I LOVE Ray LaMontagne! & Kristin for Inviting Me to his Concert!
Some time back our friend Kristin Kneeland emailed me cause she decided to buy tickets to the Ray LaMontagne with Brandi Carlile show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Alpharetta, GA. Patrick, her husband, isn't big on Ray LaMontagne I guess, so I lucked out and I couldn't be happier!
Paul and I have LOVED his music for a long time, we even had our first dance at our wedding to "The Best Thing." Our first song together (when we started dating) was actually "Hold You In My Arms," but it was a little too slow for us to dance to at the wedding. We switched it up but still stuck with our common musical love of Ray!
Many people know him for his very popular "Trouble", but I think Paul's all-time favorite of his is "Jolene." Oh and another good one, I absolutely love is "Be Here Now," oh it's so amazing!
I love anything and everything Ray LaMontagne, and couldn't be happier that Kristin invited me out for a fun girls evening to see him live. I definitely missed having Paul there as I think I would have enjoyed it that much more with him there too, but it was also fun bonding with Kristin for this awesome experience!
Check out some highlights from the show... it was pretty amazing!! Kristin is right, Ray Lamontagne is PIMP!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-RClTHm-vE&w=480&h=360]
Interesting Read: Facebook Unveils New Customizable, 'Smart' Friends Lists
With Smart lists, Facebook will automatically group all your college or high school friends into "school" lists, or put all your co-workers into the "work" list. If Facebook makes a mistake or you don't want someone in that group, you can add or delete them manually.
Click here to read the full article!
Yeah Ben F. is the New Bachelor!
Yeah!!! Ben F. (the winemaker) is the NEW Bachelor! That will definitely be worth watching! I liked him so much and I honestly thought Ashley would have chosen him... New Season Premieres January 2nd! Can't wait! hehe
A Beautiful September Day on Lake Lanier
We were out on Lake Lanier yesterday, and it was absolutely gorgeous! This month is going to be an awesome one for some relaxing days on the lake. There was barely anyone out, I don't know if it was the time of the year of the fact that UGA was playing, but it was nice with minimal crowds, it was kind of like we had the lake to ourselves!
Check out some fun on Lake Lanier... we have video this time! Fun stuff ;-)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-dZ8cvwAS4]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF2Gg_xG0-g]
We really need to plan a camping trip now that the temperatures are cooling down (especially at night)!
Fall/Winter Weather = Boots + Scarves
The cool down this past week has definitely put me in the mood for Fall! I am so ready for the Fall and Winter weather and along with it my boots and scarves! YEAH! I think this year I will need to get new boots to add to the collection, and maybe even make a new scarf too!
My birthday is around the corner and I've got a little gift from DSW, so this could be a nice birthday treat! Keep in mind price... I mean if they are the ones, they are the ones and I could be flexible, but let's try to be conservative! So the Vintage Style Boot is in...what do we think about these??
Civico 10 Sportster Leather Riding Boot - $99.95
I love the riding boots, they are just so versatile!
SM Women's Aspenn Wedge Boot - $79.95
But these are also fun too!! I can totally see them with some skinny jeans, leggings or even a skirt! They come in black too...
Back to the riding boots, in suede. I like both of these colors, but this is the priciest one of all of them!
Nine West Vintage America Cookin Boot - $64.95
I like these a lot too, they have a little riding style to them but also that vintage rugged look! And they are the least expensive!
Which do you think I should get??
Gluten Free Must Haves!
Throughout the process of the HC3 Trim Diet and Reset Program, Paul and I have learned a new kind of lifestyle - which includes natural and gluten-free foods! Paul has psoriasis, which is an auto-immune disease, and the nutritionist recommends that he stay away from Gluten, so we are both planning to avoid it. Some of the things we have come across and have gotten recommendations on along the way that are absolutely wonderful include, but are not limited too...
Glutino Pretzels - They are absolutely delicious! During our 500 calorie phase it was a nice snack option, but now it's a great option for dips like Guacamole Dip! We love it!
Cindy's Kitchen All Natural Salad Dressings - These salad dressings are All Natural and Organic. Cindy's salad dressings are available in Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Fat Free, Organic, and with enhanced Omega-3 and Lutein. A great product that can be used as a gourmet dip, sauce, dressing and marinade (which are great for grilling) We recently purchased the new Avocado Vinaigrette - We got this at The Fresh Market in Suwanee, GA, and it is amazing! We love it, and it's pretty reasonable as far as calories go!
Peanut Butter & Company Crunch Time - I've never really like "natural" peanut butter, but this stuff is a "no-stir, glutton free, all natural peanut butter! YEAH!!! And it's super yummy! We also got "Smooth Operator," but I haven't had the pleasure of trying that just yet! You can buy this in Kroger, Publix and natural food stores as well as online! It's awesome!
Stevia and flavored stevia extracts - 
are zero calorie all natural sweetener. It's pretty darn wonderful!
Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix - the best all-around all-purpose baking and pancake mix. It features buttermilk and almond meal. You can use Pamela's mix as a one-to-one sub for wheat flour in gluten-free baking. I love to bake so this is definitely a must-have when the holiday's roll around!
Udi's Frozen Gluten-free Pizza Crusts - a ready-made gluten-free pizza crust. Udi's gluten-free crusts are easy to use with good flavor. And they recommend using a preheated pizza stone to bake gluten-free pizza if you favor cracker-crisp New York-style pizza. Paul and I love to make home-made pizzas so this will be another thing we will be picking up soon!
Member's Mark Spinach and Asiago Cheese Chicken Sausage - This is a nice and easy lunch or dinner option, and it's Gluten Free! and delicious! We eat them as your typical sausage, but have also cooked them in soups, and it's a great protein and lower in fat considering it is a sausage!
Oh and a great App for finding Gluten Free places is "Find Me Gluten Free" and I'm fairly certain it's a free app!
You should check them out for sure!
Happy Birthday Chunk Master!
Chunk Master turns 2 years old today! He's been the best dog we could have ever asked for, and I wouldn't change having gotten him for anything!
Just under two years ago, Paul and I were in Helen, GA celebrating Oktoberfest with a group of friends. We were partying it up with lots of beer and good eats, and decided to tour around Helen's array of shops.
[slideshow]
Robin, a fellow dachshund lover, saw a sign outside one of the shops "Dachshund Puppies For Sale" and immediately wanted to check it out! All the ladies rushed down to check out the pups, and the guys fell behind. By the time Paul got down, I had the adorable little Chunk in my hands and it was LOVE at first sight! Paul and I looked at each other and kept going back and forth saying, "you wanna?", "you wanna?" We gave in, RUSHED to the ATM, and came back cash in hand to claim our pup!
Chunk has been such a joy to watch grow up! He's a very mild manor-ed, well-behaved, happy dog, with a puppy personality at heart! We adore him, and hope to be able to keep him with us for many years to come, he's like Paul and my first child! Hehe
Click HERE to see Chunk grow!
Labor Day Holiday in Smoky Mountains - North Carolina... Wonderful!
We've started an annual Labor Day trip to the Smoky Mountains with our friend's Shane and Ashley Cash. This was the third year out, and it was gorgeous! Of all the trips we've taken, I very much look forward to this one because it's not only beautiful, but its SOOOO relaxing. The cabin we rent is situated right on the river, and has an awesome covered porch with rocking chairs so you can relax and watch all the kayakers, rafters and tubers float by.
The highlights of this trip mostly took place in Asheville, which is about a 45 minute drive from where we were staying. Unbeknown-st to us, there are a festival going on down North Lexington St., where we were entertained with people watching everywhere we looked! It was pretty awesome.
Click here to view the full gallery!
Ashley and I enjoyed our shopping in both Asheville and downtown Dillsboro, and while we tried to make it to the Biltmore for a wine tasting, we were a bit too distracted and missed out on that opportunity! Either way it was an awesome trip, and we can't wait for next year!
Artwork for Our Bedroom... What do you think about this??
So one of the things that was so important to me following our wedding was to set up our "grown-up" bedroom. We received some awesome bedding for wedding gifts, so we were set there, but we still had yet to have our bedroom suite.
I had looked online and dragged Paul from store to store in search of the perfect bedroom suite but was at an absolute loss! Then one weekend we decided to go to The Dump with our friend Yarden, and I was ready to make a decision! And we did! We bought a beautiful bedroom suite, fully decked out - Bed, two night stands, men's chest, dresser with mirror and a media stand. It's pretty awesome! Oh and can't forget a new mattress too. We got a pretty great deal at The Dump, I would totally go back again when we are in need of furniture and home decor, etc.
So now we are onto decor items... lamps and artwork. I've been searching for the perfect (reasonably priced) lighting options. But since Paul has created all these awesome HDR images, we are seriously considering having some of those printed to hang over the bed.
We took a picture of our bedroom and digitally imposed the prints we are thinking about. Which options do you think look best. Watch the below animation and let me know!
Curtis Wilson Sold Us a Hyundai!
Not more than four months ago, Paul sold his beloved Subaru WRX, and made a nice profit on it, so it worked out! But since then he has driven around his little 95' Honda Civic (aka the Caribbean Queen) full-time. And while it is a very nice car, it gets great fuel economy, and has been a great trip and around town car, he's not gotten the most respectful and positive feedback on it from business clients as well as friends and family.
And if you know Paul, you know he has a very strong love of cars, and very much identifies with them. So when he isn't driving something that speaks "Paul" he's just not quite as happy!
Now before we get to the new vehicle we have purchased, I have to give a little more back story about Curtis! Curtis has been a life-long friend of Paul's they grew up together, and have continued to stay friends. Paul and I have had the pleasure of living with Curtis not once, but two different times, and have thoroughly enjoyed his great character, personality and stories. For the longest time both Paul and I thought that Curtis would be an AWESOME car sales rep. He's worked in countless sales and labor intensive positions, but never before had he tried out cars. It seemed like a no-brainer for us because Curtis also has a love of cars, and not only that but he's an AWESOME salesperson!
Paul and I worked our magic with Curtis' resume, and he went out and of course sold himself! He started out at Ford, but has recently moved to Rick Case Hyundai! And he's making a killing, teaming him up with a car like Hyundai was a perfect fit. The cars generally sell themselves and Curtis generally sells people, it's a match made in heaven.
Now onto our new "pre-owned" car! It came into Curtis' location, an 05 Hyundai GX350, and immediately he sent a picture to Paul, the same day Paul was test driving it, and the following day they were working the details of the deal out! For being six years old, this car is in immaculate shape! It's absolutely gorgeous Everything went fast, but now Paul's happy because he's got a presentable vehicle, Curtis' happy because he made ANOTHER deal, and I'm happy, partly because Paul's happy, partly in consideration that in the future we will have a family, and of course because I can actually drive it too!
Thank you Curtis for hooking us up with this awesome deal! I'm glad it worked out for all of us!
If you're looking for a new or used car (doesn't have to be a Hyundai), definitely call or message Curtis! Check him out on Facebook at Curtis' New Deals or call him at 678-770-2175, or just stop in to see him at Rick Case Hyundai in Gwinnett!
