Tully, our furry English Bully child

This is why I don't get much sleep.....  Our dog Tully sleeps in-between Michael and me every night.  He is sandwiched in-between us and happier than a pig in mud.  We tried to put him on the floor but really, who could say "no" to this sweet face? 

Night Blooming Jasmine

Why it is that the best scents from Bath & Body Works are always discontinued?!?  For instance, they had this "discontinued" scent in stock recently, but only for a limited time.  Don't they understand how terribly frustrating that is?  Either keep it or get rid of it - no more of this in-between business.  That is all.

THIS would be why I don't go to a gym.  Only at home can I wear brown socks with my grey shoes and run on the treadmill.  No one is judging me, eyeing my perfectly slouched brown socks or asking me to hurry up and get off of the treadmill.  At home, I can run, walk, sweat and watch TV in the privacy of my guest bedroom in the most hideous work-out attire known to man. 

Monogramming

I love just about anything with my monogram on it.  Right after I got engaged, a dear friend of mine gave me a necklace & earring set with my married initials on them.  It is something I will keep forever.  Since then, I've acquired several items with my initials on it.  I got this make-up bag for Christmas and think its really cute.  But all this monogramming got me thinking - is monogramming a "southern" thing?  Quite honestly, I'd probably put my initials on everything if I could but do northerners do this too?  In a couple of my travels up north, I've never seen anyone carrying a purse or bag with their initials on it.  Is that because they don't want anyone to know who they are?  I don't know.... I'm just asking.  What do you think?  Is monogramming a "southern" thing?

Dreaming of a Kitchen

Santa was really good to me this year!!  He brought the Kitchen Aid Mixer I had been eyeing for some time.  Since unwrapping it, I have made peanut butter cookies, Oreo balls, numerous pound cakes and a couple other things.  I even have plans to make homemade bread too. 

And speaking of all this baking, making & cooking stuff, I realize how much a spacious kitchen is important.  As large as my kitchen is now, its not nearly as big as I want it to be.  Michael and I have been discussing the possibilities and purchasing some land and building a house. I seriously think the largest room in the entire house could very well be our kitchen.  I'm really fortunate that both Michael and I enjoy cooking so having all that space is important to us both. 

I know exactly what I want in my kitchen but will surely need some help from a friend who's family owns Classic Cabinets for design ideas.  But since I'm dreaming, here is my list:

• I really like the idea of an island.  I can't tell you the number of times I run out of room in my current kitchen and having an island would be extra space for prepping. 
• Double ovens are also going to be a must....I'm a baker!! 
• Sub-zero refrigerator.  Nothing better.  Period.
• 2 sinks. 
• An ice maker that makes the good crunchy ice. 
• Gigantic gas stove and a hood that vents out. 
• Wet bar.  Sometimes all that cooking can be stressful!
• Bar stools so that friends and family can sit in the kitchen while I'm cooking.  Its usually the gathering spot anyways.
• Walk-in pantry.
• Pull out spice rack.  I use lots and lots of spices when I cook and having them on a cabinet shelf is not convenient for a vertically challenged person, like myself.  I want a spice rack that I can pull out and see everything.  Its hard to put into words but trust me, the way I've imagined it is pretty cool.
• LOTS AND LOTS OF CABINET SPACE.  I love dishes and bowls and kitchen appliance and gadgets.  I need space for all of this stuff.  The more cabinets, the better.

So there you have it.  Some of my wants for the dream kitchen.  I know most of it may be a long shot but it never hurts to dream out loud.  Who knows, maybe we will win the lottery.  In the meantime, I'll keep baking bread and pound cakes in my mid-sized kitchen.... 

I need to brag on another family member...  My Mom.  She is extremely creative and likes to put her talents to good use. Just recently, I became the recipient of one of her creations. 

My very own "Donna" painting.  I think she did a great job, don't you?  She has been painting on and off my whole life but has recently really gotten back into it.  She is even taking a class to become a little more skilled.  I'm really proud of her.

Thanks again Mama!  I plan to have it framed and hang it in our living room very soon. 

Made with Love

I have to give a big shout out to my Aunt Cynde who is the best crocheter I've ever seen.  She can literally make anything out of yarn.  This past Christmas she made toboggans for both my niece and nephew; they were soo cute and detailed I just had to have one of my own.  I told her what my favorite colors were and POOF:  in the mail came 2 toboggans - one for me and one for Michael.  Soon thereafter, I posted some pictures of our toboggans on Facebook and a couple more friends wanted a Aunt Cynde creation too. 

Thanks again Aunt Cynde!  Anything handmade is very, very special to me!!



Ready for all events!! 



Hat & Scarf set made for a friend.