Friday, February 25, 2011

* we have brew *

That's right, folks - the first batch of Baker Brew is bottled & ready to consume!! We gave it a try last weekend:

catching up

Hi all - things have been busy around the Baker house, so I haven't had a chance to post lately {oops...}

Since my last post, I helped to host a wedding shower for my good friend, Leigh Ciarkowski! Leigh & I met in our bunco group in 2009 & we quickly bonded over our mutual love for dogs! Leigh & her future hubby have 3 dogs: Bettis, Maggie, & Peanut. Here are a couple of shots from the wedding shower, which was held at Leigh's friends' BEAUTIFUL home in Avondale - please note the LOVELY cake that our friend Emily made special for Leigh (www.primecakes.com):







After Leigh's shower, JD & I went out to celebrate {valentine's day} with dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse! JD stumbled upon a gift card at work & when nobody claimed it, we thought it must be fate! Dinner was lovely & we had fun getting all gussied up for a night out!



Over the weekend we tried to spend as much time outdoors in this beautiful spring-like weather as possible! I met some friends from the Phi Mu Alum group for an officers' brunch on Saturday while JD stayed home to bottle some more home brew! Sunday we palled around with our friends, Liz & Richard, after their return from their Las Vegas vacation! The group indulged in lots of al fresco drinking, per the usual...

This past Wednesday we celebrated my 27th birthday!! Sweet JD was so excited to give me my presents bright & early that morning! My most favorite was a special edition of the book The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. The thing that makes this book special is that it is part of a collection with beautiful, unique cover art done by Penguin Books Senior Cover Designer, Coralie Bickford-Smith. Here is what my new book looks like - can't you just imagine it on a bookshelf?!?


{yes, this picture was taken in bed - I was that excited to start my collecting!!}

There are several other beautifully designed classics in the collection - I can't wait to collect more of these beauties!!

After work, JD & I met up with some sweet girlfriends at our favorite neighborhood bar, Parkside Cafe, for a couple of drinks, followed by dinner with my sweet sister in law, Katie All in all, a great birthday all around - I'm looking forward to what year 27 has in store!

Last night I did something totally fun & different with some fun girlfriends from work - Sips n' Snips!! You may be familiar with a similar concept, Sips & Strokes, where friends can get together to "sip" a beverage of choice & paint a picture under the guidance of an instructor. Well, Sins n' Snips is a little different ---- still sipping beverages, but instead of painting you are MAKING A FLOWER ARRANGEMENT!!! I was sooo excited to do this as "learning how to arrange flowers" was on my bucket list - and this way was much more fun as I had friends by my side! Here are a few pictures from the night:







and the finished product:




I LOVE them!!! And I can't believe that I did it! The really great part about doing Sips n' Snips is that the fabulous instructors (who own & operate Helena Florist) give you ideas & techniques for creating different arrangements at home!

This weekend we are heading back to GA to visit my parents & attend 2 wedding showers for my bestie Katie Davies! I'm sure to have lots of updates from that visit!

Until next time,

peace & love.

the bakers.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Monday, February 14, 2011

...love is all you need

*happy valentine's day*

just a few pictures of me & my valentine...


before the ZoSo show at WorkPlay


at the beer garden in PCB


Christmas morning in Mobile {with benny}


VEGAS


day-trippin' in Mexico


Liz & Richard's rehearsal dinner @ beautiful Lake Martin

Thursday, February 10, 2011

*magazines... mmmmmm*



I. Love. Magazines.

For those of you who have had the *pleasure* of visiting the Baker Abode, you'll know that we've got an array of magazines for the choosing. Don't get me wrong, I am a book reader as well; but there's something to be said for flipping through the glossy pages of a magazine fresh out of the mailbox. Oh, did I mention that I'm not really a grocery-store-magazine-purchaser... no, I'd much rather have them delivered right to my front door. A surprise waiting for me in the mailbox after a looong day at work. I think part of the appeal for me is that it is easy reading. Nothing too complex - just some simple & brief articles on the newest fashion trends, yummy recipes, exercise, hair, make up, stars / gossip, music, organization, family living, saving money, user reviews, etc...

Since we moved to Daly Street, we've received any combination of the following periodicals:

*Real Simple
*Cooking with Paula Deen
*Southern Living
*Redbook
*Vogue
*InStyle
*Rolling Stone
*Entertainment Weekly
*Family Circle

Some think that I have a magazine problem... what do you think?!?

my new crush...

okay, where have I been?!? I'd like to think that I'm usually "in the know" about pop culture in general; however, this one went right over my head.

Recently JD started DVR'ing Tosh.0 on Comedy Central. At first I was hesitant - I was familiar with the show's premise & honestly, I wasn't interested. I mean, a show that features a handful of YouTube videos each week with a few jokes thrown in the mix... how creative could it be? (talk soup, anyone?)

However, being the "super wife" that I (claim to be) am, I started "over-hearing" it while flipping through my ever-growing collection of magazines in the evenings with JD. (magazines to be discussed on a post of their own...)

It wasn't long before I found myself putting my prized 'zines down so that I could watch / laugh out loud with this HILARIOUS show. I'm attributing my fondness for this show to the *precious* host, Daniel Tosh. I mean, tell me this guy isn't too cute??







And we all know how I love a man with a good sense of humor - gets. me. every. time. The clips are funny. Tosh's featured "segments" are original & comical (web redemption - LOL). The guests are relative. Don't get me wrong - this isn't one of those thought-provoking, converastion-starting kind of shows that stimulate the mind... but who doesn't need a good laugh at silly humor after working a 10 hour day?!? "...and for that Daniel Tosh, we thank you"

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Monday, February 7, 2011

*bedroom reveal*

...and we have a finished product:






WE LOVE IT!!! It feels like a whole new space! We ended up moving the furniture around just a bit to allow JD to have a night stand on his side & it makes the room feel so much bigger, and gives it a more polished look.

The color is even better than we had thought it would be - could. not. be. more. pleased.

The only down side is that now I'm anxious to do some more projects around the house {will the Baker budget allow?}

Stay tuned for more house updates during 2011!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Upcoming Fun for the Bakers

As per the usual, the Bakers are staying busy in 2011!! Here are some upcoming highlights for the year:

*JD & the Man in Battle of the Bands (acoustic) at Redline Bar in Hoover (Feb 8)
*Suzy to co-host wedding shower for dear friend Leigh Ciarkowski (Feb 12)
*Suzy's 27th birthday - when did this happen?!? (Feb 23)
*Wedding Shower Extravaganza in Grayson, GA in honor of my bestie, Katie Davies (Feb 26 & 27)
*Sarah's 26th birthday (Mar 2)
*MARDI GRAS 2011 IN MOBILE (Mar 4 - 8)
*Katie's Bachelorette Party / Lingerie Shower / Bridesmaids Luncheon in Nashville (Mar 18 - 20)
*Katie Baker turns the big 3-0 (Mar 27)
*DAVIES / KIVETT WEDDING IN NASHVILLE, TN (Apr 1)
*JD's 27th bithday (Apr 13)
*Ciarkowski / Priecko Wedding in Avondale (May 7)
*Natalie's 26th birthday (May 7)
*Lane / Byrd Wedding in Ozark, AL (May 14)
*GIESEN BABY SHOWER (June)
*Katie's 27th birthday (July 14)
*BAKER VACATION TO NYC (August)
*Giesen baby due (Aug 16)
*Christine's 26th birthday (Aug 30)
*Luna's 4th birthday (Sept 10)
*Aja's 5th birthday (Sept 14)
*OUR 4TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!! (Nov 17)

...and LOTS of little things between there! So excited about another great year & all that is in store for us!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

"Well it's Groundhog Day, again..."

February 2 marks the day when everybody's favorite rodent makes the determination regarding the possible arrival of an early spring. That's right, I'm talking about Punxsutawney Phil, native groundhog of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania! Read here for more information on ole' Phil!

And for those of you who haven't been following the updates on Phil - he did not see his shadow, therefore we can expect an early spring in 2011!!

Don't forget to check out one of my favorite Bill Murray films : Groundhog Day :)