HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL!

Happy Happy Birthday to my wonderful hubby, Michael!

He turned the big 25 today. I love you honey and I love being your wife!

Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is one of my all-time favorite authors. I absolutely love all of her books! They all take place in Georgia (where I'm from), are extremely Southern, and incorporate loads of home renovating and decorating. They are perfect beach reads and I usually finish them in a couple days. Her newest book just came out and I'm in the midst of finishing it...it's AMAZING! It's called The Fixer Upper and centers around a displaced Washington Lobbyist renovating a enormous, old house in a small town outside of Atlanta. I highly recommend this book!

Here are a few of my favorite Mary Kay Andrews books:

If you haven't read any of these books, I suggest you pick up The Fixer Upper immediately!

Oh shopping, how I've missed you!

My mom and I hit up the Nordstrom Semi-Annual Sale for some new work clothes (and to celebrate my new job)! I haven't shopped for clothes since before the wedding; it was so amazing to shop again! Here's what I picked up:

BCBG Shadow Blocks Matte Jersey Dress

Juicy Couture Heritage Aviator Sunglasses

Banana Republic Helen Buckle Metallic Peep-toe Flats

I also purchased a cute geometric work top from Banana and a casual blue dress from Nordstrom Juniors, but I can't find either online. I start work on Wednesday, so I'm busy spending today and tomorrow running errands and doing chores. Wish me luck at my new job!

Michelle's First Baby Shower!

Michelle, my brother's wife, had her first baby shower over the weekend! We had so much fun; it was an absolutely beautiful shower. The shower was held at one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants, Anis Bistro! It was fairly small, mostly immediate family. The food was absolutely delicious - I had the most amazing Salmon Salad with a nice glass of Chardonnay. Every detail was so perfect!

Michelle with her little basketball baby bump...can you believe she's over 7 months pregnant?!

Michelle and me:

Michelle and my Mom:

All the pretty presents:

Michelle and me again:

Michelle and her best friend, Whitney:

Cute little onesie!

Another cute smockinged onesie:

Her cute baby book:

Beautiful monogrammed hemstitched pillow:

Adorable cupcake favors:

Cute decorated boxes for the cupcakes...each box had a different animal!

Mrs. Southern Belle and I are throwing Michelle another baby shower in August...I'm so excited to host one for her!

Employed!

Yay! I am officially NO longer a stay at home wife! I was offered a great position today, after a loooong series of interviews. I start work next Wednesday. Michael surprised me with these beautiful flowers when he got home from work. I am SO excited to get started at my new job!

Apple Crisp

Tomorrow is Michael's Dad's birthday, so we all went over to his brother's apartment tonight for an early birthday dinner! I was in charge of dessert for the dinner, so I went with an old dessert standby...Apple Crisp! Since it was so easy and everyone loved it, I thought I'd share the recipe!

Apple Crisp

• 4 cups peeled and chopped cooking apples (I use golden delicious apples)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup flour

Place mixture of apples, cinnamon, salt, and water in a buttered pie baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients until crumbly and spread over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy!

Poor Bailey!

Our poor little puppy got bitten by a spider last week! We took him to the animal hospital pretty quickly, so he's fine, but he can't stop licking his wound. The vet put this cone on his head today...he looks so pitiful! I must say, if I didn't feel so bad for him, I would think it looked pretty funny:

Bailey and Michael:
Hopefully he will only need it a couple of days...poor guy!