WE'RE GOING TO THE BEACH

A couple of years ago J and I were grocery shopping at Sam's Club.  There was a Mom with her young children in the freezer section.  The children started dancing and chanting in unison, "We're going to the beach!  We're going to the beach!  We're going to the beach!"  You can't even comprehend how enthusiastic and excited they were.  Ever since then, J and I do a little dance and chant before our own beach vacations.  Today is one such occasion!  We're leaving on a jet plane in an hour (?!?!) and flying up to Baltimore.  My cousin Jennifer is marrying her fiance, Christopher Wojcik, tonight.  Congratulations Jennaboo!  Enjoy your last hours as a Sylvester.  Then, after tonight's wedding festivities, J and my family are all heading to Fenwick Island, Delaware for a week.  Sun, sand, and sea... here we come!

THE BIG 1

Our favorite niece and nephew turn 1 today!  How in the world has a year gone by so quickly?  I feel like I just wrote THIS blog post welcoming them into the world.  J and I are sending lots and lots of HAPPY BIRTHDAY hugs and kisses to Hawaii.  We love you Andrew & Addelyn!

Andrew Jackson

Addelyn Kailani

TN FAMILY REUNION

J and I got home last night from his family reunion.  It was a whirlwind of a weekend.  We flew up to Nashville late Friday evening, the reunion was all day Saturday, and then we flew home Sunday.  I don't know if anyone did an official count so just guessing I would say 45 people attended the reunion.  There were people there from Wisconsin, Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana (us!), and of course Tennessee.  I was introduced to lots of people I had never met before.  Actually, J even met lots of new family.  Third cousins and such.  J's parents organized the event and hosted everyone at their house.  Their large backyard with a resort like swimming pool is always the perfect party spot.  They did a fantastic job welcoming everyone into their home and handling the large crowd.  Can you imagine cooking ribs over a hot grill in the summer heat for that many people?!  Now that's love.  Way to go Mr. Terry and Mrs. Lynette!

J cuddling with Litti (his sister Jacqueline's dog)

J, Me, Jacqueline, Chris, Mrs. Lynette, Mr. Terry

BEACH BUMS

J and I just got back yesterday from a weekend in Pensacola Beach with my parents.  My Mom and Dad flew in Thursday, we all headed to the Hilton on Friday, and then we came home Sunday evening.  It was a very quick beach weekend but very worth it.  I managed to not burn thanks to multiple sunscreen applications and staying hidden under a beach umbrella the entire time.  This was a first people, an exciting first!  My Mom has more (probably better) photos from the trip but here are some of mine...

Daddy, Me, & Mom having breakfast at the Broken Egg in Mandeville, Louisiana.

Me and J on our balcony overlooking the beach.

Such a nice view!

Ahhhh.  Hammocks are so relaxing.

Always a challenge getting out of them though.  Good thing I was there to help.

The best parents ever!  Wish all the time that we lived closer to one another.

Enjoying an amazing dinner at the Grand Marlin.  Live music and fresh seafood!

I'd be as red as a lobster if it weren't for those beach umbrellas.

Gorgeous white sand and turquoise water.

Not the best example of my photography skills.  You needed to lean in more, J!

Love the colors!

Uh oh.  A towel monster has emerged!

Looking good baby!

We had dinner one night at Flounders.  I love their Pina Coladas.

This was the very last night for the 360 Pensacola Beach Observation Wheel.  The following morning they started to take everything apart and pack for it's permanent move to Atlanta, Georgia.  We'll miss you Ferris wheel.

MAILBOX RENO

I have a secret... J and I have been living with an ugly mailbox.  I've hated it from day one.  I know it's an easy thing to replace but we rent.  I don't want to put money into something we don't own, even if it's only $30.  $4?  That's another story!  I bought some sandpaper, a can of spray paint, and went to town yesterday.  It was so easy and looks so much better.  I should have done this forever ago.  See the transformation below...

This is what I started with.  The original mailbox in all its glory.

The mailbox after sanding.

I started applying light coats of paint with a few minutes drying time between each coat.

I think I applied one more coat after this picture and then let the mailbox dry overnight.

All done!  The new and improved mailbox is back in its rightful spot.

This is a shot of our porch from a distance...The mailbox looks good, right? And who is loving the colorful flags!?! That's the standout to me.  Remember I mentioned buying the Louisiana prayer flags HERE? J and I put them up over the weekend. I find myself walking out front throughout the day just to see them. Hopefully my obsession will wane as time goes on ;)

One last look...

COLLEEN WILCOX

I saw (and subsequently repinned) an image of a painted surfboard on my Pinterest.  Thought it was so pretty and so colorful that I wanted to share it on the blog too.  Meet Colleen Wilcox Art.  Colleen has a variety of merchandise including trucker hats, iPhone cases, and greeting cards.  But dude, I'm totally digging these surfboards!

SUPERVISOR CELEBRATION

J found out this past Friday he was getting a promotion and raise!  The official congratulatory work e-mail went out today.  Hip hip hooray for J!  I am incredibly excited for him. He works really hard and is fortunate enough to be employed at a company that regularly acknowledges and rewards this.  Instead of a Senior Accountant, he's now a Supervisor.  Woo hoo!

We celebrated Friday by going to dinner at Toups'.  It's really close to the house so J wanted to walk.  But alas, it was really hot outside.  Yes, it's exceptionally hot and humid in NOLA already.  Plus, the weather channel had been calling for storms all day so I insisted we drive around the corner.  Reluctantly, J agreed.  2 minutes (0.3 miles) later and we were there!  J and I had a lovely dinner.  The mint juleps and cracklins were my favorite part!  The sun was still shining when we walked outside after dinner.

Later that evening, when our bellies weren't full, we decided to grab some dessert at Angelo Brocato.  Angelo Brocato is a bit further from the house, but not by much.  Since J had wanted to walk earlier to dinner, I suggested we could walk to get dessert.  "I thought you said it's too hot," he told me.  "The sun is down so it's cooler now," I replied.  "The rain," he questioned?  "The weather man obviously got it wrong," I answered.  Away we went on foot.  Half way there, we felt it!  Heavens to Betsy!  The sprinkling had started!  Luckily, we were able to get our desserts and get home before melting!

Toup's Meatery in Mid-City

I am SO proud of him!

Pitcher of Mint Juleps

Hot Cracklins (our favorite food of the night)

Finished off the evening with some sweet treats from Angelo Brocato.

It's official!

RED ARROW WORKSHOP

I have really wanted to get my hands on some Louisiana prayer flags.  I've seen them draping across porches all over New Orleans but had never come across them in a store.  J suggested I Google where to buy them (duh!).  Why didn't I think of that?  My internet search brought me to Parish Ink in Lafayette, Louisiana.  I contacted Parish Ink and they directed me to their "sister store" Red Arrow Workshop, also in Lafayette.  Now for the exciting part...  I called Red Arrow Workshop YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.  Please note the emphasis on YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.  They had the handmade flags in stock so I placed my order ($35 for 8 flags / a strand is about 10 feet long).  Guess what arrived in the mail TODAY?!?  My flags and some other free goodies!  Talk about turnaround.  So... to recap...  I received my awesome Louisiana prayer flags, some fried candied pecans, two stickers, a pin, and a yummy hard candy.  Thank you, Red Arrow Workshop!  You're awesome! I can't wait until J puts our flags up over the front porch.  I would love for him to do it tonight when he gets home from work but I know better.  I'll be patient and wait until Saturday.

NUMERO CUATRO

As of May 16th, J and I have been married for 4 years!  2009 to 2013, baby!  It feels like just yesterday we were exchanging vows at St. George's.  We did not get to spend our actual anniversary together this year which was hard.  Instead of being extra happy I was extra sad :(  I was six hours away at Ole Miss for a grad school session and J was... well... home in New Orleans.  So it's completely my fault.  Next time I have a scheduling conflict with school I'll just call Ole Miss and have them change their academic calendar on my behalf.  I'm sure that'll work, right?

When J and I were together again and able to celebrate, it was fantastic!  After my long drive home yesterday, I called J to let him know I was about to park on our street.  I paralleled and saw J come running down the sidewalk with flowers and champagne.  He gave me a huge hug, huge kiss, and I had a huge smile across my face.  We spent the rest of the evening catching up and cuddling on the couch.  Perfection!  Happy (belated) Anniversary to my best friend!  I'm so happy to be home!

05/12/13 - I hid J's anniversary card in his underwear drawer before I left!

05/24/13 - J gave me the cutest (and softest) card when I got home.

 05/24/13 - Beautiful flowers from my baby!

05/16/09 - We'll have our cake and eat it too!

07/12/13 - My anniversary gift for J FINALLY arrived via FedEx.

3 weeks to make and deliver?  How about more like 7+ weeks!

EL DIA DE LA BATALLA DE PUEBLA

Hola!  Happy Cinco de Mayo! Or as they call it in Mexico, El Día de la Batalla de Puebla. In the U.S., we observe today as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. But south of the border, May 5th is used to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  In college, Cinco de Mayo was crazy!  Things always got pretty wild at LSU but Cinco de Mayo took things to another level.  I'll spare you the details since my mother and father read this blog but I may or may not be allowed back at Serranos Salsa Company on Highland ;)  Luckily, I've outgrown my party animal ways and we celebrated today by having a potluck with friends.  I made Margarita Cupcakes and J made Mexican Rice.  All the food brought was delicious but I forgot to take pics during the party.  You can at least enjoy the 2 shots below... Adios mi amigo!

Margarita Cupcakes

Recipe HERE from Created by Diane

Mexican Rice

Recipe HERE from Created by Diane