When It Rains

Yesterday was just one of those days. It started out okay but got progressively worse as the day went on. I had what I thought was going to be a quick orthodontist appointment and usually they are about 10 minutes, this one was half an hour at least. I left there and made my way to the car dealership to get the oil changed in my car. That took an hour and half seriously. It was past lunch time and I was so hungry. The dealership has fresh cookies and a soda and tea bar but I am trying to be better at what I'm eating so I ate the strawberries I had packed but they didn't fill me up. I had plans to meet a friend for lunch but had to change plans since it was way past lunch time when I left the dealership. Then I finally make it home and decide to catch up on some chores. I started laundry and then filled the dryer only to find that the breaker had flipped. I went out to see what was going on and discovered the breaker is broken. So, this morning I sit with a washer full of wet clothes, a dryer full of wet clothes and myself on a search for an electrician. Today has to be better...right?

TipToe Through the Tulips

My Mom and step dad came over Monday to help me plant some flowers in my front bed since I haven't been able to get anything to grow there. They purchased several flats from their favorite nursery and brought them over. We pulled up all of the existing plants or really what was left of them and then Larry and I headed over to my local nursery to purchase some compost and some more plants. We started about 9:00 on this project and were finished about 1:45. However, we worked in extremely hot conditions (it was 104 degrees) so we took a few water breaks! The pictures aren't the best but you can see that we put out lots of plants. I love that you can see both Maggie (on the right) and Ham (on the left) looking through the window in this picture!

I now have beautiful lillies!


After all of our hard work, I just hope these plants survive!

You Are My Sunshine

I got to visit my Nanny while I was at home. She recently fell and broke her shoulder and arm but is doing so much better. She was so excited to see me and even more excited for me to take her out on a little drive. She quit driving recently so a chance to get out of the house was super nice for her.

My Nanny always called me her sunshine and I can say now, she is mine! I love her so much and I hate that I am so far away and can't visit her more often. She always makes me feel special when I talk to her and I know she is proud of who I have become. I Love You Nanny!

Wash, Dry, Repeat

So I got back in town and got the news that we had to get a new washer and dryer. We technically only needed the dryer but knew the washer wasn't doing too well either so we went ahead and got the set. The delivery crew called this morning and told me they would arrive between 1-3 so I finished up some chores and decided to nap since I had a headache. I am pretty sure my eyes had not even shut and the delivery guys were banging on my door 30 minutes early. We haven't ever had a delivery/repair service show up on time or early, we are usually the last ones. So they brought in an installed these beauties.


I really wanted front loaders but I had my parents install cabinets in my laundry room last summer and front loaders wouldn't fit. Also, all the research that I have done says that while they do use less water, they have had many complaints about mold and mildew so I decided I really didn't want those problems! The new machines have been running non stop this afternoon. I think I've done 4 loads which is a lot for 2 people. Plus, I didn't bring any laundry back from my trip cause I did it all before I left my grandmas. Good planning on my part I think! Now comes the chore I am not fond of...putting all the laundry away! Ick!

Have You Seen These?

Not sure if I'm behind in times or what but on my SC vacation I recently discovered these fun shoes called snapshoes. They are by Lindsay Phillips and are basically shoes that can have the snaps changed to change the whole look of the shoe or you can purchase the Switch Flops which you can change out the strap of the flip flop to develop a whole new look. I purchased the wedges in a white gold color and so far, I'm very happy! I can't wait to find some more snaps to match different things. Plus, I'm ordering the black wedges too but shhh...don't let my husband know!

I'll Be Seeing You

My trip to my second home was nice and I have to admit I shed a few tears as I left the driveway and headed out. I love the time I get to spend with my Aunt Jan, Uncle Hal, Chandler and Halee. I just wish the time didn't go so quickly when I am there. Chandler and I spent lots of time together Wednesday since everyone else was heading out of town- more to come on that! We went downtown to a wine tasting, did a little shopping and hit up our favorite spot, The Chocolate Tree. We also stayed up super late and put together a puzzle that seemed to have a million pieces. Those are the memories that I'll always treasure. I have the best cousins in the world and those two girls are more than just my favorite cousins, they are my best friends!

Frogmore Stew

I tweeted this picture Saturday night and got many comments about it so I thought I should share the recipe here.

Frogmore Stew is a dish that is very popular in South Carolina. Frogmore is actually a little town where this dish is known to originate from. Frogmore Stew is an easy dish that will feed many people and is so, so, so good! Let me know if you try it!

Frogmore Stew
6 quarts water
3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
2 pounds new red potatoes
2 pounds hot smoked sausage links, cut into 2 inch pieces
12 ears corn - husked, cleaned and quartered
4 pounds large fresh shrimp, unpeeled

Directions
Bring water and Old Bay Seasoning to boil in a large stockpot.
Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes more. Add corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes. Drain immediately and serve.

Hanging with the Cousins

I got to South Carolina Thursday afternoon just as my cousins were coming back from the beach. I was really sad I missed out on that day with them so we decided to go back on Friday.

We took off mid morning Friday with all the beach essentials, peanut butter sandwiches, chips, chocolate chip cookies and kool aid! All of those items remind me of the summers I spent with my family in South Carolina. My aunt would always pack exactly those things whenever we went to the beach so I knew we couldn't break tradition.

We got to the beach about noon and stayed until almost 5:00. We had fun splashing in the waves and laying out in the warm sunshine. All three of us ended up with nice tan lines and memories to last a lifetime!

Chomp, Chomp!

As you know Amanda and I went to college together and were sorority sisters. Well, I have created many things for her little boy Nicholas since before he was born and lucky for me, Amanda has loved them all. Well, I knew Nicholas was turning one and I would be attending his birthday party so I had to come up with something new for his gift. His family is planning a beach vacation soon so I wanted to do something beach related and for some reason, a gator seemed to be perfect especially since they are planning to visit Florida. So, I sat down and created this little number

I plan to make a few more little shorts and tee's outfits and I'm sure Nicholas will be on the receiving end of several of those!

Miss Stephanie

I can't believe I don't have any pictures of Miss Stephanie but just think cute and that's her! I wanted to post a little something about her anyway.

In 2005 I came to work for the school district I currently work in and I was asked to host a high school student volunteer to which I happily agreed. Miss Stephanie joined my class that fall and we discovered we had so many things in common and became close friends. She helped my students with work and even taught lessons. I couldn't have completed a lot of projects without her help. At the end of the school year, Miss Stephanie wrote me a very heartfelt note and let me know that although her earlier plans had not included a teaching career, she had now changed her mind and knew that she wanted to make a difference in the lives of children and become a teacher! My heart melted!

Fast forward to 2011. Miss Stephanie has now graduated from college and is having to search for a teaching job in the most difficult time due to recent budget cuts and restrictions. I am hopeful she will get a job and I would love nothing more than to have her teaching right next to me at my school. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she searches for that perfect place and begins a rewarding career!