Dinner Parties

I've been pretty busy with things going on at home and getting my classroom organized and put back together for the start of school. I'm starting to realize I won't get to blog as often as I'd like when work gets back into full swing, but hopefully I'll be able to update a few times a week.

This past week B and I tried a new dinner. We grilled steak kabobs. They were so yummy! We marinated the steak (after cutting it in cubes) in Jack Daniel's lemon marinade. After I soaked the skewers in water (to not have them burn) I placed steak-yellow pepper (cut into pieces)-pineapple, and so on. We only had to grill the kabobs for about 7 minutes and it was done! It was the perfect amount of time for me to cut up fruit for some fruit cups and make another side. It was fun to actually cook together!
In true Burton fashion, we sat at our bar and ate listening to a mix of the Zac Brown Band and Gucci Mane. :)
{the kabobs before hitting the grill}
{B didn't know you should leave it on the stick when you place it on the plates!}

Another day this week I had told my Granddaddy I'd have him over to eat. I ended up not getting home from school until about 5:15. I have no idea how women who work till 5 everyday cook dinner each night! I was so flustered when I got home trying to have dinner (that I hadn't prepared/thought of/etc.) ready by 6:15 for my Granddaddy and parents. My sweet husband offered to just pick up some KFC (since it looked like rain for grilling) and I took him up on it. I felt like I needed to make the sides and not cheat with KFC sides so I got to work. I ran home and made a cheesecake first (you can't not have dessert with an older person around!), made souper mac&cheese, green beans and red potatos (from Dad's farm), cut up fruit and poured Raspberry vinagarette over it, and threw a salad in one of our polka dot dishes. We were ready on time and couldn't believe it!
{Me and Granddaddy}
{our kitchen table is round and doesn't lend itself much room for all the side dishes, so the bar works out perfect!}
{table's ready!}

I don't think I've given the recipe for the Souper Mac & Cheese. It's too good not to share!
Souper Mac & Cheese from Southern Living Cookbook
1 box of elbow macaroni
1 can of cheddar cheese soup (or nacho cheese soup)
1 bag of mexican american shredded cheese
1/4 cup of milk
1 tsp mustard
French Onion straws

Cook macaroni as box states. After drained, stir in soup, milk, cheese, and mustard. Bake on 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle onion straws to the top, and back 5 more minutes. {I don't always add the onion straws - just depends on if I have it or not}

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend we started off with some of these...{recipe to follow} and painted to rest of our bathroom to match our bedroom.
If you remember THIS POST, I thought we were done with the bathroom, but improvements can always be made! So we painted it on Friday and Saturday and kept up with our pretty stripes along the back wall of the garden tub. I also switched out the bubble bath bottles for a prettier look of a glass jar from Hobby Lobby.


I still need to monogram the hanging towels, the bathmat, and the hand towel with a lower case b and a circle around it...so hopefully that will happen soon!

We also happened to find curtains for our bedroom {at a place you'd NEVER think of!} and so my love of stripes/plaids/solids continues! I'm so glad it's in style to use lots of different shades, textures, and colors.


Then on Saturday B and I watched reruns of Bethenney Getting Married for about 4 hours. I love that show! Her and Jason are SO hilarious. But she is SO cute preggers! We were cracking up thinking we'll be that idiotic one day too!
We also enjoyed a great night with Katharine & Andy to The Grey Goose Patio. We were unfortunately partially saying 'goodbye' to them since they're leaving the South to the North.


I also got to wear my Romper, which I love, but beware, you must always be with other girls when wearing this. It's not an easy outfit to get on and off for pee breaks!

We finished off the weekend celebrating Jordan's birthday at The Boathouse!{Me & the Birthday Girl!}
{Birthday Girl's fiance & the Hubby}




Hope you had a good weekend!

It Just Keeps Gettin' Better

Please don't roll your eyes at this post! This is a real blog where I talk about real things. And I just have to tell you that it REALLY does just keep getting better!

We just celebrated our 4 month anniversary! Like I'm sure I stated in earlier posts, I'm reverting back to high school dating days where we celebrate each month until our first year anniversary! And then I'll stop. Maybe.

We both were apparently thinking the same thing this time and both gave each other sweet cards. Every month has been a little bit different celebrating and it's been fun.

We went to eat at O'Charley's since I had a gift card from one of my student's to use {can you believe it, Mom, that we let that one go for so long?!}. And then came my reasoning of why this marriage thing keeps gettin' better.

Reason #4,568 of why I love my husband: our in-depth, hilarious, meaningful, amazing, deep, wonderful, real conversations.
I like to refer to these our patio talks, because it seemed like we'd have these wonderful conversations mostly when we were sitting on my patio when I lived at Merrick. We'd sit there for hours and just have the most meaningful conversations. Well just because I don't have my Merrick patio anymore doesn't mean those have stopped. They happen often on our new patio as well as in the kitchen, in bed, and on date nights.

At O'Charley's we ended up being there for way too long just talking and having one of those patio talks. It's so amazing the way we work together. It seems so easy to open up during these times, feeling unguarded, to discuss anything and everything. And my husband talks! I'm so thankful for that. For not ever feeling like he's not opening up or I'm talking too much. It's sooo nice to feel that {especially when you've had the opposite happen!}.

I also want you to know I'm not taking any of this for granted. I had my times with being single, and being with the wrong person, but it's so nice to be able to finally reflect on those terribly hard times to know this is what I was getting ready for!
*Hebrews 13:5, I will never fail you, I will never forsake you*
Have a great weekend!

Me in a Book Club??

I've never been much of a reader. I think it's because I read slow, get ADHD when reading, and have to re-read material over and over again to understand what I'm reading. Therefore, TV keeps my attention more!
{But don't tell my students, I pretend I read all the time for their sake.}

Well anyways, my group of friends from college started a Book Club this summer.
{To my husband's surprise he stated, "since when did your friends read books instead of drink martini's together" in which my response was "when we started checking the 26-30 box on our taxes and realized drinking makes us fat"}

I read the first book, The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell, for the June club but wasn't able to make it! This time around it was this book:
{I didn't read it, whoops}.

So ~ We met at Ann's beautiful home last night and I attended my first book club. I felt very mature and adult-ish. The book they were discussing was anything but that! HA! It sounded like a crazy book, but if you watch Chelsea Handler on her late-night show, she is crazy!
Ann had lots of yummy food for us and a delicious drink she made from Tastefully Simple mix. YUM!
{the cute hostess, Ann}
{the girls + baby Grady}
{Grace - who also didn't read the book! - wore fake glasses to look the part!}

So I guess this is more of an excuse to get together once a month, but I think I'm going to love it! I'll really, really try my best to read the books, but as you know I'm still reading these books, so we'll see! The thing I love about it best is it's the same day of the month every month - perfect for planning! I'm going to host October and I'm so excited! I love a reason to host a good party!

*Hopefully by then I've found the perfect curtains I've STILL been looking for*

PS- All the girls are getting on Good Reads. If you're in to reading, you'd love this site!

Vacation in Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our Family Vacation to Hilton Head Island where my MIL lives. We planned the vacation around when Brian's sister and her family was coming so we could all spend a week together since everyone lives in different states.

But first Brian and I went to Savannah, GA for one day. We left after work on Friday and drove to Columbia, SC, and then woke up early to drive to Savannah. Although we didn't do a lot of sight-seeing in Savvy like last year, we spent our day on River Street and it was so much fun! We always seem to meet people on vacay's after a few drinks! We met some fun guys who had just arrived in the States after serving in the Army in Iraq, and then met a neat couple who the guy was a pilot and the girl was from the Netherlands! We ate pizza and listened to live music with them later in the night!

Then we drove to HHI and spent a great week at the MIL's home laying by her pool, going to the beach, eating yummy meals, and hanging out!

{In Savannah}


{MMMM fried pickles!}







{In Hilton Head Island}
{MIL's Home}



{Lowcountry Broil! I've been wanting to try this for a while!}