2014

Well, here we are in a new year! I had a wonderful time spending the holidays with family and friends and I hope you did too! We threw a New Years party like we did last year, and of course, we had a blast! 

Since our group of friends likes to take pictures, I set up a backdrop and had props to add a little spunk to our photographs. Here are a few:

 

I won't bore you with resolutions and all the stuff I wish to do that probably won't happen (ahem, exercising). Instead, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and do what a lot of other bloggers are doing, come up with one word to describe this year. This year, my word is 

Grow

1) I hope to grow my relationship with my husband. My marriage to Sean is the most important thing in my life and I want to continue to love and support him in everything he sets out to do. We make a great team and I love him more than anything; I hope to grow our strength, happiness and faith in each other. 

2) I wish to grow the bonds that Sean and I have with our families. These days, trust is hard to come by. But, at the end of the day it's nice to know that we have these people to help us when needed. I want to spend more time with them and I want to become a person that they know they can count on. 

3) I want to help Sean grow his businesses. He's so passionate and hard working and I want to help fulfill his dreams. He's already very successful, but the boy has some pretty lofty goals that I will continue to help with in every way possible. This year, I hope his two businesses grow in size, numbers and success. 

4) I hope to grow my confidence in everything I do. When it comes to work, I hope I can continue to grow and prosper, but I know that much of that stems from the level of confidence I have in myself, as well as the confidence that my fellow coworkers have in me. I also hope to grow my confidence in everything else such as cooking, homemaking, being a good friend, making wise decisions, etc. 

5) I already mentioned stregthening our bonds, but I also want to grow our family. No, I'm not pregnant. And I'm not looking to get pregnant any time soon. I'm having fun being married and being spontaneous. As of now, I'm too selfish to give that up. And that's okay. I'm young. This is my time. But I would like to have a child one day that doesn't shed hair all over the place, has claws and goes coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs over a tennis ball. Will Sean and I have a baby this year? Probably not. But I would like to have somewhat of an idea as for when things will happen. Grow baby grow. Scratch that, plan baby plan :) 

6) Lastly, I want to grow the relationships that I have with my friends. I have learned the value of quality over quantity; I think part of that comes from maturing and growing up. I really value the people I have in my life and the bond that we have. I wish the best for them this year and hope that they will continue to grow and prosper. 

Here's to a wonderful year! May it be the best one yet :) 

-C Doc

Thanks-given

Holidays and traditions. I'm allll about 'em. Especially if it involves large amounts of food. This year, Sean and I had the privelage of hosting Thanksgiving at our home. I was beyond excited when this was decided and look forward to new traditions that take place at our humble abode. Sean and I are so in love with our little house and enjoy having people over. I'm blessed to have a husband that is capable of building/fixing/making nearly anything and I am beyond extatic at what he's turned our house into and how we're able to make memories in it. I'm also thankful that we have family and friends so close that we are able to share these memories with. But enough of all the mushy gushy stuff. Let's get to the grub!

Every year, Sean deep fries turkeys. Usually about two or three of them, depending on who wants one, how many people we're feeding and how long after Thanksgiving we want to eat turkey. This year we kept it at two twelve pound birds. The perfect amount to feed our family and friends that came to supper and enough to have left-overs for a while. While he was slaving away watching the birds fry, chilling outside with a cool beverage, watching football, smoking a cigar and playing with the dogs (tough job), I was running around like a mad woman trying to get all of the sides ready and the table prepared for our guests. With the help of my sister-in-law and mom, we had all of the sides done right in time.

I wanted to go all out on the table decor, but due to the fact that we had seven people squished at a 6' folding table, I had to limit myself (womp womp). Anyhoo, this is what I came up with:

I borrowed a green table cloth from work, put down my burlap[ish] table runner, borrowed some gold chargers from my mother-in-law, threw out some foam gourds and used mason jars as our water glasses. The weather was absolutely beautiful that day, so I set everything up on our back porch. Although our back porch looks like it belongs in a bachelor pad, the views of our landscaping out back along with the brisk breeze was enough to remind us that we're mature adults that live in a lovely community among other established adults. Ha! Who am I kidding... The burps at the dinner table were louder than the football game blaring in the background. It's all good though, I take burps as a compliment to the delicious food. Unfortunately, this was the only picture that I got of anything (major blogger fail). But, much of our time was spent getting everything ready, stuffing our bellies and relaxing with the company of good friends and close family. This is how relaxed Sean was:

The dude was exhausted. His sweet face makes me want to pinch his cheeks. Or plug his nose. Depends on the day... Anyway, the reason why my boy was so tired was because we started our day at 6am. Every year we hop in the boat and go out to a little island not too far from my grandmother's house and meet up with friends. My parent's friends, their kids who are my friends, our friends, their friends, their friend's friends. You get the idea. We all go out there to reconnect, talk about the past year, drink bloody marys, mimosas, eat donuts and sit by a big bon fire that the guys blow way out of proportion. Something about alcohol and fire and they just get going...

We also managed to grab an awkward family picture. This is probably the 15th picture that we took because our dogs have ADHD. Notice how Sean and I are both sitting on them to hold them there. I do love how Tatum is looking up at Sean, though. It's like he's admiring his dad. Or he saw a bug. Either way, this is the best we got:



It was a great day and a great way to kick off the holiday season. I'm so excited for all of the gatherings that are to come, as well as all of the time spent with family and friends that have become family. It really is the most wonderful time of the year :)

-C Doc

It's Fall[ish] Y'all!

Of course I say that the day after we turned our air conditioner back on…. Florida heat wins again. It was nice for about a day though, and you better believe that I lived it up! Windows open, Caramel Apple Spice in hand and a drive in the Wrangler with the roof and doors taken off. I was a happy camper :)

I went to Michaels the other day to scope out some deals, because we all know how seasons work in the retail world. Fall rolls out in June, Halloween rolls out in August and as soon as November 1^st comes, bam! They shove Christmas down your throat. Some stores even jump the gun and start Christmas in October. What about Thanksgiving and fall, people?! I love the pretty leaves, the pumpkins, the scarecrows and the colorful flowers. My house will be decked out in fall décor until the day after Thanksgiving, because we need to slow this holiday train down. Let’s enjoy each holiday as it comes, right?

Back to Michaels… I went a couple days after Halloween to search out what they had on clearance. This is what I got!

It may not look like much, but I got all of it for $5.00! Can’t beat that. I especially love my goofy looking fowl:

Here’s everything all set up:

There is barely enough room to eat on our table. And I’m totally okay with it.

But the main reason why I wanted to scope out some little fall chachkies (or dust collectors as Sean likes to call them) is because I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year! I’m so excited to host a holiday in our house! As soon as it was decided that I was hosting this face-stuffing-glutinous-holiday, I immediately started thinking of décor and how to set up our house to fit everyone. Living in a house the size of a shoe box has its advantages, especially when it comes to cleaning, but when it comes to shoving everyone inside for a holiday where our waste bands are going to be expanding, space becomes an issue. So while you guys are enjoying your weekend, I’ll be in yet another wedding and planning out how to arrange my house.  Wish me luck!

-C Doc

Halloweenie

Hallow ghouls and boys! I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween! I made a little set up in our front yard for our pumpkins and put out a bench that we could sit on to hand out candy. The thought of listening to my dogs bark each time a kid knocked on the door makes me cringe. Luckily, it was really nice outside which made it that much better.

 

Like last year, my dad got all dressed up in his super cool Frankenstein costume and scared little kids. Here he is with my mom:

They’re so funny. Whenever he’s in costume, she becomes his little sidekick. Because of the face mask, it makes it hard for him to see where he’s going, so she guides him. When he becomes hot, she helps him take off his mask. When a swarm of kids come up, she helps him put it back on and tuck the neck part into his shirt. And, without fail, if the man wants a sip of beer, she’s right there at his side with a cold brewski in hand. They make a good pair, those two.

Hearing the comments from the kids make my Halloween each year. Here are some:

“Is that a real person in there?”

“Is he really that tall?” (He stands almost 8’ tall in costume)

“I just want some candy…”

“Trick or AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (and then they run)

“…..hi.”

As for the hubby and I, we just threw on some silly hats that we had around the house: 

I got that Jamaican hat with the dreads at a folk fair wayyyy back in middle school. It’s Sean’s go-to hat whenever we have a party and he gets a little tipsy. Thankfully he does not start talking like them, the hat is enough… I had on my moose hat. No explanation there. And Derek was a drunk looking hobo with candy on his head that kept saying “Jamaican me crazy, mon!” and “I’m not giving you any candy unless you say Trick or Treat”. Never a dull moment. 

Last weekend my friend had her annual Halloween party, which is always a good time! And I just have to brag, my costume only cost me $5.00! Can’t beat that! 

Cat Woman, out. Happy November!

-C Doc

Boo-tiful

Alas! I am back with yet another easy craft that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. When decorating for Halloween, I try not to go the spooky route. There are some houses in my neighborhood that has zombies running through their yard, tomb stones, skeletons and some even go as far as having fog machines. That's just not my jam. I, quite frankly, am not a fan of getting the dickens scared out of me. Sign me up for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Thanks.

I didn't go all out for Halloween. But I did make a super cute door hang that I love. Here are the materials:

I bought some letters from Michaels that are about 5-6" tall. I also bought some orange craft paint and a spool of black and white polka-dot ribbon. You'll also need a staple gun, paint brush and some scissors.

Step one:

Paint the letters. I used foil to paint on top of because it doesn't stick and it makes for easy clean up.

Step two:

Let dry.......

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OK! Step three:

Cut some ribbon to make a loop on the top letter, B. Attach it using the staple gun.

Step Four:

Cut more ribbon to separate the rest of the letters. I cut a piece about 6" long. Although, looking at the finished product, I may go back and cut them shorter. Anyhoo, here it is:

Do it for the remaining O, and once that's all done, hang it up! Please excuse the crappy phone picture...

Ta-Da! The only thing left to do is plug in that jack-o-lantern and lay down some orange lights that I have to go in the bushes. I tried to hook them up last week but something is wrong with the plug outside... womp womp. Put that on the hubby's list of things-to-do! 

Speaking of the hubby, check out the pumpkin that we he carved!

It's a VW Bus! He's always wanted one (the actual car), but it seems as though this pumpkin is as close as he's going to get for now. Which is pretty unfortunate since it got moldy and the roof collapsed within a mere three days. It's since been thrown out. Oh well. It was cute while it lasted!

Just one more thing left to do before Halloween: watch Hocus Pocus!

-C Doc

Pinterest Party - Fall Edition

A couple of weeks ago I got all my girls together for a Pinterest Party! It's a night that we can all get together to drink wine, eat some scrumptious food and do a craft! I had one last year and it was a hit, so I decided to have one again. I send out the invite a few weeks in advance and ask that every girl bring a dish that they've been wanting to try (via Pinterest) and I buy all of the materials for the craft that I choose. Something that's been popping up (pinning up?) on Pinterest lately are the wreaths that you can make out of pool noodles! Now you all know I'm a big fan of festive wreaths, so I was all over this idea. Being that it's fall and there aren't too many summer items found in stores any more, I had to come up with something to use other than a noodle. Luckily, I work for a construction supply company and there are plenty of materials around work that can be used for different uses, so I used something called backer-rod. It's a foam material that is used to shove in between a concrete joint, or in this case, make festive wreaths :)

All I did was cut the foam into three foot sections and duct tape the ends together to make a hoop!

The cool part about this material is if it looks a little wonky, you can form it to make a better looking circle. After that was done, all we did was wrap strips of burlap around it a bunch of times and secure the ends with hot glue. Whenever Michaels had a sale, I would go stock up on flowers and ribbon to decorate them. Here is my completed wreath!

I kept it simple with one sunflower and some leaves. I got to the ribbon a little too late and all that was left was a little sliver, so I snuck in a little piece behind the flower for a small pop of color. I also made a little banner out of felt and twine. I cut the triangles and hot glued the twine to the back and wrote on it with a Sharpie. Ya know, just in case I forget what season it is.

I hung mine on my old window in the living room. Normally I have a twig wreath up there that has some flowers that match our house colors, but I like the little bit of seasonal decor up there. It works out perfectly too because there is a hook up there that was used to latch the window closed, but now it works perfectly as a wreath holder!

It was a great time and everyone made an adorable piece of fall decor for their homes. I am already planning the next Pinterest Party, it'll have a Christmas theme since the holidays are upon us! Where has this year gone?!

-C Doc

Supposedly it's Fall....

According to the time of year, it's fall. According to the weather outside, it's still summer. But, I live in Florida and it comes with the territory. That doesn't mean that my house isn't all set for the impending weather change, though! I've set out all of my fall decor. I think some is missing, I'm just not sure where it is in the house... Oh well. The stuff I have out now will suffice.

One of my favorite things to do is decorate the entryway of our house. I love the front door we chose and if I have the chance to draw your eyes to it, I'm going to do my best to do just that.

As you can tell, I'm still using my wreath that I've used in the past. It's the best way to save money, just switch out the flowers depending on the holiday or time of year. I also hung the scarecrow from our mailbox; I made a hook out of a metal clothes hanger so it really stays on there in case we get any crazy winds. I also planted cute little orange flowers in with my topiary! I love the vibrant color that they add :)

As you enter the house, there are sunflowers throughout. I put "das boot" on the little table as you walk through the door, as well as some other flowers scattered on the table.

Behind our couch we have this.... Now you all know that I'm a firm believer in "using what you have", and one thing is for certain, there are plenty of beer bottles at my house. Sean made his own brew at home and had a bottling kit so, I used four of the left over bottles. All I did was hot glue some craft letters to it, shoved some orange twig branches in there and wham, bam, thank you ma'am, we've got ourselves some fall decor! I wrapped some fall themed garland around it and stuck some sunflowers in between the bottles. All in all, it cost me about $3 to accomplish that little bit. Not too shabby!

Last, but not least, the tablescape. I had some bandanna scrapbook paper left over from a Bridal Shower that I threw for a friend last weekend, so I used that as my base. Then I just wrapped some jute twine around somethings, threw some flowers and some candles around and added a little sign and a scarecrow (both bought at Target for a dollar) and that was done!

I'll be back with another fall craft that I did with my girls at a Pinterest Party that I had during my hiatus! They're so much fun.... I have everyone bring a dish that they've been meaning to try on their Pinterest Board and I supply all of the materials for the craft that I've also found on Pinterest. What did we do in the days before virtual pin boards?! Happy fall y'all! sorta...

-C Doc