Two For One

What do bad bloggers do? Cram several posts into one and smile because she has posted for the first time in a while. Yep..that's me!
A few weeks ago, Rodney was out of town for a bachelor party and my cousin/good friend Bart was in town from working out of the country.

It was so great catching up with him and getting to hear all his amazing travel stories.   Bart likes to eat just as much as I do which is one of the reasons we get along so well. :) His tour of Memphis included all my favorite restaurants, so we had a good time obviously.    Saturday night, we went to Grant's Gala benefiting Children's Heart Foundation. If you don't already know Grant's story, I highly encourage you to visit their website to learn more.
The Gala was at the Memphis Zoo at Teton Trek. Bart and I had a really fun time! I spent most of the night explaining where Rodney was and why I was out with another man.

And in recent news, college football is back, and we spent this Saturday tailgating in Starkville for the MS State game. It was miserably hot, but we still had fun making new friends and catching up with old friends.  

Monogram Obsessed

To say that I like monograms would be an understatement. I have my monogram plastered on my planner, cell phone cover, sunglasses, lower back tat. Ok just kidding. No lower back tat.

When I saw that the Nicole and Sara were hosting a monogram swap, I signed up immediately! 

I was paired with Maddie from The Whimsy One and y'all...she's such a sweetheart! Everyone loves getting goodies in the mail, but it's also awesome getting to make new friends!

Look at this adorable casserole tote she sent my way!

 

Now if only she could send some of her cooking skills my way too. Maddie has mad skills in the kitchen. I only have skills at the kitchen table when it comes to the eating portion. :)

Thanks again Maddie! I can't wait to take this beauty to the next gathering.

Southern Staples

Every Mississippi girl knows what you're talking about when you say the words McCarty or Peter. Two of the most recognizable names in the pottery world in 'round these parts.

I had never been to the Delta except the few playoff games in high school. Those were always at night and always with a police escort, so I jumped at the chance to see the Delta in a different perspective. 

Our Junior Auxiliary chapter takes an annual trip to McCarty's, Peter's and our NAJA office.  Here are the pics from McCarty's.

 

These pretties came home with me. They make my counter look so much better!

 

There are beautiful gardens behind the shop. I wish I had time to just sit under a tree and read a book. It was so peaceful and gorgeous!

There's also a little cafe a few blocks away. They serve all the food with McCarty and made me want to do the same in my own home. It was a good thing I had already left the store!

What is your favorite brand of pottery? I have created a large Christmas wish list after that one trip! :)

Linking up with Logan, Sami, MSWB & Leeann.    

Her Favorite Color Is....

Friday evening started out my weekend with a concert at Snowden Grove: Keith Anderson, Chris Young, and Hank Williams Jr.   

 

I had more fun people watching than anything else. HWJ draws a very unique crowd, so there wasn't a dull moment. 

Saturday, we had our first event as provisionals in Junior Auxiliary. Jump Back to School is where backpacks full of school supplies and tennis shoes are handed out to children in the area. There is food and games for the kids to play when they come to pick up their school things. I was helping with the bounce house, and I was about to have a panic attack thinking someone was going to break a bone. Thankfully, all went well. I'm going to have to learn to loosen up a little before we have kids of our own!
We went to eat with sweet friends Saturday night at Buckley's. You just can't beat their food for the price. It was as delicious as always.    After, we went for dessert to La Michoacana. They have homemade popsicles which were amazing. I'm already thinking about when we can go back!    In other news - since I've been a bad blogger (per the usual), here's what else is going on.
I finally upgraded to a phone that has Siri, and we're not getting along very well.

Apparently, she has a little trouble understanding my accent. 
SO....the reason I had to get a new phone is because I thought I could actually fix my cracked screen on my own. I bought a kit on amazon and followed the instructions on a youtube video. I got the screen on just fine, but then I couldn't get the phone back together. I thought everything was back together correctly, but I couldn't get the back cover shut. And I'm also amazed at how many microscopic screws are inside an iphone. Wow...so that was a project that should have been left to a professional. Lesson learned. Have a great week loves!
Linking up with Logan, Sami & Leeann. 

Stock the Bar - Housewarming Party

I recently co-hosted a stock-the-bar themed housewarming party for a coworker.

As most of you know, I don't have a creative bone in my body. I'm a tax accountant. I work with numbers and sit in a cube all day. This lady doesn't know how to do parties, so I was pretty proud of the way everything turned out. 

But for real..what did we do before Pinterest? The ole Pinterest board was a major save!

Invites via Zazzle

Creamscicle Cocktail Recipe

Free printable for party favors.

  Shout out to Amanda for the amazing pictures! It's shocking how well the pictures turn out when you actually know how to use the camera! :)   Linking up with Shanna.

The Hills are Alive....

 Friday night, we went to the Orpheum to the Sound of Music sing-along! It was seriously so much fun! The guys weren't as impressed with it obviously, but they scored major husband points for tagging along.

I think I was more entertained from listening to all the musical talents (cough cough) in the room. Every time a bad guy came onto the screen, everyone started hissing which got pretty annoying after a while.

Saturday, we went to eat at Chiwawa for the second time recently. I just couldn't get those Juantons off my mind.

We had plans to go get sno cones at Jerry's after and didn't realize they close at 9 until it was about 8:40. We literally drove like crazy people to get there by 9.

 

 We were the last people in line, so we barely made it.

 Rodney is seriously incapable of keeping his eyes opened in pictures. He looks stoned.

      Sunday, we went to watch World War Z. If you took my blood pressure during the movie, I'm pretty sure the levels would not be great. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and felt like I'd been put through the ringer after it was over. The end of the movie was super predictable, but overall, Rodney and I both really liked it! Hope you all you a great weekend. :)    Linking up with Logan, Sami & Leeann.   

Sandy July 4th

The annual Epps' family Orange Beach trip was a little different this year. This is the first time it's actually rained, so we kind of had to improvise. Here is a photo dump from the trip. Thankfully we got at least 1 1/2 beach days.

red flag

so hazy and overcast

what a precious kite!

'merica!

brrrr

oh, we'll just wade to the car

  Glad to be back home, but not glad to be back to work this week. :)   Hope you all had a fabulous holiday!   Linking up with Logan, Sami & Leeann.