10 reasons why i love you

1. I have a hard time remembering a day where you haven't made me laugh.


2. You can take care of me better than anyone else when I am sick (or upset). You are great at helping me see things in a more calm and rational way. (You also have mad skills at cleaning and taping nephrostomy tubes in the least painful manner.)


3. You want to be a good husband (which is probably the reason that you are a good husband) and you want our marriage to last.


4. You make life fun and live with passion.


5. You love new adventures. (even "overly ambitious" kayak trips)


6. You don't mind helping me cook, and I think sometimes you even enjoy it!


7. I know that you love me because you tell me almost everytime we talk or see each other, even when you are angry. A lot of times when you are mad and we are on the phone, you will end the conversation by saying "i love you" and hanging up. Even though I usually get mad about this, it gives me peace because i know that you do love me and i can count on it even when things are tough.


8. You are great in the clutch. Even if you don't (okay, or i don't) clean or get things done in a timely manner, you are always busting your butt in the last few hours (minutes) and have pulled out many a miracle prior to company coming or in the last hours before major catering jobs.


9. You dream big. You don't subscribe to the "conventional" and you believe that anything is a possibility.


10. You love God and you want your family to go to heaven.

I love you, David (a.k.a. Fred). I don't know if I would have made it through the last 4 years without you. Thanks for making the tough times seem more bearable and often times more funny. You are the love of my life. Happy Anniversary!

Libby's New Nest

Last weekend my cutie pie neice and nephews (Maddy, Noah and Jack: you can visit their mommy's blog here: Smalling World) came to visit and we had a slumber party on the living room floor. I laid out lots of cozy blankets and sleeping bags. Well, afterwards, Libby (my sweet Boston Terrier 14-year-old baby) had found a new cozy place to sleep during the day. I just didn't have the heart to put the blankets away since she liked them so much. Today I gave her a bath and put the blankets that had been on the floor in the dirty laundry pile. She wandered around the house for about 30 min looking for the blankets so i had to make her a new clean nest to snuggle up in. She just looked so cozy, I had to take a picture.

Baby Announcements

These are the baby announcements I did for Lincoln. Is that not the sweetest picture? A professional photographer took it in the hospital. (He gave permission for us to make copies for the birth announcement.) It's one of the best "hospital" baby pictures I have ever seen. There are a few things I learned from this project that I wanted to share with you:

1. Vintage buttons look really cute on cards.

2. They look way better sewn on rather than glued.

3. If you sew 100+ buttons onto birth announcements, your hand will be temporarily deformed in a position very similar to a crab's claw.

4. You will never be able to finish a project like this without the help of a considerate friend, preferably your mother.

I would like to say that i would never consider sewing buttons onto a card for a large project like this again, but I know that when it comes down to it "cute" always comes before pain. I think it was worth it...

Meet Lincoln

My new cousin is here:

Lincoln Darwin Reel

Height:18 3/4 in.

Weight 7lbs 4 1/4 oz.
Time 3:35 pm

The baby and mommy are happy and healthy!

Baby Shower

Table View

(my sister made the cucumber sandwiches and stuffed cherry tomatoes-i will share these recipes at some point. These two foods seem to end up at any shower my sister and I help with. Everyone asks for them!)

Bird's Nest Coconut cupcakes... These were a sorry attempt at these cupcakes on Martha's website. I gave up on the beaks for the little blue birds after a few tries and decided to declare that the "birds" were in fact "eggs".

My Granny's Pecan Tarts

Granny's Lemon Curd Tarts. These were delicious. I have attempted the lemon curd before.. not a pretty picture. I may have to get her to teach me to make it sometime :)

Gorgeous Punch bowl

(I wish this picture was better)

embroidered table runner with handmade lace (made by my great-grandmother)

From the left: Mary (the lady of the hour), Lisa (my mom), Joyce, Rose, Jean (my granny), Anna (my sis), Beth, Mary, Linda, Myrtle, Maggie (me), Maggi

The little guy in the front is Maggi's and my cousin Ken's baby: Neil.

Party Favors: Altered Baby Food Jars filled with chocolates

I wanted to show you pictures of Mary's (my aunt) baby shower. We had such a good time. My mom helped me decorate and clean to get ready. We used embroidered table runners that my great grandmother had made all over the party area and napkins that my grandmother had cross-stiched. It was so fun to get out all of our pretty heirlooms and enjoy them. It made me want to have "tea parties" just for that reason. We even used cute snack plates (some milk glass, some clear that belonged to my granny) that have a place for your punch cup. I hope everyone else had as much fun as i did!!

A Day on the Town

I have lived in/near Nashville my whole life and have never owned a cowboy hat. I can't say that anymore:



A couple of weeks ago my cousin, melissa, came to visit and talked us into the hats. As you can see, Anna chickened out... Maybe next time she comes we will get the boots!!

My Brother, The Beast

Okay, so I may sound like a gushing big sister, but hey, I am. My little brother is a freshman at Freed-Hardeman University and HE GOT THE LEAD IN THE HOMECOMING PLAY!!! He is an AMAZING baritone with a great opera sound. Where he got the talent, I may never know. The play starts next Thursday and my sister, Anna, and I are going up for 3 of the 4 performances. We are so excited. My mom sent me some of his pictures in costume and I wanted to share them with you all.