THIS AND THAT

Happy Anniversary!

2011-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's been 3 years since Jeremy and I said, "I do" and what a trip it's been!

I am so thankful that Jeremy and I found each other and that we get to go through life together.

We've had so much fun over the last three years and I know it will only get better. It's not always an easy journey, but it's always worth it.

"I have found the one whom my soul loves." Song of Solomon 3:4

So very true.

Happy Anniversary, Jeremy!

2011-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I took a little vacay to Key West back in July. Here's a little photo recap.

While we were there we....

Saw some beautiful sunsets,

Posed for pictures in front of said sunsets,

Did lots of touristy things, like pose with a giant buoy,

Took our picture at mile marker zero,

Saw some six-toed cats at the Hemingway House,

Hung out with family,

Posed for ridiculous pictures,

Took these little kayaks out in the OCEAN,

Ate ice cream every night (what? It's vacation!),

Ate lots and lots of fresh seafood and tons of peel and eat shrimp and overall had the best time ever. We also snorkeld, shopped, rode jet skis, laid out by the pool, and ate some more.

Did I mention we ate?

Sweet Home...

2011-05-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post something about the horrible storms that went through the south a few weeks back, but words have escaped me. The people that were affected weigh heavy on my mind and heart everyday. My friend Katie posted
this the day after the tornado hit.

Alabama was my home from 1997 until 2010 and more specifically Tuscaloosa was home to me for the past three years. Jeremy grew up in Tuscaloosa and it's been so difficult for him to see places once so familiar, now unrecognizable.

"Rejoice ALWAYS; pray CONTINUOUSLY; in EVERYTHING give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Chicago!

2011-01-30T16:40:00.001-08:00

I knew I would love it, I just didn't know how MUCH I would love it!

Mom, Molly and I took a long weekend trip to Chicago this week and it was fantastic. Yes, we went during one of the coldest times of the year and it was great! Chicago is by far the largest city I've ever visited (does that make me sound bumpkin-ish?) and it was such fun!

We saw all the sights we could in our three days there: Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Art Institute, Sears Tower, Garrett Popcorn (yes, please!), Giordano's Pizza (double yes, please!) and lots more. We walked, a lot and rode every possible mode of transit they offer in Chicago - it was great! Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Map break!

The Chicago River - right next to our hotel!

Big city snow!

No game, of course, but we had to take the "L" out to Wrigley Field to see it.

Pier Park

On the Skydeck at the Sears Tower. It's called Willis Tower now, but it will always be the Sears Tower to me.

The Art Institute of Chicago - the whole time we were in there all I could think of was "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

Millennium Park

Riding on The "L"

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

2011-01-30T16:36:00.001-08:00

When is it officially too late to wish someone, "Happy New Year?" I hope that January 30 is not too late, because here it is! Happy New Year to everyone from Jeremy and me. Here's a picture of us in front of our new house. Apparently on one of the few very sunny days we've had here in Tennessee lately.

We've been busy with things around the house and hopefully more pictures of that will come soon.

For now, Happy New Year! Hope 2011 is wonderful for you!

Scattered Thoughts

2010-11-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

I just got home from a couple of days away visiting a good friend. It was wonderful. It was so nice to have some time with her, and her sweet baby girl, just to hang out, catch up, and enjoy being together. I'm not sure if she knows, but it was good for my soul. Thanks for that!

In other news, Jeremy and I put a contract on a house and waited 30 days for the seller (whom you would think would be eager to move) to find a place. We waited and waited and waited and she never found anything. Our closing date came and went, so we terminated the contract. I was SO excited about this house and very disappointed that we had to walk away. I keep telling myself that things happen for a reason. I can't wait until the day I understand exactly why this happened.

It's back to the drawing board for house hunting. More waiting. More hoping. So it was good when I read a friend's status update on Facebook today. It said,

"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness."

What a great reminder in this crazy, crazy world. I love the depth of old hymns like that. That song will be in my head the rest of the night and probably through tomorrow.
Great words to meditate on.

"I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand."

Chihuly at Cheekwood

2010-11-09T15:45:00.001-08:00

Jeremy and I went to see the Chihuly exhibit at Cheekwood last week. It was such a cool exhibit and I'm glad we got to see it before it ended...even in the cold and rain. Of course, I walked out of the house with out my camera, so here are a few of the shots I got with my phone.

A Weekend Away

2010-10-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Jeremy started his new job in September and his company is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. He's been spending a lot of time there in training, I went up to visit him for a weekend early in October - since he had a free place to stay and all, we decided, why not!? While I was there, we drove over to Boston - it's only about 45 minutes away and neither of us had ever been. It's fabulous city and we had a great time seeing the sights. The picture above is the USS Constitution. There is a TON of history in Boston - really cool!

Cruising the Boston Harbor. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny, but COOL day when we were there!

Lunch at Cheers. I had the best grilled cheese sandwich of my entire life there. Seriously. Three cheeses, roasted red peppers and black olives - so good!

Me posing with all the buoys!

The next day, Jeremy showed me around Hartford. He found this cute little park to go running. We went to see the fall colors.

I was scheduled to fly out on Sunday night, but due to computer issues on my plane, the flight was delayed indefinitely. The airline informed me that I would miss my connection and wouldn't be able to get to Nashville on Sunday. So, I stayed one more night in Hartford and flew out at 5:45 on Monday morning (yikes!). I was able to get some neat shots from my window seat, though.

Where Has the Time Gone??

2010-09-05T15:36:00.001-07:00

My last post was June 25. Over 2 months ago. I've had plenty to blog about, but I guess I just haven't felt inspired or made the time - and p.s. we're not in our own house yet, so internet usage just doesn't happen that often.

So here's a quick recap of the last couple of months.

1. We moved to Nashville.

2. I started my new job and I LOVE it!

3. We went to see Paul McCartney. It. Was. Amazing! (I have no pictures that are worth sharing because we were kind of far away, so I borrowed one from Miss Emily that is fabulous:

I knew it would be a great show, but didn't realize how great it would be. It was an amazing night and I'm so glad I got to see him perform.

4. My mom, sister and I threw a little baby shower for a sweet friend of mine. It was such a great time and lots of fun memories were made.

5.. Jeremy received a job offer. Hooray! We were starting to panic a little on this one, but God is faithful and provided just what we needed in his time. He starts his new job on September 13.

6. The house hunt is in full effect. We are looking and trying to decide what's best for us. I cannot wait to be back in a place of our own. It will be so nice!

It has been a busy couple of months and the busy-ness just keeps coming. Things are good. I am blessed beyond measure and so excited about what the future holds.

My favorite time of the year is here and the weather is beautiful, not to mention, it's football season!

Friday's Photo

2010-06-25T15:21:00.001-07:00

Jeremy and one of our nephews, Brody, on our boat ride to Shell Island in Panama City Beach. So much fun!

Friday's Photo

2010-06-11T14:56:00.001-07:00

Sweet cards from my kids at school...

Moving Day!

2010-06-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come.

Jeremy and I sold our house back in March and have been living with his family for the past 3 months or so. We've been debating, praying, thinking, and just trying to decide if we want Tuscaloosa to be "home" or somewhere else.

After a lot of back and forth, we finally felt that moving to a bigger city with more job opportunites was the best call for us. Jeremy has been less than thrilled with his current job situation for a while now.

So, off to Nashville we go! My last day of work here is this Friday and we're headed to Tennessee on Monday. We're both super excited, nervous, scared....you know, all of those feelings that come witha big transition in life.

Nashville, here we come!

Friday's Photo

2010-05-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

TOO HOT! It's only May and it's already this hot. I'm not liking this...

Friday's Photo

2010-05-21T11:37:00.001-07:00

It's not the clearest picture in the world, but this is my absolute most favorite time of the day...Monday through Friday anyway. Naptime!

Ten on Tuesday

2010-05-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

1. This morning I tried the Cinnamon Streusel Frosted Mini Wheats for breakfast. Have you tried them? They are so good. It's definitely a winner in the breakfast cereal category.

2. I love this workout! Although, sometimes I have to turn off the sound and listen to my own music. I love Jillian, but her voice gets a little annoying sometimes. Anyway, it's 3 workouts on one DVD with three different intensity levels. I haven't even attempted Level 3 yet, because I'm too scared. I can barely get through Level 2 as it is.

3. My sister made me a run playlist and titled it "Run, Run Rudolph." It's great! There's an eclectic mix of everything from Debbie Gibson's "Electric Youth" to the cast of Glee to my personal favorite and quite possibly my all.time.favorite.song. Nick Gilder's "Hot Child in the City." Do you know it? Oh goodness, it's a great song.

4. My favorite time to listen to "Hot Child in the City" is in the afternoon when I get off work. Sunglasses on, sunroof open, music up loud. It's great.

5. I "started over" with Couch to 5K on my iPhone the other day. I started back at the beginning of Week 3. I figured, since I had completed a half-marathon I didn't need to go all the way back to Week 1. It's great and gives me a running plan...otherwise, I just stop and walk and never make much progress.

6. I found one of these leftover in my desk drawer today. Happiness!

7. In light of my discovery in #6 it's a good thing I'm doing the shredding and the running...otherwise, fitting into my summer clothes could be an issue.

8. Jeremy and I drove the Highway 11 Antique Alley Yard Sale last Saturday. It wasn't as great as I expected, but I did find some fun stuff. A bracelet, a big metal spoon and fork to hang on the wall, a glass jug that has now become our "coin jug" and this pretty little candy dish. The one I found was sans lid, which decreases the value, but I just think it'll look pretty sitting around full of something like peanut m&m's! The one I bought only cost $1...this one I found online with the lid cost $20. I had no idea a lid could be so valuable.

I think that purchase officially got me started in collecting milk glass. It's my 5th piece and I think 5 pieces constitutes an official collection!

9. While we were driving Highway 11 (we went from Trussville to the Georgia state line) we stopped in Collinsville, AL for lunch. There is NOTHING in Collinsville, but we managed to find this great little place called Nessa's and had lunch there. It was a cute little stop and the food was really good. I highly recommend the chicken salad if you ever find yourself in Collinsville on a Saturday afternoon!

10. LOST is tonight! I'm excited and sad at the same time. Only 3 1/2 more hours of that show....forever. I'm not sure I can handle it!

Bold or Bad?

2010-05-14T10:51:00.001-07:00

I'm blogging a lot this week. I have no idea why. Although, I'm pretty sure my readership consists only of my sister and maybe my mom, so I hope y'all are enjoying this!

I had a manicure and a pedicure yesterday. I wanted to try something different with the color and I went with this. It's called "Skin Tight" (I have NO idea why) and it's kind of a brownish-plum color. I kind of love it and kind of hate it. The jury's still out. Here are my dark (and very short) nails:

Friday's Photos

2010-05-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hey Katie Kizziah! I am totally stealing your Friday's Photo idea. Today, we're going back in time two years...

I was feeling nostalgic today and remembering back on the day two years ago that we had our engagement pictures made. It was May 2008 (the exact date escapes me) and we met up with our fantastic photog Tyler Andrews at Shelby Park in Nashville. We had the best time taking these shots at the old train bridge there. I was insanely nervous the whole time, but I think the shots turned out great. Here are a few of my favorites:

I don't like being dipped! It feels like I'm falling.

Cheesy, but cute!

There was a train passing overhead and it was SO loud!

I love this one!

This one makes me laugh because I have my head cocked to the side like, "What?!"

These last two were some of the first shots we took that day. Like I said, I was nervous and couldn't stop laughing, but I really like the result:

In this last one, I think Jeremy is reconsidering his decision to marry me. I was laughing like an idiot, but it is so "us."

This Just In

2010-05-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today at work I had a Smart Ones pizza. It was delicious after the mess that preceded it...

I went into the kitchen, put the pizza in the microwave, set it to 2:30 and walked away. I came back and, in a hurry, snatched it out of the microwave only to realize (too late) that the glass tray was STUCK TO THE BOX. The glass comes flying out, lands on the counter and shatters into a million pieces. My co-workers laughed, I laughed, and also felt like a complete dummy. I figured the pizza was a goner, what with all the glass chips lying around, but I checked it and ate it anyway. If I ate any glass, I certainly couldn't feel it.

In the great words of my mom, "It could ALWAYS be worse."

Also, I did not exercise yesterday and I had some Diet Mountain Dew today. Argh!

Fun times all around!

Happy Thursday!

May Day

2010-05-13T09:31:00.001-07:00

Today at school we celebrated "May Day." Technically, I think we're about 13 days late on this one, but the kids didn't seem to care. I don't think most of them even know what May Day is....I'm not even sure I know myself. It's basically an excuse to play outside and eat hot dogs, anyway, so they don't seem to mind!

Here are a few pictures. We even had a "maypole." Again, they have no idea what that is. They just ran around with the ribbons and made one big knot. It was big time fun for them!

Resolution Revisions

2010-05-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

So here we are, only 7 days into May and I've already failed at keeping my resolutions 100%. (See previous post if you're curious or care to see what my original resolutions were. Does anyone even read this anymore? Hello? Bueller? Bueller???) So here are a few revisions that I'm adding.

To my "only drink water" resolution I'm adding a clause that allows unsweet tea. Sometimes I just need a little flavor and tea is still better than the amount of diet Coke I was previously consuming.

To my "exercise. every. single. day." resolution I'm adding a goal of at least 5 days a week. I mean, seriously, it's just hard to work out every single day. I know people do it, but for me, right now, it's just not a reality. I didn't work out on Sunday and yesterday, I was at work from 6am - 6pm and I'll be honest, I did not feel like popping in my Jillian Michaels DVD when I got home and I don't feel guilty about that! So, 7 days in and I've worked out 5 of them. That's not too shabby!

So, I'm going to drink mostly water, with some tea, and have a goal of exercising at least 5 days a week. That's still better that what I was doing before.

12 Months of Resolutions

2010-04-29T08:23:00.001-07:00

So here it is, already May, and I am just now stumbling on this blog. I am horrible at keeping resolutions, so I think this is a pretty genius idea. The basic idea is that you make 2 resolutions per month that you tackle. Those resolutions will (hopefully) carry over into the next month and then you've made 12 resolutions (and kept them) for the year. I'm getting in on this late, but better late than never, so here we go.

My resolutions for May are:

1. Drink only water. I will allow myself ONE cup of coffee in the morning, but after that, it's all water, all the time. If you know me, you know that diet Coke is my best friend. This is going to be a true challenge!

2. Exercise. Every. Single. Day. For the month of May I will do SOME form of exercise each day. This probably won't carry over into the following months, but my goal is to exercise at least 4-5 times per week after May.

So here we go. What do you think? Is this a dumb idea? Try it! You might like it, too!

Verse of the Day

2010-04-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

I don't always notice the verse of the day of the sidebar of my blog, but today, my eyes were directed to it. Thank you, Jesus, for your reminders.

Today's verse is this:

"He must become greater; I must become less."

John 3:30

Honestly, I don't think I've ever read this verse in all my thirty-one years, and if I have, I surely don't remember it striking me as much as it did today. I've been struggling with feeling at peace lately. Life is busy, we don't have a house right now, and we're trying to make some decisions about where we want to "settle." All of that can make for an uneasy feeling.

When I read this today, it hit me that I have been dwelling so much on me lately and completely ignoring Him. Big picture, it doesn't matter that I don't have a house right now or can't buy those cute things I see at the store because I don't have a place for them or where I am geographically for that matter.

He is all that matters.

Thank you, Jesus for Your reminder today!

Half

2010-04-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Molly, Jeremy and I ran in the Country Music Half-Marathon in Nashville this past weekend. We had a great time, and all improved on our times. This was Jeremy's first half-marathon and he finished in 2:04 - not bad for only a few weeks of training! Molly and I finished in 3:06, not great, but a slight improvement from the last time we participated, ahem, 4 years ago!!

The storms held off until the last 2 miles or so and by that time I didn't care if there was a hurricane, I just wanted to be done!

Here are a few pictures:

This was around mile 1.5 - we were still having lots of fun at this point!

Are You Watching?

2010-03-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Do you watch Modern Family (Wednesday nights at 8pm on ABC)?? If not, you should be. It's hilarious, sweet, and heartwarming all rolled up in one. I love it and I think everyone else should, too. Wednesday night Mitchell, one of the most hilarious characters on TV, said this,

"This is the funny thing about growing up - for years and years everybody's desperately afraid to be different in any way. And then suddenly, almost overnight, everybody wants to be different. And that...is where we win."

I love this quote and think it wraps up so much about "growing up" in one neat little statement. It's so true and so heartbreaking at the same time. If only I'd known at 13 what I know now.

I'm not sure where this post was going, but that quote just resonated with me for some reason.

Happy Friday!

Here We Are

2010-03-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Lots going on in our family of two since Valentine's Day! We received and accepted an offer on our house, moved completely out of our house and into my in-laws house (because we haven't decided on a place yet) and we are scheduled to close tomorrow! What a process this has been. I get super anxious about EVERYTHING and this has been no exception. I finally realized that I couldn't control any of it and let it go, but it was not easy. So that's what our time has been consumed with lately....packing, moving, unpacking, organizing, finding things, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, and now CLOSING! I'm so glad this day is here. Now, let the hunt for our new home begin!

And finally, a question. WHAT have some of you done with your wedding dresses? I have mine, in a garment bag, in a closet. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T15:59:00.000-08:00

It's not my favorite holiday, but I am thankful that I have Jeremy to celebrate with.

Happy Valentine's Day!

LOST

2010-02-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

Dear LOST,

It was so great to watch you again last night after a loooong 8 months without you. I am completely, totally, and utterly confused about these alternate/parallel universes, but I am 100% along for the ride. I know we'll get some resolution in the end and I can't wait. I'm already really sad about your impending end, but excited to see how this is all going wrap up - in a neat little package perhaps?

And please, please, please let's give Mr. Terry O'Quinn as much screen time as possible. He is, in one word, amazing.

Thanks,
Your Loyal Fan

Ouch

2010-01-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

Today I cleaned some toys in a bleach solution at work. I use bleach to clean A LOT at work - when you work with preschoolers, you HAVE to. It always dries my skin out to some degree, but never quite like this. I had to submerge my hands today to get all the toys out and I'm guessing that bleach and my wedding rings are NOT a good combination.

Lesson learned.

A Recipe Worth Sharing

2010-01-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe somewhere online, though the exact site name escapes me now. Anyway, it was so good that I thought I'd share...

Chicken Pesto Mushroom Bake

4-6 boneless chicken breasts, pounded
3 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. garlic salt
1/2 c. bread crumbs
3 t. pesto (or more, like I did, I LOVE pesto!)
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can diced tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350. In a plastic bag combine Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and bread crumbs. Add chicken to coat. Place chicken in olive oil drizzle baking pan. In a separate bowl combine pesto, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Spread over chicken. Top with remaining bread crumbs. Cover, bake for 45 minutes.

Seriously, it was SO good.

In other news, how much do you love Shiri Appleby?? She's just too cute and I am loving her new show Life Unexpected so far. Monday nights, 7:00, the CW. You're welcome!

And finally, it's Tuesday, but felt like Monday all day, but I can handle it because we're one day closer to Friday. Yes!

Encouragement

2010-01-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

Go here to check out my sweet friend Katie's blog. She has started a great plan called "Scripture Memory Mondays" and who couldn't use a little more scripture tucked away in your brain, right? It is such an encouragement to me to see those verses pop up each Monday and then for me to work at memorizing it all during the week.

So go, read, and be encouraged!

So Far in 2010...

2010-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for 2010 is to exercise every. single. day. in the month of January. Six days in and we are good! Thanks Jillian Michaes 30 Day Shred for keeping me going.

In other news, I want to be a housewife. Kids, no kids, I don't care. I don't think I would ever get bored. There, I said it.

Christmas

2010-01-03T14:59:00.001-08:00

I took NO pictures over Christmas. None. Zero. Zilch. I mean, not a single one. THAT is sad. Really sad. I forgot to take my camera home to Nashville with me and didn't really think to use my phone until it was too late. Oh well, we'll get 'em next year.

In other news, we celebrated my 31st birthday in style at Maggiano's in Nashville and oh. my. gosh. it was some of the best food I have ever put in my mouth. If you like Italian food, I highly recommend. We ordered "family style" and there was SO much food to go around. The Chocolate Zuccotto Cake did NOT disappoint.
And finally, Jeremy and I watched "Paranormal Activity" last night. It's not the type of movie that I would normally watch as I am not a fan of scary movies, but I felt like I needed to see this one or be out of the loop. It was great. Very real, very scary, and I'll probably continue to be scared for several weeks. Jeremy and I have been calling each other Micah and Katie all day - we should probably stop that...it doesn't end well.

2009

2009-12-31T13:50:00.000-08:00

In 2009....

....I settled into "married life" with relative ease.

....enjoyed being a home owner and all the fun stuff that comes along with it: building book cases, painting rooms, changing out hardware, and decorating.

....celebrated Jeremy's 29th birthday

....started and maintained (with relative regularity) a work out program.

....changed jobs - TWICE!

....made new friends.

....really started to love my church and the people there.

....celebrated marriages and babies with friends.

....vacationed to Savannah with Jeremy.

....lost my grandpa.

....celebrated my 31st birthday.

....commited to running another half-marathon in 2010.

It was a good year. Not "exciting" by some people's terms, but it was a great year in my book. I'm looking forward to 2010 and all that it holds.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and take time to celebrate the season!

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with JOY!" Psalm 126:3

It's Over This Time

2009-09-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Grey's Anatomy,

I am bored with you and will no longer be tuning in. Thanks for a great five seasons, but I just can't do it anymore. Your characters are whiney, your storylines are sometimes silly, and I'm just finding myself uninterested.

Really, it's not you (totally), it's me.

Sincerely,
Marissa

p.s. This really helps me with my Thursday night TV line up. It was getting a little crowded on the ol' TiVo.

Cars

2009-09-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a few more pictures from "Shades of the Past." This (apparently) is one of the largest classic car shows in the Southeast. I had never been before and let me just say I have NEVER seen that many old cars in one place before. It was really cool, I have to admit. Here's my cute nephew and my cute brother-in-law checking out one of the cars - this is the ONLY one they actually got to touch, let alone, sit in!

I'm a big fan of the old trucks. They're just so cool!

I've never been much on classic cars before, althought I do think they're neat to look at, but Jeremy is INTO these things. Currently, he has a 1940 and 1950 model Chevy that he's going to restore and a chopper that he's building in the garage. It's fun and I can't wait to ride around in those cars once they're done!

Pretty Savannah

2009-09-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

At the Cotton Exchange on River Street...

Forsyth Park

2009-09-14T20:00:00.001-07:00

Classic Savannah...

Breakfast!

2009-09-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

One of the best meals I've ever had was today at The Breakfast Club in
Tybee Island, GA. Denver omelette, grits, rye toast and lots of
butter! If you ever get the chance, try it, it will not disappoint!

Shades of the Past

2009-09-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the "Shades of the Past" car show in Pigeon Forge, TN...

This is my job...

2009-08-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

I shop for work, like, a lot. You'd be surprised how many paper
products and such a senior center goes through. This is what I bought
today. I worried that I wouldn't be able to actually push the cart out
of the store! That bag of popcorn alone weighed 50 pounds. Oh, and
there are four cases of water hiding in there somewhere, too!

Final Days

2009-08-22T14:06:00.001-07:00

My garden is fast approaching its end and I have been severely
neglecting it this week. Today I pulled up a tomato plant overrun with
green worms - ew! The garden is full of weeds, but still producing a
good bit of stuff, see...

Easy Peasy

2009-08-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

I love to cook, especially when the recipes are nice and easy like these two. Enjoy!

Breakfast Smoothie

In a blender, combine:

1 packet instant plain oatmeal
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1 cup frozen fruit
1 teaspoon honey

Blend all together. Mmmmmmm, good. I think I found this smoothie recipe in Woman's Day (at work, I'm not a subscriber0 and I thought it sounded good. It IS good and quite filling. Of course, you could tweak it and add peanut butter, yogurt, or maybe a liiiiitle more milk as mine turned out pretty thick, but tasy nonetheless.

No Fail Cobbler

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a 2 1/2 quart casserole place 1 stick of butter. Place casserole in oven to melt butter.

In a separate bowl combine 1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup SELF RISING flour and a sprinkle or two of cinnamon.

Combine the flour mixture into the casserole with the melted butter.

Here's the fun part...add any kind of fruit you like! I used about 5 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced. You can use fresh, frozen (and then thawed) or canned. Dump it on top, then put it in the oven to bake until the crust is golden brown. The flour mixture will rise throughout the dish and make a crust on top. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and you'll have one of the best cobblers ever!

Late Summer Blooms

2009-08-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

I Spy

2009-07-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

See the black car, by the pay booth, to the left-ish of the parking
lot? That's J and Kurt! E and I spied them from our hotel room window
in ATL all the way from the 21st floor.

The Brodster

2009-07-08T19:36:00.001-07:00

Love this kiddo!

New bikes!

2009-07-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Meet our new Huffy bikes! Macie is mine and Rufus is Jeremy's - yes,
we named them. We rode all over the neighborhood tonight - so fun!
Can't wait to try them out when we go to Savannah late this summer.

My Messy Office

2009-06-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am not a "messy" person. I can't believe my office looks like this! Anyone want to play "I Spy?"

Saturday's Harvest :)

2009-06-13T17:26:00.001-07:00

Here's what I picked TODAY!

Two cucumbers, jalapeno and banana peppers, several okra, and a handful of cherry tomatoes! Guess I better get cookin'!

First Fruits!

2009-06-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here's what I picked today! A squash, banana pepper, and 2 jalpenos! Yea!

More Gardening Stuff

2009-05-31T08:45:00.001-07:00

Maybe I'm just a teeny bit obsessed with gardening this spring, but I really love it! It's been so much fun to watch things grow (successfully) and it's surprisingly good exercise, too.

Here's some pictures of the progress so far just for you, Jonathan and Ashley :)

Banana Peppers

Teeny little Bell Pepper

Lots of clusters of cherry tomatoes

One GIANT Beefmaster!

And some pretty petunias, too!

Garden Progress!

2009-05-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here's where we are so far....

Today I added a little mint garden out behind the house:

And here is what our vegetable garden looks like after about 5 weeks of growth:

Not too shabby!

The first squash of the season, starting to grow:

And the first "beefmaster" tomato:

Front Yard Fix-Ups

2009-05-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Our front yard BEFORE:

Ugly, ugly shrub on this end of the house was uprooted and hauled away! Boring grass all the way up to the house was tilled to make a flower bed.

Holly bush on the far end was uprooted and moved to the other side of the front door...

The lack of symmetry was improved by moving one holly busy to the left side of the front door.

And AFTER:

Added a crepe myrtle, day lilies, azaleas, and lorapetalum and transplanted the holly bush!

Symmetry! Yea! And added the wrought iron hanging for some "interest" as they say on HGTV.

Added azaleas, lorapetalum, and an althea on the end....oh, and a truck load of mulch to go around.

Much improved!

Just Don't Ask

2009-05-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Soapbox time, folks!

I have been married for 8 months now and I am loving it! Of course, I knew that as soon as we were married the inevitable, "When are you going to have a baby?" questions would start coming and boy, was I right. Here's the thing with me. I think it's 1. RUDE to ask that question and 2. I don't think it is ANYONE else's business when we decide to have a baby.

What if J and I decide we don't want kids (which I don't forsee happening, but still) what if we find out for some reason that we can't have kids, what if we wait 5 years to have kids. Is that a problem? Am I seriously going to have to hear these questions until I do have a baby? Is it wrong that I want a couple of years to "just the two of us?"

I know that mostly people are just asking for the sake of asking, but sometimes it really gets under my skin. Yes, I'm 30. Yes, I know that is considered "older" to us in the south - as far as marriage and children go - but my gosh, it's not like I've got one foot in the grave for goodness sake!

So folks, let's stop with all the baby questions, for everyone's sake. You never know what can of worms you might be opening.

p.s. We're most likely waiting 2 years to have a kiddo, of course, things could change, but check back with me in September of 2010, ok?

Spring!

2009-04-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

I was so ready for spring to be here this year. Not that I don't LOVE fall and winter - because I do. But I was definitely ready for some warmer temps and time outside! J and I planted our second official vegetable garden about 2 weeks ago and it's looking great so far!

This year we planted tomatoes - Roma, Better Boy, Beefmaster and Cherry, Banana Peppers, Jalapeno Peppers, Bell Peppers, Squash, Okra, and Cucumber. We'll see how it all goes! Notice the cute little vegetable tag - thanks C!! :)

We have the cutest little flower shaped sprinkler, too and I love using it! Here's hoping we get some good results this year. Last year was not too shabby!

Ice Cream

2009-04-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a dream that I was in the ice cream aisle at Walmart with a pen and pad of paper pricing all of the large gallon sized containers of ice cream in an effort to find the cheapest one.

Why you ask? I am planning a retirement party/ice cream social at work and I'm wondering how much ice cream I need to buy and how I can get the most ice cream for the least amount of money. Working for a non-profit presents challenges in the "spending" department like you wouldn't believe!!

I can't believe that my worry over how much ice cream to buy manifested itself in a dream. How weird.

Home Again, Home Again...

2009-04-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

"Home" being Nashville. I still say that when people ask me where I'm going for the weekend and the answer is Nashville. Even though I haven't lived in Nashville since I left for Auburn back in '97. Aside from that one brief spurt in 2004, but that was during my "lost year" and I don't really count that. :) Tuscaloosa is "home" to me now. My house definitely feels like "home" but for a part of me, my parents house and Nashville will always be home. It's weird like that I guess.

Anyway, J and I are in Nashville this week. He is laying down tile in one of my parents bathrooms and I have been helping mom paint some furniture for one of the bedrooms. Always something fun going on around here, right?! Mom is re-doing what was the office into another guest bedroom and the office has moved upstairs to the bonus room. The guest bedroom is goign to be "shabby chic" with a headboard that is no joke about 150 years old - it belonged to my great-grandmother and her mother before that. It's OLD, but surprisingly in good shape. I painted it "antique lace" - ahem, white - for mom and the walls are a pail shade of pink. I told her it KIND of looked like a baby girl's nursery, but I think the end result will be super cute! Here's hoping anyway.

The major objective of the weekend was to see Dave Matthews Band at Vandy tonight. T-minus 2 hours and 37 minutes until the concert starts! Woot! I haven't seen him in 5 years and that is 5 years TOO long. Can. Not. Wait!

And how about this weather today? It's 80 degrees and sunny here in Nashville and I am loving it. I wasn't ready to let go of the upper 70's for highs quite yet, though. I need my spring time to gradually fade into summer, don't you.

Excuse the complete randomness of this post, but I really want to do a better job of keeping up with my blog, since it's kind of my way of scrapbooking my life because, let's face it, I am a horrible scrapper and will never take it up as a hobby. It's too demanding and I can't deal with it.
Off to check on the handyman.....

"New" Chairs

2009-04-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

When Jeremy bought the house that we currently live in, the previous owner left behind the dining table and 6 chairs. Great for us, but the chairs are covered in this ugly, cream-colored fabric. The previous owners had kiddos and the fabric was pretty yucko and stained. I have been dying to re-cover them and we finally did Sunday afternoon!

Before:

And after:

I chose this really pretty paisley-ish fabric and we actually found it at Wal-Mart. Isn't it great?! I love all of the colors.

The two "arm chairs" that go at the table are going to be covered in a green fabric that goes with this fabric. Pictures to come...

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

And Can It Be - Charles Wesley, 1738

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain!
For me who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be That
Thou, my God, should die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own

Absence

2009-04-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

I'm still around. I started a new job 2 weeks ago and things have been a little crazy since then. Getting used to a new job (with much less time sitting at a computer all day - praise God!) is kind of tough sometimes.

Last week was revival at church, so I was there three nights, then drove to Nashville on Thursday to see the fam and help host a wedding tea for my cousin, Jessica. No pictures, though. I left my camera at home - argh! Needless to say, I wasn't home much last week and had little time for the internet.

And just because I can't post a blog without a picture....

Here are a few pictures that Jeremy took at the air show in Tuscaloosa last weekend. The Blue Angels were in town and the weather was apparently perfect! There were over 120,000 people crammed into that airport - not sure how that even happened. Anyway, here's a few pictures that my camera took since I forgot to take it to Nashville with me...

Saturday with the Moore's

2009-03-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Stayed in bed until 10:00 today. I NEVER do that. I have no idea why I slept so long, but it was awesome. I think it had something to do with the gray rain coming down outside.

Got up, got ready, had a granola bar and decided to head out!

I begged Jeremy to take me to "Dirt Cheap" in Cottondale. I had heard it was great and it did not disappoint. It's kind of like Big Lots meets a thrift store. You know, it's closeout stuff that didn't sell at stores like Target...etc. and it comes to Dirt Cheap and gets marked down 40 - 70%. It's a mess and you have to dig through bins to find anything, but it's super fun. I got a magnetic towel hook, a picture frame from Target, a Valentine's candy dish, a purse from Kohl's, a wooden Mancala game and Jeremy got a bunch of electronic wires he was really excited about. Total: less than $50! The purse alone was supposed to be $24 and the candy dish was originally marked $12.99 and I think I got it for $3.40. Yipee!! It was super fun and definitely one of those places you have to be in the "mood" for, but well worth the trip.

Then I found some super cute "spring green" pants at Old Navy and I hit up Ann Taylor LOFT (my FAVORITE!!) and spent way too much money. But, I had a coupon for $50 off a $150 purchase, so it was well worth it. And I'm set on spring and summer clothes now - well, for a while anyway.

Then I hit the Wal-Mart for a few groceries and J is currently in the garage working on his chopper while I blog, play on the internet, and watch Toddlers and Tiaras on TLC. It sucks you in, I tell you!

I love Saturday!

Snow!

2009-03-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

We were pleasantly surprised to wake up to snow this morning. Yeah, the weathermen were all predicting it, but it rarely comes true. We had about 2 or 3 inches by 9:30, but it was all melted by about noon. Here are some pictures of the fun. Oh, and to make things even MORE fun we had our nephew, Brody, at the house. It was super fun getting to enjoy the snow with him! We even made a super-cute snowman and named him "Brobot" - that's what Brody suggested, I didn't argue.

I Tried It!

2009-02-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I told you I was going to try this and I did and so far I like the results! Thanks Alison for reminding me to post my results!

I read the article probably 5 times before I actually tried it. Smearing oil on my face did not sound like a pleasant endeavor - especially since one of the oils is used for a...ahem...laxative. Gross! Jeremy gave me a pretty hard time about that one! But the castor oil is essential, since it has the cleansing property.

I used a mixture of 30% castor oil to 70% olive oil because my skin tends to be a little on the oily side. I bought a little travel size shampoo bottle at Target and mixed my oils together in that. I followed the instructions exactly as they are laid out in the article and when I was done my face did look kind of glowy! It didn't feel greasy at all, which is what I was afraid of. And it actually removed all of my eye make-up and I didn't have to wash my face with a separate cleanser. The blackheads that I do have seem to have gotten a lot smaller and less noticeable - does anyone else have a problem with these? They are so gross to me and I can never seen to really get rid of them!!

I've only used the oil cleansing method twice, but I think I'll definitely add it into the rotation maybe 3 times a week. The only thing I felt bad about was leaving the hot water running for so long while I was doing this. Oops!

If you try it let me know what you think!

The Fam

2009-02-15T16:31:00.000-08:00

I came across these pictures on my computer today and they made me laugh out loud. We took these back at Thanksgiving when we were trying to get the placement for my camera juuuuust right for the automatic timer. We try and get a family picture every year, which can be a challenge in itself. Here are our attempts.....

Jeremy and me - kind of looking like a couple of rednecks - and don't we look SO happy?!

Mom, Molls, me (channeling Nixon?) and Jerms. Better camera placement, but where is the rest of the fam?

Finally we got the camera in the right place, the timer set correctly and everyone on the couch. This is the fam on my mom's side. We've rented a cabin in the Smokies for the past 2 years. It's so much fun and pretty much the only time of year we're all together. This year we had our first Thanksgiving with baby Olivia and Astro (my soon-to-be cousin-in-law's police dog!)

Yum-o!

2009-02-13T06:29:00.000-08:00

I love to cook and I've been doing a lot of it lately. Here are some things we've been eating...

Frittata

Thanks to Sister Molls for inspiring me to try this one. I sauted onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Then added ham, green pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes and sauteed until heated through. I beat together 8 eggs with some Monterey Jack/Colby blend cheese and poured them on top of the ham mixture. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. So good! So easy!

Mexican Pizza (a la Taco Bell!)

I LOVE Taco Bell, but usually after I eat there I feel pretty sick-o! I got this recipe from a friend and it is so good it helps me forget about the Bell.

½ lb. ground beef
3 T. taco seasoning
2 T. water
8 small flour tortillas
1 c. refried beans (warmed)
2/3 c. salsa or picante sauce (I use Ortega Taco Sauce)
1 c. shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend
¼ c. chopped tomato
¼ c. chopped green onion

Cook meat until browned and crumbled. Add taco seasoning and water to meat and stir to combine. Set aside.

On 4 of the tortillas spread a layer of beans, meat, and picante sauce.

On 4 other tortillas spread picante sauce, cheese, tomatoes, and green onions. Stack one of these tortillas on each of the others.

Place pizzas under a hot broiler until cheese is melted.

Firehouse Chili

My first attempt at chili was so bad most of it ended up in the trash! A friend gave me this recipe and it is very good. A little on the spicy side, but that's how I like it!

2 T. vegetable oil
1 ½ pounds ground beef (I use turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced (I use the dried flakes)
1 ½ t. salt
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ t. ground cumin
¼ t. ground oregano
2 T. chili powder
2 cans Ro-tel Tomatoes and Green Chiles (undrained)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (16 ounce) cans red kidney beans (undrained - I use one can of kidney and one can of black beans)

1. Heat oil in large pot.
2. Brown together beef, onion, and garlic; drain well
3. Add all the spices along with the Ro-tel, tomato sauce and beans.
4. Mix well and bring to a slow boil.
5. Simmer ½ hour uncovered and 1 ½ hours covered.
6. If chili gets too thick you can add a little tomato juice.

Hope you enjoy!

Surprises!

2009-02-12T06:35:00.000-08:00

Last night I came home to this note:

It says,

"Marissa, A present for you for being such a good wife and because I love you!

Jeremy"

Underneath the note was this pair of Merrell hiking shoes. I was watching them on eBay and thought I had lost them, but to my surprise Jeremy bought them for me!

I love surprises! And I love him, too!

Aren't they adorable?!

Why I Love Blogs...

2009-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

You find cool ideas like this to try! I'll let you know how it works! I want my skin to GLOW!

Work It, Girl!

2009-01-28T06:15:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty faithful when it comes to working out. When I put it off or go for a week or so without it I just feel gross - you can relate, right? I don't exercise 7 days a week and usually my workouts aren't anymore than 45 minutes long, but I TRY and that's what counts, right?

On my quest to be more healthy this year I discovered this little jewel:

Have you tried it?? It is awesome! It's got three different levels and is no more than 50 minutes (when you work up to Level 3), so it's easy to fit in to your day. I didn't really start watching The Biggest Loser until a couple seasons ago, but it's great and it's pretty darn inspiring. If they can do it, so can I!

This morning (after my 5:30 workout session! Yeah!) I watched some of the "Inspirational Stories" on the DVD and one of the girls that's in the workout was interviewed. She said it's more important to her to be "healthy" than to be "skinny" and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm always complaining about being "fat" or saying how I want to "be skinny" when really, that's not what matters. If I eat right, exercise, and try my hardest to be healthy that's what's important.

No more trying to be skinny! I want to be HEALTHY!

I'm going to try out the Yoga and Sculpt Biggest Loser DVDs soon. Has anyone tried them?

Merry, Merry!

2009-01-19T06:04:00.001-08:00

This year, J and I decided not to buy Christmas presents for each other. There were other things we wanted to spend our money on and things we wanted to do in our house, so we decided to just skip the presents for each other.

I have to admit, the idea of not buying him anything kind of bummed me out, but I was going to stick the plan - and I did - HE didn't!

I came home a week or so before Christmas and J was busy in the office doing something that he wouldn't let me see. He had the door closed and told me to STAY OUT. When he reappeared he grabbed my purse in the kitchen and said, "Hey, your phone is ringing!" I pulled out my jacked up old phone, but it wasn't ringing. In the bottom of my purse there was a shiny blue light and I pulled out a lovely new iPhone! I screamed I was so excited!

It is the coolest. phone. ever. I'm sort of addicted now!

My Handyman is Very Handy

2009-01-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

J and I have been wanting some new bookshelves for our living room a lot lately. We have a lot of "little things" and books, but not a lot of room to display them like I'd like. J decided now was the time to work on them, so he took on the challenge and I helped as much as I could. This was his first big woodworking project and I'm so proud of him and

how they turned out I can't stand it!

Here is Jeremy with the bottom half (almost) completed. These will eventually have doors, so I can store all sorts of goodies in there and if they aren't 100% neatly organized it won't matter!!

And here they are nearly finished. J added some really nice trim to make them look more "finished." I think they look awesome! We spend this weekend painting them "Promenade" which is just a shade of white. They look super great now, but sadly I don't have a picture to show you just yet. Stay tuned...

p.s. Please ignore the filth that is my living room. I didn't realize how messy and all-consuming projects like this can be!

Chicken Bruschetta

2009-01-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for new and easy recipes to make for dinner, so I thought I'd share one that I found and really like. I tweaked my recipe a little bit, but you can find the
original on Kraftfoods.com.

Chicken Bruschetta

1 - 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans diced tomatoes (I use the Italian flavor kind with garlic and basil)
1 box Stove Top Stuffing Mix for chicken
1 c. mozzarella cheese (I use 2% to save calories)
2 cloves minced garlic (I used dried minced garlic and it's great!)
2 tsp. dried basil

Boil chicken and shred. Place in bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Top with cheese and basil. In a separate bowl combine tomatoes, stuffing mix, and garlic just until moistened. If it's a little dry, add about 1/4 c. water.

Top the chicken mixture with the tomatoes and stuffing. Bake covered at 350 for about 30 minutes - until heated through.

Enjoy!

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

2009 has been great so far!

J and I rang in the new year with our friends Carrie and Daniel. Don't we look festive?! Carrie fixed my favorite homemade hummus and we had mini-burgers for dinner. All SO good and so much fun!

Happy New Year!

Christmas Baking

2009-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

I forgot I had these pictures on my camera, so we're backing up about a month here. J and I kept two of our nephews early in December. It was fun and easy (since Brody slept from their arrival time of 7 p.m. on Friday until 9 or so on Saturday morning!:) If you know me, you know I love kiddies, so I was super-pumped to have them and had to bust out the cookie baking with them. Messy, hectic, but fun! We made chocolate chip cookies with pecans and they must've been good because they were almost ALL eaten by that evening!

Brody (5) scoops out his cookie dough...

Mason (2 1/2) plops the dough on the baking sheet...

I just remembered, it was the Saturday of the SEC Championship, hence, the Alabama jerseys. Aren't they cute (in spite of the ugly Crimson color - War Eagle!)

2009-01-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

We have a pecan tree in our backyard. I never really thought much of it until I started seeing all these "Pecans for Sale" signs around town. I realized when I had to buy lots of pecans around Christmas just how expensive those suckers can be, so I decided to harvest my own! I now realize why they are so expensive - they are near impossible to get out of the shell and it is hard, time-consuming work! I got enough to fill a quart Ziploc bag, so I felt pretty good about that. They are in the freezer until I need them!

30!!!

2008-12-29T06:44:00.000-08:00

So, I turned 30 on the 27th. It hasn't been nearly as traumatic as I thought it might be. The fact that I'm 30 is just a little weird to me and I don't know how to explain it any better than that. A lady at church guessed that I had just turned 23 - she is now my new best friend!

My actual birthday was spent shopping with Jeremy, putting away Christmas decorations and having a yummy dinner with the family. It was great and sadly, I have no pictures from our birthday dinner.

When I arrived at work this morning these footprints met me at the door and read, "Guess who had her 30th birthday?! Come see for yourself!" And led the way to my cubicle....

My lovely cube decorated by one of my most awesome co-workers, Rose. :) Lots of streamers, balloons, mardi gras beads, Hawaiian lays and a couple pictures of J and me. there's also a cute little cake with a big 3-0 on top!

And my fabulous birthday tiara!
Happy birthday to me!

I've Been Bitten

2008-12-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

The Twilight obsession finally got me. After a little prodding from Sister Molls (a series of books about vampires, seriously?) I decided to jump on the bandwagon and just read it. And Oh. My. Gosh. It is SO good! I finished Twilight in a matter of days, then read the second, New Moon and am now on the third book, Eclipse.

Yes, it's a tad on the cheesey side, but it's so well-written that I didn't care! They are definitely books that you won't be able to put down. And let's be honest - who doesn't want to find their Edward?? ::swoon::

I haven't seen the movie yet, but if it's still in theaters, that's where I'll be the day after Christmas!

Fall Catch Up

2008-11-22T17:37:00.000-08:00

A few pictures from Bama's Homecoming festivities from back on October 31. We took Jeremy's younger brother to the pep rally and bonfire and it was actually lots of fun. It was a cold October night, so the fire felt really good. And it was a HUGE fire! (and p.s. I have no idea why this is underlined. I did not select it!)

Don't we look all cozy and warm??

And just because I'm kind of proud of it, here's a picture of the fall center piece I made for our dining table. Love it!

In Case You Couldn't See it Before...

2008-10-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is what's across the street from my house right now! Craziness!

Disturbing My Peace

2008-10-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors across the street have all of this in their front yard for Halloween...

If you can't see, from left to right there is a horse-drawn hearse being driven by the Grim Reaper, a haunted castle and on the far right there is a creepy looking organ being played by a deranged looking man. As I type, I can hear the "organ music" that it plays. It is loud enough to hear in our living room every night.

These neighbors are extreme holiday decorators and while I admire their spirit I do not love the creepy music that I am subjected to every night.

Happy Halloween. Boo.

Home Sweet Home

2008-10-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures of the old train bridge in downtown Northport the other day and was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out...

Good Ol' Rocky Top??

2008-10-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

J and I headed up to Knoxville to see the Tide play this weekend. As a lifelong Vol-hater this is one of the few games where I really, really want Alabama to win. We stayed with my brother-in-law at his cabin in Pigeon Forge and had a super great time.

Not a bad view, huh?

The final score - it did not stay on the scoreboard long!

The view from the top...the very top!

Some of the Volunteer Navy - pretty cool, I have to admit

I Still Can't Believe It!

2008-10-06T08:17:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm an Auburn alum. Yes, I love the Tigers. Yes, I still love them even though they're having some tough days lately. Yes, I bleed orange and blue. Yes, I am married to an Alabama fan, but that in no way dampens my enthusiam for the Auburn Tigers!

That being said, I grew up in Nashville and, thanks to my mom, have been a Vandy fan as long as I can remember. I love the 'Dores and cheer them on anytime I get the chance. Whenever Auburn and Vandy meet my heart feels torn between the two. Thank goodness they don't play each other every football season. I have never cheered against Auburn on any of these occassions until Saturday. Always the underdog, Vandy had the chance to go 5-0 for the first time in 50+ years and I had to do my part in cheering them on. The game was amazing. The fans were loud. And the outcome was fantastic!! I'm sad that it was Auburn that they had to beat, but I am so happy for Vandy I almost don't care.

This article summarizes my feelings much better than I can. I get a little misty-eyed reading it.

Who ya with??? VU! Go 'Dores!!

Happy Honeymoon!!

2008-10-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our honeymoon cruise to Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico. We had the best time. I highly recommend a cruise - especially if you like to eat as much as I do. You will not go hungry on a cruise. There is always food to eat and lots to do, too!

Getting our marriage license in Nashville. Don't you love the fancy arch?

Our first day as a married couple - at Union Station Hotel in Nashville

Our life vest drill after boarding the ship - really hilarious!

The view from our room - not too bad!

Dressed up for dinner...

On a street in Progreso, Mexico!

At the Governor's "palace" in Progreso - check out that guard cut-out behind us!

Progreso...

At El Cid resort in Cozumel. We ate, drank, laid in the sun and snorkeled all day here. So much fun!

Our ship - as seen from Cozumel...

Our "Happy Honeymoon" cake that J's family sent us! It was SO good!

Confessions...

2008-09-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

Have you read this book??

If you haven't, you definitely should. It's cute and smart and funny and witty and I think it's the holds the record for book I've read the fastest. AND it's been made into a movie that comes out in February. I love it when books I read are turned into movies. Though almost 100% of the time the book is better.

The book is set in London, the movie will be set in NYC, which disappoints me and I really didn't picture Isla Fisher as Becky Bloomwood, but I'm sure it will be great nonetheless!

p.s. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan and Shopaholic Ties the Knot are great, too! I just started Shopaholic & Sister today!

Wedding Highlights

2008-09-19T06:00:00.001-07:00

The wedding is over! I am both relieved and a little sad, too. I loved planning my wedding and now I'm not sure what to do with myself. I guess I'll have to take up my hobbies of painting and golfing again! :)

The wedding day was perfect. Nothing went wrong (that I know of anyway) or caused us any stress.

We got our pictures back yesterday and here are so me of my favorites:

If you'd like to see the whole gallery, check out this website: www.tylerandrews.com/marissaandjeremy/wedding. Enjoy!

2008-09-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Jeremy working hard putting our new TV trays together in the midst of our very messy kitchen. Or as I like to call them, "Our new dining room suite!" We love to eat in the living room. We are bad, I know!

Isn't he cute?!

I am headed up to Nashville today with J's mom to do lots of last minute wedding week stuff. I am really looking forward to spending time with the fam on all the last minute details. I am trying to keep my head clear and NOT freak out. I am a great freaker outer, but I am going to try and keep panic, stress, and worry to a minimum. Wish me luck!

The countdown is on...only FIVE more days!

Life Lately

2008-08-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

The wedding is 15 days away and I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!

J and I have been busy with showers and organizing our house lately. We had our last wedding shower in Nashville last weekend and it was wonderful! So many people came to support us. It was overwhelming, but I felt very loved. Needless to say we got a ton of really great stuff and it is stacked all over our house as we try and sort through what we already had to make places for the new stuff. I feel a HUGE yard sale coming on sometime in late September.

Speaking of organizing, J installed these in the garage last night:

Aren't they great? Now I just need a few more boxes and a label maker so I know exactly what is in every box! How fun!

Sister Molls is coming to visit this weekend and we are going to work on putting together programs for the wedding. One more thing that will be out of the way! I feel like everything has just fallen into place as far as the wedding goes. I haven't really felt stressed at all. Anxious, yes. Stressed, not so much. I am sure the week before will be a little crazy, but I am so excited I don't even care!

I read this book over the last two weeks:

It's really cute (and quite predictable) as all of her books are. All are set in the south - mostly in Savannah or Atlanta - and they are fun, perfect for summer reads.

Of course I've still been obsessively watching the Olympics. One, because there is NOTHING else on TV and two, because they are really, really great! I have to say I am a little sick of all the track runners and their showboating. Why must they drape a flag around themselves and take that little victory lap? And isn't it a bit disrespectful to drape the American Flag all over your sweaty body and drag it on the ground around the track? It's annoying and so is Usain Bolt. Yes, he's super fast, but he drives me CRAZY!!

Aren't these bouquets pretty??

These are going to serve as my "inspiration pieces" for my wedding bouquet. Yes, we are making them ourselves and yes, that could contribute to a little bit of stress, but we have practiced and it's really not that hard to do.

And I'm thinking about something like this for the bridesmaids:

Isn't it cool and different? I love them!

Ok, I guess that's enough random rambling for today. Hope you have a great Thursday!

One-Two Punch!

2008-08-15T06:03:00.001-07:00

Gold and Silver for the USA! Woohoo!! I stayed up entirely too late watching all of this last night, but it was well worth it!

Lovin' the Olympics!

2008-08-12T07:59:00.001-07:00

I have been looking forward to the Olympics all summer and now that they are finally here I can't stop watching/reading/thinking about them all the time. It is SO much fun!

I watched some synchronized diving last night for the first time that I can remember and it was really, really cool.

And how about that US Men's Gymnastics Team? And Phelps - he is a machine!

Go USA!

Peanut Butter + Chocolate = One Happy Marissa

2008-08-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

I have always been a huge fan of Goo-Goos. Even though they have marshmallows in the center, which I am not a huge fan of. It's rare to see them in Alabama, unless you are at a Cracker Barrell. Well, today I was in Winn-Dixie and they had these Peanut Butter Goo-Goos in the check out line. I was instantly tempted and at 2 for $1 I had to get two of them! Don't worry, I will share one with J tonight.

Anyway, I just ate my Goo-Goo and it was unbelievably good. Better than a Reese's cup - which is pretty near chocolate and peanut butter perfection in my book.

If you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan I highly recommend them. They are SO GOOd! :)

Why I Love Andy Griffith

2008-08-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

This video totally just made me cry. How cute is Sheriff Taylor...not to mention Brad Paisley?

Shelves Are My Friend

2008-07-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

Master Bathroom Closet BEFORE:

Master Bathroom Closet AFTER:

Much improved!
Don't you LOVE the rainbow effect we achieve by having so many different colors of towels?!?

Out of Control!!

2008-07-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

...but I am not complaining! Look at all these tomatoes (and zucchini and squash!) With the exception of 6 of those little red guys ALL of this came from MY back yard. I can't even believe it!

The Perfect Gift

2008-07-27T14:42:00.001-07:00

I love gift cards! We got one to Lowe's at our shower last weekend and have already spent it on stuff for the house - some shelves for the bathroom and this lovely hibiscus that J picked out - for the patio. Isn't it pretty?

My Sister Can Drive a Truck!

2008-07-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Molly got to drive Wayne's truck (my father-in-law-to-be) to run an errand for us last weekend. She has never driven something so large, so we had to take pictures to document the occasion!

Molly and Hunter (collar popped and all!) after their successful return from the grocery store!

A Few Shower Pictures...

2008-07-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and me

Table O' Goodies

Best. Gift. Ever.

J and me (where did my head go??)

J, me, and the hostesses

My mother-in-law-to-be, me, and my mom

Sister Molls and me

Let the Countdown Begin

2008-07-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Hills returns in 24 days!!

And on an unrelated note...I just successfully embedded a video into a post. Go me!

I Heart My Kitchen Aid Mixer!!

2008-07-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday J and I had our first wedding tea. We got tons of great stuff (pictures still to come, I promise) and had a really nice time with our families and friends. The highlight of the day was my receipt of this awesome mixer from J's parents:And yes, mine is Majestic Yellow!

I used it for the first time last night to make some Amish Friendship Bread - which turned out great by the way - and let me just tell you this mixer is all it's cracked up to be. I absolutely LOVE it. It is so much more efficient than my arm and a wooden spoon. I told J I'd bake him a cake this weekend just because I love my mixer so much.

Blogging Absence

2008-07-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

It has been 2 weeks since I've blogged anything new and yes, I am fully aware that my last blog was not really worth reading. I was just proud of myself and wanted to brag a bit :)

It's Monday morning and I am so sleepy. I had a whirlwind weekend with a visit from my family and our first wedding tea at Circlewood Baptist. Pictures will follow soon...

Here are a few pictures from the lingerie shower my friends Rachel, Amy, and Sister Molls threw me back in June. Too fun!

The Werthan Lofts (where Rachel used to live!)

Rachel and me with all the yummy food!

A few of the girls in the living area...

Lots of goodies!

Pretty things (this is the only lingerie picture I'm willing to show! ;)

The wedding whirlwind is officially upon us. Our house is full of boxes from our shower yesterday (no complaints from me, though!) and we have another shower in 2 weeks, then another 2 weeks after that. The wedding is only SEVEN WEEKS AWAY!!! I can't believe it's almost here!

Best. Outing. Ever.

2008-07-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

J and I went to the driving range Friday night and I had my best showing ever by far. I remembered everything he had been telling me - finally - so many things to remember every time you swing and I was hitting the ball solid pretty consistently. I still have a few swings where I think too much and the ball goes everywhere but where I want it. It was fun and I could tell Jeremy was proud that I was finally getting the hang of it. Thank goodness that muscle memory finally kicked in!