The Story of the Five Balls

After writing this post about how I finally got interested in reading, I decided to reread that first book where it all started – James Patterson’s Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas. I started and finished it this week and it was just as good as I remembered it to be. There was a part in one of the very first chapters of the book that really had me thinking and was one of the best analogies of work/life balance I’ve ever read so wanted to share:

“It goes like this. Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you’re keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls – family, health, friends, integrity – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.”

This really made an impact on me especially with how my own life has evolved over the last few years. You see, my previous job was my life. I absolutely loved my company, the people were family to me and leaving there to move when I got married was truly a difficult day (with lots of tears involved – very professional, I know). However, like I said, it was my life. For those years I acted as though work was the only glass ball and the other 4 were the rubber ones that would always bounce back to me. I worked myself to death because I was so worried about breaking that glass ball of work. But after getting married, have time off from work altogether and then starting a new job I feel a whole new outlook on things and reading this just reaffirmed how things should be as opposed to how I was living previously.

It’s those 4 things that are truly important in life: family, health, friends and integrity because without even one of them, what is the purpose to life? So as I have started my new job and my new life here I have also started a brand new outlook on things… (I know you’ve heard this before) work to live, not live to work. Now, this is not without saying that working hard and striving to do your best at your job should fall flat but it is just an understanding that work isn’t always the most important thing.

So as we go into the weekend I challenge you to put the phone down, shut down the laptops, stop answering the emails. I know this is a difficult task in this day and age but give yourself the weekend – I promise you work will be there for you on Monday, remember it’s a rubber ball. Stop. Enjoy those 4 glass ones for awhile.

Don't worry - I'm off my soapbox now. :)

Who doesn't love a good style quiz?

I've already mentioned my love for HomeGoods before but I don't mind saying again just how much I love that store. I'm really not a huge shopper in general (lucky Brett) but with HomeGoods there are always new things in the store so it's like exploring a new store every time you go - you just never know what you are going to find!

I just found this nifty little home decore style quiz on their website and who doesn't love a good style quiz?

My results came back as "Classic" with a touch of "New Country" - go figure! So go have at it! Were your results as accurate as mine??

Tasty Tuesday: Grilled Hawaiian Pizza

Grilled. Hawaiian. Pizza - How could you not love something with those 3 words in it?? This is a recipe we found in The Food Network Magazine and have made several times this summer. I highly recommend it!



Ingredients

• 1 pound prepared pizza dough (We just use 2 pizza dough tubes from the grocery)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced pineapple (from about 1/2 pineapple) (and eat the rest while cooking)
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-to-2-inch pieces
• 1/4 pound deli-sliced ham (We go with Boars Head)
• 3/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 3/4 cup shredded muenster cheese (about 3 ounces) (for the cheeses, get it in the blocks and shred yourself... and it never hurts to add a little extra cheese)

Directions (ours varies slightly from the original recipe)

Preheat a grill to medium. Roll out each tube of dough onto a baking sheet and coat in the oil.

Using a grill basket coated with olive oil, grill cut pineapple, scallions and ham until lightly charred, 5 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate once it is done.

Carefully place each piece of dough directly on the grill and cook until marked and golden, about 5 minutes. (Make sure grill is fairly cool here otherwise it will burn the crust.) Flip the crusts and top evenly with the cheese, ham, scallions and pineapple. Continue grilling until the cheese melts and the crust is cooked through, about 5 more minutes. (If the crust is browning too quickly, slide the pizzas to the outer edge of the grill.) Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board and cut into pieces and enjoy!

Weekend Recap: 9/24/12

To make this short and sweet - based on Friday's Post, here is how the weekend went:

1) Sherwin Williams Paint Sale:
Check! Stocked up on paint and supplies and am ready to get to work. On a postive note though, after sampling the paint color in the living room and dining room, we realized that the color we have isn't so bad in there so we cut the paint purchase (and labor) in half and are only redoing the hallway. Now that I have the paint, I'm sure I won't be able to contain myself and will paint all week after work to get it done.

2) Cake Batter Dip
Check! Check! Check! Man, this stuff was delish and oh so easy to make!

3) Big Wave
Check! Lucky for me, my boss let me leave work a little early on Friday so I was able to beat traffic, hit up the grocery store for tailgate supplies and get home to one of these before 5:30. Not too shabby! If only I was drinking it IN Hawaii though!

4) Football / 3:30 Game
Check! We had such a good time at the game and cheering the Gamecocks to a victory over Missouri!

Some of ladies at our tailgate.

The student section enjoying Sandstorm!

Proof that The Owens actually went into a game!

Sun setting on the stadium.

5) Christmas Cards
Yep... still lovin' them!


Hope everyone had a great weekend! Tomorrow, I'm planning on sharing a recipe for one of my favorite homemade pizzas ever so stay tuned! :)

Happy Friday!

Besides it being Friday and so close to the weekend, here are 5 things that make me happy today:

1) Sherwin Williams Paint Sale

You see, when Brett first moved into his house the living room and dining room were painted the same yellow color. It didn't seem so bad at first so I repainted the living room the same color and then ended up painting the hallway that color as well to bring a little unity to the open areas. Well, now I hate the color... seriously.can't.stand.it. SO, I'm extra excited about the sale Sherwin Williams is having this weekend so I can go buy a few new gallons of paint, in a much better color, and guilt free since it's 40% off!

2) Cake Batter Dip

I found this gem on Pinterest and have been dying to try it out so figured I would give it a shot for the football game this weekend. Will let you know how it turns out!

3) Big Wave

My husband just sent me this picture which really made my morning! This was our favorite beer on our honeymoon in Hawaii and haven't been able to find it anywhere here... until now! Come on 5:00!!

4) Football / 3:30 Game


Source

Of course I'm excited about the football game as well! Not only is it the first SEC game of the season, it is our first time playing Missouri since them joining the SEC and it is also a 3:30 game which let's face it, is the best time for a football game. You don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to the tailgate and you aren't stuck there until 1am waiting for traffic to die down. So excited! GO COCKS!

5) Christmas Cards

Yes, I realize it is only September but I have tapped my oh so talented friend who is the owner of Miss Wyolene to create our Christmas cards this year (she also did our wedding invitations which you can see HERE) and she also happens to be expecting a little baby Miss(ter) Wyolene in October so she wanted to go ahead and knock these babies out before well, welcoming her own baby into the world. We just got the first concepts back last night and I am so in LOVE! Of course you will have to wait until December to see the fabulous design... I'm sure you will all be on the edge of your seats until then!

So that's that! I hope you all have a fabulous Friday as well!!

Summer Book Review



To say I ever read a book for pleasure pre-college would be a lie. But I finally found a book that had me interested in it enough to read the entire thing and since then, I've been hooked. For me, that book was James Patterson's "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas." Today, I can't even tell you what it is about but I still remember reading it and realizing how great a good book can be.



I never read as much throughout the year as I do in the summer (there is just something about sitting by the beach/pool/lake with a book in hand) so I try to read as much as I can over those summer months to get my yearly fill.  Here are the books I have read this summer with my comments. I can't say I hated any of them so definitely check them all out at some point!

1. Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I really enjoyed all 3 of these books. They definitely got stranger as the 3 books progressed but I'm into a little strange so it worked for me. Also went and saw the first movie which Brett and I both enjoyed. They left out some key details in the movie that I had to later explain to Brett but I really enjoyed seeing the book come to life in the movie, especially all the "Capital" scenes.

2. I Do, Now What by Giuliana and Bill Rancic

I don't know about you but I am in love with this couple so this book was a must read while we were on the honeymoon. The book is their advice on how to have a healthy marriage and has all kinds of personal stories. It was super cute and definitely a must-read for any newlyweds who love them as much as me!

3. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

If you have never read a Jodi Picoult book, you should! All of her books tackle a tough subject and put an interesting spin on it. This one was a little strange for my taste but still enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend Nineteen Minutes, The Pact or House Rules by her.

4. Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster

This book was given to me by my good friend Lauren and was a perfect quick summer read. It was super cute and had me literally laughing out loud during a few parts. Lauren loves all her books so I need to read another soon.

5. 50 Shades Trilogy by E.L.James

Well, I couldn't possibly go through the summer without seeing what all the hype was about over this series. Here is my short and sweet summary: Book 1) Graphic, borderline porn, no storyline. Book 2) Slightly less graphic, still borderline porn, starting to develop an interesting storyline. Book 3) Even less graphic and actually an interesting storyline (definitely the best of all 3).

6. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

This book was recommended to me by my good friend, Aston (who I get a lot of my book recos from) and it certainly did not dissappoint. It's such a great story about a woman in her "middle place" in life between still wanting to be cared for by her parents yet having to end up caring for them and her own family. If you have a great relationship with your dad - this is a read for you (bring the tissues).

7. Where We Belong by Emily Griffin

I was a little hesitent about reading this one because the last 2 books by Emily Griffin have fallen a little flat for me but I was pleasantly surprised! She really changed things up with this one and got rid of the whole "girl meets boy, boy breaks girl's heart, girl gets back with boy" storyline with something completely new. The end kind of keeps things open for a sequel so here's hoping!

8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I really enjoyed this one, especially since it was such a change of pace from previous books I've read this summer. It's an interesting mindgame and has you always trying to figure out what the next twist is. My mom read it after I raved to her about it and she simply said that it is "really weird, but good" which I'd say it pretty accurate.

9. The Light Between Oceans by M.L.Stedman

This is one that Brett found for me to read - well, technically he initially thought he would read it (lighthouses, boats and oceans, what's a guy not to like) but then realized it was more of a love story than anything so he passed it along to me. It was a pretty slow start with really long chapters that never seemed to end (think Old Man and the Sea) but about halfway through it really picked up and I ended up really, really liking it!

10. The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

I've read a few of Jennifer Weiner's books before (In Her Shoes and Best Friends Forever - both fabulous) so when I was looking for a new book I figured I couldn't go wrong with her latest, and I was right. Great story and perfect for a summer beach read (or in my case a "sit in your cubicle during lunch" read).

So, now that I'm done with my latest book, I need some suggestions on what to read next! Leave a comment with some of your favorites from this summer!

Tasty Tuesday: Summer Treats

With the official first day of fall being Saturday, summer is sadly coming to a close. And while this post may be a little more appropriate at the start of summer, I just haven't been able to give up on summer just yet! So, in honor of this time of year coming to an end, I've decided to share a few of my absolutely favorite summer recipes! ENJOY!

Chicken & Bacon Kabobs
Bacon makes everything better, right?

*You can really make this for as many people as you wish so the qty of ingredients is really up to you.
- Chicken Breasts
- Bacon
- Red Onion
- Green Pepper
- Red Pepper
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Old Dutch Sweet and Sour Dressing (this is the secret ingredient that makes these!)

Cut your chicken into cubes and wrap a half a piece of bacon around them (if you put a whole piece, it won't cook through and then you have half cooked bacon on the inside and it just isn't very pretty). Then cut up your peppers and onion into little square cups so they will nestle nicely around the chicken (yes, I am extremely OCD about this stuff haha). Then, just stick all these onto your skewers - of course, in a nice, pretty pattern. :) Cook them on a pretty cool grill. If it is too hot they will burn really easily. Just cook them low and slow and throughout the cooking, slather those puppies with the Old Dutch! Seriously, we use the whole bottle!
*And, if you are like us and always have leftover ingredients, you will notice it is all the same stuff you need for fajitas the next night!


Tomato Pie
I don't even like tomatoes, and I LOVE this!

- 1 Vidalia Onion, sliced
- 1-2 Large Tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Frozen deep dish pie crust
- A small amount of mayonnaise (just enough to get the cheese to stick together)
- Fresh basil, chopped
- Fresh oregano, chopped
*Use as much as you want of the herbs. We are huge basil freaks so we use more than most. :)

Go ahead and cook the pie crust as the package directs. Slice the tomatoes and onion. Chop the herbs. Mix the cheese in a bowl with the mayo - this gets messy bc you usually have to just mix together with your hands until the cheese sticks together. Layer in pie crust: Onion, Tomato, Herbs, then pack cheese on top. Cook on 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is good and melted on top.


Baked Vidalia Onions
Picture doesn't do this a bit of justice!

*Again, this recipe you can just make for as many as you wish so exact ingredients differ. But, go ahead and plan on 2 onions per person... you will want seconds.
- Large Vidalia onions (they must be vidalias... we have tried to make them with just generic sweet onions and it just isn't the same.)
- Beef Bouillon Granules
- Squeeze Butter
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cut just a very small amount off the bottom of the onions so they will sit flat in the dish. Then, using a knife/spoon hollow out the top of the onions to make a bowl. Be careful not to go all the way through the bottom, you don't want any of those yummy juices to escape! Then layer inside your little onion bowls: bouillon granules, squeeze of butter, Parmesan cheese. Repeat a few times until the onions are full and cheese is on top (Usually 2-3 times max). Place the onions in a glass baking dish and fill the dish with water (about halfway up the onions) and cook on 300 for about 2-3 hours until they are tender and slightly brown. Sometimes I cover them for the last 30 minutes to brown them a bit more.


So, there ya have it! After writing this, we may be having all of these one last time this week before the cold weather officially hits.

High School Reunion

This weekend we made the trip back to Greenville to attend my 10-Year High School Reunion. Let's just say we had a little difficulty planning our reunion but it turned out to be a blast! A few funny observations from the reunion:

1) It was so funny how we all kept saying that social media and Facebook have really changed the dynamic of reunions and almost making them a thing of the past. Instead of the conversations starting with, "Wow, haven't seen you in 10 years, how are you, where are you living, etc." they are more along the lines of "Wow, haven't seen you in 10 years but I know you live in {insert city}, got married to {insert person} and are currently {insert career}, anything else new?"

2) It's true what they say, the things you thought were the end of the world in high school you don't even remember what they were about now. Example: One girl at the reunion was laughing about how when we were planning the senior prom, we had this HUGE debate on what the theme would be. (True story, it was a BIG deal.) She said she remembers coming home after a meeting about it SO upset and her mom told her she wouldn't even remember the prom theme in 10 years.... well, 10 years later, we were all standing around and not 1 of us could remember the theme. Too funny!

Many of my best friends from high school have been my best friends since elementary school and then followed me all the way through college at USC as well. We are so blessed to have stayed so close for so many years. Since there are so many of us, we don't always see each other as often as we would like, but any time we do get together as a group, we pick up exactly where we last left off! It has been a crazy 10-years but I am so glad I have been able to share it with some great friends! Love yall!


A few of the girls at our Senior Prom:

And no, we did not coordinate our dress colors - it really did just happen this way.

And a shot of me, Brooke and Stephanie at the reunion. I think we look pretty good 10 years older! (sadly, the only one I captured of us gals at the party).

And the only other picture I got of the evening... our husbands huddled around an iPhone trying to watch football. Typical.

Prayer Request

Please say a little (or huge) prayer for 2 of my good friends, Tim and Jenny. Tim and I have been friends since high school and Jenny and I were friends in college and then worked together for a few years after. Tim was diagnosed with colon cancer about 3 years ago (and right before their wedding) and has been fighting hard ever since. They recently got some news that the trial program he was currently involved in wasn't helping him and while this isn't the worse news they could get, it does mean they have to go back to the drawing board with his treatments.

Tim and Jenny have proven to be some of the strongest people I know through all of this and I truely admire their spirit and attitudes through what has to be the most difficult situation handed to any human being... let alone newlyweds in their 20s (orrrr 30's for Tim as of a few weeks ago hehe).

So if you have a moment, please send some good thoughts and prayers their way... they, more than anybody, deserve some good news.

You can read more about Tim's story and his latest results in their blog, The Story of Tim.

September 11, 2012

You always hear your grandparents talk about these historical events in their lives, things that we only read about in the history books but they remember the specific day of the week, where they were, who they were with when it happened. To our generation, that day is September 11, 2001 - 11 years ago today when those planes crashed into the World Trade Center.

For me, I was a senior in high school and sitting in Physics class. I remember somebody coming into the room and telling my teacher to turn on the TV. We watched the aftermath of the first plane hitting the building and then I remember my teacher turning off the TV and trying to get us to focus back on our work. It wasn't until after that class that we knew something serious was going on. However, we were still just kids - 17 and 18 years old. We really didn't get how serious this was.

I'm not sure I ever really understood the destruction, devastation and hurt people felt from 9/11 until last year when we watched all the news coverage from the 10-year anniversary specials on TV. 10 years had passed since the tragedy, but for me it was like I was experiencing the entire thing all over again, and with more perspective than ever before.

One can only hope that this will be the most tragic thing we as a nation will experience in our lifetime but you also can't help but gain so much pride along the way. It is a pretty inspiring thing that every, single year on 9/11 this nation comes together. People stop and remember what happened and honor the lives of those lost and survived that day.

May we never forget.

Weekend Recap: Football, Friends and Food

This weekend we had 72 hours of blissfulness (is that even a word?) since it was the first weekend in 6 (yes, SIX) weekends that Brett and I were both home, in Columbia, for an entire weekend - together! Crazy, right?!

Friday Night Brett finally lived up to his promise and took me to eat dinner at Mr. Friendlys. It's one of the few local Columbia restaurants that I had never eaten at and had been wanting to try and it certainly did not disappoint! We started out by ordering the fried yellow grits with goat cheese and bacon. I mean, come on! How could you go wrong? It was so good! I got the pork chop for dinner which had a killer bbq sauce and relish on it that really made the dish! Brett got some kind of fish (I don't eat much seafood and no fish so he has to get his fill of it when we go out to eat) and even though fish isn't my thing, he cleaned the entire plate so I guess it was good! And of course since I have a huge sweet tooth (thanks for that, mom) we had to order the chocolate fudge cake for desert. Overall, it was fantastic and I can't wait to go back again for lunch next time!

Oh - I also got this picture from my mom on Friday... the ole wedding dress is all clean and packed up. Kind of sad seeing it in a box like this!

Saturday was of course the football game against ECU and with a 12:20 kickoff, it doesn't allow for sleeping in so we were up early and out the door to tailgate. Here are a few pictures from the game:



SO excited to Mrs. Barber! Lauren and I are best friends from college and I hadn't seen her since her wedding in April. She has a great blog you can follow HERE!



This is where we watched the game. I may lose fan points for that but when it's close to 110 degrees and you have an industrial fan at your spot, you don't exactly want to leave.



Bowers enjoyed his very first Carolina football game!




And we had some serious F.U.N with a few dinos.

After the game, we went to our favorite local pizza joint - conveniently called The Pizza Joint - and had a few drinks and pizza with Lauren and her husband Aaron.

Sunday morning we woke up and had a cup of coffee with the Barbers before they had to hit the road back to Charlotte. Brett and I then proceeded to be extra lazy and watched a few episodes of Friday Night Lights - we have been watching it on Netflix and are on the last season now. What to do when the people of Dillion leave my life...

We then decided to get motivated and stop by the new Home Goods store that just opened. The opening of this store was a pretty big deal in my mind since shopping there occupied about 99% of my time in Greenville and now that there is one here is huge! Brett was less thrilled than me as I drug him all around the store handing him things to carry and yelling for him to "Keep Up!" It was pretty ridiculously crowded so I only left there with a few new picture frames but I would still consider it a pretty successful trip!

Then, we came home and cooked Chile-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Salsa for dinner. We got the recipe from The Food Network Magazine which we get and try to cook out of on a regular basis. We've had it for about 2 years now and have never had a failed recipe to date! This one was amazing and one we will definitely make again! Very light and refreshing, perfect for a Sunday night! Highly Recommend!

All-in-all it was the perfect weekend in town! Next weekend, we hit the road again and head to Greenville for my 10-year High School Reunion (eeek, I'm old!) so more on that later! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend as well!!

Yes, but what does it mean??

So I figured it was about time I explain the meaning behind the blog name. Short answer: Van Morrison’s Warm Love was the song Brett and I danced to at our wedding. But, since this deserves a bit more credit – keep reading…

My favorite picture from our first dance. Think it totally captures us in the moment!

I remember one time when Brett and I were just dating this song came on a cd he had playing in the car and he told me that this was the song he wanted to dance to at his wedding. I remember this because (being a typical girl) I couldn’t help but think to myself “hmmm, he wouldn’t tell me this unless he thought that he might dance to this at OUR wedding one day…” And low and behold, we did about 2 years later. Surprisingly though, Brett didn’t go straight to this song when I gave him the task of choosing our first dance song. He actually narrowed it down to these choices:

-          Dave Matthews Band: You and Me Together

-          Van Morrison: Warm Love

-          Don Henley’s version of: Come Rain or Come Shine

*I think there was a Lionel Richie song in the mix too but can’t remember which one.

All great songs but we ultimately went back to his very first choice of Warm Love. It had all the things we wanted in a first dance song; great lyrics, catchy so we could sing along (we weren’t into the whole awkward stare into each other’s eyes while everyone watches – we wanted to have fun as well!), and something that wasn’t overused.

So, that’s where the title of the blog came from. Short and sweet and something that means a lot to me (and Brett). If you have never heard the song, I’ve put the youtube link below so you can!

Van Morrsion - Warm Love 

And a few more First Dance pics:

Having some fun.

And being sweet. Best of both worlds, as it should be!

Labor Day Weekend and Special Friends

Is there anything better than a long weekend spent at the beach with some of your favorite people? Nope, didn't think so. This past weekend we headed to Edisto to spend Labor Day Weekend with my parents and our favorite beach-going friends, the Hetricks. My Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bo have had a place down in Edisto for a number of years and for as long as I can remember, we have spent Labor Day with their family in Edisto. (Btw, some people find it odd that I have so many "Aunts and Uncles" that aren't my "blood" aunts and uncles but to me, they are just simply my family and I guess I'm just extra lucky to have them in my life!)

Considering my mom and my Aunt Nancy have been best friends since they were little girls, it's safe to say they have a pretty special bond but it doesn't stop there! Our dad's our best friends, the "kids" are best friends (and have all been in each other's weddings with Meagan's coming up in January!), and now even our husbands have that special bond that is so exciting to see! We talked this weekend about how lucky we are to be as close as we are given the fact that we have all lived 3 hours apart our entire lives but that hasn't stopped our families from spending numerous family vacations, beach trips and Gamecock football games together throughout the years. And now that I am in Columbia and just down the street from Aston, her husband and son (albeit, a 30 minute drive down the street), I foresee even more family fun in store for the Hetricks and the Wills for the years to come!

This year's labor day trip was certainly no disappointment and I so look forward to the next time we can all get together!

Scroll for a few pics I captured on my phone from the weekend!

Saw an amazing sunset as we crossed the bridge onto the island.



The site upon arrival to the house. Best buds for sure!



Enjoyed some quiet time on the beach.

While watching this one play. Doesn't get any cuter people!

Spent a little time on the boat.

Even got Brett to show us his skiing skills.

Ate some seriously good food.

Played a few priceless rounds of this game.

Had some last minute cuddle time with sweet Mills before heading home.

And poor Brinkley had to miss out on all the fun while at the kennel. In case you can't see, he is the black blob in the top looking as pitiful as ever.

Hope everyone else had a great holiday weekend as well!