Here’s to the man who taught you to be a princess, throw a baseball, catch a fish and never stop dreaming.
1. Collard Greens Bow Tie
2. Rebel Rocky Road
3. Monogrammed Forged Steak Brand
4. Golf Garmin
5. Streamline Fly Rod and Reel Combo
6. Ultimate Burger Kit – no longer available, but similar here
Valentine’s Day is just another day around our house. We don’t do flowers or presents or fancy dinners. It’s not that we’re anti-Valentine’s Day. We just live life as John often sums it up, “I tell you and hopefully show you that you are very loved every day of the week. I, on the other hand, have had so many work projects and volunteer commitments lately that I’ve been MIA, which leads me to deal with extreme guilt when I walk in the house at night and see everything cleaned, laundry folded and dinner plate waiting on the stove. Knowing that I likely haven’t expressed ample amounts of my love and gratitude toward my husband, and knowing we have a strict no gifts policy, I decided to take the tried and true route cleared by so many women before me. You know, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” It’s true. A wise woman once told us before marriage that love starts in the kitchen. A favorite around our house is anything with oranges and cranberries, so this little muffin recipe dressed up in parchment cups from Paper Chef was the perfect “You are loved today and every day” gift for my valentine.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you. I hope you feel so loved.
As a little girl, I always made handmade cards for each festive occasion for my parents and brother. While much cheaper than a fancy Hallmark card, the sometimes crooked letters and loose glitter of a handmade card have much more sentimental value to me than a generic poem. So this year, I decided to let my inner little girl spend a rainy Sunday afternoon with glue and glitter.
Martha Stewart Ribbon, Glitter, White and Pink Card Stock, and Trusty Elmer’s Glue
A steady hand is not a requirement (obviously). You’ll be amazed at how much glitter can hide.
Yesterday, J and I celebrated our third anniversary. Third! How on earth did that happen? Oddly enough, this is the first anniversary we’ve ever spent together, and wouldn’t you know it would fall in the middle of the week. We celebrated with a low key dinner at our favorite local spot, Harvest Moon, and then I spent some time admiring my now dried bouquet with cotton from my grandparents’ farm, flipping through our guest book and toasting my husband with the flutes used on our wedding day ( a special gift from my brother and sister-in-law just after our engagement).
In an effort not to sound like a Hallmark card, I’ll simply tell you that I love him more today than at 4:20 PM on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 when we were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. John Reed Freeman. We’d be the first to tell you that 2012 has been a year of surprises and hiccups, but one thing is for sure, love never fails.
So, here we are three years later: a house, a dog and many new pairs of shoes. I’d say this marriage thing is working out pretty well.
Here’s to number four…
Guest Book: Jenni Bick Bookbinding; Champagne Flutes: Tiffany & Co
John and I spent the holiday weekend with my family enjoying the water, sun ,two adorable nephews and lots of food prepared by my talented parents. No joke…from a low country boil to bacon wrapped filets to collard greens to homemade ice cream and much more in between, we were spoiled by my parents cooking expertise. We couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather, and while I had great intentions of capturing many wardrobe updates, I found that tickling little piggy toes, playing baseball, stealing sugar, fishing, spying a snapping turtle, playing horseshoes, cheering on a brave six year old innertubing solo for the first time and taking an equally brave three year old out in to the deep water for swimming lessons was just too much fun to break away to get dressed up and work. Fortunately, I was able to snap a bit of our fun via Instagram. I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day celebrating the men and women who have given so much for our great nation.
Photos from left to right: 1. Morning Coffee View / 2. Therapy: My favorite boutique in Auburn / 3. Low Country Boil / 4. Fun time with LMK / 5. Lemonade from Toomer’s Drug Store – an Auburn tradition / 6. LMK riding solo on the innertube for the first time / 7. Watching the “crazies” jump off of Chimney Rock / 8. Saturday’s Lunch / 9. CEGK showing off his birthday loot from his “Addie” and John
Unfortunately, I won’t be with my mom this Mother’s Day, but for those of you lucky enough to spend the day with your most-admired lady, here’s a savory meal that is tasty enough to impress, yet simple enough to stave off stress and enjoy time with Mom. Marinate salmon filets with a mix of bourbon and brown sugar, place in tin foil and grill until done. Serve over a simple succotash, with buttermilk biscuits and tomato gravy.
Hopefully, we’ve all been blessed to have a special mom-figure in our lives. How I got so lucky to be my mother’s daughter, I’ll never know, but I’m so thankful and proud to be hers. For always, my mother has been my biggest fan. She believes in dreams. That is the dreams of her children. Regardless of the dream my brother and I decided to chase, my mother always helped us develop a plan to get there, while cheering us on along the way. She has given us the confidence to take risks, to go on adventures, to live in the “grey” and to believe in ourselves when doubt began to creep into our hearts and minds. And she shows us love, every day. Luck may have nothing to do with it at all, but I know for certain that I’m fortunate to have such a wonderful mother.
Do you have a favorite story to share about your mom? Happy Mother’s Day!
Dress: C.Luce; Belt & Hat: Target; Watch: Michael Kors; Shoes: Tory Burch; Sunglasses: Tiffany & Co; Bracelets
I’m searching for a body double, and only serious applicants should apply. I’ve been running in so many directions lately, that my prized multi-tasking skills have been put to the test. Some days, I’ve failed miserably trying to pack so much in. While there wasn’t a lot of down time during our weekend visit to Lake Martin with my family (two little nephews keep you moving), it was a welcome getaway to spend time with the people I love and drink lots of coffee. Of course, all of the forget-me-not happenings of the past week are sprinkled with some please-forget-me moments.
Forget-Me-Nots
Please-Forget-Me’s
The “Please-Forget-Me’s” may be slim so far, i must remind you, it’s only Wednesday. This list will undoubtedly grow. Do you have any moments to share?
Meshing two of my favorite things, Burlap + Rhinestones, together for an unexpected tie-back on my dining room chairs. The rhinestone ribbon keeps up with the formal nature of our dining room while the burlap adds a rugged touch. Stuffy entertaining always distresses me, so toning our formal furniture down helps create a more casual atmosphere for a dinner party with friends.
Nesting Sticks, Mama Bird Muffins, Ready-to-Hatch Petit Fours, Pink Lemonade and so much more. Oh how TWEET of a baby shower it was!
With 29 approaching quickly, it’s been impossible not to pick apart my face and imagine all the things I need to be doing to preserve my youth. We as women have been bombarded with beauty treatments to maintain the fountain of youth and images (photoshop enhanced, of course) of what we should look like. Now, enter Iris Apfel, the 90 years young woman who is the new face for MAC Cosmetics. Iris celebrates her age and every beautiful line on her face. Quite the fashionista, she’s uniquely Iris. I think she’s BEAUTIFUL! Don’t you?
ohsoali.com 