Olive

Last Saturday, the Ellis family was blessed with a baby girl - Olive Elizabeth West.  David and I now have three nieces - Josie, Emma Cate, and Olive. And David's brother and his wife are expecting a baby in October, so it's a happy happy time in the Ellis family.

Olive is the daughter of David's older sister, Jennifer, and her husband, David.  She is their second beautiful baby girl, and as you can see, Josie is a wonderful big sister already:

Today we had the opportunity to meet Olive.  She is absolutely PRECIOUS and just a soft and cuddly bundle of joy!  I truly could have held her for days.  I couldn't be more excited to be Olive's aunt and watch her grow.

"If your house caught on fire and you could only save one thing, what would you save?"

We've all heard this icebreaker.  I found myself pondering it this week when I almost set the house on fire.  I failed to read the label on the spray can of vegetable oil and sprayed it on a hot pan on our gas stove.  Flames erupted, but settled quickly - THANK GOODNESS.  No damage was done, and I'm glad I learned vegetable oil from a spray can is highly flammable when sprayed at the flame!

It's my goal to have a house full of things I would like to save.  For instance, I've started a tradition of getting some type of art or print in each city I visit.  I studied abroad in Cambridge at Downing College after my first year of law school.  During that time, I went to Barcelona for the weekend with friends.  There, I impulsively purchased an inexpensive stainglassish print on the street and framed it when I got home:

I loved it and wished I would have purchased something similar in all the cities I visited that summer.  I vowed I would do that in the future.  Not long after, David and I visited Park City, Utah, with friends.  I bought this picture of bald eagles that I love:

On our honeymoon, we went to the beautiful island called Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.  There, I bought this map of the BVI and had it framed:

My interest in collecting meaningful wall decor has expanded past my travels.  I have recently reframed a cross-stitched picture my grandmother willed to me.  I think it's the most beautiful thing I own:

For Christmas last year, David gave me a Walter Anderson print.  Walter Anderson is a famous Mississippi artist, and I adore this print:

My Uncle Kirk is talented in countless ways, and painting is one of them.  For my birthday when I was a child, he painted this for me.  It's just one of many thoughtful things he's done for me:

Lastly, my parents gave us a framed print of City Grocery for a wedding gift.  City Grocery is a famous restaurant in Oxford.  It's where David and I met, and I love that I have a reminder of that day on my wall!

We're lucky to have a great frame shop in Jackson - Neblett's, and they framed almost every print above.  They frame quickly and offer a large selection of frames at reasonable prices. 

So that's our meaningful wall decor so far.  My goal is for our home to reflect who we are, and I think collecting artwork and prints when we travel is a good and fun way to do that.

Trustworthy Kabobs

Before getting married, I rarely entered the kitchen.  Both David and I come from families full of wonderful cooks, but during my single years, I was more interested in socializing during meals than creating them.  Now, I cook often and truly enjoy it more than I ever thought I would.  I aspire to be fearless in the kitchen and try new dishes.  David and I have shared many a bad meal as a result of my experimentation.  It's absolutely the worst feeling in the world to spend hours preparing a meal that tastes terrible! 

I've come to appreciate reliable recipes. David and I just made chicken and pineapple kabobs, which are healthy and impossible to mess up.  Here's the recipe for you to try!

Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs                                 

          
           4 Chicken Breasts
           1 Pineapple
           Tequila Lime Marinade (from Kroger)
           1 Onion
           1 Jar of Cherries
          
Step 1:  Cut the chicken into cubes and marinate in the Tequila Lime Marinade for approximately 2-4 hours. 


Step 2:  Cut the pineapple into cubes.

You may also marinate the pineapple, or you can simply baste it with the marinade before grilling. 


Step 3:  Slice the onion into squares. 

Step 4:  Create the kabobs, alternating chicken, pineapple, and onion. 


Step 5:  Grill the kabobs.


Step 6:  Put a cherry on each end of the kabob and serve!


My apologies - I totally forgot to take a picture of the finished product!  This recipe is a fun one because you can change it a little each time.  Next time, I think I'll add red, green, and yellow peppers so the kabobs will be more colorful.  You could also substitute shrimp for chicken.


Because we happened to have some squash, we served it with Paula Deen's Cheesy Squash Casserole (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cheesy-squash-casserole-recipe/index.html).  The casserole was delicious, but it would be great served just with rice. This recipe will serve 4-5.  Enjoy!

Charleston - Place that I Love

It feels good to have a lazy Saturday at home.  We had a wonderful time in Charlotte and Charleston.  Betsy and Dan's wedding was beautiful in every way.  I hope they're enjoying their honeymoon in St. John!  Here are a few pictures from the wedding:

After the wedding, we rented a car and headed to Charleston.  We stayed at the Vendue Inn and would highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to Charleston.  Breakfast is included, and it's not a breakfast bar with little boxes of cereal and muffins in plastic wrappers - they have white table cloths and a deluxe menu.  Then, at 4 each day, they have happy hour with wine, cheese, and fruit.  And....at 9 each night, they put out fresh cookies and milk.  They truly embodied the hospitality of Charleston.

We tried to make the most of our few days there.  We ate at some great places - Poogan's Porch, Poe's, Pearlz, and Hank's and took a carriage ride and harbor tour.  David played golf at Wild Dunes, and we spent a day at the beach on Sullivan's Island.

My friend, Frances, lives in Charleston, and I was so happy it worked out for us to see each other and have a morning at the beach together.  It was great to spend time with her! 

If you love looking at beautiful homes, Charleston is the place for you.  On every corner is a gorgeous Southern-style home.  These were some of my favorites:

 I love white columns - they're so classic and Southern.

Many of the Charleston homes have beautiful architecture such as this one with round rooms on all floors.

 David said I liked this one so much because it resembles my home in Savannah.  I love the white arch over the front door.  I think I miss home!

Wouldn't it be fun to have porches upstairs and downstairs like this?

This is my absolute favorite!  It's on Sullivan's Island.  It just looks like a dream...

The summer after my senior year in college, I lived in Charleston with two friends - Jessica and Lyndsey. We decided to sublease part of this house:
 Jessica and I shared a room and had twin mattresses on the floor for beds.  In our living room, we had a blow up mattress and folding chairs.  Our makeshift living conditions made it feel even more like an adventure.  It was an amazing summer of exploring a magical city with two wonderful friends.  We made memories I will always cherish, and I think I left a little piece of my heart in Charleston.  I'm already planning our next trip! 

Going to the Chapel

This weekend is going to be one of the best yet.  David and I are flying to Charlotte on Thursday night for a weekend of celebrating a couple I love:

Betsy and Dan are getting married on Saturday!  Betsy and I met at UT and lived together our junior and senior years.  We lived in "the loft" in downtown Knoxville.  The loft was an old warehouse transformed into a home for six college students.  It was passed down through members of our sorority, and we were very excited to inherit it!  We had two memorable years in the loft, and I miss those days of togetherness all the time.  Betsy is one of my favorite people and dearest friends.  Here are a few old pictures just for fun:

Before a Beach Bash Mixer our Sophomore Year

Old College Inn

The Six who lived in The Loft on Betsy's Birthday

Jessica, Me, Betsy, Sarabeth, Julia, and Frances

Tacky Christmas!

Our Trip to Memphis

Our Fun Weekend in Atlanta

David, Me, Jess, Whit, Dan, and Betsy

One of My Favorite Pictures of All Time

Julia, Me, Frances, and Betsy

I can't wait to see Betsy in her beautiful wedding dress and share this special time with her and Dan.  I'll take lots of pictures and share them with you when we get back. 

The day after the wedding David and I are driving to one of my favorite places in the world - Charleston, South Carolina.  We're looking forward to a few days of touring historic Charleston and soaking up the sun on Sullivan's Island!

Happy 4th!

4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays.  My grandmother, who we called "Ooma", hosted 4th of July picnics in her front yard each year.  Our extended family and the entire neighborhood attended.  The day was complete with delicious barbecue, homemade ice cream of many flavors, face painting, fireworks, pinatas, and extremely competitive relay races.  We approached the day as if it was the Olympics, and plastic gold and silver medals were the coveted prizes.  Being athletically-challenged and having a very competitive nature were not always a good combination.  On that day, I learned how to be a good sport.  In fact, I learned a lot at these 4th of July picnics - the importance of celebrating a country I love, spending quality time with family and friends, and establishing cherished family traditions.  I have Ooma to thank for that. 

I'm looking forward to establishing our own family traditions for the 4th of July.  I'm starting off the weekend with a walk around the block with our much-loved chocolate lab, Huck...

Followed by fish tacos (fish caught by David) with Avocado and Mango Salsa from one of my favorite blogs:  http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/avocado-and-mango-salsa.html

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend with family and friends!