Sister Showers

Last weekend I headed to Atlanta for a wedding shower honoring Amy that was hosted by some of her family friends.  Their home was absolutely gorgeous, and they covered so many sweet details, including pictures of Amy and Nate everywhere, a yummy "ladies lunch," and make-your-own tea bags.  It was so wonderful to see my college roomies and celebrate Ames' upcoming marriage together. 

Mary Catherine, Stephanie, Amy, Lindsay, Lindsay, and Me

This past weekend I headed northeast of Atlanta to Suwanee for Maggie's wedding shower hosted by Tracie and Taylor.  After we ate delicious food and drank yummy mimosas, we played a couple of games and watched the bride-to-be open lots of fun gifts.  It was great to catch up with the girls and shower Mags before her wedding in June. 

Me, Tracie, Maggie, and Taylor

I spent a lot of time in the car the past two weekends, but it was worth every second to see so many of my best friends from college. ;)

Happy Birthday Momma!

Happy, happy birthday to the best mom in the entire world!!!

   

I love you so much and hope your 36th birthday is wonderful!!! ;)

Weddings of 2012

Know what all of these people have in common?

1.  They are all wonderful friends.

2.  They all look like they could be in a magazine. 

3.  They are all getting married this year!

I love how Linds highlighted her year of weddings last year.  So I'm stealing your idea, twinny. ;)

Amy McGoff [& Nate Cherof]

May 26th

Atlanta, Georgia

Ames and I were AXOs together, lived next door to each other senior year, and then lived right down the street from each other in Augusta for two years.  She is always so much fun to be around, and she and Nate are perfect for each other (including their medical background-- a soon-to-be doctor & dentist!).  I've loved spending time with them post-colledge and can't wait to celebrate their big day over Memorial Day weekend.  

Lindsay Hamilton [& Travis Meyer]

June 23rd

Athens, Georgia

Linds and I like to say we went from orientation to graduation together and thankfully the journey didn't stop there (not that I thought it would....we are twinnys after all). I remember hearing about Travis freshman year walking back to the dorms and thinking how great they seemed for each other.  Now, eight years later she's one of my very best friends and they are getting married! I cannot wait to stand by them on a day I know they've both been waiting for for a long time.

 

Maggie Yates [& John Sorrenti]

June 23rd

Atlanta, Georgia

 Mags and I were also in the same pledge class and lived on the same hall at AXO for two years.  She moved to D.C. for law school where she met John, and I would definitely describe them as adventurous (they've been Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam......).  Unfortunately, I haven't figured out how to be two places at once, but I'll definitely be at their wedding in spirit!

Windsor Curry [& Chris Lineback]

June 30th

Warrenton, North Carolina

Winds and I have been bff's (or bah's as we like to say) since high school, where we enjoyed dancing, late-nighting, and AIM stalking together. She lives in Raleigh now, where she met her sweet fiance Chris (he made her a table with a wine rack one year-- how awesome!).  I am so happy for them and can't wait to celebrate their special day in June.

Stephanie Tuerk [& Danny Brown]

July 28th

Atlanta, Georgia

Tuerky and I met freshman year when we were standing in line next to each other during rush (yay for last names that start with "Tu").  We ended up prefing the three exact same sororities, but inevitably chose the best one. We lived at AXO for two years and then were roomies senior year.  We always have so much fun together, and I cannot wait to stand next to her as she marries her perfect match.  

   

Stephanie Greene [& Kyle Martin]

October 20th

Charlottesville, Virginia

Steph and I have also been bff's since high school and even though we really haven't lived in the same city since graduating, we've always been really close.  She's such a perfect friend (and an awesome cook!) and my favorite memories together are always our trips, like our journey to Greece.  She's marrying her high school sweetheart, and I feel so lucky to stand by two great friends on their big day.  

They'll be here before we know it, loves!!  

Tag

Linds "tagged" me in a game on her blog, so here are eleven fun questions I know you're just dying to know about me.   

1. When you were 5 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

 A teacher.  And these cuties were the best "students" I've ever had. ;)

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Is that anywhere with a free flight and hotel? Then I'm definitely thinking Fiji.  It looks like paradise.

3. If you could go back to high school and revive one fashion trend, what would it be?

Overalls. How comfortable were those?

4. What is the weirdest food you have ever tried?

I love love love seaweed. 

5. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you buy?

A really yummy, expensive dinner to celebrate. :)

6. A picture is worth 1,000 words... what's your favorite?

This one from our wedding.  I'm right next to the love of my life on the best day of my life surrounded by my favorite people in the world.  Awwww.

7. If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Shrimp and sausage pasta.  YUM.

8. What's the one thing you wish your parents would have let you do when you were a kid?

I couldn't really think of one for this, but I guess that we could have gotten a trampoline?

9. NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?

No competition....

10. Favorite thing that happened in 2011?

Again, no competition.... ;)

11. And what are you hoping for in 2012?

As cheesy as it sounds, I just want my family and friends to have lots and lots of happiness this year.

I'm supposed to come up with eleven new questions and tag eleven blog friends, but don't know anyone who hasn't already been tagged, so instead feel free to check out the questions my friends Laura, Amanda, and Cara had to answer!

The Future Mr. and Mrs. Cherof

I am heading to Atlanta tomorrow and can't wait to "shower" my good friend Amy with gifts at her first bridal shower.  She and her fiance Nate are such a perfect couple, and I can't wait to watch them become husband and wife at the end of May!!

P.S. Ames just matched at her FIRST CHOICE at UC Colorado in the Ophthalmology residency....she was one of four people in the entire COUNTRY!!!  Thankfully, though, that program doesn't start until 2013 and she gets to stay closer to me in Augusta until then.  Very selfish, I know. :)

Kitchen Addition

Our little kitchen window was lacking some pazazz, so I set out last weekend to fix that.  I found fabric I loved at JoAnn Fabric (P.S. To all my teaching friends, they give a 15% discount!) that I bought a yard of, plus some brown grosgrain ribbon. 

 I cut my fabric to the length and width I wanted, plus a couple of inches on either side for the "hemming."  I say that because I don't sew and think my mother-in-law says it best with her favorite phrase.... "If you can't glue it, don't do it."  After I glued the edges, I hung up the fabric on the rod that was already there and attached two pieces of ribbon with velcro.

I hot glued some ribbon bows and viola!

I was really excited with the way it turned out and surprised at how simple and cheap the project was.  I like how it adds a little warmth to the kitchen and ties in with the "dining room" window treatments.

Happy Wednesday!

Run, Forrest, Run

Freshman year of high school I signed up for indoor track thinking I could build up some endurance for cheerleading in an indoor track facility on my high school campus that I had never actually seen. But it turns out that indoor track isn't indoors at all.  It's done outside in the bitter cold in the middle of winter, so to say that experience was less than desirable is an understatement. 

I hated every minute of practice that winter and never made it to a single meet, but stuck it out to earn the free t-shirt at the end of the season.  It turns out I missed the deadline to sign up for the shirt, so all I was left with was a hatred of running. 

That is until a couple of years ago when my mom and I set out to conquer our mutal fear hate and signed up for the Richmond SPCA 5k.  We trained together and ran the entire thing!

Even since then, I've really enjoyed it.  I stick to only two or three miles at a time, but I'm pretty proud of that given those fateful months twelve years ago (...tweleve years ago!!???).  Anyways, we don't have the best gym options in little 'ole Waynesboro, so Gaines and I used money we got for Christmas and had saved up to buy our very own....

TREADMILL!

We put it in the office room and absolutely love it!  Gaines researched lots of options, and we ended up buying the Proform 995 on sale at Sport's Authority (plus a 10% off coupon!). 

We've used it practically every day since we bought it, and that big blue ball (is that its official name?) and the weights in the corner make it feel like our own mini gym. :)

P.S. If you get tired of having your hair fall in your face when you work out, check out these awesome headbands my best friend's sister Tara makes.  They're called Go Girl Bands, and they're not only cute, but work really well!

via

Datenight with the Blackburns

This past weekend we took advantage of the great weather and headed down to the Story's pond with Jason, Caroline, and puppy Cash.  We grilled out, had drinks, burned our Christmas trees, and enjoyed this crazy, awesome January weather.

Not sure why Cash looks three-legged in this picture, but he is such a cutie.

The Rest of Christmas Break: NYE

New Year's Eve at the rivah always consists of great friends, great family, great food, great weather, and great fun and the Tenth Annual was NO exception.  ;)

I couldn't ask for a better way to bring in the New Year than with these people.