Birthday Happenings!

To quote a friend,
"I guess I'll turn 26 professionally, but I'm staying 25 socially."

Well said SJ!

My 26th Birthday began with several  'Happy Birthday" texts that arrived  while I was still in bed.  I skipped church (since I can't lift my head up) and had breakfast on the couch with my momma.  Breakfast-in-bed-on-your-birthday is a family tradition in our house, but since I've been spending so much time in the bed we moved it to the couch.

*This is where the picture of breakfast would be if I hadn't forgotten to take it.  Instead, here is a picture of the bracelet that I get to wear for at least two more days*

Shortly after that I received a phone call from two dear friends who were somewhere up in  Tennessee for a wedding.  Then informed me that they would be dropping by to say hello on their way beck to Mississippi!!!  Yay!  Best birthday surprise of the day!  They came by and stayed for about an hour and a half before it was time to head back home.

Just before my Mississippi friends had to leave I got another surprise visit from my favorite little friends.  Three adorably cute little ones, ages 6, 4, and 1.5,  (whose parents are also dear friends of mine) showed up on my parents doorstep with a birthday sign, birthday plates, napkins, candles and ice cream cookie sandwiches!  They also brought a basket of goodies (picked out by the girls, the oldest two) and a Snuggie!  I finally have one of my very own and it is pink! 

*A basket filled with a Barbie coloring book, cupcake oven mitts, heart-shaped measuring cups and spoons, and a bag full of glittered pink nail polish!  What sweet girls and what a sweet Mama they have!*

The oldest also brought me her Nintendo DS to borrow.   She thought I would enjoy it since I could  look down while I played it!  I've been figuring out how to play Cooking Mama for the past few minutes. 

Mom is now making my favorite cake for my birthday cake, a lemon cheese cake.  It's not a cheese cake and we have no idea why it has that name, but it's delicious and you can find recipes for it in most older southern cookbooks!  We are picking up take-out from P.F. Chang's for dinner and I imagine I'll have my nightly dose of Lortab before I hit the sack.  Then only 24 hours until my doctor's appointment!

I am cautiously hopeful that my 26th year will be one with a lot of hope and not as much change.  I'm a sucker for stability and all this excitement over the past few days has given me my fill of change. 

January 3

So today is my birthday...I am spending most of it looking at the floor, the sofa, the sheets on my bed, the pages of a book and the computer.  The recovery for a detached retina is not something I would like to experience again (do you hear that, eye?).  In two days I will go back to the doctor and, hopefully, will then be able to keep my head up all the time.  In the meantime, let me tell you what I've been doing to keep busy keep myself from falling asleep (you tend to do that a lot when you are lying face down).

Reading:

• I finished My Life In France on day two of recovery.  I loved it!  For those of you who are not familiar with the book it is Julia Child's autobiography of her time in France.  It will make you want to cook, eat, and travel to Paris to wander through the markets.

• I listened to The Firm on my iPod.  I liked it, but I have to say that John Grisham's books that center around small towns in Mississippi are my favorite - none of this mob and escaping to the Cayman Islands stuff.

• I started reading The Reason for God last night.  I'm only four chapters in to it, but so far, so good!  Tim Keller's writing is easy to read - you almost feel like you are in conversation with him.    

• I'm also listening to The Brothers Karamazov on the iPod.  I know, I know.  I may never finish it, but I at least have to give it a shot.  

Watching:

I've caught up on The Office, Scrubs and Parks & Recreation.  I've also listened to every football game (and I mean every football game) that has been on over the weekend. 

I can't forget to mention the manicure and pedicure I got yesterday.  If you are going to look at your feet they should look good!  I would definitely recommend this to anyone in my position.  I walked out of there with OPI's "Your Royal Shyness" on my fingers and "I'm Not Really a Waitress" on my toes!

Of course I can check my email and repeatedly check the Anthropologie website to see if a certain skirt is on sale...

Any other entertainment ideas out there? 

...And A Happy New Year!

Things will be a bit slow here during the beginning of 2010 as I just had emergency surgery on my left eye for a detached retina.  I can only lift my head for 10 minutes of each hour so typing is not the most convenient activity.  

Hope your 2010 is off to a great start and hopefully this will be the year of "hope and change" of all the right kind :)

"A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Time to party...in the snow!

Two weekends ago our house hosted our 3rd annual Christmas Party!  We shopped and backed until we couldn't anymore.

We had the invitations printed and sent out the week of Thanksgiving and planned our menu the next.  We  each decided to make three dishes for the party and split the cost of the paper goods.  If multiple people are throwing the party that's the easiest way to go!

If you're in the party planning mood or just want some yummy Christmas food here are a two new recipes I tried this year:

Eggnog Cupcakes with Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting 
and  
Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes! 
(these turned out a little salty for my taste)

One roommate painstakingly created this gingerbread house.  It took her three days to make it and every kind of candy you can imagine!  This is the book where she found the blueprint and instructions: Gingerbread Architecture.  

And the best part of the party was the snow!

Right in the middle of our Christmas party, while we were all on the porch watching the Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree, snow started falling!!!  There were predictions all week, but being in Mississippi and being continually disappointed with no snow, we didn't quite believe them.  It was a small early Christmas miracle :)

Our "Narian" lamppost  in the snow!

My poor basil didn't make it inside in time...oh well, at least I made several recipes of pesto to put in the freezer a month ago. 

It's not the easiest to see in the dark, but the front of the house covered in snow with the Christmas lights was a beautiful sight! 

The snow fell all night and there were still remnants of some snowmen along our street for a few days.  
(That's a big deal in Mississippi)

And Around the Rest of the House....

Here is the rest of our Christmas decor!  Much is the same as last year, but we added the color red to our scheme this year instead of just green and white.  Who says you have to go all out every year with brand new ideas?  Not me!

The Mantle

I used the same moss wreath that I made last year, the same ribbon and  the "same" (it is fresh) Jackson vine as last year.  We each added red to our stockings -mine is the one with the ruffles :) I am particularly delighted about the glittered candles on the mantle.  I made them myself.   Here are the instructions.

The "chandelier" over the dining room table.

I was inspired by this picture in Pottery Barn.

I loved the look of this hanging from a light fixture, but we don't have a Pottery Barn in Mississippi and I didn't want to spend most of my decorating budget on a few large Christmas ornaments.

Solution: same ornaments as last year, fishing line and a bow.

*Sorry I didn't take many pictures of the construction*
With the help of my roommates I hung the ornaments (some individually and some tied together) from the arms of the light fixture with fishing line.

Then I took a smaller length of fishing line, wrapped it around all of the strands and the center of the fixture and tied it tight.  You can play around with the height of the knot and length of the strands to make "patterns" with the color of the ornaments.  Add a bow to the top at the knot and there you go!

The Front Door

Same garland and lights as last year, but this time I tucked in all the extra Jackson Vine* for a more lush look.

The wreath for is one I have used before, but the decorations are new.

I am not a fan of plastic ornaments AT ALL, but will use them outdoors in a heartbeat.  No one wants to worry about their wreath anytime the doors shuts.  I found these ornaments at the store and tied them in clusters with floral wire.  I then spaced them out on the wreath and tied them to the form.  The bow is made with ribbon from Hobby lobby - no surprise there :)

And that's all folks!

*Jackson Vine is the layman's term for Smilax smallii.

** For great bow-making instructions check out Martha's. 

Happy December...Let the Decorating Extravaganza begin!

I now have no shame in my Christmas Extravaganza.  And to be truthful, we put up most of the inside decor before Thanksgiving - the Christmas season just isn't long enough!

On Sunday afternoon there was a sight to see in our household.  Three girls (I, being one of them) managed to put up an 8 ft. Christmas Tree.  And no, we didn't break anything or hurt ourselves in the process.  I must say the key to our success was THE BEST CHRISTMAS TREE STAND EVER.  Here is a link so you can go buy one yourself.  It is made for trees that might have a crooked trunk, but is is super easy to use and I think I will use one forever more.  We did have to trim off two bottom branches with a hand saw, but that wasn't too much trouble.  

On Monday night we decorated it.  I have a vast collection or ornaments at my parents house and brought back all of my non-breakable ones for this tree (I'm a bit protective of my collection).  The roommates and I started the tradition of giving each other a small gift last year, which was really an ornament exchange and we continued it this year too.  

Here are the ones that were added to my collection this year.  

All of us  received this one from one roommate! - A picture of our house and the date.

Someone knows me well... War Eagle!

And this one isn't on my tree in Mississippi, but it's the one my mother gave me this year.  Ever since I moved to MS we have been looking for a magnolia ornament and this year she found one! 

Here is the a picture of our finished tree!  In the past we have decorated but never put up a tree and it really is wonderful to have one in the house.  In fact, I would rather not go anywhere this month and just sit in our living room.  

Oh Christmas Tree!

Each year Belhaven College (our neighbor) constructs a giant Christmas tree shaped stand in the middle of a field on campus.  On Friday and Saturday night of the first weekend in December the "tree" is covered in "angels" who sing Christmas carols for the enjoyment of on-lookers and neighbors.  It is the oldest singing Christmas Tree in the South and Southern Living though enough to write it up last year. 

The best part about the tree is that it is across the street from my house.  We can listen and watch the crowed from our front porch and if it's too cold, we can listen from inside.  We always have friends asking if they can park in our driveway or let their kids use the bathroom...we usually oblige :) 

If you're in Jackson this Christmas, or an other Christmas for that matter, try to stop by the tree - it will put you in the Christmas Spirit!