tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32065407844686093202024-03-14T10:12:13.710-05:00Gone Coastal....in a Non-Coastal TownMy husband, Brad, and I have gone coastal in a non-coastal town. We love water, beaches, warm breezes, flip-flops, sunsets, and a life with little worries. We reside in Austin, TX...obviously, not a coastal town, but our dream is to one day own a beach house. In the meantime, I began this blog to help bring some "coastal life" to Austin and get inspired by other coastal lovers.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-84293520786642259042012-08-22T16:28:00.001-05:002012-08-22T16:33:32.497-05:00Mommy fears & nursery reveal<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFiNhqaeU1VcRpIAxGnuCO04mrSxK34ehnioG8O5B1eWIzfhxusNriASOIywaOOZuC5QCD8cRyF_2rZAlt64XqMTKDawv8f3_kDZJLC8crop3d47Uj_ZUNGDHMeoHvq9GakOlbI47V30w/s1600/mom+and+mabel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFiNhqaeU1VcRpIAxGnuCO04mrSxK34ehnioG8O5B1eWIzfhxusNriASOIywaOOZuC5QCD8cRyF_2rZAlt64XqMTKDawv8f3_kDZJLC8crop3d47Uj_ZUNGDHMeoHvq9GakOlbI47V30w/s320/mom+and+mabel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Granny Mabel with my mom and her 2 brothers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
MOMMY FEARS: <br />
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So, here I am…2 weeks away from my due date and I’m not
going to lie…I’m freaking out a little bit about becoming a mom. I sit around daydreaming and thinking to myself how incredible it is that my body
knows how to keep my little girl safe for 9 months (really 10 months).
She is incredibly protected in there and I have been fortunate to not have to
worry about her too much. Then my thoughts move forward in time and I think about leaving the
hospital with just B, our new daughter and myself and I get really nervous. After
birth, is there just a sudden flow of “mom knowledge" that will magically enter my brain? I’m
not sure, but I do know that when we leave the hospital, I will sit in the backseat with her on the way home and make sure B drives
no faster than 5 miles per hour all the way home. I just know
I’m going to look at her sweet face and remember that I’m responsible for
everything about this little girl. EVERYTHING. Is that scary to anyone else? </div>
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I’m sure there are many new moms out there who know this
feeling. I’ve spoken to my mom, friends that are new mothers and everyone says,
“it’s normal.” Even if it is "normal" it's a wave of emotions and it’s amazing how something can be so exciting,
yet so terrifying at the same time. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I already think and worry about...what schools will she attend? What activities
will she be involved in? What
college will be best for her? How can I make sure she understands kindness, thoughtfulness,
compassion, the importance of giving back to our community and others? You know…all of life’s big questions. However, I know once
she arrives, at least for the first few months, my questions will be more along
the lines of...When is the last time I showered? What day is it? Our life will be focused on raising this
child the best we know how and I know it will be fun, exciting,
exhausting, challenging and most of all rewarding. Thankfully, B and I have had great role models
that we have learned a lot from and that have helped mold us into the kind
of parents we inspire to be for our sweet girl. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Thank you to all the wonderful “mommy bloggers” out there.
Your advice is heard and taken to heart…believe me! There are so many wildly
different opinions out there on absolutely everything and it’s a joy to see how
each person...mom, dad or guardian...listens to the advice, changes it or molds it into something unique that works best for his or her family. There are so many opinions, must-do's, how-to's and never-do's out there, but so far in this journey, the best advice I have been given is everyone is different and do what is best for you and your family. </div>
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<br /></div>
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NURSERY REVEAL: </div>
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Once my slight fear subsides, I get excited again and
just sit in her nursery and look forward to the day we finally get to bring her
home and read her the many fun and beautiful children's books sitting on her
shelves. Decorating her nursery was a little difficult for me because my
favorite colors are blues and greens...which you find mostly in the boy section. </div>
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We decided on the wall color first and picked a very light
blue that we loved. Then, I decided to use blue, green and coral. I thought
coral would feminize the space. It took a good while to find fabric that we
liked, but once we did, we had bedding made and began shopping for simple
accessories. I’m very happy with the room! It’s sweet, but not overly girly,
which is what I was worried about in the beginning. Not too much pink! Haha</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egILGPIq5l4/UBK2Tsut6RI/AAAAAAAABqM/V1XA7B2PiuA/s1600/nursery+dresser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egILGPIq5l4/UBK2Tsut6RI/AAAAAAAABqM/V1XA7B2PiuA/s320/nursery+dresser.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ggUxe4CE428/UBK2M2wYjRI/AAAAAAAABqI/jJQCmhCPrb8/s1600/nursery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ggUxe4CE428/UBK2M2wYjRI/AAAAAAAABqI/jJQCmhCPrb8/s320/nursery.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I got many of the accessories at Target. In fact I found
these cute utensil buckets I loved and use them as toy holders on her shelves. </div>
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We received this beautiful, monogrammed quilt from B's Godmother. I know we will be snuggling with this a lot. Thank you Alison!!</div>
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HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!</div>
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-20636305899644177212012-08-15T14:37:00.001-05:002012-08-15T14:37:13.276-05:00Dream come true...
Have you heard where the 2013 HGTV Dream Home is located? Well, I’m sure
excited about it because it’s in Kiawah!! You bet I’ll be registering on-line
EVERYDAY to win this house<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span>. If one of you happen to win it, please pick a date
to invite me to come visit. Hahaha<br />
<br />
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My family and I are already planning a trip back to Kiawah next summer. We
missed it too much this summer. I only hope our little one will love it as much
as we do! Check out the house for yourself! You can see <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/dream-home/hgtv-dream-home-2013-renderings-and-floor-plan/pictures/index.html" target="_blank">pictures</a> of the plan, check out the <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/dream-home/hgtv-dream-home-2013-more-time-lapse-photography/pictures/index.html" target="_blank">construction</a> so far or watch a <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv-dream-home-2013-location/video/index.html" target="_blank">video</a> on Kiawah! <br />
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Winning this house would be a dream come true! I can’t wait to take a peek
at it next summer. Until then, Kiawah…until then…<br />
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Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-89272980451587796572012-08-08T16:34:00.003-05:002012-08-08T16:34:50.329-05:00New blog to follow and a lovely farmhouseFirst of all, I must introduce you to a new blog that I love. Okay,
there is only one post so far, but I can already tell…it’s going to be GREAT! I might be biased since it’s my husband’s, but you must check it out for
yourself. As you already know, B loves fishing and he has talked about
sharing his love of fishing with others in a number of ways. One of those is
through a blog. Without further adieu, I would like to introduce <a href="http://austinanglersjournal.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">An Austin Angler’s Journal</a>. ENJOY! B, I’m so proud of you and I’m a proud follower of An Austin Angler’s
Journal. You have so many stories to tell, so much fishing/angling knowledge to share and so many places to go and I can’t wait to
read about all of your adventures! Love you!<br />
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Now, what about the Southern Living idea farmhouse? LOVE IT! Did you see the <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/community/interview-with-zac-brown-00417000079049/" target="_blank">interview with Zac Brown</a> and pictures of him in the Southern Living farmhouse? I really enjoyed this article. <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/community/interview-with-zac-brown-00417000079049/"></a>If you haven’t listened to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Uncaged</i>,
you should. It has some great tracks. I just love the variety that Zac Brown
Band offers.<br />
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Now, about the farmhouse. In my opinion, the best part about this house is it gives
me inspiration for renovation. I love to see old turn into something new and
unique. I would love to buy a home that needs a lot of TLC and turn it into my
dream house. Again..one day, one day…<br />
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Here are some things I love about this farmhouse:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The open and inviting front porch and entryway. I picture myself sitting on
the front porch, in a rocking chair with a cup of coffee each morning.</div>
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The spacious and clean kitchen with bar stools making room for the whole family. </div>
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The beautiful, bright and welcoming sitting areas throughout the house.
There is so much natural light and the house looks comfy, cozy & livable, which I love. I
hate going into houses where I feel like I can’t relax or sit on anything
because it’s too beautiful or I think I might break it. </div>
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My favorite part of the farmhouse is the back porch with the woven chairs, turquoise cushions
and table with the turquoise cross legs. I’m truly in love with that table. </div>
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I
can see B, me, our little girl and Penny Lane taking some good naps on those chairs and enjoying
a good cocktail! If you didn’t know this already…Penny Lane loves her chair
naps :). </div>
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One other thing I must mention about this farmhouse are the light fixtures…inside
and out! All beautiful and perfect for the setting! </div>
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Great job Southern Living! I wish I was sitting on the back porch of this
house right now enjoying a delicious Georgia Sweet Tea! <br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-28853216067273119442012-07-20T11:30:00.000-05:002012-07-20T11:30:01.410-05:00Sea Island and SavannahBefore I write about our trip to Sea Island, I want to take a moment and let everyone in Denver know that we are all thinking about you. What a horrible tragedy that I wish you did not have to experience. It is so hard to understand why some things happen in this world. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Denver, especially those who were in the theatre at the time of the shooting and their friends and family.<br />
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On to a happier note...<br />
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Welcome to Sea Island! My sister lives in South Carolina, so we decided to meet her and vacation for the 4th of July in the quaint, southern beach town of Sea Island. We flew to Houston and then had a short, 2 hour flight to Savannah. We rented a car in Savannah and drove an hour and half to Sea Island. We first stopped in St. Simon's to eat dinner and meet up with my sister. People were out and about, excited to celebrate the 4th of July tomorrow! After dinner, we had a quick jaunt to Sea Island. We couldn't see much because it was dark, but our cottage was easy to find. We were welcomed with a Sea Island cooler bag, water bottles and a few treats. The cottage was spacious, cute and reminded me of grandma's house. It would have been featured in Southern Living about 30-40 years ago. The pictures that surrounded the house were cute...you could tell the grandchildren visit often and have many memories at the cottage.<br />
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Happy 4th of July! Sea Island knows how to celebrate! We woke up the morning of the 4th and headed down the beautiful main street of Sea Island where you will find beautiful cottages, huge mansions and many, many families riding their red, white and blue decorated bikes to catch the fun 4th of July parade! Before the parade began, we visited the beach club and grabbed a delicious latte in the diner. Everyone was there to watch the parade. Decorated cars, golf carts, people in costume paraded down main street throwing candy to the kids with American music playing in the background. Once the parade was finished...a group of Sea Island moms flooded the streets and did a choreographed dance to "Dixie." It was amazing! <br />
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Most of the action on the 4th of July took place at the Beach Club in Sea Island. There were tons of activities for kids, music, food, snow cones, etc! The beach chairs were filled and the pools were packed! We hung out and relaxed at the beach for most of the day and made our way over to The Cloister (the main hotel on the island) to get some pictures.<br />
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The hotel was gorgeous! It was fun to walk around and read about the history of the place. Politicians, celebrities and socialites from all over the world have stayed at the Cloister. Winston Churchill's daughter was married on the grounds and it was the host of the G8 Summt in 2004. After touring the hotel, we headed back to the cottage to freshen up for the 4th of July BBQ. The BBQ took place at the Beach Club. We had a table overlooking the water and this BBQ was like nothing I had ever seen. They had beef, shrimp and grits, a salad table, a hotdog and burger table, a seafood table...anything and everything you could imagine. The dessert table had ice cream sundae's with toppings galore, cobblers, chocolate chip cookies, etc. It was quite a treat. We enjoyed a great band during our dinner and watched kids run around and play in the sand with huge smiles on their faces. After stuffing ourselves, we headed down to the sand to grab a front row seat for the firework show. It was a beautiful evening!<br />
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Welcome to The Lodge on Sea Island. We ventured a few miles to head to the Lodge for dinner one night. I'm so glad we did. The Lodge has 3 golf courses, a pro shop and a few restaurants. It was a beautiful building, surrounded by gorgeous golf courses overlooking the ocean. We had some snacks and drinks on the porch and took in the beautiful view and setting of the Lodge. Then, we headed into dinner at the Oak Room and had a delicious meal. Once we finished with dinner we walked the grounds once more and took some pictures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sweet little girl enjoyed the trip as well! :)</td></tr>
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After our pleasant, relaxing stay in Sea Island we headed back to Savannah to spend one day. We stayed at the Olde Harbour Inn, walked along River Street and took a trolley tour around the city. It's a very historic city. During the Civil War, General Sherman burned the city of Atlanta and everything else in his path on his "March to the Sea." When General Sherman entered Savannah, it is said that he was so blown away by it's beauty that he could not burn it. Therefore, some of the old mansions and buildings in Savannah are the oldest in the South. They are beautiful and the trees that surround the paths and squares of Savannah are breathtaking. Many movies have been filmed in Savannah, including Forest Gump. Below, you can see the bench where Forest Gump sat at the bus stop in the movie. The trolley ride was informative and we were able to see a lot, but it's not recommended to women that are pregnant. It was HOT!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest Gump's bus stop</td></tr>
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My dad got a recommendation for dinner in Savannah from a bartender at the Beach Club in Sea Island. Let me tell you, she knows what she is talking about! Our last night of the trip, we went to <a href="http://www.700drayton.com/700drayton/" target="_blank">700 Drayton</a> for dinner. It is the restaurant inside the Mansion on Forsyth Park. The decor was so incredibly unique and there were chandeliers in every room. Our waitress was from Russia and was very interesting to talk to and extremely attentive. Most of all, the food was delicious!<br />
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Overall, it was a lovely trip. I definitely recommend Sea Island, especially if you have a family. Kids can rome the streets freely by foot or on bikes, the activities are endless and the hospitality is southern hospitality at it's best. As much as I enjoyed this vacation, I can't say I had the same love affair with Sea Island as I did with Kiawah. Kiawah still holds a very special place in my heart and maybe...just maybe...I'm getting one step closer to finding my perfect little beach town.<br />
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Happy weekend!!<br />
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<br /><br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-54539197834554456322012-07-18T16:07:00.003-05:002012-07-18T16:08:06.421-05:00Best Little Beach Towns...Have you checked out Southern Living's best beach towns? If not, click <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/travel/best-beach-towns-00417000078681/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I'm all about finding my perfect little beach town and once I do, I just might move there. I have been wanting to go to Tybee Island ever since watched a House Hunters show in Tybee on HGTV. They looked at some of the cutest houses! If you have been, I'd love to hear about your trip. We were only about 30 minutes from there when we flew into Savannah to head to Sea Island, but there was just no time for Tybee this trip.<br />
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<img height="184" id="il_fi" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQWZDZM-DCfZ7LzZYtQBV_t_gDFjm1tGLwOueWcIXjEnbw29qjwHmnGClu5" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 30px; padding-top: 8px;" width="274" /></div>
We have been to Folly Beach, SC and it most definitely is the surfer hangout. B loved it...of course. It's amazing how you can go from Charleston...a food and wine city...preppy and southern...yet also artsy and cultured, to a surfer town like Folly and then on to the quaint, family-friendly, golf/beach town of Kiawah. Maybe that's why I love this area so much...you can get a little taste of everything!<br />
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As for the other Southern Living perfect little beach towns, I look forward to researching them more and visiting them one day. I will find my perfect little beach town one day... :)<br />
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Friday I hope to post about our 4th of July trip to Sea Island/Savannah!<br />
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-708033196338400702012-07-16T17:20:00.001-05:002012-07-16T17:20:27.026-05:00Slow movin'...I was talking to my mom this morning (our daily morning chats about nothing) and I told her my morning walk with Penny Lane took much longer than normal. The fact is I'm slow moving these days...I'm not sure if it is the hot and muggy weather or the fact that I'm 32 weeks pregnant...or both...but I'm slow doing everything. Even my blogging ability has slowed to a stop. I can't believe June has come and gone and July is about to do the same. Just plain craziness...<br />
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We have been on a couple fantastic trips since I last chatted with you. Today I will blog about our trip to Turks & Caicos. My sweet in-laws invited us on this trip and we were thrilled! A week on the ocean...yes please! We had heard many great things about Turks & Caicos from friends that had been, so we were excited to experience the island ourselves. <br />
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We arrived on a Saturday and the trip was painless. We flew from Austin to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Providenciales (aka "Provo"). We left Austin early in the morning and arrived in Turks & Caicos by 1 pm. For those of you on the East Coast...this would be such an easy trip for you! Once we landed, we headed straight to Villa Mirabelle, the house my in-laws had rented for the week. There are a few different areas of Providenciales and we stayed on Sapodilla Bay. On the way to Villa Mirabelle, things were quiet. It's the off season for the island and it was peaceful. Once we entered the Sapodilla Bay area, was saw beautiful homes everywhere with quick peeks of the magnificent turquoise water between each home. <br />
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Villa Mirabelle was beautiful! When you entered the front door, there was a perfect view of the pool, loungers and a walkway that headed straight to the Caribbean blue water of Sapodilla Bay. We never needed to leave the house. We had a gourmet kitchen, pool, cabana, chairs, umbrellas, gazebo and the ocean right at our fingertips. It was quite a treat!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sapodilla Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't the flowers gorgeous??!</td></tr>
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We cooked dinner one night and tried places around the island on other nights. My favorite restaurant was right down the street from Villa Mirabelle...Las Brisas. The food was delicious and our table was in a gazebo on a hill that overlooked the Chalk Sound. We enjoyed a lovely dinner, sipped cocktails (virgin for me!) and peered out over the beautiful, quiet sound.<br />
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One morning, the boys went bone fishing, while the girls got pampered. This was B's first time to go bone fishing and he had his new saltwater fly rod in tow. It exceeded his expectations. They had a great guide and caught many beautiful bone fish! While they were gone, my father-in-law had a couple people from a local spa come to the house and pamper the ladies. It was amazing! The ladies were so kind and it was fun talking to them about why they came to Turks & Caicos, how they like it, etc. My nieces and I got manicures and pedicures and my mother-in-law and soon-to-be sister-in-law got massages. All were lovely!!<br />
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I tried to walk every morning. I enjoyed this time and it was fun to look at all the beautiful, unique housing in the area, walk on the the many gorgeous stretches of beaches and see the beautiful cliffside views overlooking the Chalk Sound. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite house in the neighborhood!</td></tr>
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My favorite part of the trip was sailing with Sail Provo. The captains were great, the views were spectacular, the snorkeling was good and the food and drinks were delicious! We stopped at Little Water Cay (aka "Iguana Island") and saw many iguanas. It's the only place in the world where you can see the endangered rock iguana in its natural habitat.Then, we sailed some more and stopped in the middle of the ocean to snorkel. The water felt great! I mostly floated around on a noodle, but did snorkel some and saw some beautiful coral and bright colored fish. Once we were all aboard, we headed to a beautiful beach where families were playing in the sand, fishing in the waves and enjoying the beginning of a beautiful sunset. As we headed back we sailed directly into the sunset for what had to be the most peaceful and serene moment of the vacation. <br />
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It was an incredibly relaxing trip with constant views of iridescent blue water like you have never seen before. The locals are kind and the beaches are beautiful. Renting a house was a great way to really enjoy the scenery and relax. To my in-laws...thank you for a great trip! We appreciate you including us on such a fun adventure and an amazing beach vacation!<br />
<br />
Sorry for my sluggishness with blogging. I hope to bring you more posts in July. The next one will be about our 4th of July trip to Sea Island! <br />
<br />
xoxo,<br />
your slow-moving friend :)Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-69084229816978783722012-05-30T16:06:00.002-05:002012-05-30T16:06:34.060-05:00It's never too late to celebrate my Mom!<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">I'm a little late posting
about Mother's Day, but better late than never, right?? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">I enjoy Mother's
Day because it's a day where we all remember how special our mothers
are to us, however, I'm reminded of this every day. My mom is so much
more than a mother...she's a best friend, an inspiration, a fearless
leader and one of the most intelligent, driven and selfless people I know. Maya
Angelou once said, "to describe my mother would be to write about a
hurricane in its perfect power." This can be interpreted many different
ways, but in my opinion it's about a woman that is strong and has many
things perfectly running at one time to create natural beauty and grace.
My mom is a hurricane in it's most perfect power...she has beauty
inside and out, has the amazing strength to take on, not only, any
obstacle that heads her way, but also any obstacle that gets in my way,
my sister's way, my dad's way or her son-in-law's way. She takes on
everyone's concerns with willingness, positivity and grace and somehow comes up with a solution for
each and every problem in life. I'm always floored by this talent. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We miss you Annie!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">I've been so fortunate to have my mom by
my side for the past 29 years. She impacts my life in a positive way
each and every day. She challenges me to grow emotionally and
intellectually, she inspires me to be a better person and urges me to make a positive impact on this world, she encourages me to always give back to those who need it and to our community and she encourages me to talk
about anything, question things and most of all she listens intently
any time I call. My mom will always be a very large part of who I am
and, for that, I'm forever grateful. I'm a better person because of her
and I pray every day that I can be half the mother to my sweet daughter
that my mom has been to me. Her friendship, love and support is
indescribable. Thank you mom for being an incredible role model, listener, comforter, inspiration, teacher and most of all best friend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">So, now that you know how wonderful my mother is, we can talk about our fabulous mother's day weekend at CINNAMON SHORES!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">My mom
had a conference in Port Aransas the week after Mother's Day, so we
packed our bags and headed to Cinnamon Shores for the weekend. Instead
of renting a house, we rented a 2 bedroom condo. It did not disappoint!
There was ample room, a great kitchen, washer and dryer, beautiful
sunset views and the decor was perfect (at least in my opinion). </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">We did a lot of relaxing...laying on the beach, hanging out poolside, reading magazines and catching up on some chick-flick beach reads. B had one great day of surfing and we even browsed a few of the cute, coastal stores in town. We ate at the restaurant in Cinnamon Shores the 1st night. The food was delicious, but they could use a little help with service. The place was packed with people and that was great to see! The second night, we went into town and ate at Virginia's overlooking the bay. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">It's always wonderful to get down to Port A, especially when we get to stay at Cinnamon Shores! It was a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing mother's day. I even got a special gift...I felt my little girl kick for the 1st time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">I hope all of you Mother's out there were spoiled rotten on Mother's Day! Not everyone has a mother to comfort them each day, so please know how thankful we are for a Mother's love.</span></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-13794772973200126862012-05-23T15:37:00.000-05:002012-05-23T15:37:06.259-05:00Chalkboard PaintI feel like it's time for a new project. One would think that a nursery would be on my mind...getting it ready for the little one that is coming soon, but no...I can't seem to get a chalkboard paint out of my head.<br />
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I love the idea of a chalkboard wall and have been debating painting a wall in our laundry room for months. I would do the magnetic primer and chalkboard paint, so we could use magnets to stick invitations, reminders, etc on the wall. I can see myself writing grocery lists, reminders, appointment dates, etc on the chalkboard wall. Not only is it fun...it's useful!<br />
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There are so many fun ways to use chalkboard paint, but I'm having trouble deciding...do I paint the entire panel or do I frame a particular area of the wall? Who has experience with this? Send me some tips! I love how people have creatively used chalkboard paint in small ways...<br />
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...and in larger ways...<br />
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I'll keep browsing and hopefully my vision will come to life very soon. This should be an easy project, but I want to make sure I now exactly what I want before jumping in. Thank you pinterest for all of your chalkboard paint inspiration!<br />
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-8810796352143166052012-05-21T11:44:00.000-05:002012-05-21T11:44:14.243-05:00My new love...Privet HouseI'm sure by now all of you heard about The Shops at Target. Well, have you checked them out yet? My favorite is <a href="http://www.target.com/c/The-Shops-at-Target-Privet-House/-/N-56f4v#?lnk=Other_HP_051312_ESPOT-2%7CESPOT-2&intc=518640%7Cnull" target="_blank">Privet House</a>! They have the cutest collection at Target. There are a few things I couldn't live without...<br />
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A couple of these candles... </div>
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and this lovely canvas tote that I will bring along on every beach trip! </div>
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I really had to control myself because I could have bought everything in the "Privet House" shop! Some other things I loved include;<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1x4mw24o-rxnSZTOMbn5abMgJ5cGA93rcKJLEExFFL31bVrDDupOolpXuuXYt5Ft4E-_IE6DHgDk5GgTtFPDw4eLgy4V8r6SzvO-gxPM24Yq611AtwL5NM7nbikgTtU4TovGT4p9yi1b/s1600/privet+house+double+old+fashioned+glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1x4mw24o-rxnSZTOMbn5abMgJ5cGA93rcKJLEExFFL31bVrDDupOolpXuuXYt5Ft4E-_IE6DHgDk5GgTtFPDw4eLgy4V8r6SzvO-gxPM24Yq611AtwL5NM7nbikgTtU4TovGT4p9yi1b/s1600/privet+house+double+old+fashioned+glasses.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Old Fashioned Glasses</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coral Napkins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z8_Y2AvElNRyAtqPdZl31S1WkQaovbdbZEGmVjIOCpWAUw_uhNXWHrUik3KHG5C7pN8kHpUsf8UfcU3P8drDYGzzdjvCfczUYtd1fWS6-XEjfb837JrSx0xa769MBe9Al-XZ3QhMbCkC/s1600/privet+house+outdoor+rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z8_Y2AvElNRyAtqPdZl31S1WkQaovbdbZEGmVjIOCpWAUw_uhNXWHrUik3KHG5C7pN8kHpUsf8UfcU3P8drDYGzzdjvCfczUYtd1fWS6-XEjfb837JrSx0xa769MBe9Al-XZ3QhMbCkC/s1600/privet+house+outdoor+rug.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor Rug</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1xsg2pofssWtJdUzsa2-HxU-44qcgyi4K3g_3BeacQAtp5h8TX90_l6e8M5lgVdpdRAYetHITk318FYBjBAKWPydzoJQbK7eZS9n6wGn_Fm6gKtgNAYdnxNrYJCKiTYqlDxtJgS-VSqx/s1600/privet+house+rope+pouf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1xsg2pofssWtJdUzsa2-HxU-44qcgyi4K3g_3BeacQAtp5h8TX90_l6e8M5lgVdpdRAYetHITk318FYBjBAKWPydzoJQbK7eZS9n6wGn_Fm6gKtgNAYdnxNrYJCKiTYqlDxtJgS-VSqx/s1600/privet+house+rope+pouf.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rope Pouf</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr32UMcQvmgBIrwoSARL7Uk6gKRSMLh8gzCL_Wpv160KGsszQDDA4bJiJxhLxBeVt9KKUHgsskDuC3n39n4qtMoMkhIXgVX4tELzDqXeFRYKRPxJqy0BjO8lV6FoHT_RYsKci-XMTiVMEI/s1600/privet+house+serving+tray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr32UMcQvmgBIrwoSARL7Uk6gKRSMLh8gzCL_Wpv160KGsszQDDA4bJiJxhLxBeVt9KKUHgsskDuC3n39n4qtMoMkhIXgVX4tELzDqXeFRYKRPxJqy0BjO8lV6FoHT_RYsKci-XMTiVMEI/s1600/privet+house+serving+tray.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coral Cane Serving Tray</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRg9TfkV22js8tJ-tUKSB3Ok2NIFRr6D8lWVgFoEci_VHpxDqVskU2w-8Y3F2VE57NV8_8-XArHAQscr63dooRVqJ27RAGeGaZ6xOu11OwZlCFs5pBrFaOGWEP0noPZs3kE-NM7ajBmuN/s1600/privet+house+white+storage+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRg9TfkV22js8tJ-tUKSB3Ok2NIFRr6D8lWVgFoEci_VHpxDqVskU2w-8Y3F2VE57NV8_8-XArHAQscr63dooRVqJ27RAGeGaZ6xOu11OwZlCFs5pBrFaOGWEP0noPZs3kE-NM7ajBmuN/s1600/privet+house+white+storage+box.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White storage box</td></tr>
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<br />
What do you think? Do you love it as much as I do? Guess I will need to sign up for updates from the actual <a href="http://privethouse.com/" target="_blank">Privet House</a> store. The other shops are great as well! We bought a bone for Penny Lane from <a href="http://www.target.com/c/The-Shops-at-Target-Polka-Dog-Bakery/-/N-56f4r" target="_blank">Polka Dog Bakery</a> and it has lasted over 2 weeks...which is amazing! Also, if you are headed to the beach in the near future, definitely check out <a href="http://www.target.com/c/The-Shops-at-Target-The-Webster/-/N-56f51" target="_blank">The Webster</a>...great dresses, sun hats, jewelry, etc.<br />
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Target, thank you for being a genius and thinking outside the box. We appreciate you sharing these great finds with us!<br />
<br />
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-89415890189989234842012-05-18T16:40:00.001-05:002012-05-18T16:40:35.416-05:00Vieques Wedding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfFi39xg8R8Yy1nKz3zTKMdfmB1ETnpe_2HAYn0XuQycTMTRwa9Bez4cJRYWgvHaY0fwdxbBAvRgxxBvvvnyQ-3bReUwGYQHgTXbBHG8EhnfHQB_kONz1lpt933foGEpuIY83vkignNY2/s1600/plane+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfFi39xg8R8Yy1nKz3zTKMdfmB1ETnpe_2HAYn0XuQycTMTRwa9Bez4cJRYWgvHaY0fwdxbBAvRgxxBvvvnyQ-3bReUwGYQHgTXbBHG8EhnfHQB_kONz1lpt933foGEpuIY83vkignNY2/s320/plane+view.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Wow...right?? Well this was our view from the VERY small airplane we flew from San Juan, Puerto Rico to the Island of Vieques! Our good friends, Jon & MJ, chose Vieques as their wedding location last year and tied the knot in this beautiful place close to a month ago. We were some of the very lucky guests that attended the incredible wedding and toured the beautiful island of Vieques.<br />
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I had personally never heard of Vieques until they chose it as their wedding location. Well, now I've been and I can tell you first hand to put it on your list of beaches to visit! It has so many beautiful beaches with absolutely no development surrounding them. It's incredible! The beaches are not easy to get to (i.e. need 4-wheel drive), but from what we heard, the locals like it this way to keep people from coming in and developing around the beaches. After going...I'm with the locals...don't mess with the surroundings!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoek3drADP859x3mfOCDxddi5mQ3VwtpbraQy6w0PxyhieY9Eoa6TMvZaB6XNeBdNlrl6HhQgUBPZpfQ4w4MF0ZkrKkMX5m7Cr1GOTxiXbHLRzqqwsoT22QIkiKVJbvfZEbXlfw9wi_h1/s1600/house+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoek3drADP859x3mfOCDxddi5mQ3VwtpbraQy6w0PxyhieY9Eoa6TMvZaB6XNeBdNlrl6HhQgUBPZpfQ4w4MF0ZkrKkMX5m7Cr1GOTxiXbHLRzqqwsoT22QIkiKVJbvfZEbXlfw9wi_h1/s320/house+view.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the balcony of our house</td></tr>
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Once we arrived in Vieques, we met up with some friends to get our car to drive the house we were sharing for the weekend. As we picked up the car, they warned us about the many horses that stroll the island at all times of the day and to watch our gas because they run out on the island. We had never been told these things before when picking up a car, so we already knew there was something special about this place. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B surfing</td></tr>
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As we drove through the town to get to our house, we saw old buildings, an old fort, dancers in the square, but otherwise the town seemed quiet and quaint. We pulled up to our house and went straight for the deck. The views of the ocean were incredible and we were ready to have a drink on the deck while the breeze cooled us off. B woke up most mornings and walked down the hill behind our house to surf (see picture above). He was in paradise! The night we arrived there were small bachelor/bachelorette events planned. We drove to the area of town with fun bars and restaurants and met up with everyone that had made it to the island already. I loved it! Everyone was in vacation mode, laid-back and ready to celebrate the wonderful couple. We celebrated for many hours that night...there was lots of dancing and a "painkiller" was the most wanted item on the menu. A "painkiller" is a drink and I'm not sure what is in it, but that weekend those bartenders must have made at least 1,000 of them!<br />
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We spent the next day at Blue Beach. Gorgeous! White sand, clear water and the water only came as high as your waist for what seemed like a mile. A washers game was going on, a football was thrown, beach hats were worn and beers were cracked open. Both the bride and grooms families came to join us and it was great to meet everyone and hang out in such a lovely setting. That night they hosted a welcome party where we got to meet even more people! Again, the vibe was perfect. Just think of a bunch of Jimmy Buffets hanging out...laid-back and happy.<br />
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Jon & MJ had a beach party for their rehearsal. It was on Sun Bay, where they were to get married the next day and there were tents, beach games, umbrellas, chairs and once again...crystal clear water! They roasted a pig and the bride kissed it for good luck. A few entertaining speeches were given and it was so fun to look around at the people. Everyone had come a ways to celebrate this beautiful couple and there we were...sitting on a breath-taking beach, soaking in the sun and listening to great stories about these two precious people that we all know and love. It was pretty darn special. That night we all had trips out to the bioluminescent bay. We were on the boat and it was quite spectacular to see the water light up when a fish went by or when you stuck your hand or feet in the water. Jon & MJ even got to jump in!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bride kissing the pig</td></tr>
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It's wedding day and once again...the weather was perfect! While the wedding party got ready, we went to Secret Beach. I think this was my favorite. It was a small cove, surrounded by trees and the water was the perfect blue. It was a great way to start the day. It was hard to leave, but we all knew it was time to get ready for the wedding. We arrived at Sun Bay and chairs were set out directly on the beach. You couldn't ask for a more picturesque setting! The groom took his place and he and groomsmen wore khaki suits with Vineyard Vines ties...perfection. Then came the beautiful bridesmaids in their gorgeous J. Crew coral-colored dresses. Even the ring bearer and flower girl were dressed to a tee and made quite an entrance on their long walk to the beach. Then it was time for the beautiful bride to walk down the sandy isle sprinkled with flower petals. She was gorgeous!! So happy and so calm. They said their own vows and did an amazing job. They were heartfelt and funny which is not easy to do. They were pronounced husband and wife and we all headed to the reception!<br />
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There is no way I can put the beauty of the reception into words. They had stayed at this house the week before the wedding and once I got there, I thought to myself that I never wanted to leave. The outside was brought inside with doors that open completely to a very large balcony that over-looked the ocean. There was a pool to the left and more spectacular views to the right. There were twinkling lights everywhere, torches that made the perfect, romantic setting for a wedding and beautiful tables set in white. The centerpieces...oh, the centerpieces! My favorite! They were birchwood with touches of green flowers and votives surrounded each centerpiece. It was coastal, elegant, beautiful and yet simple...exactly what I strive to do with my decorating on a daily basis...but, unfortunately, it doesn't turn out this good:). The wedding was personal, fun, had delicious food and...again...the views. Anywhere you went in the house or deck...your view was of the gorgeous ocean! A really special moment was their first dance. Chad, one of Jon's good friends learned to play, "Can't help falling in love with you" on the ukulele and we all sang while they danced. It was a moment they will never forget.<br />
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In my opinion, this is the way to do a wedding! We got to meet everyone early, so by the time the wedding came around, we all felt like family. It was fun had by all and everyone was just in the best mood...vacation-mode!!<br />
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Jon and MJ...we love you and thank you for inviting us to such a special occasion. You two are perfect for each other and we wish you years and years of love, happiness and lots of laughter! <br />
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On Sunday, B and I missed our connecting flight in San Juan and couldn't get a flight home until the next day. I was so tired and grumpy about this at first, but sweet B had the best attitude. It was my birthday, so we headed to the hotel, walked around Old San Juan, ate a delicious dinner and had the best time! Amazing how things can turnaround! Here are some pics of our San Juan adventure. It's a beautiful city...enjoy!<br />
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Hope you enjoyed this special journey to Vieques...wish I was headed to some place similar this weekend!!<br />
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-87921781502003345912012-05-16T09:23:00.001-05:002012-05-16T09:23:15.010-05:00Kiawah=HappinessYou all know my love for Kiawah, SC and Coastal Living agrees with me! Coastal Living voted Kiawah <a href="http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/americas-happiest-seaside-towns-00414000075266/" target="_blank">America's Happiest Seaside Town </a>and I couldn't agree more!<br />
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I know, I know...I went too long without blogging again, but I have a lot to catch you up on this week and next including; an amazing seaside wedding in Vieques, Puerto Rico and an incredible mother's day spent in our favorite place...Cinnamon Shores! I'll update you soon and hope you are all doing well!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
LizLizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-73365807313415157842012-04-06T11:06:00.003-05:002012-04-06T11:06:38.937-05:00A Coastal Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I only wish I was having a coastal Easter, but a girl can dream right?? In fact, we did have a coastal Easter last year. We spent the long weekend at our favorite place...Cinnamon Shores and it was lovely!</div>
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If I was having Easter on the coast this year, I would have a similar table setting as the one above from Southern Living with a view of the ocean behind it. There is nothing more refreshing than putting on a casual sundress, sipping lemonade and spending time with family and friends in a beautiful setting! What a perfect way to celebrate such an important holiday. Or, I might try this delicious drink from Coastal living (<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sparkling-sea-breeze-10000001940971/" target="_blank">http://www.myrecipes.com/<wbr></wbr>recipe/sparkling-sea-breeze-<wbr></wbr>10000001940971/</a>)! Love that they share a non-alcoholic version for this pregnant lady:). </div>
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I hope you all have a very Happy Easter and enjoy the beautiful weather! Wishing I was here...</div>
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</div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-50398600526831838912012-03-30T16:43:00.001-05:002012-03-30T16:43:26.280-05:00A Sparkle City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yep, you guessed it...SYDNEY is the Sparkle City! At least in my opinion. There are many reasons why I say this...the people, the sun, the pristine beaches and scenery and their amazing fireworks! The 1st day in Sydney, we just walked around to all the sites. The city is breathtaking. Water everywhere, it's so green and the people are incredibly friendly. <br />
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A good friend of ours that lived in Australia for a couple years highly recommended a beach walk from Bondi beach to Coogee beach. Wow...AMAZING...thanks for the great recommendation Jen! As you can see from the pictures above...the water was so blue and the flowers were in full bloom. You literally hit one beach after another and each beach had people playing in the water and sunbathing on the sand. One of our favorite things about Sydney was how much people enjoy the outdoors and take advantage of the gorgeous weather. We stopped a few times on the walk to enjoy a beer and the beautiful views. We even saw an outdoor bowling field. How great is this?! Sorry...it's a little blurry...<br />
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It was Christmas time and it was nice to see Sydney does some decorating for the holidays. The stores were packed with last minute shoppers and we even heard some Christmas tunes every now and then. It felt a little like home.<br />
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The next day we took the ferry to Manly beach. It was a bit cloudy, but still beautiful. Everyone was in bathing suits and sunglasses...ignoring the sprinkles and clouds in the sky. It's a fun, laid-back beach town where surfing is the main sport. B was so excited to surf, but, unfortunately, the weather brought in a large swell...a little too large to surf. The lifeguards weren't even letting people swim. This is one thing we really wanted to do in Australia, but did not have the opportunity this time around. We hope to head to Byron Bay in the future, where B will FINALLY get to surf in Australia! We did get to enjoy some delicious drinks at Hemingway's in Manly.<br />
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For all those blogger friends that live in Australia...I don't know how you do it...food is expensive! Literally, meals are twice as much as they are in the states. We waited too long to find out the secret...eat at pubs! The food is delicious and cheap. We ate on the rooftop of the Glenmore Hotel and we had an incredible meal and an incredible view for quite a steal!<br />
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On our 3rd day, we took a trip to the Blue Mountains. This trip turned out much better than we could have imagined! We 1st stopped at a wildlife park where we got to see all kinds of animals and feed kangaroos. <br />
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On our ride to the Blue Mountains, we enjoyed seeing some of the suburbs of Sydney and listening to all kinds of history and facts about Sydney from our tour guide. Once again, it was a little cloudy, but the views were still beautiful! We took a gondola ride and saw The Three Sisters and many beautiful waterfalls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Three Sisters</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Now for the most spectacular part of our time in Sparkle City...NYE 2011! We met back up with our good friends Nick and Hil to celebrate New Years. When we arrived in Sydney on New Years Eve the City was crazy...people everywhere, so excited to celebrate the start of 2012! We had booked a boat on the harbour and this was the best decision ever. We had front row seats...on the water...for the entire evening. We got on the boat and had champagne and appetizers. Then, a buffet dinner and desserts were served. We met fun people from all over the world and to say the firework displays were amazing is an understatement. There were 2 shows and we were right there for both! As soon as I thought the show might be ending...a hundred more fireworks would light up the sky with all colors of the rainbow. It was beautiful and something that B, Nick, Hil and I will never forget. If you want something to add to your bucket list...add this!<br />
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Hopefully, this gives you a glimpse of why Sydney is the Sparkle City! For all of you that live in Sydney...I'm jealous! It's incredible and I can't wait to visit again one day!!<br />
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This is sadly the end of our Australian/New Zealand adventure, but we will venture to both places again...without a doubt!<br />
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Once one adventure ends...another begins. While we were in Australia, we found out I was pregnant with our first baby! Yes...we are going to be parents in early fall. It's hard to believe and we've called it "Joey" ever since we found out....since we found out in Australia. It's time for that name to retire because we are having a baby GIRL! However, I will be thrilled if she comes out with an Australian accent...haha...I kid!<br />
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Have a great weekend!!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-49391493487892802412012-03-26T17:06:00.003-05:002012-03-26T17:06:46.555-05:00Australia: Port DouglasWe headed to Sydney after Queenstown, but I'm going to come back to Sydney since we ended there as well. After a few days in Sydney, we went to Port Douglas, Australia which is on the Great Barrier Reef. Wow, what different climate. It was hot & humid! Port Douglas is such a cute little town with great food, coffee shops and boutiques! Here is a picture of the surroundings in Port Douglas...just beautiful!<br />
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The first night we arrived we did a sunset sail for B's birthday. Unfortunately, the weather was not great...it rained on us a lot, but we were able to see beautiful parts of the island and being on a sailboat is always fun. We met some great people...even met an American from Florida who came to work in Australia and was doing everything she could to stay and I can see why!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water was so clear!</td></tr>
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The next day we just walked around town and enjoyed ourselves. The locals were so kind! I didn't get any pictures of town...sorry!<br />
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Our next adventure was a day trip out to the great barrier reef on Aquarias. It was so much fun and more than we could have ever imagined! The boat trip out there was beautiful, the food was delicious, the people were great, etc, etc. Once we stopped the boat on the reef, we had to suit up. Yes, we had to wear jelly suits. During the summer in Port Douglas, there are tiny jellies that can sting you, so you wear the suit to protect yourself from stings. Can you believe I still got in after hearing this?? There was a gorgeous, small island that we swam to, where we could walk around and layout. We snorkeled and we event fed and swam with sharks! eeeekkkk..I know! They weren't big by any means, but I still pat myself on the back for getting in the water with any type of shark.<br />
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It was an amazing experience and one we will never forget! You must visit the Great Barrier Reef if you ever go to Australia...it's pretty incredible!<br />
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On to our Sydney adventures next...<br />
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Happy Monday!<br />
<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-47385211682049089072012-03-23T10:02:00.002-05:002012-03-23T10:02:38.291-05:00It's been TOO long!Wow, I have really missed you! I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. I've been keeping up with your blogs and it is always a highlight in my day, so THANK YOU for your consistency..<br />
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I don't have much of an excuse for not blogging, but I got off track around Christmas. B and I took an amazing trip to New Zealand and Australia. I follow quite of few blogs that are located in these places and, boy, do you all live the good life! Your countries are BEAUTIFUL! My favorite thing about both countries is how kind the people are. I live in the South in the United States and you always hear about southern hospitality...well, you take southern hospitality to a whole new level! Everyone is cheerful, says "hello" on the streets, offers directions and ideas on what to do and see. It was the most warm and welcoming place I have ever visited.<br />
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We took A LOT of pictures on our trip, so I'm just going to share some highlights. I'll share New Zealand with you 1st and then Australia another day (I promise it won't be months!). We began our trip in Queenstown, NZ. What a gem of a town! It's a ski town in the winter and a place for all things outdoors in the summer. Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery and a beautiful/quaint town that sits on Lake Wakatipu. I must go back one day!<br />
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Flying into Queenstown was incredible. You fly right over the Milford Sound and it is an indescribable view. Then, once you get to the main square in Queenstown, you have more amazing views. The water, mountains, trees, many cute restaurants with huge decks...all breath-taking!<br />
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B booked a fly fishing trip with Chris Dore while in Queenstown. We drove about an hour out of Queenstown to a small, yet beautiful town called Glenorchy. Chris was incredible and shared so much information about New Zealand and the South Island. We drove past incredible scenery and watched as many people enjoyed the outside by splashing in the water or taking part in one of the many activities the South Island has to offer. Once we arrived at the river the first thing that struck me was the incredibly clear water. You could see all the way to the bottom. New Zealand has done an impeccable job of preserving their land, water, air, etc. Every breath you take you know it's fresh air and the water is 99% pure. The fishing trip was so much fun. It's difficult fishing because it's sight fishing. We would hunt the fish down first and then you have to be very sneaky and quiet and get in a spot where you can cast the fly near the fish without startling it. B got pretty good at this...I, on the other hand, was not so good. It was a fun learning experience and, again, I can't say enough about the beautiful surroundings.<br />
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We (When I say "we", I mean B) caught a brown trout! It was a nice size, but not their biggest by far. This fishing excursion was definitely a highlight of our trip!<br />
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We also got to enjoy the river on a jet boat! Jet boating is one of Queenstown's many outdoor activities. This part of the river is very shallow, but wide and the boat takes you on a fast, fun ride. It was a great way to see more of the beautiful surroundings and the river. It was overall great time! On this trip, we were in Glenorchy again and we stopped to see areas where many famous movies had been filmed including Lord of the Rings. <br />
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On one of our last days in Queenstown, we went on a wine tour. I had no idea how incredible New Zealand wines were...especially their Pinot Noir! They don't ship many bottles to the US, so the only way to get them is to order them directly from the winery. We had a delicious lunch at one of the beautiful vineyards and below was our view while we ate. Not too shabby :)...<br />
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We left Queenstown on Christmas Day, but we had a lovely Christmas Eve before we headed out. We ate a delicious dinner at Captain's and then went to a carol Christmas Eve service at the local Anglican church. It was beautiful. People from all over the world joined in to sing carols we all knew. It was a very special Christmas memory. The picture of the Christmas tree below was taken at the Rees Hotel where we stayed. I would highly recommend this hotel. The staff was great and views of Lake Wakatipu are breathtaking.<br />
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On Christmas Day, we met up with our good friends Nick and Hilary who just arrived in Queenstown, caught up on our adventures, ate a delicious Christmas pizza and then headed to Sydney, Australia!<br />
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It's good to be back in the blog world. I'll carry on with our Australian adventures next week. Have a great weekend!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-55650297114827538892011-12-14T16:12:00.002-06:002011-12-14T16:12:38.758-06:00The Christmas "wow" factorHave you seen Southern Living's "<a href="http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/holidays-occasions/holiday-home-tour-00417000076758/page2.html">The South's Best Holiday Home Tour</a>" yet? If not, take a look. These places are impressive! There is one in particular that caught my eye and, of course, it was the festive Seaside Cottage. It's unique, it's blue and green, decor is in every room and it's beautiful!<br />
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Perfection, right? I love the way they use everyday things like the buckets above, ribbon, wrapping paper and ornaments to give it a coastal holiday feel. Also, I truly love the stockings and the beautifully wrapped presents. I'm not sure I could ever be this put together, but I will definitely be looking at these pictures for inspiration if/when I own my own little seaside shack one day! This is the perfect mix of fun, classy....AND my favorite...coastal!<br /><br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-83069368425332519782011-12-12T17:57:00.001-06:002011-12-12T17:57:19.710-06:00Hot Chocolate & LightsSince we started dating, B and I have a wonderful tradition of getting hot chocolate and going on a Christmas light tour of Austin. I'm so excited because we are about to head on our 4th Christmas Light tour together! I always love the people that go all out (Griswold Family-style) for Christmas. I'm not sure I will ever be this person, but I'm so thankful for all of those people that do go all out. We truly appreciate the time you take to put up so many lights...it makes us smile during the holiday season!<br />
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I am hoping to see some of this tonight...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This...without the snow of course.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oak Hill...near Austin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyfTtWU7XQ96Ir_QPy9nonXq40I-mWByFDoczjSKyatmRmP_i2Wdt2VeptymEpHXc8NA_DE1N2GWeMisKRCIW3G_h2a2iYIhPRRld3uCpfeGSjF-KSK9R5krXwVpA093F_gGy8kklhYsB/s1600/christmas+lights6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyfTtWU7XQ96Ir_QPy9nonXq40I-mWByFDoczjSKyatmRmP_i2Wdt2VeptymEpHXc8NA_DE1N2GWeMisKRCIW3G_h2a2iYIhPRRld3uCpfeGSjF-KSK9R5krXwVpA093F_gGy8kklhYsB/s1600/christmas+lights6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">37th Street in Austin!</td></tr>
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Cheers to hot chocolate & LOTS of Christmas lights!!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-46191821235096812932011-12-06T21:08:00.001-06:002011-12-07T15:58:01.560-06:00Christmas DecoratingI absolutely love decorating for Christmas. When I get home in the evenings, I turn on each and every light at night and it makes me so happy! There is nothing better than sitting next to a lighted tree with presents underneath, sipping on a cup of wossil (thank you mom for sending me a pitcher of your delicious recipe) and watching a silly Christmas movie. <br />
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We started with our tree. Right now, we use a fake tree and add new lights every year. We will be getting a real tree next year. I can't wait...I miss that lovely smell. We had a little helper when we set up the tree. She loves lights...and not to mention wrapping paper, bows, ornaments, etc :). Gracie is a little camera shy, but she also likes to help. <br />
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I don't have a picture of our finished tree, but I'll get one soon. It's nothing fancy. We have lights and a bunch of random ornaments. Mostly ones from our childhoods and from trips we have taken. It is always a blast putting them on the tree together and reminiscing on all the fun memories. After the tree was up, I focused on our mantle. My sister was a big help with this (thanks Annie!). I love lights on the mantle, but I also like a classic look. I ended up going with garland, magnolias and lights. Oh, and we put some wood in our little boat next to the fire. Cozy, right?!<br />
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My sweet father-in-law has given me beautiful handmade Santa's the past 2 years. These Santa's are gorgeous! I now have a green and red one and they cheerfully greet you when you walk in the front door. I only have a picture of last year's, but I'll get a picture of my new one. He's a jazz player with a saxaphone and he's fabulous!<br />
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Our dining room stays very traditional at Christmas. Red and green plaid with gold touches. I love our tree centerpiece on our dining room table.<br />
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Then, it came time to decorate our new kitchen! It has so many blues and greens that I did not want to go the traditional route. I found these beautiful silver, blue and gold ornaments and put them in a vase and they work great with the space! This is where I dream of a coastal Christmas.<br />
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In the living room, we have bookshelves and they are perfect for my village. My mom and dad give us a new village piece each year and I love putting this up because I remember why I got each piece. My village is continuously growing, so it's a good thing we have more shelf space. It's the only place we get "snow" in December. <br />
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Finally, we needed some lights outside. We decided not to do the whole house this year, but did some garland and bows around the door. It turned out nicely and we don't look like the Mr. Scrooge:).<br />
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Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!! <br />
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-43305341935391230532011-12-06T12:02:00.001-06:002011-12-09T17:14:40.949-06:00Orvis ExpeditionWho is a better trip planner than Orvis? I have been eying the <a href="http://www.orvis.com/store/product_directory_tnail.aspx?dir_id=22592&group_id=2981&cat_id=13879&subcat_id=13944">Belize fly-fishing seminar at El Pescador</a> next spring for a while. Belize is definitely a place on my bucket list. The scenery looks amazing, the activities are endless and, according to B (and Orvis), it provides some of the best fishing in the world!<br />
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This fly fishing trip, presented by Orvis, offers a guided bonefishing trip and of course all the amazing-ness Belize has to offer. Each day of the trip you fish with a guide and find the best fishing holes. You don't even have to bring your own fly rod. The trip package includes a saltwater rod, reel, line, leaders and bonefish flies! The trip also includes lodging at El Pescador, which sits on the water. Meals are served family style and you can indulge in a made to order breakfast. There is a beautiful pool and beach to enjoy as well.<br />
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Amazing, right?! If you don't love to fish, go with someone that does and you can just take in the scenery and town! Orvis Travel makes it easy. They know the best places, they create an itinerary for you, help you with flights, you can read reviews and they don't increase prices. They charge the same rates as the lodge does. <br />
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I've always wanted to go to Belize and this is definitely a great way to do it! Happy Vacation Friday to all!<br />
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p.s. B, are you drooling yet? :)<br />
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</h1>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-80958222649366138292011-12-05T17:07:00.001-06:002011-12-05T17:37:01.083-06:00Season of Giving<!--[if !mso]>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is so much going on during
this season. I feel like my to-do list gets longer and longer each day. I was
running around with my mom this weekend, taking care of some holiday things and
finding so many things that I "need." Today, I am fortunate that I
work for a non-profit that brought me back to real life. I was reminded today
of the many, many kids right here in my neighborhood that won't have a
Christmas, that don't get to make a Christmas list, that don't live with a
beautiful lighted tree in their home, that don't get to hug a parent or a
sibling and wish them a Merry Christmas. I'm thankful my job helps keep me
grounded and constantly reminds me the real meaning of this joyous season. It
is so easy to forget about the many people in need when you are receiving
emails every minute with new, grand Christmas gift ideas, when you are
surrounded by beautiful stores with lights and fun red and green items calling
your name in the windows. It's tough...I know. I know many of you already do so
much for others, but today I challenge you to pick your favorite charity in
your community and give back by offering your time and/or money during the
Holiday Season. It's amazing how it makes you feel. It's the best high and best
addiction anyone can get. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVKmulc0YbzUk-2J90lhg4DtzVazo6wuU_XI4agdooRiFYreZ6PNeeqoJxVpPKfsI4tK6yKBpcdkCFuh9TDyeZnl70FgsIVSp1dYg080RDS53xDJqvUqK5e8BDsrYmlQqaJm3nl9gMrCD/s1600/IMAG0338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVKmulc0YbzUk-2J90lhg4DtzVazo6wuU_XI4agdooRiFYreZ6PNeeqoJxVpPKfsI4tK6yKBpcdkCFuh9TDyeZnl70FgsIVSp1dYg080RDS53xDJqvUqK5e8BDsrYmlQqaJm3nl9gMrCD/s320/IMAG0338.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are MANY opportunities
to give back. Last Friday, B and I ran <a href="http://rmhc-austin.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=491203&lis=1&kntae491203=06F95E159CDA45A98450AA2158CBCB5E"><span style="color: blue;">Lights of Love</span></a>. It's a festive, holiday 5K that
benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas. It was so
much fun! It was chilly, people were in great moods...running with their dogs
and children, Santa was there, lights were everywhere and they even had Jingle
Beer on the run! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfsWETBUKDGeHxEyRVzYgG22svmBkKFBULyNS1RvYMoo0vvOF7-3-OaP07k3lnfu8NlM74CvuOtozqxXOmP2P0JA24r5rfgUx431a-FTVJ0O8bOvBcbIa8fHwmTmc3w9Fne7VQcXPIkMe/s1600/IMAG0339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfsWETBUKDGeHxEyRVzYgG22svmBkKFBULyNS1RvYMoo0vvOF7-3-OaP07k3lnfu8NlM74CvuOtozqxXOmP2P0JA24r5rfgUx431a-FTVJ0O8bOvBcbIa8fHwmTmc3w9Fne7VQcXPIkMe/s320/IMAG0339.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS90Ly3iwuz3Q0qu71MXhUl5boZOax9IObcumtyIdzTh80aL_xSYh-az-za2VHhCDuPcKD94gG_toqY9ftAUgeDA6D6GKLFk18q3Pv-bHgSgQcOuNiqj6JAiAFYSuazo_f-pN0jL6H_JBV/s1600/IMAG0339.jpg"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I work for an organization that
helps kids in the system find permanent, loving homes. So many of these kids
won't have Christmas this year. B and I bought presents for a 4 year old girl.
She didn't ask for much and it was so much fun to shop for her. Many
organizations have kids/families you can buy Christmas gifts for, so they can
share in the joy of the season that we all know and love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I saw a fun way to give back today
in my community. HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians) is a local
organization, here in Austin, that provides access to affordable health care
for Austin's low income, unisured musicians, focusing on prevention and
wellness. Some Austin musicians got together and made a <a href="http://www.myhaam.org/"><span style="color: blue;">Holiday HAAM Jam CD</span></a>.
Fun, right?! You can buy the CD or download it for just $10 and have all the
holiday tunes you need for the season!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-q5I6W1pbWaJDMJ0g_u_4HeEtt6XMtKRaFLkXe8DPbVNrCeMJ8VGCR0nkbOVlXhageuqiqvgVYgUCouz39-HMH2avLIpKcQ1EqrBeBAybgGlXDvmINkjEM2FC7N8gnAjVptr44xjZ7DE2/s1600/haam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-q5I6W1pbWaJDMJ0g_u_4HeEtt6XMtKRaFLkXe8DPbVNrCeMJ8VGCR0nkbOVlXhageuqiqvgVYgUCouz39-HMH2avLIpKcQ1EqrBeBAybgGlXDvmINkjEM2FC7N8gnAjVptr44xjZ7DE2/s1600/haam.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enjoy the holiday season and soak in
all the joy the many twinkling lights bring us during this time of year. Just
try to take time to remember the many people in need and the many ways to give
back. Many giving opportunities cost nothing, but time:)! Spread your joy to
those who might not have any this Christmas.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christmas cheer to all during this
lovely giving season!</span></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-66855270742869189102011-12-02T11:17:00.001-06:002011-12-02T11:44:40.538-06:00Vacation Friday-Going Coastal for ChristmasI was browsing coastal living.com and ran into the top 10 Holiday celebrations on the coast. A place that caught my eye was the Harbor in Punta Gorda, Florida. Punta Gorda is located in Southwest Florida, about 100 miles south of Tampa. It has over 70 miles of canals and occupies a point where Peace River meets Charlotte Harbor.<br />
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It appears to be a quaint coastal town, but one that knows how to celebrate the holidays well. In Punta Gorda, they celebrate with Holidays on the Harbor where you will see over one million lights and amazing Christmas decor in Fisherman's Village.<br />
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You can also indulge in the Holly Days Home Tour where you can tour four homes and a church that are decked out with sparkling lights and other holiday decor. Club members dress up these houses with natural materials, such as dried greens and flowers. Sounds fun, right? Well, it gets better. All proceeds of the event help fund scholarships and community projects. If this doesn't get you in the giving holiday spirit, I don't know what will! The fun doesn't stop here. You can also enjoy a Peace River Lighted Boat Parade! Take a cruise on the canals of Punta Gorda and view the spectacular lights of the annual Christmas Light Canal Tour. <br />
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How fun does this look?! A a perfect way to celebrate a coastal Christmas. Happy Friday!!<br />
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</tbody></table>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-57794116348676764672011-11-30T15:01:00.001-06:002011-11-30T15:27:04.336-06:00Thankful- part 2After a wonderful Thanksgiving day with my in-laws, we spent Friday with my family in New Braunfels/Gruene. We did a tasting/tour at the Dry Comal Creek Winery. In case you didn't know, yes, Texas has wineries. I'm not saying they compare to Napa or Sonoma, but they are here and we enjoy them. It was a beautiful day to enjoy this small, rustic winery. <br />
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Christmas decorations filled the tasting room and really helped us get in the holiday spirit!<br />
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There were a couple of wines that weren't too shabby. They had a red that we tasted and enjoyed from the 2010 vintage. They had limited supply, so it was on sale for $5 a bottle! We didn't even have to think twice about buying a case. The vines were prepared for winter, but we learned a lot about the wine making process on our tour.<br />
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Once we got our fill of wine, we headed to the town of Gruene. Gruene is probably most famous for it's old, rustic music venue, Gruene Hall. But don't let the rustic feel fool you, some incredible musicians have played at Gruene Hall. If you are looking for a little Texas fun, this is a great place to see a show! In fact, one of my favorite musicians, Bob Schneider, was set to play the day we were there, but the show was sold out :(.<br />
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The town has fun little shops with a variety of antiques. Here are some good 'ol Texas antiques I found. Anyone in need of some blue boots or some chaps? :)<br />
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After walking around Gruene, my mother had the most wonderful idea. She mentioned dinner at Perla's and all of our eyes lit up and we immediately headed to the car to get back to Austin! Perla's is, hands down, my favorite restaurant in Austin. They have the best seafood, oysters from the Northeast (my FAV), lobster grits, a laid-back coastal feel AND to top it off, the waiting staff wears Vineyard Vines shirts....can it get any better?!!! I would live at Perla's if there was a beach nearby.<br />
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I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get better pictures while we were there, but I promise I will be back and take more pictures of the incredible decor!<br />
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It was a beautiful, fun day with family and a great way to wind down after Thanksgiving. I have been decorating our house for Christmas....I will share some pictures soon! <br />
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-35574298303877059142011-11-28T10:32:00.001-06:002011-11-28T19:18:41.325-06:00Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I'm thankful for a wonderful holiday. I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!<br />
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I had a great time celebrating the holiday with both of my families...my family that has raised me and loved me so well for 28 years and my newer, loving in-law family. We are so fortunate to have both families close by, so we rarely, if ever, go a holiday without seeing both. My wish came true and we have finally received some cooler weather to celebrate the holiday. On Thursday, we participated in the Turkey Trot with my family. This is a fun tradition that puts us in a great mood for Thanksgiving and makes me feel better about eating too much:). Then, we headed out to B's aunt and uncle's ranch. I had no idea what I was in for...what a beautiful place!<br />
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Before I share pictures, I must say MERRY CHRISTMAS to me and B...we got a nice camera...finally! Maybe you all can actually enjoy my pictures now. I know it's not Christmas yet, but this will give us time to learn more about it before our big trip. Plus, B and I can never wait until Christmas to open our gifts...we are so impatient :). Here is our first picture with our new fancy camera featuring me and miss Penny Lane.<br />
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Ok, back to Thanksgiving and the gorgeous ranch. This ranch is about an hour or so out of Austin and with a wide-open landscape, beautiful trees, indoor/outdoor living, an infinity pool, etc...it feels like a sanctuary. It's beautifully designed and offers a very home-y, comfortable living space. The doors at the back of the house are floor to ceiling glass and they open all the way. So, the outside is truly part of the inside and vice versa. Besides the doors, the light fixtures were my favorite. They were everywhere, they were rustic, and they were gorgeous!<br />
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It was the perfect landscape to play around with our new camera. Forgive me for some of the not-so-good pictures...I'm learning. B has a big family and close to everyone was there to enjoy the beautiful setting. Kids were 4-wheeling around the property, ladies were cooking delicious food, and the grown-ups that didn't cook (me included) headed out to the skeet shoot range. Yes, we spent some time shooting skeet on Thanksgiving. This was a first for me and I missed every shot :). Not my forte....<br />
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When it came time to eat, there were tables inside and many outside with beautiful fall centerpieces. The food was so good! Then, we all grabbed dessert and gathered around the TV to watch the Texas vs. A&M game...a long standing tradition that is possibly coming to an end with A&M heading to the SEC. What a great game to end the tradition, at least for the Texas Longhorns. It came down to a field goal and Texas pulled it off! This was the icing on the cake for a wonderful turkey day! <br />
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With full tummies, we headed to my parents house to stay the night. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving day filled with good people, good food and good football. Friday was spent with my family at a winery and I'll share the details of our 2nd Thanksgiving day with you soon.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-82134850359980990142011-11-18T08:59:00.001-06:002011-11-18T13:27:13.112-06:00Longing for some winter-y weather....<div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes we get winter-y weather in Texas, sometimes we don't. Every year at this time, I begin seeing ads for Christmas and I get tons (TOO MANY) magazines full of beautiful Christmas gifts and decorations in beautiful winter-y settings. I start wishing I lived somewhere, where I could walk in fresh snow, wrap up in a blanket by a fire and have the only lights in sight be Christmas lights. I'm definitely a coastal person at heart, but I do enjoy snow, snow skiing and all of the magic snow brings to an area. When I say magic, I'm not thinking about defrosting windshields, shoveling snow out of the driveway, or any of the hard work that comes with snow. For today, we are only going to think about the good things snow brings...snowball fights, sledding, a white Christmas, warmth of a fire, the wonderful feeling of holding a hot coffee or hot chocolate, wearing a jacket and feeling your cheeks get bright pink from the cold wind. I'm really missing that feeling today...it's been a while since I've taken a winter-y vacation. So today, we are going to head to Stowe, Vermont for Vacation Friday! I have never been to Stowe, but I have been in love ever since I saw the <a href="http://www.hgtv.com/dream_home/hgtv-dream-home-2011-beautiful-room-pictures/pictures/index.html">HGTV Dream Home in Stowe, VT</a>! Remember this amazing place...<i>that I didn't win :(...</i>?</div>
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Stowe lies in a valley between Mount Mansfield and other peaks of the Green Mountains. As a Texan, my mountain trips usually involve New Mexico and Colorado. Both wonderful places, but Stowe has something different. An undiscovered small town feel. There is a main street with great, small shops and delicious restaurants. Also, there is a great ski mountain. Everything you could want on a winter-y vacation in a beautiful, small package.</div>
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I collect a Christmas Village. My mom started giving me pieces years ago and each Christmas I take it out piece by piece and display it on our shelves. There is a memory behind each piece. Well, the picture above looks just like my village! The perfect New England winter-y landscape. I love how you see the steeple of an old church in almost every picture of Stowe. What a winter wonderland! Even the Inn's have a quaint feel to them. You can visit <a href="http://www.greenmountaininn.com/gmidiscoverinn.html">Green Mountain Inn</a> and celebrate Christmas and curl up by the fire.</div>
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The homes are beautiful, especially with Christmas decor!</div>
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So, I'm going to kick back and relax with a hot chocolate and a book by the fire in this amazing winter-y getaway! Want to join me?</div>
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206540784468609320.post-13007778827012513922011-11-14T12:27:00.001-06:002011-11-14T13:09:21.208-06:00A tough race...I mentioned in an earlier post that my friend, Hilary, and I were training for a half marathon. We have run one before and decided to train in the dead heat of summer for the San Antonio Rock n' Roll half marathon. Well, the race was Sunday and I could feel all weekend that I wasn't quite ready. I probably could have trained more and my allergies were terrible. When I got to the race on Sunday morning, I was sweating just standing there because of the heat/humidity. Mentally and physically, I was in for a tough race.<br />
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Hilary is a great running buddy. She keeps a good pace and positive attitude. I was already struggling by mile 7, but did my best to put on a happy face and tried to use Hilary's encouraging words to lift me up...more like lift my feet up:). Our families were waiting for us at mile 8. As soon as I saw my mom, I broke down. I was so happy when Hilary kept going and I prayed she would get to the finish safely and beat her goal! The last thing I wanted to do was hold her back. I went off to the side and the idea of giving up on the race ran through my head. As I sat with my sister and husband, who were kind and allowed me to break down for a few minutes, I gathered myself and somehow got the strength to finish. I might be walking this thing and I may faint, but I'm going to finish one way or another. <br />
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My parents taught me many, many lessons in life and one of the most important ones was "don't give up." I wanted to finish this race regardless of my time. My sister offered to walk the last 5 miles with me, but I refused. She was in sandals for goodness sakes! My husband was in sneakers and was going to finish the race with me even when I told him I can do it on my own. B is not a runner, but he put a smile on his face and in his khaki shorts and fishing shirt ran 5 miles and crossed the finish line with me! We did it and I wasn't too far behind my past half marathon time. I'll take it!<br />
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The race benefited the Susan G. Komen foundation and when I was thinking about quitting, I kept thinking of the thousands of women and men fighting cancer. They fight for days, months, even years. I can do this one fight for them. Also, it reminded me how important family and friends are in times of need and in good times. I could not have finished this race without the love and support of my friends and family. B was my strength in every way and I was so blessed to cross the finish line with my best friend and hubby.<br />
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I want to Congratulate Hilary on a race well-done! Hilary ran 5 miles by herself and did an amazing job! I'm sorry I couldn't be your accountability partner this time, friend, but I'll be there next time. She is an amazingly strong woman!<br />
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Thank you family for all of your support and encouragement. Thank you, Annie, for your kind heart and offering to walk 5 miles with me in sandals. Especially, thank you B, for running by my side for 5 miles and for being my rock in a time of need. You are a beautiful example of what a man, husband and best friend should be and always amaze me in the number of ways you reflect Christ's image. <br />
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Yes, it was a tough race, but at least we were all smiling by the end and able to finish! We also got to take a picture with Robert Earl Keen at the finish, which was exciting.<br />
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<br />Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011603815703588242noreply@blogger.com1