Seth is Nine!

Seth on his new "big boy" bike! 

Seth's ninth birthday was Sunday. I know I sound like every other mother when I say, "I can't believe my baby is already nine years old. It seems like he was just born!" It is so true though! I do feel a little sad because he is growing up so fast. I just have to try to not dwell on it! I longed to be a mother for so long. I have been doing my best to savor every moment of his childhood, but wow how time flies!!!


For his birthday, Seth decided he wanted Nini (my sister) and Spencer (my nephew) to come and spend the day with us. This is a family tradition for us.  We have "family" parties. One year we had a very small party with three of his friends, but honestly, we just prefer family gatherings. I guess because this was how Anita and I celebrated our birthdays when we were growing up.  Seth chose lunch at Carrabbas and a homemade cookie cake. After lunch he then requested a shopping trip to Academy. He wanted to shop for baseball things.... because, of course, you can never have enough!! Lol! Seth LOVES baseball!

It is a good thing my "real" job is being the Director of Curriculum, because 
I will never get a job as a cookie decorator! Lol! 
Please don't laugh at my attempt at creating a Boston Red Sox 
cookie cake!  FYI  Seth added the polka dots :-)

Seth, Spencer, and Nini

Jon, Seth and me

The sisters :-)

Our big boy! 

Seth said this was his best birthday EVER! Having Nini and Spencer here, lunch at Carrabba's, a shopping trip to Academy AND a new blue Schwinn- I'd say all in all, he was a happy boy!!! Jon and I are so proud of the precious child he has always been and the young man he is becoming. 

 We are so blessed!  

Another Vintage Christmas Present

I mentioned in my last post that, along with the vintage scale, Jon got me a wonderful antique iron dog for Christmas. Today I wanted to share this precious little dog with you. I had seen it a few times in this awesome antique store in Daphne, AL. I loved the old "chippy-ness" of it the first time I ever saw this darling piece, but it was more that I would spend on a "happy" for me. I mentioned it to Jon, and then I continued to look for it each time I went browsing in this delightful store. It was always there... I think it was meant to be! When Jon asked what I wanted for Christmas, I didn't hesitate and said "the dog and the scale"! As you know, he got the scale and yes, he got the dog too! He called me one day and said, "you never said this store was so huge... where on Earth is this dog you've been talking about?" I cracked up! I tried to describe again what it looked like and where it was located in the store. I also cautioned him not to buy it if it was still expensive - I am trying so hard to be frugal :-). Well, Merry Christmas to me! It was marked down!!! Now it is mine and I love it! 

You can see the dog on one of the middle shelves of the built in to the left of the fireplace. I also redid the arrangement on the main display area. I added a silhouette of me from when I was about six years old. Next I added an apothecary jar, three McCarty bunnies, a lamp and a wedding picture of Jon and me. 

He is made of cast iron - he is quite sturdy! From what I understand, he would have been used as a door stop many years ago. 

Isn't he darling? I am so glad that Jon was able to get him for me for Christmas! He reminds of hunting dogs that my uncles always had when I was a little girl. Just precious! 

This week I am linking to the following: 

Common Ground

At The Picket Fence

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia


Savvy Southern Style

From My Front Porch to Yours

A Vintage Scale!

I am so excited to share my new antique (Is that an oxymoron?) scale that Jon got me for Christmas!  I apologize in advance for the pictures.  They are not great.  But back to the scale....Didn't he do a super job?  I have been wanting a scale for quite a while.  I have been drooling over some of the wonderful ones I have seen on some of my favorite blogs.  A couple of months ago Jon and I were browsing in a wonderful antique store in Mobile when I spotted a terrific vintage scale. Jon encouraged me to buy it, but I didn't - I don't know why.  I totally regretted not buying it on the spot!  When Jon asked what I wanted for Christmas, I immediately thought of the scale (and an antique dog that I had spotted at another antique store - but that is another story!)

Bless my sweet husband's heart, he went back to buy the scale and it was gone!  As luck would have it though - they  had gotten another scale and he got it for me!  I think it is perfect!  

I love all of the imperfections.  Isn't it fun to think 

of the families who used this before me? 

I think the vintage pyrex bowl looks great on the scale :-)

Another close-up.  It blends so well with the granite.  I am so happy with my new vintage treasure!

Next up, I will share with you my wonderful antique dog.  It is precious! Thanks for visiting Buttercup Bliss! 

This week I am linking to the following:

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

From My Front Porch To Yours

Come join the fun!! 

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year to everyone!  I don't know about you, but I am ready for things to be back to normal.  I have one more day off and then it is back to work!  Lucky for me, I LOVE my job!!  However, it is so fun to pretend I am a stay at home mom for a while though :-)


Do you make New Year's resolutions?  Typically, I do not because I will just end up disappointed in myself when I don't lose twenty pounds by the end of January or run a half marathon by April!  I have decided that this year though I will do my absolute best to do the following:


Eat less of this:

And more of this:

Spend less time on one of these:

And more time doing this:

That should get me on the right track to a healthier, happier new year!!!  We are having a "Biggest Loser" Challenge at work and I would really like to do well.   I would love to lose 20 pounds, but I would settle for just feeling better and having more energy.... looking better would be such a nice bonus!! Winning the pot of money at the end would be really cool too!! I have made a promise to myself that if I lose 20 pounds, I will reward myself with a pair of Miss Me jeans. 


Today I did the Wii Fitness program for the first time.  I am embarrassed to tell you how hard it was for me to make it through the 30 minute session.  Holy cow!  My goal is to do this two or three days a week and walk in our neighborhood as well.  


What about you?  Do you make resolutions each year? I always love hearing what plans my friends make for the upcoming year!  


Again, Happy New Year!  As always, thanks for visiting Buttercup Bliss! 

Comfort Food

Have all the ups and downs of the holidays left you craving comfort food? Actually, for me it is comfort food and a BC!  LOL  The wonderful Christmas season is now past, but now we are left to get our houses back in order.  I have a "to-do" list that seems to be a mile long...... take down, pack up and store all of the Christmas decorations, switch out my closets (cold weather arrives so late in south Alabama that I am able to wait until after the holidays to do this chore), gather items to take to Goodwill, balance the checkbook.... the list goes on and on!  So today I felt the need for the ultimate comfort food - homemade vegetable soup and cornbread.  I love the smell of soup simmering on the stove.  There is something so soothing about preparing soup just like my mother made so many times.  It truly is comforting!  As I puttered around the house today, my spirits were lifted by the smell of the delicious soup!!

The clothes are washed and sorted, most of the Christmas decorations have been put away, and we have eaten  a steaming bowl of yummy soup and cornbread!  Now I have to tackle the tree.... this is always the last step in "de-Christmasing" my house.  

What are your favorite comfort foods?  What delicious food is guaranteed to pick you up? Homemade mac and cheese?  Cheesy Enchiladas?  Roast and gravy?  Homemade onion dip and a big bag of chips? Homemade fudge?  Are you noticing a pattern?  All of my favorite comfort food includes the word homemade in the name.  Is that true for you too?  What food will cheer you up in a heartbeat?  I would love for you to share your favorite comfort foods with me :-)


Today I am joining the following:


What's It Wednesdays @ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Come and join the fun!!