happy father's day

Happy Father's Day to the most incredible dad I could ever dream of having. He is beyond loving, caring, happy, positive, and makes my life sweeter than it could ever be without his influence. Growing up [and even now] we were inseparable. He taught me how to scuba dive and windsurf; we made countless beach camping trips and organized lake cleanups. But most importantly, he taught me how to be a good person...how to see the glass half full, the philosophy of life, and his cheerful demeanor permeated my thinking and has made me the person I am today. I love him more than anything and am thankful for him everyday. 

family

I have the greatest family there ever was. We are so very close and I wouldn't have it any other way. We are the Three Musketeers. This close-knit unity definitely makes being apart that much harder, but I also know that distance will never break the love of a family. 

My parents were recently in town visiting for almost a full week. It was exactly what I needed. Hugs. And snuggles. And love. And laughter. And good talks. I can still smell my mom on the couch and hear my dad's laugh ringing in the air. These two people are my life. My world. My everything. Words will never be able to express how much I appreciate them, how much I deeply love them, or how much I would do to make sure they are happy, well-supported, and taken care of. 

While they were in town, Kevin and I had the honor of hosting his parents to our new place for a backyard BBQ. Two families united, prayers were said, wine was shared, and nothing but a wonderful time was had. 

Kevin proudly showing our new backyard setup - an amazing gift from my parents. 

Two families and great food.  

And a lovely evening neighborhood walk with very full tummies. 

I miss my parents every minute they are gone and anxiously await our next visit. I know it won't be long. 

a house to call our home

All the furniture has been moved. All the boxes have been unpacked. It had its ups and downs, but the move is done and I could not be more thankful to be living with the man of my dreams. 

I wanted to post a few pictures of our stained wood art pieces from their new home on the wall. 

I could not be any happier. I have an incredible man that looks deep in my eyes and I can feel that he sees me. Actually sees into me. He gives me the sweetest kisses on the forehead and tickles me until I can't take it anymore. He has a heart of gold, the best laugh I have ever heard, some of the funniest facial expressions I have ever seen, and makes me so happy to wake up and see his wonderfully endearing smile every day I am blessed enough to be alive. 

At the end of the day, I know it doesn't matter which lamp is next to the sofa or which table we have in our breakfast nook. The only thing that matters in life is love. And if we are some of the lucky few that find this rare and special thing in life, we have to hold it tight. It is a gift from God and gifts are not meant to be taken for granted. I love you KDP. 

movin' and paintin'

As my love and I approach our move in date, I wanted to create a special momento for our home together. You see, my love was not the biggest fan of the hibiscus flower paintings adorning each side of our large living window. With a little inspiration from me oh my!, I decided to create a little something with meaning. 

I started with two 2 ft by 2 ft pieces of birch wood and stained. 

I used my love's favorite musician, Eric Church, for the lovely words that will soon be decking our walls. 

Eric Church-I Love Your Love The Most

I made one little change to make it more of our own. "I love college football games" means so much more with our two teams thrown in. Go Texas and Florida State! I couldn't think of a better set of lyrics to describe our simple life together. 

Eric Church-Like Jesus Does

And an ode to my love. I pray he knows how proud he makes me every single day. I pray he knows how much I believe and trust in him. And I pray he knows just how much I love him.  

I am so excited to starting making this home that has been just mine for the past year, into a place to call our own. Our new stained wood art pieces will find their home on our walls tomorrow (pictures to come!). 

happy's mother day

"You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

Today I am honoring the woman who made me who I am. She has taught me so many valuable life lessons and has provided me the best example of a person, wife, and mother that I strive and aspire to be. 


She gives so selflessly and never expects a think in return. She gives endless love, time, patience, surprises, support, and deserves everything in return [even though she doesn't think so]. 

She is my best friend and I can't imagine life without her. Happy Mother's Day to the most amazing, incredible, and loving mother I could ever dream for. I thank God everyday for the blessing you are in my life. 

idioms and irony

This is the greatest story of two best friends who really know each other inside and out. As we all know, my nearest and dearest is GETTING MARRIED! During my search for anything bridal for this very sweet girl, I came across the sweetest bracelet by none other than Kate Spade herself. 

"Birds of a feather, two of a kind, perfect pair, partner in crime, peas in a pod, sidekicks."

It could not be the more perfect gift for a best friend and soon to be amazing wife. 

And wouldn't you know it, this very same bracelet showed up on my doorstep two days ago. Just as the inscriptions say...two peas in a pod. It doesn't get much better than that. It's a good thing we don't mind matching! 

just be

One of my favorite things to do after a long day of work is to head to the beach with the love of my life and a nice bottle of wine. There is no better way to bid farewell to the day [especially a stress packed day which has become the norm lately]. 

The ocean, sand, and mango setting sun wash all of the noisy thoughts out of my head. My mind becomes quiet. It makes me remember what is truly important in this life and grounds me to myself again. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities and lose sight what what matters most. It is easy to forget what makes you, you and always hold fast to that truth. Taking the time to slow down, breathe, listen to my heart and mind, enjoy the company of those that mean the most, and to simply be present, is essential in making me the person I naturally meant to be [ and preventing me from being the person that this materialistic world tries to make me be]. 

Love. Family. Friends. Simplicity. Natural Surroundings. Nothing matters more. 

I love sitting in my beach chair, glass of wine in hand, listening to the gentle sound of waves lapping the shore, and watching the sky transform into its marmalade of colors as the sun sinks over the horizon. I am so thankful to be on this great earth and for these reminders of just how lucky we are to be alive and healthy. 

And my sweet Kevin says it best [as he winks at the setting sun and raises his glass to the air] "see ya tomorrow buddy."Amen. God and life are good.  

austin part 2

Well just over a week after my return to the sunshine state, I am finally getting the time to post days three and four from my trip home. It has been slightly [I mean insanely] hectic trying to catch up from a few days off work!

The second half of my trip was just as amazing as the first. We had the honor of touring Megan's dream wedding venue and I will say, it was a dream. It is shabby chic, country romantic, and I am certain just what Megan has in mind for her special day. After our tour of the grounds [and bombarding the lovely owner with a considerable amount of questions], we headed a few miles down the road for some finger-lickin' BBQ at the one and only Salt Lick. We left a few pounds heavier, but with enough memories to make up for it. 

They have done an incredible job at making this place feel like a retreat. It was a pure R&R kind-a-day. 

I must say it killed me to leave my family, but I also have to admit, it was wonderful to have the loving arms of my man to run into. He knows just the right words and way to make me feel better. 

austin

Day one and two have been wonderful thus far. 

Day one we ventured out to Wimberly for some tea and cake at Sip In The Square, shopping, walking, and lunch at the Cypress Creek Cafe. I found a darling top and mom didn't leave empty handed either. She left with a gorgeous solid teak wood rustic coffee table. We had a great time in this sweet little Texas town. 

Day two, dad and I were up and at'em for one of his sponsored lake cleanups. He hosts six Lake Austin cleanups a year and it just so happened my trip coincided with one of them! I was so thankful for this sweet coincidence. We spent many a weekends on the water for these cleanups and it was wonderful to do it again together. We got there early for setup, he debriefed the cleanup crew, I got to visit with friends, and then dad and I paddled two very full boat loads of trash to the pickup station. It was a great turnout and an ever better time! 

And of course, we had to reward of all our hard work with a little Chuy's! 

After our food settled and a feel good movie, mom and I finished out the day with a little gardening in the backyard. The air was just perfect and it was so nice to relax with some flowers pruning, and watering. One day I hope to have a garden as lush and beautiful as my mom's. She is chock full of plant knowledge and gardening tips. I always wonder "Now, how do you know that?" and "How do you know you need to do this." I am so blessed to learn from this amazing women, in more ways than one. 

He has risen

As another Easter comes and goes, I wanted to write about how very thankful I am for all of the wonderful blessings I have in my life. God has blessed me with an adundance of love and happiness and it grows each day I am on this earth.

I have been blessed with the most amazing family a girl could ask for. I have the most incredible, kind, and loving parents around. I thank God everyday for these two people and what pilars they are in my life. They are my best friends and while we are a thousand miles apart, they are tucked so deep in my heart, we are always close. It is my greatest joy to honor these two people.

I have also been blessed with the love of a man. A love so strong, I never knew if it would find me. He is sweet, charming, caring, giving, all the while being crazy, goofy, funny [oh, and insanely good looking]. He is the sugar to my coffee. The honey to my bagel. The peanut butter to my banana. As I lay in bed each night, I cannot believe how fortuante I am to have this person in my life. I can't imagine a day without him by my side. I am so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of our lives.

Thank you my Lord, for this incredible life, for the love you give me, and the blessings day in and day out.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7

gcb

It's my newest love affair and by love affair, I mean absolute obsession. It is funny, witty, sassy, and of course Texas. 

It is the Dallas version of Desperate Housewives. With a cast like Miss Annie Potts, Kristin Chenowth, and Leslie Bibb, it seems a sure bet to be a hit. And in my book, it's a home run. 

I adore the entire cast, their chemistry, the writing, the humor, the clothes, the location, everything about this show leaves me wanting more. It's got eye candy [also known as tall, dark, and handsome cowboys], Texas twang, big hair, an endless repertoire of tongue and cheek banter and that's a guaranteed recipe for success. 

If you haven't seen abc's newest hit sensation,  run, don't walk, to catch yourself up on the previous episodes and prepare for this coming Sunday. Come hell or high water, you can bet your bottom dollar, you will know where to find me come nine o'clock. It'll make you appreciate that you don't run with the likes of these types of GCBs. 

the wonderful weekend times

Another glorious weekend has come and gone. I knew it was going to be a great weekend when we pulled into the Marriott Coral Springs surrounded by stunning, green and well manicured golf courses. The sun was shinning, palm trees lined the drive into the hotel, and there was not a busy street in sight. It was a picture perfect setting. 

As soon as we arrived, our adorable gift bag was waiting for us at check-in [Kevin's Aunt Patti really didn't miss a detail the entire weekend]. We unloaded the car, quickly freshened up, and headed over the Welcome Dinner at the clubhouse. The air was buzzing with the kind of laughter and chatter only families can produce. It was wonderful to finally meet all [well almost all, there are a lot] of Kevin's relatives. 

Day Two:

We had to be at Temple bright and early. I have never been to a Synagogue, much less a Bat Mitzvah. It was a treat to see something so different than my own customs and Sarah [the Bat Mitzvah] did such an amazing job. I was beyond impressed with the Hebrew that thirteen girl learned for this very special day in her life. 

Sarah's grandparents hosted a beautiful Kiddush Luncheon after her Bat Mitzvah and we relaxed by the pool for the rest of the afternoon. This was just the kind of weekend I have been needing for a very long time! Family, good food, great times, and a little R&R.  

That night it was time. to. live it up! All in honor of Sarah. This celebration was better and more extravagant than anything I could have ever imagined. The venue and the decorations were out this world. Not an inch of the space was forgotten [again Aunt Patti didn't miss a detail]. White fabric dripped from the ceiling.  Grand center pieces stood on all of the tables. White couches made for comfy seating areas. Towers of food filled the room. Ahi tuna and seaweed salad, fresh mozzarella, salami and cheese, lobster mac and cheese bites, braised beef and mashed potatoes, fish, chicken, pasta, salad, fondue, cheesecake on a stick, mini cupcakes, ice cream. Everything down to the paper towels in the bathroom coordinated into Sarah's theme. Pink, rhinestoned bling and soccer. There was a photo booth, an air brush tattoo artist, goofy hats, blinking party novelties, and colorful sunglasses. We danced the night away and I can honesty say I have never had this much fun at an event before. 

Our first time to play dress up together. 

Wow, look at my handsome boy there on the left. And his wonderful brother!

Introducing the family!

There goes Jared up in the chair!

Kevin and his Aunt Patti and Uncle Mark [proud parents of the Bat Mitzvah herself]!

As I said, literally danced the night away. 

Day Three:

One last get-to-together before we were all off on our trips back home. Patti hosted yet another wonderful meal. A yummy brunch [omelet station included!] with enough food to feed the entire Broward County population.  This weekend was a dream. I only hope that Sarah and her family enjoyed it as much as we did!

The Bat Mitzvah and her cousins! 

Congratulations Sarah! We had a wonderful "Kicking It Up" with you.