Prayers needed......

Jessica over at Learning as We Go had her precious baby boy this weekend and so we in blogland wish them both a very very speedy recovery!!!!!! Go over and leave her some love and please send all of your thoughts and prayers to Jessica and Baby Drew!!!!! Hope you all had a great weekend! Thank you so much for all the sweet comments on my very pitiful and lame Friday post!!!! You all definitely brought me some sunshine!!

Things getting me through the week.....

Ugh....this week has just been s*&%%y to SUM it up.....and on top of everything, I just wrapped everything up with a nice wreck to my brand new car.....the f*ing cherry on top.....please can this week be OVER?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Here are a few things that have gotten me through this terrible, no good, very bad week........

The Fall line from La Jenn's how precious.........
ahhh!!!!

the Bug's new Puddle Jumpers......

Tyler Candles in Mediterranean Fig and Tyler scents.....

Lindsay Phillips switchable flats....my MIL turned me onto these and these are just to die for....

And how can anyone stay mad when they come home to this every day??????

showing off her bracelet she wanted.....

showing off her new La Jenn's duds......

So I am off to drink this week away..........

Hook, Line and Sinker.....

So a while back (as in back when I got 8 hours of sleep) I got the harebrained idea to try and start couponing....I had several friends who did and just swore up and down that this was "easy as pie" (which, pies are not always that easy to make-hello key lime-but that's another post for another day) and "honey if I can do it, YOU can do it!" So I took the leap and I tried it. I must say that I was completely overwhelmed and just did not feel that all of the work was really saving me any money....so it ended about as quickly as it started....fast forward say, 16 months......I thought I would give it another shot. SO I went onto Southern Savers and saw that they were offering a class in my area so on a whim I signed up and attended this past Monday night. Leaving there 3 hours later with my head (just slightly)

swimming, I did feel like this was something that I could tackle. Jenny, the creator, is absolutely hysterical and her dry sense of humor really lightens up this historically stereotyped lifestyle. Even if I am able to just cut our grocery tab down by 25% I feel like that's a win win situation. So this weekend will be my first attempt at gathering all of the information, and really trying to make this happen. She swears that it takes 30 minutes of prep (gathering the coupons) and 30 minutes in the store- that is all it should take you. I am allowing myself a little more leeway my first few trips but if that's all it needs to take, then that's really not asking too much out of me. She also picks one store that she attends each week. I always had it in my head that I would be running around to all of these different stores but she enforces the rule of sticking to one store per week. Her store of choice? Publix. Next up? Bi-Lo. Of course, those of you not Southernally (yes I made that up) located, might have to choose an alternative store but for us 'necks, these will suffice.

Luckily, when my ever engineered minded husband gets something in his head he goes full throttle, so the next class that rolls around he will be attending. Between the both of us, we have to be able to somewhat grasp the concept right??

So my question I pose to you all: What do you all think about couponing? I know there are varied degrees of this concept and some of you out there may be the type that won't leave the store owing more than 15% of your total bill...and then there are some of you that may be like me, and just do it to reduce a portion of your expenses.....regardless, what are some tips that have helped you stay on the bandwagon?? I do recommend for anyone that is interested in this, to try and attend a class on it. The websites are saturated with crazy coupon lingo (yes, there is such a thing) that seeing someone break it down in person helped me conceptualize how I was actually going to be able to take this and incorporate it into my life....

So there you have it....just another step in my journey to domestication.....

Back to School Giveaway!!!!

I'm hosting a giveaway!!!!!!!! This giveaway has nothing to do with Back to School in the sense you're thinking....no school supplies here exactly...but I figured so many of you blogghettes are mamas who are winding down the Summer and sending your babies back to school, or some of you are teachers who are back to the grind....regardless of who you are, we all deserve a little surcie for surviving the Summer heat!!!!

I am giving away a pair of Original Pearl Branch earrings by the lovely and beautiful Margaret Dodge Farish herself!!! She has the most adorable Etsy store so RUN over there and look at all of her other goodies!!!! Margaret and I have known each other since we were weeee ones so I am so incredibly proud to see her cultivate such a wonderful and amazing talent!!! She has a rare gift!!

These are a really neat update to the typical pearls that we like to exchange out every now and then.....

To enter: You can get a total of 3 entries.....

• Be(come) a follower
• Leave me a comment telling me what you're going to miss most about Summer.....
• Blog about this giveaway/post it on your sidebar (either one)

And that's IT!!! Good luck!! Entries will be accepted until September 3. In honor of my sweet baby brother, I will announce the winner on his birthday, SEPTEMBER 6!!!!

The Bug gets Sprinkled

Where has the week gone??? I did not realize it had been so long since I had last posted! This week has FLOWN by!! We have had a busy few days at the Hamilton Depot....last weekend the Bug was Christened!!! In our ever twisted, windy, long winded road to find OUR church, the one thing that we deeply regret is that it took us so long to baptize Georgia. We did not want to baptize her somewhere unless we knew we would raise here there. No offense to anyone else, but I am opposed to a Drive-Thru Christening. And by that I just mean, christening them just to get it done, even if you do not plan on attending that church. I wanted Georgia to grow up saying this is where I was baptized, this is where I was raised. I know that circumstances might someday move us from this church, but you get what I mean.....

All in all, aside from the chaos of prepping my house all week, fighting off a FOUR DAY long migraine marathon, and then subsequently fighting off strep/tonsillitis, the day went out without a hitch!!! The service was beautiful, we were surrounded by our friends and family who love us and who more importantly, love Georgia. And let me tell you....this little girl was the Belle of the Ball. Getting ready to go up!!!!!
Checking out the scenery....hello everybody!!!

She loves men!! Watch out Big Daddy! You're going to have your hands full! She just loved Pastor Ken holding her!!!

He took her around the church to "meet" the congregation....she had been practicing her pageant wave. Bless.

The GRAND Godparents!!!

All of us.

By this time she was blowing raspberries. Annnnnd scene.

I wish I had more pictures of everyone that was there, but you know mass chaos trying to get everything done and keep her happy at the same time. I also didn't get her in her full Christening garb so I will have to dress her back up one day this week and retake the pictures.

Afterwards we had a brunch at our home and I have to say it turned out fabulous!!!!
Here was the menu:

• Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar
• Beef Tenderloin
• Bleu Cheese Biscuits
• Blanched Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce
• Fresh Fruit Salad
• Baby Spinach with Strawberries, Feta and Pecans with Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Homemade Cheese Straws (what CAN'T my mama do?!?!?!?)
• Key Lime Tarts
• Vanilla Pound Cake with Fresh LOCAL Strawberries and Blueberries that the Bug picked herself!!!!

Everything was divine and the entire event was so very special to us!!! We are so incredibly blessed with our beautiful, healthy baby girl and every day I count my blessings. I know we have many other trials and tribulations but looking at her just puts everything into perspective. Nothing else matters when you have a beautiful, happy, healthy family! Raymond and I love you all!!! Thank you for making Georgia's day so very special!!!

Bye Bye Sweet Bumpkin........

Yesterday marked the day of some terrible news in our dear blogland....Lisa over at Bumpkin on a Swing lost her battle with cervical cancer. What was most shocking about it all was that she never once posted about it. She fought it without ever using her blog as a portal to vent...can you imagine? I do not know that I could remain that positive and strong not to just scream at the world how mad I was at my situation. Every week she continued to post her amazing posts filled with tons and tons of pictures....oh Bumpkin, you will be so missed....I pray for your Captain's strength to get through this. And for all of your friends and family, including the furry ones who you loved so dearly.......you leave an outstanding legacy behind. To read more please go to Lisa's blog or her sweet friend Julie at Brown Eyed Belle

Forgotten God

This Fall, our church is doing a congregation wide small group study. We did it last year and it was great so they are going to try this monumental event again this year. We have close to 2,000 members in the church and so far 1,200 have signed up to be a part of a small group. How awesome is that?!?!?! Raymond and I did a mini small group this Summer called Love and Respect (based on the teachings of Dr. Emerson Eggerich) and really really enjoyed our group. At the end of it, we were approached by the leaders to start up and host our own small group. What?!? Us?!?! We just joined!!!! We're not equipped with the resources to handle such a big task!! Raymond and I also were timid about the idea, in that, we are far from being perfect in our walk with God, in our marriage, in our parenting, in our friendships, in our families.....who are we to help lead a group? We did not want to subject ourselves to this pedestal that I am afraid we fall very very short of. After prayer (and prayer and prayer and prayer) and meditation, our hearts were filled with the calling that this is something we felt God was pulling us to do - for many different reasons. One being, I feel it holds you accountable- it keeps you involved in the church and active with fellowship. It keeps you real and grounded. It keeps you questioning your Faith and digging deeper into the mercies of our wonderful Savior. It helps you meet other people who have the same ideas, questions, fears, worries, anger, trials and tribulations. Raymond and I often sit down and talk about our goals with our marriage and one area (that often becomes a deeply sorted discussion) is our Spiritual life. One thing we are working so very hard on is allowing ourselves to be open to God's plan. Our plans for our life together, as partners and parents, is sadly not always going to play out like the movie we imagine it to be. We strive for our hearts and our ears to constantly be open to where God is drawing us. It is so incredibly difficult. Much more than I ever thought it would be. It requires a DAILY reaffirmation on my part-for every morning I pray that I will have a renewed strength, and that I will be open to God's will. We are so excited to be a part of something so much bigger than us. We truly love our church and are so thankful for all of the opportunities that it has placed before us. So, in just a few short weeks, we will kick off the study of.............. I am super thrilled about this book. It calls us, as Christians, to look at our own lives and see how we walk with Christ. Are we living a Christ centered life? Do our actions reflect our words? Do we talk too much about God, and do little living for God? Do we just sit in the pew on Sunday and open our hearts for just that hour- or do we go home and let the words of the scripture seep into our souls? Do we read the scripture from an unbiased point of view, and attempt to live our life according to the Word? Or do we live our life how we want to live it, and then when called, twist the scripture to fit our actions?
This book has so many levels and will be a very rude awakening for myself, as I am sure it will be for many people. Here we go! I will definitely keep you all posted on how it goes!!

Some other books that I wanted to pass along to you are these.....we used these as resources in our small group this Summer and this guy is on to something!!!!! I love Will Davis' style of writing and these are not exactly what I would consider "self help"....I don't really do self help and so I find that these books are merely a suggestion to you if you are looking for something bigger in your life. The first one is directed towards you, as a person. The second is geared towards marriage, and the third towards parenting. If you believe in the power of prayer, but need that boost, these books are tremendous.

courtesy of

Hope all of your weekends were wonderful!! Tuesday is here and over halfway done!!! The Summer is flyyyying by!!! I am ready for Fall and all those beautiful clothes I have been eyeing!!

NO H8 and a little bit of DC drama mamas.....

So we are introduced to the Housewives of DC.......I have to say that I do think I am going to enjoy this season. I think they all have peaked my interest at this point. Michaele- still haven't figured out the correct pronunciation of her name but I do love her smoker's voice
Stacie- I like this chick...she's going places....despite her thinking that Cat is mildly racist because she doesn't care for Tyra (seriously, who does?!?!?!) or Obama's policies (so she's not allowed to have an opinion?...I'll save this for later.) Let's not confuse delivery with validity of content people.
Cat- I do like her...she's British. She speaks her mind. And I just love her accent.
Mary- oh Mary Mary Mary.....she's going to be entertaining....how many scenes in the first episode alone have we seen her teetering on tipsy?? But I gotta hand it to her, I think I would be a borderline functioning alcoholic if I had 5 kids. And her husband is precious.
Lynda- does anyone else think she has a striking resemblance to Susan Lucci?!?! I do like her boyfriend though! He's got spunk!!
I am going to save my opinions for the next show to see if my mind changes...I do think this season is going to be just what we've been waiting for!!

And on to more important things..........
'nuff said....

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!! We are laying low and taking the Bug to pick blueberries! I cannot wait! It's also time to renew our cell phone plans....bleh...I hate dealing with cell phone companies, they're all just a bunch of highway robbers. I plan on catching up on some much needed sleep and cuddling time with my favorite little girl!

Thank You Notes

I am a stationery snob....I will admit. And I am addicted to all things paper related. I was in hog heaven picking out my wedding invitations, and my new correspondence wardrobe!! I couldn't wait to start writing my thank yous....while sometimes it may take me a while, I always send a note for something. Even the smallest thing, whether it's staying at someones home for the weekend, just a little circee they've brought me, kind words they've sent me, you name it, I thank 'em for it. I was raised in a house where you didn't get to use what you got until you wrote a note for it. And you best believe Georgia will be the same way. This year for Georgia's party, I decided to go the fun and playful route versus the fancy, monogrammed path...and since all of them are (finally!!) sent, I thought I would show you how they turned out....you might need to click on it to see the writing beneath the picture. I was happy with them! I thought they were exactly what I was looking for!!! Thank you Vista Print!! This is the first time I have used them for something like this, but I was pleased (and so was the hubs with the price for a change!!)

Wordless Wednesday

I'm at a loss for words today....so the Bug is going to speak for me!!!! Here she is getting ready for costume day at school!!! She makes the most perfect little B.I.T (ballerina in training!!) Hope you all are having a Wonderful Wednesday!!!

In the car on the way to school!!!!! Walking in....about to make my big debut!!!!

I'm a big girl now.......

So this weekend I put my big girl panties on and decided to take the plunge..............





I bought a new car!!!! This was very difficult for me in the sense that A) it involved striking a check for a very expensive item that is going to lose its value the moment you drive it off the lot (stomach churns, heart palpitations set in); B) I have been working very hard on not impulse buying....but ATTENTION: if you go to a dealership on the LAST day of the month, they will use everything in their salesman pocket to taunt you with the new car. This most definitely worked in our favor. The thought of going to a dealership, and then walking away with a car was a very foreign concept to me. I thought I would go, look around, test drive maybe, hear the people out, and then go home and sleep on it. Apparently, most people come in, see something and go home with it that day. That, or all of the places I went have incredibly smooth salesmen. We were watching people drive off the lot left and right!
I have to say that I have learned a thing or two in this experience. First, I was trying to channel my MIL, because she is the best negotiator you will see....I did drive a hard bargain and they thought they were pulling one over on me since I was a "first time buyer." Playing the innocent, "I don't know anything young Mama" definitely gave me some leverage. Especially when I wouldn't budge, put the pen down, got up to walk out and they came back and dropped it even more! I have to say I was pretty proud of the hubs and I.....Raymond's family has always said, he shoulda been a lawya.....yes he should your honor.....
So what did we end up with????

ta da!!!! The trusty ole Ford Explorer....I had my mind set on a Tahoe/Expedition size...but given my driving capabilities, this was a much better suit for me....afterall, I would like for my fellow driving citizens to feel trustworthy that I am not going to kill them on the road. I feel safe, sit up nice and high, but not too much, and I will definitely notice if I run over something.....those others were like driving a battleship for me.....maybe one day when we have more kids....for now, this little beauty is perfect!!! And the Bug just loves her new wheels!!!

It's a beauty!!! Plus, we got 50 free carwashes!!! The only downside? My family expects my car to look like this at all times.......hrmph......I blame it on the bug : )

So it's goodbye Audi (that was hard to say goodbye to her!!!! I most definitely teared up). You were so good to me! Just needed more room!!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!!! Can't wait to read all of your posts about them!!!