L-O-V-E: Valentine's

There was something about this Valentine's day...

Maybe because it wasn't our "first married Valentine's" this time around, and we didn't feel pressured for it to be fancy and flawless...

There were no excessive expectations. Just a few lovey-dovey smooches, a lot of "real life", and plenty of special treats scattered throughout the entire weekend...

Like handmade Valentine's:

Homemade Red Velvet cupcakes with the most delicious cream cheese frosting you've ever tasted... (no, really) 

Chocolate-covered strawberries:

And some glitzy new Toms from my Valentine!

And let's not forget our Molly girl...

We brought home Chinese take-out on the night of the fourteenth... romantic, yeah? I can honestly think of nothing else I would have rather done. (Except maybe NOT work out arms at the gym like we did. I still can't reach my hair to use a blow dryer... and thanks babe, for "setting the scene" below...)

I opened this same fortune exactly three months before my wedding. It was at dinner on March 20, 2009. My mom and sister will vouch for me! 

Valentine's Day seems to be more special when you just stop trying. When you let your adoration for the one you love take over and inspire your treats, sweets, and surprises. Instead of doing what the world expected of us... flowers and an expensive dinner and maybe a love song under the stars... we celebrated in a way that was much more "us". And exceedingly more special.

Here's to loving love!
Lauren

Snowpocalypse

I mentioned in my last post, that I would never again take for granted the luxury of simply pulling into my neighborhood... this is why: 


The snowstorm that had been threatening Nashville for days finally hit at 3:15 on Wednesday afternoon. My office closed at 3:30 so we could all get started on this afternoon commute that was sure to be straight from H-E-double hockey sticks. Little did I know... 


Matt had left early that morning for DC, so I was quite anxious to get home and to my sweet puppy who was surely about to bust. I checked traffic prior to leaving and decided on the best route home.

To spare you all the details (and panic attacks), by 6:40 on Wednesday evening, the snow had only continued to fall, the roads were gridlocked, and I was stuck 2.5 miles from home. I called Matt, weeping, and he broke the bad news to me... 


Him: "Babe, I need you to park the car somewhere safe. Get any valuables out and lock it up. I need you to walk home."


Me: "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sob) Nooooooooooooo! (sob sob sob)"


Maybe a tad dramatic. But, in my defense, I was an emotional wreck by this point. I had been sitting in my car for over three hours, hadn't moved in ages, and had no control over any part of it. Plus, this is my background on my iPhone:

To make a long story short, I walked home... 


In the snow.


Uphill, both ways.


Barefoot. 


-Lauren

Thankful Thursday: Valentine's Edition

Today I am thankful for...


a) My Valentine: the sweetest, most thoughtful man I've ever known. He loves me even at my worst... I always find it really hard to express how I feel about him through words. He is a constant source of encouragement, love, and LAUGHTER! He always seems to know exactly what I need when. I love my special valentine!

b) My home. I'll write more about this later... but let me tell you. I have a new appreciation for pulling into my neighborhood. And I just love our sweet little house. 

c) Birthday celebrations. I love remembering the glorious day that sweet little ones were born and rocked all of our worlds with their presence. This is sweet Addie and she turned 8 years old on the fourth! (I'm still in denial.) Our Mammaw's is the very best place for a birthday party... the homecooked meal, the laughter, the humble "Happy Birthday" song (none of us are singers except for my hubby). Birthdays are lovely. Here's to life!

Thanks for hosting, Mrs. Julia!!


-Lauren

Thankful Thursday

The lovely Julia (my new bloggy BFF) has started a Thankful Thursday party and you're all invited!

I love this idea! It's the perfect excuse to step away from the daily grind and focus on the sweet little blessings of daily life.

And without further ado:

Today, I am thankful for...

a) My sweet baby, Molly girl. Seriously, how cute is she? She is so cuddly and a total love-bug. I think we could learn a lot from puppies... they're the perfect example of true, unconditional love, y'all. :)

b) Sugar cookies. I've never liked sugar cookies before. But Matt and I have been on a serious kick and they do not disappoint.

c) My rockstar sister. She's a freshman, first-string, Varsity basketball player. And she rocks. Seriously... she's everything I wasn't in high school and I love every ounce of it! We are in Georgia to see her play two (count 'em. Two!) basketball games this weekend. I'm a little overzealous... May or may not be making a sign and painting my face. Is that overkill?

Loved this Julia! 
Thanks for the killer par-tay. Y'all head on over and join the fun. 


-Lauren

Copy Cat: Chicken and Wild Rice soup

I mentioned in my last post that we went to Demos' for lunch over the weekend, resulting in one of the most splendid dates imaginable. 


And while I've already mentioned that their sweet tea was oh.so.dreamy, their house soup was nothing short of uh-mazing. I did a little research, and with a little tweaking, made a deliciously spectacular (if I do say so myself) version of my own for a very rainy, dreary day.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 cup flour
2.5 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine
2 cups long grain (or wild) rice, cooked
1 packet dry italian dressing mix
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic, to taste
parsley, to taste


Directions:
Melt butter in large pot. Mix in flour till smooth. Stir in chicken broth until no lumps remain.
Add shredded chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, and italian dressing mix.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes.
Add milk, lemon juice, wine, and parsley. Reduce heat to low. Add cooked rice.
Let simmer, pair with a slice of baguette, and enjoy! 


Delicious, I tell you. I'm actually off to have leftovers of this with hubby as we speak. 


Lauren