Friends, wine, Cats and birthdays

How is that for a title?  It basically sums up my weekend with Sara!  She came down from Baltimore on Saturday morning and we got to work trying out some wine around town and spending time together!  Our first stop was Byrd Cellars and despite the name, no "birds" were seen, but a number of cats were hanging around.  So of course, my two cat-lover friends wanted to pet the little guys....

Apparently we were super excited about wine, because we arrived about 15 minutes before they opened so we took the chance to take a few pictures with the signage!

After a lovely tasting and buying 8 bottles of wine, we were craving some BBQ, so we hit up the closest spot: Hickory Notch.  Needless to say, none of us were too impressed with the BBQ but the hush puppies, onion rings and baked beans won the approval of us!

Next up was James River Winery.  None of us were too impressed with there offerings and we left with no bottles of wine, but we did snap a few pictures anyway!

We ended the evening by celebrating Nannie's 97th birthday with the fam!

Three generations of LOVE!

A little google magic of her blowing out the candles:

Needless to say, she is one lucky lady with so much love poured on her and all her new gifts she is sure to be set for cookies until at least Thanksgiving!




We got up Sunday morning and had a low key day, grabbed an early lunch at The Crazy Greek than made our last stop on the booze tour before Sara had to head home, we stopped in at Hardywood Brewery to test out their Gingerbread Stout, among other things.  None of us left loving the GBS, but we did pass it onto a friendly neighbor, who was more than happy to take it off our hands.

It was then time for Sara to head home and for me to get packing for an upcoming vacay!!!

How did you spend your weekend?  What trips are you taking soon, I wanna know!

Friday Favorites # 12

1. Vintage Richmond Picture ($27): I love this print and love the colors in it!
2. PLAID puffer vest ($25): No surprise I love a good puffer vest, but freakin' plaid!  How great can things get?
3. Red Kitchenaid Professional Mixture ($289):  So, I am always crushing on a kitchenaid and this is a fabulous price on it if you are in the market for one for Christmas gifts, the only draw back is you can only get the red or the silver one!
4. I'm Thankful for printable (FREE):  A free Thanksgiving printable, perfect for Turkey dinner with the family!  There are a few others on that website too if you are in the mood to make a themed Thanksgiving dinner!
5. PLAID Toms shoes ($54): Wait, did I tell you how much I love plaid?  If not, then you should figure it out by now cause who would not love these perfect winter Tom shoes??  Perfect for Christmas morning!

Book of Mormon

So last week, Anna, CJ and I went to go see the play "Book of Mormon" at the new Altria Theater!  Aside from a few drunky drunk people and many offensive parts of the play (be prepared), it was a great show!  VERY FUNNY and well done!  I would recommend it for sure! 

Up next, "So you think you can Dance" in December then who knows what we will see next year!  What plays have you seen lately?  Any that you would recommend?

Halloween Festivities

Halloween has come and gone and stores have Christmas...CHRISTMAS stuff up already, so I figured it was high time I did an update on Halloween weekend!  

CJ and I hosted a Halloween party at her house, it was low key but fun to see a number of people come by and to see the creative costumes!  

I was "The Cat in the Hat" and CJ and Anna were "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" respectively!  

Aren't  we just the cutest group costumes you have ever seen??

We had a few characters stop in for the night, Ms. Kelly Kapowski (Allison)...

 The newly married "Stolls" as a robber and cash monies!

An adorable cowboy and Indian duo (Scott & Courtney)...

A deer and a hunter (Kathryn & Tom)....

Amy Farrah Fowler and Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Lila & Patrick)...complete with the compulsive door knock as they entered the party!

Another cowboy (Paul)...

A referee & ladybug (Kristy & Dave)...

A ganster (E$)...

 and lastly an 80's chick (Christine), complete with the CJ making the CJ face!

You can tell we are getting old because everyone was gone by 11 so it was not a super late night which was nice cause CJ and I were headed to fall festival the next day at Emily's parents house in Cumberland, VA!  There family does a big ordeal with games, food, and fellowship all day to celebrate the fall time of the year!  CJ and I did face painting again (the kids LOVE IT!)

I got a picture with two of the most adorable kids there, Ms. Kate and of course....

Mr. Caleb!

We have now officially entered the holiday season with Thanksgiving just around the corner and then Christmas in just 42 days!  Yes, yes I went there!

Hair Tutorial

Per Anna's request, I did her hair the other night ago and she suggested a tutorial on my blog, so here you go:

Step 1: Start far over on the opposite side and begin a french braid toward the back of the head.

 Step 2: Continue the braid all the way to the middle of the back of the head and continue until you read the end of the hair you are currently working with.  Tie off the end

Step 3: Create a low ponytail with the hair from the remaining side in the middle of the back of the head.

Step 4.  Wrap the braided section of hair around the low ponytail, making sure to tuck the end of the braid in first, so this part is not visible.  Then secure with a number of bobbin pins in place.

Step 5: You may need to tuck in a few pieces that are poking out with some hair spray, but when you are finished you will have a quick, easy do that is out of your face but also looks nicer than just a regular ponytail!

Enjoy!  Special thanks to Anna for being an exemplary model and willing participant!

Another trip to Norfolk!

I would ask if my trips to Norfolk ever get old, but then I come back with adorable pictures of the cutest nephews ever so I would say that it probably makes up for almost monthly posting of Norfolk!  This time you are in for a special treat, because my trip down there was complete with the twin's Halloween costumes--which I happened to pick up at Once Upon a child, where I got both of them for just $11!

I took a video of them, which apparently I switched the camera halfway through, so for that I apolgize, but it is fun to see their personalities (which match their costumes) really shine!

Garrett with his constant need to get into boxes or small toys, makes me think of a cat always trying to get into small spaces!

Check out Holden man, who recently learned to walk, so now he is finally chasing around both brothers!!

And let's not forget about this adorable, lovable boy:

What fall trip would be complete without pumpkins?  So we did just that and what an experience it was!

Well that is all for the moment, I will leave you with a picture of Corbin waving good-bye on his carriage ride (no worries, he only looks cute and innocent, apparently this was right before he started throwing hay at the other riders).