happy wedding sean and andrea!

 

What a perfect day for a wedding on the beach! We are so excited for Andrea and Sean ... what a perfect day... sweet ceremony... gorgeous bride and handsome groom! We were excited to share in their excitement and happy day! We traveled to the shore, attended the ceremony and then headed back home to continue resting and healing. Eating fun food, yummy drinks and dancing aren't in the cards for me yet, but we were excited to be at the most important part!

a week of resting and "happies"

 

mom loved sitting in the window in my hospital room. right after surgery, I was ready to be in my own tshirt and pj pants. the puppies were such grand companions throughout the week. murphy hearts mom. see my cute new hammock chair? cant wait for it to be hung. so many pretty flowers! balloons make people happy... patients and caregivers!

so many precious cards, notes, messages, GORGEOUS flowers, "happies" and happy thoughts... blessed.

worth watching and reading.

Under the Tuscan Sun.



What a wonderful movie. An inspirational movie... with heartfelt moments... heart breaking moments and all together leaves you glad you are watching it... and ready to buy a plane ticket to Tuscany. Boat Shoes and I have traveled through Italy, but never together, hmmmm...


Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom



I thoroughly enjoy Mitch Albom's books. Tuesdays with Morrie is one of my all time favorite books. A dear friend, Jen, and I have discussed these books. She too enjoys them and all of the many lessons. Well, when she visited and brought a lovely pink bag filled to the brim with "happies" as I like to call them... there was a book among the cuteness of Lilly goodies! A lovely little book that I was thrilled to read.

I started it and finished it in 1 day. I handed it to Boat Shoes and said, "It's your turn. I can't wait to discuss it with you when you are done." I look forward to a little "book club" if you will with boat shoes and Jen to chat about this book!

A favorite portion in the book is as follows, "My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. we will never wallow in the agony of I could have, I should have. We can sleep in a storm."

fall is coming

I am someone who has a hard time with Fall on the way... I LOVE summer with everything in my heart and soul so to think about summer sliding away and fall blowing in makes me a bit sad.

however, my dear friend Virginia Vines LOVES fall and helps me to see all that is wonderful about fall...

So today... if you are not feeling excited about fall... read this little list she started for me... and maybe you too will get excited about what is to come.

-pulling out the bright colored Lilly fleeces
-playing in the fun colored leaves with lilly and murphy and taking adorable pics
-planning halloween costumes
-caramel apple cider from starbucks
-pumpkin!! pumpkin bread if you like it, or if not, just think about decorating pumpkins...2 big ones for you and boat shoes and 2 minis for the pups
-holidays with family
-LILLY SALE!
-birthdays..and even if you're ignoring the actual number of years, birthdays still mean celebrations, cakes and presents
-better weather for boots and Dansko's
-chicken chili

and a few I thought of today...
-scarves
-Murfee scarves from Lilly
-cozy coats
-slipper socks
-the National Christmas tree with my family
-down comforters
-fun running races in shorts and long sleeved shirts WITH thumb holes
-snuggling on the couch
-hot chocolate
-tomato soup and grilled cheese

... the list will continue!

Lemonade and Lilly

the wednesday movie review

I heart Netflix. I love receiving a new movie in the mail, and I also LOVE the new netflix through the Wii feature. Watching all of these movies instantly transforms movie watching life. It is truly GENIOUS of the Netlfix people! I have definately gotten my 9 dollars worth of movies in the past 4 days!

1. The Cure - an old favorite of mine. two sweet friends ... both with great dedication to one another. It is a tear jerker but overall it such a dear story, it is worth it! I love when the boys are searching for "the cure" through streams and forests... one boys dedication to the other. As he gets sicker, the well child stays by his side. Truly a story of an unending friendship~

2. The Boy in The Striped Pajamas - one of the greatest books I have ever read; it was a challenging and heart wrenching book... and the movie proved to be as well.
Set during World War II, it is a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, an eight-year-old little boy. He is the sone of a commander for a concentration camp. He becomes best friends with a little boy on the "other side of the fence." It is humbling and sweet at times... and at others EXTREMELY tough to watch. This is not a light movie..it is so challenging to watch, I almost turned it off....

3. The Last Song - Ok ok I know... Nicholas Sparks stories are always sad; however, I thought maybe this would be different. What an adorable movie! However, again, it takes a sad turn. I wont give too much information for those of you who haven't seen it. I will say; however, it is a precious love story that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I could have done without the sad twist.

4. James and the Giant Peach - what a goony movie! I only watched part of it, but after having these others on all day I figured why not something light and airy! It was an odd movie... not one that I would watch again, but I do love the book.

Now if only I wanted some popcorn!

However, I am loving these...


and Panera chicken noodle soup with sourdough bread! This is a major improvement from saltines!

when I eat again...

I think I will try this...

Mouthwatering Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

* 1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked macaroni)
* 2 cups milk
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon onion salt
* 2 (10-ounce) blocks sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 4 1/2
cups) and divided*
* 1 cup soft breadcrumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
* 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Preparation

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well. Set aside.

Place milk, flour, and onion salt in a quart jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously 1 minute.

Stir together flour mixture, 3 1/2 cups cheese, and macaroni.

Pour macaroni mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish or 2 (11-inch) oval baking dishes. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs and remaining 1 cup cheese; drizzle evenly with melted butter.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

movies and magazines oh my.

So I have some recommendations for you... and perhaps you have some for me! any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

So far...

Sex and the City - always a good laugh; charming; an over good chic flick

Up in The Air - Boat Shoes enjoyed this a little more than I did; for anyone that travels for work, you can relate; for those of us that really only travel to tropical places and to visit friends.. you can only kind of relate. Some nice romance at times, but a bit disappointing with the overall romantic comedy vibe.

My Best Friends Wedding - no comment needed; perhaps one of the best films ever created.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II - the first was adorable; mom flip flops and I attempted to watch this 4, yes 4 times... 1. I fell asleep; 2. we started chatting; 3. I fell asleep; 4. we chatted again. We turned it off... perhaps we will try that one individually!

Made of Honor - again, a great movie. love that it leads you in one direction and then with a quick twist, you are where you want it to be.

The Last Song - netflix should be delivering it tomorrow!


Now for a few magazine reviews...

Runner's World- always great and inspiring. this months edition is about running with your pups... perhaps I should try that once I am bouncing around again... loner than 3 laps at the park... Lilly and Murphy.. are you ready?

US Weekly - great gossip. half way through. saving it for a little later!

Real Simple - a great distraction. it keeps you thinking in lots of different directions... some food.. some family.. some fashion.

Southern Living - an all time favorite! great ideas for monograms this month... a favorite.

Lucky - saving it for tomorrow

InStyle - saving it for this evening

I am going to be up to date with all that is fall. fashion. and fun. stay tuned.

my experiment continues...

Let's start where we left off with Caitlyn, my angel of a nurse. She was phenomenal. I hit a bit of a wall before surgery... pain... the driest mouth I have EVER had.... weak... and just feeling horrible. Caitlyn was wonderful. attentive, kind, friendly.. and then... she brought in a huge cluster of balloons :) from sweet Susan and Andy... and then tells me happy news... we are moving to my OWN ROOM! ( I think i took a picture... there was a print on the wall of the ocean so I kept thanking Caitlyn for my ocean front room!)

So I meet more people..

Caitlyn and another nurse moved me

Derrick - the patient care tech that let me use mouth swabs and stayed on top of my pain

and then time to go to the OR... I spent much less time with these individuals but they were a VERY important part of the process

2 ladies to transport me - not the best drivers but a funny team

Surgical resident working with my attending (thank goodness not the one from the ER.. she was attentive and reassuring to me, Derek, and mom* who arrived about 4 minutes before I went to the pre-op area, way to go mom!)

OR nurse going over history

Anesthesiologist -so kind and comforting. informative and answered all of my many questions. as we went back to the OR, he talked to me the entire time and even kept talking to me once in the OR. terrific bedside manner.

In the OR (that I know of...) in addition to the resident, attending, anesthesiologist, and nurse I met... there were at least 3 other people... no idea who they were or what they were doing (odd to think of that...)

In recovery - I had 3 different nurses. One who was very attentive when I came out of the OR ... and she discovered my IV wasn't working well (pain meds were not working)... so found another nurse to come start a new IV. IV nurse - she was awesome. first stick; quick; and appropriate amount of tape! Final nurse, a great advocate for getting me back to my room! I was awake, asking for ice chips and looking at a bunch of people that were NOT awake & kind of needy. I was listening to all of the nurses and giggling with them :)

Transport - 1 more new nurse and a tech moved me. he was the best driver yet.

New bedside nurse - Nicole - hilarious. young and fun! she helped me change into a tshirt and pj pants and my OWN socks! feeling like a real person again! She was chatty and kept us company for a bit!

Next bedside nurse - not my favorite. an older woman that came in and announced she is not a big fan of medicine for pain or nausea. Great. we will be a good pair.. or not. enter... long night.

however, my patient care tech, Courtni, overnight was phenomenal. She was chatty and while mom and Derek ran home for a bit I showed her pics of the puppies and talked about her getting a little Yorkie. at one point I apologized for being high maintenance (at about 3 am) and the next time she came in states, "so, high maintenance whatcha need now!" she kept us laughing and even though my nurse wasn't on the ball.. she was. I am reminded that we are not given more than we can handle.

Morning...

resident working with my attending (but a new one) - comes in to go over discharge and medication.

new nurse - Debbie - old school and awesome. blunt and to the point. up out of bed, walking and eating. but take your time! exactly what I needed.

new tech - She only came in once but was kind and quick.

TRANSPORT OUTSIDE. the final person I met.

that totals...
37 people.

So 3 days...1 surgery... 37 people.


and now I am HOME.

messages, flowers, balloons, magazines... OH MY! thank you to all of my dear dear friends and family for all of your love, prayers and kind support!

I'd rather be...

anywhere than here.

BUT... since I am in the hospital with appendicitis... I might as well make the most of it. So I am doing an experiment. How many people does one 27 yo with appendicitis meet from check-in to discharge...

So far:
Triage nurse - forgot her name but she was fabulous and got me right back in the ED

RN - Lane - nice. busy. very "ED"... quick and to the point. starts IV's like a champ.

Registration - Jody - kind and helpful.

Tech - nice lady.. never told me her name.

CT Tech's - wonderful. focused on keeping me comfortable. Finally gave me a pillow at 11 pm. Thankful for a pillow.

PA - very nice... but never said her name. gave me dilaudid. learned that I HATE dilaudid.

Attending ER physician - helpful and to the point. was convinced I had appendicitis with one exam, but decided on a CT anyway.

Surgical Resident on call in the ED - pretty sure he is brand new. clueless. no bedside manner. wrote nothing down. didn't know the answers to my questions and told me... we will get you upstairs and get you "resuscitated" (my thought... are you kidding me? as he stumbled over the word... he said you know with fluids etc. no... you mean HYDRATE...oh lord. I need an attending surgeon!)

overnight floor nurse - Danielle - WONDERFUL! what an awesome nurse. she was on top of my pain, got Derek a reclining chair, kept warm compresses on my IV site and asked lots of questions for me.

day time floor nurse - Caitlin - again, awesome! her goal for me today is to keep my pain under a 3. I like Caitlin. I am in a double room with no roomie but she is trying to get me my own room.. keep fingers crossed!

2 surgical residents - respectful and informative. must not be buddies with the dude from last night!

Attending surgeon - great bedside manner. informative. comforting.

15 and counting...

a beautiful charlotte bride.

Look at that precious bride... SO happy. What a beautiful wedding... elegant.. classy.. perfect. Congratulations Linds and Scott!

Cheers to a wonderful wedding weekend with the Miller family... Smith family... and Buono family!!!

ps. look for "grandmom" in the hot pink. I want to be her when I grow up. guess how old she is!

like water?

you will like this! look at all of the fabulous features... reuse. fold. attach. monogram. freeze. bpa free. dishwasher safe. i love my new pink bottle.

annapolis wedded bliss

Congratulations Susan and Andy!

What a gorgeous bride.. handsome groom and LOVELY weekend with you two!!!

We loved every second from "dark & stormy's" .. bfast at Grumps... a pretty bride in a sundress and veil... a wonderful adventure through annapolis...Potato Valley Cafe...The Pink Crab... sailboats...nautical flags...dancing... singing... hearing you say I WILL and I DO...brunch in your adorable home with calm Darcy...what a fabulous weekend!

long awaited photos...

from the shore to weddings and more!

Pictured above is our shore adventure with friends annie, mike, meaghan & rob..

Derek and I had never been to Ocean City NJ before.... what an experience! Ocean City NJ is just a wee bit different than Naples...who knew they have carousels, wooden flip flops to take photos in, lifeguard stands, wonderful caramel corn and everything under the sun fried on the boardwalk? I sure didnt! It was an experience!

favorite.

The pictures are still coming... I created some fabulous collages on my compter but with all of our bopping around just havent gotten them uploaded quite yet!

so now.. just a HAPPY HELLO from Charlotte, NC. Quite possibly one of my favorite places in the world...with some of my most favorite people this weekend!

A review of some favorite spots in Charlotte!

-the Village Shop in Davidson... where we purchase a fabulous new addition for our "beach cottage" room at home!

-Bricktops Restaurant in Specialty Shops on the Park

-Providence Road Sundries... always a favorite especially with BF Lauren!!! Of course, we live in seperated countries and we walk in carrying almost identical Longchamp bags. Only BF Lauren and I!

-Southpark Mall... love it. every part of it. Belks Lilly section is always a favorite and Arthur's for lunch where you walk in and ... a Wine tasting! What a way to spend a friday afternoon!

-Alphabet Soup ... my favorite gift boutique in the world. I walk in and .." Hi Brittany, how are you?" Only in Charlotte!

-Toscana... yummy italian and great wine!

more to come...from Charlotte Fun times and BF Lauren's little sister, Lindsay's wedding tonight!!!

happy.

this past week has been... happy.

busy but happy.

1. We are a two car family!!! We have been a one car family for about a year and a half and we just purchased a fabulous Honda Pilot!!! Pictures and story to come soon...

2. I came home to the most wonderful package full of "happies" for our puppies and me, the gardener in the home, from dear Gina...YOU are so thoughtful Gina!

3. I might be starting a new little adventure / hobby as a consultant for an ADORABLE gift company! Reading through all of the materials on our road trip to Annapolis today... details to come!

4. The beginning of August... wedding month! This weekend... Susan and Andy are getting married in Annapolis. Rehearsal tonight at the Sailing Club and a fabulous weekend of festivities... and two more in August...we do heart weddings!

5. such wonderful friends to care for our pups while we are away this weekend. for them to have a little "home away from home" is such a blessing.

Today... think of one thing that makes you happy... and do something kind for someone else... to bring a smile to their face.