Honey Balsamic Carrots

I can only think of three vegetables that are suitable to eat from a can:

1. peas; 
2. corn; and
3. beans.

(Tomatoes are a fruit, so they don't count in this case).  

Canned vegetables such as beets, asparagus, and carrots give their fresh counterparts a bad name.  As a result of the canning process, beets get mushy, asparagus gets slimy, and carrots just get down-right-disgusting.  Having done no official academic research on the subject, I have decided that canned carrots are the #1 reason why so many people adamantly affirm their dislike of cooked carrots.

Well, wait no longer...I have a solution and it is called Honey Balsamic Carrots.  If you are a cooked-carrot-skeptic then this recipe is for you!  After roasting these bad boys for just under thirty minutes they are sweet, caramel-y, crispy around the edges, and perfectly delicate on the inside.  Honestly, what more could you ask from a carrot?!

Honey Balsamic Carrots
Serves 2

1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2T honey
1 1/2T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Place the peeled and chopped carrots into a small mixing bowl.
• Drizzle the honey and balsamic vinegar over the carrots.
• Toss.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Toss.
• Pour onto a well-oiled baking sheet.
• Roast for 20 minutes.
• Flip.
• Roast for 15 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

I'm off to my first book-club meeting at the local library (who-hoo!).  Have a gorgeous Saturday, and if you are in one of the 25+ states with over 100 degree weather this weekend, stay cool (I hear that movie theaters and malls are great places to go for free air conditioning hehehe)!

Next time - we just bought one of our first BIG adult purchases!  In the next post I'll tell you all about it, and how we came to our decision!

Question of the Day:


Do you like cooked carrots?  I know several people in my family alone that will eat carrots raw, but not cooked.  A little strange, if you ask me; but whatever floats your boat!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Dreaming of Our Dream Home

Recently, Bo and I have been watching a lot of House Hunters episodes on HGTV.  By a lot, I mean that we now DVR the show at watch approximately 2-4 episodes a day...we may have a problem.

I guess that we are getting to that age when buying a house starts to sounds like a good (albeit terrifying) idea.  Of course, in our situation, the United States Navy will play a very. large. role. in our decision to purchase our first home.  That massively large detail aside, over the past few weeks I have caught myself daydreaming about my "dream home" pretty regularly (and by regularly, I mean that I have bookmarked dozens of webpages, spent over an hour looking up the home of a decades-deceased family member (just because I have fond childhood memories of his home), and am now writing an entire blog post dedicated to this at-this-point-futile-exercise).

Hey, I never claimed to be exactly rationale when it comes to these sorts of things.

I go where my heart leads me, and in this case, it is to a blog post about our dream home (or maybe I should say "my dream home" since all of these ideas are pretty much mine - and mine alone - and I am praying that Bo goes along with them...).

OK, with that small detail aside, let's move on to our my specifications!

(1) First and foremost, I DO NOT want a cookie-cutter home!

Instead, it is absolutely imperative that the home be unique, full of character, quirks, and small details that make it endearing and "feel like home."  With that said, a (to some degree) fixer-upper is not out of the question.  We don't want to have to completely re-do or re-build a home, but we aren't opposed to paying for some upgrades either.

Source

As you can see from these two pictures, both Bo and I like brick or stone homes.  That's not to say that we wouldn't buy a home in a different style, but brick and/or stone is certainly our preference.  We would also like:

•  17,000-23,000 square feet;
• wood floors throughout the majority (if not all) of the home;
• one-story or split-level home (although this is not a total deal-breaker);
• a large enough backyard for Lola; and
• curb appeal.

A garage would be nice, but we recognize that a lot of older homes don't have them.  With that said, it might be an item that we would have to build ourselves...and we're OK with that.

Source

(2)  Architectural details matter.

This goes back to point #1 above.  We I want a house that evokes a feeling, a history, and a story.  When we do finally go looking to buy our first home, I will be looking for original, built-in details.

Are the windows unique?  

Do the walls, floor, or ceiling have anything special about them?  

Are there any character-filled details or spaces in the home?

Source

(3) Secret Garden Landscape.

My Great Uncle Al had a home that sat on over two acres of land.  Among that land, he had stables, a pasture for horses, a vegetable garden, and a small garden right off of the back of the house that seemed hidden, special, almost overgrown (but purposefully so), and more-than-vaguely reminiscent of The Secret Garden.  I used to play games in that garden, imagining that I was Mary Lennox working alongside Dickon to bring the plants back to life (although, in reality, this garden was already abounding with life!).

I'm not naive enough to believe that Bo and I will ever find a house that evokes exactly that same sort of feeling; but, I do believe that we can find a house that has some of that potential.  I do want a vegetable garden; and if my mother is willing to teach me, I would also love to learn how to grow a low-maintenance garden that gives me joy every time I look at it, and provides a safe place for my children to play and imagine...just like I did.

Source

(4) A breakfast nook.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  As such, I would love to have a special place to eat, drink my hot tea, read a book, and enjoy the day that is being born.  Without a doubt, this space will need a window or two to let in the natural light, and the space will need to be large enough to sit at least two, if not three or four.

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I envision this space as a serene one.  No doubt there will be children clamoring about as well, but I also see this space as a sweet escape and a calm beginning to the day.

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(5) A Dining Room filled with light, and furnished with an exposed dish cabinet.

We want a house where we can have friends and family over for dinner, drinks, and a party.  With that said, the dining room needs to be functional both for our family and for larger gatherings.  Natural light would be a huge plus, and I have always dreamed of having an exposed cabinet to display the silver and china that were given to be as family heirlooms.

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(6) A functional kitchen with an island, sufficient countertop and storage space, and a gas stovetop.

Obviously, as you all know from reading here on the ABC blog, I love to cook!  My Recipage is a perfect example of my love to experiment and play around in the kitchen.  With that said, I would like to have a kitchen that gives me enough room to:

• cook multiple dishes at once;
• display the frequently used appliances on the countertops; and
• still have room to move around if several other people decide to congregate in the area (which, as we all know, is inevitable).  

Source

An open floor-plan would be great, but let's be honest, a lot of older homes that have the character that I am looking for aren't designed that way.  So, I am willing to give that up if the kitchen ticks off the items on the list above.

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(7) A library.

It's as simple as that.  You all know that I love to read, so our my dream home simply wouldn't be a dream home without a library.  Of all the specifications that I have discussed thus far, this is probably the room that I have the strongest opinions about.  For instance:

• it needs to have at least one window;
• I would prefer built-in bookshelves on almost all of the walls;
• the room should be sparsely decorated with a comfortable chair, ottoman, small table, and lamp (and not much more); and
• the room must have a door (so that when the time comes, I can have some "mommy alone time" or "wife alone time").

Who knows if  Bo and I will ever live in a home like the one that I have described above.  If not, I'm OK with that.  At the end of the day, I know that that is not what it is about.  Home truly is where the heart is.  But with that said, I also believe that when you send your dreams out into the world God has a way of listening.  

Who knows...dream house or not, I will always have the right to dream, and that alone makes this imagination-filled girl pretty happy!

Next time - a recipe using one of summer's most abundant vegetables!

Question of the Day:


What would your dream home look like?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

A Few of My Favorite (Summer) Things: Part 1

Although I am an "equal-opportunity-seasons" type of girl (and yes, that is an official term!), like almost everybody else I LOVE summertime.  Even though I have long grown up and don't get the summers off from school, work, and the like, there is still something about summertime that encourages me to sit back, relax, and "live in the moment" a little bit more than usual (I realize that this is something that I should do all of the time, and I'm working on that...cut me some slack!).


Yesterday, while thinking about some of the things that I LOVE about summer, Julie Andrew's voice from The Sound of Music popped into my head:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings

These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes

Silver white winters that melt into springs

These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

(Source)

Then I started thinking about some of MY favorite things...especially about summertime, and I figured that a blog post was in order.  I have labelled this post "Part 1" because, I figure, as the summer progresses I will probably think of more "favorite things" to share with you here on the ABC blog.  I think of today's post as a warm-up for things to come! ;)

(1)  Puppy play dates!

Izzy (short for Isabelle) is an 11 week old Great Dane puppy.  At 5 1/2 months old, our Lola is a big girl for her age and breed, but Izzy gives a whole new meaning to the term!  She will be over 120 pounds once she is fully grown - WOWZA!

Once they got to know one another, Lola and Izzy had a great time together!  For now, Lola is still a little bit bigger than Izzy...but that will quickly change.  I bet that the next time we get them together Izzy will be the same size, if not bigger, than our little girl.  Lola better watch out!  Izzy is one puppy that you definitely want as a friend, not an enemy!

(2) Family vacations in Sandestin, FL.

I just got back from three days in Sandestin with my mom, step-dad, brother, and step-brother.  I purposefully didn't take my camera because I wanted to spend my limited time there focusing on family, fun, and relaxation.  We were a little worried that Tropical Storm Debby was going to ruin everything; but (thankfully) at the last minute, she took a sharp turn to the right and hovered over Jacksonville for almost two days (Bo and Lola didn't have nearly as much fun as I did since they were still stuck at home).  Instead, Destin enjoyed days full of sunshine!

Blessed.

(3) Perfect (and unexpected) gifts for the home from mom.

My mom found this little gem in her local thrift store in Springville, AL.  She knows me so well.  When I look at this little piece on my wall I think of:

my wedding (one of the flowers was in my wedding bouquets);

making a house a home;

the importance of heritage and history;

cozy, comfortable, character-filled spaces.

God willing, one day I hope that I can create an entire home that makes me fill this way.

(4) HUGE plates full of fresh garden vegetables.

Last night I quickly whipped up sauteed crooked neck squash, zucchini, and broccoli, and baked a potato that I topped with Smart Balance and nutritional yeast.  YUMM-O!

(5) True Blood

It's official.  Bo and I are hooked on HBO.  It all started with Game of Thrones, and then about a year ago someone introduced us to True Blood (Yes, it's about vampires/werewolves/fairies/witches/etc.  No, it's not like Twilight.  Yes, I've read almost all of the books that the series is based upon.  No, the "Sookie Stackhouse" book are not nearly as good as the Twilight saga, in my opinion  Oh, and yes, I still love all things Twilight!).  In a span of about four months we caught up on Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4 so that we would be ready for the Season 5 premiere on June 10th.  Three episodes in and Season 5 of True Blood is better than ever!

If you ask us - bar none - HBO makes the best TV around.

Question of the Day:


What are a few of YOUR favorite (summer) things?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Book Review: Bruiser

Can we experience true happiness without pain and disappointment?

To what extent, if any, are we responsible for the pain of those we love?

Is sharing in someone's anguish a blessing or a curse?

And, perhaps most importantly:

How can we take ownership of our own happiness?

These questions, and more, are the one's that author Neal Shusterman asks us to contemplate in his book Bruiser.  In the end, Shusterman implores us to think deeply about the sacrifices that we make for the people that we love.

Summary:

Tennyson: 

Don't get me started on the Bruiser.  He was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school.  He's the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about.  So why is my sister, Bronte, dating him?  One of these days she is going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it's not going to end well. 

Bronte:   

My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way - no right to threaten him.  There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends - why he can't care about too many people.  Because when he cares about you, things start to happen.  Impossible things that can't be explained.  I know, because they're happening to me.  

Source

Review:

I am not a crier when I read, but I must have teared up at least three times while reading Bruiser.  The story of Bruiser is not for the faint of heart; and as such, I would not recommend it to readers under the age of 14. Yet, even as a 28 year-old, Bruiser contains life lessons that are worthy of readers much older than its "Young Adult" genre commands.

Shusterman calls upon four voices to narrate his thought-provoking book: Bronte (his new girlfriend), Tennyson (Bronte's twin brother), Cody (Bruiser's brother), and Brewster (i.e. Bruiser himself).  Bronte, Tennyson, and Cody all speak in standard prose.  However, Brewster's voice is distinct, free verse, and somewhat reminiscent of the stream-of-conscious style of Gertrude Stein.

(Come to think of it, maybe that's why I fell in love with Brewster right away.  Stream-of-conscious is one of my favorite styles of poetry to read AND write; and of that genre, you can't beat the work of Gertrude Stein.)

According to one review:

The way [Shusterman} made the chapters switch off from all four of the main characters was genuis, and he did it SO smoothly!  Usually I don't really like when authors do that, because I usually end up dreading one of the characters chapters, and I pick favorites.  Not with [Bruiser].  I loved every single character, and I really can't choose who's my favorite. (Source)

Through the course of the novel, all of the narrators evolve; but Tennyson has an especially powerful evolution of self-understanding, and therefore an understanding of Bruiser.  Starting out as a bully and possessive brother, Tennyson matures into a compassionate young man who values and understands the importance of owning up to your own actions.  Through Tennyson, we are reminded that intention matters, in friendships, and in family.  There is sacrifice in both, but it is our intention to genuinely love, care, and accept others that really matters.

Source

I already have a back-log of posts that I want to share with you here on the ABC blog, but unfortunately you are all going to have to "hold your horses" until the end of next week because I AM GOING ON VACATION!  Sadly, Bo can't get off of work (total bummer), but I will be spending the next four and a half days with my mom, step-dad, brother, and step-brother in Destin, FL!

I hope that you all have a wonderful week...look for a new post next Friday!

Question of the Day:


From your experience, how has loving others made you vulnerable to hurt, pain, and disappointment?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Honey Dijon Potato Salad

I LOVE potato salad.  

Don't get me wrong, I love a potato just about any way you want to cook it, - baked, shredded, diced, fried, in a casserole, in soup, au gratin, etc. - but something about potato salad just says "summer" to me.  I grew up eating it at summer picnics, and something about the dish makes me daydream about picnic tables, backyard fires, and old friends and family (all the things that you should think about when it comes to the summer months, in my opinion).

The only problem is, I don't really like mayonnaise.

Truth be told...

...I actually hate the stuff.

I know that some of you are freaking out right now wondering how on Earth anyone could dislike mayonnaise, but what can I say?  I have tried the stuff time and time again, and time and time again it disappoints me, leaving me slightly disgusted and skeptical of the man-made slimy mixture.

I mean, I will eat the stuff on occasion - if I simply can't get around it - but never do I crave it.  Usually I avoid it.  Call it blasphemy if you must, but I prefer my potato salad sans the bottled white goo.  Instead, I like my potato salad with a kick of mustard, and in today's case, balanced out by the perfect sweetness of nature's sticky gift: honey.

Honey Dijon Potato Salad
Serves 6

2 stalks of celery, diced
2 large carrots, shredded
2 large Russet potatoes, diced and boiled until tender
1/2 red onion, diced
1 apple, diced
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1T (heaping) Dijon mustard
1T (heaping) honey
1T EVOO
1/2T apple cider vinegar

Directions:

• Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, onion, and apple to a large salad bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• In a small jar or shallow bowl, shake/whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, EVOO, and apple cider vinegar.
• Pour the dressings over the potato salad.
• Serve warm or cold, depending upon your preference.

Think what you will about mayonnaise - I'll not judge - but give this recipe a shot!  I would be willing to bet that you won't be disappointed; AND, if you make this recipe for your upcoming July 4th celebrations, I bet your friends and family will love it too!

Next time - a FABULOUS book review!  The book in question will encourage you to contemplate hurt, family, personal responsibility, and vulnerability in a whole. new. way.  

Trust me, WILL want to know more about this book!

Question of the Day:


How do you like to make (and eat) your potato salad?  I feel like potato salad is one of those recipes where everyone has their own "family recipe" and secret ingredient or two.  What's yours?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

10-Year High School Reunion

On a day in late May, 2002 I walked across the stage of the Alabama Theater and received my high school diploma from the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA).  ASFA isn't your typical high school by any stretch of the imagination.  I mean, just look at its mission statement:

The mission of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, a diverse community of explorers, is to nurture impassioned students by guiding and inspiring them to discover and fulfill their individual creative abilities in an atmosphere distinguished by the fusion of fact and feeling, risk and reward, art and science, school and society.

Before I go on, I think that it's important that I give you a little background regarding ASFA.  

So here's a quick snapshot of the high school I called home:

You might be surprised to learn that ASFA is a partially residential public school (i.e. that means some students from out of state or the extremities of Alabama live there during the school year) serving grades 7-12 and is authorized and funded by the Alabama Legislature.  Tuition is free for Alabama residents (there is a small tuition fee for out-of-state students, of which ASFA has a few each year).  Much like a college or university, ASFA is divided into six specialty departments, including:

• Creative Writing;
• Dance;
• Mathematics and Science;
• Music;
• Theatre; and
• Visual Arts.

In addition to their specialty courses, all students take core academic classes necessary to earn an Alabama high school diploma.  The school day typically begins at 7:55AM and ends around 4:45PM (or later).  As a Dance major, during performance seasons (which occurred 3-4 times a year) I would regularly have rehearsals until 7:00PM.  Combine rehearsals with the academic expectations of the school and it wasn't uncommon for me to be up past midnight completing all of my assignments.

In many ways ASFA was a lot tougher than your typical high school experience.  The academic classes were more rigorous (especially if you took Advanced Placement classes like me), the specialty departments had high expectations, and the hours were even longer than your typical workday.  But in other - perhaps more important - ways, ASFA was a high school haven.  For instance, the ASFA website states:

Although studios,the school's atmosphere is in no way stiff or severe.  Faculty, staff, and students value freedom from within the bounds of mutually respectful relationships and behavior, subject to rule discussed in the Student Handbook and Residential Life supplement.

In reality, what this little paragraph means is that I went to high school with friends who had rainbow colored hair.  Moreover, a lot of my friends had piercings and wore Gothic makeup.  The term "dress code" didn't really mean much at ASFA...I mean, short of walking into first period with a bikini on, we could all pretty much wear whatever we wanted to.  Outside of these visual qualities, ASFA gave (and still gives) each of its students the space to explore who they are, and who they are going to be, within the safety of its walls.

A performance by the ASFA Dance Department.

It's for all of these reasons and more that for me personally, and I know for many of my high school friends, ASFA was my very own high school utopia...which is more than I can say for many people's high school experience.

Needless to say, I felt very strongly about making it to my 10-year reunion.  Who knows where we'll be ten more years from now?!  I can honestly say that over the past ten years I had only seen ONE PERSON from my graduating class.  I was a little nervous.  As Bo and I drove up to the bar I thought to myself:

"The last time I saw most of these people they were my closest and best friends."

"Is it going to be weird to see them now?"

"Are we the same people, or has ten years changed us so much that we no longer have anything in common?"

"How much power does a shared high school have over college, first jobs, marriage, kids, etc.?"

But, unsurprisingly, I had nothing to worry about.  

Within five minutes everyone was chatting, laughing, and making jokes just like old times! 

Casey, Johanna, and I were close friends during high school.  Now, both Casey and Johanna are mommies, in addition to working in college admissions (Casey) and being a massage therapist (Johanna)!

Sidenote: Case and Johanna are the ONLY TWO PEOPLE from my graduating class of 63 to have children, and even their children are only 2 and less than 1 years old respectively.  I feel like this statistic is much higher at most high school reunions.  I guess that just goes to show you that ASFA graduates' goal-oriented nature dies hard!  I think that children are right around the corner for a number of us, but all of us seemed to wait quite a while before entering that stage of our lives.  

I think we were all pleasantly surprised by the awesome turnout at the reunion!  Personally, I expected around 25 people to show; but in the end it was closer to 35-40...not bad for a class of 63 to begin with!

Not great lighting, but what can you expect from a rooftop bar?!

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think we look 28...

Sanjay, Brian, Johanna, Casey, and I were all very close in high school.  There was never anything romantic between any of us, but we used to stay over an one another's houses over the weekend and talk into the wee hours of the night about our fears of mediocrity and failure (go figure!).  Now we are cardiologists, high-profile bankers, massage therapists, university administrators, parents, and yoga teachers!  It sounds like some sort of made up statistic, but between the five of us we have approximately nine higher education degrees.

If you ask me, that means ASFA did its job, and did it da*n well!

Now either married, or in long-term relationships, our lives will continue to move in opposing directions.  But I'm not sure that really matters, because in the end we will always have a shared history.

Thanks, ASFA.

Next time - a potato salad recipe perfect for your upcoming July 4th celebration!


Question of the Day:


Did you go to your 10-year high school reunion?!  If so, tell me all about your experience in the "Comments" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Home and Blackberry Jam

As I mentioned in my last post, Bo and I visited my old stomping grounds in Alabama this past weekend.  Since Bo had to work on Friday, we ended up arriving relatively late to my mom's house that evening.  A little worse for wear from our 8+ hour drive (OK - confession time - the reality is that I just sat in the passenger's side seat while Bo drove the whole way, but hey - that can be draining too!  Give me a break!), we arrived tired and starving!

When I walked into my old room to set down my suitcase, whaddya know but my mom had already made the room feel like "home."  Freshly cut from her front garden, my mom decorated the room with my all-time-favorite flower, blue hydrangeas.  I don't know what it is about these flowers, but I simply adore them.  From their plushness, to their indigo hue, I just can't get enough.  Needless to say, right away I was able to relax and enjoy being "home sweet home."

Mom also had a whole dinner ready and waiting for us to devour!  

We ate:

• butter beans (fresh from her garden);
• sauteed crooked neck squash (fresh from the garden) and onions;
• steamed Spanish rice;
• homemade white cornbread; and
• roasted chicken (for the meat-eaters).

Hm...mmmm...all that garden fresh food does a tummy good!

The next morning my mom told me that she had a whole bucket full of freshly picked, local blackberries ready and waiting to be turned into jam!

She wasn't kidding either...just LOOK!

I was in charge of mushing (and yes, that is an official term) the blackberries!

I think I did a good job...don't you?!

I was NOT aware that this picture was taken...apparently Bo found the camera and sneaked one past me!

Jam-making is 100% worth it, but it does sort of make a mess.

(Note: I could have used the flash in this picture, but honestly I kind of like the sepia tone that it had without it.  It looks sort of rustic to me...the way jam-making activities should look.  What do you think?)

Dishes.

I was surprised to learn that jam-making doesn't really take that much time, effort, or ingredients.  In fact, other than the blackberries, I think that the only other things we added were lemon juice, all-fruit pectin, and a small amount of sugar.  Not bad at all...and definitely cheaper than buying jam at the store!

We ended up making ten small jars of jam, enough to give away half to friends and family and still have a couple of jars each for ourselves ("ourselves" meaning my mom and I).  In fact, I ended up giving a jar to my dad for Father's Day.  Other than peaches, blackberries are his favorite fruit, so it worked out perfectly!

Side-note: There is something incredibly powerful and meaningful about cooking from scratch, in the kitchen, with your mother.  We - meaning the vast majority of my generation living in the United States - don't do things like this.  Instead, we buy jam/jelly in the condiment aisle of our local Piggly Wiggly, Publix, or Whole Foods.  Most of us, including me until this past Saturday, don't even know HOW to make jam/jelly (or for that matter, many of the other foods that we eat on a regular basis).  For me, returning to the cooking heritage that gave us these ingredients was a really moving thing.  In the future, I want to do more things like this. In fact, I WILL learn to:

• garden;
• dehydrate; and
• can

just to name a few.  Until then, Bo and I should probably work on buying a house.  After all, we will need some land to grow all that food on. ;)

Later that day my Mom and Step-dad hosted a Bar-B-Que lunch in honor of Father's Day.  My biological brother and both step-brothers were able to make it.  So, with all four of the kids together (which is a rare event), we spent the weekend sipping on sweet tea, eating hot dogs and hamburgers (or an amazing salad for me!), and relaxing on the porch.

Mom and I snapped a few pictures together.  

Isn't she lovely?! 

(Which, by the way, reminds me of a "My Fair Lady" song...but I digress...)

Handsome hubby.

Happy couple.

And yes, I know that I already mentioned this at the beginning of the post; but seriously, aren't these hydrangeas G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.?! 

Next up - all about my 10-year high school reunion! WHO-HOOO!

Question of the Day:


What is the coolest thing (in your opinion) that you have ever made from scratch?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

MIA: Heading Out of Town

Sorry for being MIA for a couple of days.

Unfortunately, I am going to be MIA for a few more.  

Today Bo and I are hopping in the car (Lola is staying at our veterinarians for the weekend) and driving up to my old stomping grounds: Birmingham, AL to be specific.

What for, you might ask?!  

Well, other than the fact that my whole family lives within a two-hour radius of the city, we will be attending my ten-year high school reunion.

CRAZY!

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I can hardly believe that ten whole years have passed since the last time I saw 99% of these people.  Almost ten years ago exactly I walked across the Alabama Theater stage and graduated with ~60 other students from the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA, for short).

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As almost all ASFA graduating classes are, we were a small, tight-knit group.  But as you might expect from an art school, we scattered far and wide after that day at the end of May in 2002.  When I report back to you all on Monday I should have some great pictures - and even better updates and stories - to share with you all.

Until then, have a beautiful weekend!

Question of the Day:


Did you (or for those of you that aren't old enough yet, do you plan to) attend your 10-year high school reunion?  If so, what was YOUR experience like?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo