T-Minus 9 Days Until....

When I received this invite in the mail today, I screamed out loud!  Is it not the cutest invite you've ever seen?!  My amazingly talented friend Sydney, designed them for me.  I wish I had an ounce of her creativity and design sense!

I am in charge of this year's "Hoot-Out" and I can't wait to get the party started...I've got a few surprises up my sleeve for next weekend, so you girls better get excited!  Hope to see as many of you present as can possibly attend!   :)

What a Week...

Whew!  The past couple of days have been a whirlwind to say the least.  Let's flasback to Wednesday around lunchtime....

I am leaving Children's Hospital where I had been volunteering and I get a call from my mom saying we had a "situation"...Sister and K were both extremely sick at the beach with the stomach virus...and with Sister being prego, we were all extremely worried.  So what did I do?  I hopped on a plane and flew down to the beach in hopes that I could be of some help while praying to the Lord that I didn't come down with it as well. 

When I got to their house, the situation was not good...Tara's daughter, Blair, had gotten sick along with the babysitter Mary Tom.  Poor Claire had been playing nurse to the whole house while taking care of her two young boys.  The whole house was dropping like flies.  I helped Lysol, disinfect, load up the Verdigets' and continued to pray that I wouldn't come down with the bug.

On Thursday morning, Sister and DB were both feeling MUCH better...hallelujah!  We even got to spend some time at the beach, the pool and do a little shopping!  The girls were staying at Seacrest, so we ventured to Rosemary, Alys Beach, and Seaside all while I was there.  I picked up a new outfit and ate some yummy food.  I rode back to B'ham yesterday with Sister and K and it was quite the trip...took FOREVER to make it home and K even got sick again on the way back.  Then last night, I got sick!  My bug doesn't seem to be quite as fierce as the one that hit Sister, but needless to say it's not been a fun weekend for me!

Due to the quickness of my leaving on Wednesday, I didn't even take 'The Reb' with me...so all of these pictures are via my iPhone...sorry for all the blurriness!

I had to dash to Target and buy a suitcase before my flight b/c all of mine were in A'ville...isn't this the cutest suitcase ever?!

Thursday morning on the beach...it was beautiful!

DB was a little hesitant of the sand...

While shopping in Seaside we found TONS of owls...these were the cutest ones we found!

Reid and Davis Joiner and DB in their matching shirts!

We said good-bye to the Joiners and hit the road!

K on the drive back to the Ham...don't you just love her 'Thor' headband she got at BurgerKing?!

I sure hope no one else comes down with this stomach bug...it's fierce and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy! 

Things I'm Loving Right Now

This 'Bombshell' body splash from V.S. smells amazing...I am obsessed with it!  It is one of their new summer scents and it's even on-sale right now...$15 instead of $25!

I just recently switched to this new hairspray..I've been an avid user of 'BedHead' spray for years, but this Elnet is so much more lightweight..it's not sticky and leaves your hair extra 'bouncy'!  :)

Momma D bought us this great labelmaker...I've been using it like crazy in my new classroom.  It makes all kinds of great designs and fonts!

Due to the super-hot temps we've been having, I've been surviving on this refreshing fruit...This is my second watermelon to cut open in a week!

Hope everyone is stayin' cool in this insanely warm weather...happy summer y'all!       :)

Look What I Got in the Mail...

My mom surprised me with an EOY (end of the year) present today...a coffee table/commemorative book on the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton!  I was super surprised and very excited!  I have mentioned to my mom several times nonchalantly  that I would LOVE a book about their wedding.  I was the girl who watched all the coverage of the big nuptials and who will NEVER delete the recording off my DVR list.  Their whole wedding was absolutely a modern-day fairy tale.  I cannot wait to read this book cover-to-cover!  Thanks, Mom...I love, love, love it!!!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is Daddy D's Birthday....Happy Birthday, Dad!  I had an idea earlier in the week and called Sister to see if she wanted to help me with my plan.  I wanted to surprise Dad at lunch on Friday.  With me being officially done with school for the summer (Hallelujah!) I was up for a day-trip to A'ville.  Now, if you know my Dad at all, you would know that EVERY Friday he eats lunch with Mr. Rusty.  So when I was working out the details of the surprise, I knew I had to involve Mr. Rusty...he was our partner-in-crime! haha

Shockingly, we arrived at Santa Fe before the guys did...it was a close call with a certain red pick-up truck on 431, but we made it.  Mr. Rusty's kids, Brett and Lauren, happened to be in town, so they joined us as well.  Oh, and Mr. Tony did too!  Oh to have been a fly on the wall in the restaurant...I get really excited about surprising people...so, I was a little hyper/on-edge/loud.  Sister shot me about 10 'G.T.H.' looks throughout the whole thing.  We crouched behind a wall and when he walked up, we  I jumped up and yelled "Surprise!!!"  Sister totally left me high and dry and I was the only one to make an idiot of myself...and while getting so excited, I forgot to take pictures of his face when we jumped up...I was even holding my camera in my hand and still forgot.  He was VERY surprised! 

Sister peeking out the window waiting on Dad to arrive!



While waiting on the group, we killed time taking pictures.....

and eating a lot of these!

The Group

The Birthday Boy

The best cake in the whole world comes from the A'ville Home Bakery...YUM!

After lunch, Sister and I went to Dad's office and spent some more time with him.  We propped up our feet in his office and discussed our portfolios...NOT! 

(This pic was taken with my iPhone)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!  I hope today is your best birthday ever.  Also, I would like to wish my parents a Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday!!  In this day and time I think that is one heck of an accomplishment.  Mom and Dad, thanks for setting such a wonderful example for Sister and me on how wonderful marriage can be.  Love y'all! 

Chocolate Cupcakes and Chuck Bass

In honor of the end of the school year, I baked some homemade chocolate cupcakes for some of my kid-os.  I have baked cupcakes before, but never homemade cupcakes...I always grab the box mix and throw in the eggs!  I have always loved baking and decided to kick things up a notch with these cupcakes.  The kids requested chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting...I much prefer vanilla, but these weren't for me...so chocolate it was!  I got both of my recipes from allrecipes.com.  The cupcakes were YUMMY and the frosting was super smooth and sweet. 

I have to admit I have a new-found respect for cupcake bakers...baking these chocolate goodies wasn't the easiest task I've ever conquered in my kitchen.  If I wouldn't have been talking on the phone while sifting together the ingredients, I wouldn't have had to make a 2nd run to Target!  (apparently I'm not as great as multi-tasking as I thought!)  My house still smells like a chocolate factory..if you're in the neighborhood and want a sweet-treat, please stop by...I have some extras!   :)

Batter for the cupcakes

Can you tell I'm not the 'neatest' baker?  I had chocolate EVERYWHERE!

Let them bake for 20 minutes...

Kind of look like muffins as opposed to cupcakes...

Time for frosting!!

Voile!  The kids LOVED them!

Right along with my love of cupcakes is my love of Chuck Bass....I heart Chuck Bass.  He is basically the sole reason I watch Gossip Girl...that, and of course to see the clothes!  I was always a Mr. Big fan on SATC, and I think Chuck reminds me of him...sexy, powerful, always in a suit, wealthy = total hotness.  After I finished scraping chocolate off the walls  cleaning up the kitchen, I sat down to watch the season finale of GG.  I have 5 words for y'all...Chuck. Bass. In. a. TUX.   If you missed the episode, watch it online...he melted me.  I'm a HUGE Chuck and Blair fan too and am hoping that when the show returns in the fall, they will somehow get back together...I've got my fingers crossed!!

If he looked at me like this, I think my knees would buckle.

Let the countdown begin until summer vacation....7 days to go! 

DB Deuce

Please read Doodle-Bug's shirt very carefully......

It's official!  My Doodle-Bug is going to be a big sister!!!!!  I have been dying to post this and shout it from the roof-tops, but I had to wait for the all clear from the Baby Momma.  Sister is due with Baby Crowe #2 December 11th (Sister's B'day is Dec. 7th so we're hoping for an early arrival of #2!)  I could not be more thrilled for them!

I am ECSTATIC and literally jumping for joy about becoming an aunt again.  Thanks, TT, for making my shirt.  I was SOOOO surprised when Sister gave it to me!  Sister won't find out what she's having until probably sometime in July....but, she did the 'gender test' this morning and it said BOY!!!  And the gender test she took is about 90% accurate!!  Regardless of the sex, we are just praying for a healthy baby. 

Here's a close-up of the shirt after I calmed down from the excitement...blue or pink?  Can't wait to find out!

This DB is going to be an AMAZING big sister!  

Since the name 'Doodle-Bug' has already been taken for Katherine, I'm trying to come up with the nickname for the new baby....I would LOVE any suggestions y'all have.  Please give me some ideas!
Sister, Blake, and Katherine-I'm so excited for your family...I promise to be the BEST aunt I can be.  Baby Crowe-you're already so loved and blessed and we can't wait to meet you!!