This weekend Tanner and I went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for Tanner's cousin's wedding. I met all of his family all at once - what a fantastic family! Everyone was delightful and the wedding was beautiful.

After wedding festivities, Chicago friends Liz, Evan, and Gabriella met up with us for lunch and coffee! Tanner finally met my best friends. A relaxing, happy afternoon shared with my four favorite friends.

When Tanner and I arrived at the airport, we were informed our flight was overbooked and that we could wait to see if we could get on or the airline would put us up in a hotel for the night and get us on the next available flight which was scheduled for the next morning. In addition, we would receive 2 complimentary round-trip tickets to anywhere the airline flew. Pretty exciting! We stayed at the Best Western and enjoyed a complimentary meal from the restaurant and a glass of Black Opal Shiraz wine... we had a fun night and now a future vacation to look forward to.

(From Left to Right: Tanner, Alexandra, Elizabeth, Gabriella, and Evan)

happy autumn!

Fall is here and i am happy. crisp air, colorful leaves. i love it.

and this year, we have Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses! YES! They are delightful. Try some...

i love tea pots

When I was little my mom gave me a miniature tea set that belonged to her when she was little. And since then I've kind of been obsessed with tea pots... they're so cute! and some of them are really awesome looking.

This weekend was the Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival. Tanner, our friend Corey, and I all went to try some cheese and to look at the cool stuff talented people in West Virginia create. We were impressed. While the boys were checking out hand-crafted lyres, I stumbled upon the coolest jewelry display: Vintage Revival. And I purchased this very cute charm. It makes me happy.

Insomnia

can't sleep. restless.
wanting simplicity. wanting excitement.
wanting old. wanting new.
wishing i had. wishing i hadn't.

blah - i really want some sleep.

I just woke up from a nap. Location: Dulles Airport. Yep... I really can sleep anywhere.

I'm waiting to get on a flight to see my bestest friends and meet my new niece in Chicago - I'm am SOOOOOOOO excited! A visit has not transpired in a year, which is really too long if you ask me. The reason, however, is that a beautiful Gabriella Rose (named for her auntie) was preparing to make a grand entrance into the world... my vacation time had to be saved and the expecting parents were preparing for her arrival. Look how beautiful she is:
(Photo taken by her auntie Savannah)

I just finished working a busy week at work. We hosted our 4th annual fund raising event The Tastes and Sounds of the Town - it was a pretty big deal and I'm pretty proud to say I was the event coordinator and aside from a few minor glitches during registration with the credit card machines, the event went well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Tanner was a HUGE help and captured some moments during the event since I was tied to the registration table. Here are a few shots...

Tanner and I just finished watching season two of "Pushing Daisies", a cute and whimsical television series about a man who discovers he has the ability to bring people back from the dead with the touch of a finger. The show was refreshingly entertaining and definitely unique. We ate up season one, loving the quirky characters and the strange tales they lived out.

The show was cut off early as the result of low ratings. And the finale of the show was absolutely appalling and the biggest let down ever. Too many loose ends were rapidly tied together in one episode. Too many escalating mysteries were solved in a mere 60 minutes. And we were left sorely disappointed.

If you're going to watch the show, I recommend skipping the last episode of season two as you are better off making up your own conclusions and leaving the imagination to complete each character's story.

Homemade Egg Rolls

Tanner and I have been experimenting in the kitchen and are working on compiling a notebook of favorite recipes. This one ranks high on the list: tofu egg rolls! Cabbage, Carrots, and Tofu wrapped in an an egg roll wrap, deep fried, and dipped in a thai garlic sauce mixed with soy sauce - YUM!