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Monday, August 30

winner

We have a winner!

Naturally Caffeinated Family

Please e-mail me your address at sweetsimplicityblog@gmail.com
and I will get it into the mail.

Philadelphia recap coming soon.

Thursday, August 26

It's Giveaway Time!!

I have heard so many wonderful things about Tervis Tumblers from blogland and have been wanting one for quite a while.

I spotted (hee, hee) this one at a store last weekend.
tervis tumblr

I knew I couldn't pass it up and I got one for a lucky reader as well!

Perfect for any occasion this 16-oz. leopard-print tumbler is also suitable for any lifestyle –- perfect for the home, office, outdoor living space, car or by the pool (they even float). Double-walled insulation reduces condensation, virtually eliminating the need for coasters. The tumbler also helps keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold for a longer time period. Microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe.

I have been using mine at work and I love it!
To enter:
1. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite summer drink.
2. For an additional entry become a follower and leave me a separate comment telling me that you are now following me.

I will announce the winner on Monday.

Wednesday, August 25

memories

At my Grandma's house a few weeks ago, we went through a couple of old photo albums. I took a few pictures to scan. I wish we would have had more time to go through them all, although I think that could take all day.

My mom (on the left) and aunt
mom and teresa

Me, 1986, 1.5 years old
1986

February 1987. Some things never change. haha.
2-87

June 24, 1987. My sister was born on this day and I must have been staying with my grandparents. They always let me sleep with them and spoiled me rotten.
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July 4, 1987 with my golden, Dutchess. She was my first dog and had a long, happy life.
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Fall 1987, Check out my fab sweatsuit. :)
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1987, almost 3 years old
10-87

Easter 1989, My grandma always made that bunny cake for Easter. I told my Mom she needs to start making it. I love our little sailor dresses.
3-26-89 1

March 1989
3-89

October 1989
Tara, Lacey and Me
We are all a few months apart.
10-89 2
sidenote: Did you notice my hand popped on my hip? I was sassy.

That mask brings back great memories from my childhood.
My grandpa would always scare us with it.
Wasn't he handsome?
10-89

Sorry for the picture overload! I couldn't not post one of them. :)

Monday, August 23

Uncle Ty & Aunt Lindsey

This weekend was full of fun with our niece and nephews. We made the trip home and got to welcome another nephew into the family. It was a wonderful weekend.

Nathan has recently learned to say Uncle Ty & Aunt Lindsey. He says Uncle Ty constantly and it is the cutest thing.
We spent lots of time with him, since his Mommy and Daddy were at the hospital with his new little brother.
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My dad was in a triathlon this weekend in my city. He and my sister teach the "creepers" on Sunday morning. (sidenote: My dad thought they were doing 2nd grade. I find this hilarious.)
So, while he was at my house, I helped my sister out in her Sunday School class.
We snuck Mason in and I spent a lot of time cuddling him.
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Ty is the best uncle ever. I'm not just saying that because he is my husband. It's true.
He is amazing with little ones.

Royal Rumble with Lillian and Lucas
rumble

rumble2

On a walk to the apple tree. Love his little boots.
lucas boots
He chose to wear those, but he had to be sweltering in the 100 degree temps.

lillian

Lillian and I played salon and did each others hair and nails. Lucas, being a typical little brother, couldn't be left out. I painted most of his nails, but he wanted to do some of them himself.
luke nails
I can remember my brother having every toe nail painted a different color. He just couldn't be left out of the fun LeAnn and I were having.

Saturday evening we had a family shower for Sarah and baby Wade.
shower collage
I made the print that I posted in the middle of the collage and framed it.

If you didn't read Wade's stats within the collage you need to scroll back up.
He is the longest baby I have ever seen. :)
Uncle Ty with his cute, little (long) nephew.
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On Sunday we had lunch at a little winery that offers scenic views.
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Ty's parents
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Friday, August 20

centerpiece inspiration

This weekend we are having a mini baby shower for my SIL, Sarah. It is their second boy, and the boys are less than 2 years apart. So, they don't really need anything for baby #2, but we wanted to do something special for them. We (Ty's mom, sisters, and I) are having a mini baby shower (family only) this weekend.


Ty and I were beyond excited to find out that Sarah had baby Wade yesterday morning. We were hoping this would happen, so we could meet him this weekend, and it did! I believe he was a week or so early--her due date kept changing.


I am in charge of the centerpiece for the shower. I headed to a grocery store in my area that always carries the biggest, prettiest hydrangeas. Of course, the one time I actually go in needing them, they are sold out. The selection was pretty limited, which was surprising for this store.
Then I spotted baby's breath.

I know what you all are thinking--baby's breath??? The filler flower??? The ugly filler flower??

Allow these pictures to change your mind about baby's breath.

This is what I had in mind when I bought the baby's breath. I had spotted this picture on The Sweetest Occasion and filed it away.
breath7

breath4
{via}

breath6
{via with a tutorial}

breath5
{via}

breath3
{source unknown}

breath2
{source unknown}

I will share my centerpiece with you all next week.

Monday, August 16

happenings & target happiness

Ty and I went to a dinner Friday night to welcome the first year medical students to our school. It was held at an air and space museum. A much more exciting venue than our school.
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I worked at a special ceremony for our new students on Saturday morning and that evening Ty & I picked up my Little, H, for a WNBA game. Our church had free tickets and I thought it would be fun to take H. Lucky for us, she was ready to leave at half-time. We enjoyed the first half of the game, but Ty and I aren't huge women's basketball fans.
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The best part of the evening was stopping for gelato. Yum, yum!
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There is a new gelato and crepes eatery that opened downtown.
I can't wait to go back for crepes.

My favorite downtown building. I love that turquoise top!
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My weekends are never complete without a trip to Target. I am always on the hunt for the perfect layering tank. I discovered this one a couple of months ago.
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It has a good amount of coverage for up top. Plus, it is super soft. I introduced my sister to it several weeks ago and I just happened to be on the phone with her yesterday while I was at Target. She requested that I pick her up one in brown. I bought myself another white one. I can never have too many white tanks. It is $8 online, but $9 in store, so don't let that confuse you.
You will want to buy one in every color!

I had a couple of gerber daisies left over from my event Saturday morning and stuck them in my bud vases. They make me so happy.
bud vases

While I was at Target I noticed they still had these for sell. They are perfect for a single stem.
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I couldn't find a picture of these on Target.com, but did a google search and found pictures here. She filled them with my favorite flower, a peony. I wanted you all to see a better picture than the one I snapped this morning with my iPhone.

6a00e553a4097c8834011570e44e5b970b-500wi

Friday, August 13

friday randoms

Ty and I are headed to the city of brotherly love soon. Ty has to take a twelve hour physical exam. Basically, it means he plays doctor all day with patients/actors and is tested on his knowledge, interaction, and written notes. I am tagging along for fun. :)

Philadelphia

Anyone have any must see or eat places in Philly?? Comment or e-mail me at sweetsimplicityblog@gmail.com. I will love you forever.


I have a waitlist for my blog designs. Whoa! I can't believe people actually want ME to design their blogs. It makes me oh so happy! A waitlist means less blog posting and more designing.
Here are a couple of my newest designs:

I love Joi's decorating style and her blog design now reflects it. See for yourself here.
Fullscreen capture 8132010 22027 PM

Natalie had a great vision for her design and I turned her ideas into this:
A Day in the Life - Google Chrome 842010 115710 AM

Tuesday, August 10

summer veggies

I hate that it feels like summer is over. The stores are full of fall clothes and while I can't wait to buy new clothes or for the weather to get cool, I realize that we have two solid months of HOT weather. So, part of me feels like this post is kinda late, but that is just silly! Enough jibber jabber.

The last time I was home my mom had this big box of corn from my great uncle's farm. Yum, yum!
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I took several ears home with me and was telling her about this yummy butter recipe I had found in a Cooking Light cookbook. I thought I would share it with you all in case you have a big box of corn in your house or maybe just a few ears.

Chili-Lime Corn on the Cob
Ingredients:
4 ears shucked corn
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp grated lime rind (I just used lime juice--I realize its not quite the same thing, but close enough.)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place corn in a microwave-safe dish; cover dish with wax paper. Microwave at high for 7 min or until tender.
2. Place butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 15 seconds or until butter melts.
3. Stir in chili powder, lime rind, salt and pepper.
4. Brush butter mixture evenly over cooked corn.

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If you have a kitchen full of other veggies or just want to take advantage of all the fresh goodness, then you must make this:
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picture from Cooking Light

I found this recipe on Kate's blog. She adapted it from Cooking Light and it is oh so good!
It has become a regular in my rotation.

I bring my lunch to work almost every day. I discovered the best pre-made salad at Target.
salad

It can be found in the deli coolers and is Archer Farms. The salad contains strawberries, blueberries, grilled chicken and goat cheese with poppy seed dressing.
Target was out of it last weekend and I thought I was going to cry. It is that good.

Monday, August 9

weekend recap

We had a very laid back weekend. I had a list of things to accomplish and almost got them all done. {I heart lists!}

Ty and I saw Iron Man II at a dollar theater. When this was first released we had never seen the Iron Man I. We ended up renting it, but never made it to the theater to see the second one.
mock-iron-man-2-poster
I drove by the dollar theater earlier in the week and saw that it was showing. We had never been to this theater before and while the theater itself was fine, the people were very interesting. Ty has been making up words to the theme song all weekend. He is always making up words to songs. I am not witty enough to do that--good thing I have him to keep me entertained.

I had a wonderful lunch with Megan and Jessica on Saturday followed by some fun shopping. I also got to meet one of Jessica's adorable little girls.

My big project for the weekend was to make curtains for our dining area. Of course, this didn't get completed, but I did cut out the fabric. That counts toward something right??
Here is a sneak peek at the fabric:
IMG_1234-thumb
{via}
I will show pictures once they are complete...whenever that may be!

Thursday, August 5

book club

I'm sure that some of you have heard about Book Beginnings and Bookends, a new online book club. Rachel and Erin have dreamed up this great idea. I have actually never been a part of a book club. The book looked intriguing and I had been on the hunt for something good, but since reading The Help I haven't been able to find anything that tickled my fancy.

The book they have selected is:
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes
ceeceewilliams


Or if you are like me and checked the book out at the local library
your cover probably looks like this:
0778322750

Twenty-eight years ago a North Carolina governor's young, pregnant wife was kidnapped. Now her remains have been found and a man charged with her murder. Only one person -- CeeCee Wilkes -- can refute the charges against him. But CeeCee disappeared years ago . . .

Eve Elliott is a successful therapist to troubled students, a loving wife, a mother deeply invested in her family. But her happiness is built on a lie. When she was a lonely, vulnerable young woman, a single decision made in innocence led to a dark night of unimaginable consequences. Now, forced to confront her past, she faces another terrible choice: reveal to her family that she is not who she seems, or allow a man to take the blame for a crime she knows he did not commit. If the choice affected only her life, Eve is certain she would do what is right. But though inaction means condemning an innocent man, it also means protecting her family from the mistakes of her past.

Corinne Elliott has always known she was different: the only redhead in a family of brunettes, the paralyzing shyness that contrasts with her sister's vivaciousness, the many fears -- of highways, of bridges, of public spaces -- that constrict her daily life. Still, with a new job possibility and a baby on the way, she's found some measure of happiness -- until the day she turns on the television and finds her mother's image on-screen.

Now, as the past explodes into the present, Corinne must confront the secrets she has always intuited, and find answers from the one person who knows the truth of what happened two decades ago -- CeeCee Wilkes.


I wanted you all to know about the book club before it actually started so you could join. If you aren't into book clubs, I would still recommend this book. I'm about half way through it and I can't put it down. I would love to take the afternoon off and curl up with my couch potato of a dog and read, read, read.

Wednesday, August 4

time flies

I can't believe I haven't posted in over a week. Life has been busy.
Last week my mom, sister, and nephew came for a visit. My cousin had her second baby last week, so we all went to meet sweet little Brynlee. They didn't find out what they were having and it was very exciting for us all to find out it was a little girl.

Chesley meeting Mason.
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Mason had been doing some weird breathing thing and LeAnn asked Ty to check it out.
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Ty feeding Mason to make up for all his poking and prodding. :)
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Brynlee was a little bigger than Mason. She was 3 days old and he was 4 weeks.
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The best part about waiting this long to post is I have seen everyone else's pictures and borrowed a couple.
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Tara sent me this picture yesterday of Brynlee wearing the little outfit I bought her.
brynlee

Other highlights from my week long blog break:
-We helped Ty's sister and fam load their belongings in the back of a U-Haul for their move.
-I took my little sis, H, bowling.
-Watched the Bachelorette finale with Chesley
-Worked/working on several blog designs
-Gearing up to have new students on campus
-Ty's vacation month is officially over. He is back to rotations. It was nice to have him around for a month. He did a lot of studying for step two boards, but was able to just hang out as well. He has a busy month ahead with two major tests (boards & the PE) and preparing for audition months.
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