Forget the Caterpilar

I'm a very hungry boy!

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At least my bed is made

I never planted my pansy's. I didn't let them die, I just never went to get them, or plant them.  Now as I look out on my porch I just see empty planters boxes lining the railing. 

My to-do lists are longer than there are hours in the day. 
I missed a great visitor speaking to all the Junior League Chairs yesterday. 
Our Thanksgiving headcount is up to 14, normally this would excite me, but makes my 7 month pregnant self wonder if we'll be eating on time.
I HAVE to get our Holiday Party Invites in the mail TODAY.
My husband seems to think he is going to get the nursery wainscoating up and the whole room painted in one day so he can go to the Redskins game on Sunday.  I am scared for my household!
My in-laws arrive on Tuesday, I don't feel ready for them or anyone else to come in and stay for a bit.  I can't wait to see them, just feel like there is so much to do before they come.
I didn't stick to my laundry schedule this week, and need to fold - it's Friday and I'm supposed to knock it out on Monday!
I never took pictures of my fall decor, it's been up since September and will be down in a week to make way for Christmas.
Like I said yesterday, we took our Christmas/Holiday Card picture in October and I still haven't ordered cards.
I don't think the groceries that we are going to buy tonight for our 12 friends, our house guests and ourselves to eat over the next few days will even fit in our fridge.
It's noon, and I haven't taken a shower yet.
BUT - At least my bed is made.

Ring My Bell

or chime in this case...

At church this morning, the handbell choir debuted their new hand chimes, and boy was it beautiful!  It set the stage for an amazing sermon on Discipleship, and growing.  Over the next few weeks our pastor is going to go more indepth on four categories of discipleship: Contemplation, Character, Calling and Community.  I put them in that order because that's the order of my weakness to strongest.  I'm sad we'll be driving back from the FL GA game next weekend and I'll miss the message on Contemplation, but will be listening when it gets posted.  In the meantime, I plan to address this area post haste. 

A few weeks ago on Show Us Your Life - Friday the topic was favorite devotionals and bible studies.  From doing a little research, reading various posts, and seeing posts from my blog buddies, I'm planning to order and read the following:

Nine Months to a Miracle: Spiritual Preparation for Moms-to-Be by Mari Hanes

 

Expecting: Praying for Your Child's Development-Body and Soul by Marla Taviano

 

Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker 

I've got a pot of my favorite soup, Gingered Squash and Pear, on the stove.  Although it's been a pretty productive weekend, there's still a LOT to do today!  

I just noticed my open back door has let a bee into our house, always an adventure-ha!

With Sugar On Top

There's a fresh white coating over the landscape tonight.  It's my favorite kind of snow-the really wet kind that sticks to everything, like God sprinkled us with a good measure of powdered sugar.

Of course this somehow made our power go out.  As the lights flickered, I counted 3-2-1 before the house grew dim, slightly disappointed that I wouldn't be eating the pan of "about to be roasted"  brussels sprouts that I was fixing to put in the oven for dinner. We lit candles, kindled a fire found flashlights and the books from our night stand tables.  It was great to spend the evening unplugged from the outside world, nestled in our home together.

Unplugged was a good thing for me.  I've been enjoying the past few days of recruitment preparation with the sorority chapter I advise.  It's been such a wonderful experience to see the leadership development in the young ladies, and their final push of hard work, rallying from exhaustion and staying focused in order to achieve their goals.  I actually found myself singing and bopping along to one of the songs they sing in a skit last night in the kitchen, I should start making a list of "you know you're a recruitment adviser when."

I didn't realize what a toll putting in long hours at these practices would take on me.  I'm so glad I was able to decompress with a massage after work and a celebratory belated birthday lunch at the Nordstrom's Cafe.  There, Lacey and I can be working ladies who lunch, and get a giggle from the older women who wear full length mink coats over their coordinating track suits.

It's the little things in life...

I should of had Josh guest post Menu Monday this week, as he did the menu planning and will do most of the cooking this week.
Monday we had chicken fajitas
Tuesday was going to be grilled chicken, roasted brussels sprouts and baked sweet potato fries, but turned into a turkey wrap for both of us.
I will be stopping by subway or something of the sorts Wednesday night
Thursday our favorite dish-chicken enchiladas.
Friday leftovers - I want those brussels sprouts!

On the note of my favorite subject, food, I have to share with you a note from my favorite foodie and restaurateur, Kim Bailey's weekly email.

"We are so excited.  It's Strawberry season!!!  That means that we will have a dessert with fresh Plant City strawberries on the menu every week until mid-April or so.
This week we are serving our first strawberry dessert highlighting fresh Strawberry Shortcake.  We make our shortcake unlike others.  First and foremost, the strawberries must be fresh and ripe, which they are.  I picked them out myself this morning.  We make our own biscuit-like (light and tender) shortcakes made with rich cream and butter.  We butter the tops of these shortcakes and sprinkle them with cane sugar for a perfect crunch to the top.
Bailey's Strawberry Shortcakes are extra good because we put a scoop of our homemade Strawberry Ice Cream right in the middle of the split shortcake then load it with whipped cream and fresh berries and natural strawberry juice.  Oh my gosh - it's like being lulled to sleep curled up in your favorite comforter in front of the fireplace."

Ironically I spent my evening being lulled to sleep curled up in my favorite comforter in from of the fireplace, but for some reason this strawberry short cake sounds even better...

Thanksgiving

We love to throw a party at the Thompson house.

Thanksgiving was our first gathering in a while-the Great Thompson Flood threw us off a little bit.  We are looking forward to host a few Holiday parties to wrap up 2010.

A fun party for me requires lots of preparation, so I can enjoy the most time possible with our guests.

I was a little daring with our table linens this year and went with a burnt sienna, which I loved.   Of course I ironed all the napkins and linens on Wednesday, I would have done it earlier in the week, but was otherwise engaged.

Now, my next big decision-how to fold the napkins.

I went with the later version.

We like to wash all the crystal and china ahead of time and set the table the night prior.

Then I get my party planning aide out-post-it notes!  They are wonderful problem solvers for so many things.  In this situation, what dish will hold my beloved mashed potatoes. 

Then off for a good night of sleep.

Josh prepped the bird and dropped it into the roaster first thing in the morning.

The appy's were all cheese based.  Ahh the beautiful baked brie.

It was so popular some was gone before I snapped a picture.

The feast

I thought the pecan pie was amazing, then I had the apple on Friday.  Oh my... I will be so sad when it's all gone.  By far, the two best pies I've ever had.  So glad the hubs is a gifted pie baker!  Hope you and yours had a fantastic Thanksgiving.

Cookin in our New Kitchen

A few short weeks after we finished our kitchen remodel this summer, a pipe burst in our house and flooded the whole darn place.  I didn't get to enjoy cooking in my new kitchen for a few months, but now that we are back home, we are cookin up a storm!

Today for Kelly's Show Us How you Live, I want to show off all my hard work and our NEW kitchen!!

Our kitchen went from this:

To This:

 Fresh coats of paint on the walls and cabinets, new hardware, new ceramic tile floor, granite counter tops, white subway tile back splash, crown molding to top off the cabinets, new stainless steal appliances, deep sink and faucet, new plantation blinds, refreshed outlets and switches and a nice new light fixture to top it off!

 

We love it, and love making good food to eat, too!  Josh made us taco salad for dinner tonight.

 Hope y'all have a great weekend!  I'll be visiting with my family for all my cousin's pre-wedding festivities!

Can't wait for the bridesmaid luncheon and Mexican Party at the family lake house! Of course I will be trying to sneak in the Gator game if possible.

As always Go Gators, beat those LSU Tigers!

Fall Flowers

So my back porch went from this:

To this:

In a few short months. 

When we first moved into the Marriott after our house flooded, I would come back home at least twice a week to water my plants.  This lasted for a little less than two months.  I blame the construction workers for storing lots of things on our porch AND the fact that we had no floor for some period of time.  Well, I did have some surviving basil-ha!

Enter my fun floral friend who loves cooler temps.  The pretty Pansy.  I stopped by my favorite locally owned garden center after work and got busy weeding and planting when I got home.

 All I needed was a flat of these lovelies and a nice glass of vino for my fall planting session.

 My Pansies with the cool October sky in the background.

A little up close look at these beauties.

 Oh and with that surviving basil?

 I made a pesto sauce for my angel hair for dinner.  Didn't have pine nuts, so swapped out walnuts, it worked out well.

A pinch of kosher salt a few garlic cloves, walnuts, a few bunches of basil, some parm and EVOO-yum yum yum.

 My creation with a side of corn bread.  I've decided to embrace that my cooking style has developed into north meets south, Jewish meets Baptist.  It's working for me.

Fall Fun

Much to my surprise, the Monday after we moved back home from the Great Thompson Flood debacle I had a package waiting for me AND my October issue of Southern Living in the mail box.  Double Bonus.

My package was an amazing spa basket sent as a thank you gift for hosting Gwen's baby shower.  What a thoughtful thank you. 

I put all those products to use right away.  What could be better than a spa night and flipping through the latest issue of SL while having my back massaged (we have a machine from Brookstone).

Also something fun going on in our household is Date Your Mate.  A super fun series that Kristin over at Windy Populars is featuring.  Each week she posts great ways to date your husband and show him how much he means to you. 

Yesterday's idea was to hide Hersey kisses all over the house, and the more your husband finds the better his date would get. 

Josh would be returning from a business trip, so I sent him an email to prepare him for the task. 

When you get home tonight, there will be Hersey kisses hidden around the house for you.  First for every kiss you find, you get a kiss from me.  Second, wrappers can be collected and turned in for the following:

# of Kisses Found:         Earnings:
1-5                               Quick snack together
5-8                               Movie and Popcorn at Home
9-12                             Candlelit Dinner at Home-your choice
13-16                           Dinner and Dessert at home-your choice
17-20                           Dinner, Dessert, and Massage
21-25                           Dinner, Dessert, Massage, and ???
Good luck!

This man was on a mission.  I thought when he got home last night from a long day of meetings and flights he would jump on the computer and then flip on Fox News.  Not at all, he scoured the house for kisses, and was very proud of all his findings.  I do still have a few hidden in tricky spots.  I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying these creative ways for us to do neat things for each other, it's so fun!  Thanks Kristin!

Our Dining Room

I'm excited to be able to participate in Kelly's Show Us Where You Live this week.  Now that I actually live back in my home, we are getting to experience all the joys that go along with home ownership (leaking roof anyone)?  Seriously as soon as we get moved back in from one flood, we have another, which are totally unrelated by the way.  We're rolling with it, and looking forward to the weekend.  Shirlington's Oktoberfest and the Bama game.  A little sad we aren't in Tuscaloosa especially with the ticket offers that rolled in this week.  But I hope all my besties have fun at the Lake House and tailgating for the game!!! 

So on to our dining room.  I just realized that our curtains are still at the dry cleaners.  At least I've got my table linens, which will stay on the table until the movers send the restoration company to repair all the scratches it acquired during the demo and move. 

I put out some heartier plates for fall, but I'm thinking about hanging them on one of the walls in the living room, we'll see how industrious I get.

,

My cookbook shelf tucked in the corner-featuring my Junior League of Tampa Cookbooks.  Can't wait to complete the series with Capture the Coast!

My family's prayer.

My mom cross stitched it for me and it was a gift at one of my showers.

My China Cabinet-I have it set up a little differently after the move.  I have all of Josh's grandmothers tea cups out now, and really like it.  Lord knows I have enough crystal and china-may as well switch it out from time to time. =)

All lit up and ready for a nice dinner.  Guess that means I need to get cookin!

It wouldn't be a Friday if I didn't get to say, Go Gators-Beat Bama!