Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

 

borrowed from theweatfield - purchase here 

Finally a break in the weather. Our backyard has been a disaster since we had limbs removed from our very large silver maple. No grass, mud, standing water, etc. TERRIBLE to most eyes...

 but to ours, we saw all the potential.  Until now we have just worked with what was there and added along the way. Now, a clean slate. Start new. Make it our own space. So this weekend we started with our garden. There is still more work to be done but at least now all the composting we have been doing and rainwater we have been gathering has a greater purpose. We still need gravel around the beds and the grass to actually grow, but its a start :) Cozy can't wait for her "begtables" to grow so she can eat them. 

Happy gardening everyone!!

Farmer Minifur ;) 

Family Dinners

In the past I have been told by blood relatives that friends are okay to have but they won't be there when you really need them. They will not be there when times are tough. You need family and you need to only depend on family. Now I just think that is silly. I have seen how friends can be an even better support group than your family (even though family is a great support group - not knocking them). Have we had friends come and go through the years, yes, but there are friends that you know will be there for the long haul. Friends that lift you up, support you, hug you when you are down, laugh with you, and are there to watch your kids grow. Friends that celebrate all life's tiny victories.

We have discussed the Sunday family dinners and how important they were in our childhood. We talk about how we need to make this memory a reality again. It's tough because our families don't live that close. But even though we have been focused on the fact our families aren't near, we haven't realized we are having those Sunday family dinners. Just with a different family. A family that is JUST as important. The family that may not have birthed you, but the family you have chosen to spend time with. The friends that you can share a meal with, laugh, kids can play, talk about you dreams, the sad times, make plans together. I don't know about you but that sounds like an awesome family to me. And the fact that we can share Sunday dinner with them...makes it even more amazing.  

 

Found on pinterest ;) 

Steady as she goes....

When I paint that song ALWAYs plays in my head. While painting the borders of trim or the ceiling...steady as she goes. Another way I have been going steady (or not as steady as I like) is in my running. Cold weather, warm bed, rain, long work hours, alll reasons to NOT go. Then I saw this on a friends FB page last night..it made me laugh and gave me the kick in the hiney to do 5 miles this morning in 37 degree weather. Steady as I go...:) HAPPY FRIDAY!!

borrowed from Finding My Strong via pinterest ;) 

Which Came First.....

Last night the hubbie and I went on a spur of the moment date. We tried a local favorite Chicken and the Egg Modern Farmstead Fair and are we ever glad we did. Wonderfully Lost and I have been in the past for a ladies night of drinks and apps (and an attempt at taking home the robins egg blue benches in the foyer (I have a kayak carrier that doubles as a church pew carrier on my car) - well and every other decor item we could fit into our cars (you can never have too many mason jars right??)) but I have never experienced their "supper" menu. They are located on Whitlock Ave in the same shopping center as the famous Gabriels. Not too far from the Square. 

The decor is adorable and the menu mouth-watering. We were limited on what we can eat because of the Lenten season but that did not stop us from over indulging on what we could. A few things we will be back for after Easter: the barrel aged and craft cocktails and bottomless mimosas for brunch. Last night we enjoyed the Mushroom Toast which consisted of goat cheese, honey, arugula, truffle oil, and of course mushrooms. Full of flavor, hint of sweet and crunch from the toast. And it's pretty ;) 

For our entrees we chose two that complimented each other and split them. I chose the Bayou Pasta which had shrimp, chicken, and  Heywood's Provisions tasso on a bed of linguine. It also contained Georgia vidalia onions and other things you will just have to try for yourself.  

The hubbie chose the seared scallops..I mean they come with pimento cheese grits so it was an obvious choice. The flavor of the grits, the scallops cooked to perfection...we are in love. 

Pretty sure I just licked my screen. The experience was wonderful. Service, food, decor - perfect, all in all a 5 star package :) We will definitely be back! 

Beauty in the Details

Those of you who know me know that I love all the little things that make the big picture BEAUTIFUL! Our wedding was a chance to really make that love a reality. But, no matter what you do, when you rely on others you are at their mercy. I won't bother you with the flower story from my wedding, but I will just say my flowers were not anything that I envisioned. Were they horrible? No. But had I known then what I know now, I would have taken the time to make them myself. But since that did not happen, I did vow to make sure no one I knew went through the same thing. So, with the help of my friend Margaret and a few others, she and I have created beautiful flowers for our friends so they are as happy and stress free on their big day :)

My flowers - they were supposed to be a big pink ball of cabbage roses, peonies, and other pink roses with feathers tucked underneath and NO GREENERY...instead one dozen random pinks, some greenery and stems that were 2 ft long! After fuming on the way to the rehearsal I called the florist to have them at least cut down the stems to a manageable handle. 

Again, not terrible but not what we ordered. SO, below you will see some of the creations Margaret and I have come up with based on the available tools and preferences from the Brides-to-be :)

B&P Winter Wedding with special order keepsake on handle:)

E&T Beach Wedding :)

Flowers, Beach and a Beautiful Wedding

Back in October our friends E and T exchanged vows on the beach at hilton head. E was beautiful OF COURSE! and T looked handsome!  The food was amazing and they did an awesome job with the decor. Here are some photos (Some photos were taken with our video camera and didn't turn out as one would have liked). This trip was also Cozy's first time to the beach. I think she is in love ;)

Bacon Wrapped Figs and Homemade Ravioli

It has been so long since I made these that I can't remember where I got the recipes but I did get the ravioli cheat from Pioneer woman. The figs are stuffed with goat cheese and the ravioli is full of chicken, spinach and ricotta..yummmm I am super hungry. That night we fed the Wonderfully Lost family. We have had so much fun prepping for both blogs and coming up with ideas. These two dishes are just two of many ideas.