Christmas Family Dinner

Happy Friday Everyone!  I hope this weekend starts off a great holiday week for you and yours!  Last night we had our Greensboro Family Christmas dinner!  If you didn't see our Thanksgiving Feast, we have a dinner for almost every holiday; since we all go in different directions, its nice to all sit down at a table to talk, and laugh, or watch a movie together like civilized adults, not just a group of kids who met in college.  The ladies have fancy beverages and the boys talk on the porch until everything is finished cooking and we take our seats at the decorated table setting.

This time Vlad made lasagna, Emma & Eric brought rolls, Lindley (sadly Nic was still resting from knee surgery and didn't dare try to make it up to my third floor apartment)  made the mashed potatoes, Garrett & Jaklyn sponsored the green beans and I put together the salad and cranberry sauce.  We watched The Polar Express and Charlie Brown's Christmas, ate candy canes and cupcakes, and argued over which year an old movie came out or retelling old stories.  

Einstein, who has become the mascot of our family dinners, was thrilled to have the boys there!  Between Derek, Coley and Garrett he never got a moment's rest and proceeded to instantly fell asleep on the TV stand once everyone had said their goodbyes.  But our family dinners always seem to end to soon, but is always a perfect addition to our own holiday festivities!  (Thanks Coley for the amazing photo above!  It captures the night perfectly!)

Happy Holidays Everyone, From Mine to Yours!

Early Thanksgiving

         Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday!  It marks the start to a new season, and since I've lived on my own, its a time to enjoy with my family!  This is the week that marks the beginning of all the holiday festivities!  As Thanksgiving is this Thursday, most people travel back to their hometowns by Tuesday or Wednesday to spend time with their families and have a few days to eat good food and relax a little.  I can't wait to spend the week with my own family in Concord!  

          So to kick off the holidays a little early,  we had our own traditional Thanksgiving dinner before we all left Greensboro in different directions!  We each chipped in to put it together: Vlad cooked the rosemary and sage turkey, David brought the rolls, Derek helped with the mac & cheese, Lindley and Nic made the stuffing, Eric and Emma brought gravy and cookies!  As a party of 10, and having a Christmas movie as a background, not to mention all the extra mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pasta salad and pumpkin or apple pie for dessert, our family dinner was a perfect setting to say hello to the holidays, as this season is all about realizing what you're thankful for and cherishing the family and friends dearest to you.

Homecoming

          This time of year always brings my favorite event of the season….Homecoming!  While I was still in school, it was time of year to meet new people and celebrate on the busy campus with a week of activities!  But since I've graduated, it's become a time to reconnect with old friends and spend a little time on the campus that has a special place in my heart.  It's always interesting to meet those who have crossed ahead of you and to look back at those who you've surpassed.  UNCG has been a home to so many amazing people, and homecoming is one time every year when we can call it home again.

           This year I spent most of the weekend celebrating alongside the guys who I spent so many crazy weekends with all four years of college!  Friday night was the kickoff event, at a private lounge in a local Greensboro brewery with a bar, pool table, darts, and big cozy couches where all the alumni got a chance to mingle with the new faces and spend a night out on the town!  

          Saturday was more of a progressive party, and while wearing Spartan blue and gold, I couldn't wait for the day's festivities!  They began with a bloody mary and mimosa brunch, serving mini queshes and breakfast items to start out the day. After the morning mingle we headed to campus with the younger crowd and spend the afternoon playing cornhole and enjoying the company of other greek tents and more recent alumni.  The campus events were all family friendly and provided balloon animals, moon bounces, and an arts & crafts table set up for the kids!  My EUC (UNCG's student center) worker reunion was also Saturday afternoon, and went great! It was so good to see the people who I had spent so much of my college career with!  I worked there all four years so many of them have seen me grow up!

         We ended the day with dinner and a party that went into the night for alumni, brothers, and friends!  I couldn't have asked for a better day, or better people to spend it with!  Happy Homecoming UNCG!

Put it on Ice

          In need of a project, I decided to work on a cooler for one of my friends, adding elements for his favorite things!  Jenna, as my cooler queen with five coolers in her portfolio, guided me through the process.  I never realized how much work it was!

Step 1: Sand the cooler
Step 2: Rinse with acetone nail polish to remove residue
Step 3: Tape off any surfaces that need to be paint-free
Step 4: Prime
Step 5: Print out any elements that can be traced
Step 6: Trace onto white tissue paper
Step 7:  Transfer from the tissue paper to the cooler with a Sharpie
Step 8:  Paint :D
Step 9:  3-4 coats of Modge Podge
Step 10:  Spray with fusion spray
Step 11:  Buy ice and beverages of choice :D

         To surprise him, I brought it with us to the lake (you may have noticed from the lake photos), so we could spend the whole weekend on a boat with cold beverages in hand!

Cupcakes and Sparklers

          For the 4th of July I helped host a festive cookout for our close friends.  Along with watermelon, coleslaw, and strawberries, I made cupcakes for dessert.  Almost homemade, I used french vanilla cupcake mix and added blue marbling to the batter to make them more festive!  I think they turned out really beautiful, not to mention delicious.  They were definitely a party hit!

      With seasoned hamburgers and hot dogs, grilled pineapple, homemade deep fried french fries, out cookout was just the right way to get everyone together to celebrate our homeland!

Formalities

This weekend was all about formalities, 

the procession of time, 

and the way we celebrate it...

          The boys had their formal at the beach, which is always a weekend of endless festivities.  There's no better way for us all to celebrate the ending of another year and the beginning of a new season, than beach football and laying around in the sand!  The ocean has a cleansing nature and while we get a chance to play, we always get a chance to reflect…

          Sunday was Ellie and Taylor's engagement party, due to the rain and sudden drop in temperature, we had to move the party indoors instead of the park shelter cookout we had originally planned.  With my array of yellow and white flowers the whole kitchen dazzled in navy and gold.  It was a perfect time for her family and friends to kick off the upcoming wedding events!