Ribbon Topiary

This is the cutest thing I have ever seen and I totally made it! I somehow found it on someone's blog and have no idea where it was now, but I googled it and BAM, I found the directions! It is so easy to do!

You start with some sort of a bucket or pot to put it in. A Styrofoam ball( whatever size you want), a wooden dowel, push pins, whatever color ribbon you want. I went with four different colors. You also need the foam for your pot to hold the topiary in place.

First, I cut all of my ribbon in 4-4.5 inch strips. ( Side note: It took about 4 15 ft spools of ribbon for one topiary.)

Put the dowel about half way through the styrofoam ball and make sure that it is in the center and not wonky looking.

Make a loop with the ribbon, making sure the ends overlap, and push a pin through it and into the styrofoam ball.

I had no rhyme or reason to how I was putting the ribbon in, I just eyeballed it.

I painted my dowel white, but you could glue some ribbon around it and it would be super cute!

The finished product!

You need to glue some grass or shredded paper in the pot to cover up the foam, but I used some glittery beads.

I am super proud of this! It didn't take long and it was so easy. I am going to make another one and they are going on my dining room table for Christmas decorations. I'll take a picture of the finished product, but I ran out of ribbon for the other topiary.

Hope you enjoyed my little craft!

Fashion Friday... on Saturday!

Here is my very first Fashion Friday post! Unfortunately, it's Addison's Fashion Friday debut!

Let me tell you, this was no easy feat trying to get her to show off her cute outfit for the camera... it was an act of congress, so I think next time, I won't bother with her!

Cute shoes! She loves sparkly shoes!

She's starting to show some personality...

How grown up does she look?

I wish people didn't live in caves of houses so I could get some decent natural light pictures!

Her entire outfit came from Target! Can you believe it? I absolutely love their children's clothes.

In other news.... (Auburn fans... click away!)

ROLL TIDE!!!!!! Another 365 days of bragging rights! All of your trickery could NOT keep the Tide down!

I should probably say that, that was NOT directed at my sister or Jana. They are gracious Auburn fans who never rub it in your face, even after 6 victories in a row.( But.. in all honesty, Sarah isn't a TRUE Auburn fan, just a fan by association) So, sorry guys that your team lost! :( But, it kept the dream alive for Pasadena, and that I am SUPER pumped about! We are ready for next weekend. Those Florida Gators got nothing on us! I am so sick of Tim Tebow I could vomit. You would think he invited the game of football by the way the media swoons over his every move. Anyway... I am off to work on Christmas decorations!

Happy Turkey day!

My Nanny feels that it is important for my sister and I to at least know how to make her dressing for Thanksgiving, if not the whole meal. And let's be honest, we are NO Martha Stewarts, but I have been known to rival Rachael Ray. Sarah, though? She is completely hopeless. Tuesday was Thanksgiving 101 from Nanny. Now, Nanny is an old school, country cook, so, THIS. IS. NOT. DIET FOOD.

And here is my attempt at a Ree Drummond-type post. God have mercy on my soul. I may lose some followers after this post, but, please, give me another chance!!

First things, first for my Nanny, is to put on your wig.
I'm not kidding.

Nanny had already boiled the fat hen until tender( approx. 3 hours for a thawed hen) She also gave us the tip of boiling celery and an onion with the hen. My sister was grateful for the tip because apparently, boiling a hen makes your house smell like a "butt".
Nanny had already made the two pans of cornbread also.




The meat. I should probably put the disclaimer in here, that I am a slight vegetarian and DO NOT deal with raw poultry well, at all. Eggs? Sure! Ground white turkey? Bring it on! Chicken on the bone? I will vomit in my hands.


I wanted as far away from this as possible. I cannot describe to you how disgusted I was at this product. John said I would never make it on Survivor, and he is right!

You will want to save some of the meat for the giblet gravy. (Vomiting some more)

Sarah, crumbling the cornbread. Nanny also says to do some loaf bread in there and she even threw in some biscuits she made for us. Nanny had also already boiled and peels 7 eggs and you just crumble those up with the cornbread.


Finally! Something I am completely at home with! Chopping onion and celery. Me and fresh veggies are BFF. This was right before Nanny informed me that my hair "looked like a cow had sucked on it" She is sweet like that. She would never want us to be self conscious in any way.

I was able to give a tip on chopping onion, if you put in the refrigerator, then it won't make you cry.

You boil the onion and celery together until translucent.

Oh Sarah. You crack me up! Nothing like a big sister to try to gross you out every step of the way.

Pour in the cream of chicken soup.

Then, the onions and celery.

Some sage. (Which Sarah informed me that nursing mothers need to be careful with as it has a drying effect on your milk supply. Who knew?)

Poultry Seasoning

Black pepper and salt.

Nanny had no respect for the picture tutorial and poured in the chicken stock before I could capture it. So, you just pour that in until its the right consistency.

Claire had to try it. YUM!

I think she is a fan!

Claire trying to open Nanny's cabinet and getting into trouble.

I debated on telling you this. But I am all about full disclosure and have total blonde moments. But, if you can't love me for me and all of my hair-brainedness, then it's probably for the best. I totes thought( but since, I would NEVER boil a hen anyway, how was I to know?) that a hen and turkey were the same thing. Hello? It's poultry! Anyway, I understand if you leave me.

Nanny was very adamant that you couldn't use canned chicken or bouillon cubes.

Anyway, on with Nanny's recipe for Turkey and Dressing:

1. Boil fat hen until tender( approx. 3 hours.) Don't forget the celery and onion to keep the stench away! Keep the broth!
2. Crumble two pans of cornbread and about 1/4 of loaf bread.
3. pick the meat off the bones and save some meat for the gravy.
4. Boil and peel 7 eggs and crumble with bread crumbs.
5. Chop 2 cups each of celery and onion and boil until tender or translucent. Add to mixture.
6. Add 2 cans cream of chicken soup.
7. Add approx. 6 tablespoons poultry seasoning and half a bottle of poultry seasoning.
8. Salt and pepper to taste.
9. Add the broth to the mixture until the right consistency.
10. Bake in the oven at 350 for 1 hour.

*This makes A LOT. Enough for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Nanny splits it up and freezes half for Christmas.

Hope you guys have a safe Thanksgiving. I am gearing up for my first Black Friday. I will be at Old Navy at 2am to stand in line for the store opening at 3am. Wish me luck!

Rambled By Rachel

Forgotten Pictures

Saturday John took Addison to the Alabama football game and I stayed home with Claire and undertook the task that was laundry( which took, literally, 8 hours to finish) and cleaning our dirty house. I also was able to go through and organize and edit some pictures that I haven't had to the time/forgot that I had until I was going through and deleting a bunch.

SIDE NOTE: I went through and backed up my entire iPhoto library of 2009 and deleted them out of iPhoto because I needed to space on my computer and since iPhoto "talks" to Facebook, when I deleted them off of my computer, they also got deleted from FB. I WAS SO PISSED. Now, I have a bunch of albums that have NO pictures on my FB. I officially hate iPhoto now.

Anyway, I came upon some pictures that I took earlier this year and I finally got around to doing a little editing on them and I thought I would share it with you! They are not the greatest pictures in the world, but they are my girls and their expressions are totally them!

We were doing the "airplane" game,which is one of Addison's favorites.


Claire looks petrified!

These are from our weekly Sunday morning breakfasts at the All Steak.



Why are children so MUCH more precious when they are sleeping?

This is her, "I know I did something bad and I'm really sorry, Mama" face. Adorable!


What do you think? I was totally playing around with the editing and not sure if I LOVE them, but I find it SUPER hard to delete pictures of my princesses.

Christmas Wish List

Hey parentals! Not sure what to get your favorite daughter? Well, have no fear.. I am here to help you out with my Christmas List!

A nice Sephora gift card always works!


I also love me some Old Navy!






You know my all time favorite store is Banana Republic!
How adorable are these pants?


I think this shirt definitely deserves a spot in my closet...


I am always in need of some running gear!
Here's the conversation with my Dad this morning:
Me:" I could always use some running shorts. I really like the Nike Tempo shorts"
Dad: "Pempo?!!?"
Me: "No! TEMPO!"
Dad: "Ohh.. Pempo! Like P as in, Paul!"
Me: "No... Tempo. T. T as in....... TALL!"
Dad: "Yeah, Pempo"
Me: "No! Tempo, T as in TREES!"
Dad: "Oh.. TEMPTO!"
Geez... here is a picture of the shorts, Dad.



Some nice, dry fit socks. No one likes sweaty feet!


I hear that the Nike Distance sports bra is a good one.

And, I could always use a nice dry fit shirt too!


Here is my number one gift on my wish list:
A little nano with the Nike + system.A pink or red one would nice. I also need a nice arm band that won't get on my nerves, but I'm not sure which one that is...



Of course... I am always in need of some photography stuff! Here is my wish list for that!
A nice diffuser!


A white/sunlight reflector

A 1TB external hard drive

A backdrop stand

An Incident and Flash Light Meter

Or.. a lens cleaning kit could come in handy the next time one of my children spills the grape juice on my camera...


I could always use some of my Christmas China!

Or how about this cute jacket in white from The North Face?
So... who's got an extra 2 or 3 grand lying around to spend on my Christmas?

Hello? Is this thing on??