Dylan's 1st Birthday!

Alright so do you all remember Andrew's Birthday back in January?  Well February was great because his little brother Dylan turned 1!  It's so crazy to think that this baby-who I watched being born (literally) and have seen him grow up-is already 1! (For details on his birth and such-check this out).

So: he actually turned 1 on Feb 15th but his party was that following weekend on Feb 18th.  Der and I trekked to Lebanon, complaining about the awful music that was playing on every station the whole time. When we got the we found the birthday boy and his older brother playing and seeming glad to have so much company!  This is the first time big brother Andrew has had a holiday where he wasn't going to be either celebrated alongside Dylan (Christmas) or given all of the attention (his own birthday) so to make it easier on him we got him a little gift.  According to his parents, he did not handle Dylan's actual birthday well so...we hoped to make the party a bit easier for him.

His party was themed baby giraffes since they're SO cute and have a little tuft of brown hair just like Dylan! Aunt JoJo and Uncle Dot (me and Der) got him a little stuffed giraffe as his gift and it looks JUST like the themed one. He seemed to love it! Now, my camera died half way through the party *silently weeps* but we got some good ones before so check them out!

His baby giraffe theme-so adorable and original!

Our yummy spread of BBQ and homemade coleslaw.

The cake! How cool is this?! It was SO tall, moist, and rich-tasted great and obviously looked incredible.  Notice the cupcakes at the bottom spelling his name?

Dylan's 1st birthday banner! How sweet is that?  He too had balloons everywhere but the camera died before I could get them....

Dylan's very own birthday cake-ready and willing to be destroyed and thrown about the kitchen in sheer enjoyment. Can you tell big brother got into the frosting, LOL?

Dylan in his high chair-having fun with the balloons.

Here he is prepping for some cake while Kelly lights the 1st candle before we all sang "Happy Birthday".

He's ready to dig in! Look at those curls-totally jealous.

He's got it! Absolutely loving his cake.  He would squish some in his hands, eat it, then giggle and clap-obviously enjoying it. It was so cute!

Here's Pickle trying to grab Aunt JoJo's camera! No sir, LOL! After playing in his cake he had to get a quick bath while everyone else enjoyed cake and ice cream.

Then it was present time!  The camera died after the above picture so I didn't get one with me and Dyl or of him opening and playing with his presents...hopefully Kelly and Wes did and I can have some-at least for the album.  It was a good day with a ton of people there to celebrate him and his life so far and forthcoming.  

It's still a little boggling that my other nephew-by-non-blood is already growing so fast but I'm so happy to be a part of it that I don't think I really mind.  =]

Yay Charles Dylan! Happy 1st birthday! We love you Pickle!  <3

I've got a busy one ahead of me but filled with a bunch of good stuff! Check it out:

1) Coffee and catch up of my favorite television show Criminal Minds
2) Going to Target to get a last minute piece to Kelly's birthday present and gift wrap
3) Showering and styling my new hair (details on that another time)
4) Go to Lebanon to celebrate baby Dylan's first birthday!
5) Come home to relax and catch up on cleaning, laundry, and reading.
6) Walk Tucker
7) Workout (maybe...)

It doesn't seem like a lot but most is time consuming.

What are you up to on this GORGEOUS Saturday?

The Delta Queen Getaway

Have you ever need a day/night to just recharge your batteries?  I'm sure you all have.

Derrick and I were feeling really *blah* so I booked a little mini-getaway; we decided to getaway to Chattanooga's very own Delta Queen Hotel! It was a stress free and inexpensive trip for 2 with no electronics, work or school worries-just good ol' quality time spent together.

A little history/info. on the place:
     "The Legendary Delta Queen has a storied history. You can review a few events from her timeline below.

Our lounges and public areas are warm and inviting with their gleaming teak decks, mahogany and cherry wood furnishings, Tiffany-style stained glass windows and framed reminders of our river history. You can read a book in the Betty Blake Library, enjoy conversation over a drink and hors d'oeuvres in the Texas Lounge or step outside to contemplate the majesty of the Tennessee River against the backdrop of the beautiful Scenic City. We provide the perfect respite for your Chattanooga travel adventures.  Whether you are looking for that perfect overnight stop along your journey, a long weekend Chattanooga vacation or a location for that special event, we have the unique combination of setting, style and selection that will make your visit a truly memorable event.  

Take advantage of our truly unique and undeniable southern offerings.  We look forward to seeing you aboard America's Only Floating National Landmark, the beautiful Delta Queen."

It is now a docked hotel in Chattanooga-chucked full of history and classsssssssssssssss.  See below for some great pictures we took while I give a few details about it!

After getting the car valet parked-we walked upon the ship! Gorgeous day.

Our room! The plaque underneath say first lady of the American Theater Helen Hayes stayed here in 1979!

Our luxurious deluxe king cabin overlooking the Chattanooga River-it was perfect.

Our view from the room at night-a bit blurry but you get the idea.

2 lovies at dinner-it was so yummy!  Duck, a spread of cheeses, cheescake, beef tips, salad and cream of mushroom soup (to die for!).

To top the night off-we had chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our room! 

After indulging on a few drinks and chocolate covered strawberries we changed into the waffle weave robes and spent some one-on-one time together.  Afterwards we played the board game LIFE (Spongebob Squarepants version) where Derrick won!  We then drifted off to bed amongst the calmness and quiet of Chattanooga.  

We got a big breakfast consisting of eggs, biscuits, bacon, coffee, oj, grits, and pancakes before checking out the next morning and saying goodbye to this little piece of heaven.  All in all-a trip well worth it for both historical and romantic value.  It happened to fall on Valentine's Day weekend so we got a 2 for 1, LOL!  I'd recommend this to anyone for a quaint stay and a sense of ease for the night.

Spread the love <3

December 12, 1925 - Delta Queen was launched in Stockton, California.  

The Legendary Delta Queen, a Chattanooga Inn and Boutique Hotel, welcomes you with the traditional southern charm of a Mississippi riverboat. Step across the gangplank and step back into a time when steam powered paddleboats churned the waterways of America. Your stay aboard the Delta Queen is a unique glimpse into the past when life on ship kept pace with the leisurely currents of our nation's grand tributaries. We're the perfect spot to create your own historic memories of your Chattanooga vacation.

The bear turns 2!

It may seem silly-but on February 9th me and the husband celebrated out beloved dog Tucker's 2nd birthday!  We got him when he was just over 12 weeks old so it's bizarre to think he's 2 already!

Time sure flys when you're in love ; ]

This was our precious baby the day we brought him home! How adorable is that little face?! You can't turn down something that precious =]

Here he is (now) just snoozing away.  Again-can you handle the cuteness?!

Here's the birthday boy! Absolutely snuggleworthy.

Before lighting the candle....

With the candle lit! The 2 candle sits atop a tiny container of vanilla ice cream-his favorite (and only choice, LOL).  He ate half of it while we sang "Happy Birthday to You", never hearing me off key.

It seems silly, and I guess it is, but we consider this dog our child and we love him like one. So cheers to Tucker for turning 2 and here's to hoping for many more to come! <3

100th post!

Wow! I'm on my 100th post! Look at me go-a writin' and a bloggin', LOL.

In honor of my 100th post I shall "celebrate" with a long overdue project I have completed!

The bedroom table.  

(Those of you who follow probably are sick of hearing about it but it's done! No more random blogs saying I'll do something about it and then letting it fall by the waist-side!)

     In regards to said tables history: one of my best friends (Kelly) gave it to me when we moved in to our first place over a year and 1/2 ago. She was using it as her laundry table to set detergents and mismatched socks on but when they moved they had much more room so she gave it to us.  It was never fully finished (whether with primer or paint I'll still never know) but it had function so I took it.  It sat in the corner of our little "landing" in our last place but when we moved here I decided I'd like to use it in our bedroom...and there it has sat.  Kelly knows I love doing crafty/project-y things so she said I should renovate it.  So I did...well I wanted to.  I just never got around to it. It sits in the corner of our bedroom holding my jewelry box and a photo of my an my love so I never really saw the push to actually do something about it-that is until I started saying I would do something via my goals lists and then having to mark it as a FAIL every month.  So I sucked it up and this is how it came to be.

The bedroom table project-part 3

     After many an agonizing FAIL on my goals list I decided I'd had enough and wanted to do something about it.  I finally sanded and primed the actual table (with drawer chucked full of craft goodies removed).  Neither the sanding nor the priming actually took long and it was kind of fun.  I put the t.v. on in the background and made sure I was in "paint drip worthy" clothes.  I put on 2 coats of primer for good measure and left it for a few days to dry.
     After a few hectic days involving school and work I realized it was time to start painting it.  One thing that is very random and for some reason private (though never intended to be) is that I L.O.V.E. painting.  I can't actually DO the damn thing (meaning it won't look like a "work of art" and you not want to commission me) but I absolutely love to pretend I can.  Be it walls, tables or on canvas I thoroughly enjoy picking up the brush and opening a new can/tube or paint and going at it. Anyway: I cracked open the shaken can and smiled at the bright white paint glimmering up at me.  I was so excited to put this on a project I had been working on!
I carefully painted the table-waiting several hours to put on the second and "sealing" coat.  It looks so nice and brand new!
     I only had 3 days left to complete the drawer before my January goals were to be done.  Luckily, I had a fairly light weekend so I sanded and primed the drawer before going out and about to do some light shopping and get my nails done before the great date.  The next day I splashed on 2 coats of that gorgeous white paint and it was done! The whole project was done (though not put together) and I was so excited!  Here's a shot of the drawer in its painted glory:

Just lovely.

So I moved the drawer back in to the bedroom to be placed with its partner. Table and drawer-together at last! I threw some details on it and it looks just fabulous!

Isn't it beautiful!? The basket holds all of the wedding stuff (cards, newspaper articles, etc.) patiently waiting to be organized and put away.

My favorite of our engagement photos graces the top

My bits and bobbles of jewelry

The finished product. I am very proud.

And that was how the table came to be-well: to be again, LOL.

Now if I could only keep my dresser clean our bedroom would look pretty decent with the new bedding and awesome table, haha!  We shall see....

<3

February Goals

February- it's here! Today is the first and it seems that Janurary just FLEW by!

I'm not going to load myself with too many goals for February since the month is shorter and school is picking up! [Still some goodies coming your way though]

*Home
1. Clean out Manroom desk drawers & closet
2. Hang pictures in [now empty] hallway
3. Update blog with pics of the new home improvements

*School
1. Make A's (if grades are back!)
2. Lecture on Gender and Family
3. Help with Theory research topics and DuBois video
4. Make Sundays homework/research/reading days (for the things I couldn't quite get done M-Sat)

*Friends
1. Celebrate Dylan's1st birthday
1. Celebrate Kelly's 24th birthday
3. See "Medea" with Tonya
4. Visit Shelley in Indiana
5. Keep writing Destiny letters while she's in Navy boot camp

*Health
1. Cut coffee back [again] to 4 times per week or less
2. DRINK MORE WATER, for real this time.
3. Change up exercise routines to include: running, elliptical, swimming, aerobics classes
4. Exercise (this goes with #3 BUT there is no stipulation as to how often I do it)

*Fun
1. Finish The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes via the Kindle-I'm taking a break from the Hitchhikers series (since there are still 3 more books) with a bit of mystery
2. Plan a Spring Break trip to ANYWHERE
3. Sleep more
4. Take Tucker on more walks (meaning at least more than 3 in the whole month like Janurary....)

Let's see what I can do! On your mark. Get set. GO!

Janurary Goals-Tally

Alright cats and kittens, let's see how I did with my Janurary goals!

*Health


1) Drink more water (this will probably always be here as a goal) (I ACTUALLY FAILED THIS! I have been so bad at drinking more water this month-shame on me!)
2) Cut back on fast food-December was a fast food month for me so I want to get back to my normal and less expensive eating habits. (DONEISH-for the most part if I did get fast food it was in the form of a salad SO I am counting this as done =P)
3) Train for 5k Zoo Run on Jan. 22 (DONE! Check it out here).
4) Continue working out 4 days per week-swimming, Zumba, treadmill, weights, etc. (FAIL-I did work out just not 4 times per week-it was usually 3 except last week it was only 1!)
5) Walk Tucker 2 days a week and this does not count as my working out days. He needs and loves it! (FAIL-I only did it 3 times the whole month! Maybe next month?)
6) Go the the MD (DONE-All is okay, don't fret!)

*Home

1) Complete bathroom (I've decided that if I can't find those damn white frames then I will find some cheap ones, spray paint them white, and hang them instead) (FAIL-I just forgot, LOL)
2) Sand, prime and paint table in bedroom (DONE! Check out this blog and this blog for proof! I finally did it! I'll have another blog showcasing it fully finished [which I finished Sunday] but I haven't had time to blog it yet)
3) De-clutter and reorganize all closets, cabinets, drawers. (I'll techinically say FAIL because there is still the manroom desk and manroom closet to tackle BUT everywhere else has been done!)
4) Get new a new Queen mattress set for bedroom (YEEEEEEEEE!) (DONE! And it's oh so comfy.)
5) Get new and matching bedding for new mattresses (DONE! It's s slate gray/blue and silver color-very pretty, WARM, and cozy-absolutely perfect)
6) Put up laundry once done *gulps* (FAIL-this just isn't my strong suit, LOL)


*School

1) Study/do research or homework every night except Sunday. (FAIL-the first few weeks were rough to get adjusted to so I totally take blame for it.)
2) Aim for straight A's. (DONEISH-I haven't had anything yet where I actually got graded SO the aim is still there but I won't know grades for a few weeks)
3) Keep up with GA hours, homework, classes and research in an organized manner. (DONE! I have 1 more binder to get then all shall be golden)
4) R.E.A.D. (DONE! It's all so interesting)

*Fun

1) Finish The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (DONE!)
2) Start & finish The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams (DONE!)
3) Celebrate Andrew's 3rd birthday (DONE! See the fun details here)
4) Celebrate husband's 23rd birthday (DONE! See more fun details here)
5) "Celebrate" BFF's departure for Navy boot camp =( (DONE-I realllllllllllllllly miss her!)
6) Go on lavish date with Der (this is where my LBD will come in) (DONE-and with the LBD! It was so fun)
7) Have in/out dinners with friends (DONE! We went out and stayed in with John & Elisa and out with The Blackwoods)
8) Get new camera (DONE! Can't you tell the better quality pics in my blogs now, LOL?!)


Alright so the final tally is:

DONE-17 (yipee!)    FAIL-7

Wow! I did pretty great considering! It seems I may need to take a bit more time to work on health goals but overall-GO ME IN JANURARY!

Stay tuned for Feb goals =]