Hello October!

It's officially Fall Y'all!  The greatest time of the year!  Except in Texas where it's still 90 degrees and you wouldn't dream of turning off your A/C just yet.  Maybe some time in late December or early January. 

KJ is settling into college life very nicely.  She likes her roommate, she's made friends and she's successfully survived Rush at Ole Miss, one of the most competitive in the country.  And no, she didn't have a consultant.  She did it all on her own. 
http://thedmonline.com/rush-submission/

She had an extremely positive Rush experience and we're very, very proud of her!  Ole Miss has changed things up a bit and did things a little different than when T was there.  After visiting all 11 houses, KJ was invited back to 6 (max of 8).  Out of those 6 she went back to 5 (max 5).  Then on Pref day she was invited back to 2 (max 2).  Although she was an AOPi legacy, she #wentKappa on Bid Day.  She was so, so excited!  I couldn't be there for Bid Day but T, Pony Boy and T's friend Maddie were there to support her as well as her roommate Maddie.  She's had her pinning ceremony, had lunch at the house a couple of times already and has a formal coming up.  Baby girl is branching out on her own and doing great! 

Coach and I went to 3 football games during the month of September.  We went to the Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech game in Houston (which was a lot of fun!).  He had been in Houston all week so I flew down on Friday and we did a bar crawl with Ole Miss and Tech fans.  We followed the cheerleaders from bar to bar and although we had great seats, Coach won two sets of 50 yard-line tickets (total of 4 additional tickets!).  We ended up giving them to some folks we met from Oxford. 

Then we attended the Kent State game with the Martins.  Or, I should say we tailgated in the Grove with the Martins, never even bothered to go into the game.  After the crushing loss to Alabama, we thought we'd have a better time if we didn't actually go into the stadium.  T and Dew came in for the weekend and we all had a great time despite the torrential downpour at the end of the game. 

Last weekend we attended the Arkansas vs. Texas A&M game at AT&T Stadium (aka Jerry World).  One of Coach's vendors had a suite which, in my humble opinion, is the only way to watch a game!  Hahaha!!!  Seriously though, I love not having to wait in line for the ladies room or for concessions.  That stadium is first class all the way.  From the super friendly ticket agents at the gate, to the elevator attendant to the security people telling you to have a safe drive home after the game.  The suite was gorgeous, the food and drink was plentiful.  The A&M fans were awesome to watch.  Very loud (hence the whole 12th man thing) and very entertaining.  And their band was incredible.  Extremely precise. 

So now we're gearing up for our Annual Week of Family Festivities (our niece's birthday and our anniversary on October 11, Coach's birthday on October 12, KJ's birthday on October 13 and my mom's birthday on October 15). 

WPS

Woo Pig Sooie!  It sure has been a long, long time since I blogged! 

Fall is in full swing despite what the thermometer here in Texas reads!  We had one or two days in the low to mid-70's but mostly its been in the 80's. It's almost Halloween and the A/C is still on.
The nights have been a little cooler and Coach is enjoying his homemade, outdoor big screen for football games. He has a nice little set-up out there ... he's got a 6ft+ screen, beautiful outdoor patio furniture, the fire pit ... he has a couple of Blue Moons or I join him for some Moscow Mules ....

So our 49th birthdays came and went without a terrible amount of fanfare.  T sent me a gorgeous Kendra Scott bracelet, coach bought me a new camera lens and he and KJ made me breakfast in bed and lasagna for dinner.  KJ also bought the most delicious red velvet bundt cake from "Nothing Bundt Cakes" and a Charming Charles gift card.  Coach had practice on his b-day so KJ and I surprised him with cupcakes and balloons on the field and we celebrated with burgers at Dutch's.

Our 24th wedding anniversary was also kind of quiet.  KJ had lax practice so Coach made a delicious shrimp scampi. Love a man who cooks!

KJ's birthday is a whole 'nother story.  It's a never-ending celebration.  She had a lax game on her b-day so the weekend before some friends took her out to dinner and they all came back here for a bonfire and s'mores. One of her friend's decorated her car the morning of her birthday and they met t Starbucks for breakfast before school.

We went to the Texas State Fair this year and had so much fun!  We didn't go last year because we had either just come back from Europe or were just about to go and didn't have much time. It was a GORGEOUS day and I loved the art deco buildings that make up the fair grounds. Got to see Big Tex and even tried some fried fair foods!

And then came our weekend at the U of Arkansas. The drive up on Friday was nice, about 5 hours from our house.   KJ had the afternoon tour but we were a little early so we parked and had lunch on campus. Fall was definitely in the air, it was only about 60 degrees, and the leaves were just starting to change in the Ozarks. It was soooo nice being in the mountains!  It felt like "home" -- New York in autumn, State College, West Point, Vermont, etc.  Coach's sweet nephew had made arrangements for a goodie bag to be left in KJ's name and he had a can koozie in there for her, a pig nose, a Razorback blanket, a  Tervis Tumbler and a bunch of other stuff.  She felt so special!  Coincidentally KJ's tour guide happened to be from Texas, lives around the corner and went to Marcus HS.  Campus was beautiful, big but not too big, great little downtown area and everyone was very welcoming. I could totally see Daughter #2 there. With her grades she should qualify for in-state tuition so that's a bonus!  Of course Alabama and Ole Miss are high on her list but I'm encouraging her to branch out and make her own memories.

After the tour were drove around for a bit and looked at the different sorority and fraternity houses. KJ wanted to stop and take a pic in front of the AOPI to send to T when all of a sudden I hear a big scream and some crazy girl starts running towards us!  I was totally blown away!!  Coach and T had been scheming for weeks and surprised the hell out of me and KJ!  We had dinner at a neat gourmet grilled cheese place and watched the homecoming parade. We went back to the hotel but KJ dragged T to the pep rally and they walked around campus a bit more. Saturday we parked by the baseball fields and tailgated. The family next to us had one daughter who was a sophomore at Ole Miss and one was a freshman. The tailgaters on the other side of us were a combo of Pig and Rebel fans and one of the ladies was from Pony Boy's hometown and knew his family. Although the game didn't turn out the way T and Coach would have liked, KJ had a blast doing all the Woo Pig Sooie cheers!!  And, coincidentally the tour guide from the day before sat next to us with her parents. It was too funny!! 

Last weekend KJ took the ACT's Saturday morning and had a tournament in downtown Dallas immediately following. Coach had the purple vs white scrimmage game last Sunday and this weekend is going to be jammed packed, too!  Tomorrow we are going to the TCU vs Texas Tech game and tailgate with some friends and Sunday night we're going to see Stevie Nicks!!! #WPS!!!

"And all at once, Summer collapsed into Fall"

Saw that quote this morning and thought it most appropriate for today's blog post!  There's a definite change in the air and although Autumn takes a bit longer to reach Texas, you can tell it's on its way. The sun is still super strong but there's no humidity and there has been a nice breeze in the air the last couple of weeks. The change from Summer to Fall is subtle but tangible.

Football is in the air, too.  Friday we made the 30-minute trip to the Allen Eagles stadium for the Hoover game.  We have been incredibly impressed with all of the high schools we've been to since moving here and Allen did not disappoint.  Seriously folks.  Everything really is bigger in Texas. Every one of the high schools KJ has played lax or volleyball at has been state-of-the-art and Allen was by far the nicest facility we've ever seen. And, it wasn't just the beautiful football stadium, it was the people. The citizens of Allen were incredibly hospitable to the visiting team.  We went out to dinner before the game and had a guy stop at our table to welcome us and wish us luck (KJ and I were wearing plain black shirts but Coach was wearing a Hoover polo so he was more easily identifiable).  Of course we explained that we haven't lived in Hoover for over 3 years now but he was genuine and sincere when he said Allen was excited to play Hoover.  We parked our car next to some Eagles fans and they wished us luck as did the police on the Segway, the lady at the gate who took our tickets and the volunteer who was on hand to direct me to the ladies room during the lightening delay.  It was just easier to smile and say "yes, it was great, thank you" when repeatedly asked "how was y'all's drive in?" rather than explain we live in Texas now. Some guy even clapped Coach on the back and said "we sure are glad you're here and hope Everyone's been treatin' you well."

We've had such a wonderful summer filled with many blessings  ... a beautiful baby (great) niece was born into the family last weekend, our beautiful niece is getting married this weekend, and our nephew got engaged!  So incredible to watch the next generation growing up and carrying on.  We are all so so excited about the wedding this weekend!  We haven't really seen Coach's side of the family since his mom passed away January 2015. And, of course, I can't wait to see T and Johnny Frat Boy!!

KJ had a great first week of school.  I can NOT believe this kid is driving herself to school each morning. Each Friday from now until after Homecoming (basically the entire football season) is dress-up day. Last week was Hawaiian day, this week is Fisherman Friday, I know there's a nerd day in there somewhere, a twin day, a super hero day, a jersey day, etc.  She has finally decided on a career path and has joined a couple of clubs to reflect her choice and she's got a couple of scheduled college visits coming up. Yikes. And, of, course, she's counting down the days until her Costa Rica trip.

T-bone is loving her new job, her nice paychecks and her cute apartment. She loves her location and is always tickled when she runs into people in the darnedest places. She goes to yoga regularly, the farmer's market each week, catches a baseball game when she can and has dinner with friends.  When Frat Daddy comes into town they rent bikes and explore. She has a couple of girlfriends in T-town for grad school so she sees them regularly and a bunch of them recently met in Nashville for a friend's birthday.  She and Johnny Boy have also had a couple of weekends at the beach.  Yep. She's got it made. My friend LCM has always said, "T is a rock star and I wish I had her life." She is 100%  right. T has always done things her way and has always had a ball doing it.  She's a combination of Mary Tyler Moore, her friend Rhoda and Carrie Bradshaw all rolled into one. #CosLife

Tradition

Learning lots of new traditions during our short time here in Texas!  Some I like, some I just don't get!

One of my favorite things that I had never seen before is painted senior parking spaces at the high school. When KJ and I were house hunting at Easter we drove around one of the area high schools and noticed that some of the student parking spots were personalized.  Of course KJ was all over it and declared this was where she wanted to go to school  The kids were pretty creative ... lots of sports team logos, some school spirit, some of the girls did Lilly or Vineyard Vines, some chevron monograms, etc.  A couple of weekends ago at one of KJ's volleyball tournaments at a neighboring school district, all the seniors and their families were painting their spaces. It looked like so much fun!  They had music blaring, entire families were out there, they had food ... it was a big deal. At this particular high school though, you could only use the 3 school approved colors for your space -- blue, orange and white.  Still, the kids were extremely creative. KJ's school also does the painted parking spaces but I've noticed the kids don't have to use just the high school spirit colors, they can do anything they want.  She's only a sophomore but I have a feeling my girl is already planning her parking space for senior year.

So another tradition we've stumbled upon is spirit week. Or maybe it should be called spirit season because during the entire length of football season, the kids dress up almost every damn day, not just during homecoming week.  And of course KJ is loving it.  Friday was Hawaiian day, today is tacky tourist Tuesday, I can't remember what Wednesday is, I know this Friday is patriot day, one of the days is a preppy day, one day is a fishing day (don't ask), of course there's a farmer day thrown in there somewhere as well as the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. Oh and there's Axe Day (big cross-town rivalry and the winner gets to display the coveted Axe for the entire school year). So apparently on Axe Day the kids dress up in overalls and the girls, of course, decorate their overalls all cute with ribbon and lace and paint their graduating class year down their leg. So guess who had to run around town today looking for a pair of overalls for daughter #2 to wear?????

Next up is the homecoming mums and garters. Now, growing up in the North I've always thought mums were a fall flower.  I did kinda know that years and years ago guys would give a girl a mum to wear to football games or maybe to a college homecoming game (mums being that hardy fall flower). Well, in Texas apparently they take it to a whole new level. Nowadays it is a big and I mean HUGE flower, like, we're talking the size of a dinner plate and tons and tons of ribbon and little trinkets. Like everything else in Texas, bigger is better ... the stars at night, cowboy hats, belt buckles, trucks and homecoming mums.

weekends

The last two weekends have been absolutely wonderful!  Great weather (although yesterday was one of the hottest days we've had in a while) and we've tried to take full advantage of being out doors.

Last Sunday we were able to cross paddle boarding off our bucket list!  I absolutely loved it and told Coach I want a paddle board for Christmas. It was an incredible total body workout and a great family activity. Coach and I each fell off the board once but KJ never fell off at all.  We were together as a family but paddle boarded at our own pace.

Friday night KJ had a volleyball game in Dallas and Saturday she had a tournament in Arlington which was perfect because we were right by the stadium and made it to the Alabama vs. Wisconsin game with plenty of time for a little tailgating. Although we really wanted to go to the game, we were hesitant to buy tickets before she tried out for volleyball.  We knew there was a tournament the same day as the game and didn't want to spend big bucks on tickets only to be sitting at a tournament clear on the other side of town.  At the last minute a friend mentioned on FB he had four tickets so we jumped on the chance.

We had never been to a game at AT&T stadium and it did not disappoint.  What an incredible place to see a game!!  The stadium is phenomenal and there is not a bad seat in the house. We had such a good time at the game and of course KJ and Coach loved being among true Alabama fans. 

Today we slept in a little, Cosmo made French toast for breakfast, did a few things around the house and spent the rest of the day in the pool.  Last week the pool temp had cooled considerably and I thought maybe our pool days were numbered but today was absolutely perfect! 

Fall into Fall ???

Sitting by the pool drinking my morning cup of tea and it is positively glorious!!  The temperature is way down, there's a beautiful breeze and you can actually smell the rain coming our way. I'd say the weather is starting to transition to Fall and I'm excited to see what Fall in Texas is all about!  I actually dreamt of Fall decorations last night (which I can explain!). Fall is my favorite time of year and Fall up North is gorgeous and Fall in Birmingham was always fun and fantastic. Coach loved putting his TV on the back deck, having a fire in the pit and watching some SEC football.

Last night Cosmo and I went to the Rangers vs Mariners game and had a great time!  He's  been to that stadium many times before (honestly, where hasn't he been) but it was my first Rangers game. One of his vendors dropped off the tickets and we had great seats 25 rows up off the 3rd baseline. The stadium is nice but I really think Camden Yards is my favorite place to see a baseball game. The O's are coming to town next weekend so maybe we'll catch part of that series.

We couldn't figure out why the Rangers mascot, which is a horse, was running around wearing a tartan kilt and a set of golf clubs. And then Jordan Speith threw the ceremonial pitch. 

On our way to the stadium last night we passed this great little nursery by our house. On the way there I noticed they had some Fall/Halloween decorations up but couldn't get a good look. On the way home it was dark and the decorations were lit up and looked super cute so that's why I think I dreamed of fall decor!!  I love the layout and look of this house and think my Fall things are going to look great in this house! 

Football and Pageants (story of my life!)

KJ had a GREAT time last night at the Damascus football game!  She said she wasn't sure what to expect coming from Hoover but said the game was great, the atmosphere was great and it was great sitting in the student section.  Overall, she said it was GREAT!  She said the band and the cheerleaders were great, too.  She said it was similar to Hoover and the seniors had "seniority" in the student section.  They got to sit in the front row with all the lower class men behind them and the seniors were the body painters.  Today she went to a pool party and then her friend Britt came over and now the girls are making cookies.

T was on duty last night so she and her friend Tana drove up to Nashville early this morning for the game vs. Vandy.  She didn't have a ticket and the box office was selling seats for almost $80 so she was getting a little frustrated.  Tana told her, "Just smile and walk in."  So she did.  She walked right through the security line and walked right through the gate.  That's my girl!  The Ole Miss game was kind of boring.  I'm happy they won but the game was pretty much a blow-out.  Not an exciting game at all.  Vandy obviously didn't eat their Wheaties this morning.  Cosmo has the Ohio game on and that stadium is positively rockin'!  Not an Ohio fan but I do think that would be a great place to see a game!!!

And now, to counter-act all that football testosterone, here are some more Miss America photos!!!

I luv, luv, luv the clean lines on this gown!   

Go Jasmine!!!  I think she's going to do great next Sunday!

FriDay = FriYay!!!

So happy it's the weekend!  Had such a busy day today, it's nice to relax tonight.  KJ is at her first official football game as a Damascus Swarming Hornet.  It's a gorgeous night for a game and she looked so cute in her cute pink camouflage t-shirt!

She had a pediatrician appointment today and afterward we ran a couple of errands before I dropped her back off at the high school for volleyball practice.  Although I think we've transitioned exceptionally well, there are some things that really trip me up sometimes.  For example, I didn't know I had to write a note for KJ to check her out early.  The attendance office told me if she has a note, she can check herself out and wait at the front door for me.  I don't even have to walk in the door.  Very cool.  Especially since my Alabama license doesn't work in the security reader at the front office!

I luv, luv, luv her new pediatrician.  She was super cool, treated KJ like an adult and everyone at the practice seemed very nice.  We then went across the hall in the professional building and made appointments for October with our new dentist.  Kind of weird to have to find all new doctors again.  Our pediatrician in Alabama was the only pediatrician KJ had ever known.  And the OB/GYN I saw for 15 years was the same doctor who delivered KJ.

T is so super excited -- her new gown came in the mail today so . . . on to a few more Miss America photos!

Had to include the following photo of Miss Maryland 2013 -- Miss Christina Denny.  We met her a couple of weeks ago, she was super sweet and this is the custom gown T tried on.  The gown was absolutely gorgeous, a big statement gown, and fit T perfectly!!!  

Got My Life Back

While I'm sad KJ's travel volleyball season is over, I am so happy, happy, happy to have my life back!  I'm looking forward to not traveling on the weekends and I'm looking forward to not having to organize my life around her weekly practice schedule!  Whoop!  Whoop!  They had such a great tournament this past weekend at the BJCC.  While they didn't win Regionals, they played SO incredibly well and had a couple of really awesome games! 

Coach had DALC all weekend but was able to leave Mountain Brook and catch KJ's last match Sunday afternoon.  DALC is so unpredictable -- we've had tournaments where one day we're freezing cold (using space heaters, sleeping bags, and people are buying sweatshirts to wrap around their head to keep warm and buying socks to use as gloves) and the next day is in the 80's.  And at least one day is pouring rain or it rained the week leading up to the tournament and the fields are a disaster.

Saturday night KJ and I left the BJCC to meet Coach and some friends at Jackson's in Homewood for dinner.  It was such a beautiful night we all sat outside and watched the kids going into Prom at Rosewood Hall.  I don't know what school it was but the kids looked nice -- some of the girls had long gowns, some had short cocktail dresses.  A lot of party buses and stretch Hummers pulled up and we had so much fun counting the kids coming out of the cars. 

So I always bitch and complain about how much of our personal time lacrosse takes up but I have to say, I absolutely love our lacrosse family.  Coach had a couple of guys come down from the Louisville store to help out with DALC and they came out to dinner with us along with Patrick, Evan, Schuler and Nick.  Lacrosse is definitely a special fraternity and we've made life-long friends across the country.  Just a great group of people and I know if Coach was unavailable and me or the girls ever need anything, they would help out in a heart beat.  My girls love all these guys and, depending on their age, think of them as the big brothers they don't have or honorary Godfathers (of course it doesn't hurt that most lax players are good-looking and in great shape!).  It's a very special relationship. 

T had a great weekend, too.  Saturday she was up at 5 AM to participate in the AOPi Run for the Roses 5K, then she was off to the Grove Bowl and then she went to the baseball game to see the Rebs sweep the series against Bama.  Sunday she had an RA meeting and then rush practice.  Busy girl!  She has had an AMAZING freshman year and we are so happy she's right where she needs to be! 

I am proud to say I am now flip-flop worthy.  Friday afternoon I had what was quite possibly one of the best pedicures of my life.  Holy crap.  I was so damned relax I was afraid I might fall asleep on my drive home.  And for a brief second I thought about stepping out of my comfort zone, I snapped out it at the last possible minute and went with my old stand-by, "Cajun Shrimp."  Why mess with perfection? 

Thank You

A great big Thank You to our service men and women on Veterans Day and everyday! 

I am so thankful and proud to come from a long line of Americans who served their country.  My great grandfather on my mother's side, my Grandpa Castle and his brother, Uncle Robert both served in World War I.  Both of my grandfathers served in WWII and my Grandpa Shrodo was a POW in a German camp and escaped.  My dad served in the Air Force during Viet Nam and my Uncle Zip (my mom's oldest brother) served in the Navy on a nuclear sub during during some very frosty years with Russia.  My mom's two other brother's, my Uncle Smokey and my Uncle Mike, served in the Navy and the Air Force respectively.  My Uncle Mike did a tour in the Middle East and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for heroism during combat.  My dad also told me one time that my great-Aunt Betty was a nurse during WWII.  I need to get a little more info on her.  Cosmo's family has served his country well, too.  His dad was in Korea and Cosmo's nephew, Louie, is in the Navy. 

Yesterday we had the opportunity to see a wonderful half-time show dedicated to the men and women of the Armed Forces at Troy University during the Navy game.  They asked all current and past service men and women to come onto the field and they received a well-deserved stading ovation.  The Troy marching band was OUTSTANDING and we clapped and cheered along as they played each the alma mater for each branch of the service.  We had such a good time at the game!  We had never been to Troy before and the campus was beautiful!  We tailgated with Brye's family before the game, got to see our favorite cheerleader, Rory, in action and even got to spend a few minutes w/ Brye after the game.  The Troy fans were very supportive of their team and it was a really great atmosphere. 

 

TGIF

Yay!!!  It's finally Friday!

As always, it's been a busy, busy week here in Hoo-ville starting off with Bid-day on Sunday and will end up with lots of football (Hoover vs. Vestavia High School game Friday night, Ole Miss @ Alabama Saturday and some good ol' NFL on Sunday -- yippee!  The Refs are back!).  Oh, and I almost forgot!  My birthday was in there somewhere as well as two middle school volleyball games. 

Had a wonderful, relaxing birthday.  It was exactly what I wanted / needed.  We eat out alot because of our busy schedules so that has kind of lost its appeal.  It's not special anymore.  I told Cosmo I don't care if I have a bowl of corn chex for my birthday dinner, I just want to be in my own home.  Cosmo sent me an amazing bouquet of flowers and he & KJ made some steaks and scallops on the grill and we had tiramasu and cheesecake for dessert.  It was a gorgeous night so we ate outside.  It was a PERFECT birthday!

Still a Work in Progress

Tweaked my dining room table & foyer Football decor this afternoon.  I added an Ole Miss runner to my buffet and also some Pottery Barn vintage inspired glassware.  I probably should have ironed the fabric I used as a tablecloth but didn't think of it until afterward. 

I'm still not sure about the blue glass plate in between the Ole Miss dinner plate and the Pottery Barn football plate.  I think it adds color but hides the Ole Miss logo. 

Cosmo & I rec'd these blue wineglasses one year for Christmas before we were even married.  Must have been the Christmas we were engaged.  Anyway, my one sister-in-law told me they were tacky.  They are.  But boy, I get so much use out of them!  I use them for my 4th of July table, my beach table and now my Ole Miss table!  Hotty Toddy! 

Some Crimson Tide wine "The Dominator" a friend gave me after last year's Championship game. 

I also have a "Roll Tide" banner for my desk at work.  We have Football Friday tailgate parties at the office and we all wear school colors.  Don't know what I should wear this year?  Red?  Blue?  Houndstooth???

I can't find the Bear Bryant wooden sign I had last year and I also can't find my favorite pic of me & Cosmo from the Penn State game in T-Town. 

 

It's OK Thursday

It's OK . . .

 

...to intensely dislike Taylor Swift and her music.

...to find Taylor Swift's relationship with the Kennedy kid incredibly creepy.

...that my girl has been away at college for a week already!  Seriously.  It's OK.  She's loving every minute of it!

...to have slowly started to decorate for Fall.

...to love all this rain we've had.  Luv it!  Luv it!  Luv it!

...to be excited that our Ole Miss football tickets came in the mail!  Hotty Toddy! 

...that I hated the last book I read ("Seating Arrangements").  I'm now on to Emily Giffin's "Where We Belong."

...that Prince Harry had a good time in Vegas!  Go Harry!  Go Harry!



To Quilt or not to Quilt . . .

Feel like I haven't been in my office in forever.  I can't remember the last time I worked a full week.  I took the Thursday & Friday off for T's graduation and then that Monday was Memorial Day, Tuesday afternoon we headed out to Ole Miss for Orientation and I was back in the office that Friday.  Then I got sick w/ pneumonia and missed a full week of work and then this past week I was in training Tuesday through Friday.  It's been crazy!

This is T:  

T is still getting her stuff together for Move-In Day.  We're making progress and checking things off the list.  Some of her friends are heading to Auburn early August (a lot of them are getting apartments and their lease starts August 1).  Not sure when the Alabama kids head to T-town.  We may (or may not) have found a comforter for her dorm.  She originally said she wanted a quilt and was going for a boho/eclectic kind of look.  Then she saw a yellow chevron duvet cover she liked and thought about turquoise accents.  Then she went back to the boho look.  I bought her a quilt from Urban Outfitters this week but will keep the receipt in case we need to return it.  She doesn't like the matchy-matchy look (much to my chagrin!) and loves the "collected" rather than "bought" look.  She likes to upcycle items and enjoys shopping in antique and consignment stores.  Her roomie has basically left the room decor up to T.  She and her parents will be traveling quite far and will only be driving one car to Move-In Day so they are limited on space.  She said they will be doing most of their shopping when they get to Oxford and she may have some things shipped to our house and we'll bring them to her.   

This is Not: 

These past couple of months have been an absolute whirlwind and have gone by in a blur . . . a lot of "firsts" and a lot of "lasts."  T went from being a high school senior to a college freshman in what feels like just a few short days.  She'll be 18 soon and 6 weeks from her birthday she'll be at college.  Normally we go to the beach for her birthday but this summer it will be Disney instead. 

So not only do I have to deal w/ T leaving the nest, but come October, I will officially be the proud mom of not just one but TWO teenage girls.  KJ turns 13 in October.  God help me!  She had a friend over the other day and we were chatting about middle school and all that good stuff.  KJ's friend is on the dance team so we started to talk football and how fun it will be to go to the middle school games.  The friend, very matter of factly, said, "Well, I don't know how fun it will be.  I don't think our team is going to be very good this year.  The boys are all really small."  I don't know any boys on the football team so I don't know how big or small they are but I thought it was pretty funny that these two 12-year old girls were critiquing the squad like a couple of middle-aged men getting ready for their fantasy football draft!

Orient Me Please

Had such a wonderful, informative Orientation session @ Ole Miss yesterday and today!  Very, very organized and my head is overloaded with meal plans, text books, dorms, alcohol awareness, etc.  We got on campus Tuesday night and had incredible filet's and smashed potatoes at our favorite place on the square.  I had a dorm room to myself while T shared a room with a girl from St. Louis.  Only 1 girl showed up in the room next door so T and her roomie dragged the other girls mattress in their room so she didn't have to be alone. 

I have always felt pretty good about T's decision to go to Ole Miss and Orientation just confirmed she made the right choice.  It truly felt like one big family from the minute we got our dorm keys.  They had greeters out front of the Residential Dorms, music blaring, tote bags for the parents, backpacks for the students filled with a campus calendar, maps, pens, a coffee mug, a travel mug, orientation schedule, etc.  The Orientation leaders were extremely honest, upbeat and very helpful and had lots of advice for the incoming freshman from managing your money, to calling your parents regularly, to volunteering and being open minded. 

The students broke off into small groups while the parents attended information sessions.  We had a meet and greet w/ the dean of Journalism and had a great lunch in Johnson Commons.  T and I had about an hour to spare before our next session so we walked over to Bishop and she introduced herself to the newspaper's editor in chief and the TV Station manangeer.  They gave her a tour of the facilities and took her name and # so she can start broadcasting right away.  One of them even left her a message saying it was nice to meet her and please call if she had any questions.  One of the things that amazed me the most about Orientation was everyone we spoke with, whether it was the Dean of Students, the Dean of the Journalim school, everyone gave us either their home # or their cell phone #.  They truly care about each student and are really there to help not only with the transition from high school to collge, but throughout their time @ Ole Miss. 

The parents ended the day with a double-decker bus ride around campus and an ice cream social.  There were a lot of parents (and students) who had never been on campus (one girl was from Manhattan Beach, California; another girl was from Seattle, Washington; and a boy was from Connecticut.  Obviously, lots of kids from MS, a bunch from Memphis, a lot from St. Louis, a girl from Arizona and a couple from the Chicago area, but T and I were the only ones from AL.  The kids ended their night with a comedy troupe and a dance party at the Student Union. 

Today's sessions were a little more serious and touched on disciplinary actions, alchohol awareness, finances, etc.   Again, I feel very, very prepared and very confident about sending my child off to college in the Fall (well, move-in day is mid-August). 

After Send-Off we stayed for a short sorority meeting and T and I walked over to her dorm to check out her room.  Although she couldn't get into her exact room, they did have several rooms open and decorated for us to look at.  She's in a traditional dorm, it's a little older and a little smaller than some of the other newer dorms but she's still incredibly excited and she really lucked out.  Her dorm is very convenient to the Student Union, the Grove and her Journalism building.  Before we headed home we stopped in to visit the lax coach and then walked from the Athletic Office to the football stadium.  Can't wait for that first game! 

T had an absolute blast during Orientation.  In fact, she had so much fun she was named MVP at today's send-off!  That  kid makes the best of every situation and participated in everything, asked questions and was enthusiastic.  We always joke around that she could have fun at a funeral.

The Brother From Another Mother

SO, SO, SO Proud of Brye! What an incredible accomplishment and testament to his character. We've always said he was an amazing young man on and off the field and I guess his teamates and coaches at Navy think the same! Champ is positively over the moon!!!
http://www.navysports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/021012aae.html

Football Fans

Heard some funny stuff on the radio this morning. One of the guys was complaining about girls/women who spout off during football games but really have no idea what they are talking about (and won't shut up and just end up making themselves look silly). If you don't understand the game or aren't sure what exactly is going on, it's perfectly acceptable to say something generic like "nice catch" or "nice run." Or even throw your hands up in the air after a fumble or an interception. One of his biggest complaints was women who think wearing a cute outfit and attending a tailgate party makes you an expert. One of them also made a snarky comment about "unless you are a super hot 20-something year old, please keep your school spirit outfits age appropriate."

Crimson Corner (and can I get a Go Bucs!!!)

I realized I haven't posted any photos of my Crimson Corner. I've had the foyer decorated since the beginning of the season and the kids all loved it when they came over for homecoming and KJ's tailgate party.

luv, luv, luv the photo of me & Cosmo from the 2010 Alabama vs. PSU game!

KJ's Bear Bryant Hat. Cosmo bought it for her first Bama game!

Garden art in the backyard; bought this several years ago @ a RB Market)

Go Bucs!

Thought about hanging this on the front door but we get so much sun! Don't want it to fade!

Senior Night

Last night was Senior Night during the BJHS football game. Having a Thursday night game really threw off my whole week for some reason. I thought Wednesday was Thursday and Thursday was Friday. I was wishing away the weekend and it was a terrible feeling! :-)

Senior Night was nice, the band parents were a little disorganized but there were TONS of us on the field and we just weren't sure what was going on. The Freshman Dance Team hosted a pre-game dinner for the Bnettes yesterday and gave them very nice gifts. During the half-time presentation the parents (i.e., me & Cosmo) gave our Bnette a beautiful bouquet of roses and I had to pin a a Senior pin onto her silver sparkley jacket. #1, "They" (whoever "they" are) told us we didn't have a lot of time and I had to get the pin on my child BEFORE "they" took photos. #2 T was not expecting the pin and I kind of came at her and scared the crap out of her and jabbed her. #3, the silver sparkley is very heavy and there was no way that pin was getting on that silver sparkley.

I thought I was going to cry and be emotional but I was OK. It's not the end of T's Bnette career nor is it the end of Senior Year. It's only October. We still have basketball season to get through, probably one or two more pep rallies and then we hit competition season. I still have a lot of time to cry and fuss.

Fall Decor

Anyone who regularly reads my blog knows I luv, luv, luv this time of year! I love getting cozy and having candlelight EVERYWHERE. I luv the smells of autumn, the textures, the weather. I think this is the most perfect time of the year.

This weekend we did some of our outdoor decorating (hay bale, corn stalks, pumpkins, garden flag, etc.). I've got my autumnal dining room table complete and the kitchen is decorated for fall (pumpkins & scarecrows on the baker's rack) and Bucs football season (lots of black & orange & white -- polka dot plates, checked cloth napkins, serving dishes shaped like footballs). I have a little Alabama tableau in the foyer (lots of houndstooth and photos of the family from various Alabama games in Tide frames and a couple of Bear Bryant quotes on distressed wood and, of course, a Bear Bryant hat). The family room has scary Halloween decorations. The scary stuff will come down after Halloween and Thanksgiving will go in it's place.

One of my favorite blogs, The Tablescaper, always posts GORGEOUS photos and I love getting some inspiration from her (I'm assuming it's a female!). http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/. We have very similar tastes in dishes and table decor and I like using what I have on hand and putting my own spin on it.