Life In The Fast Lane

First Date Night of 2012

2012-01-29T19:16:00.001-08:00

We have been soaking up as many date nights as we can before the season gets started. Last week was Queen's Feast in Charlotte or better known as Charlotte Restaurant Week. I have wanted to try Epic Chop House for months and our schedule never worked out. So, when I saw it was listed as one of the participating restaurants I immediately made reservations.

The restaurant was very crowded and it took a long time to get our food, but I would highly recommend it.

I snapped a quick picture of us before we headed out for dinner. I didn't realize how dark my hair was until I looked at it - Yikes!

I Will Take Another Shot Of Espresso Please

2012-01-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

1. This past week I realized that I function best when I have about 45,000 things going on at once. Call me a multi-tasker.
2. Two weeks ago I was charged with leading point on a pretty big project at work. Walking outside your comfort zone is one of the scariest and most rewarding things you can embark on. I highly recommend trying it.
3. We live in what I like to call semi-country. On my way to work on Monday a large cow - not on his fence- was standing on the side of the road near our house. Thankfully, he did not jump out in front of the Camry. That would have been a mess.
4. I talk to myself a lot. I realized just how much last week when I had to share a cube with a co-worker at our downtown office. Poor Jennie.
5. Today, I got caught in one of those rotating doors at a local bakery. (Laura, Rachel and Hailey can stop laughing now)
6. Last night Bo was up three times with an upset stomach, but Jon only remembers him being up once. That is because he slept through the previous two.
7. I think I forgot to mention we adopted another dog - Bo. He deserved a post all on his own.

The Big Picture

2012-01-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

I have never been big on New Year's resolutions. I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I never keep them so what is the point -right ? And the weather does not help at all. It has been so cold in the mornings that I have to make myself get out of bed. Not wishing the days away, but I am already looking forward to spring. Maybe I will get motivated then - maybe.

But before we are to far into 2012 I want to write down for my memory one important weekend that defined our 2011.

I do not write much about our jobs on the blog. I always struggle to find a balance, but I am making an exception this time around.

Early in the season - February to be exact -Jon's team failed to qualify for the race. I would go into detail on how it happened, but that would take an entire post of its own. It was a complete shock and appeared to be a season ending blow to a pre-season championship favorite. I will never forget the emotions of that day - the highs and lows.

Fast forward to nine months later with two races left in the season .. his team sits second in the championship hunt. They were poised to do the unthinkable.

The weeks leading up to final races of the season I wrote Jeremiah 29:11 on the chalkboard in our kitchen to serve as a reminder .. that no mater what happened it was in his plan.

They ended up finishing third, but became the first team in history to finish within the top-three and only compete in 24 events.

When we are going through trails in life we cannot always see the light at the end of the tunnel or understand the way ?

But when we have the chance to see the full picture we realize that ... he always has our best interest at heart.

... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Christmas Is Just Around The Corner

2011-12-20T06:45:00.001-08:00

I just returned from an extended trip to Tennessee to visit family and friends. More details to come on everything I was able to jam in four days, but I can assure you my love tank is full.

Something about being in Tennessee around the Christmas Holidays always puts me in the Christmas spirit - a good thing considering it is just days away.

For the first time since moving to North Carolina (almost) three years ago we will be celebrating Christmas at our NC home. Yahoo!

I find myself kicking up our decorations and traditions up a notch.

I am extremely interested in starting a Christmas Eve tradition for our little family.

Does your family have a special traditions or a meal you always serve?

29 & Counting

2011-12-14T11:20:00.001-08:00

source

I hit the big 29 on Monday. Y'all, I am one year from turning 30 and I am a little freaked out about it. I remember how OLD 30 sounded when I was younger.

No big outings to celebrate my birthday. A quick dinner that night then spent the rest of the evening relaxing at home. I am a big homebody right now.

Some favorite birthday gifts: Tory Burch flats, Happy Everything plate, flowers from the hubby and gift cards from my favorites - Target and Itunes.

My BIG gift from the hubby was a dishwasher. You have NO idea how excited I am about that gift.

I like to think back to where I thought I would be at this age .. I am never where I thought I would be, but always happy with where I ended up.

2 Years Of Forever & Ever Amen

2011-11-28T12:44:00.001-08:00

The other day I was enjoying girl talk with a friend over lunch and the subject turned to love & relationships.

And how even though you never believe it till it happens to you ... that when you meet the ONE .. it is like a hammer falls out of the sky and knocks you down.

And in that moment you are saved from all your past bad decisions, you have permission to dream again and any reservation you had about falling in love goes out the window.

Jonathon Parker Ellis .. thank you for saving me, allowing me to dream & for making all my dreams come true.

The past 2 years have been my best.

It's Been A Long ....Time

2011-09-22T14:13:00.001-07:00

Hello ... Are you still there ? I accidentally took a break from blogging. It was totally unplanned and if you are still checking in bless you.

The good news is that during my absence we have been living life.

November is here which means we are nearing the end of the season.

I am looking forward to slowing down and enjoying time with family & friends during the Holidays.

Check in tomorrow for an update on what we have been up to ...

Forever And Ever - Amen

2011-07-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Kelly hosted a link up for marriage advice and I enjoyed reading each post over the weekend.

We have only been married 1.5 yrs and I do NOT consider myself a marriage expert, but I decided to record some of the advice/lessons we have chosen to live by in our relationship.

This picture best describes us. We are as different as night and day, but I am reminded daily how God has knitted perfectly together. Jon is my best friend and I could never imagine (and pray I never have to know) life without him.

Unmet Expectations: Our marriage counselor made a really big deal about this during our premarital classes – Every week he would bring this up. And now I know why. Because even if you don’t think you have preconceived expectations YOU will.
Example: Jon never sent me flowers during our dating years – not once. But for some reason I thought the moment we got married that flowers would just show up on all the special days and holidays. Guess What – they didn’t! And I found myself crushed (more than once) because I thought he didn’t love me. I am beyond lucky because Jon does love me to the moon and back, but shows it to me in a different ways. For the record … I am still working on the flowers!

Don’t Go To Bed Angry: I think this one is an oldie, but goodie. Not once have we gone to bed angry in our entire marriage. Now, it may take us (Hello, Amanda!) till 2 a.m. to admit we are upset, but we (I) eventually get it out before falling to sleep.

Don’t Buy Something You Can’t Pay Cash For: I like to joke Dave Ramsey is the third person in our marriage – lol. Now that I am older I am thankful that both of our families taught us the important of saving money and how dangerous credit cards are. We do have a mortgage payment and a small car payment that we did not pay cash for. However, everything else we do or buy is 100 percent by that rule.

Communicate (!): Our day-to-day life is not normal and due to our travel schedules we are required to be (overly) organized. However, I have learned to be thankful for our current lifestyle. It has made us both step up to the plate and communicate on all levels. It is always a work in progress .. we have learned the hard way more than once. I tend to over communicate (Hello .. COMM Major) :)

Laugh Daily: One of the best qualities that Jon has is that he can make me laugh. Last week I was overly frustrated about a situation and was totally taking it out on him .. when I started to point my finger to make sure he received my point. Well .. every time I pointed my finger he (nicely) asked me to put it down. He repeated his request every time (at least five times) I raised my finger until I finally started laughing. He knows how to talk me off the ledge better than anyone I know.

Dream Together/Prayer Together: I am not always sure where our dreams will lead us and I know they will change more than once, but I love knowing we can achieve them together. And clinging to the fact that HE never leaves our side along the way.

Hire A Housekeeper: You may laugh, but trust me it will make a difference in your marriage!

And this is one of my favorite looks at marriage by Pete and Brandi Wilson. I highly encourage you to watch the video!

All (good) Things Must Come To An End

2011-07-15T20:21:00.001-07:00

I don't get addicted to many television shows, but something about Friday Night Lights was different. We NEVER missed an episode - thank goodness for Tivo.

No matter where you grow up (almost) everyone can relate to three things: a small town lifestyle, high school and football. And that is what Friday Night Lights was about.

This article provides an in depth look at the show and its cast.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

You Know You Are Old When ...

2011-07-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

find excitement in watching these babies do a load of clothes. Our washer died unexpectedly on Sunday during my normal "get caught up on laundry" afternoon. We did some checking on the parts needed to fix the washer and soon realized that was going to be almost impossible - which I was okay with considering it was almost 9 years old. It just so happened that Lowes was holding a 10% off sale on appliances until last night - thank you Jesus! So, we got really lucky and were able to purchase a new washer and dryer on clearance plus the discount.

This past Saturday we hosted a cookout for several of Jon's crew members and several of our friends. It was so much more fun than I had anticipated. It was SO hot that we decided to keep the food inside and allowed people to enjoy the air condition and the backyard. Here is a snapshot of the table before I added the food and flowers.

We take wellness seriously at my work. Meet my new office chair ...

They are designed to help better your posture - which I am sure they do.

However, I think my biggest fear is when I lose my balance and the ball goes flying out from under me. And anyone who knows me knows that is just a matter of time :)

Camping On July 4th

2011-07-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July is one of my favorite Holidays. I love everything about it, but the heat.

We continued the Ellis Family Camping tradition this weekend in the Great Smokey Mountains.

We pile 6 adults, 2 kids and one dog into a pop up camper - It is a tight squeeze, but I adore spending time with Jon's family.

And I cannot fail to mention that my husband punched me in my eye with his elbow our first night of camping. I woke up out of a dead sleep to stars circling around me. Bless him :)

Jon spent Saturday morning catching up on his sleep due to
being up half the night before for 2 reasons:
Chance did not want to sleep and the temps were
freezing in the camper.

Thanks to Katie for the idea to make lanterns for the kiddos!

Chance has become the best little traveler

We hit Dollywood two days in a row .. can we say TIRED!

Madi Grace eating a snack in the park

This ride was really cute .. and allowed kids to shoot water
at their parents, uncles, etc.

Jon had a LITTLE too much fun with this ride

And only at Dollywood do you have family size driers

Back To Reality

2011-06-22T19:11:00.001-07:00

We just returned home from an awesome beach vacation with family and friends. It was my first seven day vacation since high school - can we say workaholic!

Seacrest Beach is a slice of heaven on earth.

I surprised Jon with tickets to the Braves/Rangers game on Sunday. It just so happened his 2 favorite baseball teams played each other in Atlanta the day we drove home from the beach. Perfect early Birthday gift.

I however did not think about the HEAT of an early afternoon game. I almost died and spent most of the game in the cool off zone.

No matter how many times I decide to eat more healthy .. one thing I can never give up is Mexican food.

My boss asked me to go pick up lunch for a meeting he had on Monday. Not only did I pick up our lunch order I also took out the side of a minivan trying to pull into the parking lot. The sad part is I had NO idea I did it. Thankfully, my car ended up with more damage. Jon has given me strict instructions to park where no one else parks (lol)!

Summer Is My January

2011-06-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

photo credit: Pinterest

Most hit the reset button in January, but for me Summer screams a fresh start. Not sure if my increase in motivation to exercise comes from the facet that I actually have to wear a swimsuit or not. But I am looking forward to knocking some things off my to-do list this summer.

Tuesday Musings

2011-05-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

"Eve was not taken out of Adam’s head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him." -Matthew Henry

Food & Travel

2011-05-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hello May! Last weekend kicked off a six week stretch of work travel - lots of packing and unpacking in my near future. The funny thing is that I really don't mind to travel during the summer months. The weather is usually nice and it seems local residents are more friendly due to the sunshine.

I spent four days last week in South Carolina and I have decided I am officially in love with the state - palm trees and all. Is it just me or are the houses in SC just beautiful. I felt like I was driving through a Southern Living magazine at times.

Tomorrow, I head to Baltimore before driving to Delaware for the rest of the weekend. So, if you have any restaurant recommendations or places to not miss in Baltimore let me know.

Part of the time I will be enjoying work and family in NC before rounding out the adventure with a stop in Texas (hello Mexican food) and Kansas.

Best of all .. once the travel ends I will spend a week at the beach with my family and in-laws.

Our Favorite Vacay Spot - Aruba

2011-05-06T18:32:00.001-07:00

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is hosting Show Us Your Life - Favorite Vacation Spots.

So, I thought it would be a great time to highlight our favorite vacation spot - Aruba.

We went to Aruba for our Honeymoon and again to celebrate our first anniversary last year.

Aruba is a direct flight from Charlotte and is around a 3.5 hr flight.

We love staying at the Aruba Hyatt and I HIGHLY recommend it. It is the type of resort that you never have to leave or even want to leave.

Before we went on our Honeymoon I did a lot of research on destinations and Aruba was recommend by several friends and family. I am so glad we listened.

The hotel has a restricted number of rooms .. so over crowding has never been a problem.

Our days normally consist of getting up and eating breakfast at the Duncan Donuts near the hotel followed by lounging at the pool, afternoon naps and then dinner later that evening at the hotel or a restaurant within walking distance. Pure Paradise.

Last November we ended up staying in Aruba three days longer than we planned due to mechanical issues with our plane. I know being stuck in Aruba does not sounds that bad, but I was beyond ready to kiss the ground in NC.

Due to the extended stay .. we had the opportunity to stay in two other hotels on the Aruba island. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and The Renaissance.

(Note: Every day we would go sit at the airport and hope to fly home. Be Delayed. Then be told we would not fly home and be sent back through customs and to another hotel)

And the Hyatt continues to take the top spot.

We have decided not to go to Aruba this year and I have to admit I am little sad. It is perfect for a romantic getaway or a family vacation.

Monday Photo Dumb

2011-04-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday I flew home from a business trip .. it was so special to watch the

sun come up over us. Almost worth the 4 a.m. wake up call.

spent the afternoon loving on this little guy

I was flying home from Nashville where I got to hang with Hailey.

So proud of her for attending her first race.

Miss her already.

While in the Music City I started my morning off at Fido.

Love. That. Place.

Made a pit stop at Anthropologie.

Bought a pair of Navy paints that I love.
Shopping in this store is like a mini-vacation.

A trip to the Hill Center is not complete without

a little treat from Sweet CeCe's

The hubby has been doing a lot of this during his free time.

Couple of weekends ago we met up with our parents

and grandparents in Gatlinburg.
We enjoyed lots of sleeping.

And eating good food.

the weather has been nice the last few days...

so we have started our outdoor projects.

first up .. was hanging the flower boxes

we received as a wedding gift almost 2 yrs ago.

our local farmers market opened back up 2 weeks

..... and I could not be happier.

Rocked 2 the Core

2011-04-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have weeks that just rock you to the core ? This past week has done just that and I have once again (thankfully) been reminded how we take for granted the simple things in life. Last Wednesday night I started experiencing intense pain in my right eye. At first I thought it was maybe just allergies because the pollen count in NC right now is through the roof, but by morning I knew an infection had set in. I could barley see out of my right eye and drove myself to the doctor the next morning praying (out loud) to God the entire way I would not wreck and hurt someone. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. Thankfully, the doctor was able to provide me with a strong antibiotic that had me back to normal in a few days. Eye infections are something I battle every year, but this one was by far the worse. Looks like Lasik might be in my near future. Then on Saturday morning we learned that a co-worker of Jon's had passed away from cancer -he was 26. It is moments like this that put life in perspective very quickly. Will you please say a prayer for his wife (Jessica) and his extended family and friends. I have thought a lot this week about how much of our daily life we have come to just expect. We wake up in the mornings and we can see, our legs/arms work and allow us to move around, the lights work, we have hot water for a shower, our vehicles start on the first try, etc. Give Thanks to the Lord, for he is Good; His Love Endures Forever - Psalm 107:1

Five On Friday

2011-03-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

1. My dad and grandparents came to visit last week for a couple of days. It has been so nice to have family visit the last 2 weeks .. I love hearing voices echo throughout our home.

2. Last month I sold my Nikon SLR camera and upgraded to a new-to-me Canon 40D .. I am back to being the paparazzi.

3. Last night I drove to East Tennessee after work to spend the weekend with Lori, Danny and Brody. Long talks at night with her do my soul good.

4. I brought Chance with me on the road trip last night .. he is normally a really good traveler.
I thought we had passed the car sick stage, but I was wrong.

5. A week from today I will be traveling to Kentucky for our annual college roommate reunion. I cannot wait to see Laura, Sara, Rachel and Hailey.

Why I Love My Job

2011-03-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

Because today this showed up in my mail box from a co-worker - a simple note and three magazines that feature food, wine and a little decorating. One more reason why I love living and working in the South.

Bonus Room Update

2011-03-15T13:45:00.001-07:00

Last April I mentioned we had started the process of finishing our bonus room.

The unfinished bonus room was one of the main things that sold us on this particular house almost 2 years ago. We did not necessarily need it the day we moved in, but knew down the road the extra square footage would come in handy.

The finishing process took a little longer than we anticipated (always happens that way, right?!) so last summer we ended up hiring someone to finish the sheet rock and to paint. It was the best decision we made or chances are it would still resemble an attic instead of a bonus room.

I painted the room Stone 2 by Laura Ashley after seeing it used in Holly's house. I wanted something semi-neutral because at the time I was not a 100 percent sure of my color scheme for the room.

This past January I enlisted the help again of my girl Holly from Holly Mathis Interiors to help with the color scheme and lay out of our bonus room.

Below is a collage of her ideas:

She once again was able to illustrate just what I wanted for our bonus room.

I cannot wait to show you the finished product in just a few more weeks.

A Trip to The Biltmore

2011-03-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had the pleasure of spending time with Jon's parents here in North Caroline. They had not been to visit since last May .. so it was a fun filled weekend of showing off house improvements along with good food and great conversation.

We drove up to Asheville on Saturday and took in The Biltmore ... seriously beautiful!

When I bought out tickets earlier in the week rain was not in the forecast .. but it rained the entire trip.

a rainy Biltmore

We ate lunch at the Bistro - Yummo!

Once we got back home ... Jon and Gary fired up our new grill for dinner

I picked up these flowers at the local florist on Friday .. crossing my fingers Spring is on its way.

So long February

2011-03-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

Good lawd ... where did February go? It was a very busy month for our family. I don't think I was prepared for how busy it was going to be, but we made it through it!

I never knew how important having dinner together was until we went 25 days without ever having a meal together at the same time. This business is not for the faint of heart .. that is for sure.

I sold my camera at the end of January which is why updates have been missing over the last few weeks. My new lenses for my new-to-me Canon camera came in over the weekend.

Come back tomorrow for a recap of our weekend in NC with Jon's parents.

Single Lady

2011-01-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is hosting her second Show Us Your Single Friends blogging event.

So, I made the decision to feature my bestest friend Rachel.

She is most likely going to kill me because she has no idea I am doing this, but we are cool like that and forgive each other fairly quickly.

Rachel is 28-years-old and currently lives in Jackson, Tenn.

She is originally from East Tennessee and her older sister still lives in that area.

I like to think she has the entire state of Tennessee covered.

Rachel and I met in college when we became roommates our freshman year.

We had no idea who each other was, but God had a plan that I am forever thankful for.

I could tell some stories on us, but I will keep those for another day.

However, I think you can tell by the picture above she knows how to have a good time.

She is one of the most god-fearing ladies I know.

She challenges me on a daily basis to be stronger in my walk with God.

determined. competitive. driven. independent.
loving.
servant.
friend.

She is an amazing aunt to her niece and nephews

.. with one more due this Summer.

As a Child Life Specialist Rachel spends her days

helping sick kids over come their fears in the hospital.

And who wouldn't love someone dressed like that!

If by chance you know someone who you think could be a great match - a God-Lovin boy he likes to live life to the fullest - for Rachel please leave me a comment below. However, if you are not the real deal .. do not bother. We are very protective like that :)

Catching Up

2011-01-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of catching up to do on here, but I am currently on a tight deadline for work. So, until then enjoy some more videos of Mr. Chance. We are pretty proud of his tricks :)

Just A Receptionist

2011-01-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

I am going to jump on my soap box for a second.

I called a place of work in Nashville this morning to ask a question about an about an upcoming event they are hosting.

The receptionist answered the phone, "Hello"

I asked, " Can you provide me any information on the named event"

She replied, " I am not sure what you are talking about."

I tried to explain the event the best I could to see if I could trigger her brain.

Note: if your company is hosting an event that is largely publicized it might be a good idea to provide that information to your receptionist.

She follows with a few umms trying to think of a good answer.

She finally replies with, " I do not know I am just the receptionist"

Honestly, all she had to say was that she did not know the information, but would be happy to find someone who could help me.

Realizing this was not going to end well - I thanked her for her time and hung up.

If you are a receptionist please know that you are not "just a receptionist" .. you are the link between the public and your company.

You are the first impression.

And you never know who is on the other side of that phone.

Snow Day 2

2011-01-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

this video is for the grandparents

(please excuse my REAL southern accent)

Snow Day

2011-01-10T13:47:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland and it is STILL snowing. The weather man says we are going to get freezing rain tonight, but I am crossing my fingers that misses us - ha!

1/52

2011-01-09T17:31:00.000-08:00

I have decided to join my friend -Amber- in taking a picture about our everyday life and blogging about it in 2011. I realize that I cannot commit to taking a picture once a day, but I hope I can take at least one picture a week (haha).

I realize our everyday life is really not that exciting and I apologize in advance if over half the pictures are of Chance. However, I think it will be fun to look back at the pictures at the end of the year.

1/52

We do not have a dishwasher - sigh!

Washing dishes the old fashion way is very much a part of our everyday life.

Gives me a great excuse for using my favorite dish soap - Mrs. Meyer's.

4 Years

2011-01-07T07:03:00.001-08:00

I have a hard time wrapping my head around the realization it has been four years.

1,460 days.

Sometimes it stings like it just happened yesterday and then other times it seems like it has really been that long.

Life does move on.

And as much as I want to forget how bad it hurt on that day to realize:

life is not fair

and

God will not answer every prayer the way you want it to be answered

I will not let myself forget the pain because I am afraid if I ever get to that point - I will have missed out on all the lessons I learned that day.

Life is to short to live an unhappy life. Make the best of every single day given to you. Tell your family you love them daily. Let go of the stupid pity things and love the good in people instead of the bad. And at the end of the day - when you are gone - all the "things" you have are just things.

And Cancer sucks.

A Look Back at 2010

2010-12-31T19:36:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying a low key NYE tonight at home. I made the Pioneer Woman’s pan-fried steak with garlic mashed potatoes and In Her Kitchen’s chocolate pudding for desert. It was delish.

With only a few hours to the New Year I found myself wondering where 2010 went, but then I reflect back on all that we experienced this past year and am overjoyed by the blessings that God poured upon us.

Added hardwood floors to the kitchen, finished the upstairs addition and built a deck outside

Made our first big purchase for the new house -outside the Kitchen remodel - a new sectional couch

Traded Jon’s truck in for a more sensible vehicle – he is still not over this

Trip to the Mountains with our families in the Spring

Found a dog sitter who adores Mr. Chance

Both of us switched jobs within the industry

I landed my dream job – still hard for me to believe I pull into that parking lot every day

Beach trip to Destin

Fourth of July Camping Trip with the Ellis family

Battled a wicked staph infection that landed me in the ER in Iowa – that was a wild day

Planned a surprise birthday trip for Jon to Vegas to see Garth Brooks – Had to Cancel

My Chicago family attended their first race

Put my car in a ditch – by accident - near our house while trying to turn around

Blew out two right side tires on a pot hole in the road near our house on the way to work –
second time in my life I have blew out ride side tires at the same time

Cheered on the TN VOLS despite their horrible season

Learned how hard it can be to have to make adult decisions

Had family pictures made by Amber Herlocker

Made 30+ round trip flights and preferred status

Surprise Gigi (Jon’s mom) at her family’s reunion

My granny (and dad) came and spent a week with us in NC- Greatest gift ever.

Celebrated our first anniversary

Took a second honeymoon to Aruba and got stranded for two extra days on the island

Finally saw Garth Brooks in Concert … in Nashvegas

Celebrated Christmas in Tennessee with both sides of the family

We lived in 2010 and I plan to do the same in 2011.

A Tennessee Christmas - Part One

2010-12-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

No matter how I old I get I never get tired of a Tennessee Christmas (cue the Amy Grant Christmas CD).

A week before Christmas we made the journey from North Carolina to Tennessee in very icy conditions, but we MADE it.

We spent the first part of the weekend in Nashville before heading to my parents house and then to the in-laws for the remainder of the Holiday.

We marked seeing Garth Brooks off the bucket list

with our families

Jon and his mom - Gigi

Garth was by far the best concert I have ever been to

he played for over 2 hours solid

I made chocolate dipped pretzels for all my co-workers before

departing to Tennessee

Ryan and Courtney spent the Christmas week with us

in Tennessee

We baked Christmas cookies and the rolling pin was

her favorite part by far

She took a nap while the cookies while the dough chilled .. baking is hard work

Then it was time to cut out the cookies

and this was the mess after the cookies

made it to the oven

I ended up having to throw them in the bathtub

while Jon & I cleaned the kitchen

I really don't know how all of you with kiddos do it ..

I was exhausted and so was the cat :)

movie and snack time after baths

my little diva ..

I love that everyone thinks she is mine

made a quick trip to Jackson to

eat dinner with Rach and Sara

We also spent time at the Opryland Hotel, attended ICE and SNOW, the Titans game and I got to spend an afternoon shopping at the Hill Center in Green Hills .. pure bliss. Lunch and Dinner dates with so many family members and friends. And we loved being spoiled by my parents and grandparents while in town.

I must add that I married a saint - seriously. I am not sure how many guys would have help take care of two little kiddos and play with them constantly so I could finish last minute Christmas shopping and visit hometown friends. I am forever thankful for his unconditional love for our families. Love you babe.

A White Christmas

2010-12-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning

12.25.2010

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

We wish you a very Merry Christmas this Holiday season.

I ended up using Shutterfly for our cards this year and was very impressed with the quality and I was shocked at how fast they arrived at my door.

Highly recommend them for your future projects.

You know it is bad when you start picking out your Christmas card photo by which one your dog looks the best in (lol).

Tree Topper Red Christmas Card

Create modern Christmas photo cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Packing

2010-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

One thing Jon and I do not see eye-to-eye about in our marriage is the correct way to pack for a trip.

I really think it is a case of male brain verses female brain.

I have my own system for business travel and he never seems interested in what I pack or how I pack.

However, let the Holidays roll around and we have a different story on our hands.

I like to group things. It helps me know where everything is located when I am not at my home.

I have one bag that is full of wrapping items such has ribbon, tape, etc.

I also have another bag that has all of my kitchen related items ( cookie recipes, gel food coloring, cookie cutters, etc) in it.

I prefer to have one large basket with Christmas presents for the Jones Family and another one for the Ellis Family presents. Makes unpacking at their homes so easy.

The hubs would prefer everything to be packed into one Macdaddy suitcase.

If you like to keep things organized like me then I highly recommend the LandsEnd tote.

My favorite sizes are the large and extra large open top totes.

You can have them monogrammed if you want to take the organizing up a notch.

They make great gifts for friends and family.

And if you order today you will still receive it by Christmas.

Christmas Tour 2010

2010-12-13T05:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome friends and family.

Even though this is our second Christmas in this house it feels like the first.

Last season I decided to not decorate because of the move, the wedding, the honeymoon

and the trip home to Tennessee for Christmas.

So, let's get this tour on the road ...

our little tree.

Because of our travel plans I decided to make life easy

and picked out a small Christmas tree

that I planted in a large flower pot.

Our living room is not very large and I have found this little tree

to be very enjoyable in that space.

Click here for inspiration on smaller trees

more living room

Christmas cards and a cranberry-filled vases

I picked up the JOY vase years ago at the Nashville Christmas Market.

One of the many reasons I miss living in Music City.

the kitchen

the "block of ice" filled with Christmas lights was a gift from a family friend years ago

I use them all throughout our house during the Holidays

dinning room mantel

Berry wreath is from the Iron Place

for all my hometown visitors

dinning room table

decor cost me under $5

all I had to buy was pine cones and cranberries
master bathroom

wreath how to

Have a Merry Christmas from our home to yours

28

2010-12-12T14:13:00.001-08:00

source

I find that the older I get the more comfortable I feel in my own skin.

And that is a Birthday blessing I am extremely thankful for in this season of my life.

Year 28, I welcome you.

Five on Friday

2010-12-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I landed at the Charlotte airport for the final time in 2010. I did a little happy dance as I exited the plane. 30 plus trips in 2010 makes for lots of frequent flyer miles in the future.

My vacation starts today. two weeks of pure happiness. We still have off-season deadlines to meet, but deadlines seem so less stressful from home than they do in the office.

Next week we leave for our traditional trek to Tennessee for Christmas. We are spending a few days in Nashville before traveling to my parents house then to the Ellis family home. I am super excited about spending time with family and eating lots of southern food.

I think winter is paying us back for having such a warm summer. It is COLD in North Carolina. I think I have already worn my Uggs more this season than I did last year. I wear them more like house shoes in our house and Jon is not a fan.

I am having trouble this season with buying Christmas presents. I never have trouble buying gifts for other people. It seems the things I want to give are too expensive and the things I can afford to give seem so impersonal. Ugh!

One Year

2010-11-28T20:29:00.000-08:00

happy anniversary to my best friend

we've come along way baby

but I have loved every. step. of. the.way

Country Boy Casserole

2010-11-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

Need a little reading material this holiday weekend ?

Be sure add Country Boy Casserole to your daily reads.

I am one of the lucky ones that have the pleasure of calling Marty a friend.

You will be truly blessed by his love for family, living the great American dream and all things country.

Black Friday

2010-11-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

if you love shopping on Black Friday and fashion be sure to check my friend's blog - the looks for less - for a list of great sales.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-24T20:10:00.001-08:00

source

I am not good at breaking tradition. I thrive on family. I am very sentimental when it comes to the holidays. I chose to get married on Thanksgiving weekend last year because I loved what it represented – new life and family. Last year, on Thanksgiving Day my entire family – both my mom and dad’s side- set around my parents table for dinner. It was the best wedding gift I could have ever been given.

And tonight I am slightly depressed at the thought that tomorrow I will not spend Thanksgiving Day with my family. It will be the first time in 27 years that I have not spent Thanksgiving surrounded by family.

On this night I am reminded to be thankful for family, friends and all the memories that have been made around the Thanksgiving table.

Especially, last year when my grandmother caught my mom’s oven on fire not once, but twice.

Oh how she will never live that one down.

Thanks goodness my dad is a fireman.

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-11-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was the holiday open houses on the court square of my hometown. It is the one weekend I always wish I could be home. I love seeing the gift shops decked out in lights and trees decorated to the nines.

Christmas is the one holiday we truly get to enjoy in our line of work. We have to forgo celebrating so many holidays during our season, but come December we can truly unplug for a few days.

One of my favorite things to do in anticipation of the holiday season is pick out our Christmas Card.

Last January I found a great closeout deal on Christmas cards at a local print shop, but here is what I was not thinking about in January...
· That I would be traveling every week leading up to Christmas
· That I would need a certain size photo taken at the perfect angle to fit in the allotted spot
· That I would have to glue everyone of those photos to the card
· That I would have to have our holiday greeting printed to the card

So, I have been on the lookout for a good quality card that I can easily order with a photograph I already have.

A few years ago I ordered from Shutterfly and really liked how they turned out. Not to mention they are inexpensive and are always offering deals.

They have so many options to choose from Holiday Cards to Christmas Photo Cards.

I think their Photo Wall Calendars would make great gifts for family and friends.

Here are a few of my favorites from the 2010 Holiday Collection

The hard part is deciding on which one to order:

Nothing is better than spreading the holiday cheer. If you are a blogger visit the link below to learn how you can get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, Click Here!

Ten On Monday

2010-11-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

1. Shew... When did winter arrive? Two weeks ago I was still wearing flips flops and this morning I had ice on my windshield.

2. This week marks the start of a crazy two weeks in my life. I am a beyond thankful for a husband who understands my passion for my career.

3. Hard to believe we are just two races from the end of the season, but I am looking forward to calmer weeks in the near future.

4. At the end of August we built a deck in our backyard. It is now one of my favorite areas of our home. We currently do not have any patio furniture to enjoy because I refuse to pay an arm and a leg for it.

5. Jon informed me tonight he did not know what the roger rabbit dance was. So, I proceed to show him in which he might have wished he had never brought it up.

6. We went to the movies on Saturday to see Life As We Know It. Any movie that can make me laugh and cry is a winner in my book.

7. I normally do not get obsessed with television shows, but this season of Dancing With The Stars is extremely addicting.

8. I realized last week we really live in our own bubble. I had no idea it was election day until the night before voting was to begin. Sad, I know.

9. I have a sudden urge to put up my Christmas tree. The only problem is it is currently at my mother-in-laws five hours away. We may not have a tree for two years in a row.

10. Last week I was once reminded how quickly life can change. We lost our department leader to cancer. Every minute of our daily life is valuable. Hopefully, we are using them for good.

Chili Cook-Off

2010-10-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

source

I work with some very competitive people. So, I am not going to lie I was a little intimidated about entering today's Chili Cook-Off. Not to mention I work with almost all males.

So, I was a little shocked today when I was announced the winner out of 11 crock pots of Chili.

Just call me Paula Deen Jr. (lol)

My award winning Chili was a modified version of the recipe I got from my friend Jennifer

at In Her Kitchen.

If you love to cook you will love In Her Kitchen - a food diary between Jennifer and her sister.

Slowcooker Game Day Chili

* modified with my changes

2 pounds ground beef chuck
2 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 (15 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar

Tidbits of Life

2010-10-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

I love that they are best friends

a few weeks ago we had breakfast at IHOP on a Saturday morning

very much a rarity in our life

I loved every.single.minute.of.it.

my dog thinks he is a human and insists on riding in the front seat

when we travel long distances

this little guy is the brightest ray of sunshine

reminds me daily God Is Good

I love the farmers market in our area

media event at Loveless Cafe

best southern food I have ever had

an afternoon with the Titans

one of the best views in baseball

even for a Cub fan

Monday Love

2010-09-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

grab yourself a glass of sweet tea and head on over to Southern Flourish

The Windshield

2010-09-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Someday You Are The Bug and Somedays You Are The Windshield

today I was both the bug and the windshield

It Really Is That Wonderful

2010-09-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

After three months of being on the Wonderbar I can officially tell you it is not a joke. It is truly wonderful. I have not had skin this clear since before I turned 13. And I am still using the same bar I bought in June.

I recently talked a friend into trying it. I thought to myself if she agrees it works magic then I am not going crazy. She emailed me and said it sure is small, but it works wonders.

I even convinced my mom to try it out.

Please excuse my big nose, but I wanted to post a picture to show you how clear my skin is.

This was my face first thing this morning.

For the most part once my face went through the initial detox (1-2 wks) I have been able to use all the products (Mary Kay, MAC) I was using. The biggest difference is you have to wear a chemical free sunscreen - which is easier to find than you would think.

Every morning and night I wash my face using the Wonderbar and then us MK's Replenishing Serum C. I also try to drink eight glasses a water a day. And to be honest sometimes that happens and sometimes that does not.

I am a firm believer it works wonders. If you have any questions just leave them in the comments.

Monday

2010-09-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

I just realized I wore the following to work today:

cute ruffle shirt
a navy skirt
black flats

Great! Sad thing is I made it the entire day and had no idea until I was standing in line at the Pharmacy this afternoon. The Strep virus has invaded the Ellis household for the second time in a week.

The Southern Double Name

2010-09-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Growing up I never really liked my name. Not really sure why, but it might have had something to do with the fact that it was the most popular name in the 1980's. I was jealous of all my friends with the double name. It seemed all my friends or school mates had a double name. And what says southern any better than a double name. A few weeks ago I walked into the media center and could not help, but chuckle. I finally got my double name.

Random Thoughts at Midnight

2010-09-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

For the second night in a row I am wide awake past midnight. Instead of sleeping like normal people my mind is racing with thoughts. Something has got to give ...

I am allergic to something in my hotel room. I think that is why I cannot sleep.

The stopper is permanently stuck in the tub in said hotel room making taking a shower a challenge - also known as Hurry Before The Tub Overflows

Since July I have been off one weekend. My husband has been off zero. We are exhausted.
So thankful for a upcoming holiday.

Tonight at dinner I was reminded how lucky I am to have my job by the waiter at the restaurant.
He said he would love to have my job.

Long hours plus many nights away from home aside - He is right in so many ways.

And how many people can really say - I have my dream job?

I am three months away from turning 28 and I do not have the baby itch.
and why do I feel bad about that ?

I miss our family more than they will ever know

Married to the greatest guy I know

Dreaming of fall, pumpkins, apple spice, football and cold weather. Come quickly.

One lucky girl in so many ways.

Still Classy At 27

2010-09-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Before heading to the airport today I made a stop at Target to pick up a few items. On my way out my mom called and I explained to her that I picked up a new shirt and commented on how long it was. I even joked I might could pull it off as a dress.

Her response ? "Now don't be wearing something to hoochie."

Some things will never change no matter how old I get.

My momma has always hit home the need to be classy over hoochie.

I can remember us having very intense fights in the dressing room when I was around the age of 13. Well, maybe 16 too.

It went something like this ..

A: I am to wearing this.
M: No you are not
A. Yes I am
M: I brought you into this world and I can take you out

Guess who won that war :)

This afternoon I reminded my mom that I am 27, work in Corporate America and no longer own anything that could be deemed inappropriate.

And deep down she had to rejoice.

A New Pew

2010-08-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

Rachel recently turned me onto this blog - Stuff Christians Like. This post about finding a new church home had me laughing out loud because it is so true.

We don't have kids, but I can assure you we have had convos like this leaving a new church.

Jon and I have been living in NC now for over a year and STILL do not have a home church. It is so hard when you do not know anyone and (honestly) are not home, but once a month.

I still have hope we will find the church perfect for us and our crazy lifestyle.

College Bound

2010-07-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ya'll she is college bound in just a few days. I mean really is that possible ?She was FIVE when her family became my family. She went to preschool folks and really did not think it was cool that she had such a short babysitter (lol).

I spent many of summers and winters loving on her. We had a small obsession with afternoon television after spending the morning at the pool. Thank goodness for Full House, a Baby Story and Trading Spaces.

When I went to college I cried because I missed them so much not because I missed my family. Sorry Mom .. I do miss you lots now :)

I will never forget leaving W@lmart one day and pointing out a girl wearing less than appropriate clothing. I looked at her and her sister and said "If I ever hear you dress like this I will come back and buy you new clothes"

Good thing is I never had to do that because she has grown into the most beautiful women- one of class and beauty. And did I mention she is so smart. (her Sister too)

I remember what it felt like to go to college - the excitement mixed in with so many fears - and I want to make her transition as fun as possible.

I am working on a few care packages for her during her first semester.

Leave me comments about your favorite gifts in college.

And any ideas I can send her sweet Momma too .. who I know is going to have a hard time!

Ten on Sunday - Beauty Products

2010-07-25T08:17:00.001-07:00

Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray might be my all-time favorite hair product of all-time. It gives you that "I am at the beach" look even when you are far away from the ocean waves.

Bumble and Bumble's Tonic Lotion is another favorite of mine. I use it as soon as I get out of the shower. It helps prep your hair before styling (blow dryer, flat iron, etc)

If you have a Sephora near you run to purchase this product. Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo is the best "spur of the moment" purchase I have ever made. I use it ever day I wear my hair up in a ponytail. It helps remove the extra oil in your hair and allows you to not have to wash your hair every day. A must after long days and rain at the race track. It costs $11 for a 1oz bottle. It LASTS forever.

Laura Mercier primer preps your face before makeup. I can honestly say it makes a big difference in your makeup staying on and how it works. I work outside a lot so I am a firm believer in this stuff. If you by one product from this post buy this one - Bobbie Brown Gel Eye Liner. No eye liner can compare. It is all I wear and I have it in both daytime and nighttime colors. Best part - it stays on. Just make sure you purchase the brush to apply it with.

MAC Shadows have the best colors for night time. I have a makeup bag full of eye shadows. I don't always wear them every week, but I have a stash of numerous MAC colors. Another eye Shadow favorite of mine is Mary Kay Eye Shadows.

I love Bath Junkie's Silky All-Over. It is a hair shampoo and a body shampoo. You pick the sent and color and they mix it right in front of you. I also love their sugar scrub.

Mary Kay's Sun Care Line is marvelous. Hands down always on my summer purchase list.

My go-to secret product on the road is baby powder. You can use it has dry shampoo for your hair in a pinch. Also works if your feet stink and you forget your deodorant :)

The verdict is still out on on the Wonderbar. I will say I can tell a BIG difference in my skin. At the same time my face is having a hard time adjusting to it. They said it could take weeks and I think I just need to give it more time. But it has healed some dry patches I have always had a hard time with.

Still Saying Yes

2010-07-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

In 10 days I will have been to engaged to Jonathon for one year. 365 days -gosh it really doesn't seem that long ago. I guess it is true - time sure does fly when you are having fun.

And even after eight months of marriage I still find myself falling in love with him more each day. Our work schedules are challenging, but instead of giving up we make the best of it.

I am not going lie most of our dates consists of take out, a move from Netflix and half burned candles at home. But I love them. I love them because it is about us and not so much about the things around us.

I love the fact Jon is not to cool to sing a song at the top of his lungs to me or try to get me to dance in the kitchen.

I love that he brings me out of my shell.

That he loves me enough to doctor some serious wounds. (that is a story for another day)

I love that we dream together and hurt together.

But most of all I love we are still saying yes even when things are not easy.

Five on Friday

2010-06-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

1. This is the first full week I have been in the office since I started my job in April. Love how caught up I feel.

2. I am hosting my first yard sale tomorrow and I am really nervous. I know it is no big deal, but I have this big fear no one will show up !

3. I made grilled pork tacos last night and they were delish. Check out the recipe here.

4. Jon and I are having pictures made on Sunday with a local photographer. I wish I had a stylist who could dress me for events like that. Jon and I do not have the same style. And Elizabeth I am so sad it is not you !

5. I broke down and bought the Wonderbar this week. It should arrive tomorrow and I am pretty excited to see if it is worth the hype. The idea of being able to carry one bar of soap on an airplane and not having to worry about the 4oz bottles is heaven to me.

Drool

2010-06-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

I love the chairs in this photograph. I want them for my dinning room.

Anyone seen a similar chair ?

Snapshots Of The Weekend

2010-06-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

Five on Friday: Beach Edition

2010-06-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

1. On Thursday afternoon I jetted off for a mini-vacay with my mom and Rachel. I always forget how much being unplugged from the corporate world can do for the soul - a lot!

2. I love when the unexpected happens. Jon was suppose to work all weekend, but we found out yesterday he was going be off. SO .. I booked him a last minute ticket to the beach. 48 hrs with him at the beach .. I will take it!

3. Food at the Beach always taste better. And Sno Cones.

4. Laughter is the best medicine

5. Praying so hard that God continues to protect the beaches in this area. They are so beautiful and I cannot help, but think we are witnessing the calm before the storm.

Sisters

2010-06-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Being an only child I have always wondered what it would be like to have a sister - ofcourse -not counting all the toys I would have had to share in my earlier years. So, I am going to let you in on a little secret ... I kind of live through these two sisters.

I do not know them and I really hope they do not think I am psycho for slightly stalking them.

Darby is a stay-at-home mom to three adorable children. She makes everything look effortless: from cooking to hosting a party to making an orange bathroom look stylish. The stories she tells about those three adorable children make me belly laugh on a daily basis.

Yes, I realize that its odd that I know this much about them and I do not "know" them

Erika: is an amazing interior designer - chances are you have seen her work and just didn't know it. I am in love with three kitchen designs she recently did for Coastal Living. They are to DIE for. (Jon reminds me the reason I work is so that someday I can have a kitchen like that -I can only wish) Not to go without mention ... She is also a new mom to a little girl who is just scrumptious.

And my BFF - Heather - happens to be friends with them on f@cebook.

Heather - I will not hold that against you :)

So .. grab a cup of coffee or tea and take a look at their blogs.

I promise you will be blessed.

Five on Friday

2010-05-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

1. Guess who is coming to Charlotte tonight. I am crossing my fingers I can get off of work on time and get across town to stand in line to say hi and ask her what yeast starter she uses for the cinnamon rolls. I STILL can't make the durn things.

2. I work from home on Thursday unless I am traveling and Jon is normally off on Thursday mornings. Yesterday was no different. Jon got up early to let Chance out and fell back asleep on the couch. I am not sure exactly what time it was, but I do know I was still half asleep. Jon comes barging into our bed room in his boxers out of breath. I ask him whats going on and explains to me that the construction works had arrived a little earlier than expected. I have never laughed so hard in my life .. because I am almost 100 percent sure they saw Jon running thru the house in his boxers !

3. I just bought 2 gallons of Laura Ashley's Stone 2 (color) paint at L@we's tonight for the bonus room. All that is left now is paint and carpet ... We are so close to enjoying the room.

4. I just finished reading I Will Carry You by Angie Smith. Loved it ... and now I am starting Plan B by Pete Wilson. Nothing like spending the weekend curled up on the couch reading a good book.

5. In just 13 days my parents and Jon's parents are coming to our house for five days. It is the longest they have ever been here with us and I am super excited. Living so far from home .. I have learned to love visitors!

Little Moments

2010-05-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

I just finished baking a batch of cookies (thanks Laura for the recipe) and finished cleaning the kitchen. Jon and Chance are asleep on the couch and I am enjoying some peace and quiet at the kitchen table.

I finally feel like I am getting caught up on life. Bills are paid. Mother's Day presents are bought and in the mail. Dishes are washed. Laundry is done. You get the picture.

The last few weeks have been more than crazy in our house. A few weeks ago I was offered the job of my dreams and life was turned upside down fairly quickly. I had been interviewing for the job for over a month and honestly was extremely shocked when I got the offer - a moment I will never forget.

I tend to look at life " three months from now I want to do this" or "six months from now this" I have a hard time living life day-by-day .. not planning something for every free minute I have.

As I am reminded God can bring us blessings out of the blue I am learning to love the little moments too.

Like ...

jon & chance are both snoring right now

a husband who loves me to the moon and back

we spent an hour in w@lm@rt the other night riding bikes like kids

the smell of the grill outside when I walked in from work

my roses outside

a clean house

family visiting for 5 days in 2 weeks

I can't wait ....

Five on Friday

2010-04-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth has started featuring 10 on Thursday on her photography blog. It has become one of my favorite post to read each week. So, here is my take on Five on Fridays.

1. The pollen count is horrible. I have NEVER had allergies this bad. I cannot breath, my eyes are water faucets and I sneeze constantly. Mr. Pollen you can leave anytime you like.

2. Despite the high pollen count we have spent a lot of time outside after work. Mr. Chance is loving this weather.

Jon is always worried that Chance will overheat so I have been instructed to put ice cubes in his water. Little known fact Chance loves ice cubes.

3. We are in the process of finishing our bonus room upstairs and improving the landscaping around the house ... which means many trips to Lowe's. Everyone takes their dog to the home improvement store - right ? (lol)

4. Last weekend while I worked in Nashville Jon's parents came to town to help him with the upstairs. We could not have done it without them. We are making progress .. slowly !

6. I received an edible bouquet at work today and it was divine. I am still eating on it at midnight.

A Tide Snob

2010-04-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am a Tide Snob. Over the last few months I have tried to give up my addiction to Tide to help cut costs on household items. I think detergent is just to expensive. We have used off brands the last few weeks and I was noticing our clothes seemed to be fading. All of our work clothes are black and I was starting to see a big difference so this weekend I bought Tide and fell in love all over again. Not sure I can go back to anything different now.

Love Him

2010-03-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

I knew I loved him that day, but today I love him even more.

That is what I love about love ... it always catches you off guard

and has no boundaries

happy 124th day of marriage babe

Cleaning 101

2010-03-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday Kelly hosted a cleaning party over at her blog. It was neat to ready everyone's tips and favorite products. I am not an expert on cleaning, but I thought I would share some of my favorite products and websites.

Last summer I read an article in a magazine about how some cleaning products can cause harm to a dogs liver. I immediately changed they way I cleaned my house because I could not live with the idea of possibly harming Chance. And I would think if it could do that to an animal it could do the same to an infant or toddler.

And due to the fact I know my husband breaths numerous fumes every weekend ... anything I can do is helpful.

It was during that time I fell in love with MEYERS products. They are 100 percent organic and very reasonable priced. I use the dish soap, all-purpose cleaner and the shower cleaner.

You can by meyers products at TJ M@XX and T@RGET.

I frequent these sites for other cleaning ideas:

Roomie Reunion

2010-03-19T18:16:00.001-07:00

In the morning I am hoping on an airplane and meeting up with these three ladies for a weekend of fun. We have not all been together, outside of my wedding in November, for over a year. I am looking forward to catching up and remembering who we once were :)

It all started here ...
We look SO young at Lo's wedding ...

and continued here ...

Night at the Movies

2010-03-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

For Christmas my mom gave Jonathon and I a year subscription to Netflix as our together gift.
Over the last few months I cook or Jon's picks up take out on his way home from work. We eat and watch our Netflix selection together. Because we both travel on the weekends we do not get to "go to the movies" like normal couples would. So, this works really well for us.

I highly recommend it to anyone.

2010-03-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

The Purge of 2010

2010-03-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am currently in the process of purging our house of all the junk. We have a lot of JUNK.

I am trying to figure out what is the right amount of clothes to have.

Like how many t-shirts do you really need ? In what colors ? In what styles ?

Same thing with shoes. Lord knows I have way to many shoes.

Does anyone else have this problem ? I can honestly tell you I have way to much.

I think part of my problem is that I have been the same size since the sixth grade and I travel a lot. One weekend I will be in 70 degree weather and the next I will be in 30 degree weather.

Bottom line ..all these issues are just with my closet. :)

Budget Savvy Bride

2010-03-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

Our wedding is being featured over at Budget Savvy Bride today. I highly recommend Jessica. I used her to design and print my invites and programs for the wedding. We LOVED working with her.

Hang Your Head Out The Window

2010-02-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

I work about 10 minutes from our home and most nights I do not make the trip into town unless I have to. It really is not that FAR, but I tend to be content with staying at home.

Tonight after work I decided to head into town for some window shopping before picking up take out.

Before I headed into town I came by the house to check the mail and let Chance outside.

Chance LOVES to go on car rides so I decided to let him come into town with me.

As I drove through the down town area I looked back to find Chance hanging his entire head out the back window. In fact he was "sniffing" the air.

I couldn't help, but think about myself for a moment.

I really need to hang my head out the window a little more :)

Ebay It or Yard Sale ?

2010-02-25T07:49:00.000-08:00

I have several "making a house a home" items I really would like to sell. When we bought our house I made a deal with myself that to be able to buy things to decorate with I had to pay CASH for them. So far I have done pretty good with that.

I am really wanting to get settled and finish decorating the living room, dinning room, office, guest room and master bedroom. Shew .. then I can start purging the house of things we just don't need.

Do people still shop at yard sales or am I better to post it on eB@y ?

Decisions, Decisions.

Loving On Brody

2010-02-20T04:35:00.000-08:00

I spent Friday morning with this little guy:

Look how much he has grown. Words could never describe how much I love him. And how thankful I am for the promise that everything is made beautiful in his time.

Balancing Act

2010-02-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

source

I am not going to lie I feel like I am swimming in a big ocean right now. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I just got home from being away for 13 days for work. But no one really told me how hard being a wife, homemaker, career women, family member and friend was going to be. I really do not know how all of you with kiddos really do it.

The reality for Jonathon and I is that season of our life is not slowing down anytime soon. We will both travel over 30 weekends this year and luckily get to see each other along the way.

My question to you is what are your best balancing tips ?

- Do you pay bills online or the old fashion way

- How do you not forget birthdays

- How do you keep your house clean without going crazy

Painting Kitchen Cabinets

2010-02-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

I have received several questions on how we painted our kitchen cabinets. I followed the directions that The Nester posted on The Nesting Place. Click here to find them!

My Girl Holly

2010-02-02T07:56:00.000-08:00

Our kitchen remodel is featured over at Holly Mathis Interiors today. I enlisted Holly's help when we bought our house and I cannot say enough about her and work. We would so be BFF if she lived near me. I leave for Daytona in 24 hrs, but I promise to be back with more details about the kitchen. Enjoy the pictures below.

Kitchen Re-Do In Pictures

2010-02-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

before

and after

Snowed In

2010-01-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

great weekend with family

more details to come

Forever Friends

2010-01-26T15:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Kelly did a blog post on life as a sorority girl. It was a great post about how girls just need girlfriends to survive. All day I would just find myself busting out laughing as I reflected on my life as a sorority girl. Now .. for a trip down memory lane.

I remember the first day I moved into Union and how I was NOT joining a sorority no matter what my roommates thought I should do. Long story short I did it and it was the best thing that every happened to me. I not only had the best friends a girl could ask for during my four years in college, but I have sisters for life.

this would be how we welcomed new XO's into our chapter

friends who support you dressing up like an OWL for greek Olympics

raise money for Charity by running lots of 5Ks

loving each other at baby showers

the perfect vacation partner

always their to support you at the

most important events

in your life

lunch dates

the bridesmaids in your wedding

The Real Honeymoon

2010-01-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas we left for our real honeymoon to Aruba. Best.Trip.Of.My.Life. I had no idea how relaxing it was going to be. It was the first time in our entire relationship together that Jon and I had been on vacation for seven days and away from no cell phones. It was heaven. We stayed here and are already planning to go back in the off season.

We spent the mornings on the beach
and the afternoons by the pool

the view from the hotel lobby balcony

my hot husband

Jon went scuba diving one morning

dinner at footprints grill on the beach

our table

perfect honeymoon

Mini-Moon

2010-01-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

When Jonathon and I decided to get married Thanksgiving weekend we knew we would be unable to take a week long honeymoon right after our wedding due to our jobs. (No worries we took a week-long honeymoon to Aruba right before Christmas) But we didn't want to not have a honeymoon to go to after our wedding. It wouldn't seem like we were really married if we didn't have somewhere to go.

So, we spent two nights in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel. It was the perfect mini-getaway. We ate lots of food, rested and took in the Titans game while in town.

What I liked best about our mini-moon is it was something we can do every year to celebrate our anniversary. :)

I was in love with all the Christmas Trees

a wreath

so festive

go Titans!

it was really cold, but so much fun

blake and madi stopped by on their way home to say hi!

Wedding Pics Are Up

2010-01-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

I am a little late in posting this, but I wanted to let you know the wedding pictures are up. I was so happy the day we got married that I did not cry at all, but when I looked at the pictures I cried like a baby. Thank you Elizabeth for capturing every moment and feeling of our day. You have an amazing talent and I am so thankful I can call you a friend.

www.elizabethwiggsphotography.com
Visit Client Proofing
Password: Ellis

Dangerous Question

2010-01-03T11:22:00.001-08:00

one thing that stuck out in my mind from church this morning:

Never Ask Yourself What is Wrong With You ?

Because The Devil Will Be Happy To Tell You.

Looking Back, Stepping Forward

2010-01-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Every year come December 31st I am always amazed at how fast a year goes by and yet how many memories we collect along the way. 2009 was full of some of the happiest memories of my life ( I married the man of my dreams) and some of the hardest I have ever faced. I learned a lot of hard lessons the past year, but even during the hard times I was reminded once again God was in control and I am not.

As I have pondered my New Year's Resolution the past few days I have come to rest on two I hope to keep for the days of 2010:

To Not Live In FEAR, But Instead Live in Faith Knowing GOD Is In Control & To Remember To Be Thankful For Those Around Me.

I want to quit worrying about six months from now and start living in the moment. Be appreciative of when he bridges the gap for me.

I don't want to forget to be thankful for the the family, friends and co-workers God blesses me with.

As I look back over this decade I can't help, but laugh at who I was 10 years ago and I how thankful I am that God brought me over every mountain and down every valley to get to now.

Because it is now that I am finding out who I was really meant to be.

Here is to a Happy 2010.

prayer for a friend

2009-12-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

When we make the trip to Chattanooga to visit Jonathon's mom and dad one of the things I look forward to the most is Sunday mornings at Middle Valley Baptist Church.

It is an amazing church, full of amazing people that not only have a heart for God, but for his people.

The week before Christmas the leader of Worship and Creative Arts (David) found out his wife (Candice) is battling breast cancer.

Earlier this year they adopted a little boy from India to bring their family from three to four.

If you get a chance please pray for Candice, David and their little family.

Their family blog: http://grownbyadoption.blogspot.com/

Our Little Guy

2009-12-29T18:30:00.001-08:00

For the last several weeks Jon and I have been talking about ways to serve others.
We are still in the process of finding a church here in North Carolina, but still wanted to find a way to help out others in need.

Tonight we decided to sponsor Usman through Compassion International.
He is five years old and from India. He had a red heart by his name which means he has been waiting for over six months for a sponsor. I couldn't stand not to pick him !!

Diary of a Newlywed Cook - Take 2

2009-12-29T13:26:00.000-08:00

It has almost been two full weeks since I have cooked dinner. First we were gone to Aruba and then to TN for the Christmas Holiday. After work yesterday I made the trip to the grocery to restock our very empty cabinets.

I knew I would not have time to prepare a big meal for dinner by the time I got off work and went to the store. Earlier in the weekend I had found a recipe for quick Chicken Parmesan sandwiches on the Kraft Foods website and decided to try them.

They took maybe 30 min. to cook and I served them with a side salad.

Jon loved them and you would have thought I had slaved in the kitchen for hours over them by his reaction. It never fails he loves the meals that take the less amount of time (haha).

I wanted to share the recipe below. Hopefully your family will love it as much as ours did.

Easy Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches
8 to 10 chicken nuggets (baked in the oven)
1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce ( cooked)
1/2 bag of mozzarella cheese
4-5 slices of french bread or hamburger buns (toasted)

Arrange 2 or 3 nuggets on each slice of bread.
Top with Spaghetti Sauce then with mozzarella cheese.

Side Dinner Salad
a head of lettuce or bag of salad mix
1 cucumber (chopped)
1/2 tomato (diced)
shredded cheddar cheese (handful)
handful of (real) bacon bits
mix together equal parts of ranch dressing and Italian dressing to make the salad dressing

The Sweetest Gift

2009-12-28T08:11:00.000-08:00

Winner: Charity Morris :)
** Charity I will email you the discount code today **

The night before Jonathon and I got married we gave each other a small wedding gift. We didn't want it to be anything fancy, but something small we could remember the day by. I was so surprised when I opened this from Lisa Leonard Designs. Her jewelry is hand made and has been featured in People Magazine. I am in LOVE with my necklace.

Jonathon gave me the necklace above with our wedding date monogrammed on it

My mom surprised me the initials necklace for my birthday with my new initials.
AJE

I love layering the two necklaces together.

Good news is I have a 10 percent off coupon for Lisa Leonard Designs that expires December 31. And I am going to give it to one of you. Just leave a comment on this post and for fun tell me what you would order!

Because it is time sensitive I am going to randomly pick winner tomorrow at Noon.

good luck

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

I can only think of one word that sums up Christmas this year: Blessed

We are Home !

2009-12-23T09:01:00.001-08:00

We just got home from fabulous Aruba. I have so much to catch up on this little blog here.

But for now we are packing for the trip to Tennessee and wrapping like crazy.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Momma Is Coming To Town

2009-12-11T13:59:00.000-08:00

In less than 10 minutes my mom will be landing at Raleigh Duram airport to make her way to Mooresville. She decided to surprise me and fly in for my birthday weekend. I am so excited for her to be here. Anyone who lives away from family .. knows how nice it is to have them in your home. Happy Weekend to All !

Diary of a Newlywed Cook

2009-12-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

For as long as I have dated Jonathon he has always talked about his mom's manicotti . In his eyes it is the best meal on earth. Lo, who knows me so well, gave me a recipe box full of recipes from friends and family as a wedding gift. I loved it and spend last Saturday going through each recipe. Jon's mom sent me two recipes and one of them was the manicotti. I had no excuse now, but to give it a try.

I decided that to earn real Newlywed of the Year status I would make home made spaghetti sauce instead of using the jar of spaghetti sauce the recipe called for. (because using a jar of spaghetti sauce would have been to easy- right?)

I went to the grocery store on Saturday, along with every other NC resident, and gathered all the ingredients. I came home from work on Monday night and started the process.

I was already stressed out that it was not going to be as GOOD as his mom's so I threw on my apron (thanks Sara) and hoped it would make me Rachel, Paula, Ree or Martha like.

I boiled a pot of hot water and started cooking the manicotti noodles. Next up was the Spaghetti Sauce. It called for 1/2 of an onion, but somehow I decided 1/2 meant a whole onion and proceeded to throw a entire onion into the pot. Realizing rather quickly my mistake I did what any other cook would do and scooped out 1/2 of the onion into another bowl. Next up the sauce called for 1 can of diced tomatoes, a cup of sherry cooking wine, some oregano, basil and some ground red pepper.

All was going okay until I came the sherry cooking wine. I must have had a brain freeze in the grocery store on Saturday because instead of cooking wine I purchased red WINE vinaigrette.

Y'all that is not the same thing and I knew it was not going to work. I opened the cabinet doors trying to figure out what to do. Honestly, at this point I thought about throwing my hands in the air and suggesting pizza for dinner. Then I saw the bottle of Merlot that someone gave us for our wedding. Thinking the red wine would blend in with the tomatoes nicely I dumbed a 1/4 cup in the pot.

Then we came to the red pepper. Something about them made me nervous. I told Jon in the store that walmart did not have the right red pepper spice, but he insisted one me buying ground cayenne red pepper. I explained to him that cayenne was hot and I didn't want to ruin the sauce by making it spicy. He assured me he liked things spicy and that it would be fine. Trusting he knew more than me .. I tossed it into the pot.

By now my noodles are boiled and ready to receive the manicotti cheese filling. I do not know who came up with the idea of putting cheese inside noodles, but it looks a lot easier than it is. At this time I am still thinking pizza was looking good, but charged a head figuring out what my system would be for filling the noodles with the mixture. I decided using a bakery pastry bag would make the most sense. I have NO idea why I thought that, but it sounded good at the time.

After I tried to fill four noodles with the filling all falling out the bottom I suggested to Jon maybe we really should just go grab pizza for dinner. He then took over in the kitchen and successfully filled all the reaming noodles with the mixture perfectly. WHY do they do that ??

With the noodles ready to go into the oven I pored the sauce over the noodles and topped with cheese. After baking for 20 minutes and removing it from the oven it looked pretty good.

After taking the first bite I knew we were in trouble. My mouth was on fire.

Jon proceeded to take a bite, cough and then down is mountain dew.

He then turned to me and said " Honey, its spicy, but good"

God Bless him because last time I checked Italian food was not meant to be spicy.

He continued to eat it and I, on the other hand, made a ham and cheese sandwich for dinner.

I think in the future Jon will just eat the manicotti when he visits his mom!

Sneak Peak: Wedding

2009-12-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

If you have a second go visit the fabulous Elizabeth Wiggs over at Elizabeth Wiggs Photography and check at our amazing photos.

Wedding Week: Day 1 Minor Roadblock

2009-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Things did not go as planned the weekend before the wedding. I got off work early on Friday headed home and packed up the car, along with Chance. I was about 30 minutes down the road when my mom called to tell me that the No. 09 car ( the team Jon works for) had wrecked in qualifying and had not made the race. I will not explain to you as to why some cars make the race and others do not. I am not so sure those of us who work in the sport really understand to begin with. So, instead of driving on to GA and then TN I decided to head back home and wait.

Jon already had plans to change tires for the truck race later that night and then the nationwide race the next day, but was able to fly home on the team plane after the race.

We started our journey to TN early Sunday morning. Our goal was to make it to the Ellis home front in time for Madi (our niece) second birthday party. We left around 7:00 that morning to ensure we had plenty of time to travel the 5.5 hrs to Chattanooga.

About 2.5 hrs from home somewhere in SC we had an unexpected event happened.

We BLEW a Tire. Talk about bad karma on your wedding week.

Thankfully, I travel with a professional tire changer who knew what he was doing.

We decided instead of traveling the reminder of the trip on the spare tire we would travel to the next town and purchase 2 new tires. It must have been tire discount day because everyone was purchasing tires. Walmart had over a 2 hr wait. They suggested Goodyear. Who is closed on Sundays. Thank Goodness for Firestone.

After a 1.5hr wait we had 2 new tires and headed back down the road to TN at the same time the birthday party was starting.

1 basket, 4 bags, 2 totes and a dog

chance in his seat in the car

my professional tire changer :)

the bad tire

hanging at Firestone

everyone loved chance at firestone .. thank goodness !

Let the Madness Begin

2009-11-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

I think I realized last night that this wedding is really NEXT weekend. Maybe it was long to-do list, the packing for 10 days in Tennessee or maybe just the excitement that we are so close to being married. No matter what it was it is now here.

I leave for Atlanta today after work. Due to the rock slide on interstate 40 I am detouring through the big city to spend the night with my buddy, Melanie. Tomorrow morning I will get up and drive to Jon's parents house in Chattanooga. Sunday afternoon I will party with our niece at her 2-year-old birthday bash before heading to West TN.

Monday kicks off last minute planning, mucho lunch dates with old friends, spa treatments, Jon flying into town, family arriving, Thanksgiving festivities and the wedding weekend.

I have not spent a week at my parent's house since I graduated college.

Here's to being a home and loving ever minute of it.

I am one lucky girl.

My Dream

2009-11-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

I guess you know you are getting old when you dream of owning one of these. Maybe not old just domestic. :)

I remember growing up watching my Granny make cake after cake in hers.

Pioneer Women was giving 3 away yesterday.

But after 35,000 people entered a comment to win I decided to not get my hopes up.

building a strong marriage

2009-11-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

When Jon and I got engaged I knew how important marriage counseling would be for us. We are not your average couple by any means. Honestly, on paper I guess you could say we have the odds stacked against us with our jobs and travel schedule. But are guaranteed to make it work.

I immediately went to MRO ( motor racing outreach) for advice on who we should seek our pre-marital counseling from. I wanted someone who understood what we did and who could equip us with the right knowledge. Jon's childhood pastor is marrying us, but he encouraged us to be counseled by someone we could meet with face to face as well.

I was a little shocked when MRO suggested someone outside of their organization to us, but I am so glad they did.

For the last several weeks we have been meeting with Mr. Charles from www.prepare-enrich.com and have enjoyed every minute of it.

Jon and I both had to take a 200 plus questionnaire on our backgrounds, beliefs and current relationship. From the questionnaire they formulated the places we agreed and disagreed on.

Luckily, we did not find any skeletons in our closet and scored very high on the over all test.

We learned our jobs are our number one stresser, but I don't think that shocked either one of us.

The entire program is very intense and not your normal marriage counseling, but I am a firm believer that we are building a foundation that will last a life time.

If you have a minute check out the website above and learn how you can participate in the program as well.