tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42246961856098201422024-02-19T01:17:08.575-08:00Southern SwankA shot of fashion, food, cocktails & life!Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-44430606219153747732016-06-21T06:17:00.001-07:002016-06-21T06:17:25.156-07:00Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-56622932752717006022015-04-22T11:51:00.000-07:002015-04-22T12:08:09.609-07:00White House Easter Egg Roll & Easter SundaySounds like a fun time, right? Well think twice if you're ever offered tickets to attend. The White House extends tickets to 35,000 guests for a one day event so you can imagine what a nightmare it was to get on the White House lawn.<br />
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The event itself could be a lot more enjoyable for guests if they scaled back the number of tickets that are distributed. Each guest is given a timed ticket which grants them access to the White House lawn for a two hour period to enjoy music, various games for the kiddos including obstacle courses with featured famous athletes and of course the Easter egg roll itself. There were a lot of PBS cartoon characters in attendance that your kids could meet and take their photo with as well as story time and yoga. However, after waiting in line almost two hours in the direct sun just to get into the White House with a toddler you're a little frustrated by the time you're on the grounds.<br />
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We had tickets to enter the White House and 12:15p.m. and got in line a little before 11:30a.m. By the time we made it through security and in and out of multiple waiting areas we finally walked onto the grounds of the White House around 1:15p.m. Of course it was fairly hot that day and we had to keep Carter in the stroller since were constantly moving in different directions. Carter isn't the best at standing or sitting still so in the stroller he went! He refused to keep the sun shade down on the stroller to keep him cool and out of the sun so finally I lathered him up with sunscreen and just let him do his thing. So as you can imagine, by the time we made it in he was fit to be tied.<br />
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We eventually let Carter out of the stroller and off he went. There were hundreds of thousands of people so keeping up with a little toddler running around wasn't the easiest thing to do, especially when you're 36 weeks pregnant. We walked around the grounds for awhile and decided that we should at a least do the Easter egg roll since we waited for so long to get in. Well what do you know; once you got in you had to wait in line to do all the activities. I would say that the line for the egg roll itself was probably about an hour. Seriously? We just waited in line almost two hours to get in and now you want us to stand in line for another hour to do ONE activity. I think not.<br />
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So we decided we would just walk around instead and I was thrilled to come across Wyatt from SuperWhy making his way toward us. Carter absolutely loves SuperWhy, especially Wyatt. We watch it every morning so I thought he would be thrilled to meet him. Well boy was I wrong. Chris carried Carter up to him and he cried so hard that his entire body shook. He was terrified of Wyatt. I managed to snap one picture but Carter had his head buried in Chris' shoulder. Of course once it was over he kept saying "wanna see Wyatt." So we quickly learned that Carter isn't a fan of dressed up characters and there was really no reason to stay any longer. That was until Chris spotted Roman Harper from the Carolina Panthers. After a quick introduction I snapped a photo of the boys and then off we went to the car.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Poor Wyatt and Chris.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Want to know how Carter is beyond exhausted? He sucks his thumb and pulls on his right ear. </span></td></tr>
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I'm sure you're wondering why I ever thought this would be a good idea. Well I'm not exactly sure. I've had friends that have been in years past and their experience was pretty much the same. However, I thought to myself that not many people get the opportunity to go to this event and since I had the tickets it was worth giving it a shot. I didn't think we'd have to stand in line as long as we did and had we not, maybe we would have enjoyed ourselves a little more.<br />
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The White House didn't go a good job of clearing out earlier groups before ours came in so the later in the day you go the more people are there because they continously back-up. I don't know if there is a better way to manage the crowds but unless you get a ticket to go at 7:30a.m. in the first group I wouldn't recommend going, at least not with little ones. If you're kids are old enough to keep themselves entertained for about two hours and don't mind standing in line, then maybe it would be worth going.<br />
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At least Carter can always say that he went to the White House Easter Egg Roll and we have our family photo and commemorative egg to prove it. But never again......<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">2015 White House Easter Egg Roll</span></td></tr>
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Fortunately Easter Sunday went a lot smoother. We went to the 10:30a.m. church service at Delray United Methodist Church. I was so excited because I thought the church was having their annual Easter egg hunt afterwards but upon our arrival I realized that I got the dates mixed up and the hunt was the weekend before. Ah, pregnancy brain at its finest. Oh well! I couldn't get over how well behaved Carter behaved during the church service. It was definitely the perfect start to our day. </div>
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After lunch we headed home to for our own Easter egg hunt and we had our family and close friends over for lunch that afternoon. Carter loves picking up the Easter eggs and placing them in his basket. For lunch we enjoyed a Honey Baked ham, homemade deviled eggs, potato salad, green beans, pineapple casserole and sweet tea! Nothing like a good ole' southern Easter lunch. We had perfect weather and enjoyed our company for the day.</div>
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I hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday.<br />
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-73740066743319918542015-03-17T07:38:00.000-07:002015-03-17T08:22:01.954-07:00Our last snow day of the season....hopefullyHappy St. Patrick's Day! I hope you're wearing green today so you don't get pinched.<br />
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It's hard to believe that just a little over a week ago we were all bundled up playing outside in about 8 inches of snow. Today it's supposed to be sunny and close to 70 degrees. Even though I'm sick and tired of the winter the last snow storm we had was a pretty one. It produced the really good kind of snow that you can play in too. Chris was home for this snow storm so we decided it would be worth playing in before we said farewell to what was hopefully our last snow of the season.<br />
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Earlier in the Fall I bought Carter a snow suit from a mom in the neighborhood. It's a great suit; however, even though it's a size 2T it's already running a little small for Carter- especially the length. I couldn't for the life of my keep the legs down over his ankles so before we knew it his Batman boots were filled with snow! We borrowed a sled from our neighbor and took Carter sledding down the hill in our side yard a few times and he absolutely loved it.</div>
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I bought Carter some nice waterproof mittens before Christmas that has grippers on the palm but for some reason he won't wear them- at least for us. He prefers the cotton mittens which are fine on a cold day but when you're playing in the snow they're good for all of about 5 minutes. Carter will wear his nice, waterproof mittens at school but not for mom and dad, surprise, surprise. In case you're looking for some for next season I highly suggest these from <a href="http://www.onestepahead.com/cozy-cub-snoball-mittens.pro?source=c001&code=misc&medium=inhaus&link=121814&cm_mmc=google-_-PLA_Campaign-_-misc-_-121814&kpid=857090&CAID=bdd6a18e-f3fa-4c93-86bd-a84eb419198c&gclid=CjwKEAjwoZ-oBRCAjZqs96qCmzgSJADnWCv8itIFWiv_TqiXgzTZk51cNmamzXBP3H0gssQ7BfHk-RoCoNzw_wcB">One Step Ahead</a>.<br />
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After watching the movie Planes and taking a good nap we packed our things and headed over to the Murphy's house for a little more sledding. One of their neighbors has a hill in their front yard so most of the kids were out with all their sleds for some afternoon fun. Carter enjoyed going down the hill, especially when Finola took him. They were able to pick up a little more speed when the two of them went together. Unfortunatley we didn't get to stay as long as we would have liked because Carter's boots were filled with snow and his hands were ice cold after going through several pairs of mittens.<br />
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Before we left to go to the Murphy's we put a Costco lasagna in the oven so by the time we got home dinner was ready. If you haven't tried the Kirkland's lasagna I highly recommend it. It has to bake for about two hours but it's a great option for an easy dinner. The Murphy's came over to join us for dinner which was the perfect end to our snow day. They announced that schools were closed not long after we got home so fortunately we didn't have to worry about getting the kids in bed at a decent time. Carter had so much fun playing with Jack and Finola that he crashed when we finally put him to bed around 8:30p.m (late night for the little man)!</div>
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As much fun as we had it's time to say goodbye to winter. I'm ready for warm temps and long walks. Carter is getting bored with mom and dad on the weekends and we're tired of being cooped up inside!</div>
Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-85730293515882076562015-02-06T07:43:00.000-08:002015-02-06T18:41:29.704-08:00Pregnancy #2So it has been awhile since my last post and a lot has changed. Not only are we expecting our second little boy at the end of April, Chris started a new job in October and I started a new job in December. If you knew the road that lead us to where we both are today you wouldn't believe it. We certainly had our ups and downs at the end of last year but thankfully most of them were ups and we couldn't be in a better place! Most importantly we're excited that our family is growing from 3 to 4.<br>
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But my how things have changed with pregnancy #2. The only reason that I happen to know exactly how far along I am is thanks to the What to Expect app I have on my phone. It sent me a lovely reminder this morning that I am 28 weeks pregnant and our little man is about the size of a head of cauliflower. Good to know because if you had asked me yesterday how far along I was I could have given you a ball park answer. I just tell folks that I'm due April 30th.<br>
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When I was pregnant with Carter I could tell you at any moment how far along I was, Carter's approximate size and what was developing at that point. Now I'm lucky if I have a still moment to even feel the baby move. Chris will always ask me what the baby is doing and I have to force myself to sit still for a few minutes to see if I can feel him moving around. Now don't get me wrong, he loves to roll around and punch me when I'm about to go to sleep or first thing in the morning but most other times I'm so busy running around that I forget to anticipate his movements.<br>
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A friend of mine asked me the other day if I've done anything to the nursery to prepare for the baby's arrival and I just laughed. I haven't done a single thing and don't plan on it either. Baby #2 and Carter will share a room and things will stay exactly like they are. Carter's initials are above his crib and Chris was so paranoid about hanging them that he pretty much bolted them to the wall. I vividly remember him telling me when he hung them that we'd have to sell them with the house because they're never coming off the wall, ha! So poor baby will just have to go with Carter's initials for now (luckily they're only off by one letter).<br>
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Carter slept in the Rock n' Play until he was four months old and I'm hoping that his little brother will do the same. Carter isn't ready to transition into a big boy bed and mom and dad aren't ready to deal with it, so we'll worry with that at a later date. In the meantime, we'll eventually move the Rock n' Play into Carter's room so they can become accustomed to sharing space and we'll figure the rest out later. I have too much on my hands right now to stress about when and how we're going to handle it! And that's what the Fairlington MOMs Club is for, right? They always help you get through everything!<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My SIL recently returned our baby swing to us and Carter loves us it. Boy, that will be fun to deal with when there is actually a little baby in the swing!</span></td></tr>
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I really enjoyed my pregnancy with Carter. It's not that I haven't enjoyed this pregnancy but it has been so different. When I was pregnant with Carter I would come straight home from work, plop on the couch and watch TV until around 7:00/7:30p.m. and then Chris and I would eventually figure out a dinner plan. I napped all weekend long, took walks whenever I wanted, went for massages, read books about my pregnancy and preparing for Carter's arrival and didn't worry about anything but myself. Boy have times changed.<br>
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Nowadays I leave work at 5:00p.m. to get home in time to pick Carter up from Gavin's house (where we do our nanny share). Typically when I walk in their front door Carter collapses to the ground, rolling around because he doesn't want to leave. That makes putting his jacket and hat on a ton of fun. God bless our sweet nanny, who has started to put Carter's jack and hat on and puts his book bag on his back before I even get there. That helps us get out the door in a somewhat timely fashion but then it takes us about 10 minutes to walk to our house which is only about 30 seconds away. We have to stop and sit on everyone's front porch, walk through the snow, and sometimes just fall to the ground in protest of going home. Eventually I pick him up squirming and yelling and we make our way into the house. By that time it's usually around 5:45p.m. That leaves us about 15-20 minutes to get dinner prepared and on the table. There is no lounging around the house, watching TV and casually fixing dinner when we're ready to eat. We try to sit to down to eat dinner by 6:15p.m. and we typically eat together as a family. I grew up eating dinner with my parents and brothers most nights and I think it's an important tradition to carry on. There are no phones, TV, or music, just the three of us together which is special.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46Qc6WYYYwZ-_C36Wa96Papnyr0Z4eugDoNHUM_iIFdUJya3PJQo2-BhuJO9jbZzPd8xgkPv0XJMdvx9R3bmAoRqw3CQ5SsIKUBq49HdGG5OEE4x6c6bfFuoyD7LyZzfIV6KK5fXgEMA/s640/blogger-image-564300125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46Qc6WYYYwZ-_C36Wa96Papnyr0Z4eugDoNHUM_iIFdUJya3PJQo2-BhuJO9jbZzPd8xgkPv0XJMdvx9R3bmAoRqw3CQ5SsIKUBq49HdGG5OEE4x6c6bfFuoyD7LyZzfIV6KK5fXgEMA/s400/blogger-image-564300125.jpg" width="300"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter's first snow of the season. Notice how he isn't wearing boots or gloves, ha! It just wasn't a battle I was willing to fight that particular morning.</span></td></tr>
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After dinner someone is left to handle clean up duty while the other gets the bath time routine started. That's always fun too because Carter loves to fight us when it comes time to getting into the bath tub. Once he's in he's usually fine and has a great time but then it's another battle to get him out of the tub and in his pj's. With Chris' new job he spends a lot of time in Raleigh so I find myself handling this routine on my own several times a week. Don't get me wrong, I love Carter and enjoy our time together but when you're pregnant, worked all day and then have to come home and do all of this on your own....whew. I've had my brother come over occasionally to help but that only seems to make matters worse. The last time he came over I think Carter thought I was getting ready to leave so he went into meltdown mode and wouldn't let me put him down. Fun times. I hope Brandon enjoyed his free dinner and watching TV while I dealt with a wild man.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter loves to wash his hands and has recently started helping us wash the dishes. </span></td></tr>
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about any of this but it's amazing how different things are with subsequent pregnancies. It is no joke taking care of a toddler while you're pregnant. No one prepares you for that. I never get the compliment "wow, you look great and are glowing!" It's usually "wow, you look really tired. Are you feeling ok?"<br>
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No one told me that I'd get bigger a lot faster with the second baby either. I guess I should have realized that but wow, by week 9 I was fully showing! I didn't show with Carter until I was 4 1/2 almost 5 months pregnant. I'm so over maternity clothes too. They're terrible in my opinion. I appreciate that Old Navy and Gap offer a decent selection but I'm sick of all of it. I feel like I wear the same outfits over and over and if you know me, that's not my thing. I feel like a slob at times and it's driving me crazy. Most other lines are way over-priced. Why would I spend $200 on a dress or a pair of pants that I'll only wear a handful of times? I don't understand why they can't make some nice, affordable maternity clothes these days. Boden used to have a nice line and I went to their website the other day and they had a total of 3 pieces to choose from. I was so frustrated that I emailed their sales department and believe it or not they got back to me this morning. I was told that "though the maternity clothes were loved by many of our customers, like yourself, they were not as popular with the vast majority of our customers. Therefore, we decided to no longer continue this range. I myself disagree, as I think they were some of the most fashionable maternity clothes I have seen." I was honestly shocked to get a response and disappointed to hear the news.<br>
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I have moments of anxiety when I think about this baby's arrival and how we're going to manage two little boys, but I guess we'll just adapt and figure it out like we've done with everything else. When we took Carter to the doctor for his 2 1/2 year check-up Dr. Park warned us that we could see regression in Carter for 3-4 months after the baby arrives. Yes, can't wait for that!! I pray baby #2 is as laid back as Carter was. If not, then we're really in for it. This baby already moves around a lot more than Carter ever did so I don't know if that's a sign of what's to come or not.<br>
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I realize that the first couple of months will be an adjustment but we're all very excited about it. It's hard to beat a precious newborn baby and I will cherish every minute of it but I also look forward to the day when he and Carter can be rough and tough together. Sometimes I think Carter gets bored with us, especially over the weekends. I am so glad that he'll having a sibling, especially a brother, to play with over his life time. I know they'll be best friends and will always look after one another and especially their mom! People love to tell me how I'm going to have my hands full with two boys and while I do agree with them I'm glad that they'll have each other. I love my two brothers and wouldn't trade them for anything in this world. There is something special between siblings that you can't find anywhere else. I am so grateful that our family is growing and couldn't be more excited to continue to be outnumbered by boys.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter loves to drive cars, trucks, motorcycles, lawn mowers, you name it. The money we spent to take him to the Washington Auto Show was probably the best money I've ever spent.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Give Carter an iPhone, iPad or blackberry and he's content for hours.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our family of three.....for not much longer!</span></td></tr>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-75578574778379904242014-10-08T09:41:00.003-07:002014-10-08T09:41:49.853-07:00Fall Weekend FunThis past weekend my mom came to town to visit. Chris played in a member/guest golf tournament all weekend so I made a special request for my mom to come to town for some extra help with the little man and to have some fun too!<br />
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We had picture perfect weather and enjoyed our time together. On Friday I took my mom to Carter's school so she could see where he spends his days. We were able to go to his classroom and watch him finish his lunch before settling down for quiet time. After school let out she got to meet his teacher which meant a lot to her. The rest of the afternoon we just laid low and Brandon came over to join us for dinner that evening.<br />
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On Saturday we got up and went to a Touch-a-Truck event at a local elementary school. Many schools host these types of events throughout the year and they're a lot of fun, especially for little boys who are obsessed with trucks, cars and buses! This particular one had a fire truck, ambulance, city bus, tow truck and a Dominion Power truck. The kids were allowed to climb all over the trucks, honk the horn, and run around until their hearts were content. Carter's favorites were the ambulance and the city bus. One of his favorite things to do these says is sit in the driver's seat of one of our cars and pretend to drive. He likes to change the radio, honk the horn, pull the visor down and look at himself in the mirror, all the things he sees his mom do on a regular basis, ha! So as you can imagine how much fun he had.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking the Traverse out for a spin</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPqNmagxLvrDCNS0BIkBEhyPJlUoD0aU1mxrQ46-3SM8AiLdj6S0sH4hA-kbHke-nIcDBkKU4uwZ1QDmUGzWvQ2xf4ss6YwGubiqDk-2CYuaywd_VLd1RDeMRBX2iHVm4NI5VDKthJZo/s640/blogger-image-1673341401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPqNmagxLvrDCNS0BIkBEhyPJlUoD0aU1mxrQ46-3SM8AiLdj6S0sH4hA-kbHke-nIcDBkKU4uwZ1QDmUGzWvQ2xf4ss6YwGubiqDk-2CYuaywd_VLd1RDeMRBX2iHVm4NI5VDKthJZo/s320/blogger-image-1673341401.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Touch-a-Truck at Belle View Elementary School</span></td></tr>
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Afterwards we headed to the Del Ray neighborhood for Art on the Avenue. It's a large art festival that that is held annually the first Saturday of October. They close Mt. Vernon Avenue and line the streets with over 300 artists (jewelers – silversmith & beaders, woodworkers, pottery
makers, soap crafters, glass makers, unique painters, sculptures, fabric
artists), musicians, a petting zoo, face painting, games for kids and food vendors. We had a great time strolling up and down the avenue and taking in all the sights.<br />
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A visit from mom isn't complete without a trip to <a href="http://guaposrestaurant.com/">Guapo's</a> so we headed there for dinner Saturday night. We learned upon our arrival that Oktoberfest was taking place in <a href="http://villageatshirlington.com/">Shirlington</a> that day and not only were the restaurants slammed but there were drunk people stumbling around everywhere! Luckily we got a table quickly and Carter was provided with quite the entertainment.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yay for Guapo's! </span></td></tr>
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On Sunday we got up early and hit the road to <a href="http://www.homestead-farm.net/">Homestead Farm</a> in Poolesville, MD. It's about a 45 minute gorgeous drive from DC. I love to drive along the GW Parkway this time of year. The leaves are starting to change colors and you feel like you're in the mountains. The majority of the drive is down back roads in MD and it was really beautiful. Upon our arrival we took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch to pick the perfect pumpkin. Carter wasn't a big fan of the hayride. It was very bumpy so he was very hesitant the entire ride. I also decided to put him in a cute vest; however, he absolutely hated it. I can't figure it out because he'll wear a jacket without any problem but the second I put him in his puffy vest he unzips it and pulls it off. So of course it was a battle of the vest half of the time we were in the pumpkin patch.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Searching for the perfect pumpkin!</span></td></tr>
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After our hayride we put Carter in one of the wheel barrows and off we went into the apple orchards. They still had a lot of apples to choose from and it was a lot of fun. Carter enjoyed running around and sampling an apple or two while mom and I did all of the work. Who wouldn't want to go apple picking when they get pulled around like this?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nothing better than a sweet, crisp apple!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gigi got her workout for the day</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cutest little apple picker I've ever seen!</span></td></tr>
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I highly recommend visiting Homestead Farm if you live in the area. My advice is to go first thing in the morning because it gets very crowded. When you arrive immediately grab a wheel barrow because they only have about 40 in stock and they go very quickly! People will stalk you for one when they realize you're headed to your car. Hayrides are offered on Saturday and Sunday from 9:30a.m.- 4:30p.m. and tickets are $3 per person. They currently have Aztec, Fuji and Enterprise apples to pick.They also have a market with the following items for sale: pumpkins, fall squash, apples, tomatoes, vegetables, local honey and preserves.<br />
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We were sad to see mom leave Sunday afternoon but we had a great visit while she was here. As I've said before, as much as I love the spring and summer there is something about this time of year that is the best!<br />
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Happy Fall ya'll!</div>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-19392994978521246252014-09-23T12:46:00.001-07:002014-09-24T05:33:45.141-07:00Carter Starts Preschool!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carter started preschool yesterday at <a href="http://www.apsva.us/Page/4510">Claremont Elementary School</a>. This is a huge adjustment for our entire family considering the fact that I never dreamed of putting Carter in a preschool program until he was three years old. Don't get me wrong, there is a TON of pressure in this area to get your child into some kind of program as early as possible but I didn't feel like it was necessary at this time, especially considering our wonderful nanny share.</span><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was going to be hard for Carter not to be with his best buddy every morning.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since Carter was 10 months old he has received physical and speech therapy services through the Arlington PIE (Parent Infant Education) program. Carter has had physical therapy (PT) weekly and speech therapy (ST) every two weeks for 17 months in our home. Every child enrolled in the PIE program is eligible to be evaluated for services through the Child Find program within Arlington County schools as they approach their second birthday. Within the PIE program you receive therapy in your child's natural environment whether that be at home or their daycare center and you pay for those services. Child Find is a program for children between the ages of two and five years old where children receive their designated services through the school system and you do not pay additionally. We were warned that the evaluation process was very lengthy; however, in the end felt that it would be worth our time given Carter's current situation. We knew that Carter would qualify for some level of services but we weren't sure if it would be enough for him to attend the preschool program. Considering Carter has had delays in multiple areas and still remained about 6 months behind at his annual review we decided it was worth our time to go through the evaluation process.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The evaluation is basically a six step process. We began the process in May and completed it on Thursday, September 11th! Our first meeting was basically an introductory one where we went through Carter's social history. We discussed my pregnancy, delivery, his medical history, behavior and the services he has received through the PIE program. This meeting took place with a study committee which consisted of a Special Education Coordinator, a Social Worker, a Psychologist and our PIE Service Coordinator. At the end of the meeting the committee recommended a referral for an official evaluation. Basically it was a meeting to state that we can officially begin the evaluation process.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first evaluation was physical therapy and the second one was for speech and developmental therapy. Each session lasted about an hour and the therapists spent their time playing with Carter and asking Chris and me questions about his development. The only bad thing about our timing was that it fell in the middle of the summer. Most teachers and therapists were out of school; therefore, there were only limited days we could meet. Our physical therapy evaluation was at the beginning of June and our speech evaluation wasn't until the end of July. If your child were to be evaluated during the school year I believe this process would move a lot faster.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technically after your evaluations have been completed a social worker is supposed to come to your home to go through your child's detailed social history. However, our social worker called me the day before we were leaving for the beach and Carter's eligibility meeting was scheduled the day we returned so we skipped this step.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On August 20th we had Carter's eligibility meeting with the study committee. They walked us through each of the therapists evaluations and came to an agreement that Carter did qualify and would benefit from services. Unfortunately it was still going to take another meeting to determine what those services would be. Carter has delays in five out of six categories and the pre-k teacher that participated in the meeting said that he would qualify for the preschool program; however, they couldn't officially confirm that until the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting. The good news is that they try to place your child at your home school, which for us is Claremont Elementary School. If they don't have room for your child at your home school then you'll be assigned to the next closest school. One of our neighbor's daughter was in the two year old program at Claremont and couldn't have said better things about the program and the teacher. So we were very excited to hear that if he was accepted in to the program they would have room for him at Claremont. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After waiting patiently for two weeks I decided to call the teacher at Claremont. I was surprisingly connected directly to her and we scheduled Carter's IEP meeting for September 11th. At this meeting we walked through the eligibility meeting notes and met with Carter's teacher, each of the school's therapists and the Assistant Principal. They were in all in agreement that Carter would benefit from attending the preschool program Monday-Friday for five hours each day. He'll receive 30 minutes of PT each week and an hour of ST. Once he starts school the occupational therapist will complete an evaluation and it's possible that he may receive some therapies from her too.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I want Carter to go to school five days a week for 5 hours each day? No, not at all. Do I think that this is the best thing for him and his development? Yes, absolutely. Part of me is a little upset that Carter has enough delays to qualify him for this program yet there is another part of me that is grateful that he qualifies. As of right now there are three little boys in Carter's class, one teacher and two assistants. The class maxes out at eight students and it could take until the end of the year to get there. That's how hard it is to get in and that's how wonderful the teacher to student ratio is! You won't find that anywhere else!</span><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm not sure where my baby boy went!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">He's off!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though Carter will receive his therapies during designated times throughout the week the teacher and assistants are fully aware of the exercises he should be working on and they continue that throughout the day. The kids are taught to be very independent. Each student is asked to bring in a family photo that they hang in the room so they can talk about their families throughout the day. They walk to the cafeteria to get their lunch. They unpack and pack their book bags on their own. They set up their cot for nap time and put it away when they're finished. They go on field trips. The school brings in animals from the nature center to learn about. They go to the library. They have music class. They have PE class. They have reading buddies from the local high school come over to read with them. And his teacher sends home a personal notebook at the end of each day with detailed notes about Carter's day. What more could you ask for? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far things have gone well. Carter has cried when we've dropped him off each morning but his teacher has assured me that it didn't last long. When I've pulled up each afternoon to pick him up he has been sitting patiently on the bench in front of the school with his little backpack on his shoulders with the biggest grin you've ever seen. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They have about an hour of "quiet time" at school so we're going to have to work on his nap schedule once he gets home. The poor little guy's world has been completely flipped upside down! Carter has been used to very lazy mornings and typically eats breakfast around 8:30a.m, so you can imagine the struggle we have on our hands to get him up, dressed, fed and out the door by 7:45a.m.! Mom and Dad are going to need some time to adjust too- ha! It will take some time but I'm confident that he'll quickly adapt and thrive with his new routine. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I should note that technically Claremont Elementary is Claremont Immersion School. It opened in September 2003 as Arlington's second dual language immersion elementary school. Their program allows kids to learn a second language through curriculum, art, music and every day interactions. We were blessed to learn that this was going to be Carter's home school because our nanny speaks fluent Spanish to the boys during the day. Carter has several Spanish words and understands it just as well as he does English. My two year old son knows more Spanish than I do! Our first nanny spoke Spanish to the boys since they were three months old and our second nanny speaks even more to them on a daily basis. It is very important to us that Carter keep it up so the fact that his teacher uses it with him throughout the school day is an added bonus!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone for all the phone calls, texts and emails! The little man has done great so far and we're so proud of the little student we have on our hands. Now and for the next 18 years......</span><br>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-35309441394064720812014-07-01T12:11:00.000-07:002014-07-01T18:57:49.656-07:00Carter's Second Birthday PartyThis past Saturday we gathered together with our family and friends to celebrate Carter's 2nd birthday. Even though a number of our family members couldn't be there with us we enjoyed our time with the ones that made the trip up to DC and our close friends.<br>
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This year I decided to go with a circus theme for the party. It was an easy theme to pull off thanks to Pinterest and Oriental Trading Company. I decided to have the party mid-afternoon so we wouldn't have to worry with serving a full meal. We enjoyed corn dogs, soft pretzels, popcorn, animal crackers and fruit to go along with our circus theme. And of course we had birthday cupcakes for the birthday boy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Courtesy of a local mom. They were amazing! Let me know if you want her contact info.</span></td></tr>
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We decided to have the party at our house. We did the same last year and it turned out great. We have a nice patio that opens up into a large backyard so there is plenty of room for the kids to run around. My only worry with an outdoor afternoon party is the weather. Fortunately we were blessed with picture perfect weather, as we were last year. We couldn't have asked for a better day! It wasn't too hot and there was a nice breeze to keep everyone cool. The kids enjoyed playing with the water table, bubbles, tattoos, stickers and going on wagon rides. The kids are still young enough that you don't have to have a lot of organized activities to keep them entertained. I know that day will soon come to an end so it was nice to just let them run free! </div>
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As I mentioned above, I got most of my party ideas from Pinterest. I ordered all of my party supplies from the Oriental Trading Company and they were great. Everything was reasonably priced and great quality. I even got the cute cupcake stand, banner and popcorn boxes from them! I received their catalog in the mail about a month before Carter's birthday and they had categorized all their party supplies by theme and just so happened to have a circus theme! It couldn't have worked out any better. I found the idea for the balloon banner from <a href="http://www.parents.com/fun/birthdays/supplies/birthday-party-balloons/">Parenting Magazine</a>. It was really easy to make and the key was definitely the balloon clips. You can find them at any party supply store.</div>
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Carter had such a good time at his party and we appreciate everyone that shared his special day with him! We capped off the weekend with a pool day on Sunday. It took Carter about 30 minutes to get accustomed to his puddle jumper and then before we knew it he was a little fish.<br>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-28254947755958277732014-06-20T10:09:00.000-07:002014-06-20T11:26:37.845-07:00Father's DayWe had a fairly low-key Father's Day weekend, although if you were to ask Chris it may not have been low-key enough! Chris played golf on Saturday so Carter and I went to music class and then ventured to the <a href="http://parks.arlingtonva.us/locations/virginia-highlands-park/">Virginia Highlands Park</a> for the rest of the morning. For the past few months Carter has participated in a weekly music class hosted by <a href="http://www.musictogetheralexandria.com/">Music Together Alexandria</a>.When you register for their classes you can choose from various locations throughout Alexandria. We're fortunate enough that one of the locations is less than a mile from our house.Typically there are 4-5 other kids in the class each week and Carter has really enjoyed it. They give you 2 CDs and a music book at the beginning of the session which allows you to learn the songs so you can sing-a-long with the teacher during class. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not because inevitably I find myself singing the songs on a regular basis.<br />
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Saturday evening we drove up to Solomon's Island to join the Murphy clan at <a href="http://www.stoneysseafoodhouse.com/">Stoney's</a> for dinner. This has become a favorite semi-getaway dinner spot for us. You can sit right by the Chesapeake Bay, enjoy fresh seafood and most importantly their orange crushes! Since it was Father's Day weekend we left the guys there after dinner to enjoy some downtime and Jana and I piled all the kiddos in our car and headed back home. I've never had so many car-seats in my car before!<br />
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On Sunday we went to Ted's Bulletin for breakfast where Carter enjoyed eating their homemade pop-tarts, yum! After breakfast we took a little stroll around Eastern Market before it got too hot. The rest of afternoon was spent playing outside and watching the US Open. Even though I didn't get to spend Father's Day with my dad, it was nice to have had some time with him the week before. I'm very fortunate to have a wonderful dad and such a wonderful grandfather to Carter. I'm also very grateful that Carter has such a wonderful father in Chris. He is Carter's biggest cheerleader and loves his family unconditionally. There is no doubt that he puts our family first and always puts other people's feelings ahead of his own. He is our rock and always manages to keep us sailing on smooth waters. Carter is a lucky little guy to have such a great daddy and I'm blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful guys in my life!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Courtesy of an app called <a href="http://www.waterlogueapp.com/">Waterlogue</a></span></td></tr>
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<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-43956552747190587432014-06-19T12:54:00.000-07:002014-06-19T12:54:01.927-07:00Welcome Summer!Even though the heat and humidity have arrived in full force it's nice to welcome summer. Even though I work full time it's a nice change of pace especially once August arrives.<br />
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Carter and I kicked off the summer with a trip to Charlotte a few weeks ago. My boss' daughter got married in Charlotte so I decided to head down there for the week and work out of our district office while my parents spent some quality time with Carter. A win for everyone! It was really nice to be back home for a couple of days. My parents still live in the house that I grew up in so there is something very comforting about going home. I still get to sleep in my old bedroom, we still have the same neighbors and I just seem to fall right into place. It's also nice to have four extra sets of hands to help with Carter!<br />
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Carter started walking in April and he has been on the go since then. He has lost his desire to sit on the floor and play with toys and read books. I guess he had to do that for so long compared to other kids his age so he's making up for lost time. He loves to walk around, open and close doors and drawers and just explore. My parents live in a ranch style house so there was a lot to be discovered! I told Chris that I have a new appreciation for our little townhouse after chasing him around my parent's house. It took me twice as long to get ready in the mornings because I always had to check on what he was getting into around the house.<br />
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We spent a lot of time with my parents and brother, Justin. We visited with my both of my grandmothers and my great aunt Vi. A dear childhood friend and her son even paid us a visit which was nice. It was fun to see the boys playing together and to compare mom notes. We took Carter to Discovery Place which I hadn't been to since I was a child. It was pretty much just like I remembered and Carter had a blast! On Saturday my mom and I packed a picnic lunch and took Carter to their neighborhood pool. This is the pool that we grew up going to and I have a lot of fond memories of my summers there as a kid. It was fun to see Carter have so much fun in their kiddie pool area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Visiting with my grandmother in Statesville. Carter especially loved the Cheetos she gave him!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Discovery Place </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Play date with Mason and a little fun at the pool </span></td></tr>
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Thursday night, while I was in town, Justin and I went to the <a href="http://usnwc.org/relax/">Whitewater Center for Riverjam</a>. Thursday evenings throughout the summer they have live music from 7:00p.m.- 10:00p.m. You can bring chairs or a blanket, stretch out, enjoy dinner and a frosty beverage in a great atmosphere. If you haven't been out there before it is definitely worth the trip. You're free to walk the grounds during the concert and will most likely catch some whitewater rafters and/or kayakers.<br />
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So far we've spent a lot of lazy weekends at the pool this summer and look forward to many more. I just ordered Carter a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003648OKK/ref=twister_B00364E1DE">puddle-jumper</a> so we'll see how he does with it this weekend. He's in the process of cutting two of his two year old molars so he hasn't been the most pleasant person this week, ha! Hopefully he'll be in a little better mood this weekend so we can give it a try. We've visited a few local splash grounds in the area that have been a lot fun. Since Carter wears orthotics in his shoes I was on the hunt to find him a good water sandal that provided some decent support. I ended up buying him some Keens from Zappos and they work great. They give him enough stability so that he doesn't have to wear his orthotics and they dry easily.<span id="goog_1028893573"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.zappos.com/keen-kids-newport-h2-toddler-midnight-navy-daphne"><span style="font-size: small;">Keen Kids Newport H2 Sandal</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://parks.arlingtonva.us/locations/penrose-square/">Penrose Square Splash Ground</a></span></td></tr>
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It's hard to believe but we're quickly approaching Carter's second birthday! He turns two years old on Tuesday so we're having a little party for him next weekend. We look forward to celebrating his special day with our family and friends. The week of the Fourth of July we're headed to the beach for a little R&R.<br />
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Cheers to a wonderful summer!Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-57367695599875218822014-02-07T07:43:00.002-08:002014-02-07T07:43:20.526-08:00MLK WeekendAs I mentioned in my earlier post, MLK weekend turned out to be a four day weekend thanks to an unexpected snow day. We got around six inches on snow on Tuesday, January 21st and all the lingering snow melted just a few days ago! It has been freezing cold lately and I am beyond ready for spring. It's fun to get a snow day here and there, but when you have to work twice as hard from home than you would at work it just isn't worth it. I'll take temps in the 70's and playtime outdoors any day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cartoons in bed. Not a bad way to start your day.</span></td></tr>
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Since it has been so cold we've been looking for fun activities to do over the weekends with Carter. We're all on the verge of going stir crazy so it's nice to get out even if we do have to bundle up. Chris had to work on MLK Day (farmers don't take vaca) so Carter and I decided to venture out to the <a href="http://www.nbm.org/">National Building Museum</a> and meet Chris for lunch. The National Building Museum has two open play areas for kids. One area is called the <a href="http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/building-zone.html">Building Zone</a> which is basically a large play area designed to introduce kids to the art of building. They have large blocks, toy construction vehicles, books, tool hats, and tool sets. Kids can play until their heart is content and parents can take a break. It really is the perfect place to go on frigid days like we've had or in the miserable days of summer. They have timed entries so it's best to arrive early. Admission is $3.00 for 45 minutes of play. Admission is free for member so if you plan on visiting frequently it may be well worth joining. Tickets are available every hour, starting at 15 minutes after the hour and the last entry is 3:15p.m. Membership information can be found <a href="http://www.nbm.org/support-us/membership/individual-membership.html">here</a>.<br />
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If you're like Carter and me and you don't arrive in time to play in the Building Zone, they currently have another great exhibit for kids called <a href="http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/play-work-build.html">Play, Work, Build</a>. It combines a hands-on block play area where your little one's imaginations can run wild, a huge play area full of over-sized building blocks, and an original digital interactive wall that allows kids to build a wall with virtual blocks and then knock them down. There is also an area where kids can play with Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs. This exhibit is scheduled to run through November 2014.<br />
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If you don't want to pay admission or the play areas are full you can always let the kids run wild in The Great Hall. It's an atrium where kids can run around, you can grab coffee from Firehook Bakery, or pack a picnic lunch and enjoy sightseeing. The National Building Museum is definitely a must see for those with kids. We enjoyed our morning there even though it was packed. Of course weekends and holidays are their busiest time but if you can manage to sneak into work late one morning definitely plan a trip with your kids.<br />
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After our play date we headed to the Senate side to meet Chris for lunch. We opted for Mexican food since we knew we'd get quick service and we didn't have to worry about keeping Carter quiet. After we got in the car Carter absolutely crashed. He was worn out from our morning out!<br />
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Little did we know that we'd get to stay home the next day with our little man, but thanks to about six inches of snow we enjoyed a snow day! Honestly it was more work than it was worth. The House was in recess that week but of course my boss was scheduled to fly in that afternoon for several meetings. Really? The one recess week he decides to come to town and we get a snow storm!! So I spent the majority of my day on the phone with the airlines and car service companies while Carter had meltdowns because I wouldn't give him my iPhone or Blackberry. My snow day was way too much work! It looked pretty while falling but I'm so sick of it now. Our five day weather outlook currently shows snow showers every day. When will spring arrive?!<br />
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<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-17056922259972616802014-01-29T08:20:00.002-08:002014-01-29T08:20:29.151-08:00Make Your Own Pizza Night!The weekend before last was a long one for us thanks to MLK Day and an even longer one thanks to a snow day on Tuesday. On Sunday I thought it would be fun to have a make your pizza night. I've always noticed that Trader Joe's sells their own pizza dough and I've always wanted to give it a try so this was our perfect opportunity. We have had a hard time finding a good pizza delivery place near us. We've tried every pizza place you can think of and none of them are that great. No one does pizza better than <a href="http://mellowmushroom.com/">Mellow Mushroom</a> and until recently we didn't even have one in our area. They opened one in DC but it isn't convenient to our house- bummer! So we settle every few weeks and order so-so pizza and move on with our lives.<br />
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For my pizza I decided to use pesto as my base and loaded it up with roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, sauteed mushrooms, artichoke hearts and mozzarella cheese. Trader Joe's also sells pizza sauce so Chris used it for his base and mixed in a little pesto for extra flavor. He topped his with sauteed mushrooms, Kalamata olives, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.<br />
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To get started remove the dough from the package and let is rest on a floured work surface for about 10-15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place your pizza stone into the oven to heat, or spray a large baking sheet pan with cooking spray. Add more flour to your work surface, then roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough onto the pizza stone or a well-floured peel and then place your toppings. If you top your pizza beforehand the pizza will get heavy and has a tendency to stick when transferring it.<br />
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We baked them in the oven, one at a time, on our pizza stone for about 10-12 minutes and they turned out great! We drizzled each one of them with some high quality olive oil once they came out of the oven and they tasted better than any pizza we've ever had delivered. We also decided that my pizza was the tastiest of the two! The process was a little messy but all in all, well worth it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chris's pizza</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Erin's pizza</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our little helper for the evening. This is what you get when you let a 19 month old play with a container of feta cheese!</span></td></tr>
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In the summer I love to make dessert pizzas and grill them. Talk about a tasty dessert! If you want to take the easy route buy a pre-made pizza crust, like Boboli, slather it with mascarpone cheese and top it with mixed berries. Place it on a hot grill and let it grill until the crust toasts nicely and the cheese begins to melt. Once you remove it from the grill drizzle it with melted chocolate. You could also use Nutella as your base, top it with berries and drizzle with white chocolate. Yum!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://magnoliadays.com/2013/summer-berry-pizza/">Berry Dessert Pizza </a></span></td></tr>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-56321586947484159422014-01-28T08:23:00.002-08:002014-01-28T08:23:23.666-08:00Carter's First Hair Cut <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We decided over the holidays that it was officially time to get Carter's hair cut. Around the time of Carter's first birthday Chris wanted to get his hair cut. I wasn't 100% on board but agreed to make the appointment. I was shocked when Chris changed his mind after several friends told him to wait. Carter has the rest of his life to worry with getting his hair cut. Why the rush? But over the holidays the hair around Carter's ears and at the base of his neck was a little out of control! When he would wake up in the mornings with knots in his hair I decided it was probably time.<br />
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I hadn't given much thought to when I'd make his appointment until I was getting my haircut one Friday evening. I was telling Katie, my hair dresser, how we decided it was time to bring Carter in to see her and she told me that she just so happened to have an opening the following morning. So the morning of Saturday, January 11th we took Carter in to see Katie for his first hair cut.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before </span></td></tr>
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Carter was all smiles until we were seated and Katie placed the cape over the two of us. That completely freaked Carter out and the tears started to flow! Chris didn't understand why I was making such a big deal of this event and originally he wasn't going to join us. I decided to make him tag along so he could snap some pictures since I would have to hold Carter in my lap. I'm thankful he joined us because Chris had to hold Carter's head still, while I held his arms down just so Katie could trim his hair. You would have thought someone was torturing the poor child. Fortunately there wasn't a lot to cut so it took all of 5 minutes to complete his new do!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">During</span></td></tr>
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Katie was kind enough to gather some of the clippings and place it in an envelope for me. Call me crazy but I'll certainly file them away in Carter's baby book. Now that his hair is cut he really looks like a little boy! He's so handsome but it makes me a little sad because I have to come to terms with the fact that he's no longer a baby.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">After<br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-74527272914227657362013-11-21T13:06:00.001-08:002013-11-21T13:06:54.096-08:00Family Getaway to Lake Anna Over Veteran's Day weekend we traveled to Lake Anna with my family. We rented a great house that was located directly on the water. Lake Anna is the second largest lake in the state of Virginia, measuring 17 miles long with 200 miles of shoreline. The greatest part of this little weekend getaway was that it was only about an hour and forty-five minutes from DC. You can take I-95 to Fredericksburg or I-66 to I-29 if you're looking for more of a scenic route.<br />
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The name of the house we rented was Libby's Landing and my mom just so happened to stumble across it online at <a href="http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/25743.html">Vacation Rentals</a>. It had great reviews so we thought we'd give it a shot and it certainly didn't disappoint! As you can see from the pictures it is a huge house with 6 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths. Its peak season are the summer months for fishing and boating; however, we found it to be the perfect fall escape.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A view from our backyard</span></td></tr>
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Lake Anna is about 50 miles outside of <a href="http://www.charlottesville.org/">Charlottesville</a> so we decided to make a day trip into town on Saturday. We enjoyed lunch at <a href="http://www.michietavern.com/">Michie Tavern</a> which had some of the best fried chicken I've ever tasted! One of my dad's cousins, Cathy, and her husband, Hal, live in Charlottesville so they came and joined us for lunch. The Tavern itself is located about half a mile below Monticello and accommodated travelers with food, drink and lodging more than 200 years ago. Today visitors are welcome to tour the grounds and dine at their rustic restaurant where the servers dress is period attire and offer you nothing but the best southern hospitality. Their buffet is based on 18th century Southern recipes so be prepared for a very rich and filling meal! Following lunch we visited the General Store and stopped for a family picture.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The General Store </span></td></tr>
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After lunch we headed up the hill to <a href="http://www.monticello.org/">Monticello</a>. We were excited to tour the grounds of Thomas Jefferson's home but were disappointed to discover that all the home tours were sold out through the afternoon. We decided that it wasn't worth the price of admission to go on the grounds without getting an opportunity to tour the home so we visited their new museum and then headed to <a href="http://www.cartermountainorchard.com/">Carter Mountain Orchard</a> for some tasty apple cider doughnuts! This is a great place to take kids on a nice day. They offer hayrides, apple picking and gorgeous views.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Playing at Monticello's children's museum</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gorgeous views from Carter Mountain Orchard</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The best apple cider donuts!!!</span></td></tr>
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On our way home from Charlottesville we decided to make a pit stop at <a href="http://www.barboursvillewine.net/winery/">Barboursville Vineyards</a> which is home to Virginia's Octagon wine. We enjoyed a fun wine tasting (16 to be exact!) and a gorgeous sunset before heading back to the house for the evening. Carter went without an afternoon nap on Saturday so he was beyond tired by the time we hit the road to head home! It was the perfect time of year to be in Charlottesville. All the leaves had changed color and the views were spectacular.<br />
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We decided that Sunday was meant for rest and relaxation! We enjoyed being outside and taking advantage of the beautiful weather and of course the guys had to squeeze in some quality time for football. Mom and I even managed to convince the guys to take a few family pictures. My mom always struggles to find the perfect picture for her Christmas card and I now realize her frustration. It's not easy getting the entire family together and snapping that perfect picture but I certainly think we managed to do it this year. I made sure to leave those pictures off the blog for a Christmas surprise, ha!<br />
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Since Chris, Carter and I are staying in DC for Thanksgiving I decided it would be fun to have a separate pre-Thanksgiving dinner with my family since we were all going to be together. Chris fixed a rack of pork and green beans and I was in charge of the <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/traditional-sweet-potato-casserole-10000001673131/">sweet potato casserole</a>. We also managed to squeeze in some biscuits and cranberry sauce onto our plates too! It was a wonderful meal and it was nice to be together as a family considering we won't see each other at Thanksgiving. We also celebrated another Panther victory which made dinner even better!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lazy day around the lake</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTtxyVLY5-Jlaa_6g3IVi8h_FRy0xTjJ9c-BEW5jqWwHnpaYC9K-OKQQJVFkd8vLUbtKNWbgv0qe9UfJAQe4r0jThvTt8uwEDp4sxLSIiUD7e9KTGLnoSOj4LBzh_89EeXmCEZX4gDZg/s1600/Fotor1121145448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTtxyVLY5-Jlaa_6g3IVi8h_FRy0xTjJ9c-BEW5jqWwHnpaYC9K-OKQQJVFkd8vLUbtKNWbgv0qe9UfJAQe4r0jThvTt8uwEDp4sxLSIiUD7e9KTGLnoSOj4LBzh_89EeXmCEZX4gDZg/s400/Fotor1121145448.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Can you tell that Carter enjoyed his first fishing experience? Ha, maybe uncle Justin will have better luck next time. Carter wasn't the biggest fan of our evening fires either. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUYIYAOdJPNcrUEczYTVn6lm5D65Kjs5D5dkajbDMql1gymMXE5KenrYeCitmWlhcNuCh5J_EMmoflNA1WvRrtvnbEEzHZPwbW_oZ0wPgBa3K7WrD7cmqcVhjGXDkZZ_oaUYk3mAqDFs/s1600/Fotor1121145636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUYIYAOdJPNcrUEczYTVn6lm5D65Kjs5D5dkajbDMql1gymMXE5KenrYeCitmWlhcNuCh5J_EMmoflNA1WvRrtvnbEEzHZPwbW_oZ0wPgBa3K7WrD7cmqcVhjGXDkZZ_oaUYk3mAqDFs/s400/Fotor1121145636.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">These ducks came to visit with us every time we walked down to the dock. Notice how Chris is trying to show them "all finished" in the picture above when he ran out of bread. The ducks weren't happy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0F_TCItN3vnkEF6pz56DRYvCaRbBXziNMiKDRxKxhfeLM2-Xeh2PSK3FOElr4Dgrdl81TNKdCs_ZD19qShxNrDQbELFe-JMGHTU_F2-GFBjqOHyfBIZAbY-KyK8eDvfafbPR0Yma78s/s1600/Fotor112115046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0F_TCItN3vnkEF6pz56DRYvCaRbBXziNMiKDRxKxhfeLM2-Xeh2PSK3FOElr4Dgrdl81TNKdCs_ZD19qShxNrDQbELFe-JMGHTU_F2-GFBjqOHyfBIZAbY-KyK8eDvfafbPR0Yma78s/s400/Fotor112115046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yummy rack of pork, Carter's Jacuzzi tub for the weekend, lounging by the fire while watching TV and snuggling with dad. Hard to beat!! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqX4GddhBq9lItZC2lYn7tTFCYJ4r3sZtW6bO2-R2sVndTy84KKYJk4uWfug5Y9j3_BG2j46nvCSL9Et-gmrA3xE8MTR63XyLKJibgShgezI0feghU6wfQbfzJI6wuGeuRQP2GvVkFZc/s1600/Fotor1121151218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqX4GddhBq9lItZC2lYn7tTFCYJ4r3sZtW6bO2-R2sVndTy84KKYJk4uWfug5Y9j3_BG2j46nvCSL9Et-gmrA3xE8MTR63XyLKJibgShgezI0feghU6wfQbfzJI6wuGeuRQP2GvVkFZc/s400/Fotor1121151218.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The best thing about the group shot in this frame is what happened immediately beforehand. We had our camera set-up on a tripod so Chris had to move very quickly from the shoreline to the pier to get in place. He was in the process of running from the tripod and made a jump to the pier and little did he know that one of our friendly ducks was directly beneath him in the water. I guess Chris's sudden movement scared the duck so he flew up directly at Chris. There was a huge splash and we all thought Chris fell into the water. Notice how we're all laughing except for Carter. He wasn't amused. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPUZakV-scPf0wrOkqLS1U6EJroFgq_cD0OQqqnNULZg159UXidV0fQZeib25jzx473vmUKtfxrMlhAZJZAsqM8K6dRsIFN-SGOd5qlWNAXKSbeuU9r1HycM9FHkQ87oV22ChOuJKkZU/s1600/Fotor1121151739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPUZakV-scPf0wrOkqLS1U6EJroFgq_cD0OQqqnNULZg159UXidV0fQZeib25jzx473vmUKtfxrMlhAZJZAsqM8K6dRsIFN-SGOd5qlWNAXKSbeuU9r1HycM9FHkQ87oV22ChOuJKkZU/s400/Fotor1121151739.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pre-Thanksgiving dinner with the family. Notice how we all got dressed for the occasion. </span></td></tr>
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It was just the weekend we all needed. If you haven't visited the Charlottesville area I highly suggest making a trip. There were several things that we didn't get to see while we were there so I would certainly go back. I had a number of people tell me that Charlottesville has some of the best restaurants they've ever eaten at so if you have a babysitter or can manage to get away for an adult weekend let me know and I will send you the recommendations. If you plan a trip there in the fall make sure to check UVA's home game schedule.<br />
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I'm not sure if I'll get another post up between now and Thanksgiving. I feel like we've had so much going on lately. So in case I don't get to say this later, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving full of love and joy. It's been a great year and we certainly have a lot to be thankful for.<br />
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<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-51587172705199904842013-10-30T11:36:00.000-07:002013-10-30T11:36:17.259-07:00Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past weekend was filled with Halloween fun! On Friday night we attended the Fairlington Mom's Club Halloween party. This is their biggest party of the year and they had a great turnout. It's a potluck dinner and all the little kiddos, and some parents, get dressed up for the occasion. At this year's party we took pigs in a blanket (that were gone in the flash of an eye) and these cute sweet treats (thank you, Pinterest)!<br />
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Each year two of the moms in the club, who are professional photographers, volunteer to set up a photo booth. You can get your child's picture made for a $5 donation or 2 canned goods to give to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. This year our club raised $120 and collected 317 pounds of food items. The photographers snapped a great picture of Carter in his monkey costume. I don't have the link to it yet but when I do I'll make sure to share. After we had Carter's picture made we did an arts and crafts project and ate dinner. That was about all he could handle considering he decided not to nap Friday afternoon.<br />
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On Saturday we went to pick out our pumpkins to carve for Halloween night. This is also the pumpkin patch we used for Carter's Halloween card photo opp. For several years we've have picked out our pumpkins from the patch at <a href="http://www.icoh.net/default.asp">Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill</a> in Alexandria. This year they are celebrating their <a href="http://www.icoh.net/Programs/Pumpkin_Sale/">20th anniversary</a>. The pumpkins are grown on the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico and are distributed to Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill and over 1,300 other churches of various denominations throughout the nation. More than 20 non-profit organizations benefit from the proceeds of the sale including ALIVE!, Carpenter's Shelter, Community Lodgings and he Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry.<br />
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The pumpkin patch is open daily from 10:00a.m. - 8:00p.m. from October 6th- October 31st and is located at 3606 Seminary Road. Upon your arrival you're given a Radio Flyer wagon to pull around the patch to gather your pumpkins. They have pumpkins of all sizes, sweet treats and autumn soups.<br />
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Following the pumpkin patch we took Carter to <a href="http://villageatshirlington.com/">Shirlington</a> to go trick-or-treating. Most of the stores and restaurants were participating which was fun. A few places had special activities for the kids. <a href="http://www.cakelove.com/">Cakelove</a> had free mini cupcakes for the kids to ice and decorate. I diligently worked to ice and sprinkle a cupcake for Carter and he ate it in a matter of seconds! The<a href="http://villageatshirlington.com/arts/shirlington-library/"> library</a> had a few arts and crafts stations set up for the kids and <a href="http://www.cafepizzaiolo.com/">Cafe Pizziolo</a> gave away free slices of pizza and had a painting station for kids to decorate miniature pumpkins. It was a fun way to enjoy a nice afternoon in one of our favorite areas.<br />
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On Sunday we went into <a href="http://visitdelray.com/">Del Ray</a> and ate lunch at <a href="http://delraypizzeria.com/">Del Ray Pizzeria</a>. If you haven't eaten there you should definitely give it a try. I'm a bit of a pizza snob and I loved their pizza, especially the deep dish! They have a great bar and a lot of TV's so if you need a place where your husband can watch a game and grab a beer this is the place. After lunch we had a little time to kill before the parade got started so we walked around the shops. We stumbled across the cutest store called Del Ray Variety. It's like an old mom and pop shop with a little bit of everything. They have toys, party supplies, home decor, greeting cards, craft supplies, food, cosmetics, books, electronics and more! They're having a sale through the end of the month and offering 25% off all <a href="http://www.melissaanddoug.com/">Melissa and Doug</a> items. We've been looking for a <a href="http://www.melissaanddoug.com/wood-block-set-small">wooden block set</a> for Carter to play with and of course they had and we got it for $15! It was down a side street so I haven't come across it over the many years I've shopped in Del Ray but I'll now add it to my list of favorites.<br />
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Following our shopping spree we put Carter in his costume and marched in the annual Del Ray Halloween Parade. I never knew this parade existed until this year and it was so much fun! There were hundreds of parents and kids. Just as many people lined the sidewalks to watch the parade as there were participants. Carter got a little impatient towards the end because he was sick of riding in his wagon. He decided it would be fun to take everything out of his diaper bag, drop it on the ground, have me pick it up and hand it to him- repeatedly. Not fun!<br />
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We're (or maybe it's just me) excited about Halloween Thursday night. A few moms in the neighborhood and I are hosting a Court potluck dinner before the kids go trick-or-treating. It should be a great time for all the neighborhood families to get together and eat before their candy extravaganza! We have the absolute best neighborhood for trick-or-treating. There is townhouse after townhouse and they sit back off busy streets so it's safe for all the kids. In addition to the sweet treats I made above I'm also going to make these two things for our potluck dinner.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://spoonful.com/recipes/new-funny-bones">Funny Bones</a>- PS if you make the Oreo spiders & Nutter Butter ghosts then you'll have plenty of pretzel sticks and white chocolate leftover to make these. Just purchase a bag of small marshmallows.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/crescent-mummy-dogs/d52a57d7-ab8a-4a1c-8dae-f9f90d03b912"><span style="font-size: small;">Crescent Mummy Dogs</span></a></td></tr>
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I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!<br />
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<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-69298167855302689912013-10-25T13:23:00.002-07:002013-10-25T13:23:21.301-07:00Leftover Invitations I'm sure you have leftover party invitations stashed in a container somewhere in your house. If you're like me I hate to throw them away. I have extra wedding invitations, holiday cards and party invitations that I can't talk myself into tossing in the trash. Why? That is a great question. I guess I'm a sentimental person (insert Chris's laughter). However, a few weeks ago we were invited to one of dear friend's second birthday party and I realized I didn't have a card. I didn't have time to go to the store so I decided to get crafty and came up with a great way to recycle Carter's birthday party invitations!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter's Under The Sea Birthday Party Invitations </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jack's personalized birthday present!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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Now if I can only come up with a creative way to use the remainder of my wedding invitations!<br />
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I hope everyone has a great weekend. We're off to the Fairlington Mom's Club Halloween party tonight. Check out these cute little sweets I made.<br />
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The spiders are Oreos with pretzel sticks as the legs and M&Ms as the eyes. Put a dollop of chocolate icing in a Ziploc bag, cut the tip of one of the corners and pipe the icing on the back of the M&M and there ya go! The ghosts are Nutter Butters dipped in white chocolate candy bark and the eyes are mini chocolate chips. Super easy and tasty!!<br />
<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-85193192778330541482013-10-23T07:55:00.002-07:002013-10-23T07:56:14.192-07:00Cox Farms This past weekend we decided to take Carter to <a href="http://www.coxfarms.com/">Cox Farms</a> in Centreville, VA. It is a family owned and operated farm situated on 116 acres of undeveloped land in the Centreville/Chantilly community. They host a fall festival each year which is easily one of the most popular in the DC area and Cox Farm's biggest event.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter enjoyed sitting on the John Deere tractor</span></td></tr>
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I have heard friends and co-workers talk about this event for years so I was excited about our first trip. It surely didn't disappoint! We started off our afternoon by enjoying some BBQ, which was smoked on the farm. After lunch we ventured to our first slide. That is one of the best things they have at Cox Farms. There are over six different ones to choose from, the biggest and baddest being the Dino-slide which is 150 feet long and six lanes wide. Unfortunately we didn't get to give them all a try, but that's what next year is for. Chris took Carter down the treetops slide and Carter joined me on the castle slide. I don't really know what he thought about them but he certainly didn't cry. I think he was overwhelmed by everything surrounding him. There were hundreds of people there and little children running around everywhere.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chris & Carter going down the treetop slide!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Waiting to go down the castle slide.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A view of the Dino slide in the background.</span></td></tr>
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Throughout the farm they had bails of hay stacked high for the kids to climb on and beneath them they created a tunnel to crawl through. Carter wasn't really interested in either. He preferred to pull himself up on the bench and watch everyone else. They also had a kid zone for the little kids to run around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoying the kid zone!</span></td></tr>
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In the center of the farm they have a music stage featuring live bluegrass and classic rock music. If milking a cow is more your thing, they have a stage for that too. They feature a musical milking show and guests are allowed to go on stage afterwards and give it their best shot. If you're looking for a little something sweet you can treat yourself to funnel cakes, caramel apples and kettle corn. They also have fresh pressed cider for everyone to enjoy. There is a Nacho Cheese House, the Dawg House (featuring gourmet hot dogs), the BBQ Shack, Cox's Kitchen for hamburgers and pizza, among many other options. Maybe you're in the mood for hot chocolate or a pumpkin spice latte, not to worry....they have it too!<br />
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Besides the great slides, the hayride was one of my favorites. They take you on a 20 minute hayride throughout the farm pulled by an antique tractor. You go through an enchanted forest, encounter some aliens, see Charlie Brown and friends, visit an old western town and Superman even made an appearance to help pull us through a muddy ditch.<br />
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I could go on and on about this place. It is huge and a lot of fun. The only downside was that it was really crowded on Saturday. Obviously the weekends are the most popular time for families to attend; therefore, I definitely think it would be worth taking a morning or afternoon off work to take your family. We spent a lot of time waiting in line to go down the slides and to take a hayride so we didn't get to do everything that I wished we had. We stayed about two and half hours and that was all Carter could take before we had to head home for his nap. So my suggestion is to go on a weekday and call ahead to make sure there isn't a school field trip on the day you plan on going. There is an option to purchase your tickets online which I highly suggest doing. We were able to avoid long lines to get into the farm by purchasing ours in advance. There is also a secret entrance to the farm which helps you avoid long lines of traffic entering and exiting the parking lot. Visit their website for further details.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The new mascot for the Pork Producers!</span></td></tr>
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When you're leaving the farm everyone gets to pick out a pumpkin to take home for free. There is also a great market to visit where you can purchase fresh apples, cider, homemade pies, pumpkins and many other fun treats.<br />
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On Sunday we took it easy around the house and Chris smoked a pork shoulder and I made <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/taco-soup-recipe/index.html">taco soup</a>. Justin came to town on Sunday and is staying with us this week while he's here on business. Brandon came over on Sunday night and we all enjoyed each other's company while watching football. I think Carter really enjoyed all the attention and was a bit of a show-off!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">U.S. Capitol tour on a gorgeous day</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Inspiring!</span></td></tr>
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We're approaching a busy weekend filled with fun Halloween activities. It's hard to believe that Halloween is just a week away. Before we know it Christmas will be here!<br />
<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-15307910182873855912013-10-16T10:05:00.000-07:002013-10-16T10:05:12.785-07:00Carter Alan Wall <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've held off writing this post for several months for many reasons. Part of me wasn't sure where to begin. I want to share our story simply because I hope it will help someone else who may be going through the same situation as we are and can give them some comfort. As we navigated our way through the past few months I was always hesitant to tell people what we were going through because part of me kept waiting on that appointment where we would be told everything was just fine and then there would be no story to tell. So much happened over the course of just a few months that it was exhausting to even think about catching people up individually, so here is our story.<br />
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When we took Carter to his nine month appointment we were asked to fill out an <i>Ages & Stages Nine Month Questionnaire</i>. It was a series of questions about activities that babies may do at nine months. It stated that our baby may have already done some of the activities described and there may be some that our baby has not begun doing. As I got about midway through the questionnaire I started to get worried. I realized that I was answering "not yet" to the majority of the questions. I asked Chris, "do they really think he should be doing all of these things at nine months?" The questionnaire covered communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving and personal-social skills. After our pediatrician came in and spoke with us at length we were told that they recommended Carter be evaluated through the P.I.E. (Parent Infant Education) program in Arlington County. She said that Carter may have enough significant delays that would qualify him for speech and/or physical therapy. Seriously? I remember the end of the appointment being a blur. I could hardly think or see straight. Was she really telling me that something was wrong with our precious angel? How could this possibly be? I was so upset and mad that I just felt sick.Chris and I weren't sure what to think of her recommendation. Part of us wanted to tell her that she was wrong and we knew Carter was OK but then the other part of us started to worry.<br />
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The P.I.E. program is provided through the county and it's a developmental assessment where early intervention service providers meet with you and your child to learn about your child's developmental strengths and needs. They help you devise a plan for any early intervention they may deem helpful for your child. We were first assigned a case worker who came to the house to meet with us and ask us general questions about my pregnancy, Carter's birth and the first nine months of Carter's life. The second visit was with our case worker, a physical therapist and a speech therapist. They watched Carter play with toys, communicate with others and use his muscles to move and play. Following our play time they proceeded to ask me a series of questions. Where do I want Carter to be in a year? What would I ideally like him to be doing at this time? I was so overwhelmed I didn't know what to say. All I wanted to know was whether or not they thought therapies were necessary. Why were they asking me all these questions? Aren't they the ones who are supposed to tell me what activities he should be doing at this time and where Carter should be in a year? Ugh, it stresses me out to think back to it. They wanted this to be a team effort yet I felt so overwhelmed and was looking for more guidance than anything else.<br />
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During the last five minutes of our appointment I was told that Carter did qualify for speech and physical therapy and they recommended both therapies every other week. Part of me was still in shock that they thought he needed help. I guess that was denial on my part. When someone tells you that something in wrong with your loved one you don't want to believe it. I honestly had no idea that the second appointment would be as lengthy as it was nor did I expect them to say that Carter qualified for speech and physical therapy. Chris wasn't able to be home for the appointment so of course he had a lot of questions and concerns afterwards when I told him the outcome. My recommendation is to make sure both parents participate in these appointments should you have to go through the P.I.E. program evaluation. Everyone we met with was extremely nice and considerate but you need both parents present. When I think back to our situation we strongly believed that Carter was fine and wasn't going to need therapies so the fact that we both couldn't be there didn't seem like a big deal at the time. I guess the lesson learned is that we should have gone into the evaluation with more of an open mind and been prepared for the two different outcomes.<br />
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Following Carter's assessment and diagnosis we were assigned a speech therapist, Beulah, and physical therapist, Colleen. They having been coming to our house every other week since Carter was around ten months old. Beulah comes at 8:00a.m. on Mondays and Colleen comes the following Tuesday at 8:00a.m. Yes, they actually come to our house! I guess that's the nice thing about qualifying for therapies through the county. They will come to your house or if you child is in daycare they will meet you there. It's important to do the therapy in the child's environment so he can learn skills to use on a daily basis.<br />
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We were a little skeptical of speech therapy at first because all Beulah really does is sit on the floor and play with Carter. She works on over emphasizing letters and words. I read online, before we got started, about creating a sound bag. I placed several toys in a bag that began with the same letter. We decided to start with the letter B. I put a boat, ball, book, and bird in his bag and we constantly worked on emphasizing the letter B and playing with those particular toys. We were pleased that just two weeks later he started making the B sound. We sing a lot of songs and read a lot of books during speech therapy too. At the end of each session Beulah will give us a sheet of recommended activities we work with Carter on for the following two weeks. Beulah told us at the beginning of our therapy sessions that it's very common for children with physical delays to have speech delays too. Typically children become more vocal once they mobilize. We noticed a huge improvement in Carter's overall speech and sounds once he started crawling. He needed to work on his core strength in order to verbalize sounds so you can easily see how these two therapies work together.<br />
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When Colleen comes to see us she gives Carter a full blown work-out! The little guy is absolutely exhausted by the time she leaves but it's great to see him working so hard. Colleen just recently finished graduate school so Carter is one of her first patients. She's young and reminds me a lot of myself at her age so Carter responds to her really well. When Colleen first started coming Carter was just starting to sit up securely. We have done exercises varying from baby sit-ups, to balancing on a big bouncy ball, to wheelbarrow walks, and recently we were given the task of mastering the stairs! Funny huh? Most people try everything they can to keep their kid away from the stairs and we're encouraging Carter to crawl up them.<br />
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At Carter's nine month appointment were also told that he has low muscle tone. There really isn't much you can do to change his tone, other than work to strengthen his muscles. Carter was breech and didn't really move around a lot in the womb. Some of our personal research has suggested that being breech can cause low muscle tone and other studies have shown that some babies are breech because they have low muscle tone. I guess we'll never know, but Carter was basically in a V shape throughout my pregnancy. When he was first born, and for several months afterwards, he kept his little legs pulled up like a frog. We also began to notice as he got older, that when sitting up the soles of Carter's feet were turned so much that they faced the sky. Once he had the strength to stand up we noticed that he stands on the inside of his feet. He won't stand flat footed for the life of him. After we brought this to Colleen's attention she decided to order him orthotics to wear in his shoes. Not only will this help correct his foot but our hope was that it would give him more confidence to stand and walk.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Carter's legs stayed like this for several months.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nine month check-up. Can he get any cuter?!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8k8M_t9DZyyrVYe24bZ95kDt0eozl1mMEeYdtFUzAI2WwzkCcCr7HrRvh8TZBAYcTgkYoalflYxsovuRSLwWhqdTyURKdv7jiCkI64jziu47mcpnkXz9AbyYiZA_StIcapQOK3ulxMo/s1600/Carter+9+months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8k8M_t9DZyyrVYe24bZ95kDt0eozl1mMEeYdtFUzAI2WwzkCcCr7HrRvh8TZBAYcTgkYoalflYxsovuRSLwWhqdTyURKdv7jiCkI64jziu47mcpnkXz9AbyYiZA_StIcapQOK3ulxMo/s320/Carter+9+months.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Notice how Carter's feet turn up.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXc8_kjC6m68c1H__gCtD3XsP96xIHsHpV6Ph5owJDcUNoiG_J0HdHnBQu_4MLIQvEcxE1EykQKc1KQuQ5ky6iFmkv0d0c-Vy3ljPDDEQFl7kLC5X-snh15g3u0XwGN0at7DKPvR8Gyg/s1600/Carter's+orthotics+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXc8_kjC6m68c1H__gCtD3XsP96xIHsHpV6Ph5owJDcUNoiG_J0HdHnBQu_4MLIQvEcxE1EykQKc1KQuQ5ky6iFmkv0d0c-Vy3ljPDDEQFl7kLC5X-snh15g3u0XwGN0at7DKPvR8Gyg/s640/Carter's+orthotics+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</span><br />After two months of these therapies under our belt we approached Carter's 12 month check-up. We weren't worried going into this appointment at all. Actually we were very pleased with Carter's advancements and were happy to share them with his pediatrician. On a side note, we don't necessarily see the same doctor at every appointment. That is the one down side to our pediatrician. It's a large practice; therefore, to get an appointment with the doctor you like you have to schedule it months in advance. Not convenient at all. We had seen the same doctor for all of Carter's appointments up until his nine month appointment, but we were fortunately going back to our original doctor for his 12 month appointment. We were anxious to see what she had to say about Carter and we really hoped that she would just shrug off the worries before and tell us that Carter was right where he needed to be. Well unfortunately that wasn't the case. Things started to go down hill when she told us that she was concerned because Carter's head circumference hadn't changed since his nine month appointment. I didn't exactly share her concern because Carter has always been in the highest percentile for his head circumference so maybe his body was now catching up to his head size. Secondly, she was concerned that his soft spot hadn't closed even though she told us it can take up to 18 months to do so. Thirdly, she was worried about his feet. Fourthly, she was worried that he wasn't crawling and walking even though we told her we had seen significant improvements since we started the therapies. Before we knew it she was throwing out words like neurosurgeon, geneticist, diseases, disorders, etc. Once again we were caught completely off guard. We expected her to be pleased with Carter's progress not throw out additional concerns! Long story short, she was concerned that there may be an underlying issue that could tie all of these things together. She referred us to a geneticist that she said could take us months to get into (very encouraging) and if we couldn't get in with a geneticist then we at least needed to see a neurosurgeon about Carter's head. Talk about sucking the life out of you.<br />
<br />
Seriously? We had already gone through enough and were happy with how far we had come with Carter and now we're facing this? Like I mentioned earlier, part of us wanted to tell her she that she was crazy and walk the other way but at the same time she had planted a seed of doubt in our minds so how could we not proceed? Fortunately I was able to get an appointment with one of the geneticists she recommended. The first one was booked through the end of the year (I called in June); however, the second doctor happened to have an opening two weeks later. We accepted the appointment and took Carter to see a geneticist at Children's National Medical Center. At least I knew we were going to one of the top children's facilities in the country but I was worried sick. The hospital was extremely nice but it was hard not to have a knot in your stomach when you saw all the precious little kids there, some for cancer treatment and others for various other medical concerns. If you have a child then you know that deep almost painful love you have for your child and how you would do anything in this world for them. As we checked in and made our way to the genetics department I saw the faces of so many strong parents strolling the hallways with their little angels.<br />
<br />
At our appointment we first met with a genetic counselor. She asked each of us our family history, asked me about my pregnancy and had us bring her up to speed on Carter. Then the geneticist came in and following a round of questions he did Carter's physical exam. He looked and his hands, stomach, back, head, feet and legs. He said from a physical standpoint there was absolutely nothing that concerned him. However, Carter did have enough developmental delays that he recommended genetic testing. He informed us that when they see children with these basic delays they recommend three different tests as a starting point. The first test was for muscular dystrophy and any other underlining muscle disorders. Since Carter has low muscle tone they felt it was best to rule this out. The second test was for a rare disease called Fragile X, an inherited type of cognitive impairment. I still haven't researched this disorder because the doctor told us that it is a very bad diagnosis. There was nothing that made the doctor think that Carter had the disease; however, he said it's common that symptoms don't present themselves until children get older. By this point my heart was racing. And last but not least, the third test was a chromosomal micro-array analysis, which is a DNA-based method of genetic analysis that can identify chromosome abnormalities. It's a very complicated process and if something should come back abnormal then that would potentially open Chris and I up for testing. They said that this piece to the puzzle is important because should there be irregularities there is a chance we could pass them along to additional children should we have them. Chris and I certainly want more kids so it was important to us to make sure that everything was normal.<br />
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Since we were already at the hospital they told us they could go ahead and take Carter's blood so we wouldn't have to come back. You would think they would take a child's blood differently from an adult but that certainly wasn't the case. They had me sit in the chair like you would at your doctor's office and place Carter in my lap. I had to hold his little arm up on the arm rest and hold it in place while they tied the tourniquet around his arm. Talk about tears! Not only was Carter crying but so was I. Poor little guy was such a trooper. He had no idea what was going on and how worried sick Chris and I were but yet there he sat through all of this with a big smile on his face. It will get you every time!<br />
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As you can imagine all of this was hard to process. There were a lot of technical terms thrown at us so there was a lot to think about. Of course the process couldn't be easy so the first hurdle was to get our insurance to approve the testing. Some insurance companies don't cover the testing, some cover portions of it and some cover all of it. The three tests run around $4,000. After waiting about two weeks we heard from our insurance and were relieved to find out that they would cover the majority of the costs. However, Chris and I had already decided that we were going to go through with the tests regardless. As I mentioned before, these doctors planted multiple seeds of doubt in our mind and for our own sanity we knew we needed to get these tests done so we could move on with our lives. Heaven forbid they come back abnormal, then we were prepared to put our game faces on and fight it, but we also prayed that everything would be OK so that we could move on.<br />
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Since we knew it was going to take a month before we heard back about Carter's tests we decided to try and not give it much thought. August was filled with fun trips and we decided not to let anything keep us from enjoying our time with family and friends. Our worries were continuously put at ease over the following few weeks with Carter's progress. That was the one thing that always gave us hope in this situation. Maybe Carter wasn't where most babies his age were developmentally but we continued to see progress on a daily basis. Of course I would have been concerned had we not seen improvements, especially once we started his therapies, but we were! What's wrong if a child takes a little longer to develop? Nowadays all these percentiles are thrown at you and it causes you to worry about whether or not your child is below average, average or above average.<br />
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Chris and I have gone through a range of emotions. Part of us has been very angry with our pediatrician and we've wondered if all of these tests were really necessary. Were they just covering themselves in this situation? But then again, they're the experts so we wanted to trust them and if something was wrong then we were getting a jump start on intervention. You don't know what to think or what to do. Regardless, you put your faith in God and hope and pray that everything will be OK.<br />
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We ended up getting the test results back at three separate times and thankfully everything came back normal!!! Hallelujah! They told us that no further testing is recommended at this time and that they'd like to see Carter in six months to make sure he's still progressing. While we tried our best to remain confident through all of this, it was hard. When someone plants that seed of doubt you can't help but worry, or at least I can't. I unfortunately will let my mind run to the worst case scenario but I knew whatever we were faced with we would handle it. Team Wall is strong and even more so now that Carter has joined! There isn't anything in this entire world that we wouldn't do for him. Thankfully we don't have to face that fight right now. Carter is our precious little angel and while he may not be walking right now like most 15 month old kids, he will!<br />
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Carter loves to be around other children. He just lights up when he sees the kids outside and he can't wait to get out there and be with them. It can be hard at times to see all the other children running around and you can see in Carter's eyes that he wants to be right there with them. They'll always run up to Carter and say hi and play with him for a few minutes, but as all kids, then they're off to play with something else. I wish he could chase after them but I just have to remember to be patient. Carter will do things on his own timetable and there is nothing wrong with that. We're blessed to have a wonderful nanny who loves him dearly and works with him throughout the day. We're also blessed to have wonderful family and friends who have prayed for each of us through all of this. Their love and support means the world to us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaV8iEalFmzutEqey_5egauYV0smHtGyQoN2UWTN_43ZnLWjRNkT_8iIBnnDWAbb0OgzhX0WGW1mlT9PUlWcadpBptD0HcU-oDarEbogRAQRY_Dl9o6vXkushT-1yTV4kvgITlAxAixA/s1600/Carter+and+cousins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaV8iEalFmzutEqey_5egauYV0smHtGyQoN2UWTN_43ZnLWjRNkT_8iIBnnDWAbb0OgzhX0WGW1mlT9PUlWcadpBptD0HcU-oDarEbogRAQRY_Dl9o6vXkushT-1yTV4kvgITlAxAixA/s320/Carter+and+cousins.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter with his cousins, Witt and Walker.</span></td></tr>
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Carter is doing great. He is crawling everywhere these days and getting into all kinds of mischief. He can crawl the stairs on his own and cruise around the furniture, but we have a ways to go before he will walk. His left leg is considerably weaker than his right so we're working on strengthening it. We're really going to have to work hard on his leg strength and balance before he will get to walking but we'll eventually get there. He waves and says "bye, bye", and loves to say da-da, ball, bu-bu (for bubbles) and recently started saying mama (but has given that word up this past week, ha)! At Carter's 15 month appointment our pediatrician (the one who recommended the genetic testing) was very pleased with his progress. He gained two pounds, grew two and a half inches and his head grew by half an inch. She was happy that the testing came back normal and that he was progressing with his therapies. When I told her that he still wasn't walking she brushed it off like it wasn't a big deal at all. Funny how circumstances change in just three months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WJcIYTo5ht_c9JMAWUCUROWd6Us6SdCPPjfyEa1v8wIvbd1dzIMsmTF9qvYI8DOufFR2kP1a3RVY0vAJgnXL6wboz9ZVUhIAMDFAst07t1ImFn66b1PtgIXdoVQvD21FuUZui2yDeSw/s1600/Carter+wagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WJcIYTo5ht_c9JMAWUCUROWd6Us6SdCPPjfyEa1v8wIvbd1dzIMsmTF9qvYI8DOufFR2kP1a3RVY0vAJgnXL6wboz9ZVUhIAMDFAst07t1ImFn66b1PtgIXdoVQvD21FuUZui2yDeSw/s320/Carter+wagon.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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All of this has certainly been a learning process. Part of me wants to say that it's important to stick with your intuition and gut. You know if there is something wrong with your child. This doesn't mean that you should discredit your doctors but maybe consider getting a second opinion. After our experience I feel like our pediatrician's office doesn't know what to do if your child isn't text book. I think they're so worried about missing something or being at fault that they refer you to to a specialist. Maybe that's the right thing to do in certain situations. I don't know. I guess I let my fear turn into denial to a certain extent but in the end I guess it never hurts to rule things out. Maybe a wait and see approach is best for your situation. It's hard to know what to do but if you're faced with a similar situation go with your gut, get a second opinion and have faith that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.<br />
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So that's our story for now. Maybe it will answer some people's questions when they wonder why Carter isn't walking. Hopefully it will ease someone else's fears if their child has developmental delays. But most importantly we want to thank everyone who has been there for all three of us over the past seven months. It has been an emotional roller coaster but we made it through with everyone's love and support.<br />
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Love,<br />
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Erin, Chris & Carter<br />
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<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-57757385794178520652013-10-10T08:09:00.000-07:002013-10-10T08:09:25.707-07:00Peplum Obsession<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">I've become obsessed with peplum lately. As you may have noticed from my earlier post, I wore a Jessica Simpson peplum dress to Chris's high school reunion. I purchased the dress at T.J. Maxx for $59 but when I was looking online to see if I could find a picture to send a friend I found it at Nordstrom for $128. Boy do I love it when I score a good deal! I know a lot of people say they don't have the time or patience to comb through the racks at stores like Marshalls and T.J. Maxx but I promise you it's worth it. I've purchased a Tina Turk bathing suit, a Lilly Pulitzer dress, Seven jeans, and a Michael Kors purse from Marshalls. When I found the peplum dress at T.J. Maxx I also spotted several Kate Spade pencil skirts and some really cute Kate Spade pumps. You're timing has to be right at these stores, but it's definitely worth an occasional visit. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBfLrXmHD-4v7y8QLq5BqsmRAW0944SlFzPbvvYLt1baCm_FjffWf-Fo5L0uufboTb9YEaTuQCpm7l3CgH_TmITrNleyzJP343CJfIS7HNx99XUg-r8AACZEaILTTLPsNkACVOAf7AGQ/s1600/Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBfLrXmHD-4v7y8QLq5BqsmRAW0944SlFzPbvvYLt1baCm_FjffWf-Fo5L0uufboTb9YEaTuQCpm7l3CgH_TmITrNleyzJP343CJfIS7HNx99XUg-r8AACZEaILTTLPsNkACVOAf7AGQ/s320/Family.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/jessica-simpson-studded-detail-peplum-sheath-dress/3535903?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=2375500&fashionColor=&resultback=0&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_1_A">Jessica Simpson Studded Detail Peplum Sheath Dress </a></span></td></tr>
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Yesterday morning when I was going through my emails I stumbled across an invite to a J.Crew Factory early access sale. I love a good sale and I even managed to purchase a few Christmas gifts. However, this morning when I got to work and started through my emails I noticed another email from J.Crew Factory announcing that everything is<a href="http://factory.jcrew.com/index.jsp"> 50%</a>.Well isn't that interesting, especially considering they made me feel like I was getting the best deal yesterday with early access. I quickly searched for the items I purchased and they were marked down considerably more. Fortunately J.Crew has a great return policy and they credited me the price difference. Always keeps that in mind when you're shopping. If you purchase an item and it is discounted within 30 days most stores will credit you the difference.</div>
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But back to my peplum obsession. I found this great peplum dress for work and the holidays. I feel like I always lean towards black and grey this time of year since it's so versatile; however, I decided to go with a gorgeous red color. I can easily wear this to work with a sweater and I can dress it up for a holiday party with a festive necklace, bracelet and heels.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_Z6OYOMvTb9P2-QSjOzwbWzAJgHOmF7Fn-sqw_6DFgn3U0krKr6UF3u1eehvvcM11WIzAgUl8Kp7xAS7mOp5lCIZDScbsK_TI7scerJWr7tPv-pcbOns2hlZ3sTZCpkL87iTAV743w8/s1600/peplum+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC_Z6OYOMvTb9P2-QSjOzwbWzAJgHOmF7Fn-sqw_6DFgn3U0krKr6UF3u1eehvvcM11WIzAgUl8Kp7xAS7mOp5lCIZDScbsK_TI7scerJWr7tPv-pcbOns2hlZ3sTZCpkL87iTAV743w8/s1600/peplum+dress.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://factory.jcrew.com/womens_clothing/new_arrivals/dresses/PRDOVR~07100/07100.jsp?color_name=red-chili">Factory Stretch Wool Peplum Dress</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlZJnfccK6Zo7ZH3T-QYl_rr_m5zCn7Rfb2I1t5gimLhiTa4iog-1wJHhWuqsYCnlWUOUznxIP3i62o_dcKXCKShycaK_sMY4lEkDAgpnje6qUsHj13WuLZf3ND_i4nhmxh9UX1J7jf8/s1600/sweater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlZJnfccK6Zo7ZH3T-QYl_rr_m5zCn7Rfb2I1t5gimLhiTa4iog-1wJHhWuqsYCnlWUOUznxIP3i62o_dcKXCKShycaK_sMY4lEkDAgpnje6qUsHj13WuLZf3ND_i4nhmxh9UX1J7jf8/s1600/sweater.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/sweaters/wool_blend/PRDOVR~14041/14041.jsp">J.Crew Cardigan. Perfect for work and even better that it's $24.50</a></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HQ8VYs_94t9dAzeiTCkSgCJ157fvYmHxJsneY3rF0cuWAz_0L_vp7Bbl8RCMS5rMG3DssZ97gxK0jRLPof4LCkQFOWAB5d-XBvc7fOH313NvRjASlGtPPDkkvUMZVEoD5nI9dsQVq_Y/s1600/zorma+necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HQ8VYs_94t9dAzeiTCkSgCJ157fvYmHxJsneY3rF0cuWAz_0L_vp7Bbl8RCMS5rMG3DssZ97gxK0jRLPof4LCkQFOWAB5d-XBvc7fOH313NvRjASlGtPPDkkvUMZVEoD5nI9dsQVq_Y/s1600/zorma+necklace.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/jewelry/necklaces/zora-crystal-necklace">Stella & Dot Zora Crystal Necklace. The perfect accessory for your holiday party.</a></span></div>
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J.Crew also has a great selection of peplum tops for great prices.Wear them to work or out to dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbGEntSfFYRzh1K-vxNeMiLl8GOMZ_tv0U7dMOjtPsQ_piKV2__yNnHb6-zorbHNf6Ggoe0Z9URfkC-gh8qFQVyYiRfIe6Amy9inBe9QYYg-XXvE6v8IIKixdp8noEetbzp5lc3qwbjc/s1600/peplum1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbGEntSfFYRzh1K-vxNeMiLl8GOMZ_tv0U7dMOjtPsQ_piKV2__yNnHb6-zorbHNf6Ggoe0Z9URfkC-gh8qFQVyYiRfIe6Amy9inBe9QYYg-XXvE6v8IIKixdp8noEetbzp5lc3qwbjc/s1600/peplum1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://factory.jcrew.com/womens_clothing/new_arrivals/shirts_tops/PRDOVR~06352/06352.jsp?color_name=ivory">Factory Collared Peplum Top</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuC_zQ2_7qqDwbPlWTXZZkApZoiflgxEuLWZSI_-JUST2YGs89RPhaRuXX4bBOE8PyYNBgfakzCiGtWTUkVDpeEiXUU7QirxgwSPZS6a9LaUF0kUtYOmmYdWetm_GFBHG2qLDF3FIHeE/s1600/peplum2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuC_zQ2_7qqDwbPlWTXZZkApZoiflgxEuLWZSI_-JUST2YGs89RPhaRuXX4bBOE8PyYNBgfakzCiGtWTUkVDpeEiXUU7QirxgwSPZS6a9LaUF0kUtYOmmYdWetm_GFBHG2qLDF3FIHeE/s1600/peplum2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://factory.jcrew.com/womens_clothing/new_arrivals/knits_tees/PRDOVR~05443/05443.jsp">Factory Peplum Ponte Top</a></span></td></tr>
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Here is a really cute peplum top from Target's Phillip Lim line.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9mx4TnAxUUB_nH5B0LAlrSfCqPRUkr4RssHcxg7VZiT_Wfar3f3eX_2jb65YkATNnYto6GpB1hJ0Q0DuO3Tb2E37j9Mkj2QKfZgRlPd-d1kJoheEjIRxuJPUZ3OnsJYLJRHtW8xfE3I/s1600/Peplum+Target.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9mx4TnAxUUB_nH5B0LAlrSfCqPRUkr4RssHcxg7VZiT_Wfar3f3eX_2jb65YkATNnYto6GpB1hJ0Q0DuO3Tb2E37j9Mkj2QKfZgRlPd-d1kJoheEjIRxuJPUZ3OnsJYLJRHtW8xfE3I/s320/Peplum+Target.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.target.com/p/3-1-phillip-lim-for-target-peplum-top-tan/-/A-14602092#prodSlot=medium_1_40&term=peplum">Phillip Lim Peplum Top</a></span></td></tr>
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This is another great peplum dress from Loft. I love the military green color.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV06JMdv_OqwmO-nDfB8it9rJrG6nDOsvX9kh8XN8a5dSzLCYW4AYNd2wqtH8adRbSWboO3sr0VSsgkugQuhRktFpBgE2ZLokvqrujCwCX_z-YTRaZsr8BByg2a6Xr2nPbzoO_bDH4nE/s1600/Peplum+Loft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV06JMdv_OqwmO-nDfB8it9rJrG6nDOsvX9kh8XN8a5dSzLCYW4AYNd2wqtH8adRbSWboO3sr0VSsgkugQuhRktFpBgE2ZLokvqrujCwCX_z-YTRaZsr8BByg2a6Xr2nPbzoO_bDH4nE/s320/Peplum+Loft.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.loft.com/striped-merino-wool-blend-peplum-sweater-dress/310689?colorExplode=false&skuId=14781544&catid=cat640036&productPageType=search&defaultColor=2641">Striped Merino Wool Blend Peplum Sweater Dress </a></span></td></tr>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-81588582195467775222013-10-09T10:26:00.002-07:002013-10-09T10:26:25.797-07:00High School Reunion & the Dixie Classic FairOver the weekend we traveled to Winston for Chris's 20 year high school reunion.Chris had gone back and forth about whether or not he wanted to attend, especially considering the fact that we learned the reunion was Friday night, not Saturday night, only two days beforehand. But in the end, two of Chris's childhood best friends were going to be there so he decided it was worth the trip.<br />
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The reunion was held at <a href="http://www.allisonoaksvineyards.com/index.php">Allison Oaks</a> Tasting Room in downtown Yadkinville. Chris's graduating class was 75! Can you believe that? It's hard for me to believe because my graduating class consisted of several hundred students. There were close to 50 people at the reunion, including spouses, so they had a pretty good turn out. Before the reunion we met up with Chris's two childhood best friends, Van and Mark, and their wives. It was fun to see Chris catch up with friends and tell stories from their childhood. As we walked out the door to go to the reunion Chris's mom informed me that Chris and Mark were double trouble growing up. I could tell within five minutes of meeting Mark how that was certainly the case. It took them no time at all before they were scheming all over again. I heard a lot of funny stories and we enjoyed looking through their yearbook at some classic pictures. Chris won the superlative for best legs (picture below). He informed me that he actually one the superlative for coolest and for best legs, but they could only picture him in one so they went with the legs. Notice how all three of them are wearing jean shorts!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Great name tags!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mark (aka Pugs), Chris (aka Legs) and Van (not sure why he doesn't have a nickname!)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Priceless!</span></td></tr>
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It was fun to hear where everyone ended up after 20 years. Most of his classmates have two or three kids, some even in high school, and are still living fairly close to Winston. We were one of the few couples with a little one at home. Needless to say Chris got a late start compared to his classmates, but that's what happens when you marry someone eight years younger, ha! </div>
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On Saturday we took Carter to the <a href="http://www.dcfair.com/">Dixie Classic Fair</a>. I love going to the fair. When I was in college we'd always go to the <a href="http://www.ncstatefair.org/2013/index.htm">N.C. State Fair</a> on the food drive night. If you brought 5 can goods you were given one free admission ticket. Score! This year the <a href="http://www.ncstatefair.org/2013/General/HungerRelief.htm">Food Lion Hunger Relief Day</a> is Thursday, October 24th at the N.C. State Fair. Once I moved to DC and Chris and I started dating, he introduced me to the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston. It's hard to beat all the yummy, terrible for you food and people watching. Unfortunately it was almost 90 degrees on Saturday so it was almost too hot to enjoy.<br />
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We did make it there just in time for lunch. We dined on corn dogs, jerk chicken, Chick-fil-a, lemon quench, sweet tea, and cotton candy! Carter almost ate an entire corn dog (which actually consisted of two hot dogs), drank some of my lemon quench and had a bite or two of cotton candy. After we ate we watched the pig races and walked around the fair. We wanted to take him on a few rides but due to the height requirement we were only able to ride the carousel. Oh well, there is always next year!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Watching the pig races with Bo.</span></td></tr>
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One of my favorite things to do at the fair is check out the crazy food. It seems like every year they introduce something new and it's typically fried. They offer fried pickles, fried Twinkies, fried Oreos, fried candy bars and this year I even noticed fried Kool-Aid. I don't even know how that's possible, but they had it. If you'd like to go the healthier route they have chicken and waffles, funnel cakes, turkey legs, and BBQ. If you're feeling adventurous I suggest trying the Politician Burger which consists of a hamburger patty, lettuce tomato, shoestring fries and a big slice of bologna sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Or maybe the pickle dog would be more your thing. It's a pickle spear wrapped in cheese and pastrami, lightly battered and fried. Basically it's like version of a Rueben. Have I made you feel sick to your stomach yet?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGuB2vijA2c4QxU8I15efD5IjRYnUNhYnNocokSEvlL2LSJ6_Mm9Zl7aeK46cgm6dHDMY9RmKams4g3xSho-lIkfoObkR4naEQAE70R6Em2vIiXjwXTOqbD7JguVoOYBOZBH0u7_JBXQ/s1600/Politician+Burger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGuB2vijA2c4QxU8I15efD5IjRYnUNhYnNocokSEvlL2LSJ6_Mm9Zl7aeK46cgm6dHDMY9RmKams4g3xSho-lIkfoObkR4naEQAE70R6Em2vIiXjwXTOqbD7JguVoOYBOZBH0u7_JBXQ/s320/Politician+Burger.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_86ab19d6-2d4e-11e3-9d82-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=story">Politician Burger</a></span></td></tr>
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It's fun to take some time to walk through Yesterday Village. The village consists of 19 log houses that were built in the 1800s. They feature R&R's Old Fashioned ice cream, a Sanford, N.C. company, that makes homemade ice cream using vintage John Deere tractor motors. While you're enjoying your ice cream you can take a seat and watch chainsaw artist, Jerry Ward, turn logs into pieces of artwork. They also have a great collection of vintage tractors on display.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JQOMzhFpErdhAAY_QAGRtcaNQGYFu1g2kXBtbNcRCZfW7cD6qo608JRvIJqjIczVCLz9sLU0M8XDC24bQtO5mNnKTyQ7JYfh4lQZybYR2mgK0j0i5yoEaSNzVTB3T4IUbV0gooWQKDw/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JQOMzhFpErdhAAY_QAGRtcaNQGYFu1g2kXBtbNcRCZfW7cD6qo608JRvIJqjIczVCLz9sLU0M8XDC24bQtO5mNnKTyQ7JYfh4lQZybYR2mgK0j0i5yoEaSNzVTB3T4IUbV0gooWQKDw/s320/IMG_2163.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This one was for uncle Justin!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gBWGZVBOHw4naiFu9XoTvidm6HOWWi0tLSz6kEbZQ1sIR1bSdLh2oEoK-6QFfjEYXlISlR5OG-OtHnxfmbdj3gRGaEne5LwcDx6GVG6J4nkb0tq4kj45-xBrS46ZvhyphenhyphencD1LFiLSEbVQ/s1600/IMG_2151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gBWGZVBOHw4naiFu9XoTvidm6HOWWi0tLSz6kEbZQ1sIR1bSdLh2oEoK-6QFfjEYXlISlR5OG-OtHnxfmbdj3gRGaEne5LwcDx6GVG6J4nkb0tq4kj45-xBrS46ZvhyphenhyphencD1LFiLSEbVQ/s320/IMG_2151.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Look at those red cheeks. It was hot, hot, hot!</span></td></tr>
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Saturday evening we hung around Nana and Bo's house. Carter enjoyed sitting on Bo's tractor but you could forget about him wanting to actually ride it around the yard. Carter is sensitive to sounds these days. My hair dryer doesn't phase him but the vacuum cleaner scares him to death.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is what Carter got into while we enjoyed Saturday night steak night.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWklIx8MT_7D59XVmnyu6dN_1q9ozGJcntnn0UL03y-3R8CVgb2zWFZ0yhhKQe3DU8Yr6hj8e8OoUwrjl2r6_bohcplufpcrk-toC5aX0AVFMxZ3xv8uPGDsIftbNvACtpM0Mj9LCHK0/s1600/IMG_2156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWklIx8MT_7D59XVmnyu6dN_1q9ozGJcntnn0UL03y-3R8CVgb2zWFZ0yhhKQe3DU8Yr6hj8e8OoUwrjl2r6_bohcplufpcrk-toC5aX0AVFMxZ3xv8uPGDsIftbNvACtpM0Mj9LCHK0/s320/IMG_2156.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's amazing what one little person can get into in a matter of minutes.</span></td></tr>
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On Sunday we packed up and hit the road nice and early to beat the traffic. Even though it was a quick trip we had a great time being home. Until next time!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvFu4666IxSo8WyVZAvhkZuiwIBcFjoK_VGSJIwjVD_0J2ibCuEIfFt245gtgdfCyCMYfzr0wlXtnSiSj64wt6O1vDHWClRuhrFgEvgCguslPhjwsWQiVjjwreDwX2pSZnrIthiP0Hys/s1600/IMG_2166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvFu4666IxSo8WyVZAvhkZuiwIBcFjoK_VGSJIwjVD_0J2ibCuEIfFt245gtgdfCyCMYfzr0wlXtnSiSj64wt6O1vDHWClRuhrFgEvgCguslPhjwsWQiVjjwreDwX2pSZnrIthiP0Hys/s320/IMG_2166.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Worn out after a big weekend with Nana & Bo.</span></td></tr>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-3395786565319613232013-09-26T09:52:00.001-07:002013-09-26T09:52:19.892-07:00Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show Fall 2013Last Saturday my friend, Jana, and I went to Nordstrom's Beauty Fall Trend Show which showcased the fall's hottest looks in make-up and fashion. Tickets were $20 which gave us early access to the store and upfront seats to catch a glimpse at the top beauty products, trends and fashion accessories straight from the runways of fashion week in NYC. The best part was the fact that you were allowed to use your $20 ticket value towards the purchase of any beauty product. Jana and got there about twenty minutes before the show started and were treated to fresh coffee, breakfast, and free tote bag full of beauty samples. Following the show we had appointments with Philosophy and YSL.<br />
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The show was broken into three scenes and was emceed by Nordstrom's East Coast Beauty Director, Laksmi Sam. The show focused on the hottest trends this fall which are redefined smoky eyes, graphic eyes and Bordeaux lips.<br />
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The redefined smoky eye was the prominent eye seen on the fall runways and is a little edgy with a touch of feminine aesthetics. This look can be created using black, plum, grey and blue while using a mixture of matte and metallic shadows to create a graphic halo effect around the eyes. Satin matte skin, neutral blush and flesh-tone lips complete this look. If you're looking for an easy way to complete this look, look no further than Clinique. They suggested using Clinique's 'Lid Smoothie' to create a base for your eye shadow. Choose from colors such as Portobello and Stroke of Midnight to create the rest of your smoky eye.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstbuUay1BsOnMKVEsgsFlt5i7-KxLbfHPOSFMJiYfJbvti0Afv0_eHNU0-rdYDxWvD3lttlTHQsmSlytMIWyioXDlHOGdXf1_umzb2oeBUe0py71yQUp9TLfSK1RHshGLbGAb8gmvxjA/s1600/Lid+smoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstbuUay1BsOnMKVEsgsFlt5i7-KxLbfHPOSFMJiYfJbvti0Afv0_eHNU0-rdYDxWvD3lttlTHQsmSlytMIWyioXDlHOGdXf1_umzb2oeBUe0py71yQUp9TLfSK1RHshGLbGAb8gmvxjA/s320/Lid+smoothie.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/clinique-lid-smoothie-antioxidant-8-hour-eye-colour/3212667?origin=PredictiveSearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=400&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_3_B"><span style="font-size: small;">Clinique Lid Smoothie</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_-_RzkzZKLj5hrHn20cuOk24EiXZurCbHW0JbbitoTczMw01Vh4tCcOhBgWb0-lbdXCXEg2xL6MAfts6em3KkFkHvPOnYV4aoWbBW7E3Qg28KMufLS-HkvjYAmsMiN5QfUo-L6PLu80/s1600/Portobello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_-_RzkzZKLj5hrHn20cuOk24EiXZurCbHW0JbbitoTczMw01Vh4tCcOhBgWb0-lbdXCXEg2xL6MAfts6em3KkFkHvPOnYV4aoWbBW7E3Qg28KMufLS-HkvjYAmsMiN5QfUo-L6PLu80/s320/Portobello.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/clinique-all-about-shadow-eyeshadow/3543612?origin=PredictiveSearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=1400&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_5_A"><span style="font-size: small;">Clinique Portobello Eye-shadow</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5LOdZmCOM13hw7ZYYbzutEQMfyirgKnq2dM81TWYVQ_mMYKWMnv5J1xj1F8DxZlvdCYFCPdAKKLydJyMbS5vtFG5LoH3XNrPJMjMWCPXy2qyDxQmNpOkfmHXKdky1ZqzN1jF-d-2iNY/s1600/Stroke+of+midnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5LOdZmCOM13hw7ZYYbzutEQMfyirgKnq2dM81TWYVQ_mMYKWMnv5J1xj1F8DxZlvdCYFCPdAKKLydJyMbS5vtFG5LoH3XNrPJMjMWCPXy2qyDxQmNpOkfmHXKdky1ZqzN1jF-d-2iNY/s320/Stroke+of+midnight.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/clinique-all-about-shadow-eyeshadow/3543612?origin=PredictiveSearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=1400&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_5_A"><span style="font-size: small;">Clinique Stroke of Midnight Eye-shadow</span></a></td></tr>
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Graphic eyes are more a 60's inspired cat eye. They key to this look is a squared-off finish to the top liner. You can line your eyes on just the lid, or finish off the bottom by lining your lashes and smudging them for more of a smoky look. Glowing skin paired with either a nude lip or a deep velvet berry tone makes this look extremely versatile. A great way to complete this look is with YSL's Bold Felt-Tip Eyeliner Pencil.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tdoqkALW_E9U0SqfPlHsl9KD0F8OQGdSb08c2RKBlLNJ20FN4xCF2jHzKtkovtLwbrfdzKWed3KYNCcc1wn-IjohxvmohBPOwWPdHX0BZn7eRCAZxim0Yx9XNDhyphenhyphen14QeOyo9ZZtlFjg/s1600/Faux+cils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tdoqkALW_E9U0SqfPlHsl9KD0F8OQGdSb08c2RKBlLNJ20FN4xCF2jHzKtkovtLwbrfdzKWed3KYNCcc1wn-IjohxvmohBPOwWPdHX0BZn7eRCAZxim0Yx9XNDhyphenhyphen14QeOyo9ZZtlFjg/s320/Faux+cils.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/yves-saint-laurent-eyeliner-effet-faux-cils-bold-felt-tip-eyeliner-pen/3228028?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=2097&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_6_D"><span style="font-size: small;">YSL Bold Felt Tip Eyeliner Pen</span></a></td></tr>
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The Bordeaux lip is everywhere this fall. It's the go-to color on your lips and clothing. From juicy berry stains to red-velvet finishes, the variation of deep plums, berries, rubies and garnets are endless. One of the lipsticks they featured was Laura Mercier's 'Rouge Nouveau' Weightless Lip Colour. However, you can find this lipstick at any make-up counter or drug store you prefer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVeqM6TfdeQUJtPqVbpd4JbcRkwS1s1BUOwTZUddQDgR6j7AEVM6Y-WElytF1-CeMp5R-iXNbRf9ClkSJBNUfsHAjSWlv3hoES8OAevx2b1C1yGyoUMpfKeaaM_dASFYvw9HIGE0Zo34/s1600/Laura+Mercier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVeqM6TfdeQUJtPqVbpd4JbcRkwS1s1BUOwTZUddQDgR6j7AEVM6Y-WElytF1-CeMp5R-iXNbRf9ClkSJBNUfsHAjSWlv3hoES8OAevx2b1C1yGyoUMpfKeaaM_dASFYvw9HIGE0Zo34/s320/Laura+Mercier.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/laura-mercier-rouge-nouveau-weightless-lip-color/3543443?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=700&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_2_B"><span style="font-size: small;">Laura Mercier Weightless Lip Color</span></a></td></tr>
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Jana and I enjoyed our appointment with Philosophy and were introduced to their oxygen peel. Their Purity face wash not only cleans your skin but also serves as an eye make-up remover and toner. Three steps in one, I'll gladly take it! Their Hope in a Jar moisturizer is heavenly too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0t44WZBb8VDgGRvd0SZVKxL1mYvIC5kYKZsz_UhQ787A5YUD9kI7YSBdV_RrWoVURZSoRy3UDruyOkszTIQsB_OFdp9h4KHXf19E80XSKDnYWXJejN8MvFw0erQLPI4686vTR7xCLXo/s1600/peel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0t44WZBb8VDgGRvd0SZVKxL1mYvIC5kYKZsz_UhQ787A5YUD9kI7YSBdV_RrWoVURZSoRy3UDruyOkszTIQsB_OFdp9h4KHXf19E80XSKDnYWXJejN8MvFw0erQLPI4686vTR7xCLXo/s320/peel.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/philosophy-the-oxygen-peel-kit/2815224?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=4800&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_13_C"><span style="font-size: small;">Philosophy Oxygen Peel Kit</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9WIbRsU2gNQf6Kfkn7sX-tNL_m6TGsPxSy0DzzzXioluAWcJwrDGXv5kWiQhOjElXIGnSFCXJMWqh-g3WQhPliICM5mKCUmrppIaz2YM3weSQEm3v48YuHcKHSUss8-xMRrJQF6nFMg/s1600/purity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9WIbRsU2gNQf6Kfkn7sX-tNL_m6TGsPxSy0DzzzXioluAWcJwrDGXv5kWiQhOjElXIGnSFCXJMWqh-g3WQhPliICM5mKCUmrppIaz2YM3weSQEm3v48YuHcKHSUss8-xMRrJQF6nFMg/s320/purity.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/philosophy-purity-made-simple-one-step-facial-cleanser-nordstrom-exclusive/3614564?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=200&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_1_B"><span style="font-size: small;">Philosophy Purity Face Wash </span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSh__1Ax59D2h3lKFVQtyFwR-9aTGXPmjMmjLAQScnAg5W42C5v-l0wmZrZVaeF5xEZOjwIyNPu-EGoxRzOln_5DeOzpd7HwlxpZbvLg9sw6GL2F9w_Y5sBQCyNwNEM3kyxIGG85lD3c/s1600/Hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSh__1Ax59D2h3lKFVQtyFwR-9aTGXPmjMmjLAQScnAg5W42C5v-l0wmZrZVaeF5xEZOjwIyNPu-EGoxRzOln_5DeOzpd7HwlxpZbvLg9sw6GL2F9w_Y5sBQCyNwNEM3kyxIGG85lD3c/s320/Hope.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/philosophy-hope-in-a-jar-for-all-skin-types/2791983?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=3900&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_11_B"><span style="font-size: small;">Philosophy Facial Moisturizer</span></a></td></tr>
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After our skin was clean and moisturized we headed to our YSL appointment for fresh make-up. I've always been a huge fan of Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer; however, today I tried YSL's 'Youth Liberator' Serum Foundation with SPF 20. I haven't used foundation since my competitive dancing days and I hated it then. I've always felt like it's too heavy to wear, but boy was I wrong. Times have changed. I was amazed by its coverage and how dewy it left my skin. I decided that I will use my tinted moisturizer or BB cream on the weekends and use foundation for work days and special events. If anything, I highly recommend going to one of YSL's beauty counters and give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZjdWNq3LyvV-I09LatXR6DAzUR5UiMwjWC5pgE9nuXgUUR5eKVgkB4L2grHeP-UNIv0e2lsc7kQECOA4oRagJ_nR-Pgp5UxsbccMSHnzdt5YuhiRSA9SXeJHvQeZDQPqSxdqNl9o7dc/s1600/YSL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZjdWNq3LyvV-I09LatXR6DAzUR5UiMwjWC5pgE9nuXgUUR5eKVgkB4L2grHeP-UNIv0e2lsc7kQECOA4oRagJ_nR-Pgp5UxsbccMSHnzdt5YuhiRSA9SXeJHvQeZDQPqSxdqNl9o7dc/s320/YSL.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/yves-saint-laurent-youth-liberator-serum-foundation-broad-spectrum-spf-20/3583560?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=900&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_3_C"><span style="font-size: small;">YSL Serum Foundation </span></a></td></tr>
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We also tried their glossy stains which are amazing!! I'm a huge fan of stains; however, they always dry out my lips and I had yet to find one that didn't until Saturday. These stains give you just the right amount of color and sheen and they don't dry out your lips. They also stay put for hours! I had to remove mine Saturday night with make-up remover. They have a variety of colors to choose from and you can control the intensity of the color by how many applications you use. Love these!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BT763Evh1cLFl1osGT5C0RXmw7Wkbp4dS-ib0KOqz7cUFU57nb6P8mK9luTpsg58s4lW547XIKKq7CjK8IS9aGpRmTULbpPSjRGN0HsPOSNWv1_5xEu-VXnNYQx61xj9L963rcX6f1Y/s1600/YSL+lips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BT763Evh1cLFl1osGT5C0RXmw7Wkbp4dS-ib0KOqz7cUFU57nb6P8mK9luTpsg58s4lW547XIKKq7CjK8IS9aGpRmTULbpPSjRGN0HsPOSNWv1_5xEu-VXnNYQx61xj9L963rcX6f1Y/s320/YSL+lips.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/yves-saint-laurent-rebel-nudes-glossy-stain/3560369?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=1200&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_4_D"><span style="font-size: small;">YSL Glossy Stain</span></a></td></tr>
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Someone told Jana about YSL's gel eyeliner so we decided to give it a try too. It went on effortlessly and it stays put all day. This is great for an everyday look or you can play with it and create a cat-eye look for a night out on the town. Gel liners are relatively easy to find but you'll notice that they wear off throughout the day so if you're looking for something long lasting this is it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxuhiRmz3UhwtGXor46230P5H1YxGUJLwHl7N4J7tRrQhbjv5IPDIHQa3HQwtjXyhbE-lcOuANEghGAL5ARu6Grpw67Y9t2x1uAJcJ5sIb_UClc2MvHI643YJrf5IvaY0p2OskHm7le0/s1600/gel+liner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxuhiRmz3UhwtGXor46230P5H1YxGUJLwHl7N4J7tRrQhbjv5IPDIHQa3HQwtjXyhbE-lcOuANEghGAL5ARu6Grpw67Y9t2x1uAJcJ5sIb_UClc2MvHI643YJrf5IvaY0p2OskHm7le0/s320/gel+liner.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/yves-saint-laurent-eyeliner-effet-faux-cils-longwear-cream-eyeliner/3228029?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=2300&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_6_A"><span style="font-size: small;">YSL Longwear Cream Eyeliner </span></a></td></tr>
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I could go on and on about other things that I've added to my wish list but it would take me hours to finish this post. There was one last trend they showed us with nail polish that was really neat. They created a foiled look with your nails by simply using Saran-Wrap. Begin by painting your nails a dark color of your choice. They used a midnight blue color on the model which was really pretty for the fall. Once the polish is dry take a metallic colored polish and place a few drops on a paper plate. Take a small piece of Saran-Wrap and ball it up to the size of a cotton ball. Dab the Saran-Wrap in the metallic finger nail polish and then dab it on your nails. Once it has had time to dry take a Q-tip dipped in finger nail polish remover to clean up any excess polish around your nail beds then place a top coat on to seal the polish. So fun! I'm a huge fan of Opi nail polish and think Russian Navy would be a great base color and Honey Ryder as the metallic foil color.<br />
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Have a great Thursday!Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-41150263076475832902013-09-11T07:45:00.004-07:002013-09-11T07:45:36.224-07:00Labor Day WeekendI'm a little behind with our holiday post but thought I would try to get it finished before I forgot what we actually did. We debated on whether or not we should leave town for the long weekend but in the end we decided to stay put. It's nice to take advantage of an extra day off when traveling but at the same time it's nice to stay put. It was especially nice not to have to worry with traffic!<br />
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On Saturday we took Carter to his last music class. He had a great time and received his first diploma. Labor Day weekend is the last weekend our neighborhood pool is open so we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day and take one last dip in the pool. Carter really enjoyed the water this summer as long as it wasn't too cold. He wasn't a fan of the baby pool at all. I guess it's because he isn't walking so he can't really play that well in the water. He prefers to lounge around in his shaded float, ha. Who wouldn't?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyqDgDWCPClPEK9wcAkVGN4wOa9gENvfhSoalHC6ab7699TNnqETkIw4GwJVSoqzKG1i-AHruFxkCMYRySJL6ilLa_TpJk-VVePEk0CiZF6WzXk-M8edpn52rHweZSTaD5h9ZQrevkXQ/s640/blogger-image-1953846617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyqDgDWCPClPEK9wcAkVGN4wOa9gENvfhSoalHC6ab7699TNnqETkIw4GwJVSoqzKG1i-AHruFxkCMYRySJL6ilLa_TpJk-VVePEk0CiZF6WzXk-M8edpn52rHweZSTaD5h9ZQrevkXQ/s320/blogger-image-1953846617.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bye-bye pool!</span></td></tr>
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Saturday afternoon Neil, one of our good friends from our Team Hayes days, came over to join us for football and a cookout. It was nice to catch up with him and enjoy the beginning of the college football season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCvM2BWPjsl_9RheueGEM8eUqZfPUz6i8nndyd8aYhzlKDxZPWlR62iMJ6_d-B-8ixN5u_j1qCFbXSMqe7jFszrs_FqvV7kRHpVn8NQfigqO5CzECFFTPgOBp1H0keQ_c1TcT6dOclSM/s640/blogger-image-942605814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCvM2BWPjsl_9RheueGEM8eUqZfPUz6i8nndyd8aYhzlKDxZPWlR62iMJ6_d-B-8ixN5u_j1qCFbXSMqe7jFszrs_FqvV7kRHpVn8NQfigqO5CzECFFTPgOBp1H0keQ_c1TcT6dOclSM/s320/blogger-image-942605814.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hooray for college football!</span></td></tr>
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On Sunday we packed up and headed to Shady Side, MD. One of Chris's co-workers lives in an adorable house right on the water so we went up for the afternoon to eat crabs, soak in a little sun and enjoy the water! It was a beautiful day and we had great company. We even had an opportunity to take Carter on his first boat ride and he absolutely loved it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEXKLqCffOj_KlGUrPSY4Hw17-4roD2cpb_eDxe7fmHxFdRW5dVQWm9sSsmQX2B4LMMRh0sbpY5IsFtWYw2mymqUSxrROc2W-jEc8Fqkp_MrnppTtG50r-KWGKlnowfgu4LOwnqqf4Q8/s640/blogger-image-664454247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEXKLqCffOj_KlGUrPSY4Hw17-4roD2cpb_eDxe7fmHxFdRW5dVQWm9sSsmQX2B4LMMRh0sbpY5IsFtWYw2mymqUSxrROc2W-jEc8Fqkp_MrnppTtG50r-KWGKlnowfgu4LOwnqqf4Q8/s320/blogger-image-664454247.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yum!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyIkM3ZVVCvgUNTdz8lGW-IWULlrIgmYxBQjovta7ncdQin7EC1B6jZOs-nmA3sKzJpIoldDpLA5_lqVqwahFGmMFls4sJgdYmvbe-Uq4s_KRaBKEfu8IcSlvDN13iUJzDjjzBjqkT98/s640/blogger-image--2089050444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyIkM3ZVVCvgUNTdz8lGW-IWULlrIgmYxBQjovta7ncdQin7EC1B6jZOs-nmA3sKzJpIoldDpLA5_lqVqwahFGmMFls4sJgdYmvbe-Uq4s_KRaBKEfu8IcSlvDN13iUJzDjjzBjqkT98/s320/blogger-image--2089050444.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter loved riding on Gordon's John Deere tractor.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uvF_oDF_EGELCBY9V5PkgKYcUfvHPOZRnklrH24H92cEJwPZyEZ4pLZDa99PsaweQ5Ye-eSSGg3pJpeEXuEVNrIxmRbSeFqqKZ_9AvhIVt84NxxdWRbwyaGnlA5yRmZG1nSXpmi-PPc/s640/blogger-image-1693476006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uvF_oDF_EGELCBY9V5PkgKYcUfvHPOZRnklrH24H92cEJwPZyEZ4pLZDa99PsaweQ5Ye-eSSGg3pJpeEXuEVNrIxmRbSeFqqKZ_9AvhIVt84NxxdWRbwyaGnlA5yRmZG1nSXpmi-PPc/s320/blogger-image-1693476006.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">How stinkin' cute is Carter in his life vest?!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoAyaqII-WG5GHf5wbN68Dexe5PnOFIZBuVEFWasMDQlaqsoADVikCHjaPxkO0EO6d4n9i5BT5b36Ph8wCn2iMXYEesmekxkvGaCtN79U4hgdP2KU0Sl-riHmnvqbu-cVnI9AOrLVagM/s640/blogger-image--1314783767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoAyaqII-WG5GHf5wbN68Dexe5PnOFIZBuVEFWasMDQlaqsoADVikCHjaPxkO0EO6d4n9i5BT5b36Ph8wCn2iMXYEesmekxkvGaCtN79U4hgdP2KU0Sl-riHmnvqbu-cVnI9AOrLVagM/s320/blogger-image--1314783767.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Monday we decided to take Carter to Chick-fil-A for lunch and then to an indoor soft playground. Unfortunately all of the Chick-fil-A's up here are inside shopping or strip malls. It is so frustrating! I don't know why we don't have a free standing one but if you're looking to make a killing up here I think that would be the way to do it. The closest one to us also has an indoor soft playground and we thought it would be the perfect place to let Carter go! Since he isn't walking it's hard for him to crawl around at the outdoor playgrounds because of the bark and/or sand so this was the perfect place for him. I think he was mesmerized by all the little children running around more than anything else. They also have a little train that runs around the mall so we took our first train ride too. A fun weekend of firsts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdz4R2J1aNb8N5XsHmapJuoa3BK_FE0qPkw0zT2I0_u6DXneuiiAhqZh6GF9RiPEylvIQo4dSDJ8r02QUrZwloInvrNT0LUIHQvrZ3CjfovruB75sUcE8oXPwebX__bBFoG7o4GfKj5Q/s640/blogger-image--1092273074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdz4R2J1aNb8N5XsHmapJuoa3BK_FE0qPkw0zT2I0_u6DXneuiiAhqZh6GF9RiPEylvIQo4dSDJ8r02QUrZwloInvrNT0LUIHQvrZ3CjfovruB75sUcE8oXPwebX__bBFoG7o4GfKj5Q/s320/blogger-image--1092273074.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And he's off....</span></td></tr>
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I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Let the count down to fall officially begin.</div>
Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-44799327054216189162013-09-05T18:23:00.000-07:002013-09-05T18:23:42.013-07:00Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I absolutely love Halloween. I love to decorate the house, I love to hand out candy to the little children, I love all the costumes, and of course I love candy. Now that we have a little one it takes my excitement to a whole new level. While I haven't decided on what Carter will be for Halloween, I have already given it a lot of thought! Part of me wants to go the cute route and dress him up as an animal because I realize I have a very limited time frame where I will get to choose his costume. However, another part of me really likes the Superman, Batman and Star Wars costumes too. Decisions, decisions. </div>
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Anyways, I wanted to bring everyone's attention to Pottery Barn's Halloween sale. They have some cute costumes; however, they're a little on the pricey side. Personally I think you can find just as cute ones for a better price elsewhere. However, they have adorable treat bags that are 20% off. I just ordered this one for Carter which I love! It was only $13 and I paid the additional $7 to have it personalized. You also get free shipping!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/pumpkin-pillowcase-treat-bag/?pkey=ctreat-bags&">Pumpkin Pillowcase Treat Bag</a></span></td></tr>
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I love the buckets too but I figure as Carter gets older he's going to need a lot more room for his candy so a pillowcase is the way to go. I sure hope he realizes that he'll be sharing his candy with mom and dad so he better fill it up! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/spider-treat-bag-2013/?pkey=ctreat-bags&">Spider Treat Bag</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/owl-treat-bag-2013/?pkey=ctreat-bags&">Owl Treat Bag</a></span></td></tr>
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Last year my mom found the cutest idea for a tomato cage ghost on Pinterest. It was super easy to make and turned out great. Go go the craft store and buy a piece of black felt to cut out your ghost's eyes and mouth. I super glued them to an old white sheet and draped it over a tomato cage covered with white Christmas lights and ta-da! After Halloween I saved the tomato cage and ended up using it at Christmas for a Christmas tree in our front yard. It turned out really cute too. <br />
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It's hard to believe that we're already approaching another Halloween with our little man! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our precious little lobster! I'm not sure how we'll top this one. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We spent Carter's first Halloween in Sonoma.</span></td></tr>
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Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-59754680573967157022013-08-30T10:18:00.000-07:002013-08-30T10:18:25.827-07:00Mosaic DistrictIn my last post I briefly mentioned the newly built Merrifield Town Center. After doing a little research I've learned that this new area is called the <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/">Mosaic district</a>. It is one of our area's newest urban-designed communities with hand selected retailers and restaurants. We basically stumbled across this great area when we decided to dine at one of favorite restaurants, <a href="http://foursistersrestaurant.com/">Four Sisters</a>. Four Sisters was one of the first restaurants to open in the Mosaic district and the past few times we visited not much else had moved into the area. However, the last time we ate there I was pregnant with Carter so that tells you it was well over a year ago. Needless to say, a lot can change in a year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/about">Mosaic</a></span></td></tr>
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Mosaic is built around some of DC's top independent boutiques, wonderful restaurants, healthy grocers, an art house cinema, and premier national retailers. Some of my favorite shops are <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/anthropologie">Anthropologie</a>, <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/south-moon-under">South Moon Under</a>, <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/courage-b">Courage. b</a>, <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/lou-lou">Lou Lou</a>,<a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/last-call-studio-neiman-marcus"> Last Call Studio</a> and <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/bellacara">Bellacara</a>. South Moon Under carries a lot of fun clothes, accessories, and shoes. They have men's clothing and recently started carrying a few kids clothes. Lou Lou is an accessory boutique that offers jewelry, hats, sunglasses, handbags and scarves. The store is neat because everything is grouped together by color. It's the perfect place to go and look for that finishing touch to your outfit without spending fortune. Last Call Studio reminds me a lot of Nordstrom Rack, but on the higher end. They had some great sales when I visited and their shoe selection was impressive. They even carry David Yurman jewelry. Dawn Price Baby is a great children and baby boutique. Whether you're shopping for your little one or are in need of the perfect baby gift, you should definitely stop by.<br />
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There are great dining options as well. As I mentioned earlier, Four Sisters is a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant. There is a <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/cava-mezze-grill">CAVA Mezze Grill</a> which features Greek tapas. If you're in the mood for a great sub sandwich then you should head to <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/taylor-gourmet">Taylor Gourmet</a>. You can't go wrong with pizza or sliders from <a href="http://mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/matchbox-vintage-pizza">Matchbox</a> and if you want something on the lighter side you should stop by <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/sweetgreen">Sweetgreen</a> for a salad and some frozen yogurt. We have a Sweetgreen near my office in DC and I find myself going there for their frozen yogurt on a regular basis. Their tart frozen yogurt is made with organic Stonyfield yogurt, has live active cultures and it's fat free and all-natural! They have a great selection of fresh or dried fruit and crunch toppings to choose from and they just recently introduced dark chocolate yogurt. The center has their own butcher, <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/red-apron-butcher">Red Apron Butcher</a>, and they also have a <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/moms-organic-market">MOM's organic market</a>, which is basically like a smaller Whole Food's. And if you're looking for a great glass of wine or would like to try an artisanal beer, be sure to stop by <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/swirl-and-sip">Swirl and Sip</a>. While you're out enjoying this great little district and you find yourself needing some essentials or groceries on your way home you can easily stop by <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/explore/retailers/target">Target</a>. <br />
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One of the neatest things in this area is the <a href="http://angelikafilmcenter.com/ANGELIKA_ABOUT.ASP?hID=3854&ID=84&page=ABOUT%20ANGELIKA%20MOSAIC">Angelika Film Center and Cafe</a>. It is a state-of-the-art boutique cinema with eight screens featuring independent and specialty films. There is a cafe that specializes in global fusion cuisine that you may enjoy in the lounge or during your movie. They also plan on hosting local film festivals, offer interesting cultural events and programming. There is a great lawn outside the film center that is called Strawberry Park. It's the perfect place for kids to run around and every Friday at 7:00p.m. they play a film on their large outdoor movie screen. Many of the restaurants that I mentioned above are directly across the street from the outdoor movie screen so you could easily grab a bite to eat and watch the movie from their outdoor patio. Every Saturday at 9:00a.m. they host an event called <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/events/cartoons-coffee">Cartoons and Coffee</a>. It's a chance for families to come together and watch their favorite old school cartoons likes The Flintstones, The Jetson's and Scooby Doo.<br />
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The Mosaic district offers several exercise opportunities as well. Every Wednesday and Friday from 9:30a.m.- 10:30a.m. they have <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/events/stroller-strides-mosaic">Stroller Strides</a>. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the program, but it is a fitness program that moms can do with their babies that involves a lot of power walking and intervals of strength and body toning exercises. Sounds like a fun workout! They also offer free community<a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/events/yoga-park-morning-flow"> Vinyasa flow yoga</a> every Sunday at 9:00a.m. in Strawberry Park.<br />
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This fall they will feature a new event called <a href="http://www.mosaicdistrict.com/events/district-avenue-art-walk">District Avenue Art Walk</a> which will take place the first Friday of the month from September 6, 2013 to December 6, 2013 from 6:00p.m. - 9:00p.m. Each month a line-up of artists will be curated by elan magazine to showcase their work along Mosaic's District Avenue. Retailers host their own events throughout the year as well so it's a good idea to check their website occasionally. Last but not least, the area features luxury apartments and town homes. The district is conveniently located by I-495 and Tyson's so it's a great place to live.<br />
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So have I sold you on a visit to the Mosaic district? As I've been writing this post I've convinced myself that we should take Carter to Cartoons and Coffee in the morning! It's a great little area to visit so plan a trip soon.<br />
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I hope everyone has a fun and safe Labor Day weekend.<br />
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<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-50611291951431442102013-08-28T13:50:00.002-07:002013-08-28T13:50:39.572-07:00Summer Vacation 2013 My summer vacation officially began on Thursday, August 8th. For Mother's Day Chris surprised me with two tickets to the JT and Jay Z concert and Kim flew up to join me for the occasion and to visit for the weekend. I worked half a day Thursday and then went to pick Kim up from the airport. After a detour by the house, we quickly got dressed (well as quickly as two ladies can considering this was the first time we'd seen each other in seven months), grabbed a cocktail and on the road we were to Baltimore. Kim and I had tried for weeks to get a hotel room in Baltimore for the evening but believe it or not, everything was completely sold out or we were going to have to pay $800 for a room. Since this was a gift Chris said he had always planned on providing our transportation for the evening. So you're thinking a car service, right? Why yes, the car services of Brandon Cockerham and Chris Wall! Brandon drove us up to Baltimore and Chris came and picked up up after the concert. Top notch service.<br />
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What an awesome concert! We had the absolute best time and immediately following the concert we were trying to figure out how to make it to the next show. Little did I know that they were only performing in ten cities and Baltimore was the second to last stop. JT and Jay Z opened the show together and then they alternated every few songs, at times singing together and other times doing solo performances. The best part of the show was singing along to their old school songs, especially Jay Z's. It has been many years since we heard some of his songs but the lyrics came right back to us. Of course they closed the show with Suit and Tie and Jay Z's Forever Young. I'd pay to see the concert over and over again and I can't thank Chris and Kim enough for putting such a special night together.<br />
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On Friday I worked from home, so we took it easy and recovered to an extent from the evening before. On Friday night we went to the newly built Merrifield Town Center. If you live in this area and haven't been out there then I highly suggest making a trip. The reason for our trip was to dine at <a href="http://foursistersrestaurant.com/">Four Sisters</a> restaurant. It is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the area and it's very inexpensive.<a href="http://www.washingtonian.com/"> The Washingtonian</a> magazine always features a <a href="http://www.washingtonian.com/packages/food-drink/cheap-eats-2012/">"Cheap Eats"</a> and "The 100 Very Best Restaurants" edition each year and Four Sisters is always ranked. It was a great dinner and not only did Carter try new foods so did Kim. We were about halfway through our meal when I realized that everything had crushed peanuts on top. I had a moment of panic when I realized Carter was stuffing food in his mouth as quickly as possible, but he seemed just fine. So, Carter's first experience with peanuts was completely by accident but turned out great. Although, Chris and I were paranoid all evening worrying about a delayed allergic reaction. The joys of being a parent.<br />
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After dinner Chris took Carter home and Kim and I stayed to do some shopping. They have a lot of really cute boutiques and a Last Call Studio by Neiman Marcus- just like Nordstrom Rack but a little on the higher end. After our shopping excursion we enjoyed frozen yogurt from Sweet Green. They also have a large outdoor movie screen located in the middle of the town center and on Friday evenings they play a movie and Saturday mornings they have an event called "Cartoons and Coffee." Such a great little area to visit in you're in town!<br />
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On Saturday we slept in and then ventured out to the <a href="http://www.italianstore.com/index.html">Italian Store</a> to pick up lunch and get supplies for Chris to make dinner. The Italian store is a gourmet Italian specialty shop that has been run by the same family for over 30 years. They feature items sourced from Italy and Brooklyn. They sell fresh pasta, sauce, meat, cheese, Italian subs, NY style pizza, prepared meals, wine, dessert, and much more. They're really known for their great sandwiches and on any given day you should expect to wait in a lengthy line, especially around lunch time. If you plan to make a trip on the weekend make sure you go early. On our trip we picked up sandwiches for lunch, fresh pasta, pancetta, cannolis and Berger's cookies for dessert.<br />
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I feel like I need to have a special paragraph dedicated to <a href="http://bergercookies.com/">Berger's</a> cookies. While we were standing in line waiting on our sandwiches, Kim started freaking out. I'm talking about freaking out to the point where people standing around us stopped and looked at her to make sure she was OK. Kim had spotted a shelf underneath the sandwich counter with Berger's cookies. All she said for two minutes straight was "Omg they have Berger's cookies! You don't understand, these are the best cookies in the world!" All I could do was just laugh because I've never seen anyone so excited over a cookie in my life. A lady standing beside Kim asked her if they were really that good because she had always seen them and wondered. Well Kim convinced her to buy a pack. How many did Kim buy? Three packs, and I'm sure there were close to ten large cookies in each pack. The cookies are made in Baltimore and they're pretty darn tasty. It's basically like a shortbread cookie covered on top with fudge. If you're ever in the Baltimore area or happen to go to the Italian Store, pick up a pack.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter enjoying a Berger cookie</span></td></tr>
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Saturday afternoon we went to the mall to buy Carter some new shoes but made sure to make it home in time for cocktail hour! I bought Chris the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Speakeasy-Employees-Classic-Cocktails-Reimagined/dp/158008253X/ref=pd_sim_b_13">Speakeasy</a> for his birthday last year so he has turned into a fantastic mixologist these days. Some of them are a little too over-the-top for me but several have been right up my alley. I actually have no idea what he made Kim and me that evening but it was really good. He also prepared the most amazing <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/classic-rag-bolognese">ragu bolognese</a> you've ever tasted. We found the recipe a few years ago in Bon Appetit magazine and it has been our go to since then.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kim's first birthday present to Carter. Can you tell he likes it?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Story time</span></td></tr>
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On Sunday Chris, Carter, Witt and I headed to the beach for the annual Wall family beach trip. This year was a little on the hectic side because Ray and Marsha just bought a new house in Tidewater and they closed on it the Tuesday before we all arrived. Needless to say they were busy all week moving things into their new home and getting their condo ready to rent. They had a lot on their plate but fortunately they still allowed all the kids and grand kids to pile in for some summer fun.<br />
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There were nine kids in one house, ages three months to ten years old! Everyone hand their hands full but it was a lot of fun! Carter absolutely loved all of the activity and attention that his cousins gave him. We spent most of our time at the beach and one afternoon at the pool. The last time Carter made it down to the beach he was around six weeks old. I was excited to see how he would like it now that he's a little older. Boy did he love it! Not only did he love playing in the sand, he enjoyed eating it too. The second day on the beach Ray even got him to fall asleep on his beach chair and Carter napped for over an hour. What better place to take an afternoon nap. You have the breeze from the ocean and the sound of the waves.<br />
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After four days at the beach, Chris and Witt flew back to DC and Carter and I headed to Charlotte to visit my family for the remainder of the week. Fortunately my boss's district office is located by Southpark Mall so I was easily able to work from their office on Friday while my parent's watched Carter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpqeTqb8Fnu7-4HjXCspSY0lb85O0LtnlC1qWGqc7s84jJXL8brA1I_r-5iA6jseWXy-sBBJK9NBUL30h6Y5VQMev8z0pQZ2AhMTqi9juwVy9290_7cF5cWIumVXY6R_bxSLvZxe1P98/s1600/IMG_2006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpqeTqb8Fnu7-4HjXCspSY0lb85O0LtnlC1qWGqc7s84jJXL8brA1I_r-5iA6jseWXy-sBBJK9NBUL30h6Y5VQMev8z0pQZ2AhMTqi9juwVy9290_7cF5cWIumVXY6R_bxSLvZxe1P98/s320/IMG_2006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter playing with one of my childhood toys. Have you caught on to the fact that my mom has pretty much held onto everything from our childhood? Lol, I love you mom!!</span></td></tr>
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Saturday morning my mom, Carter and I went to Mason's first birthday party. Mason is Erin Banker's, my childhood best friend's, son. Erin's mom and my mom actually grew up playing together as young kids. Mrs. Hinson's mom and my mom's aunt lived down the street from one another so there were many times when they would get together to play. Little did they know that they would both have daughters right around the same time and they would both go to Providence Day School. Erin and I were inseparable from kindergarten through the fifth grade. I have vivid memories of Erin being at my house when I first learned to ride my bicycle without training wheels. I ended up leaving Providence Day School after fifth grade and going into the public school system. Unfortunately Erin and I lost touch with one another through middle school and high school, but thanks to Facebook we reconnected after all these years! We both ended up marrying men by the name of Chris, right around the same time, and we both got pregnant around the same time and had little boys within a few weeks of each other. How crazy is that? It's been wonderful to reconnect with such a special friend and share in all the wonderful and challenging experiences of being a first time mom. Now if only we lived closer to one another and could get our precious boys together for play dates!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEWPC6AF0Jx9dRHdjn8JowbHxGYimY0VrWFB1GmdObbDAAWsp7SnzOq-noSb6t9FpMzx4NzSdbBAHD3VN0V2Wk5YM47ipl6F6OVQwJxYWYlML7y8LkmESM6sgU7-tB7ITXIBAneH6AGfs/s1600/Mason's+1st+bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEWPC6AF0Jx9dRHdjn8JowbHxGYimY0VrWFB1GmdObbDAAWsp7SnzOq-noSb6t9FpMzx4NzSdbBAHD3VN0V2Wk5YM47ipl6F6OVQwJxYWYlML7y8LkmESM6sgU7-tB7ITXIBAneH6AGfs/s320/Mason's+1st+bday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Erin's and their boys.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFihYpeUWrBQo0aHLYbJAPecg9W-d4zOTjR5bTSwWo1wKFhT8MBk7ZEKhiMOdaz9WX452i_jIvvDf7143ik4I08-4B2Uw0Q7xrUs4yIIaxVUIy6KkN-Pjpw-iAJb7lbtYTr4Rc_2K0z0H/s1600/Mason's+bday+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFihYpeUWrBQo0aHLYbJAPecg9W-d4zOTjR5bTSwWo1wKFhT8MBk7ZEKhiMOdaz9WX452i_jIvvDf7143ik4I08-4B2Uw0Q7xrUs4yIIaxVUIy6KkN-Pjpw-iAJb7lbtYTr4Rc_2K0z0H/s320/Mason's+bday+party.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter enjoyed Mason's drum set!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-hLqRV5-n9VvynbbQ-6NUddPOXykF4DQReWmP-7_MDCEDv4Wh9A6KYxQxAWCb0Om6nI_h5oHaCiU9MBtx12pgj_IlQKDiwmEP3iXbn1B_4jItItsxF5R8RUUxnK6-80EFUj46lySBdsT/s1600/Talent+Show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-hLqRV5-n9VvynbbQ-6NUddPOXykF4DQReWmP-7_MDCEDv4Wh9A6KYxQxAWCb0Om6nI_h5oHaCiU9MBtx12pgj_IlQKDiwmEP3iXbn1B_4jItItsxF5R8RUUxnK6-80EFUj46lySBdsT/s320/Talent+Show.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Erin C. & Erin H. in the PDS talent show!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIO5bW_0bnU4pfIg0ovEneg4IMHN1WmkDb9vxAHZWwVWyq8AEDMcAgo63iHNfDIgMG74QljgkPHB2uES535xaE2u2ZdZSNgREtjueVWA4GlYOofX5hKW69UQJTTt7iin2is2By8lDy9pw7/s1600/Talent+Show1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIO5bW_0bnU4pfIg0ovEneg4IMHN1WmkDb9vxAHZWwVWyq8AEDMcAgo63iHNfDIgMG74QljgkPHB2uES535xaE2u2ZdZSNgREtjueVWA4GlYOofX5hKW69UQJTTt7iin2is2By8lDy9pw7/s320/Talent+Show1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I can't even remember if this was fourth or fifth grade, but it's pretty cute.</span></td></tr>
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On Saturday afternoon Justin and my Grandmother in Statesville came to the house to visit. That evening we ate dinner at <a href="http://www.chuys.com/">Chuy's</a>, a Mexican restaurant that recently opened next to <a href="http://www.thecowfish.com/">Cowfish</a> (best sushi ever!) at Southpark. That evening one of Justin's closest childhood friends, Jonathan, and his wife, Amanda, and their daughter, Emma, came over to visit. I have vivid memories of Justin and Jonathan as kids so it's hard to believe that he is now a dad with a precious little girl!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Emma, Justin and Jonathan</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carter wasn't happy when I held Emma so he decided to join us in the picture.</span></td></tr>
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On Sunday we took it easy around the house and my grandmother in Charlotte and my great aunt Vi came to visit. Can you tell that Carter got a lot of attention over his vacation? When I sat down to think about our trip, we visited with 36 people! Not too shabby for a one week trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think the Suburban is just the right size.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Helping Gigi clean out her car.</span></td></tr>
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On Monday Carter and I made the trip back to DC. We were sad to see our trip come to an end but we knew it was time to get back to our little routine. Carter has nine teeth coming through right now so I think he was ready to get back into his bed, in his room after being in a pack and play for a week. It was a great trip and we really enjoyed seeing so many of our family members and friends. Believe it or not, but there were still people that we didn't get to see that we hopefully will on our next trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pit stop at McDonald's on our way home. When traveling solo with the little man on a 7 hour road trip we took the easiest route for lunch- don't judge! :) </span></td></tr>
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I hope everyone has enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing summer. It's hard to believe it's coming to an end this weekend. Time seems to fly by these days and even though I'm sad to see the summer months go I am excited about the fall. My three favorite holidays are quickly approaching and I will have to say that I'm excited about the cooler temperatures. For those of you with little ones headed to school over the next few weeks I hope you have a great year!<br />
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Farewell summer!Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4224696185609820142.post-22314450185627866102013-08-08T09:04:00.000-07:002013-08-08T09:05:35.918-07:00Suit & TieNot sure what you'll be doing this evening but Kim and I will be at the JAY Z and Justin Timberlake concert in Baltimore!<br />
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Chris surprised me with tickets to the concert for Mother's Day and Kim made it even more special by coming up for the weekend. Kim and I haven't had a weekend together in ages so I'm really excited! We have one of those friendships where we can go weeks and months without talking and then when we do we pick right back up where we left off.<br />
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Kim and I have been friends since the 10th grade. One of my best friends from middle school was assigned to a different high school than I attended, which at the time was devastating. However, it ended up being the best thing that could have happened because she met Kim and the three of us became inseparable. I could write for hours about our endless memories from high school and college. They sure were fun times and I couldn't have asked for a better friend to have by my side. Times may have changed since those wild days but it's comforting to know that I still have such a wonderful friend.<br />
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Love you, Kim!! Now, "Can I Get A......"<br />
<br />Southern Swankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11317824040063261005noreply@blogger.com0