Music: The Wombats

Oh Honey!

During our day trip to Charleston Bill and I stopped into a Savannah Bee Company shop. We are big honey lovers and had an awesome time sampling all of the different honeys. We fell in love with Tupelo Honey and bought a large bottle. (Which it doesn't hurt to mention that we just ran out of!!) I found a recipe last night for Warm Potato Salad with Honey Dressing that sounded so delicious I couldn't resist. It was SO worth it. The honey was very sweet while the cider vinegar gave it a flavorful tang. If you like unique side dishes this is definitely a winner.

WARM POTATO SALAD WITH HONEY DRESSING

1/3 C. CIDER VINEGAR

2 T. VEGETABLE OIL

1/4 C. HONEY (Our precious Tupelo Honey!!)

1 T. DIJON MUSTARD (Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?!)

1/8 t. BOTTLED HOT SAUCE

1 1/2 lbs. NEW POTATOES

5 SLICES OF BACON (We did not use any bacon)

2 T. CHOPPED PARSLEY (Didn't have any on hand)

2 T. CHOPPED GREEN ONION

1/2 t. SALT

Combine vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, and hot sauce; mix well. The mixture is very similar to a vinaigrette so don't be afraid if you see some separation. Add cooked potatoes and mix well. Cook on medium heat until thoroughly heated. Add bacon, parsley, onion and salt. Enjoy!

Sullivan's Island

Charming, quaint, cozy and full of character. That's how I would describe Sullivan's Island. We've already started planning our next beach vacation to this adorable island in South Carolina. Bill and I snuck over to the island after our adventures in Charleston. At sunset, Bill and I walked the beach and dipped our toes in the Atlantic. There was a historical lighthouse on the stretch of beach that we walked which was really neat. When it was dark, we walked a block to Poe's Tavern and we were not disappointed! Great service, great food, and the atmosphere was incredible! We were so glad that we got the tip on where to find the best fish tacos. (Thanks Matt & Sam!!) The next morning we woke early, walked the beach and had breakfast at Cafe Medley. The breakfast was amazing and again, I cannot even describe how cute this area of Sullivan's Island is. Since the sun was out in full force, I took tons of pictures.... only to find out I still had the aperture set for night-time. So all of my pictures were white. Awesome.

Flower Power

I love the smell of fresh flowers. Peonies are one of my favorites and we have an area of our yard that's about 25 feet of peony bushes. Peonies have a special meaning to Bill and I as our wedding and reception was filled with these beautiful flowers, I even wore a fully blossomed peony in my hair! {What does Peony mean?} The peonies in our yard are gorgeous and all different colors. Right now there are too many flowers to count and many more buds getting ready to open. Last night, I decided I wanted a little pop of color in the house and cut 7 flowers and put them in some antique jars. I was even able to salvage a couple lilacs to add into one of the jars and boy do they smell wonderful! I found a great link to make my flowers last longer too ~ 8 Ways To Make Your Flowers Last! 

*It is only by believing in roses that one brings them to bloom....*

The Kayak

You can officially add kayaking to my list of hobbies! Bill and I have talked about getting kayaks for over a year. He finally made the plunge for his birthday in March and then surprised me on our anniversary with a picture in a card of a kayak -- He was taking me shopping for one! I picked out my blue kayak last Friday and Saturday we kayaked from Waubeek to Stone City (about 12 miles) and it was gorgeous! We've already planned another 'trip' this Saturday with some more friends.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of faith is strength undefeatable. ~ Helen Keller

Tuna Terrific!

I really enjoy tuna salad but I don't get around to making it too often. I love a good (somewhat gourmet) tuna sandwich, not just a plain old tuna and mayo. Ick. I recently made tuna salad that was tasty enough to deserve being on the blog list! This is my simple version of an incredibly tasty tuna salad but feel free to play around and make it your own. I didn't add fresh celery to this one but that's an ingredient that's normally a must-have for my tuna.

2 large cans Albacore tuna, drained

1/4 C. Miracle Whip

2 T. Grey Poupon

2 T. dried dill

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

A couple twists of natural sea salt

Pepper to taste

Mix well and let the ingredients sit in the fridge for a little while. Or do what we did and start dipping crackers into the mixture to see if it was "up to our standards." Enjoy!



Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to Mom's and Mothers-to-be!

I have always had a very close relationship with my Mom. And while there were days that we disagreed on things, we have and always will be best friends. I never, ever want to take for granted how wonderful my Mother is and all of the sacrifices she made for our family. My Mom is a saint. I've been lucky enough to hit the jackpot in life and gain 2 more mothers out of my marriage. I do not consider Jan or Sandy my in-laws... these are 2 very special women that have become Mothers to me in addition to my own. Today is a special day for my 3 Mothers. Thank you for everything you do, thank you for being there for us, thank you for knowing the right thing to say, thank you for being you.

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

Thirty.

In 1982, Michael Jackson released his second solo album, Thriller. Porky's, E.T. Extraterrestrial, and Rocky III were some of the most popular movies. TIMES Man of the Year is: THE COMPUTER.

And in April of that year, {drumroll, please} I was born. Cue the angels singing the 'Hallelujah' chorus. All jokes aside, it's 2012 and I have officially turned thirty. As my birthday approaches (a little too fast if you ask me) Bill gets me involved in discussing plans for that day/weekend. Do I want him to throw a party? What do I want to do? Where do I want to go to dinner? Do I want to go anywhere else? I ignore these questions for awhile as I come to terms that in the weeks to come I will no longer be in my twenties. I finally decide on a night spent with Bill "romancing" me. I'm not exactly sure what romancing means but it's a term we use when I want special attention. (I really hope I don't sound like a brat!)

We spend the evening walking around Iowa City, first ducking into Prairie Lights where we browse through the locally owned shop and he buys me 50 Shades of Grey, and then deciding to eat on the patio of Atlas. After a delicious meal at Atlas, he treats me to Whitey's ice cream, my favorite treat. I am not and have never been a cake person and I am definitely not a chocolate person. I am a butterscotch malt girl and it was so rich and delicious that I saved half for the next day! As we  return home, Bill gives me a card and a box from The Sanctuary ~ a day of pampering. Oh my word.

What does thirty feel like? Am I where I wanted to be or even where I thought I'd be? Thirty years old is really making the wheels turn.... Thirty feels nice, I feel like I've just hit my groove in life. In the last 6 months, I have felt better than ever and my marriage has been better than ever. I've got great friends and my relationships with my family are wonderful. I can't describe what has really changed but I feel incredibly content and blessed. I love that I'm happy to walk around with my husband and enjoy the little things in life.  I don't need crazy parties or fancy gifts. I want my husband to know me, really know me and know what I like. And he does, he's not a mind-reader but he is so in-tune with my thoughts and feelings. I just want to be comfortable.... and I am. Thirty is darn good.

Remember...

DuPont State Forest

Our 3rd day in South Carolina and we decide to hit the road up to Asheville, North Carolina to Dupont State Forest. This is where the Hunger Games were filmed and the views were amazing. A picnic lunch, yoga on the rocks, and hiking  with Bill and the Ternes family was my idea of a perfect outdoorsy day. Thankfully, no one saw any type of cornucopia and all of our tributes survived! (inside joke if you've read The Hunger Games)

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~John Muir

Charleston

Our trip to the South wasn't complete until we had a romantic day roaming the streets of Charleston. We stopped and had lunch after walking through the City Market and enjoyed: Crab cakes, grits, and sweet tea. We were really soaking in the southern charm! Charleston is a gorgeous city and we had the perfect weather to tour that day. It was about 75 degrees with enough clouds in the sky to keep it from getting too toasty! Bill and I literally walked the entire city ~ from visitor's center all the way through City Market, down to Battery Park, and all the way back up King Street's famous shopping district. Thank God we wore comfortable shoes! The food, the shopping, the scenery... Charleston is an amazing and charming place.

Rainbow Row ~ 

Along the wharf ~ 

Battery Park ~

King Street ~