...I'm Back!

I'm back!

I know, I took a 5 or 6 week break from blogging.  The week after my last post, I hopped in the car with Jack and drove the 17 hour trip home to Jackson, Mississippi, by MYSELF.  Because I'm crazy.

Actually, Jack was a complete champ, and I had Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on CD.  So win-win.

Jack and I spent almost two weeks being loved and spoiled by family, and Bech spent two weeks finishing up the semester and feeling the freedom to stay at the studio as late as he could.  Yet another win-win (although, I'm pretty sure I got the better part of that deal).

Bech then spent a full day of travel (car, train, SEPTA, plane, and car again!) to get to NOLA, where we picked him up.  We spent 10 days going back and forth between each others family then headed home again just before the new year, stopping in Memphis to see Courtney and her new husband and Nashville to spend the night with some sweet friends there.

We have been back for a little over a week now, and I feel like I am almost all caught up to life here.  We had so much fun at home, but I was also ready to get back to our life here!  We have some sweet friends here who I missed, plus a couple of babies were born in our absence!

Here are a few instagram pictures of our time home.  Because I am an awful mom, and I didn't pull out the real camera ONCE while I was home!

Jack was more than happy to cuddle up with Bubby and watch "soccers balls."  He likes anything Bubby likes.

He may have watched "Petey Hat" (Peter Pan) a couple of times while we were home!

My sweet little elf!

In Madison, Baptist Hospital has set up an ice skating rink and ice slide.   We tried to get Jack to skate, but he wasn't having it.  He did, however, go down the ice slide twice.

Also, this may be my favorite picture ever.

Also, there is a super cute smocked outfit under that Saints jersey, but Jack wanted the jersey on.  I fear my smocked days are getting shorter!

Jack and I drove down to Hammond, LA, to meet two of his daycare teachers from last year.  We have been so blessed with amazing daycare experiences, and these two, Coco and Liz, are no exceptions.  We ate some "Chicky Christy" (Chick-fil-A, or as I call it, Christian Chicken) then headed to the Children's Museum there.  Jack enjoyed the dress up stage area!

We were able to see Bess and Julian on Christmas Eve Day!  Bess and Julian are our favorite friends from Baton Rouge.  We absolutely love them, and Jack adores Bess!  In this picture, Bess is due in less than a month...doesn't she look great?

Yet another Christmas outfit.  And peppermint ice cream.  A winning combination!

Jack and Bubby, playing with Jack's new Buzz.

Last Christmas was definitely a Thomas Christmas.  This Christmas had some Thomas but was dominated by Legos and Pixar (Sully and Mike, Lightning Mcqueen and Mater, and a new Buzz).  This was also the first Christmas that Jack has opened presents by himself.  Last year he could, but he didn't really care about it.  This year, Jack opened 3 or 4 presents before Christmas (and when he wasn't supposed to!)...next year we may have to hide the presents!

Alright, I think I'm all caught up.  I hope everyone had a wonderful December!

These are a few of my favorite stocking stuffers!

Today, I'm linking up with Cheers Y'all and Down with the Dearmores to share my favorite Stocking Stuffers:

(Bear with me...this is my first time to try a collage.  I used Picasa, and I think it turned out okay...but how do I get rid of the frames around the individual items?  Any tips?)

O     N     E

OPI nail polish.  I am not incredibly girly, but I LOVE glittery nail polish.  This color, I Snow You Love Me, is actually from OPI's Mariah Carey Christmas line.

T     W     O

A Starbucks gift card.  Ever since last Christmas (when I got a ridiculous amount of Starbucks gift cards from my students), I have been obsessed with Starbucks and my Starbucks app.  Some people gamble, I work toward gold level and free rewards!  

Also, peppermint white mochas are Christmas in liquid form.

T     H     R     E     E

I love fuzzy socks!  They are cute, cheap, and a great way to fill up large stockings.  These are from Old Navy and are on sale for $3.50.

F     O     U     R

Candy Cane Kisses.

Have y'all had these?  If not, you need to.  They are AH-MAZING.  They are my Christmas kryptonite.  And, again, large volume, small price--so perfect for filling up stockings!

F     I     V     E

Did you know that Bath and Body Works makes mini-candles?  They are the perfect little treat!   And right now, they are 3 for $10.  

I got some in my stocking last year (thanks, Mom!) and loved them.  One of my favorite smells is Marshmallow Fireside.

What are some of y'alls favorite stocking stuffers?

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Today, I'm linking up to Cheer's Y'all to share a few of my favorite things.

O     N     E

First off, I've been eying some of Kristen Ley's new prints and cards!

Kristen is one of my sister's best friends and bridesmaids.  She has had an etsy for a while, but just launched a full site for her letterpress business, Thimblepress.

I have several of her prints, but I LOVE this Christmas card.  Can't you just see it framed?

T     W     O

I still love Bath and Body Works and am, thus, still stuck in Junior High.  But I LOVE Christmas smells in everything...which includes bath supplies.

And this Merry Marshmallow Kiss line looks right up my alley.

I know, you probably just threw up in your mouth.  That's okay, more marshmallow scented body wash for me!

T     H     R     E     E

It's getting cold here!  I have most of the cold weather essentials (down jacket, ski jacket, gloves, scarves, long johns), but I'm lacking in hats!

I love this Fair Isle beanie from Gap--cute, but warm! 

F     O     U     R

Makeup!

I don't usually splurge in the makeup area.  I

 get foundation and mascara from the drugstore.  But blush and eyeshadows are my splurges.  

I usually stick with Urban Decay eyeshadows, 

but I am in love with some of these palettes from Too Faced:

Joy to the Girls

I like these colors, plus they have Christmas names!

Natural at Night

This set is a good price, and the colors are ones I would use a lot.

Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush

I usually use this blush (yeah, just gonna link to that name), but I like the different options in this compact.

F     I     V     E

I've gotten really into sewing lately.  I want to try to hand at some appliqué style projects, but I need a few more tools.

This Fiskar's rotary cutting set seems like a great deal.   Plus, it's at JoAnn's, and they ALWAYS have 40% coupons.  I use the app, so I just scan the coupon at the register.  

What about y'all?  Any dream items you're wishing for this Christmas?

5 on Friday

And again...my only post this week is 5 on Friday.  I just love that I can sort of "blog dump" our week on Fridays!

O     N     E

We went to Philadelphia this past weekend.  It was a sort of there and back again trip for us--Bech needed to get some work done in the studio and I had a baby shower to go to Saturday morning.

We headed out Thursday afternoon, went to a ceramics opening, spent the night and next day with some good friends of ours, another show Friday night (for one of Bech's fellow MFA classmates!), then back home by 11:30 that night.  

It was fast paced, but fun--with a visit to Toys R Us (I bought some groupons for there and needed some Xmas presents for Jack) and Ikea (which included a full on melt down in the middle of the kids section).

My favorite souvenir from our short trip?  Jack's first piece of pottery!  Well, technically his second.  Bech made him a little amphora/drinking cup before he was born.  But it stays far away from his little toddler hands.

But Michael, the friend we stayed with, gave Jack a beautiful Jack-sized mug.  And he LOVES it.  I let him use it (with close supervision)...like daddy, like son!

T     W     O

It's getting cold here!  Two mornings this past week we have had snow!

The weather has gotten warm again this weekend (mid 50's), but then will dip into the the 40's again after that.  I know it won't be long until we have LOTS of snow.

I am not as obsessed with snow as I used to be--I know it will be really cold and I will get sick of it by the end of winter.  But I think it will be really fun to see snow through Jack's eyes.  He was so excited about this little bit of snow this week!

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I have talked before about how much we are loving our new friends here in Pennsylvania.  One of our church friends lives just a couple of minutes away, in the same small town as us.  They have two little boys, one Jack's age and the other 1 1/2 years older.  The boys all play great together...lots of running, yelling, and FUN!

Jack and I invited the boys over for a play date yesterday to decorate cookies.  The two little boys did more eating than decorating, but I think they all had lots of fun.

F     O     U     R

We are home this weekend!  Yay!  

Seriously, we have been traveling sooo much this fall.  And I have loved it all, but I also love lazy weekends at home.  We have plans to hang out with another couple at some point, but nothing else.

Which means I plan to drink lots of hot cocoa and spend lots of time in my pj's.

Just being honest...

F     I     V     E

My sister got Bech and I into Revenge.  Have y'all seen this show?  We love it!

We are still only on season 1, but I have to say, Nolan is my favorite character.

Bech and I don't usually agree on tv shows.  He's a Breaking Bad fan, I like  America's Next Top Model.  So we are always happy to find a show we both like!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Memphis, There and Back Again

This past weekend I journeyed down to Memphis for one of my best friend's wedding.

Courtney and I actually met in the summer of 2002 at Mississippi Governor's School, but our friendship was cemented by watching Anne of Green Gables our freshman year at Millsaps.  I transferred schools; she visited.  She went to graduate school in Wyoming; I visited.  I moved to Vermont; she visited.  She was in Pittsburgh; I visited.

So wedding...yup, going to be there.  

Plus, I was in it!

Thursday night I drove to Pittsburgh (2 1/2 hours) and spent the night with the other bridesmaid, Beth Ann (also a college friend).  We got up at 4 a.m. on Friday to begin our 12 hour drive to Memphis for the rehearsal.  We made it just in time (with a truck stop to change clothes, cause we're classy that way) for the rehearsal!

Afterward, we went to The Majestic Grille for the rehearsal dinner, which was yummy!  Even though I had a big wedding (and loved it), I enjoy being a part of small weddings.  We all fit at one (albeit long) table at the rehearsal dinner.  I loved getting to talk to everyone that night.

Courtney and I have a history of taking really bad pictures together.  Part of it is that even though we both have really nice cameras, neither one of us remember often to take people pictures.  Right now Courtney is into dog and nature pictures.  I'm a Jack and food picture taker all the way.  So we don't have much to work with, and what we do has not turned out great.  We tried to remedy that this weekend.  Here's an iphone photo--I thought it turned out cute!

Saturday was wedding day!  We got up that morning and hit the ground running.  Courtney is Orthodox, and I really enjoyed being a part of an Orthodox wedding.  Very different from a Presbyterian wedding, but still very, very beautiful.  I stole this picture from Courtney's blog, and I LOVE it.  Courtney's dress was absolutely perfect and Jared looked quite dashing in his suit!

Afterward, we had a wonderful time at the reception.  Near the end of the night, we started just being silly and putting on old school songs and karaoke-ing.  Definitely not part of Courtney's plans, but I think something that will always be a fun memory and story!

The reception was at the hotel we were staying at, which was good, because Beth Ann and I left at 6 a.m.  I made it back home (to a tired husband and a croup-y 2 year old) at 10:45 that night.  Calling it a long day would be an understatement!

Finally, I need to give a little shout out to the Red Cup.

Thank you, Red Cup, for keeping me going this past weekend.  I couldn't have done it without you.

Starbucks should be paying me for this.  Seriously.

It really was a long weekend, but so worth it.  I loved being a part of Courtney and Jared's wedding...what an honor!