Two Angels

We recently spent some quality time in the great state of North Carolina. North Carolina hails many great leaders and special people, including our five children who were born there. Imagine our delight when we came across two angels in the Old North State. Upon driving into the city limits, we made two immediate stops. As you can see, the first stop was to meet a very tiny angel our children call "Cousin". He is one of the cutest and sweetest babies you'll ever see! The children had not yet met their only boy cousin, so they were quite excited! We all fought over who was able to hold him next. Even I had to wait in line!

Our next stop was to see another angel, and she is pictured below in her wings and all. She is the children's only girl cousin, which makes her quite unique as well! We call her "Mott Mott" as a nickname. She is hilarious and best friends with our Hurricane. She is also beautiful, sweet, and a delight to us all.


The morning after we arrived, we drove to a small NC town to see a third angel be baptized. I have not uploaded those pics yet, but I will do it soon! Her mama is like a sister to me and was the triplet's very first baby sitter! What a great trip in the company of angels!

HE is the BOMB

My DH is the sweetest. I had no idea he had read my blog yesterday, but he did. He then went to Monkee's and BOUGHT the Flower Bomb perfume. Is that not the sweetest thing EVER??

Flower Bomb

Oh. My. Goodness. I love some good-smelling perfume. I recently visited Monkee's in Wilmington, NC, where they have fabulous clothes, shoes, and jewelry. I totally could not pull of the sequined bandana necklace, but that was a good thing since it had a $345 price tag. As I browsed with my sisters-in-law and mother, we were all overcome with happiness at a fantastic smell. Imagine our delight when we discovered the source. Wafting through the air was FLOWER BOMB by Viktor and Rolf. It is fabulous! I sprayed it all over myself so that I could continue to enjoy it. It reminds me a little bit of Prada or Mademoiselle by Chanel. What a delicious scent! Do you wear it? Have you smelled it?

Tuesday's Tip

Sometimes in a woman's life she must travel apart from her husband. I learned an important tip from a very wise woman. She says that when a woman leaves town and leaves hubby at home, she should leave a piece of sexy lingerie hanging in the bathroom as a little reminder of his sweetie. Another tip is to spray the room or his towel or his pillow with his favorite of your perfumes. Our men need to be reminded of the special love we have for them and what they will have when you return!

When I leave town, I love to leave little love notes all throughout the house. Some are found under his pillow while others are on top of his coffee maker and I usually put one in between his clean t-shirts because I know he'll find it in a few days. I always remind my friends, "Keep the fire in the fire place!" How do you do this in your home?

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

We love the 4th of July. I have not yet uploaded this year's pics, but it's fun to look back at the fun we had last year. The festivities always begin with Uncle and Mrs. Sam arriving at the parade.

Then, the whole island paused to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Everyone is decked out in their red, white, and blue, which promotes patriotism.

The children love the trampoline jump. This year they were first in line!

We also have our annual cousin picture over snow cones that happily drip down all of their dresses and shirts. Each year I tell the children that they can have as many snow cones as they want. They love not having rules one day a year! This year one of our girls ate four!

It's always fun to swing in the hammock with everyone at the end of the day!

Fat Friday / Ocean Prime

Oh. My. Goodness. Now last week I discussed how I love to support local restaurants. And I really do. However, what a treat we enjoyed when our dear friend, David, visited a few weeks ago. Since he is an Independence Day baby, I wanted to honor him by telling you about the wonderful restaurant we enjoyed together. Wow.
Ever the gentleman, David called and asked a simple question, "Surf or turf?" "Well", I replied, "since we don't know how long we'll have surf, let's try surf." David said he would take care of things and called to let us know we would be dining at Ocean Prime. I had no idea what to expect from a restaurant that happens to be a chain and is located by my favorite mall. The water around the restaurant reflects beautiful lights and a fun atmosphere, but I had no idea if the food would be good or just acceptable. DH & I were happily surprised!
As we were leaving home I told our sitter where we were going. She said that the tuna tartare appetizer was her favorite. Having made it myself for a 30th birthday party for my sister-in-law, I couldn't want to try it! It did not disappoint! Fresh tuna marinated in lime juice sat atop crunchy crispies over avocado with ginger ponzu sauce. Fantastic! DH loved his oysters and I believe a lobster bisque. It was also wonderfully tasty!
For our entrees, David had scallops which he seemed to enjoy. They were a nice size and cooked well and accompanied by fresh French green beans. DH had "the best blackened snapper he'd ever had". It was seasoned perfectly as well. He ate every morsel. I loved my crab cakes and we all enjoyed the creamy whipped potatoes and green beans. We did not save room for dessert, but I am sure it was heavenly as well! So, eat local, but when you visit a city that has an Ocean Prime, you should try it!

One of my Ya Yas has moved to town!

Did you girls read "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood?" I just loved all of Rebecca Wells' books. They share the trials and triumphs of life in the south. Personally I really enjoy good Southern literature and movies like "Steel Magnolias". They are a great reminder of the value of friendship. Friends are so important. Friends are there for you in good times and in bad times. They will move mountains to spend time with you and they always pick up right where you left off, just as if no time has passed. I am blessed to have many friends just like that.
Childhood friends are more like your ya yas because they have grown up with you. They know what it was like to spend the night at your house, or to visit your grandmama, or how you talk in your sleep and sleep with your eyes open. Childhood friends have stood the test of time. They remember the time you were so mean in the 7th grade, but they've since forgiven you and can now even laugh about it. They have a good memory about things you may want to forget, and likewise, you remember things about them they have long forgotten. Every friend you have fills a special part in your life. I feel so blessed to have such special friends and am thankful for every single one of them.
Well, bless my little heart. One of my childhood friends, or ya yas, has moved to my town in Florida! Can you believe it? That lil dahlin' lives just a mile and a half away. We are having the best time together. We can laugh about the time we threw potion on the boys after hiding in the ditch and we can laugh about 2 of our friends sneaking away in big sis' car only to have the horn get stuck. Therefore, they drove through town with a horn continually beeping and causing attention to their secret adventure. It is easy to help one another because we've known each other forever. While my friend thinks I have been a great help to her, she just doesn't know what a GIFT she has been to me. It is so nice to have her in town for spontaneous swims or child swaps. Ya Ya dear, welcome to Tampa! I'm so glad you're here!