September brought...

Cooler weather, DIY projects, a new "do", and so much more.

For starters I owe everyone some pictures. On the first of the month I visited my hairdress Christine at Salon 11 Studios in Dunwoody for the epic Post-Wedding Chop. And boy was it ever! I think she cut off about 6-8 inches. Unfortunately none of it worth donating because I highlighted my hair earlier in the year. But here are the before and after shots.

It feels great to finally have healthy SHORT hair :) 

This month we've also been blessed with cooler weather (and as of this week, more rain). We're not complaining though. I've learned living in Atlanta makes my allergies act up even more, and with the rain, all of the dust in the air gets washed away.
I'm also picture journaling the changing of season. I have this beautiful tree right outside my office window that I have watched for the past two years change into gorgeous oranges, yellows and reds. This year I've made it my goal to take a photo every day until the leaves fall off (sometime in December). Take a look at the beginning stages:

One weekend this month Nick and I found ourselves out and about on a Saturday and decided to make a trip to Home Depot. It was there were we picked up the supplies for our new bedside tables. The original idea was to have them hanging from the walls, however since we are moving in less than 3 months it's best if we don't hang them at all. Here is the inspiration:

Source

And here is Nick with the guy from Home Depot who graciously helped us assemble them in the store, free of charge!

He built two, and after getting them home we realized they are the perfect height to stand vertically (for now), so all we had to do was fill in the blemishes on the wood, sand it, and paint it.

Nick's been working on the caulking/sanding part, and once that's done we will be painting a couple of coats of the deep plum paint we purchased to match the yellow and teal bedroom colors.

On that same Saturday we made our way to the Marietta Farmer's Market where we found tons of fresh fruits/veggies, cheese and bread. Free samples galore! Right next to it was an antique market which is where we found our new cedar bed chest to store our bed linens in for now. It's perfect for the bedroom, and the guy was practically giving it away! I said pack it up and let's take it home!

We also tried out a new restaurant in Dunwoody this month. Village Burger (website designed by moi) opened in the Dunwoody Village. The burgers are delicious and the fries are unbelievable... really. Everything was fresh and yummy. I even tried the custard and it got a two thumbs up! We made the mistake and went on the grand opening. The place was packed but the food was worth it. We will be making it back there soon.

In these last few weeks of September we've started to research more and more about where to go next. We are busting at the seams in our tiny one bedroom, and have started looking for more room. One of our top priorities is to have an extra bedroom for guests. I want my parents to visit more often, and maybe one day I can get my sister back down here! Also we are looking forward to Nick's mom's visit in a few weeks for his birthday, however we will have to have her back when we have a second bedroom. She's sweet to be okay with our couch for now :)

We have some options for moving right now, but we are waiting to hear back. We are still looking early and don't actually have to be out of our place until January 6, but moving during the holidays is a pain so we are trying to figure out the details. Here's a peak at one of our options we are looking at:

Wow what a busy month! In October we have a lot to look forward to, as well! Birthday celebrations, Halloween parties, and family visits! (Oh My!)

Good for your Soul - Beef Stew

It's no secret that I love to cook. My mother would let me help her at a young age in the kitchen when we were hosting a big family dinner. I am constantly wanting to have friends over so that I can cook them a hearty meal. Married life has been great for me. Now it's not just me eating dinner! Nick enjoys a good meal about 4 out of 5 days of the week. He's learned that I love being in the kitchen after a long day at work. I decompress that way.

So I'm going to start sharing some of our favorite recipes as we discover them. Last night I whipped together a beef stew that I found on Food Network. It's an Emeril Lagasse recipe and I've altered it slightly to fit our food likes/dislikes.

Personal Photo

Cook Time: 40 min Level: Intermediate Yield: about 3 quarts, 6 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound button mushrooms, quartered (I omit these)
2 cups roughly chopped yellow onions
2 cups sliced carrots, (1-inch slices cut crosswise on a diagonal)
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups veal or beef stock, at room temperature
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3 to 4 cups 1-inch dice russet potatoes
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I omit this)
Steamed white rice or buttered egg noodles, for serving (We opt for rice)

Directions
Set a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pot and season the beef with the salt, Essence and black pepper, being sure to toss the meat well to evenly cover with the spices. Add 1/3 of the beef to the pot and cook until browned on all sides, 2 or 3 minutes per side. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil to the pot along with half of the remaining meat and cook again until browned. Set aside and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and remaining beef. Set aside.

Add the butter and mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute until onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the stock, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, allspice and browned beef and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Add the potatoes to the stew and partially cover the pot with a lid. Continue cooking until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the lid and discard the thyme and rosemary stems. Add the peas and parsley to the stew, stir well to combine, then remove from the heat. Serve hot, with either steamed white rice or buttered egg noodles.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup

Totally Tybee!!

Nick and I packed up the car on the Friday before Labor Day weekend and headed to Tybee Island, GA with 8 other friends. Right around Memorial Day weekend I had this idea that once the wedding was over and the summer had passed, we would all be in need of a great trip. BOY WAS I RIGHT! I can definitely say that I have never laughed so hard on a single vacation. We were able to enjoy the beach, some good food, a hot tub, fireworks, beer (lots of it), and The Crab Shack. Here are a few pictures of the weekend.

Best moment of the weekend was during our game of Kings. John pulled a card for "categories" while the rule was set that everyone must speak like a gay man. John said "Reasons Why I'm Fabulous" without skipping a beat, and we were all out of our chairs laughing for 10 minutes.

I hope to make this an annual thing. We rented The Love Shack off of 14th Street and it was gorgeous!! I was so impressed with Tybee Vacation Rentals and how easy it was to work with them. We had a 10 sleeper that was pet friendly with a hot tub in the back. Labor Day weekend has never been sweeter.