Be Our Guest! Be Our Guest!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

The next couple of blog posts will be about our wonderful vacation complete with pictures of us, food, and fun!!

Slice of the Past

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, my companion. 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.

Taken by Woody Woodruff of Johnson City, TN

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.

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.

My husband helped our wedding cake designer, Old World Cakes 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 The Role of Food: Part One.)

You can read Old World Cake's blog post on the cake here

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!

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.

 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...

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.

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.

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.

Almost a year

From: http://tiddlyinks.com/

Time flies.




As a kid, I never put much stock into that saying. It was just one of those odd things grown-ups said. Christmas never came and math class was longer than long division. Grown-ups did not understand time at all. Now I am a kid posing in an adult's body and I am planning my one year wedding anniversary trip.

I own cats, pay bills, do laundry, and have a husband, yet I still have stuff animals sitting in the window sills and two Disney stations on my Pandora account. I also still dress up for Halloween. When did I become this hybrid child-adult?


I am in shock that I have been married for almost a year. My husband and I got engaged after dating for twenty months. Seven months after getting engaged, we got married on the happiest day of my life.

Taken by one of my maids of honor

Yet, so much has happened in that year that I have to remind myself that almost 365 days have passed. In one year I have (in no particular order):

• changed jobs...twice
• gone to Ithaca, NY without my husband two weeks after getting married
• gone to Kentucky and eaten at the original KFC
• mourned the loss of my grandmother
• moved to a new state and new apartment
• lived without my husband for a month and half
• saw Jimmy Buffett live 
• went on the most relaxing honeymoon
• seen the end of the Harry Potter saga play out on the big screen
• celebrated my husband's 30th birthday
• going to go to my 10 year high school reunion

I can't believe that whole list occurred (or will occur) before my one year wedding anniversary.
I do know that throughout that whole year, one thing has been a constant: food. We have eaten our way through marriage and have enjoyed the bonding that can only occur in a kitchen. Tonight was not a special night, but we sat together over a crock pot meal and just enjoyed being together; being us.

It is moments like tonight when my husband kisses me after finishing dinner and then pulls me close to him that makes me realize that if time flies, I am sure glad it is flying with him.

Three Down, One to Go

All three kitties now live in the new apartment. They love the huge windows and are enjoying jumping in every box I empty. Now all I need is Trae to move down here and our little family will be complete!(Update: He moved in two weeks ago! Yippie!)

We moved everything into the new apartment on Friday, June 18th, so my view went from:

to boxes EVERYWHERE. I was just getting use to my roughing-it ways too!


On that Saturday, we did not unpack much and that Sunday, Trae left, but he helped a good bit before leaving. So as you can tell, we have already unpacked a lot in a very short amount of time.

I had already broken in the new kitchen, seeing that much of our kitchen stuff we moved up earlier. Even with only a folding chair and tailgate table, having a fully stocked kitchen made the empty apartment feel like a home. I posted a poll on my Facebook page, and asked people to weigh in on what I should bake first. Overwhelmingly, friends wanted me to make chocolate chip cookies, but I had the urge to make a cake. So I decided to combined the two and chocolate-chip-cookie-cupcakes with caramel buttercream drizzle were born.

Luckily, our new place is within walking distance of the best grocery store: Harris Teeter. (l can literally see one side of the store from my window. I am in baking heaven.) When I became determined to bake, two things had not occurred to me.

1. I had no idea what baking supplies I had. A few of the kitchen boxes I had not fully unpacked since I had not purchased shelves for the laundry room where our pantry would now reside.
2. I had no cookbooks. My trusty Betty Crocker cookbook was in a box under a lot of other boxes in SC. 

Problem two was fixed after a Google search. While recipes already exist for chocolate-chip-cookie-cupcakes, I did not like them and made my own by combining two randomly found recipes. The one-two-three-four cake recipe on cooks.com worked great and I will probably use it again as a base for future recipes.

I had already made a preliminary trip to Harris Teeter to get some basics such as eggs. Then after getting half way through the cake and cookie recipes, I realized that I did not have vanilla. A quick jaunt to Harris Teeter fixed that dilemma and caused the inspiration for the drizzle. I made up my trusty caramel sauce found on BakedBree.com, then mixed the sauce in with a can of cream cheese frosting. Delicious. I had to restrain myself from eating it all with a spoon. The mixture was extremely liquefied, but a short trip to the fridge fixed that problem. 

After these cupcakes, I am well liked in my new job! 

Mac's Drive In: A Testament to Clemson Love

My father excited by the Mac's Drive In homecoming float

Clemson is not just a small town that hosts a wonderful college. Clemson is a feeling, a relationship, a lifestyle. Many will encounter the Clemson experience, but few will be able to fully indulge in the experience. Even some of the college students do not embrace all aspects of Clemson life, instead choosing to complain about the small town atmosphere. Few see beauty in the packed parking lots on a Clemson football game day. Few can talk about the sports teams as if the whole team is a member of the family. Few can find solace and peace on Bowman field with a frisbee in their hand.

Some students become so enamored with Clemson that they never leave. They are no longer a student, but they grow and fit another role in the unique balance of town and college that exists in Clemson. Harold McKeown, or "Mac," was one such student who graduated as an engineer, who could not give up his love of Clemson. Instead, he opened Mac's Drive In. When he opened his doors in 1956, he did not know that he was living Clemson history. When Mac passed away in December 2009, townies and out-of-state alumni mourned together. (To understand the essence of Mac's read the article from Anderson Independent done several years ago.)

To learn more about this wonderful place, watch this video

Driving past the brick shack, with an American flag at half-mast, my father recounted walking to Mac's on the weekends and how the milkshakes are still the best in town. Almost every alumni has a story of sitting at the worn stools and looking at all the hodgepodge of Clemson memorabilia. Time lines collided as faded photos of athletes and coaches long gone gather next to glossy new photos of names such as Dabo and Spiller.

The menu has been prepared by the same skilled hands for years. Many of the ladies are past the age of retirement, but a love of the place, the costumers, and the memory of a man keeps them flipping burger after burger, a smile as each burger hits and sizzles on the flat top. Burgers are served on tiny plain paper plates and fries in the classic red-checkered paper containers. No fancy plates are found at Mac's. Instead, simple American food will be served in an honest manner: cooked on an old flat top with the buns steamed to perfection. Nothing fancy added: no relish or sauteed mushrooms. The fanciest Mac's gets is their grilled cheese burger, a unique marriage of a grilled cheese sandwich and burger patty. Milkshakes come in two flavors: vanilla and chocolate. Home-made sweet tea is served by the gallons. The menu has not changed in years, and the grease now holds the letters onto the old-timey marquee menu board.

When I went into Mac's, I was greeted loudly by Jimmy Howard, the son of the great coach Frank Howard. Jimmy is a regular, and before he gets out of his old Chevy truck, with more rust than paint, the ladies have already started on his order and his to-go order for his son, Lil' Frank. I had just driven into town from our new home, and I was waiting for my husband to meet me at Mac's. Seeing Jimmy sitting on a faded orange stool, leaning on the well-used counter top, made me realize that while I wasn't lucky enough to stay in the area, I was lucky enough to live the Clemson experience to its fullest. I had done the transition from student to townie. Once townie status is achieved, it can never be taken away. I won't even open a restaurant like Mac or stay in the area forever, but with Mac's at Clemson attracting all forms of Clemson lovers, I know that I can always come home again and have a burger.

Pasta and Palm

Trae took me on a date a while back in May when I was up to my neck in boxes and feeling guilty that the 50 dollars I had spent on the Central Rec. Center membership that was not getting used. I did start off working out and swimming the first two weeks of the membership, but then my workouts became building boxes and hauling stuff into those boxes.

The date was to Paesono's Italian Grill in Seneca. I had been there twice before, but Trae never had. Driving to Seneca to eat always makes me think of Mum's Italia Ristorante, which was located where Copper River Grill now resides. Mum's was the default and delicious choice for roomies' night out. My two roommates and I from junior year use to get dressed up and drive to Seneca in Mel's trusty brown Volvo just to eat at Mum's. Mum's was classy but not overly pricey like the nicer restaurants in Clemson. The decor was unique and large Venetian-looking glass vases decorated the beams in the entrance and bar area.  Other Italian influenced decorations graced the main dining area.

Each meal was delicious and flavored with laughs. My favorite dish was a chicken pasta with toasted pine nuts and goat cheese. The pasta had a light olive oil sauce that mixed with the melting goat cheese. Each bite consisted of strings melted cheese that stuck to your lips and fork. The pine nuts added a nice crunch to the gooey dish.

We also always split dessert.

Now my old roomies are living in different states, Mum's has closed, and  it is my husband and I dressing up to eat Italian in Seneca. Paesono's is tucked away from the main drag of Seneca, which makes it hard to find but also more appealing. By being away from the main drag, diners can imagine they have driven to bigger cities like Greenville for dinner.  

The food is delicious. The garlic knots drip with garlic making kissing even your husband impossible. Calamari was crunchy with a light marina dipping sauce. Trae had a huge sampler platter while I had pasta primavera. The pasta was full of vegetables and the sauce wasn't too heavy. It was perfect for someone who was tired of packing, and gave me flash backs of wonderful Italian meals with roommates and friends over the years. (I felt sort of like Ego from Ratatouille, sucked back into better times that did not content tears brought on by  packing trauma.)

Ego's flashback from Ratatouille

The meal left us happy and relaxed, as well as a little sleepy with full pasta bellies. On the way back, we decided we needed dessert and stopped at the Palm Gas Station. While a gas station does not seem like a good balance for a fabulously cooked Italian meal, the Palm Gas Station slushies are high-classed.  These slushies are so good that bullies would not waste them for slushie facials.

The wall of slushies at Palm are a marvel to behold. At least ten flavors line the wall, but I only need two: Mocha and French Vanilla coffee. I fill my cup up mainly with Mocha flavor and then add a tiny bit of French Vanilla to the top (almost like adding a whip cream topper). The best part is that the extra-large slushie, which consists of 32 ozs of frozen heaven, is only two dollars. 

On the ride home while half asleep, I got to sip on my dessert knowing that packing would get done and that my husband would be there to help me. Or at least give me foot rubs when I needed them and that very soon I would be on the couch getting a foot rub while I finished my dessert. At that moment, while passing the old home of Mum's, things had come full circle.

State of Mind

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” — Dr. Seuss

I am happy with those glorious years. I resided in Clemson for ten years, ever since I came there in 2001 as a scared and excited freshman, who hugged her parents goodbye and tried not to cry as they left. Now I am a married woman who tried not to cry as she left. 

The reason for my lack of blogging is that our moving timeline went nuts. We were suppose to move in July, but now, I am living in the new apartment in a new state while Trae is living in the old apartment (now a haven of packed boxes) with the cats. The community college we are working for in the fall called me and asked me if I wanted to tutor and teach for the summer. We also found an apartment we loved and it couldn't be held till the end of July. Therefore, five days after finding out I had a summer job, the car was packed with a blow up mattress, some basic kitchen essentials (the coffee pot), a Clemson fold out chair, and a tailgate table.  In the meantime, when I am in SC on the weekends, I go into packing overdrive.

Since the pots and pans are packed, we do eat out a lot, and are still working on the bucket list. In my free time, I will blog about the bucket list from the comfort of my fold out chair.

I never thought that my one-year wedding anniversary gift would be living with my husband in the same state for the first time in two months.  Yet, overall, I have enjoyed exploring and getting to know our new home. The people are wonderfully friendly, and I have already had many wonderful experiences of random acts of kindness. (A campus policeman saw I had a flat tire and kept checking the parking lot till I got there just so he could help, because he knew that from looking at the car I was a girl and an out-of-stater. He told me that he likes to think someone would help his daughter in the same situation.)

Also, our new kitchen is amazing. (I have already made cupcakes. I might not have a bed, but by golly I have baking supplies!) 
 
P.S. I will be adding pictures to my posts, but if it wasn't downloaded onto the computer already I can't get them off the camera. The picture-remover thingy is packed...oops.