Meet Will and Casen

This weekend, my dear friends, Sarabeth and Justin, welcomed us into their beautiful home in Collierville, Tennessee.  Sarabeth was such a gracious and thoughtful host and made the weekend special for all of us.

Many of my college friends travelled from all over to catch up and spend time together.  Most importantly, we had a Sip and See on Saturday to celebrate two precious boys - Casen and Will:





Will was born on April 1, 2010, and Casen was born on June 8, 2010.  Will's parents are Stephen and Angela Andrews, and Casen's parents are Bradley and Megan Culbreth.  I've been friends with Megan and Angela since my frehsman year in college.  It's hard to believe it's been 9 years since we met.  I couldn't be happier for them and the adorable new additions to their families.   

Lizzie, Casen, and Will

Future UT Vols!

Angela and Will

 

Jessica and Will





Betsy, Frances, and Casen

Casen had too much partying!

We had a great time getting to know Casen and Will.  As you can see, they were such good sports and let us pass them around all afternoon.  They are lucky boys to have such wonderful parents!

I'm so grateful for all the time we had together and can't wait for the next occasion.  Hope you're enjoying the new year!

Catching Up

During my visit to the Geek Squad at Best Buy last Saturday, I found out my computer had contracted a horrible virus and has a damaged hard drive.  They've been nursing it back to health ever since.  In the meantime, lots has been going on!

We had a great Halloween weekend.  I went to a party on Friday night at Emmylou's boyfriend, Jason's, parents' barn.  Brooke was my date for the evening, and you can see our uninspired costumes below:



Black Cat and Bumble Bee

And the Swamp People came to the party:



Jason and Emmylou

The next night I had a fun Mexican dinner with Brooke and Kelly and then we saw The Ides of March.  The Ides of March kept us on the edge of our seats.  George Clooney and Ryan Gosling definitely didn't let us down.  All three of us would highly recommend it.

On Sunday, we had lunch at the Ellises.  David's Aunt Nancy was in town to visit Jack and Olive, so she had lunch with us too!  It was great to see her.  David wrapped up the weekend on Sunday night by preparing the most delicious chicken and sausage gumbo you've ever tasted.  He combined Emeril Lagasse's recipe with his Uncle Dave's.  It's too complicated for me to type, so you'll have to ask him for the recipe if you're interested :)  He even made his own roux.


The Chef Himself

Last week was a busy work week, and we welcomed November with a trip to Starkville on Friday.  On Friday night, David and I had dinner at Anthony's in West Point, Mississippi (20 minutes from Starkville).  It was fabulous!  If you love stuffed mushrooms, this is the place for you.  For more information, see their website:  http://www.anthonysgoodfoodmarket.com/

After dinner, we visited Ashley and Andrew Shapley and met their 2 month old son, Weston, for the first time.  He was adorable!  Andrew, Ashley, and Weston just moved back to Mississippi, and we're so glad we will get to see them more often.

On Saturday, we had a fun day of tailgating before MSU played UT Martin.

We ran into David's cousin, Egan!  Egan is a sophomore at MSU.

Yesterday was truly a day of rest.  It was nice to have some down time so we will have plenty of energy for the holiday season.  We're looking forward to a trip to Savannah this weekend for my much older brother's 30th birthday!  Hope you have a great week :)

Halloweens That Haunt Us

With Halloween fast approaching, I'm feeling reminiscent about Halloweens of the past.  In college, Halloween was a much-anticipated holiday with weeks of considering what costume would be best.  Usually, multiple costumes were needed for multiple Halloween parties. Since the college days, Halloween has lost some of its excitement, but it's still fun to look back and possibly embarrass a few friends in the process :)  Here we go....


Halloween 2005

 

Halloween 2006

Halloween 2007

Halloween 2007

 

Halloween 2007

  

Halloween 2008



Halloween 2008

  

Halloween 2008

   

Around Halloween 2008 - Best Pumpkin Ever
~ my cousins, McKenzie and Carter, with my Uncle Kirk's face featured on the pumpkin~

  

Halloween 2008

  

Halloween 2009



Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009





Happy Halloween from our house to yours :)

Beauty and the Beast

Last night, I went to see Beauty and the Beast with two dear friends, Emmylou and Brooke.  We started the night off with dinner at Babalu in Fondren (as you can tell from my blog, it's high on my list of favorites).  Then we went to Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson for the play.  Thalia Mara holds a special place in our hearts, because we were sworn in to practice law in Mississippi there a little over a year ago.  It meant no more studying for finals and no more studying for the bar.  As you can see, we were pretty happy that day had finally come:

September of 2010

It was nice to return to Thalia Mara for Beauty and the Beast.  There is nothing more uplifting than seeing a truly wonderful play.  Our high expectations were met with this one.  I've always been a fan of the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack.  In fact, Beauty and the Beast was my first ever CD.  As a child, I used to sing along to the theme song at home using my very own microphone.  Even though it was tempting, I chose not to sing along last night and subject Brooke, Emmylou, and those around me to my vocals.  The music was extraordinarily good, and I am certain Mrs. Potts sang it better than I did.  We had the best time and loved every minute of it.

This is our second play to attend at Thalia Mara.  Several months ago, we saw Mamma Mia.  Mamma Mia was wonderful too.  If you haven't seen Beauty and the Beast or Mamma Mia, buy a ticket as soon as possible!  You won't be disappointed.

Balloon Festival in Natchez

This weekend, we attended the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race in Natchez, Mississippi.  It was voted Mississippi's Best Fair or Festival last year. Natchez is one of Mississippi's most beautiful cities with gorgeous Southern homes and restaurants.  David's good friend, Key, is from Natchez.  It was great to see him, and we felt very lucky to have him as our tour guide for the weekend.

Yesterday was a perfect fall day to spend on the river.  While watching the balloons, we enjoyed lots of good food and fun bands.  I think it was my first time to see a hot air balloon in person!  Here are some pictures from the festival:

~ Key and Sara ~

If you haven't been to Natchez or the balloon festival, I would highly recommend both.  Natchez is a charming place and one I hope we'll visit often.

Have a great week!

Haley and Patrick

On October 22, 2011, my sweet friend, Haley, is getting married to her very best friend, Patrick.  I'm so sad because I won't be able to make it to the wedding, but I will definitely be there in spirit!

Haley is from Knoxville, but she and Patrick now live in Colorado.  They will celebrate their wedding day in Townsend, Tennessee, which is an absolutely beautiful mountain city.  I know it will be a gorgeous October wedding, and I want to give them my warmest congratulations.  I wish you a life full of love and happiness!

Cooking Out with Friends

David and I had such a good weekend.  The weather was beautiful, and we were able to spend quality time with family and friends.  On Saturday, I had a much-needed pool day with my dear friend, Emmylou.  We enjoyed the cooler weather and catching up on girl time! 

On Saturday night, several of our friends came over for dinner - Brittany & Jimmy Dale Chisolm and Sarah Beth & Brent Gary and their kids Walker and Collins.  We watched the Mississippi State game, grilled hamburgers, and indulged in some delicious appetizers:


Sarah Beth brought this tasty pizza dip.  We all loved it, so she shared the recipe:

1 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 jar pizza sauce
2 cups mozarella cheese
pepperonis (as many as you would like on top)

Simply layer beginning with cream cheese, then pizza sauce, then cheese, then pepperonis. 
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!



Sarah Beth also brought Captain Rodney's Dip. 
I will ask her for the recipe and share that one too. 
It was a crowd favorite!



David and I made Rotel Dip with Sausage.  All you need is:

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 lbs Velveeta Cheese (cubed)
1 can mild Rotel
1 lb Hot Jimmy Dean Sausage

Put soup, cheese, and rotel in the crock pot. 
Brown the sausage and mix in with other ingredients.
Cook on low for 1-2 hours.  Serve with chips. 

On Sunday, we had a fun lunch after church with the Ellis family.  It's always nice to spend Sunday afternoon catching up with them and hearing about everyone's week.  After a lazy Sunday afternoon, we went to Jimmy Dale and Brittany's house to cook out with the same group from Saturday plus the Lees and the Deans.  It was the perfect night for a cook out to welcome a new season.  I hope you enjoyed the fall weekend!

Les Mis

Last weekend, David and I went to Memphis to see Les Miserables with my family at the Orpheum.  The play was absolutely wonderful, and the music was incredible.  It was fun to share that experience with my family.  It also gave me the opportunity to see one of my very best friends, Sarabeth, and her husband, Justin:

I met Sarabeth and Justin in college.  They got married last year and moved to Memphis from Charlotte, NC.  I was able to catch up with them briefly before the play and during intermission.  I hope to make another trip to Memphis soon so we can spend more time together.  There are actually several people I love and miss that are living in Memphis....my friends, Lizzie and Angela.  Angela had a sweet baby boy in April, and I'm dying to meet him. Lizzie is working at St. Jude and doing what she's always wanted to do.  I hope to see them soon.  I'm so proud of all my amazing friends :)

A Special Weekend

Labor Day weekend was especially fun this year.  Jessica, Julia, and Betsy visited Jackson!  Julia arrived on Friday night, and we had a wonderful dinner at Underground 119 in downtown Jackson.  Around 9, Betsy and Jessica knocked on my front door, and we stayed up late talking and catching up. 

Jackson was experiencing the effects of the hurricane all weekend, so unfortunately the weather left much to be desired.  But we enjoyed just spending time with each other at home!  We also found a little time to shop and eat!  I was excited to take them to some of my favorite stores in the area, and I will share with you later in the week a few of the recipes I tried.

On Saturday, my older brother, David, and his wife, Anna, stopped by.  They were in town for their precious niece’s first birthday.  Happy 1st Birthday to Emily!  (Anna is actually from Clinton and grew up going to the same church as David (the other David)!  Anna and I have a mutual friend, Kelly, who played matchmaker for both of us.  If you would like to be set up, I would definitely recommend Kelly’s services!)

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was our dinner at Babalu in Fondren and then going to Julep after for a drink.  Here’s a picture from that night:



Jessica, Julia, Me, and Betsy



I’m always so sad when it’s time for a weekend with my friends to end.  It was hard to say goodbye, but I anticipate many more special weekends like this one.  I don't know what in the world I would do without Jessica, Julia, and Betsy!

I hope you enjoyed spending time with friends this Labor Day weekend!

Labor Day

I couldn't be more excited about my Labor Day weekend plans!  Three of my favorite people in the whole world are coming to visit - Betsy, Jessica, and Julia.  The four of us met in college and have remained close friends ever since.  Jessica and Betsy are coming from Nashville, and Julia is coming from High Point, North Carolina.  There is nothing better than a weekend catching up with friends.  We're planning on shopping, laying by the pool, eating good places, and just enjoying being together!

~Julia, Jessica, Betsy, and Me~

David and Huck are pretty excited about their weekend too.  They're heading to Greenville, MS, to spend the weekend dove-hunting.  We wish them luck :)



~an old picture of David and Huck before Huck got so big!~



Have a very happy Labor Day weekend!