Rambling # 31 White Christmas in Kentucky

I feel it is totally fitting that after I post about my Mr. Schuester Valentine Card I follow it up with another holiday~Christmas! My family had a long and lengthy discussion about where and who was hosting Christmas this year. We finally came to the decision that Christmas would be in Kentucky at my sister Melissa's house. My mom, Sookie (my dog), and I went up there first. Followed a couple of days later by my dad, sister (Donna), Blink (parents dog), and June (Donna's dog). My sister had totally decked out her house, including her fridge. When you opened the fridge to get something out you would find this:

The cute little snowman had several songs he would sing when you opened the door. You could turn it off but it was kind of fun. Here's the living room with their beautiful Christmas tree.
Every time we go to her house we go to a Christmas Eve service at this little church up the road. Right before we started to head out to the church it started snowing (yes we had a white Christmas, like in Christmas Story) so Donna and I went outside and took some pictures in the falling snow.

the inside of the church where we attended the candlelight Christmas Eve service

The next morning Melissa made us (that were awake) breakfast and we got somethings ready for lunch later in the day. Once we were all awake we sat down and opened presents. After years of asking I finally got this:

My green apple Kitchenaid Mixer!!!! I totally love this thing! I used it right away. It was a great Christmas. The next morning we all went to breakfast at Toast on Market to celebrate my mom's birthday and it started snowing a little again. Then my mom, Sookie, and I left to make the trek back to Texas.

Non-Adventure #39 Mrs Jonathon Hill!

October was a kind of a busy month. One special event of October happened at the end of the month. My college roomie and good friend Kellye got married.
She had what some would call a low-key wedding but I just thought it was amazing. It was outdoors, with this beautiful open pavillion. There were tons of personal touches. For example instead of signing a formal guest book she provided this giant canvas with a bare tree on it. Then guests used green, yellow, orange, and brown ink to make their thumbprints or fingerprints the leaves and to sign their name by their print. It was pretty cool because I know she will hang this up in her house and forever have it to look at. She also didn't have a real flower bouquet but a beautiful felt and jeweled one.

It was gorgeous. She looked radiantly happy as all brides should.

Another neat thing she had done was stamped or embroidered their initials on her dress:
Me and Kel
Anne (her sister), me, and Kel!
I hereby fully admit that I fell down on taking pictures of her wedding. It was a truly beautiful wedding and I am so happy for her! Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Jonathon Hill!

Rambling #28 Diaper Cakes For M&M

My sister Melissa came down in the middle of October and one of the things she wanted to do while she was visiting was for me to help her make a diaper cake for a co-worker. Since I was also planning to make one for my friend Erik's baby we made and shopped for them together. Her cake had a pink and brown theme to it and she picked out this totally cute bunny to stick out of the top.

Here is Melissa's:



My diaper cake was for my friend Erik's new baby. I was invited to Caroline's shower (Erik's wife) and I saw this monster hooded towel at Target and it was soooo cute and it totally matched the color scheme I was going with, I had to get it! I really loved this diaper cake and I think it turned out great! And Caroline said she totally loved the cake I made for baby Madeline (due near Thanksgiving).

Here is the pink and turqouise Monster diaper cake I made for baby Madeline:



At the shower, her sister Mary-Nan also made this beautiful diaper cake. It sat on the table with all the delicious goodies they offered.
Stacie, Caroline (baby Madeline), and I
Madeline has since made it safely into the world and is so sweet and precious! (That's what happens when you procrastinate so long in doing your posts!)

Non-Adventure #36 Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving!

So this is THE year, the year I am now officially thirty, flirty, and thriving. I have a tradition of always celebrating my birthday and Stacie's (no I didn't step on your birthday hour) together with our high school best friend Erik (we celebrate his in December). So this year we decided our dinner out would be at Cheddar's in Keller. I love their vegetable plate as well as their chicken tenders so yummy! So here we are at dinner (Erik came to our side of the table for the picture)

Then we decided to head up the road and go see Despicable Me. Here we are with our 3D glasses waiting for the movie to start. It was super cute and really funny!
Then I thought it was appropriately fitting that the July Chick Flicks movie fit in and we had it the weekend before my actual birthday.

Our July movie was:

13 Going On 30

So a group of girls headed over dressed in their funnest pj's. I asked everyone to bring toppings. Toppings for their favorite pizza and what they would like to eat with ice cream. I provided dough, sauce, and cheese as well as fruit (you can see it towards the back of the picture). I set out all the toppings in bowls and gave everyone a rolled out slice of pizza dough. Then everyone went around the table and put on their favorite toppings. We cooked them in batches in the oven.
Tiffany and Leah hanging out in the kitchen
Leah and Amy made theirs into giant pizza pockets
Amy showing off their handiwork
some more pizza fun
I received this cute homemade apron from Amy and Leah (I also got a handmade apron from Baylee) to add to my apron collection. I promise one day I will take a picture of all my aprons.
We took a trivia quiz and this month everyone was a winner. Everyone received Razzles (candy that is also gum) and an 80's Jams cd that I mixed together. It has some great tunes that include Thriller, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Loveshack, Jesse's girl, etc.
A couple of pictures of everyone with their Razzles and cds.

We all watched the movie and took a brief pause to make our ice cream sundaes in edible waffle bowls. After the movie which brought back many memories from our childhood, we packed up all the leftover toppings and everyone headed home.

On my actual birthday I arrived at work to find that my boss Cyndi had decorated my desk with tons of thirty party stuff. She felt that I needed to see the actual number thirty all day long. So she put this big thirty on the door across from my desk.
She even climbed on my desk and stood on a step stool to put up the thirty things hanging from the ceiling and tied a balloon on my wires. The cards were from some of my co-workers and Chris gave me the bite-size cupcakes which were delicious.
Maxine gave me some new ring bling!
Stacie came and brought me this huge Happy Birthday balloon and...

my favorite banana pudding that her mom makes. It was sooooo yummy and delicious! Yes, I shared with my co-workers.
I met my good friend Leah and her son Casen at "our place" aka Chili's in Hickory Creek for lunch. We had a good time talking and remembering how much fun we had at the Eclipse party.
Here I am surrounded by all my birthday goodies
eating my cupcakes
That night I went to dinner at Babe's with my family. They spared me the humiliation of the chicken hat and being sung Happy Birthday by a bunch of waitresses. Sometimes I can't believe I am thirty but yes I am OFFICIALLY:

THIRTY, FLIRTY, & THRIVING!!!!!

Trivia Quiz

1. What was the original title of 13 Going On 30?

a. Sparkle

b. Sugar and Spice

c. Turn Back Time

2. What was the most popular girls name of the 70's and 80's?

3. In what country was the title changed to Suddenly 30 because the distributors thought audiences would misunderstand the original title?

4. In what year did Cosmopolitan magazine get its start?

a. 1886

b. 1946

c. 1966

5. What was Jennifer Garner's first major in college before switching to drama?

6. In what decade did Mattel introduce the first Barbie Dream House?

Rambling #26 Hap-py Birthday Char-he!

For as long as I can remember Stacie and I have said that to each other on or birthday's, it is from All Dogs Go To Heaven. Unfortunately for Stacie she had to get locked up at the jail on her birthday aka she had to work. So long ago she told me she wanted me to make her a coconut cake for her birthday and bring it up to her while she was at work, so I did. Here I am visiting her at the jail, on July 5th.
Here is her coconut cake I made from scratch, icing and everything. It was a Barefoot Contessa recipe found here.

Here is the birthday girl cutting into her cake! Doesn't she look happy cutting into her cake!
She said she had a wonderful birthday and she loved the cake!

Rambling #25 Summer of Babies!!!!!

So this spring I had several people close to me that were pregnant. Most of these babies were all due at some point this summer or late this summer. Starting with my friend Adorah. She had her little girl Saida on July 8. Here are some pictures of Saida:

this was Saida a couple of weeks ago. I'm holding her. I think she looks like her daddy, Chris.
Next up was my cousin-in-law Jessica. We were all waiting to see if she would have a baby girl Brown or baby boy Brown. Well She had a little girl named Margo on August 16 at like 11:20pm. My dad, sister and I went to see Jessica and Margo at the hospital the next day. Here we are with Margo:





The last baby born was my friend Chrissie's. We knew we were waiting for a baby boy to be named Austin Hoyt Russell and I got the news that he was born on September 4th at 7:45 in the morning. Here is sweet Austin:

Some newer pics Chrissie sent me just today!

So CONGRATULATIONS!!!! to all the newly formed families and HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABIES!