Sunflower Tablescape

Just wanted to share my tablescape for this evening. The other day I stopped by Pier 1 Imports and found some really cute things. I purchased the sunflower napkin rings, the sunflower pitcher, and the beige tablecloth. I already had the red placemats and thought they would match the pitcher. I tried to layer a few different colors to match the picture. It's nothing as elebrate as some of my blogging friends but just a simple one for a simple dinner.

Have a FABULOUS weekend!!!

Blueberries

Lately I've been on a blueberry kick. I dropped by our local Farmer's Market and picked up a big crate of freshly grown blueberries. This morning I made a batch of blueberries muffins for breakfast. My husband loved them. The house smelled so yummy of warm muffins. Nothing smells better than freshly baked goodies. I also decided this afternoon I would make a blueberry smoothie. Again, the blueberries were delicious.

I had so many blueberries that I thought it would be a good idea to freeze them. I do love blueberries but I'd have to eat them for every meal for about a week for them not to spoil. I made two batches of  muffins and took one batch over to my neighbor (she just had knee surgery). I wish I would have thought to take a picture of my container I brought her. I decorated it with pink and green tissue paper, pink and green muffin cups, and an adorable pink and green flower on top with a jewel center. It was really pretty but I was so anxious to see her that I forgot to take a picture. It's so disappointing when I forget to take pictures. Does that also happen to you?

I recently came across a really great blueberry muffin recipe. I thought I'd share with y'all.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 pint fresh blueberries - rinsed, drained and patted dry
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Position rack in the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating, and line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 3/4 cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Crush 1/4 of the blueberries, and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole blueberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, and tops spring back when lightly tapped

A Godly Woman

A Godly Woman by M.S. Lowndes

 A woman of beauty
A woman of grace
A woman of excellence
Beholding God's face

 She walks with the Lord
With integrity
Knowing her purpose
And destiny

 No matter what happens
She walks in God's love
Reflecting the beauty
Of her Father above


"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord,shall be praised."
  Proverbs 31:30

Hope y'all are having a BLESSED week!!!

AMERICANS

WHAT DOES THE AMERICAN FLAG REPRESENT?

We pledge to it

It represents our culture

We are victorious with it

Our Grandfathers/Fathers fought for it

 

All ages respect it

We celebrate with it

 

We mark our memorials with it

 

We wrap our heroes in it

We become undefeated with it

 

We honor with it

 

We mourn with it

 

We build men out of boys with it

But most of all.....

We are United under it



Don't forget to fly your American flag with pride to mark the anniversary when we showed the world what couragous people make up this great nation.

Thanksgiving Nutcrackers

I just wanted to share with y'all my new Thanksgiving nutcrackers. Aren't they adorable! They were too cute to pass up. I'm really looking forward to the holidays this year. Bring on the Fall!!!



Take a stroll through my neighborhood

I'm sorry that I haven't been blogging much. My days have been slipping into weeks. We've been trying to adjust to the new school schedule and studying around our daily obligations. It's been quite an adjustment but we are hanging in there.

I knew once my husband started law school I would have to take on more responsibilities. We've been there before when my husband was in Grad school. However, we were also 10 years younger than too. This time around is much more exhausting. However, it's just for a season. A season that will last 3 long years but just as season to say the least. It's amazing how much older I feel just after 10 short years, Ha!

We've been trying to exercise more to give us an extra energy boost throughout the day. Spending hours in a chair studying is not good on the ole body so I suggested that my hubby take a break every so often and work out on the bike, lift weights, or go for a long walk. This evening we had a beautiful sunset so we decided to walk around the neighborhood. I brought my camera as I'm still trying to learn how to use it. I was pleased with the pictures and thought I'd share with y'all.

I must say that I enjoy living in this neighborhood very much. I know almost all my neighbors now and it just fits us (personality wise). I'm really looking forward to see what the neighborhood will look like during the fall. Jackson actually gets all four seasons. I haven't had all four seasons in years. Back in Texas we only have two seasons; hot and hotter. I'm really anxious to enjoy a cool brisk holiday this year.



Graceland

My hubby started school last week but spent most of the time in orientation. This is the time where they meet the professors, staff, Dean, and other students. It is also when they get their schedules, books, and photos taken. They ended orientation on Thursday so my husband had Friday off. We decided to seize the opportunity and take a impromptu road trip to Memphis. We had heard that it was "Elvis Week" and considering that I have never been to Graceland my husband decided it was the perfect excuse to go.

The house was much smaller than I had originally imagined it to be. Just like the Southfork House out of Dallas. I really like the living room of this home. I even tracked down a picture of Elvis playing guitar on the sofa. 

Check out the Peacocks!!!

Elvis had heard that the President had three televisions in his office to watch all three networks at the same time. He decided that he wanted to do the same. That is why he had three televisions installed in his den.

This is his record room. I almost laugh at the thought it is called a room. It's more on the scale of a small house. You wouldn't believe all the awards he had received over his career. I don't think I've ever seen so many in my life.

I really love these jumpsuits. I told my hubby that I think he should start wearing them around campus. That and some big gold Elvis sunglasses. He could become the Elvis attorney, Ha!

More records and awards

 

One of my favorites to tour was his car collection. I'm a huge classic car fan and I was excited to see all the unique vehicles he had in his collection. Although, I was disappointed that I wasn't allowed to use a flash inside. The room was very dark and my pictures didn't turn out very well. However, I did take a picture of this classic beauty.

Another section of the tour was his famous wardrobe. I had to get a snapshot of this shirt and jacket.

A lot of people do not realize that Elvis was not from Memphis, Tennessee. He was actually born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi. His family relocated to Memphis when he was 13 years old. His twin brother, Jesse, died at birth. His family was very poor and often had difficult times trying to make ends meet.
His mother, Gladys, took Elvis to church. This is where he began singing gospel music. He was only 10 years old when he entered a contest at the Mississippi-Alabama fair. He sang, "Old Shep," and won 5th place. For his birthday that year he received his first guitar. He said, "I took the guitar, and I watched people play a little bit. But I would never sing in public. I was very shy about it."

He didn't have any friends at school. He would bring his guitar and play at lunch. He was considered the "trashy" kid that played hillbilly music. In November 1948, his family moved to Memphis. They couldn't afford a house so they lived in a rooming house until they were able to move into a two bedroom apartment (considered public housing).  He began playing guitar with a few boys he'd met in his Junior year. They even started playing on the infamous Beale Street (known for blues). B.B. King said he knew Presley when they both us to frequent Beale Street before they became famous.

In his senior year he entered a talent show, "I wasn't popular in school....I failed music-only thing I ever failed. And then they entered me in a talent show....when I came onstage I heard people rumbling and whispering and so forth cause nobody knew I even sang. It was amazing how popular became after that."

It was August 1953, when Elvis walked into Sun Records. He failed the audition. He ended up taking a job as a truck driver for Crown Electric Company. On a hot July night, Presley was about to call it quits as he was finishing up a audition."All of sudden, Elvis just started singing this song, jumping around and acting a fool, and then Bill picked up his bass, and started acting a fool, too, and I started playing with them," said Winfield "Scotty" Moore. Three days later a popular Memphis DJ played their song and people were eagerly calling in to find out who he was. Did you know that one of his first major shows was in Houston, Texas? Just thought I'd throw that out since we just moved from Houston.

Ok, and since I resided in Austin, Texas for nearly 6 years I must add that Priscilla and her family lived in Austin prior to leaving for Germany (where she met Elvis). Her father was a US Navy Pilot and moved the family to Wiesbaden, Germany. She would visit the Eagles Club (a hang out for Americans) and listen to the jukebox. There she would write all of her friends back home in Austin.

She met a friend, Currie Grant, who said he knew Elvis. Elvis was deployed to Germany during this time. Her friend Currie Grant asked if she would like to meet Elvis but she told him she would have to ask her parents approval. She was only 14 at the time. Grant assured her parents that she would be well chaperoned. On September 13, 1959, during an evening party at Elvis' house, they met. He immediately was stricken by her and said he felt "awkward, embarrassed" like the boy next door in front of her. They were married on May 1, 1967 in Las Vegas.

Look at Lisa Marie's baby clothes

I love her maternity dress

This was his private jet "Lisa Marie" where Lisa Marie spent her 9th Birthday. It was really impressive to see

Hope y'all enjoyed my tour of Graceland.