Shout Out!

I went to brunch today with Ann Claire and Julie at The Pfunky Griddle. It's so good! You make your own pancakes at the table and can choose from a ton of toppings. Defintely get the potatoes if you go too. YUM! Anyway, at brunch I found out Ann Claire reads the blog. HEY ANN CLAIRE!

In honor of my loyal reader and her love of dogs (ha!) this post is dedicated to Darcy.

Darcy loves to dress up. Ok, she hates it. But it's so funny I do it anyway. That's not mean, is it? Here are a few pictures of her in her outfits.

Darcy wishing me a Happy Birthday!

So patriotic on the Fourth of July!


Happy Halloween from Darcy the Pig!

Darc in her Christmas bow...

and collar!

Closing Time

Today was a big day. Keith and I closed on our house... again! We refinanced and got a great, lower interest rate, so we had to go through another closing. The whole process was a little stressful, but we are excited that's all behind us now!

Staying on the subject of our home, last weekend we tackled some more projects. On the agenda was recovering the chairs to the dining set from my grandparents. Keith found a date under the tabletop that says 1966. It's an old table!

Old...

and new!

You can't really tell from the picture, but the fabric is beige with white dots.

I also told you my closet is finished. Yay! Here are some pics of it. Keith's dad built the whole thing- amazing!

I put the knobs on the drawers!

Keith has been home the past few days so Darcy and I have enjoyed having him around. Darcy won't leave his side... especially at dinner time :) We're going to miss him when he leaves tomorrow for Atlanta and then jets off to another bachelor party in New Orleans. At least he'll be home for the Super Bowl!

HOA, Here I Come!

I went to the River Rest Homeowner's Association Meeting earlier this week. Keith is in Chicago so I had to go alone. Keith and I are fairly new to the neighborhood so I thought it would be a great way to meet some of our neighbors and find out what's going on in the community. Well, I was right. Not only did I meet some of the folks there and find out a little about River Rest, but I was elected onto the Board of Directors! Our first meeting as a Board is February 3. I'm a little nervous and excited too! I've already started brainstorming about ways to improve the neighborhood- one idea in particular is really great, or at least I think so. I'm one of the only members without children and the youngest as well so this should be interesting! I'll keep ya'll posted!

These are the days of our lives...

In December Keith, Aimee and I went to the Leiper's Fork Christmas Parade. I love Leiper's Fork! The community is so small and full of character and the land is beautiful. I love Christmas parades too! They take me back to my childhood when the Kiwanis Club sponsored "Pancake Day" before the local parade. It was always so fun to wake up early, eat a lot of pancakes and bundle up to watch the parade.

We got to Leiper's Fork early to walk around the main street and browse the shops. All of the stores had cider and treats set out for the occasion. So cute and Christmasy! The Grand Marshall of the parade was none other than Naomi Judd!

While we were waiting for the parade to start we did some people watching. Another thing I love about Leiper's Fork is how people from all walks of life mingle and interact without judgment. There are those dressed in Uggs and Burberry and those in their work boots and overalls all enjoying the activities of their great little community together. And then there was someone who caught my attention. A blonde lady standing a few feet away from us looked just like "Jennifer" from Days of Our Lives. I watched Days with my grandmother for years, so although the show is completely cheesy and horrible, it holds a special place in my heart. (Fun Fact: My Uncle Greg can make a perfect "John" face!)

Now, to why this Christmas Parade is relevant now. I picked up a copy of VIP Williamson County this weekend. On the cover was a blonde at the Leiper's Fork Christmas Parade- the same blonde I saw. Obviously, she had to be famous. The inside cover of the magazine listed her as "Melissa Reeves." A little googling later I discovered that Melissa is in fact Jennifer! In 2006, Melissa quit Days to move to Tennessee with her family. So, there you have it. Yet another celebrity living quietly in Middle Tennessee. Now, if I can just run into Nicole Kidman...

3 Day Weekends...

...are the best! I have the day off tomorrow (yay!) so I have another day before I have to start mentally preparing myself for the work week. Darcy and I have been home alone this weekend while Keith has been at a friend's bachelor party. His college friend and fraternity brother, Chris Simmons, is getting married in Atlanta in February. I had a Girls Night with Ann Claire and Angie, took care of some errands and took Darcy on some long walks (or in her case runs). It's been nice to be able to relax and take a break from house projects (well, for the most part. I am happy to announce that my closet is officially finished).

Keith and I closed on our house in mid-July.

It's definitely been a "fixer-upper," which is fun- most of the time. Instead of hiring people, we're taking on all of the projects ourselves. We've come a long way! Of course, we couldn't have done it alone. Keith's family has been so helpful and have gone above and beyond. Thank goodness they're handy!

Occasionally, I'll post "before" and "after" pics of various projects. Today... the kitchen!

Here's the kitchen and breafast room before...

During...

Almost there...

And After!

Of course, there are still things to do (like hang stuff on the wall),

but I love our re-done kitchen and breakfast room!

Cooking Light

If you know me at all, then you know I am obsessed with food. I've recently started attempting to cook thanks to the Cooking Light subscription Keith got me for Christmas. It's been successful so far! On Thursday I made my first recipe: Mahimahi with edamame succotash. Not to brag, but it was amazing! I highly recommend it!

Seared Mahimahi with Edamame Succotash

Mandarin Orange and Almond Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

Bread with Olive Oil

Friday night Keith made reservations at Sol. I was so excited! Sol is in downtown Franklin. The same guy that owns Red Pony (our wedding reception location) owns Sol. They are right across the street from each other. Keith and I actually had some of our wedding pictures taken at Sol. On Friday we sat at the same green couch as in our pictures. Not only does Sol have sentimental value, but it is Mexican- instant points with me! I looooove Mexican food. Seriously, I could eat it everyday. We started with guacamole that was made tableside. It was great, but Keith and I agreed that we liked the guacamole we had at Frontera Grill (in Chicago) better. I had seafood enchiladas and Keith had vegetarian enchiladas. Yummm!!

September 13, 2008

January 9, 2009 (after work and looking a little rough)

Saturday was the Titans playoff game. Unfortunately, the game did not go well for Titans fans, but I tried some more Cooking Light recipes that turned out better than the game. We had black bean hummus to snack on during the game and beef tenderloin and/or chicken fajitas for dinner.

This week is cooooold so I've been focusing on some summer vacations Keith and I are planning (details coming soon). Here's a picture of us in Hawaii last September. I so wish I was there now! (In the January Cooking Light issue there is even an article on Hawaii. Definitely my new favorite magazine!)

Keith and me at Pacific'O in Maui- my favorite!

I wish I was still in Maui- for the food and weather!

Darcy's Debut

I warned ya'll Darcy would be the subject of numerous posts....

Keith and I had been talking about getting a dog for awhile (or more accurately I had been whining and begging for awhile). Aimee is a devoted follower of http://www.petfinder.com/ and she found several candidates over the course of a few months that I would email to Keith. One night Aimee showed me a picture of "Angel" on petfinder. I immediately cracked up at her crazy ears and expression. Angel was being fostered by Proverbs 12:10 after being abandoned in a crate at a car wash. Proverbs 12:10 is a rescue organization that holds adoptions at the Bellevue Petco every Saturday. That Saturday Keith, Aimee and I went to Petco to see Angel. It was love at first sight. We immediately took her home- and changed her name.

Darcy's first day home!

Life with Darcy is never boring! She is super energetic, active, and cuddly! She loves to play with Jack and Oscar, go to the park, run, swim (that took a little coaxing), catch frisbees, and fetch. She's a big dog in a little dog's body!

We've had so much fun with Darcy since March. It hasn't been without it's incidents though. On my birthday Keith, Aimee, Jack, Darcy and I were on our way to canoe the Harpeth. It was a beautiful day and the windows were rolled down. Darcy, for the first time ever, stuck her head out the window. It was so cute to see her ears flapping in the breeze. The next minute, however, she had JUMPED OUT THE WINDOW and was in the road making the most awful sounds I've ever heard! We all panicked, but Aimee thought quickly and called the emergency vet. We were on our way when the vet asked us if Darcy could walk. We pulled over and sure enough, less than 5 minutes after she jumped out of the moving car's window, she was running around. Needless to say, we did not have to cancel our canoe trip that day and what could have been a tragic 25th birthday for me turned out pretty well.

The week Keith and I got married was hectic! There were so many last minute details to take care of and apparently Darcy didn't want to be left out or forgotten. I was at work one afternoon when I got a call from Aimee. She was so calm and normal that the beginning of the conversation gave me no warning signs of what was to come. Aimee casually said, "So, I'm going to take Darcy to the vet." Aimee then told me that when she got home Darcy's face was 5 times its normal size! I rushed straight to the vet and arrived about the time they were finishing up. Darcy had an allergic reaction to something was the diagnosis, although to what exactly is still to be determined. The next day she was fine and back to normal.

Life went on uneventfully as Keith and I settled into a routine upon our return from paradise. Until Christmas that is. The presents underneath the tree turned out to be too big of a temptation for our sweet little dog who never chewed on anything but her toys. I came home to this mess one day. She unwrapped a gift, which turned out to be pancake mix, and spread it around the living room floor. She was in BIG trouble. The rest of the time the tree was up and no one was home, Darcy was put in the kitchen.

Keith and me with our sweet Darcy on Thanksgiving
This is the best we could do. Trust me, there were multiple attempts.

Happy New Year!

So… I did it! I've been debating about starting a blog, but the effort of coming up with a name and things to post has been enough to stop me. My New Years Resolution, for the second year in a row, is to keep in touch with friends and family. What better way than this! I hope to update our blog often, so keep checking back to see what's going on with me, Keith and Darcy!

2008 was a crazy, busy, absolutely wonderful year! After getting engaged December 2007, the year started with a to-do list a million miles long. There was a wedding to plan. I had a semester left at The University of Mississippi School of Law. Keith and I adopted our precious baby, Darcy, from Proverbs 12:10 (There will be plenty of posts dedicated to her I'm sure). Keith got a great new job that involves lots and lots of traveling. We bought a house. I took (and thankfully passed) the Tennessee Bar and got a job (what a relief)!

September 13, 2008 Keith and I officially started our lives together. After 10 days in Maui, Hawaii, we came home to Franklin where we have been enjoying our lives together for the past (almost) 4 months! I can only pray that 2009 will be as wonderful, happy and blessed as 2008! Happy New Year!

Darcy posing in front of our Christmas tree

Keith and I in front of Chicago's Christmas tree

And of front of the Palmer House Christmas tree on New Years Eve

Trump Tower on New Years Eve

Field Museum on January 1, 2009

Love Chicago! But not when it's 16 degrees