Five Truths You Didn't Know About Me!

A few weeks ago I was tagged by the beautiful Natalia over at All the Things, Etc. to admit some truths to my readers!!! I've done a few of these "types" of truthful-bet-you-didn't-know posts in the past but they were usually linked to some kind of blogger award. There is no award for this one, no rules, no have to dos, just honesty, and while I would love to just copy and paste Natalia's, because the majority of hers were me to a T, I can't! So here we go with some honest secrets about me that you may find interesting, funny, or down right strange!

Via

Truth One:

I am a horrible housekeeper! I'm not the worst out there, but I am pretty terrible! If you notice, I don't take many photos of the inside of our home because I'm ashamed of its condition! We always seem to have stuff piling up every where, crap on the desk and dining room table, dirty clothes piles waiting to be washed, and don't even get me started on all of the dog hair! It's literally everywhere! It's gross, but I feel like it's so bad that I just can't even get motivated to vacuum and mop regularly! It basically has to be a daily chore. The hubby and I have discussed trying harder to keep it up instead of hiring a cleaning service and I'm hoping to come up with some kind of cleaning schedule to help tackle this disaster! Admitting this secret just inspired a new Bare It All Friday post and I can't even believe I'm thinking about doing it! You'll probably want to stay tuned! 

Truth Two:

I cried on my wedding day and not just happy tears! Only a handful of people know this as they were standing with me when the tears came, but it's something I'm not ashamed of and don't mind sharing to outsiders. Our wedding was one of the best days of my life because I said "I do" to my hubby and to the rest of our lives, we became one and I would never be ashamed of the day that all happened. To say it went off without a hitch or drama, well that would be a lie. During our reception, my feelings were incredibly hurt and with all kinds of emotions already running high, it wasn't long before I ended up in tears. Luckily I had some awesome bridesmaids who stood with me afar from the party, in the middle of my childhood home front yard, and snapped me back to reality with hugs, a cigarette {yes I used to smoke}, and a touch up of makeup! Even though I still remember that moment, it's a foggy distant memory because it didn't matter! At the end of the day and looking back on it, our day was perfect for us and that's what matters! 

Truth Three:

I do not own anything by Lilly Pulitzer! I know, I know, this is almost a crime! I was so sadden to hear of Lilly's passing yesterday. Her designs have been so classic and timeless, which are the types of designs and styles I go for! Without a doubt I loooooove anything and everything Lilly Pulitzer, but I've never owned an LP piece! Part of it is my inability to spend money on myself {if you follow me you know this is an "issue" I'm working on} and part of it is there are only a few stores in my area who sell her items and they're not in the most convenient locations for me to get to - and before you say shop online, the answer to that is NO! My body type is too wacky to shop online! I just ordered some shoes not too long ago that I ordered in a 9 {I wear an 8.5} and had to send them back for a 9.5 because they were too small! Seriously, if I have issues with shoes I most doubt will have issues sizing clothes!

Truth Four:

I can't listen to a lot of country music! I love being from the "country", I love riding horses, I love my southern twang, but Lord knows I don't love listening to country music! Don't get me wrong, I love love love country music. I actually love ALL genres of music, but I DO NOT LOVE listening to country music. It's extremely emotional for me! For instance, I happened to have it on one morning last week and "I Drive Your Truck" by Lee Brice came on and before it even got to the chorus I had tears streaming down my face! Miranda Lambert's recent song "Mamma's Broken Heart" gets me all teary eyed, even with it's upbeat chords, because where I come from, it's the truth. Been there done that with a broken heart but you never forget how it made you feel! Crazy, lost, revengeful, and the list goes on just like Miranda describes! Don't even get me started on all of Toby Keith's songs about our soldiers and America! I lose it every time he sings about his American pride! I'm beyond grateful and blessed to say America is my home! I cried watching the ACM's last night.. yea.

Truth Five:

I used to love eggs, now I find them hard to eat! I have no idea if it's a texture issue or what, but I can't eat eggs unless they are scrambled and dried out. If they have any moistness or sliminess to them at all I will gag. I used to love love love deviled eggs but now it takes great effort to eat them! I got through two of them at Easter but had to cut them up in small pieces! They tasted great and the whites weren't slimy so I was good to go! Egg whites on a fried egg make me gag as well and I can't eat a hard boiled egg so save my life! The reason I can get through a deviled egg is the mayo and mustard that is mixed with the yolks! I can't even put hard boiled eggs on my salads anymore or enjoy egg salad! This saddens me because of the protein I could get from eating them but I guess I'll just have to enjoy it's momma more...actual chicken! 

Did you learn anything new about me today??!! Hope y'all had fantastic weekends!!! I enjoyed the beautiful weather, had my hair done, enjoyed a manicure and pedicure afternoon date with the hubby, did a few house things,  perused Home Depot, planted an herb garden, worked on YAAA! obligations, spent time with some family, clocked 3 miles total this weekend, and had a photo shoot with Baby Reef. All in all a pretty darn good weekend if I do say so myself! 

Happy Monday! XoXo! 

Sorry I'm Not Home Right Now, I'm Walking into Spiderwebs!

... So leave a message and I'll call you back! Okay - Who is laughing with me that they just belted out some old school No Doubt?! Oh that Gwen Stefani! You have got to love her!!!

Anywho, as the title implies, I'm not here today! Why?! Well because I'm guest posting over at Horseshoes and Pearls with Ashley today! Head on over to see what I'm jabbering on about and if you are a soon to be bride or will be attending a wedding in the near future as a guest, you're going to want to read this post! Not that I'm a know it all by any means about wedding related adventures however, I've been there, done that, and bought the teeshirt so I can give y'all some of my own personal insight!

Check out Miss Ashley! A girl after my own heart for her love of Labs and Horses! 

Hope you loves are having a fantastic Tuesday! I'm definitely enjoying the daylight savings change, even if I am a wee bit on the sleep side! There is something just spectacular about leaving work and the sun is still shinning bright! See you darlings tomorrow! XoXo!

Divan, Divine, It's Really All the Same!

Remember last week when I told you here, that I finally decided to crack open the recipe box I received at one of my bridal showers {nearly 2 years ago} and give some of the recipes a go?! While meal planning last week and picking out the Honey Chili Salmon recipe in the box, I decided to try another one in the box as well! Sharon, who has been like a big sister to me practically my whole life, gave me this recipe for Asparagus Chicken Divan, in which now I am crazy excited over it, because it was a huge hit! While she mentioned that the leftovers weren't that great, I thought they tasted just as well for my work lunch the next day! None-the-less the recipe was easy and perfect, yet again, for a quick and easy week night dinner {y'all know I'm all for that}! You should definitely give this one a shot!

The Recipe Card

What You Will Need:

Nutmeg-Whipping Cream-Mayonaise-Asparagus-Chicken- Parmesan Cheese-Cream of Chicken Soup-Worcestershire Sauce

1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 

2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed {I only used a pound}

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

3/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

 

Broil chicken 4-6 inches from the heat for 6-8 minutes on both sides or until juices run clear. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, bring 1/2 inches of water to a boil. 

Add asparagus. 

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

 Drain and place in a greased shallow 2-1/2 qt. baking dish. 

Cut chicken into thin slices. 

In a small bowl, combine soup, Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg.

Spread half over asparagus. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. 

Top with chicken. 

Spread remaining soup mixture over chicken; sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. 

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Fold whipped cream into mayonnaise; spread over top. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. 

Broil 4-6 inches. from the heat for about 2 minute or until golden brown. 

Serve alone or over brown rice {as I did}!

I really do enjoy cooking and finding recipes that work with our schedule and tastes! I know I sound like a broken record but I love recipes that don't require a lot of prep time or cook time for our work week! I also enjoy using our slow cooker, especially on gym nights! Are any of you fans of Chicken Divan?! This was the first time I had ever had it and had no idea it was actually a pretty popular "casserole" dish that is normally made with broccoli! Learn something new everyday right?! 

Have a glorious Monday my darlings!!! The weather seems to be improving this week and I am loving the warm temperatures and the shining sun! It's good for the soul! 

XoXo! 

Meet Courtney - a Sweet Lil Bride to Be!

I'll give you ONE guess as to where I met this little gem of a gal... Instagram... you got it! It's the new place to meet new faces - if you aren't on board you are missing out! Anywho, if you didn't quite get it from the title {which you are all smarty pants and I know you got it!}, Courtney is getting hitched and I am so excited to follow along with her wedding planning adventures! Seriously, if I could quit my job and plan weddings for a living, I would do it in a heart beat! I love the details and the flowers and the dresses and the cakes and the food and most importantly the FUN! I hope you enjoy meeting Courtney - and take her advice - it's good stuff!!! 

I'm so excited that Lauran is letting me take over her blog today!! 

Isn't she the best?? She has such great style, a Handsome Husband, and a cutey pie puppy! I mean what's not to love about her??

I met Lauran on Instagram which is where I have met some incredible ladies lately and discovered some oh-so-fun blogs too! 

I'm Courtney and I write over at a lil blog called Tales of Lace & Glitter. 

 (That's one my puppies Ellsworth!) 

I started my blog right after I turned 30 *cough, cough* I'm 31 now and my blog is about to turn 1 year old! I write about my life: feeling like I need to grow, learning to take on grown-up responsibilities, trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, and just overall enjoying every minute I have with family & friends! I just got engaged in June and lately I've been spending my Wednesdays sharing the latest dish on my wedding details. 

 (This is us right after we got engaged)

Our wedding is planned for June 1, 2013 and so far the wedding planning process has been relatively painless...I have learned a few lessons along the way I thought I'd share with you: 

(1) EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE is going to have an opinion about what you should do. 

Even after you've decided on a detail and put down a deposit, they are still going to share their opinion with you. 

Sometimes you'll want the advice and others times you won't. Practice saying "Oh really? What I cool idea! I'll have to look into that. Thanks!" 

and move on... Don't say "Ugh that's a TERRIBLE idea!" 

I may or may not have learned that lesson the hard way... 

(2) Your fiance is not going to be into planning EVERY detail of your wedding like you are, and that's ok!

 Ask him his opinion, if he has one listen and try to be accommodating. If he doesn't have an opinion, don't get mad at him for not having an one. Not having an opinion over which formal China pattern you should pick does NOT mean he doesn't care... it just means he doesn't know about fine China. He'll have an opinion about the details he knows about I swear! 

(3) Pick one part of your wedding to spend the most one money on and stick to a budget on all the others! 

Ok...this piece of advice I cannot take all the credit for... I MAY have first read this in that Wedding Book Jessica Simpson put out right after she said her first set of "I do's"...Side Note: Didn't you just love her show Newlyweds?? I have a craving to watch it but sadly, in a fit of decluttering, I sold the DVDs on Amazon...

 "Till Death Do Us Part" she might not know about, but wedding planning she does! 

You could spend MILLIONS of dollars on a wedding *cough**Kim Kardashian**cough* but in the grand scheme of things we don't all have those budgets. So pick one part that's REALLY important to you, whether it's the flowers or music at the reception or your dress and overspend on that... the rest- try to stay in a reasonable budget! Trust me after you've got all the details nailed down and you write up when ALLLLL the payments are due- you'll wish you'd heeded this advice.

(3) Don't sweat the small stuff. 

This is the piece of advice I need to keep reminding myself of...  The details don't actually matter- it's the big picture you need to stay focused on. 

It doesn't matter if your bridal shower invites are EXACTLY what you would've chosen or if you don't have calligraphy on your Save the Date envelopes...What matters most is that at the end of this process you get to marry your best friend, the love of your life,  the man you just can't live without!

Thanks for reading! 

For more on my wedding planning or to hear about my journey of 'Sweating for the Wedding' or just read all my randomness be sure to hope over and check out my blog! 

You can also follow me on PINTEREST or over at Instagram: @Cookie1881

Courtney really took the words and advice right out of my mouth! It is humorous to me though, that we as brides and soon to be brides pretty much deal/dealt with the same issues during the wedding planning process! I'd like to look at it now as a type of "Rite of Passage" into becoming a wife! A lot of this advice can be applied to marriage too! It's a perfect training tool for life with your spouse and the new combining of families!! Make sure you head over to Courtney's neck of the woods and leave her some love!!! Happy Thursday my dears - Almost Friday!!! 

I am not booking for April guest poster/sponsors! If you are interested in being part of The Real Young Housewife of Southern VA family for the month of April, please e-mail me at Lauran.Huffman@gmail.com! 

I Never Told Y'all What I Gave Him!

I realized the other day {while day dreaming about my soon to be new set of wheels} that while I shared with you what the hubby gave me for our Anniversary {or should I say "is giving me"} I didn't tell y'all what I gave him!!! I kind of think it's a bit private, but the more I think about it and with how popular it is, it really isn't that private!

I really have your attention now don't I?! I wanted to give him something sentimental but yet "guy worthy" so I decided on... a... Boudoir book full of trashy yet classy photos of his wife... me! This was the ONLY gift I have ever kept a total surprise and secret from the hubs!

The day of the photo session, thank the good Lord above, he was going to a baseball game at a local University! He had asked me to go, but I told him I really wasn't feeling it! The week before, I had to secretly get his college baseball jersey from his mom's house without him knowing. Then about two days before the session, I had to hide ALL the lingerie and hooker heels in my car before he got home. Not to mention I had to pay for it with my separate credit card so he wouldn't notice any "missing money".  Lots and lots of sneaking around but the end result was well worth it!

The book! 

He literally had NO idea what his gift was. I wouldn't give him many hints and he couldn't figure it out! I decided to give it to him the evening before we left for our Annimoon trip to Charleston! I couldn't wait and I knew he was itching to see what was in the gift bag that I brought into the house! I also knew he wouldn't be able to ride in a car for 6 hours with it all wrapped up OR see it in the hotel room for two days before he could open it. I figured I'd put him out of his misery and suspense! His reaction made my heart jump for joy! He was completely floored, shocked, surprised, speechless in total awe! It's hard to "impress" or "shock"  him sometimes, so to see his mouth hit the floor and his eyes widen as far as they possibly could was confirmation enough that I gave him the most perfect gift!

I took photos of the book with my own camera and cropped them appropriately as to not show the whole blogging world what is really meant for my hubby! There were LOADS of more photos but I'm a lady in the streets, so we will keep this post classy! All original photos were taken by Rebecca Keeling Studios. 

Probably one of my favorites! 

Rocking his Hampden Sydney College Baseball Jersey! 

Photography: Rebecca Keeling Studios
Hair and Makeup: Kristal Lane Beauty

I seriously suggest doing this for your hubby if you haven't already!!! A lot of photographers will include it with your wedding package! Definitely look into it! You can keep the session as classy or trashy as you want, just make sure you are comfortable with the photographer you choose! Rebecca was awesome and made me feel very much at ease! I'm quite modest so even some of the "risque" photos made me feel uneasy but Rebecca made me feel so comfortable and the photos turned out perfect! It's definitely an outside of the box type gift, one your significant other will love, and one that will actually make you feel pretty darn good about yourself too!

Wishing ALL of you a fabulous weekend!!! Can't wait to see y'all Monday!!!!

XoXo,

So Surprised I Cried... Go Figure!

I've been waiting and hoping all week that one of my best friend's Tatiana, over at Lipstick and Sippy Cups would post about her "We Set a Date"/Engagement party from this weekend! Mainly because I needed to steal a group photo from her and because I wanted her to talk about it before I did!! Anywho, now that she posted, I can blab away! {Be sure to head over and check out her post! She had the cutest spread and layout and the food was amazing!!!}

So I've known for about two months about the party, as Tat had asked if we had plans that particular day/evening. At that point, I'm pretty sure it was May, so I said NO! Then, dummy me, forgot to write it down and scheduled my wisdom teeth removal two months later for the day before their party! I told her it didn't matter if I had the chubbiest cheeks on the planet and was drooling all over the place - WE WOULD BE THERE! 

Well Saturday rolls around and surprisingly my teeth aren't hurting... BUT I have a mind splitting migraine! I tried everything to get rid of it and after getting sick from the intensity of the pain an hour before we had to leave, I made the decision to send the husband without me. I then laid down with an ice cold compress to my head and neck and dozed off, thankfully to wake up an hour later headache free! I got myself together as quickly as I could and we headed out the door... late... but we were both going! Wooohooo!

Once we got there we were greeted with lots of hugs and hellos! And then Tatiana immediately gave my a pretty little gold bag with hot pink leopard printed tissue paper. I was a bit perplexed as this was not a party for me, but for her! She stood there as I opened it with a huge grin on her face. I'm pretty sure she thought I wasn't opening it fast enough! As I pulled the card out of the envelope, I was greeted with the phrase, "I can't say "I do" without you..." which sent me into immediate tears as I knew what this meant! My dear friend asked me to stand by her side on one of the most important days of her life and be a bridesmaid!! Of course I said yes!!! She also gave the bridesmaids Champagne flutes monogrammed with our initial and tank tops that say Bridesmaid on them!

The Card, The Bag, The Flute! 

The Tank top! SN: She painted the top and the champagne flute herself! 

 You may be wondering why I started to cry, well here goes. Tat and I haven't known each other for years like many close friends. We've actually probably known each other maybe a year and a half, but in that year and a half our friendship has grown into something I can't even fully explain! We both completely get each other. We are very much on the same level with our views, expectations, goals, ideas, etc. It's pretty awesome to meet someone who, other than myself, still sends out snail mail! Tat is pretty flippin' awesome and I am beyond blessed to call her one of my closest, best, loyal, dearest, and genuine friends! I can't wait for all the planning, and parties, and crafts, and dress hunting's and planning and planning and planning we will all be assisting her with in the next year! For her to ask me to be a bridesmaid was beyond flattering and touching to me. Words can't even begin to explain how grateful I am for her and her friendship.

The Maids with the Bride
Ashley-Rocky-Tatiana-Me-Tasha

Annnd just in case you were wondering we didn't arrive to the party empty handed. Remember how I mentioned that I was working on a large craft last week? Well yea... it was for Tatiana and Kevin! Many of y'all don't know this but I paint on glass! I've created lots of wine glasses and serving platters and I usually give them as Engagement gifts, Bachelorette Party Favors, Showers, and sometimes Wedding gifts. I've even sold a few too! We also threw in a bottle of Jack Daniels and Three Olives Vodka since it was a Stock the Bar party. And I can't forget, since Tat is a huge new lover of Tervis Tumblers, their very own pair of Bride and Groom cups! 

Monogrammed Platter with New Last Name Initial and Year of Their Wedding! 

Best Cups on the planet!!! If you don't know, now you know!

I know I won't be writing too much about Tat's wedding planning process as I want that to remain private for her! But I have no doubt I share what I feel is appropriate!! Have a Terrific Thursday!!! Almost to Friday - y'all can do it!!!

XoXo,

Anni-Moon Pt. 3!

Howdy Whoo lovers!!! How was everyone's weekend?! Mine was pretty fantastically stellar! I got to see an old friend/roomie, meet her adorable daughter, grocery shop, snuggle with the pupster, and miss the hubby while he was away for an overnight surf trip! Relaxing to say the least, well except for vacuuming for a solid hour and the almost 2 day migraine I had! That wasn't relaxing one bit!

Welp the time has come for me to FINALLY share our Anniversary Photo Session with y'all!! Be prepared for photo overload!! I love them and I can not just pick one! Dana Cubbage Photography was amazing to work with! We not only got some great shots but we also were able to take in some of the sights of Downtown Charleston!! It was a great way to get to know the Holy City a bit more! We can't think Dana enough for taking time to document our one year anniversary and our trip!!! We loved her!

Thanks for browsing :) I know the post is a tiny bit wordless today, however this migraine kicked my booty and well.... it hurts to even think!!! Hope y'all have a Marvelous Monday!!!

XoXo,