Busy Busy Busy

Phew! This weekend was full of celebrations, friends, driving, cupcakes, sunshine, family, corn hole, and grilling!
And this Monday has totally owned me. The day disappeared out from under me, and here I am about to leave school and still plan to fit in a quick workout, grocery shop, and maybe even cook something for my sweet husband. I'm thinking breakfast for dinner! Fried egg sandwich anyone?!
Well, anyhew, I've got lots of pics and stories to share from this weekend, especially our sweet baby Luke's 1st birthday- what a precious time!
Until, then, Happy Monday, and here's hoping there's a nice glass of wine or tasty piece of chocolate waiting for you at the end!

Friday Should's

What you should:

Read:

I mentioned that I was reading The Narnia Collection, and when my mom was in town, she was reading The Narnian by Alan Jacobs. It's part CS Lewis biography and part literary analysis. Jacobs shows how the events and people in Lewis's life made their way into The Narnia Series. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about the life of Jack (as he was called by friends and family), and it's made the Narnia series all the more dear to me!

See:

Is anyone else nerdily excited about seeing this?! Maybe it's 8 years worth of reading Poe stories with my students, or maybe it's reminding me of my rather unhealthy love of Poe poetry in high school (that then evolved into a very cliched love of Sylvia Plath), but for whatever reason, I'm really looking forward to seeing this- therefore, it will be terrible . . .

Cook:

The lovely Bitten Word fellows recently posted what their "Go To" dishes are- the ones they make over and over again, and their Chicken and Israeli Couscous with Tomatoes and Lemons made the list! And since I still have a few lemons left over, this would be perfect! Imagine a bowl of this with a crispy salad with vinaigrette!

Visit:

For all my Houston friendlies, this weekend would be a great chance to see The Titanic Exhibit at The Museum of Natural Science. Maybe not the most uplifting of all choices, but I'm sure it is fascinating. I'm going to try and make this happen, if I can make it sound fun to James . . . maybe I should mention there will be topless pictures of Kate Winslet??

This weekend we will be celebrating lots of birthdays! We will go to dinner with our sweet friend Liz Daniel, and also head out to Cypress to play with our sweet nephew, Luke, as he turns the big 1!!

I am absolutely thrilled with the weather right now, and I hope we can be outside as much as possible. And this has been a rough week- the first one back after a week off for surgery, and I've basically been itching for Friday afternoon since Monday morning- eek.  So here's to a weekend full of sun, sleep, and laughs! Cheers!

Mama Love: From Around the Web

Mama live far away? Easier to order and ship something from online? She loves getting UPS packages? I've got ya covered! Here are 5 Mom Worthy gifts that you can send with just a few clicks:

A bright, pretty woven tote for all her trips this summer! My mom seems to always need a bigger bag, so I think she could really get some use out of this.

How about a tasty cheese tasting kit sent right to her house? With that, a bottle of wine, and a blanket, it's an instant picnic!

How gorgeous are these Ombre Wooden Cooking Spoons? My mom doesn't like to cook as much as she likes to decorate, so I think these might actually be a kitchen item she would be excited about!

Does your mom like to entertain? If so, this CB2 Glass Beverage Dispenser would be perfect for outdoor BBQ's and all sorts of showers. I love the cork top!

How about some lovely, original artwork to make her cozy home even more cheery? It's like sending a sweet Mother's Day card that will brighten her home all year long!

So even if you don't get to see your Mama this Mother's Day, sending a sweet gift, like one of these will guarantee you still earn major favorite child points!

Tired Teacher: Some things I will NOT miss about my job

In no particular order, I will not miss:

* Waking up ridiculously early
*Going to bed ridiculously early
*Spending hours on a substitute plan just so I can take one day off
*Eating lunch with one hand while I tutor and correct things with the other
*Saying and doing the EXACT SAME THING 6 times in a row
*Angry parents
*Disciplining other people's kids
*Seriously angry parents
* Having to explain MYSELF when a kid makes a bad grade
*Working in a profession where grades are more important than learning
*Forced faculty devotions- is there anything more awkward than being forced to pray with coworkers?
*Mass emails- and the ever dreaded Mass RESPONSE Emails
*Grading
*Trying to put on a creative, entertaining, 90 minute show EVER CLASS (X 6) unless the masses get bored- more bread and circuses!!!
*Faking more energy than I've ever actually had

There will be mucho that I do miss, and I will write about that too. But today is an Ode to all that will blissfully fade away in 5 little weeks . . .

And so, any former teachers out there? What are some things you are glad you left behind in your classroom days?

Mama Love: Anthro Edition

I love Anthropologie- me and every other girl in the world, right? My friend Alison once described Anthro as Heroin for women. I couldn't agree more. Everytime after I spend a ridiculous amount of money in there, I think to myself, "Self, that's it! No more! You have enough Anthro bags in your closet to open your own store. WE ARE DONE!!!" And then . . . a week later . . . you know how this ends.

So lately, in order to excuse my compulsive Anthro visits, I've going in under the guise of "I really need to find some cute Mother's Day gifts for some special ladies." So far this way of thinking has resulted in one actual Mother's Day gift and about five things for me. Including these pants:

How could I resist this lime/mint/neon/springy little concoction?! Don't judge me! I promise this will be the last I spend there! God, I scream Anthro-addict.

Anyhew, in the interest of keeping with my little Mother's Day sham, I thought I would share a few items that actually would make great Mom Gifts. Maybe I'll even give a few myself! You know I'll be back in that store next week like the addict that I am!

How about some pretty vases? Mother's Day also perfectly coincides with springtime flower season!

You certainly can't go wrong with jewelry! And odds are your mama is ready to revamp her wardrobe for summer, so some pretty accessories would be perfect!

And if all else fails, you can always gift with some sweet smelling things! I got my mom the hand creme as a "thank you for cooking and cleaning for me and helping me get in out of bed after surgery" gift. She loved it! Actually, come to think of it, I loved it too. Mayhaps I should just pop over to Anthro really fast . . .

Our Weekend: Springy Scenes

I was feeling so much better by Friday and more than ready to break loose from the house and have some fun! Fortunately, the weather, and our friends, happily obliged to make it a lovely time!

Friday Night

James's best friend from childhood, Michael Pope, and his lovely wife April, were in town this weekend from Idaho Falls. Michael is ridiculously funny, and every time we hang out my stomach always hurts from laughing. I'm so glad that James got to spend some time with his friend- it makes me wish I could have all our favorite people in Houston!

Tate also came out for some drinks and laughs. Of course he had a hardcore workout scheduled for early Saturday morning, so he only stayed for a bit.

Do I detect a smidgen of "Serial Killer Face" here? He's looking a tad lurky . . . or am I starting to overthink it?

Saturday Night

Saturday was absolutely gorgeous! There was actually a cool snap, and here I thought we were already permanently entrenched in 90 degree and above weather. We spent most of the day outside and for dinner made our way over to Brenner's on the Bayou. We scored a great little area right near the bayou and enjoyed wine and steaks while the sun set. Perfection!

I love that Liz is still in town! Every time I see her, I pretend that she's here to stay and won't ever have to go back to nasty old Scotland. Disclaimer- no offense Scotland. I'm sure you're awesome- just give me back my friends!

 

Matt and Mel- aren't they pretty together? And they'll kick your butt at all sorts of sports. But here they are looking all classy and sweet.

I feel like this spring, more than others, is such a perfect representation of new beginnings, and I love that I get to spend it with so many funny, kind, loyal friends. Here's hoping for quite a few more weekends like this one!

When Students Give You Lemons . . . And Oranges

Last week a sweet student gave me two bags of oranges and lemons from his Orchard?? that's at his California House?? Ah! Must be nice, right?
So right now I've got these pretty fruits filling up my fridge. But what to do with all of this citrusy goodness? Um, start looking for recipes on Pinterest of course! Here are a few that caught my eye . . .

Probably the easiest to put together: Orange Ginger Fizz Drinks! Perfect for summertime and sitting by our pool!

Lemon Yogurt Icebox Pie. This actually looks pretty simple to make, and oh my goodness, I want a slice so bad just seeing this picture!

Orange Cinnamon Rolls. If I were on death row (for squeezing too many cute animals to death a la Of Mice and Men), and I could choose my last meal, it might be entirely possible that Pillsbury's Orange Cinnamon Rolls will make the list. And these don't look too difficult . . .

Orange Citrus Bars from Mzzz Paula Deen! And shockingly, you only need ONE stick of butter! Look who's getting all healthy on us!

Get this: Seriously, I didn't think something this amazing was even possible. Are you ready? Are you sure? Ok, here it goes: Lemon Basil Ricotta Stuffed Shells in Champagne Cream Sauce. wow

And this one might be the one I make first: Lemon Linguine! So simply and looks full o' belly smiles! Imagine a big bowl of this with some warm crusty French bread- whew!

So let the Citrus Reign begin! Happy weekend all!

New Member

Yesterday was Bible study, and we met in Libba's lovely backyard in this glorious spring weather we've been having. I was so ready to get outside after being inside for most of the last 3 days. It was such fun to laugh, sing, and catch up with some of my favorite people! These girls have been so good in praying for me over the past months as I've been walking through this fertility stuff. Their encouragement and good advice has kept me floating through some dark waters. It was so special to be past the surgery and then to celebrate that with them. And . . . we have a new member to our group . . .



Meet Wendy. She belongs to Anne (or vice versa), and she is a petite, 7 week old blonde. She enjoys playing in the grass, pets, and naps. And I love her with all my heart.Can you think of a better mom than Anne? She's beautiful, she sings and plays the guitar, AND she cooks!One issue with Wendy: I think it's a tad rude to doze off in the middle of discussion. But I guess we can overlook it since she's only the most adorable creature ever made- Meagan's a close second.

Chocolate Chip Cheer

Hello! So surgery on Monday was a success! The Dr. was very encouraged by the progress made, and I am on the road to recovery. It's mostly just been a lot of naps and sore tummy muscles, but I've had sweet friends and family to keep my company.
The house is full of lovely flowers from thoughtful peeps, and the fridge is stocked with homemade goodies from loved ones!
One thing I had to share, that is just so so kewl, is the little "get well" gift Liz sent from Austin. I got a call yesterday morning and was informed that someone had ordered me a cookie gift, and the bakery wanted to know when I would be home so they could deliver the WARM cookies FRESH out of the oven!!
So imagine my joy when about an hour later, a cute delivery girl showed up with a box of warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies, a pint of Bluebell Cookie Dough Icecream, and two cartons of milk! What a perfect treat for lying on the couch in your pj's!
I am definitely going to remember Tiff's Treats next time I need to send a gift, congrats, or am just craving a yummy treat for myself!
Mad props, Lizzie!

Comfort Prep

So Monday is right around the corner, and I plan (in true ocd style) to use this weekend to make sure all my ducks are in a row. Are the cupboards stocked with apple sauce and oatmeal? Are there lots of good movies in the Netflix Que? Do I have fresh sheets on the bed and extra fluffy pillows? Is James ready to wait on me hand and foot?

So here are a few things I'm going to make sure are in place to help me be as comfortable as possible after Monday's little procedure . . .






This brand of candle and lotion. It is all natural and smells ever so slightly of salt and sand. It instantly make me feel more relaxed.




Fresh flowers. Since I'll be spending lots o' time around the casa, I think pops of life and color in random corners will make it a little less stuffy.




Books to read. I'm currently making my way through the Narnia series, and it's like being a kid again- instant comfort.





This guy in the bed with me. He's a tunneler, so he loves being at the very bottom of the bed- a perfect heating pad! But I think he's going to need a bath before he's bed worthy.







Soft things to wear. I love all of Anthro's lounge things, but this brand of t-shirt goes above and beyond. I have a couple, and I think they will be on strong rotation.






Instant Mac N Cheese. Don't judge it until you try it. Plus, it's organic, so that automatically makes it cool, right?





And this lady. She's coming special delivery from Orlando. She provides instant comfort (and is great at entertaining babies with straws), and I can't wait to spend a comfy, cozy week with her!