing Christmas carols. Nope, I was driving around with my windows down hearing Sheryl Crow's "All I wanna do is have some fun."I realize it's North Carolina, but still. So, so wrong!

I'm becoming one of "those" moms...

Our Christmas card photo this year is just of the dogs. My mom told me that no one really wanted to see just a picture of just them, but I really don't think that anyone wants to see a picture of Hubby and I after he's had the marathon day of raking leaves and yard work, and I have had the marathon day of dropping off a rack full of clothes to the Bargain Box, shopping at Lowe's, the local nursery/garden store, a trip to two different Target's, and a visit to Michael's. Oh, and both of us sans shower!

I thought they both looked particularly handsome and posed very well, until our neighbors guests to a baby shower started leaving, but that's another story.

Zeus & Zoe wish everyone a Merry Christmas, in advance!

Channeling my inner Martha

I have this little craft project that I wanted to do last year, but never got around to it. So, this year, I've started collecting....

Can you guess what it will be? Obviously, I need to visit Starbucks more frequently if I want to finish. I feel a grande non-fat sugar free vanilla latte in my future!

Tree & Weekend Update

Just to let y'all know, I've used 10 strands of lights and just sent Hubby to Target to buy 4 or 5 more. I like a lit tree - my mother was always the Christmas Tree nazi & would do a "squint test" on her trees. This was some kind of scientific method that she developed to determine if you had enough lights on your tree. I think when you squint and you don't have any holes aka dark spots, then you're OK. And, she never let us kids decorate the tree, but that's another session!

We had a good weekend - very nice to getaway and the place we stayed is gorgeous and crawling with history. We were lucky to have a room in the Main Inn that is also the original part. You take a elevator, complete with attendant, that is literally built inside of the grandiose 14-foot fireplaces. This was done to conceal noise and they are still used today.

Here were a few pictures of the room - love the little details. While not very large, the working windows are a plus. We loved all of the craftsman style furniture. The room picture really doesn't do it justice, but should give an idea.

On Saturday afternoon, we found this great little wine bar where I found a great Spanish wine called Heredad Sol i Terra and Hubby found a new Belgian beer called Leffe Blonde. Both were great and probably our new favorites.

It was a relaxing weekend - a little shopping, eating, drinking, and a pedicure to round things off.

Big A** Tree

Our friend's dad brought our Christmas tree back from Western NC last Sunday, but we finally had time to bring it in the house this afternoon. Oh. My. God. This tree is huge. Since we moved, we wanted to have a "larger" tree for our back den, but I think we overestimated a tad. Of course, my batteries died when I was trying to snap pictures of Hubby and Friend tackling this sucker, but I hope these capture the size a bit.

I think a trip to buy additional lights is in store, because I think what we have will only cover about half. Wish me luck that Hubby doesn't kill me over the course of this week when we actually decorate the thing!

Hubby is on the floor, while B holds her steady.




Without the tree mesh bag... waiting on the limbs to drop.