We had a pretty laid back weekend, and it was greatly needed. However, we did manage to take a quick trip to Sams to buy a few things we needed that we seem to be buying every week.

The list we walked in with looked like this...

However, that list became about 1/4 of what we ended up getting.

As soon as we walked in, my heart skipped a beat. I've always had maroon mums every year since I can't remember when. It not only represents the beginning of fall, but it also gives another way of showing we are true maroon!! And these babies were HUGE. The Mr made a face, and then smiled because he knew I'd been looking for them for a while. I couldn't wait to get them home and on our front porch!

We came out with enough "stuff" that we won't need to go back until next year. No joke!! We will still have to visit the grocery store for meat, bread, vegetables and cold goods, but there won't be a need for anything else. Which means, no more trips to Walmart this year. Honestly, I couldn't be happier about that!

Just as my eyes lit up when I saw the mums, the Mr's eyes lit up when we came across these....

So we came out with more candy corn. Honestly, it's a staple to have around during September and October!

When we got home, my phone started buzzing with emails. My mom was sending me a pics of our sweet girl ready for belly rubs and turkey...

We can't wait to see her next weekend, and I'm sure the belly rubs will be endless!

The hubs had to meet a customer at work Saturday afternoon, and was sweet enough to drop me off for a little pampering. A mani/pedi was definitely needed, and he even sat with me through the last 20 minutes of it. I think he was more shocked to see that we were all watching football on the big screen when he walked in. Hey, some of us really do like football you know!

On our way home, we spotted a corvette show going on as we turned in our subdivision. So we stopped to check out the beauties. The oldest was an '82 and the newest was a 2012. Of course we would have taken any of them if they would have been giving them away. =)

We ended our Saturday night grilling and watching TV. We caught a movie that we hadn't seen, and watched more football. Even though we had a bye week, we still like to see what our future competition looks like. And I hope our dawgs were doing the same thing.

With our weekends, come laundry. But the laundry doesn't stop with just washing, drying and folding. You should always look professional at the work place. And I make sure the Mr's pants are ironed and ready to go each week. Your appearance can make a huge difference in the way people treat and respect you. And isn't that how everyone wants to be treated in the work force?

The rainy afternoon found us both wanting to take a nap, however we've found that napping causes us to not sleep great on Sunday nights. So while I got caught up with Bravo TV, the hubs stayed busy...

But we had to go outside on the deck to enjoy the beautiful sound of rain and feel the cool breeze. The rain hitting the puddles were my favorite...

Sunday nights are usually grill nights here at the Sowell home. And the menu hit the spot...

The weekend... seems it came and went so quickly, but it's always wonderful to have a good weekend, whether it goes by swiftly or not.

Hope y'all have a wonderful start to October tomorrow!! It's really here y'all!!!

the Friday five

the Sowell life's Friday five...

• The first of the week just about gave me a heart attack! Monday morning I was walking to our kitchen in the office and walked up on a snake!!! Seriously, I panicked. Was it big? No. Was it a snake? Yes! And I don't care how big or small... a snake is a snake. The rest of the day, anything that touched my foot or I thought was touching my foot or leg... I jumped up and screamed. Have I ever mentioned just how much I HATE snakes?!

• We are loving our deck... it's so peaceful to sit outside and listen to the birds, and watch the kids running and riding their bikes — especially this time of year. And it's perfect for entertaining while grilling. Fall truly is my favorite time of the year.

• The first of this week had it's ups and downs? Down meaning, I kept dropping things. One in particular... my "almost" brand new bottle of perfume. Yep... glass shattered in a million tiny pieces all over the bathroom floor. One thing for sure... it's never smelt better, or stronger! =)

• We were responsible adults this morning. We now have supplemental insurance policies for cancer and accidental. Of course we hope we never have to use either one, but it ever hurts to have it in place. 

• We're looking forward to a quiet weekend, with no set place to be and nothing that has to be done. This might be a first here at the Sowell house! And with no MSU football this weekend... we really won't know what to do with ourselves.

Hope y'all have a wonderful last weekend of September! It's really hard to believe that October is almost here!  

It's OK

It's OK — with Amber

... that we spent money on wrapping paper we didn't need, and a years subscription to Southern Living because two little boys came knocking at our door last night. Maybe it was their manners (asking if they needed to take their shoes off before coming in) and/or them being great salesmen, but we couldn't resist! The whole time the oldest was giving his sales pitch, the Mr and I kept smiling at each other. I think we both were thinking the same thing — we can't wait to have our own little salesmen one day. 

... that I'm counting down the days til October 10th. Why? Because Duck Dynasty Season Two begins!!!

... for MSU to have a bi-week this Saturday. However, I'm ready to watch my dawgs continue on through their winning season! 4 - 0 baby!!!

... to freak out a little, especially since Christmas is less than 3 months away. OH BOY!!! Shopping anyone??   

... that I'm SOOOO excited about seeing my family next weekend to celebrate my papaw's birthday. I can only hope I'm still going as strong as he is when I get to be his age. Who am I kidding... he is already putting me to shame. ;) 

... the Mr has to sweet talk me into getting out of bed every morning. Even though I threaten to stay home every weekday. LOL

... for everyone to ask us when we plan to have a baby. Just like it's okay for us to decide when that time is right for us.

... that we still have MB's water and food bowls still out. Just ready to see them filled because that means she'll be here for a visit.  

... that we have our fall decor out inside, but do not have anything "Halloween" on display. Only thing missing is our mums and pumpkins for the front porch! 

... to be more in love with this man I married six and a half months ago with every day that passes by.  

Hope y'all have a wonderful Thursday, and enjoy this last day of September!  

Tips and Tricks

Have you ever been in the middle of something and wonder... "could there be an easier way to do this?"  In today's world, we live to get things done in the shortest amount of time. However sometimes, the more you try to do it in a hurry... it turns out to do just the opposite! (Usually my luck!) BTW, in case you haven't already figured it out... fast food is no longer, fast! HA!

During my bouts with oral surgery lately... I've/we've been eating a lot of ice cream. And y'all may already know this tip and trick, but if you didn't I wanted to share it with you. It's made our lives a lot easier getting ice cream out of the container while it's still frozen solid. And yes, this is important to us. Who wants to wait for ice cream to soften up anyway?

  
Another one of my favorite tips and tricks is using...

They will make almost anything brand new. We've used them on our leather seats in our vehicles, on our inside and outside doors at the house and I've even cleaned the tub with them. They are a must have in our house!

So now I need to know... do you have any tips and tricks that I should know about? If you do, please comment with them. If it makes anything a little less complicated... it's worth knowing about! Fire away y'all!

Surprise, Surprise!

A week ago I got a surprise that brought tears of joy... my Angie D came in for a short visit!!!

And she had non other than Susie B with her. FYI, the three of us = gigglers... yet we can conquer the world!

While taking a tour of our home, Susie said we needed a funny picture in my laundry room. And now that I've seen it... it's gonna hang in there so I can laugh every time I walk in.

And the hubs got to see Angie, too!!!

Angie, thank you for always being the true friend that you are. You always follow your dreams and your heart and encourage me to do the same. I miss our weekly lunches and our girl sessions, but even though we live quite a few miles apart now, you are still there for me in a heart beat. I love you, and can't even begin to explain what your short visit meant to me.

Now it's time to plan a visit... one that keeps you here longer than an hour! =) Bham won't know what hit it with us prowling the town!!

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

A weekend with the Mr's Folks

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, the Mr's mom and dad, and our nieces came over for a quick visit. This was their first time to see the house, and I think the girls loved the stairs and secret hiding places more than anything.  

Upon their arrival, we had grilled burgers and made homemade french fries for lunch. And then they had the grand tour. We were all originally going to the zoo, but the Mr and his dad stayed at home to wait on the A/C guy to come check out our system. They watching a good bit of college football.

So his mom and I loaded up the girls and took off to The Birmingham Zoo. You can check out that post by clicking here.

After we returned, we all cleaned up and loaded up in the Mr's truck to head to Jim N Nicks. And in Alabama, this is how we roll...

Yep, that's four wide, and yes, everyone was in a seat belt. Just two were sharing the same one. =)

None of our guests had been to Jim N Nicks, so we were happy to take them to experience the best BBQ in town.

Pops wasn't excited about having his picture made... but nevertheless, he still ended up on the blog! =)

And getting these three to stop acting silly for a picture... well, we didn't have all day. =)

After we were so full that we could pop... we dropped the men off and went where every out of town guest wants to visit.... TARGET! And let's just say that these girls were a little excited about the "big balls."

BTW, in case you were wondering... Target two isles with Christmas decor already out! And, I couldn't find their Candy Corn Oreos! Errrr!

After a full round of shopping at Target, it was time to head home for a long, long nap. Of course that didn't happen until we finished watching the Auburn/LSU game. And had Edgars cupcakes!

Sunday morning I got up to make pigs n a blanket for breakfast. But, I ended up teaching Hannah the ropes in the kitchen...

And before we said our "see ya laters"... the hubs and I cooked up a monster lunch to send them off. Steaks, chicken, smashed potatoes and baked beans.

And that was our weekend. It was full of family, food and football. A pretty good weekend I'd say!

The Birmingham Zoo

Saturday, the Mr's parents and nieces came over for a visit. (More on that later.) And we wanted to do something with the girls while they were here. So what's better than a quick trip to The Birmingham Zoo?

 Emma was our tour guide as she lead the way to the lions, tigers and giraffes.

And then she lead us to see the elephants...

We all actually learned a lot about this elephant. And he was pretty entertaining...

Next up was the monkeys, and most of them were sleeping. But, a couple were very energetic. And we were too busy laughing at them for me to get a quick snap shot.

However, the pretty flamingos were photo hogs!

Next up... the splash pad. The girls really enjoyed cooling off!

And before we left, I asked for a picture with something that had "The Birmingham Zoo" on it... and this was the best I could get. They were pretty tired.

I think they had a fun time, and we think we might go back for Boo at the Zoo!

Master Bedroom Reveal

Everyone has a different vision for their master bedroom. And our vision was to have a place to relax and enjoy being in there... clean lines and a natural feel. And that's what we accomplished.

Yes, this is the Rooms to Go furniture, well the newest new furniture that doesn't have any damage, and has all the parts! =)

I'm loving our master bedroom.

The headboard has a fabric (burlap) inlay...

And so does the footboard...

The king bed has to have beautiful bedding. Our bestie Angie D is responsible for us having this beautiful set. She and her sweet family gave this to us at our wedding shower.

We love the big dresser. It has a side for the Mr and a side for the Mrs. It came with a mirror, but we chose to leave it off. The TV was too big to have both. =)

The hardware gives the room a modern feel...

And we even found lamps with burlap for our nightstands...

I can't forget to show y'all our ceiling... it's pretty awesome!

There you have it... our beautiful new master bedroom. We're loving it!! And we're happy it finally came together!

What do you think?!