Jack and the Giant Peach

New Blog Location

2012-03-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

After much consideration, I've decided to transition this blog to WordPress and purchase my own domain.

You will now find this blog by visiting www.jackandthegiantpeach.com.

Save it in your favorites!

Kinsey

I Wrastled a Cat Once...

2012-03-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

I know my photos of Jack and Charlotte have been lacking lately, so I took this video last night of their evening antics.

Enjoy, and happy Friday!

Kinsey

You know you're grown up when you become Costco members.

2012-02-27T08:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday!

This weekend was a perfect mix of productive and relaxing.

On Saturday, I got my hair and eyebrows done, we explored Whole Foods, then had lunch with friends at Souper Jenny. We also got our first carwashes since moving (yes, we have lived here for 8 months), and paid an interesting visit to Cactus Carwash in Buckhead.

Buckhead is one of the wealthier areas of the city, and lets just say there were literally NO cars like ours (a 97' Camry and an 02' Sentra) in the vicinity. I can honestly tell you that I've never seen so many BMWs, Mercedes, Lexuses (Lexi?) or Audis as we saw this weekend, and I did feel a little embarrassed when the carwash guys popped my trunk only to find the mini-Christmas tree and snowman ladder I've had in there for over a month now:]

These sunflowers from Whole Foods were so pretty. I resisted buying them, but not by much.

My lunch at Souper Jenny. I had My Dad's Turkey Chili, and the California Love sandwich (avocado, goat cheese, sprouts, tomato and spinach on a french baguette).

Thomas had the Creamy Cauliflower soup and a turkey sandwich with swiss and arugula. So good.

Sunday was a day of giftcard spending! We went to Bed Bath & Beyond (I spend my giftcard on a new coffee mug), Ulta (I spent my giftcard on the polish below), and Costco.

Becoming Costco members made us feel like such grownups. I've been stubborn about getting a membership, even dragging Addy to order contacts with me so that I could get a discount. This weekend we broke down, and decided to just join already.

We did set some strict spending boundaries (based on the time we used our Sam's membership to buy a lifetime supply of Toaster Strudel), and on our first trip we bought only some essentials. Also, hotdogs...

Left: Alpine Snow (a pure white used for nail design) and Did It On Em' (a bright green from the Nicki Minaj collection).

A 'restaurant' after my own heart--two Costco dogs and two drinks for $3.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and that you start off the week well!

Kinsey

2011 Taxes: Check

2012-02-18T15:41:00.000-05:00

Can you imagine sitting at home on a cool, cloudy February Saturday, with this going on in the background while you try to file your taxes (for the first time as a married couple)?

I didn't think so.

I'm proud to say, however, that our 2011 taxes are complete! Now, on to celebrate my birthday tonight:]

Enjoy your 3 day weekend!

Kinsey

Cube Livin'

2012-02-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, our office space was reconfigured. This isn't the most exciting news in the world, but I was excited to get a new/revitalized space.

Here's a glimpse of my little cube.

Lets disect this a bit, shall we? Because what says more about a person than the way they've decorated the space they spend 8 hours a day in (pretty sure my space says I'm crazy--shocking I know):

1. Lets start with the normal stuff: Pictures of Thomas and the babies, and a purse shaped post-it holder.

2. I let this little gem escape out into the world by accident. Now there are roughly 7 copies floating around the office.

3. My Bad Cat calendar. This one is top notch.

5. My Clickie's award--I am truly Clark Griswold.

6. This handsome guy is a rock and roll nut cracker. He also has a Sheriff Kinsey badge.

7. I saved the best for last. This picture of the Jackson "7" was photoshopped by one of my very talented co-workers. See if you can find the 7th Jackson...

Unrelated, after a few days in my new cube, I got a new 23 inch HD monitor. It was love at first sight.

I hope you've enjoyed this in depth look at my ~~crazy~~ cube. Happy Friday!

-Kinsey

Na Na Na Na Na Na - You Say It's Your Birthday!

2012-02-15T09:17:00.000-05:00

Na Na Na Na Na Na - It's My Birthday Too!

But seriously, today is my birthday. For those of you who don't know (probably no one because I talk about it all the time), I'm turning 22!

21 was an amazing year. I planned a wedding, graduated college, got married, went on an amazing honeymoon, moved halfway across the country, got a new job, and (I'm sure) much more. 22 will hopefully be much less hectic, but just as memorable.

Although this is out of order from my Valentine's Day post, Thomas and I celebrated my birthday last weekend with a date to Fogo de Chao, courtesy of a giftcard from my parents.

Sidenote: My last box of contacts ran out a couple of weeks ago, and I've been intending to order more while crossing my fingers that I didn't lose/destroy the final pair. Of course, on Friday night, I inadvertently closed my left lens in the lid of my contact case, ripping it in half. Contact lens drama: if anyone was bound to have it, 'twould be me. So, I've been wearing my glasses--and stumbling around blindly--since.

Here I am before the big date.

We didn't make reservations, so the wait was kind of lengthy. We didn't mind though--we'll never complain about getting to spend some extra time talking and people watching. Here's Thomas in front of the wine room.

I know this isn't the first thing people think of in reference to Fogo, but their salad bar is amazing. Here's Thomas' plate.

And here's mine. The chicken salad was soooo good.

I promise you I ate more meat that night than I have ever before. This is a fraction of what I consumed. I couldn't even get a picture of Thomas' plate, because he was a ravenous beast.

Here I am sippin' my caipirinha.

And here's Thomas in a food coma.

Our waiter was so sweet. I mentioned early on--as I always do--that my birthday was coming up in a week (to my credit, he was checking my ID, so it came up in conversation). Without even being sneakily or obviously asked, he brought me a birthday flan! I'm not a huge fan of flan, but this one was great.

I'm sure I'll have more details after my actual birthday celebration(s), but this is all for now. I know 22 will be great!

-Kinsey

Valentine's Delight

2012-02-14T07:54:00.001-05:00

Hi there!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I last posted. Last week was crazy, and this weekend I didn't find the time or topics to blog about until it was too late! Oh well, fortunately this week will have lots of blog worthy subject matter, as Valentine's Day and my birthday are only one day apart:]

This Sunday, I got a wild hare to make homemade Valentine's. Fortunately, I have an amazingly sweet husband who gladly cooperated--even when I decided we needed to make Valentine's to and from Jack and Charlotte too.

Here's what we did:

First, we gathered the supplies. My Mother-in-Law has an amazing amount of fabric stored up from years of collecting. I'm really envious of her collection, but I realized while crafting this weekend that I have a similarly stocked craft supply selection. Just look at all of the stickers...and these are only the ones that applied to V-Day!

Here's the card Charlotte made for Jack. Two little known facts: Jack's (made up) middle name is Keats, and Charlotte has amazing handwriting.

Here's Charlotte's card from Jack. Turns out Jack has sad handwriting, and writes lots of his letters backwards. The paw print in the middle of the heart is really his (proof below).

Don't worry, animal people--the paint was non-toxic and safe.

Here is Jack's Valentine from us (Thomas hand painted it!)

And, here is Charlotte's Valentine from us, made with leftover paper from our envelope liners.

The others (ours to each other) are still a surprise as we won't be exchanging until tonight. Even if you aren't into Valentine's Day as a commercial, spendy holiday, we had lots of fun making all of these cards for free and spending time together doing it.

Enjoy your day!

-T, K, J & C

Turkey Puppets and a Tandem Slanket

2012-02-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday!

This weekend we've had lots of fun, starting Friday night. We have a quarterly work social every 3 months (aka quarterly), and this time I chose the venue--Ormsby's.

Ormsby's is famous for their beer selection. They also carry one of my favorite ciders, JK Scrumpy. It is amazing (mostly because it tastes just like apple juice).

For dinner I went outside my typical 'comfort zone' and tried something I wouldn't normally get--a roast beef sandwich on a hoagie roll with pot roast gravy and horseradish sour cream. I also had a side of onion rings--I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture, but each ring was 4-6 inches in diameter.

This wasn't my dessert, but I still thought it was pretty--Apple Cobbler.

Then, on Saturday, we did some chores and relaxing throughout the day, and headed up to Roswell (a suburb of Atlanta) in the afternoon. Roswell is unlike a lot of suburbs in that it's actually old and historic--it's not just cookie cutter houses and restaurants.

We went to have dinner with Addy and Glenard, my coworkers and our good friends, starting with a walk around the square.

I got this cute little zipper ring at an antique store for $3! (I decided to try out one of this season's nail trends--one randomly colored nail on each hand).

One of the stores had lots of kids toys, including these lovely puppets.

This is one of the historic homes/tour sites in Roswell. It was beautiful.

This sign was just ridiculous.

After perusing the town for a couple of hours, we headed to a local coffee shop. Thomas and I split this 'small' french press--so tasty.

Next, we headed back to Glenard's place for appetizers and dinner. While we waited, Addy and I started the beauty-palooza.

I did her nails...

And she rolled my hair.

Next, it was time for dinner. Lasagne!

And after dinner, Glenard taught us to play Mahjong. I'm not a huge game player, but this game was so fun. We literally stayed til 2:00 a.m. playing, and I even won once:]

I'll wrap up with this awesome picture of Addy and I in a tandem Slanket. Was your Saturday night this cool?

-Kinsey

Peanut Butter Cookies

2012-02-02T09:03:00.001-05:00

Hey there!

This week, Thomas has been begging me to bake. So, finally, I agreed that if he would be my photographer, I would bake up some peanut butter cookies.

I love peanut butter, and this recipe is super super easy. I think I finished these cookies faster than any I've ever baked--the process took less than 45 minutes total.

You'll need:

First, soften the butter.

Next, mix the dry ingredients.

Blend together the butter and peanut butter, then add the sugars.

Add the egg.

Next, gradually add the dry ingredients.

The dough will be fairly sticky, and should form a ball.

Scoop the dough in 3/4 inch rounds onto an ungreased baking sheet, then gently press it down with a fork.

Sprinkle the raw cookies with sugar (I used sugar in the raw) and bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Cream softened butter and peanut butter. Add sugars and egg. Gradually add dry ingredients. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet an inch apart. Flatten the cookies slightly with a fork, then bake for 8-10 minutes at 350F.

Enjoy!

Kinsey

p.s. Charlotte is a coat keeper.

Mastering Chocolate Pie

2012-01-28T12:16:00.001-05:00

(Note: This is a very picture heavy post).

Throughout my baking career, one of the things I've had the toughest time mastering is the custard pie. Whether it be lemon, coconut, or chocolate, custard pies are an exact--and very fragile--science.

My grandmother has a great chocolate pie recipe, and my dad and brother absolutely love it. They request one for every holiday, so it was pretty imperative that I get a handle on it.

As I've practiced making custard pies over the years, I've had several successes--but I've also had several failures. I think baking can be a really intimidating concept for someone who isn't familiar with it, but trust me--even though I worked in a bakery for several months and have been cooking for as long as I can remember, I still make lots and lots of mistakes.

Some of my favorite "big fails" have included:
1. While making a custard pie, I was supposed to pre-bake the crust. I only remembered that fact after pouring the cooked custard into the crust, and topping it perfectly with meringue. There was no going back.

2. While attempting to 'lightly toast' the meringue, I turned the broiler on and left it for just a tidge too long--and it caught on fire. This has actually happened twice...maybe even three times.

3. Similarly, while baking a pumpkin pie with walnut streusal topping (I blogged about the recipe a few months ago), I forgot to turn the oven down midway through the baking process. This resulted in blackened walnuts, and a pretty dark crust. Oops!

I feel like it's absolutely important to be honest about my failures as a baker, because it happens to everyone. I think baking can be extremely intimidating, and it's important to own up to the fact that even 'good bakers' screw up. That said, screwing up is no fun, and I've decided once and for all that I will master the chocolate pie.

So, I started out with a recipe of my grandmother's. Here's what you'll need:

First, bake up the crust (don't forget to do this). I used a store bought crust for this pie. Ohhh, scandalous.

When baking a one crust pie, you can either use pie weights (my favorite method) or poke a bunch of holes in the crust to avoid major puffiness while baking. It looks kind of like constellations, yes?

While the crust is baking, mix the sugar, cocoa, and flour in a large saucepan.

Add the milk and stir constantly over low heat until the mixture thickens. Stirring constantly is extremely important, as milk scorches very easily (yes I have scorched milk, many, many times).

I have always found this part of custard pie making the hardest. What is thick? How long will it take? Is it taking too long? Did I ruin it? Will anyone want to eat my pies again? I'm telling you, it can get trying. I timed this pie, and it took around 16 minutes to get to satisfactory thickness (cooked over low-medium heat). So hopefully that will help you avoid the emotional roller coaster mentioned above.

Meanwhile, separate three egg yolks and set them aside in a medium bowl.

After the mixture is sufficiently thickened (see picture just below), add the egg yolks.

Instead of adding the yolks directly to the hot mixture (which would most likely result in scrambled eggs floating around in your chocolate pie), beat the egg yolks in a small bowl, then pour a few tablespoons of the hot filling into the yolks, beating constantly to avoid scrambling.

This process is called tempering.

Once you've mixed the yolks and chocolate substantially, pour the yolks into the rest of the chocolate mixture.

Cook the mixture for a few more minutes--say 2 to 5--stirring constantly. Then, remove it from the heat and add the butter and vanilla. Stir until the butter is melted.

Finally, pour the chocolate filling into the baked crust.

I know it seems weird, but you'll want to immediately cover the filling with plastic wrap. This will keep that disgusting custard pie slime from forming (if you've made a custard pie before, or even eaten one, you probably know what I'm talking about) as the pie cools.

I broke away from what I normally do with this pie by topping it with whipped cream instead of meringue. I'm not a huge fan of meringue, so I decided to give whipped cream a chance.

After I finished beating up the cream, I took the pie out of the fridge and peeled away the saran wrap. I was quite pleased to see NO film!

Then, I piled the whipped cream on top, and spread it all out. I'll admit, I may have made a bit too much whipped cream.

A few mini-chocolate chips for garnish, and wahlah!

Chocolate Pie
Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa
4 Tablespoons flour
2 c. milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whipped cream

Directions:
Bake the crust, following the directions for a one crust pie. Then, mix the sugar, cocoa, and flour in a large sauce pan. Add the milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened (about 16 minutes). Temper the egg yolks, then add them to the mixture and cook 2-5 more minutes. Remove the filling from the heat and add the butter and vanilla. Stir until the butter is melted. Pour the filling into the crust, then cover it with saran wrap and allow it to cool completely. Refrigerate for a few hours, then top with whipped cream or meringue.

Enjoy!

-Kinsey

Pug Time

2012-01-25T08:14:00.002-05:00

I snapped this picture a few weeks ago during a regular iChat session with my parents. During the conversation, my dad started the nightly 'pug time' ritual he has with the girls (basically, he throws gold fish to them and--if everything goes as planned--they catch them in their mouths).

Jack used to participate in pug time, and he's missed it a lot since the move. On this particular night, he actually payed attention while my dad called him and threw gold fish on the other side of the screen, giving me a perfect opportunity to snap a picture.

I don't know about you, but nothing makes me smile like a pair of pugs.

-Kinsey

We eat a lot.

2012-01-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

Hey there!

I do apologize for my absence during the later part of last week--things have been busy around here, as usual. This week we went out several times, and have lots of food pictures to show for it!

Thursday we had a work dinner at Maggiano's and even got to close up shop early.

Dinner was served family style, and unfortunately I was too hungry to pause for pictures. Luckily, by the time dessert came around, I was stuffed enough to wait.

Then, on Saturday, we went to dinner with friends at Flip Burger. We've been to Flip several times, and this time I decided to try a new [to me] entree, the turkey burger. I did stick with my usual side, onion rings, and I wasn't disappointed.

Thomas, ever the adventurous one, had the banh mi burger and fries.

Then, on Sunday, we used a Groupon (thanks to my brother's excellent Christmas gifting skills) and headed to Little Azio for dinner.

The meal included a caesar salad,

Two entrees: (I chose fettucini alfredo, Thomas chose a Napoletana pizza).

And beverages. Look at this adorable mini carafe!

Overall, the weekend was full of relaxation, food, and friends. What else is a weekend supposed to be?

-Kinsey

Tail Wars

2012-01-16T21:23:00.001-05:00

Below is a scene from a completely regular Monday night at the Mahan house. It all starts with a game of tail wars.

Jealous?

One small step for man...

2012-01-15T12:20:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a big one for us as we joined the rest of the world and had a DVR installed!

It's something we've wanted to do for months now, but couldn't justify spending wise. Fortunately we got some Christmas money this year that--instead of spending it right away--we deposited into our bank account as a "this will cover the DVR upgrade for the next 12 months" kind of thing. As an added bonus, we upgraded to the U-200 package (we have U-Verse), which got us around 70 more channels and a DVR for only $10 more per month!

One of our favorite new channels is the Cooking channel. We absolutely love the show Two Fat Ladies, mostly because the fat ladies remind us of Jack and Charlotte (or how we think they would be if they could talk). Here's an excerpt, if you haven't seen the show:

Funnily enough, now that we have a DVR, we keep forgetting to use it. As soon as the commercials start, Thomas will revert to his usual habit of flipping channels and a few seconds will go by before the lightbulb of "oh wait we have a DVR now" comes on. Nevertheless, I'm sure we'll end up wondering how we ever lived without it for so long.

I hope you're having an excellent Sunday--here are some cute animal photos to tide you over until next week.

-Kinsey

A Magical Mouse: The Fairy Tale

2012-01-09T20:27:00.001-05:00

You know you're a nerd when your husband gives you a Magic Mouse as a late Christmas gift and, upon opening it, you squeal with delight about how it's "probably the best gift you've ever given me!"

In my defense, the Magic Mouse is, well, just that--magic.

Its sleek surface is for one thing, beautiful, but also quite functional. The Magic Mouse works just like a laptop trackpad, but is substantially easier to use. Click, swipe, or scroll, the last year and a half I've spent using my trackpad exclusively seems like a waste.

I won't keep rambling on about how awesome I feel sitting on my couch and clicking wirelessly, but I will leave you with this image, because I can.

Also, add this to my Christmas list for next year.

-Kinsey

Chester the Garm-ester

2012-01-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

Last week was quite the long and stressful one. I'm so glad it's behind me, and I have to say, 2012 can only get better.

Thomas finished up his internship this Friday, and will now be looking for full-time work. He has been searching, but finding a job in his industry in this economy is tough. Fortunately we have amazing connections, and I know he'll find something soon. He is going to do some freelance work for the studio where he's been interning, and he's super excited to be doing 'real audio guy stuff.'

One exciting development this week was the delivery of my new Garmin Nüvi. I always thought the idea of having a GPS was kind of pointless (I mean, I have an iPhone, duh) but having moved to Atlanta and gotten lost while trying to get on the highway/look at a tiny iPhone screen one too many times, I decided that--for the safety of myself and the city at large--I would much rather have a device that yells directions at me.

So, Chester the Garmin was born. I searched for him over the holiday while Thomas' dad was here (we have the same passion for bargain hunting, but he has more experience) and found a great deal on Amazon. I decided on the Nüvi 1350LMT, which comes with lifetime maps and traffic updates (hence the LMT at the end--that one took me a while to figure out). The 1350LMT model is regularly priced at $209, but I got it for a mere $118! BONUS.

I have to say, even though it's been less than a week, I already know that my favorite feature on this particular model is the lane-assist capability. I think one of the hardest things about driving in an unfamiliar place is figuring out after making a left turn what you'll be doing next, and changing lanes accordingly. With Chester, it's easy! He's like "turn left here, then turn right" and I'm all "Got it. THANKS CHESTER!"

I've used Chester to find my way around all weekend, and I'm proud to say that I haven't gotten lost once! One important thing to mention is that I'm actually using the "Jill" aka female voice to yell directions, but Chester seemed like a fitting name anyway. Here we are on our first ride together:

Here are a few other fun pictures from this week:

Charlotte's typical morning antics. She's a dirty beggar.

A big ol' couch full of girls. Here we are posing before heading out to celebrate Julie's birthday.

Addy, Julie, and I at the Koo Koo Room in Midtown. [See if you can spot B-Spears in the background.]

The brunch of champions--Thomas and I shared the chili cheese slaw dog at Home Grown and met up with some friends visiting from Lubbock.

I hope that you all have an excellent week and that the new year isn't getting the best of you just yet.

-T, K, J, & C

Santa Doggie

2012-01-03T22:05:00.002-05:00

On the first night Thomas' family was here, we had a Christmas present palooza! They got us a ton of great gifts, some of our favorites being:

Some deliciously warm house booties.

A really fun helicopter (quite difficult to fly, but Jacker loves chasing it).

A beautiful leaf wrap ring from Sundance (also, if you're wondering, the nail polish in this photo is Glitzerland by OPI).

And some adorable matching pajamas (as well as other clothing I'm sure you'll see in future pictures).

I have to say, though, one of the most fun gifts was Jack's present--an adorable Santa suit! Last night when I attempted to take pictures of the suit, Jack wasn't cooperating. As a bribe, Thomas took the opportunity to give him his heartworm pill (in a hearty spoonful of peanut butter of course). Here are the antics that ensued:

(Please notice Charlotte creepin behind the tree).

Another amazing gift was the stocking Thomas' mom made for me. She collected birds from his dad's baby blanket when they were first married, and has saved them since then to make custom stockings for each child and their future spouse. I have to say that this stocking is one of the most beautiful and thoughtful gifts I've ever received. I love it! Fiiiine, I'll stop yammering on and just show you already.

Here is Thomas' as well. Isn't it cute?! I love the star theme.

Well, this marks the last Christmas/New Years/family visit post. We're sad to see the holiday season go, but we are looking forward to what's the come in the new year and getting back into our now familiar routine. We have lots going on this week and weekend, but I hope to keep up with posting as much as possible. If I don't though, what can I say? I'm probably just sitting around photographing my dog in a Santa suit.

-T, K, J, & C

New Years Eve in Pictures - Part 2

2012-01-02T20:30:00.001-05:00

Continuing yesterday's post about New Years Eve Day (which sounds weird but makes sense if you think about it), today I'm going to finish up with pictures from New Years Eve Eve.

After our adventures at Oakland Cemetery, we ventured into Little Five Points to walk the dogs and sit down for coffee. The afternoon was a pretty tiring one, and once we were all back home we busted out out all our Apple products to relax.

After taking a couple of hours to recover from the day's activities, we moved the party over to Mari and Holly's (where there's more than one bathroom). Below is my version of Charleston Cheese.

Other food items included [from left]: poppy seed sandwiches, cinnamon pita chips and strawberry cream cheese, cheese-n-crackers, caramel corn, cookies, chocolate/cinnamon bugles, a bunch of desserts, a cheese platter, 3 onion dip, wasabi peas, cream cheese and jalapeño jelly, and cocktail wieners. We also feasted on pizza pockets like a group of 8th grade boys.

Before midnight struck, we played several games of reverse charades and watched goofy TV shows (i.e. 1980s Fame). Once the peach dropped, we headed outside to watch fireworks and light up some sparklers.

I don't participate in the sparkling myself, so I took pictures instead.

Thomas, however, LOVES a good sparkle.

And I pretended to be holding one for the purpose of this picture.

Andrea did a sparkly routine...

And Tom multi-tasked by drinking champagne while twirling about.

Here's the first 'family photo' from the new year (minus Charlotte since cats hate to party).

After a much needed night's sleep, we headed out to Piedmont Park on New Years Day. We decided to stop at the nearby Hobnob for a snack--we got these amazing fried green tomatoes. They were definitely the best FGTs we've had in Atlanta so far, and aren't they pretty?

After some obligatory eating, we headed to Piedmont for some fresh air. Does this picture look familiar? My family posed in the exact same place last week.

The park was really busy--probably because of the perfect weather--and while at the dog park, we saw several horse drawn carriages winding through the trees. It was pretty magical.

Our New Years was full of family, fun, and celebrating, and we couldn't be happier with 2012 so far. Tomorrow I'll be wrapping up with some assorted pictures from the Mahan visit. Enjoy your work-week!

-Kinsey

New Years Eve in Pictures - Part 1

2012-01-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Thomas' parents left this morning, and we've been spending the day lounging and recovering from the last busy (but so fun!) two weeks. I thought I'd put together a quick post about New Years Eve but I decided to split it into two parts so that it won't be too terribly long.

This New Years was extra fun because we got to spend it with Mari and Holly as well. The day started off with an amazing brunch at Parish, an adorable restaurant in the Inman Park/Old Fourth Ward area. The atmosphere is great--it has tons of natural light, interesting textures, and a rustic feel.

The meal started off with a round of complimentary beignets.

Then, we shared three things as a table: first, an order of brioche french toast with fruit compote.

Next, lemon and buttermilk pancakes. They were so light and fluffy--my favorite dish for sure. I'm also in love with the gorgeous plate they were served on.

And last, a plate of belgian waffles with brown sugar butter.

We could have stopped there, but did we? Nah. Here's Thomas' entree, fried chicken doghead benedict (a buttermilk biscuit, fried chicken breast, poached eggs, andouille sawmill gravy) and hashbrowns.

And my entree, a fried green tomato BLT with hashbrowns on the side.

After lunch we took a few photos to show off the cool building.

Since we had just eaten a huge heavy meal, it worked out perfectly that Mari had planned a walking tour of Oakland Cemetery for the group. Oakland has been around since the 1850s, and is just a short drive from Mari and Holly's place. It's kind of an unusual cemetery in lots of ways, the most notable being that weddings and other celebrations are often held there. It really is a beautiful place, and the tour was very fun and educational (nevermind the walking-off-our-brunch aspect).

Here's a shadowy picture of the group, excluding Tom and Gladys.

There's Gladys!

Here's our excellent tour guide, Sally, in front of the Richards tomb.

A view of the cemetery/sky line.

These tombstones all belong to Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War.

I was especially impressed by the mausoleums--many of them were so ornate and beautiful (especially since they were decorated with Christmas wreaths and bows).

That's all for today--tomorrow I'll finish the New Years Eve recap with pictures from that night's celebration!

Kinsey

2011 Recap

2011-12-31T19:39:00.002-05:00

2011 was a great year. We accomplished lots of things, went lots of places, and met lots of people. If I had a bucket list, I would have kicked lots of the things on it as of this year.

Lets recap a bit about what went on, shall we?

The 21st birthday

The engagement photos

The showers

The graduation(s)

The wedding

The move

The tree

The kitty

The job(s)

It was a scary, exciting, adventurous, memorable, out-of-our-comfort zone type of year! And do you want to hear my new years resolution? To spend 2012 napping and recovering.

I hope you all have a safe and fun New Years Eve, and that 2012 finds you happy, healthy, and hopeful.

-T, K, J, & C

Awkward Family Photos: Christmas Edition

2011-12-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday all!

Today is the final installment of Christmas posts before the new year begins. While my parents were here, I got good use out of my tripod for the first time. There were some definite shenanigans surrounding the use of an auto-timer, but in the end we figured it out. Here are some of the best--and most awkward--results.

This photo session occurred on Christmas night after the gift opening ceremonies. Thomas and I put on our matching Zipcar shirts (a gift from a friend) and posed for the camera.

Then, we decided to get the rest of the family in on the action. Apparently something entertaining was going on in the kitchen, because Jack and Charlotte were pretty distracted.

Finally, a good picture! Merry Christmas all:]

Although this isn't an awkward family photo, what's cuter than a pug in a Christmas hat? Not a thing in the world my friends.

Enjoy your New Year--be safe everyone!

Kinsey

Christmas Day in Pictures

2011-12-30T01:06:00.000-05:00

Hey there!

I know I promised that I'd be back yesterday with pictures from Christmas day, but my 'laws are here (and therefore I have an excuse for not posting regularly). That aside, here are pictures from Christmas morning-evening, courtesy of the professional photographers that are my family members.

Breakfast--with a side of whipped vodka.

The stocking harvest.

My lucky tickets.

Scratchin' on Christmas morn--I won $15 on the Giant Jingle Bucks!

Jack got real sleepy and his eyes rolled back in his head.

The finished cupcake puzzle.

A quick toenail painting sesh (Excuse Moi! of course).

100 Best Cupcake Recipes--thanks Mom & Pop!

Jack got help opening his gift--two new chuck-it balls!

When in doubt--$100 is always a great gift option. Thanks Sandy!

Charlotte opened an Angry Bird.

And finally, the greatest present of all--a baby Jack dog!

There's one final Christmas post to come, showcasing our [awkward] family photos. I hope you have an excellent New Year's weekend!

Kinsey

Christmas Eve in Pictures

2011-12-28T07:00:00.003-05:00

Hey there!

Sorry for the radio silence over the last week or so--we've been busy spending time and celebrating Christmas with my family. They left early this morning, and the Mahan's are on there way here as I type. I know there will be an overload of pictures to come, but here's a (partial) recap of what we did on Christmas Eve.

Charlotte posed with all her presents.

Cole bonded with Jack.

Charlotte contemplated destroying the puzzle.

Here's another shot of the cupcake puzzle, which turned about to be much harder than we originally expected.

We spent Christmas Eve morning at Piedmont Park. The weather was beautiful and it was a perfect day for exploring.

Jack and another pup in action at the Piedmont dog park.

On Christmas Eve eve, we drove by a house that Thomas found out about from a work friend. The house has over 200 inflatable Christmas decorations displayed on the lawn. It was a crazy sight, and unfortunately didn't photograph well. Trust me when I say that it was amazing.

After the Christmas Light Tour, we returned to the house for some delicious appetizers. We had...

3 Onion Dip (amazing recipe courtesy of Martha Mahan).

"Chicken Tiddies," courtesy of my dad (chicken, bacon, pepper jack, and jalapeños).

Our favorite, Poppyseed Sandwiches.

Christmas cookies.

Some fresh veggies, because we obviously care about health.

AND, Stuffed Mushrooms.

Jealous?

Luckily I was able to pause the feasting long enough to snap this photo.

After dinner we watched a Speed family favorite--National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation--and finished up the puzzle. Overall, Christmas Eve was quite the success! Tomorrow I'll be posting pictures from Christmas day--I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Kinsey

The Christmas Card Saga: A Sad Tale

2011-12-21T09:36:00.002-05:00

Since this year was our first married Christmas, I decided early on that I wanted to send Christmas cards. I originally planned on sending out a silly card, but was too tempted by Shutterfly's 50% off sale. So, I hounded Thomas about sitting down with me to pick one out.

We're pretty picky about Christmas cards and the like, so it was tough to find a template that we liked. When we finally did, we built out our card and put it in the shopping card. It wasn't until then that I remembered a site I'd used before, Peartree Greetings. So, I headed over to PTG, where I found a much, much better selection of Christmas cards. The cards from Peartree are so much more our style, but they're also more expensive. Nonetheless, I chose an amazing card and spent an hour or two perfecting it. I put it in my cart, and went to apply a $10 off coupon code I found online.

Unfortunately, that code didn't work. The only code available was for free shipping ($8 off) and I just knew I could do better. (This is the part where always feeling like you could probably save MORE money bites you in the rump). So, I decided to hold off because I was sure that the cards would go on sale for Thanksgiving.

Alas, Thanksgiving rolled around, and there were no sales. A week or so after, a coupon code cropped up! I think it was something like $10 off, which was great. Yet again, my hopes were dashed when I noticed that you could only get $10 off if you had $50 or more in your cart--my total hovered somewhere around $36 without shipping, $42 with.

So, I backed out again. "Surely something will come up before Christmas," I thought. After a couple of weeks, I gave up hope. Then, last week, I saw on PTG's Facebook that there was a free shipping deal for last minute orders! The coupon that sounded so 'meh' just a short month ago suddenly sounded like the best deal around. So, I rushed back to my shopping cart--where they save orders for 30 days--and entered the coupon code. As a final stab to my little Grinchy heart, I received a message that my order didn't qualify for the free shipping deal because it only applied to orders of $75 and above.

While I know this story has probably depressed you beyond belief, I was able to throw together a little something for our first Christmas card. This way, the card was completely free and I didn't have to pay for postage;]

Merry Christmas!
-T, K, J, & C

Christmas Crazy

2011-12-18T18:15:00.001-05:00

Last week was busy and crazy and Christmasy. It started off Thursday with the work Christmas party, then continued on Friday with Dirty Santa (also known as a Yankee Swap, White Elephant, and crazyville).

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the party.

The lady and mister Clause.

Here we are breaking all the gender-roll rules.

A match made in crazy heaven.

View above Buckhead.

Huck & I snugging.

On Friday, I brought this charming gift for Dirty Santa:

I found these 4 International beauties at the Buckhead Goodwill for $0.99 a piece...and they were quite the hit at the exchange!

I also wore this exciting sweater, and matching (sort of) snowman sock-booties. The sweater has more of a Native American feel than a Christmas one, but it was purchased (also at Goodwill) for $4 on short notice.

Please disregard my otherwise disheveled appearance. I took this picture on Sunday night, because none were taken the day of.

After the busiest week ever, we didn't have the stamina to cook--and ended up eating out 3 TIMES. That's a lot for us, but hey. We also had 3 meals worth of leftovers as we've been reducing our portions. Here's where we ate (judge on, all of you).

Friday Night: Bambinelli's, which we found via Scoutmob, is one of our favorite places in Atlanta so far. It has a really homey Italian atmosphere, it's not a chain, and the owner, Bonnie, is the sweetest ever. Thomas and I ate there a few months ago, and she actually remembered us when we came back this weekend. The food is great and reasonably priced--suffice to say that if you're ever in Northlake Mall area, you should go. We used another Scoutmob, and got all of the food below, plus a salad & unlimited bread, for around $17.

I had the manicotti with alfredo sauce. It was amazing and reheated well.

Thomas had chicken piccata, which he loved.

On Saturday, I had a girls day with Addy--we got our hair done and nails done and did girl stuff. Thank goodness for the Christmas bonus ;]

I had my fingers and toes done in a color I've been wanting--but haven't been able to find--Royal Rajah Ruby by OPI.

(Disclaimer: these are not my nails. Source)

Saturday Night: Thomas and I went to dinner with friends at Uncle Julio's. It was a bit pricey, but overall tasty. The service was good, and the salsa had roasted peppers and was amazing.

I had the chicken flauta plate (aka taquitos, for those who aren't well versed in spanish).

Thomas' had the tampiqueña plate.

Sunday afternoon: We headed out to brunch with Mari and Holly at Thumbs-up Cafe. The food was tasty and the atmosphere was fun. We're brunch lovers, so pretty much anything is great.

I had the smoked chicken salad sandwich with tomato and swiss on rye. I always forget that I'm not a fan of rye--until I'm eating it--but the sandwich itself was good. They also make their own honey mustard, which I obviously love.

Thomas leaned more toward the breakfast-y side of brunch and got pancakes, cheese grits, an egg, and a link of chicken sausage.

The rest of the weekend was spent "resting," and preparing for our families visit(s). My parents will be here Friday, and I couldn't be more excited! I hope this week is slower at work but goes by fast, and that I have time to finish up cleaning/the dreaded Walmart shopping. I am proud to say that we bought our last Christmas gifts this weekend, and--shout out to Thomas--that lots of cleaning was done while I was away at girls day! If things work out as planned, I'll have more time to blog this week. Hopefully.

I hope that all of your holiday planning is going well and that your hair isn't falling out from the stress:D

-Kinsey