All Hallow's Eve

That title doesn't even make sense because it's not hallow's eve... but it sounds cool and scary.

I'm scared right now typing this. It's Halloween weekend. People will be dressed up, kids will be ringing doorbells requesting treats over tricks, and parents will be double checking the candy before the kids can dive in!

I watched the History of Halloween on the Discovery Channel this week. I was scared. Witches got a bad rap back in the day. Turns out if you were a woman living alone (or with another woman i.e. sister or friend)and maybe a bit eccentric... you were probably a witch. If that's the case then I probably have some friends that are witches. So. Scary.

I have a fear of some mean person (or teenager) coming by our house in the middle of the night and busting our pumpkin. That would be so scary and sad.

Ryan and I aren't dressing up this year. I know, super sad. It's like Halloween caught up with us much too quickly. We weren't ready for it. However, I've already decided that this kid's (aka my little cousin, Cooper) costume takes the cake:

Are you kidding me? A dragon. I. Freaking. Love. It. Too funny and potentially scary because dragons can do work... We are talking fire out of the mouth kind of stuff.

Well, I'm going to be super scared all weekend long. I hope no one is attacked by a zombie, or haunted by a ghost, or hocused pocused by a witch. Shit could get real on this scary Halloween weekend. Be weary of soups served from a cauldron or any black cat that might come around.... You just never know!!!! *crazy witch laugh*

O.T.W.

Our weekends during the Fall seem to be eerily similar. They include good friends and Auburn football.

This past weekend we ventured to Auburn to tailgate with some of Ryan's best friends from his hometown, Chase (aka Nutt) and Meg.

We also spent the day with both Ryan's brother and sister as well as my brother. At one point Ryan's parents even stopped by! It was quite the family affair.

It was a long day, as we got an early start on Saturday morning, but oh so worth it. The weekend was so much fun!

Just Some Taco Soup...

Ryan and I have had the same thing for dinner several nights this week. I had a real craving for TACO SOUP, so I had to work it.

I love Fall because it means cooler weather is upon us, but it also means it's time for the heavier foods that aren't as enjoyable during the hot summer months (not so good for the waistline)

As, I was chopping the onion for the taco soup my friend Lacey called. We chatted for bit. It probably went something like this:

(L=lacey; J=me)

L:  "Hey Ho! What's up? You hitting the wine tonight or the gym?"
J:  "Girl, I'm hitting the wine! I've been slacking at the gym this month. I'm also chopping an onion as we speak."
L:  "I feel you on that glass of wine. I'm ready to sit down with a glass myself. What are you making with onion?"
J:  "I'm just throwing together some taco soup..."
L:  "You are going to have to get me that recipe. Oh. hang on. John's beeping in."
J:  "Go work that out. Keep it real."
L:  "Holla"

So, here's the recipe for this yummy soup:

Ingredients-
-1 onion
-1 lb. ground beef
-1 package taco seasoning
-1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
-1 can yellow corn
-1 can ranch style beans
-1 can pinto beans
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1 can rotel
-several splashes of your favorite hot sauce

Brown onion and ground beef. Drain and return to large pot. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil for several minutes, reduce heat and let simmer for thirty minutes or so...

I let mine simmer until Ryan got home from work (stirring occasionally). Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a litte bit of cheddar cheese. It also important to have Fritos Scoops on hand, as they really pair well it.

(hope you make sometime and enjoy, lacey)

While on the subject of food... I have been attempting to get down my cornbread recipe. You see, my mom,  my grandmother, and even my dad can throw down a mean pan cornbread. So, surely I can. Right? Well, I've had a few flops but this was my best one yet....

Pdub says take food photos in natural light hence the cornbread being by the window. It was delish!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Make some taco soup for your boo... he'll love it!

O.T.W.- AU Football

Over the past weekend....

Friday night I celebrated the birthdays of Deidra's mom, Mrs. Paula and her sister, Ashton. It was lots of fun because my parents, and my aunt were all there to celebrate too! It include cocktails and lots of laughter... winning combination in my opinion!

Saturday Deidra and I ventured to Auburn for the Auburn vs. Arkansas game. Ryan chose to stay behind and watch the game on TV because it's just too stressful (read: he doesn't want to hear me saying "let's get a hot dog" and whatnot). 

Before the game we did the whole tailgate thing with my best good friends, Katie Beth and Lacey.

 Lacey, me, Katie Beth, and Deidra-- Just couldn't love these girls more.

 The Eagle came by to say hello... Doesn't he look like a total bad ass?

War Cam Newton  Eagle

Deidra posing to show off how great our seats were. Thanks Mrs. Linda!

Deidra and I celebrating the win!!  

The game was amazing and the whole weekend was a lot of fun!   

War Eagle!!

The Project

As I've mentioned I've been working on a bit of a project. Deidra helped me several weekends ago as I attempted to sand down and restain/paint a dresser and two bedside tables.
Several years ago my mom and I purchased a dresser at an estate sale. I can't really say if we needed it for any particular reason, but it was a good deal.

Well, when Ryan and I began this journey o'love, in which we would live under the same roof day in and day out, I decided I would use that particular dresser in our bedroom. It has nine drawers which is huge because we live in an old house that has very limited storage. I guess when the house was built 70 years ago they didn't have lots of wedding gifts to store. Who knows?

The dresser has been in our bedroom doing it's job as extra storage for our clothes, but it hasn't been helping the decor of our bedroom at all too much.

Well, one day as I was scanning the design blogs I came across this post on Little Green Notebook. I thought to myself- wow, I can so do that to the dresser in our bedroom... and while I'm at it I can purchase those small chests form Ikea and work those over too.

So I emailed the link to mom and told her I was going to take on a project.

Well, we all know according to my Ikea post I wasn't able to purchase the bedside tables I needed in order to complete the project. Fear not, I was able to obtain them as I sent Rhett (a family friend who happens to live in Atlanta and happen to be coming home over the weekend) to pick them up.

Not to get too far off track.... but I didn't fully explain to Rhett just how big and crazy Ikea is. I felt like if he knew too much he would back out. After he had retrieved the side tables he called me and was all, "That place is crazy!" He said that was probably his first and last trip to Ikea.  Good thing I didn't let him know too much ahead of time.

Once I had the side tables and the dresser I could begin working on the project. The dresser came first.

I forgot to take a before picture when it was still fully intact but I feel like this extra sad "before" photo will really make the "after" shot look even better.

And here is a before picture of what the bedside tables look like via Ikea website:

The side tables are Ikea's Rast small chest for only $29.99

I purchased one quart of white high gloss oil, which I had the paint guy tint to a more creamy white. I also purchased a quart of stain and polyurethane in one... I went with the color "mission oak."

I didn't plan on it, but I also purchased an electric sander (as the one I intended to borrow happen to be at our farm house/barn).

Then we got to work, son!

Deidra and I each took turns sanding, as it really makes your hand tingle. Deidra suggested we begin a HGTV show called, Two Girls and a Sander, however, I feel like that sounds kind of dirty so maybe we should keep thinking on that one...

Then we dusted it off and wiped it down so as to remove all dust particles.

Please note: Deidra and I both wore masks and safety glasses... as safety is of the utmost importance when taking on a project.

I then put Deidra in charge of painting the drawer fronts white, while I was in charge of staining the dresser. Let me just note for the record that the polyurethane/stain in one is good because it eliminates multiple steps, however, it is tricky to use. You have to apply even amounts and distribute the stain evenly to avoid darker spots.

Deidra snapped a picture of Dad-- he was there supporting the team!

I removed the drawer pulls and went in search on new ones at Lowe's. The pulls/handles on the dresser are six inches and the biggest I could find was a five inch handle. I decided to save money and time searching by simply priming and painting the pulls that were on the dresser. I purchased new pulls for the side tables.

Overall, the project was inexpensive and made a huge difference in our bedroom.

Before:

After:

Please pretend like I took the time to hide the cords and the random hoodie that is hanging on the door.

Before:

After:

Sorry the pictures aren't great. Snapped them in a hurry... hope you get the gist.

I love the look of the dresser and side tables now! How about you?

Once I get the room "put together" (i.e. bedding on, pictures up) I will try to remember to post photos.

O.T.W.

I worked my butt off over the weekend.

Ryan and I (with a tiny bit of help from his sister, Ali) painted our bedroom. Ryan said we had to finish before the 2:00 that afternoon and we almost did.

I didn't take any "before" shots, but the room was Sherwin William's Cafe Latte and now it is Valspar's Seaside Villa. So basically we went from a brownish/khaki to a blue/gray.

While Ali was helping hold down the bed she snapped this picture with her iphone of me in action.

Please note how I'm holding that paint can. So dainty, I am.

On Sunday, I finished the project I've been working (with help of my assistant Deidra) the past two Sundays. Hopefully, I will be able to share pictures of that this week. Let's just say it involved a lot of sanding, painting, and staining.

Timmy

A couple of nights ago, I went to hear Tim Tebow's mom, Pam, speak at a benefit for Sav-A-Life. With my job, I know exactly how important community resources are, especially that one.

Now, let me back track. I have always had a soft spot for Tim Tebow. The only draw back happen to be that he played for the Florida Gators... ugh!  In the SEC if you don't play for Auburn, then I don't pull for you. Period.

Just as a side note... the best game I attended while in school at Auburn was the 2006 Auburn vs. Florida game. It was the kind of game where you are so stoked that before you know it you are in a full embrace with the person next you that you don't even know. You have tears in your eyes and Bourbon infused diet coke is being toasted throughout...  I cheered so hard that night I couldn't talk for days. Here's a refresher....


* the video is a florida reference; not a tebow reference

But back to the story. I've always thought it was great that Tim Tebow made a point to keep God first and to promote that philosophy without abandon. That's a big deal these days. So when I heard his mom would be sharing their story I knew it would be worth hearing.

You may remember this super bowl ad from last year...

After hearing her speak and explain what the doctor told her, I sat there wondering if I would have had enough faith to do the same thing.

She got pregnant in a third world country, her body then became contaminated with an amoeba, and she was fighting a mean case of dysentery. [my words, not hers-- but I would think dysentery would be hella mean]Her body was fighting off the all things foreign and in doing so it kept trying to terminate the pregnancy. The doctor she was seeing referred to the baby as a "mass of fetal tissue" and told her to abort or it could potentially kill her. She put her faith in God and decided if it would kill her then so be it... it was God's plan. She went on to successfully give birth and it was a wonder that the baby lived.

One of the statistics she gave is that at least 12 would be Heisman trophy winners are aborted each year. She is glad her Heisman trophy winner was not one of the statistics.

Now, I'm not one to express my political beliefs or use my blog as a platform to get on any soap box. Just not my style. To each his own, man. But I will say that my love for Tim Tebow grew a little last night.

I will, however, use my blog to express my football opinions... and it's important to note that now that Timmy (as his mother refers to him) is no longer in the SEC I can outright pull for the team he's playing on. 

I have been trying to find a reason to back an NFL team for as long as I've dated/been married to Ryan since I have to watch a good bit of NFL. So I decided I would pull for whatever team drafted young Tim... So, much to Ryan's dismay, I have officially been a Bronco's fan for the last few months. Hearing his mom share their story and offer a bit of insight into what kind of person he is... reaffirmed my decision.

So here's to Pam for staying strong in her faith, trusting the good Lord and bringing Timmy into this world!

*seriously, if you have the chance to hear her story... it's well worth it.

O.T.W.-- IKEA

Saturday, Deidra and I embarked on a journey which ended at a glorious place. This may be hard for some people to believe, but neither one of us had ever been to IKEA.

I am constantly reading design blogs which reference IKEA as a great place to purchase all things home decor on a the low low, but the problem with us stopping in is that the closest one is in the next state. I can't figure out why Birmingham doesn't have one, but I wish it did!

I attended a wedding brunch for a friend Saturday morning and as soon as it was over I met Deidra and we headed to Atlanta, GA to see just what this IKEA talk was all about.

To say we loved it would be a vast understatement.

The main reason we went was for a specific piece of furniture. Two bedside tables to be exact. (for a project I will detail in a later post).

The sad news is that some man bought the entire stock about five minutes before we made it to the warehouse. I'm not sure what a man would need with that many bedside tables, but he really put a damper on my Ikea excursion.

This photo was taking prior to finding our that mere minutes early what I needed (and drove two and half hours to purchase) had been sold out. I was blissfully unaware.

After spending several hours in Ikea we had really worked up an appetite. We headed over to Atlantic Station (since it was right beside Ikea) for an early dinner. We opted to eat a Mexican restaurant called, Rosa Mexicano.

After we were seated we realized that the waiter would be making fresh guacamole at our table. 

This happen to remind of us of an episode of The Real Housewives of ATL, in which Kim and Sheree eat at a restaurant that made their guacamole at the table... so we asked the waiter if it was the same place, and it just so happen to be.

The waiter gave us the inside scoop on the housewives. Apparently, Kim wears way too much makeup, looks a lot older in person (probably due to her chain smoking) and neither one of them was very nice. According to this article Kim was a real [expletive] during their visit to the restaurant. The guacamole was delicious, by the way.

After dinner we headed home so that we could hit up a get together to watch football! It really made for a fun weekend!

Well, Well, Well...

I don't have anything huge to report on this week, hence the lack of blog post. I didn't want to go all week without a post so here I am...

This might get random but stay with me as I update you on what has gone on during the last week in September around the Sanford house.

First things first... we have a rodent who has made our backyard his home.

For the past several weeks Ryan has been reporting that we have a beaver in the backyard. I 100% doubted him and proceeded to ask questions such as: "Does this beaver have a hard shell? Because that is an armadillo." "Did it have kind of have a furry white face? Because that is an opossum." Ryan simply responded that I was a smart ass, he is well aware of what those animals look like, and the best he could tell it was maybe a beaver...

These "beaver sightings" continued to happen. Ryan would walk Maggie and he'd come in and proclaim that the beaver was in the backyard again. However, I continued to doubt... maybe it was just a really fat cat. Ryan continued to ignore my comments.

Well, this past week I was taking the trash out and when I turned the corner to venture along the side of the house when all of a sudden I saw something. I ran inside shouting... "RYAN THE BEAVER IS IN THE BACK YARD RIGHT NOW!! I CAN"T BELIEVE IT!! A BEAVER LIVES IN OUR BACK YARD!!!!"

Ryan was all, I told you so...

So I grabbed my camera and ran back outside to snap some photos for evidence. I couldn't get over just how fat the beaver was. We do have a creek behind our house as well as a wooded area...so it must be a beaver.

As I was telling my dad the story about the beaver in our yard he stopped me and asked if it had a flat tail... (what goes around comes around). I thought for a moment. No, it didn't have a flat tail. So, Dad proceeded to inform me that our beaver was indeed a GROUNDHOG!

(this is not the picture I snapped. This picture is via google. I will upload the actual picture I took when I have my camera with me. Please note for the record... our groundhog looked strikingly similar to this one)
Who knew? I will say this much, I don't know how I could pick that thing up to check his shadow because that groundhog has had plenty to eat.


On another note, I have a MAGGIE Story from this week.

As an FYI... she did great with her surgery. She didn't really understand "take it easy" but we've tried. I digress.

Tuesday afternoon the weather was so pleasant. I got supper started and thought I would take Mags for an evening walk. I grabbed her retractable leash, hooked her up, and we headed outside.

Ryan and I live (literally) in the backyard of a local community college. This is nice because just over a small hill we are able to access the walking track. I decided to head that way for our evening walk. Sure, Maggie, barks at every person trying to get in shape and goes crazy for the small kids practicing their Upward Soccer, but I don't worry about it. Most the walkers/joggers have in ear phones and the kids think it funny.

We just walk and bark.

Just as we topped the hill to the track Maggie took off running. Normally at this point he leash catches and she is brought to a stop. However, it didn't catch. Instead the leash came right back to me. I thought to myself, Oh shit. She doesn't realize. Play it cool. 

Maggie looked at me and then to the expansive open walking track filled with a soccer team, runners, joggers, and on lookers of the soccer practice and then back to me... then she took off.

Free as a bird, ears flapping in the wind-- she was gone! I took off after her yelling across the field, "CATCH THAT DOG!! SOMEBODY HELP ME CATCH THAT DOG!!!"

The first person she ran up to happened to be rocking headphones and had no idea I needed her to help me.

At this point, I had ran out of my flip flops so I was not only chasing a dog and yelling, I was also doing so in my bare feet.

All my carrying on, really grabbed the attention of the Upward Soccer Team who happened to be running drills. (pictures six year olds running from one orange cone to the next).

Now, I hated to do it but I knew I was going to have to interrupter the soccer practice. Six year olds are full of energy and I needed their help. So I yelled at the team, "HELP ME CATCH THAT DOG!! SHE'S REALLY SWEET! HER LEASH CAME UNDONE! JUST GRAB HER AND HOLD HER DOWN!!!"

The six year olds were eager to help.

So now we have me (barefoot, yelling, and chasing a dog), seven six year old boys (yelling, and chasing a dog) and onlookers watching the scene unfold, as everyone stopped exercising to see if we could catch her.

I don't know if any of you have ever been to a rodeo when they announce that it time to catch the pig. All the kids file in to the arena and chase a pig in order to grab a ribbon from its tail...

Well, that is exactly what this looked like. Except we were chasing a dog who was in heaven.

One boy started to close in on her... so I yelled, "IF YOU CATCH HER, HOLD HER DOWN GOOD!! DON'T LET HER GO!"

The boy caught her and held her down the best he could. When I caught up, he had Maggie pinned down as if his life depended on it. He had all but sat on her, actually.

People cheered for us, I reattached her leash, and took her home. I thanked the boy and as soon as I was out of ear shot of the little children and onlookers I proceeded to verbally spank Maggie. She didn't care though... she had gotten to live to her fullest in those moments.

It was kind of like, the scene in the movie, The Sandlot, when the boy with the glasses pretends to drown just so he can be rescued and given CPR/kissed by the hot lifeguard. He didn't care what the repercussions might be he was just living for that moment.

Maggie didn't care one bit. She had just kissed the hot lifeguard. She tasted true freedom. I'm sure she has relived that moment over and over in the past few days.

She probably longs to be chased by a bunch of kids while I look like an idiot, but I will do the best I can not to let that happen again!

So that's a peak into our week. We've got a groundhog in the backyard and free spirited dog inside. It's crazy.