Keeping Up With Kelly

2012: Month One

2012-01-31T07:00:00.003-06:00

January was a great way to begin 2012! Here are a few highlights. I have learned one thing, I need to take more pictures, I couldn't document some of the fun throughout the month (like Pokeno and Bunko). I'll do better in February.

Back to January...

The month started with a Christmas celebration! We had so much celebrating that December couldn't hold it all. Kristen, Margie and I did our "Friend-mas" the first weekend in January. We all convened in Madison at the beautiful home of K-Mitch, JP, and Hattie.

Of course, we always have a photo shoot.

Take 1 ----

And take 2!

The following weekend we revisited Madison to celebrated Margie's b-day!

We enjoyed a fun game night! Let's just say I LET Margie win because it was her birthday. :D

We enjoyed lunch at Keifer's, a Jackson favorite, I've heard so many great things about this restaurant. I was glad Margie chose it as her b-day lunch.

A fun birthday with friends.

Thanks, JP and Hattie, for letting us take over two weekends in a row!

January has been sports overload! But I'm not complaining. Can you believe that my three favorites all played on the SAME day! Southern Miss played basketball, the Saints played the 49ers and Timmy played the Patriots all in one day! Wow, I had to change shirts three times, literally!

I've enjoyed many fun games at "The Green House" this month. The Southern Miss basketball team is having the best season in school history. It's been fun to watch and follow. A BIG game is coming up tomorrow, February 1, against Memphis. It's expected to be a sellout, GO EAGLES!

There was much cheering for my beloved Saints! But in the end this wasn't their year for the Super Bowl. But next year New Orleans is hosting the Super Bowl, I know the Saints will make another run to be the home team next season.

Cheering for the Saints at Emily and Wade's, WHO DAT!

January called for a birthday celebration for my grandmother!

At school, we had a fun pajama day.

And we celebrated 100 days of school.

And I can't forget that I was featured in the "Golden Eagle Pride" campaign this month on the Southern Miss website!

January ended with the begin of the 2012 Belhaven Blazers baseball season. I'll be cheering for #33 all season long!

Happy January!

Now it's time for February. My favorite holiday is coming up.....VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Pinterest...

2012-01-29T13:45:00.003-06:00

I, like everyone else, in the blog-o-sphere have become addicted to Pinterest. I joined on sometime over the summer and through the fall the popularity has grown. I find myself pinning on my phone, iPad, and of course endlessly on my computer. I think I'm a little "pin-happy". I keep finding wonderful clothes, seasonal decorating ideas and the home decorating inspiration is through the roof! If I tried to recompose every crafty idea and purchase everything I pinned I would soon run out of resources. So as an alternative, I'll share a few on the blog. Maybe it will be the same as purchasing, but probably not.

I think I need.this.dress.NOW.

(Luckily, it was last season and Anthropology no longer has it in stock. Whew.)

If I actually were able to pull this off, I'd be really excited. But I'll just pin it instead.

Can a personal chef make these for me every morning, fresh fruit and made to order. I wouldn't have time to make this each morning and if I made them ahead of time the granola would get soggy. Eww. For those of you who know me I have one thing to say - "wet bread".

Could Easter get here fast so I can make this fun arrangement.

Umm..YES, please! How cute are these?!

Someone, anyone, come remake my bedroom. ASAP.

I have a chair, I need the fabric and someone with some reupholstering skills. Thanks.

How about a two-story closet. I know I have enough clothes to fill that thing up.

I just love Pinterest. If you can't find me or you think I've fallen off the planet, I haven't, I'm sure I'm pinning something.

100 Days Smarter

2012-01-23T20:04:00.000-06:00

My school celebrated the 100th day of school last Thursday. It was loads of fun, full of lots of activities where the students counted to 100. The best part is all the students dress as if they were 100 years old!

They all think it's so cool to say that they are "100 days smarter!". And this bright group of Kindergarteners truly is 100 days smarter.

Check out these cute costumes!

Ms. "100 Year Old" Marzoni (check out those pencil shoes!)

After all the fun, I felt like I really was 100!!

Some of the students thought that when they got to the 100th day school was over! Sorry, kids, we still have 80 school days to go!

Golden Eagle Pride

2012-01-18T19:52:00.003-06:00

Yes, that's ME!!! Featured on the Southern Miss website. About a month ago I was contacted and asked to participate in a marketing campaign entitled "Golden Eagle Pride". I IMMEDIATELY responded with an enthusiastic "YES"! I completed the questionnaire and was featured today.

Needless to say, I am excited.

Here are the questions I answered for the website, you can click on the link below to read it listed online.

Kelly's Golden Eagle Pride Interview

If you hurry, you can go to www.southernmiss.com and it is one of the featured stories on the homepage.

**I added some more pictures for the blog. :) **

Golden Eagle Pride

Questionnaire

1. How long have you been a supporter of the Eagle Club? In my family, we have been lifetime supporters.

2. Where are you currently located? I live right in the middle of Golden Eagle Nation, Hattiesburg!

What is your earliest memory of Southern Miss Athletics? I grew up in the Hattiesburg area, I always remember cheering for Southern Miss. When it was time to apply to colleges there was no question, The University of Southern Mississippi.

4. Why do you support the Eagle Club and Southern Miss Athletics? I support the Eagle Club and Southern Miss Athletics because of the great love I have for the university. All the sporting events have a great atmosphere, smart coaches, and talented athletes.

5. You have season tickets to what sports? Football and baseball, I go to as many basketball games as possible.

6. Were you a USM athlete? If so, how did the experience affect your life? I was not a USM athlete but I did have the privilege of being a “Diamond Darling” and serving as captain of the Diamond Darlings for the USM baseball team. It was one of my favorite experiences as a student at Southern Miss. I had always loved Southern Miss but having the opportunity to work closely with the baseball team really made me love the athletic program and all things black and gold.

7. What is your favorite Southern Miss Athletics tradition? My favorite Southern Miss tradition is the Eagle Walk. I love lining up two hours before the game and cheering for the team as they prepare for the big game. The Pride of Mississippi always sounds great and gets everyone pumped for the game. It is always an added bonus to get a high-five from the players!

8. Who is your favorite Southern Miss coach or athlete, past or present? There have been many wonderful coaches and athletes at Southern Miss, which makes it difficult to chose just one. These players and coaches have made many wonderful seasons and memories possible, but my favorite coach would have to be Coach Corky Palmer. I always enjoy weekends at The Pete. And that magical 2009 season and trip to Omaha make Coach Palmer one of the Southern Miss greats.

9. What are three must-have items for your own personal tailgate? I love to tailgate; it isn’t complete without great friends, fun times, and great Southern Miss décor.

10. What is the best type of food to have at a tailgate? Dips, sandwiches and sweets.

11. Why should more Southern Miss fans and supporters join the Eagle Club? The Eagle Club is a great way to support the student-athletes and coaches that we love to cheer for so much. Golden Eagle fans should join to give back and show their support for the team we all love!

12. From all of USM’s athletic success, what is your favorite memory of all-time? Southern Miss has been a part of many awesome victories and incredible finishes. The most recent, the 2011, 12-2, C-USA Championship football season was amazing. Cheering for the Golden Eagles at The Rock and the excitement that brought to Golden Eagle Nation was phenomenal. The scene at the airport when the team arrived home from the victory over Houston was incredible. Then there is the 2009 “Road to Omaha” with the baseball team. I was in Gainesville when we beat the Florida Gators to advance to Omaha. The spirited atmosphere was like nothing I had ever experienced before, truly amazing! Then to travel to Omaha the next week was one of my most memorable experiences. The “Road to Omaha” was one of Southern Miss’ greatest successes and I am so glad to say I was there every step of the way. And who can forget the 2003 C-USA Championship win over the TCU Horned Frogs at The Rock? I was a student and remember charging the field to take down the goalpost. Southern Miss athletics has provided so many wonderful memories, it’s always a “great day to be a Golden Eagle”.

13. What is your favorite part about the game-day environment for any USM sports team? I love the fans. The commonality that “game-day” creates is great. If you’re wearing your black and gold then you are instantly connected with other fans. It’s always fun to be at an away game and see a group of fellow Golden Eagle fans and just shout “Southern Miss...” And they immediately know to echo “To the top!”.

14. What is your favorite place on the campus of Southern Miss? My favorite place on campus is the Eagle Walk; I love all the banners hanging under the stadium. As a student, it was fun to be part of the tradition of painting the Eagle Walk and it reminds me of all the rich history of Southern Miss Athletics.

15. What do you miss about Southern Miss? I loved my college experience at Southern Miss. I miss being able to participate in some of the student events and organizations. But being a Southern Miss Alumni gives me great pride on game-day and everyday!

16. What piece of Southern Miss apparel can you not live without on game-day? I must have on all black and gold, and a game-day essential is a pom-pom.

17. How were you introduced to Southern Miss and USM Athletics? I was introduced to Southern Miss through my grandfather, Dr. Thad Waites. He has always been a Golden Eagle supporter and shared his love for Southern Miss with me.

18. Tell us what Southern Miss Athletics means to you. Southern Miss Athletics has always been a big part of my life; it means pride, success and victory.

19. What is your favorite Southern Miss cheer? My favorite Southern Miss cheer is…S-OU-TH-ERN…SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI….U-S-M!

20. What is your pregame ritual? I love tailgating; it’s not game-day without a tailgate. From setting up the night before to getting ready for the Eagle Walk, game-day at The Rock is the best.

21. Define Golden Eagle Pride? Golden Eagle Pride is being proud to be a Golden Eagle, and supporting and cheering for the Golden Eagles no matter the circumstance or the opponent. It begs the question, “Do you bleed black and gold?”!

22. What makes you the most passionate Golden Eagle Fan? I LOVE all things Southern Miss. You will always find me at The Rock on game-day; I haven’t missed a home football game in over ten years! My favorite places are The Rock, The Pete and The Greenhouse. I am a fanatical sports fan and my favorite team is the best team in college sports, Southern Miss!!

John 3:16

2012-01-16T17:38:00.000-06:00

Focus on the Family ran this commercial Saturday night during the NFL playoff game between the Patriots and the Broncos.

How great is that?

Now, obviously the timing of the airing of the commercial was greatly influence because of Tim Tebow playing in this game. The week before he heroically lead his team to a victory against the Pittsburg Steelers to advance to the second round of playoffs. In the game he passed for 316 yards and averaged 31.6 yards per completion. He first wore John 3:16 on his eye black in the National Championship game during his college days. All the John 3:16 buzz must have prompted Focus on the Family to air the commercial when it did.

All of you know I am a Timmy fan, but at this point it is hard not to be. He has taken a stand for his faith, and by doing so allowed for so many conversations and thoughts about Christianity. By staying steadfast in his beliefs, he has allowed both believers and nonbelievers to take a second look at the message of Christ. We can all learn from Timmy, and I don't mean how to be a great athlete, but how to share our faith and love others. Christ wants us all to be bold like this, show people the love of Christ by loving them and telling them the amazing message of Christ's love for us.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

Black Friday 2011

2011-12-30T20:47:00.000-06:00

The "Shopping Extravaganza Crew" was out in full force again this year! Each year (this is our fifth consecutive year) Kristen, Margie and I go shopping on Black Friday. We have become pros at this, or so we think!

We wear matching shirts!

And we prepare by researching the sales papers. This year we each had a "Black Friday Guide". The guide was complete with coupons, Starbucks gift cards, a map of the local stores, and a place for us to write down a "plan of action".

We camped out for hours before the store openings, this year Target opened at midnight! It was more like Black-Thursday-night than Black Friday.

The lines were long..........

But that didn't stop us from getting some great door busters!

The posted is a little delayed because many of our gifts were Christmas gifts for our families. Last year we made a video to document the adventures, and we made another one this year!! The actual video is about 45 minutes long but here is an abbreviated 10 minute version for the blog!

Read about our other Black Friday adventures....

Black Friday 2010

Black Friday 2009

Christmas in Review

2011-12-28T22:28:00.001-06:00

Whew! Christmas came and went like a whirlwind! I enjoyed many days of celebrating and fun time with family.

I love Christmas trees! I always have to snap a quick photo before all the excitement begins.

Grandparents' Christmas tree

Mom's Christmas tree

Dad's Christmas tree

Everyone enjoyed their baked goodies from me, they were a big hit!

The true reason for celebrating, Happy Birthday, Jesus! I am so thankful for the greatest Gift of all!

Robert is at Belhaven for his Junior and Senior years of college. He is on the baseball team and the season begins on January 27! He gave everyone Belhaven gear for the Spring. Belhaven's school colors are green and gold, he found a black and gold shirt for me though. I can cheer for the Blazers but still wear my Golden Eagles colors.

We gave my mom a Garmin for Christmas, she'll definitely use it this Spring as we travel to Robert's games. This was a Black Friday "door buster"! I haven't posted about Black Friday's Shopping Extravaganza because I had to keep this gift under wraps! (The BFSE 2011 post will be here soon, video included!)

My grandmother was so excited to give Robert these "toe shoes". He loved them!

Each year we all get great stockings! My grandmother stuffs them full of wonderful surprises, this year I surprised her with her own stocking. She was very excited!

Cousin Ellie and I watching the Golden Eagles in the Hawaii Bowl. We won! Southern Miss ends the season with a 12-2 record, best record in school history! Mele Kalikimaka!

My cousin, Peyton, had a precious smile this Christmas.

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." :)

Rob got a Kindle Fire!

I got MANY wonderful gifts as well! I think you can call my Christmas a "Pin"-mas. I luckily have some very computer-savy family members that follow me on Pinterest. Many of my gifts were my actual pins!! I had no idea, it was like my pin-boards were coming to life!

I pinned this cute monogrammed door hanger.......

....and look, there it is!

I pinned this beautiful Anthropologie gold jacket......

.....and now I'm ready for a Southern Miss game!

I thought these earrings were so pretty....

....and they really are!

Almost everything I pin has a touch of turquoise, I love turquoise. I got lots of pin-inspired jewels!

I've had my eyes on this Alex & Lele bracelet since Mistletoe Market, so excited to unwrap this!

How cute are these Toms?!? Yes, please, I'll take the polka dots!

Check this out, my very own embosser. It says "Made from Scratch, Kelly Marzoni", perfect for all my baking gifts!

Beautiful stationary

Can't wait to start making some cake pops with this!

And you know I love all things Apple, I can't wait to start using this Apple TV. I'll have no reason to ever leave my home!

One of my students gave me this super cute monogrammed bag, I loved it!

I got many beautiful ornaments to add to my tree this year.

Love this picture frame, looking forward to displaying a fun Southern Miss photo!

Okay, look at these shoes! They are pencil shoes!! My grandmother always finds the most unique gifts, these will be perfect when I dress up like Miss Bindergarten for the 100th day of school.

What a great Christmas and so much to be thankful for!!

One more picture of my tree before I take it down.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.006-06:00

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Messiah, your Lord."

Luke 2:11

Christmas Baking

2011-12-22T15:11:00.003-06:00

I spent most of the day Wednesday baking, baking and baking! It was fun but I'll admit I'm glad to have it completed and my kitchen bake to normal! Here are a few photos of the tasty treats I made this year. Every year I give baked goods as gifts throughout the holiday season. I love packaging up the goodies and everyone always loves something yummy.

Holiday Crunch - This is my personal favorite, no baking and super easy!

I haven't made these in a long time, but I had all the ingredients already and thought they would be a good addition.

Rolo Pretzel Delights

These cookies were SO good! I put a little twist on a "monster cookie" recipe I made earlier this year. I made oatmeal cookies and added Christmas M&M's, chocolate chips and chocolate covered cranberries. The cranberries make the cookies extra delicious.

I baked most of the cookies just as the recipe says, but my brother loves Reese's peanut butter cups. So I baked a batch of these stuffed with PB cups, they have a whole PB cup in the center. Yes, they are gigantic but he'll love them.

I found this recipe via Pioneer Woman, they're called "Forgotten Kiss Cookies", they have a Hershey's kiss in the center. I added Christmas M&M's and think to give it a little Christmas spirit I'll call these "Mistletoe Cookies".

My grandfather's favorite, haystacks. He's already asked when I'll be delivering this sweet holiday tradition.

At the end of the day, I had baskets assembled, tins packed and flour on every inch of my kitchen. Tis the season!!

Merry Christmas!!

Golden Season

2011-12-17T20:49:00.002-06:00

What a season!! The Golden Eagle football team have accomplished so much this season, with a 11-2 record they have the best record in Southern Miss history. And the Golden Eagle faithful were there every step of the way!

At Eagle Walk cheering the team on before the game.

Tailgating, tailgating, tailgating!

Everyone loves a good tailgate, I especially LOVE a good tailgate. I love decorating the tent and setting everything up pre-game. One of my favorite parts of fall!

We even weathered Tropical Storm Lee with the Golden Eagles!

We celebrated Homecoming with a fun parade.

And helped our friend and Golden Eagle alumni, Toby Barker, get re-elected as a State Representative.

We cheered the team to victory with Governor Bryant.

And packed The Rock every Saturday!

And, of course, we tweeted about it too!

We even celebrated Christmas with our favorite team!

And I tried to get the best angle and shot for "the blog".

Everyone enjoyed the victories and successes, and loved the BCS ranking!

And in the end, we are conference CHAMPIONS!

And I even got a picture with the trophy!!

Now it is time to end this historic season with win #12 at the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve!! What a great Christmas treat, Golden Eagle football!

Decking the Halls

2011-12-08T19:33:00.000-06:00

Christmas is in full swing! I decorated my home the weekend before Thanksgiving. I was so excited this year and couldn't wait any longer. It was a little early though, the weather was a ~~humid~~ nice 80 degrees when I was trimming my tree. But I'm glad I got everything decorated early so I can enjoy the Christmas season!

Front Door

Black and Gold Christmas tree....I love anything gold, sparkly and glittery!

Some of my favorite ornaments...

Each year, Margie and I do an ornament exchange. This was my ornament I received last year, one of my favorites!

The newest Southern Miss ornament, given to me by a sweet teacher friend.

Must have a little Timmy on the tree.

A few more pictures of the decor.

The mistletoe is hung!

Dove peppermint bark, if you haven't tried this, stop right now and add it to your holiday shopping list.

My favorite ornament wreath. I made this several Christmas' ago, it's still shining!

Yes, so thankful for His special birth!

More gold sparkle!

Already receiving fun gifts from "Dirty Santa" Christmas parties this year.

One of my students gave me this beautiful wreath. It makes my carport and backdoor look so festive!

Merry Christmas!!

I hope you're having fun decking your halls!

Golden Champions!

2011-12-04T17:08:00.001-06:00

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles are C-USA Champions!!

The Golden Eagles played the Houston Cougars (ranked #6 in the county) for the conference title. The Cougars were undefeated and their quarterback has been rumored to be a candidate for the Heisman Trophy. But when the Eagles came to town all that ended!

Eagles win 49-28!!!

CHAMPS!!

When the team arrived back in Hattiesburg the Golden Eagle Nation was ready to greet and congratulate them! I knew I couldn't miss this! I was one of hundreds of people at the airport waiting on the Eagles to land!

Then everyone tried to quickly follow the team buses from the airport to the athletic complex on campus for more celebrating!

Here is a video I compiled of highlights and interviews from the game on Saturday. Enjoy!!

CUSA Champions 2011 from Kelly Marzoni on Vimeo.

Southern Miss....

TO THE TOP!

Where we WIN championships!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful time and truly are thankful for the blessings you have. Enjoy family, watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, eat too much turkey and potato casserole, and tell others how thankful you are for them.

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Here are a couple of videos from my Kindergarten class. They were too cute not to share. The first is their performance of the first Thanksgiving. The other is a narration of what they are thankful for this year.

Under the Mistletoe

2011-11-19T15:18:00.000-06:00

Christmas shopping has begun! I officially kicked off the Christmas shopping at Mistletoe Market. It has become a tradition. My mom and I take off a day from school and go each year. Margie always meets us there and this year Kristen came too!

This is only a warm-up for the madness of our annual Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza!

This year will be our fifth BFSE - but you can read about the

2009 BFSE

2010 BFSE

Back to Mistletoe...

Mistletoe is always a great place to find tons of great gifts at once! And another great thing we love about Mistletoe is that many times the artist, authors, chefs, etc. will be at their booth. In years past we have chatted it up with Robert St. John, Wyatt Waters, Kristin Alfonso and this year we met Gail Pittman!

My mom has always been a Gail Pittman fan, serving us special meals on her beautiful hand painted pottery. Not to mention all the great Christmas ornaments and serving pieces! We were happy to meet Gail and purchase this year's Christmas ornament from her.

Since Robert is at Belhaven and it is only a few blocks from the Trademart, he stopped by between classes to get a glimpse of the shopping madness. Needless to say, he wasn't quite as impressed with Mistletoe as we were!

Always finding that "Go Gold"!

I can't post most of what I purchase because they are gifts!! But I did get these beautiful Alex and Lele earrings, I. LOVE. THEM.

Another great year! Now its time to enjoy Thanksgiving, finish up the Christmas decor, and get ready for BLACK FRIDAY 2011!!!

Trick-or-Treat

2011-11-03T18:19:00.001-05:00

Caramel apples for Halloween!!

Melt caramel squares and have many sweet treats ready to go!

Work fast though, the caramel sets quickly!

This tasted as good as they looked!

But those weren't for the Trick-or-Treaters, I had plenty of candy for them. Or so I thought!! My friends, Emily and Wade, live in a great neighborhood with many trick-or-treaters, so I camped out on their porch to join in the candy fun. I rarely get many trick-or-treaters at my home, so I was excited to share in the fun!

My favorite candy this season was the white chocolate, candy corn M&M's! This are crazy delish!

Pumpkins for the festivities!

Loads of fun kids!

Best costume award goes to .......

THE PEANUTS FAMILY!

This entire family dressed up like the characters from Charlie Brown! The little baby was Woodstock and they were just precious. They even had their iPod playing the Charlie Brown theme song as they strolled the streets. They were very festive for Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!

Can NOT wait!

2011-10-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

You may have seen the ESPN special with Tim Tebow. Well that was only the beginning! There is actually a two hour DVD that is being released November 8. Here is a blooper video of the filming. Needless to say, I'm super excited!

Tim Tebow: Everything in Between Interview & Production Outtakes from FCTN on Vimeo.

Decorating Tip

2011-10-09T16:45:00.000-05:00

I found this link on Pinterest (which I am totally addicted too) and I think I heard bells ringing when I tried this the other day and it actually worked!

This is a video tutorial that shows how to use Saran wrap to help fill a pastry bag. If you are anything like me when you fill a pastry bag, you make a mess and have frosting everywhere!

This little trick is super easy and makes cake decorating and icing cookies so much neater and faster!!

Eagles Soar High Above the Owls

2011-10-03T20:22:00.001-05:00

This weekend Southern Miss played the Rice Owls at "The Rock"! It was beautiful weather and perfect for tailgating fun!

Southern Miss fans were out in black and gold to enjoy the day and get ready for the big game that night. India, Margie, Kristen and I hosted a fun tailgate, Southern Miss....TO THE TOP!

We had some very cute guest in attendance!

My favorite pre-game tradition is the "Eagle Walk". The Southern Miss cheerleaders, band, football players, coaches, and Seymour parade through campus before kick-off. The fans join together in cheers and songs to cheer the team to victory.

Seymour posing for the camera!

My favorite person in the Eagle Walk, Coach Fedora! I always make sure he knows I'm there!

This is completely random....a gorilla/eagle?! O....k.....

If you watched the game on TV, you may have notice a special someone in the press box announcing the game for CSS. Yes, former Golden Eagle, Brett Favre was on hand for the color commentary.

The Eagles beat the Rice Owls on a perfect night for football.

Go, Eagles, Go!

Timmy and Jimmy

2011-09-10T20:10:00.004-05:00

At the end of the 2009 college football season, my friend, Emily, and I went to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. We had one goal in mind, meet Tim Tebow! I have alluded to my obsession to TimmyT before on the blog and will not go into all those details again, but wanted to share a fun story.

Emily and I were in full Tebow gear (of course with my Southern Miss black and gold underneath :) ) so everyone would know who we were cheering for.

We did have the opportunity to meet TimmyT very briefly, although brief, it was a very memorable encounter. This meeting later lead to me meeting him again in Jacksonville, FL, and him sending me and every child in my Kindergarten class an autographed picture of him playing for Florida. So I would say the Senior Bowl was definitely a success, mission accomplished!

But you may be wondering, why am I just now posting about something that happened almost two years ago? Well....In the process of me trying relentlessly to meet TimmyT, I meet a few other football players along the way. One of them was Jimmy Graham, who later was drafted to the New Orleans Saints. There is Jimmy, #80, during the Senior Bowl. Yes, I took this picture from the sidelines, I some how managed to get field passes after arriving to the game (that's a post for a different day!!).

Anyway, Jimmy and Timmy were BFF at the Senior Bowl and later went on to train together for the NFL.

Fast forward to September 2011 - Jimmy Graham is now in his second season as the starting tight-end for the New Orleans Saints. He was in Hattiesburg signing autographs so of course I had to go!

Our conversation went something like this...

Me: Hi!! It's so nice to see you, I'm sure you don't remember me but I met you at the Senior Bowl!

Jimmy: Oh, yes....I remember you!

Me: Ahh! Seriously! That's awesome!

Jimmy: Yes, Tim Tebow and I both REMEMBER you!!

Me: (silently freaking out)

Guess I made a lasting impression on Jimmy and Timmy!

Now if I could only figure out how to met Timmy again....

Recipe to share

2011-09-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

I made this delicious casserole over the weekend. The combination of Tropical Storm Lee and friends in from out of town for the Southern Miss football game made this a great "go-to" dish.

Mexican Casserole

Step 1: Brown one pound ground beef (I actually used ground turkey and it was equally as tasty). Add one package of taco seasoning mix and follow the directions on the package.

Step 2: In a separate sauce pan, heat 1 can of refried beans. Add one cup of salsa and one cup of grated colby-jack cheese.

Step 3 - Spray casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer two cups of crushed tortilla chips.

Step 4 - For the second layer, add the refried bean mixture.

Step 5 - Layer the seasoned taco meat next.

Step 6 - Chop 1/4 cup of green onions. Sprinkle one cup grated cheese and green onions over casserole layers.

Step 7 - Bake at 375 degrees, for approximately 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and hot throughout.

Step 8 - Chop two roma tomatoes. Sprinkle on top of casserole after removing from oven.

Serve with guacamole and sour cream! Delicious!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

First game of the 2011 Southern Miss Football Season

9:00 PM Kickoff

Tropical Storm Lee

Are You Ready For Some Football?!?

2011-09-02T20:05:00.002-05:00

I am ready!! The 2011 Southern Miss football season kicks off tomorrow night, a televised game versus Louisiana Tech.

I am really excited about football season....

I've made my preseason preparations. I've inspected the football field...

Decorated my front door...

"Go Gold" yard sign...check.

Attended "Football 101"....

Meet the first female NCAA referee...

Talked Xs and Os with the USM Coaching staff....

Made sure the Golden Eagle logo was in tip-top shape...

Discussed the game plan with Coach Fedora...

Got a great pep-talk from Coach...

And lastly, got some great advice and recipes for tailgating from Master Chef winner and Southern Miss Alumni, Whitney Miller....

I'm READY for game day at "The Rock"!

Southern Miss....TO THE TOP!!

It's begun...

2011-08-13T13:30:00.002-05:00

My life has been taken over by twenty-four five year olds. Yes, school has begun! The first week has just come to an end, it was fun and very eventful. But I am enjoying a restful weekend!

I have neglected "Keeping Up With Kelly" a little, but have managed to keep "Ms. Marzoni's Blog" current. I'll get back in "school" routine soon!

Hope all of my teacher friends have had a good start to the school year! Now if only the weather would turn to fall things would be perfect!! (And could football season get here fast, just saying...)

Frosting Friday

2011-07-29T07:00:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite summer desserts, and it is one of the easiest ones to prepare. It has been made at the request of friends and family at many a summer cookout!

FRUIT PIZZA

Step 1: Pat out softened sugar cookie dough on baking stone or pizza pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Step 2: Allow cookie to completely cool.

Step 3: Blend together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Spread on cooled cookie.

Step 4: Chop fruit and arrange on cookie.

Step 6: Enjoy!!

Fruit Pizza
1 roll sugar cookie dough, softened
1 bar cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar
Blueberries
Strawberries, diced
Green seedless grapes, diced
Kiwi, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pat out sugar cookie dough in a pizza pan or baking stone. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Allow cookie crust to cool. Mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread mixture over cooled cookie crust.

Arrange fruit on pizza and serve.

Viking: Girls Night Out

2011-07-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

Kristen, Margie and I took a class a couple of weeks ago at the Viking Cooking School. We did this last summer for my birthday, it was so much fun that we had to enroll in another class this summer.

The class was "Girls Night Out: The Islands". We prepared Jamaican jerk chicken skewers, tamarind-glazed shrimp, crisp green salad with mango vinaigrette, and white chocolate banana tart and caramel sauce. It was a delicious menu and a fun night!

There were two great ladies in our group, Michelle and Richelle! They love the Viking Cooking School just as much us we do. We hope to take another class with them again soon!

Delicious ingredients...

Fun, fun at Viking!

A Fun Fourth With Friends

2011-07-17T20:02:00.000-05:00

The Fourth of July was full of lots of red, white, and blue, food, fun and friends! Kristen and Jonathan hosted a cookout at their new, beautiful home in Madison, and friends old and new alike came out for the celebration. It was fun to catch up with friends from Southern Miss and to make new memories.

The Palmer's home was decorated with plenty of patriotic spirit!

Hattie was ready for the fun!

The girls visited inside...

While the boys got the grilled fired up and visited outside...

Everyone enjoyed the delicious food!

It wasn't too long before we were up to our old tricks! One of our good friends, Tara, wasn't able to come, so we decided to do a little prank call! Now, we have been known to do some prank calling from time-to-time, our favorite go to character is "Darlene from Sassy Shears." So if you've ever received a call from Darlene trying to confirm your hair appointment it was probably Kristen or Margie! ha! We tried to prank Tara but she had us figured out. Watch the funny video below!

We enlisted the help of the self-timer on the camera for a group shot.

Which soon turned into a crazy photo-shoot!

Fun, fun on the fourth!! Looking forward to next year!!

Frosting Friday

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

M&M-Peanut Butter Cookie Brownies!

These were a big hit! I know you and everyone else will love these when you make them!

Ingredients

1 - 13x9 inch pan of brownies, baked and cooled (I used Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies. Also, do not cook the brownies fully, they need to be slightly raw still. They will have more cooking time with the peanut butter layer.)

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup milk

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 heaping cup M&Ms, plain

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until combined. Add sugars and mix until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix until fully combined. Fold in M&Ms. Layer this mixture over the cooled brownies. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until cookie layer is golden.

It should look something like this on top.

Once they have cooled completely, cut into squares and serve. I lined my baking pan with parchment paper before baking the brownies. This made for easy removal and cutting.

These bars are great to package and give as gifts too! And everyone loves the layered-M&M confection!

Enjoy!!

A Great "Destin"-ation

2011-06-29T22:29:00.006-05:00

My brother, Robert, and I took a trip to Destin, Florida, last week. The weather was so pretty and we had a great time. I'll let the pictures do most of the explaining...

A few things that were not captured on the Canon Rebel -

1. When I was attacked by a GIANT crashing wave. I didn't even see it coming, I flipped and flopped all over the place. Lost my sunglasses and almost my swimsuit! Not my brightest moment!

2. When Robert decided he wanted to be Adam from "Man v. Food" from the Travel Channel, and wanted to attempt the 15 dozen oyster challenge at Acme Oyster House in Baytowne. I had to be the voice of reason and also the party pooper, can you imagine, 15 dozen slimy-raw oysters?! He did manage an appetizer portion all his own though.

3. The terrible sun burn Robert received because he would NOT wear sunscreen. Now he looks like a speckled, splatter paint shirt from the 80s. Again, he wasn't listening to me, the voice of reason!

4. And that time I mistook a biking/running trail for an actual road. The man with headphones running at my car tipped me off, I quickly had to jump the curb back to the main road!

All in all, it was a fun week, and I was thankful to spend some time with my "little brother" before he goes to college again. He'll be playing baseball at Belhaven! We're all super excited and proud of him.

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks...

2011-06-14T12:56:00.007-05:00

I started off the summer with two full weekends of baseball. I wouldn't have it any other way, in fact I wish I was still following the Golden Eagles on their quest for the College World Series (CWS). Unfortunately the season did not end with a trip to Omaha, the Eagles fell a little short but we all had fun enjoying the games until the end!

The first stop on the baseball tour was in Pearl, MS, at Trustmark Park. The C-USA tournament was there this year. The top eight teams in the conference play in this tournament at the end of the regular season. It was a fun tournament that began on a Wednesday and lasted through the weekend.

Brett Favre, a Southern Miss alumnus, was on hand to start the tournament.

He threw out the first pitch of the Golden Eagles first game of the tournament.

The media was out in full force to see one of Southern Miss' most famous alumni.

If you watched the game on TV, you may have recognized some other famous Southern Miss alumni. Margie and I were sitting right behind home plate! We were waving to friends and having a blast! We asked the media to stay away so we could enjoy the game, ha!

The Golden Eagles started out strong, with a big win over the Tulane Green Wave. Any time the black and gold beat up on the green wave the "Golden Eagle Faithful" are well pleased!

Todd McInnis, the starting pitcher, pitched a completed game victory. Todd is a senior and consequently this is his last season, he was thrilled with the game!

The next couple of days didn't go so well. As you can see Coach Berry had a few words for the umpires.

Next stop on the Golden Eagles baseball tour: Atlanta, Georgia, NCAA Regional Tournament hosted by Georgia Tech

In between games, we had a small window of time to explore a little of Atlanta. Centennial Olympic Park was close to our hotel. So we walked a few blocks to check it out.

While we were strolling around, someone approached us and offered us free tickets to the Coca Cola Museum. We soon discovered she was a travel agent and had a few tickets to spare. We took her up on the offer and visited the museum.

I especially liked this swarovski crystal coke bottle.

We also enjoyed a delicious meal at Gordon and Biersch. It was a fun atmosphere with lots of Southern Miss fans and players throughout the restaurant. As we were finishing our meal, our waiter informed us that someone had paid for our dinner! We were so surprised! We asked who it was so we could thank them and our waiter said another Golden Eagle had done it, gotta love those Golden Eagles!!

It was time for game 2, we needed a win to keep the season alive. Everyone had high hopes for a successful regional and with a win throughout the weekend, the team would advance to the Super Regionals in Gainesville, Florida, at the University of Florida. This was the same format we played in during the 2009 season when the team made it to the College World Series. Unfortunately, the team was plagued with injuries and silent bats, and did not advance to the Super Regionals. The season ended but everyone was proud of the team. We finished first in the conference and in the top twenty in the country!

In the days following the Regional Major League Baseball conducted the first year player draft. Several Southern Miss players were selected to play for professional baseball teams!

B.A. Vollmuth - Oakland A's

Tyler Koelling - Minnesota Twins

Collin Cargill - Florida Marlins

Todd McInnis - St. Louis Cardinals

Mark Bourgeois - Arizona Diamondbacks

It's great to be a Golden Eagle!!

Summer Finds...

2011-06-01T17:58:00.001-05:00

I am a blog junkie, I have a long list of "bookmarks" and I am constantly checking for updates. I love seeing the cute clothes and things that others include in their blogs. Now that its June 1 and 101 degrees outside (literally), here are a few summer favorites...

Seersucker skirt/dress

I really like this one too, love the polka dots!

Maxi Dress

A cozy, hideaway nook for summer reading

I could read this new best-seller there...

Timmy on Hannity, Fox News

My favorite accessory is anything turquoise, I act like turquoise is a neutral. So of course I love this Turquoise necklace .

Can someone please teach me how to do these cool braids, I've tried and failed miserably.

A fun summer party with my favorite summer drink, lemonade. Love these mason jars!

A red, white, and blue recipe...or 100 recipes!

I hope everyone's summer is getting off to a great start. I've been busy following the Golden Eagles baseball team, hoping for another run to Omaha this season!

Go Eagles and Happy Summer!!

Frosting Friday

2011-05-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

In the last few weeks I've made some cupcakes and cookies for some pretty special events. Everyone was happy with what "The Sprinkled Cookie" baked up!!

3 dozen pink and purple cupcakes for cousin Ellie's 5th birthday.

3 dozen cupcake cookies for party favors for Ellie's friends

The birthday girl was happy!! Happy Birthday, Ellie!

A friend that I work with asked me to make her son's 16th birthday cake. He is in the high school band and plays drum-quads. He wanted a chocolate cake that looked like drum-quads. Here's what I came up with!

The birthday boy and his mom love the cake and they said it was delicious!

Happy Birthday, Jared!

Baseball Weekend

2011-05-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was a "baseball weekend". The Pearl River Wildcats were in the first round of playoffs, and little brother, Robert, was slated to pitch. They were playing the Holmes Bulldogs. The teams and fans stayed in Canton, MS for the weekend games.

In between games I had some extra time and explored Canton a little. I had never been and have heard about the cute square downtown and wanted to check it out. The square was very nice, it looked like somewhere you would see a movie being filmed. I later learned that John Grisham's novel made movie, "A Time To Kill", was filmed here.

Back to baseball...

We played at Holmes Community College, which was the college of Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt. Roy is from the small town of Weir, MS and still lives there. He still supports Holmes and has donated to the baseball program and consequently has provided a very nice facility for the team.

The Wildcats were ready to play a three game series, the winner would advance to the next round of playoffs. Game one went the Wildcats way, with a victory over the Bulldogs.

The rest of the series didn't go as well, as you can see, we definitely were not happy with some of the calls by the umpires. Coach Hoffpauir had to straighten them out a couple of times.

Holmes won the series which ended the season for the Wildcats. This was also the last game for the Sophomore class. Robert is a sophomore and will be moving on to play at the next level, as will many of the sophomores. PRCC has a talented team and we all look forward to following their successes wherever they play next season.

The sophomores were recognized at "Sophomore Night". Coach Hoffpauir gave a great speech and everyone celebrated the great effort and dedicated they had put forth throughout the season.

Coach Hoffpauir speaking to the team and families.

Team Captains: Buck Bernard, Robert Marzoni, Matthew Magee

Sophomore class and Coach Hoffpauir

A PRCC tradition, the sophomores sign the "Tradition of Excellence" wall at the end of their season.

Robert in the clubhouse by his locker

It was a fun season and I enjoyed following and cheering for the team. Robert had a great season and was a star pitcher! I am eager for next spring and a new chapter in his baseball life to begin.

Hosting a Shower

2011-05-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I hosted a wedding shower for a teacher friend of mine. It was fun planning the shower and for days leading up to the shower I was beginning to think that I should be a caterer! Ha!

Everything came together nicely and Emily had a great shower.

The bride-to-be with family and friends.

It was a fun time to celebrate with Emily, she has since then gotten married. And is "living happily ever after!"

A Royal Event

2011-05-01T19:44:00.002-05:00

THE wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton happened in the wee hours Friday morning. I have been following all the coverage leading up to the big event and the aftermath. I feel like they are personal friends and I'm a little upset I wasn't invite to such a grand ceremony.

But all that aside, everything was beautiful. Kate's dress was stunning and Prince William was as handsome as ever. Picture perfect.

I would have loved to have attended the wedding, when I saw all those people camping out in the streets just to see the future King and Queen drive by I totally invisioned myself doing that. Good thing I don't live closer, I think I would probably be trying to sneak my way in!

But if I was invited, I would have LOVED to have worn one of these beautiful Philip Treacy couture hats! Love these!

Is it too late for me to be a royal?! Just askin'....

Lots of Emotion

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of my brother's teammates and his reaction after Saturday's game...

In case you were wondering, we won.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2011-04-27T07:00:00.007-05:00

My dad on his first birthday, 1963

Happy Birthday to a great dad, the life of the party, and my favorite person to talk sports with.

I love you, Dad!

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T17:03:00.005-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! I am also enjoying Monday off, this is the first time since I have been teaching that our school district have given schools a four day weekend for Easter. It is nice to have a "bonus" day to recuperate and get ready for the week ahead after the holiday.

Easter is a fantastic reminder of the love that Christ has for us. I hope that you spent some time over the weekend reflecting on the magnitude of the Love of Christ. The highlight of the weekend was worshipping Sunday morning at Sunrise service. He is risen, He is risen, indeed! You can click the link below to watch Dr. Tony Merida preach from Mark 16 on Easter Sunday.

Click here to listen, watch or download the sermon.

I also spent time with family over the weekend. Saturday my grandmother and dad hosted a crawfish boil. My dad is famous for cooking the best crawfish and he didn't disappoint!

Lots of crawfish!

Damage is done.

This is a sign you've eaten one too many crawfish!

Delicious carrot cake.

My cousin brought this up from New Orleans, its a "Celebration Cake." It's a chocolate mold made from Heavenly Hash candy. It is like an Easter King Cake, it has a baby hidden inside.

Sunday after church we had a delicious lunch prepared by my mom. Robert got some great Easter gifts!

We played Taboo later that afternoon, as you can see we definitely should work on our game playing-skills.

Some sweet gifts that were in my Easter basket.

Willow Tree Angel, Angel of the Kitchen

Crooked Cross, a great story about how each of these cross are unique and different just like God's children.

Philosophy "Sugar Chick" - Smells like a peep!

And those cute bling bracelets!!

I got this as my Pokeno gift Thursday night. I love a seasonal gift!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter!!

Coming to theaters...

2011-04-18T19:58:00.000-05:00

Can't wait for movie, "The Help", to come out this August. The book was wonderful and I'm sure the movie will be as well!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Tim Tebow statue unveiled at The University of Florida, April 9, 2011

Frosting Friday

2011-04-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Petit Fours

These are easily to make but are a little messy. And when all finished they taste just like your favorite bakery!!

Step 1: Make a white sheet cake. Use your favorite cake recipe or use a white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines). Allow the cake to cool, cut the edges from the cake, then cut into small squares.

Step 2: Make the icing

2 pounds powdered sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1 TBSP almond flavoring

Mix all ingredients, adding additional milk slowly until it gets to a good icing consistently. You want the icing to be thick but thin enough to drizzle over the petit fours.

Step 3: Arrange the petit fours on a wired cooling rack. And pour, using a spoon or spatula, the icing over the tops. This will take several coats to cover all the sides, also realize that it may be very difficult to cover all sides completely.

A wire cooling rack is necessary, there is a lot of dripping. And much of the icing is wasted, you can definitely scoop some of the excess icing and spoon over the petit fours for additional coating.

Step 4: Allow to dry completely, about 45 minutes.

Step 5: Decorate the tops with a fun design, I used buttercream frosting for the detailing.

(Bows and Easter Bunnies)

Enjoy!!

Beautiful Weather, Fun Week

2011-04-03T19:00:00.005-05:00

I had a ~~busy~~ fun week! I know summer is near because the weather is beautiful and there are so many fun things to do! Here is the week in pictures....

Painted at "Easely Amused"

Loved the owl painting, "Whoo's That Girl?".

Went to the Ole Miss v. Southern Miss baseball game at "The Pete." What a great crowd and game! The Eagles won! Check out the video of the victory.

Sat by some MLB scouts at the game. One had a World Series ring.

Yes. I'll take a picture with your ring!

Pearl River baseball over the weekend, another win by #33!

Hosted a bridal shower

Budding hydrangeas, eager to see the blooms!

That's Amore!

2011-03-27T18:11:00.001-05:00

Hattiesburg has a new restaurant. And let's just say it's DELICIOUS! It opened this past week and I tried it over the weekend. It's owned by Robert St. John who is also the owner of some other great local restaurants, Crescent City Grill, Purple Parrot, and Mahogany Bar. There has been buzz about the restaurant for the last couple of months and the buzz was well worth it.

I am a RSJ fan, I love all his cookbooks and he is always so nice at his book signings. Happy he has a new restaurant venture!

Mistletoe Market, 2009

Tabella is a casual dining Italian restaurant, everything is made in-house so they are referring to it as "scratch Italian". I swiped a few pictures from their Facebook page, I wanted to take my camera in there and go picture crazy but somehow I was able to control the shutter-maddness.

RSJ in the kitchen getting ready for service. (via Facebook)

One of my favorite parts of the meal, the homemade Focaccia bread. O.M.G! (via Facebook)

I did manage to get a picture of my meal thanks to the iPhone. The eggplant parmesan was great.

The most interesting feature of the restaurant is the "community table". Here multiple parties can sit at the same large table and order their meals. There was over an hour wait, so we opted for the community table. It was actually pretty fun to sit with other guest.

I hope all the local Hattiesburgians try out this new, tasty restaurant.

...OH and you must get the house salad, amazing!

Frosting Friday

2011-03-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

If you like a big crunch in your chocolate chip cookies then you'll love this recipe!

Chocolate Chunk-Walnut Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 (11.5 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chunks

1 cup walnut halves, toasted

Directions

Combine flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. Combine softened butter, sugars, egg, and egg yolk in mixer. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Gradually add in flour mixture, beating at low until blended. Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 325 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies slightly on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

These were so yummy, definitely a hit!

Happy Baking!

Will you accept this rose?

2011-03-18T12:28:00.001-05:00

I have to admit it, I'm a fan of "The Bachelor". I know, I know, it's a crazy and very unrealistic "reality" show. But my friends and I find ourselves sucked in every season. Actually I think we feel the obligation to watch just so we can have a finale party at the end and actually know what's going on during the finale.

This season was no different, we all watched throughout the last couple of months, every Monday night. And have been referring to Bachelor Brad and the contestants on a first name basis as if we knew them personally. It is all in good fun and this week was the big finale, "Who would Bachelor Brad chose?"! Ha! In all reality, we just wanted to dive into to some fruit dip and cupcakes and call it a girls night!

"The Bachelor" inspired buffet!

We set up a table for everyone to make their predictions. Would Brad chose Emily or Chantel? And we also had trivia questions prepared to ask during the commercials.

Ready to watch in the big theater!

Awaiting the final verdict...

Not to the surprise of anyone, he chose Emily! What a fun night, we have obligated ourselves to the next season of "The Bachelorette" with Ashley H. so we can have another fun night again soon!

Luck O' the Irish!

2011-03-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hope you're wearing green today!

"Happy St. Patrick's Day, Ms. Marzoni!" ~Kindergartener

Golden Girls

2011-03-10T23:44:00.001-06:00

This past weekend some college friends and I had a reunion of sorts. A few weeks ago we all met up at a friend's wedding shower and realized we had so much to catch up on and we should definitely make plans to have dinner. Well we all immediately whipped out our iPhones and Blackberrys and checked the calendar, and just like that the date was set.

We decided to call our group of college friends the "Golden Girls", because we were, of course, all Golden Eagles and great friends. Actually, Sally gives a fun run-down of the nights event on her blog.

Here are a few pictures of the fun college days. So blessed to have made such great friends!

We met in Jackson at a great restaurant, Julep. A few of the girls were MIA during our first "Golden Girl" dinner date. But we already have the next one planned, and we're looking forward to all the fun with all of us there!

It was a super fun night, it was like college all over again! I loved catching up with everyone! See you next time, Golden Girls!

In addition to the fun time with friends, the restaurant was great. There were so many great entrees on the menu, I had a hard time choosing one! Sally suggested the fried chicken, it was DELICIOUS! It was even selected as one of the top ten entrees in the nation by USA Today.

Yum-O!

We all had a dessert buffet to finish the night, we ordered a dessert and taste-tested them all. Definitely a fun night with the girls!

2011-03-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

This is not an *official* Frosting Friday post, I'm not sharing a recipe just some photos of some sweets that I've been baking up lately. The theme is cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes....

My new favorite thing to bake and share is cupcakes! They're easy to decorate, fun to create flavor combinations and super cute!

I made these cupcake wrappers by tracing the outline of an old wrapper onto scrapbook paper, then securing the wrapper with a little dot of glue.

The cupcakes have even taken over the sugar cookies, cupcake-shaped cookies!

Happy Baking!

Oscar Buzz

2011-02-23T21:53:00.001-06:00

The much anticpated Oscar Awards are this Sunday. I don't typically get too hyped up for awards shows but there have been so many commercials leading up to this year's awards that I'm curious to see how well Anne Hathaway and James Franco will do hosting. The cutest commercial was one on ESPN where the two of them pretended to be "in training" for the ceremony.

Actually I would really only enjoy the Oscar's fully if I were let's say....on the red carpet. Then I could wear a couture gown and tell Ryan Seacrest "who I'm wearing." How fun would that be?! Maybe I could wear something like one of these...

Anyway, hope you all have a fun weekend and if you're really wanting to get the full Oscar effect then host an Oscar party like this one. But don't forget to invite me!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-02-18T07:00:00.004-06:00

Mom on her 4th birthday

Happy Birthday to a wonderful mother, amazing friend and the most caring and loving person I know.

I love you, Mom!

Treats for the Fourteenth

2011-02-13T20:51:00.000-06:00

I've been baking ALL weekend, literally. I've enjoyed every minute of it (well, almost every minute). Here's the treats for the fourteenth -

3 dozen chocolate chip sandwich cookies

2 dozen strawberry cupcakes

3 dozen white chocolate dipped, heart shaped rice krispy treats

5 dozen heart cookies

And a few baseball heart cookies for my brother, baseball season starts Tuesday!

Valentine mix (white chocolate covered popcorn, M&M's and conversation hearts)

Valentine goodies for my class

I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day and get some sweet homemade Valentine cards like this one!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Week

2011-02-08T07:00:00.002-06:00

Valentine's Day is almost here, is falls on a Monday this year so to me this week is really "Valentine's Week." We are doing all sorts of fun things at school and I have been preparing to make some treats and goodies. I think Valentine's Day may be my favorite holiday next to Christmas, I love all the decorations and the class parties are always my favorite. Everyone dressed in red and pink exchanging and delivering their specials cards to their friends. For this reason alone, being a Kindergarten teacher is well worth it.

Anyway, I kept finding the CUTEST ideas on blogs. And although I can't make them all I guess sharing them will give me some sort of satisfaction that I used the ideas.

Ban.do Heart Shoe Clips

These are adorable, I actually ordered these in red and can't wait to wear them on Monday! While you're on the site check out the whole Valentine section, too cute!

If you have time then here's a tutorial to make your own. It looks simple enough.

Cute handmade necklace

And maybe I need this dress?!

And definitely this purse...

We made these last year in Kindergarten, so cute and easy!

Crayon hearts

I think I'll definitely be decorating with this cute garland

Conversation Heart Bark, I am still plotting a reason why I need to make this...

This summer I made the flag cake from "I Am Baker," she has all sorts of very creative cakes. Here is a heart one for Valentine's Day.

Pink dessert table, love it!

Or how about a Valentine cupcake from "Georgetown Cupcakes" from the TLC show "DC Cupcakes", I really would just like to move to DC, work in their shop and be on TV, just sayin'.

Bakerella Cake Pops

Homemade Marshmallows dipped in sprinkles

Mini Chocolate Chip Valentine Sandwich Cookies

And these are some of my own creation from last year that I plan on making again. Strawberry cupcakes with heart toppers made from candy canes.

Cute Valentine's for your students:

from Cookies and Cups

I LOVE this idea, I am definitely giving these to all the little guys in my class

from Skip To My Lou

I hope you all enjoy a fun Valentine week and make some yummy treats and pretty crafts. Now that I've got that out of my system, I think I need some conversation hearts!!

Commercials

2011-02-06T22:27:00.003-06:00

After the Saints victory in last year's Super Bowl, the big championship game failed in comparison this year. I, of course, watched the game and was hoping for a Green Bay victory. I'm not a fan of the Pac but I'd pick the green and yellow over the Steelers. Especially Aaron Rodgers over "Big Ben". And was glad to see the Green Bay victory and for Aaron to get the MVP.

Anyway...I really love watching the commercials every year. I was a little disappointed overall with the ads, too many movie trailers and just overall poor commercials. I mean who thinks Eminem drives a Chrysler and how did he make it in TWO commercials?? Seriously.

I did think the Darth Vader/Volkswagen commercial was cute. I think this was my little brother circa 1995. Adorable.

Also, Christina Aguilera or maybe it was her alter-ego "X-tina" that completely butchered the National Anthem. Either way that is terrible, she commented before the performance that she had been performing the National Anthem since she was 7. Wow, I know you're nervous but its one of those things you've got to get right. "What so proudly we watched" I'm pretty sure she meant to say "o'er the ramparts we watched"

Football season is officially over. Which means....BASEBALL is here! Yay, spring is near and baseball is beginning.

Frosting Friday

2011-02-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone is staying warm and surviving the ice storm! For the upcoming Super Bowl weekend I thought this Frosting Friday post should have a football vibe. I found a cute blog post on another baking blog highlighting "Super Bowl Cupcakes" and thought I would give them a try.

Just pick your favorite cupcake recipe and top with these cute and tasty footballs. They were referred to as "Oreo truffles" but they are your basic "Oreo balls" in the shape of footballs.

Football Truffles

1 bag Oreo cookies, crushed

1 bar cream cheese, softened

Melted milk chocolate

Royal Icing

Combined crushed oreo and cream cheese. Shape into oval, football shapes. Place on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt chocolate. Remove footballs and dip in chocolate. After dried, add white detailing.

You could definitely serve these as is or use them as a cupcake topper!

Enjoy the weekend and the Super Bowl!!

A Wedding Shower and Friends

2011-01-30T19:42:00.003-06:00

This weekend I helped host a wedding shower for a sweet college friend, Tara. It was a blast, we all enjoyed celebrating Tara's fast approaching nuptials and hearing all about the wedding details. And of course it was great to see friends from college, I hadn't seen some of them in a few years. It was a fun morning that lead to an afternoon of celebrating and reminiscing.

Of course Margie and I took lots of pictures!

The hostesses and the bride-to-be (L-R, Jenny, Margie, Tara, Kristen and Me).

Tara with her mom and grandmother

Tara and sister

All of us!

She received many wonderful gifts!

I made cupcakes for the shower, and they were a big hit. I will say, they were rather tasty. They were white chocolate cupcakes filled with white chocolate ganache and buttercream frosting. Delicious and VERY sweet!

100 Days of Kindergarten

2011-01-23T21:48:00.002-06:00

Thursday was the 100th day of Kindergarten. This is a big day in the lives of some very special 5 year olds! All year long we have been counting up to the number 100 and the day finally arrived.

To celebrate everyone dressed up like they were 100 years old. The kids looked great, they all had on the cutest outfits. They make some pretty adorable "100 year old" Kindergarten-ers.

We're looking forward to the rest of Kindergarten, we have 80 days to go!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T07:00:00.003-06:00

Tastee Donuts/McKenzie's Bakery - New Orleans, LA

February 2010

Reminiscing about all the fun of last year's Super Bowl and wishing we could do it all over again this year. Maybe next year...Who Dat?!