Custom Dog Collars

So my best friend Liz turned me onto this website www.elizab.com where you can custom create your own dog collars!!! I know so many of you talk about your own furbabies on your blogs so I know that many of you will go gaga over these $20.00 goodies!!!! You pick which style you want, then you pick what color nylon collar you want for your background.....
Then you pick something to go on top of that.....they have all kinds of different types of ribbon that go on there! These are just a few...........

I just ordered Tellie a special circee (sp??) since she's been having a hard time adjusting to Bug lately......I can't wait to put it on her!!!!

Love,

Charlotte

Merry Christmas from the Hamiltons

Here are just a few pictures from Georgia's First Christmas....there was NO shortage of gifts....Santa found us at three different locations!!! Santa came!!!!!
A hand painted chair from Swoozie that's "Santa's Chair" where he sits beside the tree to unload all of his gifts!

Christmas Eve with Daddy before church

Christmas Morning!

The awful shack where we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas every year : )

I can't take credit for this...it's my mom's best friend's house where we've been going every year for as long as I can remember and we always spend the holidays with lots of family and old friends for the holidays - it's such a special thing that we do every year and I just cherish it

Her house rivals any department store

The children's table...yes, I am 25 and still eating here.....my generation will be the babies for a long time....there's only a few real babies....and they've got a while!

We tell her she needs to charge admission....

Too much Turkey and too much Santa!! This party girl was tuckered out

With Mommy before church

love,

Charlotte

Wishful Wednesday

It's the Wishful Wednesday....What Santa Forgot....

I have to say rather enthusiastically that I didn't have anything MAJOR left off my list...for the first time, my family asked me what I wanted, and ACTUALLY got it! Usually they ask and then go out and get something completely different (ahem....GPS last year for my birthday that most definitely not on my list)...but alas, I did not get my trip to my tropical place of choice.....maybe I can swindle the hubs into taking me for our second anniversary this fall.........

love,

Charlotte

Did Santa miss something????

Have no fear....just enter my giveaway to win a Freshwater pearl bracelet!!!!! This bracelet is sure to cure any blues you may have over not getting EVERYTHING on your list!!! After all, pearls are the Southern Girl's best friend : )

Here are the rules......you'll get 1 entry for each........
1) Become a follower
2) If you're already a follower I'll go ahead and give you an entry...it's the holidays!
3) Leave a comment telling me the one thing you DIDN'T get, but you wish you did
4) Post about my giveaway on your blog
4) Refer a friend and if they become a follower, you get an entry too! Just tell them to leave a comment letting me know you referred them!!

I'll pick the winner at random on January 16.....so hurry up!!!!

xoxo,
Charlotte

Christmas Traditions

So this year being Georgia's first Christmas, we have decided to make Christmas Eve all about our family. It will be strange not being with extended family but I always said once we had children, no more traveling. Selfishly, I want Christmas morning to be all about my children and their "Santa time." This year we are going to church and then going to look at lights. We'll come back and have dinner and snuggle up and watch a Christmas movie (or ten!). I want my children to grow up with fond memories of our Christmases together. We will travel to see all of the extended families Christmas day but I like the fact knowing Christmas Eve will be all about us.

My FAVORITE movies of all time are Home Alone and National Lampoon Christmas Vacation....and Love Actually is a close runner up...I've been overdosing on Christmas music and today especially it has really pumped me up for Christmas!

Tonight I am going to finish my wrapping..this year's theme is black and white polka dots with lime green and red ribbons....I'll make sure to take lots of pictures!

Stay tuned for my next giveaway! If Santa falls short, this will definitely make up for it!!!

love,
Charlotte

Merry Christmas from the Bug

The Bug would like to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Winter Reading List

Just finished this.....FINALLY......

Now I've started this....... I highly reccomend both : )

love,

Charlotte

I hit the Motherload

Dear Ikea,
WHERE have you been all my life?!?!?!? My mom and went this weekend and I have to say I could spend days and days in this place. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! I got lots of goodies for next to nothing. I am not even a bargain shopper but Ikea makes it easy!!! And the best part? It's literally an hour and a half a way.... I think I just heard my husband cutting up my Visa : )

xoxo,
Charlotte

Fontaine Maury

I am SOOOOOOO excited to announce that I will now be selling Fontaine Maury. A good friend of mine is closing the doors to her precious stationary and fine gifts store (tear) BUT a silver lining is that I have purchased the rights to retail this exceptional life of personalized goodies!!! Online, you will only be able to view a sampling of their orders available, but they also carry stationary, Christmas cards, stamps, luggage tags, placemats, paperweights, you name it! If you're in the area, I will be doing home shows and parties but will also take orders online as well. Just get in touch with me! This is the plate that I just ordered for Georgia...it's so adorable!
These little plates are a perfect way to make your little one feel special at mealtime!!

Ladies, how cute are these while you're working out?!?!?!

A perfect way to personalize your darling's bag!

Are you a socialite hostess with the mostest?? Here's a perfect way to display your talents!!

www.fontainemaury.com

happy shopping!

Charlotte

Sappy Commercials

I absolutely LOVE the Overstock.com commercials...and NO, not the "O O O, the big big O" one...but the ones with Rory and Joey...I thought it was just a vignette for the website, but in fact they are a real duet....I just adore her voice and they are so cute together...so luckily for me, I can listen to their songs that make me cry anytime I want and not have to wait until the commerical come on..... their rendition of "Free Bird"+a great glass of pinot+a crackling fire= a great night

http://www.joeyandrory.com/

love,
Charlotte

rain rain go away....

this is what I looked like after braving the monsoons today....freezing, blowing rain...I guess my errands were worth it....

ugh,

Charlotte

One Kings Lane

So a store here in town named Tullulah used to carry this delicious line of fragrances and we have looked at carrying them for Formosa....their stuff smells so yummy and I am all about their perfume. I get so many compliments when I wear it- and it's so reasonable...they expanded their heavenly scented haven to include wonderful bedding. So, to my point- I learned about One Kings Lane from Erin at Blue Eyed Bride and it's this amazing website where they send you deals every day....right now they have Lollia stuff at the One Kings Lane price...they don't have any perfume but they do have some of the bedding.... RUN and go sign up for a membership with them and you will not be disappointed...you have my word!
www.onekingslane.com

toodles,
Charlotte

SANTA'S COMING?!?!?!?!?!

I better start behaving!!!!!!!!!!!

Homage to the Bug

So I thought I would indulge all of you with a few pictures of Georgia....these are from 5 months on..... We are officially sitting up now without support! I am so excited! After about 10 minutes, she will usually get tired, but she is making some serious progress!

No teeth yet, but we are well on our way! She has managed to retain her happy disposition despite the shifting of her toothies...

We are eating 3 meals a day...she LOVES sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, peas, pears, peaches, rutabagas, bananas, applesauce...you name it, she'll eat it....

At our 6 month check up we weighed 17.5 pounds and were 26.5 inches long!! Whew! She is wearing 6-9 month clothing in her jammies, 12 month in our favorite Kissy Kissy stuff, and 12 months in all of our smocked clothing....here's to precious baby rolls!!!

She is quite enamored with Tellie (our golden) and her face lights up every time Tellie comes in the room. It is so precious. She also loves all the lights and ornaments on the tree- it's her own little club disco ball. We're all ready for Santa!!!!

xoxo,

Charlotte

Chh Chh Chhanges

Hey y'all!! I have been working on this post since 11.24....so I am posting it today (12.15) but this will just go to show you how crazy things have been in my life....it takes me two weeks to get a post up here!!!

I know I know I know....after many emails and sweet comments from all of my followers I have decided to return. I won't be as fanatical about my blogging as I was in the past only because there are so many wonderful blessings sprouting up around us here in "real life." I have to say, I missed blogging, but I realized (gasp!) how trivial my blogging came compared to the real events happening in my life....some of you may not agree, but it's just not important enough to take time away from my precious Bug. She is growing up before my eyes and when I get home at night, it's honestly the furthest thing from my mind.

BUT...good news for all of you, I have made it a Pre New Years Resolution to blog at least once a week- WITH pictures!!! So many of you have emailed me/facebooked me/in person checking on me about my blogging and wanting to know where the heck I have been- and let me just say-it meant so much to me. Here's what's been going on in our lives.....

1. Bug turned 6 months old- and is about to turn 7 months the beginning of January. EEEK!!!! Where is my little baby?!?!?

2. I have been diagnosed with kidney stones. I have been having some pain for a few months now, and I just chalked it up to you know.....but four weeks ago I hit a brick wall and had to go to the ER (fun fun) in the middle of the night....after lots of testing, and even MORE serious painkillers, they found the culprit!! I had just been to the doctor the week before and they were thinking it might be an stress induced ulcer. Stress? Seriously? No stress here - riiiiiight- (which, was also a factor in the culmination that I would not blog anymore) and they ordered all these tests to be done in a few weeks....I go back today for a checkup and we're hoping all the weird other things going on were in fact related to the stones and nothing else. We can only pray.

I passed one stone two weeks ago and there's several more in there....hopefully they will make their way out soon. I can honestly say that this pain is a pain like no other. I cannot even describe to you how it feels. For those of you ever cursed with one of these suckers, you know what I am talking about. The nurse had an inkling when I was in the ER when he asked me to describe what I was feeling and I could barely talk and my entire body was shaking, he said he knew at that moment that it was a kidney stone- I laughed thinking NO WAY!

Well enough about my pains.....on to bigger and better things. My precious little girl and amazing husband are doing well- thanks to all of you for asking. I will post a collage of pictures after this...you WON'T believe your eyes!!!!

And my Girl Scouts? Well they are fabulous....we have come so far. We had our Holiday Party with them and it was a blast. They are the most precious girls and I just love every second I get to spend with them. I learn so much from them- way more than I am sure they learn from me. We are on Winter Break right now for them so we will resume in January. I can't wait to get back to them!

I turned the big 2-5 last week!!!!! This has been an amazing year and I am so thankful for all of the wonderful blessings. I have such wonderful friends and an amazing family who all spoiled me so richly on my big day...I got a brand new pair of Uggs so I can finally retire my old ones, my COWGIRL boots (yay!), Chanel perfume (divine), some jewelry, some vino, a beautiful picture of me with my Bug, some stemware, and some china (that I treated myself to, thank you) and to round it all out we had an amazing night out on the town with lots of debauchery. So all in all....it was a wonderful birthday/month.

I will post some pictures of my chunky monkey and some of the fun things that we are experiencing with her right now!!

Man, it's good to be back!!!! Missed y'all!!!!

xoxo,
Charlotte

It's Finally Friday!!!!!

This weekend we're headed here......... I am so excited for Bug to finally go to the pumpkin patch!!! We'll also be getting our own pumpkins but carving will have to wait. I can't stand the smell of rotting pumpkins!!!!

Tonight we're having dinner with our good friends Hamp and Rebecca at the club. The boys played in a golf tournament today so we'll go up there and celebrate wth them. Then we're headed over to Tuck and MB's for a get together!! And YES, we ARE that couple who is bringing along the little one. Luckily, we're the only ones with kids so babies are still exciting and new to all of our friends and not a nuisance quite yet.....

One of my best friends Erin is getting married in a few months so I am so excited to be kicking off her wedding festivities with her engagement party this weekend!! All of the girls are coming into town and I couldn't be more ecstatic about getting together with such good friends.
You know how you have those times when you're with your childhood friends and you are just constantly reminded of why you've remained friends this long??? We haven't all been together since Georgia was born so I'm really excited for Bug to meet all of her beautiful aunts!!!!

Have a great weekend!!

Love,
Charlotte

So I Married A BadAss

Uncle Preston + Raymond + MiniBike+ No Women (UNSUPERVISED FUN) = THIS

So the hubs thought that it would be a BRILL (as the Brits say dahlin') idea to get on a minibike that is suped up with some sort of lawn mower motor or something and ride around full speed. Now, what's the problem you ask? Well, Raymond happens to be quite uncoordinated (apparently) when he's on 2 wheels. A 4-Wheeler? NO PROBLEM. A Car or Truck? EASY!! But a minibike??!?!?! BOMB!!!! And y'all when I say minibike, I mean minibike, it's like 1 1/2 feet off the ground.....it was quite the sight when Liz and I got back from our show......the boys thought I was going to be mad....I was just mad at the prospect that I might have to spend my one and only baby free night at the ER!!!!!!!!

Lord help me now!

Love,

Charlotte

Boo's your Daddy????

This is the Bug this weekend being held up by Uncle D and Daddy....her outfit says "Boos your Daddy?" but it's hidden by the oh so classy First Halloween bib....check out the socks...oh yeah Happy Friday everyone!!!! Only one more day 'til the weekend!!

Love,
Charlotte

Just BUMP It

So what could be more fun than drinking wine and playing with your best friend's new bump it?!?!?!?! We had more fun trying this sucker out so I had to run out the next day and get one for myself. I am never one to believe the TV ONLY ads....but ladies, this is TOTALLY worth getting!!!

With the Bump It

Without the Bump It

Doesn't it look good?!?!?!?!? And yeah the Bump It's not so bad either ; ) Love you Boo!!!!!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

I realized that I had totally fall off the wagon in posting each week....we've still been weighing in, but I think my posts have been few and far between and I just figured that was the last thing that you wanted to hear! Since my last post, I have lost a total of 2 more pounds! It's slowly but surely melting away....Raymond is such an inspiration and motivation to me and doing this with him has been so much fun. He definitely keeps me on my toes. Lately I have found some really yummy dishes so I wanted to share this one with you, this will be tomorrow night's supper....

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage
Makes 8 servings
POINTS value per serving: 6
Ingredients
3/4 pound mild turkey sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
One 28-oz can diced tomatoes
One 10-oz package frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 oz dried whole wheat ziti, cooked according to the package's instructions and drained
6 oz fat-free Mozzarella cheese, grated*Note* If the cheese is too soft to grate easily, allow it to "harden" in the freezer for 15 minutes, and then proceed.
Instructions
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes.
Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the pasta and half the grated cheese. Spread evenly into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese.
Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Doesn't this sound good?!?! I'll make sure I let you know how it was with pictures included!!

It's POURING down rain here so we're all hunkered down trying to bear through the downpours!! Hope it's not as nasty where you are!!

Love,

Charlotte

Channeling JKO

So we have the Assembly coming up in November and I need to figure out which type of dress I want to have made. I have this thing about buying formal dresses off the rack. Nothing ever fits me right and I end up spending as much in alterations than I originally spent on the dress so I few years ago I started having someone just make them from scratch for me. This way, I can insure I will be the only one there in the dress, and it's made to make yours truly look the best she can!!! This year I think I am going to channel Mrs. Onassis......this style dress, with a large bow on the back.....not necessarily going with this color, I am thinking maybe more of a Cerulean blue (remember that color from your Crayola box???)........... ...paired with a chunky pearl necklace....tres chic.....
what do you think?????

Love,

Charlotte

Everybody's workin for the weekend....

This weekend the bestie and I had an incredibly successful Formosa show! We love doing shows because they are a great way to meet people and really get a feel for what our customers are looking for....you start to run into a lot of the same vendors at all of the shows and it's just fun hanging out with such fun people all day! How blessed are we that we get to do what we love and reap the benefits of our hard work?!?!?

Our freshwater pearls that just came in!!!! They are so beautiful! And reasonable!!!

Our mannequin....she keeps us company on the road : )

We've got several more shows before the end of the year so these ladies will be busy busy busy!!!

Remember to stop by Formosa's blog to check out our new stuff and updates on upcoming shows!!

Love,

Charlotte

What a feelin'.....Keep believin'......

You know you have those days when you wake up and you just know it's going to be a good day? Well today was that day....lately in my life, every day is that way....how can it not be when you have this (see below) to wake up to?!?!?! She is the reason behind everything I do and when you become a mama you suddenly realize that little else matters than the love your family and good friends can bring you.... Hope your day is filled with love and laughter....
Love,
Charlotte

Blog Award!!

Miss Wendy over at Madras and Pearls has so lovingly given me this award today!! Woo hoo!! What a way to start the weekend!!!

Rules
1. You Can Only Use One Word!

**okay, being the verbose babe that I am, I altered this rule,

to the shortest possible answer you can come up with**
2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers!
3. Alert them that you have given them this award!
4. Have Fun!
The Fun Part...
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your hair? growing, slowly
3. Your mother? my idol
4. Your brother? my protector
5. Your favorite food? anything edible
6. Your dream last night? not enough sleep to dream
7. Your favorite drink? sweet tea
8. Your dream/goal? to leave behind an outstanding legacy for my children
9. What room are you in? Bug's nursery
10. Your hobby? being fantastic
11. Your fear? abandonment
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? loving wife and mama to many more kids
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren’t? weak
15. Muffins? pumpkin (thx Wendy!)
16. Wish list item? my own storefront for formosa
17. Where did you grow up? the South
18. Last thing you did? pack my car
19. What are you wearing? jammies
20. Your TV? MANsized
21. Your pets? golden retreiver
22. Friends? unconditionally loving
23. Your life? amazing
24. Your mood? satisfied
25. Missing someone? always!
26. Vehicle? audi
27. Something you’re not wearing? makeup (yikes!)
28. Your favorite store? Just the Thing
29. Your favorite color? apple green
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today
32. Your best friend? Liz, Keys, Erin, Callie (yes, I am one of those girls)
33. One place that I go to over and over? Target
34. One person who emails me regularly? raymond
35. Favorite place to eat? Coast (Charleston)

I am tagging the following blogs because I enjoy each of these girls and I love reading their stories.
1) The Cobia Family
2) Preppy Pink Crab
3) Pinot After Playdates
4) Love Leslee
5) Chapters of our life

6) Est 3.31.07

Luscious Lusts.....

Hello Reva!!! So I am taking the plunge and helping to stimulate the economy by supporting Tory's ever loving house of fashion.....come to mama!!! I have also been doing a little window shopping lately.....so dear window fairy, I'll take one of each of these please if you're in the area.....

J. Crew Cashmere sweater

Gucci New Jackie

........a girl can dream can't she??.........

Also, I've been itching to redo the boudoir...this is my starting point....and I have found some delicious yellow (think goldenrod) patterned fabric to use for the drapes and throw pillows...a nice bounce off of the royal blue walls if I might say so myself......wish me luck!

Lots of love,

Charlotte