speechless.

Our heads are hanging very low.

They might even soon wobble to the flo' floor.

So discouraged after our big loss to the Florida Gators.

Will be back to blogging as soon as I have time to compose myself, 

get my shit together, and learn that life will go on even though 

Tennessee did not pick up a win today.

Bah.hum.bug

Oh well, now please excuse me while I go back to my 

"orange-cha-glad-you're-not-a-gator-rita"orange margarita

to liquidate my sorrows away.

Thank god we have good friends to soften the blow & drink with us, ha.

mmm tasty... would hate to be a Gator

 INGREDIENTS: 

 3 pounds Alligator, cut into cubes
1 leek
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup whipping cream
pinch of salt
chopped parsley
thin lemon slices

Who's ready for a little Alligator Stew?!

Well to be real honest, we aren't really.

We quiver at the thought of indulging in anything gator related!

We are gator HATERS in this family...

Hoping to score a Big WIN against the Florida Gators today!

Hang a gator, skin a gator, eat a gator... 

Have at it BIG ORANGE!!!

Gratefulness.

Yesterday was a hard day.

My stomach was in knots, and I couldn't quite shake the "I'm about to bust in tears feeling".  Thank goodness I had some girlfriends with me to dry my tears when they started to flow.

I struggled with several different emotions yesterday... 

anger for the stupid sons of b*&c#@s that thought it would be cool to kill thousands, sadness for those that have lost, gratefulness for those that put their lives on the line.  You name it.. the thought probably ran through my anxious mind.

However, throughout the day the one thing that was on my mind, & more persistent than any was sorrow for my sister in law Stacy and our nephew Richie.  On September 29, 2008 they suffered a terrible loss...We all did!  Our hero, Captain Richie Cliff was killed while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.  

It was three years ago yesterday that Richie left for his 3rd and final deployment & not a day has gone by that I have not stopped to pray for those that have lost a spouse, father, mother, child, brother, etc.  It is gut wrenching to think that everyday a widow is carrying on because of careless, heartless people, who are out to take down our country which is based upon freedom.

This is the last picture that we have of Richie, Stacy his wife (pregnant with their first child), and her two sisters at our wedding reception three years ago in August.  I look at this picture often and wonder what life would be like with him around.  Stacy has shown more courage and strength than anyone I know, and I am so proud of her for raising their little boy as a single parent.  I am grateful that her husband sacrificed his life for me and my family; she is living proof that we still have amazing people on this earth that are willing to give their lives for others!

9.11. was a day that we as Americans will never forget, a day we lost so many, a day that our lives all changed...  It is so important to remember as we go on with our everyday lives that we still have troops fighting unselfishly for our freedom and giving up their lives to make sure we live in a world of peace!

"Some Gave All"

20 Facts!

I'm singing...

T-E-double N- E- double S- double E

TENNESSEE!

In honor of Tennessee Football this week I thought I'd do a Top 20

rundown of the best Knoxville, Tennessee Traditions & Fun Facts!

1. The  University of Tennessee made its first football debut in 1891

For over 100 years, this college football team has been turning the Tennessee Vols fans into some of the most hardcore football fans you will ever meet!

2. When football season arrives, the Vol Navy lines the banks of the Tennessee River with hundreds of boats prior to home games for one of the best "floating" collegiate football tailgates parties there is. The Vol Navy began in 1962 when George Mooney, the Volunteers' broadcaster, found a quicker and more exciting way to get to Neyland Stadium other than fighting the notorious Knoxville traffic!

 

3. Running through the "T"... When Doug Dickey became the Vol coach in 1964, he moved his team's bench to the west side of the stadium, allowing the Vols to enter the field just before the opening kickoff through a giant "T" formed by the "Pride of Southland" Marching Band. Even through the numerous stadium changes this tradition has lived on!

 

4. Tennessee's Alma Mater was selected in 1928, and written by Mrs. John Meek (formerly Mary Fleming).  It goes a little something like this...

On a Hallowed hill in Tennessee
Like Beacon shining bright
The stately walls of old U.T.
Rise glorious to the sight.

So here's to you old Tennessee,
Our Alma Mater true
We pledge in love and harmony
Our loyalty to you.

5. Smokey the Blue Tick Coon Hound has been the Tennessee mascot since 1953, when the school held a contest to pick a new live mascot...  the ad read "This can't be an ordinary hound, he must be a 'Houn' Dawg'.  Reverand W.C. Brooks’ Blue Smokey drove the crowd wild with his howl and UT had found its mascot.  To date there have been nine Smokey Dogs.

6. "Rocky Top" isn't the official Tennessee school song, but you'd never know that based on the way it's played nearly nonstop anywhere and everywhere on campus.  Vols love it, and opposing fans hate it; It's the perfect school song! Boudleaux and Felice Bryant wrote 'Rocky Top" in 1967 in less than 10 min. in a Gatlinburg, Tn hotel room.

7. Before each game, just before the Vols run out the tunnel, and run thru the T, they touch the Vols sign that says " I will give my all for Tennessee Today". This sign remains just over the doorway in the locker room at Neyland Stadium.

8. The Pride of the Southland Band is UT's marching band. At every home game, the Pride performs the "March to the Stadium" which includes a parade sequence and climaxes when the band stops at the bottom of The Hill and performs the "Salute to the Hill", an homage to the history and legacy of the university.  The Pride is also known for the famous "Tennessee Circle Drill"... it is only performed  at one home game a year.

9. "The Hill," the original part of the campus, is symbolic of higher education in the state of Tennessee. UT, founded in downtown Knoxville in 1794 as Blount College, moved to "The Hill" in 1828 & quickly grew around it. The main part of UT's old campus stands on this rising bank above the north shore of the Tennessee River. 

10. The Tennessee Volunteers were nicknamed even before Tennessee officially became a state because of residents like John Sevier and other "overmountain men" who volunteered in the early 19th century during the Revolutionary War. The Vols nickname became even more prestigious when Gov. Aaron V. Brown issued a call for 2,800 men to battle in the Mexican war and about 30,000 volunteered!

11.  Neyland Stadium is the third largest football stadium in the United States. It is still the largest football stadium in the South... the stadium can seat over 102,000 fans.  Another fun fact is that UT's Stadium is only 1 of 3 college football stadiums located on the water. 

12. Tennessee's official fight song is "Down the Field", which is played when the Pride "Opens the T" for the team to run through at the end of their pregame show, as well as after a Vols score.

13. The checkered End zones are a Tennessee trademark dating back to the mid-1960.  When Doug Dickey took over as coach in 1964, he had the end zones of the football field painted with the checkerboards. The colorful and popular end zones are still a big part of Tennessee football!

 

14. In 1999 Tennessee installed a Sony video screen dubbed the "jumbotron" that back in the day was the largest of its type in the country.  In 2008, parts were basically non-existant to fix the historic jumbotron and the university began having to buy scraps from other stadiums with similar equiptment.   However now, the game-day experience for UT football fans has entered into the high definition era. When the Vols kicked off their 2009 season, Neyland Stadium featured a brand new, state-of-the-art jumbotron, with a price-tag of four-million dollars... The "jumbotron" is even more  gargantuan now measuring in at 41' x 127'  (that’s 5,207 sq. ft.).

 

15. Unearthed in the 1960s, from the old Calvary Baptist Church & moved to "Fiji Island", the Rock became the unofficial message board for the UT campus. The Daily Beacon has editorialized: “Originally a smaller rock, The Rock has grown in prestige and size while thousands of coats of paint have been thrown on its jagged face."

16. Tennessee's Biggest college football rivals are the Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Kentucky Wildcats.  These are four games that no Tennessee Vol's fan would ever miss!

17. The Vol Walk (formerly named the walk down Yale Avenue) became somewhat a new tradition in 1990 when the walk was moved to Peyton Manning Pass, to honor Peyton's achievements!  The walk allows fans to get up close and personal with the team as they walk from Gibbs Hall to the stadium, two hours prior to the game. It has become a fan favorite.

 

 18. Smokey the dog won the 2000 Mascot National Championship title sponsored by the Universal Cheerleaders Association at Disney! (ps. Smokey was my roommate in college, true story)

 19. Orange and White became UT's school colors when Charles Moore, president of the university's athletic association, chose them on April 12, 1889. His inspiration came from the orange and white daisies which grew on the Hill. To this day there are still orange and white flowers grown outside the University Center

 

 

20. Cumberland Avenue (The Strip) was one of the original Knoxville streets surveyed and platted by Charles McClung in 1791. The street and the surrounding area were home to wealthy business owners, but by the late 1920s, Cumberland Avenue became increasingly commercialized when the street became more of a student run street.  Cumberland Avenue first earned its nickname "The Strip" after a drug raid during the 1960s.

 

And a side note...

UT is ranked 47th amongst the public universities in America!

Also, UT's College of Architecture and Design school is ranked #2 in the nation according to the journal DesignIntelligence in its publication "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools"!!!

An Anniversary Worth Remembering!

On June 26th, 2008... 

I sent a completed email bucket list to my husband. 

This was simply something one of my friends sent me.

(I will note that it was prob. you Scotti Hines)

If you know anything about me, I am so not the forwarding type.

I refuse!  They are lame, they piss me off, and are a waste of my time!

Well for whatever reason,  I think i filled this one out because

I had accomplished a lot of the items on the list 

and I thought it was a remarkable feat for someone at 24 years of age.

 Anyway on with the story,

the bucket list went a little something like this...

 ( since said date, the orange X's resemble 

the items I have since checked off)

Hit forward and place an X by all the things you've done
and remove the X from the ones you haven't, then send to your friends (including me).
This is for your entire life!

>   ( x ) Gone on a blind date
>   ( x ) Watched someone die
>   ( x )  Been to Canada
>   ( x ) Been to Mexico
>   ( x ) Been to Florida
>   (    ) Been to Hawaii

>   ( x ) Been to Europe
>   (    ) Been to South America

>   (    ) Been to Central America
>   (    ) Been to Asia

>   (    ) Australia
>   ( x ) Been on a plane

>   ( x ) Been on a helicopter

>   ( x ) Been on a Cruise
>   (    ) Visited All 50 States

>   (    ) Been lost in a neighborhood I knew

>   ( x ) Been on the opposite side of the country
>   ( x ) Gone to Washington , DC
>   ( x ) Swam in the ocean
>   ( x ) Cried yourself to sleep
>   (   ) Played cops and robbers
>   ( x ) Recently colored with crayons
>   ( x ) Sang Karaoke
>   ( x ) Paid for a meal with coins only
>   ( x ) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
>   ( x ) Made prank phone calls
>   ( x ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.
>   ( x ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
>   ( x ) Danced in the rain
>   ( x ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
>   ( x ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
>   ( x ) Watched the sunrise with someone
>   ( x ) Blown bubbles
>   ( x ) Gone ice-skating

>   (    ) Been skinny dipping outdoors

>   ( x ) Gone to the movies
>   ( x ) Skipped school
>   (    ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch

>   (    ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
>   (    ) Been deep sea fishing
>   (    ) Driven across the United States
>   (    ) Been in a hot air balloon

>   ( x ) Been sky diving
>   ( x ) Gone snowmobiling
>   ( x ) Lived in more than one country
>   ( x ) Lay down outside at night & admired the stars
>   ( x ) Seen a falling star and made a wish

>   (    ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
>   ( x ) Seen the Statue of Liberty

>   ( x ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
>   ( x ) Traveled by train

>   ( x ) Traveled by motorcycle
>   ( x ) Been horse back riding

>   ( x ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR

>   ( x ) Been to Disneyland or Disney World

>   ( x ) Truly believe in the power of prayer
>   ( x ) Been in a rain forest

>   ( x ) Seen whales in the ocean

>   (    ) Been to Niagara Falls
>   (    ) Ridden on an elephant
>   (    ) Swam with dolphins
>   (    ) Been to the Olympics

>   (    ) Walked on the Great Wall of China

>   (    ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
>   (    ) Been spinnaker flying

>   ( x ) Been water-skiing
>   ( x ) Been snow-skiing
>   (    ) Been to Westminster Abbey
>   ( x ) Been to the Louvre
>   (    ) Swam in the Mediterranean
>   (    ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
>   ( x ) Been to a National Football League game

My husband and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary 

on 7.25.2011 in South Port, NC

To start off, I had no idea why on earth we were going to South Port...

but I didn't question it because my husband is NOT so much the planning type and this was something he had planned all by himself for us to do!  He cleared it with my various "boss's" & we were on our way to the quaint little town for a relaxing weekend.

We had reservations to stay at the

Robert Ruark Inn B & B for the weekend.

The Inn was so cute, food was delicious, 

& the owners were so accommodating to our needs.  

All around an awesome place!  

We even had our own personal bikes to get around the town...

an orange one, how fitting right?

On Friday night we took a sunset cruise with Captain Bert 

& his wife Becky on their historic 1938 work boat, the Soloman T.

It was such a romantic evening out on the water!

We finished up the evening with dinner at the Fishy Fishy Cafe.

So back to the bucket list...

Friday night after we had gotten back to the B&B

Michael started playing the song "Free falling" on his IPOD.

He then proceeded to whip out this age old bucket list & tell me

that we were going SKYDIVING in the morning.

Really?  OK!  How Freaking Cool!  

I was so very excited... I could barely sleep.

The next morning we had breakfast (a light one for fear of after effect)

& headed out, on our way to the Brunswick county airport.

After watching a terrifying video & signing our life away we got strapped into our gear and into the plane we went.  We jumped, had a hell of a good time & made a memory we will not soon forget!

We even got the $100+ video to remember a  little bit more vividly :).  

What an awesome first surprise trip! 

I can't wait to see what he plans for us next.

We loved the experience, and would totally do it again

if someone paid for it that is...

*a funny note... 

the instructor prepping us for our jump asked if I was OK 

with this surprise plan because, she had had a number of couples 

in the past have an all out marital dispute on the runway 

when the husband broke the news to the wife 

about what they were going to do, ha!  

Good thing I'm the adventurous one in our family!

My Happy Place!

Pre-warning:  The logic is NOT smart!

Last summer when my design firm job

suddenly, without a minutes notice went down the drain...

I weighed many options as far as future career moves.  

A little of which I have mentioned before on my blog, 

but is a whole other post in itself. 

After lots of thought & a whole lot more discussion... 

as a family we decided that it was best for me to try my hand 

at doing freelance design from our sweet little abode. 

...........................................................

Let me take you back 5 years.

When we purchased our house it was a dump "fixer-up".  

We worked tirelessly to make it "pretty" quickly!  

We didn't, & still don't have...
all the money in the world to make it perfect, 

but by golly it sure is a lot closer than it was on move in day.  

 Someday, I plan to do a whole post on the process... 

A few before pictures & a few afters
to catch you up to speed with what things look like now.  

Our first house will always be a work in progress &

I think that is one of the things that we love most about it.  

It is truly "our home"... our eclectic style, our labor of love!  

It was the place that we started a family & someday, 

will be the place we bring our first child home to.

We "technically" have 3 bedrooms & bonus rooms,
but we don't need 3 functioning bedrooms at all times.

I have a semi-small, but very close knit family...
So we often have several guest all at one time & need bed space.  

We did the "norm" & placed beds in all three bedrooms
& were basically place holding our space!  

I decided on a whim that I was going to sale pretty much
all our hand-me-downs that were not "our style",
or did not go with the function
we were trying to create in our home.  

 Obviously, this is where the logical part comes into play... 

it was NOT so smart to do this without a paying job!  

You live and learn and I do not regret my foolish move in the least bit.  

We now have the most wonderful studio/ office space, 

that gets used more than any other room in our whole house.

Our office/ nursery (in the far distant future) is My Happy Place!  

It is purely delightful & keeps my creative juices flowing daily.  

I am so passionate about my studio, it is the perfect place to design!

I am so dog-gone pleased with the way it turned out that 

I remind my husband probably more often than he cares to hear 

(after all it is his "office" too).

 

This project was a long time coming & took longer than expected... 

We did all the work ourselves & still have plenty of touch-ups 

to finish the project, but overall 95% finished!  

I have reached that point of taking a small break before 

finally deciding it is time to knock out the rest of the dirty work 

(painting a 3rd coat, burying cable cords, painting molding, etc.)!

To see the post I wrote in October of last year about the chaos... 

which was also known as the office, visit this post.  

 We used lots of "sentimental items" to complete the room 

& that makes the finished product even more special to us!

Below are a few of the items & what they mean to us:

*Wooden craft table~ was my Grandmother and Grandfathers dining room table, they used it as their table their whole married life

*Upholstered Rocker~ was my husband's Great Aunt's rocker & we had it recovered from a gold velour fabric to an over sized hounds tooth print... I LOVE IT!

*Hill painting~ I painted this once returning from my life abroad.  This was an old fort that we visited as a going away toast w/ the group during my last week in Denmark

*Wooden side tables~ These were also our "Aunt Chattie's"  I loved the modern design of the side tables and when Aunt Chattie went to be with our father, they were passed down to us to treasure

*Modern Dresser~ This piece was our craigslist find... we gave it some TLC and a fresh new coat of paint & it is good as gold

This is how our project turned out!
Do you like it?  Is it fabulous or what?

 

Organizationally savvy, fun & funky,
& all around an inspirational space!!

Truly what makes my "Design Brain" tick & I love it!

Our end of summer trip to PA!

On November 3rd last year I promised I would post more details on "my latest" project clearly that was so last year but, it has taken me a little time to decide to sit down and blog.  So here I am, better late than never has always been more the trend in my life philosophy.

In August my team (my endearing husband, bf Bethany
& her Red Headed Best Friend, aka. Dan) took a trip to Pennsylvania.
We visited a few darling little towns along the way 

before reaching our final destination Fogelsville, Pa.

We stayed a night at the Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie, PA, where we spent the evening chowing down on pizza, playing corn hole, and celebrating the guest of honor's upcoming nuptials!  We then made our way into the quaint little college town, Kutztown, PA
where the girls took care of wedding to do's &
the guys made a stop at the famous Marks sandwich shop.  

My husband has yet to get over the Philly he had at Marks 

& tries often to find re-makes here in NC with no such success thus far.

Our final destination was to the historic Glasbern Country Inn
in Fogelsville, PA.  This adorable inn is where
we would watch our best friends' Sarah & Greg marry 

after 19 years of dating their childhood sweethearts!  

What a sweet weekend it was...

Sarah had been living & working in South Africa for the year prior to her wedding so she entrusted me to help her plan her big day weekend.  What faith she must have had in me (the most anxiety ridden person I know) to plan her forever wedding with her forever man.  I will be forever grateful for the experience and it has spawned into an all out love for event planning in the past year!

August 21st, 2011 marked the one year anniversary of
Sarah & Greg's Wedding Day...

But this date was also a very significant marker
for many other accomplished goals!
On this day a year ago, our friends Bethany & the Red Head (Dan)
shot their first paid wedding for our dear friends...
what an accomplishment it was to see the results
of their hard work pay off!  Now, they are incredibly talented,
full fledged wedding photographers, living and working in Boston.  

To see more details of our wonderful weekend
in Pennsylvania as well as...

* Sarah & Greg's Wedding

* My first event planning gig
which is now a design business~ Modern Swank Designs

* & Our friends' photography business
visit this link on bethanydanblog.com

~ All photos by Bethany & Dan Cox ~
"Photography so fresh, you'll want to slap it!"