cornucopias.

Growing up we have always made little snack cornucopias for Thanksgiving.
My mom made them every year for me, my brother, and my sister to take to school the week of Thanksgiving.  I always hoped there would be a few left at the end of the day because they were always better once they had sat out for a little while.  My sister remembers hoping for this too!

All you use are Bugles, Trix and cream cheese frosting to make them:

My sister is a freshman in college and we were texting back and forth a few weeks ago about how amazing these things were. 

Last weekend, I had a sleepover with my three "soul friends" from college.  So, since I was going to be in Raleigh, I made some for Sidney and planned to surprise her.

Well after tracking her down like a crazy person, I finally delivered the goods :)
But I forgot to ask her to take a picture.

So I asked her to take one and send it to me.

The next day, I opened my inbox and had nine attached pictures all displaying the love of the cornucopias:

I'm thankful for her.


And cornucopias.

surprise.

Yesterday Worker Man called and told me to stop by his parent's house before heading to The Taj to work.  He said FMIL had a surprise for me.

So I get there and walk up to our bedroom and I see this sitting in the floor.

Apparently I was so excited I was....shaking??  How did I not notice the picture was this blurry?

There was a note attached that said this:

"May HIS humble beginnings always remind you:  It's not the HOME...it's the lives lived IN the home that makes a difference".

Seriously, is that not amazing?

And so true. 

Our humble Taj will produce so many amazing memories and I can't wait!

It's the stable for my Willow Tree set that FMIL started for me last year:

This is the full set that I'm working towards!  I already have Mary [and Jesus], Joeseph, the shephard, the donkey and the lamb.

I am so blessed.

[sneak peek].

One of my best friends/college roommate, Kate, is getting married in March!

Here's a little sneak peak of the engagement session I did for them a few weeks ago :)

[they are getting married March 26th - how cool are those 03-26 jerseys?!?]

bulk.

Are any of y'all obsessed with buying things in bulk?

Worker Man and I  have a Costco membership and I love it.  Seriously.  It makes me giddy to have all my shelves stocked.  And bonus for Costco, they send coupons!  Which makes me want to buy their ridiculously over-sized boxes of cereal and huge bags of limes all the more.

Recently they had a coupon for toilet paper.  So, while we were there, we needed to stock up. 

Worker Man tried to convince me that we had plenty.  But I would have none of that because I honestly believed that we were running low.

Until I got home and saw this:

Not sure where I'm going to store this in The Taj...



awesomeness.

Do y'all keep a wishlist?

I do.  Of totally random things.  For example, the other day FMIL asked me what was on my wishlist.  I told her that it was ridiculously long.  Filled with random items.  So she asked me to read it to her.  We were on our way to Charlotte and had plenty of time.  One of my wishlist items is an Exacto knife.  So I read it and she busted out laughing.  She said, seriously??  Like a $3 knife thingy from Walmart?

Yes.  I keep a list of even the smallest things. It's weird, I know.

In fact, I've hinted to Worker Man multiple times that the wishlist is in the "Notes" App on my iPhone.  Just in case he is wanting to pick me up a little treat and needs a good idea.  He hasn't caught on to the hints yet. 

But anyway, I recently came across two items that had to be added to my wishlist.  How cool are these?!?


1.  The Canon Lens Mug

2.  A Lens Cuff Bracelet [made from a recycled lens!]

the viv.

When Worker Man and I lived in our first house [tear.] we had the sweetest neighbors.


Vivian and Garland.
I'll have to tell you about them.  Maybe sometime soon.  They were something else. 

Vivian is the epitome of a Southern Belle.  She is in her eighties and always dressed to the nines.  In a sweet little blouse and "slacks" and little old lady shoes.  Her hair is always perfect.   And she always has on her jewelry, just the right amount of "rouge" and a little lipstick. 

When I first met her I fell in love.
She's just the sweetest thing.

Not long after our first meeting, I affectionately dubbed her "The Viv".
Without her knowing.  Because ummm...she is NOT a Viv.  She is a Vvvviiiviannn.  Like in the most southern belle-ish accent possible.
I always address her as Vivian but when I tell a story about her or mention her name to Worker Man, I always call her The Viv.  It just caught on and stuck.

The more I called her that, the more I worried that I would actually call her that to her face or at least in front of her at some point.  But, as many times as it almost slipped out, I never actually did it in front of her. 

Since we sold our house, I haven't seen her.  I keep meaning to stop by to visit but sadly I just haven't made the time.

Well fast-forward to this past Sunday. 

Worker Man and I went to breakfast after the early service at church.  We went to eat at this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant [my absolute favorite kind] and as we were finishing our meal, I look up and there comes The Viv walking through the parking lot.

I got so excited and immediately jumped up and got the door for her [we were sitting really close to the door - just so you're not imagining me running through the restaurant to get the door].  I gave her a huge hug when she came in and we talked to her for a little while until the people she was eating with arrived. 

So, I got through the entire conversation, and just as she's leaving I wave and say:

"Oh, it was just so good to see you Viv!"

And as she kinda cocked her head to the side, gave me a funny look, and started to walk away.

I just looked at her, horrified.  I had made it for two whole years without ever slipping up.  And then I yell "great to see you Viv" as she walks away.


Guhhh, I better find her a really good Christmas present!

whiffs.

Public Service Announcement:  I have like the oiliest hair known to mankind.

Seriously, I wash it in the morning and each night it's already starting to look oily.  

And yes, oily = gross.

So there is absolutely no way I can go anywhere without a hat on if I don't wash my hair every single day.

This makes me super jealous of all the women who actually have hair that looks better when it's not been washed for a day or two.  But, alas, I am not one of them.

In high school I learned this little trick of using baby powder in your hair.  This takes the oily look away. But, I was always a little grossed out by it.  Just because I like for my hair to feel clean. 

Yes, I'm weird.

But I'm assuming you've already figured that out.

So I rarely - I mean like twice in my life, have ever used this so called "trick".

Yesterday being one of them.

Worker Man and I decided, kinda last minute, that we wanted to go to the early service at church.  And there was no time for washing my hair. Well, unless we were going to be late - which, by the way, I absolutely despise to be late to church.

So I remembered this little trick from high school and busted out the baby powder. It actually worked really well. [Except for the whole I don't like my hair to be gross thing.] So, since it was working so well, I just kept shaking until it finally looked like it needed to.

So we get to church and pick our seats.   And right before the service started, a family walks in and needs a seat.  So we move down like 5 seats.  And I end up sitting right under a vent.  And by vent, I mean I felt like I was in a tornado.

So all of the sudden I start getting these ridiculous whiffs of baby powder.  And yes, I love the smell of baby powder just as much as the next guy.  But holy cow!  It was strong.  I mean like over-the-top strong.

Thankfully no one was sitting on the other side of me.  Which was the direction in which the massive wind gusts were blowing.  

Well that is until our friends arrived late and came to sit beside us.  

Daniel sits next to me and I'll tell you, all I could focus on was the fact that he kept kinda looking around and sniffing.  And eventually kept his hands kinda, nonchalantly over his nose the rest of the service.

I caught the "you need to be a better wife" part of the message, but only between the ridiculous breaths of baby powder and the anxious anticipation that he might figure out my secret and realize that I was the one with half a bottle of baby powder in my hair.

Lesson learned.

samuel colby.

 

happy 21st birthday samuel colby.

love you!

they have it out for me.

 on saturday morning worker man and i headed over to the taj get a little work done.

worker man was driving and i was sitting in the passenger seat.

and yes, apparently i felt the need to clarify that is were i would be sitting.

like he typically chauffers me around or something.

which now that i'm thinking about, might be kind of fun.

i might just propose that this week.

i'll let you know how it goes.

okay, wow...off track.

anyway, as i'm sitting in my well-clarified passenger seat, i look over and guess what i saw.

no seriously, guess.

can you tell from this picture?

exactly.

 a rotten banana.

why would i put that in the passenger door?  when i hardly ever ride over there?

what is my deal with bananas?
i mean can't this experience.
and this experience be enough?