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Meet Holli.

She is by far one of my most favorite people in the world.

By blood she's my cousin, but in real life, she's so much more.

Much more like a sister.

We're like kindred spirits.

Love, love, love her.

Anyway, so.....this week as you know I'm in Oklahoma. Our cabin is so nice! I'll post pics of that later. I'm really writing to tell you about something much more important.

One of the most wonderful places I've been.

So in this town where we're at, Broken Bow, OK - there's a little winery.

It's called Girls Gone Wine. (the pic above was taken there)

***sidenote: you need to become their facebook friend***

Now, it's not just a wine shop.

These three ladies have created a getaway for girlfriends.....seriously a whole trip planned around wine.

I'm not a wine drinker. Yet I've always been intrigued by it....and those who do drink it.

I met Holli there yesterday before we met up with the rest of the family, and I'm totally in love with this place!

Like, I want to plan a trip here.

It might be a little much to get a group from GA to go to OK for wine, but it's SO cool!

They have a website, but it doesn't do it justice.

I think I'm gonna have to go back and take a few pictures of the place for you.

Oh it was just great.

So for today, I'm hoping to get out and see what else Broken Bow has to offer....inside. It's been raining non stop.

Happy Wednesday!

Hey Y'all!

Well hey y'all! I'm currently driving a long open road to the wonderful state of Oklahoma.
Well since this is my first visit I don't actually know if it's wonderful or not.
Here's to wishful thinking.
I'm so extremely excited to get out here tho!
I've missed my family!!!
I'm sure I will have soooo much to blog about over the next few days!

So far on the drive I have been completely mesmerized by the farm land.....something about the life of a farmer completely captivated me.
It just seems like such a happy life.
I know there's tons of hard work, but it's honest work.
I'm drawn to the simplicity of it.
Maybe in my next life I'll be a farmers wife!
Maybe it's just me being envious of...I don't know...the Pioneer Woman!

Ahhhh....day dreams.

Have a fabulous Tuesday!

-- Post From My iPhone

Be Somebody

Another gift I received for Christmas was some lotion by Philosophy.

I love this line of products.

The sayings on each of them are so moving!

The lotion I got is called "be somebody" - it doesn't have a strong scent - very clean so I can wear it under any of my perfumes.

But the main reason I'm blogging about it is because of what it says on the front.....and I thought you would like it too.

"you can be somebody without having wealth, fame and power. these gifts define a standard of life not our standard of virtue. you will be remembered for your virtues. the headlines you make in this life will be based on the differences you made in the lives of others. you are defined by the smiles and sweetness you leave behind. so be kind and know, in doing so, you are indeed not anybody but a real somebody to love."

LOVE this!

The Gifts.....

Happy day after Christmas 2010!!! So this year, Chris and I didn't exchange normal gifts. Instead, we bought each other a couple of photo classes and some concert tickets. We're going to see Hillsong United in March and let me just tell you.....I CAN NOT WAIT!

This was quite a busy Christmas season! It started with Chris' family shindig at noon on Christmas Eve. It was fabulous as usual. Lots of love! Then we had church, our annual waffle house dinner, and then a slumber party with Chris' parents and siblings. Again, lots o' fun!

Christmas morning we got up, opened gifts, then headed out for my family get together. We ate the most fabulous steak dinner! Yuuuuuummmmmmmyyyyyy!

So here's most of my gifts. Notice that Molly just had to be in the middle of everything!

Why yes, yes that is a Kitchen Aid mixer! A few of the managers I support pitched in and bought this for me! And yes, it is by far one of the best gifts ever! Absolutely can't wait to make something with it!

So I found a Snuggie. No one gave it to me.....just happened upon it. So today I put it on and it's really quite comfy. And functional! So I convinced Chris that he needed to try it on and well.....success!

Now this gift, I totally love! My aunt made it for me and it matches our living room perfectly! I feel the need to make a ton of these! My favorite part is the Winnie the Pooh quote:

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so that I never have to live a day without you." Awww......

Whatever Happened To...

i got to thinking the other day.
dangerous, i know.
but seriously, our society has changed SO drastically.
do remember tgif on abc during the 90s?
you know, a family friendly couple of hours on tv?
they were the BEST shows!
i miss the innocence of that.
a lot.

like step by step - i could sing you the whole theme song right now!
step by step, day by day...
ok i'll stop.
but i loved that show!


and was there ever anything better than the love of cory and topanga on boy meets world?
seriously loved that show.
i now watch the dish on style network (topanga..err....danielle fishel hosts it) just to get my fix.
i have now decided i want the whole series on dvd.
do hear that chris? (wink wink, nudge nudge)


and of course there was family matters.
did i do that?
that unmistakably annoying voice of steve urkel, but the show was so addicting!



of course there will never be another show like full house.
seriously....who didn't love it?
and who didn't want an uncle jesse?

did you really think i would forget growing pains? ahhhhh

an then there were the disney movies that came on every week. i mean seriously, it was wonderful!

my family truly did sit down and watch all these shows together.

i miss the innocence.

i miss the encouragement and importance of family.

where has our society gone?

too much technology?

too much emphasis on getting ahead, getting the next best thing?

i don't know why it just popped in my head this week.

i honestly had forgotten about it all.

but seriously, when was the last time you rushed home on a friday or saturday night to have family time with family shows emphasising good, moral values.....not some sex addicted teenagers.

it's funny how growing up i identified with characters out of each of these shows.

loved them.

seriously.

oh, the good old days.

Recap Time!

Happy Monday to ya!

This weekend was a fast one! Saturday morning we had a Christmas brunch with my family. My uncle and aunt have recently gone vegan. Well if you consider 10 months ago recent.
So we had a vegan brunch at their pad.
I was a little worried.....I've never really had vegan food.
She made gingerbread waffles, which I must say were quite tasty! :)
There was a delicious cranberry sauce that went over the top of them.
I'm gonna need that recipe. For realz.

So after our lil' brunch, I headed out to West Georgia for a huge family photo shoot. We're talking 8 adults and 7 children. But SO much fun. Pictures turned out great....I'll share soon!

So we made the trek back to our side of town and had a craft extravaganza. I officially only need to purchase 3 more gifts (and make 10). That's awesome!

And I even have a few spare gifts left over just in case I've missed someone!

Well the time is drawing very near......a week from today we'll be heading West to great state of Oklahoma. I guess it's great...never been.
But I am so incredibly excited!
We've got the cabin rented, recipes planned, and it's going to be awesome.
I'm just so looking forward to some quality time with my family! This is huge because I usually only see them once a year - this now makes it multiple times this year! Woo hoo!
Now I've just got to get them to take a trip East to come see me! :)
Anyway, I digress. So once we get to the cabin we're decorating a tree. A down home tree with popcorn garland and homemade ornaments. Can. Not. Wait.
For realz.
Just think of the photos that will come!
Makes my heart go pitter patter.

Time To Check Yoself

The only thing about Christmas being so close that bums me out is that it's time to check up on all those new years resolutions/goals that were set this time a year ago.

For me, I feel confident that I have not completed any of them.

Sadness.

But this year I've really had a lot pop into my head to change for 2011.

A LOT.

In the next few days I'll definitely be pulling together Project 2011 - or that also known as new years resolutions.

In thinking of all this, I think I'd like to see a life coach. I've really been thinking for a while now about going back to see a counselor. I quit going when money got tight, but I just really have a lot of stuff that I still need to work through.

And this coming year, I've got one really huge goal and I think having a life coach would be instrumental in helping me achieve it.

I have to accomplish SOMETHING!

So how have your resolutions turned out so far?
FYI - you still have like 20 days to do some of them!

-- Post From My iPhone

It's The Most Wonderful..errr..Craziest Time Of The Year

Currently it is spitting snow outside and I absolutely love it! I love for it to be cold near Christmas....really gets me in the spirit.

But let me tell you what is ruining my spirit....

That would be my dear kitten Molly who is currently climbing the Christmas tree behind me and knocking off ALL of the ornaments. It's more like my floor is decorated for Christmas.

Why?

Why must she do this?

I'm about 2.5 seconds away from taking (more like throwing) the whole tree down.

It is true.

And that is why I purchased plastic ornaments for the tree this year and put none of my "good" ones up.

It looked so pretty, but it's about to be no longer. Now off to Christmas shop! Let's see how much those crazies out there annoy me.....maybe I'll take a dose of my natural nerve supplement. Yes, yes I will.

And Shuffle

So like I said a few days ago, I'm randomly catching up on the topics from the 30 Day Blog Challenge that I failed so miserably!

Today I am going to put my iPod on shuffle and tell you the first 10 songs......as if you really cared. But I'm telling you anyway! :)

Happy Thursday!

1. Kissing You - Des'Re - Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack
2. Where the Spirit of the Lord Is - Chris Tomlin - Passion Awakening
3. You're Not Alone - Meredith Andrews
4. Don't Stop the Music - Rhianna
5. See You Again - Miley Cyrus (don't judge)
6. Like a Lion - David Crowder Band
7. Need You Now - Lady A
8. Let Go - Frou Frou - Garden State Soundtrack
9. Sideways - Dierks Bentley
10. Heart Like Mine - Miranda Lambert

just in case you were wondering....

1. Jesus is my BFF

2. I got married at 21

3. I love country music.

4. A good photo makes my heart pitter patter

5. i think movies from the 40s, 50s, and 60s were by far the best

6. audrey hepburn is my idol. LOVE her.

7. i want to change the world.

8. i have been at my current job for 5 years. and my job before that i was at for 5 years.

9. I have two kitty cats - Jackson and Molly

10. I used to play clarinet. and i was pretty darn good at it too.

11. I want to spend a christmas in chicago and new years in new york.

12. when i was a young child, i was convinced i was married to randy travis.

13. i have gutted a deer - and carried its liver. their livers are blue. pretty sure i'm traumatized.

14. i want to visit all 50 states.

15. i would love to have a clothes shopping assistant. i'm too scared to try new styles.

16. laughter really is the best medicine.

17. i have spontaneous bouts of OCD.

18. i love the color green. bright green.

19. i would absolutely love a kitchen aid mixer. i don't really bake. but i think i would if i had one.

20. steel magnolias is one of the best movies ever made.

21. it's a miracle that i turned out the way i did.

22. my siblings have my heart. i would give my life for them.

23. i can't wait for the day that i can pursue my dreams of being a mom.

24. i am obsessed with the mountains. love, love, love them. want to move there. doesn't really matter which ones.

25. i am addicted to making lists of any kind.

26. i long to go to europe. the previous time i spent there was just enough to tease me. imagine the pictures!!!!

27. i am learning that you can't choose your family and that they are a gift i should always adore.

28. i have also learned that there is no such thing as normal.

29. i love all things rustic.

30. i wish i could wear scarves year around.

Now I want to know about YOU!