Drum Roll Please.....

I know you are all itching to find out our Big Announcement I hinted to last week....I've even had  few phone calls begging to know ;)  Well, thanks for being patient with us and here it is.....Derek and I have a new bundle of joy!  Our family of three (Derek, Emma, & I) is now a family of FOUR!  

About two weeks ago we adopted a special little kitty from the JoCo Animal Protection League.  If I would have blogged about her two weeks ago you would have heard about my frustration with this little girl...the first night we had her home it was a complete disaster, so much so I was ready to take her back.  Derek nor I got barely a wink of sleep.  They must have slipped her Mountain Dew before we left, she literally climbed the walls all night long!  I finally dozed off to sleep and when I woke up I found that she had DEMOLISHED dried flowers I had saved from the wedding.  I had them all nice and pretty on a dresser, and by the end of the night she had them on every inch of the bedroom floor.  At that point, her name was going to be Lucy, short for Lucifer...haha.  As time has passed, she is finally settling in and has made herself queen of the castle, without even considering Emma.

Without further anticipation, we would like to introduce to you our Sophie!  She has the sweetest little face and the sweetest personality to match.  I'm sure she will provide this blog with lots of material....silly girl.

I will leave you with one word of advice...DO NOT get a new kitten around Christmas time!  They LOVE Christmas trees!

The New and Improved Friday Five...now known as the Weekly Rundown

I've been a bad blogger...I apologize.  Things have been a little busy in the Stevens' household...and I'm an old woman who goes to bed by 9.  I have decided to change the blog up just a little!  Friday's turn out to be pretty busy most weeks, so instead of having the Friday Five,  I'm going to make it the "Weekly Rundown,"  same concept (five things I can't live without) just not only on Fridays.  SO for this weeks rundown....here you go...(drum roll please)

1.  I LOVE the fact that I actually have people that read our blog...AND WANT MORE.  You don't know how much that makes me smile.  At least once a day, I have someone come up and ask me "Hey Ash, when are you blogging again" or "You have got to blog about that!"  So a big thank you to all my readers.  I hope I don't disappoint you!

olivecharleston.com

2.  I've been blogging for a little over a month now, so I think it's time I share with you something that I absolutely can't live without.  Many of you who read this know I'm a big kid at heart.  So I feel very sorry for Derek when we ever decide to have a child because I'm sure I'll be a bigger kid than them.  BUT without further ado...I LOVE SPRINKLES.  Don't ask me why, but I can't live without them.  I tell everyone they are just little bits of sunshine.  I don't even want ice cream without them. So promise me, next time you order ice cream,  you'll get sprinkles, better yet do like me and go for extra sprinkles!  (FYI one layer of our wedding cake had sprinkles baked in and the cream cheese icing also had sprinkles, hah!)


3.  Thanksgiving with my sweet family is love! YAY...Thursday is Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited!  I have an amazing family and lucky for me they cook some of the best food in the world.  I wish I could say it was because I'm partial to their cooking....but the simple fact of the matter is, it really is some of the best food ever.  So please be jealous!  This year is our first thanksgiving as a married couple which means more excitement and more stops throughout the day.  I am thrilled!

4.  Derek and I have an unhealthy Love for Swamp People on TLC.  If you've never tuned it, you must.  This TLC show chronicles the life of alligator hunters in Louisiana.  It is amazing and hillarious.  The hunters are true characters.  As I blog, we are watching the "Swampsgiving" Special!  "Choot him Clint...Choot him!

MaryMe Photography

5.  You're going to love this one just like me!  I Love Mary Me Photography.  This past week we got the proofs back from our Wedding and I just can't stop looking at them.  That is one of the main reasons I haven't posted, I've been too amazed by all the beautiful pictures.  Mary Me Photography is a must consider if you are getting married.  Mary (the owner) is amazing and her attention to every single detail is amazing.  She also is just a fun and sweet person to be around and so is her assistant Sarah.  I couldn't imagine our special day without her.  Check out her website you will love her as much as I do.  I don't have any digital copies yet of the wedding, but here are a few wonderful bridal portraits to get you through.  P.S.  Hair and Make-up by the amazing Jamie O'Branovich and Flowers by the awesome Jeffrey Surles :)

MaryMe Photography

MaryMe Photography

MaryMe Photography

MaryMe Photography

MaryMe Photography

STAY TUNED!! Derek and I have a big announcement coming up on the blog! It's not what your thinking ;)  AND a few new recipes you have been asking about!

YAY....Friday Five 11-11-11 Edition

First off, I'd like to apologize for missing last week's Friday Five.  Sometimes life just gets in the way, don't you hate that.  SO here is my 11-11-11 edition of the Friday Five!  You know I wouldn't miss posting on 11-11-11!

1.  Love holidays, but especially this Holiday!  Today is Veteran's day, a very special holiday to a lot of people.  To be completely honest, for me it carries as much meaning as Christmas and Easter.  As we all know, this is a day to show our appreciation to the men and women who are serving or have served in our military.  I can't thank each of you enough, because of you I have the freedom to live a wonderful life.  I was very lucky to have a grandfather who served and I have cousin who is overseas serving our country this very moment.  (Special thank you to you Stephanie if you're reading this)

2.  Christmas music is love!  November 1st marks the day I start playing Christmas music ;)  Almost everyday since then I enjoy a few carols on the way home from work.  My MOST favorite holiday CD is NSYNC's Christmas.  Go ahead and laugh...it's ok but I'm still going to rock this CD.  Listen to it, you will Smile.  Many of you may not know that my husband is a singer and he is pretty darn good.  It always makes me smile when he does his on rendition on Elvis' "Blue Christmas" and Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas."  (Just imagine, haha)

3.  I absolutely love ETSY.com.  As I was planning our wedding, I discovered Etsy.  If you've never heard of it...STOP what you are doing and go there now.  Etsy is a website that allows people to post and sell things.  However, most of the things are handmade by everyday people like you and me.  I was just browsing etsy to see what cool things I could find.  So I'll share this with you, I bought this really cool garter to wear on my wedding day and the seller was great!  Here is her shop's website www.etsy.com/shop/plainNfancy

4.  Love scarves!  Cooler weather is finally here to stay I do believe.  So in order to stay warm and look stylish too, I like to dress everything I wear up with a fun and funky scarf.  I have way too many in probably every color.

5.  Love fall leaves!  A few weeks ago, Derek and I took a trip to Boone, NC to visit old friend for AppState's homecoming.  Just so happens it was during the "peak" of the leaves changing colors.  It was breathtaking.  We took a little drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and took some amazing photos and we also were surrounded by beautiful leaves at he football game.  The leaves where we live are beginning to be very pretty too, so go stand outside and stare at some leaves, I guarantee you'll smile.

Ashley Cooked...CRAZY

Many of you who read this know me very well.  Which means you know that cooking is not one of my strong points!  I have promised Derek that I would try a new recipe at least once a week, and so far I have kept the promise.  One of the first recipes I tried was a success, (unlike the roasted pumpkin seeds, but that is another post).  So.....I'll share!  I found this recipe in Paula Deen's October issue while we were relaxing on our honeymoon.  I hope you enjoy!


Paula Deen's Quick & Easy Chicken Cacciatore  (Makes 4 to 6 servings)


2     pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1     green bell pepper, chopped
1/2  onion chopped
1     tablespoon of bottled minced garlic
1     (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1     (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano
1     teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/7  teaspoon crushed red pepper 
1     (16 ounce) package linguine (cooked & kept warm)


1.  Spray a large skilled with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium high heat.  Add chicken, and cook for 4 minutes per side or until browned.  Remove from skillet, and keep warm.


2.  Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic to skillet, cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until tender.  Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper, stirring to combine.  Return chicken to skillet, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over hot cooked linguine.

For me....this was a BIG (huge actually) accomplishment all on the first try!

This week's new recipe will be Pumpkin Bread...yum!  Derek and I tried the BEST pumpkin bread last fall at The Ham Shoppe in Valle Crucis, NC which is where my inspiration came from.  So...if you have any good recipes for pumpkin bread let me know!