The House on Normandy Lane

Waiting for Superman

2010-11-01T21:35:00.003-05:00

Ross and I went to see Waiting for Superman a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our friend, Price, wrote his thoughts on the film and I encourage you to check it out. Thanks, Price for the review - and for committing to our city's kids and their futures. He also quoted this article, which also gave some interesting insight. Whether you see it or not, I hope that the dialogue this film (and other efforts like Teach for America, Memphis Teacher Residen cy, etc.) have created will get people involved in improving education in our country.

La Rooste visit with my favorite ladies

2010-10-28T16:46:00.006-05:00

I have grown up going to Pickwick Lake. It hugs the Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama border and I absolutely love it there. We affectionately call the cabin there "La Rooste".

Last weekend, my two sisters, Mom and I got to steal away to spend time together and it was such fun. We watched the ducks on the lake, ate great food, drank good wine, and laughed a lot. We also watched both the Valentino documentary as well as The September Issue - it was a fashion-filled weekend. In our pajamas. We also ate on the Corinth town square at Borrum's (if you'll remember, we took the girls there at Easter) and did a little shoe shopping at Austin's shoes.

We also visited a fabulous store in Corinth called Sanctuary - an old tiny church that has been turned into a very cool little shop.

Congrats are also in order to the Bourland women who put together a fire pit in 18 minutes flat (the package estimated 15 minutes but it took 12 just to get the nuts and bolts out of the foam packaging!)

Really delicious pizza

2010-10-26T17:18:00.003-05:00

My favorite dinner is a great homemade pizza, especially if we're lucky enough to have good ingredients in the house. It's best to make pizza dough from scratch (Sophie tells me it's easy) but I like the Whole Foods wheat crust - it's pre-baked a bit so it's heavy enough to hold up to toppings. This detail is crucial - instead of using marinara, I use tomato chutney. The problem is, the only kind I can find is only available at the Piggly Wiggly in Homewood, AL. I try to get my sister to import it to me.

Top the crust with chutney, top with favorite cheese (I like mozzarella and a 3 cheese blend from 365 brand and then if I'm lucky and we have buffalo mozzarella, I pile that on, too). Then top with a can of roasted peppers chopped up, proscuttio, and any other veggies you'd like. The chutney makes the pizza a little sweet and spicy, and the wheat crust is a nice nutty balance to the toppings.

Let me know if you have any unique pizza finds!

To love the blog or to leave the blog...

2010-10-25T15:52:00.002-05:00

I know, I've gone missing. Since June. I follow so many great blogs (too many to keep up with, really) and I just started thinking I don't really have much to say. (I also read a few not-so-great blogs, a bit lacking... I don't want to be one of those, either!)

I've decided to either delete the blog or get back to it... and try to make it entertaining. We shall see... (Cue Jeopardy song for decision making time).

Any thoughts for what thoughts I could blog??

Happy Monday - Hope you had a GREAT weekend!

Give MeMphis - Round 2.

2010-06-10T14:34:00.004-05:00

There is a lot of great stuff in our city and other than the extreme heat, I'm very excited about our summer!

Last year, I posted about fun goings-on in our fair city, and thankfully a lot of these events are going on this summer, too --- forgive the repetition!

First off... the Levitt Shell is again hosting great concerts... it's fun for a picnic dinner on the lawn -- lawn chairs welcome. The kids night series is supposed to be fun, as well!

The Orpheum Movie Series has a great line-up this summer... we're going to either hit Ferris Bueller tomorrow night or the Levitt Shell after homemade pizza with our good friends Sophie and Price.

Hope Presbyterian is again hosting family movie nights with fun for the whole fam - including hot dogs and popcorn for a great price!

Picking your own fruit is always an adventure! Find out where here.

The University of Memphis always has some interesting Continuing Education classes.

Trolley nights are always fun!!

Hands On Memphis is a great way to keep up with what's going on and where you can help out.

Elvis week rolls around every August- and is a scene to behold.

I Love Memphis had a phenomenal post on things to do with your family this summer.

The Memphis Farmers Market is such a fun start to everyone's weekend. Great music, great food and great atmostphere.

I'll be back with a new restaurant wish list next.

Please feel free to email me other ideas and I'd love to add them to my list!

06.07.08

2010-06-07T19:54:00.008-05:00

Happy Anniversary to the best husband a girl could ask for. It's been a great two years and I look forward to many more happy celebrations!

We're baaaaaaaaack....

2010-05-23T19:26:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful time in Europe - we are settling in at home and are glad to be back, but miss our fun adventures with Allison and Steven... I hope this next week will have lots of posts regarding our trip - I have wonderful recommendations!

Hope everyone in the blogosphere is doing well and getting ready for sweet summertime!

Proud to call Memphis home.

2010-04-21T17:01:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine, Katie, posted this link for a great article from Smithsonian magazine on Facebook.

Last year, I posted about all the great Summertime activities in Memphis. If any of you readers out there would like to contribute to my list of fun things to do this year (I'm sure a lot of it will be the same) please email me at hurst.audrey@gmail.com and I'll be sure to include it in this year's post!

Enjoy the article and enjoy Memphis!

herbs and ina

2010-04-20T14:24:00.002-05:00

I know... you've been waiting with bated breath to see how my Barefoot Contessa recipes turned out. The orange chocolate chunk cake (link is for mini version) was a hit --- after spending so much effort baking it, I didn't actually eat a piece, but everyone else said it was tasty...

The Chinese chicken salad was definitely delicious, and easy to assemble for brunch... Ross and I had a rare day off together last Monday and decided to plant some herbs...

Do you like our luscious healthy grass in the background? If anyone knows a good (cheap) landscaper/grass grower, let me know!

We got a new large pot for our basil, which I really like... it kind of reminds me of our collection of Baucum Pottery ...

The backyard has a long way to go, but the hunt is on for patio furniture to enjoy this summer!!

Dear Ina, I love you.

2010-04-02T18:55:00.003-05:00

If you know me, you know I love food. I love to cook. I love good ingredients. I love simple recipes. Therefore, I love Ina Garten. I love the way she entertains - it's about the guests - not the place setting. I feel like most at-home cooks are familiar with Ina's cookbooks (see below). I have a tie for favorites between Barefoot Parties! and Family Style. Her cookbooks are simple and easy, delicious and hearty... my only complaint is that a lot of her ingredients are pricey. Anywho... I'm about to spend the rest of my evening baking for Easter in the kitchen with my Barefoot cookbooks - report to follow!

Easter Happies

2010-04-01T16:39:00.004-05:00

I love Holy Week (don't know that wikipedia is the most reliable source, but probably better than some sites out there!). It is such a wonderful time of year for Christians to consider the tragedy Jesus suffered, and the great joy in knowing he suffered for us.

Last year, I made the Easter cookies found on Darby's blog with my nieces. It was kind of a disaster because I tried to use the toaster oven (can't remember my reasoning there), but a great lesson to little ones on the message of Easter (And... who are we kidding, a great reminder and lesson for me, too!)

This year, I wanted to share some of the joy of Easter with loved ones, and I got a little crafty at work... I used some Scripture verses and tied them to little bunches of Easter candy. I thought they turned out cute, and it was an easy way to pass along a "happy" for the week. My "errand basket" (well, "basket 'o junk" as Ross likes to call it) turned into a giant Easter basket! Pardon the poor quality photos...

If you're a Memphian looking for a place to worship this Easter Sunday, there are countless fabulous worship times all over the city. Consider yourself welcome at our home church, Second Presbyterian which has 4 worship times Easter morning. (We will probably be at the 8am service)... Also feel welcome to join us at a church plant we're very excited about in Downtown Memphis that we've been attending... We will have a picnic at 4pm and outdoor worship at 5pm in the lot next to Ernestine and Hazel's (corner of G.E. Patterson and Main).

On a similar note, Ross and I both loved the teaching at Second last weekend, (although we were listening in the car on our way home from the Lake)... if you'd like to take a listen, the audio can be found here (entitled "The Generous Life" 3/28/2010).

Happy Easter, all!

Oscar Party

2010-04-01T16:06:00.004-05:00

Our Oscar Party was such fun... just a small group - themed food, ballots and appropriate Oscar attire...

Crazy (Artichoke) Heart Dip... (good movie by the way)

The food table.

Edu-Cajun Chips

Avatarts

"Up"cakes

A serious brownie (for a Serious Man)

Hurt Locker Hummus

Veggies Julienned and Julia
Super cute snacks for while you're "Up in the Air"

Best Dressed FOR SURE goes to Dawn and Bec!

Ahhh.... wouldn't be the Oscars without George Clooney!

I can't take credit for many of the food puns --- entertaining blogs, and my incredibly crafty sisters came up with most of the ideas. Merrill co-hosted and made it so easy for me! I just bought a plastic table cloth and some tinsel and a little bit of movie candy!

Happy entertaining!

freezer update

2010-03-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

Well, Leslie was kind enough to remind me that I haven't updated on our "clean out the freezer" week... It's been kind of a bust, honestly. I had big plans, people, big plans... I was going to take great pictures of my turkey meatballs, my pesto pasta, and a few other items I'd dreamed up. However, when you have plans every night this week (literally), it kinda puts the cooking to a halt. Last night a friend brought dinner, tonight I have Bunko and Ross has class, tomorrow night is margarita night at Las Delicias with girls from work, and Thursday we've had a kind couple invite us for dinner. Our "deal" was not to go to the grocery until Sunday, though... so I'll have a couple of weekend nights to be creative. I'm thinking about getting really crazy and milking it until next Wednesday. We have had english muffin pizzas and turkey melts... nothing to write home about, though.

I had an Oscar Party too... I just realized I forgot to blog about it. Oops. I'm a failing blogger... will be back soon...

A little project...

2010-03-24T15:28:00.002-05:00

So... Ross agreed to embark with me on a little project next week. We don't have a plethora of groceries, but a lot of frozen goods and other "random food". In an effort to stash a little bit more cash for our trip to Europe, we're going to challenge ourselves not to buy any groceries between now and next Friday. Truth be told, we have a few dinners and other outings planned in the next 10 days, so we won't be totally pitiful. However, I'm going to be as creative as possible in planning meals (nutrition-conscious people will be appalled at my lack of fresh veggies and fruit... sorry folks). I'm going to take "inventory" tonight and may post it so that you might be able to give me a few good ideas...

This is not my freezer, but reminds me of mine...

Happy Valentine's Day! (3 weeks late)

2010-02-25T22:18:00.003-06:00

So... we had a rockin' Valentines party - here are some pics...

From Valentine's Party 2009

Yes, there were actually people here (the last guests left at 2:15! Thanks, Martha and Dudley for making us feel cool) but February isn't a very photogenic month for people and none of the pictures of guests turned out, so these will have to do.

Dessert parties are the way to go! I got bored before guests got here because I ran out of things to do!

Some tips (most of which originated from dear sister who kindly iced all the cupcakes for me!)
- Bake cupcakes several days early, place them on a cookie sheet and freeze them for an hour or so and then put them in airtight containers, that way they won't "smoosh"... I took them out the day before the party and Merrill iced them and they tasted delicious!

- I bought two-bite brownies and made a ganache and topped with a raspberry!

-I used box mixes for both red velvet and strawberry mini cupcakes - everyone thought they were homemade (not anymore, I guess...) Crucial to make your own icing though. I always use Magnolia Bakery's buttercream, but Merrill has perfected it, so I let her do that...

-my candy buffet was fun - but no one really ate the candy, I could have bought 1/2 as much and had the same effect. Dollar Tree had cute pink and red candy...

- My valentine tree was just painted curly willow sticks from Michael's with hearts cut out of felt and tied on with ribbon stuck in dollar tree candy hearts

-Merrill printed labels for water bottles and I used Target one spot scrapbooking paper for some.

-I made the "love" and the big heart with crumpled up tissue paper and poster board.

-Served Barefoot Contessa's pomegranate cosmos and boy, were they good!

It was a really fun party - thanks friends, for coming!

I promise I'll try to be better about posting... for those of you who have been to Europe --- Steven and Allison and Ross and I will be traveling this summer and looking for Parisian and Italian traveling suggestions - especially accommodations.

A note....

2010-02-01T18:00:00.002-06:00

In last night's post, I linked to our friend Price's blog... except apparently there are two "Unprofessional Opinion" blogs! Oops. My kind sister (one of 4 readers) alerted me of my mishap... I've corrected the error in the post, but for any of you who visited the wrong blog - apologies!

Price's correct blog is:

www.unprofessionalopinion.wordpress.com

Hope you find it entertaining!

catching up, again!

2010-01-31T21:38:00.009-06:00

Ross is a busy bee working on some Econ project for his MBA... and I'm catching up on my tivo, blogging, and planning our trip to Europe. We are very excited to be traveling with our great friends, Allison and Steven King! We welcome any suggestions for Paris, the French/Italian coast and Rome!

Tonight I made a little bit random dinner... I am NOT a seafood person. A "land lover" my sisters coined us... we. don't. do. fish. However, Ross' mom and dad highly recommended this frozen salmon from Sam's and we tried it and it's really good! (still a little fishy for me, but it's marinated and you can do it on the grill or in the oven). I warmed up a little shelled edamame in two tablespoons of butter, and added some bowtie pasta to serve on the side, and voila! a pretty tasty dinner for very minimal effort.
A few weeks go we celebrated dad's birthday --- Merrill made a DELICIOUS brownie pudding dessert... I must get her recipe and post it, it was very, very good. Virginia helped open Grandaddy's birthday cards, Annie helped blow out candles and Henry was licking the brownie batter somewhere...
I have so enjoyed my time at the Stovall Collection (we're hiring by the way!) One of the things I love is that, although I have to work some Saturdays here and there, I get midweek days off and get to spend them doing things like eating Muddy's with my niece, delivering Muddy's to friends at work, and read to another niece's class. It's such a joy to be able to do those things on a Wednesday... or a Friday... or whenever.

We also had a snow day!!! I LOVE our neighborhood! I, of course, stayed inside in my warm boots and ate. and then ate some more. We had a spur-of-the-moment pizza/Miss America party last night. We had about 14 people here and it was such a fun time--- our den has proven to be a very valid reason that we bought our house!

In conversation with a friend the other day, I realized that negative side of the blogosphere. It's easy to get caught up in the creative ideas, the fabulous trips, the pretty houses and all the other things that seem perfect on a blog... I've found a few new blogs (some are some old faves) that are a welcome breath of fresh air in the blog world... I'd encourage you to pop on over to a few of these, or even subscribe if you use something like google reader...

Our friend, Price has a blog where he shares his thoughts (and sometimes hilarious stories) about his life in Memphis City Schools with Teach for America. I'm inspired by his patience and determination to help improve these kids' education:

http://unprofessionalopinion.wordpress.com/

One of my old faves:
A long way from the Theta House. A family who has moved to inner-city Dallas to minister to families and children there. A blog that never fails to make me laugh and challenge the way I live every time I read it:
http://hoodmamamel.blogspot.com/

Kisses from Katie - the story of an amazing girl....
http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

Advance Memphis - I've mentioned them a lot before - this is a great blog with stories of those in 38126.
http://advancememphis.blogspot.com/

I hope you all have a great week!!

here, there, and everywhere...

2010-01-10T14:36:00.009-06:00

Well... we're back. We spent a lovely week-after-Christmas with a wonderful family from Memphis playing with their kids so they could enjoy skiing and a few dinners together. Park City, Utah is lots of fun! Meanwhile, Ross and I got to spend lots of time reading (yes, I read, too) at Java Cow on Main Street... we ate a delicious dinner at Chimayo and the Lackies were kind enough to include us in their New Year's Eve dinner at Cafe Terigo. Here are a few shots from our week in the Mountains:

We celebrated my 25th birthday with sweet family and friends at River Oaks Grill on Friday night - be SURE to get the cheddar beignets and french fries for the table!

We had the pleasure of meeting up with my class of Fellows for a little reunion this weekend. It was a wonderful time to spend catching up with this very special group of people!

We had them over to our house for cookies on Saturday afternoon --- it's so nice to live down the street from Fresh Market!

Saturday night, we celebrated sweet Courtney's birthday, but she was sick! We hit Los Compadres at their new location, sang a quick verse of happy birthday to the birthday girl at her house, and hung out by our very first fire at our house.

We were so inspired by the fire that we has the family over for S'mores today - we had a great time!

We're celebrating my birthday with the Hursts tonight at Houston's after we go to the evening service at Second. The church is doing a series that is supposed to be phenomenal. If you're not in Memphis, or unable to check it out yourself, I encourage you to listen here. The first in the series is last week's evening service entitled "Delighting in His Word".

Ladies, don't forget the stella and dot party at my house this week! If you're doing a little blog stalking (I know there are some out there!) and have any interest in coming, PLEASE let me know, so I can send you the evite! We'd love to have as many people as possible. If you can't make it, feel free to browse the site above and use my name as the hostess. It's fun stuff, and the part is very low-key - feel free to stop by!

Have a great week!

Have a wonderful week!!

Thank you, Santa! and Birthday wishlist...

2009-12-31T14:37:00.008-06:00

Prepare yourself- this post is all over the place.

We are blessed with a wonderful and generous family. The tradition of gifts began to remind us that God's gift to us is his Son, sent to save us. As long as we're clear on that...

Santa brought me these lovely boots:and they are keeping me so warm while we're in Park City!

Santa also brought some of these items too - much to my surprise and delight!
Merrill (sister) and I both have birthdays close to Christmas -- Merrill's is December 27th (Happy Birthday!) and I gave her a cookbook that I was super excited about - I can't wait to skip on down the street to peruse and borrow it. Food and Wine compiles this cookbook each year, and if she likes it, maybe I can make it a Birthday tradition (sorry to ruin the surprise, Mer.)

My birthday (the big two-five) is about a week away and there are just a few things on my wish list...

Saw the Frugal Foodie on the kitchn and got excited about the possibilities!

Our house (for the week) in Park City had the stress relief aromatherapy line from Bath and Body Works and it's awesome! I haven't actually purchased anything from bath and body works since the cucumber melon phase in 7th grade, but I highly recommend this stuff - you should try it out! And... it's pretty affordable for aromatherapy stress relief. (I'm not all that stressed, but that's what's here and it smells awesome).

Nishta over at Blue Jean Gourmet had a great gift guide - wish I'd been able to pass it along before the Holidays, but I've just been catching up on my google reader this week! Perhaps you'll find a helpful hint for a gift for a loved one for an upcoming holiday or birthday!

Also on my birthday wish list --- some Stella and Dot jewelry . My friend and neighbor, Morgan, is a Stella and Dot stylist - I really love their stuff. Visit her site if you want to peruse and/or purchase! But - even better would be to join us for a jewelry show and glass of wine at my house on January 14th. If you live in Memphis and are interested in coming, shoot me an email (hurst.audrey@gmail.com) and I'll be sure to include you. Isn't that jewelry fun??

Hope all is well - have a safe and Happy New Year!!!!

Catching up...

2009-12-27T17:53:00.005-06:00

It's been a busy few weeks! We've hosted a neighborhood open house, a Bible study cookie swap, a few dinners with friends and had all the usual Christmas festivities!

The store has been super busy - we keep up with a little caffeine:

We had a wonderful Christmas with our sweet families - with lots of celebrating!

In blogging news--- we actually live on Normandy Avenue, but "The House on Normandy Lane" had so much of a nicer ring... Ross opened a piece of mail from the U.S. postal service last week that said our street name is officially being changed to Normandy Lane --- it must be all those blog readers I have! ha.

I can't leave without a single ounce of helpful information... so --- here is a recipe for potato bacon torte that we tried for company a few weeks ago, and it was delicious with flank steak and pesto pea salad. You can watch the video for visual instructions.

Potato Bacon Torte

Ingredients

4 strips bacon
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Pie Crusts, recipe follows (I used Pillsbury that you roll out from grocery store - you'll use both of them)
3 medium baking potatoes, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.

Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Working in circles, arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with an even layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices. (You may not use all the cream.)

Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2009-12-13T22:29:00.003-06:00

We've been busy little elves around here... hosted a Bible study cookie swap last week and it was a lot of fun --- I am loving decorating our house for our first Christmas here. Mom has been so helpful in getting our house ready--- we're hosting a neighborhood Open House this week in an effort to get to know some of our neighbors and I'm excited about our menu! We'll be serving rosemary cashews, hot ham delights, miniature BLTs, and a few other undecided items. I've made 24 jars of cinnamon honey butter to send home with our guests as a holiday "happy". I must say, it's DELICIOUS. You should definitely try it!

We have a few more Christmas decorations to hang, but I'm pretty pleased with our tree--- after Ross had to chop off about 9 inches to get it to fit in the stand... we got it decorated!

I invited over these precious angels to work on the gingerbread house I bought for them....

Good teamwork (most of the time)...

And a note (or two) to all aunts (or moms or grandmoms) trying to have a fun gingerbread project. 1. Read the directions before you invite over aforementioned eager and impatient nieces. 2. When it says "let sit for one hour before decorating", just get the glue gun out, worked like a charm! (And the frosting mix was too hard anyway - classic Aunt Aud mistake).

The finished project:

Saturday morning, we helped pack Neighborhood Christian Center Christmas baskets with Ross' parents. It's an amazing operation, and a joy to be a teensy tiny part of helping pack over 10,000 baskets for needy families in Memphis! They will be distributing the baskets next Saturday, December 19th.

Streets is also delivering food baskets to residents in need next Saturday. Streets (along with many other great organizations in Memphis) are collecting new toys for neighborhood residents to come choose for their children and wrap to take home to give their children who might not otherwise receive a gift this Christmas. If you'd like to donate, call Whitney or Ross at Streets, 901.525.7380, or just drop it by Streets at 430 Vance Avenue.

Another great thing to consider this holiday season (especially for those who "have everything") is a donation to Heifer International. Take a look at their website (especially their gift guide) for some cool ideas.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. - Luke 2:11

Advent

2009-11-29T16:46:00.015-06:00

First Sunday in Advent - Promise Candle (purple)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Before this week, I'd never heard most of the symbolism represented in some of the following Christmas decorations and traditions:

Red reminds us of the blood drops from the cruel thorns in the crown of Jesus.

Christmas Trees remind us of the cross of wood upon which our savior was crucified.
Poinsettias have a many-pointed star shape which has beome a symbol for the Star of Bethlehem.
Wreaths represent eternal life with their unbroken circular shape.

The evergreen reminds us of the unchanging nature of God, and of everlasting life that is ours through Jesus Christ.The bright flame of the Candle represents our hope in Christ.

Christmas gifts remind us of God's gift of Christ as the Savior of the world.

Holiday Opportunities

2009-11-25T19:32:00.005-06:00

Since I borrowed many ideas for service from my church a few weeks ago (read about them here and here) I thought I'd do the same for holiday opportunities! Our friend, Price (of Price and Sophie) wrote some great thoughts on giving especially for people our age, and he cited my short list of service opportunities. He also gave the link to these great ideas for serving when times are tough. There are SO MANY places to give in our great city --- opportunities lots of people don't even know about! So... I wanted to point you to another resource for the Holidays: Visit the list of Holiday Opportunities to find a place to help serve!

Ross and I (and his parents last year) have enjoyed the NCC Christmas Baskets and will be going again on the 12th this year if anyone wants to join us!

Let me know if you have any questions or if you want a friend to chip in at one of these great places!

Oxford never gets old...

2009-11-15T17:34:00.003-06:00

We had the pleasure of spending Saturday in Oxford, MS. I haven't talked much about my love (read: slight obsession) with Oxford and Ole Miss football on the blog... I grew up going to anything and everything Ole Miss-related with my dad and became a very young lifelong fan. There is not much that excites me like a beautiful fall day in Vaught Hemingway Stadium. I'll move on before I embarrass myself further.

Dexter McCluster had an UNBELIEVABLE game against the Vols - somehow all the orange that was irritating to me pre-game didn't really phase me post-game. Even if you care nothing about football, you've got to take a second to watch the clip below:

And that would be enough to make anyone a Dexter McCluster fan. However, one of the other very cool things about Dexter is that he loves Jesus. He has written a song about his recent transformation and you can hear it performed by him, here:

I hope you'll enjoy. Thanks for indulging my momentary Rebel gloating. Hotty Toddy!

More Opportunities (Continued...)

2009-11-07T15:29:00.012-06:00

I must give credit where credit is due... I am getting a lot of this info from Second Presbyterian's Volunteer Ministries booklet. It is a wonderful resource if you're looking to plug into our city! You can pick one up at the church, or if you want a copy, I'd be happy to get you one.

Education Opportunities

Berclair Elementary is just a couple of miles from Second Presbyterian, and the church has adopted the school.... helping with volunteers, school supplies, campus clean ups and other needs the school has throughout the year. Some options to serve are to help serve at special events, or even volunteer during TCAP testing week. There are often Saturday Clean Up days --- this year's is scheduled for April 10. Tutors are always needed for reading and simple math work. Hours are flexible between 8:15 and 3:15. If you're interested in helping here, contact Kim Blankenship (at Second Pres) at 454-0034.

Brinkley Heights Urban Academy needs Lunch Servers, P.E. Volunteers, people willing to serve in the food/clothing pantry which serves individuals in need of emergency assistance. The school also needs people to read and tutor students. You can reach the school at 901-324-3022.

Child Evangelism Fellowship opportunities at Berclair Elementary. There is also a need for volunteers to help get out their monthly prayer letter sent to over 1200 recipients. Teens can volunteer to teach 5-Day clubs in the inner-city and also Camp Good News 2010. This is a great ministry where teens can get involved. Call Janie Walker at 901-726-9084.

The Neighborhood School needs Volunteer leaders as prayer partners who are assigned to individual students as mentors/tutors or room sponsors. Contact the school through the website. (pictured: Founder Jo Walt, and husband John Walt with TNS students)

Family and Children Opportunities

Eikon Ministries (901) 452-6797 - This organization provides help for residents of Binghampton. There are a lot of different opportunities including Bible Studies, Mentoring opportunities, reading volunteers, Club evangelistic outreach at Lester School, and help is also needed with the Majorettes high school dance team! If I had rhythm, I'd be there!

Emmanuel Episcopal Center - (901) 523-2617 - Community Impact Volunteers are needed to provide devotionals, Bible study, and breakfast for neighborhood residents (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-11am) Food Distributors are needed to help organize and distribute donated food. Primetime Volunteers are needed for the high school program as well as Inner City Sports, Camp H.O.P.E. in June and July. Youth-N-Action and Exodus After-School Program and Read to Succeed volunteers also needed.

Knightlife is organized through Second Pres and helps minister to inner-city boys. Volunteers are needed to help maintaining records, mentoring, and those gifted with musical talent to lead singing. Contact Eva Miller at 458-1055 if you're interested in helping.

Memphis Athletic Ministries - People willing to adopt teams, Academic Assistants, Coaches and Assistant Coaches, Assistant Golf Instructors and Volunteers in facility maintenance, gold course maintenance, administrative help, and technology and marketing services are needed. Contact Gib Vestal at (901) 744-6261.

Repairing the Breach is a ministry based in the Alcy Ball neighborhood of Memphis. Read the article from a local news station to find out more about their background. To help Tony Wade expand his efforts, call him or Felicia at (901) 461-6767.

Su Casa Family Ministries helps the residents of the Berclair neighborhood, especially those learning English for the first time. Contact Renee Cook at 818-2888.

These are honestly only a few of the opportunities available. I am humbled by the number of people in our city serving full-time and volunteering with these and many other organizations. I hope that I may become more selfless with my time and serve alongside through many of these ministries in the coming months and years.

Have a great week!!

Great Opportunities in Memphis

2009-11-06T15:10:00.006-06:00

I've recently had the opportunity to learn a lot more about the ways God is moving in our city. Here are a few things you may be interested in hearing about:

Advance Memphis is a ministry in 38126 (right down the street from STREETS) that ministers to adults in this neighborhood. 38126 is the poorest zip code in our state, and the third poorest in our country. Advance is doing great things to share the love of Christ through job training, GED classes, staffing services and Bible Studies among other events. I have been blessed to be a part of their Jobs for Life Class as a small group leader. I am encouraged at the determination and excitement of the class to gain better training and break the cycle that surrounds them. Please pray for the two ladies in my group - that the Lord would give them strength to overcome their roadblocks and that he'd provide them strength and support in their decisions. Would you consider helping?

STREETS is near and dear to our hearts. Ross is on staff here in the Business Office. He loves being a small part of something that is changing so many hearts and lives in this same neighborhood. You can read a lot more about Streets here. They are always in need of volunteers and have different opportunities available. Don't think you're good with kids? Help serve dinner at club one night! Better with elementary school kids? Work with Ready Readers! If you have a family and don't have time after school, be a room parent for kids who don't usually have class parties!

Y-MOT ministers to youth in the Whitehaven area. Patrick and Hazel Simmons head up this ministry that has changed so many lives over the last 15 years. Y-MOT is currently trying to raise money to take kids to Summer Camp - to show them something outside of their neighborhood. Would you consider sponsoring a kid? It costs only $25 to send a student to Summer Camp!

I hope you'll consider investing in some of these great ministries (with your time or checkbooks!) -- more ideas to come next week!

Have a great weekend!

The den is coming along....

2009-11-06T13:18:00.002-06:00

So... We've made a few additions in the den! Mom found some lovely fabric from which we had some window seat cushions made for either side of the fireplace - great extra seating for a party! We've ordered some throw pillows- four for each window, so that will make it really look like a sitting area!

We also had new bamboo blinds installed on each window in the den, as well as both doors - It really makes the room look a little more complete!

The kitchen is still posing problems for us - Mom located a fabulous piece that we may put under the window... I think it would be great in a dining room or nursery one day if we ever get the chance to re-do the kitchen with cabinets. This is what the area looks like now (please disregard grill utensil that doesn't have a home):

Here is the piece we're thinking about:

It is really well constructed - super sturdy. I think it would be great storage and have a butcher block on top!

Let me know your thoughts! It's BIG and HEAVY... so it's not exactly experimental!

Glad to be back.... Happy FRIDAY!

I'm BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-04T10:01:00.002-06:00

Did you miss me? I've missed the blogosphere, and Ross commented the other day that I don't think I've taken a photograph in months. We have no Christmas Card photo options because we have no recent photos!

We've made some changes to the house with dear Mother's help. We got new blinds in the den, window seat cushions and shutters in our bedroom! I'm hoping to post photos later today or tonight and also a delicious Thai Chicken Pizza Recipe.

I hope you're all enjoying the beautiful Fall weather! It's such a joy to wake up to sunshine outside our window.

Have a great day --- and let me know what I've missed on Google Reader for the last 3 months!

Julia and Julia: A Review

2009-08-19T21:51:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading Julie and Julia and I loved it! Although, I don't feel like I can necessarily condone it, because it has some serious language unlike the movie, Julie and Julia where Ross so kindly accompanied me! I really loved the movie! What's not to like? Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, French cooking, blogging, Paris... it's a winner, and I think worth paying to see on the big screen! Have any of you seen it? What are your favorite books-turned movies?

I am alive and well...

2009-08-13T20:10:00.001-05:00

The job is just taking it out of me! I have a lot less time on my hands and the blog has taken a direct hit - but I promise to be back next week with new recipes and some fun pictures! Has anyone missed me?? :D

Tasty Recipe

2009-07-30T14:56:00.002-05:00

I had a skirt steak in the freezer left over from the tacos we made last week... I decided to search food network and see what I could make without having to buy too many ingredients. I decided on skirt steak with bleu cheese butter. I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of bleu cheese - but this was the easiest recipe and took me 10 minutes start to finish (other than letting the butter soften a little bit, but I popped it in the microwave for 15 seconds and it worked just fine!) We served this delectable meat with the oh-so-elegant accompaniment of Kraft mac and cheese... yes, it was a lot of cheese, I didn't think about it until after the fact. Don't judge me. Try out the steak and let me know what you think - would be delicious with rosemary potatoes!

The blog world...a review.

2009-07-28T12:42:00.017-05:00

I thought I might take a moment to highlight a few of my favorite blogs. Of course I love all family members' and friends' blogs --- but here I am offering a "wider variety" of reading material... If a blog doesn't capture my attention in the first few posts, it tends to just sit in my "google reader" and accumulate posts until I get overwhelmed and "mark all as read". Here are some blogs that I think you might enjoy!

The Kitchn: I've mentioned it here before, but there's nothing like good, easy-to-follow, brief kitchen advice. This place has it all - great recipes, kitchen renovations, cooking tips and general food advice. (note: Its sister blog, Apartment Therapy is just a little too much posting for me to handle - great tips, but a LOT of it- sometimes goes unread for me)

Darby and Erika. You probably already read their blogs. Identical twins. Crazily creative mom/wife/homemaker and unbelievably talented soon-to-be-mom/wife/interior designer. I assure you, you won't be disappointed.

BlueJean Gourmet and I went to high school together. She's recently launched a blog that includes delectable, fairly simple recipe suggestions. The amount of posts are just right and always sound tasty and very "user-friendly"! Bon Appetit!

A Long Way from the Theta House follows a family living in Dallas' inner-city ministering to families there - planting a church and running Mercy Street Ministries. They are helping raise two teenage boys from their neighborhood in addition to the 4 children they already had! Her stories are always a good laugh....

Elements of Style has beautiful things and lovely design ideas... and also, just the right amount of posting!

There are too many fabulous food blogs to list, but some of the yummiest I've found are Pioneer Woman, Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats, Proceed with Caution, and Prudence Pennywise.

These are just a very few of my favorite blogs - What is your very favorite blog to visit?

A breath a fresh air - a visit to Oxford...

2009-07-26T17:37:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Ragan and Lauren who tied the knot Saturday! Unfortunately I didn't snap a photo of the happy couple, but Ross was honored to be a part of the wedding and we were happy to be there celebrating with them! Friday night we enjoyed the rehearsal dinner at the University Club in Oxford and then grabbed a drink at the Burgandy Room with great friends Emily and Leslie who were in town for a baby shower. We finished the evening at Chevron, aka "Chicken on a Stick" - a longtime Ole Miss favorite (and one of Ross' and my "first dates"). It's not a trip to Oxford without a trip to Chevron:Saturday morning, we enjoyed a phenomenal breakfast at Big Bad Breakfast...

John Currence is an amazing chef with multiple restaurants in oxford and recently won one of the prestigious James Beard awards . Ross' parents were incredibly kind to include me at Big Bad Breakfast's neighbor, Snackbar - also new in town! Ross was busy taking pre-wedding photos - but he missed out on a phenomenal meal! I had lamb sliders with bleu cheese, caramelized onions and truffle oil french fries (yum would be an understatement here).

We had the joy of worshiping at Christ Pres this morning - a church that means a lot to us (it's where Ross proposed) and we were reminded of just how much we miss Christ Pres and all of Oxford. Hope y'all had as great a weekend as we did - what did you do? I love hearing about others' fun weekends!

Have a great week--- tune into Next Food Network Star tonight - should be a good one!

Grilled Peaches

2009-07-21T11:05:00.003-05:00

Ross grilled some peaches for us last night and they were delicious! He used peaches from Eford's Orchard in Pittsburg, TX. He picked some up when he was at Joe's lakehouse this past weekend. We used Bobby Flay's simple recipe and added some vanilla bean ice cream. I highly recommend them, especially if you have an entire basket of peaches begging to be eaten! Have a great day ---

Do you have $3?

2009-07-20T10:54:00.003-05:00

I have "A Long Way from the Theta House" in my google reader. I love reading her blog - her posts always make me laugh. I also follow her on Twitter, and today she posted a link to this video about Common Ground Montgomery. They are trying to build a basketball court for kids in a poverty-stricken neighborhood of Montgomery. I think their fundraising technique is really clever... Much like my father-in-law trying to raise 1 cent a mile for a well in Africa through, Road to Change, Common Ground has estimated the cost of the basketball court to be $3 a square foot and are asking people to give either a square foot, or several feet. I think it's great that $3 can make a difference in their building this resource for kids. So, if you have a spare $3, watch the short video below to find out more about this project. Have a great Monday!

Common Ground Montgomery from Jacob Eubanks on Vimeo.

Because this blog didn't exist back in the day...

2009-07-17T22:54:00.002-05:00

Mom and I killed some time watching the ole wedding video tonight, and I thought I'd post a few of my favorite wedding pics...
(all photos are Trey Clark photography)

Dinner

2009-07-17T10:46:00.005-05:00

I decided to go with the stuffed burgers - they were ok... not great. Just not enough flavor. However! I did make a tasty little "starter"... got the idea from our fabulous friend Elizabeth who writes for the Kitchn. I've never really used radishes before, but Elizabeth's appetizer post inspired me. I decided to try a verson of the radish and boursin tartines! Boursin was a little pricey, so I decided to go with an old favorite, Laughing Cow... (The light version was out of stock, but I think it tastes the same). I just bought a baguette, sliced it up, spread some cheese, chopped some radishes and sprinkled a little kosher salt on top! I was too lazy to go get some chives out of the yard because it was raining, but I'm sure it would have tasted great with some fresh herbs on top!

In other news... Both my oldest, closest friends from high school are fashionistas - I covet Chloe and Anna's style (and their closets)... so I just try to glean from them what I can. I was shocked that I introduced Chloe to polyvore (from the blog post a few days ago). She played on it for a while last night and came up with a few creations of her own. I thought you'd enjoy perusing them!

Hope you have a great weekend! Happy Friday!

What's for dinner?

2009-07-16T11:09:00.005-05:00

Some of our favorite people, Steven and Allison (pictured left at Hallie's wedding) are coming over for dinner tonight. We had some frozen ground chuck, but I'm not sure what direction I want to take the burgers. I might try my favorite stuffed turkey burger recipe with it... or maybe the Cuban Burgers we made for the Hursts a few weeks ago. We'll be serving alongside sweet potato fries (I recommend the frozen Alexia brand kind - easier than making your own), and whatever side the Kings decide to bring.

I'm not sure what to make for dessert- I need suggestions. (This is where all of you, mysterious readers who never comment, use the comment section to help me out and share an easy-ish dessert recipe!) I'm going to the grocery after work, so I need recipes by then - ready, set, go!

Lots of changes!

2009-07-15T15:27:00.005-05:00

Ross loved his first day of work yesterday at Streets. It was a big day in the Hurst household, as I accepted a position as a recruiter for Northwestern Mutual; I start August 3rd. I will miss my friends at Stephenson and Associates; I've learned a lot this year. One of the perks of working here is the very casual dresscode! I will certainly miss that. If anyone sees any good sales on ladies' suits - let me know! I put together the outfit below... a little "daydream" if you will...

I'm obviously new at this polyvore thing, but it's pretty cool to play around with. Hope you're having a great week!

I've lost my touch.

2009-07-13T11:04:00.003-05:00

I had such a strong blogging streak going for a while... I've been busy! Sophie and Price's wedding was Saturday and it was BEAUTIFUL wedding. Sophie and I became friends when I spent a summer in New York. Lauren, Sophie, Piper and I spent every non-working waking hour together. That summer was one of the most memorable I've had, and I am very grateful for their friendship! We've had two reunions since and I can't wait for our next throwdown. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Edwards and cheers our reunion! We enjoyed hosting Lauren (SO sorry you got sick!) and hope that we get together again very soon.

Sophie and Price are fortunate enough to be spending their honeymoon where we did, at the Tides. We're jealous that they'll be spending the week here: (but very excited for them!)

In food news, I have mentioned before how much I like Claire Robinson on 5 Ingredient Fix. I really enjoyed Saturday's Show. If you scroll to the bottom of the potato recipe - you can find the other recipes she used. She's a little rusty on the TV personality - but her food seems tasty, easy and elegant - she's got a new follower!

The Fourth (and dinner)

2009-07-09T18:13:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend at Pickwick celebrating the Fourth of July! Most of the Bourland clan was there to celebrate and we were so thankful for the Wades' hospitality.

The kids made American flags with their hands and feet!

Watching the fabulous fireworks (even though you can't see anything)

We didn't have a plan for dinner. Our basil is out of control, so I decided to make a caprese sandwich with a pesto sauce. I used the tomatoes from our CSA (which were delicious) added some fresh mozzerella, a little parmesan shaving, and the pesto (which was very basic - I just happened to have everything, basil, olive oil, pine nuts, a little garlic and some parmesan)... put it in a pan to heat up and let the bread get crispy - delish!

Ross doesn't eat tomatoes, so he had nachos - (I'm telling you - not a lot around here!) Chips, two kinds of cheese and banana peppers from the CSA, and a little salsa on top - took roughly 4 minutes to make.... I'm trying to break out of the box and work with whatever I have... I wish I'd had some cooked ground turkey or ground beef to put on those nachos! Oh well... next time maybe :)

Just because...

2009-07-08T15:31:00.002-05:00

I can't wait for the premiere!

Have a Happy Wednesday!

A brief hiatus-

2009-07-07T15:42:00.002-05:00

We had a great time celebrating America at the Lake last weekend - My sister has most of the photos, so I'll have to get to those later.

In the meantime - a brief shopping trip to the mall last night gave us a Food Network Celebrity Sighting! Gina Neely of Down Home with the Neelys was shopping in Banana Republic while I was browsing (by the way - GREAT sale going on- lots of good sizes and cute stuff). I asked the employee who was at the register if that was "what's her face from Food Network" and he said "it might be, her brother-in-law is the manager here" to which I said, "I'm 99% sure it's her". He replied, "Oh, girl, I'm 150% sure it's her!". I couldn't decide if I wanted to say anything (I decided against it since I don't actually watch her show). The BR employee suggested I say (after admitting I don't watch the show), "I'm Southern born, bred, and raised - I Lovvvvvvve your recipes!" with a lot of hand motions and flailing to accompany. I left the store with a nod and a smile to Gina.

A little comparison...

2009-07-01T14:03:00.002-05:00

Now that I've figured out my picture posting situation, I'd like to revisit a few befores and (almost) afters:

The master bedroom:

Waiting on a headboard, but I am loving the new chandelier -

The den:

Still have a lot to go in here, but it's coming along!

The guest room:

We need a headboard and bed skirt and curtains, but it's a lot better without seafoam green carpet!

We're hoping to hang our bathroom cabinet today, so that will be nice to finally post pictures of a finished bathroom!

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-01T09:55:00.002-05:00

Tonight, our church will be hosting Patriotic Pops, a concert (with fried chicken dinner before!) I've never been, but Ross and several friends have said it's their favorite thing all year. Children are welcome (and free childcare for children under 4). I think they were asking to buy dinner tickets early, but I feel certain there will be some available at the door. Dinner is at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall - Children are $3, Adults, $5. Concert begins at 6:30 in the Sanctuary. Let me know if you have any questions!

Testing with Pictures

2009-06-30T16:20:00.002-05:00

I can't seem to get my pictures right. I love blogs that have their pictures BIG, but for some reason, mine get cut off even after I've widened my margins in the html code of my blog! Any techies out there who can help me out?

Delightful Le Creusets (and a restaurant booth in the kitchen?!)

2009-06-30T14:29:00.009-05:00

So, over at TheKitchn.com today, I saw these precious little gems--- I know, they're no more useful than a ramikin that are 1/20 of the price- but aren't they just the cutest cookware you've ever seen. I'd love an individual pot pie out of a baby le creuset! (I'm making a mental note that I'm entirely too excited by these for a normal person - must cut back on food network viewing) Blame Ross- he's become an enabler. He actually enjoys some food network programming, so I don't feel guilty anymore!

In other kitchen news, I'm thinking of having a L-shaped banquette installed in the kitchen's "No Man's Land" (pictured left). If you've read the blog for any length of time (or set foot in our house) you'll know that this area has become problematic for us... I'm thinking a "booth" might be a great solution. A dining nook, with hinged tops (like a window seat) for storage underneath for less frequently used items. Shelving would be installed above the dryer to provide storage for the items currently on the shelf that we need (like plates that won't fit in the cabinet - must love 1955 houses!) We'd have an upholstered cushion made for the top ---

To provide a visual aid, I'm thinking I like the style of the first one, the L-shape of the second, and I'm sure our nook would look like the third every single morning - a paper, homemade pastries, fresh flowers and perfectly "thrown" pillows. C'mon, people, I need your help - what do you think?

We won the Lottery! (The Orpheum Lottery, that is)

2009-06-29T18:53:00.004-05:00

Ross and I decided to try to get last minute Wicked tickets yesterday. There is a lottery 2.5 hours before the curtain goes up - if you win you get 2 tickets for $25 each. No catch - we got 4th row seats! The irony was that Ross' sister received Wicked tickets for her birthday, and she and their mom were right across the aisle from us!

Ross insisting we wear our "I won the Wicked Lottery!" buttons at Huey's. (He was mad I refused.)

It was a great show!

I got way too excited when they sang "Defying Gravity" - I've been singing it in my head since we left the Orpheum....

A house, a wedding, and a cookout.

2009-06-28T13:00:00.006-05:00

It was a great weekend.... Congratulations to Mary Catherine and Tim on their beautiful wedding yesterday! We are so excited for them - we really enjoyed their Rehearsal Dinner and Dance party Friday night...

Noelle made a specific request to be included in the blog post...

A photo that I forgot to share a few weeks ago - Virginia, Anne Wilkes, Henry and our neighbor Elizabeth in "the kids room" at our house...

Our kitchen solution for the time being... I'm thinking I really want to build and L-shaped booth or banquette here...

Our old dining room, now a sitting room

The den

The dining room-

Our guest room - Thanks for coming Wade and Sledges - we loved having you, come back any time!

The "pink bathroom"

The study-

Our room.

Our cookout was a big success! We love our friends and we're so glad they came to celebrate Mac and Tim's wedding!

Congratulations Ross!

2009-06-25T13:37:00.004-05:00

Ross will begin working at Streets Ministries here in Memphis starting July 13th. We are both thrilled about this opportunity. He will be working in the business office working with budgets, accounting and HR. We both are passionate about ministries who help Memphians in need, and Streets has a wonderful history of helping the residents of the 38126 zip code. Streets has been growing a lot lately and Ross can't wait to get started! You may read more about Streets here.He'll also begin his MBA at Christian Brothers University in October. We are really excited about all these new changes and are thankful for the opportunities the Lord's given us!

Wedding Photos!

2009-06-25T07:19:00.003-05:00

The photographer from Hallie and Martin's Wedding put a few pictures up on facebook and they're wonderful. If you have a facebook account, you can see them here.

Boycott of Jon and Kate?

2009-06-23T14:17:00.002-05:00

So sad to hear about Jon and Kate for sure - always sad to hear about divorce. Thought this article was dead-on... clearly I don't have much to write about today!

Yum.

2009-06-22T10:17:00.006-05:00

So, the office weight loss challenge took a hiatus this weekend (I know it doesn't really "work" that way)...

We went to one of Hallie and Martin's favorite restaurants, Bottega Cafe, which is one of Frank Stitt's restaurants. It was unbelievably good. They have several of his books, and I've just added this one to my wishlist:

The party for Hallie and Martin at Faith was great. We really enjoyed the worship service there on Sunday. Alan's message can be heard here. It is a really beautiful church and I'm so happy that they are in such a great place!

Below are the words to a great song that was a part of the service at Faith, and I really loved it.

Words by Horatius Bonar

The Church has waited long, Her absent Lord to see,

And still in loneliness she waits, A friendless stranger she.

Age after age has gone, Sun after sun has set,

And still, in weeds of widowhood, She weeps a mourner yet.

Come then, Lord Jesus, come; Come then, Lord Jesus, come.

The serpent's brood increase, The pow'rs of hell grow bold,

The conflict thickens, faith is low, And love is waxing cold.

How long, O Lord our God, Holy and true adn good,

Wilt thou not judge Thy suff'ring Church, Her sighs and tears and blood?

Come then, Lord Jesus, come; Come then, Lord Jesus, come.

We long to hear thy voice, To see Thee face to face,

To share Thy crown and glory then, As now we share thy grace.

Should not the loving bride, The absent Bridegroom mourn?

Should she not wear the weeds of grief, Until her Lord return?

Come then, Lord Jesus, come; Come then, Lord Jesus, come.

The whole creation groans, And wait to hear that voice,

That shall restore her comeliness, And make her wastes rejoice.

Come, Lord and wipe away, The curse, the sin, the stain,

And make this blighted world of ours, Thine own fair world again.

Come then, Lord Jesus, come; Come then, Lord Jesus, come.

Have a great weekend!

2009-06-19T15:01:00.002-05:00

We're off to Birmingham (with a pit stop at the lake with my parents tonight) to celebrate the marriage of these two!

Their church (where Martin is on staff) is hosting a party in their honor. I can't wait to see my sister and new brother-in-law and their lovely house. Ross and I will be staying with them Saturday night, and we'll be home Sunday to work on the house... Hoping to find some fabric and/or furniture in Birmingham - I have a feeling they have a good selection. Also plan on eating my fair share of Savage's cheddar biscuits on my way home (I have a feeling they're NOT on the diet for the office weight loss challenge!)

What are y'all doing this weekend? I love hearing fun weekend plans -have fun!

Recipe of the Day

2009-06-19T09:56:00.002-05:00

Waldorf Chicken Wraps was the recipe of the day today.

Mom and I did some rearranging last night. Our Dining Room is now a sitting room and the living room will soon become the dining room - can't wait to post some pictures soon!

Happy Friday!

Office Recipe of the Day

2009-06-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

Arugala, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

Recipes of the Day

2009-06-17T10:08:00.007-05:00

Raspberry Fool

and Fish Tacos

A little roadtrip?

2009-06-16T22:22:00.003-05:00

Ross and I are contemplating taking an end of summer road trip (we're open to suggestions!) We enjoy a subscription to Travel & Leisure (thank you unusable American Airlines Miles). We have said several times that we'd love to travel to Savannah and/or Charleston... and surprise! In this month's issue of Travel and Leisure, there is a suggested Savannah to Charleston trip including suggested restaurants and bed and breakfast stops! Luckily, Hallie and Martin are in Birmingham, so if they are available, we could maybe pit stop there for a fun visit and then onto Savannah! Lunch at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room (Anne Wilkes and I have a picture outside the same restaurant from our trip in 2003) then onto the Bluffton Oyster House then onto Pepper's Porch and then onto the Rhett House Inn. Wood Brothers general store for boiled peanuts. Lunch at P.M. King's Grocery for ribs and afterwards, a tour of the Charleston Tea Plantation. Dinner at Tristan and then onto the Fulton Lane Inn. Sounds like a great trip to me- Sign me up!

Happy Birthday Anne Wilkes, part 2 (and countertops)

2009-06-15T22:18:00.003-05:00

We had a fun pizza celebration Sunday night -
Henry decided to get INTO the play refrigerator...

Annie blowing out her candles....

Last night we had Caroline, Ross' sister, over for steak tacos with cucumber and avocado salsa. (This will be our office recipe of the day today!) I thought they were awesome - and didn't require a ton of ingredients if you already have the usual spices.

I utilized a "garbage bowl" (even though I make fun of Rachael Ray a lot) and it made dinner prep a lot easier and faster! Just a suggestion - especially when chopping and dicing things like onions and peppers and your garbage can is all the way across the kitchen!)

In other news....
Here is our kitchen that needs a little help:

Here are some LOVELY and very PRECISE drawings I completed to brainstorm on what to do - what do you think?? I need all you silent readers' opinions!

Explanation: New counter (perhaps quartz or maybe even a smokey colored formica) over the dryer and new book shelf (to hold cookbooks and long cookie sheets) and then the same counter between the oven and fridge (that's our toaster on top and yes, those are "flames" on top of the oven, not sure why I felt those were necessary)

On the sinkside, we have a butcher block to cover the top of the washer... new counter, sink, new counter all the way down with shelves built on either side of the "nook" (for laptop and a stool) under the window. Those lovely floating things are bracketed shelves on either side of the window. I left off the top cabinets from this drawing - since my sketch was SO accurate and precise, I just figured I'd stop while I was "ahead". So... what are your thoughts to this plan?
We need: more counter space and more storage, and we thought this might be a good way to get both without spending a ridiculous amount of money!

Recipe of the Day for Office Weight Loss Challenge

2009-06-15T13:09:00.002-05:00

I posted last week that our office is starting a weight loss challenge TODAY. We're in full-swing - we have our goals posted and I am posting a recipe (or two) and fact of the day.

Today's recipes are the teriyaki chicken (which I've posted previously). We use chicken breasts instead of thighs like it instructs.

Our next recipe of the day is a Weight Watchers dessert. I have to admit, I'm not usually a fan of low-fat desserts--- I usually either eat the huge piece of fudge pie, or just omit dessert (let's be serious, I never actually just omit dessert, which is why we have instituted a weight loss challenge!) It's not online, so here it is from my mother-in-law, Suzanne. She made it last week and it was DELICIOUS! It calls for a spring form pan, which I don't have, so I assume you could use a pie pan.

Whipped Cream Chocolate Pie

4 1/2 oz. chocolate wafers, processed to crumbs (20 wafers)
4 TBLS unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP powdered sugar1 tsp vanilla
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, curled or grated with a vegetable peeler. (got 6 oz box of bittersweet chocolate from baking isle - they were wrapped in 1 oz squares)

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs with melted butter until fully incorporated; press into bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan and place in refrigerator. In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on high, beat cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form; gently fold in half of chocolate. Spoon whipped filing over prepared crust and decorate with remaining chocolate; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, run a knife around edge of pan and release outer ring of spring form. Cut into 12 pieces and serve. (I cut into 8 pieces)

New Food Network show....

2009-06-15T10:23:00.003-05:00

It's no surprise to anyone that I watch a lot of Food Network. I recently stumbled across 5 Ingredient Fix. The concept is gourmet food, each recipe containing 5 or fewer ingredients. The host is definitely new at being on TV, but I've really liked most of the stuff she's made... I decided to scope out some more information on her, turns out she's from MEMPHIS! Food Network now has 2 different Memphians, Claire and The Neelys!

Cuban Burgers

2009-06-14T13:12:00.003-05:00

We had Ross' parents over for dinner last night and made these little gems:

Cuban mini burgers with Cuban corn and fresh fruit. The burger recipe calls for full-size burgers, but we like to do them in this mini version (Merrill's idea- she introduced us to this great meal). The corn calls for cojita cheese, which is pretty hard to find - so you can substitute the nasty Kraft parmesan cheese that comes in the green can. This is the only recipe that I use it for, but it works really well. Also, for the garlic mayo on the burgers, it's easiest to stop by an antipasto bar and pick up a few cloves of roasted garlic, unless you don't mind roasting your own. Not the heatlhiest meal, for sure - but really pretty easy (especially on a grill) and great for company!

We also made blueberry milkshakes, but they were sort of a disaster because we didn't follow a recipe and they were too soupy, but tasted delicious.

Ross' mom brought us these gorgeous hydrangeas from her garden. They are my favorite flower and I'm so glad we can enjoy them all week!

Happy Birthday Annie!

2009-06-13T22:34:00.004-05:00

I can't believe our niece, Anne Wilkes turned 7 this afternoon! She is the most polite, sweetest, well-behaved 7 year old I know. We are so very lucky to live just a block away from her (and the rest of the Skipworths!) She and her sister spent several hours over here today and I look forward to many years of bribing them with popsicles to spend time here!

Happy Birthday, Anne Wilkes! We love you!

photo: Courtesy of Trey Clark

One More Recipe

2009-06-12T10:38:00.002-05:00

Merrill makes these for her kids (who are we kidding? for us, too) all the time and they're phenomenal. It's like eating cookie dough without the raw egg and a lot fewer calories!

Mix together 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup honey until smooth. Gradually add in 3 cups old fashioned oats and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed. Add 1 cup chocolate chips* and 1 cup any combination of nuts and soft dried fruit(try 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts and 1/4 cup each of raisins and dried cranberries) and mix gently in your stand mixer or smush together by hand.
Roll into Ping-Pong-size balls and, for maximum presentation value, put in paper mini muffin cups. You can eat them right away, but they'll be less sticky after a night in the fridge. They freeze well too, layered on wax paper in an airtight container.

*note: Merrill says it works best to use just a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, and sometimes she uses M&M's instead...

I will be making these tomorrow!

Recipe of the Day

2009-06-12T08:49:00.003-05:00

Our office has instituted an Office Weight Loss Challenge. I'm sort of the ring leader, and so I am sending out a recipe of the day to help encourage everyone to eat better. We are each setting personal weight loss goals - and if we each reach our goal, we will receive a prize (yet to be declared)...

Today's recipe is for Ellie Krieger's stuffed turkey burgers:

Ross loves them and requests them on a regular basis. I've served them to a lot of skeptical burger lovers and everyone seems to really like them! Bon Appetit!

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, divided
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Divide turkey into 4 equal sized rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total. Sprinkle 4 of the patties with 2 tablespoons each of roasted red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties working the turkey around the edges to seal burgers closed. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

I'm a details kinda girl...

2009-06-11T15:12:00.006-05:00

And I have loved playing with Hallie and Martin's wedding photos on picnik.com! (It's FREE by the way!)

I like this little photo strip thing.... even if they are too small to see!!

Check out the wedding on thekitchn.com!

2009-06-10T14:30:00.004-05:00

Hallie's dear friend from kindergarten, Elizabeth, is a writer in NYC. She writes almost daily for thekitchn.com, my favorite cooking blog! She just posted about the s'mores we had at Hallie and Martin's wedding! She also recently posted about the fabulous surprise shower she and other friends hosted in April. Elizabeth is fabulous cook, and a very talented writer... you can often see her work in Real Simple magazine and various other publications.

Hallie and her friends from junior kindergarten at St. Mary's:

Fresh Veggies, anyone?

2009-06-10T10:10:00.003-05:00

In an effort to be a little more "green", eat healthier, and support local farmers, Merrill and I have decided to partake in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Whitton Farms just across the Mississippi River in Arkansas. We are splitting the CSA for now as our "test run". Merrill is picking up our crate this afternoon and I can't wait to see what's in store. I am already bookmarking recipes for peach cobbler and squash casserole (about that eating healthier thing...ummm) Where do you find fresh produce and good recipes for it?

Year-Old Cake

2009-06-09T09:12:00.001-05:00

Let's just say it didn't taste the way it did on our wedding day.

Too great a picture not to post

2009-06-08T16:24:00.000-05:00

I know my sisters and I are all very grateful to our generous parents for hosting such wonderful celebrations for our weddings. This is one of the pictures I missed. Martin's Mom, Cindy, was kind enough to send me her photos and this was one she snapped ---

This is the only snapshot of our family - and Martin is missing! I guess we were all a little scattered and didn't think to pause for a family photo --- I'm sure the picture that Kim took will be excellent - can't wait to see what she posts soon!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-06-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated our 1st anniversary. Keeping with tradition, Merrill brought us a lovely "paper" gift to celebrate - paper towels! And it was the perfect gift, because we were actually all out of paper towels. Thanks for thinking of us, Skipworths!

They're MARRIED!

2009-06-07T18:11:00.000-05:00

I really can't express how beautiful the whole thing was- every detail was perfect. I've never seen either of them happier and I was honored to be a part of it all... Below are a few of my favorite pictures from last night - I hope the photographer will send us the link for proofs because I just know they're going to be fabulous. I was a little scattered and missed a lot of stuff I wanted to capture.

Stunning bride with really precious flowergirls

We had a really, really good time!

Saturday

2009-06-06T12:16:00.000-05:00

I am so thrilled that is an absolutely gorgeous day - the Lord has smiled upon this marriage in more ways than just the weather...We are surrounded by our dear friends and family and are celebrating our 1st anniversary tomorrow - we couldn't be happier for Hallie and Martin and can't wait to celebrate the real event tonight!

Hallie and her friends from kindergarten

Love them -

Hallie and her flowergirls (the baby is Martin's cute cute niece Lucy)

Henry in a tuxedo shirt has been the highlight of my day so far - the rhinestone flowergirls shirts are pretty priceless too!

This is the lodge behind the wedding site - a beautiful scene for a joyous day!

Friday

2009-06-06T00:31:00.000-05:00

I love this place.... we're having the best time.

Hallie's wonderful friends helping to stuff our "s'more kits"

The beautiful rehearsal dinner...

The precious bride and groom

Yum yum!

I have never heard so many wonderful things said about two people in one night. It is unbelievable how many dear friends both Martin and Hallie have - and how many of them have been friends for well over 20 years. We are honored to be a part of this weekend and can't wait for Martin and Hallie to get hitched tomorrow!

We're here!!!

2009-06-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

Winding down after a fabulous day - started with a breakfast with sweet friends Wade and Tricia in Nashville- and then headed for the mountains! Wedding duties called when we got here - welcome bags were stuffed, delivered and a few other tasks completed and then we got to enjoy a fabulous dinner with the bride and groom! I love being with my sweet family and our wonderful friends.... Here are a few pictures from our trip so far! Clicking on any of these images will take you to our flickr page with a lot more....

The site for the wedding

Welcome Bags Galore

My sweet dad has been slaving over turtles. again.

Cutest welcome bag I've ever seen.

The Lodge.

I hope you can see Hallie's glasses in this picture- a precious gift.

Amazing views!

The Smokies-

We were honored to get the bride and groom to ourselves!

The kids are finally here!!

She'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes---yee ha!

2009-06-01T14:02:00.000-05:00

We're thrilled to be heading to the Lodge at Buckberry Creek in East Tennessee this weekend for my sweet sister Hallie's wedding. I know it will be a great celebration with friends and family and we'll be back on Sunday! Looking forward to enjoying some morning tea (or let's be honest, a diet coke) from this porch!

Sweet Summertime

2009-05-30T13:08:00.000-05:00

We had a cookout for Memorial Day - the house was not "company ready", and we're grateful to have friends that don't care! Cheeseburgers and hot dogs were delicious thanks to Grillmaster Ross' maiden voyage on our new grill!

We had Steven and Allison over last night for teriyaki chicken and homemade lady fingers (mentioned in previous post)

The lady fingers didn't have a ton of sweetness, but were great with sweetened strawberries!

Our sweet nieces are over now playing Wii and making "their room" feel like home...

Yum.

2009-05-28T15:28:00.001-05:00

I believe I would like to make these this weekend - just what my bridesmaid's dress needs!

Tomorrow night, we're having Steven and Allison over for Teriyaki Chicken (using chicken breasts instead of thighs). I'm open to suggestions for side dishes, but I'm making homemade lady fingers with fresh sugary strawberries for dessert! :)

Give MEmphis.

2009-05-27T13:47:00.001-05:00

The title doesn't quite have the same effect as the bumper sticker, but you get the idea. It's easy to be down about Memphis sometimes, especially when a lot of people aren't happy to be here, but I've been seeing one thing after another about fun things going on in Memphis. I'm grateful to have grown up here, and excited to see the great things going on in our city:

I'm not a huge horse fan, but the stables at Graceland have recently opened to the public, which haven't been opened since Elvis' death. I had no idea he loved horses (or had stables!) See the article here.

The Levitt Shell in Overton Park is opening for free music all summer- looking forward to hearing a few concerts!

The Italian Festival is going on this weekend. I've never been, but always heard there is great food.

Ross and I (and his parents) will be enjoying the classic move Swiss Family Robinson for $1 each at the Orpheum tomorrow night., during their summer movies series!

If I worked closer to downtown, I would try to enjoy one of the Center for Southern Folklore's brown bag lunch series.

I'm not a huge fan of cartoons, but Hope Presbyterian has been hosting family movie nights that look like a lot of fun.

The Pink Palace Museum is offering a free one month trial membership.

We had a great picnic on the river Friday night in Butler Park on top of the bluff and watched the sunset- which was really fun (and not very buggy!)

Ross used to be great about checking the Memphis Flyer about things going on around town, but lately we've only had time for house renovations --- hoping to enjoy Memphis more this summer!

The University of Memphis has really great looking continuing education classes, if you have some extra $$ to take a class- they look fun!

Trolley Nights on South Main can be kind of crowded, but fun to see the art galleries and get a free drink and appetizer!

FREE days occur a lot of local attractions around the city - which is nice if you're trying to save a buck!

My friend, Allison, told me about Midtown Yoga's "Pay what you can" nights - I haven't been yet, but I want to go with her soon!

I am thrilled to announce that it looks like Millington's International Goat Days will be returning in 2009! (It was threatened because of lack of funding)

A few photos from Goat Festival 2008:

If you can afford the caloric intake, Gibson's Donuts is open 24 hours and are some of the best donuts I've ever tasted!

The Ornamental Metal Museum is underrated- a very cool place to see some amazing art, especially when the metalsmiths are there working!

Hands On Memphis always has opportunities to help out around the city.

I guess that's enough for now- I've had fun writing this - remembering how much there is in Memphis - we should take advantage of it all!

Happy Summer!

A great weekend, so far...

2009-05-24T23:32:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful picnic with David and Jenny on the river Friday night with Gus' Fried Chicken and Muddy's cupcakes for dessert (and we also hit Jerry's with the Sadlows later in the evening).

Satuday, we had to go pick up a table from Sam's (do not trust their online "inventory system" - it says the store has an item, it doesn't). We had a free gift card from Bahama Breeze and although I had to get over the fact Bahama Breeze is a 10 on the "cheese-o-meter", we had a delightful lunch for $.37. Ross kept saying, "I bet Michael Scott is here" - I bet it's Michael's favorite restaurant.

We had a great time at Cameron Stokes' an Trevor Knight's wedding last night - here are a few pictures.

Price and Sophie are getting married July 11!

Grace and Ethan on Janurary 2nd!

Congratulations! We can't wait for you two to be back in Memphis!

A great trip to Cleveland

2009-05-18T10:01:00.001-05:00

We had so much fun visiting Cleveland this weekend- Mr. Hurst had a great marathon (finished within a minute of his pace time) and we got to see old friends and I got to see where Ross and his family lived for 7 years!

Ross and our awesome rental Grand Marquis

On the "beach" in Bay Village

In front of their old house

Ross' high school, St. Ignatius

Where Ross rowed on the crew team

With pastries and my baguette at the West Side Market

Friends from Bay Village

Cheering at marathon mile 26

Happy Runner to have just run 26 miles

Finishing his 14th marathon - onto 100 miles!

I also ate with one of my oldest friends, Carey, at Lolita in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland. Somehow we didn't snap a picture, but we had a wonderful time and fabulous food! Carey just finished her second year of medical school and I was happy to help her celebrate!

The Kitchen - 90% there....

2009-05-14T09:03:00.000-05:00

If you recall....

and this...

and this...

are now...

(Please ignore the stuff EVERYWHERE). We have a lot more furniture to put in here and need a lot more lamps, but I dare say it is better than before!

The kitchen still needs more molding--- and we have to finish those spots above the dryer and fridge... but we FINALLY have a working stove after having it hooked to a gas line that led NOWHERE for the last few weeks!

We are looking for all sorts of ideas, but we plan to put a stainless steel prep table at the end of this counter on the left, perhaps one like this there. It may look a little industrial, but I think it'll be nice with my platters and bowls on the shelf underneath and my Kitchen Aid mixer on top - ready to make some homemade ice cream! We are probably going to put a bookshelf in front of that door (closing it off) for cookbooks, pitchers, etc. We have another carport door that goes to the den, so we don't really need the extra door- and we hope to make a little pantry/laundry room outside that door one day. Anyone have any suggestions??

My new trench coat

2009-05-13T14:13:00.000-05:00

I've never had a trench coat. I decided, at the age of 24, it was time for a grown-up raincoat. As much as I love my Marmot "poncho-esque" jacket, I thought it may no longer be appropriate. So, I purchased (on clearance, mind you, with gift cards) this little number:
I think it will be the perfect accessory for our trip to Cleveland this weekend!

Fun Houses

2009-05-12T09:11:00.000-05:00

I have a working camera, however our house is so disorderly I haven't taken any pictures yet - maybe tonight if we get really motivated.

I was perusing my usual blogs today and saw this post on Elements of Style. I thought all the houses were fabulous and thought you might enjoy a peek, too!

Kitchen Tools

2009-05-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

The last thing I need is more kitchen stuff- I have roughly 15 boxes marked "kitchen" and I have no clue what hides in them! But I thought these new spatulas from Le Creuset were just about the cutest things I'd ever seen! I especially love the green bellpepper one!

Spring Cleaning Party

2009-05-01T09:37:00.001-05:00

Since some of you may not follow simplemom, I've decided to let you know about her Spring Cleaning Party. Even if you're not a mom, this blog has great things to say about cooking, cleaning and other creative ideas. My sister has decided to take on the Party, but I'm still undecided, especially since 90% of our stuff is still in boxes- the likelihood of organizing without furniture is slim to none. Hopefully you 3 readers of my blog will find simplemom's party helpful! Happy Spring Cleaning!

no pictures to post.

2009-04-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

Both our cameras have dead batteries. Our charger is in one of the boxes. Somewhere. Luckily, the blog isn't missing out on much because the house looks pretty much exactly the same! Hopefully by the end of the weekend I will have a den to photograph and maybe even a kitchen!

Happy Birthday, Ross!

2009-04-24T09:52:00.000-05:00

As my sister once said, "25 is old, it's like halfway to 30"... unfortunately, it's halfway to 50, but we're glad to spend his 25th birthday in our new house among all the chaos.

Happy 25th Birthday to Ross!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday!!

Photo is from the day we got engaged in Oxford.

We're making progress....

2009-04-23T16:03:00.000-05:00

We are staying at the house TONIGHT. We don't have a range, a washer, a dryer, or a microwave... we do have a refrigerator, though. It's the most beautiful refrigerator I've ever seen, but it should be since it's the 3rd one we've tried (more on that later, titled, "Measure twice, cut once"). We still have to hang a mirror and cabinet in the bathroom, but it looks great- the kitchen is looking really good - appliances should be installed and ready to go by Tuesday -

The bathroom before:

Lovely, wasn't it?

The bathroom so close to being done:

I will get a better comparison shot this week -

"Going Green"

2009-04-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

I've always done little things here and there to try to help out Mother Earth, but never really follow through - i.e. the reusable grocery bags I just had to have usually don't end up making it to the store with me. But I thought this list was helpful - I'm going to try to do at least half the things on this list, especially as we move into a new home - try to be good about recycling from the start! I know my sister sends her kids' lunches in re-usable containers. Anyone have helpful tips on small ways to help out?

Testing posting pictures with flickr

2009-04-16T16:12:00.000-05:00

It took me far too long to figure out how to post in Html for pictures' sake.... so I'm just putting up a few pictures to play with flickr.

My helpful niece, Anne Wilkes:

Den before:

Den before we put boxes in it wall to wall:

a few pictures

2009-04-16T12:50:00.000-05:00

We are hoping to "move in" this weekend - there is a long way to go, but I will take some photos when there is furniture...

Our previous floors that we didn't love:

Our new floors that we love!

One of our two new storm/security doors- So nice on a pretty day!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:38:00.001-05:00

We had the joy of spending Easter weekend at Pickwick. We dyed eggs, had an egg hunt, and a very sweet "church service" this morning in the sunroom overlooking the lake:
Ross and I took our nieces into Corinth, to an old fashioned Soda Fountain called Borrum's drug store on the Corinth town square.

Annie really loves to "do hair" - she really is quite the braider!
Happy Easter!!!

Decor Inspiration

2009-04-10T09:49:00.001-05:00

My google reader is suddenly overwhelmed with design blogs (I never thought house decor would overrule baking and cooking!) I thought both the post on a DIY kitchen remodel as well as a low-budget kitchen makeover were great posts.

In my quest for good ideas for the house, I'm very drawn to the following photos:
I can't quite tell if this hanging rack is a "half moon" or a full circle - I think it would be nice up against a wall.
I wish we had more space for open shelving, but I'm hoping to hang at least 2 in the kitchen.

I love this headboard. I've seen a door used in this way before, but never with the sconces- I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a big pocket door!

A more realistic and seemingly easier option:

I just like this cabinet, but I'm sure they're on the pricey side:

I think we have enough room to do this in the kitchen, but it seems like a lot of work.

I guess I like open shelves more than I thought I did....

What do you like best?

Delicious Chicken

2009-04-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

This is hands down my favorite chicken recipe. I'm not a huge fan of red sauces, so chicken parmesan prepared this way is just right - it tastes like a flavorful fried chicken, but it doesn't take too much butter and oil to prepare. I made it Saturday night for Ross' family and served it with the greens on top and the lemon dressing - it drips down onto the chicken and keeps it from getting dry. We had roasted asparagus with roasted grape tomatoes and bread, plus strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Kitchen and Bedroom "During" Photos

2009-04-03T09:45:00.001-05:00

In case you forgot, this is what we had: I know these two floors look similar in the picture, but I assure you they are not! The old floor was a fake "brick" pattern in linolium sheet form.

The new floor is not hardwood, but it definitely looks so much better than it did! We are very pleased. The color combo was inspired by this kitchen. Maybe one day, we'll get the countertops and floors, too! I will post another picture with the stainless appliances and cabinet doors replaced.

Please disregard the toilet in the middle of the room. That will obviously be returned to the bathroom when ready.

New Dishwasher?

2009-04-02T20:02:00.000-05:00

We were going to get all new appliances, but in an attempt to save some cash, we've decided to keep the very white dishwasher that works perfectly well (as far as we know). Then, I saw this post on Apartment Therapy.

Too much like contact paper from late 80's? Or is contact paper older than that? Sisters, could you inform me of the appropriate popular era of contact paper?

The Good, The Bad, and the Really Ugly

2009-04-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

Meet the house:

This is a quick recap of house changes thus far:

Here is what the den looked like when we looked at the house:

Once we bought the house, we sanded, painted, caulked, and painted some more:

You now cannot enter the den because there is furniture and other junk packed wall to wall. (Thus the reason we're living with Ross' parents until the floors are refinished and we can properly distribute our stuff). Now for the bright and cheery kitchen:
This little gem was our range:

New floors, new appliances, paint (A LOT OF PAINT) and we should be lookin' good.... or at least, better.

Our bright and clean previous shower:

Then, we paid someone to do this:

And now it looks like this: (Still missing shower door, sink and toilet, mirror and cabinet)

The other bedrooms:

Picture no drapes, no grassy wallpaper, no green carpet!

This room is our room - yes, that's three layers of wallpaper - we are expert wallpaper removers.

This is our room primed (it currently has one coat of paint, but I will upload a picture when there are two coats)

Stay tuned...

Risotto

2009-04-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

Risotto is our new favorite meal. It's usually easy and it's always cheap!I have tried two varieties recently.
One, a garden risotto. It's very healthy and if the recipe calls for any vegetables you don't like, you can substitute anything else. We usually make it with snap peas, shelled edamame and peas. We serve it with turkey sausage usually, but it would be a great side to any meat. The video might be helpful if you've never made risotto.

The second we tried was butternut squash risotto- so easy that Ross made it himself (no offense to him). I'm sure that Ina Garten's recipe is better, but Rachael Ray's was so easy!