Is it too early...

...for Christmas decor?

I think not! Once Halloween is over (and cold weather begins), Christmas season officially starts in my book. My dear friend, Jenny, posted a fabulous DIY wreath on her blog, and I was immediately inspired! I already had most of the supplies, but after a quick trip to Hobby Lobby I was ready to go!

The detailed instructions for this project can be found by visiting the Haute Apple Pie blog. You'll notice that my berry branches and ribbon are different...I have a huge bolt of ivory satin material left over from my wedding, so I used that instead of burlap, and I chose berries that complimented the satin.

Before...

After!

I am so proud of my wreath! The best part about it, in my opinion, is that it doesn't have to be perfect. DIY projects that require perfection are not the DIY projects for me. I hope you've been inspired to get creative this holiday season!

Our First Halloween

This is our first Halloween as a married couple. Since we're in a new town and in an apartment complex, I really did not know what to expect as far as trick-or-treating would be concerned. To our delight, our complex hosted "Trick-or-Treat Around the Pond" on Saturday night. The residents were invited to bring bowls of candy and set up lawn chairs around the pond in our complex while the kiddos made the round. So, we racked up on the best chocolate Wal-Mart had to offer, I dressed up like a witch, and we enjoyed a nice evening around the pond.

Only the best! We didn't want to be stuck with nasty left-overs!

I can always count on my trusty witch costume.

We finished off the night with cheese and crackers, and watched Dracula. (Movie Recommendation: Skip it.)

October on the Road: Part 3

Our final October adventure was on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Nicky's cousin, Ashley, and her husband, Bob, own a vacation home on the island. Last year, they started a tradition by inviting the Prather family to spend a few days there. Unfortunately, I was student teaching last year, but there was nothing stopping me this year! We spent our mornings on bike rides, visited a petting zoo, kayaked in the ocean, and had an amazing time.

Entering Hilton Head Island at sunset.

Sadie and Jack gearing up for a bike ride.

Ben on the swing...

Ben in the air!

Hilton Head's famous Lighthouse

Beautiful marina

Family photo! (Minus Mr. Blake, Mrs. Donna, and Mikey)

Gan and her boys

Crazy wind!

Meet Spiderman and Batman

Gan on the tandem!

Cycling through the trees

Swamp People goes Hilton Head

Zack and Jack checking out the horse

Charlie feeding the baby deer

He's so talented!



The guys went shrimping on Thursday night. They got home around 1 in the morning with an ice chest FULL of jumbo shrimp! This called for a celebratory shrimp boil...Louisiana style!

Four generations of lovely ladies!

A little sample of our boys' catch!

Nicky and Charlie in a glow sword fight!

Spiderman! (A.K.A. Jack Attack)

Zack, Nicky, and their cousin Ben, designed and ordered t-shirts for this new tradition of an annual trip. The guys presented them on Friday night.

Zack drew this amazing fleur-de-lis (shrimp net and 2 shrimp), and the quote on the bottom ("Shootin our Sunday Shot") is one of Pop's famous quotes.

Sadie in her new t-shirt!

Gan, Mr. Blake and Aunt Linda peeling shrimp!

Battle of the Sexes...one of the most intense games I've ever played. The Prather family is insanely competitive!

The guys in a huddle discussing an answer for Battle of the Sexes.

A dolphin! I had never seen one in person before! (Except at the zoo, and that doesn't count.)

Beautiful Hilton Head sunset.

Sadie catching some rays!

Nicky and Charlie on the tandem!

Nicky and Charlie at the Salty Dog Cafe

Charlie and Sadie walked over to our house with Gan on our first morning there. Sadie pushed her baby in that stroller almost everywhere she went.

We can't wait to go back next year!

October on the Road: Part 2

Next up: Memphis! While Nicky lived there, he became great friends with a guy named Jamie. Jamie and his fiance, Mandy, made the 6.5 hour trip to Lafayette for our wedding in April, and it was only fair that we do the same for them! :) Unfortunately, I forgot my camera in the hotel during the wedding, but here are a few pics from the trip...

Sitting in the park after breakfast

Blue Plate Cafe = The Best Breakfast in Memphis

Pretty fountain in the park

For my brother

This is one view from our hotel room. The Pyramid is where all of the major concerts take place in Memphis.

This is the other view from our hotel room. St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

October on the Road: Part 1

This month, Nicky and I put some serious mileage on the Corolla. For starters, we made a trip to New Orleans the weekend of the 9th. When we first got to the Big Easy, Nicky took me to lunch for my birthday at Drago's. We were even able to convince our friends John and Cori to meet us in the Crescent City for a N.O. Hornets basketball game that night in the Capital One suite. The next morning, we all met up with our friends Ben and Sarah (who just had their first child, Audrey Katherine, on October 24!) at Cafe du Monde for the traditional beignets and cafe au lait!

The crabcake au gratin will change your life.

Veal Parmesan

Shrimp Stew

The aftermath of bread pudding...

Suite tickets!

Crazy kids from Jackson!

Sarah and Ben = Brand New Parents!

Cannot skip this when you go to N.O.

But the weekend didn't end there! My amazing husband and my two friends, Jamie and Laura, surprised me on Sunday with a visit from Baton Rouge! They brought homemade cupcakes, coke, and popcorn with M&M's! What a special birthday treat!