Day 21: Old Friends

Yesterday we had another fabulous time in Tigertown. Noon games are always hard for non-morning types like me, but the payoff is well worth it.

The other photographer was crazy tall, hence my space out, upward stare.

Mac and Mary Brooks had a fun day with their grandparents while Bradley and I enjoyed a Tiger victory and a few hours with grown-ups.

Friday and Saturday nights we hosted our friends Traci and Matt from the Lowcountry; we were excited to have them back for their first Clemson game in ages. Mary Brooks enjoyed four new arms to squeeze her, and Mac took advantage of fresh voices to read him his favorite stories.

We had a low-key lasagna and veggie supper on Friday, Bradley whipped up his signature Lowcountry boil (mmm, shrimp!) after the game Saturday evening. We wrapped up the weekend with a big Southern breakfast and now we're looking ahead to another busy week.

I think both our babies wanted to go home with Traci!

We miss these faces already! I'm so thankful football season gives us an excuse to catch up with old friends.

*This post is day 21 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 20: C-L-E-M-S-O-N

Today we'll be in Clemson cheering on the Tigers and catching up with some friends we haven't seen in ages. I love big games that bring folks in from far out of state!

Mac and MB will be with their grandparents while we tailgate, but since it's a lunchtime game we'll all be back home for a Lowcountry boil at suppertime. (Not sure if you've ever eaten B's version, but you won't find anything tastier.)

Have a gorgeous Saturday! xox

*This post is day 20 in my 31 Days of What Matters. 

Day 6: Tigertown

Today Bradley and I are enjoying our first home game of the year. (We have missed two non-conference games at home so far, and we enjoyed the fabulous season opener on a big-screen while visiting family in Georgia.)

We're SO excited to be back in Tigertown and eager to spend some time with our favorite tailgate friends. The sights, the sounds, the waves of fans in orange - there's nothing quite like it.

Mac and Mary Brooks are wearing their orange, too, but they're with their grandparents a few miles away from Death Valley. Don't worry - they're having just as much fun as we are!

Go, Tigers!

*This post is day 6 in my 31 Days of What Matters.

Day 2: Little (Big) Joys

Today I'm reflecting on the little joys in life that don't cost a dime.

Last weekend my parents came up to celebrate Mac's third birthday a week early. (Can you believe he'll be three on Friday?!)

I took hundreds of photos while they were here! It had been a month or so since they'd seen Mac or Mary Brooks, and the four of them were one big puddle of love all weekend; I could barely stand the cuteness.

Mary Brooks showed off her new sitting up skills. 

Mac tried on his favorite birthday gift, a fireman costume, and pedaled furiously on the red tricycle he nicknamed his "fire truck."

My parents tried desperately to keep MB on schedule, but she was too sweet and snuggly to put down for naps!

Bradley and I got away for a fun engagement tailgate, Clemson got another W (despite a sketchy callback of a touchdown, see above) and Mac enjoyed cookies and a dinner at his beloved "Foodwreckers" while we were out.

You can barely tell, but this scarf is covered in tigers. I'm obsessed!

The weekend was filled to the brim with the kind of memories money can't buy, right here in our own humble abode. I didn't have to move a muscle to have a delightful, relaxing time; the only downside was watching them drive away as Mac shouted, "I love you! I love you!"

We miss his Mimi and Grandpa but it's wonderful, as fall catalogs pour in, to remember that what makes me happiest can't be ordered. 

(Not to say that my scarf obsession has dwindled, just that it doesn't love me back as much as my family does.)

*This is day 2 of my link-up with The Nester for 31 days of blogging about what matters.

Saved by Southern Living

The very day after I asked for tailgate treat suggestions, Southern Living came to my rescue with 22 yummy-looking recipes sent right to my inbox. Ding! Just in the nick of time.

Y'all shared some delicious ideas via email, comments and Twitter, too. I'm excited to try Redneck Caviar and Buffalo Chicken Dip for our next tailgate spread. (This weekend's tailgate group will be a lot smaller, so our menu will be very low key.)

While I'm too picky to enjoy most of the recipes everyone suggested, I'm looking forward to having a few recipes under my belt for the rest of the football-loving crowd. (We can't all live off of chicken tenders, cookies and carrot sticks on such occasions!)

Even I can get on board for most of these game day goodies:

Chicken-Vegetable Stew

Confetti Pasta Salad

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Easy Snack Mix

Ham-Stuffed Biscuits with Mustard Butter

Lemony Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Menu Monday and Tailgate Treats

Falling off the meal planning bandwagon never goes well for me; we end up with a pantry full of food but no recipe-ready ingredients for a meal that sounds tasty.

So this week I'm hopping back into meal planning. My stomach (and B's, for sure) is excited to avoid last minute "scrambled eggs and grits" suppers. I love breakfast for dinner, but not three times a week - it's never as much fun out of necessity.

Monday: "Light" Chicken Pot Pie (I add tons of veggies and halve the creamy ingredients, but I still doubt this is considered "light.")

Tuesday: Apricot Pork Chops (Cooking Light)

Wednesday: Garlic Chicken (Cooking Light)

Thursday: Chicken Tacos with Rice

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Game Day! (read: tailgate food)

Sunday: Good Old Fashioned Roast and Potatoes (Crazy Sundays = Crockpot Recipes)

Imagine white chocolate outside and orange cake inside. Perfect for Tigertown!

I tried my first batch of cake balls this weekend, thanks to the advice of many of you on Twitter, as well as the Bakerella recipe. I'm hoping to serve some at Mac's first birthday party next month; I also plan to bring some as a sweet treat for our tailgating friends.


I'll load down a tailgate table with cookies and cakes but I'm a cheese hater and a notoriously picky eater, so many dips, sauces and other tailgates foods are lost on me. You'll find me snacking on chips sans salsa or grabbing vegetables from the tray without ranch. Plain's the name of the game.

That said, I'm at a loss when it comes to a traditional tailgate spread. A sweet friend is giving me a recipe for a yummy sausage dip that Bradley adores.

What other go-to recipes do you have for game days? Help a picky eater (or rather, her husband and friends) out!

Two Days 'Til Tigertown

My Gamecock friends may be living it up in Columbia tonight, but I'm counting down to something even better: game day in Death Valley!

Less than forty-eight hours and I'll be here:



I'm thankful for a Saturday game (Thursday nights just aren't the same) and a 3:30 kickoff. It'll still be warm, but noon games in early September can include more "glowing" than I care to do in a packed stadium.

Can't wait to celebrate college football with 82,000 of my closest friends.

When does college football start for you? Are you dusting off your tailgate gear and putting up your team flags?

Go Tigers!

Clemson's holding strong at #22 on U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges 2010 list! Get excited - and take a peek at President Barker's video message here. (South Carolina is #55 on the list. Just stating facts, people.)

We're just 15 days away from the most exciting 25 seconds in college football, y'all! I may be enjoying this season more from the sofa than the stadium, but I'm still so looking forward to it.

Having a mid-football season baby definitely puts a damper on the tailgating, but I'm already looking forward to Mac's first games next fall. I'll be a bit otherwise occupied, so you and your 82,000 closest friends will just have to cheer a bit louder in my absence.

(And I did tell you his name's Mac, right?)

I punched a man in the face yesterday.

Yep. Thought that'd raise an eyebrow or two. What did you do this weekend?

My fabulous four and a half day weekend was just what I needed - food, family, football, friends, Bradley, Blue and sleep. More later, but here's what you really need to know:

-Not a Black Friday item was purchased. Just FYI.

-Our first Thanksgiving with my in-laws was fantastic. I contributed the mashed potatoes and cornbread casserole, but the rest of our amazing spread was waiting for us when we arrived. And it was delicious. The lemon ooey-gooey cake was beyond words. Seriously. I'm scared to ask for the recipe, it's so good. Mmm.

-I missed my family but I think they managed just fine without me. :) I gave my brother a top-secret stealthy mission to take care of while he was home, but alas it was not to be. So my sneaky Christmas present plan is going to have to change a bit. Wish I could discuss it here but I'm not at liberty to say anything until December 26th. Just in case it works out...

-I got lots of sleep these last four days. Good sleep. Rainy and cold outside, cozy and warm under my down comforter kind of sleep. Nine hours at a time sleep. Ahh.

-After a breakfast-for-lunch with the girls and a spa manicure, I pushed it a little too hard at the gym on Friday. Perhaps the memory of my two-thirds mashed potatoes plate on Thanksgiving? Regardless, I'm hurting something fierce today. You should have seen me attempting to play with our four-year-olds at church this morning. If they hadn't thought I was so weird it might have been hilarious. A hot shower and two Advil later, I'm at least hobbling around with less difficulty. Heels tomorrow should be fun!

-Blue's unbelievable South Carolina tartan holiday collar came in from Pecan Pie Puppies. Pictures to follow - he looks so handsome!! And the proceeds support cancer treatments for our friend Ryan's beautiful yellow lab Sullivan. Absolutely worth it.

-The game I'll have to discuss in a bit more detail tomorrow. Suffice it to say that every minute was worth the cold and the rain. GO TIGERS! And good job, Dabo!! (But since when do we have to check really cute, one-of-a-kind favorite umbrellas just so you can forget them in the stadium? Only to remember it a mile away in the pouring rain. Genius idea, folks.)

-Three full weeks of work await me, then two shorrrrt weeks for the holidays. Whoo! Let's hope these next weeks fly by! (But go slowly enough for me to get everything done. If that's even possible.)

-Oh, and that little punch to the face? He certainly didn't deserve it; I definitely didn't mean to do it. Poor guy behind me at the game became a victim of my jumping up and down, fist pumping excitement. Guy leaned over, hopping around as well, and received a swift punch to the jaw. My hand hurt for twenty minutes, minimum. The sweet, sweet Tiger fan was so excited he just kept jumping. Sometimes love hurts, I guess. Particularly when it's the love of a football team. (This season, at least!)

Enjoy your Mondays back at work, lovelies!! Miss you and hope you had fabulous (non-violent) fun this long holiday weekend...

xoxo,
A.

Dear Tommy Bowden

I bought an adorable football season collar for my ever-hopeful, absolutely devoted dog. He was so looking forward to showing his Tiger Pride as we cleaned the floor with Carolina and perhaps even as we won the ACC Championship.

Instead, the football has been snapped off and placed in a drawer for a brief mourning period. The collar itself remains; thankfully he looks good in purple and orange regardless of team affiliation.

While I am always a Tiger fan, Tommy, I can't stand to see you shame my hopelessly adoring dog this way. Those big sad eyes were too much for me after our loss to Wake last night.

Please don't make a mockery of his football collar. Please find a way to turn this around. (Or at least send me earplugs and a giant container of Rolaids.)

In other news, should your dog desire a similarly fabulous collar in Carolina or Clemson colors - or even in seersucker without any ACC/SEC overtones, you can nab them from Pecan Pie Puppies. Read more about my love for these creations here.