Charles picked up the bass guitar for the first time in 10 years for a little reunion song with The Campaign at Craig's birthday party on Saturday. This was the highlight of my weekend!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Charles on the Bass!
Charles picked up the bass guitar for the first time in 10 years for a little reunion song with The Campaign at Craig's birthday party on Saturday. This was the highlight of my weekend!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Kelly and Jay's Open House
Hey Everyone,
We had a great party weekend we had!
Saturday night we were invited to a friend's 50th b-day party and she wanted a themed "70s" party. Her friends went ALL out and purchased a few furniture pieces at thrift stores--velour and printed, and all orange and brown. There were hanging beads in every doorway, an old console tv with a real Atari game connected and playable, games (Twister, Rock'em Sock'em Robots), and all the foods from that decade--fondue, swedish meatballs, pumperknickel and cornbeef sandwiches, celery with cheese spread, cheese wiz and buggles (yum).
Jay sported an old polyester jacket in true used car salesman style (turquoise blue checked) with a white shirt, tie, and short pants with white socks. He also quaffed his hair up and I sprayed it to stay in place. It was like looking at dad from his volkswagon days :). I had on black boots, black leather skirt, and a knitted sweater with a scarf around my head. I also sported Nana's turquoise dangly earrings! We were a fetching pair. I couldn't help but think we looked much like John and Priscilla at one of their (in)famous parties in ShadowWood (with the Watkins and Donaldsons)!
Then bright and early Sunday morning Jay and I were up and in a flurry of activity to get ready for our open house party. Our good friend Laura was there early helping with the arrangements on the front porch and last minute menu items. We served food inside at the island and on the dining room table. We had chairs inside and tables/chairs outside on the front porch. Mom will be happy to note that we had fresh flowers at each table inside and out. Laura also picked a few daffodils from the backyard and put then on a table at the front porch. We served fresh smoked trout with lemon and dills sauce(Jay's special), sliced smoked ham (thanks to a gift certificate from Cheri for a honey baked ham), mini rolls and cheese for sandwiches, and ricotta and asparagus bruschetta. Laura brought a few vegetable trays. I made florentines (delicate thin cookies of crushed nuts, brown sugar and dried cherries with dark chocolate spread on top). Guests brought cookies, ham rolls, and a chocolate cake and cupcakes (our stand-in wedding cake).
Folks started arriving for a beautiful 65 degree and sunny day at the house around 1:00 and from then on, the house was packed until 8:00pm. What a great day...friends, family, co-workers, student and former students...all having a great time together eating, drinking, and hanging out on the sunny front porch. We couldn't have asked for any better. Oh, but it gets better...Jay's brothers and sisters and mom brought us a few gifts. One is a frame with 4 picture slots, each with a special photograph taken by Cherie and Dave. Each picture represents both the letters of WOOD and items that capture both Jay's metal work and features on the MSU campus. Very very clever! It's a total keeper, now where to showcase it in the house? I would love it in my office too. Then they rolled in a huge round mirror (probably 4.5 feet across) with large log/timber slices (stained) all put together in a circular pattern. A very striking piece thanks to Kim (Neal's wife, but a gift from the whole clan). We are overwhelmed with the creative and thoughtful gifts they shared with us yesterday. After that, Jay and I even cut the chocolate cake together and fed one another with camera lights flashing. Right afterwards Jay asked if it was time to leave now that the cake was cut (a Papa Koestner line at wedding receptions).
It was close to 10pm before the last of the guests departed into the darkness of our driveway...we sat at the island chatting for the last 2 hours after most everyone left. A great way to cap off a fabulous day. We are blessed with wonderful friends, loving family, and a beautiful house in which to live. How lucky we are. Wish my Cronley/Blackledge/Swiat/Sumner family could have been there, but they were in spirit. I can look forward to spending quality time with sister Lisa the weekend of April 3. Then in June we'll ALL be together for Kevin Cronley's wedding. Much to celebrate then.
Kelly & Jay
We had a great party weekend we had!
Saturday night we were invited to a friend's 50th b-day party and she wanted a themed "70s" party. Her friends went ALL out and purchased a few furniture pieces at thrift stores--velour and printed, and all orange and brown. There were hanging beads in every doorway, an old console tv with a real Atari game connected and playable, games (Twister, Rock'em Sock'em Robots), and all the foods from that decade--fondue, swedish meatballs, pumperknickel and cornbeef sandwiches, celery with cheese spread, cheese wiz and buggles (yum).
Jay sported an old polyester jacket in true used car salesman style (turquoise blue checked) with a white shirt, tie, and short pants with white socks. He also quaffed his hair up and I sprayed it to stay in place. It was like looking at dad from his volkswagon days :). I had on black boots, black leather skirt, and a knitted sweater with a scarf around my head. I also sported Nana's turquoise dangly earrings! We were a fetching pair. I couldn't help but think we looked much like John and Priscilla at one of their (in)famous parties in ShadowWood (with the Watkins and Donaldsons)!Then bright and early Sunday morning Jay and I were up and in a flurry of activity to get ready for our open house party. Our good friend Laura was there early helping with the arrangements on the front porch and last minute menu items. We served food inside at the island and on the dining room table. We had chairs inside and tables/chairs outside on the front porch. Mom will be happy to note that we had fresh flowers at each table inside and out. Laura also picked a few daffodils from the backyard and put then on a table at the front porch. We served fresh smoked trout with lemon and dills sauce(Jay's special), sliced smoked ham (thanks to a gift certificate from Cheri for a honey baked ham), mini rolls and cheese for sandwiches, and ricotta and asparagus bruschetta. Laura brought a few vegetable trays. I made florentines (delicate thin cookies of crushed nuts, brown sugar and dried cherries with dark chocolate spread on top). Guests brought cookies, ham rolls, and a chocolate cake and cupcakes (our stand-in wedding cake).
Folks started arriving for a beautiful 65 degree and sunny day at the house around 1:00 and from then on, the house was packed until 8:00pm. What a great day...friends, family, co-workers, student and former students...all having a great time together eating, drinking, and hanging out on the sunny front porch. We couldn't have asked for any better. Oh, but it gets better...Jay's brothers and sisters and mom brought us a few gifts. One is a frame with 4 picture slots, each with a special photograph taken by Cherie and Dave. Each picture represents both the letters of WOOD and items that capture both Jay's metal work and features on the MSU campus. Very very clever! It's a total keeper, now where to showcase it in the house? I would love it in my office too. Then they rolled in a huge round mirror (probably 4.5 feet across) with large log/timber slices (stained) all put together in a circular pattern. A very striking piece thanks to Kim (Neal's wife, but a gift from the whole clan). We are overwhelmed with the creative and thoughtful gifts they shared with us yesterday. After that, Jay and I even cut the chocolate cake together and fed one another with camera lights flashing. Right afterwards Jay asked if it was time to leave now that the cake was cut (a Papa Koestner line at wedding receptions).
It was close to 10pm before the last of the guests departed into the darkness of our driveway...we sat at the island chatting for the last 2 hours after most everyone left. A great way to cap off a fabulous day. We are blessed with wonderful friends, loving family, and a beautiful house in which to live. How lucky we are. Wish my Cronley/Blackledge/Swiat/Sumner family could have been there, but they were in spirit. I can look forward to spending quality time with sister Lisa the weekend of April 3. Then in June we'll ALL be together for Kevin Cronley's wedding. Much to celebrate then.
Kelly & Jay
Walk with friends and dogs at Occoneechee Speedway
Hi Guys, It has been awhile since I posted anything, so I thought I would post a few Izzy pictures. However, I hope my post gets pushed down by Kelly's post about their open house as soon as possible! :)
Friday, a few girls got together to do a blind tasting at a unique store called A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. It is a Dean & Deluca and Williams & Sonoma all rolled into one. Great find. We tasted 5 wines and did not know any of them. The wine managers is from Germany, so he pulled wines from Eurpoe. We all joked that we needed a class on "wine for dummies".
Saturday, Izzy and our neighborhood friends with 2 and 4 legs traveled to Hillsbourgh, NC to the Occoneechee Speedway. The track is a wonderful place to let the dogs run and for us to enjoy our spring weather. The pictures are of the dogs enjoying the Eno River.
Sunday, I met up with a Saint Mary's College classmate (we both graduated in 2002) of mine for Mass and brunch. We decided to do a church tasting around Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill. Nice gal - we always comment on how Saint Mary's was a perfect fit for us.
Charles spent his weekend playing golf with his friend, Leon, in Sanford, which is half way between Durham and Pinehurst. Lucky chap! March Maddness is full on, he is also enjoying all the games! Sunday morning, our pool was first in my company's contest, but we have dropped down as of this morning!
Friday, a few girls got together to do a blind tasting at a unique store called A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. It is a Dean & Deluca and Williams & Sonoma all rolled into one. Great find. We tasted 5 wines and did not know any of them. The wine managers is from Germany, so he pulled wines from Eurpoe. We all joked that we needed a class on "wine for dummies".
Saturday, Izzy and our neighborhood friends with 2 and 4 legs traveled to Hillsbourgh, NC to the Occoneechee Speedway. The track is a wonderful place to let the dogs run and for us to enjoy our spring weather. The pictures are of the dogs enjoying the Eno River.
Charles spent his weekend playing golf with his friend, Leon, in Sanford, which is half way between Durham and Pinehurst. Lucky chap! March Maddness is full on, he is also enjoying all the games! Sunday morning, our pool was first in my company's contest, but we have dropped down as of this morning!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Wedding Day Wrap Up
Thursday, March 12 at 1:30, Jay and I were married at the historic Webster County Courthouse in Marshfield, MO. Jay and I arrived in our best suits, with flower on our lapels supplied by my friend Jana. The judge was nicely surprised at how well we were dressed, “best” he’d seen in a while. Thanks to Judge Ken Thompson who married us in a thoughtful and inspiring wedding ceremony. Our vows were mostly traditional and we spent what seemed like forever looking into each other’s eyes. I remarked afterwards that I don’t remember Jay having such deep green/blue eyes…they are really blue, but they took on a new color today. We exchanged old rings—Jay’s dad’s wedding ring and mine “borrowed and old” compliments of Laura Derrick’s grandmother. Our new friends (new to us, they were clerks ☺), Donnie and Vicki stood up for us and took pictures. And like that, we were married.
Afterwards we drove home and drank a bottle of champagne. We printed one of the pictures Vicki took and put it in a frame that Jana gave me earlier in the day. Then with wedding certificate and frame in hand we were off for Springfield to meet friends at a favorite restaurant for a few celebratory drinks. On the way we stopped at a jeweler who’d been recommended to us and we developed a design for my wedding ring. We are using diamonds Jay had given to me previously in a necklace and earrings. It was fun to walk in to the establishment and say we just got married and now we need a ring. They chuckled and we made fast friends of the owners while designing a ring.
At the restaurant we were greeted with cheers, flowers from Mom and a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne compliments of the owners. And then one by one, friends and family began showing up, quite unexpectedly. Laura had invited everyone to come for a drink. Within about an hour, the bar was packed with well-wishers. That was a wonderful surprise--all thanks to our good friend Laura Derrick.
It was a lovely, wonderful, friend and family filled day. Jay and I are so happy to share this with you…and wish you all could have been there. But we know you were with us in spirit (and flowers).
Love to you all, Jay and Kelly
Afterwards we drove home and drank a bottle of champagne. We printed one of the pictures Vicki took and put it in a frame that Jana gave me earlier in the day. Then with wedding certificate and frame in hand we were off for Springfield to meet friends at a favorite restaurant for a few celebratory drinks. On the way we stopped at a jeweler who’d been recommended to us and we developed a design for my wedding ring. We are using diamonds Jay had given to me previously in a necklace and earrings. It was fun to walk in to the establishment and say we just got married and now we need a ring. They chuckled and we made fast friends of the owners while designing a ring.
At the restaurant we were greeted with cheers, flowers from Mom and a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne compliments of the owners. And then one by one, friends and family began showing up, quite unexpectedly. Laura had invited everyone to come for a drink. Within about an hour, the bar was packed with well-wishers. That was a wonderful surprise--all thanks to our good friend Laura Derrick.
It was a lovely, wonderful, friend and family filled day. Jay and I are so happy to share this with you…and wish you all could have been there. But we know you were with us in spirit (and flowers).
Love to you all, Jay and Kelly
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Peek and Peak
Hello all. no pictures to show, Brian and I spent the weekend at Peek and Peak NY. Boy, it sure looked the same. The lodge is still the Swiss alps the interior is the same. The only additions are new chair lifts, and condos all around. We stayed in a 1 bed room condo with a kitchen, fireplace and 2 bathrooms. 6 people could easily stay together. I got to eat IN the grown-ups dining room 2 times...lol We sat by the fireplace and had a wonderful meal. We also had a huge champagne brunch in the am with so much food we didn't eat the rest of the day.The weather was awful, rain so we didn't ski :( Looking forward to next year and taking Brady, hopefully with more snow and earlier in the season. Great memories... Luff ewe all, Lisa
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