Jen loves Scott

Four favorite pins: Snacktime

2012-01-27T08:59:00.001-06:00

For the first few months of my pregnancy, I found myself nauseated at the thought of sweets — uncharted territory for a rampant sweet tooth like myself. But within the last month, the sweets cravings have struck, leaving empty chocolate chip bags and Nutella jars in its wake. So it's no surprise that my favorite Pinterest pins this week all center around satisfying my hunger for chocolate.

1. Chocolate heart peanut butter cookies: The traditional Hershey's kiss in the middle of this cookie gets the boot for a Dove chocolate heart, making these perfect for a Valentine's Day treat — or a Tuesday night cookie binge.

2. Nutella Rice Krispie treats: To use the logic of Joey Tribbiani, Nutella? Good! Rice Krispies? Good! Marshmallows? Good! With that deductive reasoning, there is no way that these could be bad. Plus, Feb. 5 is Nutella day, so I've got to start stocking up on my Nutella-based recipes now.

3. Elvis muffins: My friend Tasha posted these on her blog the other day and left my mouth watering. Three of my biggest cravings have been peanut butter, bananas and chocolate chips, and these muffins have all three! I'm already planning on making a batch this weekend. They probably won't last very long.

4. Brown sugar blondies: I really just think I want to make these because the Valentine M&Ms are so pretty. I also think a blondie is a nice alternative to a brownie.

Have a lovely weekend!

A whole new world

2012-01-23T16:31:00.000-06:00

We took full advantage of this little perk.

Although Aladdin and his magic carpet were not involved, Saturday Scott and I ventured into a whole new world — for us anyway. We went registering for baby gear. I felt pretty prepared. My friend Heather had provided me with an extremely detailed Excel document charting all of the things she and her husband had registered for when expecting their daughter. (Obviously this document was the product of a self-proclaimed Type-A and her accountant husband.)

Armed with several printed pages of baby needs, Scott and I walked through Babies R Us's automatic doors into a sprawling almost warehouse of baby goods. Suddenly the 226-item list in my purse seemed like a mere drop in the baby bucket. We stood with mouths wide at an entire wall of baby bottles. Who knew there could be that many? What could the differences possibly be?

Slowly but surely we walked through aisles of carseats, strollers, bath accessories, bedding, toys, books and everything else you would ever need (or think you need) for your baby. We finished before Scott could request a paper bag to breathe into.

Next, we ventured to Target to repeat the process. We were both incredibly thankful that Target only has six aisles of baby goods, which we had already familiarized ourselves with at Babies R Us. We felt like old pros at this point.

Throughout the day, when either of us would become frustrated and equate our lack of knowledge about baby swings with our future parenting skills, I would remember that Preston will have two parents who love him, a house to stay in, and food to eat. That's all a baby really needs ... plus swing that moves front to back, left to right, bounces, and has six different sound functions.

11

2012-01-19T11:39:00.000-06:00

Taylor over at Tea with Mrs. Kee tagged me to participate in this little "11" tag.

The Rules
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.and then create 11 new questions for the people you tagged.
4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post.
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Fun (or not so fun) facts:
1. In the first grade, I played the titular role in our Christmas program, "The Littlest Christmas Tree" — a heartwarming tale about how even the tiniest tree can have the most Christmas spirit. My mom made my costume and, for the grand finale, the elves could turn on my battery-powered Christmas lights and hang ornaments on it.
2. One of the earliest disagreements Scott and I ever had while dating was that he never posted on my Facebook wall. I'm embarrassed by that.
3. I used to be somewhat obsessed with the Powerpuff Girls. For Halloween, I wore a Buttercup costume to school during my freshman year of high school — the perfect way to cement your weird new girl status. I'm also embarrassed by that.
4. My dad, sister and I used to fight over who got to drink the pickle juice out of the jar once all the pickles had been eaten.
5. My first major in college was pre-pharmacy. I was terrible at it.
6. After I've been reading a book for a while, I find myself narrating what I'm doing as if I'm the author of my life as a book.
7. I cry every time I see the commercial for "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (the Tom Hanks, 9/11 movie). I don't know how I could make it through the actual movie.
8. While I hate being cold, I love coats, jackets and scarves.
9. My favorite grammatical error to fix is a dangling preposition. It's like putting together a puzzle!
10. I'm nerdy enough to have a favorite grammatical error.
11. I keep Burt's Bees lip balm hidden all over the place — in purses, drawers, various nooks and crannies. They're like my Easter eggs for chapped lips.

Taylor's questions for me:
1. Why did you start your blog? Initially, I started my blog to let family know what we were up to. Even though I have a job as a writer, there was something so great about being able to write about whatever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to, so it became just as much about entertaining myself as well as those who happen to read it.
2. What movie are you most looking forward to of 2012? Probably "The Dark Knight Rises."
3. Do you prefer to bake or cook? Or neither? I prefer to bake just because I'm better at it and have a one track mind. I need to focus on one task at hand.
4. Do you have any secret talents? I do a pretty sweet Napoleon Dynamite impression (actually, all of my impressions sound like Napoleon Dynamite).
5. What is one of your pet peeves? The incredible amount of typos Channel 4 lets by on their ticker during the Today Show every morning. I've actually looked on their website for some way to contact them and offer them my freelance copy editor skills.
6. What would your dream birthday involve? I would say my birthday weekend this past year was as close as it could get: spending time with my family and finding out I was pregnant. That part couldn't be an every year thing, though.
7. What is one place you have to travel to before you die? After watching "Midnight in Paris" this weekend, I'm going to say Paris. The first three minutes of that movie are gorgeous all on their own.
8. What is your favorite holiday other than Christmas? Probably Thanksgiving. It's just so peaceful and relaxing.
9. What season do you enjoy most? Why? Summer because that's when our family beach vacation is. After the Christmas countdown comes the beach countdown.
10. What is your earliest childhood memory? That's hard because I have a terrible memory, but I do remember catching my sister as she was falling down the stairs when I was about five and she was two. I had two black eyes for my first day of kindergarten.
11. What is your favorite book? That's a toughie, but the one that inspires me to be a better writer the most is Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. He had an incredible way of working words into the perfect picture and made what was once thought as dry nonfiction as thrilling to read as fiction.

My questions for you:
1. What is your favorite blog?
2. If you had a completely free day to do whatever you wanted, how would you spend it?
3. What is your biggest food weakness and why?
4. What is one skill/talent you would love to learn?
5. What is one thing your dream house would have to have?
6. What is your favorite TV show of all time?
7. What was your favorite childhood toy and why?
8. If you were to have a patronus (a shield against dark forces that takes on the shape of an animal) like in Harry Potter, what animal would yours be?
9. Where did you grow up and would you change that location if you could?
10. Are you a dog or cat person? Or neither? Why?
11. What is something you always dread? (Ex. going to the dentist, laundry, filing your taxes, etc.)

Tag! You're it!
Alex of Thoughts From a Working Housewife
Cassie of Cassie Jones Photography
Hannah of Sundry Mumsy
Tasha of Keeping It "Girl"
Kim of Kimberly Carol
Jennifer of This Is Who I Am
Heather of World Wide Williams Family
Anna of Barefoot Mamma
Katie of A Pink Carnation
Amanda of Adventures of Entering Adulthood

Nursery canvas DIY

2012-01-18T13:49:00.002-06:00

"When I grow up" canvas with Preston's Winnie the Pooh, Sleep Sheep and little bison.

Slowly but surely, Preston's nursery is coming together. All the furniture is in place, and we're in the process of gathering those little knick-knacks that add a personal touch. To go with our dapper gentleman theme, we have gathered prints of hats, little dogs, and have a pennant on the way with his name on it, but last night I decided to do a little art project that, while it didn't directly go with the theme, is still a cute addition to his room.

Upon completion last night

I had seen a similar canvas on Pinterest a few months back and loved the sweet sentiment. Obviously I'm quite keen on Preston's dad, so why wouldn't I want two of them? (Ask me that when Scott is in super intense Type-A mode, and my answer might be different.) So, I bought a 9x12 canvas at Hancock along with the blue paint (I already had white paint) and some thin paint brushes and went to work.

I printed the sentence off the computer and cut out the letter with an Exact-o knife to make a stencil for the canvas. After I had painted the canvas blue, and it was dry, I traced the letters onto the canvas and painted them in. The whole project cost me $9 and took me about three hours. The best part was that I was also doing my homework, listening to the book I need to have read by Thursday night on my iPod. (Even better than that, I got the book for free from the library instead of $10 from iTunes!) I felt incredibly productive when it was all said and done.

I love that, with the canvas, it can sit on his bookshelf or be hung on the wall. I don't know where it will finally end up, but I'm loving how it came out.

Diaper bag dilemma

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

Last week on Facebook, I asked what made a good diaper bag and what bags my friends would recommend. It's opened up a whole world to me, and I've spent more time thinking about bags that ultimately carry poop receptacles than I ever thought I would.

Diaper bags are the one baby-related thing I have no clue about and no idea where to begin. My retinas have the imprint of psychedelic and super girly prints burned into them after looking through the typical diaper bag offerings. There are also the choices between an obvious diaper bag, a big purse that could function as a diaper bag, and the diaper bag in disguise as a big purse.

While I probably lean more toward the diaper bag as big purse option (cute but still has all the little pockets and provisions of a typical diaper bag), I don't mind a diaper bag that looks like one. I just want the pattern turned down from the 11 on the amplifier all the others seem to be on. Plus Scott has to give it his "I'd carry that" stamp of approval.

So, what options are out there? Here are a few of my top contenders at the moment.

Clockwise from left: Timi & Leslie diaper bag/backpack, Ty Lucas Baby tote (completely out of my price range, but cute just the same), Skip Hop Versa bag, Skip Hop Duo bag, JJ Cole Mode tote bag, Timi & Leslie bag

Feel free to weigh in on the debate in the comments and let me know what you think makes for a good diaper bag.

Christmas according to Instagram

2012-01-10T10:34:00.003-06:00

I got an email from my mom today requesting a blog post. I guess I'm having relaxation withdrawals after my 11-day Christmas break and haven't been able to motivate myself to blog. My body became accustomed to waking up late, napping whenever the mood struck, and seldom moving from the couch. I think my little guy got used to the routine, too, because when I woke up last Tuesday morning for work, Preston gave me a swift kick as if to say, "Hey! You're not supposed to be up yet!" I'm sure he'll pay me back for that later on.

Here are a few Instagrams from my time off. I promise I'll get back into the blogging swing of things soon.

1. A mini coffee mug I crocheted for Courtney

2. Last minute Christmas crafting

3. An intense game of Jenga between Scott and my 11-year-old cousin Lauren

4. Tackling a 1,000-piece Tinkerbell puzzle

5 & 6. Playing Headbandz (Everyone has a card on their head and has to ask the others questions to figure out what their card is.)

7. Hot chocolate and leisurely reading before grad school starts back for the semester

8. Commemorating my Trival Pursuit win over Scott

9. I've lost my feet.

10. Preston's tiny little shoes

11. Preston's quilt for the nursery

12. A hat print and little dogs for the nursery

If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, my username is jmhannigan.

Four favorite pins: Christmas presents

2011-12-22T10:56:00.000-06:00

With Christmas just days away, I'm thinking about one thing: toys. Between all the searching for the perfect nursery furniture, car seats, strollers, etc., I forgot one of the only things kids care about. Undoubtedly, my little boy will have more than he can ever play with piled under the tree for many Christmases to come, but these are of a few of the things that have caught my eye.

1. Melissa and Doug toolbox: When I worked at The Parent Teacher Store in Nashville, I learned of the wonders of Melissa and Doug. I like their classic toy approach, relying on the child's imagination over electronic bells and whistles. This little tool set is perfect because he'll be able to hammer and drill to his heart's content, without scratching the furniture.

2. DIY fabric roads: Little boys come with little cars, and those cars need a place to drive. With these fabric streets, anywhere can be the open road. Plus, they'd be really easy to take places.

3. Books (like My Daddy and Me): One thing I know for sure is that I want to instill a love for reading in my son early on. What better way than with bright, fun books — especially ones that depict a little bear cub's adventures with daddy?

4. Wooden blocks: Whether they're building a tall tower or knocking that tower to the ground, babies love blocks. I love the vintage look to this set and the letters and numbers on them. They're pretty enough that I might not mind seeing them strewn across the floor.

(Psst! You can always follow me on Pinterest!)

Christmas cards past

2011-12-21T17:05:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas cards. When Scott and I celebrated our second Christmas, I was giddy at the prospect of sending out Christmas cards. (Our first Christmas came 10 days after we got married. There was no time for cards then.) Since then, I've enjoyed getting our cards together as well as looking back over the past years' cards. In our 2009 card, we were in front of the fireplace of our new house. This year, I'm pregnant with our first child, and next year we'll get to have three names on the card (I'm thinking it will be very baby-centric, too). It's a nice little walk down memory lane.

2008

2009

2010

2011

Life lately, according to Instagram

2011-12-16T10:01:00.001-06:00

With Christmas almost a week away and all of the get-togethers that come with the holidays, Scott and I have had a lot of very busy weeknights. Here's a little of what we've been up to lately.

1. Our Christmas tree and wreaths all a-glow.

2. At work, we all decorated an ornament for the office tree. I made a little penguin man.

3. A view of last week's snow from our front door.

4. More snow!

5. We got our little boy's crib assembled without too much difficulty.

6. Scott also got him his first book — Marcel the Shell!

7. Tacky Christmas Bunco bump

8. We ordered a pizza for dinner last night and used the "romantic" tracker since it was our anniversary.

Now I'm looking forward to a lazy weekend, since all the presents are wrapped and all of my finals are done. The couch is calling my name — along with a pretty tall pile of laundry.

First comes love, then comes marriage ...

2011-12-15T12:52:00.000-06:00

Four years ago I was incredibly blessed to say "I do" to the love of my life. Marriage has been a crazy journey with ups and downs, ultimately falling more in love with the person I pledged forever to in the beginning. I know in April when "then comes baby in the baby carriage" will change it all the more, but I am so excited about what parenting holds and am glad to have Scott as my baby daddy.

As a fun little walk down memory lane, here are a few pictures of Scott and me and our years together.

Left: Scott meets the parents. (2006) / Right: My social club ring ceremony. We're engaged! (2006)

Left: Engagement photo (2007) / Right: We finally said "I do!" (2007)

Left: Honeymooning in Jamaica (2007) / Right: We graduated! (2008)

Left: Our first house (2009) / Right: Scott is now a master of business (2011)

Left: We'd just found out a couple of weeks before that we were going to be parents (2011) / Right: Now we're anxiously awaiting our little boy's arrival!

I can't wait to see what the next years bring, and I look forward to a lifetime of standing next to this man in all of those pictures!

(P.S. Last year's anniversary post.)

River Market rendezvous

2011-12-13T08:53:00.000-06:00

This Thursday is Scott and my fourth anniversary. To celebrate, Scott surprised me this past Friday with a one-night getaway to Little Rock for dinner with "none other than your dashing husband," as my email invitation read. The invitation also told me that my gray Toyota "limo" was leaving at 5:45 and that I was to be packed and ready to go by then.

My handsome date for the evening//The Christmas tree in the lobby of the Capitol Hotel

When we arrived in Little Rock, we checked in to our hotel and walked down the block to dinner at Ashley's in the Capitol Hotel. Everything we ate was delicious, especially the steak I got, which had to be well done. (As a former medium rare girl whose major pregnancy craving is red meat, I'm always overjoyed to find a place that can cook it to my pregnancy-required temperature and not having it eat like shoe leather.) The next morning, we slept in, went to lunch at the Flying Fish, then did some shopping before we headed home.

It was a great escape to galavant downtown, linked arm-in-arm with my favorite person, and feel like we were city dwellers for a day.

Ashley's window decked out for Christmas//River Market view

Week 20: Breathless

2011-12-12T09:14:00.001-06:00

If week 20 had a song, it would either be Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" (you know, because "we're half way the-re!") or the Corrs' "Breathless."

On the one hand, we're at the half way point and (hopefully) have more weeks behind us than ahead of us to meet our son. We've been slowly getting the nursery ready (the crib and bookshelf are assembled, and we have bedding just no mattress) and making other plans for his arrival, like when to start taking the birthing classes at the hospital, etc. I'm hoping that, in all the preparation, April will sneak up on us.

And then there's the matter of breathing. The stairs I climb every morning to get to my office have become my Everest. When I get to the top, I'm huffing and puffing like I'm about to blow some unsuspecting pig's house down. Also, the joint task of standing and singing at church has become a little more difficult.

This week I learned that our little guy is a night owl. After a few days of not feeling him fluttering around, I was surprised and relieved to find him kicking around at 3 a.m. Saturday morning. He was having a grand old time kicking and flipping. I told Scott that it probably didn't bode well for our future nights' sleep.

Four favorite pins: Christmas crafts and baby boy wishes

2011-12-09T09:27:00.001-06:00

My Pinterest has been dominated by two things this week: Christmas and my baby boy. Here are four of my favorites from this week.

1. Burlap Christmas wreath: I keep saying "I'm going to make a burlap wreath!" and have yet to accomplish it. I love how it is so interchangeable with the seasons, like with the addition of the Christmas colored flowers on this one. Plus, I would look really cute with some Razorback decorations next fall.

2. Baby cardigan — with elbow patches! I've found that little boy clothes are either emblazoned with monsters and dump trucks, kind of frilly looking, or have some kind of ironic statement on them. I just want a little boy, you know? This cardigan fits the bill. It's not too grandpa and still has a cute boy look about it.

3. Name pennant: I love these personalized name pennants for the baby's room. It would be so cute in a little frame collage over his crib or changing table. Plus you can pick the colors so they coordinate with the space.

4. Pinwheel baby mobile: Another thing I've been on the hunt for is a simple mobile for over the baby's crib. All of the ones I had seen prior to this one were over-the-top cutesy stuffed animals or ultra modern. I think this one provides visual interest both the baby and his parents can appreciate.

Maybe this weekend I'll finally get around to making that wreath. Probably not, but it never hurts to have a positive attitude about it.

I've been Tebowed

2011-12-05T14:49:00.001-06:00

If you had asked me a couple of years ago to share my thoughts on Tim Tebow, I would've said I didn't like him. I don't really think it was any fault of his own; he just so happened to be wearing the wrong color jersey.

Since I was little, I was taught that we did not like the Florida Gators, and it is a banner I still carry to this day. Tebow was the guy throwing their touchdowns, causing his team to be ranked over mine, and winning the Heisman trophy over Arkansas' Darren McFadden. Therefore he was to be disliked.

Lately, Tebow has been in the news — less for his performance as quarterback for the Denver Broncos and more for his outspokenness regarding his faith. Most are speaking out against his displays of faith on the field, mocking him and ridiculing him for his beliefs.

It's made me reassess my former opinions of number 15, realizing they were incredibly petty in the first place. Tebow is an incredibly genuine person, in my opinion. He doesn't point his finger to the sky in feigned gratitude on Sunday only to get pulled over for a DUI on Tuesday. When he was at the University of Florida, he took his coach, Urban Meyer, and his family on a mission trip with him, an event Meyer notes as a life-changing event for his family.

With Tebow at the helm, the Broncos have be on an inexplicable winning streak, causing his critics to turn up the volume. In our Sunday morning class yesterday, someone noted that it's not because Tebow has been setting throwing records or making incredible plays. I'm not saying that, if Jesus is on your side that you will suddenly be Super Bowl bound, but I think it has given him another avenue to show Christ. He never takes the credit for himself. He's always giving praise to his team, for their skills and persistence, not show-boating like a lot of big name quarterbacks.

This quote from Tebow when faced with the voice of his critics — one of his own teammates — is one of the things I want to work on in my life.

That's an incredible attitude to have, one we should strive to have in our daily lives. Are we telling Christ we love him as much as we should? Are we giving him the glory in good times and in bad? Look for opportunities to shout out your love for Christ this week.

Life lately, according to Instagram

2011-12-02T08:45:00.001-06:00

Recently, I've become obsessed with the Instagram app. It's a fun way of snapping little shots throughout the day I might feel silly pulling out the camera for. Here's a little of what has been going on lately.

1. Baby Santa hat and booties for next year's Christmas card

2. Scott had the Sleep Sheep set up like this when I got home a few weeks ago. He said that the sheep knew the baby would be a boy. He was right!

3. The crib is here! Now for the assembly part.

4. Apple cider on a cold night.

5. Scott surprised me with a new Christmas tree Tuesday night. He's definitely a keeper.

6. My feet are slowly being eclipsed.

Have a great weekend! We're finishing up decorating for Christmas and getting started on the nursery.

P.S. Be sure to follow me on Instagram!

A Pinteresting dinner

2011-11-30T10:11:00.001-06:00

I'm not the cook in the Hannigan household; that's no secret. Lately, though, I've been itching to get in the kitchen, and not just to raid the pantry and eat peanut butter out of the jar. I don't know if it's my maternal instincts kicking in, but I've been pinning lots of dinner ideas on Pinterest.

At the top of my "to eat" list was this loaded baked potato soup made in the crockpot. With my Tuesday night classes, dinner is a bit of a balancing act. Sometimes Scott will eat then make something for me when I get home, sometimes he'll wait, and sometimes it's a "grab whatever you can out of the fridge and make due" kind of night. I decided that this soup would be a good Tuesday night dish because Scott could eat it when he got home, I could eat it later, and it would still be warm and ready either way. Plus we have leftovers for Wednesday night before church.

Plus it incorporated my favorite kitchen tool: the crockpot. I love the crockpot. You dump all the ingredients inside that morning, turn it on and go. It's like fairies are making your dinner while you're at work.

This soup is perfect for those who are fans of O'Charley's version. We topped ours with cheese, ham (we didn't have bacon bits), and sour cream. I ate two bowls without shame. I knew I'd done well when Scott said, "Wow, honey, this is really good." It's a keeper!

Here's the recipe if you're interested!

Ingredients:
1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns (I used Ore Ida)
3 14oz. cans of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 pkg. cream cheese (This can't be fat free. It won't melt.)

Combine everything except the cream cheese in the pot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat (I did 10 because of timing, and it was just as good). An hour before you're ready to serve, add the cream cheese and maintain heat until completely melted. Serve with whatever baked potato fixings you'd like.

(Recipe source here.)

It's a ....

2011-11-23T09:51:00.000-06:00

BOY!!

Here is our precious baby boy! Have you ever seen anything cuter in your life? I know I haven't.

We found out Monday that our sweet little one is a boy, and we're thrilled! Everyone in our families (except for Scott and his grandmother) thought it was going to be a girl. The only word I think accurately describes how I felt when the ultrasound nurse told us it was a boy is flabbergasted. I was completely shocked in the very best way. I would let out a crazy laugh every now and then. While I never had specific leaning one way or another, I always thought it would be a girl but was thinking boy closer to time. I'm just so eager to meet our son!

I was amazed at how much our little peanut had grown from the last time we saw him. He was only 2.5 centimeters total at nine weeks, and now his little calf bone is that long. He's got the cutest froggy legs. He's a whopping 6 ounces! During the ultrasound, he even waved at us with his little pointer finger, his fist up by his mouth. And look at that little foot! Even as tiny as he is, he's got toenails on that foot. Our God is amazing!

Now knowing that he is a he, I can't wait for him to get here. I find myself unable to go to sleep, just laying there thinking about once he's here, tickling that foot and kissing his cheeks. April needs to hurry up!

Now we get to start preparing for the dapper gentleman nursery!

Week 17 and the great gender debate

2011-11-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the day — the day every woman counts down to after she finds out she's pregnant. This afternoon we find out if our little one is a he or a she, no longer relegated to the awful "it" pronoun. I'm so excited!

According to the poll, it's all tied up — 25 think it's a boy, while 25 think it's a girl. The Chinese gender calendar says girl, the unscientific picking of a color-coded Hershey's kiss at Bible study said girl, and the pencil test Scott and I partook in during Intersession 2006 says girl.

"What is the pencil test?" you might ask. Well, let me enlighten you. Take a good old pencil, not these fancy mechanical kinds, and stick a threaded needle into the eraser. Now you have a swinging pencil pendulum. When placed over the wrist of a man or woman, the pencil takes on a mind of its own and begins to move in a circular motion. Hang tight, because some fortune telling is about to commence. This first circle is baby number one. Then the pencil, on its own accord, breaks free from the circle, and makes one of two lines — an up and down (toward the person and over the hand) or a side-to-side (across the wrist). Up and down is boy; side to side, girl. The pencil will continue this pattern of circles and lines until the number and sex of each of your children is predicted. It will then eerily stop, completely still.

Scott and I, still a young dating couple at the time, each took this pencil test at a cookout during Intersession. We each got the same result: one girl. (It always bodes well when the object of your affection matches up in children number.) Since then, I've always kind of expected that to be the case.

So, at 3:30 p.m., we'll see if the pencil is right or not! Then the clothes shopping can commence!

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T08:41:00.001-06:00

Tuesday nights, I usually get home around 7:15 because of my hour-and-a-half long school law class after work. I'm pretty worn out at the end of those days and definitely hungry for dinner (I'm an early bird 5:30 eater). When I walked in the house this past Tuesday, my sweet husband had dinner cooked and ready to go and had cleaned the bathtub, vacuumed the house, and washed and dried two loads of clothes — even though he had had a rough day at work. I am incredibly thankful to have such a caring man to make the night I dread the most that much easier. He definitely wins the award for best husband in my book.

In addition to Scott, I'm thankful that Thanksgiving is next week, and Scott and I are taking the week off. A week of no alarm clocks, no school (although I have a project I have to complete), no responsibilities other than wearing pjs all day and eating turkey sounds positively heavenly. The glass-half-full look at being pregnant during the holidays is that you can get seconds and thirds (maybe fourths), and no one will think ill of you. The half-empty approach, though, is that by the end of these nine months, I might look like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. I choose to be an optimist, though.

I always think of the song "Count Your Blessings" when I write these, and it's wonderful to be reminded that I have far too many blessing to count. And that is a blessing all by itself.

Marcel the Shell returns!

2011-11-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

Usually people dread Mondays (OK, people and Garfield), but for me it's Tuesdays. In addition to work, I have two classes on Tuesdays, making for a non-stop day of blah. But today, on this rainy Tuesday, there's something sure to lift my spirits — the return of Marcel the Shell with shoes on!

(Click here to see the first Marcel.)

One last Razorback weekend

2011-11-14T09:02:00.001-06:00

This weekend was our last Arkansas football game of the season. It was bittersweet for a number of reasons: one because it is also our last as season ticket holders (babies have to have tickets, too, and we think it's silly to pay for a seat for someone who won't even be able to sit up) and because Arkansas played my original home team, Tennessee.

Much like our baby's first piece of clothing was an Arkansas onesie, mine was a Tennessee shirt. Before I learned to talk and eventually shout "Go big orange," when asked "What's Tennessee?" I would hold up my chubby little pointer finger for "number one!" Needless to say, I got a couple of text messages from my family on Saturday asking who I was rooting for. I cheered for both, though, but I knew things weren't looking good for Tennessee.

Sunday before we left, we went and walked around campus to see the changing leaves and the University of Arkansas' major landmark, Old Main. It served as a hospital during the Civil War, but I like it because it's pretty.

The peaks of Old Main

Scott and I pose in front of Old Main.

Left: U of A chisels all of its grads names into the sidewalks around campus. These are the first years leading up to Old Main. Right: A breezeway leading up to the library's entrance.

We've had a great time each fall going to the Razorback games and enjoying Fayetteville, but we're looking forward to next year, curled up on the couch with our little one, trying to get his or her little fingers wiggling to call the hogs. Soon enough we'll be toting him or her up there to see it all firsthand. There's a lot to look forward to!

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-10T10:40:00.000-06:00

Mackenzie, a student worker in my office, took this lovely picture on campus. Who doesn't love fall colors?

This week, I'm thankful for the changing leaves. I was driving last night under a canopy of color on the curvy road home, and I thought, "This looks like a car commercial," which is to say it was quite picturesque and could probably sell you a Lexus.

I'm also thankful for feeling the first little baby pops in my stomach last night. It felt like Pop Rocks or popcorn poking around in there. I like to think my little baby is trying to tell its first knock-knock joke, only it can't get past the knock-knocking on my stomach part. That's OK. There's plenty of time to learn the rest.

In our impatience, we've moved the ultrasound up one week so we can stop calling our baby "it." So I'm thankful that a week from Monday we'll know if our little one is a boy or a girl! (The votes in the right side bar are all tied up right now!)

Lastly, I'm thankful that I'm taking the day off tomorrow, making today my Friday! I hate for Scott to have those banking holidays off all by himself. We've got one last Fayetteville road trip this season, and we've decided to make the most of it!

What are you thankful for this week?

Fayetteville looks gorgeous during the fall as well. I love Old Main in the background.

Week 15 and the cry baby

2011-11-09T13:07:00.001-06:00

My red pre-pregnancy skirt's last hoorah.

So, it's been a little while since I last did one of these. But now that I have a replacement camera charger, I hope there will be no more shenanigans from my camera for the duration of this pregnancy. Otherwise, it might meet its fate against a brick wall.

Anyway, between the last post and this one, I've entered the second trimester. I'm hoping there's less narcolepsy and nausea now. There's one thing that I know won't be going away soon, and that's my constant crying.

I've always been a crier. In happiness, sadness, tiredness, excitement, and sickness, weeping has always been what I lean on to convey my feelings. Needless to say, pregnancy has exponentially increased the number of my tears.

The best (and also most embarrassing) was in my Writing Non-Fiction class when I got choked up during a peer critiquing session. My classmate had written about the death of her uncle in such a moving way that it had caused me to cry while reading it, and then cry while talking about it in class. And then, to top it all off, I made her cry.

Add that to the growing list of other tear-jerking moments I've experienced, like "The X-Factor" auditions; an ESPN special on high school football in tornado ravaged Joplin, Mo.; the "Branden's Proposal" YouTube video (It's ridiculously sweet. Go watch it. Ignore the choreography at the end, though); Project Runway; anything and everything with a child on it; editing the deaths section for the magazine; a story about Kate Middleton visiting children with cancer; and the fervent, silent shaking of pompoms at the Ole Miss game. These are just some of the things that have me sniffling on the sofa. I think Scott has taken it as his personal mission to seek out things that will make me cry just to see what my limit is.

I'll take crying over heartburn any day, though.

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-03T16:12:00.003-05:00

It's November, and before you know it Thanksgiving will be here, and we'll all be passed out in a turkey coma on our relatives couches. But before it's lights out and pass the gravy, I thought I'd record all the many blessings I have to be thankful for each Thursday leading up to Thanksgiving.

Today I'm thankful that God made Scott and I have different personalities, so that when he's fretting over something small, I can help him relax and see the big picture, and when I need a little motivational push, he's there to help me out.

I'm thankful for a healthy, growing baby as well as the fact there's a Taco Bell downstairs from my office for when burrito cravings strike — like today.

And I'm thankful for cold evenings with nothing to do other than curl up on the couch with Scott and some hot chocolate and watch TV.

What are you thankful for?

What's in a name?

2011-11-02T09:19:00.001-05:00

I went to the doctor yesterday for a baby check up. Hearing my little one's heartbeat never gets old, but my main excitement in going to this appointment was getting to set the next one, which is our second ultrasound and gender reveal time!

My doctor asked if we were going to find out, and without hesitation I said yes. I mean, back in the day, Courtney and I would tell what Mom and Dad were getting the other for Christmas. We couldn't stand not knowing. (Incidentally, when Scott and I got married I was shocked that he wouldn't participate in this game and insisted on keeping gifts secret until Christmas day. Some people...) So of course, between my hatred of secrets and Scott's type A personality, we'll hopefully find out on Nov. 29.

Now that the day is set, though, I'm feeling the crunch of figuring out the name situation for boy and girl. How do you even go about giving a kid a name? I mean, so what if Scott and I like it; our child is the one who will have to answer to it, learn to spell it, bubble it in on a Scantron, and so much more. It's a daunting task.

While we have our front runners, there's still a little indecision lurking there. It's a pretty permanent thing.

For those who have named a child, how did you go about it? Did both of you love the name equally going about it, or was it ultimately decided in a grand rock/paper/scissors battle? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. You now have 27 days to cast your vote in the right sidebar as to what you think Baby Hannigan's gender is. Get to it!

Nursery brainstorming

2011-10-19T13:02:00.001-05:00

While we're still a month or more away from finding out the gender of the baby, I have been planning nursery possibilities from the beginning. I've never been a fan of the cartoon sheets and over the top primary colors of most nurseries and want this room to be a welcome and soothing space for baby as well as be appealing to mom and dad. I've been pinning a lot of ideas and have recently landed on the top two contenders.

For a little boy ...

The theme title Scott and I have decided on for a boy is "The Dapper Gentleman." The room has a preppy vibe to it, but he's still a boy's boy. I wanted to steer away from baby blues and pastels because that doesn't seem boyish to me. But I didn't want dump trucks or an all out football motif, either. (I mean, I'm an Arkansas fan, but this is just too much!) This nursery takes that English hunting lodge feel and adds a bookish spin to it.

For a little girl ...

For a girl, the theme has been harder to pinpoint. I wasn't a big pink girl growing up, and I'm not looking to swathe my daughter in cotton candy, rainbows and unicorns. The overall vibe I'm going for is vintage girly. It's warm and friendly but not SPARKLES and BARBIE!!! I want it to have handmade, crafty touches as well as lots of older, weathered looking pieces. I didn't run completely away from pink, but it's definitely not an 80s hot pink-a-palooza.

Now that Scott and I are united on a nursery theme, we've got larger hurdles to jump — like agreeing on a name.

Week 11 and ironies

2011-10-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Week 11 belly

Cravings. In my nearly three months of pregnancy, I've had a few that really stuck out. Number one being carbs. I've always loved them, but in the depths of morning sickness, carbs were the one thing I could eat and not feel ill afterward. Lemon and tomato cravings surfaced around this time too, and I made a giant portion of Pioneer Woman's lemon pasta bake to feed this need with a side of baby tomatoes. I lived off that for a week.

One Saturday early on, I found myself in need of a Coke — badly. I had been doing really well and not having any caffeine, but I figured half a Coke was nowhere near my daily limit, and I was going to treat myself. The bubbles popped and fizzed like fireworks as I poured my drink over ice. My taste buds were eager for its sweet, refreshing jolt. Three big gulps later, and I felt it. Nausea. Again. I spent the rest of my day curled up on the couch angry at the Coke and my body for craving something that made it sick. Scott felt bad for me and finished my Coke for me. He's all about sacrifice.

This week, I've been all about a cheeseburger. It's all I want. Friday Scott took me out to get my fix. Let me tell you, that was the most delicious cheeseburger I've ever eaten. It was perfect. However, on the way home I turned into a fire breathing dragon as the heartburn kicked in. A couple of Tums and a glass of milk later, the blaze had yet to subside. But did I learn? No. While in Fayetteville for the game, I gave in to the siren call of a cheeseburger again, with the same results. I still don't regret the cheeseburger, though.

P.S. Don't forget you can vote on Baby Hannigan's gender in the right side bar!

Dealing with distractions

2011-10-10T08:28:00.002-05:00

This week is midterm week — the first midterm week I've had in three years that actually brought stress upon me. I have a take-home test due tomorrow night, my nonfiction essay due tomorrow (with full class critique on Thursday — eep!) and school law annotated bibilography due next week.

I think this is the only way I'll get it all done.

Happy Monday!

Lean, mean cleaning machine

2011-10-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

In March, I wrote this post about my "grown-up chore chart" and how I hoped it would help keep me organized and my house clean. Well, that chart crashed and burned — and I've yet to clean up that mess, too. I realized it'd gotten bad when the dust bunnies were packing up to move somewhere cleaner.

Some how I've completely lost all semblance of control when it comes to keeping my house clean. I blame our weekends away, but it's really more because of this ...

I've gotten so behind that the house is a monumental task, and I can't leave my poor couch all alone without me. I know in a few months idea of what being tired is will drastically change — between the baby, work, school, and the house — so I want to find a successful method before then.

So where do I turn, but to Pinterest. I found this cleaning chart designating each day a job. And while I turned my nose up at the idea of cleaning every day, I'm willing to give it a try and see if it is as terrible as I think it is. If it works, then I'll have a clean house and a happy husband.

I'm going to start this next week and then I'll report back and let you know how it goes. If it doesn't, then we're going to Plan B, which is buying this sign and calling it a day.

Week 10 and my spelling is trashed

2011-10-03T15:29:00.001-05:00

I thought pregnancy brain was a slightly blown out of proportion ailment. I mean, as a non-pregnant person, I was forgetful and scatterbrained at times. That's just being ditzy. However, in the past week and a half, I've felt like an 80 year old in need of some ginkgo biloba. There are little brain fuzzies clogging up my thought process.

Conversations have been difficult as my vocabulary has seriously dwindled. Yesterday I couldn't summon the words "cookie sheet," "cooling rack" or "couch." (Maybe it's a C-words thing?) These things by themselves wouldn't be so bad, but now I can't spell either. Today alone I have racked up two glaring spelling errors on Facebook — and I'm a copy editor! What does this say about my reliability at work? I'm an occupational hazard.

I stand before you declaring that pregnancy brain is not a myth and that it had greatly affected my verbal/written capacity. I'm not responsible for any typos in this post.

Drum roll please!

2011-09-29T14:48:00.003-05:00

I've tossed around a million ways of doing this, but I decided that simplicity is the best route. With that being said ...

We're having a baby!!!

That's right! Little baby Hannigan will be making his or her way into the world in April! Scott and I are overjoyed and have been bursting at the seams wanting to tell everyone. It's such a difficult secret to keep! I'm currently 9 weeks along and have felt pretty nauseous and very sleepy for the most part. (The first sign that something was amiss was my dozing off at work.)

We found out in the best possible way. We were in Nashville for my birthday weekend. I didn't think I was, but Scott kept telling me, "I think you are. I think you are. I've always said I'd know when you were." I was floored when I saw that little plus sign. After months of only negative results, I was shocked to see that those things could actually make a plus sign, too! It was definitely the best birthday present I've ever received!

I am so amazed at God's timing and so thankful for this blessing. I know he will guide us on the journey ahead. I marvel at His power when I think about how wecome into this world. He’s stitched each of us together and made you uniquely,wonderfully, specially you. He has given this little olive-sized individual growing inside of me such careful thought and planning. His love is truly breathtaking.

Our first ultrasound was Monday when we got our first peek at our little one and that beautiful heartbeat!

Our little peanut!

The top part is baby's head. The bottom part, the booty. The dark spot is the heart. We could see little arm nubbies waving, too.

Our family is quite excited as well. My sister found shirts for everyone and, as you can see, she's taking her promotion very seriously.

We still have a few weeks to find out the gender, so take a moment to venture a guess in the right side bar. Winner gets diaper duty!

Scott and I are thrilled about what the next seven months hold and can't wait to share them with you!

Fair-y tale

2011-09-22T09:33:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday night, Scott and I went to the fair with Rusty and Cassie. I'd never been to the fair, so I was excited to see what all the hubbub was about. We weren't there to ride the ferris wheel or eat various meats on sticks, but to do what Scott and I do best — model. OK, so that last part is said sarcastically, but we were there to serve as models for Cassie against the fair's bright, blinking lights.

If you know anything about Cassie, you know she takes awesome pictures. I'm a big fan. if you want to see more of her amazing pictures from last week, click on over to her blog. Believe me. It won't disappoint.

Substitute speaker

2011-09-21T09:23:00.002-05:00

This week has been kind of a slow, dull week with not a lot of blogging inspiration to turn into those wonderful posts you've come to expect from me (ha. ha.). So, I thought I'd let someone else do the speaking for me today. I'm always pinning quotes on Pinterest, so I thought I'd collect some of my favorites and share them with you today.

{via}

What are some of your favorite quotes? Feel free to leave them in the comments. I love a good quote.

His and hers: Coffee table books

2011-09-16T13:31:00.002-05:00

On our coffee table, Scott and I have each picked out a coffee table book to add to the pile of magazines and other knick knacks that are drawn to that space during the week.

Scott's addition to the table is Jimmy Fallon's Thank You Notes. Each Friday on his show, Jimmy "catches up with his correspondence" and writes thank you notes to various things, and this book is a collection of those. Such recipients include the Dog Snuggie ("Thank you, Dog Snuggie, for allowing us to embarrass animals in a way I never imagined possible. You did it. Thanks for that."), slow walking families ("Thank you, slow walking family in front of me on the sidewalk. No, please, take your time. And definitely spread out, too, so you create a barricade of idiots. I am so thankful that you forced me to walk in the street and risk getting hit by a car in order to pass you so I could resume walking at a normal human pace."), and preseason football ("Thank you, preseason football, for having all the excitement, commercials, and time-outs of the regular season, but with none of it mattering. I appreciate it. Thank you.").

My contribution is Boo: The Life of the World's Cutest Dog. In this book, Boo dresses up, plays hide and seek, and eats chips and salsa with his friend, Buddy. Boo and I have a lot in common. We each have adorable faces placed on disproportionately large heads. What's not to love, right? And while Scott and I aren't dog people (a terrible thing to announce to the world, I know), this book brings all the joys of dogs (their adorableness) without the hassle of them (the eating, pooping, yipping, etc.).

Your turn! What's on your coffee table?

Crochet show and tell

2011-09-13T15:19:00.001-05:00

After I sold my summer textbooks back to Amazon, I spent part of my credit on this crochet book. I'd stumbled upon it in my search for free amigurmi patterns, but after looking through it online knew it was worth the price. I mean, "seriously cute" is in the title. They're not mucking about with the cuteness factor.

As a result, I've been crocheting a lot lately, which has filled my need for adorable animals and gifts with which to bribe children to love me. It's a win/win, really.

Here are a few of my recently completely projects.

The puppy dog is for a little girl in our home Bible study. She loves to act like a dog, crawling around on the floor, barking, rolling over, etc. I figured she needed a puppy pal. I did change him up a little bit, though. The book called for nubby-like ears similar to the legs, but it came off looking more like a reindeer than a puppy. So I made the elephant ears instead to give him sweet floppy ears instead. I like how they came out a lot better.

The lion is for our friends' brand new baby boy. Every boy needs a lion to go on adventures with, right? In the process of making the lion, he was one-eyed for a long time. I'd run out of black yarn. I thought he might look good with an eye patch though.

Right now I'm in the middle of a making a monkey. The building stages of making an animal is funny because during the process it looks like some kind of massacre with legs and heads and stuffing strewn about. But it all comes together in the end.

This hat is for the baby boy, too, but the pattern isn't from the book. I had a baby beanie hat I built this pattern from, adding the bill, leather buttoned strap and colored trim. I used the same basket weave stitch I did for the bear hat only this time I did it all over the hat. I think it's perfect for a dapper little man.

I knew I'd done well when Scott was extra impressed with the hat. The Scott stamp of approval is a hard one to get.

House in progress: New living room seating

2011-09-12T13:35:00.003-05:00

Since Scott's graduation, we've kind of toned down on the house a bit. I guess when the threat of your whole family coming to see your house is looming, you have a little more of a fire underneath you to get things done. The office is still not up to picture-taking standards, and the guest bedroom is serving as a catch all for anything we don't want to deal with at the moment. We have, however, made an unexpected change.

Wednesday night, Scott and I were sitting down to eat dinner ~~at the dinner table~~ in the living room. (One of my goals when we moved into this house was to eat dinner at the table and not on the couch. We've improved to eating there about 60 percent of the time, but sometimes the couch and TV wins.) When Scott went to pop up the footrest on his recliner, it was accompanied by a terrible metallic screech. He closed it back with another screech and a clang. When he looked underneath the chair, a large metal piece and several screws and springs were there to greet him. His man chair was dead.

Friday night we went to a local furniture store to see what they had to offer. There was football to be watched the next day, and you can't watch football without a man chair. Scott found quite a few that fit the bill but landed on one in particular. He then began to convince me that we really needed the leather couch that went with it.

Scott's always been down on our couch. He says the color is too rusty, the shape too modern, the vibe too 70s and what have you. But I've always loved that couch. He's got his man chair, and I have my couch. It's my napping companion and is the cushiest couch you'll ever sit on.

But Scott won the couch battle after he had me sit on the one in the store. It was quite comfy and not quite the cold leather I was anticipating.

The pair were dropped off just in time for kick off on Saturday.

Here's the living room before:

This picture was taken once we got everything set up after moving in. I failed to get a proper before shot before the new stuff came. The chair got hauled off, and the couch is now in the office to give me a proper grad school reading space other than the bed. I'll probably fail asleep reading there, too, though.

And here is the living room after:

Both ends of the couch recline, so Scott and I can easily both be comfortable on the couch, with him sitting on the end with his feet up and my head in his lap laying the other way. And as for the couch's nap-ability? It passed my battery of tests on Saturday and Sunday, so it gets my stamp of approval. Now to find some throw pillows that pass the nap test.

Sick days

2011-09-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

{via}

While I was laying on my couch yesterday, bemoaning my puny condition, I realized that my sick day routine now still looks a lot like my sick days in high school. The only way to feel better is curling up on the couch or in your bed and hosting your own sick day movie marathon, getting up only to rummage through the kitchen for bland foods to eat (Uncle Ben's microwavable rice and lunchbox-sized applesauce cups were on yesterday's menu).

I watch all the same movies on my sick days. Then, it was "Moulin Rouge," "Pretty in Pink" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (all on VHS, too). Now it's "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and a Beatles movie of my choosing (yesterday it was "Yellow Submarine"). These are the movies that Scott refuses to watch with me. He doesn't know their timeless joy. (I blame "Ferris" for my longstanding crush on Matthew Broderick.)

I think the comfort in having sick day movies is that you don't have to be completely conscious to enjoy them. The delirium of your fever or unfocusing eyes brought on by cold medicine don't interfere with the plot that you already know by heart. And they always make me feel better, too — definitely better than depressing daytime TV with their "go to college in your pj's" or "sell your kidneys for quick cash" commercials. If I was Dr. Jennifer Hannigan, I'd recommend three cc's of DVDs — stat! — then call me in the morning.

What is your sick day routine?

College game day

2011-09-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

Giddy with the excitement of two children on Christmas eve, Scott and I just couldn't take it any longer and made the trip to Fayetteville Friday night. We had been waiting for the first kick off since January, and the time had finally come!

Saturday was full of the game day traditions we'd come to love last year and miss during the off season. We hit up our favorite bookstore as well as some really neat shops in downtown Fayetteville. If you've ever found yourself lacking in Razorback apparel, that is definitely the place to go. Plus, there was a speciality knitting and crochet shop there, too! I was in heaven.

For lunch, we went to the Catfish Hole, a favorite restaurant for all things Southern and fried. It was a special occasion, though, as they were hosting basketball coach Mike Anderson and a potential future Razorback basketball player. The enthusiasm of the announcer was pretty entertaining. It was like a religious revival. The former assistant coach of our national championship winning days come home to restore the glory to Bud Walton Arena! Can I get an amen?!

We also got our picture with Mike Anderson, not before I made a fool out of myself trying to shake his hand with the hand I was also holding my sucker with. This one definitely gets to go on the bookshelf next to the one of D.J.!

Afterward, it was game time! We walloped the other team (as to be expected) and had a great time in our old seats just like old times. There was lots of woo pig-ing and finger wiggling, plus a couple of amazing punt returns by Joe Adams. Will this season be our championship year? If everyone we play is like Missouri State, I don't see why not! (We're not that lucky though.)

It's almost here!

2011-09-02T08:47:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow kicks of the Razorback football season, and I know we're all thinking the same thing — what will I wear?! Yes, this is the ever-important question I'm faced with every game day. I used to be a jeans and Arkansas T-shirt girl — that is, until we went to Ole Miss. You see, Ole Miss fans show up, sartorially speaking, for football games. No T-shirts, here. The guys are decked out in their Southern preppy finery, with button-up shirts, khakis, sweaters and loafers accompanying their "Hoddy Toddy" styrofoam cups. And the girls are in skirts or dresses and heels. I felt like quite the shlub in my jeans and hoodie.

Since then, I've vowed to no longer feel shlub-like on game day. I've taken a cue from the Old Miss fans and from the Arkansas sorority girls (just fashion-wise, not morally) and put together a chart of what to wear throughout the season, inspired by this post, from accessories, dresses, tops and bottoms, outerwear, and the all-important shoes.

{Row 1: sunglasses, necklace, sunscreen, pearls, koozie, scarf, gloves, tights, thermos, blanket// Row 2: dress 1, dress 2, dress 3, dress 4// Row 3: sleeveless top, red striped top, white sweater, red sweater// Row 4: striped cardigan, drape-front jacket, red jacket, black coat// Row 5: red skirt, red belt, red shorts, khaki shorts, jeans, red pants// Row 6: sandals, TOMS, ballet flats, boots}

So, what's your game day dress approach? As I was hemming and hawing through my closet as to what to wear tomorrow, Scott reminded me that it is a football game and not a fashion show, but he is the one bringing several outfits to choose from.

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-08-31T11:24:00.001-05:00

{Linked up at This Kind of Love}

Is it already Wednesday? Let's hope the rest of this week goes by as quickly as the first half did.

Obviously I'm loving that the first Razorback game of the season is Saturday! I've been making mental lists of things I've missed about Fayetteville so we can be sure to hit them up. I'm dreaming of Doe's drop biscuits, that's for sure!

{via}

I'm loving these boots I got for my birthday. I was always under the impression that, as a short person, boots would just make my already short legs look shorter. But then I got these lovelies from my mom and dad for my birthday and was proven wrong. I feel like Monica when I say that they look cute with skirts, dresses and pants, but they do! I even bought a pair of skinny jeans to wear with them. Who am I?

{via}

And of course I'm loving my sweet husband. He's had a rough couple of weeks at work, and I'm looking forward to cheering him up with a long weekend that includes Arkansas football!

Bits & pieces: Vanna's Choice yarn (I'm a crochet nerd and proud!); new clothes bought with birthday money; time spent with family; and baby tomatoes.

Being 26 doesn't stink

2011-08-29T11:28:00.001-05:00

I'll be honest. I haven't been looking forward to the big 2-6. I'm no longer in my "early 20s" (although I can say "mid-20s" still). But after a weekend away in Nashville celebrating with my family, I think 26 is going to be — dare I say it? — the best year ever if all the fun we had is any indication.

Saturday we went to Local Taco for lunch. The restaurant uses only local ingredients (hence the name) and makes a variety of tacos from classic Mexican to barbecue and fried chicken versions. I got the southern fried chicken and grilled steak, and they were delicious. I took our lunch out as an opportunity to up my blogger cred and take pictures of my food. Oh, and my family, too. You can't miss out on them.

After lunch we went to Las Paletas, a local popsicle place, for dessert. They make all their own popsicles in a variety of flavor combinations. I got pistachio, and Scott got pineapple chili. And then he got raspberry lime. They were good enough to get several of.

We then moved on to Courtney's new condo. She and Dad spent most of the summer working out there putting down floors, fixing the kitchen, painting furniture. They literally put their blood, sweat and tears into it, and it looks great! And while all their hard work paid off, the only picture of Courtney's place that I walked away with is this one of her and her and her roommates' resident straw giraffe, Norman.

Then, we capped off the afternoon like any weekend in Nashville should be, and went shopping. I was probably too happy to be back in my favorite JCrew, but there's no proper online substitution for being in the actual store. It was perfect. The whole family left with something — even Dad, who had actually been in the mall three times that week! Mark that day on your calendars as it will be celebrated for generations to come.

Sunday was church followed by more dining out (this time I had cinnamon French toast at Southside Grill but had my blogger badge revoked since I didn't take a picture of it). We then began the long drive back, stopping to see my grandmother, uncle, aunt and cousins along the way.

It was a wonderful weekend, and, just like all wonderful weekends, was much too short. Since today is my actual birthday and not the grand celebration leading up to it, Scott said he'd take me to dinner, and I've requested Which Wich because although I may be 26 now, I still have the tastes of a six year old.

Scott also excelled in buying my birthday present (since I pulled it up on the computer for him to order. I'm subtle). I got this necklace I'd pinned on Pinterest from Etsy with a J, a heart and an S on it, for reasons that should be obvious. I love it and have worn it every day since I opened it early last week. I have no self-control.

Yes, I think I can say that 26 definitely doesn't stink as much as I thought it would. Let's not even talk about 27, though.

Roses are red, my hair is gray...

2011-08-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

I just can't rock the gray streak like Stacey does.

My 26th birthday is Monday, and I can already feel Father Time tick-tick-ticking away at me. And he's attacking my hair.

I have a pretty set after-work routine. I always brush my hair when I get home because, somewhere between the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m., birds nest in my hair. It's like I work in a wind tunnel. I don't know how it gets so tangled just sitting at a desk. As I was untying my hair knots, I noticed a glint. Not a "Oh, my hair's so shiny like a Pantene commercial" glint, but a silver glint. A gray glint.

I've seen this guy before. The first time I plucked him from my head and had Scott convince me that he was actually blonde. The second time he hid beneath his dark brown brothers, escaping my clutches and living to go on being gray another day. But last night, he was unabashedly gray — slapping me in the face, taunting me with early bird specials and orthopedic shoes. And this time, he brought friends — well, a friend and a half. There was one who was semi-converted and had only partially gone over to the dark side — make that the gray side.

I searched and separated and singled out the offenders, read them their last rites, and yanked them from my head, sending them to spend the remainder of their days in the sink drain.

But then, this morning, I was shaken to my core when I saw a snowy white hair waving at me — from my eyebrow. Really? What cruel twist of fate is this? Not only will I be forced to dip my head in the dark, muddy waters of permanent hair dye to control the mutiny there, but I'll also be forced to dye my eyebrows?

I give up. Start sending me my membership card, AARP. I'll be at Western Sizzlin' at 3 p.m. if you need me.

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-08-24T11:17:00.000-05:00

{Linked up at This Kind of Love}

It's been forever since I've done a "What I'm Loving Wednesday," and I figured a rainy, dreary Wednesday on the first week of school needed as big of a boost as it could get!

I'm loving that Scott and I are going to Nashville this weekend to see my family and celebrate my birthday (which is Monday, so you still have time to shop). We haven't been to Nashville in forever (I think this was the last time), and I'm so excited to get to see Courtney's new condo and spend time with everyone.

I'm loving that there's only nine days until the start of college football! We have quite the line up of games planned along with a few away game ventures. I'm just giddy with excitement!

I'm loving that our school year home Bible study starts tonight. Scott and I met at this Bible study in school, and I love getting to be a part of it now as one of its leaders. It's a big part of us. I wonder who the next Scott and Jennifer will be in that group.

Playing after Bible study Catchphrase, spring 2006. It looks like popsicles and triumphant hand gestures were on the menu that night.

One thing I'm not loving, though, is that today is my coworker Heather's last day in the office. She's off to be a stay-at-home momma to her sweet baby girl (who'd better hang on a few more days and get a sapphire birthstone). I'm going to miss having her in the office because she's become a great friend to me. The good part is she's not leaving town, so we can still have our Cookie Basket lunches, just adding a little one to the mix!

Bits & pieces: Dried mango; the mini Warbler (a little guy who really loves his "Glee"); shopping for fall clothes; amigurumi crochet (making crocheted stuffed animals); and Keebler fudge stick cookies.

Dream coats

2011-08-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

I hate winter. I hate being cold. So it comes as no surprise that I absolutely love coats, scarves, hats, mittens and all that other puffed up warmness. While flipping through my September issue of InStyle, I came across this ad for the prettiest camel coat from LOFT. All last winter I searched high and low for the perfect camel coat, and here she was. I swooned. In fact, I'm still swooning. Excuse me a minute...

OK, where was I? Oh yeah, the coat.

While I was composing a sonnet for this beauty, Scott firmly told me no more coats and that I had plenty. Running through the list in my head, it doesn't seem like that many — a black one, a green one, a navy one, a trench, plus a few jackets, blazers and pull-overs — but compared to Scott's one, I guess it can seem a little excessive.

Surely by the time I wear him down on his no-coats stance, this one will be on sale. But until that day comes, here are a few other swoon-worthy coats I've got my eyes on, if price wasn't an issue.

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

What clothing item are you addicted to?

The Pinterest Challenge: Summer edition, part two

2011-08-18T10:58:00.001-05:00

{Click here for part one!}

In addition to my long list of crochet-ables I have on Pinterest, I also have a lot of potential crafts in mind — specifically in the DIY jewelry department. And while all of these projects looked like such fun to tackle, my small town didn't have a suitable craft store. That was until the local Hancock's got a crafty face lift! When I went in for my monthly yarn shopping, I was surprised to see row after row of jewelry-making, crafty goodness! I was more excited than a normal person should be and immediately new which project I would tackle first: these colorful wrap bracelets!

{via}

I love the layered look and how I could choose whatever colors I wanted (or felt my wardrobe needed). I gathered up the necessary materials at Hancock's — leather cord, embroidery thread, ball chain and diamond chain — and went to work. I think my leather cord is thicker than theirs because while they suggest using a hex nut for the closure, I just tied a knot at the end and slip it through the loop on the other side. (Click the "via" link above for the "how to.")

Here's my final result:

I really love the final outcome! Scott says the red one looks like a dog collar. I tell him to hush his mouth (in a loving, respectful way, of course). I was thinking it would be the perfect addition to my game day apparel in a few weeks. The turquoise and yellow were two of my favorite colors for the summer, and they add the perfect pop of color to just about anything.

So, thus ends my summer Pinterest challenge. I'm sure you'll be seeing lots more of these projects posted here in the future. I can't help but show off the good ones.

P.S. Like the new look? I thought it was time for a little sprucing up around here. Let me know what you think!

Linked up at the Crafty Nest!

Keep on truckin'

2011-08-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This isn't my truck. Unfortunately.

There are several things I've said I'd never do that I've ended up actually doing; living in Arkansas, going to grad school, and cutting my hair short are three examples. Now I can add a fourth one to the list: driving a truck. Since Scott is the new branch manager at Bald Knob, he needed a more fuel-effiecient ride for his longer commute. So I sacrificed, giving him the Camry and getting his Chevy in return.

It must be a visual oxymoron to most, I in my work clothes and heels hoisting myself into the big white truck — not unlike my brief high school stint as a shot-put thrower (another story for another day). In my two months of truck driving, I have improved my ability to actually handle the six-cilandered beast. My parking still has a lot to be desired, though. But I've never excelled at that anyway.

During the first week I was driving it, I was getting ready to leave when it started to rain. I was wearing satin-covered shoes and, not wanting to ruin them, took them off, put them in my purse, and jogged across the street barefoot. (Feet dry, but satin shoes are ruined forever.) When I got in my truck, I realized I was now the embodiment of a stereotype: a barefoot, Arkansan truck driver. Luckily, I have all my teeth.

My coworker Heather has joked that she'll get me a pink John Deere hat to complete my new identity. I'll add some Yosemite Sam mud flaps, and we'll be set. (If you ever get the chance, ask my dad to do his Yosemite Sam impression. It's spot on.)

Hopefully I'll master truck driving soon enough and those around me will no longer have to live in fear.

The Pinterest Challenge: Summer edition

2011-08-15T14:05:00.005-05:00

My friend Alex posted this to my Facebook last week and told me I needed to do this. But then, like most things I do, I ended up doing it late. I was supposed to have this post up last Tuesday, but instead I'm going to make it two posts and a week late. I like to make things my own, after all.

I'm always nervous about doing something I've seen online because I'm afraid I won't do it as well as the original, like this pin I found:

Note: I didn't make these cupcakes. I found this picture on Pinterest.

But I put on my big girl craft pants and went to work. My Pinterest is heavy with items on my "to crochet" list. Sometimes I feel like I should apologize to my followers for my yarn-centric pins, but there are so many awesome things to make out there! I'd been looking for the perfect baby gift to make for my coworker Heather's baby shower when I found this adorable teddy bear hat.

[via]

The pin didn't lead to a pattern, so I was left to my own devices as far as making it. I have a generic baby hat, but it was the alternating patterns that had me scared. Was I woman enough to tackle these various stitches? After some time searching YouTube (where I've learned most of my stitches), I went to work on this baby shower gift. Here's the final result.

I think it's pretty spot on! I really love the criss-cross stitch and think the various stitches give the hat lots of texture and character. I can't wait to see it modeled in a few more weeks! To go along with the hat, I crocheted my first stuffed animal — appropriately enough, a teddy bear.

I think they make a cute pair, don't you? And while the bear didn't come from Pinterest inspiration, I couldn't help but show her off anyway. I'm a crafter and a bragger.

Later this week I'll show you the bracelets I made from another Pinterest inspiration. Try not to soil yourself with excitement, OK?

What Pinterest-inpired crafts have you undertaken?

P.S. Want to see more of my Pinterest crafts? Click here.

Linked up at The Crafty Nest

Duty calls

2011-08-11T08:24:00.000-05:00

Some call it your civic duty, others call it torture, but whatever you call jury duty, it's seldom looked at as an exciting event. Scott got his notice in the mail last week and, compounded with the ongoing car saga, exclaimed, "Why do bad things keep happening to us?"

So he's off to the courthouse this morning, trying his best to look like an unfriendly potential juror. I suggested he pull a Liz Lemon.

Do you have any jury duty horror stories? How do you attempt to get out of it?

Thoughts from the mister: Some like it hot

2011-08-08T13:30:00.003-05:00

Scott enjoyed blogging so much last time that he thought he'd do it again. This time it's all about his latest love affair with TABASCO. Enjoy!

Would you believe me if I told you that I devour a bottle of TABASCO brand pepper sauce every month? Well, it’s true. As of late, it seems that no food is complete with a dash or two or three of TABASCO. The spicy and vinegary sauce delights my taste buds and awakens my mouth, providing a much loved Southern Creole comfort. Whether you are sitting down to a platter of a dozen oysters or a warm bowl of pinto beans and cornbread, TABASCO must somehow find its way on to your plate. It always finds its way onto mine.

Some Like Its History
According to family tradition, Original TABASCO brand pepper sauce was created in the mid-to-late 1860s by Edmund McIlhenny. A food lover and avid gardener, McIlhenny was given seeds of Capsicum frutescens peppers that had come from Mexico or Central America. On Avery Island in south Louisiana, he sowed the seeds, nurtured the plants, and delighted in the spicy flavor of the peppers they bore.

The diet of the Reconstruction South was bland and monotonous, especially by Louisiana standards. So Edmund McIlhenny decided to create a pepper sauce to give the food some spice and flavor — some excitement. Selecting and crushing the reddest peppers from his plants, he mixed them with Avery Island salt and aged this “mash” for 30 days in crockery jars and barrels. McIlhenny then blended the mash with French white wine vinegar and aged the mixture for at least another 30 days. After straining it, he transferred the sauce to small cologne-type bottles with sprinkler fitments, which he then corked and sealed in green wax.

More than 140 years later, TABASCO Sauce is made much the same way except now the aging process for the mash is longer — up to three years in white oak barrels and the vinegar is high quality distilled vinegar (www.tabasco.com).

Rocky Top Tennessee

2011-07-29T14:13:00.000-05:00

Since Tuesday's post was rather Arkansas-centric, I thought I'd keep my parents happy and not neglect my home of 22 years, Tennessee. It's hard because to me both Tennessee and Arkansas are my home. I know that there's no better way to celebrate "good ol' Rocky Top" than with a collection of some of my favorite Volunteer state pieces. Maybe I can convince Scott that we need one of these at home.

A simple gray canvas print of home.

Tennessee's state motto.

I love this Tennessee necklace with the cut-out heart.

This would be nice in a frame in the office at home.

Well-known Nashville districts.

I love seeing all the Tennessee points of interest on this pillow.

If you're like me and call two states "home," how do you celebrate both?

Sources: canvas, motto, necklace, print, sign and pillow.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2011-07-26T08:37:00.000-05:00

That's right! I'm already counting down; after all it's only 38 days until the beginning of football season! (What? Did you think I was talking about Christmas?)

Last week's SEC media days got me trembling with excitement. Football season is almost here, and I am giddy with anticipation! I thought I'd collect a few of my favorite Razorback things to get you as excited as I am to call the hogs!

A good Hogs shirt is a must, and I love the vintage logo on this one.

I love this preppy Vineyard Vines tote with tiny razorbacks around the brim.

I've got a razorback cookie cutter that I can't wait to put to use. These cookies are my inspiration.

No house should be without the fight song on one of its walls!

I love this tailgating decor. It would be perfect for an away game party at home.

Red TOMS classics are my favorite game day shoes.

The red polka dot trim is adorable on this pillow.

A neat design celebrating all things Arkansas.

I might not be a pet person, but this little piggy in red boots has me rethinking that.

Are you as excited as I am about Arkansas football? What are you looking most forward to for football season?

Sources: Shirt, tote, sign, decor, shoes, pillow, print, and pig.

His and hers: Ice cream

2011-07-25T11:30:00.000-05:00

Scott and I have very different tastes when it comes to the foods we like. He prefers the perfect mix of sweet and salty, while I want sugar with a side of sugar and a little sugar on top. This difference is best displayed in our freezer where we each have our favorite ice cream treats stored. His is Haagen-Dazs' butter pecan; mine is Blue Bunny's birthday party ice cream sandwiches.

Now, Scott's not here to tell you why he loves his, but I can go on for days about why the birthday party ice cream sandwiches are far superior. One, it has cake batter-flavored sandwich cake. Two, it has sprinkles in the ice cream. Three, it has blue frosting swirled around inside. Yes, I'll say it again, blue frosting! While my taste buds might not be the most mature in the world, they know what they like — and they like blue frosting.

(Can't get enough of my blogging today? Then click on over to the Harding magazine blog to read about the Searcy Summer Dinner Theater date Scott and I went on this weekend.)

What a day

2011-07-22T10:08:00.001-05:00

Well, here's the car. It's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, but it's definitely not in the condition I last saw it.

Despite the stress of the car wreck, we actually had a nice evening. At about 4:45 the body shop called and said that the tow truck driver and failed to get the car key from Scott and therefore we needed to go back to Little Rock and drop it off. We loaded up in our little rental (a roller-skate otherwise known as a Chevy Cobalt) and headed back.

Once we dropped of the key, we decided we needed to do something fun, so we went to Pei Wei (not Taco Bell) for dinner. It was nice to feel like we were out for a special reason (since dinner in Little Rock is a special event) in the midst of a trying day. When we opened our fortune cookies, we got a nice reminder that things weren't really that bad.

Yet another reminder that the car is just a thing, that we have God and each other, and that is just what we need. Plus, the wreck was an "unexpected event," so maybe we'll be getting some riches out of that?

Afterward, I decided Scott needed some cheering up, so we went to his favorite place on earth — The Container Store, a veritable heaven on earth for Type-A's. We then headed home, playing our version of "Name That Tune" with Cranium's Humdinger rules. (If your not familiar with the game Cranium or its Humdinger cards, let me explain. You've got to get your partner to guess the song by only humming or whistling. It can be quite difficult based on the song or the hummer.) Scott boasted about his whistling skills, while mine were less than great. It's hard to whistle when you're laughing. I do think I did a pretty great rendition of Weezer's "Say It Ain't So," though.

There's an Italian Renaissance idea of romance called sprezzatura. It means that you find the romance in your ordinary life. (I'd like to say that I learned this from my studies in Italian culture or through reading the manuscripts of ancient Italian philosophers, but, alas, I learned it from Ames on "The Bachelorette.") I realized that last night in the car coming home, laughing and whistling and enjoying our night despite the fact the morning had been so difficult. That's why I can say that yesterday was a good day.

Things

2011-07-21T11:48:00.000-05:00

I chide Scott when he forgets to call or text me on the days he drives to Little Rock. I just like to know he's made it there safely. Usually I take the "no news is good news" approach and let it go. This morning as he left I said, "Try to call me if you remember." He replied, "I'll try; I'll try." I took that as a "I probably won't."

When my phone rang, I was surprised he actually remembered, even more so that he was calling and not the usual "Here." text message. His first words were not what I expected. "I've been in a wreck," he said. "I'm fine, but the car is in bad shape." Even though I clearly heard the words "I'm fine," the tears had already started falling. Just the idea that he was stranded an hour away from me and could've been hurt was too much. I felt helpless. After giving me the details, he hung up to call the police, and I prayed a quick prayer of thanksgiving that it was only the car and not something much, much worse.

Between tow trucks, insurance agents, body shops and car rentals, I was reminded that these are just things — silly, small, trivial things that mean nothing in the grand scheme of it all. I didn't care that his coffee had rained down a sticky, staining mess in the interior or that the car might be completely totaled. All that mattered was that Scott wasn't hurt and that God had protected him. That's all that matters. I'm so incredibly thankful for that.

Off the bookshelf: The Help

2011-07-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

"You have to read The Help."

When I got my Kindle, that book was recommended once for every other book suggested. So, never one to ignore good advice, I downloaded it as one of my beach reads. When I finished, I knew it was definitely worth all of the eager recommendations.

Set in the civil rights movement era in Jackson, Miss., the book follows Aibileen and Minny, who are black housekeepers, trusted to raise the children of their white employers but not allowed to use the same restroom, and Miss Skeeter, a recent graduate of Ole Miss who received a degree but not a husband much to the chagrin of her mother and yearns to be a writer. Together the trio document the secrets of the household help to change their surroundings and themselves in the process.

The author created such strong characters you feel that they are real, living and breathing people. Her villain, Hilly Holbrook, is so vividly described that it's easy to really, truly dislike her. She's really terrible. You know it's a good book when you audibly gasp, feel your blood pressure rise with anger, and tear up at a sweet moment. And I did all of these things.

I join the chorus of those who recommended this book to me because you should really read this book. It's been made into a movie and will come out in August, so you have time to read it before then if you're one of those types. If not, do it anyway. You'll thank me for it. I'll be waiting right here.

Weekend round-up

2011-07-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

The Hannigans had quite the busy weekend — full of Harry Potter costumes, golfing for the mister, crafting for the misses, tacky lawn decor, capping it all off with a giant water slide with our Sunday morning Bible class. And yet I didn't take one single picture of any of it. Blogger/human being fail, I guess.

(Advance warning... this is a slight hodgepodge. But I'm allowed to be scattered every now and then.)

Friday night we went to a Harry Potter party at our friends', Katie and Nate's, apartment. I wore my Harry Potter T-shirt and felt severely underdressed surrounded by others costumed as Luna, Delores Umbridge, Moaning Myrtle, death eaters, multiple Bellatrixes and Harrys. Scott was dressed as a muggle. We feasted on dragon chili, snitch cupcakes, mandrake dirt pudding (complete with leaf-sprouting baby doll head), Hagrid's rock cakes, acid pops, and all kinds of other sugary goodies. Katie threw an excellent Potter Party, dividing us into houses (I was a Ravenclaw; Scott, a Hufflepuff. I made fun of him for that.) for trivia and scavenger hunts (or "Tom's Riddles"). Afterward we went and saw the movie. I spare you of a full on review/book-to-movie comparison, but it was tense, action-packed, and tear-jerking — both for happy and sad reasons. I'm sad to see it end.

Oh! I lied! I have this terrible cell phone picture taken of us getting ready to watch the movie. Scott's mocking my excitement.

Saturday we were kind of lazy. Scott went golfing, and I tackled some more Pinterest crafts. Some were successes, others not so much. I guess that's what you get when you buy a $2 hot glue gun.

That night we were "yard-arted" by Rusty and Cassie, meaning our lawn became the temporary home to a flock of flamingoes, gnomes, a swan holding some rubber duckies, and several other "lovelies."

Another lie! I have a picture of that, too.

Note the plunger.

Anyway, Sunday night we went to Rusty and Cassie's farm (not to return their "lovely" lawn ornaments) for a Bible class cookout/giant slip-and-slide. The men folk and children partook in the water games. The women spectated. It was so much fun to fellowship with the people in our class. Our class is really coming into its own, and I can honestly say it's been one of the greatest groups I've been a part of, for my faith, for my marriage, and for the friendships I've made.

No lying this time, just stealing, as these photos are stolen from Cassie.

I want to know how many guys were bruised and grunting like 80-year-olds the next morning. I know that I live with one of them.

This craft brought to you by Pinterest

2011-07-12T13:28:00.000-05:00

If there was a support group for Pinterest addicts, you'd better believe I'd be there. If you're unfamiliar with the highly addictive website, let me break it down for you. Pinterest is an inspiration board website where you can collect, or "pin," your favorite things from around the Web in one easy to find location. You can also see the pins of other users and find inspiration that way. I have boards for clothes, recipes, crocheting and even The Beatles — plus a lot more. It's amazing the time you can waste away browsing through all of the stuff on there. Much like Facebook, the magic of Pinterest is lost in its explanation. You can only appreciate it when you go on a Pinterest bender, resurfacing from your computer 72 hours later wondering when it got so dark outside and what today's date is.

What Pinterest has done for me, besides sucking up a large portion of my time, is made me more crafty, or at least want to be more crafty — in the creative sense, I mean. Not the evil, mustache-twirling sense. I decided to hone my Pin-spiration (see what I did there?) and actually do some of the things I'd found.

Project one is for a Harry Potter party Scott and I are going to on Friday. While I don't have full on wizard attire, I decided that I wanted to wear something to celebrate the final Potter flick.

So, I took this Harry Potter print ...

[source]

... along with this tutorial on freezer paper stenciling ...

[source]

... and made this shirt.

I love how the shirt came out. I realize the purple shirt is more Ravenclaw than Gryffindor, but there were no red shirts in my size, so purple it is. I knew I'd done well when Scott, who was skeptical of the craft in the first place, said it turned out really well.

I also took to Pinterest when it came my turn to host Bunco. I wanted a summery, picnic theme, so I took these ideas ...

[sources, clockwise: 1, 2, 3, 4]

... and turned them into this ...

I had to do a looser translation on the doily on the paper bags because there is not a cute doily to be had anywhere around me. I've looked almost everywhere.

I can't wait to tackle more of the ideas I've pinned, like this crochet football hat, this zucchini spaghetti or this cute states print (with Arkansas and Tennessee, of course).

So, are you a pinner? Follow me at jmhannigan. If you find yourself with lots of time you'd love to waste, leave me your email in the comments, and I'll send you a Pinterest invitation!

Harry Potter mania

2011-07-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it. I used to make fun of those on the Harry Potter bandwagon (the Hogwarts Express, if you will) — namely my sister. It seemed like a ridiculous concept to get caught up in — a boy wizard who goes to a wizard school? No thanks. But then I read the first one and I was hooked. And now here we are, at the end of an era. The last Harry Potter movie is just days away, and I'm as excited as Collin Creevy but as sad as Moaning Murtle that this is the end of it all. In celebration of this momentous occasion, here are a few of my favorite Potter-related things.

They were so young! (source)

Always a good thing to remember. (source)

Potter pillows (source)

I love info graphics. (source)

Cupcakes (source)

A LEGO Dobby — with a sock! (source)

The end ... (source)

Scott, Courtney and I at the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows several summers ago.

So, are you planning any Harry Potter extravaganzas next week? Or are you as morose as Snape and couldn't care less?

Fourth of July weekend

2011-07-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

It was so nice to have a three-day weekend to look forward to at the end of my first week back to work. Saturday, Scott went golfing so I ran some errands and worked on a grad paper. Walmart and APA style doesn't sound like a fun morning, but I also stopped by the farmer's market to see what local offerings there were. I got some yummy blackberries and baby tomatoes.

After working on a 10-page paper I'd put off until that very moment, Scott and I went to Judsonia with Rusty and Cassie for dinner and fireworks. Since Searcy no longer has a fireworks show, I did some investigating to find somewhere else to watch things explode. And we weren't let down! Judsonia put on a good show (although some dinky Roman candles at the beginning lead us to believe that was all we would see), and even though we were out too late to get strawberry shortcake at the Bulldog, we still had a great time!

Photos by Cassie

Sunday we grilled our lunch and dinner. And "we" really means "Scott," but I did help in the kitchen making the cheesy grits and lima beans for lunch. And it all tasted good, too! Even what I made. Scott put some of my tomatoes to use in a peach salsa on top of the porkchop. The salsa later met its untimely demise all too soon at the hands of tortilla chips in front of the TV.

Scott manly manning the grill; our lunch

On Monday, we were very lazy around the house, played Trivia Pursuit (I won. Not that it matters, but I thought you'd like to know), and went over to Morris and Brenda's for barbecue, Bocci ball and Catchphrase (too bad Catchphrase doesn't start with a B). The weather was perfect, and we had a great time eating too much and laughing until we couldn't breathe in Catchphrase. Scott and I went to bed completely wiped and sad our three-day weekend was over.

Clockwise: Scott and Daniel representing the black team; Scott's impeccable throwing form; either Amber was really close or was almost really close, judging by our reactions; the boys take measuring out the distance very seriously.

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July!

Good Eats: Mimi's Banana Pudding

2011-07-04T13:05:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite summertime desserts is my grandmother's banana pudding. Like her fudge is what Christmas tastes like, her banana pudding is what summer tastes like. And it would be rude of me to not share this wonderful warm weather treat with you.

What you'll need:

2 boxes of Nilla Wafers (I like a lot of wafers.)

5-6 bananas

1 large box of Jell-O vanilla pudding (or 2 little boxes)*

1 can Eagle Brand Milk (I use the fat-free version and it tastes the same.)

16 oz. Cool Whip

3 cups of milk

*This time I used French vanilla because Scott asked for it, and whatever Scott wants, Scott gets — because he's the one who buys the groceries.

There's no cooking in this. It's mainly an assembly job, but it's a delicious assembly job.

Step one: mix up the pudding and the milk, adding the Eagle Brand milk and half of the Cool Whip to the mixture. This is the pudding component.

Step two: Take a 4 quart dish and line the bottom with the wafers. I stack them up the side, too, because, like I said, I like the wafers — especially when they've sat in the pudding for a while and get soft. Once you've added the wafers, layer sliced bananas on top. Then pour about half of the pudding over that.

Repeat step two. Now you have wafers, bananas, pudding, wafers, bananas, pudding. I stick some wafers down the side again. For my dish, this is full. So I add one more layer of wafers, then the rest of the Cool Whip on top. Then I break up a few more wafers and sprinkle them on top. Let this set up in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

I always have pudding and wafers left over, so I make Scott little banana-less banana puddings because he doesn't like bananas. It's because I love him.

There you have it — summer dessert at its finest. Do you have a favorite seasonal sweet? If not, make this and you soon will!

I'm no Steven Spielberg

2011-06-30T09:28:00.001-05:00

I tested out the camcorder option on my camera while on vacation. When we got back, I figured I'd mesh what little footage I got with some of the pictures I took and try my hand at iMovie. Shaky filming aside, I don't think it came out half bad. Enjoy!

Post-vacation hangover

2011-06-29T10:36:00.001-05:00

It's hard to come back from vacation. Just the fact that I didn't have to wake up to an alarm for seven days is blissful enough, but add in laying on the beach all day, spending time with my family, shouting over board games, pigging out on seafood, and more, and it's really, really hard to come back to work, even if it's a job you like.

Going to Panama City Beach for vacation has been a tradition since before I was born. My mom's family made many trips there when she was young, and I've been going since I was 10 months old. There are many tales of the time I cut four teeth in one week, how my uncle had to carry my potty seat up multiple flights of stairs because the elevators were out of order, and that one time Mom got the really weird, really bad sunburn.

My summers are made of beach memories, and this year was no different. From the kid at Krispie Kreme and "na'kins," Mom's new friend in Dollar General, Courtney's sun poisoning, Scott's love of Trace Atkins rubbing of on everyone else, Dad asking if Scott had ever been in a fight, waiting two and a half hours to eat at Boondocks, Mom and Scott's oysterpalooza, lots of laughs during Cranium, Balderdash and Wise or Otherwise, fudgesticks and toffee ice cream bars, and a lot more. I'm really sad we didn't get the airbrushed T-shirts with this year's theme on them — "PCB, 2011: Makin' Memories." There's always next year, though!

Clockwise from the top: Photo op while waiting for dinner with my mom, sister and dad; sunset on the bay; Scott and I looking a little pinker; an old shrimp boat

His and hers

2011-06-23T13:17:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by Lauren of The Little Things We Do to start up a "his and hers" series. Today we'll start with something fairly basic: our least favorite things (the lesser known "Sound of Music" hit, as it were).

His:

Biggest pet peeve: Not putting things back where they go

Most hated food: Broccoli

Most despised type of music: Country

Chore to avoid: Cleaning the bathtub

Worst trend imaginable: Ed Hardy

Idea of the worst vacation: Camping on the Appalachian Trail

Hers:

Biggest pet peeve: People reading over my shoulder

Most hated food: Olives

Most despised type of music: Whiney boy punk

Chore to avoid: Laundry

Worst trend imaginable: Leggings as pants

Idea of the worst vacation: Alaskan tour as directed by Sarah Palin

What about you? What are your least favorite things?

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

I'd be willing to put money on it, give it over to science for a series of tests, or have Steven Tyler, J.Lo and Randy judge on it (I almost wrote Simon and Paula. I'm a little behind), but I think my dad is the best dad in the world. He's a master griller, expert lawn manicurist, the original grand question asker, superb caregiver, and excellent organizer. He never fails to tell me he loves me and how proud he is of me. If you ever find yourself in need of a stapler, microwave or other assorted items, he undoubtedly has one at the office and will be sure to get it for you. If you ever find your car making funny noises or are unsure how to fill the tires with air, he's got the answer. He'll take you to see a Beatles movie in the theater when no one else will and he'll film almost all of your childhood and have it transferred from VHS to DVDs. He'll also join you in the baptistry in front of the entire congregation when the time comes and walk you down the aisle and give your hand in marriage. I could not ask for a better man to call "daddy," and luckily, I don't have to.

Homegrown

2011-06-16T11:08:00.001-05:00

Posing "The Price Is Right"-style

Homegrown tomatoes,
Homegrown tomatoes,
Ain't nothin' better than homegrown tomatoes.
There's two things that money can't buy:
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

Back in my church camp days, one of the camp nurses and a camp cook would get up in front of everyone during the talent portion of the evening and sing that song. It was kind of strange. But upon sitting down last night to eat the first of my own homegrown tomatoes, I couldn't help but sing it despite the double negative. It's pretty true though. There's nothing like eating a tomato that you've watered and worked for, that's warmed by the sun, with just a little salt. It's just magic.

Maybe I love tomatoes too much.

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-06-15T10:27:00.004-05:00

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I've kind of missed doing this the last couple of weeks. Now that I'm in my online class, Wednesdays are online discussion days and I have to get my first post finished. And, if you know me, you know I wait until the very last minute to do so.

I'm loving my new haircut! Last week I decided it was time for a summertime change, so I decided that what was good for one Jennifer (Aniston, in this case) was good for another (me). I was a little shocked by the amount of hair on the floor when it was all over, but the result was perfect!

I'm loving my Kindle. I'm almost obsessed with it. I love having however many books I want with me in one tiny place. Plus, there's none of that awkward-positioning-while-holding-a-giant-book. I struggle with that. Really, it's great. Now I'm afraid the books on my shelves will starting flinging themselves off my shelves to attack me.

I'm loving the return of "White Collar." While some USA original shows have been a little disappointing (cough — "Covert Affairs" — cough), "White Collar" never is. Even though I hate USA's wonky season scheduling, I do appreciate it when all of the other September to May shows go away.

[via]

And of course I'm loving my sweet husband!

Bits & pieces: Blue Bunny birthday cake ice cream sandwiches (there's frosting in the ice cream!); this kid waking up to Waka Floka; my owl necklace I bought in Oxford; the Hanging With Friends app (I'm JenH829); and this girl and her extreme love of cats.

Summer lovings

2011-06-14T14:11:00.000-05:00

While summer in the South can be a stiflingly hot and humid three or four months, it is still one of my favorite seasons. Even though I no longer get the summers off, it still holds that feeling of freedom and fun. There's just an energetic buzz in the air (that could be the mosquitos, though).

Here are some of my favorite summertime staples:

Playing bean bag toss in the back yard

Cute, colorful sandals

Dresses!! (Summer dresses are my weakness.)

[via]

The squeals of the neighborhood kids playing in the sprinkler

Reading on the beach

My grandma's homemade banana pudding

[via]

White we're on the food topic, ice cream, popsicles and The Bulldog's strawberry shortcake

Warm evening drives with the windows down

Fourth of July fireworks

[via]

Riding bikes

Banishing the winter pale in favor of a summer tan

And of course, going on vacation!

Taken with my cell phone last year

What do you love most about summer?

(Click here to read a similar post I did last year for fall.)

I caved (or "How I turned a pile of old textbooks into a Kindle")

2011-06-10T09:05:00.001-05:00

When the e-readers came out, I made like a Y2K conspirator and, instead of hoarding canned foods and zombie spray, surrounded myself in a fortress of paperbacks. No one would take from me that old book smell, broken spines, dog-eared pages and comfort that only the printed page could provide.

However, my small town's limited library made it hard to check out all of the books on my reading list, and there was something so pretty about the sleek lines and ease of this new technology. Plus there are lots more bells and whistles to an e-reader. A Kindle can read to you. Its e-books cost less than their hardcover counterparts and even come with a loan option. And since my sister has a Kindle, we can share our e-books. Besides the fact that I had a certain nostalgia for real books, the Kindle stacked up to its competition. I was sold.

Then my sister told me about Amazon's textbook trade-in where you can trade in old textbooks for Amazon credit. Scott and I rifled through several boxes of textbooks collected from our college days like they were hidden treasure we'd just discovered. It was like rolling all the change you found in the couch cushions. With the help of his heavy M.B.A. and interior design textbooks, we earned enough money to buy my Kindle! (I'm sad to say my numerous Norton anthologies were basically worthless — as if English majors don't have enough post-grad trouble just trying to find a job with a B.A. in English.) All we had to do next was box up the books and ship them to Amazon (they even pay for shipping!).

After that, getting my Kindle was easier than saying "Accio Kindle!" (Hello, Harry Potter nerds.) I tend to agree with Tom Petty when he says "the waiting is the hardest part," especially when you opt for the free Super Saver Shipping that takes 5-8 days. I was tracking that thing daily, wondering what was taking it so long in El Paso.

It arrived last night and is beautiful. It's really easy to get used to. My only problem is that I keep trying to touch the screen like its my iPod Touch or Scott's iPad. Amazon already had it synced to my account with them (the crafty little badgers), so it was really easy to download Tina Fey's Bossypants and The Help. I also got a cover to protect it from the sand and surf when I take it on vacation for my beach reading in a couple of weeks.

Overall, I'm slightly smitten with my new Kindle. It's taunting me while I finish reading my education textbook for homework. I can't wait to laugh like a crazy person while reading Tina Fey's book, which seems to be the general reaction.

Do you have an e-reader or are you still clinging to real books?

Thoughts from the mister: My egg obsession

2011-06-08T14:43:00.003-05:00

I'm shocked that I'm about to type these words, but today Scott is guest posting. Yes, my Scott. The man who eschews all things technological and that are therefore somehow intrusive to his private life, the one whose Facebook I created, who grumbled whenever I'd text him, and whose eyes roll when I talk about my blog. That Scott. So sit down and try to savor this moment. It's like a rare astronomical event — who knows if or when it will happen again.

As a kid I preferred my eggs scrambled with an abundance of cheese. I eventually grew into eating them fried, but, at my request, my mother would mangle the yolk and cook it into oblivion. I don’t actually remember the first time I indulged in a runny yolk, but to my matured tongue it must have been a revelation. These days I enjoy an egg on anything. Seriously anything. Fried, poached, or soft boiled, an egg is the perfect topping. Who needs a sauce when it can be replaced with a rich and viscous egg yolk? Chef and food writer Anthony Bourdin has proudly called himself an “egg slut,” and I would make the same observation of myself.

During a recent visit to Oxford, Miss., Jennifer and I enjoyed a fabulous meal at James Beard-award-winning Chef John Currence’s nightspot Snackbar. I indulged in the Duck Confit Croque Monsieur. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the French classic, croque monsieur is the French version of a hot ham and cheese sandwich, made with a gruyere béchamel sauce and ham, served on toasted bread. Currence’s version replaces the ham with duck confit and includes the addition of homemade pickles.

At Snackbar the Duck Confit Croque is offered two ways, Monsieur and Madame — Monsieur being the classic way and Madame adding a runny, fried egg. Yes, I said it, a runny, fried egg. The Madame was something I could not pass up. The dish was spot on in both flavor and texture, delivering a hearty richness with the duck and egg and balanced with the fresh tart pickles and whole grain mustard. The meal was an egg lovers dream, and my compliments to Currence on his reinterpretation of the French classic.

There is something magical about the maturing and changing of taste buds, allowing the discovery of new foods and new food obsessions. As far as my taste buds go, I know which came first between the chicken and the egg, and I am so happy that my taste buds chose the best for last. For those of you that live scrabbled and hard lives, loosen up! Take a chance on the beautiful uncompromised joy of a runny egg. Your taste buds might surprise you, giving birth to a food obsession.

Three hours down, 32 to go!

2011-06-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

I just wrapped up my Faulkner intersession class and, if you couldn't tell by the garish clip art right here, I made an A!!!

For most of my scholastic life, grades weren't that big of a deal. Yes, I wanted to do well, but doing well at all costs wasn't my thing. The majority of my time grounded in high school was grades-related because my parents knew I could do much better if I just applied myself. But that took a lot of work and watching TV is much easier.

In college, social club fun, late nights watching random YouTube videos, and hanging out with Scott trumped studying until Scott made me shape up. He helped me focus more and do better my last two years in school. Once we got married, my GPA looked a lot better too.

Now that I'm in grad school though, my mindset has been a little different. Seeing Courtney and Scott with their fancy-shamcy honors cords and symbols by their names made me want to do better. Plus, I like to think I'm older and therefore wiser and would apply myself better than 17-year-old me did.

It was this overwhelming need to make an A in everything that crippled me. I was staring at my blinking cursor getting ready to write my first grad school assignment, and I couldn't do it. I was afraid of failing before I'd even started.

Now that I have a little reassurance that I can do it, I hope that the next 11 classes don't intimidate me so badly. And, whether or not I end it all with a 4.0, I'll know I tried my hardest. (Insert the "The More You Know" rainbow.)

Flip-flops swap and other summer sundries

2011-06-03T15:25:00.000-05:00

(Try saying that five times fast.)

Sometime last month I signed up for my first official blogger-y thing: a flip-flop swap. Hosted by Lyryn's blog, Breaking Through, I would get partnered up with another blogger and, armed with their shoe size, by them a pair of flip-flops while they were buying some for me. I love anything and everything summer related, and what's more summery than flip-flops? I was in.

These pretties popped up in my mailbox this week, thanks to Jennifer from My Dance of Joy. I love the beads on them. They're definitely a step up from my plan old black ones sitting on the back porch.

Speaking of things sitting on the back porch, check out ol' Sally. She's turning yellow! (Ignore the dead leaves. I'm growing a tomato, not leaves, OK? Besides, someone might have forgotten to water Sally before she left for Oxford.) It's a race to see who will turn red first, and subsequently find themselves on my dinner plate.

Flip-flops and tomatoes — looks like summer to me!

Exploring Oxford

2011-05-31T10:43:00.000-05:00

The Square, Oxford, Miss.

To make the most of our three-day weekend, Scott and I took a little road trip down to Oxford, Miss. It was partially educational, as Oxford was the home and inspirational hub of William Faulkner, and partially culinary, as it is home to four restaurants owned by James Beard award-winning chef John Currance. It was completely enjoyable, though, and incredibly hard to leave.

So, I thought I'd share the highlights of our weekend getaway with you, because that's what a good blogger does.

Dinner at Snackbar: When we arrived Friday night we made our first stop at Snackbar and stuffed our faces with lobster mac and cheese (me) and duck confit coque monsieur with an egg on top (Scott). Top that off with the amazing truffle parmesan fries and we were sufficiently stuffed by meal's end.

Getting my geek on at Rowan Oak: One of the main points of the trip was to visit Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak. It's slightly off the beaten path, but we found it despite our GPS troubles. We got to explore the various rooms of the house — entering just as far as the plexiglass enclosure would allow — as well as the grounds. I thoroughly enjoyed being within the same walls that the author I've been studying once inhabited and explaining the finer points of Faulkner with Scott, whether he wanted to hear it or not.

Rowan Oak

The University of Mississippi Museum: We ventured onto other cultural pursuits after Rowan Oak, like the museum at Ole Miss. My favorite display was by Mississippi native Valerie Jaudon, entitled "White." I like the simplicity and repetition.

"Diction"

Lunch at Ajax's: After walking around the square in downtown Oxford, we stopped in for lunch at Ajax, which serves homestyle Southern cuisine. I had the best chicken and dumplings ever, while Scott opted for gravy-laden chicken fried steak. I could go for seconds right now.

Square Books: Square Books is a cornerstone of downtown Oxford. It even has two off-shoots (Other Square Books and Square Books Jr.). Inside we explored the two-story shop's stuffed shelves and signed-by-the-author specials. We picked up copies of Michael Oher's book I Beat the Odds (the football player whose story is depicted in "The Blindside") and Betty White's If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't).

City Grocery: For dinner Saturday night, we ate at City Grocery, the restaurant which won John Currance his James Beard award. Everything was delicious, from the cornbread starter to the poshed up version of a fried pie I had for dessert. I concluded that, if we lived in Oxford, I'd be really fat.

Overall, the only downside to Oxford was its over abundance of Ole Miss paraphernalia (which I realize is about as ridiculous as complaining about Razorback stuff in Fayetteville, but I just don't like Ole Miss). We really did have a great time, though, and Scott and I are already planning our return during football season — not to mention our menu.

Hanging out with Faulkner. No, I'm not playing footsie with him.

Intersession intermission

2011-05-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

A little summer reading ...

Monday was my first day of grad school, and even though it's only Wednesday and I still haven't been in a proper classroom setting, I'm already feeling extremely overwhelmed and overbooked. If I can get through the next two and a half weeks, though, I'll have two of my three summer classes out of the way. Then it should be smooth sailing.

So, in the meantime, I'll be trading my nightly blogging time for frantic reading/researching/writing time until this academic storm settles. I'm sure you understand.

See you on the other side of this reading pile!

Master of the House

2011-05-14T13:35:00.078-05:00

"Three years," Scott said, looking down at his course schedule. "That's a long time." Scott had just enrolled in Harding's Master of Business Administration program with his projected graduation date set at May 2011. Sitting there on the couch in our apartment, three years seemed like forever. Who knows what the next three years would bring. Electric cars? 3D movies? A sandwich which substituted bread for two fried chicken breasts?

However, those three years seem to have flown by, and Saturday I found myself sitting in the bleachers of the Ganus watching Scott walk across the stage in his master's regalia, completing his three-year course of study — with a 4.0, no less! If you know me, then it's no surprise that I teared up several times.

I don't feel like "proud" — I word I've said multiple times in the past two days — does justice to how I feel toward Scott. He worked so hard, wanting to give up several times, even stooping so low as to ask my help on his homework, and yet he stuck with it and met his goal. Saturday he told me I was gushing, but how can I help myself when what he has accomplished was so gush-worthy?

Both of our graduates!

My sister Courtney also graduated Saturday, receiving her bachelor's in science. She's still got a few years of pharmacy school to go, and at the end of it all she'll be a doctor. She also had a 4.0. How you get all A's when you're taking cringeworthy classes like organic chemistry, I'll never know. But she did, and I'm so proud of her!

You can read more about graduation here as I blogged about it for the magazine — because you can never get enough graduation coverage, right?

And now for more pictures!

Scott's family

My family with the Osborne family, who are basically my second family.

Me, Courtney, Leslie and Lindsey: We've been friends our whole lives!

Hopefully in two years I'll have lots of pictures from my own master's graduation. That is if William Faulkner doesn't kill me first.

House in progress: Easy wall decor

2011-05-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

Vintage Arkansas football game program cards framed for our office

Filling the walls in our home has been the most difficult part of decorating. You can always put up pictures, which we've done, but I don't want the house to turn into the Scott and Jennifer shrine. How vain is it to have pictures of yourself all through your house?

One easy remedy we've discovered is framing cards or postcards. While in Fayetteville we found a set of cards with vintage football program covers on them. For a few bucks we got quite a few prints to hang in our office. We got matted frames from Target and — ta da! — all done. It was a very easy and inexpensive DIY project.

With Scott's graduation quickly approaching and several guests coming into town, we decided it was time to find something to hang in the bathroom and complete the room. We'd searched high and low for something to hang in the guest bathroom (I even requested your help here) but kept coming up empty handed. So, it was time to create our own art again. We bought this set of 100 postcards of classic Penguin book covers from Anthropologie and another Target frame.

Sifting through 100 titles was pretty fun. We edited them down to ones with funny titles, works we actually liked, and those which worked with our color scheme. In the end, the winner was Shakespeare's As You Like It because it matched and liked the illustration. Plus we thought it was a funny thing to have in the bathroom because you can be using the bathroom "as you like it" or some bathroom humor like that.

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-05-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving that both sides of the family will be in town this weekend. Scott and my sister Courtney are both graduating Saturday and the weeks leading up to it have been a whirlwind of cleaning, preparing, list-making and shopping. And while the preparation has been less than fun, I'm excited to see everyone and celebrate Scott's and Courtney's accomplishment!

I'm loving how one other person and I ended up dressing up for book-themed Bunco last night. I was under the (apparently misguided) impression that we were to dress up as our favorite book character, so I went as Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's. You know the scene in "Legally Blonde" where Elle walks into the party dressed as a Playboy Bunny and it turns out that it's not a costume party? I felt like that, only classier.

Note the tape on my handmade cigarette holder.

I'm loving that vacation is just over a month away! I can't wait for a week on the beach, relaxing and reading non-grad school-related books.

I'm loving (?) that grad school starts next week. The question mark is there because it's kind of an on again, off again dilemma. I'm excited about continuing my education, but I'm terrified of going back to school.

Bits & pieces: This article about what your choice of American Girl doll says about you; sunny days; the miracle of allergy shots; and this cover of Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now" (this girl kills Busta's rhymes).

House in progress: Front yard flowerbeds

2011-05-09T13:37:00.002-05:00

Scott and I had been in our house for a few months when we decided we'd do something very homeowner-y and spend our Saturday working in the flowerbeds. We pulled up seven or eight monkey grass plants, gave the bigger bushes a much needed haircut, planted new shrubs, and spread fresh mulch. It was hard work. My whole body hurt and produced this weird substance called "sweat," which means I've done this other thing called "work" — both of which are extremely rare.

Since then, each spring we've done some outdoor lawn project because we have a strange obsession with the garden section of Lowe's. When we went on Saturday, we went only to buy more mulch and a leaf blower. We left with about 250 rocks as well.

We'd toyed with the idea of a rock border around our flowerbeds, even having a local landscaping company give us an estimate, but it seemed quiet pricey for rocks and labor. However, we found some nice looking paver stones (which are really supposed to be used for a walkway) and thought they would make a lovely border. Plus they were much cheaper than what we'd discussed before.

After about three hours and one more return trip to Lowe's for more stones, our flowerbeds had a nice facelift. It's a subtle change, but I really think it freshens the front up a bit.

(And, yes, that is a concrete razorback. We're those people.)

Happy Mothers Day!

2011-05-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

I'm blessed with two wonderful women I get to call "Mom."

One rocked me to sleep while I cried from colic, brought blueberry muffins to school for my birthday, drove me to school when I hated the bus so much, hemmed hundreds of pants, skirts and dresses, taught me to drive, helped explain the subsequent hole in the garage wall to Daddy, taught me the thrill of a good sale with additional coupon, tried to teach me to cook, was patient with me through my sassy teenage years, taught me how to be sassy in the first place, encouraged me, squealed every time I came home, and whose kiss cured boo-boos and hurt feelings alike. And while I have been guilty of the eye roll and exasperated "Mom!" sigh in the past, the older I get, the more I value her and what she's done for me, the more I regret the eye-rolling, and the more I cherish my time with her and hate the miles between us. I am truly blessed to have my Momma.

The other did all of those things too, only for the man I married and not for myself. While most depict a mother-in-law as a woman critiquing your casseroles and house management, mine is far from that. Never once have I felt like I couldn't measure up to her standards. In fact, it's just the opposite. Sometimes I wonder if I'm as good as she says I am. Whatever the case may be, I am thankful just the same.

I hope that you all have a mom (or two) that you can celebrate this Mothers Day. I know I do!

Off the bookshelf: The Girl who Played With Fire

2011-05-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

The wonderful thing about a book series is that, by the second book, you already know the key players. You don't have to go through the awkward introductions and background history like you would on a first date. By now you are comfortable enough with each other to maybe let them see you without your makeup or burp in front of them or something. In The Girl who Played With Fire, we get to know the characters even better and figuratively burp.

In the last book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the team of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and computer hacker Lisbeth Salander hunted down and solved the mystery of a serial killer; now it is Lisbeth Salander being hunted. Charged with several murders, Salander is on the run while Blomkvist seeks to prove her innocence. And while the current matter at hand is thrilling enough, the exciting thing for me was to finally learn more about Salander's past. Notoriously private, Salander shares very little with anyone, and in this book you learn more about what has made her so protective and of the scars from her past. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, launching into the third and final book in the series with the same nail-biting drama as the last.

Only one more to go! I'm sad that it marks the end of my reading-for-pleasure days for a little while, as I'm about to be eyeballs-deep in education textbooks and Faulkner novels for the summer. I welcome any good suggestions for beach reading, though!

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-05-04T10:34:00.001-05:00

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving that Scott turns in his final M.B.A. project today. He's all done! All that's left is graduation next weekend. I'm so proud of him (something you'll probably hear me saying a lot for the next week or so) for balancing work, school and family during these three years, even though it's been very stressful and at times he's wanted to quit. He's going to be my mentor for juggling all those things when I start back to school in a couple of weeks.

Graduating with our bachelor's, May 2008

I'm loving that I won this dress (I chose the red one) from ShopMamie.com in their "Name the dress" contest. So say hello to the Andy Warhol-inspired "Avant Garde-n dress."

I'm loving the romance of the Royal Wedding, of course. My 11-year-old cousin told my grandmother that Scott and I look like William and Catherine, a complement I'll totally take.

I'm loving the Harding magazine blog! I know you finish reading the alumni magazine and think, man, I wish I could read more by the magazine staff. Well, now you can! I blogged my first post yesterday, and we'll be posting several times a week. Be sure to bookmark it so you can keep up with all the happenings on campus between magazines. (You could also leave a comment on my post giving me I-got-the-first-comment bragging rights. Just a suggestion.)

Bits & pieces: Sunday lunches with friends; Zaza's green and white pizza; listening to songs from the previous night's "Glee" all day long; and no more rain! (for a little while at least).

It's alive!

2011-05-02T13:50:00.000-05:00

My tomato, I mean — not some weird amalgamation of a man.

Anyway, as some of you may know, I'm the proud momma of a little tomato baby, Sally. (You know, like Sally Tomato in "Breakfast at Tiffany's.") I've been diligently watering and checking up on her, pruning any suckers (which I just learned about a few weeks ago) or dead leaves, and pampering my little plant, hoping all of my doting will result in homegrown tomatoes this summer.

Here's the thing though. Unlike my dad, I am severely lacking in the green thumb gene. Mine is more of a black thumb — a thumb of mass destruction. The poppies I begged for last fall and promised to water but quickly turned into a tumbleweed are an example of the carnage in my path.

When I went out to water Sally Saturday night, I made an exciting discovery. There was a gumball-sized green tomato hanging on the vine. I poked my head in the door and yelled to Scott, "I didn't kill it!" I was so happy I hadn't singlehandedly murdered my tomato. Bruschetta, here we come!

My tomato baby is growing up fast.

The princess bride

2011-04-29T11:40:00.001-05:00

[via]

So, after months of speculation and hype (Will she wear her hair up or down? Who will design the dress? Where will they honeymoon? How long will the balcony kiss last? These are the things we need to know!), Prince William and Kate Middleton (now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) have finally tied the knot. And I loved every minute of it.

If you don't think that picture is the sweetest thing you've ever seen, then you and the Tinman need to hobble on down the yellow brick road and find yourselves a heart before it's too late. I love weddings. I love love. And I especially love weddings produced on a grand scale. All of the sweet, stolen glances they exchanged during the ceremony just got me. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes because I was just so happy that they were so happy — two people I don't even know. (I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I'm a cryer, through and through. I wept during the soldier homecoming montage they decided to play during Spring Sing. And who cries during Spring Sing, except those bored to tears and dragged there against their will?)

And amid all of the hubbub of the ceremony, I think the true meaning of the day was captured best by one of the British corespondents. With the Today Show's "Countdown to the Kiss" clock ticking in the corner of the screen, he remarked that the most important part, easily overlooked in the grandeur of this day, was addressed in the prayer the Church of England had written especially for the wedding, which in part said, "look in favour on William and Catherine and all who are made one in marriage. In your love deepen their love and strengthen their wills to keep the promises they will make, that they may continue in life-long faithfulness to each other."

The point of the wedding is not in the details of that day but in the resulting union. Yes, even if you're not a future duchess, the wedding planning and frenzy can cloud your view. After all, a lasting marriage is more important than a pretty wedding.

That doesn't mean that I didn't stare at my closet in disgust this morning, realizing I had nothing with lace sleeves to wear today. You win some, you lose some, I guess.

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-04-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

Linked up at This Kind of Love

After three days of rain, tornado warnings, and all around dreariness, I'm feeling less than perky. I'm like a lizard; my body temperature and mood rely heavily on the sun. Thankfully, it's starting to peak through the clouds, and it's "What I'm Loving Wednesday." You can't be grumpy while listing things you love! So, here I go:

I'm loving that we made it through the storms. Monday night, Scott and I could be found hunkered down in the bathtub with several pillows monitoring the tornado's movement via the Weather Channel app and listening to my favorite weather guy's report over the radio (the satellite had gone out). I'm a panicker when it comes to storms (well, life in general, but tornadoes bring out the worst in me), so I was on the verge of tears when I heard that it was 10 minutes from us. I told Scott that we needed to pray it would miss us, and right at that moment he said it appeared it was turning south and we had nothing to worry about. That was a prompt response.

Trying to protect my head ("That's a big job," Scott said) while still hearing the weather report.

He also said, "I don't want to be on the blog."

I'm loving the weekend visit from my mom and sister. Mom and I spent most of the time going back and forth to Hancocks Fabrics for supplies for our skirt project. For the first time since I was probably 12, I sat down willingly at the sewing machine for mom to teach me. I'll showcase the finished project once I sew the hook closures to it.

I'm loving this sign, which is incredibly appropriate given the weather, my mood and my blessings.

Bits & pieces: Strawberry and blueberry tea; seeing little yellow flowers pop up on my tomato plant, Sally; nearing the end of The Girl who Played With Fire; planning weekend getaways; and that Scott's graduation is one week closer!

How great thou art

2011-04-26T11:03:00.000-05:00

I can't remember how what grade it was, maybe fourth or fifth, when I learned this song in Sunday school. Our teacher felt that we should know at least one song in its entirety by heart, and she'd chosen "How Great Thou Art." She felt that you could really focus on the words you were singing that way.

This duet with Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill is beautiful. I'm not a huge country fan, despite my Nashville upbringing, but you don't need to be to get caught up in the power of Underwood's voice and the beauty of the song's message.

We serve a great and mighty God. I'm reminded of that in the storms that have passed through lately, in the love of my husband and family, and in the focused remembrance of his sacrifice on Easter Sunday. Take a moment today (and ideally every day, every moment) and allow your heart to sing praise and thanks to the one who made it all. He is great indeed.

Good Eats: Vanilla pound cake

2011-04-21T13:38:00.021-05:00

Scott's not your sheet-cake-and-frosting birthday cake kind of guy. Instead of the usual chocolate groom's cake, he had cheesecake. There was much more of my cake leftover than his, which is OK with me because I love wedding cake and would happily eat the rest myself (maybe that's where most of my post-wedding weight came from).

So usually for his birthday I get him a cheesecake from a local bakery. This time, however, I decided I would try my hand at his other favorite cake — pound cake. I Googled recipes until I found this one by Martha Stewart and figured Martha could do no wrong and that her recipe would be a winner. While Scott was in a meeting with his class group members, I whipped up this pretty simple pound cake.

Ingredients:
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

(My note: She didn't specify that the butter be softened, but I let it sit out and get slightly room temperature anyway.)

Preheat the oven to 325° and grease your 9x5 loaf pan. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

I got to flex my Kitchen Aid mixer muscles again for this cake, no longer with any fear that it is above me. Take that, arrogant kitchen appliance! Beat the butter until fluffy. "Fluffy" is a weird term to me because I feel like it's slightly relative. So, I whipped it until I thought it looked fluffy and took it two minutes further, just because I was unsure. What's the worst that could happen? Too fluffy? Fuzzy perhaps?

Once fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The BFC (Barefoot Contessa) would be so proud of me because I cracked the eggs in a little bowl before adding them to the mix. I didn't want to ruin my fluffy butter. It was a good thing, too, as it enabled me to fish out some shell here and there.

After the eggs, add the vanilla and give it a stir. I took the bowl off the mixer at this point since I didn't want flour flying. Add in the flour mixture a cup at a time, mixing until incorporated each time, careful not to over mix. The pour into the pan.

Remember to place your loaf pan on a cookie sheet. I almost forgot one time and would've had all kinds of pumpkin bread mess in the oven if I had. Lick the spatula after you've spread the batter in the pan. The batter tastes really good, which is a good indication the cake will too, in my experience at least.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to an hour and a half, depending. I did the full hour and 30 and kind of over did it, so I'll probably cut it to an hour 20 minutes next time.

While Martha says to let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before popping it out of there, I like to wait a little longer. One time, making another pound cake, I didn't let it cool long enough, and it fell apart. It still tasted good but looked like a gorilla had gone after it. Neither Martha nor the BFC would approve of that.

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-04-20T15:55:00.003-05:00

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving that my mom and sister will be here this weekend for Spring Sing. While Spring Sing isn't really the "love" part, I am very excited to see them! I haven't seen mom since Thanksgiving. She's bringing her sewing machine and giving me a tutorial. I've already been Googling skirt patterns.

I'm loving that I've got my grad school schedule all figured out and ready to go. If it all goes according to plan, I'll be a master of education in spring 2013. That's not too far away, right? I try not to think about how I'd be done with it now if I'd started after I got my bachelor's. It doesn't help.

I'm loving this sign. Scott and I have been keeping up with our nightly prayers with each other, and I've noticed that while I might think I know what the answer to the prayer "should be," God always surprises me. And he really does have a better idea than I do. It makes me thankful that I have a God who surprises me in the very best ways.

I'm loving this guy, of course.

Bits & pieces: Ralph Lauren Cool perfume; Sally Hansen's "All Fired Up" nail polish (a pretty orangey-red I copied from the models in the JCrew catalog); and Kanye West's "All of the Lights."

Red and white and green with envy

2011-04-18T14:19:00.001-05:00

"I wish DJ Williams would be there," I said to Scott as he finished reading of the names of the former Razorback football players who would be signing autographs at Razorfest — an event held before the Red and White spring practice game. "I know," he said, "but it'll probably be awhile before he comes to one of these things. He's going to be in the NFL for a long time."

You see, DJ Williams is probably my favorite Razorback. Not only is he a great football player, winning the John Mackey Award in 2010 as the best tight end in college football, but he's also a great person. Coming from a rough childhood, DJ rose from adversity and has become an excellent role model for little Razorbacks-to-be playing catch and claiming players to be in their front lawn. If I had a little boy, he'd definitely have his own number 45 jersey.

For Scott's birthday weekend, we went to Fayetteville to see the Red and White game and see the Razorback baseball team play. When we arrived, we were shocked at how cold and windy it was — not exactly what you picture when you think of a spring game. Shivering, we ducked into our favorite bookstore and bought sweatshirts to keep us warm during the day's events.

First stop was the football stadium. In the surrounding parking lot before the game, different events were set up, one of which was the autograph table. We surveyed the players, seeing if there was anyone worth waiting in a Splash Mountain-length line for. But, being impatient, we passed. Besides, there was no DJ.

A high point of the game was watching the two prospective quarterbacks duke it out. Will all the little boys (and some grown men) be wearing number 8 (Tyler Wilson) or 17 (Brandon Mitchell) next year. Who knows. If the winning team is any indication, then you'd better be scooping up your 8 jerseys right now, as the White team won pretty convincingly.

By the end of the third quarter, it was getting pretty chilly. The stands were starting to clear. Sitting there, minding my own business, I hear Scott say, "Hey! It's DJ Williams!"

Ha ha, funny man. Scott's favorite pastime is taking advantage of my gullibility, and I wasn't going to fall for it. But I did look over where he was pointing, just in case.

And wouldn't you know it, coming up the stairs next to our row was my favorite Razorback. What do you do?! We frantically searched for a pen for him to sign Scott's hat with as he moved closer to us.

"Hey, DJ," Scott said. "Can I get a picture?" And that's when the birthday boy got the greatest present ever.

Have you seen the commercial for Disney World where all the little boy talks about it meeting Mickey Mouse, but when the time comes had he actually meets Mickey, he's so stunned and can't say anything at all? That was me. The shock of actually getting to meet the guy I'd been so eagerly wanting to see got the better of me, and I couldn't find the words to say, "Me, too!" until he was already gone. I kicked myself for that the rest of the day. My mother-in-law put it in good perspective though. Now I have a picture of my two favorite guys. I am still a little jealous, though.

After the game, we made it over to the baseball field to watch the Razorbacks take on Mississippi State. We didn't stay for long though, as the cold weather got the best of us, and we decided to take refuge in Doe's Eat Place, warmed by the best tamales, steaks and drop biscuits ever.

It was a great weekend, and I'm definitely looking forward to more trips to Fayetteville this fall. Now all we have to do is find a good frame for Scott and DJ's picture — and someone to Photoshop me in on the other side.

Happy birthday, Scott!

2011-04-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

[Photo: Cassie Jones Photography]

To the man who ...

... is funnier than Stephen Colbert

... could out cook Bobby Flay

... is cuter than a flock of baby penguins

... makes me happier than a spoonful of Nutella

... can smile a bad day out of existence

... would always be People's "Hottest Man Alive" if I were the editor

... believes in me regardless

... shows me God's love every single day

... and can do a spot on John Ratzenberger impression,

I'm extremely thankful you were born. My life would be painfully empty of all of your wonderfulness if you hadn't.

I love you and all of your 25 years. Happy birthday!

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-04-13T09:17:00.005-05:00

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving the random community events Scott and I get to attend through the bank. On Friday night, we went to a fundraiser for the local detoxification/residential treatment program for people with drug addictions. While the highlight of the night was supposed to be hearing former Arkansas Razorbacks talk about their time on the team, what really resonated with me were the moving testimonies of several recovering addicts who had been through the treatment center. Their stories of finding themselves at the lowest of lows and, through grace and the help of those at the center, found themselves sober and trying to undo the wrongs of their past were beautiful.

I'm loving that I won a sewing lesson at Bunco last night! I'd been lamenting most of the week that I can't sew and just want to be able to make a simple skirt. I should've listened when mom tried to teach me. As luck would have it, my Easter egg coupon (such a cute idea) was for a sewing lesson. Well, at first it was a pedicure, but that got stolen from me. No hard feelings though. I'm excited about my sewing lesson.

I'm loving if you would vote for me in the Jess LC Design Your Look contest! (Shameless. Just shameless.) Simply click here and write "Jennifer H. Facebook" in the comments. It's that easy! Some jewelry and $200 could be mine if you do (not to mention bragging rights over some girl named Tequila).

Bits and pieces: picnics on the front lawn; the royal wedding in Legos; the Chalk n' Talk app (it's like Pictionary); "Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine; and this picture because it speaks to my soul.

[via]

Happy blogiversary!

2011-04-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that one year ago I began this little blog. And look how she's grown. I wasn't sure how long I'd keep it up when I wrote that first post, having hopped on (then off) that Xanga trend a while back and attempted (and failed) to pick up blogging intermittently after that. I'm glad this one stuck, though.

(You know what makes an excellent blogiversary gift? Voting for me to win some lovely jewelry and $200 at Makeunder My Life. Simply visit their site and write "Jennifer H. Facebook" in the comments!)

To honor this occasion, I thought it would be fun to recap the top three most read posts of the year.

1. Where I discover I'm turning into my father: Tackling the root of my question asking/borderline interrogation

2. Love me do: The story of "our song" (or the song that I choose to call "our song")

3. Off the wagon, off the treadmill: Working out just wasn't working out for me

I look forward to see what the next year will bring! Thanks for reading!

Vote for me! (Please?)

2011-04-11T13:07:00.007-05:00

Click banner to visit voting site

I've entered a contest through Jess LC to win two pieces of their jewelry as well as $200 toward the look I've created. I would love love love it if you would take a minute to pop over there and vote for me. Click on the banner to get to the voting site. All you have to do is leave a comment saying you're voting for "Jennifer H. (Facebook)." Scroll all the way to the bottom for the comment form.

Here's the look you'll be voting for:

There's a hug in it for you if you do! Voting ends Friday, so feel free to bribe others to vote for me as well. :)

Thanks so much!

Direct link to comments form:http://makeundermylife.com/vote-for-your-favorite-design-your-look/#comments

I do not have Rubella

2011-04-08T13:07:00.000-05:00

I guess a more on topic title would be "I'm going to grad school," but, if I've learned one thing as a writer, it's that you've got to hook them with the title. Rubella is excellent bait.

But yes, starting this summer, I'll be pursuing my Master of Education with an emphasis in English here at Harding. I'll still be working full time, but I'll be taking classes at night. I guess I just couldn't take that Scott would be the only "master" in our house.

But let's get back to the Rubella, OK? I've been gathering up all the pieces to my application puzzle this week, and it's turned out to be a much larger undertaking than I'd originally thought. I'm a weirdo and love filling out forms, so when it came application time, I was pretty excited. But then there's all the extra stuff that I wasn't planning on.

The first piece is my teaching licensure. When I graduated in 2008, I was given an initial teaching license, which gave me three years of teaching time and passing the Praxis III before I got my full license. Basically it was a teaching license with training wheels — you can't ride it that way forever.

Well, I never ended up teaching, and that license found its way into a closet. That closet found itself in the cross-hairs of my always cleaning husband. If you've done the math, then you know that three-year teaching license has expired. You throw out other expired things, right — like milk, medicine and sandwich meat? (Side note on expired things: Ask me about the cucumber that we left in the fridge too long that got soggy and soft, pickling itself in its own produce bag. I guess there's no need to ask me now, though, since I just told you all the good parts. It's why I have to be very seriously committed to eating the cucumber when I buy one now.)

In that same way, I threw out my expired license. The trash bag it now calls home was picked up three days before I met with the director of the graduate program who told me I needed it. This is my luck. So now I'm trying to figure out how to get an expired teaching license reissued to go with my application. That's dilemma number one.

Dilemma number two was my immunization records and the Rubella which I do not have. In order to enroll, I had to verify that I'd had all my shots and would not spread deadly diseases to my classmates. My initial reaction was, haven't I already done this? I mean, to get into Harding as an undergraduate, I filed that paperwork. Have I been exposed to mumps since then? Probably not.

My luck turned around, though, and I was able to find that the University still had my shot records on file, signed by my pediatrician in Nashville. That was kind of funny to see for some reason. I find it strange to thing that shots I had way back in 1985 can affect my enrollment status in 2011, but what do I know?

I am also not a chicken pox threat as my immunization form states I had them in May 1993. I just remember it was after I'd been to Disney World for the first time and being thoroughly disappointed by the oatmeal bath, picturing it more like sitting in a giant bowl of thick oatmeal and not a tub with some oats floating around. But, again, what do I know?

Dilemma number three is the letter of recommendation. That's always an awkward one and a little presumptuous. I mean, you pick out people you know (or at least hope) will write you a good one. In high school, you ask your favorite teacher, not the teacher whose class you sleep or talk through (not that I did that). The question is who do I pressure into writing one of these forced complements? You can see the predicament.

Overall, though, I'm excited about starting school again, in a truly nerdy way. I miss being pushed and learning new things, not to mention school supplies, which I love so much. I look forward to what the next two years will bring, not to mention the cool hood I'll get to wear at graduation.

I'll have regalia! But not Rubella.

What I'm loving Wednesday

2011-04-06T13:20:00.001-05:00

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving my little tomato plant. It's become like my child. I worry about it and check on it several times a day. I brought it under the cover of the patio during the terrible thunderstorms on Monday because I didn't think it could handle the wind. Thanks to Cassie, it is now known as Sally in honor of the character in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sally Tomato. I'm toying with the idea of weekly pictures of its growth like people take weekly pictures of their growing baby belly. Yeah, it's reached a crazy point.

I'm loving Pinterest. It's become my new Internet addiction. Basically, you can "pin" things you find around the Web to one centralized location, with links so you can find it later. It beats my "Ideas" folder on my desk top, full of swiped Facebook pictures of people's hair I like and jumbled Etsy listings. I have several boards in progress: style inspiration, hair ideas, what my future child's nursery will look like, crocheted stuff (which includes a really awesome ball of yarn and crochet hook tattoo), and the Beatles, as seen below.

I'm loving seeing God's hand active in my life. Scott and I decided we needed to improve our prayer life, namely in prayer with each other. We started last night and are already seeing God at work. It's amazing and sad how easy it is to neglect one of the most powerful "tools" provided to us.

Bits and pieces: Greek salads; playing bean bag toss in the backyard with my beau; alliteration; and raspberries.

Brothers and sisters

2011-04-04T16:23:00.004-05:00

Short people and standing-room-only concerts don't mix. My sister and I learned that the hard way this weekend. Courtney came down (up? over?) to see the Avett Brothers concert as part of the First Thaw Festival that Harding was hosting this past weekend.

The concert wasn't in the Benson, per the usual Harding concert standard, but in the Rhodes Field House. It gave the concert a different vibe, although predominantly white church of Christ folks look quite silly standing at a concert. We don't know what to do with ourselves. We severely lack rhythm. And only half of us feel comfortable clapping to music.

After trying, and failing, to sit in the higher up seats so we could see, Courtney and I staked out our spot in the back, trying to maintain a good distance from others. We like our space and prefer not to smell the body odors of others. That also failed. At standing concerts, no one ever, ever stays where they started off. Can't they just sell the tickets for a marked off square foot? I can stand in my little box happy and free from the body heat of others? We got stuck behind some mammoth guys who obviously obeyed their mothers and ate their veggies to grow big and strong.

"Sister, sister! Never knew how much I'd missed ya."

I always feel like I'm too set in my old lady ways when I go to things like this. I like to be in bed at a reasonable hour, and loud noises bother me and my already poor hearing. It's always nice to have a partner in old-ladiness, though, and Courtney is just that. By the end of the night, we were bemoaning our sore feet and bad backs, ringing ears and scratchy voices, not to mention how hot it was inside. Yes, there's no denying we're sisters.

All of that aside, though, we did have a wonderful time. We did manage to steal a few glimpses of the Brothers on tip-toes and peaking around the broad shoulders of others. The Avett Brothers put on an amazing show, and we were happy that they played all of the songs we wanted to hear. Even if it meant being in bed far past my bedtime.

Prior to the concert, Scott and I took advantage of the pretty day and meandered around town. After a trip to Lowe's, we had all the makings of our first patio garden. Scott got a bunch of herbs, and I got a tomato plant. There's nothing quite like a homegrown tomato, and I'm reminded of that every summer I don't have any. This year I'm changing that.

I've become very protective of my fledgling vine. I pulled it out of the elements last night because I was scared today's thunderstorms would wreck it. In 50 days, my Early Girl tomato plant should be producing fruit. We'll see if I don't kill it first.