Wednesday, June 30, 2010

So excited to say…

Some of my wedding photos have been posted on my photographer, Julie Cottrell’s, blog. I could not be more pleased with what I have seen so far. For all of you who have been asking me, they’re here. Go check them out!

Click on the picture to be taken to her blog.

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This was not my big news. Sorry! I’ve been busy, but I couldn’t wait to post this. I’ll have a better post later.

Thank you, Julie! You’re excellent at what you do.

Oh, and if you think about it, comment on her blog or mine on which one you like best. You might also want to offer her congrats. She found out today that she’s having another girl!

CONGRATULATIONS, JULIE!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop?!?!

For all of you who don’t waste two hours of your night every Monday, I’m going to give you the opportunity to waste 5 minutes on this blog. This is a follow-up of “The Bachelorette.”

Let me begin by saying that the guy I was ranting about on my first post is GONE! Whoop, whoop!

Kasey

See ya, Kasey! No more whiney voice. No more guarding and protecting hearts. I hear the heavens singing!

There was one more problem though. Justin. The entertainment wrestler. The liar.

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From the beginning, I thought he was completely fake. The guys wanted to vote him out when they first arrived there. Unfortunately, Allie didn’t listen. He’s gone now though, and that’s what counts!

The guy had a girlfriend, only came on the show to become famous, and he called his girlfriend throughout the show. THEN, he wanted to lie about it. Too bad for him that his girlfriend threw him under the bus. That’s right! Some lovely voice mail messages happen to be in the hands of ABC and were broadcast for all of America to hear what a loser he is. What’s sad is the poor guy couldn’t even face the music? Pitiful.

At least we don’t have to watch two whole hours of him tonight though. He’s gone! Whoop, whoop! Now we can see who these sweet, caring guys are and how wonderful they are to her.

Major whoop, whoop!

Lots of News!

I have to say that this weekend was really terrific for more than one reason.

Reason #1- Checked something off my list

#24- Buy an SUV with a substantial down payment

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‘B’ {as I’m called by my niece} got a new ride! I’ve waited Y-E-A-R-S to get a new vehicle. Let’s take a moment to see what I’ve suffered through for almost seven years….

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Huge improvement, huh? It’s the little things that I appreciate after driving the little blue car for that long.

Power windows.

Key fob.

Space.

CD player.

An A/C that’s already cool when you crank the car up. No waiting 5 to 10 minutes for cold air.

It’s the little things like that that I appreciate the most.

Reason #2: Brittany and Luther’s Wedding

Colby and I had the honor of attending a fellow firefighter’s wedding this weekend. We have known Brittany and Luther since we have started dating, and throughout the years we’ve had opportunities to do activities together.

Brittany and Luther are a wonderful, sweet couple. She was breathtaking at the wedding {as all brides should be}. I didn’t have the opportunity to take any pictures. I actually left my camera in the truck. Shame on me, right?!?!

Luckily, though, a friend of mine was gracious enough to snap a few pictures to remember the special evening.

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Brittany's Wedding

I must say that it’s one of the sweetest weddings I’ve been to. Brittany’s dad broke his leg a few months back, and he was unable to walk. From what I understand, it was a pretty awful break. This caused Brittany to have to push their wedding date back because she simply did not want to walk down the aisle without her dad.

Her dad was still not completely healed this weekend, but he was a sport. He used his crutches the entire night until it came to the moment to walk her down the aisle. He traded the crutches for a cane. You know that’s a daddy that would do anything for his little girl. It certainly made the wedding that much more special.

Reason #3: Pickles

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I canned five cans of pickles this weekend. Colby made a $5 bet with me that I would let the cucumbers ruin, but boy was he wrong! I cut all of those cucumbers up in no time and had them made within an hour. It would have taken me less time, but I was watching “My Fair Wedding with David Tutera.”

I can’t say that I made the juice from scratch though. I cheated. I went to Wal-Mart and bought Mrs. Wage’s

pickles

I have some big personally exciting news tomorrow, but I’m going to try to hold my excitement in and share it with you tomorrow!

Future Posts:

Blueberry Festival Weekend {one weekend late}

My big personally exciting news

100th blog post

Edit: For anyone who thinks I have super big news tomorrow like a baby or something, it’s not that kind of news. It’s just something I’m personally excited about. Poor choice of words on my part.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

We’ve caught another one! (Now two!)

That’s right. I have someone else who has joined the blogging world that is very dear to me. It’s my best friend, Erin.

Let me tell you a little about her:

Erin and Hunter

Erin and I have been best friends since Kindergarten. She’s 22 years old and is engaged to an incredibly great guy named Hunter. Erin is currently pursuing her degree in nursing, but there’s a possibility that it might change. {You’ll have to read the blog to find out.} She’s just a fun girl to be around, but she’s what I consider a “good” girl, which is always a plus!

I hope you take a chance to read her blog. She’s just done her first two posts, so I’m sure she’ll have some great material coming up. I know I can’t wait to read it!

Her blog is Psalm 23. CLICK HERE TO READ ALL ABOUT IT!

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I just got another message on Facebook that my cousin, Meg, is starting a blog, too. I have to say that I’m in love with the name of her blog.

Seeking Mary’s Heart in a Martha World

Don’t you just love that name? I related with her first post, especially, and I encourage you to read it as well. I’m excited about it because I rarely get to see them since they live outside of Atlanta, so this is a great way for us to know what’s going on in each other’s lives.

I think blogging is catching on!

Here’s a photo of the girl behind the blog:

Meg

So, that was a trick really. Which girl is it? She’s the one in the middle. Those other two girls are my great cousins, Cate and Misty.

Good luck, Meg! Don’t give up on it! You’ll really learn to enjoy it!

Bridesmaid Luncheon

It’s another wedding post! Yay for that!

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My super sweet SIL offered to host my bridesmaid luncheon the day before the wedding. I knew when she offered to do so that it would be awesome, and it was beyond anything I could have imagined. Someone even said it looked like something out of Southern Living, which is funny because one idea actually did.

Abby will be sharing the details of how she compiled the event together to make it such a beautiful success, but I figured I would just share a few pictures in the mean time.

Before I do that though, I would like to thank Abby and her mom for putting it all together. I know it took lots of hard work, and I can’t ever thank you enough for what you did. It certainly added to my wedding experience, and I have only you to thank for that. It was gorgeous!

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Abby and her mom made the cute monogrammed cakes for each guest. Her mom actually brought the oak leaf hydrangeas that are in the centerpiece from her yard in Birmingham all the way to Brewton and arranged them herself.

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Abby even transferred all of her Italian Countryside china from Birmingham to Brewton for this as well. That’s what I call love!

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Her husband, Judd, designed the invitation. If you like what you see, he’s actually doing it on the side now, and I can get you more information about it.

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As you can tell, the food was delicious. I’m not going to tell you what we had because I would have to lie about exactly what it was, but we all clearly loved it.

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The luncheon actually took place where the reception was being held as well. Since Abby lives out of town, her choices were limited until someone came up with the idea to just have it there. I’m so glad we did, too. We used some of the bridesmaid luncheon decor for the reception as well.

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These are two of my bridesmaids and friends since Kindergarten, Kate and Erin.

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My niece, Aly, wanted to be the bride instead. Don’t you love her make-shift veil?

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For the bridesmaids gifts, I decided to get them……….

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These cute jute monogrammed bags and pearl earrings, bracelet, and necklace {which were worn in the wedding}.

My bridesmaid, Andrea, seemed to be pleased with it =)

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This staircase made the perfect place for bridesmaid pictures. Here you can see from left to right, top to bottom Abby, Kate, Andrea, Ashley, Erin, and myself.

Now, do you see why I loved it so much?

I’ll put a link on another post to let you know when Abby blogs about the details and hard work she put into it. Thanks again, Abby!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Happy Tuesday! Just think…only three more days until the weekend! We’ll hold off on the singing until Friday though.

To celebrate Father’s Day, I decided to cook supper for my dad and Colby’s dad. I worked very hard on that meal all afternoon, and I ended up forgetting to take any pictures. I have to say that I’m a little bummed about that.

I picked my menu ahead of time, and this is what it consisted of:

  • Italian Salad
  • Lemon-Thyme Chicken
  • Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
  • Potato Salad
  • Key Lime Pie

The Bacon Wrapped Asparagus was a hit! I originally got the recipe from the Tasty Kitchen blog, which you can see by clicking on this link. I, however, am going to provide you with my version because I had to tweak it a little bit.

Grilled Asparagus

The picture you see above is not my handy-work and those are not my hands. The picture is from the Tasty Kitchen website.

On to the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 bundle of asparagus
  • 1 package of bacon

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap one slice of bacon around each stalk of asparagus. If you choose, you can also wrap one slice of bacon around two stalks of asparagus. {This is what I preferred to do.}

Put the bacon wrapped asparagus on a cookie sheet making sure to leave a small space between each stalk. Put the cookie sheet in the oven and cook for 20 – 25 minutes. You want the bacon to be browning before you take it out.

Put it on the cutest serving dish you have and watch it be devoured. You will love it!

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This recipe is so simple, and it really is delicious. Give it a try, even if you think you don’t like asparagus. I didn’t think I did either until I gave it a shot {thanks, Abby!}.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father’s Day!

I would just like to say “Happy Father’s Day!” to my wonderful father. He’s an amazingly strong man, and he’s proven it in more than one way this year. At one point this year, there was a moment when we feared we would lose him due to a heart attack, but he pulled through, and I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to cherish that many more moments with him.

Me and Daddy

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There’s another man though that I remember on this special holiday. This is my second Father’s Day without him, and he is dearly missed. I miss his laughter and sense of humor. I miss his understanding of whatever it was that you wanted to talk about him. I’m so grateful that I got to spend 20 years with him though.

Me, Aunt Von, and Paw

The Men in the Den

Me, Ashley, and Paw

Friday, June 18, 2010

Out of My Element

Okay, so first let me say that I have never really blogged about television shows that I watch, which is basically because I never watch the show when it actually comes on, and I never keep up with them like I should.

Let me just say that I’m thankful for online episodes.

So, while Colby and I were on our honeymoon, the Bachelorette began. I’ve never really watched an entire season of the Bachelorette or The Bachelor. I’m one of those that watches the last episode just so I can know what happened.

I’m going crazy right now over The Bachelorette though! This is insane. First of all, I wasn’t really impressed with the group of guys. A professional wrestler? Really? You really thought they might fall in love? Don’t think so.

I just got caught up on the episodes though, and I’m going nuts here. Can Kasey just go yet? This guy is CRAZY!

Kasey

These are my reasons he should be gone immediately:

  1. He talks so weird. I can’t even stand to hear his voice.
  2. The guy keeps saying the same thing over and over. “I’m here to guard and protect your heart.” Shut up! Be a real person! Enough with the lines already.
  3. Ali doesn’t give him a rose because he seems to be too extreme. Ding! Ding! Ding!
  4. The guy decides to get a tattoo with a heart and rose covered by a shield on his wrist because he wants to wear his heart on his sleeve and prove that he will “guard and protect her heart.” Psycho! I don’t know about you, but I would run as fast as I could away from him.

Enough about this crazy guy.

These are my top picks so far in no particular order…

Kirk

Kirk. Sweet guy. Cared a lot about her when she got sick. Too sweet!

Frank

Frank. Genuine guy. Doesn’t mind being himself. Needs to lose the glasses.

Roberto

Roberto. From Charleston, South Carolina. Romantic.

Sorry for the rant! I just couldn’t believe how nuts that guy is and how great the other three are. Who else feels the way I do? Who do you pick for her?

For Sale- Yamaha R1

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Well…this isn’t exactly an exciting post. As you all know, Colby and I bought an airboat, so now it’s time to get rid of something to help pay it off quicker.

Here are the details:

2004 Yamaha R1
3,346 Miles- Like New
No scratches! Terrific condition! Garage kept
Dunlop tires- 500 miles on them


INCLUDED:
Icon helmet with two shields- Size Large
New Black and White Joe Rocket Jacket- Size XL
Two extra helmets included

Price: $7,300

If you’re interested in it, please email me at {brennab52@gmail.com}

OR

Leave a comment on here, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Number 93- Check

I’ve officially learned a new recipe, which was the 93rd item on my 101 Things to Do in 1,001 Days!

We’re low on groceries around the house, and I was desperately searching for a recipe that only used ingredients that I had around the kitchen because I DID NOT want to go to the grocery store. Oh how I hate to go buy groceries for just an item or two!

Anyway…I found this recipe at FoodNetwork.Com.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf


You may click on the picture above to be taken to the direct link for the recipe for a printable version of it. However, I’m going to share the recipe just like it is on the website.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chuck
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 (8 oz.) package sharp Cheddar, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
1 (3 oz) can French fried onions

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and the next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.

Press meat mixture into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

My Notes
For the bacon, I cheated a bit and cooked the bacon in the microwave. Then, I chopped it in my mini-food chopper. It’s too hard to do any other way when you’re in a hurry.

For the cheese, I cheated here, too. I didn’t have the exact amount of one kind of cheese, so I mixed two kinds that were just about the same {mild and sharp}. Still tasted good!
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As a matter of fact, I told another teacher about it at school. She made it for her family times three. Even her picky-eater daughter ate it! It’s definitely worth a try.

It’s way better than regular, old meatloaf!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Numbers 3 and 4- Check!

On my 101 list…

Number 3- Get married!

Number 4- Go to Charleston

Clearly, I’ve done both of these. I forgot to include number 4 though in my previous posts about my honeymoon, so please forgive me.

The greatest thing of all though {and the item I’m most proud of on my 101 list} is number 3, getting married! I’m now Mrs. Langham! That’s taken some getting used to, but you’d be surprised how quickly you get acquainted with your new name when forty children plus other teachers are calling your name for some reason or another.

Okay…so I’ve been about to die to share these pictures with you. My photographer posted a few photos on Facebook to tease me. I’m just going to go ahead and share them with you. Then, when I receive some more, I’ll pass those along for your viewing, too.

Brenna

Brenna and Colby

These are two of my favorites. You can click on the photo album below to see the rest of them.

Let me know what you think! I loved everything about that day, and I was so thankful to have the most wonderful people around me to share it with.

Don’t worry! This isn’t the last wedding post. This is just one to tie all of us over!

 

Saturday, June 12, 2010

The Finishing Touches

Hello all! I hope you all are having a fantastic weekend full of sunshine and warm weather. That’s what we’re having down here in southern Alabama, and I’m loving it.

We’re taking the new toy out for a spin today on the river, so swimsuit and sun, here I come!

I’ve been on such a roll lately with consistently scheduled blog posts that  I couldn’t leave Saturday on the wayside. That’s why I felt like I would share something small with you today.

Meet what I would like to add as a finishing touch on our kitchen. I have not chosen curtains for over a year because I wanted the perfect ones, and I think I finally found them.

curtain

I particularly love how the above picture has the curtain rolled up and tied off. Of course, you could use the second option to change it up a bit.

curtain 2

curtain 3

Where might you find these beauties? Pottery Barn, of course! They’re fairly affordable, too.

Follow this link to purchase them or find out more about them.

***Note that all pictures are clearly from the Pottery Barn website.***

Friday, June 11, 2010

Challenged!

In our town, we have a three story building in downtown Brewton where I live. It’s probably safe to say that it’s the tallest building downtown.

I particularly love it for its charm inside and out. At one time, it was known as Luttrell’s Hardware, which is evident inside by the very old scale to weigh big items. It’s actually in the floor. Very cool!

There’s also an old vault that says “Luttrell’s Hardware” over it. You can see evidence in later pictures that I will post. It will be the photos that include my wedding cake.

Now, the building is named “The Hourglass,” and this is where my reception took place. I absolutely loved setting up the reception there. The owners of the store are such wonderful people, and they were so helpful in making the reception a success.

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This is actually an old picture of the building, as you can see how it’s dated. If you look closely at the top though, there is a plow anchored on the very top of this building. I’ve always wanted to take my picture by it. Not everyone gets to.

While we were setting up for the reception, I was challenged in a text message I received from the owners to “put on my big girl panties” and take a picture by the plow. Little did I know of what was ahead of me, but I had to take the challenge.

The others that were helping set up and myself ventured to the third floor and began searching for the entrance to the roof. I kid you not when I say that it was literally a regular metal ladder propped up against an opening in the roof that was closed off by a door that let up.

I can’t say that I wasn’t a little bit frightened by this, but I couldn’t back down now. After all, I was challenged. My brother-in-law began up the ladder first. He had to open the door to the roof. Once he opened it, he realized that once you got to the top of the ladder that you had to delicately place your feet one at a time on a ledge between the ceiling and the roof then push yourself through the hole. Scary stuff!

I went ahead and did it though without any problem. At the bottom of the ladder though was my SIL and sister scared to death that the bride was going to plunge to the floor and be severely hurt. Luckily, that didn’t happen. I successfully made it to the top. These are the pictures I captured while I was there.

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The T.R. Miller Saw Mill {below}

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And now to show I completed the challenge…

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I must apologize for what I was wearing, but please forgive me. I was setting up for a wedding reception.

Coming down through the hole was a little more challenging, but I made it without plunging to my death. Thank God! Judd, my BIL, asked me if I wanted him to go before me, so he could be right behind me. I immediately said no. I knew if I was the only one left on that roof that I was NEVER coming down.

It was a fun experience, and it was certainly worth the risk.