On the day AFTER Christmas, my true love gave to me....

Hello dear readers and I hope that all our Christian readers had a wonderful Christmas day yesterday. We enjoyed time with family and friends, and actually, my family is not quite done with our get-togethers!  And that's A-OK with me, as I like to spread out the festivities and good cheer. 

For today's post, at the risk of being redundant, I want to share a few more images of Christmas around our home and a few other places this season.  Christmas cards, cookies, and the Pink Pig, oh my!!  Please indulge me, as I figure that this is my last chance til about 11 months from now to get in the Christmas spirit!

Without further adieu....

The below cake was actually my birthday cake, which was celebrated earlier in December.  Thanks to the hubby and my stepmom for this great cake!  Don't you love the tall candles??

 

Peppermint Wreath

I was flipping through this month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens and on page 39 I saw this really fun peppermint candy wreath. This inspired me to try and make my own so I went to Michael’s today and picked up a few things to get started. I'm not finished with this yet, it takes some time for the glue to dry so you're attaching the candy in stages, but thought I'd go ahead and post a couple pictures since I'm so behind on blogging. My apologies for the delay, but it's been a crazy week and I still have so much to do before the 25th! :) And since I won't be posting until after Christmas I thought it would be best to go ahead and share this in case it should give you a last minute gift idea. This little wreath would make the perfect holiday hostess gift... in fact that's what I intend to do with mine once it's finished! :)

And Visions of Sugarplums Danced in Their Heads...

For today's post, I just wanted to share some Christmas images from around my house.... hope all are enjoying their holiday seasons!

 

10 Holiday Gifts All Under $20!

Forgive me for not getting this post up sooner, but blogging took a back seat to my Christmas cards this week! So much to do, so little time. Anyway, I'd like to share with you some of my top picks for Holiday gifts, and the best part is that all of these items are under $20. I thought this might stir up an idea or two for those of us who love to give, but need to watch what we spend! Read on for my top 10 gifts under $20.

Anthropologie's Voluspa candle. They have several scents to choose from, but my absolute favorite is the Santiago Huckleberry. I could stand around with this to my nose literally all day and never get sick of it. Love this three wick candle, and at $18 it makes the perfect gift under $20.

 

 

 

Christmas planning is underway!

Hello dear readers!

I hope that each and every one of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  As for us, we spent 4 days enjoying family, friends, food and good times.  I've been battling a sinus infection (yuck), but let me tell you, that didn't stop me from having a great time with loved ones this past week.  Since just this past Wednesday, my husband and I have enjoyed: a date night at Empire State South (read about sister restaurant 5 and 10 in one of my Athens-centered posts, here), a performance by Yacht Rock Revue - y'all recall how we love this band! - at classic Atlanta haunt Smith's Old Bar, two days of family get-togethers, and a smashing wedding reception for one of my oldest friends and his lovely bride (they married about a month ago on a mountain-top in the northeast - how romantic is that?)  Oh, and lest I forget, we also enjoyed watching another delicious win (4 in a row, to be exact) for our beloved Georgia Bulldogs over in-state rival Georgia Tech.  It was a great weekend for the Forlines!
 

Our Bunco Group Sends Some Love to our Military this Holiday Season!

Each year our bunco group comes together for some sort of charity around the holiday season. Last year, we supported our troops through a group called Operation Homefront where we sponsored a few military families and purchased Christmas gifts for their children. (Read that post here.) This year, we kept with the same military theme only changed it up to send care packages to the troops who are currently overseas. Some of us met up at Target and purchased items such as candy, beef jerky, cans of Chef Boyardee, Hostess Cakes (long live the Twinkie!) and even some playing cards. These things were compiled with some of our own baked goods, magazines, letters of gratitude, and artwork from our children to make up several packages. One of the girls in our group then sorted and shipped these goodies to the various places around the world where some of our military men and women are currently serving. I believe she said one of the packages went to someone stationed on a ship off the coast of Libya. Considering the recent events in this country, it's unnerving when you think about the danger this young man or woman could be in while stationed near such a hostile environment. Our prayers for protection go with each package that was sent over.

Halloween 'Hood Party

Yes, Halloween 2012 is now in the past, but I want to share some highlights from a party a few of us on my street organized in honor of the holiday. The majority of the effort was lead by, the King and Queen of Halloween themselves – The Sokolowskis, who, I might add, were responsible for the very idea of this spooky soiree! Everyone gathered in their front yard so the house you see in my pictures below actually belongs to them. Needless to say, the SPOOKolowskis go all out with their decorations, they even purchased a projector so we could all watch a Halloween movie displayed on the side of their house once the sun went down. And another neighbor took the time to decorate a trailer he hitched to the back of his truck with orange lights. He created seating with hay stacks where the kids proudly sat as they rode up and down the streets parading their costumes for all those whom we passed by. We were suppose to have a jack-o-lantern contest too, but never got around to that... we must have lost track of time due to all the fun we were having!

It goes without saying that I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such awesome families. I love getting together with my neighbors and hope we can make this an annual celebration!

 

Our fabulous hayride!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween dear readers!

Hope you've had a wonderful day, tricking and treating, dressing up, eating candy, having fun with little ones, or whatever else Halloween might mean to you. 

For today's post, I wanted to share some of what Halloween meant around these parts, in terms of decor that is.  ;-)

A look at our front door... some squashes, gourds, and pumpkins (in vintage iron baskets from happy place Scott's Antique Market) alongside some ceramic jack o'lanterns from Kroger and an autumnal berry wreath from Target a few years back and I'm good to go!

 

Foodies Love Food Trucks!

It seems like Food Trucks are all the rage these days. Foodies flock to them not for your usual hamburger and fries, but for a more cultural cuisine. You’re more likely to find a gourmet twist on tacos or an Asian fusion type of menu on one of these trucks rather than some boring hotdog. These chefs on wheels have put a whole new spin on the idea of street food and the masses are really taking to it. There is even a show dedicated to the concept on the Food Network called The Great Food Truck Race. My husband and I watch this from time to time. The good news is you can find a food truck in almost every major city. Atlanta finally came around to the idea too, opening a huge park on the westside of town. I haven’t been there yet, but I hear it’s really fun, attracting tons of trucks which offer a wide variety of food. This park in particular even hosts small concerts on the weekends. You can check out their site here.

Quick and easy - but still HOMEMADE - No Bake Cookies!

Y'all, today I want to share one of my favorite recipes, No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.  It's a favorite because the end result is so yummy, but it sure doesn't hurt that it's quick and easy to boot.  And not to mention - no baking required!!  I got this recipe some years ago from a dear friend and former co-worker, Donna.  Donna is just about one of the sweetest women I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and calling my dear friend, so it's fitting that she's the one who gave me this to-die-for sweets recipe.

Burt's Pumpkin Farm & The Cumming Country Fair and Festival all in a weekend... Oh and Zoo Atlanta too!

In the year of 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue... and who knows how the rest goes? Just glad they didn't have GPS back in those days or ole Columbus wouldn't have missed his mark by two or three oceans and most of us would agree that was a good thing. Geez, he really was no where close to India. Well happy Columbus Day everyone, hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Sorry my post is a little late, Lindsay and I like to have one out by Friday or Saturday if possible, but this weekend was a busy one for me. I actually got around to doing some of those Autumn activities I mentioned when I last blogged. You can read about those here. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the highlights/pictures from my weekend, we hit up 2 of the 5 places I mentioned – Burt's Pumpkin Farm and the Cumming Country Fair and Festival. And we're headed to Ellijay next weekend for some apple picking so my list is close to being checked off.

Fall Delights

In keeping with Catherine's post from last week about her favorite Fall things to do in the greater Atlanta area, I thought this week I would share some images I've been hoarding that are giving me oodles of inspiration this season as I start to decorate our home.  It doesn't hinder me in the least that we won't be getting cool weather for a few (to maybe even several) weeks, thanks to our mild Georgia weather.  I mean, I guess colorful leaves would be more fitting if I needed a sweater, but hey! you go with what you got.  ;o)

Most of these images are also featured on the "holiday decor" board of my Pinterest page, so if you want to follow me there, please do!  You can find me here.

My Top 5 Autumn Activities

Ahh Fall... brings about cooler weather, football, festivals, 'warm the soul' kind of food such as chili, and the aroma of those cinnamon brooms you buy at the grocery store fills the air. Of course, it helps that everyone is a little giddy knowing that the holidays are right around the corner which means a much needed break and more time spent with family and friends is on the way.

Who doesn't love Fall? It's my favorite time of the year!

Below is my Awesome Autumn Activities List and despite my cheesy title, I think you'll find this list is a 'cornucopia' of fun Fall things to do if living in the state of Georgia. ;) OK, that whole sentence was cheesy, but I just couldn't help myself. Anyway, I drafted an activities list for summertime (see that post here) and thought I'd do something similar for the cooler months. I hope you enjoy! :)

Burt's Pumpkin Patch

There are many great pumpkin patches to visit in Georgia, but this one has been around since I was a kid and it's my favorite for a number of reasons. One being that it's set in such a pretty location, the North Georgia Mountains. You have to drive over an hour to get there from Atlanta, but it's worth the trek because you really feel like you're out in the country, and you are! The mountains surround you as you walk through hoards of gourds. Ha! Seriously, there are thousands of these big, orange fruits sitting around - yes, pumpkins are actually classified as a fruit and not a vegetable. Burt's pumpkins really are beautiful. They come in all different sizes too, some of their big boys are around 150 lbs! Once you pick out your pumpkin and load it on to your wheelbarrow, you can buy some pumpkin baked goodies, take a hayride, purchase some indian corn, or bale of hay for your Fall decorations... what ever tickles your fancy. We took my daughter last year when she was around 9 or 10 months old and now that she's walking I can't wait to take her back!

Colorful Co-Ed Baby Shower

Wes grilled and Staci marinated this pork roast.  Yum!  Colorful hurricanes are from One King's Lane.  Y'all know how I love that site!  (And if you don't, check out my previous post on the ever-so-fabulous OKL here).

Happy weekend everyone!  Here in Georgia we are still experiencing gorgeous summery-fall weather (I made that word up, but I think it fits nicely), just perfect for heading outdoors and having some fun.  Just this morning, my son and I enjoyed watching my husband play tennis with his men's ALTA team.  It was beautiful out there (made even prettier by a Zing-Zang bloody mary).  And while my little one naps, I am itching to get back outside and tackle a little gardening.  But before I do that, I wanted to share some pics from a little soiree that my hubs and I co-hosted a few months ago.  This was an evening shindig we hosted alongside Staci and Alex (another couple we are close friends with), and it was for our dear friends Matt and Heather.  (Side note: Staci, Heather, and I have co-hosted a baby shower together before - it was a nautically-themed coed bash for friends expecting a little boy; you may remember that post, found here).  The reason for this particular party (besides having a swell ol' time, naturally) was to celebrate the then-upcoming arrival of Matt and Heather's little girl.  I am proud to report that at this point in time, their little pink bundle has arrived safe and sound, and she is now doing well and even sleeping through the night (almost!).

Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto from America's Test Kitchen

I'm on a recipe sharing kick and this week I want to share one from a public broadcasting TV show that my husband and I love. It's called America's Test Kitchen and you can find it on your PBS channel. I believe they've been on air for over 10 years now, but if you've never seen this show, then I highly recommend you catch an episode. They always demonstrate a recipe or two, but as the name suggests, they also test out different cooking equipment - blenders, specialty knives, toasters, etc as well as test various products. They also do blind taste testing on coffee blends or various peanut butter brands to see which one the audience prefers most. Needless to say, it's really interesting, very educational and the recipes you'll get from them are awesome!

 

Georgia on My Mind...

Hey y'all!

I hope that all our readers are having a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  (To reminisce on the meaning of the holiday and some other fun bits related to Labor Day, you can peruse my posts from last year here and here).  And on a side note, I simply cannot believe that a year has gone by since I wrote those.  It's so trite but so true - time flies when you're having fun, and it flies faster and faster the older you get...

True to the times a'flyin' thought, my family just returned from a wonderful week-long getaway to St. Simon's Island, Georgia.  I've been to this special place many times over the years, both with family and friends.  It's one of those places I hold near and dear to my heart.  This time, we stayed in the beautiful High Tide Cottage and loved it so much, we can't wait to go back and stay here again.  It's right on the beach on the southern side of the island, just up from the pier.   

Isn't she gorgeous??

A Couscous Recipe That's Quick and Easy and Oh So Tasty!

I've got a really simple couscous recipe that I thought was worthy of sharing with our readers. It's so easy, can be prepared in under 10 minutes, and is excellent served either warm or cold!

All you need are the following ingredients:

(Note I've doubled this recipe so it can be shared with friends, cut ingredients in half if serving 4 people or less.)

• 2 boxes of 'parmesan flavored' couscous (I like the Near East brand)
• About 15 - 20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Green onion, I dice the entire bunch
• 1 yellow pepper, diced

 

The Hostess Gift That Keeps on Growing!

Two years ago, I was given a lovely baby shower by some very dear friends of mine. I've been friends with most of these girls since high school, actually some of the friendships go back to our elementary days. Needless to say, we're all tight so when they offered to throw a shower for me, I knew I had to give them a hostess gift that would be special. I wanted to give them something unique, something that required a little thought and effort. Now, most days I doubt my creative abilities, but I must say I really love the idea I came up with and better yet, it was all mine. :)

So this is going to sound random, but I love succulents. You know, those plants that are water-retaining and do well in dry climates. The most common of them are aloe and agave but my favorite succulent would be the Hens and Chicks. I found this description of them on the website, About.com. The article was written by David Beaulieu who gives a much better description then I could...

Hens and chicks plants are mat-forming succulents that produce clusters of rosettes. The parent rosettes are the "hens," and the smaller rosettes that spring from them are the "chicks" or "chickens.

Love the vibrant green color of these Hens and Chicks.

A Vintage, Patriotic Ice Cream Social

Happy Friday, readers!  I hope that each of you are having a wonderful summer and enjoying time soaking up sun, fun, and time with family and friends.  We have been having a great - albeit very busy - summer 'round our parts.  However, never too busy to enjoy plenty of time at the pool! 

As some of you know, my son turned one earlier this season.  Like most parents, we are pinching ourselves and saying "where did the time go?"  (Not on the sleepless nights though... let's be real here).  We have enjoyed watching our little baby turn into a toddler... little boy?  (say it ain't so!)  In fact, we decided to have two parties to commemorate his turning the BIG ONE! 

Why I love Jess Kamm Photography!

Whenever I really love something I have to share that love here, and I LOVE Jess Kamm Photography! There are many great photographers in the Atlanta area, but one who stands out to me is Jess Kamm. She took some newborn shots of my daughter and each photo was perfection. Of course, I thought my little bundle looked like perfection 24/7, but capturing her all snugly and sleepy takes a lot of skill and even more patience.

Gone Fishin'....

We're on "summer vacation" right now ladies.... but we promise you'll hear back from us real soon! 

Hope you're enjoying whatever you're up to!

xoxo

Lindsay

An Update on iPods from Cohen

In May I wrote a post about a wonderful cause, iPods from Cohen, started by a mother by the name of Megan who tragically lost her first baby to Congenital Heart Defects. When Megan reflected on their time in the hospital, while doctors worked to save her little one, she remembered how helpful it was to have an iPhone. She thought everyone in her shoes should have access to a similar device, so she came up with the brilliant idea to donate iPods to the Hospital in her baby's name. This donation would give every parent a way to connect online, send email updates to family and friends, listen to music, and take pictures/video of their new baby. The iPod would also provide older siblings with some entertainment via gaming apps, making the entire family's time at the hospital a more comfortable one considering their ordeal.

A darn good (and darn easy) salsa "recipe"

Here I am, once again blogging days past our weekly blog release date (which is Friday, for those of you not in-the-Buncolator know).  Let me just confess that I have been on summer time for some time now (and in my world that's similar to what some call beach time, island time, or lake time). 

This picture is really just perfect, as I absolutely love flamingoes.  So happy and so pink.

A stove-top cover? What a fabulous idea! Plus a white wine spritzer that will knock your socks off!

Several days ago my sister had her first wedding shower which was given by some of my parents' very dear friends who went above and beyond to make her day a very special one! From the adorable bride and groom center piece to the delicious food, these women thoroughly outdid themselves and it was so appreciated. This same group of ladies even threw a shower for me when I was a bride-to-be. What can I say, we love these families and we're so grateful for all they've done for us over the years!

Oh Baby! Eggs and Nest Baby Shower

A few weeks ago Catherine and I (alongside some of our other best gals) threw a baby shower for our dear friend Emily.  Emily is a Southern doll with an eye for crafty details and a sentimental heart too.  As such, and this being her first baby, we wanted to throw in some special details to make the day memorable.  I had some eggs and birds' nests I had been dying to use for a party's decor, so we went with an egg and nest theme (perfect for an expectant mama, no)?  And praise be to God, as I write this Emily is enjoying week 3 with her new little girl.  Special times!

Check out pics from out fete below....

These gorgeous flowers are from Adam's Apples... you might remember me talking about them in this post.  This is a wonderful shop in Avondale Estates, GA that provides flowers, candies, specialty candied apples and other chocolate-covered treats, and balloons galore.  I just love them!

Neighborhood Block Party

A few of us in my neighborhood have been saying for years now that we wanted to get everyone together for a block party, but life keeps us busy so the idea always fell by the wayside. Well, this summer we decided to go for it so I called our police department and put in a request to close our street! Considering we get a lot of cut-through traffic the road closing really was a must... so glad my neighbor suggested the idea. There wasn't a cost involved in obtaining the permit either which was nice. Anyway, the process takes about 30 days to complete, so it only made sense to get that going first. After that was set into motion, I sent out an evite to all those I had addresses for and asked them to forward it on to others. This was to be an open invitation to all our neighbors, the more the merrier!

Jersey Boys (and some Yacht-y boys too....)

Readers, first let me please apologize that our usual Friday post is two days late.  I have been experiencing some technical difficulties with my home computer and have just been plain busy as a bee too.  Excuses aside, please know I'm giving myself 37 lashes - and at least a few days without Bunco - as punishment. ;o)

However, in this post I would like to give y'all the scoop on two reasons why I was so busy this weekend.  Both reasons just so happen to be groups of handsome and musically talented men.  No, my hubs has no reason to be jealous, I'm talking about Jersey Boys and Yacht Rock. 

My Checklist for Summer

In this post I list 10 things that I'd like to do this summer! We are taking a little vacation late August, but my list below are some activities I'd like to do locally. Some are cheap or even free, others I will have to save up for, but all of it sounds F-U-N! If you live in Atlanta, then maybe some of these ideas will appeal to you too!

Oh and it goes without saying that Tanglewood Farm would be at the top of this list, but as Lindsay shared with you last week we've managed to make that trip. That said, I am definitely going back next summer!

Tanglewood Farms (mini-animals!!)

Happy early-Memorial Day, y'all!  I hope all our readers have a wonderful weekend ahead.  I also want to remind us all, including myself, to remember the meaning behind this holiday.  I am so grateful to each and every veteran of this nation, and also for their families.  The sacrifice they make, each and every day, is not fully fathomable to those of us living comfortable lives as civilians.  My own sweet dad fought in the Vietnam War, and he actually was awarded a medal for bravery because he went onto a live battle field and pulled a fellow injured soldier to safety.  That makes me so proud - and admittedly, scared - I sometimes think my heart will burst just thinking about it.  The thought of him, and other soldiers in all the wars that America has fought and continues to fight, putting themselves in harm's way for our freedom just takes my breath away.  We are such a blessed nation, through and through. 

But on to today's post, which is about the not-to-be-missed Tanglewood Farms!  Y'all, this is such a fun place to visit, with or without kids. 

All she needed was a sewing machine and the manual to make her dreams come true!

A few months back my neighbor introduced me to Felicia Moss, who started a clothing line for little girls called My Sugar Baby, and I must say I've been hooked on her adorable creations ever since. If you have a little girl then you MUST check out My Sugar Baby, such darling outfits and at very affordable prices too! Felicia does everything from pillowcase dresses to sassy tops with coordinating bell-bottom pants. And of course, she has the hair accessories to top off the look. That's actually how her business got started. She was making hairbows for her friends' daughters and when she saw there was a demand for these she figured she could try and sell them. This idea proved to be a good one and before she knew it she was taking orders left and right!

Felicia holding some of her pillowcase dresses!

One Kings Lane

Well, well.  Where to begin about One Kings Lane..... my close girlfriends can tell you that this post is way, WAY overdue.  But better late than never right?  And I always have so many ideas bumping around in my head that it's hard to keep track.... like bunnies hopping all over the place.... I stole that little catchphrase from my family friend and author Mary Kay Andrews.  If you don't read her books you have to start.  They are too much fun - Southern, funny, sweet, and always with a little romance and a fun backdrop thrown in too.  The perfect summer reading, in other words.  Her new book Spring Fever comes out June 5th.... a fun tidbit and some shameless name-dropping and cross-promotion too.  ;o)  But I digress.

iPods From Cohen - A Mother's Cause to Help Others Who Have Children Born with Congenital Heart Defects.

This week we want to raise awareness around a charitable cause. It's a cause near and dear to a really wonderful mother/blogger, Megan, who has suffered the greatest loss a parent could endure, the loss of a child. In Megan's blog, In This Wonderful Life, she talks about her precious, little boy, Cohen, who was born into this world with Congenital Heart Defects. Although he only lived in this world for 12 short days, it's apparent that his faithful mother (and father too) believes he lives on with Jesus. I understand that not everyone shares in the same spiritual beliefs, and I have nothing but respect for people of every faith out there, but as a Christian, Megan's story touches me deeply. I would like to think that if I were in her shoes I would find comfort and healing in this belief too.

Not-To-Be-Missed Grocery Store Party Pics

Today I am going to blog about one of my favorite ways to make a party easier, especially if you are short on time (or energy).  And what way is that?  Well, don't tell Martha (Stewart, but of course).... but I'm talking about grocery store party items.  Literally, I mean those little extras I can nab at the last second - and they take minimal (if any) prep and still look good and taste delicious too.  You won't tell anyone my little secrets, will you?  :o)

And while I am on this topic, do y'all remember the movie Mermaids?  You know, the one with Cher before she went blond, Winona Ryder before she went shifty and no-good, and little cherub-cheeked Christina Ricci before she went Addams Family.  

Why a book makes the perfect gift!

I thought I'd change things up and write about something sort of off the topic of entertaining. This information may not help you when hosting a party/shower, but it may give you a gift idea if you're attending one.

I recently learned of this store specializing in rare and out-of-print books called Atlanta Vintage Books. Interestingly enough, this obscure little gem has been within walking distance of my house and all these years I never got around to making my way over. To be honest with you, it doesn't look like much from the outside... I know, I know, you can't judge a book by its cover, but nevertheless, I always overlooked it until recently hearing it was packed with some great finds. So, yesterday I scooped up my baby and my wallet and we strolled over to see what treasures we could find.

Two Parties in Two Days - Part Two

And now.... on to the Egg Hunt!!  (To get up to speed, be sure to check out Two Parties in Two Days - Part One.  :o)

There are the balloons from the foyer the night before, tied along our back fence.

Nothing really that Eastery here, but I changed the furniture in front of our living
room mantle around and like it so much better!  :o)

Two parties in Two Days - Part One

A few weeks ago my husband and I celebrated a fun-filled weekend when we hosted not one, but two parties at our home on consecutive days.  I think my husband thought I was a little nuts at first, but it actually worked out quite well in the execution.  :o)  We had a party on Saturday night for dear friends Chris and Katie, getting married this Spring in lovely Charleston, South Carolina.  On Sunday afternoon, we had a children's Easter Egg Hunt for our son and some of his precious little friends.

Happy Easter, Peeps!

I started brainstorming about creative Easter ideas for this week's blog post and as I was perusing the world wide web I came across a blog called Neatorama. If you have never heard of this blog you should definitely check it out, it's an entertaining read. One of their posts featured dioramas made with Peeps which is what caught my eye. For those of you who don't know, Peeps are the sugar-coated, marshmallow candies retailers sell around the Easter holiday. As a kid, I thought they tasted spectacular... now, not so much. Anyway, Neatorama's post I'm referring to is called 13 Hilarious Peep Candy Easter Dioramas. It's definitely worth taking a look, the creator (or creators) of these scenes are so imaginative. They're creativity is really impressive and they're really humorous as well. The most hysterical of these settings is the first one you'll see... the 'peep' show. I've included a picture of it below.

Ahoy Baby Boy!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I co-hosted a coed baby shower for some dear friends who live out-of-state.  Along with our fellow co-hosts, we really wanted to make this shower memorable for Ali and Jason and their soon-to-arrive baby boy.  We went with a nautical theme, as we figured this was perfect for a baby boy (and his nursery is decked out in sea-worthy furnishings as well). 

The shower was at our friends Staci and Alex's lovely house, and between Staci and Heather (the other co-hostess), we were set for delicious food. 

Are your weekend plans rather bland? Spice things up with a cooking class!

If you're looking for something fun to do either with friends or as a date night, then hopefully this post will inspire you! I've been meaning to give The Cook's Warehouse (TCW) a shout out for quite sometime now. My sister turned me on to their cooking classes and I've been hooked ever since... I believe her fiance was a volunteer there which is how she came to know of the place. TCW sells every kitchen gadget imaginable so if you're in need of some Le Creuset pots and pans or maybe a really nice paring knife then you need to check them out, but what sets them apart from their competition is that they offer a wide array of cooking classes taught by some of Atlanta's most accomplished chefs. These instructors own some of the hottest restaurants in town, some of the chefs have made TV appearances, and of course all of them have written a recipe book or two.

Lindsay, A to Z

Callie over at Calliespondence (Catherine and I have told y'all about our dear friend and her stationery before, here and here ) was kind enough to tag us in a trend that has been sweeping the blogging world, the a to z post!

So here goes ladies, all about me!  :o)

A.  Age: 31. As a child, that put me square in the middle of two great decades.... the 80's and the 90's.  Let's just say that I was obsessed with most of the characters in the photo montage above.  Alf, you handsome devil you.... Scott Baio, you were a major crush on Charles in Charge.... and Punky Brewster, I loved your spunk.... and my Converse All-stars "you" designed.   

Katie's Bacon and Brown Sugar Recipe

Calling all bacon lovers… I have a special recipe for you! If you like Bacon and you like sweets then this is a MUST try. And at most it takes 2 minutes to prep and under 20 minutes to cook… this is seriously easy and seriously delicious.

Bunco Go Bragh

Hi ladies! I hope you all have big weekend plans in store.... as for me, I'm gearing up to co-host a coed baby shower for some special friends this Saturday night. I promise to take lots of pictures to share! It's at my good friend Staci's house (she's the wife of one of my husband's fraternity brothers and a fellow Bunco-er to boot) and she's got some great ideas cooked up. We have a nautical theme going (to celebrate the baby BOY), and we hope our guests will enjoy.

But first, I'm in the mood for a little St. Patrick's Day pre-planning.... shall we? :o)

The Perfect Recipe for your Bunco Game Night – Burgundy Mushrooms!

Happy Friday! I'm uber excited to share a really fabulous recipe which came to me via a very dear friend, Lauren. She is actually great friends with both me and Lindsay. We've known this girl forever and she is many fabulous things rolled into one... a wonderful mother, wife, friend, fashionista, purse hoarder – the girl has more pocketbooks than Imelda Marcos has shoes!

She is captain of her tennis team, was voted most congenial for her senior superlative, and some might call her a comedian because she is down right hysterical. But truthfully, I've never really thought of her as a cook until recently. This is ONLY because she is always saying she doesn't care to be in the kitchen much, not because she doesn't make some really yummy things! After trying a few of her recipes out though I think we can add 'cook' to her long list of attributes.

Well, the other night it was Lauren's turn to host Bunco and she whipped out this mushroom dish that had everyone coming back for more. So, for the foodies who read our blog, I encourage you to try this Burgundy Mushroom recipe. It makes the perfect side dish or you can do as Lauren did and serve as an appetizer. It does take some time, a whopping 9 hours to be exact, but trust me, these shrooms are well worth the wait.
 

I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as I do... next time I hope to blog about a delicious candy bacon that I hear is pretty easy to make. First, I gotta get it from Katie, another good friend and fellow bunco player to me and Lindsay. Wish me luck. ;)

Catherine

Burgundy Mushrooms

4 lbs. button mushrooms
2 sticks real butter
1 liter of burgundy wine
5 cloves garlic peeled
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dill weed
4 beef boullion cubes
4 chicken boullion cubes
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire

Put everything except the salt into a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer COVERED for 6 hours. Remove the lid and continue to cook UNCOVERED for 3 more hours.

Add salt to taste at the end of cooking, if desired. The mushrooms will be very dark in color. You can simmer these slowly until you need them. Serve warm in chafing dish, with tooth picks or alongside a tenderloin or good steak. They will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Forlines, Party of Two

Happy Monday, dear readers!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Please excuse my tardiness in getting {what should have been} Friday's post up.  However... I do have a good reason.  I was enjoying a weekend away in beautiful Athens, Georgia.  As some of you may know, this past fall I was elected to one of four spots on my city's Board of Mayor and Commissioners.  I was sworn in in January, and I needed to complete a "Newly-Elected Official" conference to get up to speed on my new position.  Lucky for my hubs and me, one location where the conference is offered is The University of Georgia.  As we are both Double Dawgs (i.e., we each have two degrees from UGA), we jump on any chance to go spend time in what truly is our home away from home.

Break out your heart shaped doilies, it's V Day!

Throwing a party in honor of Cupid? Then check out some of these fabulous, flirty finds! You may just fall in love with them. ;)
Love that blue is the prominent color here, not pink.

You’re invited, now have some cake!

As promised, this post is a follow up to my daughter’s birthday party in which I’d like to give kudos to a few others, besides my MIL, who really made the day special. First, I’d like to give a nod to Callie Burnette, creator of Calliespondence, who was the mastermind behind the invitations. This girl is a whiz-bang with pretty paper. Her stationary creations are simply amazing! All I had to do was give her the theme and she provided me with some adorable options to choose from, but below is what we ended up going with and I couldn’t have been more pleased.

Champagne (need I say more)?

      A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands. 

      Lord Byron

I don't agree with ol' Lord Byron on the exclusivity of this statement, as I think a woman should be seen eating or drinking any food she darn well pleases... as long as she is using her proper manners - this is the South, y'know. ;o)  However, I do agree with the passion for Champagne that his comment reveals. 

My Candy Creations

Almost two weeks ago we threw a party for my daughter’s 1^st birthday and our theme was a Sweet ONEderland. So candy was at the center of this party, I’m talking gum drops, lollipops and tootsies galore. I’ll give you the full scoop on this shindig from the cake to the invites next time I blog, but thought I’d share how we crafted some of the decorations in this post. My mother-in-law is very creative and came up with two very clever ideas I absolutely adored… her first idea was to craft candies in a wrapper using disposable bowls, a little white tissue and pretty cellophane paper, and her second fabulous idea was to create little lollipops with Styrofoam balls, dowels and colored tissue paper. These came out so cute and were so easy to make I just had to share with our readers.

Like Baby, baby, baby, oh...

So far this 2012, we Georgians have been enjoying some mild and pleasant winter weather.... until today. Boy, is it windy and cold out there! I hope you are all snug in your homes, wrapped in blankets, snuggies, or - dare I say? -

Have you heard of Houzz?

So just the other day my husband informed me of this great site called Houzz, and I must say if you’re a design enthusiast it can be quite addictive. It’s basically a collection of interior design and decorating ideas and I thought it may be of interest to those who follow our blog since we touch on these things from time to time. Professionals such as architects, general contractors, interior designers, landscape artists, etc, post pictures of their recent projects where others can collect these photos by adding them to their ideabooks.