Cruisin'

It's totally worth all the trouble to drive this lovely thing around.  Easy for me to say I guess - watching Andrew do all the work!  Actually, we only put the top up that one time.  It hasn't rained since April so there's no need to.

While Andrew was playing golf with cousin Derron, I went to South Coast Plaza with Susan, Grandma Shirley, Lynn and Ian.  That sure is a pricey mall!  Definitely out of my league.  I didn't make it to H&M because it wasn't actually in the mall, but we did mosey into Macy's.  The minute we walked in, we were attacked by the Benefit girls.

They roped us in to their event and within seconds we were all sitting in the chairs having really, really expensive makeup plastered on our faces.  Sadly, I could actually tell a difference in their produce versus the cheapest stuff I can usually find at Wal-Mart.  Good for the face, bad for the wallet.

They thought it was so cute that the girl from Tennessee wanted her picture made.  I think they were just shocked I was wearing shoes.

Poor Susan got stuck with the really pushy lady who had a pile of $200 worth of makeup waiting at the cash register for her to buy.  

I was glad to help her pick a few of the products instead of the whole shebang, but the woman kept at it saying the products just wouldn't work the same without the others.  When I told her Susan could just buy the other products some other time in Knoxville, she couldn't believe that we actually had access to Benefit in Knoxville.  These people sometimes!

Grandma Shirley, not to be confused with my Mamaw Shirley, treated herself to a little blush and lipstick.

Aunt Lynn made me only slightly jealous when I saw their mascara on her.  Definitely in the plans for my future spending!

After shopping for a few hours, everybody was winding down, but my day was just beginning. We had a few hours left before the rehearsal dinner, so I hopped in the Jeep by myself to go back to the hotel to get ready - or so everyone thought!  After making a wrong turn where I ended up circling the entire mall, I found my way back to the hotel only to remember that I saw a sign to Fashion Island the previous day.  Feeling adventurous, I kept on driving the streets of Newport Beach until I found it.  This may be attributed to my mother who was never afraid to pack up Matt and me and hit the road to Louisiana or Arkansas by herself.  It could also be because this is the first thing I heard when I turned the key in the ignition...

It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down
I had the radio on, I was drivin
The trees went by, me and del were singin
Little runaway, I was flyin

~ Tom Petty "Runnin' Down a Dream"

Fashion Island was even more than I could have hoped for.  The minute I walked into Bloomingdale's  I saw the Longchamps section - my favorite new purse from Paris.  See?  I told you they would be making it Stateside soon!  I didn't realize it was an open-air mall, but why wouldn't it be in this climate?  Then, the first thing I laid my eyes on outside the doors of Bloomingdale's was none other than Anthropologie.  Hello!  

I ended up spending so much time in there that I hardly had any time left, but I left with a complete outfit - a rarity for me.  The pants I bought were originally $118 marked down to $29 and thought the jacket's tag was missing, I'm sure it was at least $100 also marked down to $29.  My one full price purchase was a beautiful delicate gold necklace, for a reasonable $39, that I will probably wear more often than I should!

Feeling a little remorseful about all my big purchases, I decided to return the Benefit You Rebel I bought (I kept the High Brow though!) since Fashion Island had a Macy's too.  Wow.  I really underestimated the look I would get from the saleswoman.  They must not understand the concept of the return here.  It's one of the fundamentals of my shopping methods!  She just didn't understand why I didn't want to exchange it for the lighter color.  It really was too dark.  They only have two shades, and since when have I ever needed anything in the darker shade?  She finally forked my cash back over, and I felt better about the day.

Then I walked out to door to this view.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  The ocean was such a vibrant, beautiful hue.  This really is the luxe life.

The day ended with the rehearsal dinner at Lone-Star Steakhouse.  Love those free meals!

Andrew with this golf and baseball buddy, Derron, and Uncle Rick who made us the most delicious breakfast that I even forgot to take a picture.  Homemade waffles with whole raspberry syrup, bacon, eggs, and a fresh fruit smoothie.  

We sure are living it up on this trip, and it's only gonna get better from here!

California Love

Ever wonder what a plane looks like at 5:40 AM?  No?  Well, me neither but here you go.

I had a feeling I might regret that insanely early flight, but I couldn't help but try to maximize our first day in SoCal.  Things started off pretty smooth considering the alarm went off at three in the morning.  Dad picked us up at 3:45 (yes, he really is that wonderful), and when I asked him whether or not our suitcase was over the limit, he reckoned, oh at least 15 pounds over.  So much for saving 15 bucks by packing together.  We quickly shuffled the heavy things into another suitcase and $30 later we were in the air to Atlanta.  This is where things got a little hairy.

I waited on the ramp for my carry-on that had to be checked at the door because of the tiny plane, and after everyone else carelessly sauntered off with theirs, I became nervous that mine was MIA.  

The short of it is that I apparently left mine in the wrong place, and it didn't make it onto the plane.  The long of it is (You had to know this was coming!  When have I ever stopped with the abridged version?) that it had every important paper I needed, my MacBook, my clothes for the rehearsal dinner and wedding - basically all the things I wanted to make sure I had if my luggage was lost.  Ironic, huh?   They ended up checking it and sending it to LAX through Cincinnati.  

While we waited for about an hour and a half (turns out getting up at 3 AM wasn't all that worth it) in baggage claim, I tried to keep myself from having visions of a busted laptop screen after they tossed my carry-on around with all the 50 pound suitcases.  

Andrew wasn't too excited about my little mishap.  When he picked my bag up from the carousel, I couldn't help but raise both arms in celebration of the returned carry-on.

We finally caught the shuttle to the rental company and, after a slight scare, were escorted to a Jeep Wrangler.  

Luckily I stopped Andrew before we left the lot because my seat wouldn't lean back.  I'm not talking just a little problem here; I was actually leaning forward.  I asked the guy working there how to lean the seat back, and when even he couldn't do it, we unloaded and repacked all our stuff into another Jeep.  Whew!  Not a great start, but things started looking up quickly!

In fact, things were so great that even though I'm not normally a fan of the self-portrait, I decided I had to capture my utter joy at riding down the 405 with my favorite person in the world in a Jeep blaring Sheryl Crow on a beautiful day in California.  Does life get any better than this?

Maybe I am a new fan of the self-portrait.  Okay, maybe not so new.

First stop: Wienerschnitzel.

Here's a play-by-play of what happened next.

Matt McAffry, I hope you're not reading this. 

He could hardly contain his excitement.

What does one 160 pound man order after not having it for over a year?

Four, count 'em four, chili cheese dogs.

I'm thinking he didn't regret it.  Not one bit.

We spent the afternoon at Andrew's grandparent's house in Fountain Valley where people don't have air conditioning because the weather is so nice they rarely need it, and they leave doors and windows open because bugs are nearly nonexistent.  I so enjoy spending time with his family.  They really make me feel like one of their own.  

We checked into our hotel (which is awesome by the way and only minutes from Fashion Island and South Coast Plaza - uh oh!) and spent an hour at the pool before getting ready for dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory - a tradition for the Fosnights.  

Ian is Andrew's much-younger cousin.  He, like all of us, really enjoyed the spumoni.  

Grandma even had to help him clean up a little.  

I am conspicuously leaving out my dinner choice.  Lets just say it was a healthy, well-rounded meal including several types of pastas (one of which was whole wheat - just trying to keep it healthy here) and my fair share of some sourdough bread.  

Ally calls Pam, Andrew's aunt, "Hannah" because she can't quite pronounce "Grandma."  So sweet!

Andrew's grandparents have been married over 50 years and are a model at how to still be in love after that much time.  They call each other "Lovie" and rarely leave each other's side.  

One might think that with all the traveling issues, the time change and the extremely early morning, that we would call it a night after that, but no!  We headed to visit more family after dinner and talked the night away on their back porch.  

I hope I'll be ready to leave Southern California when Sunday rolls around.  Right now, I can't imagine that happening.  I love this place.  And I haven't even seen the beach yet or mentioned the shopping.  

Tomorrow: Adventures with Sarah and the Jeep at Fashion Island!

Pacific Coast Itinerary

Wednesday

• Fly out of McGhee-Tyson at 5:50 AM EST - Yikes!
• Arrive at LAX at 9:01 AM PST
• Pick up Convertible Jeep Wrangler
• Insert California Soundtrack (See below)
• Visit with family
• Check in hotel in Newport Beach
• Eat at Spaghetti Factory with family

Thursday

• Laguna Beach Crystal Cove State Park
• Visit with family
• Rehearsal dinner

Friday

• Huntington Beach Farmer's Market
• Eat at Ruby's on the pier
• Beach time 
• Try not to get swept up in these massive waves
• Hang with family

Saturday

• Convince Andrew or one of his cousins to go shopping - Fashion Island (Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters) or South Coast Plaza (H&M and Zara) - How can I choose?
• Visit with family
• Ricky and Laura's Wedding

Sunday

• Begin drive to San Francisco on Pacific Coast Highway
• Breakfast at Le Pain on Santa Monica Boulevard (Try not to draw stares from locals while belting it out with Sheryl Crow)
• Regret not going to Francis Chan's church and the Reagan Library in exchange for seeing the coastline around Malibu
• Stop at Stearns Wharf - Santa Barbara
• Drive through Solvang feeling like I'm back in Holland
• Dinner at Taco Temple
• Soak in jacuzzi while enjoying the (partial) view of Morro Bay 

Monday

• Hike at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park
• Stop at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
• Drive through Carmel-by-the-Sea
• Picnic somewhere along 17 Mile Drive (including Pebble Beach and the Lone Cypress)
• Stop in Monterey

Tuesday

• Steinbeck Center (yippee!)
• Drive past San Fran over the Golden Gate Bridge to Point Reyes National Seashore
• Muir Woods to see redwoods 
• Sausalito
• Golden Bridge
• Stay in Union Square, San Fran

Wednesday

• Try to see San Francisco in one day!
• Ride cable car to Fisherman's Wharf
• View of Alcatraz
• Ghiradelli Square
• Lunch at Grand Hyatt on 36th floor - Reservation at 1:00 
• Explore around Union Square
• Dinner somewhere close to hotel

Thursday

• Fly out of SFO at 12:40 AM PST
• Arrive at McGhee-Tyson at 11:51 AM EST

California Soundtrack (courtesy of Andrew)

• What's My Age Again? - Blink 182
• Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty
• Reelin' In the Years - Steely Dan
• California Love - 2Pac
• Beverly Hills - Weezer
• All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
  
• Santa Monica - Everclear
• Surf Wax America - Weezer
• Cruisin' - Huey Lewis and the News
• Misirlou - Dick Dale and His Del-Tones
• Surf City - Jan & Dean
• Groovin' - The Rascals
• You're My Best Friend - Queen
• Wonderful - Everclear
• Yakety Sax - Boots Randolph (ugh!)
• Day Tripper - The Beatles
• American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
• A Long December - Counting Crows
• R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. - John Mellencamp
• California - Joni Mitchell
• Let's Get Together - The Youngbloods
• San Francisco - Scott McKenzie

The Least of These

Today Mom graciously offered to go with me to KARM as I took pictures of the families in their resident program. I tried to be a big girl by offering to go by myself, but when I heard the workers in the lobby discussing the fight from a couple days ago where one guy jumped another, I was pretty thankful she was with me. After overhearing that slightly worrisome discussion, we were escorted to the courtyard reserved for families, and I settled in behind my camera and began shooting. It was a total blast.

I was told the moms and kids spent all morning fixing hair, pulling out their best clothes, and getting ready for their pictures. One little girl even changed clothes and came back for a second session once everyone else had left. Too cute!

We were honored to meet some very special families. Three couples had recently been married, and one actually said "I do" just hours before I snapped their pictures. After knowing each other for 18 years, they seemed pretty excited to have their pictures made to document this special day. One lady in particular grabbed my heart as she told me what a blessing it was that I came today. Her red bandana hid the effects of her recent chemotherapy treatment - and she was the one blessed today? Man I needed that.

Reminds me of an old, wise man (just kidding about the old part!) that once said (and by once, I mean, a few weeks ago) his time spent pouring himself into others is when he felt closest to Jesus.  Amen.

Thanks to all of the generous people who supported this effort.  I'll be delivering the frames and albums next week!  

What Have We Done?

For any normal dog, this would look like a perfect setup for a nice meal.

Our dog, on the other hand, is a bit more high maintenance.

So high maintenance that she no longer eats her food out of the bowl.  What self-respecting Yorkie-poo would anyway?  Instead, Milly sits on the edge of the kitchen floor and whines until we pour her bite size hypo-allergenic Royal Canin diet out on the floor.

That's more like it.

I swear we did nothing to bring this on.  She simply up and decided one day that the bowl just wouldn't do.

I guess the little seven pound fur ball is worth it.

Loving my 5D

If you don't mind, I'm gonna take a minute to gloat over my new camera. I was a bit nervous taking it out for my first session yesterday, but I was hoping the higher quality would be worth missing a few shots due to the learning curve. Turns out, there isn't much of a learning curve - just better quality pictures!  

It didn't hurt that I had this sweet thing in front of the camera either.

Click here to see more.

New Toy

I have searched and search for my new camera, and finally, after posting a wanted ad on craigslist, I found the perfect one!  My gently used Canon 5D feels so good in my hands.  Even the click of the shutter button makes my heart go pitter pat!  

Poor Milly is always subjected to these kinds of impromptu photo shoots.

How lucky am I to have this delicious lighting in my backyard every evening?

Can you see how sharp this image is?  I'm thinking this upgrade was totally worth it!

This picture might make her look pitiful - begging to get back inside - but don't let her fool you; this dog wants for nothing.

Summertime, summertime!  I enjoyed some lake time with these lovely ladies today.  Thanks for not giving me a hard time for being such a wimp around the water!

Church Picnic

Last night we met some friends at Stardust Marina to listen to the Retroholics.  This was me branching out into a different kind of live band - they've got nothing on Matthew Perryman Jones or Sara Watkins, but we had a great night with friends for sure.

This evening was the first of what I hope becomes an annual church picnic at Victor Ashe Park.  What fun!  If the storm hadn't chased everyone off, I'm sure the games would have gone late into the night.

I couldn't help but watch this little one with his first ever watermelon.  Notice him looking a little timid here - just checking it out.

Now he's really sinking into it.

There's no turning back now.

Keep your hands off my watermelon!

Somebody please write this down. When I have kids I will need to be reminded that watermelon juice running down the neck and legs is okay.  Just strip them down and remember that the look of wonder on their face upon discovering the watermelon is totally worth it.

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick of Kirkpatrick's Corner.  Stop by and say hello.  Really.  Leave a comment.  We bloggers can't get enough of them.

The highlight of the evening was the pie throwing contest - one in the face of each of three pastors.  Hooray for raising nearly $700 in a matter of minutes.

Here's a screen shot of my new blog.  

I think I'm gonna keep the other one around instead of trying to merge the two so I can start fresh.  The whole "story" thing started to really get on my nerves - probably a little cheesy.  Y'all were so sweet to keep that to yourselves and not crush my attempts at creativity.

You may notice a bit of a price increase.  This is due to better image quality (thanks to the new camera I'm purchasing tomorrow!) and better print quality now that I have upgraded to Smugmug Pro.  If you know of anybody who was thinking of scheduling a session, I will honor my old prices through August 1 - so book fast!  I'm trying to get as much in as I can before school starts up again.  Let me know what you think about the new blog.  There are a few things I'm not totally happy with, but it was a free template, so I can't ask for too much!

In the Kitchen

One of Dad's coworkers brought him some fresh raspberries recently, and I don't know how he resisted eating them on the spot, but he handed them over to me for my baking pleasure - under one condition - that I bring him some of the product!  

After perusing my stacks of cookbooks, I went with Williams-Sonoma's Fresh Raspberry Sour Cream Crumble Cake.

I was so excited to eat it that I didn't even get out my flash for the picture.  And I don't regret it one bit.  Totally worth the low quality picture.  You'll just have to trust me. 

I've been needing a reason to use the cheese knife I bought at the gouda cheese factory in Holland...

...and this recipe gave me the perfect excuse.

Penne with Two Tomatoes and Mozzarella is a super easy summer dish.  Just cook the penne pasta reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.  Cook a pint grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, some garlic, and pasta water until the tomatoes soften.  Add to the pasta with diced mozzarella and snipped chives.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Even better served cold the next day!