A Shared Birthday

We are STILL celebrating birthdays around here.  HEY, I know but there are so many people that there is not one month out of the year that we do not have a birthday.  So, occasionally someone shares a party (Sharing is a BIG part of having a BIG FAT FAMILY).  And the the past 2 years, Uncle David has been kind enough to share his with Holli Bug.  Because they have been living in Ohio for the past 5 years, Caitlin has tried to fly down here and have Holli's birthday party with her cousins.  This year she was here as well and she and Uncle David had their parties together!
                       

But first...Sunday Lunch!  Hamburgers is a good "go-to" for this big bunch so hamburgers it was.  Some of the little ones enjoyed sitting at the bar but soon the benches for their very own farm table will be finished.  It will seat 10...oops!  We might need another farm table.

Holli wanted a unicorn party and Uncle David asked for his "usual"; a cookie cake.  That was easy enough.  I ordered both cakes and on that Sunday we did it this way:  Everyone came over for Sunday lunch and then Uncle David had his birthday cake with his birthday song and then he opened his presents.

Then, Holli had her birthday cake and her birthday song and opened her presents.  It was warm outside (We've barely had a winter...) so everyone congregated out there for her party and kids were everywhere.  I mean they were running around like a bunch of ants and I had to keep counting them to make sure no one had wandered off.

Olivia and Lila Kate love this swing.  And they are the best of friends.  Where you find one, you can find the other.

And when the girls hopped off, Beckett hopped on.  Beckett is a favorite of all the kids.  He is so sweet and easy to get along with.  And almost all the time he lets the girls have their way.  Yes, he's learning fast.

Mam-Maw (My mother; yes, the very one who was in the hospital for 35 days in December and January) was at the party and got to snuggle with her newest great-grandchild, Jonathan.

  And then it was time for Holli's Unicorn Party!  Don't you love her unicorn crown and dress too?

You should have heard the oohs and ahhs whenever the cake was cut and they found out it was RAINBOW CAKE!

                       It was a surprise for me too.  I mean, who doesn't like rainbow cake?!

Obviously Livie liked it.  And Uncle David's cookie cake.  And most likely any other cake that would have been set out (He-He!).

                                             Lila Kate thought it was pretty yummy too.

It was a busy and fun-filled week and weekend.  We not only celebrated two birthdays but Caitlin bought a house!  It is still in the process of being built but should be finished by the time they move back here in June.  And then I will have all of my chickies back home.  Can you imagine all of the fun we will have at Sunday lunches then?  19 and counting with my MY FAT SOUTHERN FAMILY!

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Turning "Double Nickels" in Vegas

What better place to celebrate a "Double Nickel" birthday than Las Vegas.  Oh, I'm not much of a gambler at all but you don't have to be in order to enjoy Las Vegas.

A friend of our had some business meetings in Las Vegas and his wife had this great idea that we should fly out when he was finished and meet him for a little fun.  We decided we would play some golf and I decided that since my birthday fell within those days I would also pamper myself in the spa.  

This trip to Vegas we stayed at Trump International Hotel.  Hubby just went on Priceline and it came up.  I really did enjoy my stay there for several reasons:  First, there is no casino in the hotel which makes it nice for me because the cigarette smoke really bothers me.  Second, the rooms were really nice and had big soaking tubs.  I know that may sound silly but haven't you been to hotels that only have showers?  And third, the hotel was right across the street from the mall with a huge Nordstrom sign staring me straight in the face saying, "Come shop here, come shop here..."  I listened.

The first day it rained so obviously there would be no golfing on a course.  However, we found Top Golf Las Vegas and played a few games while staying dry!

                                     And although I still wasn't terrific at it, this was sorta fun.

On day 2 whenever everyone returned from golfing and relaxing in the spa, we went out for my birthday dinner.  Earlier, Hubby had contacted Buddy V's Ristorante, located in The Venetian to  make a dinner reservation and Carlos Bakery to make my birthday cake.

  This photo was taken as we were leaving for my birthday night out in the lobby of our hotel.

We decided we would order the family style menu not realizing just how much food was involved.  But hey!  It was just like being in Italy again and I loved it!

And since it WAS my birthday, they talked us into getting a little champagne.  Isn't that a pretty bottle?  Yep, I stuck it in my suitcase and brought it home with me.

And the cake...OH MY GOODNESS!  This is a Cannoli Cake  that has cannoli filling between the layers, toasted almonds on the sides and cannoli on top.  It was better than yummy!

And while we were at The Venetian we decided to take a gondola ride.  Very reminiscent of Venice AND the guy even sang Happy Birthday to me...

              We walked around seeing the sights on the strip before heading back to the hotel.

Next day was golf day.  I mean a "real" golf day.  And I was ready because my friend had given me some pink golf balls as a birthday present!  The weather, however, had turned very windy and in turn quite cold.  We tried to get an Uber that could take all of us and our golf clubs to a golf course out of the town but were having trouble finding a vehicle large enough.  No problem!  Trump International offered to take us in their car...

          Sorry (not sorry...) but I just had to get a picture beside that license plate (He-He!).

            And then I started a trend...everyone else wanted their photo taken by it too.

The course we played that day was the Paiute Golf Course and it was a good ways out of town.  But beautiful...WOW!  The scenery was unbelievable.  And since I was freezing my tushy off, I didn't play too many hole and instead spend my time bundled up in the cart snapping photos...

                                                What did I tell you?  Gorgeous, right?

This trip was wonderful and such a great impromptu birthday surprise this year.  Turning "Double Nickels" was quite fun and actually I didn't feel any older at all and maybe a bit younger.  Age IS only a number they say...

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Summer's Coming and the Reinvented Haskell From Warby Parker Is Here To Guide You Through those Sunny Days!

I'm one of those people who take care of their skin all the time.  I wear sunscreen and hats and always have a pair of cute sunglasses on.  And although I always currently own a pair of cute sunglasses, it doesn't mean that I'm not constantly on the lookout for my next cute pair.  And this week I think I found them!

Founded in 2010, Warby Parker, an American eyeglass company has made a HUGE splash with their  ever-changing styles.  Just yesterday, they announced the reinvention of the Haskell, their best-selling frame.  Still sporting the quality craftsmanship associated with their hand-polished crystal frame and that vintage-y flare, the Haskell will now have six (Yes, you heard me correctly!) options of flash lenses in every shade from silver to mirrored violet!

         OK, this Louisiana girl is seriously crushing over this pair.  I'm thinking LSU Tigers!

              And the best part about this style is the fact that both guys and gals can enjoy them.

 This blue is making me dream of summer. And the beach.  And I just might have to have these for my month long vacation in the Florida Keys!

OH MY GOODNESS!!  What's not to LOVE about these?  And really how could anybody just choose one pair?!  Starting at $95, how reasonable too?  So, while I'm here trying to decide how many pair I need to get me stylishly from one social event to the next, why don't you click on over to Warby Parker, yourself,  and grab a pair...or two or three!

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Inspiration For A Rainy Day...

Here in the south we are usually wishing for a rainy day.   Especially in the middle of our terribly hot and humid summers.  And since a rainy day is such a welcome event, in hopes of cooling things off a bit, I decided to share with you what I enjoy doing on these rare days.

I absolutely love to decorate for holidays.  However, I am usually so busy writing, keeping sweet babies or getting FREE GIFT CARDS from taking online surveys from iRazoo, that it's difficult for me to stop long enough to get all of my cute items out and place them in a cozy place for the duration of the season.  So when the skies turn gray outside and the raindrops begins to fall in earnest, it becomes a wonderful time for me to bring all the holiday cheerfulness and sunshine to the inside of my home.

As fate would have it, the rain fell this week.  And my wanderings took me upstairs to the attic.  Where I found all of the lonely little Easter bunnies and other decorations just waiting to be let out of their boxes for the next month.

Before the rain began to fall, I looked out my kitchen window to find these beautiful fresh flowers in full bloom.  I knew that the rain might ruin them so I snuck out there and picked a couple to place in this cute vintage vase my mother gave me.

                  I also decided that the Easter wreaths should be hung before the rain fell.

One of the things I love most about holiday decorating is to mix old with new.  On my dining room table I have combined vintage glassware, sliver and china along with a Pottery Barn table runner.

Having two fireplaces indoors and one outside also makes for fun decorating.  The mantle in my living room brings spring inside by adding some daisy topiaries, pastel candles and shiny Easter egg garland.

The fireplace in our keeping room, just off of the kitchen, is also decorated festively for the upcoming holiday with gold trees, silver bunnies and more egg garland.

Other signs of Easter can be found on various surfaces around the house.  This bunny topiary is new but sure to be a favorite piece for years to come.

Years ago I started giving my mother and mother-in-law a Snow Bunny each year for Easter.  Several years ago, my mother gave them all back to me saying that she had enjoyed them for years and now it was time for me to do so also.  So that little Snow Bunny is one from the collection paired with a tiny Beatrix Potter tea set that I found at Tuesday Morning.

On my breakfast table one can find my egg tree.  There are a variety of eggs hanging from this tree that just mesmerize the grandchildren.  The little white bunny sitting next to the tree holds plastic cutlery wrapped in napkins that will be used for our Easter Sunday fish fry.

Other decorations can be found hiding in any given corner,  Like this antique, wooden ironing board...

                                                           The bathroom counter top...

           Or the grand piano, where these guys are overseeing the potential playing of Mozart.

The rain continued to fall but the house now felt cozy being inhabited by all of my fun little bunnies, chicks and beautiful spring flowers that were now on scattered surfaces.  The only thing left to do was make a meal to match my mood.  That's when I  turned to the iRazoo blog.  They have wonderful posts that covers various subjects from meal planning to lifestyle tips and news.  If you have never heard of iRazoo then hop on over (pun intended...) to their site and get swept away to not only earning FREE GIFT CARDS but gaining lots of useful advice and tips as well!

Happy Spring, Happy Easter and Happy Hopping over to iRazoo to get in on some fun not just during the holidays but every day!

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