my match

How do I know that I married my perfect match? Here's a phone call that took place about an hour ago when I ran out for my lunch break...

Me (calling from my cell phone): JD! I'm so nervous (pausing so that I don't start crying)... I just merged on to the interstate & saw a dog walking around on the side of the road. He looked so sad - I could see his little ribs & spine from the middle lane because he was so malnourished! He looks to be a little bigger than Luna & he has short brown/gray hair that is all matted & gross, probably because he is in such poor health! It breaks my heart! What if he gets hurt? Someone needs to help him! (lip quivering now & tears gathering in my eyes)

JD: Well, pick him up.


What. A. Guy. Without hesitation he knew that in my heart I needed to see that this pup was going to be okay. How lucky am I?

**side note - we do NOT have a new pup. At the time I was running late for an appointment & vowed to look for him on my way back. I didn't see him, so I'm telling myself that some other kind person snatched him up & is loving him :)

loving this

check out this really unique *customizable* piece of art from one of the blogs I follow, MadeByGirl

This little beauty might make its way to the Baker house in the near future...


...and a TOTAL steal at just $45!

O.T.W {over the weekend}

hello friends - we kicked off the weekend right with a JD & the Man show over at one of our FAVORITE local spots, Big Blue Bagel! It was a good time, as always, & the guys sounded GREAT!! After the guys played, JD & I headed over to check out ORE {in the old Open Door location} with some friends - I feel like it was the same as Open Door, or maybe slightly more laid-back? OR... maybe my memory is a little cloudy...

>>PS: JD & the Man will be playing this FRIDAY night at O'Daly's in Mobile, so come get your fix! Or, if you'd rather listen to their musical sylings beach-side, come check them out at DI on Sunday afternoon! Happy Memorial Day weekend, everybody!!

Saturday was DO DAH DAY here in Bham, & we had intended to dress up the pups in their best duds for a day out at Caldwell & Rhoades parks; however, due to the aforementioned cloudy memory (& the 90+ degree weather on Saturday), the Bakers kept it close to the house all day. Instead, we went over to JD's aunt Denise's house to get some BEAUTIFUL ferns that she gave us for our yard! I do LOVE a good fern, & these suckers are HUGE - I have some pictures of them in their new *habitat*, but can't locate my camera cord... (story of my life).

Saturday night was a MUCH-NEEDED date night for this gal & my mister... Between JD's shows, band practice, & part time job at Mellow, it is rare for us to have an evening together. Saturday was such a nice treat!

Sunday was work day - JD was out in the yard while I did several loads of laundry & prepared menus for the week! I also got caught up on some reading - is anybody else reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels? I'm on the 9th one, I think: Dead & Gone. Although not much of a mentally-stimulating read, it's a great Summer series! Any followers of the Ture Blood series should definitely read these books! Thanks for getting me hooked, Katie B!

We can't wait for our upcoming beach getaway in a few days & spending a nice loooong weekend relaxing w/ the Baker family!!

Until next time,

peace & love.

sb.

Other Projects Around the House

Well, our biggest project was all of the work in the bathroom, but we were able to get a few other things done around the house:

*JD & his dad insulated & put "walls" up in our laundry room / storage room (this was really special for me as I am the one who spends the most time in this room & can REALLY APPRECIATE insullation & organization)
*They also built up new shelving for extra storage!
*Pam & I went through everything in our outdoor storage unit & threw a bunch of stuff away & organized what was to remain
*Pam & sweet Aunt Denise really helped us out with our outdoor areas (patio, yard, & porch) - lots of pictures below...

>>>WE ARE SO HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING & CAN'T THANK OUR FAMILIES ENOUGH!!!<<<
















We kicked off our Spring / Summer entertaining by hosting Supper Club last weekend! We had 11 people over for one of our favorites, Mexican! We had a taco bar with all the fixins', beans, rice, grilled chicken, ground beef, queso - JD even made a cerveza home brew for the occassion! It was delish! A lovely evening with great friends :)

I also want to share a recipe I tried for beer-margaritas - really easy & super yummy! For those who don't like margaritas, the beer cuts the sour / tangy taste of the margaritas...

(my recipe was for 16 cups, the size of my drink dispenser)
4 cups 7up
4 cups Corona Extra
4 cups silver tequila
3 (12oz) cans of frozen limeade concentrate (thawed)

Mix together ingredients & serve over ice with lime for garnish!

Baker Bathroom Project, 2011

Here it is! We've finally completed the bathroom re-do! Here's a run down of what we did:
*new beadboard ceiling
*new tile in the shower (w/ accent tile)
*new tile floor
*new crown molding

...and here's what we have now:








WE LOVE IT!! SOOOO many thanks to our sweet families who helped us out with this project! It was our first try at a real renovation project & I am confident that we will be able to do more!

Over the week, we were able to get a little more stuff done around the house, but I will touch on that in another post...

Cuties

Aren't these the 2 most precious little things you've ever seen?!? Totally smooch-worthy...

Bathroom Reno - Sneak Peek

More to come....