Christmas Pickles!

Last December you might have seen this awesome stop motion video that my agency, Firehouse (www.firehouseagency.com), created around Christmas.  Thanks to the outstanding response we received form the video - 40,700-ish youtube views, embedded on a host of blogs/animation sites, featured on the top animation podcast, won both Best use of Video and Best of Show at the DWF interactive media awards - we have now been chosen to be part of a FOX-Aniboom Holiday Animation Competition.   Winning this would be extremely exciting for our agency!  

That said, if you could take a minute to vote for our video on the site that would be amazing!  To vote you need to click here and set up an account (I know that's not not always convenient but it's really really fast!) and then to vote you rank the video one out of five stars (preferable 5 stars :)) 

I really appreciate it!  

8 things

I have been tagged by my friend Bekah to do do a little personal inventory -
so here we go:


Instructions:

* Mention the person that tagged you
* Complete the list of 8 things
* Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends - not planning on doing this
* Go tell them you tagged them - so this won't be necessary

8 Things I Look Forward To:
Mat coming home next Thursday
The end of the Barbados project
Hearing Matt Chandler speak at The Village 
Planning a vacation
Seeing my Delta friends 
Getting more furniture for our home
The end of my detox - Tminus 21 days!
Completion of the Greenway Place pool

8 Things I did Yesterday

1. Finished phase 1 of the detox
2. Cried during church
3. Took a late night walk with Mat
4. Wished my mom a happy mothers day
5. Went to Central Market - Only spent $26!
6. Went to the office to work
7. Bought fun postcards 
8. Mat & I each picked out a new book to read - Mat: The Great Divorce Kels: Twelve Ordinary Men

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
Speak Spanish
Drink a beer
Plan a mission trip
Meet more girl friends in Dallas
Visit Fayetteville more often
Play the piano
Add hours to the day

Give Mat John Legends wardrobe 

8 Shows I Watch:
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
Brothers & Sisters
Burn Notice
House
Letterman
NBA Basketball - any game really

Ace of Cakes

Cupcakes and Competition

I love cupcakes and I love basketball.  I really love both of those things together and Zack's birthday (HAPPY 27th!) was a great excuse to watch the Jazz play the Sun's while eating a cupcake and drinking a glass of wine (if you remember my earlier post reference my love for basketball and wine, maybe I just love basketball and all types of food and drink).  

I also made a pretty fantastic herbed chicken parmesan for the celebration of another year passed and sweaty sports.  Only downer was that the Jazz did not win.  

Dewitt Wedding

Middle of March we made a trip to Fayetteville for Sean and Mikki's wedding.  The only picture I took of the whole experience was of Mat and I in the grocery store after the rehearsal dinner, great picture really - cut off Mat's face, in front of the soup display, I will probably have to frame this one some time - a joke of course. 

We had a great time and are so excited for the new Dewitt family.  The rehearsal dinner was at James at the Mill, perfect place!  Best part of the whole weekend was that I got to see so many friends that I hadn't seen in a long time.  for some reason, it just worked out that most of my groups of friends are also friends with Sean somehow so I got to see a whole mix of great folks. One of those being Emily Bell, I don't get to see that girl often enough and getting a huge hug and so much time just talking and hanging out makes me miss having her around, MOVE TO DALLAS BELL'S!     

The wedding was beautiful! It was at Pratt Place Barn and so was the reception, catered by none other than Noodles Italian Kitchen so you know the food was pretty fantastic.  Sean and Mikki had the same band that Mat and I had at our wedding so that was a fun flashback for us!  When the band took their break I spent most of the time dancing crazy like with one of my favorite people, Courtney Matthews, she was in my cell group the past 6 years and I love her like my sister. 

After the wedding we headed to the bar at Theos with the Areas, the Bells and the Rhode's. Good conversation and a good vodka tonic never hurt anybody.  

Our little surprise for the weekend was when Mr. Dewitt gave the room at the bed and breakfast to Mat and I for Saturday night.  The place was so pretty, every room is named after a type of tree and has a colonial feel.  It was a great place to spend Saturday night and when we got up Sunday morning we had scones & sweet bread waiting on us along with fresh coffee and fruit.  I could go for that every morning really.   

Last but not at all least, I spend all of Saturday afternoon with my good friend Bekah.  We hadn't had time just the two of us since I don't know when and it is always refreshing to spend the day with her.  We ate at Noodles, looked at furniture, and gave book recommendations at Barnes and Noble, and ended the day sharing a cookie at Panera.  It was fantastic.  We have a date to teach Bek how to use twitter.  Thats going to be a good day!

Thanks for getting married Sean and Mikki!  Sure made for a great weekend! 

The older of my younger sisters, Kristin, flew into Austin for a long weekend at the beginning of March.  Mat and I love Kristin and we love Austin and we love our friends in Austin so going for the weekend was really a no brainer.  

We drove up there on a Saturday morning and went shopping with my two sisters and my parents at the outlet mall just outside of Austin.  I love shopping it is a fantastic way to spend the afternoon if you ask me, if you ask Mat he may disagree.  I happen to think it's a great way for usb to get the best of both worlds.  I can spend money on new clothes but also save money because we got them at the outlet...compromise, that's what marriage is all about right!  

After shopping we went back to the hotel and changed into our favorite jeans and boots before we had dinner and went two stepping with the fam.  We were headed to the Broken Spoke - if you are ever in Austin and want a true Texas two stepping experience I suggest the Broken Spoke.  

We had called and asked Kara and Adam Anthony if they wanted to meet us at the Broken Spoke to dance, they were excited to join us.  Then we called Parker to see if he wanted to come as well, always a tough sell.  Parker kept his schedule open just in case a better offer came along but in the end we hassled him enough that he showed up!  (Side note: The Anthony's and Parker are probably one hundred times the two steppers Mat and I could ever hope to be)  Well the fam stayed for quite some time and then the Anthony's, Parker, and the Hency's closed down the Broken Spoke.  Be jealous, it was so fun. 

Sunday after a quick breakfast at Central Market with Mom, Dad, Kristin and Kate we headed back to Dallas.  Good weekend though. 

What we have been up to

So, it's been a long time since I posted, a month and one day actually.  Ridiculous, I should be ashamed, I promise to do better.  Mat actually asked me yesterday if I had given up on the blog.  The answer is no, no I have not, I have just been busy.  Well here is a recap of the last month and one day.  Scroll up for multiple new posts!

Sunday Naps

I like pretty much everything about Sunday's except they usually mean that Mat is going to leave the next day.  But, if the day before he left has to be I am glad it's a Sunday.  On Sunday's Mat and I like to take naps.  Mat actually prefers to sleep, once he is out a minimum of two hours is required and it's usually in everyone's best interest to let him wake up on his own.  I usually ignore those facts and take about a 30-45 minute nap on the couch with Mat and then proceed to let him know I am awake and would like to spend time with him, preferably while he is awake as well.  

Disclaimer: The above picture is just a pretend nap, if we were really napping someone else would have to take the picture and that isn't possible.