In My 26th Year

So in taking from my birthday twin's blog I have made a list (big shocker) of  things I would like to do before I turn 27.

1. I would like to wear more pretty clothes. Here are a few examples of what I would like... I really love everything "Holly" in P.S. I Love You wears.

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2. Watch all the girly movies I have been avoiding. I never want to torture Jim with all the chick flicks so I put off watching them and then they aren't in the theater any more and you have to wait forever before they are on DVD and by then I forget.  So I want to catch up on the movies I've missed and resolve to pick the chick flick more often (sorry J). My list to so far is Letters to Juliet, Eat Pray Love, Life as We Know It, Easy A. That is all I can think of for now but I am sure as I troll the redbox I'll find others. :D
3. Finish some of these craft projects that I have started. I have about 6 started right now and 3 3/4 of the way finished. Can anyone tell me how to cast off when knitting?
4. Take a painting class. I enjoy painting and have bought a bunch of books and self taught a few things but would really like to take a class.
5. Lose weight.... self explanitory. Doesn't everyone?
6. Run a 5k... should check that one off in November.
7. Take a trip with the hubby. We have been talking about visiting several places. NYC, Washington D.C. , Chicago, Baltimore, Hilton Head (or some beautiful beach).
8. Be more confident when home alone while Jim is working. A few weeks ago I had to drive at night and realized that I hadn't driven out of our little suburb after dark in I couldn't remember how long.
9. Learn to cook a wider variety of foods. I have been stuck with the same little menu for too long. I am sure Jim won't mind taste testing my new attempts! Any suggestions on where to find recipies that don't need 50 ingredients also preferably not too much time (1 hr or less unless it is a weekend)?
10. Go to the beach more. We live here why shouldn't I? Now that it is cooler I think it would be a great place for weekend walks with Tucker.
11. Go to some sort of wine or food tasting. I would love to learn more about different foods or wines. I was visiting Whole Foods once during a food/wine tasting and was sad that I was unable to participate.

Any helpful suggestions? So what are your goals?

Holidays are Coming

I know that it isn't even Halloween yet but by now you all know about my obsession with Pottery Barn right? Yea... love, love, love them! Now I will admit that I RARELY buy anything there full price. I prefer to wait for the end of the season or last season's sales so that I can have the items I love at a price I am not ashamed to admit to Jim. Plus then I am super excited the following year when I get to put out my new Pottery Barn stuff! I also signed up to receive e-mail notifications about sales and specials. Last year I "splurged" and got us the stockings I had been drooling over for at least two years. I got them on sale, free monogramming, and free shipping! Our set up looks exactly like this as I got Jim and I the large stockings and Tucker and Scarlet the smaller stockings (No worries Aunt Chelle these will never replace the homemade one just hold the place since I don't think mom is ready to give it up quite yet).

I would also love to have the matching tree skirt but it never quite goes on sale enough.... but I do have a  remaining gift card from the wedding that I have been holding out on spending for just the right thing.

I like the stocking holders as well.

And how cute/perfect is this pillow? It matches my current living room colors as well!

Their vase fillers are also an item I tend to lean towards... they always go on great sale at the end of the season. I already have mini ornaments but think that either of these star vase fillers would look good... depending on if I go for shiny/flashy or vintage/cozy. What do you think.

And I love love LOVE these ornaments! I like that they look like they have been around forever and have character. Another item I'll be looking at after Christmas.

How cute is this snowman?!?

Do you have the Pottery Barn bug too or is there a store you can't help but drool over thier catalog? Do you splurge on favorite items or wait for them to go on sale?

My Cat is Killing My Style

One of my favorite features of our apartment is this great window that is over our "Office Nook". Why do I like it so much you may wonder? Well... it gives me the opportunity to search for the perfect accessory for each season which in my mind is two fold 1) It is fun and gives me something to look forward to for each holiday/season and 2) It blocks a little bit of the window in case there were ever a creeper trying to look in (paranoid I know but hey that's me). So far I have a snowflake for winter/Christmas, an egg wreath for spring/Easter and an orange and red berry wreath for fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving.

The problem arises from this also being one of our cat Scarlet's favorite features of our home as well. She likes to sit/lay up in that window and soak up the sun and see what is going on outside.

Scarlet enjoying her window perch.

So my beautiful berry wreath evidently impedes on the area in which she is comfortable, I noticed at first a few bite marks in the berries. Tiny little teeth marks, now it has progressed into full on chunks and even entire branches of berries missing! This cannot be good for her digestive tract! I first moved the wreath up a few inches to hopefully get it out of her way... nope she kept eating them. Then I sprayed the entire wreath down with bitter spray that we have from when Tucker was a puppy.... nope she's still attacking my poor wreath!

Just take a look at what was left of some of my poor wreath!

I am openly not a cat expert. Scarlet is my first and was not a planned addition (she was tiny, cute, and had a limp). So please share your cat advice. Can my cat learn to live with my decor or am I now to curb it to only pet friendly (see also: things Scarlet can't eat/destroy)???

Another Ohio Trip

For Jamie's wedding Jim and I made the trip to Ohio for the second time in two months. The first indicator of the distance we have traveled is Pilot Mountain. I think this is the neatest landmark. I have probably babbled before about how when Jim and I drove to SC to test for Horry County we stopped and went to the top. I'm not sure what I was expecting to see but I wanted to know more about this interesting looking mountain. I encourage others to stop by on your way through there is a beautiful view.

Due to some stopped traffic on 77 Jim and I opted for a detour. Along that detour we saw this.... I wouldn't mind being friends with Floyd.

I can't remember exactly what this building was but I think I thought it was the court house...

Until I saw this building that is.

There was a lot of this.... and I must say while it was beautiful the hills and curves were nauseating.

The bridge between West Virginia and Ohio.

I love barns.

We stopped at Ohio University to get some Chipotle for dinner before continuing our drive.

Any Ohio University Alums or historians that can tell me what this building is?

Tucker was totally over the ride at this point.

Look how beautiful the cornfields are with a backdrop of changing leaves. Jim and I spent the night at Jim's dad's house Friday night due to some illness in my parents' home and them needing to disinfect before we got there (I have been sick enough lately we weren't chancing it). It was a great excuse to spend some more time with Jim's dad and sisters.

Saturday morning before going to our family photo shoot with Jody from Fotos by Jojo (click on the name to check out her blog... she does great work) I posed the puppy for a picture outside Jim's dad's house.

Jim took this one of the barn. 

We made it to our portrait session a little bit late but I honestly cannot wait to see the pictures. Jody has a great eye and the backdrop could not have been more perfect. We had lunch with my family, got ready and went to Jamie's wedding. Afterwards I stayed and spent time with my family while Jim returned to his dad's and spent time with them.

Then we had to make the long journey home again. I am sure that it has something to do with not wanting to leave but the drive home always seems so much longer and less tolerable. However, with this beautiful fall weather and the changing of the leaves it was more enjoyable than usual. 

Wedding Season

 Who says that Spring/Summer is Wedding Season... for us this year it has been Fall! Two weddings in two weeks. First the wedding of a co worker in Conway, SC.

The happy couple.

Our first wedding together as a married couple (Like my new "wedding guest" dress? I do!)

Jim's photography :D

Then there was Jamie's wedding in Ohio. Yet another beautiful wedding.

And another happily married couple.

Another Year Older

So it was a few weeks ago but... I had another birthday and it really was great!

Friday evening I went with our friend Jody to the Greek Festival. There I ate my first gyro, I was not brave enough to try lamb (imagine the poor little lamb "baaaa") and had a chicken gyro instead and tried some roasted Greek potatoes. I liked both... and based on the ingredient lists of all the foods there Greek food and I go together. They use a lot of lemon and garlic just ask Jim I love to add those to any recipe. We walked around and  checked out all of the craft booths and found a few cute items but our next goal was the authentic Greek desserts. I got ergolavas (almond coated cookies), kourambiethes ( butter cookies dusted with confectioners sugar), diples (honey-dipped crisp pastry with cinnamon), and baklava (crushed walnuts, almonds, cinnamon and butter baked in layers of filo and topped with spicy honey syrup). We did not eat these right away but took them home, I saved mine to share with Jim the next day. My favorite was the ergolavas and then the diples.

After the Greek festival Jody and I went to see the movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps which was great. It is a sequel to the 1987 movie by the same name (which is now a goal to see).

Saturday once Jim got home I was allowed to open my gifts (including a package from my mom that had arrived the evening before). Jim got me another Life is Good shirt, this one says "Close Knit Friends"

Then was the box from my mom.... in which there were multiple gifts. An OSU bracelet, OSU umbrella, some make up, a Willow Tree Angel (from Miss Katy), and finally an OSU t-shirt for me, one for Jim, and an OSU onesie! The  cutest thing EVER! Although my mom said this does not mean she is ready for grandchildren.... she just enjoys shopping for tiny clothing (don't we all?!?).

Jim and I then went shopping with several gift cards I was given and I got several new outfits along with a few things for the house as well. I haven't shopped like that in such a long time and with the upcoming weather change it was nice to buy a few new sweaters, a pair of cords, and an amazing pair of boots. (I am my mother's daughter after all!) :D

It was then time to change and get ready for the CCU Parents Tailgate and game against Delaware State. There was even a cake and singing (see above pic). How sweet huh?! CCU won the game as well so the night ended on a happy note for all CCU fans!!

We have not yet developed birthday traditions here. Our first year here I was totally set to spend my birthday on the beach but it happened to be monsoon season almost the entire week so I settled on Chinese and a movie. I don't even remember what we did last year and for Jim's birthday this past year we were rehearsing our wedding and hanging out with our visiting family (we would love to have you all here every year!) What are your Birthday Traditions/ Favorite Birthday Memories?

CCU Chants!

  Some or most of you know Jim is an Assistant Coach for Coastal Carolina University Cheerleading this year. He is really loving working with them and teaching them new things. Jim has been working with them since this past Spring.

This is the pre camp team photo taken at the beach! CCU has both a co-ed and an all girl squad, this picture is of both squads together with all three coaches. Jim was unable to go to camp with them as he had his own Combat Challenge competition in Kentucky that weekend but I was able to stop by, watch, and get some pictures and video for them! Both teams recieved a bid to nationals!

They've had fundraisers, including washing cars and got a visit from HCFR!

Two of the girls on the squad are from Ohio! So at the first game we all had to take this picture together. I thought it was very appropriate! The CCU game against Georgia Southern was actually the first college football game I have attended that was not at The Shoe. They have a beautiful stadium and even added an additional seating section connected to the new gym/athletic facility (you can see it behind us in the O-H-I-O picture) this year.

Here is a picture of both squads before the first game. I am just starting to get better at remembering names... although there are about four girls with the name Chelsea so that is always my first guess. I really am trying though as I am constantly hearing stories about what happens at practices.

Last weekend they had Parents Weekend and a pre game tailgate/pot luck lunch. So many of the girls are from out of state that their parents are unable to make most of the games. It was fun to see them introducing their team mates to their parents and to meet most of the parents for us too. CCU has been having a rough football season this year but for Parents Weekend they had an amazing win over Deleware State!

And while Brutus the Buckeye will always be our favorite mascot Chauncey Chanticleer is AMAZING! He honestly does an amazing job and has one of the best attitudes ever! I don't have any other pics of him as he is always out working the crowd, taking pictures with fans, and supporting the Chants!