Celebrity

I love the Food Network. It’s no joke that Barefoot Contessa is my all time favorite cook on the air right now. So you can probably guess that I pretty much died yesterday when my good friend Shannon called and left a very interesting message on my voice mail. She recently moved to Long Island (I miss her!) and while she and her adorable husband, Robby, were out taking a drive on Saturday they happened to turn on a random street off of the main drag in East Hampton. Along the road they spotted 2 women standing in the street just chatting away. But as they came closer the one woman looking amazingly familiar, IT WAS INA GARTEN!! So they passed her, turned the car around and as any good friend would do, Shannon pulled out her camera (she’s always prepared) and snapped a shot of the cooking queen. Then Robby did another U-Turn and they passed the ladies a second time, all while Shannon took another picture. At this point I’m sure Ina had figured them out and trying to be in the best East Hampton style Mr. & Mrs. Beaver kept driving on and left the celebrity alone. I was so excited yesterday to live vicariously through Shannon as she told me this story I could have jumped out of my skin. It’s true what they say about 6 degrees of separation. How cool is that?! :)

Done Already??

Wow, that shower came and went before I could blink! What fun!! Here are some pictures, I know there are some of you out there who are anxious to see these so here you go!!

This is now one of my favorite pictures. Becca is so beautiful and I am completely blessed to have her as a friend. That belly has to be one of the most preciuos sites I've seen in a long time.

Behold, the diaper cake in all it's glory. I have been waiting some time for this cake to be the table centerpiece. It looks beautiful!!

Here is the dessert. A cupcake tree to rival with the best. I had no idea this master piece would take so long to create, but it was well worth it!

Party Time!

Today is the baby shower. For the first time all week I am able to sit down and feel like everything is done. At least I hope it's done. I have 2 hours before a friend comes over to help set up and all I have to do is cook some chicken tenders. I almost don't know what to do with myself. One thing to look forward to...a post party nap and all the left over cupcakes!! ;)

Dreams

Do you ever have moments during the day when you remember something that happened in your sleep, whether it be moments of a dream or your spouse sleep walking? The past several nights we have been sleeping with the window open. I have awakened to a chirping bird and being snuggled in a bed that is a bit warmer than the room temperature. It's glorious. I feel so refreshed and well rested. Last night I don't remember my dream I just remember being wonderfully cozy and laughing really hard. So hard, as a matter of fact, that I actually woke myself up and for a split second was concerned that I might have snapped Cary out of his slumber. I had to tell myself to calm down and not allow myself to get so excited that I couldn't go back to sleep. Very strange, but a good strange I guess. Now, I sit at my desk in my office and chuckle to myself. What in the world was that?!

Devotional

This morning I decided to visit Beth Moore’s website, Living Proof Ministries. On occasion I’ll skim through the daily devotionals and it seems that every time I open a link God smacks me in the face with some revelation and brings me back on track. I have attached the devotional I read this morning. It seems fitting because last night I was in the kitchen cooking and had the TV on. I will admit to watching Entertainment Tonight, although I try very hard to not make it a daily event. While I’m chopping and listening I realized how grateful I am to have a “normal” life. My days are not filled with paparazzi and my latest mistake wasn’t splashes across every news paper and eaten up by the media. But Beth Moore’s daughter, Melissa put everything into perspective this morning. If you have the time, please read the following devotional.

Today’s Treasure: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen” (Romans 1:25).
As I sit here and ponder the news as of late, my heart becomes heavily burdened. From Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith to the latest media frenzy, the rich and famous don’t seem to be holding up too well. I wonder if there isn’t some common denominator between these troubled souls. How could those who have so much fame, talent, and not to mention enough money to purchase for them their every object of desire, be so self-destructive? I can’t help but think of the fates of those such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and Kurt Cobain, whose status of fame may as well have been elevated to sainthood. And then it hits me, what if the common denominator is not solely their individual self-destructiveness, but what if it includes the destructiveness of American Idolatry?

In Romans 1, the apostle Paul condemns the human race for suppressing the truth of God; he says that we should have seen God’s invisible attributes through that which is displayed in the created world. He goes on to declare that we didn’t honor God, but exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man. We failed and continue to fail to rightly credit the Creator, and instead we worship and serve the creatures that he has created. When we gaze upon the beauty or marvel at the talent of another and we fail to recognize that it is God alone who is the author and the source, we are not only lying to ourselves but we are doing a great disservice to our fellow man.

To have the American masses track your every move, fall at your feet, and even scream and shed tears in your presence—knowing all the while that you yourself are subject to the same kind of sickness and eventual death as the common folk—may be flattering for a moment, but in the end it is merely isolating, oppressive, and repulsive. Our obsession with the rich and famous places them in an impossible position, for there is only one name under heaven that is meant to be adored and there is only one being who will not be destructed by our worship. There is only one who remains pure and holy despite His glorious, incomprehensible, and inevitable, yes, eternal fame!

God doesn’t have an emotional need for our worship. Believe me, he gets plenty of it! For even the angelic beings shouted as they watched him place the stars in the sky and even now as I, a small speck on this globe, push buttons on a key-board, the entire heavens and earth declare of his glory! It is He who measured the waters in the hollow of His hand. It is He who weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales. To whom then shall we liken God? Or what likeness shall we compare with Him? We Americans, like, the craftsmen of old, are guilty of seeking out and fashioning for ourselves meaningless idols—we create them, we gaze upon them, we place hope in them, and then we condemn them when they don’t deliver and meet our needs and expectations. At the end of the day, idolizing a person is as futile as worshipping a wooden statue, for both are corruptible and they shall both return to the dust. God alone is incorruptible, and not only does he alone deserve man’s worship but he is the only being who is not corrupted by man’s worship. He is the one who reduces powerful rulers to nothing and makes even the judges of the earth meaningless…truly, he merely blows on them and they wither.

So I, a Christian who is guilty of having spent hundreds of dollars on People magazines, join my voice with the prophet Isaiah, “who shall we liken God…who shall be his equal?” And I am revitalized by the answer to this rhetorical question: no one. Let us lift up our eyes on high and see who has created the stars…for He calls them by name and because of the greatness of His might and the strength of his power, not one of them is missing. (Isa. 40:26) Only after first recognizing the Creator’s masterful hand behind every facet of life should we appreciate and savor the talents and the beauty of another…and even then, let us tread carefully, for ours is a jealous God. So then, I dare us (indeed I dare myself) to stop pointing fingers and asking why many who have phenomenal God-given talents, or extraordinary and dumb-founding God-given beauty, are so often hitting rock bottom. Yes, let you and me stop pointing fingers and actually claim part of the responsibility for their downfall!

Baby Shower Mania

Every evening this week is dedicated to the upcoming baby shower on Saturday. Tonight, it was grocery shopping. Something about visiting Costco immediately after work just drains me of all energy and motivation. Maybe it's because I'm looking at all this food thinking, "Lord I hope people eat all of it" or "Am I getting enough." I'm always afraid there wont be enough food and then at the end of the day there are so many left overs I could eat with out cooking for 2 weeks! Tomorrow I will come home and begin preparing the chicken tenders, and salads. One thing I'm hopeful for, a lot of prep work will make Saturday morning before the party a little more relaxing.

Giggles

What a fun day! It's been incredibly busy but the highlight was my drive home from work. My friend Becca was on the phone and we were chatting about her baby shower this coming Saturday. All of the sudden I caught a case of the giggles and could not stop laughing! I love moments like that, when regardless of what situation your in, the heart just overflows with joy and laughter is uncontrollable. Most likely I'll fall asleep with a huge smile on my face and thank God for the blessing of joyfulness.

Happy Anniversary!!

Yesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary. Hip Hip Hurray, we made it 2 whole years! The time has just flown by and I sometimes have to pinch myself when I think about being happily married for 2 years. I can't wait for the rest of our lives (I know it's cheesy, but it's true!)

We have a tradition that to celebrate the monumental occasion we dine at the grand Jefferson Hotel for Sunday brunch. I absolutely LOVE this tradition. Cary said it best on Sunday morning, "Sweetie, you like this so much because it's fancy and involves food." He just hit the nail on the head!! Since the actual anniversary is a Monday we decided to take Sunday off from the long "to do" list and just spend quality time with each other.

Here is Cary enjoying his champagne and chocolate covered strawberry. Just because it's a fancy brunch doesn't mean we can't be silly! Thank goodness they put us in the corner of the room.

Yes, I'm a total dork but I can't help it, chocolate moose makes me do crazy things! I never knew my eyes could get so big.

Once we ate ourselves into a semi-comatose state, Cary treated me to a tour of homes and gardens in a local neighborhood rich with history. It was a perfect day.

In other news for the weekend, I cut several inches of my hair and found a new summer color. I love it! Cary doesn't seem to mind too much either.

Building People

Today I am trying very hard to have a positive attitude and be a team player at work. Some days this task is more difficult than others. I don’t like the fact that it’s easy for me to not like particular co-workers; this just makes my job more difficult. I know my life will be easier if I get along with everyone instead of fighting with them. Our company motto is “Build Buildings, Relationships & People.” The “People” part seems to be the most challenging.

Usually when the morning seems a little rough I’ll go home for lunch and watch Barefoot Contessa on TIVO. This is probably one of my favorite things to do, when time allows. Today I made the most amazing tuna salad sandwich and as I ran out the door I grabbed several items from my Easter basket (THANKS LYNN). Now that my Russell Stover Caramel Egg is satisfying that daily chocolate craving my spirit is up!

By the way, an update from yesterday’s post; there was no evidence of the cats being on the table when I got home. I think the foil worked!!

Dang Cats!!

I have 2 cats; they are the bane of my husband’s existence. Thankfully love covers a multitude of annoyances. Lately they have been making me crazy; no Cary, I'm not getting rid of them. Somehow the sweet fury creatures have found their way onto my gardening table. Dirt is now spread on the white plastic table cloth and some of the peat pots have been crushed by paws. Fur was the evidence that gave them away. My cats are not allowed on any furniture, although they are cats and do what they please. When we left for NC this weekend I surrounded the table with chairs from the dining room in hopes they wouldn't be able to access the innocent plants. I was wrong. Dirt now covers my pretty green slip covers. I lie in bed thinking of ways to keep those dang cats from harming my poor plants. It seems to be a daily battle. This morning I covered all chairs with aluminum foil in hopes they wouldn't climb the chairs to make it onto the table. If that doesn't work I might have to move the table. After all, cats can leap pretty significant heights and distances if they so choose.

The Race

Although noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday was probably the longest 24 hrs. of my life, it was fun. As I said earlier, the weather was crazy but when it comes down to an event like this your attitude is what makes or breaks you. We both had great teams and friends who participated in creating a fun and memorable weekend. Moments which will never be forgotten and it was all for a good cause. Here are some pictures of the weekend.

My hottie husband right before he started out on the last lap of the race. In the background you can get a slight glimpse of the elevation change as we climbed the first "hill" that was mile 1.

This was mile 4 of my first lap. I was almost passing our cabin and my teammates were cheering me on to the finish.

Cary's Team Richmond.

Post 24 hrs. for Africa

Oh my gosh...soo tired. We had a good weekend. The trail was extremely challenging. All I can say is thank GOD I had a cabin, Lord knows if I was stuck in a tent in the crazy weather I would not have been so positive about the weekend. I'll post some pictures very soon.

24 Hrs. for Africa

Cary and I will be traveling to Ashville, NC this weekend to participate in a 24 hour trail running race in efforts to support clean water programs in Kenya & Tanzania Africa. We will be participating on 2 different teams consisting of about 10 people each. I've read that there are about 35 teams and 15 solo runners. This weekend promises to be an adventure. I'm really starting to get excited. We've pulled out all of the racing clothes and camping gear. Now it's a matter of packing everything into the car and off into the wild blue yonder we go!

Photo of the week

Here is an update from my gardening post earlier this month. I'm very excited!!

Fun Day Monday!!

My office was closed on Monday and Cary took the day off work so we could have some fun together. He surprised me with a day trip to Busch Gardens! I was so excited to get out of Richmond and have some fun. Here are some pictures of our day.

The sun had just broken through the clouds. We decided to have a seat and let the warmth sink through the layers of clothes as we ate some ice cream!

We spent some time in the Aviary Conservatory where Cary had a friend, who happened to like to chirp very loudly in his ear!

Easter with Family

Sunday was just delightful. My family came over to the house and we ate our first formal dinner in the Dining Room. It was nice to relax the rest of the day, take a nap, walk around the neighborhood with Cary but most of all I was looking forward to Fun Day Monday!

Oh Baby!

My very close friend Rebecca is having her first baby. Carter is due the end of May and I am hosting a shower for Becca. Words can not pin point how excited I am about this baby and the shower. When I found out Becca was preggers I did not hesitate to claim "I'M THROWING YOU A SHOWER!!" Ever since I've been planning and scheming for fun things. Here is a picture of the invitations I recently mailed out.

The white paper with the blue ribbon is for folks to write a personal note or piece of advice to Rebecca and mail it back to me. I've also built a diaper cake for the table centerpiece.

This is such a fun experience. I can't wait for the shower in a couple of weeks. This coming Tuesday is a food taste test so Becca can be assured the luncheon will be fun and delicious!

Smiling again

I have found myself looking forward to Easter. This is the first year we are hosting the Easter Brunch. I'm sad to say that Cary's parents are out of town and can not be with us this weekend. So it looks like it's my family and my aunt & uncle. Like many newly married couples we don't have much going on in our dining room. Other than a table, some chairs and draperies that's about it! So I feel like the table setting has to offset the rest of the naked room. I wonder which will come first, a china cabinet or children....

Oh Great!

As I was writing the first blog Cary came downstairs (from our unfinished rooms on the second floor) and began calling our dog upstairs. Come to find out he thinks there is some critter living in one of the rooms. He says "I don't know what it is, I must be a mouse, but it's definitely distinctive." He kept hearing scratching.....Oh Great!! Thank goodness we live on the first floor!!

It's now 9:00 PM and I just finished working. I know, it's rediculous to get home from work and continue to work. I definitely do not like this. But one thing I do like is working with Corrine Bailey Ray playing across my living room, my sweet cat snuggling with me (and of course covering me with hair).

My sweet husband...we met at a "project house" immediately after work to take dimensions and brain storm as to changes we can make to the house when we renovate. This house is a family rental property we are preparing to sell. Of course other than needing an air purfying bomb to go off, we have our work cut out for us. After about an hour of seeing a lot of headache and work in our future, we decided to get some Mexican food. That is always a treat. Cary said "Babe, you need to have a chance to relax before hitting the work again." What a fantastic man! We arrived home and took a nice walk around the neighborhood to allow our food to settle a bit. The weather is perfect outside and I can't think a more lovely way to spend what little bit of an evening I can have, than dinner and a delightful walk with my favorite man.

Gardening

I woke up this morning and wasn't sure what I wanted to do today. Some weekends I wake up and know that baking all day long would give me a feeling of satisfaction and joy. Today there were a few things that just plain needed to get done. We had several plants that had been waiting to be planted for several weeks now. So Cary and I spent the day gardening.


Somehow or another I found myself at Wal-Mart searching through the packets of seeds. Last year we attempted to grow tomatos, cucumbers and bell peppers. This year I have taken on the project of planting herb seeds and flower seeds for my landscaping. Every summer I have an herb garden. We absolutely love going out to the deck and cutting basil and rosemary when we cook. This year, instead of spending $3 per container of basil I thought, let's see if I can grow some of my own. As Cary will say, "nothing ventured, nothing gained!" So here is a picture of my new green house, also known as the breakfast table. I think I missed out on the planting lessons in elementary school.



I should know if it worked in about 2 weeks. In case you were wondering, the white specs are tags so I know what plant is what, otherwise I would be terribly confused!