32: The Gift of Transportation

32 years.

My parents have made it to the year of Conveyances! In other words, the year of transportation. As soon as I read this, I called my Dad and informed him of the traditional gift he should give. He said, "I am not getting your Momma a car, but I will transport her to dinner." So, sorry Mom maybe you'll have better luck next year- the year of the Amethyst.

Happy Anniversary you two love birds! And cheers to another 32!

Christmas Accouterments

So you all know about my greenery delima and how it has been solved. Well, here it is actually installed! The branch is left over from the ornament shower I hosted for Kana (we hung her ornaments on the limbs as she unwrapped them). I thought it looked pretty cool in the room, so it remains! Taylor, on the other hand threatens me everyday that it will be back in the woods where it belongs before I get home from work.

We don't actually have a mantel so I created the illusion of one by adding garland and accouterments:

The stockings are from Etsy-Mindy does a fabulous job if you are ever in the market for some new stockings!

Stole the cranberries floating in water idea from my Mom :)

I have a little herb ledge above my sink...let's be honest that it really only serves the purpose of collecting dust and most recently, magnolia and holly.

Merry Christmas guys!!

I got my goods.

Greenery Delima SOLVED. Panic set in after I completed my post on Friday. You see, I hosted an Ornament shower for my friend Kana on Sunday (pics and details to come) and I needed decorations! My boss let me leave work a little early on Friday to dash down to the wholesale.To my disappointment, no garland, no Magnolia leaves, no nothin! I snagged some pretty great paperwhites, that I think smell great, but Taylor thought Lola pooped in the house.

Like I mad woman I went to 3 other local florist and flower shops trying to find a little greenery. On my way home I decided I would try Home Depot. To my surprise they had great potted plants  for my front porch, and even had some cedar garland! When I got home I was pretty disappointed with how the garland looked.

Not to worry, Mom and Dad to the rescue. My Dad cuts Magnolia leaves and says it must be tough being a city girl-thanks, Dad. My Mom cuts cedar with the prettiest blue berries. Can't find this good stuff in any store. My Mom brings it all up with her before the party on Sunday and now my house finally feels like Christmas! I owe my parents Big Time!

Greenery Delima

The other day Taylor and I were walking Lola and  I was also scoping out any cedar and/or Magnolia trees to use for the mantel and wreaths. Before I go any further..I grew up in Fitzpatrick, land of Cedar and Magnolias. Simply grab a large black trash bag and cutters(optional), and go to town on any tree of your liking. So, on Sunday I saw a Cedar tree, walked up to it, and began scoping out the perfect branches. I look at Taylor and he has a concerned look on his face. "What?" I ask. "You know you can't cut those limbs, Katie." "Yes I can", I reply. Taylor continues to explain to me how this is not our property and if someone saw you walking down the street with a bunch of branches dragging behind you, you will probably be questioned. Good point, I guess.
So I discuss this delima with my older sister, A, and with some thought I came up with a plan. I'll put on all black and cut them at NIGHT. No one will ever know, and when Taylor ask where I got all this greenery I'll just shrug my shoulders. This usually works for about 5 minutes and then interrogation begins.
So my other, and more realistic option is to buy the greenery. I just feel silly buying something that is all over the place! I am not kidding, Magnolia trees are everywhere and I can't have just 4 dang branches. What if I just take one branch from each tree....delima....Looks like I am going to the wholesale florist today.
Bah, Humbug.

Our Little Reindeer

This year we weren't quite sure what to do for a Christmas card. The wedding is old news, so no wedding pics.We didn't really have any great pictures of the two of us, so we were in a predicament....
After a little thought and discovering a set of antlers, we have our 2011 Christmas card!

We used almost a whole bag of beggin' strips trying to get Lola to cooperate. Her slobber got a little out of hand at times, but after about 30 minutes of continuous picture taking, we got this jewel of a picture. A somewhat frustrated Lola who is actually looking at a treat in Taylor's hand and not the camera. Why the white sheet you ask? So Taylor could Photoshop the background a little easier. 

.....and tada!

 Merry Christmas from The Phillips Family!!

Maaa!!!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to worlds #1 Mom! Like I've said on Birthday's past, she really couldn't have been a better Mom to us 3 girls. She puts up with a lot, not just from us, but from our goofy Dad, too. She rarely takes a break for her self, but when she does, man does she enjoy them. She makes laying out in the sun look so fun, and having a drink seem so tasty. That's what I love about my Mom, she really does enjoy life. She appreciates the little things whether it is a spontaneous trip, or a Jimmy Buffet song on the radio. I love you Mom and hope you have enjoyed your Birthday!

       WE LOVE YOU :)

Taylor's Creativity

I know this is a little late, but I have to show y'all how awesome our house looked on Halloween night. Taylor blacked out the breeze way and added spider webs, black lights and a fog machine. He placed strobe lights in front of the windows and had spooky music playing. The kids LOVED IT. One kid loved it so much his mom had to drag him out of the "spooky fog", as he called it. We had over 500 pieces of candy and by the end of the night it was gone (I think we had a couple of repeat tricker treaters)!

Taylor's pumpkin 

my contribution  :)

RAMMER JAMMER YELLOW HAMMER

This is the day all of us Alabama fans have been waiting for! To me, it is bigger than the Tennessee game and the Iron Bowl. 1 vs 2 AT HOME. I haven't been able to sleep all week, which is a little ridiculous. I have also been working out my vocal cords to make sure I am at my vocal best. Bryant-Denny is going to be the loudest it has ever been. So Roll Tide to all my fellow Bama fans, and Auburn, it's your off week so how about a little love :)

Happy Birthday to Lola!!

This weekend a year ago, Taylor and I were moving from Mississippi into our Birmingham apartment. Also on this day, our sweet Lola Bear was born in Brookhaven, Mississippi. After settling in our apartment we decided a puppy would be a great addition to our family. Once we saw the picture of Lola-we knew she was going to fit right in :) We drove almost 5 hours to pick her up and it was like Christmas morning when we finally got there. Those stubby, little, wrinkly legs, and those long, droopy ears she kept tripping over melted my heart. Now, a year later she is such a huge part of our family. She makes us laugh everyday and we love her sooo much!

           Happy Birthday Lola!!!!

on our way home!

Lola exploring in Fitzpatrick

check out that neck!

funny puppy

NYC Real Estate Heaven

 My boss just got back from a week in New York where they own an apartment with several other couples. (Must be nice right?) Well, my small town mind starts imagining what the apartment must look like...brown stone facade with stoop I'm sure...so then I start thinking if the price is right, I too, could one day own a picturesque brown stone of my very own. I knew apartments/town homes in the Upper East Side don't come cheap, but I did not realize they could cost you 70 million plus. I always loved Charlotte's Apartment in Sex in the City...Park Avenue with a view. Wanna know what that will set you back in real life? Try $23mill, easy. What about Madison Ave? $72mill without a blink. Want to live on the same street as Carrie Bradshaw? Better be willing to lay down 23 million with almost eighty thousand in taxes each year...no wonder New Yorkers always seem so angry, it's because they actually ARE angry. 


So after my dabbling in the New York real estate market and briefly reconsidering my career (New York Real Estate Agent). I started thinking about the movies/tv. How in the hell did Monica Geller afford that huge apartment in Greenwich village? She was unemployed more than half the time, right? And then I thought Carrie Bradshaw's apartment had to be somewhere on the internet and maybe even vacant. Well, I found it and to my severe disappointment, 245 E.73rd St. doesn't exist. The exterior shots were actually filmed on 66 Perry Street and the interior was a set.

Maybe this will make you feel better-her brown stone, complete with before and afters.

The famous stoop-$60,000 to the owner each time they used it in the show.

before and after from the first movie

 Carrie's all grown up Apartment with Mr. Big is even more wonderful:

the sofa: Woodframe by Montauk $6100 Birdie Blossom Pillow: $600

fabric on chairs: Lee Jofa's Belgravia color: grey/black $170/yard

Headboard fabric: Kravet's Velvet Gate color: Tuxedo $170/yard

and this is just for kicks...Charlotte's Park Ave. kitchen

It's Fall Ya'll

And now for a much lighter/happier post:
Taylor and I spent almost all of Saturday in the yard. It was the perfect day to be outside and quite theraputic...replacing pine straw, planting mums and pruning bushes (that now look more like trees??). Our poor flower beds have been begging for some attention and now they are ready for fall! Pumpkins have yet to be purchased, and if you only knew what Tayphill has planned for Halloween night...lets just say strobe lights and smoke machines are involved.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans to Prosper and not to harm you, Plans to give you Hope and a Future." Jeremiah 29:11

I have been debating for a couple of days whether or not to actually post a blog about this past Tuesday. I knew when I began blogging over a year ago things could get pretty personal. I try to keep my blogging fairly lighthearted and at times comical. I wish I could say this was one of those times.

Here goes nothing.
On Tuesday we went in for our 12 week visit and started with the ultrasound. The tech was making small talk while I was getting situated, but as soon as she began the ultrasound I could feel her mood change. I knew immediately something was wrong. There were tears in her eyes. There was no heartbeat, no movement, my heart sunk and I lose it. Sweet Taylor is trying to hold it together but I can see the tears filling up in his eyes. Our Doctor comes in to confirm the obvious and tells us the baby stopped advancing between weeks 9 and 10 and that there is nothing we could have done for the baby. Is this really happening? I am healthy, I never get sick so why should my baby be any different???
So here we are in a big blur. Not sure what to do with ourselves. One thing I can say is that I know God has a plan, and that our baby is in heaven getting lots of love from our grandparents. The other thing I know is that I am meant to be a Mother and Taylor is meant to be a Father. But for now it's going to be just the 2 of us, and of course Lola. I know miscarriages are common, but it sure doesn't make this any easier.
To our friends and family, thank you so much for all of the kind words and thoughtful flowers. We love you.

Cruisin in the Caribbean

This past week Taylor and I took a little "babymoon" to the Caribbean. First stop was Montego Bay, Jamaica where we took a tour around the city and went by Catamaran to a coral reef to snorkel. I've never snorkeled before, so this first time experience was somethin else. I will say, they should make those little breathing tubs a little longer. The ride back to the ship on the Catamaran was interesting to say the least. Rum Punch was complimentary and the smell made me flash back to Freshman year pledge parties and the large cooler filled with hunch punch.

Next stop was the Grand Cayman where we went to 7 Mile Beach where the water was unbelievable. Puts Destin to shame. We ate some of the local food, and by local I mean hamburgers and hot dogs. Taylor enjoyed rum punch and a local beer called CayBrew.

Cozumel, Mexico was our final stop where we took a Catamaran to Passion Island where they film the Corona commercials. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and the breeze coming of the water allowed perfect conditions for an afternoon nap.

Our time on the ship was just as relaxing. While we were cruising from port to port we spent our time on the Lido Deck near the pool. We went to the comedy club almost every night and heard some pretty bad karaoke.

Pictures from our trip!

leaving New Orleans!

heading to Jamaica

day 3 before dinner

beautiful sunset

Jamaica Mon!

learning how to snorkel

Jamaica

Grand Cayman

Cozumel

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday to my Dad! We went home this weekend to celebrate my Dad's Birthday. We also got to watch Alabama put a little spanking on Arkansas while eating some pretty great food compliments of Jan.

Happy Birthday Dad!

love this picture

 this must have been after a Macon-East win?

Division 3 Team of the Week

My little sister's bf Neal Posey aka Jose' Posay, just received a pretty great award, D3 QB of the Week. He comes from a long line of athletes and gingers. This ginger is pretty dang good at some football.

QB Neal Posey, Jr., Huntingdon
Posey tied the Huntingdon record for touchdown passes in a game with six as he guided the Hawks in a comeback victory against crosstown rival Faulkner. The game-winning touchdown pass came with 37 seconds to play. He was 31-for-43 passing for 439 yards and did not throw an interception.

 

 

 

the catch

 

 

Huntingdon Hawks score with 37 seconds left to beat Faulkner 48-41

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Quarterback Neal Posey connected with Cody Pearcy in the final minute to lead the Huntingdon Hawks to a 48-41 comeback win over Faulkner University on Saturday.

The 25-yard touchdown strike with 37 seconds left and a defensive stand in the final 31 seconds capped the closest and most competitive contest in the five-game history between the two schools.
"All I can tell you is it takes the whole team to make a day like that happen," Posey said. "The offensive linemen played their tails off and the receivers made some great plays. If those guys don't play well, none of it happens. You have to give the credit to the whole offense."
here is the entire article

Beth and Neal after the win!

Lola in Flight!

Taylor is pretty good in the Photoshop department and recently took a picture of Lola on the bed and turned it into this awesome picture:

Also, I wanted to say a quick thank you for all of the sweet messages and well wishes over our baby news! It means more than you know to Taylor and me!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I've had a couple people ask me when I was going to write about football season, and honestly, it has been to dang hot for me to feel football fever! Last night however, it hit me. It's finally football season! Taylor and I ordered in pizza and watched the games. Kentucky by the way, really needs to get it together or they are going to have a looooooong season.
 We have Taylor's Dad, Step-mom and little bro coming into town tonight to help us kick of the Alabama Football season right. Starting of #2 isn't too shabby if you ask me. I've been listing to a little Paul Finebaum on my way home from work and the hype for Alabama Football is definitely imminent.

 I can't wait to be back in Bryant-Denny and watch the Tide Roll!!

Here are some pre-season pics!

Margaret and JW came to visit!

Stock the Bar for Lindsay and Jacob!

Lola's BEST FRIEND Chloe says, "Roll Tide"!

Arkansas game with the fam!