Lawn Jockey

I wanted to share with you my new little Lawn Jockey. I was out and about one afternoon and decided to stop in at our local Antique Mall. As I was browsing I came across this little Lawn Jockey. I've been wanting one for years since I first saw one sitting in front of an amazing home in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I truly wish I had a picture of that gorgeous home. The yards were immaculate. It could have easily been photographed for an issue of Southern Living. Standing by the cobblestone walkway stood proudly a Lawn Jockey (like this one). However, it was much larger and looked as if it weighed a ton. I instantly fell in love and told myself "one day" I'll have my very own. So you can just imagine my enthusiasm when I spotted in the corner this little guy. It was as if he was calling out to me.

Back 2 School Dinner

My husband started his first day back to school today. This will be his second year of law school. I'm hoping that this year will go by as quickly as his first. It is hard to believe that after this semester he'll be halfway complete with his law education. The sooner the better. :) My husband is an older student and works in health care. He has hit a point in his career where he needs his law degree to expand his business for future opportunities. He attends school full time as well as runs his business. He actually services his accounts between classes and school work. It has been difficult but we knew it was going to be a challenging 3 years. However, the payoff will be well worth it. Just running the marathon itself can be exhausting.

I used old books, an apple, and his graduation photo from his MBA as the centerpiece.

I purchased new place mats and these adorable apple napkin rings from Pier 1 Imports. I instantly fell in love with the apple napkin rings and thought they would be perfect for a "Back 2 School" theme.

I came across this Thomas Jefferson quote and thought it would be a nice inspiration to start off the new school year. Having the right mind set can truly move mountains.

I made some of his favorite dishes; baked pecan chicken, scallop potatoes, lemon basil zucchini, and a coconut key lime pie for dessert. I purchased the graham cracker crust but made the pie and whip cream myself.

My husband loves German wines.

I wish everyone with students and teachers in their homes a truly wonderful and blessed school year.

Tennis Anyone?

I've been spending my summer gearing up for the approaching Fall tennis league. June was warm, July was hot, but August had been down right brutal. It is absolutely horrid out there. I also changed tennis pros and my new pro is much harder on me than my last. He is young, fit, and loves drills in the middle of the afternoon. "Cardio Tennis" is what he calls it. I refer to it as "Death Tennis."

However, my game is improving. I plan on hitting the courts again this evening. My husband also loves to play and I'm planning on crushing him. We are both competitive but we aren't like some of those couples. You know them, where they yell or truly get moody if the other wins. Talk about uncomfortible. My husband and I like to kid around and are good sports. We laugh a lot but there are victory dances involved.

I came across these old pictures and thought it would be fun to post them for all to see. I'm soooo happy that tennis fashions have changed. I don't think I could survive playing a game in a dress. I especially love the hat.

Look at these tennis shoes!!! Are you serious? How on earth could you play in those? However, my favorite picture is below. What a hoot and quite daring. At times I feel that type of stress when I'm on the court.

Wishing y'all a fantastic weekend!!!

Macaroons

I'm pleased to announce that I now know how to make macaroons. This morning I took a cooking course through Viking Cooking school. My goodness, I loved every minute of it. I plan on taking future courses in the next couple of weeks. Its a good way to meet new friends and challenge yourself in the kitchen. To tell you the truth I was a bit nervous trying to master the art of the macaroon. I'm not much of a baker but I didn't allow intimidation to stop me. With a few clicks and my credit card number I was committed.
 

Macaroons are some of my favorite treats. They are absolutely delicious. There is something so artistic about them. The colors are vibrant and they are filled with the most heavenly creams.

Considering that I'm NOT a baker I felt at times I was completely a fish out of water. But what I enjoyed most about my instructor is that she took the time to show me what to do and gave me some incredible tips that I'm eager to use in the kitchen.

Although my macaroons didn't turn out as pretty as the instructor's or Laduree's, they tasted incredible. My fillings are chocolate, vanilla, buttercream, and peanut butter. My favorite was the peanut butter (too die for).



I'm going to continue practicing until I master the perfect macaroon. The chocolate macaroons are too big and look like whoopie pies.

Thankfully my husband could care less how they looked while popping them in his mouth.

Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend!