The Big 40.

When I was a little girl, if you were a grown up who was 40, you'd be a rather old one to me. Now that I am 40, besides the grey hairs, I am still very much young at heart. I am thankful for my little family and all the blessings that God has bestowed on me.
Throughout the years I've learned that laughter is magic for the soul, to breathe deeply, and to do all things with love. I am immensely grateful to be alive and healthy.

 Spongebob knows what's up!

I am naturally not taking this birthday for granted, so a baby sitter is lined up to watch the boys, and this 40 year old Mama is going out to celebrate!

Some pretty flowers are in order...

My Mom sent me this picture of my kindergarten graduation. This little girl is all grown up now...

Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. 

Oscar Wilde

top pic: Lea Hartman

10 Tips for Hosting an Amazing Friendsgiving.

In the Military community, Friendsgiving is quite popular. It's not uncommon for many Military families to not be able to go home during Thanksgiving, so the next best thing is to host a party and invite your friends which is what I did! Friendsgiving is usually a laid back affair and in today's post, I am highlighting 8 great tips to host a successful Friendsgiving.

Make a budget and stick to it.

Don't skimp on flowers. 

Plan a simple menu and ask your friends to bring a meal. In fact more than likely they'll offer to do so.  It saves on time on money when you adapt a kind of potluck type menu.

Try chicken or cornish hens instead of turkey. I opted for chicken and baked it after seasoning it with some, basil and thyme(from the garden), kosher salt, black pepper, and Jamaican jerk chicken and  letting it marinade overnight. I garnished with grapes, more basil, and lemons. It was delicious!

Try alternative seating if you don't have enough chairs. In this case, an ottoman was used for extra seating at the table.

Be realistic regarding the number of friends you can accommodate

 Please use your fancy plates! Some say it's ok to use paper plates for Friendsgiving, but that's a big no no for me despite the fact that clean up would be more of a pain, but that's what friends are for- to help with cleaning up!

It's ok to not prepare everything yourself. For e.g., this cake is store bought and that is totally fine!

A fully stocked bar is a must for cocktails after dinner.

I chalked the ends of those logs for the party-definitely a great ice breaker.

Sit back, relax,  and have a good time.  Have you ever hosted or attended a Friendsgiving? xx

Shout Outs:
Special Thanks to local florist for all the beautiful floral arrangements: wildlycultivatedflorals

Wardrobe from local Lularoe consultant and stylist: Tiffany Parsons

To Kate- you were such a blast!

Photography by the always amazing Leahartman

Tabletop styling: Stacey Blake/Design Addict Mom