Walking in Memphis (Well really Bartlett- the 'Burbs of Memphis)

A couple of weeks ago, Ashley, Matthew and I met in Memphis to visit Mimi and Papaw to celebrate Christmas...just a few weeks late.  Usually we are able to go visit over New Years, but this year Ashley was in NYC and I had to work.  I've been dying to go visit since I hadn't been able to see my gparents since MAY!  Ridiculous.  I missed them SO much... not to mention having Mimi's chocolate pie withdrawals can be pretty intense.

Some things never change.

First things first.. Christmas gifts!

Excited about our "Happys".  Since we were little, Mimi has made us "Happy" bags that contain all of our favorite toiletry items.  I've never bought a bottle of lotion or tooth paste thanks to this wonderful woman.  

On Saturday, Matthew and I visited Graceland.  Mimi volunteers at the hospital with a woman whose husband works security at Graceland.  So, we got our $45 tickets for FREE. 

Matthew, Priscilla and Lisa Marie

Who can't wait for this to come back into style?

Elvis' TV room. 

The family room that Elvis designed himself.  Interesting.  It was called the "Jungle Room".

End of the tour.  I didn't upload half the pictures.  Just imagine more gaudy 60's/70's decorations.  It irked me to no end that we weren't allowed to go upstairs into the "private residence" to respect Elvis' privacy.  No offense, but the man is no longer with us!  Like he cares that people are looking into his bedroom.  I asked a worker if she was allowed to go upstairs, she said "No, of course not".  But she did say that everything upstairs has been put into storage except the furniture from Elvis' bedroom...as if he were still sleeping there at night.. Crazy. 

Private Plane

If you're going to have 1... might as well have 2

I know.. it looks like I wear this scarf all the time.  1. I really like it.  2. My best friend Katie Bug bought it for me.  3.  I always seem to be wearing it times when I actually take pictures.  4.  I don't really know why I feel the need to defend myself. 

Isn't she too cute.   Most of my physical characteristics came from this woman here. 

Great weekend.  Can't wait for our next visit. 

One of These Days

As Matthew and I get closer to contemplating buying our first home, I find myself on the internet constantly searching for my "dream kitchen" or "dream bathroom" etc... While I know that our first home will not be my ultimate "dream house", it's ok to look, right?  I have organized and tucked all the pictures away in a file titled, "Future House"... on my currently dying laptop.. it's SLOOOOOOW.  Might be a good time to pull out that new external hard drive to save all of our priceless pics (of Lexi) before this computer bites. 

Matthew and I eventually would love to build our own home... But that will have to wait until "post doc salary" turns into "fellowship salary" which will then turn into "Matthew is finally done with training salary." I can't wait to design a custom made professional grade kitchen, where I can finally find a place for all of our kitchen appliances (I'm guessing a lot of you don't own a mandolin slicer or an immersion blender)... We love to cook.  I find my favorite designs by typing "French Country Kitchens" into Google Images.  French Country is my fav... partly because I grew up in a home that was decorated this way, partly because I just like it, and partly because every self-respecting Southern woman should know that French Country is the way to go :) (JK.. everyone is entitled to their own style)

The first 3 pictures is our favorite kitchen to date.  I love the rustic feel of it. 

I mean... LOVE it.  The only thing I would change would be to have the cabinets a little less distressed.  And possibly paint the shutters a different color. 

This is my favorite picture of it.  I love the exposed brick with the refrigerator built inside. 

Different kitchen, but I really like this one as well.  Especially the pots hanging over the island.  I will have a kitchen with my pots hanging like this!  But new pretty copper pots.. not my ugly Calphalon non stick pots.

Love this one too.. I think you can see a trend.  The floors are gorgeous.

When we do buy our first house... hopefully sooner rather than later.  We will have to get a dining room table.  This is my current favorite, with different, more comfy chairs.  Now how I find one like this, I have no idea.

Happy Monday.  Off to watch the Golden Globes.

Christmas #2

Christmas, Smith version, started Christmas Eve.  I got off Thursday the 23rd at 3:00 and was off Friday, so we left as soon as I got off and headed up to Nash.  We spent Friday, lounging around and eating... the best way to spend a day in my expert opinion.  The Christmas Eve service started at 5, so naturally we got there at 4:15 per Mom's request to get a seat.  Thankfully Harpeth does the Christmas Eve service at 5 instead of midnight when we first started it years ago.  It has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions.  After the Christmas service, we went to the Waller's house for our annual Christmas Eve dinner: we've been going there on the 24th since we moved to Nashville in 1997.  We headed home and opened our Christmas Eve gifts... pajamas. Surprise!  

Christmas morning we woke up to a White Christmas!  We opened up gifts and then ate mom's delicious breakfast of homemade biscuits, sausage, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and some sort of cheese grits breakfast casserole that was to die for.   Usually Christmas day we go to see a movie, but this year we all felt like staying in and playing games and watching movies at home.  Then we ate our traditional dinner of steaks, shrimp, twice baked potatoes, strawberry salad and mom's homemade rolls.  It was the perfect Christmas.  Counting down until next year!

Sorry for the play by play of Christmas events.  I know it's actually a really boring blog to read.  I wish I could make it more entertaining.  It is what it is. :)

My good friend Caleb that I talked about in my ornament post.  He just got called to train with the Major Leagues during Spring Training.  COOL!  I'm so happy for him.

I really don't like this picture but it's the only one we have of all of us.

How attractive will we be in 30 years still wearing matching pajamas?

White Christmas!  Fantastic.

Helping Lexi open her present from Aunt Ashley

I hate that this pic is blurry cause I love it.

Matthew's big gift... a huge gift card to Best Buy.. My mom's least favorite gift to buy by the way is a gift card..but that's what the boy wanted!

Dad got mom a new pair of Ray-Bans!

New coat.  Desperately needed.

Lexi is quite fond of Pops

The perfect gift for a bookworm?  A Kindle!  So excited.

She's got to be the cutest and most stylish golfer out on the course. 

Perfect end to the perfect Christmas?  For one puppy... an outrageously huge candy cane bone. 

Christmas #1

We spent our first Christmas, Hardison style, in Columbia the weekend of  Dec. 18th.  Technically it was the 2nd Christmas, but since Matthew and I usually forgo gifts for one another to save money, our Christmas consisted of going out to our favorite restaurant Chez Fon Fon and splurging... M even ordered escargot..and it was AWESOME.  Unfortunately because of my old job and all the awfulness (night shift) that came with it (key word being old, my new job rocks!), we weren't able to get to Columbia until after I got off work Saturday morning... just in time for gifts!  We opened presents, ate our traditional lunch of chicken fajitas and then headed out to Happy Acres to cut down a Christmas tree.

Good morning Sweet Sam!  SAMta Clause came to see you!

Morgan's first Hardison Christmas

Hey Jonathan.. I mean Sam

Sam's first trip to the farm

Grand Daddy Wayne taking us to get a first-rate Christmas tree!

View of the farm..

Too cute for words

 

Thanks Grand Daddy Wayne and Grandma Eva for yet again hosting the D. Hardison family Christmas.  It was great having everyone together for a couple of days!

At some point, I will post pictures from Smith family Christmas... Something to look forward to, right?!