Tender TN Christmas

AK and I had a wonderful white Christmas in Nashville!!

I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked, but did get a few.

Celebrating Grandma's 85th Birthday on Christmas Eve!

AK's UT fabric brick
(my brother and nikki gave ak a fabric brick, that says "the referee makes a call too quick, it's time to bring out the "bad call brick" Throw it at the set with an aim so steady, Now don't you feel better all ready!) This was a very thoughtful and awesome gift! (now I don't have to hide cell phones! ha!)


Saving the best for last - our Santa D gift. Last year I said that AK and I would keep up the tradition of carrying on the gag/funny gift from my dad. So this year everyone got Elliott Sadler HBP racin' shirts! We all had a good laugh for sure. Wonder what Santa D will bring next year?? maybe a shakeweight?!

Chirstmas Truffles

I feel like I have been blogging lately about holiday things after they happen! I have not been prepared this year for Christmas or Thanksgiving, they came and went too fast!

Before we left for Nashville I was able to make some treats for the fam. My good friend, Ash told me about these awesome red velvet truffles she was making. I had to try them!



So here it goes...

Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix
1 can cream cheese icing
sprinkles
4 packs Bakers White Chocolate


Bake cake according to regular directions on the box.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, crumble the whole thing into a bowl. Don't leave any big pieces, smash the whole thing up. Then dump the whole can of cream cheese icing into the crumbled cake and mix together extremely well. Put the mix into the fridge for an hour or so, until it is cool throughout.

After it is cool, roll the cake mix into balls. It should make about 40 balls. After you have rolled them all, put them in the freezer for at least an hour. (it is ok to even wait until the next day if you need to wait, an hour is just the minimum time)

Melt 4 squares at a time of the white chocolate in a plastic bowl and roll the cake balls in the chocolate, using a spoon to roll them around. Sprinkle immediately and place on wax paper. (the chocolate hardens fast)After they are all rolled in chocolate and sprinkled, they are done and ready to be stored in the refrigerator.

So tasty!

Holiday Cards...what to do??

You know I love getting holiday cards and today I was searching for a cute way to display them! Right now we have them on top of our armourie and on the fridge, I would love to have them all in one place!

Check out these cute ideas...

Hang ribbon from a door

lovin' this one

Make a holiday card tree!

Less than a week til Chirstmas!!! AHAH!
Remember how long this last week was as a child?? It seemed like FOREVER!
Here's hoping our week will seem like forever and we get our shopping, baking and cooking all finsihed.

Fun & Flashy Holiday Cards

It's Christmas Card season again! I love love getting Christmas cards in the mail. Checking the mail is the highlight of my day during the holiday season! There are so many varieties and types of holiday cards and I love seeing all the different styles.

I'll be honest I have been searching for the perfect card for sometime now and I always come back to the Christmas cards at Shutterfly. I'm super pumped this year though, because shutterfly is offering 50 FREE photo cards if you blog about their great holiday cards!

They have such a broad range and selection of cards with bright and bold colors and the best part - the cards are so user friendly to personalize! My personal favorites are their Christmas photo cards.

After searching and searching I have finally narrowed my selection down to four!

Shutterfly is also a great site to buy invitations for holiday parties, baby/bridal showers, birth announcements and the list goes on! If you haven't already bought your holiday card, I would definitely check them out! Hope you find your perfect holiday card!

If you are a blogger you should apply for this special offer! It's a great deal!

Going to the chapel!

I am so excited!!! AK's little sister got engaged on Saturday!!!!

We just love Tray and are so excited he is going to be part of the Kelly Klan!

Congratulations!

Award Winning Chili

My dad used to make the best chili and Ak absolutely loved it. I never had a chance to get the recipe so I have been trying to make my own, but have never been that pleased.

My mom and her friends entered a chili cook off contest in the neighborhood and out of 25 entries they won!! I test-tasted it the night they were making it and was very impressed.

So here it goes....

2 pounds ground chuck
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
1-2 onions
2-3 green bell peppers
Saute all together

Add:
4 cans red/black beans
4 cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
1 can diced green chilies
2 bottles brown ale
2 tb chili powder
4 cloves garlic
4 bay leaves
2 tb cumin
2 tb Wooster
1 tb brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Now as you can tell this makes a ton of chili, so split in half for a smaller group or cook it at your next shindig!

A few days late

I hope everyone had a wondeful Thanksgiving!! Ak and I had such a great weekend together and it was so nice to spend some time with him! The past three weeks have been harder than I expected, but only 2 more to go!!

I know this is a few days late, but before our dinner Ak's grandpa pulled out a old piece of newspaper and read us a Dear Abby. I think it's not only good for Thanksgiving but is something we should think about all of the time.

DEAR READERS: By popular demand, here is my traditional Thanksgiving column:
Today is Thanksgiving Day, so take a few minutes to reflect upon all the things for which you are thankful.
How's your health? Not so good? Well, thank God you've lived this long. A lot of people haven't.

You're hurting? Thousands -- maybe millions -- are hurting even more. (Have you ever visited a veterans hospital? Or a rehabilitation clinic for crippled children?)

If you awakened this morning and were able to hear the birds sing, use your vocal cords to utter human sounds, walk to the breakfast table on two good legs, and read the newspaper with two good eyes, praise the Lord! A lot of people couldn't.

How's your pocketbook? Thin? Well, most of the world is a lot poorer. No pensions. No welfare. No food stamps. No Social Security. In fact, one-third of the people in the world will go to bed hungry tonight.

Are you lonely? The way to have a friend is to be one. If nobody calls you, pick up the phone and call someone.

Are you concerned about your country's future? Hooray! Our system has been saved by such concern. Your country may not be a rose garden, but neither is it a patch of weeds.

Freedom rings! Look and listen. You can still worship at the church of your choice, cast a secret ballot, and even criticize your government without fearing a knock on the head or a knock on the door at midnight. And if you want to live under a different system, you are free to go. There are no walls or fences -- nothing to keep you here.

As a final thought, I'll repeat my Thanksgiving prayer; perhaps you will want to use it at your table today:

O heavenly Father:
We thank thee for food and remember the hungry.
We thank thee for health and remember the sick.
We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless.
We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved.
May these remembrances stir us to service
That thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and may God bless you and yours. -- LOVE, ABBY

Strokin'

I had the best 28th birthday! My girlfriends and I had a fun evening of wine, laughs and a step by step guide to painting a picture at sips n strokes. I have been dying to go and see what the buzz was all about! I was hesitant at first, because I am no artist, but everyone assured me that anyone could do it.

So the wine pouring began and we started painting!!

The finished product!

Six Week Adventure Begins

Well I just finished packing my last bag. Tomorrow I'm on my way to Nashville for the next six weeks. It's going to be a busy time for sure.

Over the next weeks, I will be traveling to Vegas and Denver for work, will celebrate Thanksgiving and the great Black Friday with mom, attend a friend's wedding, AK's Christmas Party weekend, try to finish my Christmas shopping, oh and did I mention possibly training for a 1/2 marathon that's in February in New Orleans. I have started training here in Columbus, but I'm not signing up or making any promises until I see that I may be able to actually run the whole thing. (It's not looking too good! ha!)

Do you know how hard it was to pack for all of these festivites?? Needless to say, I have several bags and loads of hang ups traveling with me.

I'm going to try my hardest to keep up with my blog, stay tuned!

It's Football Time in TN!!!!

AK and I went to our last football game on Saturday. The third weekend in October is a big deal for a TN fan, TN plays Alabama!!! Unfortunately this year it was more like a stomp fest then a game, but we still had a great time tailgaiting!


Us girls hanging out!


Born and Raised TN fans!!
(the brown brick building in the back was my dorm my freshman year)



The Crew, yes we let a couple AL fans tailgate with us (AK's friends)

Isn't that the prettiest thang you ever seen?

Until next Year....

Check out this write up about a UT football weekend.

Crazy Busy!

It has been a crazy past couple weeks, but a lot of fun! AK and I had a fabulous time in Miami and Key West!

Yummy Mojito at the Clevelander!

I had to get my picture in front of The Kardisians Store - Dash.

On Duval Street, first night in Key West!

Sunset Cruise

Our picture of the southern most point! - It rained all day!!!

And lastly, our favorite bartender at Sloppy Joes....Sylvia from Norway

5 o'clock somewhere...

I am so excited I can hardly stand it!! AK and I leave on Monday for Key West!!!

914

Last week I was wasting time before I had to meet my family for dinner and I was really close to the house where AK grew up. His parents sold it a few years back and I was curious to see what the house looked like now. The house was built by AK’s great grandfather so it was always in the family until a few years ago.


I turned down the street and there was a car in front of me, well what do you know they turned into the driveway! I thought well, shoot I cant just take a picture because this lady is going to think I’m crazy! So I got out and introduced myself and told her that AK had grown up there. She was the most delightful person! She insisted that I come inside and see what they had done. The house has been renovated inside and out, they had knocked down walls, added a bathroom and additional bedroom. It looks great! She kept some of the originals, like the dining room chandelier, flooring and mantle in the living room. For the outside they painted the brick a pretty cream color, when AK lived there it was a red brick home.


The best part of the story though is that there was a door knocker that still said Kelly on the side door. She insisted that I take it, so there we were unscrewing the door knocker and chatting about her children and future plans for their home like we had know each other for years. I’m so excited about the door knocker, it needs some polishing but so glad to have it. AK and I plan to use it on our front door on our first home. We are so fortunate that such a wonderful family lives there. She invited us back when we are in town again so that AK could take a look.




AK always says that we will buy that house back someday and now with all of these renovations he is determined!

Tres

Meet Trey!

Doesn't this picture just make you smile!

Trey is my dear friends first son and my first nephew!! I could just look at him and hold him all day everyday! He always brightens my day when I get to hang with him and his awesome moma!

Love y'all!

Outdoor Rooms

I absolutely love fall, right now the pumpkin spice candle is burning and it smells wonderful! I also love being outdoors and when it comes to fall/winter sometimes it gets too chilly to enjoy, but if you had an outdoor room it would make it a lot easier! AK’s Godparents have a similar room and I love it! It is so great for entertaining and makes another nice room to host more people. I love the outdoors and what a perfect way to enjoy it with a fireplace and friends.

Here are some of my favorites...all from Southern Living

Saving Sites

I love websites that offer great deals and steals! I wanted to share with you my favorites:


Southern Savers - http://www.southernsavers.com/
Learn how to REALLY coupon, print coupons, find out discount codes, free samples, etc.

Restaurant.com http://www.restaurant.com/
Buy $25 gift cards for $10. But usually there is a code on southernsavers.com where you can get them for $2!!!

Groupon - http://www.groupon.com/
Everyday groupon offers a deal usually half off for restaurants, spas, car services, etc. Another great site!!

Living Social - http://livingsocial.com/
Very similar to groupon, just a different site.

Craigslist - http://www.craiglist.org/
I know we all know about craiglist but you can find the best stuff on here!! I know it can seem a bit creepy but I have never met a weird/creepy person before when I have used craigslist. Everyone has been so delightful! Just make sure you meet at a public place or if they must come to your home, don't be alone! You know, just use common sense!

Hope you enjoy these sites as much as I do! Please let me know if you know of any other great sites!

PB Classes

Did you know that Pottery Barn offers free decorating classes??? I didn't but my mom told me about them and we went to one on Sunday and had the best time!

We went to the class on how to design your dream living room. We learned about picking the right color, using different textures, what window treatments are best, the best place to display furniture and the list goes on! The class was an hour long and was packed with great information!

To see what upcoming classes they have click here. I really want to go to the class on entertaining with style, especially with the holidays coming up!

Happy Decorating!!!

Lil' Monsters

Rah, rah, ah, ah, ah Roma, roma, ma Gaga ooh la la!!

That's right! Me and 7 other lil' monsters (girlfriends) are going to see Lady GAGA on Aprili 19th!!!!!

Taco Soup

It's fall y'all, which means soup season is right around the corner!! On Thursday night some girlfriends and I got together and my friend Kristi made this soup! So good and is also served well with margaritas!!

Ingredients:

1 lb of lean hamburger meat
half white onion chopped - brown together
2 cans of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of spicy chili beans
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1 can of original rotel
1 can of white shoepeg corn
1 pkg of dry ranch seasoning & 1 pkg of taco seasoning
1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder to taste
Salt n pepper to taste
2 cups of water

Stir all together in crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Serve with chz n sour cream. (Serves approx 8, so for only 4 servings you can always cut back on beans and leave out the diced tomatoes can). Enjoy!

Nash

I have been packing today, because I am leaving for Nashville tomorrow for the next 10 days! We have our big conference in Nashville next week, so it’s going to be a busy trip! I am going to have dinner one night with some girlfriends and hopefully make it to BUNCO!! Oh, how I miss me some bunco!

Deep Thought at Bunco

Oh and I have to get some bbq while in town....it's a MUST! Ohio doesn't have anything on some TN BBQ!!

Mich Mich

Whew, what FUN weekend! AK went to K-town for a guys weekend and while he was away my dear friend Michelle came up for a visit. We had so much fun that we only took TWO pictures the entire time she was here! :( and they are both on Michelle's camera! I hope to post later!

Some highlights of our trip included:


Jenni's Ice Cream - The craziest flavors, but made with local products and organic!!

• We ate at Jenni’s ice cream, not once but twice – best ice cream ever!This is the type of thing you can do with your girlfriend and not feel guilty about! It reminded me of a time when me and mom went to Phoenix for a girls getaway and literally ate gelato everyday!!!
  

• Cheered on the Vols at our local pub - definitely had some stares as we were surrounded by Ohio State fans, but we didn't mind!

• We went out downtown one night and were told by college students that we were old, but looked good for our age, I guess that's a compliment.

• Ate Sushi in C-bus for the first time

• Had a full day of shopping at the outlets. Mich got a new pillow and some plates for her new/restored home at the Pottery Barn Outlet! She should be moving in in about 4 more weeks!!! :)

• Listened to a live John Mayer – well, not really, but he looked and sounded just like him!

• Plenty of good laughs and just plain ‘ole good girl time

• and last but not least, we enjoyed some good ole $2 buck Chuck from Trader Joes.

.86

I heart CVS! I must admit I used to be a Walgreens girl, but I have officially made the switch! CVS offers extra care bucks on some items each week and 2% back on all purchases. The extra care bucks offer you money of an item and then you can use that money on future purchases. I went to CVS last week and got the best deal yet.

I got all of this for .86!! Yes that is right! I combined extra care bucks and coupons to score this great deal!!

Y'all vs. You all

Football officially starts tonight!!

I found this comparing Northern and Southern football. It's pretty good and funny. Although we live in Columbus where THE Ohio State is, the fans here are crazy and love them some football! But of course the traditions are different. On some of the categories I have added in what I have experienced in the midwest. GO VOLS!

Women's Accessories
NORTH: Chap Stick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.

MIDWEST: Jerseys, shorts, and tennis shoes
SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, water proof mascara,and
a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's why we have boyfriends.


Stadium Size:
NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.
SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.


Fathers:
NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath.
SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.


Mothers:
NORTH: Don't care if their daughters know what a football is.
SOUTH: Expect their daughters to buy a new outfit for Homecoming each year and marry a football player.


Campus Decor:
NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.
SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.


Homecoming Queen:
NORTH: Also a physics major.
SOUTH: Also Miss America.


Heroes:
NORTH: Rudy Guliani

MIDWEST: Jim Tressel
SOUTH: Paul "Bear" Bryant


Getting Tickets:
NORTH: 5 days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus
and purchase tickets.
SOUTH: 5 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on
campus, put name on waiting list for tickets, then still have to camp out.


Friday Classes After a Thursday Night Game:
NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game, because
they have classes on Friday.
SOUTH: Teachers cancel Friday classes because they don't want to see the
few hungover students that might actually make it to class.

Parking:
NORTH: An hour before game time, the University opens the campus for
game parking.
SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for
the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.


Week of Big Game:
NORTH: Don't even know who they are playing on Saturday.
SOUTH: Make sure clothes are color coordinated, make signs to support the home team, get shakers ready, pray for a victory, and bow down to football players when students see them.
This is too funny, I actually got out our tailgate bin today, loaded it up with cups, koozies, trash bags and counted chairs for next weekend!! I'm soo pumped!

Game Day:
NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV. Wonder why Game Day Live is never broadcast from their campus.
SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over
to where ESPN is broadcasting "Game Day Live" to get on camera, cheer tirelessly, and wave banners.


Tailgating:
NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to
local radio station with truck tailgate down.

MIDWEST: Brats and Sauerkraut!
SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking
accompanied by live performance by "Hootie and the Blowfish," who come
over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon. Televisions set up with satellite dishes so that we don’t miss any football games shown before and after ours.


Getting to the Stadium:
NORTH: You ask "Where's the stadium?" When you find it, you walk right
in.
SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it becomes the
state's third largest city.

AK once told a Cal fan that he needed to buy ear plugs. The guy then asked if he could buy some, I felt soo bad for him!


Concessions:
NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup filled to the top with soda.
SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team's mascot on
it, filled less than half way with soda, to ensure enough room for
bourbon.


When National Anthem is Played:
NORTH: Stands are less than half full, and less than half of them stand up.
SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.


The Smell in the Air After the First Score:
NORTH: Nothing changes.

MIDWEST: chants of OH-IO
SOUTH: Fireworks, with a touch of bourbon.


Commentary {Male Fan}:
NORTH: "Nice play."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch -tackle him and break his legs."
The guy behind us at our games at UT, who is in his 70s always says "Oh Lordy, come on boys"

Commentary {Female Fan}:
NORTH: "My, this certainly is a violent sport."
SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs."

After the Game:
NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.
SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker. While somebody goes to
the nearest package store for more bourbon, planning begins for next
week's game....SO TRUE! We always go back to our tailgate spot, eat food, and relax while the traffic is bad!

Happy Football and Labor Day Weekend!

Heaven on a Plate

This is one of those recipes where I was literally licking the bowl when I finished making it!! So good!! My friend Lauren, posted it on her blog on Friday and I made it yesterday! It is absolutely AMAZING and super easy to make! It's great for breakfast or a nice dessert.

Here it is...

Soapapilla Cheesecake

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent rolls
2-8oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 stick butter


Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Unroll and press 1 can crescent rolls into the bottom of your baking dish press the seams together. In a separate bowl blend the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla then spread over top of dough. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and place on top of the cream cheese mixture pressing seams together again. Melt butter and pour over top layer of crescents. Mix the reaming 1/2 cup of sugar & cinnamon together. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture generously over the top. If you don't think that's enough cinnamon sugar on top add more its really up to you there's no rules on this part of the recipe.Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly and bottom crust is slightly brown. Cool, slice and enjoy!

Alum Creek

Today AK and I ventured out to a state park for some hiking. Well, it wasn't so much hiking because it is pretty flat here, but it was a really nice trail. Along with trails, we also discovered they have a huge beach area complete with sand, lounge chairs and boats on the water. We definitely will go back for a longer hike and probably take a nice long walk on the beach.

Tailgate Time

I can't believe the title of this post! It's almost here!! Our first football game is next Saturday, next Saturday??!! Can you believe it!

I am excited, but also really nervous! We are not going to be the best and I'm okay with that, I'm just worried about ole AK. Not sure how he is going to hold up! After all, he did change his name as a child from Andrew to Andy when Andy Kelly was the quarterback at UT.

We have several home games this year and I'm already racking my brain on what to make for the tailgate. I am always open for suggestions for quick and easy food. It's hard making great stuff in a hotel room.

Go Vols!

Grilled Salmon Tacos

Yummy!! AK and I went to the cooking class on Saturday and had a blast! The food was amazing and we learned so many neat tips. I highly recommend looking into cooking classes in your area.

We made several things, but my favorite was the Grilled Salmon Tacos - AMAZING!!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients: (this is based on a recipe for 6 people, 2 tacos per person)

1 salmon fillet, (1 1/2 pounds) skin on, pin bones removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 Blackening Spice - (recipe follows)

Vegetable oil for the grill

12 corn tortillas

1/2 head cabbage (8 ounces) finely shredded

3 green onions, thinly slices on the bias (only use the green part)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)

2 ripe tomatoes - cut into 1/4 inch dice

Chipotle Sauce - (recipe follows)

Prepare a medium fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to meadium. Arrange the salmon, skin side up. Oil the skin generously with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Turn the salmon over and rub the flesh side all over with the blackening spice. Using your fingertips lightly dab the remaining olive oil over the blackening spice.

When ready to grill, brush the grill grate generously with vegetable oil. Grill the salmon, skin side up, directly over fire. Cover the grill and cook on one side for 4 minutes. Turn and cover again. Cook until almost opaque throughout - thermometer will read 125 - 130, cook for 5 mintues more. Transfer to cutting board, let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas on the grill or in the oven on 250.

In a medium serving bowl, toss together the cabbage, green onions and lime juice. Place the tomatoes in a small serving bowl. Serve with cabbage mixture, tomatoes, and chiptole sauce.

Chiptole Sauce:

1 cup mayo

3 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream

2 minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Mix ingedients together.

Blakening Spice: (this is great, would be good on chicken too)

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Combine all ingrediens ina small bowl. Stire well to blend. Store in an airtight jar in a coll, dark place for up to 6 months.

Enjoy!

15 minutes

If you have 15 minutes to spare a day, I recommend this great AB workout!! I found it on Real Simple and I have truly enjoyed it.

Check out the exercises here

For Sale

Well, we put our condo on the market this weekend! EEKK!!!

It's definitely bittersweet, I have sooo many great memories there and really thought that AK and I would live there at some point, but everything works out for a reason.

Now, if only my phone would ring and say that we already have a contract!

Wishful thinking, I know.

Everyday

I have been looking at buying some new everyday dinnerware and have fallen in love with a couple patters - I loved this Lenox pattern

and also really liked this from World Market


Since I really didn't NEED it, I was planning on asking it for my birthday or Christmas but then...

I went to TJ Maxx!

I love love love this store! I scored a huge find this weekend and I am super excited about my purchase.

Take a Look... It's actually my favorite out of the three and I got dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and coffee cups for 1/2 the price of the two above!