Bon Appetit!

Just as butter was Julia Child's favorite, butter, too, is mine.

In the movie 'Julie and Julia', there's a scene when Julia's husband stands up to make a toast at a dinner party. At the end of his toast, he looks over to Julia and says "You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life." {{{sigh}}}

Every Halloween the pain-staking process of figuring out what to dress up as. Fred and Wilma Flintstone? Nooo. George and Laura Bush? Nooo. Mr. and Mrs. Clause? Nooo. Hmmm... I Know! I'll be Julia Child!! But then what's Nolan going to dress up as? He has way too much hair to dress up as Paul Child. After some thoughtful consideration, it hit me... 'HONEY?!?! If I'm Julia, then you can be my stick of butter!!' As you can probably imagine, he wasn't quite as excited as I was. But once I made the costume - He took one look at it, as was all over it!

We had so much fun handing out candy at Nolan's mom's neighborhood Halloween get-together. A few people thought I was Lucile Ball... but for the most part, everyone guessed correctly - AND they thought my stick of butter was a perfect compliment. I couldn't agree more.

I loved our costumes... not only because they were so much fun to wear - but to us, it held some significance. Nolan and I are the prefect compliment to each other... just as butter was to anything Julia Child so lovingly prepared. And just as Paul was to Julia.

Nolan proudly showing off his 'Tablespoons'

...The other side

Julia and her stick of butter

Nolan and his aunts and mom - Aunt Shannon, Aunt Kim and Phyllis

The Big Easy

Legend has it that the earliest use of the nickname 'Big Easy' had to do with the fact that there were so many ways for a good musician to make a living in New Orleans. Thus, the Big Easy might have been coined to refer to the ease with which a struggling musician could find work and study music at the same time.

For us, it meant getting to experience the culture of New Orleans together. I was amazed at how pristeen the city was, after hearing about the damage Katrina did. We got to venture out of the city a little bit near Tulane. We only saw 1-2 structures that were abandoned and boarded up. I'm guessing the further out you go, the more likely you're going to see houses that were never rebuilt. But, from what I saw, if I didn't know Katrina came through, I never would have known! It definitely "got a bath." Don't get me wrong, there are definitely places of New Orleans you would NOT want to bring your kiddos... but, I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful and clean the city was, and how genuinely friendly the people are.  

Off to New Orleans!

Bourbon Street the first night we got there.

If you couldn't tell, I was just a little apprehensive about petting the police horsey. 

When we arrived in New Orleans, we got to the condo and Nolan forgot the number.  So at 12:30 am, he tried the key on e-v-e-r-y door... all 5 floors until he finally figured it out.  I was convinced he was going to try and door, the owner think someone was breaking in and open the door...  We laughed and laughed!!

We thought this sculpture was a little creepy.

For some reason, I've been on a caramel apple kick... so we shared one, and it was scrumptious.

Nolan and I at Emeril's for our anniversary dinner

Cafe au Lait and beignets.  Now you see them...

...Now you don't.  They were SO good!

The Sculpture Garden...  I wanted to see this SO badly.  We made the treck out there to find it was closed for renovation... I was so disappointed!

The 3 Jazz greats - Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino and (whoops... I can't remember)

An Asian jazz parade.

Our friends, Eric and Rochelle.  We met them while watching a Saints game.  They were so awesome!  So appreciative of the people of Texas for giving them a temporary home when Katrina hit.  :)

Bon Anniversaire de Mariage!

Okay... so, if you haven't already figured it out, 'Bon Anniversaire de Mariage' means 'Happy Anniversary' in French. We celebrated our 1 year anniversary on October 25th - can you believe it?? Nolan and I are amazed at how quickly this year has come and gone.

Last year at this time, we were laying on a sandy beach, soaking up some rays while sipping on mai tai's. Ahhh... sounds nice, doesn't it? This year, we decided to go to New Orleans for a short get-away anniversary trip. It's one of Nolan's favorite places to visit. Prior to going, I had never been to New Orleans... so getting to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of 'The Big Easy' with my hubby was a fun experience.

Although I don't have pictures from the wedding yet (I'm STILL working on it)... I thought I'd post several random pictures from the past year.

11/2008: The day we came back from our honeymoon. We had dinner at 'My Martini' for our friend, Leesa's, birthday.

12/25/2008: Our First Christmas - Christmas morning opening our gifts to each other.  Here's Nolan, sporting his beard - I talked him out of growing one this year ;)

12/25/2008: Me after just waking up.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

12/2008: At Sam's purchasing a 25 lb. bag of flour for my baking business

8/2008: The heart I drew in the sand while in Antigua with the girls.

7/2008: At a Ranger game against the Yankees.  

Spring 2008: I got a home beer-making kit for Nolan for Christmas.  The bottle he's holding was the very first bottle he "bottled".  He was so proud :)  The beer was actually REALLY good too!

7/2008: Nolan and I at the Ranger game being silly.

7/2008: Summer fun at the pool.  Me posing :)

Nolan posing...

... LOOK!!  I actually caught the football!!!...

...'Watch out beloooow!'  An attempt to splash Nolan.

7/18/2008: The 400 Golf Classic after-party.  NoNo and I cuttin'a rug...

...close to the end of the night.  I think they eventually had to kick us out!

10/2008: The sweet pumpkins we carved.

10/2008: Us on top of the ginormous ferris wheel at the State Fair.

10/2008: Nolan and I posing... We're eating sandwiches made with "Plantation Turkey... Gluten free... Nitrate free... based out of Waco for over 40 years..." I worked the Plantation Turkey booth with Nolan's mom at the fair. By the end of the fair, I had the shpeel down pat!

10/24/2008: Our anniversary dinner at Emeril's 

10/25/2008: Cafe du Monde in New Orleans for coffee and beignets.

Mr. and Mrs.Punkinhead

We just love the fall...  for several reasons... for one, we love, love, love to carve punkins! -  One of the very first things we did as a couple.  A few months after we first met, Nolan came over and we carved a pumpkin together.  

For me growing up, pumpkin carving was an event... my moms pumpkin pie and 'Halloween Garfield' and 'It's the great Pumpkin Charlie Brown' on in the background.  As each year goes by, we seem to get more and more into it. **Eh em, Nolan** (This year, he came home from the store with pumpkins the first night they put them out to sell!)  He was so excited!!  I absolutely LOVE that about him :)  

As much as it was a big deal for me growing up, I think Nolan and I are on our way - and we don't even have kiddos yet!!   

It's an evening of carving, scraping, roasting and admiring. 

As you can tell, we love our pumpkins ;)

The entire time Nolan was cleaning the seeds out of his pumpkin, he was singing...  "Great big gobs of greasy, grimey, gopher guts..."  (per Nolan, a Bill Murrey classic from the movie 'Caddyshack').

Yummy pumpkin innerds - Every year we like to roast the seeds with a sprinkling of some tasty BBQ seasoning (After the seeds are cleaned, of course).  When I used to carve pumpkins with my family, we used to roast the seeds too...  brings back so many memories :)

Nolan working so hard on his punkinhead...

Please say you noticed the eyelashes... please?

Such a great pumpkin face!!

The finished product - Our carved pumpkins luminating the living room by the fire.

  We're very excited to make this a part of each fall... not only to take care of the past, but to pick up some more traditions along the way.