Happy 1/2 Birthday to Me!

Yes. I said it - and yes, my real birthday is sixth months away - but, who would pass up an opportunity to celebrate a birthday?  Not I!

However, No - this is not my cake. I wish it was.... I'm sitting here now wishing I would have baked myself a funfetti cake, just for a sweet lil slice of heaven! :)  While searching for this fabulous half birthday cake I did come across this post - that I just had to share...

So, I don't feel as bad now for NOT celebrating... but I still kinda wish I had!  28 1/2... I can hardly believe I'm old enough to have a real job and be married... much less be packing for my 10 year high school reunion. Yep, it's right around the corner -3 days to be exact! I can almost still feel myself walking the halls of Baker High School... traveling to endless ball games... getting ready for prom... and walking across the stage one hot May afternoon 10 years' ago. Kinda crazy how time flies!

It made me start thinking about what life has been like since I left the halls of BHS.

I moved away to college... pledged AOII... my parents retired, sold our family home and moved to the beach... I feel in love with the loveliest village on the plains.... made some of the greatest friends in the world {never came home} and made the best memories. Moved six times in college...watched my first brother get married and have a kid... then another.... and another... earned my degree in Communications.... and SGA... and Panhellenic... and anything that involved meetings, volunteering and not studying. I packed my bags, took a job with AOII and moved to Virginia.... where I feel in Love {for real this time}... moved to Nashville for another job with AOII... traveled the country {on someone else's dime}... made some wonderful friends.... moved 2 more times in Nashville.... traveled lots more.... moved to Virginia... got a job that earned me a few more dimes....watched my middle brother get married... and have a kid... got engaged... planned a fabulous wedding...  welcomed two more nephews to the family... said "I do"... just celebrated 2 years' on the job and one year with the love of my life!  Wow... amazing how you can sum up 10 years' in just a paragraph, huh?

I can't wait to see what the next 10 are fillled with!

Sweet, Sweet Summertime!

What can I say - my husband has the best taste - this was my weekend "happy".... and he couldn't have said it any better! Summer is here... and I'm loving every minute of it!

Cheers to BBQ's, beach days, long runs, yard-work, golf, pool time and cook-out's with great friends!

Scalloped Happiness

I have come to a realization lately, that I am in love with anything scalloped. No - not the potatoes - scalloped Edges! On clothes, paper, decor, plates, notebooks, frames... you name it. I can scallop it. {or at least find it}. I do believe that you could take the most random item, add some scallops and BAM! 10 times cuter - it's simply amazing.  

When planning our wedding, my husband found out really quick that anything with a scalloped edge was bound to find it's way on our registry or in our wedding!! Little did he know that even my wedding gown was scalloped... from head to toe! :) 

I decided today, I would share with you my 5 most favorite scalloped items:

#5 Scalloped Place mats 

How fun are these?  Check out Ruby Lane for your very own set! 

{and lots of other scalloped items too}

#4 Scalloped Stationary

This adorable collection by Sugar Paper of Los Angels are classic.  {and on my wish list}

#3 My late-night party "going-away" dress 

{a great Target find}

#2 Our China! 

Golden Edge & Princess Victoria by Herend.
{monogrammed of course - but we'll save that for a later blog}

#1 My wedding gown by Casablanca & my veil, that was handmade of Chantilly lace. 

Until next time, happy scalloping shopping! 

xo, Tracy

365 Days of Happiness!

I've been MIA for a few weeks now... we had a work trip to ATL, Anniversary cruise to Jamaica, Memorial Day with the Fam... and then a quick beach getaway. So much to catch up on... I thought I would leave you guys with a few highlights from our fabulous ONE YEAR Anniversary! 

The Best things about a cruise... 

...are beautiful sunsets & cold beer.

 ...exotic animals in the wild.

 ...towel animals. {every night}

 ...beautiful flowers in Jamaica!

...safety drills. 

 ...chocolate melting cake. Yum. {every night}

 ...comedy shows.

...lido deck parties.

...private balconies. 

...and a great time with the hubs! 

Happy One Year to the most wonderful husband I could ever ask for! We have been overwhelmed with so many blessings this year, I can't imagine life being any better than it is today. 

I love you so much and can't wait to see what God has in store for year #2! 

A Staunton Afternoon

Sorry for the sporadic posts last week and this... we have been quite busy with the end of the school year, going away parties and dinners.... a visit from my fam(YAY!), Mother's Day and prepping for a two week vaca next week - I have been MIA. 

Although I did not get to spend Mother's Day with my wonderful Momma, Grandmother or Mother-in-law, we did get to spend the afternoon with some of our bestest buds. We can always rely on them to come up with something new and fun and adventures... and Sunday did not disappoint!  We decided to spend the afternoon in the quaint little town of Staunton, Virginia.  It's a small town... with decadent food and fabulous antique shopping. Little did I know, it has so much more to offer!!

Our first stop was Sunspots Studios for some American-made Art Gifts... and glassblowing!

They even let you blow your own ornament for $40. Be sure to call ahead and make an appointment!

After exploring the shop and watching some beautiful pieces of artwork being made we ventured across the street for some wine-tasting at Ox-Eye Vineyards Tasting Room.

The Ox-Eye Tasting Room is located in downtown Staunton’s historic Wharf district.  It was designed by the noted architect T.J. Collins, and was built in 1904.  Originally, it was used as an office for a coal and lumber business.  It also served as a scale house for horse drawn coal wagons.  The loaded wagons would pull up under the covered archway behind the building to be weighed by the Fairbanks scale. I thought this was the best part - the name, Ox-Eye came from a weed that grows in their fields... the Ox-Eye Daisy, a white flower with a yellow center.  We enjoyed a bottle of vino on their back patio before heading over to the Historic Depot Grill for some amazing dinner! 

The Depot is a Staunton staple... an while it's nothin' fancy - they have some awesome food. 

I have to share one of the best pasta's I have had in awhile. It's called the Chessie Pasta (named after the Chessie Line) and has the perfect blend of spices, sauce and yummy veggies!   I wish I had taken a picture, but here is the description from the menu:

Veggie Chessie's Pasta: Sweet Corn, fresh diced tomatoes, mushrooms, capers, basil, garlic and olive oil tossed with penne pasta shrimp and lump crab meat. Talk about delectable - I polished off the entire dish!!  

It was a nice little Sunday, caped off with a drink (and water for the drivers) at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel left us longing for more adventures and sweet memories made with dear, dear friends! 

Until next time....

xo, Tracy

Kitchen Towel w/ a Ruffle

A good friend of mine, That's What She Said, knows how much I love to craft - so on a recent trip back in March she found a bundle of fun spring fabrics that she picked up for me. {I do love all her fun surprises}  Since then, they have been stuck in my craft basket - just waiting for a fun spring project so they can be put to use.  Last night I decided to break them out for an easy craft project to brighten up the kitchen {or as a fun gift for Mother's Day - ;)}.

So, what we are making today is a Spring Kitchen Towel with a Ruffle - cute for decorating and {with much praise from the hubs} practical for everyday use.

Supplies Needed:

One white basic kitchen towel

Fun spring fabric {mine were pre-cut, but any cotton fabric will work}

Sewing machine

Stitch Witchery {or you can sew if you have matching thread}

Grosgrain ribbon for trim

{Ric-Rac if you want to add some pizazz to the end}

First, You'll want to make a nice double sided 4 x 18 inch rectangle with your fabric {depending on your towel - you can extend the length by 6 inches}.  I flipped the fabric inside out and seemed the ends, leaving the top open so I could reverse it and iron. 

After ironing your fabric, place on the end of your towel - 1/2 inch from the end. Be sure you are working with the finished side of the towel up. Keep in mind that it's good for the fabric to be at least three inches longer on each end of your towel to give you fabric for the ruffle. 

Get your ruffle started by pinning both ends of the fabric to the towel, so you'll have an even ruffle. 

Work your way from the outside in, pining the fabric in various directions to create the ruffles. {Keep in mind, the more fabric you have the more ruffles you can make}

Slide the end under your sewing arm and stitch down your ruffle, removing your pins along the way. 

One you have stitched the ruffle, flip your towel over- you will have a nice smooth backside of your towel.  Be sure you caught all of the fabric in your stitch, so it doesn't unravel on you later. 

Next, we are going to attach the ribbon to the front. 

Cut a piece of ribbon the length of your towel and match the back-side with a piece of Stitch Witchery. Be sure it's nice and stuck to the ribbon - let it cool and peel off the paper. 

Next, we are going to iron the ribbon onto the ruffle covering the seem and attaching the ribbon to both the towel and the fabric ruffle. 

Be sure it sticks to both sides before you start to iron it down. 

Next, iron over the sides so that they are nicely in place.  Trim the excess ribbon from the ends. 

Ta-da! You now have a finished ruffle on your towel.  At this point you can add the ric-rac to the middle of your ribbon, or run another simple stitch over the edges - just be sure and use the same color thread!

Enjoy your fun new towels - OR give them as fun Mother's Day Gifts! 

Happy Crafting!

xo, Tracy

A Smidgen of Sass

If you cook much at all in the South and have on your shelf an old family cookbook, you've likely read a recipe that calls for a dash, a pinch or even a smidgen of something or another. Now, while in cooking mistaking a dash for a pinch probably won't make a huge difference, in baking the difference could account for a big flop of one of your favorite family recipes.  Last weekend I came across the cutest Mother's Day gifts!  A set of three measuring spoons - a dash, a pinch and a smidgen.  Such a fun idea for the Mom that has everything... and only really needs a little bit more love in the kitchen!

So, what exactly do these measurements really mean?  Well, let's start with a dash - the largest of the three - would measure about 1/8 teaspoon. Most cooks probably have 1/8 teaspoon in their kitchen, so if your recipe calls for a dash - fish out the 1/8 teaspoon and use away.

A pinch would be the second of the group. A pinch is considered the amount in which you can "pinch" between your thumb and forefinger - or the exact measurement would be 1/16 teaspoon.

The final measure - a Smidgen - is the least popular, and also the smallest measurement you can have. It accounts to 1/32 of a teaspoon. Now, most people won't even notice this small of an ingredient missing, but foodies will - so don't forget the smidgen!

I found these at the Charleston open-air market, but The Weed Patch also has a great selection online.

Now you can enjoy your Southern recipes with a smidgen of sass.. just like grandma made them!