Summer Slush

I picked up this "frozen cosmopolitan in a bucket" at TJ Maxx for $4.99. For that price, I figured I didn't have much to lose.

Added a 750mL bottle of vodka and water. Froze over night.

It's delicious! Fruity but not too sweet. I added some Diet 7-Up and a twist of lime.

Perfect for the warm weather ahead!

Our Magnolia Tree

I was born and raised in the Midwest.

Iowa to be exact.

Home of many cornfields....

and pigs.

I will always consider myself a Midwestern Girl; an Iowan through and through...

though many of the most cherished things in my life have happened since I moved to The South.

I met my husband here...but he's a Midwesterner, too!

Oklahoma to be exact.

My son was born here in Atlanta, so he's a Southerner.

Had I not moved to the south, I most likely would never had uttered things like:

Y'all come over for dinner. I'll make black-eyed peas and collard greens.

~ or ~

I'd like a large sweet tea, please, with extra ice and lemon.

And, had I not moved to The South, I never would have been able to say,

I have a beautiful magnolia tree in my front yard.

We love our magnolia tree. It is big and beautiful and perfect for climbing.

It tells us that spring is officially here when we see those large white buds begin to appear.

Almost overnight, they begin to open, layer by delicate white layer. And they smell wonderful!

I can see the beautiful flowers on our magnolia tree from our kitchen and from our dining room.

The flowers can contain as many as 14 layers with a pretty yellow center. They are often described as having splendid beauty.

And I have to agree.

Our magnolia tree is both splendid and beautiful.

And also very special, because it's so Southern!

Happy Mutha's Day

Sending Happy Mother's Day wishes to all the moms out there. And, if you're longing to be a mom or are missing your mom today, please know that I am thinking of you, too.

My sweet little boy is now at the age where the homemade gifts are starting to flow. And I adore them...more than I can say. This little masterpiece is hanging in the window above the sink so I can admire it several times a day. *swoon*

I decided I'd like to have an early Mother's Day dinner out on Saturday night. I'm not much into juggling the crowds on Mother's Day with a squirmy and not-so-patient 3 year old.

So we had a delicious dinner last night at one of my favorite restaurants, J Alexander's.

The sweet little boy who came into our life and made me a Mom was in rare form. Most of the pictures we took included a funny face. He had a 3 1/2 hour nap so he was in a good mood. (thank the Lord so I could eat my salad in relative peace)

And he also got a haircut for the occasion.... Grandma Eva...this photo is for you.

At age 3 1/2 my sweet little boy still couldn't quite grasp the whole Mother's Day thing. He thought it was a birthday. His birthday to be exact. And he also kept waiting and waiting for his Mother's Day surprise, by asking, "Is is my Mutha's Day yet Mom?"

I was also explaining to him that, because of him, I am a Mom. And he said, "Yeah, without me you wudden't have turned into a mom. You'd just be a big 'ole Dad."

After dinner we headed to Nordstrom for a little gift shopping.

Since we just happened to enter the store at the shoe department (funny how that happens), these little beauties just called my name.

Next in my bag was this luscious new fragrance. I discovered it via a sample in the Nordstrom mailer and thought it would be a perfect new spritzer for summer.

And finally, I'm really looking forward to reading this book. I went to Iowa State in Ames, Iowa and continued living/working there after graduation for a total of 10 years.

I hope your day was special and full of memories, too.

The Olden Days

When my kids are lounging on the sofa...

watching the wall-mounted plasma TV that can be swiveled every-which-way for a perfect viewing angle....

and I turn on the vacuum or make other noise (which I'm prone to do - I'm noisy like that)....

and they yell, "MOM, I CAN'T HEAR IT"!

I have to chuckle to myself as I reminisce about watching TV when I was their age.

Laying on the floor 'cause the big old hefty thing didn't move...

Choosing between three channels (maybe four if Public Broadcasting happened to come in that day)....

And when my mom turned on the blender or the vacuum...

Not only could I not hear the TV, I also couldn't see the TV...

'cause it would go all wonky and snowy and crackly.

Any of you remember that?

And, P.S...

I also walked a mile to school in every kind of weather, every day of the school year.

Including over the railroad tracks and up a big hill.

Now back to our regular programming.

While I Was Away...

Hello everyone!

My bloggy break was just like a real vacation....I enjoyed my time away but it's great to be back.

Here's a little glimpse into what I did while I was gone.

The most important thing I did was spend less time at the computer and more time with the people that mean the most to me. Spring (and a little bit of summer) arrived while I was gone and we spent time doing little things that mean a lot.



I went to see the awesome and incredible Olympic Swimmer Dara Torres when she was in the ATL for a book signing at The Carter Center. My good friend and neighbor, Kelley, went with me and we've had lots of laughs about how starstruck we were.


I completed some home design projects (with many more to go). My favorite was replacing the light colored carpet on the stairs between our main and top level with a wild cheetah print runner. Grrrrrrrr......

You'll also notice Olympia got a face lift and a new home...surrounded by a bunch of lovely red tulips!

Hubby and I hosted our second annual Kentucky Derby Party for 40 people. This year the sky opened up and poured rain right after I had the deck all set up. We had to reconfigure and rearrange 30 minutes before the party started...

...but we still managed to have a great time with our cherished family and friends.

Less computer time meant more time for reading. And I'm thrilled that I have more stacks just as wonderful waiting for me.

I'm also in the midst of doing a little prep for bathing suit season. If you want more info on this, let me know. The first couple days are rough, but it's a great plan. (bread? bread? Did someone say bread?)

And of course there was shopping and flipping out the winter closet for spring and summer. That deserves a post all its own.

It's great to be back and I can't wait to catch up with all of you.