Table Tops

I love to look at pictures of tables all decorated for a fun occasion. To me, one of the most special times is sitting down to a festive table in someone's home. In the latest issue of Domino, several tables were featured that had been at Diffa's Dining By Design. This was one that I was so taken with that was done by David Stark for Benjamin Moore. He used all of this fun color to make the most fun looking birthday table you have ever seen. Look at all of the paint chips! How incredibly creative! Wouldn't it be fun to spend an evening around that table?

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig

Our vacation was fabulous!! We had such a sweet time with our boys and were able to really relax, too.

My husband loves to cook and is good at it. He cooked almost every meal while we were away--breakfast, lunch and dinner. What a great break for me! We stayed at my brother and sister-in-law's lakehouse, and they have a Green Egg--one of those fancy grills (I'm sure my husband would say that description does not do this amazing grilling/smoking/cooking apparatus justice). Anyway, my husband cooked on that thing almost every night. Steaks, smoked ribs, chickens, sausage...we had it all.

I love to watch my husband be a daddy...our boys have so much fun with him.. B is at a place where he can do so much and my husband loves that--they jet skiied, played putt-putt, went on nature hikes, rode everywhere on the golf cart, ate about a thousand of those icey pops, went swimming, and just had a blast together. It's such a treat for all of us to have Daddy with us for a whole week.

Because J and B are in such different stages, J and I were at a little bit slower pace. We joined in for swimming, boat rides, and golf cart rides, but we also spent a lot of time on some of his favorite activities--reading books, taking baths, napping, and watching the deer there.

In other news:

Today I cashed in a coupon and tried the Chick-Fil-A chicken salad sandwich. I'm a fan. It was really good. It had fresh, pretty lettuce on it. It was on toasted wheat bread. From my research...350 calories. Now...if I just had the self-control to not order fries w/ that! You must try one and tell me what you think.

Three out of the four of us have had the stomach bug within the last two weeks. Daddy first, Mommy second, Baby J next, and we're waiting for poor B. Hopefully, his little immune system will be able to stave it off. A few other people who, prayerfully, will not get it....N and B--their sweet godparents who were keeping the boys when Baby J came down with it Sunday night. Oh, how I hope they don't get it.

Time for bed!

Time to Get Away

We're off for a family vacation!! We're headed to East Texas to enjoy time relaxing and playing on the lake. I'll try to e-mail in a post here and there. Take care!

4th of July

We had the most fun 4th of July this year! Here are some of our favorite parts.




The Parade






Family Time




Our boys!

P.J. Ride

Well, we tried a PJ Ride tonight! It was really fun. We put the boys to bed early--about 6:45. Then, about five minutes later, my husband and I ran through their hall hollering and shaking their toy musical tamborine and maracas. We said we were taking a "PJ Ride". We piled into the car and headed to Baskin-Robbins where we had ice cream cones. It was so fun, and B loved it especially. A sweet memory--I look forward to many more!

Costume Pageant Part II

Here are more of B's costumes....if you missed the first edition, lookie here.

The Football Player--a Dallas Cowboy mixed with an SMU Mustang


The Pilot



The "Army Guy"


And...The "Old-Timey Boy"
He and his daddy watched an episode of Andy Griffith which inspired the hat and our sweet neighbor painted the walking stick for him. I guess the "old-timey" part is because Andy Griffith is in black and white and those boys had on those hats..I'm trying to synch w/ his line of thinking!

That's all for today!

Parmesan Chicken

Rocks in My Dryer is having a Five Ingredients or Less Version of Works for Me Wednesday. Here is one of my very favorite recipes that fits into this category. It's so easy and so good.

Parmesan Chicken
2 sticks of butter
6 chicken breasts--boneless, skinless--cut into strips
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter. Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts. Cut breasts into strips (for some reason we like this better than just buying the strips). Dip breasts into butter, then into bread crumbs, which have been mixed with parmesan cheese and seasoning. Place in a buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 30-50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Anthropologie Catalog

I have never bought much from Anthropologie, but I always like what other people find there. Today, the catalog came in the mail and I picked out a few of my favorite things. See what you think.

I love this. It would look cute with jeans.


So would this!


This jacket is adorable. I'm not sure that this color would do much for me, though.


These flats are fun...different than anything I have.

That's all that really hit me..except for a navy blouse that I loved in the catalog, but it didn't strike me on the website for some reason. I cannot believe that fall is around the corner. I'm enjoying summer way too much right now!

The Weekend In Pictures

Daddy gave B a buzz! This is B's third for the summer, but the first his daddy has ever given him.



It looks pretty good! He got to have a lollipop afterwards because that's what he gets after Miss Ginger cuts his hair at Kids Cutz.



J's first time on the Slip N' Slide...I think he had more fun than he's ever had. It might go down as his best day ever!



He took a really good nap Saturday afternoon!



My sweet boys.



Someone is getting ready for the upcoming holiday...who doesn't love a parade?

Have a great week!

An "F" in Babysitting

We have some sweet friends who, very sadly, are moving away. Tonight, their next door neighbors threw a going away party for the block to say goodbye. I went over to their house to keep their children while they were at the party.

As they walked out the door, they told me to read to the baby for a few minutes before putting her in her crib and that the three year old was occupied and would be fine until I was finished.

You would think that I would have checked on her anyway, right? I'm a former teacher and a mom for crying out loud! But, this was an adorable girl with a cute nightgown on and a big pink bow in her hair--those kind don't get into trouble...

Fast forward eight minutes...

I come out of the baby's room to find the 3 year old saying, "Look, I colored my arms." This precious bow-head had colored her arms and her legs in black Sharpie marker--the one that they had been using to label all of their moving boxes.

I went next door to get my friend. After all, she had to see what a good job I was doing in the nine minutes since she had walked out the door! Besides..it was a good photo op!

Needless to say, the little girl had another bath. After much scrubbing, that Sharpie marker can still be seen! It will look so nice with her church dress tomorrow!

There's Just Something About This....

That I absolutely love! Absolutely Beautiful Things lives up to its name...always!

Friday's Favorite Things

1. Enstrom's Milk Chocolate Almond Toffee--My mouth is watering just thinking of it!
2. Wearing an apron while cooking
3. Great big iced teas--the special kind served at luncheons--like my friend Katy makes
4. Mint cocolate chip ice cream
5. Good salads
6. Crossword puzzles
7. Smocked children's clothing
8. My husband in "business casual"
9. Little girls with big old bows
10. J. McLaughlin clothing