tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28351730197460156762024-02-20T14:48:54.588-05:00Grass HarpThis blog will be an observation of my life: the life of a book worm who still believes in Fairy Tales.Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-80361046792282629292014-09-10T22:44:00.002-04:002014-09-16T07:34:54.330-04:00Going Gray<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been working on another blog these days that discusses the ups and downs of marriage. But I don't want this blog to start getting cobwebs and dust bunnies. The blog isn't old; it just needs a reboot and I plan on doing it.<br />
<br />
<br />
I don't want this blog to get old because, well at the age of 31, I am getting old! I stand before you today and admit unwilling to you that I have gray hair. Gray hairs have this odd way of a standing at attention, which draws attention to them. I secretly think gray hairs are divas; they want attention and have waited too long for it, so when they debut they shine! I would prefer if they keep the role of stage hand; be the support that the good hairs lean on, never to be seen. <br />
<br />
<br />
So the other day, Trae and I were out for a nice date. We had gone to dinner at a nice restaurant. We feasted on yummy sushi. We enjoyed each other's company and had good conversation that wasn't work-centric. It was a wonderful night, and I knew that being past 30 wasn't all that bad. After all in your early twenties, you can't really afford sushi unless it comes from a questionable plastic container at the grocery store. Now I am eating sushi made by a real chef at a fancy restaurant that even makes you take your shoes off to coincide with Japanese tradition. All in all the dinner was wonderful. <br />
<br />
<br />
When we got out to the parking lot, Trae looked lovingly in my eyes. His hand reached up to stroke my check. I puckered up for a kiss, and when I thought his hand was going to cradle my check to pull me in for a kiss, his hand moved upwards. Then PLINK. In between his finger and thumb was a silver trophy. A gray hair...from MY HEAD! The next few moments were blurry as I gave out a squeak/ appropriate for public yelp and mentally cursed growing older. <br />
<br />
Needless to say, Trae did not get his after dinner kiss. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<span id="goog_2013390021"></span><span id="goog_2013390022"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfIbHp4iUua6sjSzsBME0chEgdBEqJWpmsd2DWgDmJSfI8vB9DsS-6BkEtV4PdxYz0vTJGszfy9LnJHgzXOQc1-BpCEN1aBndMGtLFMuBQW7uUrIflJddrAWAbavwdygQ3XSePQF_j4dZ/s1600/Image+(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfIbHp4iUua6sjSzsBME0chEgdBEqJWpmsd2DWgDmJSfI8vB9DsS-6BkEtV4PdxYz0vTJGszfy9LnJHgzXOQc1-BpCEN1aBndMGtLFMuBQW7uUrIflJddrAWAbavwdygQ3XSePQF_j4dZ/s1600/Image+(2).png" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badly drawn sushi girl. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_934521502"></span><span id="goog_934521503"><br /></span></div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-67247343343978939862013-10-22T22:23:00.002-04:002013-10-22T22:25:33.421-04:00Just call me "The Flash"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am not sure how to start this blog entry. I feel like typing "My neighbors might have seen my boobs" is just a little blunt and well, out of character for my blog. Still I cannot think of another way to start off this story, so here it is:<br />
<br />
My neighbors might have seen my boobs. I have no doubt they heard me screaming like a horror movie victim. Up until the screaming boob flashing, Trae and I were cleaning the garage. After living in our house for a year, the garage still remains car-less. You can see the floor and it isn't piled with junk; it is just that what is in the garage lives in the middle of the floor. We have a few shelves to put things on, but they are plastic and flimsy. Also, spiders have taken over every inch of the garage that can support a web. I went to put miracle grow dirt around a tree the other day and had to give up the task because a spider had sealed the bag with a thin, silky web. I normally would have taken over the organization of the garage, but my inherent fear of spiders, passed down to me by my mother, kept me from sweeping and organizing.<br />
<br />
With my husband, the spider slayer armed with spray poison, I felt confident that together we could conquer the garage. We started off strong; sweeping and pulling out the contents of the garage. Cobweb clad ladder and tools, looking like downtrodden soldiers weary from the spider war, lined the driveway. We got sidetracked when we pulled out a box of old bills, culled to be shredded when we first moved into our house. Our shredder, small and bought during a super sale, had died about eight months ago. Since the shredder's demise, the box had sat in the garage behind power screwdrivers and tool bags. <br />
<br />
Genius struck us: We have a fire pit and paper burns. Soon after being struck, we had a fire going with old bills curling and blacking under the heat. Trae tended the fire (read: poked it with a stick) while I swept out the garage. After getting the garage swept out, I was unsure of where to continue. After all, a lot of our stuff was still contaminated with spiders, and I wasn't willing to go kamikaze style into battle. <br />
<br />
Instead I decided to trim some unruly bushes that are up against the fence. The bushes were one of the last "ugly" elements left in the yard. Not a lot of daylight was left, but I still forged ahead getting half of the bushes trimmed down with our power trimmer before calling it a night. I raked up the bush carnage, and then I looked towards Trae to ask him how the fire was going. <br />
<br />
That is when I saw <span style="font-size: large;"><b>him</b></span> <span style="font-size: small;"> perched on my shoulder. I swear one of his eight legs was waving at me while he was flashing a smile that read "Welcome to your death." I screamed. Not a tiny scream, not a squeal, not a stub my toe scream, but a from the soul, terrified for my life scream. At the same time I frantically tried to unzip my jacket. When my fingers fumbled on the zipper, I proceeded to rip off my jacket, taking my tank top with it. I threw my clothes with the strength and terror a quarterback about ready to get sacked. While my clothes were flying through the air, I ran, screaming, into the garage stripping my bra off, convinced the voracious eight-legged killer had survived the stripping. <br /><br />Trae, unaware of how close his wife had come to dying, wandered into the garage with a curious look on his face. My response to his uncaring ways was to scream, "CHECK MY BODY FOR THE KILLER SPIDER!! HELP ME!!" Laughter escaped my husband's lips as he checked my hair, back, and neck while my bra dangled on my shoulder. Frozen with fear, I stood there insisting he check and recheck for the deadly spider. With the humor wearing off, Trae went to check my clothes and after declaring my tank top spider free, he threw it towards me. Knowing that spiders are James Bond like, I knew that despite being declared killer free that spider could and would have found a way onto that tank top. The tank top hit my side, causing me to simultaneously scream and run into the house. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">I am sure that after the ordeal, which as you can tell I survived, our position as the odd neighbors has been solidified. I don't think you can get away with screaming and stripping and not be labeled as "o<i>h, that couple</i>." In closing, I guess I should confess that the spider on my shoulder was in reality a daddy long legs spider; however, I am still convinced that the daddy long leg on my shoulder was mutated killer out to get me. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLEOVZHjwjRy0aqXWww8DrX_L-Bv0DdruStmUktkrTbib-YXVW5B1Uy-NXQY7vc5GbU993zlWdeEnjdxbhZ2x4Zi9ulaRWX0VIdvs-V8nJwTt6aXFCjdPDIDOoAQTU4WX9ZA0MOxWlNhS/s1600/spider.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLEOVZHjwjRy0aqXWww8DrX_L-Bv0DdruStmUktkrTbib-YXVW5B1Uy-NXQY7vc5GbU993zlWdeEnjdxbhZ2x4Zi9ulaRWX0VIdvs-V8nJwTt6aXFCjdPDIDOoAQTU4WX9ZA0MOxWlNhS/s400/spider.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My artistic skill: a rendition of my shoulder spider</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-73148050088078016702013-10-18T20:27:00.001-04:002013-10-18T20:27:07.475-04:00Promises to Myself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My husband kindly pointed out that I don't blog anymore; I use to blog all the time before we moved and then BAM, nothing. I have decided that since I want to pursue a MA in Creative Writing, then I should write. I have entered several creative writing contests; I have also become a reader for Gemini Magazine. (I have a staff bio write up on their website!) I am not sure what all to write to update and revamp this blog, but I do promise to start again. My goal is to blog twice a week, and I guess since this blog is mainly about baking that means I need to pull out Evangeline the Tangerine Kitchen Aid and getting to baking. (My husband and co-workers will love the outcome of more blogging!) <br />
<br />
During my blogging break, I did<br />
take all four Wilton decorating courses at Michael's Craft Store. I would recommend the classes to anyone who has even a remote interest in cake decorating. I met some wonderful people who have become friends and also made some beautiful cakes. I learned so much in the courses that I got asked to make my goddaughter's first birthday cake, which was Dr. Seuss themed! I also made my friend Meredith's birthday cake and cupcakes for her 30th birthday party which had a 1980's theme. I plan in going into more detail on those two events soon! So, since this is just a hello, I'm back entry I figured I would leave you with some photos of my cake decorating exploits.Enjoy!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh63_wlkyGGCSVh93CNAo5O0ZPskxTpU7soxP1-6Tgc4RVeAXcPIQ4Zo8MAHNpkT61LMDVBi0cdHVYxwwFlwCBmEt17Z0Fp5h6AzJ2-w-tWcViFE8CaOPR668v4S46XdYBrgnH5rzkjqmq/s1600/DSCN2470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh63_wlkyGGCSVh93CNAo5O0ZPskxTpU7soxP1-6Tgc4RVeAXcPIQ4Zo8MAHNpkT61LMDVBi0cdHVYxwwFlwCBmEt17Z0Fp5h6AzJ2-w-tWcViFE8CaOPR668v4S46XdYBrgnH5rzkjqmq/s320/DSCN2470.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilton Class Cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuiEvOEVz9yGxVB161qv8bBfEN7_-uLhUPQcjKtCGilexLJPpP0lo8dD45RmOrLjFq3KVGQCzgPkCwth-KgGWr8XS4uQVR-5p3T9nRuk3Aa0HvyvpPsO3sjE9wxBimt2syWKhQZl6HaWr/s1600/DSCN2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuiEvOEVz9yGxVB161qv8bBfEN7_-uLhUPQcjKtCGilexLJPpP0lo8dD45RmOrLjFq3KVGQCzgPkCwth-KgGWr8XS4uQVR-5p3T9nRuk3Aa0HvyvpPsO3sjE9wxBimt2syWKhQZl6HaWr/s320/DSCN2521.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilton Class Cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JQzbS_xjnkuQ0YfLG6Mq4CA-6M-QrqGBS0FkwL9kFPV2kze-RkRc2T-da_vZPmk0mwTCtHDcPocxpG0e_fWrdtULmIy5gPUrjIfuxhhmMBLrYhdhckyEk9tQLjFzr_flckOzKEjx3Lom/s1600/DSCN2574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JQzbS_xjnkuQ0YfLG6Mq4CA-6M-QrqGBS0FkwL9kFPV2kze-RkRc2T-da_vZPmk0mwTCtHDcPocxpG0e_fWrdtULmIy5gPUrjIfuxhhmMBLrYhdhckyEk9tQLjFzr_flckOzKEjx3Lom/s320/DSCN2574.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilton Class Cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQqWMxUYdGCWG-2AS0MenYqLP-YBXjeCQZZnyB3xp9MAYQrBy9hn2dI_P9EqPAHN_wIHAHGj1aD0EqOXFI_s04q5giBvPvz_ETSyxfWJpbHYVZWCsIx3rN6-ZdiKtCGXSfdmMt7lsfHYz/s1600/DSCN2548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQqWMxUYdGCWG-2AS0MenYqLP-YBXjeCQZZnyB3xp9MAYQrBy9hn2dI_P9EqPAHN_wIHAHGj1aD0EqOXFI_s04q5giBvPvz_ETSyxfWJpbHYVZWCsIx3rN6-ZdiKtCGXSfdmMt7lsfHYz/s320/DSCN2548.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cupcakes from the 30th birthday party. I had Pac Man, Care Bear tummies, Rubix Cub, M TV, and Cabbage Patch Kids! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-65068393849621888672013-05-31T22:39:00.002-04:002013-10-17T21:04:09.010-04:00Memorial Day Dreaming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Trae has a pretty awesome co-worker who has an also awesome wife. They have been helpful and were the first friends we made in our impromptu, crazy arrival to our new home. It was nice to have new people so willing to invite us out and introduce us to their friends in order help make our transition smoother. We got invited to their Memorial Day party, and since Trae has been bragging out my baking abilities, I figured I had to wow. <br />
<br />
I have no idea if these cupcakes are genius or just a lucky product of no-coffee baking. I was half way through my first cup of coffee when I decided my standard Becky Crocker yellow cake recipe was lacking. So I threw chocolate chips into the batter. (Side note: While the cupcakes were tasty, all the chips sunk to the bottom of the cupcake. I have heard that if you toss/dust your chips in flour that will prevent sinking.) Now when I don't have a full functioning brain, my mind tends to get a little, well, wibbly wobbbly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqgyKZubIL4/UagWh6GLJEI/AAAAAAAAA2k/wgXc9PQcqDc/s1600/Smore+thoughts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqgyKZubIL4/UagWh6GLJEI/AAAAAAAAA2k/wgXc9PQcqDc/s1600/Smore+thoughts.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
By now I had finished my first cup of coffee and was raiding the pantry. Graham crackers....check. Marshmallows... jumbo check. (My mom has a thing for giving us marshmallows*; Valentine's presented us with heart shaped marshmallows and the recent visit gave us jumbo sized marshmallows.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UorIS5mLShs/UagYoMICMMI/AAAAAAAAA2w/Y0aoi-Z9tgM/s1600/marshmallows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UorIS5mLShs/UagYoMICMMI/AAAAAAAAA2w/Y0aoi-Z9tgM/s1600/marshmallows.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffgw89SQ42Q/UalXn-vw3AI/AAAAAAAAA3A/Kt3GuGhyKMY/s1600/DSCN2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Yeah, I smile when I see huge sugar clouds in my pantry. I made <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/marshmallow-icing/" target="_blank">marshmallow icing</a>. (If you ever need a recipe in a pinch, <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">allrecipes.com</a> is a great place to go!) I garnished the top with graham cracker crumbles, but even with the snazzy cupcake wrappers, I thought the cupcakes were lacking. After trying to saw/ hack marshmallows with a knife, I took scissors and cut the jumbo marshmallows into three disks. The scissors worked wonderfully, and the marshmallows didn't gum up the scissors. I plopped the sugar cloud disks on parchment paper and broiled them in the oven. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffgw89SQ42Q/UalXn-vw3AI/AAAAAAAAA3A/Kt3GuGhyKMY/s1600/DSCN2563.JPG" width="320" /> </td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummmmm....toasted goodness. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With Trae's help, we quickly plopped the toasted goo on top of the cupcakes.Now the fun truly started when we put the last tray of marshmallows in the oven. I didn't trim the parchment paper, figuring that it would be fine. Nope. Trae started to pull out the toasted goodness and swish, the parchment paper kissed the heating element. It was a fleeting moment of love not to be, because the love affair went down in flames. When the paper ignited, Trae freaked and started trying to blow it out like a kid who desperately wanted his wish to come true. I was dying of laughter as he ran out to the garage screaming, "What do I do???" The small fire was quickly put out with no help from laughing me, and cupcake assembly re-assumed. The final product:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2qbhIAoBjVcyPnlL8tgTtWWPOTBIhldBesmSH2LdXPR5auJxKZIH0GANPBKQ7qgDTlyb6ctFYucLgJUN7h9GMKwbgUSCKmlF7Y87ErchDpnLmdd_T_OzBEBW9sAvOQK0morOhSz_CgRR/s1600/DSCN2573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2qbhIAoBjVcyPnlL8tgTtWWPOTBIhldBesmSH2LdXPR5auJxKZIH0GANPBKQ7qgDTlyb6ctFYucLgJUN7h9GMKwbgUSCKmlF7Y87ErchDpnLmdd_T_OzBEBW9sAvOQK0morOhSz_CgRR/s1600/DSCN2573.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
* Never roast heart shaped marshmallows. Bad puns ensue such as "a hunk, a hunk burning love" bad puns. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-79806195445681685652013-02-17T19:51:00.001-05:002013-02-17T19:51:17.554-05:00DIY and the future of Grass Harp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Grass Harp was on a long hiatus and before it went into semi-retirement, the blog was dedicated to food, either making of food or memories attached to food. While this blog will mainly be dedicated to food, I will also be adding some household projects and stories. Owning a house has been fun and a challenge. When I lived in an apartment, food, especially cake decorating, was basically the only creative outlet I had; now with a garage and a power sander, my creative nature has expanded. My office is the outcome of the sander and creativity.<br />
<br />
In our apartment in Morganton, my office was literally a desk in a corner against a curved wall with some pictures hanging above it. I loved every tiny inch of that corner and wrote some of my best blog posts there.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvgBMvPt8nM7QW0W46EwaXhEZOMbQ531OT4Z28nSTolQjmJEI8Gp4Shvncb3F1yT8f7aKGceVytOFGBDzKC2W09jwScvJvPQiJG_r8cNRMAZewTjry-HcV-N3fpeX-d4E7cR05MGkLWR9/s1600/DSC04143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvgBMvPt8nM7QW0W46EwaXhEZOMbQ531OT4Z28nSTolQjmJEI8Gp4Shvncb3F1yT8f7aKGceVytOFGBDzKC2W09jwScvJvPQiJG_r8cNRMAZewTjry-HcV-N3fpeX-d4E7cR05MGkLWR9/s320/DSC04143.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mona relaxing in my corner </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now with the house, I had a small room to turn into an office; however, I didn't want to spend a lot of money on making it look great. I began to pour over decorating blogs and pictures of offices; after looking at the inspiration I decided on a purple and silver color scheme with splashes of blue. I also started scouring Craigslist for furniture. My first break through came from an old abandon elementary school (ironically enough the school's name was Bynum Elementary!) that had been purchased by two brothers, and they were selling all the stuff that was left over in the school. I purchased two wonderful bookcases that I will eventually stain a darker color, an old globe just like the one my father has in his office (it even has the Soviet Union on it!), and a chalk board. The chalkboard was your average wood with green board.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGlHxj_ilhR3WqvP7OIYzoDqJBEd9SZncFLHPgOk_vwDT2V7V1O8V396mNbKKYHEy1shhvcpRqEXGaKM5fvuabtQ2pd2hp7023zjSPISa5ZzZDG7VQQePKunF9nce2L9JiP7nQgJvsJk3/s1600/DSC04786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGlHxj_ilhR3WqvP7OIYzoDqJBEd9SZncFLHPgOk_vwDT2V7V1O8V396mNbKKYHEy1shhvcpRqEXGaKM5fvuabtQ2pd2hp7023zjSPISa5ZzZDG7VQQePKunF9nce2L9JiP7nQgJvsJk3/s1600/DSC04786.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am posting the side view so you can see all the little rods I had to sand and paint. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I put the sander to work and decided to spray paint the wood a dark purple, the rusted hinges silver, and the board black. The sander did the work in no time, expect for those stupid skinny rods. I had to hand sand those. To finish the look off, I placed two magnets I purchased in Vietnam over some of the screws. (And yes, I am aware that my cursive M looks like an N.) <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3LFJXutZetiBAEs3iHQ36qoWwoC9jFHtLx6z_vS3__C4NbcQn-q1KtrIj5DLjvphEPlNMXiJODhuOK035wr6kiPudzcTQwq7PX5ptLYqzcvOUbeQKyFz_LZQo722bteHFIW-d_ElMZTH/s1600/DSC04816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3LFJXutZetiBAEs3iHQ36qoWwoC9jFHtLx6z_vS3__C4NbcQn-q1KtrIj5DLjvphEPlNMXiJODhuOK035wr6kiPudzcTQwq7PX5ptLYqzcvOUbeQKyFz_LZQo722bteHFIW-d_ElMZTH/s1600/DSC04816.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the finished product. I will admit, however, that the chalkboard paint does not like to erase the best. I think I need an official chalkboard eraser. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
My next major project was a new desk chair. My old desk chair was my grandfather's chair and it never fit under the desk. With such a small room, I could not have a chair that was floating in the middle of the room. I fell in love with a chair at Pier One with the lovely price tag of 120 dollars. Don't you just love it:? <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGezWBYYluHCqxk3HdJAqEOJRjBXojBwGC6Ust6jc9EVKyEzvZCvYY2pRbEkTB522cZIgqveoyzKJwueslWwR0TXtBdDaKJegVpAeLgQTVT4iiOT5gMh7ZpXpXYd4GtpOIPCB6NbVYLVkP/s1600/chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGezWBYYluHCqxk3HdJAqEOJRjBXojBwGC6Ust6jc9EVKyEzvZCvYY2pRbEkTB522cZIgqveoyzKJwueslWwR0TXtBdDaKJegVpAeLgQTVT4iiOT5gMh7ZpXpXYd4GtpOIPCB6NbVYLVkP/s1600/chair.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;">Hello, my name is Dream Chair. <span style="color: #0000ee;">Don't you want me in<span style="color: #0000ee;"> your home? </span></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You know the Pier One commercials were the merchandise talks to the
customers and they bring the stuff home? Yeah, those commercials are not fictional. I promise this chair asked me in a very seductive voice to take it home. If a chair could have the mysterious-Fabio appeal then it would be this chair.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9faeb21e91&view=att&th=13cd0726c218c64a&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_hd3lpr2h1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_wmDGjtf7lnypZj0SNGZb1&sadet=1360706905361&sads=d7PG43d-MTVN0fPRKcNDoJ3BJ0s&sadssc=1" class="decoded" height="320" src="https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/?ui=2&ik=9faeb21e91&view=att&th=13cd0726c218c64a&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_hd3lpr2h1&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_wmDGjtf7lnypZj0SNGZb1&sadet=1360706905361&sads=d7PG43d-MTVN0fPRKcNDoJ3BJ0s&sadssc=1" width="246" /></div>
<br />
I almost fell prey to Fabio chair, but thank goodness logic took over and my mind reminded me that leather and cats are a no go. Instead, I went back to Craigslist and found a dumpy wooden chair with a huge bubble/ crack in the seat. (Sadly I don't have a before picture. It is safe to say it was ugly and covered in dog hair.) My sander and I went to battle. A couple of blue spray paint coats later and I had Fabio Jr. I still have to make a purple seat cushion for Jr. but I am in love with him. He is the same color as the original chair and as odd as this sounds, I love the way the chair creaks when I move around in it. It is a reassuring sound, reminding me to work or write. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Paj3htimebyiiJlgkk3SnS7C8u-8_g_oiPbWh2o_QPep_HK5qv4pWc7rjvKr-mjNZiNyYke8YekIKjwp7MkgD4_-ykpHylqGJActbOSd5RQMH7AvryhHSDtMBXk4G4elR6IYNNbyGqtW/s1600/DSC04821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Paj3htimebyiiJlgkk3SnS7C8u-8_g_oiPbWh2o_QPep_HK5qv4pWc7rjvKr-mjNZiNyYke8YekIKjwp7MkgD4_-ykpHylqGJActbOSd5RQMH7AvryhHSDtMBXk4G4elR6IYNNbyGqtW/s320/DSC04821.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabio Jr. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
My next big find was an Ikea chair on Craigslist with the matching footstool. I am thinking about making a slipcover (aka, asking my aunt very sweetly to make) in purple. I also got two old timey gold picture frames at a yard sale for 3 dollars that I spray painted silver and turned into mini cork boards.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yjbVr6UfB3qW2ODVxn7NJ9RDATJnLwIO0q5uELmhcA2JjMMRAJzWdkfjBthzDXDlLpMI6lSSZqvTGE0KqVpcIc1oEdUG_Zh9qdxx6sgSab5b1iFnt_1cOF-YlaG5bq-X0nli3ZmGpU9K/s1600/DSC04776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yjbVr6UfB3qW2ODVxn7NJ9RDATJnLwIO0q5uELmhcA2JjMMRAJzWdkfjBthzDXDlLpMI6lSSZqvTGE0KqVpcIc1oEdUG_Zh9qdxx6sgSab5b1iFnt_1cOF-YlaG5bq-X0nli3ZmGpU9K/s320/DSC04776.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vK2nixC1hdoxmSMCd7901xy3b7rfJoLg_1v3GU-_llrzAlu2V6dXzbDJrxgKkwtZtXhqtmt6FBRl5XNlcJoQIbY-CNU9HPkD0R5mjF-yM2Bdlq2U-xlfC0a6jsnUykNz-yFCJw6erg2M/s1600/DSC04827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vK2nixC1hdoxmSMCd7901xy3b7rfJoLg_1v3GU-_llrzAlu2V6dXzbDJrxgKkwtZtXhqtmt6FBRl5XNlcJoQIbY-CNU9HPkD0R5mjF-yM2Bdlq2U-xlfC0a6jsnUykNz-yFCJw6erg2M/s320/DSC04827.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The circle frame needs to be finished. My favorite part of the whole office, however, is the wall of inspiration. I have a collection of black frames of all shapes and sizes. I have room to add more as I find more inspirational pictures and things. But for now the office looks like:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmObhu6B9AbjVNn6koJ1Vpp1LWU5Z8oUJIsl7fRcHU7gdFEnOIEQKmma0Yw_smW3EVZaypGiB_s7qIaZ7i3HdIg76CBrvVmgRehY4REMCUgZTdTyfkFXr-lbbfcfuhJo7v1X3MZ8acC10V/s1600/DSC04822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmObhu6B9AbjVNn6koJ1Vpp1LWU5Z8oUJIsl7fRcHU7gdFEnOIEQKmma0Yw_smW3EVZaypGiB_s7qIaZ7i3HdIg76CBrvVmgRehY4REMCUgZTdTyfkFXr-lbbfcfuhJo7v1X3MZ8acC10V/s320/DSC04822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view when you walk through the door. To the right is the wall of inspiration and to the left are the bookshelves. The Ikea chair is on the same wall as the door. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwLpUmUW_abnEdEhBsC8r-BFsJU2ehLU8EIjLamL2qWnuzj_ZgeSnjJojTXhdmS63c_v5XRx_keXWOaNIMYr_15paCv28f3qdwFwrSyYx4-R2tD70J8t0C2ocvhlTefLXSPvsW3kl5E9V/s1600/DSC04818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwLpUmUW_abnEdEhBsC8r-BFsJU2ehLU8EIjLamL2qWnuzj_ZgeSnjJojTXhdmS63c_v5XRx_keXWOaNIMYr_15paCv28f3qdwFwrSyYx4-R2tD70J8t0C2ocvhlTefLXSPvsW3kl5E9V/s320/DSC04818.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujTNt3B41fM/USF2t-iSKJI/AAAAAAAAAzs/b1F_5sFlwaM/s1600/DSC04819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ujTNt3B41fM/USF2t-iSKJI/AAAAAAAAAzs/b1F_5sFlwaM/s320/DSC04819.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNFtMeBQaE8JbKCIXkLjbHshyphenhyphenLQWTm5eEHL7lIzQl2PMjPzctxY8pm1EDxhyeXTFB12n_QTn4KsfH2_xOaZQlHrP0k08eJJlbvtTaRnFFYNIAIktHDlKrgKkhTecNIoJ-v8WL3ILMQNJG/s1600/DSC04820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNFtMeBQaE8JbKCIXkLjbHshyphenhyphenLQWTm5eEHL7lIzQl2PMjPzctxY8pm1EDxhyeXTFB12n_QTn4KsfH2_xOaZQlHrP0k08eJJlbvtTaRnFFYNIAIktHDlKrgKkhTecNIoJ-v8WL3ILMQNJG/s320/DSC04820.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QEXR3Iu_iwzFQjWvV3jpOg6Q3lWplTKK-RGxOGJNmMm7PDVZ28lFtEs3ZM4XPk5JCpKU5_pVVVsbhOhDWR3lMTXNU7Ui_TJeHbFys1JCMJU7d__AujbWybCfmNs8-3t_MzLXhNa7QzN6/s1600/DSC04823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QEXR3Iu_iwzFQjWvV3jpOg6Q3lWplTKK-RGxOGJNmMm7PDVZ28lFtEs3ZM4XPk5JCpKU5_pVVVsbhOhDWR3lMTXNU7Ui_TJeHbFys1JCMJU7d__AujbWybCfmNs8-3t_MzLXhNa7QzN6/s320/DSC04823.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bookshelves and globe came from Bynum Elementary School.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqBrk_tZM47kt186IwCcoDPupcHYAOQO-_LdQ-BKu7J5J6FZACv5yXbwpw9Ic5mehh-niKhHEWR3rV0HgHoaqTKDO7Xm70FfACKVLH1ZIzfNjlspEYG6clUnf6UOLeZc8SMNbh1tE-biY/s1600/DSC04824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqBrk_tZM47kt186IwCcoDPupcHYAOQO-_LdQ-BKu7J5J6FZACv5yXbwpw9Ic5mehh-niKhHEWR3rV0HgHoaqTKDO7Xm70FfACKVLH1ZIzfNjlspEYG6clUnf6UOLeZc8SMNbh1tE-biY/s320/DSC04824.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ikea chair. (My awesome aunt is making a slip cover for it!) My Beauty and the Beast poster had been in a closet for five years or so. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzIIwzVWm12hIt55XdSJZPtTgG718YJsH5r7KEAaWgqtsVsvEJAPpNfeoAq0HJKr4BACcipVxQ8zhWawvgm0S1isFnhtFm4eM-1TCSe2EEi_A5dVtgJwOYhjDmnCBXja2qbZkBQCcsAjL/s1600/DSC04825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzIIwzVWm12hIt55XdSJZPtTgG718YJsH5r7KEAaWgqtsVsvEJAPpNfeoAq0HJKr4BACcipVxQ8zhWawvgm0S1isFnhtFm4eM-1TCSe2EEi_A5dVtgJwOYhjDmnCBXja2qbZkBQCcsAjL/s320/DSC04825.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry! A little blurry. It has my Vietnamese currency, a picture of Dr. Bennett, my grandfather's wire ring he made, and some other fun things. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /><span id="goog_1927214056"></span><span id="goog_1927214057"></span></div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-76010732115249181052013-02-10T22:38:00.001-05:002013-02-12T16:46:33.047-05:00My First Cake in Over Six Months <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKlrFv303tXzRbBlUydiL93MKEpJhah7SbYT-tkqaZHvjIpRX2VrEPj8NJz6QPWnjv167h2XVQLK8dMeJFkP_K6bwgfonxiWh3Vgl1D0N85jTl2XSAO4PdFjiOeRJ1Dnh5bX8oMlbBhNP/s1600/DSC04787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_QrxT4_xL3stM7dp3fmKsrh371dAt69TpAiZqzmU7YXpPgOeC0rxceFtLFkqYit1p1DG8Ni_E4cOL5c7Ys2ppJMShKFtQGFo8KhQb6RweFZ3S-LHVaAxs_2ickP0UxyxAxwkD8JeLYCh/s1600/DSC04788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_QrxT4_xL3stM7dp3fmKsrh371dAt69TpAiZqzmU7YXpPgOeC0rxceFtLFkqYit1p1DG8Ni_E4cOL5c7Ys2ppJMShKFtQGFo8KhQb6RweFZ3S-LHVaAxs_2ickP0UxyxAxwkD8JeLYCh/s1600/DSC04788.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EIDsC4VPlGw/URcpgQwhkAI/AAAAAAAAAyE/vEwLcCUNla0/s1600/DSC04790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
So, as you can tell from my last post, we moved. We have unpacked, and we are homeowners. Before moving, we went on an Alaskan cruise, and I was out of town for a month long workshop and then went to Vietnam. (I need to blog about Alaska and Vietnam. They were wonderful trips.) All of that caused me to go about six months without making a cake! Me...the R2D2 decorator....hadn't decorated a cake in six months! With the house, I hadn't had time. Boxes had to be unpacked, new jobs positions, and visitors as well as leaving town caused bonding time for me and <a href="http://soulsearcher-pysche.blogspot.com/2011/11/meet-new-member-of-family.html" target="_blank">Evengeline the Tangerine the kitchen aid</a> to be limited. <br />
<br />
Well, lucky for me, I have very talented family members, and my aunt is a whiz at sewing. Her housewarming/ Christmas/ birthday presents to us was to come for a few days and make curtains. My mother was to be her sewing servant for those few days. I came home over the next few days to a flurry of string and fabric scraps as gorgeous curtains emerged from sewing machines. Before they came and before the kitchen table became sewing central, I made a cake for my aunt, because her visit coincided with her birthday. <br />
<br />
I had elaborate plans of making a cake with white chocolate sea shells and light blue icing, but time got the best of me. Instead I used the left over fondant I had colored for a Christmas cake. (A cake that did not have a picture taken of it, so it does not get a blog post....it is sufficient enough to say it was a cute and tasty Christmas cake.) I used circle cookie cutters to make two different sized circles. Then I used a toothpick to punch holes in the circles. The small circles got two holes and the big circles got four. On the bigger circles I pressed a shot glass down on them to give them a little lip that made them look more "button-ish." See...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EIDsC4VPlGw/URcpgQwhkAI/AAAAAAAAAyE/vEwLcCUNla0/s1600/DSC04790.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EIDsC4VPlGw/URcpgQwhkAI/AAAAAAAAAyE/vEwLcCUNla0/s1600/DSC04790.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I cheated and used a small tube of gel icing to "stitch" the words happy birthday onto the cake. The last step was to make a needle out of gray fondant; the gray had originally been used for ornament tops. It was fun to see colors that I associated with Christmas (red= ornament, green= tree, yellow= start) transform into a bright, completely non-Christmas birthday cake. I will brag on myself and say I really like how I used some of the smaller buttons as parts of the lettering for Happy Birthday. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xa8OlKlVlOY/URcphdrxmYI/AAAAAAAAAyM/jgDnKiecCnA/s1600/DSC04791.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xa8OlKlVlOY/URcphdrxmYI/AAAAAAAAAyM/jgDnKiecCnA/s1600/DSC04791.JPG" height="320" width="240" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I think by stitching the buttons onto the top of the cake really sold the circles as buttons and not circles with random holes. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKlrFv303tXzRbBlUydiL93MKEpJhah7SbYT-tkqaZHvjIpRX2VrEPj8NJz6QPWnjv167h2XVQLK8dMeJFkP_K6bwgfonxiWh3Vgl1D0N85jTl2XSAO4PdFjiOeRJ1Dnh5bX8oMlbBhNP/s1600/DSC04787.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKlrFv303tXzRbBlUydiL93MKEpJhah7SbYT-tkqaZHvjIpRX2VrEPj8NJz6QPWnjv167h2XVQLK8dMeJFkP_K6bwgfonxiWh3Vgl1D0N85jTl2XSAO4PdFjiOeRJ1Dnh5bX8oMlbBhNP/s1600/DSC04787.JPG" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjkV-HDB0U_RA-ip3SfbcihNu303lZYhkRornw68ziuefTj_SruybvTXxLVrFStY_D_UB21g-G2EagMeQ-q6tLhDR-HDGlSmpHHRFGdjdPwvYcb8fb4qj7q57UrlooNnV5v2riaEaLovw/s1600/DSC04789.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjkV-HDB0U_RA-ip3SfbcihNu303lZYhkRornw68ziuefTj_SruybvTXxLVrFStY_D_UB21g-G2EagMeQ-q6tLhDR-HDGlSmpHHRFGdjdPwvYcb8fb4qj7q57UrlooNnV5v2riaEaLovw/s1600/DSC04789.JPG" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: black;">My aunt loved it and thought it tasted really good as well. (I used just a basic yellow cake recipe and added some almond extract.) I won't lie</span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: black;">; the cake barely lasted th</span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: black;">rough</span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: black;"> the thre</span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: black;">e day visit!</span><span style="color: #0000ee;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span> And the curtains came out wonderfully; I like to think that the sugar rush from the cake helped increase productivity. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNQC1t7Hocj_6YlYE9Kj9K-hu3bgLLi0z_bxRYHY3zXr4Ass0SMMlyhIQrE7eGbhgCK56J_Jmel3Tpdzr96h78Cy3rvZNgkH1oAopzXOAk63EKp2KmAw3L-TtUASPZqseZk13QdCfRDMh/s1600/DSC04828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNQC1t7Hocj_6YlYE9Kj9K-hu3bgLLi0z_bxRYHY3zXr4Ass0SMMlyhIQrE7eGbhgCK56J_Jmel3Tpdzr96h78Cy3rvZNgkH1oAopzXOAk63EKp2KmAw3L-TtUASPZqseZk13QdCfRDMh/s1600/DSC04828.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i1V9gYigpY8/URhntM3H4_I/AAAAAAAAAyk/HEYLcwRehU4/s1600/DSC04829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i1V9gYigpY8/URhntM3H4_I/AAAAAAAAAyk/HEYLcwRehU4/s1600/DSC04829.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-84146994260569870282013-02-09T23:51:00.001-05:002013-02-12T16:46:08.368-05:00Did I tell you we moved?I just looked at the blog: Oops. I haven't posted since September. Let me take a few moments to get some overviews:<br />
<br />
September: I lived in a hotel with my husband. We looked at a lot of houses and my wonderful mother packed up our apartment.<br />
<br />
October: We moved into our house; after our closing, I will never move again. Promise. We ended up buying a foreclosure in a very nice neighborhood; we literally ended up skipping the starter home and went straight to big house. Since it was a foreclosure, it was owned by Fannie May, and Fannie May was a pain. I took the day off so Trae and I could sign the paper work and then I would go to the house to start scrubbing; turns out the Fannie's lawyer forgot (aka was too lazy too) process some paperwork. Our realtor wasn't sure when we would get the keys. Mold was growing on the kitchen cabinets at this point and the moving van (Trae calls it the moving semi-truck) was due to arrive in 24 hours. My mother was already on her way with the three cats. Mold, cats and van, but no keys. We ended up signing the paperwork around 5pm hoping it would help speed the process along. The cats and mother rolled into town about an hour later and checked into a pet friendly hotel. <br />
<br />
I went to work the next morning with the realization that one of two things was going to happen: either I was moving into a house or my stuff was going into a storage unit. I would know the answer by 11am. I taught and the during class, the phone rang at 10:32. The realtor's voice boomed through the phone:<br />
<br />
I HAVE KEYS! I am speeding RIGHT NOW to the house!<br />
<br />
The van was already there, as well as my mother and very cranky cats. At 11:00, my mother entered our house and started overseeing the moving process. Three days later the kitchen cabinets were mold free and the house was clean. We could finally unpack. And unpacked we are! Everyone has told us that we have made record time in unpacking. (My theory is that since we didn't pack our apartment, we had no clue what was in any of the boxes and to find what we needed we just had to unpack them all!) <br />
<br />
During all of this crazy trying to moving, closing from Hell, I found out that my mentor from college had surgery for cancer. The cancer, however, had spread and she did not have much longer to live. (Literally, I found this out two days after moving.) <br />
<br />
November: I was lucky/ blessed to be able to say good bye to Dr. Bennett. I visited her in the hospital, and we had a frank talk and shed a few tears. She died a few day later. With Dr. Bennett's illness and Thanksgiving, Trae and I were not home much to enjoy our new house.<br />
<br />
December: This month was biter sweet. Dr. Bennett's memorial took place in Clemson, and it was lovely to see so many friends, but bitter-sweet. Dr. Elisa Sparks was so kind and gave me a picture from Dr. Bennett's office. The picture is one of a young, beautiful, confident woman and she kept this picture of herself in her home office. It is now in my office. <br />
<br />
January: Um, no idea where that month went. A lot of people visited, including Trae's parents. They really like the house and fell in love with the Keurig coffee maker. (Trae's dad just bought himself one today.) I know I fit in a lot of DIY projects. My office was the last room to get completed in the house. In the apartment my office was literally as corner; now I have a room! I craigslisted and diy-ed myself into a lovely space.<br />
<br />
February: Hello! You are up to date! And now a few house pictures. Next blog will be DIY project filled. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MA5f26lkjRmA0DCDqC7eqzg5U1FfLhzJy29BhF5Jq8v1RTuexZPwOxlzmQlkVZTrqTajMJvWgIoJUcUYHdppPdCK4k4RzmG7VumJYDojXJwyfdMLPe2o5NwrMP2ex_G_JAcwPfXmj_Cr/s1600/DSCN2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MA5f26lkjRmA0DCDqC7eqzg5U1FfLhzJy29BhF5Jq8v1RTuexZPwOxlzmQlkVZTrqTajMJvWgIoJUcUYHdppPdCK4k4RzmG7VumJYDojXJwyfdMLPe2o5NwrMP2ex_G_JAcwPfXmj_Cr/s1600/DSCN2332.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Christmas card picture </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48BYO0enrzTzlqyTv6GtxHZZRX3qM-N6h1APFSeZ3VV8V6sN812LKABtoLTYnp0mOuJDUeYmZcgx5I1u3TQW-P7eyLj2rKqEwQqDdIBJ5SW8fkp91FUocZHkq2y6HHNEBUh2-04VYbu7G/s1600/DSCN2355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48BYO0enrzTzlqyTv6GtxHZZRX3qM-N6h1APFSeZ3VV8V6sN812LKABtoLTYnp0mOuJDUeYmZcgx5I1u3TQW-P7eyLj2rKqEwQqDdIBJ5SW8fkp91FUocZHkq2y6HHNEBUh2-04VYbu7G/s1600/DSCN2355.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love those cabinets; I scrubbed them for three days.<u> </u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAaBopHP071z48wqDDh9oUb4y3ql4Z84ynkvht4MtrIVun_qPKJsg5CwBAin12U4Iqua4VIzcCtM96GD4ACrEJ-BtOcb_aLW8rNM01Y6BBG7Vav4rZVfXyYlnqAF_GVdO-GKnUe2Ta3n-/s1600/DSCN2365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAaBopHP071z48wqDDh9oUb4y3ql4Z84ynkvht4MtrIVun_qPKJsg5CwBAin12U4Iqua4VIzcCtM96GD4ACrEJ-BtOcb_aLW8rNM01Y6BBG7Vav4rZVfXyYlnqAF_GVdO-GKnUe2Ta3n-/s1600/DSCN2365.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clem wants everyone to know she is the queen of the house. Her favorite thing to do now is meow while sitting on the stairs. When someone comes to look and see what is wrong, Clem gleefully looks at the person like "Yes! You are my minion!" </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-54323377033170862812012-09-05T21:36:00.000-04:002012-09-05T21:36:38.121-04:00Hello! Where have you been?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
February is a long time to not post anything. A quick update is:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> March and April were dull months</li>
<li>Trae and I went with my parents and Aunt Mary Ann to Alaska in May</li>
<li>I went to the Kellogg Institute for Developmental Education over the month of July</li>
<li>I went to Vietnam with a friend for a week in August</li>
<li>Before I went to Vietnam, Trae and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary </li>
<li>Trae and my jet-lagged self moved to another city and both have new jobs </li>
<li>We are living in a hotel</li>
<li>We went to the beach for a weekend with my mom's side of the family </li>
<li>We just started a contract on a house!!! </li>
</ul>
We just accepted the bank's last offer on a foreclosure, and we are very excited. If everything goes right with the inspections, the Murray's will be full-fledged adults: jobs and a house! I can't believe we might actually have a house. I will miss our apartment, especially since I really haven't seen it in two months, but I am ready to stop living in this limbo and have a settled place. So far I like our new city; one of my cousins, his wife, and super cute kid live here and being around family is nice. However, being this far away from my parents is hard. (We are about six-ish hours away from them!) Also, missing Clemson footballs is tough!! My daddy has been picking on me about how he gets to go to the first game. Would you like to see our house? <br /><br /> <img alt="106 Field Street, Greenville NC" border="0" class="photo" id="current_property_image" src="http://thumbs.trulia-cdn.com/pictures/thumbs_3/ps.45/5/2/9/a/picture-uh=5bb4567dc26d5b59ee6954331abd8fa-ps=529af7bd2c2c751d3ed29591fd40d3.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" /><br />
<br />
Like it?? We do. Plenty of room for guests and a screened in porch for our kitties. (I really miss our kitties, and they are going to LOVE the porch.) I also can't wait to have a full sized kitchen again. Right now we live in: <br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" height="140" src="http://www.affordablesuites.com/affordablesuites-greenville-nc-hotel/images/cmsimg_1250607205.jpg" width="400" /><br /><br />Don't let the picture deceive you; it is small. The living room space is exaggerated: promise. (Especially the kitchen counter space. The coffee pot takes up the whole space!) Anyways, despite the space issues, Trae and I are very happy to be together, because we thought at first I would have to stay to finish my contract at our old community college. I am glad the school was willing to let us go together. Now we are carving out a home in a hotel and I have to say with Trae there, it is home. Now we will have a real home of our own! To celebrate in our new home, we tackled cooking in our "kitchen." I got a wonderful chicken parmesan from Fresh Market as well as orzo salad with cherry tomatoes and a Boston Cream Pie cupcake. We paired the chicken and orzo with green beans and sat Asian style around the coffee table while watching Honey Boo Boo...romantic, I know. It was nice to set in our temp home and share a meal we cooked together. As we cooked the phone kept ringing with his family members excitedly asking questions about our house. It made the hotel room buzzing with excitement. I even burnt the edges of our brie crostini! Oops! But I got so excited answering questions that I forgot to watch the pan. Luckily they still tasted super yummy. <br /><br />Sitting on our dingy brown carpet eating at our coffee table with Honey Boo-Boo telling us about her pig Glitzy gave us a sense of peace and home. Sure we didn't have our nice table or plates and we weren't able to cook one of our elaborate meals, but right now at this very moment, we have full bellies from a good meal and most importantly we have each other. And we will now have a house to create more memories in. But tonight taught me that we don't need a big house to make memories or to be home...you just someone who you love and who loves you back. That love will automatically make any moment a moment to savor and turn into a memory....even if it is sitting on dingy carpet in a hotel room. </div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-33189153131951940262012-02-12T15:45:00.002-05:002012-02-12T15:49:17.363-05:00Pixar Passion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Trae and I are children at heart. We love Disney, especially Pixar. (Proof of our love: Our first dance as husband and wife was to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yjAFMNkCDo&feature=related" target="_blank">Married Life</a> from Pixar's <i>UP</i>.) Well, as mentioned in my previous post, we have not been on a lot of dates lately and have not had a lot of "us" time. We have spent the last couple of months meeting up with others or driving to South Carolina or Tennessee. So for Valentine's Day, I figured we should incorporate our love of Pixar with our desperate need to relax. The idea was inspired by a <a href="http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/01/26/care-for-some-disney-with-that-winery/" target="_blank">winery review</a> on the Disney Food Blog, because Trae and I also enjoy a good bottle of wine about as much as a great Pixar movie.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrg-aNxlwFlueTjimnF6VehYPTD_6-4vMlqglrl62kujm502gOvefwlcGjZ9GT7dIBTgav7rKjpl5FquAxAKndQmT7gvGNmFfPvdReNoK7cV4zYiHDCnPIJEyIStm60jd_V1WUiPKs13F-/s1600/Pixar+Characters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrg-aNxlwFlueTjimnF6VehYPTD_6-4vMlqglrl62kujm502gOvefwlcGjZ9GT7dIBTgav7rKjpl5FquAxAKndQmT7gvGNmFfPvdReNoK7cV4zYiHDCnPIJEyIStm60jd_V1WUiPKs13F-/s320/Pixar+Characters.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from <a href="http://pixarcorner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pixar Corner</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The review introduced me to the fact that John Lasseter, the guru of Pixar, has a <a href="http://www.lasseterfamilywinery.com/index.html" target="_blank">winery</a>. Even better, the winery had Valentine's Day specials. I called to order the wine and talked to the nicest lady on the phone. She seemed genuinely interested in why I was ordering the wine, especially when I told her my husband does digital animation and admired Mr. Lasseter. The order was for the Rosa bottle and two wine glasses that arrived in a very snazzy black box and even slightly chilled. I'm a sucker for someone who is nice on the phone, especially in the day of automated voices; she was so nice that I would tell anyone to call up and order from this winery. (Side note: The wine was good, very subtle but tasty. We normally prefer more pronounced flavors, but this wine was prefect for the occasion. The glasses are super nice too!) <br />
<br />
After getting the package, my brain went crazy with thinking of the perfect Valentine's Day dinner to go with this gift. Steak? Lamb? Fancy pasta? I then realized I was calling on the spirit of Julia Child to guide me when instead I needed John Lasseter to lead the way. So I came up with a menu inspired by all the Pixar movies:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">MENU</span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Pizza Planet Pizza (Toy Story, but really all the movies)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Ha! Ha! Humorous Hummus (Monster's Ink)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Mine! Goldfish (Finding Nemo)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">No Capes Cheesesticks (Incredibles)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Remy’s Parisian Popcorn</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Sep-tua-centennial Cupcake in a Cup (Wall-E)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin Catchers (Chocolate, UP)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Slim Sticks (Pretzel Rods, Bug's Life)</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">DRINKS</span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Flo’s Fuel ( Cars, Coffee to stay awake during the movie-thon)</span></b></div>
<br />
I then went in search of Pixar related items to help set the scene. Lucky for me we already own some Pixar stuff, like a stuffed Remy, Jessie talking doll, a decent sized Wall-E, and a small Flick from Bug's Life.(Told ya we are kids are heart; we own and still buy toys!) Yet, I wanted to add to that collection to help make the setting even better while not spending a ton of money. With creative thinking, Internet searches, and clearance racks, I managed to set up a pretty cute Pixar slumber party for pretty cheaply.<br />
<br />
I started off by thinking about Pixar icons, such as the boot that held the plant in <i>Wall-E</i> or the BnL logo..<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7qaPzEw4GKzZt_ib7b4QPojvEcRXfU6wowoaGi3cCAdYVR8WanHxSsgXwALFz6jg9ndnFt_R8-QXMVq1kFUtTYK89AmZrb4rVuBBzSRG3dbungtbtviqQ3EXeH3oyyTFlGSwJwJTMXkm/s1600/Wall+E+Plant+Boot+Eve+SMALL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7qaPzEw4GKzZt_ib7b4QPojvEcRXfU6wowoaGi3cCAdYVR8WanHxSsgXwALFz6jg9ndnFt_R8-QXMVq1kFUtTYK89AmZrb4rVuBBzSRG3dbungtbtviqQ3EXeH3oyyTFlGSwJwJTMXkm/s1600/Wall+E+Plant+Boot+Eve+SMALL.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I painted cups with the BnL logo for our cupcake in a cup and I had my own version of the boot. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HvGbj9xqtUYSAjwZKuAr-6bSn6-2q0kyErmOUO8or9iqPhoXLL0SFKxHiQS3JeOZzpKDkciUxM3EA8q_2jdpNH9mTITJuEy4ZuUIKfFwsb3wG9MhzmQRR9NMjelNaxiNfwOQn9ASYmKv/s1600/DSC04471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HvGbj9xqtUYSAjwZKuAr-6bSn6-2q0kyErmOUO8or9iqPhoXLL0SFKxHiQS3JeOZzpKDkciUxM3EA8q_2jdpNH9mTITJuEy4ZuUIKfFwsb3wG9MhzmQRR9NMjelNaxiNfwOQn9ASYmKv/s320/DSC04471.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boot is Trae's. I'm lucky he didn't notice it was missing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love <i>Ratatouille</i>, especially the scene where Remy is caught fixing the soup. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5T5nctOympomBI2iowJAgtmhtfSXjwMnqfUwNYD8aR-cefiHxoEa0OZdu-mHDCHgBaSwvh-HVWh2gWNI1G-lrHbzPYXqrQWzNU-FQvuhAc2tgo1WpNJNWJAN-O8ykPlDD4YgsNbMeMadV/s1600/remy_ratatouille.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5T5nctOympomBI2iowJAgtmhtfSXjwMnqfUwNYD8aR-cefiHxoEa0OZdu-mHDCHgBaSwvh-HVWh2gWNI1G-lrHbzPYXqrQWzNU-FQvuhAc2tgo1WpNJNWJAN-O8ykPlDD4YgsNbMeMadV/s1600/remy_ratatouille.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from <a href="http://www.bornforgeekdom.com/" target="_blank">Born for Geekdom</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
By using a small cooper pot and a stuffed Remy from our Disney trip, I was able to recreate the scene:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCA4yAqCc8HWvLNh_uF1NB6qkMBrCxjdueVzuXh-KGYmaIgH08XvBdZpLj5hrJ47SpJnpV8R9fO7Va614b1RCNULCkt18Ts-Bvvh-X99DELQ6FCgJ5uZg8lH9FlHujLLLsgUm9lUQQLnz/s1600/remy+popcorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCA4yAqCc8HWvLNh_uF1NB6qkMBrCxjdueVzuXh-KGYmaIgH08XvBdZpLj5hrJ47SpJnpV8R9fO7Va614b1RCNULCkt18Ts-Bvvh-X99DELQ6FCgJ5uZg8lH9FlHujLLLsgUm9lUQQLnz/s320/remy+popcorn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Buzz Lightyear in the background is actually a favor box!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
I also looked on the Disney Family website and found a <a href="http://family.go.com/crafts/craft-852441-festive-clownfish-invite-t/" target="_blank">cute pattern for Nemo invitations</a>, which I made out of felt and attached to ocean blue ribbon to hang from the table.Since I imagine I am a crafty person, I have craft supplies at the apartment and already had the right felt colors and ribbon.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lv0il0OgA4XJG9oyLqcD7CSUONqg6UMYWeYtXNQQhmPYhauuaUpWFZ1kGmdsdUBnizXAszPW6BD3NPoyj0eCvzNF85KLsQ2zGj3KAssb0EUfePKL4Hd0spFARqZuTiLhv-9KBlwQBgJx/s1600/DSC04466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lv0il0OgA4XJG9oyLqcD7CSUONqg6UMYWeYtXNQQhmPYhauuaUpWFZ1kGmdsdUBnizXAszPW6BD3NPoyj0eCvzNF85KLsQ2zGj3KAssb0EUfePKL4Hd0spFARqZuTiLhv-9KBlwQBgJx/s320/DSC04466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The wine bucket that held the Lasseter wine was a cheap sand bucket painted to look like Mike Wazowski</div>
from <i>Monsters Inc. </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4tg5lBvzGU/TzgKeyy_o8I/AAAAAAAAAm4/ah0HT7SKtkE/s1600/monsters+inc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u4tg5lBvzGU/TzgKeyy_o8I/AAAAAAAAAm4/ah0HT7SKtkE/s320/monsters+inc.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from Pixar Corner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The finished bucket:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oAsGDLCo_c/TzgK5I9RysI/AAAAAAAAAnI/xTuO0WzyO5A/s1600/DSC04468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oAsGDLCo_c/TzgK5I9RysI/AAAAAAAAAnI/xTuO0WzyO5A/s320/DSC04468.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The frame was an awesome Ebay score</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Overall, by adding fun touches, like balloons for <i>UP</i> and <i>Cars</i> party plates with various Pixar themed items found at Party City, I think the set up was pretty whimsical. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPO8Eu9mRxtb3J-beNeukQulYZUZUe8pzTCNKxm_xT3rxL1ILL02Q90IsAaxPbF8RE7Q0ltNC69LXqqna5i4Hdycni349TyP8g2HUy3JiRHyBFZX5mef4ANyaQ6PrhCtZjqAjw6D2o5mhJ/s1600/DSC04463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPO8Eu9mRxtb3J-beNeukQulYZUZUe8pzTCNKxm_xT3rxL1ILL02Q90IsAaxPbF8RE7Q0ltNC69LXqqna5i4Hdycni349TyP8g2HUy3JiRHyBFZX5mef4ANyaQ6PrhCtZjqAjw6D2o5mhJ/s320/DSC04463.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis__QI_5IRyNL6wsd-N_uyIgX9GS7Bu3B6yw3RY7ufglqbVe11vmHzBbaNcgur30c-KDIwsyN93t47NipySSU4OaWCY8ZHGlT2CICempS3j2TJMbwCL2AkEW2p64WZoPLjyG7xiYjIKSrq/s1600/DSC04464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis__QI_5IRyNL6wsd-N_uyIgX9GS7Bu3B6yw3RY7ufglqbVe11vmHzBbaNcgur30c-KDIwsyN93t47NipySSU4OaWCY8ZHGlT2CICempS3j2TJMbwCL2AkEW2p64WZoPLjyG7xiYjIKSrq/s320/DSC04464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8haPoM3CUc/TzgU2YpBU3I/AAAAAAAAAso/cQsUcbIZETo/s1600/DSC04465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8haPoM3CUc/TzgU2YpBU3I/AAAAAAAAAso/cQsUcbIZETo/s320/DSC04465.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL_tji2t3mghoWsbTlZ1McjmLcGpNxMv4I0XYyYivu5nqvTWGciEQAw3nk8WbVAovcQtXGJzaChJ4N3NjUi9glr51wXVCaR6m_PgmllAI19kuAgJ8qLfxCoYzaLZMa4566-RPUbp4EKlb/s1600/DSC04477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkL_tji2t3mghoWsbTlZ1McjmLcGpNxMv4I0XYyYivu5nqvTWGciEQAw3nk8WbVAovcQtXGJzaChJ4N3NjUi9glr51wXVCaR6m_PgmllAI19kuAgJ8qLfxCoYzaLZMa4566-RPUbp4EKlb/s320/DSC04477.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dollar plastic bowl decorated with Sharpie markers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsntS9MCJHHxE5FMNtgzvrzS56dx58JG6kN-996RvIrBxLWS7W1KQxPdrNywP75ZDKys7bThihx4Yu7HLtyG8dYpAcXeHuXaoI77k9jEDJQ5o9NxeJIBf6zYl4nNV649jwB8pIkpIAn6b/s1600/DSC04475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsntS9MCJHHxE5FMNtgzvrzS56dx58JG6kN-996RvIrBxLWS7W1KQxPdrNywP75ZDKys7bThihx4Yu7HLtyG8dYpAcXeHuXaoI77k9jEDJQ5o9NxeJIBf6zYl4nNV649jwB8pIkpIAn6b/s320/DSC04475.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oTvfRQyXMBO5QmwQzwG4UaBAFTf7WD3vnXAqLuRFbhmXxOxEZlPQDShnPGmM3tt4wcOn-H-n3Ib_eY69FNXjzklTsUeQUOiYH_MUSYGIsN8Saxotjxo6qIa_pLhu_8FFXQecqEeAQY1C/s1600/DSC04470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oTvfRQyXMBO5QmwQzwG4UaBAFTf7WD3vnXAqLuRFbhmXxOxEZlPQDShnPGmM3tt4wcOn-H-n3Ib_eY69FNXjzklTsUeQUOiYH_MUSYGIsN8Saxotjxo6qIa_pLhu_8FFXQecqEeAQY1C/s320/DSC04470.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8fg1I0Kj-sM/TzgQ9N8MPoI/AAAAAAAAAqw/qXrOb3tdnFA/s1600/DSC04473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8fg1I0Kj-sM/TzgQ9N8MPoI/AAAAAAAAAqw/qXrOb3tdnFA/s320/DSC04473.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwrfv4VSyog/TzgRwlsndDI/AAAAAAAAAsI/mFJutwgcHUI/s1600/DSC04484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mwrfv4VSyog/TzgRwlsndDI/AAAAAAAAAsI/mFJutwgcHUI/s320/DSC04484.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The party was a slumber party, so I fixed blankets on the floor to give it a full slumber party feel instead of laying out the futon. We even wore Pixar themed pjs!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ijSnQf1ZxZY/TzgRih71fEI/AAAAAAAAArw/XEaiOnbE8Gs/s1600/DSC04481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ijSnQf1ZxZY/TzgRih71fEI/AAAAAAAAArw/XEaiOnbE8Gs/s320/DSC04481.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trae's shirt was a Target clearance find. I made mine out an old tank top<br />
and Cars fabric with the no-stitch ironing strips. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcYcc0n8_RVHwhvpoERJNhPnqO1SU0W71dbJc0BDtIFRifuF0V1dXk3MHVMP96IfKiYeYSqQsFOnH4Gsx24cK93oC8sz-X1n41xRxsOVCxNjjggACNUSNPfcT6h-ZGiBzrpC8jxbVMXr3/s1600/DSC04467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcYcc0n8_RVHwhvpoERJNhPnqO1SU0W71dbJc0BDtIFRifuF0V1dXk3MHVMP96IfKiYeYSqQsFOnH4Gsx24cK93oC8sz-X1n41xRxsOVCxNjjggACNUSNPfcT6h-ZGiBzrpC8jxbVMXr3/s320/DSC04467.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blanket fit the theme and I've had it since I was a freshman in college.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIZVsai1jc69keNM85zNX65VOE_Ix47wTOaX6GqxB_63Z9d-Mw7r4Hz9zHq1kiaU-6r_5QC8gq2neOdmPMqb-__c8Hb_vFCOZ6f1hxjkVSbXrbWlDMLGQW1vGYmd34DilucRoSF3057sm/s1600/DSC04476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIZVsai1jc69keNM85zNX65VOE_Ix47wTOaX6GqxB_63Z9d-Mw7r4Hz9zHq1kiaU-6r_5QC8gq2neOdmPMqb-__c8Hb_vFCOZ6f1hxjkVSbXrbWlDMLGQW1vGYmd34DilucRoSF3057sm/s320/DSC04476.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both Wall-E items we already had. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyMkROho0TJXSE04n0z_vzRyMusHkFRPfhfAtFPPGX4-N_j_xLzw48834vtj9ExfU5Lj4iCiSTGWtndpQBaLU8fgu-qq_wR5KrfcFzQcRagVgNAwJ3H01kbmpKkSDCP-uiAAhu-TtJK-j/s1600/DSC04482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyMkROho0TJXSE04n0z_vzRyMusHkFRPfhfAtFPPGX4-N_j_xLzw48834vtj9ExfU5Lj4iCiSTGWtndpQBaLU8fgu-qq_wR5KrfcFzQcRagVgNAwJ3H01kbmpKkSDCP-uiAAhu-TtJK-j/s320/DSC04482.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Libby had to join the fun!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We ate "Pizza Planet" pizza and enjoy the snacks while watching<i> Finding Nemo</i>, <i>The Incredibles</i>, and <i>Monsters Inc</i>. We finished the night with homemade cupcakes being turned into milkshakes in painted BnL cups. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KJz_brkLHNUkMN4pQLMJz-ZPTkscUp_8307oZ8LizPvirOelP77psqxXiwA_612xNm4reuQme-_9PmQLOO1xicWn96iqnih_NOUzkJGpZEQDXZl4t0i_oRzkrtIRlXmWYhyO3OxZldNH/s1600/DSC04487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KJz_brkLHNUkMN4pQLMJz-ZPTkscUp_8307oZ8LizPvirOelP77psqxXiwA_612xNm4reuQme-_9PmQLOO1xicWn96iqnih_NOUzkJGpZEQDXZl4t0i_oRzkrtIRlXmWYhyO3OxZldNH/s320/DSC04487.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cups were painted by cutting out a BnL logo and laying it on the cup. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBjZwVEIZcgX3KTDuWiG1eAz8ScfgTGK5eoOwR6ESTQk7P3pvot3NOJ1MxTZkgpOVJ28lUg3UIHySACf5d8G9ZJUrK0Fz59ZGfNUobRGkL68aqC24-MGEuVMiJTkb5jxVlCe41HYOI4hz/s1600/DSC04485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBjZwVEIZcgX3KTDuWiG1eAz8ScfgTGK5eoOwR6ESTQk7P3pvot3NOJ1MxTZkgpOVJ28lUg3UIHySACf5d8G9ZJUrK0Fz59ZGfNUobRGkL68aqC24-MGEuVMiJTkb5jxVlCe41HYOI4hz/s320/DSC04485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Trae was super surprised by it all. I had him shut his office door while I set up. After getting everything laid out and pretty, I cracked the door open to hand him his new shirt with an invitation (a colored page from a Pixar coloring book) attached. He changed in his office then stepped out to his surprise. Trae's face was the classic astonished face, which told me my efforts had not been in vain. Trae's face let me know that this date night was the perfect "us" time and just what we needed: a reason to curl up with no worries or places to be.</div>
<br />
The night was fun and made us feel like kids again. Trae had a blast watching Pixar movies he hadn't seen in awhile. I never knew how much he liked <i>Finding Nemo</i>; he can quote that movie as well as I can quote <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>! Having to stop and veg out in front of the TV while pigging out really let us relax and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU3xlnfbYRE" target="_blank">recharge our solar power</a>. (Sorry, bad Wall-E reference!) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-10769809519543326612012-02-07T10:47:00.000-05:002012-02-07T10:47:49.424-05:00Preview of What's To Come!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am giddy with excitement about planning Valentine's Day for my husband. Now I normally despise the over commercialized holiday. The cards, the hearts, the chemical tasting chocolate crammed into red shimmery boxes. I can't stand any of it. I don't want a man to buy a five dollar Hallmark card to tell me he loves me or roses that have been raised over double their normal price.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73yhu-Qe3sw_ZbHTVhTsnzXT0Kx81FuzYGScAbqxKTCARHPmDCwv2xRwki1kxqrGLuP09XIXuRdFQ3eD_YMk5zufDNWvoYId20l3eYTq7InQb1O1281RVQnekstvI67NOOVy2qMeXxsHY/s1600/meh-funny-anti-valentines-day-t-shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73yhu-Qe3sw_ZbHTVhTsnzXT0Kx81FuzYGScAbqxKTCARHPmDCwv2xRwki1kxqrGLuP09XIXuRdFQ3eD_YMk5zufDNWvoYId20l3eYTq7InQb1O1281RVQnekstvI67NOOVy2qMeXxsHY/s1600/meh-funny-anti-valentines-day-t-shirt.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From: <a href="http://www.operationtshirt.com/anti-valentines-day-t-shirts/" target="_blank">Operation t-shirt</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Yet, this year, I am over the moon excited with planning. Trae and I haven't had time for the two of us in awhile, so we have decided to take time off from the world and celebrate the holiday of love. We use to have a monthly date night. <a href="http://www.mcgeesirishpub.com/" target="_blank">McGee's Irish Pub</a> in Anderson, SC had theme nights for 30 bucks a person. The dinners included three to four courses, drinks and entertainment. The food was always wonderful. Most of the time an improv group put on some very funny murder mysteries, but we have also seen a Celtic band and had <a href="http://soulsearcher-pysche.blogspot.com/2011/04/second-class-menu-with-first-class.html" target="_blank">Titanic themed</a> music with trivia. A lot of the dinners encouraged diners to dress the part, which appealed to me very much!! After each night was over, we would put down our deposit for the next month's dinner. Then we moved, and our mandatory dates stopped. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQGZLgUbwlsnpkTGO0m1fdrlwdW7SUzzt74aOlp38fjx5xd2JqJvZiygvKWhNEsh-s4s9EbL-R5ttOBK6VQwciedLvxHENCHaeOkSduJMvccewe2L065vRIrQzIj40cU-0zFmmQ8hOeCv/s1600/DSC03520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQGZLgUbwlsnpkTGO0m1fdrlwdW7SUzzt74aOlp38fjx5xd2JqJvZiygvKWhNEsh-s4s9EbL-R5ttOBK6VQwciedLvxHENCHaeOkSduJMvccewe2L065vRIrQzIj40cU-0zFmmQ8hOeCv/s320/DSC03520.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our last Irish McGee's dinner...a Roaring 20s Murder! <br />
Side note: We went on this date the night before we moved!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The dates acted as monthly services to the marriage, sort of like how a car has tune ups. We would go out and let go for one night. Now, we don't have marriage problems, but without maintenance things don't last. Sadly, since we have moved, we have really gotten out of the habit of going on dates. We have had pressures of job interviews, GRE test taking, family illness, unpacking, etc.<br />
<br />
Also, we got lazy. McGee's was the perfect answer. Pay, eat, enjoy, leave. Each date was planned for us, and we didn't have to go in search of fun. Now we have moved, and nowhere around here does themed dinners like McGee's. We enjoy looking and finding new places, but motivating ourselves on the weekend can be hard. We became passholders at the Biltmore Estate to encourage us to get out more, and we do have a lot of great fun things to do around the area. We just haven't. I think this date I am planning with restart our desire to do our once a month dates. <br />
<br />
I truly think what I have planned for him is just what we need! Note, I am not excited about what Trae is doing for me, but instead, what I can do for him. I know this might seem odd to point out, but having time to plan a date and decorate for it is a present for myself. I don't like how during this holiday the stereotype is that all women want shiny things in jewelry boxes and men just have to listen to the ch-ching of the register. I receive a lot of happiness planning and doing things for others, especially when it is a surprise!! <br />
<br />
But Carrie, you are blogging about it?!?!?! How will it be a surprise? Hakuna Matata. He knows I am planning a surprise at home date. If I didn't tell him, the night might be taken away with "life-stuff" getting in the way. Therefore, he has been told "Saturday night is our night. No questions allowed." <br /><br />A lot of my inspiration has come from the creative ladies at <a href="http://www.thedatingdivas.com/" target="_blank">Dating Divas</a>. This website has a lot of fun and cheesy ideas for dates, and I took the foundation of some of their ideas and have come up with a great stay at home date for the two of us. One of my favorite idea of theirs is the <a href="http://www.thedatingdivas.com/cami/activity-jar-for-two/" target="_blank">activity jar for two</a>. I've been collecting flyers for places near us, so I think I will use those to create my activity jar. The bulk of my inspiration has come from their <a href="http://www.thedatingdivas.com/romantic-rendezvous/all-tangled-up-in-love/" target="_blank">movie-themed dates</a>. (I am longing to order wishing lanterns like the ones from Tangled. Thanks to Dating Divas, I now know they exist and aren't expensive!!) My exact date assure cannot be found on this website, but inspiration sure can be on Dating Divas for anyone who is looking for fun and unique at a non-expensive price! <br />
<br />
So, to give you hints on a post I cannot wait to write, I will give you a few things that we make an appearance on Saturday for this date:<br />
-a sand bucket<br />
-two large plastic cups<br />
-straws<br />
-a unique picture frame<br />
-homemade pizza<br />
-cheesy theme<br />
-food to go along with cheesy theme<br />
<br />
If Trae reads this, then I can say no more. I can just leave Trae and you with the anticipation of what is to come! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwrwY_3pnChIpc9lTw0x8YcLGmVLDc8lRU0z411diY1KcbM6S_cutbBPnARyiDQzwydeDJLwqxJr_O15N_UzHR_gz4DuM0ELHFhTorzcfiaMKDbd_UpVDhJxUCfvJm8y5n9TF72iz4Ls8/s1600/DSC03696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwrwY_3pnChIpc9lTw0x8YcLGmVLDc8lRU0z411diY1KcbM6S_cutbBPnARyiDQzwydeDJLwqxJr_O15N_UzHR_gz4DuM0ELHFhTorzcfiaMKDbd_UpVDhJxUCfvJm8y5n9TF72iz4Ls8/s320/DSC03696.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Could this photo be a hint?? Hmmm...who knows!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-90685035172555928332012-02-06T21:26:00.000-05:002012-02-06T21:26:12.850-05:00Party Wars<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My husband has crossed over; he is officially in his thirties. He is 31 to be exact. So to celebrate this adult milestone, we threw a Star Wars party. (Nothing says adulthood like lightsabers.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXtr2Z07uPH5FkRaumX1f-DEKxX0Z6soemL7oQcLA4zopwH0xxJXGDZAT3seQ5580c9uxMku_u9h2XlSee3GMNDf6ajj75UjmE7GyIF_QwBM1bEnk3kydeOiAwhI0jHuktODR_lyOhZ_d/s1600/starwars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXtr2Z07uPH5FkRaumX1f-DEKxX0Z6soemL7oQcLA4zopwH0xxJXGDZAT3seQ5580c9uxMku_u9h2XlSee3GMNDf6ajj75UjmE7GyIF_QwBM1bEnk3kydeOiAwhI0jHuktODR_lyOhZ_d/s200/starwars.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Since school had just started, I did not have a chance to make a huge menu, but with some internet searching and creative thinking, we did come up with a pretty fun Star Wars inspired menu. We had X-wings (chicken wings), Leia buns with Han-burgers, Lando Lays (potato chips), Alderaan Ash (chex-mix coated in peanut butter and powdered sugar), Vader Tots, Ewok Munch, and Chewie Bits. I also labeled the coffee maker as the Java the Hut station. I found a few good websites for inspiration, mainly <a href="http://justjennrecipes.com/foodbuzz-24x24-the-ultimate-star-wars-party/2010/10/04/" target="_blank">justJENN</a><i></i> had the best ideas.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt-iX6dVy4WtrBJcDwOBgaxfweYVUPzhPpbswDcfxjafqsdLtexkn-rmmDWCyJXxHcmDque1SfgJ5anf11o3qNStiqamhsMbiRrZIXKByuyeAFbd8kmtxh-PJHuaEvJjrdh7qEezAOTjO/s1600/DSC04439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt-iX6dVy4WtrBJcDwOBgaxfweYVUPzhPpbswDcfxjafqsdLtexkn-rmmDWCyJXxHcmDque1SfgJ5anf11o3qNStiqamhsMbiRrZIXKByuyeAFbd8kmtxh-PJHuaEvJjrdh7qEezAOTjO/s320/DSC04439.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We haven't added all the food yet, but overall not a bad spread!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Overall, I was shocked about how little there was to find for Star Wars food inspiration. I did like the idea of pretzel rod lightsabers. A lot of blogs used the Williams-Sonoma cookie cutters, which are awesome. The problem with the cookie cutters is they are very time consuming, and normally I am all about time consuming projects. (Sounds odd, I know, but I love taking the time to develop one awesome looking treat.) I do feel bad about not making the cookies because Trae requested them, but alas, adulthood called. <br /><br />I think if we had more time, Trae and I would have gone over the movies to think of theme food to serve. I would have love to found a way to make food inspired by asteroid fields, Dagobah, the Death Star, Hoth, and Cloud City. (For Cloud City, I did like the idea of marshmallows!) <br /><br />One thing the party did have was an awesome cake with "hoth" cream!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1z7UO6nV5Hmz5Al1YkeasUA6QGdCAmLYn6Bg6ihagd_ypvhCL2O_7huuEZeopPyFon2WjjCZPJ_syybxoj2dAazu5042FwWeQElgV8EvJ7QR_bUKULs3dWoiJHq3jyzcKUHY_Xcx5oki/s1600/DSC04440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1z7UO6nV5Hmz5Al1YkeasUA6QGdCAmLYn6Bg6ihagd_ypvhCL2O_7huuEZeopPyFon2WjjCZPJ_syybxoj2dAazu5042FwWeQElgV8EvJ7QR_bUKULs3dWoiJHq3jyzcKUHY_Xcx5oki/s320/DSC04440.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yep, have to brag. I made that R2D2 cake, which you can read about <a href="http://singalongkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/01/r2-d2-cake-my-first-cake-carving.html" target="_blank">here</a> on the Sing Along Kitchen! The best part is that I had a lot of left over cake, and the next day my parents came to visit. My dad's birthday is right after Trae's birthday, so I made Dad a Star Wars cake with the leftovers. I felt very brave after my fondant success, and decided to do a fully covered cake. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0wccx0z35V0E0ncpdrA_PzcImtmV9losIInsl58X3r_i2k-1xkxG6EQKtZmhyyf_bbme3porQd0IZlURaMS158jIJvHl91kuAw39ao31JHbvzvSnZOXOQ5gnEpZlFvCHTweB-CQnN-nN/s1600/DSC04447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0wccx0z35V0E0ncpdrA_PzcImtmV9losIInsl58X3r_i2k-1xkxG6EQKtZmhyyf_bbme3porQd0IZlURaMS158jIJvHl91kuAw39ao31JHbvzvSnZOXOQ5gnEpZlFvCHTweB-CQnN-nN/s320/DSC04447.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I figured that since my father and Trae are two peas in a pod, then they needed buddy cakes. Trae gets R2D2 and Dad gets C3P0! (It is also a very fitting cake, because Dad and I saw Star Wars in Concert that was narrated by the actor who played C3P0. Very awesome night.) </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The cake wasn't as hard to cover as I thought, except when I first laid the fondant on the icing. I had the sheet of fondant a little off and it was impossible to pull the sheet back off, so one small side is a patch job. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW3cn59p5VrVLeBA_KNYAHeZ327aTH_sXBgcitMlfxLLh3sK_RvTtNLZMEatjP7mmJCTDTMUPQ7SiiOuPR_5j4K7-d_HEI4_vzGxkt21yCV6jLmMyO6bOU1kkjlkmhOpuiSZlwsXIq6n1/s1600/DSC04449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW3cn59p5VrVLeBA_KNYAHeZ327aTH_sXBgcitMlfxLLh3sK_RvTtNLZMEatjP7mmJCTDTMUPQ7SiiOuPR_5j4K7-d_HEI4_vzGxkt21yCV6jLmMyO6bOU1kkjlkmhOpuiSZlwsXIq6n1/s320/DSC04449.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad with his cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The color wasn't too hard to achieve. I mixed a regular yellow with a gold yellow and then dusted the whole cake with bronze edible dust. (I had it left over from making bronze chocolate stars for a Trae's grandfather's birthday and he was awarded a bronze star.) A little bit of that dust goes a long ways, so even if it is a little pricey to buy, the dust will last a very long time. <br /><br />The rises were just puzzle pieced together scraps of cakes and the eye sockets were cut out with cookie cutters. The pupils were chocolate chips, flat side up. My<a href="http://singalongkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-favorite-decorating-tool.html" target="_blank"> favorite tool</a> was used to create the divits along the headband looking piece. Over all, while it might not be a spitting image of C3P0, I would consider my first fully-fondant covered cake a success. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-hg5cynYkTU8iymWZuIrsJDjh0lxgYgf5lDEfNx4KaU7VERR8d7LI2QuFxkiZWyTQhrRuXCxsgPp9H8nZ7JOXJ4lesqLwacEgOXZF4QtHxOMA_YqKNJcKA6o8QSCcXVDx3JsppmqeWNi/s1600/DSC04450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-hg5cynYkTU8iymWZuIrsJDjh0lxgYgf5lDEfNx4KaU7VERR8d7LI2QuFxkiZWyTQhrRuXCxsgPp9H8nZ7JOXJ4lesqLwacEgOXZF4QtHxOMA_YqKNJcKA6o8QSCcXVDx3JsppmqeWNi/s320/DSC04450.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake carnage </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-31640949125217730102012-01-10T20:59:00.001-05:002012-01-27T21:53:39.932-05:00Biltmore Delights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Fun fact: I worked at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC as a tour guide for six months right after graduate school.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivs3qS8Rc3UpuI7jvtmDOktcZMgykWPLLYQl5xBawxrDnSrp83oR9ORcw2idlEmwdo-8cdfvhGLUFA5Kfa7Fb7W1sKZSkQ7lM9L83AlY4Pt5D1sB81VMK13BOSY8CtpFcGyTVfhDjEbzt/s1600/bitlmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivs3qS8Rc3UpuI7jvtmDOktcZMgykWPLLYQl5xBawxrDnSrp83oR9ORcw2idlEmwdo-8cdfvhGLUFA5Kfa7Fb7W1sKZSkQ7lM9L83AlY4Pt5D1sB81VMK13BOSY8CtpFcGyTVfhDjEbzt/s320/bitlmore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The
bulk of my employment was over the Christmas holiday, which begins
around September and ends December 31. During Christmas, the estate is
decorated with over thirty trees and Christmas carols are played from
the organ loft throughout the house as well as performances by live
entertainers. Fresh greens and winter flowers deck the halls, and the
banquet hall has a live decorated tree that is bigger than the White
House's Christmas tree. I loved watching house-keeping decorate the estate, and loved helping whenever I could.
(A highlight was once helping put out all the candles that had been lit
for the Biltmore Christmas Candle tour! I loved being able to climb on
step stools and careful put out a burning flame that was perched on top
of tables strategically littered with priceless antiques.) <br />
<br />
<br />
Yet, the best part of working at Biltmore during
Christmas was the delicious seasonal treats, mainly the pumpkin roll.
While I only worked at Biltmore for one holiday season, now when
Christmas comes around, I begin incisively talking about the pumpkin
roll. Trae and I went to Biltmore Saturday to see the estate and get
season passes, and after walking through the house, I made a direct path
to the bakery. Sadly, the pumpkin roll season had passed, and I am left
craving the fluffy cake with cream cheese filling for a whole year! <br />
<br />
I missed my family a lot during the holiday season I worked for
Biltmore; I missed the smells of Mom baking, having time to prepare
my own Christmas delights, and seeing my extended family. Yet when I took a bite of pumpkin roll from the
bakery and took a sip of the strong coffee in my refillable Biltmore mug, I could close my eyes and
pretend I was at home or, at the very least, a Biltmore Estate guest. My
habit became to get a pumpkin roll once a week during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which was huge treat
considering the expense of living in Asheville! (I never worried about the waist-line side effects,
because as a tour guide, I could walk anywhere from 8 to 10 miles a day
within the house. I even wore the heel off of an expensive
"never-wear-out" brand of shoes.)<br />
<br />
It is odd how something that helped me cope with the absence of my family has become a part of my holiday tradition despite only working at Biltmore for six months. I also haven't had the pumpkin roll in probably about three years, yet the comfort the pumpkin roll gave me during that time of employment still lingers with me. I was single, venturing out, truly alone, for the first time in my life. Yes, my family was still supportive of me, but this job and the move that got me to Asheville, NC was real step in adulthood. The holiday season had to be adapted and I had to make my own traditions. Times change and so do what holidays represent and how we celebrate them. I have infused old traditions with new ones, and now that I am married, I am making even more new traditions with my husband. I look forward to see what traditions and memories we make throughout the year, and I hope trips to Biltmore Estate becomes one of those traditions.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdROg5FXT0wEED9hnru88beS6xGXtmsWYi3fQVYJ4NqfAiSf7_RZrj01dvj-wM3yptyhmY8M0AWTpKFPHgFax2nc17txS8Q0QKdiQq4m5B-Crv_JBrxHIwX3AVupqgEU63LXIH27QvqagQ/s1600/DSC03125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdROg5FXT0wEED9hnru88beS6xGXtmsWYi3fQVYJ4NqfAiSf7_RZrj01dvj-wM3yptyhmY8M0AWTpKFPHgFax2nc17txS8Q0QKdiQq4m5B-Crv_JBrxHIwX3AVupqgEU63LXIH27QvqagQ/s320/DSC03125.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Parting Random Musings: After missing out on my pumpkin roll yet again, I was driven to do an internet search, I found the <a href="http://www.biltmore.com/living/food_wine/holiday/holiday_desserts.asp">Biltmore pumpkin roll recipe</a> along with other recipes on the Biltmore Estate website. I note a few differences (mainly the toffee garnish), but over all I cannot wait to give this recipe a try! <br />
Enjoy!! </div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-8127473012699153222012-01-02T10:53:00.000-05:002012-01-02T10:53:06.774-05:00Happy 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy 2012 everyone! I hope that 2012 will be a year of great joy and wondrous adventures! My 2011 was exciting and exhausting all at the same time. I am very ready for 2012 and all of it's promises! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpvtMlBT91wdjM3K-1A8o8WYcnFXbKiRG1l00efSf8GZ-svdPNFYeFgqYQ-x3eGX5GPxcqhbogi3_ql6GkBOii1wHk4UwyRMMTst41zzNZ-UJeSEIsxe6JXpJJfr_pp4YocI5PxU1Iix0/s1600/DSC04368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpvtMlBT91wdjM3K-1A8o8WYcnFXbKiRG1l00efSf8GZ-svdPNFYeFgqYQ-x3eGX5GPxcqhbogi3_ql6GkBOii1wHk4UwyRMMTst41zzNZ-UJeSEIsxe6JXpJJfr_pp4YocI5PxU1Iix0/s320/DSC04368.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This year will be the start of my full time position at the community college I teach at. Trae and I are committed to finding a church. I have a pantry full of goodies begging to be mixed by the Evangeline, the Kitchen Aid. We have an awesome vacation already planned, which will be Trae's first Hodge family trip! I will also be married for two years in July. I am so thankful for all that God has blessed me with, especially my husband and wonderful family!! <br /><br />I also have one last announcement: a new blog! I am keeping this blog, but I have noticed that this blog is telling stories and the moments to put in recipes is getting slim. I will still post recipes here (a detail of our Christmas dinner is coming soon with the BEST sweet potato recipe every!), but I also want a recipe based only blog. Much of my cooking has inspirations, especially when I bake. I love to "theme bake." So I am launching:<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://singalongkitchen.blogspot.com/"> Sing Along Kitchen</a></b></span>. <span style="font-size: small;">This blog will get detailed instructions and inspirations for the things I bake. Enjoy!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">May your 2012 be delicious!! </span></div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-71966198150497550212012-01-01T14:39:00.000-05:002012-01-01T14:39:02.412-05:00Christmas Traditions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I love Christmas. Simple statement, but true. I am sure many people would echo the loving Christmas sentiment. My reasons for loving the holiday do not come in packages with ribbons and bows, but around tables with mounds of food. My family knows food! (And so does Trae's grandparents.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctT5orRSelOIOIU-KH_v2wDm1VdoKkHqm0RBgwEky6gIGDT9OsAsnj03N9igcGJH_IGmULe-JN-j0PPjtJx53VZPpu_y8Tg_szVsNLXdla_YRYuWdRACIJFPpRB8BEk8eM4QpRYMNAMkC/s1600/DSC04331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctT5orRSelOIOIU-KH_v2wDm1VdoKkHqm0RBgwEky6gIGDT9OsAsnj03N9igcGJH_IGmULe-JN-j0PPjtJx53VZPpu_y8Tg_szVsNLXdla_YRYuWdRACIJFPpRB8BEk8eM4QpRYMNAMkC/s320/DSC04331.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
This Christmas was our first traveling Christmas as a married couple. Last year, we lived in South Carolina, and my parents, family, his parents and family did as well. Splitting time was not stressful, and we got to spend Christmas Eve in our own "house" (apartment). It was nice, even if we did have to wake up very early to go to other SC regions the next morning. During the various family visits, we ate a lot and shared a peaceful holiday season. <br />
<br />
This year, however, peace was not a side dish offered on the table.We rode to multiple places, which caused a lot of stress, all over the state of South Carolina (five SC cities in three days). On the other hand, the stress was worth it in order to share time over home-cooked meals with family. The road weariness and fatigue stopped when the car was put in park and family started hugging us while handing us plates to fill with food at the same time. (My Aunt Ellen has the best road-weary traveler cure...a freshly perked coffee with a super large mug waiting for you to fill it!) <br /><br />Seeing family and sharing family feasts was a wonderful thing, but all the driving left us without...well...us time. We did have a small two person Christmas with a nice meal before starting SC Holiday 2011 road trip.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLQxVlGRrCc/TwC1yikqN_I/AAAAAAAAAV0/g1xMzsVcDRM/s1600/DSC04323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yLQxVlGRrCc/TwC1yikqN_I/AAAAAAAAAV0/g1xMzsVcDRM/s320/DSC04323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Still, during the actual holidays, we were unable to share time to express our love and thankfulness for each other. This time of year, also, is very special to us, because Trae proposed on December 23, 2009; we have incorporated our love for each other with the love God gave us in the form of his son during this holidays. <br />
<br />We did, finally, on the night of December 25th get a chance to be us. The time did not have extensive fixings or fancy dishes; it consisted of eggnog and potato chips off a hotel balcony overlooking the ocean. In the tranquility, which can only be found in the sound of lapping waves, we talked and relaxed late into the night. We feel asleep with the balcony door open so we could keep the tranquility as we fell asleep and as we woke up. Leftover eggnog sweetened our coffee in the morning, and as the sun shone on the ocean, I realized it wasn't the elaborateness of a celebration, but who you share it with. As my husband sat, staring at the ocean, in Grinch pj bottoms, I knew that this moment with that man was one of most precious moments of the holiday. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewBuGuRofe31F19vaHLelNR9hpprj2QsUDsfRwvnFf-bhJrl9lhzxmyRroRNoAZoY6_vHVoMQgzrqUNm-mq1EWYPv5-fRWjrXEH4q0uOsZfWhHM3GR-2axMoLBMJ1hUOWnZ3Y9JcyQv76/s1600/DSC04357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewBuGuRofe31F19vaHLelNR9hpprj2QsUDsfRwvnFf-bhJrl9lhzxmyRroRNoAZoY6_vHVoMQgzrqUNm-mq1EWYPv5-fRWjrXEH4q0uOsZfWhHM3GR-2axMoLBMJ1hUOWnZ3Y9JcyQv76/s320/DSC04357.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-50333055922909392152011-12-12T22:11:00.000-05:002011-12-12T22:11:46.610-05:00Tailgating Tails<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><b>CLEMSON TIGERS ARE THE ACC CHAMPIONS!! </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuuMJf9SESWLl-MlP1AS7slXa-BIMGJwr8d234hoq6cg3k_tMW4h1PX7hzWVxiPHxYjxYj8W6LvLudecaJ2gAZwdTWacDEU9inT3uUlnlvgSPOuTL-835sD80z-jfBsJdqRIjkoSnx0Vx/s1600/DSC02793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuuMJf9SESWLl-MlP1AS7slXa-BIMGJwr8d234hoq6cg3k_tMW4h1PX7hzWVxiPHxYjxYj8W6LvLudecaJ2gAZwdTWacDEU9inT3uUlnlvgSPOuTL-835sD80z-jfBsJdqRIjkoSnx0Vx/s320/DSC02793.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqvEp_MHKkc/Tt1WLZvumMI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/ZiadA1BkRxc/s1600/DSC01814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I watched the game at my parent's house while Trae was visiting a friend. After the glorious ending of the game, my father turned to me and asked, "Why didn't you convince me to go to Charlotte?" That seemingly simple reminded me of the years I spent at Clemson, the epic tailgates, and the Peach Bowl 2004 trip. While going to the ACC Championship game would had been wonderful, part of the magic would have been missing: the magic of friendship. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
When I was a undergrad student, my parents would come to all the games and feed a gaggle of students. The tailgates would mass up to 30 plus students. Multiple tables of food, sagging from the mounds of food, would be set up in a grassy field. We would spend all afternoon eating and playing washers, a toss game played with metal washers. The menu would be extensive with fried chicken, ham, cheese, veggies, apple salad, chicken salad....the list could go on. The chicken salad was so good that one of my friends who jokingly get down on one knee with a sandwich in his hand asking my mother to marry him so he could live off this heavenly creation for the rest of his life. <br />
<br />
My parents were the master tailgate party throwers with one simple goal: prove a clean, friendly environment for the students to go, eat, and enjoy. (My parents never allowed alcohol to any tailgating event.) This tradition continued all six years and two degrees later, with the numbers getting fewer as more of us graduated. By the time I graduated for the second time, the numbers had decreased to ten or less. Throughout the years, several stories stand out in my mind.....<br />
<br />
<u><b>Number Seven</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> </b>My parents feed a lot of college students. The numbers quickly grew from two, Corey and myself, to the double digits. Some of my friends would wake up, show up in their pjs, eat, go back to sleep during the game, and then get back up to eat again after the game. Many times friends would bring other friends with them or suite mates, and before long the new people were calling my parents Mom and Dad. Eventually the newbies would become permanent fixtures at the tailgates. One permanent fixture, however, never had a name or an origin. He wore a number seven jersey every game, and always hugged my parents before digging into the delicious buffet. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Number Seven, as he was lovingly called, never missed a tailgate, talk with everyone else like he knew us, and would leave before the game started; yet we never knew his real name. My parents always assumed he was friends or roommates with one of the other regulars. After the end of the season, my parents asked me who exactly he was, and I could not answer them. Despite having no clue who Number Seven was, my parents never asked him to leave, always hugged him, and always packed him leftovers care packages along with the rest of us. Mom always figured that Number Seven needed some friends and some family, and she was more than happy to provide it for Number Seven. Even if she didn't know his name, she could still hug him and make him smile. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b>Chicken Toss</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Fried chicken is a staple in the South, especially at large gatherings. The food would be sat under a Clemson-themed pop up tent as well as some chairs. My friend Ben would always sit in the Cadillac of tailgating chairs; it would fold out to be a lounger, complete with rigging to prop up your feet after a long game of standing to cheer on the Tigers. During one particular tailgate, Ben was devouring the fried chicken, and then in a redneck fashion, toss the bones into the grass. After finishing a piece of chicken, Ben threw the chicken over his shoulder, causing the bone to "ping" against the metal leg of the tent. Ben, the master of expressively emotional faces, had us all laughing at his "how did I just do that?!?!" face. He consumed another piece of fried chicken. Before throwing it from his Cadillac chair, he, overly exaggeratedly, looked over his shoulder and then with a cocky grin, threw the chicken bone....right as my father walked by and pegged him perfectly in the side. His face and our laughter has remained one of my most vivid and fun memories. <br />
<br />
When Ben passed away in a tragic accident, the old tailgating group went out to eat after the funeral where we shared Ben stories. The chicken leg story, told by my father that day, gave us a reason to laugh at even the saddest of moments. Ben was a person of joy and happiness, and was able to share that joy with us when we needed his lively personality to cheer us up through his stories. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b>Washers Olympics</b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Corey, the Crocodile Hunter from Indiana, brought to the South a strange game: washers. The game is fairly simple with two large wooden boxes that have large PVC pipes. The boxers are placed apart from each other, and a player then throws typical hardware store round metal washers at the box. If the washer lands in the box, the player gets one point, balanced on the side of the box is two points, and in the pipe is a ringer, worth five points. Corey would constantly brag he was the best at washers, so one day we teamed up and help the first annual (and only) Washer Olympics to determine who truly was the champions. Four people would play against each other at the same time in teams of two. The games were taken very seriously with a bracket being drawn out and our own lighting of the torch. (The torch being a burning leaf run around the tailgate site by Corey.) The very last game was Corey and a girl named Jen against my cousin Ryan and Jen's boyfriend. Corey was confident, especially since he had the extremely competitive Jen on his team. My cousin Ryan, however, wanted to beat the smack talking team, despite Jen's boyfriend not wanting to beat his girlfriend. Ryan lead the team to victory, and to this day, when my days of Clemson get brought up, he pipes up and says, "Well, I am and will always be the real Washers Champion!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>Graduation Gaming</u> </b><br />
A large group of us graduated at once. We started at Clemson together as scared freshman and were graduating as equal scared adults. Even though the future was uncertain, we did know one thing: we wanted to celebrate this milestone together. While Clemson does have nice restaurants, these places couldn't not accommodate us with our extended families. Instead, my mother offered to throw a graduationn-gate. We set up at the tailgating spot, ate, played washers, and shared memories. Over 60 people were at the graduation-gate. Mom did it next year too for the second set of the group who were a year younger and graduated a year after we did. <br /><br />Tailgating, to us, was more than a way to kill time before a football game. Tailgating was were friendships were solidified and memories were made. In all honesty, it is only fitting that my college years started and ended sitting in a fold out chair with a paper plate filled with yummy delights. After all, isn't college just one big tailgate? A place to mingle and try new things, talk to people, learn new things, and laugh? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> </b></div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-24951172002757768222011-12-05T17:47:00.000-05:002011-12-05T17:47:22.536-05:00The Holiday Season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have started two Thanksgiving blogs, and yet, cannot seem to finish them. I was afraid of being too depressing. I had a good Thanksgiving with Trae's family, but I also had a hard time being away from my family. This Thanksgiving would be the first major holiday without Fanny.<br />
<br />
I am using <a href="http://soulsearcher-pysche.blogspot.com/2011/03/southern-way.html">Fanny's beloved skinny tree</a> this year. The branches, especially at the bottom, are really starting to look Charlie Brown-ish. I believe that more wire than fake green needles are left on those branches. I do know, however, that Fanny and Grandpa are smiling down on Trae and I, especially when we were putting the ornaments on the tree. <br />
<br />
I have a lot of hopes to bake this holiday season. So far I have only used Evangeline to make some cookies; I haven't even broken her out for cupcakes! The department I work for that the community college is putting on a Christmas party, so I might have to make <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas/">holiday cake pops</a> for it! Even though my boss did mention she wasn't sure why people took the time to make homemade marshmallows, so I might make some to see if I can convert her. I was thinking of making "S'more Bites," which would be homemade marshmallows dunked in chocolate and rolled in graham cracker (maybe even homemade graham cracker).<br />
<br />
I have also started bookmarking a huge list of holiday treats. Maybe I will even attempt a gingerbread house! I do know lately I've been reading a lot of Disney blogs and my urges to go back are swelling. I wondering if I did Disney themed baking if that would help contain the desire to get in my car and drive to Orlando. <br />
<br />
Well, I do believe I should end this blog post. I do believe this post is the most rambling and non-directional post I have written. I just wanted you to know that I have not disappeared, but instead I am rambling...rambling towards the end of the semester and to the break when I can bake and blog with no papers to grade! So until the break, give me suggestions in the comments on what I should make with my wonderful Evangeline, the kitchen aid. </div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-34474094510831798262011-11-18T22:58:00.000-05:002011-11-18T22:58:10.317-05:00Meet the New Member of the Family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Meet Evangeline, the star of the kitchen*. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmIu4Gbwcy1ZceV5n05y-dRxQ5rqcS5rM7auqiO4gxHsvUDgL8pyCq8UlgWSaq4EnPGYSceMYNFCEusiiTijjM8O4PqxtvLmy-gGPBDPRrRxZVVt4W7M_bXXIGUew-Xv7TJdYXBNjyOlS/s1600/DSC04258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmIu4Gbwcy1ZceV5n05y-dRxQ5rqcS5rM7auqiO4gxHsvUDgL8pyCq8UlgWSaq4EnPGYSceMYNFCEusiiTijjM8O4PqxtvLmy-gGPBDPRrRxZVVt4W7M_bXXIGUew-Xv7TJdYXBNjyOlS/s200/DSC04258.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
She is my brand new tangerine-colored Kitchen Aid mixer. My stand mixer, that once belonged to my grandmother Fanny, died a glorious death. The mixer was in the middle of mixing delicious nutella cupcakes. I am glad the mixer died while in battle, but in some odd way, I felt like I had lost my grandmother again. I never saw her use the mixer; the bulk of my memories surrounding mixers include my mother. During Christmas, my mother's mixer is the hardest working member of the family. Even though my mixing memories do not involve my grandmother, my grandmother does invoke many memories surrounding food. <br />
<br />
My grandmother's house, especially at the holidays, was always full of food. My grandfather was a man who loved his food. The kitchen was never empty at that house. One of my favorite memories is eating french toast made by my aunt. She would lovingly cut the bread for the french toast into fun shapes with cookie cutters. Also, every dinner has dessert, and most of the time that dessert was ice cream eaten out of pink plastic bowls. (I have two of those plastic bowls, and nothing brings more comfort than eating ice cream after a bad day out of those bowls.) My grandfather had a great, aptly slightly annoying, habit of tunneling out any "goodies" (chunks of brownie, cookie dough, whatever was in the ice cream) and then smoothing the top of the ice cream back out. You would unknowingly go to scoop out the ice cream only to discover an ant farm tunnel like structure. <br />
<br />
<br />
So while I do not remember the mixer really being used at my grandmothers, the mixer was just a part of her kitchen that I still had. But now, I have Evangeline, who is a constant reminder that I have wonderful adoptive grandparents. MaMa and PaPa, Trae's grandparents, have opened their arms wide and pulled me into a great big hug. MaMa is constantly declaring she just loves having a granddaughter, cause I am not a grandaughter-in-law, I am a granddaughter! Their love is not shown in big, beautiful mixers, but in little ways. Ways that remind me of my grandparents. Cards are sent during the holidays and birthdays. (My birthday cards are "To our granddaughter" and they even sent us an anniversary card for our one year anniversary.) Desserts are a must and you will offend MaMa if you don't have a slice of pie. If you cannot stay for a meal, then care packages are made, complete with chocolate candies. Those little things, the cards, hugs, phone calls to say hello, are all constant reminds that even those we may lose people we love, reminders of their love will always be around. <br />
<br />
*The mixer is named after Ray's love, the North Star Evangeline, from Disney's Princess and the Frog.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8u_aNMD9yj8/TsXNPZu2qGI/AAAAAAAAAVE/sv3VDjOTFbU/s1600/tumblr_lg5umxpu1H1qb7xt8o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8u_aNMD9yj8/TsXNPZu2qGI/AAAAAAAAAVE/sv3VDjOTFbU/s200/tumblr_lg5umxpu1H1qb7xt8o1_500.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br /></div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-79497179519174155502011-11-14T14:46:00.002-05:002011-11-14T14:54:49.905-05:00Coffee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have no problem admitting I am coffee addict. I cannot function without two cups working within my system; without those two cups, I'm as worthless as the Tin Man without his oil can. One cup will not do. My mouth can move after one cup, but limbs move only after two cups. These days, I have to keep them oiled with a third afternoon cup. <br />
<br />
When I was in Italy, I devoured the strong dark liquid locals claimed was coffee. The texture was like the red clay of the Carolinas, yet dark brown in color. If I stopped stirring my coffee, the spoon would not fall and clink against the side of the mug. No, the spoon would stand at attention, waiting for me to continue to stir thick cream into the mixture or to remove it to a saucer. The coffee would roll down my throat, slowly, like molasses being poured out of a jar. The taste was divine.<br />
<br />
The side of effect, full body wake up, was a necessity when studying aboard with a very energetic and enthusiastic professor who powered us through 10 hour daily marches of sightseeing. Fueled by coffee, I was able to keep up with my professor through two Italian study aboard adventures. I saw amazing things, made wonderful friends, and received more than a text book education. The second time I went to Italy with this professor, I was able to go to Venice. <br />
<br />
While I was in Venice, my father was also going to be in Milan, Italy. He flew in a day early, and met us students and professor in Venice. Venice was the last stop on our six week whirl wind educational tour. While we had wonderful times and lots of coffee, hot showers, comfy beds, and fluffy pillows had absent in every hotel. In Venice, we were staying in a convent with board beds and space saving bathroom with shower head and toilet in one closet. My father was staying in a Marriott. <br />
<br />
I was able to stay in the American staple hotel with my father for one night. Fluffy pillows, cushioned mattress, and most importantly a shower that did more than just dribble water. While Americans might not know a lot about high culture and art, we do know about beds and showers as well as gluttonous feeding. The next morning before going down to the endless Americanized breakfast buffet, I decided to shower. The water burst forth at a scalding temperature; I stayed in the shower long enough to give a planet saving hippie a heart attack. The weeks of dirt and fatigue poured down the drain. Well rested and clean, I walked out in the shower in my pjs to see a hot cup of Italian coffee waiting for me. <br />
<br />
My father had gone to the lobby area where breakfast was being served in order to make sure I had a fresh cup of coffee when I was done showering . What my father had not expected was for his daughter to spend that much time in the shower. Not until many months later did I know how much went into the small gesture of a warm cup of coffee. <br />
<br />
My father diligently watched my coffee and at any sign of the coffee losing warmth, he would rush back to the lobby and get me a fresh cup. He made three separate trips to the lobby so his only daughter could have a warm cup of coffee. I would have drank luke warm or even cold coffee, but my father wanted me to have hot coffee. He didn't even need to go get me a cup considering we were just going to walk to the lobby to eat breakfast, but he wanted to show me that he loved me. Gestures of love do not have to be grand or expensive. That one cup of coffee meant more to me than plush pillows or hot showers; that cup of coffee was a father's way of saying I love you and will always be here for you even in the smallest of ways. And many years later, I know that statement is just a true today as it was then, and that it will always be true. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xgH1bMz7sfqp48Gj6Y_qdTs6qRun37i3Q7EA9wN_Lr4ICoP3Y39APy_bDaUDIc956RdSDWaEEkSXbY61FJiOkpbMtu1rGCYgPqO0UkHlgdIqwyEiF8KoHunl1kR1LGDmkNNIUQlOnSF4/s1600/FH000001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xgH1bMz7sfqp48Gj6Y_qdTs6qRun37i3Q7EA9wN_Lr4ICoP3Y39APy_bDaUDIc956RdSDWaEEkSXbY61FJiOkpbMtu1rGCYgPqO0UkHlgdIqwyEiF8KoHunl1kR1LGDmkNNIUQlOnSF4/s320/FH000001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
My dad and I, Venice 2006 </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-713875834103853362011-10-16T21:37:00.000-04:002011-10-16T21:37:18.028-04:00Friends are Family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When people get married, the spouse knows that he/ she inherits a new family. Yet, the newlywed does not always realize that friends are family. To many people, the term family seems synonymous only with terms such as mom, dad, grandmother, but not with friend. <br /><br />I do have a wonderful family unit with awesome parents, aunts, and cousins. Yet, I also have a huge extended family; my friends from college are family. My husband had the chance to meet both of my families, who fell in love with him immediately. I, however, never had the chance to meet one of the closest members of Trae's friend family until our wedding day. <br /><br />With Facebook and texting, I had met Niki in a cyber-sense, but never face to face. Wedding days are not a good day to meet and bond with new family members. Yet, Niki and her husband Paul found a lovely way to let me know that despite never really meeting and not having said my vows yet, I was family. The gesture was small in the big picture of life: but really, aren't the small things what matters most? <br /><br />Niki and Paul bought my two bridesmaids and myself a delightful Chick-fila lunch. Sitting there, with fried chicken sandwiches, hugging a girl I knew by name and photos only is truly a special wedding memory. I loved being able to meet someone who was a huge part of Trae's life since high school. Niki was and is one of Trae's best friends, and before walking down the isle to my future, I loved seeing some of his past. <br /> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGSfVBUq_AKcwcgyNHuOGKpposqB3o79-mfU-RZfcNwKozdHhejgnT8smnvuEedggfgIL3gJUoBDuOFogiwgTw-PKi18Qs3mWDcsVN8KWzDFJE0ECOZEwZQ8bI4rWxV0vPKff_YcjbMXA/s1600/DSC02283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGSfVBUq_AKcwcgyNHuOGKpposqB3o79-mfU-RZfcNwKozdHhejgnT8smnvuEedggfgIL3gJUoBDuOFogiwgTw-PKi18Qs3mWDcsVN8KWzDFJE0ECOZEwZQ8bI4rWxV0vPKff_YcjbMXA/s320/DSC02283.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niki and Meredith enjoying a wedding day feast! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
After the wedding, I did not get to see Niki and Paul again until yesterday. After a year of being Mrs. M, I got to finally bond with Trae's friend family. I won't lie; I was scared. I knew that both Niki and Paul were great and kind people, but i wanted to impress them. I wanted to show this family that their boy was taken care of. Those fears left the moment Niki hugged me. <br /><br />Not even thirty minutes later, the four of us were laughing. Several hours after that, we entered Zombie-land, better know as the Burke County fair. The rides looked sad while spinning their bright colors, hopelessly longing for riders. Framed by over-sized stuff animals, unpopped balloons lazily waited for dart throwers. We ate carnival food of corn dogs and cheese fries as we took in the surreal scene. Horses bobbed on a carousel without riders; funnel cake friers didn't sizzle. The only sound was our laughter as we analyzed the site. Afterwards, we got to feed goats as well as pet cows and horses. I can safely say that the goats outnumbered the humans. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCehyFO0Z4BNfORZXRJCXEMz2-_PgO64wFNRTKivISuSO2B5eaJPwxZ1KtCYbMtC3kGPQvrr1CGTGvWu19kg6XK6e-Z4GgWOz-Xw59tXyp2mCzcHi1uh9bN0t0jxayZFOQFXT6zrw0eabB/s1600/DSC04173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCehyFO0Z4BNfORZXRJCXEMz2-_PgO64wFNRTKivISuSO2B5eaJPwxZ1KtCYbMtC3kGPQvrr1CGTGvWu19kg6XK6e-Z4GgWOz-Xw59tXyp2mCzcHi1uh9bN0t0jxayZFOQFXT6zrw0eabB/s200/DSC04173.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq1nkRiyYpfZ3s3tYAQ_LhWyukbiqrRCiYpHBumuCO_48mIZy-7VYAe_3VDllFDQjUKCpf3qf-D_9X6FdAGYnf38W3eEufJCftfii4qE_e8yylZE1FkgNkYaovdoOq1kfzX70ro5ol3mc/s1600/DSC04174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq1nkRiyYpfZ3s3tYAQ_LhWyukbiqrRCiYpHBumuCO_48mIZy-7VYAe_3VDllFDQjUKCpf3qf-D_9X6FdAGYnf38W3eEufJCftfii4qE_e8yylZE1FkgNkYaovdoOq1kfzX70ro5ol3mc/s200/DSC04174.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3YhGCapwpIo7A3pNQGvKpZU9UjSYfxNuSz64-SPQe6q_G9w8ZhlM9afSai-bycT4aBSYt157-Vm7GBCWuNQJf-smnV3Fx6JKoaXD8OxiiISyW2PfTxbwfXhnT4sesJxbaLLQ5clSqvo0/s1600/DSC04176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3YhGCapwpIo7A3pNQGvKpZU9UjSYfxNuSz64-SPQe6q_G9w8ZhlM9afSai-bycT4aBSYt157-Vm7GBCWuNQJf-smnV3Fx6JKoaXD8OxiiISyW2PfTxbwfXhnT4sesJxbaLLQ5clSqvo0/s200/DSC04176.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_MjX9IW7h1B6Pb81kq8CLivOIf7sA9tQWiMZzrhpUyssyaoyj6SiRohZEhQ0SljCT6NnOmJwclIch2VynOvmcxSqZg4Qsr2OlC3uddhG5bNPRgtCISF-gyEpCxKcuUsItUutUhMu7Cqq/s1600/DSC04185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_MjX9IW7h1B6Pb81kq8CLivOIf7sA9tQWiMZzrhpUyssyaoyj6SiRohZEhQ0SljCT6NnOmJwclIch2VynOvmcxSqZg4Qsr2OlC3uddhG5bNPRgtCISF-gyEpCxKcuUsItUutUhMu7Cqq/s200/DSC04185.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A few hours later, we were relaxing at the apartment before Clemson kick off. We strolled over to Harris Teeter and bought a deli cheese pizza that we made snazzier with Canadian bacon. The pizza was eaten between shouts and hollers as well as jumping and happy dancing. (After a heart pounding game, the Tigers won! GO TIGERS!) Two a.m. rolled around before these old married folks decided to go to bed. Stories were shared, memories were made, and new family members were bonded. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5Wn09ytq2JAKYOtDUkSiTJEWQXIj7gynhtYOMauUSVyVhiazYRXlWu1FRCKi-26DUgNhyphenhyphenuNlS7TSWlaJHVJblq-7d6H1N56FIl8vMpi44pzZfKoDWMpMNHLtB3SZIsqblaV6gMjVnT6z/s1600/DSC04189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5Wn09ytq2JAKYOtDUkSiTJEWQXIj7gynhtYOMauUSVyVhiazYRXlWu1FRCKi-26DUgNhyphenhyphenuNlS7TSWlaJHVJblq-7d6H1N56FIl8vMpi44pzZfKoDWMpMNHLtB3SZIsqblaV6gMjVnT6z/s320/DSC04189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This morning was lazy as we woke up early and make a hearty breakfast of bacon, toast and eggs. Sadly goodbyes were being exchanged too soon with promises of visiting them soon. <br /><br />Not once over the weekend did we go to a restaurant and sit in comfy booths, or get tasty take-out. My whole relationship with Niki has never been based off comfy boothes; we are paper bag girls/ princesses who do not need fancy dresses and gussied up outfits*. We are ourselves and do not put on airs. Instead we have the comfort of family.<br />
<br />
When you visit family, especially your parents' home, you are familiar with them and do not expect fancy meals. You are comfortable in their home and do not ask if you can get a soda out of the fridge. Since they are family, you are in essence at home. This comfort can extend to close family members as well, and this comfort was embraced by Niki and Paul. They did not ask where things were, but opened cabinets, and put dishes in the dishwasher. Our home was their home, and will be anytime they come to visit, because they are family. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70IIMbBs5OZUIEdtGiQDmOXRIpacRzoxd5m4XcNQvBv5oHgXP33Zdb1Jk3O1FTgmfostJs_u3qCBtPMHTPw0dYNr2kdpsynjJnrQHH5p7ZuD4J7hcOKHsDmAjulK9RARxH_w1hMWdhDQn/s1600/DSC04193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70IIMbBs5OZUIEdtGiQDmOXRIpacRzoxd5m4XcNQvBv5oHgXP33Zdb1Jk3O1FTgmfostJs_u3qCBtPMHTPw0dYNr2kdpsynjJnrQHH5p7ZuD4J7hcOKHsDmAjulK9RARxH_w1hMWdhDQn/s320/DSC04193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
*I wrote the paper bag line with "The Paper Bag Princess" book by Robert Munsch. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-51768662339191468292011-10-01T15:57:00.000-04:002011-10-01T15:57:12.835-04:00Disney Fun Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I want to quickly share my Disney vacation photos from almost two months ago, before I launch into a new post. So please, enjoy the photos and quick commentary! <br />
<br />
On August second, Trae and I literally spent the whole day at the Disney Hollywood Studios. I got to see Trae in true childhood form as we rode the Star Wars ride three times. (It started to rain and we got to ride the attraction two times back to back...no line! And I was the rebel spy! Trae sure was jealous!!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsSlWcLz7S74rd5iZ1E8I_c19bxNNYfRdT6Zq0CGUrk_duX27vgK7B9oLfdaW3j_cVfbLRxWkFuvsN1chuEVwUFPbxMO9lME-5jEhFvYGbjO2qqKoXzBdTd80xYBHItmsTjTaRN0L6ke5/s1600/DSC03658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsSlWcLz7S74rd5iZ1E8I_c19bxNNYfRdT6Zq0CGUrk_duX27vgK7B9oLfdaW3j_cVfbLRxWkFuvsN1chuEVwUFPbxMO9lME-5jEhFvYGbjO2qqKoXzBdTd80xYBHItmsTjTaRN0L6ke5/s320/DSC03658.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pdWECL1GqIg/TodiswRtgJI/AAAAAAAAAPk/9U-JmokewkU/s1600/DSC03673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pdWECL1GqIg/TodiswRtgJI/AAAAAAAAAPk/9U-JmokewkU/s320/DSC03673.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ox_ci4_Q62rT0xamMyEiWu2EhHNA5NLwRx3HUuABrOKQ365rGAM6j9Jn5lrr_vda3lgfye-CWo8ghcHAGTnCUkAC8A87I8uay7W3RvbqvO6FI2Zw5m8vw1xmZsADxKiMPDz9ZhYY19cw/s1600/DSC03670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ox_ci4_Q62rT0xamMyEiWu2EhHNA5NLwRx3HUuABrOKQ365rGAM6j9Jn5lrr_vda3lgfye-CWo8ghcHAGTnCUkAC8A87I8uay7W3RvbqvO6FI2Zw5m8vw1xmZsADxKiMPDz9ZhYY19cw/s320/DSC03670.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />We ate lunch with the awesome Disney Dining Plan at the 50s Prime Time Cafe. We loved it! It looked like a TV set from an I Love Lucy Show or The Dick Van Dyke Show. It was so much fun with waiters and waitresses telling you to eat your veggies and keep your elbows off the table! <br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Bx873mFNw3J-0Y0LA_oBpOrFlvTb4Xwl0sMG8fgfNONZ0u0CKTBxsN5InIW9CZIDhX_K1hQgVb1rNr5lBvZuiZU2YqHEshv3ff_Sm3hLIV71W1P06HTXlHiwOo3-LCDI5Hjns1O9nX9C/s1600/DSC03704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Bx873mFNw3J-0Y0LA_oBpOrFlvTb4Xwl0sMG8fgfNONZ0u0CKTBxsN5InIW9CZIDhX_K1hQgVb1rNr5lBvZuiZU2YqHEshv3ff_Sm3hLIV71W1P06HTXlHiwOo3-LCDI5Hjns1O9nX9C/s320/DSC03704.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
We got a snack of R2-D2 popcorn. Trae saws it feel wrong eating R2's inter-workings, but as this picture shows you, he didn't feel too wrong digging in!<br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ATRxy49y2w0/TodjIecpYyI/AAAAAAAAAPw/28b_RGw0kH4/s1600/DSC03688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ATRxy49y2w0/TodjIecpYyI/AAAAAAAAAPw/28b_RGw0kH4/s320/DSC03688.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The back-lot tour provided nerdom heaven for Trae with lots of movie props! <br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN7ku2eG42gwFmHwUuGnL3AOg0X5f7geeFwll9Vd-go7MMeMNnzGi5COzLIfRbCTlvG8WeV4BDK5RGrHFase8pE5GqEpEVT_lss0IFNZ5qgMFlEti19osy6CB5T4wIRC_8T3MSSWT_MaB/s1600/DSC03712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN7ku2eG42gwFmHwUuGnL3AOg0X5f7geeFwll9Vd-go7MMeMNnzGi5COzLIfRbCTlvG8WeV4BDK5RGrHFase8pE5GqEpEVT_lss0IFNZ5qgMFlEti19osy6CB5T4wIRC_8T3MSSWT_MaB/s320/DSC03712.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />On August third, we did a double feature of the Animal Kingdom and Epcot.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiz0Lsd6aBuizg9Tx-Mq9ujAvZUedZ9qUGccouaixMwgQOnWQZAP-9sl5uoN2R7efZ9NfGck9ouUUjr9t5Er-09YtUPFmJ_scS5HXqrraqrfokVV5PcBvP3F0_ktVF94Y-qNonqlSdA3x/s1600/DSC03729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiz0Lsd6aBuizg9Tx-Mq9ujAvZUedZ9qUGccouaixMwgQOnWQZAP-9sl5uoN2R7efZ9NfGck9ouUUjr9t5Er-09YtUPFmJ_scS5HXqrraqrfokVV5PcBvP3F0_ktVF94Y-qNonqlSdA3x/s320/DSC03729.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KzS881_iFgw/Todli4CnwDI/AAAAAAAAAP8/Ls0xF4KFtFc/s1600/DSC03789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KzS881_iFgw/Todli4CnwDI/AAAAAAAAAP8/Ls0xF4KFtFc/s320/DSC03789.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNfakGBNJ_G6YjCJd4Vs9nm1Y4yVMOQg5mSMfpoh2FZv0D7CW_oa6oXtQwUSE-0tYsj6KRo9-ZWd5sMpHucdaYMdwbREW75luOAFSE1Lk3Y3OfAKDl5fKAjuaEGau27q0vtId6aGjL7Sj/s1600/DSC03794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNfakGBNJ_G6YjCJd4Vs9nm1Y4yVMOQg5mSMfpoh2FZv0D7CW_oa6oXtQwUSE-0tYsj6KRo9-ZWd5sMpHucdaYMdwbREW75luOAFSE1Lk3Y3OfAKDl5fKAjuaEGau27q0vtId6aGjL7Sj/s320/DSC03794.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasFaPChCaV2MUCmdbkp-qYfPsXcYrHNwBsxN_Ia2wl1KE-7kaAI5lpuAuQPekFIMaBjl0JV2eDbCgAPwH91ommNgX22L6PHNiAF28BszNdY1GKYzvng0tWie8EnsZRZafRYeZPXfta_tt/s1600/DSC03797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasFaPChCaV2MUCmdbkp-qYfPsXcYrHNwBsxN_Ia2wl1KE-7kaAI5lpuAuQPekFIMaBjl0JV2eDbCgAPwH91ommNgX22L6PHNiAF28BszNdY1GKYzvng0tWie8EnsZRZafRYeZPXfta_tt/s320/DSC03797.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We ate at the Tusker House and it was honestly one of the top ten meals I have had in my life. The buffet was extensive and delicious, with the staff willing to answer any question you had about the food. I went to great lengths to find the <a href="http://allears.net/din/recipes/rec_manchut.htm">Mango Chutney recipe</a> that was available for the flat breads.We ate soo much and it was amazing. I honestly have been craving a return trip and have been plotting our next Disney vacation around the Tusker House. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mcActEsFKmp71JlWx4r2YdNN-G4ss57uGlT4fj_Ol2ieeWO-x6wSuEODDGmrLs0yt2XtoRQWIWKlFmZ6ThcI2Vs1Y4LjtxmD7ZsAcSwvr5GzRtomrozx73oi2CoTR1EfGUSYKnvZBa6h/s1600/DSC03798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mcActEsFKmp71JlWx4r2YdNN-G4ss57uGlT4fj_Ol2ieeWO-x6wSuEODDGmrLs0yt2XtoRQWIWKlFmZ6ThcI2Vs1Y4LjtxmD7ZsAcSwvr5GzRtomrozx73oi2CoTR1EfGUSYKnvZBa6h/s320/DSC03798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Epcot was wonderful a well.. We enjoyed the mulch-cultured food, but more importantly the friendship! I met up with my old Clemson buddy Beth and my old Clemson roomie Melissa and her hubby Thomas. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9Z1Ws2TVPGxbD6kgkdPAgb67L2E00ui-NmiTVgkGueFbC6xFkId9p6A4o-xSC7Eh5aFOLIzZ6ZO7-iQGLshKTY1Pof38Znq0_KGRsPfYdxs3MIJXtzw4dl1Fn4SdBOd6KsrlUeNrws6D/s1600/DSC03801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9Z1Ws2TVPGxbD6kgkdPAgb67L2E00ui-NmiTVgkGueFbC6xFkId9p6A4o-xSC7Eh5aFOLIzZ6ZO7-iQGLshKTY1Pof38Znq0_KGRsPfYdxs3MIJXtzw4dl1Fn4SdBOd6KsrlUeNrws6D/s320/DSC03801.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The funniest thing happened on the Imagination Ride with Figment; we got stuck!!We got stuck at this odd part with a giant butterfly in cage, and the lights went down for ten minutes. All we could hear was the rusty squeak of the butterfly. Beth sent us oddly encouraging text messages about being rescued by Disney cast members. We weren't. And we got off the ride just in tme to watch Captian E-O, Trae's most fond memory of his last trip to Disney. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtLkFD2sl1yBF4eKkXqZJt7PNRTCebNZUyto18VIO3jhvHNmAfYvkAK92hZJaiUSMMwyjflv_UIF1RgmTB4fsXqImRBfEYxREWFcDfitCdJNlQWUS_UDNh6MEBFzCOlwi2B60sHxZVNtP/s1600/Carrie+and+Trae%2527s+Visit+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtLkFD2sl1yBF4eKkXqZJt7PNRTCebNZUyto18VIO3jhvHNmAfYvkAK92hZJaiUSMMwyjflv_UIF1RgmTB4fsXqImRBfEYxREWFcDfitCdJNlQWUS_UDNh6MEBFzCOlwi2B60sHxZVNtP/s320/Carrie+and+Trae%2527s+Visit+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, the old gang wondered around the countries, including the Troll ride in Norway, which Beth hates. We also enjoyed Mexico and had fun singing along with the Three Caballeros. We finished the night at a German restaurant were Thomas and Trae heard a multitude of old Clemson "tails."<br />
<br />
The next day, August the fourth, was a day of the Magic Kingdom, and it started off with a character breakfast at the Crystal Palace. During the whole vacation planning, Trae kept telling me that he was humoring my desire for a character breakfast; yet, when Eeyore came to our table, he almost knocked over the table to hug the ol' gray donkey!! We had a wonderful time eating breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and friends! We also got an anniversary card from the gang!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Kjb46n4ic8/TodtPbU_vUI/AAAAAAAAAQU/IfsCLlMSZVM/s1600/DSC03831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Kjb46n4ic8/TodtPbU_vUI/AAAAAAAAAQU/IfsCLlMSZVM/s320/DSC03831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YV2EoQctFJ0/TodtVLdDcoI/AAAAAAAAAQY/Gc10M3FOTgg/s1600/DSC03858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YV2EoQctFJ0/TodtVLdDcoI/AAAAAAAAAQY/Gc10M3FOTgg/s320/DSC03858.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I felt like I was cheating on my dad a bit here; he was the only other person I had ever ridden the Dumbo ride with! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OP7Ogi5dVuo/Todtb0gn0RI/AAAAAAAAAQc/_U1O-Tk0Zww/s1600/DSC03866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OP7Ogi5dVuo/Todtb0gn0RI/AAAAAAAAAQc/_U1O-Tk0Zww/s320/DSC03866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Good bye Snow White ride! With the new expansion coming in 2012, the Snow White ride will be torn down. I was truly sad knowing this was my last time around on the Snow White ride! Bye Bye Doopey! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DV0gueqDqB4/Todtgw5-iCI/AAAAAAAAAQg/jFdMLxS4Nxg/s1600/DSC03939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DV0gueqDqB4/Todtgw5-iCI/AAAAAAAAAQg/jFdMLxS4Nxg/s320/DSC03939.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Beth doesn't like to share the piano in the Haunted Mansion line!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_auD9VXkKDI9HnBDsweawdBEyCwKkDzEv4KgCLkMpg8gxtnMDc-Hn_Sd2wYt4czpHhSn1WuYj15B1ZUL5V6O3112dYBZr-bDkdGZlAbx3mI_-aaQtOobSmfMM_peNbVkVzw-7zTVhyphenhyphenbS/s1600/DSC03942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_auD9VXkKDI9HnBDsweawdBEyCwKkDzEv4KgCLkMpg8gxtnMDc-Hn_Sd2wYt4czpHhSn1WuYj15B1ZUL5V6O3112dYBZr-bDkdGZlAbx3mI_-aaQtOobSmfMM_peNbVkVzw-7zTVhyphenhyphenbS/s320/DSC03942.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I survived Splash Mountain! It was mine and Trae's first time on the ride!! I also got to be the guest conductor on the real steam train and say "All abroad!" At one point, I even got to wear the conductor's hat! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAd2v8rlqZYDp1TaVD3WS10emUhscitdfdB2lqaDmIsvE4qDkxSXY-4JdnJmM7I4k_JPzJ7AeDA4x80vcS8HRMP39pPEXpP_VGBQR8yLRdYe4JORmEQ7W0t74s4vCKdwbSQh5xFa7SnypQ/s1600/Carrie+and+Trae%2527s+Visit+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAd2v8rlqZYDp1TaVD3WS10emUhscitdfdB2lqaDmIsvE4qDkxSXY-4JdnJmM7I4k_JPzJ7AeDA4x80vcS8HRMP39pPEXpP_VGBQR8yLRdYe4JORmEQ7W0t74s4vCKdwbSQh5xFa7SnypQ/s320/Carrie+and+Trae%2527s+Visit+045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We ended the night was a fireworks dessert party. We enjoyed our glasses of milk and platefuls of dessert!! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra6rpV7M04fSqaRKMzStB9TkqFmXAsCAZdwMdjifrm565cMJUeTboUZEyx9CXBammrdLuAf-9klWGrIzFMM7lOJYCnoCn6NYSsNft_jJHYB5WunpOCKt829PBHA-JWdJUcvp4UtrX2ybr/s1600/DSC03971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra6rpV7M04fSqaRKMzStB9TkqFmXAsCAZdwMdjifrm565cMJUeTboUZEyx9CXBammrdLuAf-9klWGrIzFMM7lOJYCnoCn6NYSsNft_jJHYB5WunpOCKt829PBHA-JWdJUcvp4UtrX2ybr/s320/DSC03971.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-YfWcRrEgJ1ahJdM9KhqPDdR8y-0NMaBhzwZvGdP9pj9BOJ7JS98saU9NztICjlOMXWoRXppM0ovD6LXaEV4GFOZqX-MtQLVpzKv_9lv5zXl8pMKxrXqaxztL4PCPC1r_93sgDfeSCiH/s1600/DSC03974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-YfWcRrEgJ1ahJdM9KhqPDdR8y-0NMaBhzwZvGdP9pj9BOJ7JS98saU9NztICjlOMXWoRXppM0ovD6LXaEV4GFOZqX-MtQLVpzKv_9lv5zXl8pMKxrXqaxztL4PCPC1r_93sgDfeSCiH/s320/DSC03974.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
On August 5th, we were suppose to head home, but we had left over Disney dining points and met Beth back at Epcot! We ate at Morocco, and said Hello to some of our favorite Disney characters.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a62jlR6dvmuYt6Zxcfy-wzvWvL440JODssphs4sSegU99zqJWjJ0hla470wLZ-K4_DomHa2NRnCsH-LZYirJt0cyEZbfclfUDOPADiPmGyCyN7XIuiJeNeqCLlj8nuQQH5Bd6IIsw3rG/s1600/DSC04005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a62jlR6dvmuYt6Zxcfy-wzvWvL440JODssphs4sSegU99zqJWjJ0hla470wLZ-K4_DomHa2NRnCsH-LZYirJt0cyEZbfclfUDOPADiPmGyCyN7XIuiJeNeqCLlj8nuQQH5Bd6IIsw3rG/s320/DSC04005.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Just remember that fez are cool! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFX7FGg7kbN3j8x6Gzx9EAy5SnmaN_EM7DX6MoRdjY5_eGpQKypcNOFKd6OAi9GQyn6Lt_905-PjO1o3P9nGD-tQgK2k48lko0yOytVPodTQpi_BmlVXiprwD8gyRXyqxD4KWf-wtRetY/s1600/DSC04015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFX7FGg7kbN3j8x6Gzx9EAy5SnmaN_EM7DX6MoRdjY5_eGpQKypcNOFKd6OAi9GQyn6Lt_905-PjO1o3P9nGD-tQgK2k48lko0yOytVPodTQpi_BmlVXiprwD8gyRXyqxD4KWf-wtRetY/s320/DSC04015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Belle is confused because my shirt says "I'm with the Beast!" and according to her, he isn't hairy enough to be the Beast! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58SC-YGoW3mK5zgZ5G-tWGpGZqusP12-qHL_gPVfzgCNJX1vcECqLhk70hVxr799tSoDn1zLV2LYaUtb4faiRF7aNdu6IMIlrqlSD_NVYYbGqjP4eQnFK8m4a9m7eMzvBmGrYvx8DpDw0/s1600/DSC04023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58SC-YGoW3mK5zgZ5G-tWGpGZqusP12-qHL_gPVfzgCNJX1vcECqLhk70hVxr799tSoDn1zLV2LYaUtb4faiRF7aNdu6IMIlrqlSD_NVYYbGqjP4eQnFK8m4a9m7eMzvBmGrYvx8DpDw0/s320/DSC04023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZF4YsqshHGpBs3MrweW36JA4doUIeIK6tq5-N2_Y7JC9kZd6UlU-_dvZLE3tfu7_1DPftqoqgJmtkMA8_7mDiOVYcMgRKzObLPwhvej8MZuFk_eacEjhH1DBIxmggTiwNoyZ4q-hhUHiN/s1600/DSC04021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZF4YsqshHGpBs3MrweW36JA4doUIeIK6tq5-N2_Y7JC9kZd6UlU-_dvZLE3tfu7_1DPftqoqgJmtkMA8_7mDiOVYcMgRKzObLPwhvej8MZuFk_eacEjhH1DBIxmggTiwNoyZ4q-hhUHiN/s320/DSC04021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed our mini-photo gallery!!! Disney better watch out in 2013, because the Murray family is coming back to the Kingdom then!! </div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-30139102355625738402011-09-11T23:13:00.000-04:002011-09-11T23:13:28.279-04:00Remember<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I remember where I was on 9/11. I know a lot of people can remember where they were on 9/11. I know as I get older a new separator will be put into the generation gap: those who can remember and those who can't. I teach and most of my students were in third or fourth grade with a few being in the second grade when 9/11 happened. For the most part, these kids do not know a country without the lingering horror and saddness of 9/11.<br />
<br />
I just hope amongst all the TV specials, documentaries, coffee table books that the students don't think of 9/11 as something that happened a long time ago, but instead realize how much our nation changed in less than 12 hours. <br /><br />I know that as a freshman at Clemson University, I didn't know how much things were going to change and on that day, how much they had changed. I had stayed up almost all night studying for an astronomy exam and hadn't even gotten comfortable in skinny dorm room bed when the phone rang. <br /><br />Mom: Hi honey! Just called to say good luck on your exam. And you need to turn on your TV.<br />Me: Uggh. Five more minutes. I have five more minutes before I have to get up.<br />
Mom: Trust me, turn on your TV. It is important. <br />
Me: Ok.(realizing it must be important because my mom never watches TV) <br />Click of the TV. A tiny screen propped up on the top of a microfridge unleashed scenes of horror. <br /><br />I went to take my exam right as a plane hit the Pentagon. I answered C for all the questions and went back to the dorm room. My roommate and I sat the rest of the day...rest of our classes canceled...watching the TV. We knew our lives had changed, but we could never imagined how much they had changed. <br />
<br />Now, ten years later, I can think back to the dorm room, full of cheer with crazy colored posters on cinder block walls, text books haphazardly on a generic college-issued desk, and dark images surreal on a TV screen. An innocent girl, barely a month into college and living away from home: how could she comprehend two planes and two towers? How can she express to her students, children just as she was ten years ago, the importance of 9/11 when ten years ago she barely understood it herself? I don't know if I will ever be able to express the importance of 9/11 or how the world she knew and expected to be there when she graduated from college changed, but I know I will and can try, because change doesn't happen when people forget. <br />
<br /></div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-73616069458936810662011-09-06T22:57:00.001-04:002011-09-06T22:58:33.039-04:00Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy warty Hogwarts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I am going to tell you a not so secret secret.....I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. My love for Harry Potter is only rivaled by that of my love of all things Disney. I re-read the books constantly. When the last book came out, I did an eight hour marathon of reading in order to finish it in one day. The Newsstand at Clemson use to have midnight release parties and before the store closed, my mother and I would make Harry Potter themed cakes for the parties. We have made a golden snitch and Hogwarts out of cake. For the last Harry Potter movie, I went as a golden snitch and Trae wore Harry Potter glasses.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1F22rTnCknM/TlP9LOBSZGI/AAAAAAAAANg/gL1UsA0XFZQ/s1600/DSC03550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1F22rTnCknM/TlP9LOBSZGI/AAAAAAAAANg/gL1UsA0XFZQ/s320/DSC03550.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSHaMiejHHIc70UHqn-c736RIcctHvia5EvHrHI_9SVeeTbfYYK8iyKeH_GLjf4lNxADJ3Q4vWfOJbx4u598aeEK5Wr1UElimboKvr6e6HORAug6nLs7LODgEAVa3rqhhIK6S_CwH61Uj/s1600/DSC03538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSHaMiejHHIc70UHqn-c736RIcctHvia5EvHrHI_9SVeeTbfYYK8iyKeH_GLjf4lNxADJ3Q4vWfOJbx4u598aeEK5Wr1UElimboKvr6e6HORAug6nLs7LODgEAVa3rqhhIK6S_CwH61Uj/s320/DSC03538.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't you love the wings? <br />
Trae made them! True love right there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My love of Harry Potter is no secret to Trae and he vowed for our one year anniversary that I would have a real butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We had the crazy plan of driving all day, staying in a cheap hotel, spending a day at Universal with me waving to Disney, and then heading back the next day. Thanks to a wonderful friend, we ended up staying for a whole week and getting to go to Disney too!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pE1tH4g2QF_J79-2VHoUOByV2S5IzF9rXH3M8AOuIl91ITQ6d3_yVM8YKdg9g9qiLFI9eD-0Qyb6ThDCdOgvShLs8_81Tp3i4_D1lXZ8C8Ge_e1BCgYSFlFbRouVGo_snbKP4ZPONvBO/s1600/DSC03583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pE1tH4g2QF_J79-2VHoUOByV2S5IzF9rXH3M8AOuIl91ITQ6d3_yVM8YKdg9g9qiLFI9eD-0Qyb6ThDCdOgvShLs8_81Tp3i4_D1lXZ8C8Ge_e1BCgYSFlFbRouVGo_snbKP4ZPONvBO/s320/DSC03583.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ubgl2W3OBg8/TmbLh5dJ0dI/AAAAAAAAAOk/nmGMhYnk5Rk/s1600/DSC03595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ubgl2W3OBg8/TmbLh5dJ0dI/AAAAAAAAAOk/nmGMhYnk5Rk/s320/DSC03595.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
We started the trip on our one year anniversary, and on August 1st, I was dragging my husband out of bed at a very early hour to make sure we were at Universal by the time the park opened. (We weren't, but we were only "late" by 30 minutes.) While Trae might have wanted to sedated me that morning, my excitement wore off on him. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzFQgdVWJIXPeJfDxEMzxZXNd-MYZnqtTgoJqUdcoZY73YFMVqRTyAhIPIRpts8oP1yln_4X70O_XkE0B_2IA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The park felt like I had truly gone into the books or onto the movie set. Every detail was there, even in the bathrooms! When you walked into the bathrooms, you could hear Moaning Myrtle talking!! The Wizarding World, however, is small; the size meant we were able everything and not feel time crunched but also the lines were very very very long. We even did the other sections at the Universal Parks to let the crowds at the Wizarding World die down. </div>
<br />
Since I read tips for visiting the Wizarding World, I knew a few tricks to avoiding some of the lines. Butterbeer, for example, is sold Hog's Head which is set up in the back of the Three Broomsticks and also has a back entrance. We did not have to wait in an unending line at a butterbeer cart to get butterbeer, and went back to Hog's Head each time we refilled our survivor mug. (A smart buy because it is ten bucks and butterbeer costs around six, so with the glass you get three dollar refills, and in some odd math way, evens out to the third butterbeer being free.) <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RGt50KMJQVosyG3PiKtx9yFPzH4chRInY73DRYUb4qs3tWLS45dviHDRB2V_gpB3dUhs1-R_5LLYUwDQ4aR0RBiFarTDKUznVt4YvCYyHjOOV09YjcP3yDLqHtHQipK_DEAkWJ_3Xdtr/s1600/DSC03623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RGt50KMJQVosyG3PiKtx9yFPzH4chRInY73DRYUb4qs3tWLS45dviHDRB2V_gpB3dUhs1-R_5LLYUwDQ4aR0RBiFarTDKUznVt4YvCYyHjOOV09YjcP3yDLqHtHQipK_DEAkWJ_3Xdtr/s200/DSC03623.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEYqOpV5WuCHzlzh-_9BnFIPly2fdf1gGgN59KVIDxU0rML65vZ3IUCCtcBJmKCK_xxXvQYBoR5cDxTj0rf4Tt3HoBvLgA-pweN5-BPbXe5CSzfHwYXCMJirJ_GDNNwp8hUjRBURnn81c/s1600/DSC03624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEYqOpV5WuCHzlzh-_9BnFIPly2fdf1gGgN59KVIDxU0rML65vZ3IUCCtcBJmKCK_xxXvQYBoR5cDxTj0rf4Tt3HoBvLgA-pweN5-BPbXe5CSzfHwYXCMJirJ_GDNNwp8hUjRBURnn81c/s200/DSC03624.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Try making butterbeer at home with <a href="http://www.mugglenet.com/misc/rosmertas/butterbeer.shtml">this recipe</a>! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Instead of using store bought sauce, I made my own with <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/12/ridiculously-easy-butterscotch-sauce/">this recipe</a>. If you don't have dark brown sugar, use light brown sugar and just add maple syrup to the pot. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We (or I did as Trae keep kindly telling me to stop gawking and keep moving) also enjoyed the extensive line for the Forbidden Journey Ride; the whole ride queue is set up like the castle. We even walked through Professor Sprout's greenhouse and see mandrakes! I loved actually going to Hogwarts, and wanted to jump over the ropes and barriers and start taking classes! Even the Fat Lady was there and the pictures talked! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEzZ280ANOUVrPXaM_OAPtwiyxE1Yl6oNMqtIVDfuOm3oOBt1kmha-d-lkhY0MFjqtSub-Bo7O9vgPtL54XKz-ReaH3C8NszOpasVqgysXm1WtQ9auOv-1cfhijrum7HxJRIMZ5YIw7Sk/s1600/DSC03602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEzZ280ANOUVrPXaM_OAPtwiyxE1Yl6oNMqtIVDfuOm3oOBt1kmha-d-lkhY0MFjqtSub-Bo7O9vgPtL54XKz-ReaH3C8NszOpasVqgysXm1WtQ9auOv-1cfhijrum7HxJRIMZ5YIw7Sk/s1600/DSC03602.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEzZ280ANOUVrPXaM_OAPtwiyxE1Yl6oNMqtIVDfuOm3oOBt1kmha-d-lkhY0MFjqtSub-Bo7O9vgPtL54XKz-ReaH3C8NszOpasVqgysXm1WtQ9auOv-1cfhijrum7HxJRIMZ5YIw7Sk/s320/DSC03602.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwklo9ypObAAanHME0hy5APvlmc-nKRXD3EzZmzM_Kq6kdJYStEuPnozcsXD7saIwneMpzLlU_0ilNAjWfuuvjRwOB42TYXxkepzmTIXTBp8V2Whjo-2hHOlrIIeDjBtrVlAnNnsgOdA2/s1600/DSC03600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwklo9ypObAAanHME0hy5APvlmc-nKRXD3EzZmzM_Kq6kdJYStEuPnozcsXD7saIwneMpzLlU_0ilNAjWfuuvjRwOB42TYXxkepzmTIXTBp8V2Whjo-2hHOlrIIeDjBtrVlAnNnsgOdA2/s320/DSC03600.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EZUDqiH65p8vnBicnsqapJIeV5CBbdteJJ_xJJtL_vqfxSsd1NJY75QNkkWsxHJyLHq8JbXTeunmLTyvAxFBYu1B2Q9FmWeng1TrxuCQx6i_R4LWEAo4YrKjOABArQNuuDJjlCq6XhBX/s1600/DSC03605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EZUDqiH65p8vnBicnsqapJIeV5CBbdteJJ_xJJtL_vqfxSsd1NJY75QNkkWsxHJyLHq8JbXTeunmLTyvAxFBYu1B2Q9FmWeng1TrxuCQx6i_R4LWEAo4YrKjOABArQNuuDJjlCq6XhBX/s320/DSC03605.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQvGjfOzi1gPtX-dz3N8DuG1x_-XMdJLgeq69fPDK6ekr0F6XIrp0c7xnU6Gco4kf6Wi2T5SQ07NWgplOjX3UPCKMAvF_QPkQDnQRArFlTtR236rfnRbL08-ckDFw_A7rEfnYDrxbICBT/s1600/DSC03606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQvGjfOzi1gPtX-dz3N8DuG1x_-XMdJLgeq69fPDK6ekr0F6XIrp0c7xnU6Gco4kf6Wi2T5SQ07NWgplOjX3UPCKMAvF_QPkQDnQRArFlTtR236rfnRbL08-ckDFw_A7rEfnYDrxbICBT/s320/DSC03606.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUpe-5DJkk2ZGPx1M20te0_iaE9VuK5YKxryGmt0bimTETrUYQ3Ce22QdUv0NOKSJm697XJXIi6Aw8CVKxEHnhv-WUE8bXmHwwRsaO4uq2Sy5atSlaTnMYfKYo8FVdE02vPCdeBp25bgp/s1600/DSC03610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUpe-5DJkk2ZGPx1M20te0_iaE9VuK5YKxryGmt0bimTETrUYQ3Ce22QdUv0NOKSJm697XJXIi6Aw8CVKxEHnhv-WUE8bXmHwwRsaO4uq2Sy5atSlaTnMYfKYo8FVdE02vPCdeBp25bgp/s320/DSC03610.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hat even talked in rhyme to you!!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We finished off our Hogwarts excursion with a trip to the The Tree Broom Sticks. The food was wonderful! I had shepard's pie and Trae had chicken and ribs with roasted corn on the cob. Honestly, I was extremely surprised at how good everything was. The atmosphere was also enchanting. Shadows of owls dropping off the letters and the Daily Prophet or the Quibbler could be seen overhead. A huge fireplace was in the center of the restaurant. It was the perfect way to end our visit and the best way to enter into the first day of the second year of marriage! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-thUI4_SB91g/TmbKylo9czI/AAAAAAAAAN4/9gW85hnRsRk/s1600/DSC03651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-thUI4_SB91g/TmbKylo9czI/AAAAAAAAAN4/9gW85hnRsRk/s320/DSC03651.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See my necklace? It is a time-turner that Trae got me for an early birthday present! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-70549888704809957982011-09-06T21:27:00.000-04:002011-09-06T21:27:16.049-04:00Oops<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am so sorry for not posting in a long time. I am afraid I have gotten a bit behind with school starting and having a full load of classes to teach. I have also taken on a second job per say, where I get to write and not get paid! I am a Disney Wedding Blog mentor for the <a href="http://www.disneyweddingblog.com/">Disney Wedding Blog</a>! If anyone has any questions about Epcot in Flordia, I am the girl to ask. You can read my blurb on the website <a href="http://www.disneyweddingblog.com/2011/08/meet-your-dwb-mentors.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I am super excited about this position, because it gives me a chance to write about Disney and also get this blog out there. I really want to try to take this blog "to the next level" and into the professional realm. My goal is to go to the BlogHer conference next year. <br /><br />Anyways, here is my promise to keep updating on a more regular base. I also promise to finish telling everyone about my vacation. <br /><br />Thanks!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-92119220575286972232011-08-14T17:58:00.000-04:002011-08-14T17:58:14.490-04:00Be Our Guest! Be Our Guest!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have officially been married for one year! And to celebrate this very adult milestone, my husband and I went to Disney with a jaunt to Hogwarts!! Thanks to the help from one of my wonderful friends, we managed to take a very budget-friendly week long trip. We rode and ate our way through the various theme parks complete with penny press scavenger hunts. <br />
<br />
We started our drive on our wedding anniversary, July 31st and made it to Orlando late that night. We met up with my awesome friend, Beth, at her apartment and she gave us our room keys for the All Stars Music Hotel as well as snazzy anniversary buttons. (Disney has awesome buttons they give away for free that you write your name written on in a sharpie and they indicate if you are celebrating something.) Exhausted, we went to our room, and found a great surprise. The ride had left us feeling blah and far from romantic or excited about cohabiting in marriage for a whole year. Opening our hotel door changed all of that. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7I2MExK2jzwuaGoSrW-ki64aYy-DHadGGSsWCqYrXIFw6N5hZxRX5NHi0Zi7bmF7VkXFvNTAVUP0-jIT4ocJYKqP6qeswERrEGYwzir0-NW6gHb-n8FQXJGIYf0QsbZJY7zzsDLL3pTK/s1600/DSC03577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7I2MExK2jzwuaGoSrW-ki64aYy-DHadGGSsWCqYrXIFw6N5hZxRX5NHi0Zi7bmF7VkXFvNTAVUP0-jIT4ocJYKqP6qeswERrEGYwzir0-NW6gHb-n8FQXJGIYf0QsbZJY7zzsDLL3pTK/s320/DSC03577.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywMNLEfWqtQi0d1tf60NPRL8VuO24WbBVg-sXD-i8q-jQuuyB92a7a4qZKzB3FWlUCn_RSaai5Xei0a64hPlxleYESxsYUV28FlCu6WScwWFgoJBdLFxEbA8WUvrXdSIeMVuj5YkxAY1J/s1600/DSC03575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywMNLEfWqtQi0d1tf60NPRL8VuO24WbBVg-sXD-i8q-jQuuyB92a7a4qZKzB3FWlUCn_RSaai5Xei0a64hPlxleYESxsYUV28FlCu6WScwWFgoJBdLFxEbA8WUvrXdSIeMVuj5YkxAY1J/s320/DSC03575.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Beth had me do online check in so she could pick up keys for us and this was the reason why she insisted I do so! She had gone into our room and decorated it in an Up theme in honor of our one year anniversary! Beth remembered that the last time I was there (minus the man), we had a love of Wall-E and for our first dance at the weddings was to "A Married Life" from Up. She went on a hunt for Up stuff and came up frustrated with the lack of Up merchandise so she made her own. <br /><br />Beth decorated a white photo box like the Up Mailbox to store our Disney memorabilia and had Wall-e and Eva along with Carl and Dug pins in the box. She also got us snack goodies (the Disney chocolate chip cookies are awesome...I want one every day please). The clincher of the decorations were the super snazzy "balloons" she hung from the mirror. that was above the table Those balloons are now hanging in our entry way and make me smile whenever I walk through the door. <br />
<br />
It is funny how sometimes it takes an outsider to remind you of the joy and happiness you have in your life. The night before, July 30, we were extremely aware of our love and devotion to each other, but a 14 hour car ride had put on us edge....not unloving, just too tired to have that emotional epiphany from the other night. Beth's surprise rejuvenated us and got us very excited for the first day of our second year of marriage. One thing was for sure, we were starting off the second year with adventure, because "adventure is out there" and we were going to find it in Orlando, FL! <br /><br />The next couple of blog posts will be about our wonderful vacation complete with pictures of us, food, and fun!! </div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2835173019746015676.post-40274131868439041622011-08-14T16:54:00.000-04:002011-08-14T16:54:11.179-04:00Slice of the Past<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A little over a year ago, I married Bynum Edward Murray III. I could go on with the cliches that a person can say: he is my soul mate, my best friend, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_%28Doctor_Who%29">my companion</a>. And they all would be true. I wish I could find some new and creative way to express how blessed I am to have Trae as my husband. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsaclGXtmqK6SLqRZCS3gxnDWYoZAXwgeVKomnYAfAjbqfcfRV-QNpU14o1CT9-YDuPQgiAlXSlmk3XE18558R5yy0XfONvwHF4pZXEEtFZQfrDgXyF7ao_t8dS8rePghYV8o_i3UzHIJ/s1600/DSC_0118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsaclGXtmqK6SLqRZCS3gxnDWYoZAXwgeVKomnYAfAjbqfcfRV-QNpU14o1CT9-YDuPQgiAlXSlmk3XE18558R5yy0XfONvwHF4pZXEEtFZQfrDgXyF7ao_t8dS8rePghYV8o_i3UzHIJ/s320/DSC_0118.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken by Woody Woodruff of Johnson City, TN</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Trae and I should have met years ago. We can make a whole novel of our missed connections; he lived where my friend was an RA, worked with another close friend, went to the same small Italian town. Yet, God wasn't ready for us to meet. We met at a bar, Nick's Taproom, in Clemson; both of us agree that if someone told us "You will meet your soul mate at Nick's," we would have laughed at them. Yet, we did, and now a year later, I am the still in shock of how many times we did not meet. <br /><br />The year has been amazing, and each day is a reminder of how Trae truly is my soul mate (Yes, even the days when we have arguments is a reminder how he is my soul mate: who else would let me eat ice cream while sitting on the kitchen floor crying at one am?) On July 30, it was nice to sit down with our cake, wine, and video to recall that special day. (We did it a day early, because on July 31, we were driving to DISNEY!) Looking back with tangible reminders such as cake and wine helped transport us back to the day when we said I do, and made the vows seem a little more concrete a year later. Each day is a reminder of those vows because I wake up with Trae, tell him I love him, cook with him, kiss him, but it was still nice to sit down with year old cake and recall the words and meaning of our vows. <br /><br />My husband helped our wedding cake designer, <a href="http://www.oldworldcake.com/">Old World Cakes</a> of Greenville, SC, design our wedding cake. It was beautiful, elegant, tasty, and everything we wanted. (You can read about the symbolism of the cake in my post <a href="http://soulsearcher-pysche.blogspot.com/2011/02/role-of-food-part-one.html">The Role of Food: Part One</a>.) <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0MLg4XPAnT3aTbsH5kioJXj4cGb9ib31gZzW5N80dFUqlVDt-ZLYFGSdfmVxLdHR-ITNlmlqBC3Pi507_xVE1KexiJShCqp33AyX8eRNU8hoFE7u-QAJznOKe2wndVxH_DjOBM7RTt0i/s1600/DSC_0127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0MLg4XPAnT3aTbsH5kioJXj4cGb9ib31gZzW5N80dFUqlVDt-ZLYFGSdfmVxLdHR-ITNlmlqBC3Pi507_xVE1KexiJShCqp33AyX8eRNU8hoFE7u-QAJznOKe2wndVxH_DjOBM7RTt0i/s320/DSC_0127.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can read Old World Cake's blog post on the cake <a href="http://oldworldcake.blogspot.com/2010/09/wedding-cake-with-aspects-of-orvieto.html">here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We cut the cake using the same knife my parents used at their wedding. From the right angle, when I am showing off the knife, it looks like I am cutting Trae's head off. Oops!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG8QV0L9cDdEs6rKKHCOXITTKqhyphenhyphenNyH-Ctz4gCd-DZU3Lc2T5vwNULAqd8Rc2fsjd4V6NrBmujjcuMDeMI1sF03UZh49AoHxNPEjPfbiEG3OwhEbbgM6ofZitjkiwnzzJgD3aDtOJw4vL/s1600/38587_657829487676_40500631_37767132_2328810_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG8QV0L9cDdEs6rKKHCOXITTKqhyphenhyphenNyH-Ctz4gCd-DZU3Lc2T5vwNULAqd8Rc2fsjd4V6NrBmujjcuMDeMI1sF03UZh49AoHxNPEjPfbiEG3OwhEbbgM6ofZitjkiwnzzJgD3aDtOJw4vL/s320/38587_657829487676_40500631_37767132_2328810_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The large silver tin-foiled box that protected our top tier spent
majority of its life in my parent's freezer they had in their garage.
Then my parents and I moved at the same time. The box moved with me and
was the first thing (and for a long time, the only thing!) in our
freezer.<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MVCjuiyx9o7Z8y0FmZri4p-ZncAQuFBVGvO4TpyaSxbhrifH_GFm7FKk26OLLwt9ln31dpi_KbExe-MxVSzNEEqPXRVKfawMOEAkCN47Vfxp9PbM-N8K7G1BnPf0LNGT2DwYBMcBWttp/s1600/DSC03556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MVCjuiyx9o7Z8y0FmZri4p-ZncAQuFBVGvO4TpyaSxbhrifH_GFm7FKk26OLLwt9ln31dpi_KbExe-MxVSzNEEqPXRVKfawMOEAkCN47Vfxp9PbM-N8K7G1BnPf0LNGT2DwYBMcBWttp/s320/DSC03556.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On July 30, we took the box in order to share the tradition year-old slice, and I didn't slice Trae's head off this year. And...<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQLoQU76WMIbMb3jWpuyRet1FEX56zhwwxcf25r-h0TyO6_ULXhzOAk8qJEch1nw0mOWT1AzbUJRlF3A6oYRiAEWhIWkFrd1JwJw_zF32QeSK6L817IyLqAlRKFOLg-a2MIGuoet_OaGn/s1600/DSC03557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQLoQU76WMIbMb3jWpuyRet1FEX56zhwwxcf25r-h0TyO6_ULXhzOAk8qJEch1nw0mOWT1AzbUJRlF3A6oYRiAEWhIWkFrd1JwJw_zF32QeSK6L817IyLqAlRKFOLg-a2MIGuoet_OaGn/s320/DSC03557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It was good! We even ate another slice as we watched the wedding video
and sipped wine (a bottle from the wedding) in our fancy crystal goblets
from his grandmother. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIksthAVfDCk1gBMJX3jz0Q6EL5ZOGVyUYduM6VFSpeCsT6lVkCA6TrgCp3L7gbNejiLFxIbw_9hTusDFh7YookkhRFYKSTSZkJctGtM083wE1jXTCAUiwEwfMuZI9zlsPbGr_LAtzbUH-/s1600/DSC03562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIksthAVfDCk1gBMJX3jz0Q6EL5ZOGVyUYduM6VFSpeCsT6lVkCA6TrgCp3L7gbNejiLFxIbw_9hTusDFh7YookkhRFYKSTSZkJctGtM083wE1jXTCAUiwEwfMuZI9zlsPbGr_LAtzbUH-/s320/DSC03562.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
One of the neat things we did was save five bottles of Orvieto Classico
from the wedding; we will open one each anniversary for the next five
years. So for at lest five years (now four), we will be able to have
tangible reminders of our wedding to bring us back to that very day.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7tG86KsinpB4dMWcOCzz3L5b9Losl3ZWn8MFRm1LF7q2doF40XEl8mgNeqxd87y4oMGQB6MaZk713jOk7McpA1JR8e4K5m40IM3lZmQwq4vBlVLjDYn0AjTPtJ-LXXoOsqeFv1fw0xXt/s1600/DSC03563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzJpyHE8by6mrTNrMSjzfDOpdZyRegJN-pKWgGk1-pSQAy6yhVFgCR4KdXaEoMJPYJjfW8JrbMiJqeWsPybmZlBa_YgZudZGNeeR25QzXYOSAhJFuwnyF2hJe8-cK-xlha7Awk98-NfVo/s1600/DSC03566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzJpyHE8by6mrTNrMSjzfDOpdZyRegJN-pKWgGk1-pSQAy6yhVFgCR4KdXaEoMJPYJjfW8JrbMiJqeWsPybmZlBa_YgZudZGNeeR25QzXYOSAhJFuwnyF2hJe8-cK-xlha7Awk98-NfVo/s320/DSC03566.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3UgVzMQxa6e2q3tMJToNm4zxsKVckpvXbYNz8Tzvqz1sSwA_jhkSxrtEORHiDOOlT0YSi8koZ0d-P04pr5NJa_jt0KIl7FbD51V0en7BdNdzjc0ha2CViJlEse7nxruY7yM9Y929q7qe/s1600/DSC03568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3UgVzMQxa6e2q3tMJToNm4zxsKVckpvXbYNz8Tzvqz1sSwA_jhkSxrtEORHiDOOlT0YSi8koZ0d-P04pr5NJa_jt0KIl7FbD51V0en7BdNdzjc0ha2CViJlEse7nxruY7yM9Y929q7qe/s320/DSC03568.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
After watching the wedding video, we felt grateful for the year we had
together and for the fabulous wedding my parents put on. We went to
bed that night, happy, ready for what the second year of marriage
would bring. <div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Fool in a Treehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185706480556270738noreply@blogger.com0