Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Pearls for any age...

In my March Showers brings Happy Weddings post, I told you about a lady named Cubbie that attended my shower at Drew's mom's house. I have been patiently awaiting a picture of us together so that I could share her with the world.

Cubbie is Drew's stepfather's aunt (get that?). I first became obessed with Cubbie at a funeral I went to with Drew in Decatur. She was tall, elegant, and she was wearing pearls. It was destiny already. I watched her every move as she mingled with others.

From that moment on I wanted to know more about her and be friends with her. She loved pearls, as did I. We were soulmates. Emily, Drew's sister came up with the amazing idea to invite her to our shower. And that afternoon here she came down the driveway. I almost wet myself with excitement.

Now she was a hoot at the shower telling stories on her husband and how in love they still are after so many years. Unfortuntately, she did not wear pearls to the shower, but thats ok. In the midst of her story telling and a gift adorned with pearls, I couldn't help myself.

"I just think you are fabulous!" I said in front of all the attendees.

She was flabergasted with my statement. I told her that she wears pearls and I love pearls, and how great I just thought she was. Cubbie was beaming.

So here is Cubbie, myself, and Drew right before she left to go home.



I later found out she told Drew's Nana how touched she was that I said those things about her and she didn't really know me. We're bff's now though.

Paying tribute...

In January, one of my dad's clients Larry Rodgers from Pine Ridge Simmentals announced that he was going to be dispersing his young herd of Simmental cattle. Larry is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He has a kind heart, giving to juniors and the beef industry, and has assembled an impressive set of Simmentals.

His ranch in south Georgia is BEAUTIFUL and is where Drew and I took our engagement pictures that you can check out on facebook in the Future Mr. and Mrs. So, of course, I was very upset when he decided to disperse. Larry has done so much for others and has been a great friend to my family.




You know how dispersals go, people question why you are getting out and there is a lot of talk. So I wanted to do something nice for Larry for his catalog. One evening when the DP #1, Dp #2, Drew, and I were out to eat I announced that I wanted to do a little project for his catalog. I wanted to get in touch with some of the Simmental breeders, friends, and supporters of Larry and his operation and have them write a small note about Larry and publish them in his catalog.

The catalog is in production currently so this weekend I sent out my e-mails concerning my little project. Immediately, I was getting responses back from those individuals stating how honored they would be to write something about Larry. I was overwhelmed by the response that I got so quickly and they were really good.

So... my little project got me thinking why we, myself included didn't take the time a little more often to tell people how much we appreciate them. Why wait for a dispersal to tell a man who is so kind and giving how much he is appreciated?

I know that I am guilty of it. I should tell Drew how gracious I am of him putting up with my crazy, wedding nonsense leading up to the big day. :) Or for my best friends tuning into my blog, or Crystal for inspiring me to do it and being supportive and actually reading it.

I'm excited about how my little project turned out and its not even in the catalog yet. I'm also going to give thanks to those around me - so thanks for reading my blog! You don't know how much it means to me!


P.S. - I wouldn't be a good sale manager if I didn't tell you to check out the Southern Heritage Dispersal at www.parkelivestock.com

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Extreme Makeover....


....Sheep Edition!


Most of you know that I am marrying a sheep man, prodominatly, but he does show and raise Simmentals as well. So..all is right in the world. When Drew and I got serious he told me that he wanted me to have a sheep and breed that I loved, and wanted to come to the barn everyday to see. So off I set to choosing the right breed.

I'll have you know that I have only ever had anything to do with sheep twice in my life. As a little girl, I showed in the Wool and Woolies at the Tennessee Valley Fair and a market lamb I purchased for $100 my senior year of high school.

But.. because I loved my boyfriend I wanted to jump right into the sheep business to prove I was committed. :) Therefore, off I sat to choose the perfect breed for me. Drew already had Hampshires and Natural Colored, both which I had ruled off because they had already tried to kill me. So about a year ago, Drew had some sheep consigned at a sale in Wooster, Ohio, and there they were. Border Leicesters! Small, cute, and wooly! Drew purchased a Border Leicester for a friend of his, but I immediately fell in love with her. I wanted to keep her. After a little negoiating I was the proud mother of a February Border Leicester Ewe Lamb named BETTY!


Now most sheep are loud and run around a lot, but Betty is far from that. She has loads of personality, loves to eat, and she RULES the pen. I can come outside and yell her name and she will talk back to me. Betty does chores, feeds the other sheep, and takes baths. Though her wool grows pretty fast, and with it getting hot Drew insisted that she needed to be sheared. BOO! I love Betty's wool because she is small and she looks like a little ball of yarn, but my shepherd (Drew) won and it was haircut time.

Before.....


Isn't she precious??

During.....


Yes, I was actually shearing her.

After...... :(


Afterwards, I called her Ugly Betty. I hope it grows back fast.

Betty "The Bada**" Border Leicester (her full name) is now naked. She says its nice to take her top off. :)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

And they're off..........


Most people believe that the greatest two minutes of horse racing takes place the first Saturday in May. A little thing known as the Kentucky Derby. Though if you are from the great state of Kentucky, you know that is not the case. Yes the Derby is cool, but you spend a lot of money for two minutes. That is why in Kentucky we love Keeneland more than the Derby.

Today was a gorgeous day so mom, dad, Drew, and I headed to Lexington to spend a day at the races. Keeneland race track runs in April and October, everyday of the week except Mondays and Tuesdays. Here is the great part...there are nine races a day. So instead of just one 2 minute race, you get nine of them!

We love taking out friends to Keeneland if they are in town during racing season. Though if you plan on visiting the horse capital of the world during April and October there a few "must know" before hitting the track.

Dressing Up: When people think of the Derby they think of hats and dresses. Well Keeneland has just that, especially in the spring. 80 percent of the people that come to the races dress up, so it is a great excuse to go out and buy a new dress or shirt and tie. Drew and I love to dress up for the races.



All Beef Franks: Once you get in the gate and get a seat, it is time for food. We suggest trying the All Beef Franks, they are delicious. If you want to try something Kentucky-ish, try the Burgoo and let me know how it is. Somewhere between the 6th and 7th race, I usually make an ice cream run. Of course, there is alcohol around every corner to counteract your betting.

Betting:
I will admit, I love to gamble. Not like I have a problem, but I'm way too chicken to do many things illegal so this is my only fix. What you need to know: $2 on horse # ___ to win, place, or show. Choosing your favorite horse to show allows it to come in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd; covering your butt in case you don't know much about horse racing. If you choose it to place it must come in 1st or 2nd, and choosing win - well you get that one. Of course, you can bet more money, but it is easier to lose just $2. Sometimes you can even make like $10 back on your $2, that is exciting! #12 was my big winner of the day!

People Watching: Perhaps, the best part of going to Keeneland is to people watch. From the drunk college girls in their heels and miniskirts to the rich horse owners, there is wide variety of people for your viewing entertainment.

One of my favorite stories today was a mother fighting her three year old little girl. This little girl was throwing a fit right in the middle of the horse viewing paddock. She was literally laying on the ground screaming. The nice security man came up to the mother and told her that the horses were going to be coming through and that this little girl howling would scare them. He then told her that she must move her child away from the area immediately. (I know that this will one day be me, but until then it is funny)

Although I want to go to the Derby one day, Keeneland will satisfy my horse racing-betting-people watching needs every April and October. If you are ever in the area during these months we would love to take you to the races! So here's an excuse to buy a hat and dress and off to the races.....

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Suzzy Homemaker hits Paris!

Move over June Cleaver...Holli is in town!

For the first time since the middle of February, we are home all week and all weekend. That is right, no sale for DP Sales Management this week! So, that gives me plenty of time to practice on my Suzzy Homemaker jobs around the house. I prefer to think of Suzzy Homemaker in some fabulous clothing and drinking a nice glass of wine while cooking dinner, but thats just a dream (or maybe me).

So here's a few of the tasks Suzzy "Fabulous" Homemaker and Drew Hatmaker (rhymes with homemaker) hehe.


Dying Easter Eggs: I hadn't dyed Easter eggs in a very long time, and I thought it would be a nice thing for us to do together.


Christmas in April!
As I told you in my previous blog, our Pampered Chef Bridal Shower gits were to arrive and boy did they ever! It was like Christmas! We thought we'd show off a few of our favorite items.

Drew's excitement...

A deep dish pie pan to make Granny's buttermilk pies. :)


Playing Princess: I took off to Lexington to play dress up with my cousin Amanda and her daughter Grace. Grace is going to be one of the flower girls in the wedding. We went to try on her dress, and of course, left with shoes and jewelry. All things she had convinced me to buy for her.

Monkey bread: This morning, it was 6:30 and I couldn't sleep. So I headed downstairs to the kitchen to see what I could get into. I couldn't fix breakfast yet because I knew Drew wouldn't be up, so instead I took to baking. Here goes Suzzy Homemaker. Drew had been wanting Monkey bread and the other night he found a recipe for it. So I tried it out. Now I'm not much to brag about things I make, but this stuff turned out great! It has all the right ingridents; lots of sugar, lots of butter, cinnamon, and biscuits.


Tonight, I'm breaking out one of the new Pampered Chef cookbooks to try a new recipe, and this weekend I'm going to attempt Pioneer Woman's famous cinnamon rolls. If anyone has any great recipes, I'd love for you to pass them my way!

Well, Suzzy Homemaker is off to make dinner. Whats for dinner in your house tonight?

Thursday, April 1, 2010

March Showers bring Happy Weddings!

Happy April Fool's Day! I'm not very good at this holiday because I believe everything. Drew and I have came to a truth that no one will try anything on each other.

Well, this past weekend Drew, mom, and I headed south to Tennessee for two more wedding showers. After a quick pit stop to visit his Mamaw we headed to the Knoxville Boat Club for our Pampered Chef Bridal Shower. Fancy, huh? We actually got to go through the Pampered Chef Catalog and pick out all the goodies we wanted.

Drew and I actually had to get up and do the cooking during the show. We made chicken club squares. Very delicious, very easy, and a great summer time dish.



We got a lot of great cooking goodies (guess that mean's I better learn to be a good cook). They are all suppose to arrive tomorrow! It will be like Christmas morning!! I'll keep you updated.

Next it was on to Drew's mom's house for the second shower on Sunday. Drew's Nana made chicken ball and punch..per my request and it was delicious. I even took my hand at making chocolate covered strawberries. Once again, we got a lot of great things. I guess thats how I can tell I'm getting older and becoming a married woman because I get excited about Pyrex and towels. :)

Perhaps the best was the arrival of Cubbie. She is a very fabulous 77 year old woman that I am not shamed to admit that I am obessed with. More about her later...I'm waiting on a photo. It made my day though.

The wedding showers (3/4)have made me realize how lucky Drew and I are for a great group of family and friends that are sharing in this special time together. And of course, it makes me realize how blessed I am to have found my man.

xoxo