Summertime, Summertime

 After two weeks of Spring, I think Summer has arrived. I was really hoping for more days of perfect running and porch weather, but I don't foresee many 70 degree days hitting now that we've flipped our calendar to June.

Batters up...one of our favorite summer activities is the Baron's games with friends. Bonus points if it's Thirsty Thursday. Double bonus since they have an awesome new stadium smack in the middle of downtown - and walking distance from Momma G's.

Thankfully, MS didn't have to be at warmups too early, and could join me for a Momma's Love, Momma's Nachos and a pitcher of PBR.

Sidenote: We sat next to a table of med school residents swapping stories- and apparently that whole "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant"  thing happens frequently. Very frequently.

You can't beat a beauitful night at the ball field.

Namath was still thirsty on Friday. File this under 'dogs who think they are human'. He's spent a lot of time alone lately. In the guest bathroom. With the door closed. So we've welcomed any time he feels like he wants to be part of the family. He only got a little sip of beer.

MS says I take too many photos of Namath with a cocktail sitting in his chair. But it makes me laugh, so I'll keep snapping away.

 Can you blame me? He may be the most handsome dog in all the world. At least top 10. If I'm the only voter.

I've seen a lot of Summer Bucket lists floating around blog world and have thought about making one of my own. Maybe while sitting by the pool. Don't hold your breath.

Recipe - Italian Potato Salad

I love  a new recipe - especially one that is this easy. I'm not a big mayonnaise fan, so a mayonnaise based potato salad will not be found in our fridge. I heard through the grapevine this Paula Deen recipe for "Italian Potatoes" tastes exactly like Zoe's potato salad, of which I'm a HUGE fan. Memorial Day was the perfect weekend to break it out.

Put 5 lbs of red potatoes in a large pot, just covering with water.

Bring to a boil. Let them boil for 30-40 minutes. I did mine for 30, and they were perfect.

Drain and let cool - cool enough to handle.

While you're waiting for them to cool, whisk together:

3 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 heaping teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 scant tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup tarragon vinegar

Slightly peel the potatoes, leaving some skin on. Cut into bite size cubes.

Top with parsley and green onions. I left out the green onions, because someone in our house doesn't like them. Pour oil mixture over potatoes.

Isn't it pretty? In the way only carbs mixed with olive oil are.

This recipe is a little funny - you leave it out for 4 hours. I covered mine with a towel, for peace of mind. Stir it every hour. Your food safety red flags might go off - but I promise we had no issues.

We had enough to serve for company twice. The second day I chopped up some marinated feta to mix in - it was a great addition. This paired well with chicken both nights - fried and bbq.

Memorial in Pictures

We had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. Isn't it amazing what a difference an extra day makes? Makes for plenty of time to do all my chores (makes it sound like I live on a farm) and still have plenty of time to relax with our nearest and dearest.



1. Drinks on the patio Friday to toast 9 years of gainful employment. How am I old enough to have been working at the same place almost a decade?!

2. Grilled chicken with tzatziki sauce, sauteed spinach and grilled vegetables from the farmers market. I like the vegetables a little on the crispy side.

3. Date night at Five. Five reds, five whites, five beers, five cocktails, five appetizers and five entrees. Get it? The food was incredible, and it has a great atmosphere. Even though I had to look at everyone's beach and lake pictures all weekend, it just about paid off when there was no wait.  It was a beautiful night, so all the doors were open. We sat by the patio and dined semi al fresco. It may just be my new favorite spot.

4. Someone I love had a solo Sunday morning. Nailed it. I think I was more nervous than he was.

5. We broke out the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment for our family dinner Monday night. Why haven't we used this before? So easy and we had homemade ice cream in 30 minutes. This could be a problem.

6. I was inspired by one of my favorite Washington D.C. spots for a Memorial Day quote for the chalkboard.

Friday Favorites - Budget Beauty Edition

Last Friday I took a lunchtime stroll around Target and ran across the ELF display and found myself fascinated at all the goodies. I remember when ELF (eyes, lips, face) came on the market several years ago, and there was a lot of buzz about the products and the prices, but haven't thought much about it since.

I'm big on reading the reveiws of just about everything. So I was pumped to read this, this, and this review.

All Over Color Stick - I got this in Pink Lemonade. I've never used a cream blush - and that's what I use it for. It says you can use on eyes and lips (hence the all over verbiage), but I cannot imagine the atrocity of me having pink lemonade on my lids. And I prefer a gloss for my lips. It's worked great thrown in my makeup bag to touch up blush during the day.

Eyelid Primer - I bought the Urban Decay Naked Basics pallete a few weeks ago. I've loved playing around with all the colors, but didn't love the look of it sliding off my eyes by  2 p.m. This stuff has worked wonderfully and made my shadow last all the live long day.

HD Powder - I was running low on my Bare Minerals Mineral Veil, and read on the reviews this was a good replacement. I think it gives a nice soft focus finish - if you know what that means, you're a product junkie like me. Or a photographer.

The best part? I think my grand total was under $10 for all three products at my local Target. A steal. If you hate it, you're barely out your lunch money. As if you needed an excuse to go to Target.

The weather forecast is looking beautiful for the weekend - so we are looking forward to breaking in the neighborhood pool and getting in some time with friends. Hope your weekend is full of much of the same!

Come On In...Foyer Decorating

After we moved in last year and had an entire house to fill and furniture to fit in a 900 sq. ft. apartment, I went to work decorating - but mainly just the necessities. Couches, dining room table, a bed. A picture here and there in the main living space. After a long hiatus, I'm jumping back in.

We have a good size foyer that has sat totally empty since July. This bothered me zero until I got last months edition of Southern Living with an article that droned on about the entryway being the introduction to your house, blah, blah, blah. Well, it was enough for me to get off my tail and move forward with the never ending process of making the house a home.

I love looking at furniture and decorations. Actually pulling the trigger, I get gun shy. Here's a few things I'm eyeing.

Sources: Rugs from overstock.com. We got our living room rug there and it's held up really well, and you can't beat the price. Or the $2.95 shipping.The antique dresser is from a local antique shop. If you live in Birmingham, you need to check it out. They have some really cool stuff. Chairs from Target and World Market. As you can see, I'm not a decorating snob.

It's sitting in my foyer now on approval, and I'm about 98% sure it'll stay there. It was a steal. The wall it sits on is pretty long, so for this piece to work, I'm thinking it needs to be flanked by chairs. Aka, more shopping, more decisions.

Foyer wall on right. Excuse the total disaster - this was the best picture I could find and it is from move in weekend.

I was sold on the morrocan patterened rug, but then I found the patterened chairs I loved. Can you mix patterns? This space needs a little color, as the walls are gray as well.

What's a girl to do? Does anyone have any decoarting savvy they want to loan me? I'll take it on approval as well.

Lake Weekend

 I had big plans for a festive Friday lunch, but I decided to forgo eating out in favor of shopping at Target. Which is also festive and fun. More on those purchases later...

I've never been a big sandwich fan. So have never been a big Momma Goldberg's fan. I ate it a lot when we lived in the apartment out of convenience (it's located downstairs), but Friday the Momma's Love was calling my name. It more than hit the spot.

Saturday we left the rainy weather in Birmingham, hoping for bluer skies on the lake. After a few showers Saturday, it cleared up and did not dissapoint.

By Sunday, everyone was enjoying the sun. Even Macy! Macy was the only one that enjoyed the water as well.

Especially Matt. Asleep? I'll let you make the call.

We cleaned up a little and headed to dinner.

Good views, and good company. Minus the Auburn sweatshirt.

Sometimes a couple days away from town are just what the doctor ordered.

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