Thanksgiving 2011

I have so much to be thankful for that I don't even know where to begin!  Guess that's a good problem to have, eh?

Andy and I packed up and headed to Mississippi for an extended Thanksgiving holiday.  We started the week in Jackson visiting with dear friends Sara Jane and Jeff.  Jeff was kind enough to host Andy all day as I arrived later Tuesday evening.  It was a tough job-- watching TV while the rain passed through then playing 18 holes of golf.  Sara Jane was hard at work and her sweet mom was hard at work at the house cooking a delicious dinner for us!  SJ-- I've got to get that rice recipe!

We headed to the Farm on Wednesday and dined at Petty's in Starkville on our way.  Dad placed the orders for everyone.  I'm a purist when it comes to my BBQ, so when he ordered the Grilled Cheese BBQ Sandwich, I was a bit hesitant!  I love a grilled cheese and I love a good BBQ pulled pork sandwich, but together?

I stand corrected.  It. Was. Amazing.  And we're not the only ones who think that; the folks at Garden and Gun agree.

Andy was assigned the task of frying the turkey-- not an inconsequential duty!  Not only had he never fried a turkey (or cooked one for that matter), he had never deep fried anything!

It was a group effort, but Andy's fried turkey was a complete success!

On Friday, we had the extended family out for left overs and cocktails which was quite festive and enjoyable.

 

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key and relaxing.  The boys (Jeff and Sara Jane's dad Clinton came up for the Egg Bowl) played golf and watched football.  There was lots of time spent outside as the weather was perfect for sitting in the Adirondacks and enjoying a fire.

I absolutely love holidays at the Farm (well, any time at the Farm but the holidays especially!).  We spent Christmas here every year growing up and this is where Andy and I got married.  It will always be so special to me.

Anyone still there?!  Ha!  Thanks for bearing with me.  This blog has morphed into more of a personal diary of sorts, but I'm enjoying that... hope you are too! 

As if there weren't enough pictures in this post, more here.

The Celebration Continues...

It's amazing that Andy and I have been together for 5+ years, yet I had not been to see his beloved Redskins play!  Honestly, by the way he described the games, I can't say I was chomping at the bit to go but that all changed when the right invitation came along!  Sweet friend Adriana had tickets to a suite with a rock star parking pass and asked if Andy and I wanted to join her and her boyfriend... uh, yeah!!

This is my kind of sports-- front row parking, private entrance, greeted at the door with a brownie and unlimited hot dogs!

And to top off a wonderful day, Stacy had us over for homemade deep dish pizza-- ooey, gooey, cheesy, goodness.  I had such a fun and wonderful weekend-- perfect weekend to end my 20s!

The Big 30

My natural tendency is to be a homebody, but our schedule the past few weeks definitely is quite the opposite!  We've been out of town the last four of five weekends, and it's caught up with me.

Where to start?!  Well, last week I turned 30! I spent the days leading up to the big celebration going on a segway tour, biking to Mt Vernon, flossing, and eating my vegetables while sewing pillow cases and drapes (reference here).  Only kidding, instead I decided to take Alicen's advice-- "I have an idea for #31: Throw out the list and just do what you can/will/want each day."

Actually, I celebrated with a SURPRISE!!

 

Sweet Andy planned a surprise dinner party for me on the Saturday before my birthday.  I was totally surprised and loved every second of it!

 

 

My ever so thoughtful friends ran with the idea.  They spiffed up the restaurant table with flowers and adorable pear place cards, brought in a grocery store white on white birthday cake (my fave) and toted a great camera to capture the evening!

Andy made reservations at Brasserie Beck which we had been wanting to try and it did not disappoint!  The food was delicious (those fries... and usually I only think of fries as a vehicle for ketchup but not these fries... they were perfect on their own.) and the service was great... I mean, the rendition of Happy Birthday was enough to last me a few years!

So. Many. Candles.

 

It was the perfect way to celebrate the Big 30!

 

 

Thank you Andy, you know how to make a girl feel special.  Thank you sweet friends for coming out to celebrate!

Evening Wear

We've had quite the fancy past few weekends-- black tie events each Saturday for the last three weeks! Wardrobe wise it's taught us a couple of things. Andy has mastered tying his bow tie and I need an evening shrug!  It's been quite chilly (even in Alabama!) at night, and I need an evening appropriate jacket. Here are some picks from around the internet.

1- Aubin & Wills Sliverthorne // Sequined Satin Tuxedo Jacket

2 - Adam Ruffled // Silk-Chiffon Cropped Jacket

3 - Anna Sui Cropped // Faux Shearling Jacket

4 - Milly Dylan // Mohair-Blend Bouclé Jacket

5 - Collection XIIX // Sequined Faux Fur Jacket

6 - Juicy Couture // Faux Fur Capelet

We're keeping it a little more low key this weekend.  After a busy week, think it will be dinner and a glass of wine on the sofa under a cozy blanket tonight.  TGIF!

Weekend Recap - Mobile, AL

Last weekend, we headed to Mobile, Alabama to celebrate Virginia and Oliver's wedding!  Neither Andy nor I had ever been to Mobile so we did a little exploring on Friday.  It was the perfect, southern fall weekend with clear skies and warm air.  We drove across the Mobile Bay and then went to Fairhope, Alabama which is a very cute town with lots of shops and a little park on the water.

Then we met up with everyone for the party after rehearsal dinner.  It was in a neat, old club in downtown Mobile and there was a great band who played quite the extended version of Proud Mary.  I was obviously very happy with that.

On Saturday, we joined the bride for a picnic at a beautiful home in the Mobile Garden District.  I just love visiting homes and seeing how people entertain.

This home was beautiful and I especially loved the backyard.  After I spotted their lemon tree I told Andy that I wanted one.  Then followed up that in our climate, a lemon tree wouldn't thrive so maybe we need a greenhouse.  And I don't really have a green thumb (more of a black thumb), so probably need a gardener as well.  So, add that to the list of "house wants".  We better get to house hunting before this list gets much longer!

After enjoying the delicious lunch (and even more delicious berry crumble bars), it was nap time before the wedding!  Virginia grew up in Mobile in a historic home that has been in her family for generations (I hope I've not misspoken here).  It's in downtown Mobile which is not very residential.  To accommodate the grand celebration, the street in front of her home was blocked off and the promenade next to her house was used.  It was quite the unique setting!

We had such a good time-- the food was amazing and the band was quite entertaining!

Sadly I did not get a picture of the beautiful bride. Hmph.