Best pasta salad ever.

I just finished making vermicelli salad from my friends mom's recipe. It is phenomenal! This this the fourth time I've made it and there has never been leftovers. I've made double batches twice. It's light, fresh and deeelish.
Here's what you start with:



The mayo didn't make it into the picture but you add it at the end.
This is everything chopped up. (I buy chopped pimentos and olives instead of sliced.)



Then after the pasta has cooled(it does give your arms a workout tossing the noodles:) here is the finished product:



Put it in the fridge and serve it cold. Make it for your next gathering. Trust me.

~courtesy of The Invisible Chef (click for link to recipe)

Happy Saturday!!

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decision 2011

when planning our wedding, i would spend hours clicking on images, blogs, websites, etc. to get ideas for ours. fast forward 3 years and planning this nursery is 238476 kabillion times more difficult. we have changed directions several times per day each day this week. right now we are leaning to a set but not a 'suite' this is tough for michael because he like symmetry and perfection. i like mismatched, not sloppy but not 'done' so today he saw a display of pink crib with a green dresser and decided maybe baby girl needs a pink crib. here is the one we are leaning towards now its young america by stanley, ma marie collection:

the dresser we like is this one:

here is a photo of mismatched furniture in a room:

until tomorrow.....

Block party photos...

madison nibbling on a haba block

cutie pie:)

some of the boys sliding in the jump house

madison LOVED it. 

crusin' in the neighbor's ride

just a little cookout....

if you see somebody driving a routan, 95% chance they work at volkswagon

Tranquility Drive knows how to party.....can't wait until next year:)

my newest obsesssions...

i have stuff that i NEED to be doing but thats no fun so i'll attempt to direct you to sites that I visit instead of doing productive work around my home...

if you want to be inspired and jealous of someone all in one go to Jones Design  she is beyond amazing. and she has links for other awesome websites on her page for hours of clicking and coveting.

if you want to experience inspiration check out Ann Voskamp's site i am reading her book right now and she is one talented woman, writer, mom.

i also live for all things baby right now so this one is another keeper, on to baby

...back to cleaning up the kitchen...xxoo. dannis

Dear Baby Girl,

Dear Baby Girl, 
Your Daddy and I are so excited for you to be here. We have been picking out very special things for your room. I have had the best time looking at all the beautiful nurseries others have designed for their little bundles of joy. It is so hard to decide on what we want for you. I think you must feel the excitement too because you have REALLY started moving lately. A few weeks ago I felt a few flutters, very sporadically, usually at night. At our ultrasound 2 weeks ago, the doctor said the placenta was 'anterior' which means its like having a little pillow on my belly. He said it could take several weeks maybe a month before I would feel you. He didn't want me to worry because he knows that people start to ask and since I have never felt a 'kick' I would not really be able to distinguish it. 
Yesterday, I was laying on the couch and I was felt you! I pictured you swimming around and trying to get situated, tunneling, burrowing into a nice spot on the other side of my belly. Then, Mrs. Wendy(who you'll meet very soon- she lives across the street and has 3 little boys) told me to put the remote control on my belly and watch it move. So, today I saw you kick the remote! I tried to show Daddy but you stopped. Then, later I felt you move again and i put my iPhone there and Daddy saw you too!
We are so thrilled and can't wait to see you again on the ultrasound next month! 
Right now, your bedding is in the washer and after it dries we will take it to a store to pick out some paint samples for your room. I know you will love it. 
We love you so much, 
Momma and Daddy

Hot summer daze...

I have been so blessed to have no real complications throughout this entire pregnancy. The toughest part has been how indescribably tired I have been. I have always been a 'napper.' I have always been able to fall asleep anywhere. Never have I wanted to desperately go.to.bed. ALL times of the day. My next OB appointment is August 1st and I'm going to ask if I need more iron. I know for the sake of my bowels I don't WANT more iron, but I am starting to wonder about this fatigue...Anywho...if that's the only complaint I can come up with, I know I am doing purty dang good:)

We made some fun baby girl decisions this past weekend and are still working on the nursery decor but here are some of the things we have picked so far:

This is the bedding Michael picked out the night we found out it was a girl. (PotteryBarnKids-"Penelope") He was looking online while I was 'napping' on the couch and when I woke up I saw it and loved it. I got to see it in person this past weekend in Atlanta and ordered it. It should be here tomorrow! Once we get it, we will go to paint store and get some pink and green samples to decide what color to paint the room:) Probably either a very pale pink(similar to the photo above) or a pale lime green.

A decision we are now in the process of making is to get PBK's Larkin Dresser and Kendall crib:

~OR~
Get this set from Munire' called "Bristol" where we would get the crib, 6 drawer dresser(no hutch), and 3 drawer (not pictured) rather than bedside table:

I prefer the white but all the stock photos of the set are in the dark wood. Michael still thinks the white is too girly if we have a boy next but I think it would look great with this whale bedding that I LOVE:

I just loved everything in PotteryBarn Kids and I went ahead and started a registry but still have to do some editing...

I will have to take some before pics of our nursery. I should have taken a pic of what a messy, useless 'office' it was before we made some headway yesterday and moved the desk and a TON of junk out. but there is still junk up there so I'll take some tomorrow before we get it all cleaned out.

Sweet Dreams!
Dannis

Footloose and fancy free

I'm writing this as I ride the Groome shuttle to the ATL airport to get on a plane to head to Destin! I had an absolutely fabulous Fourth of July weekend and got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Plunk, Debbie and Bill and Chris and the kids. The puppies love going to their Nana's house. Even though I think Cash was a tad jealous of Madison. Here's a pic of us heading to Nana's:





We laid around and got to watch a few episodes of the wiggles with Madison. Here she is playing in my shoes:





On Monday, the fam came over to our house and we had a big old fashioned block party. I just have mobile photos now but I will post pics of the huge jumpy-house-slide and all the friends that came. Here is a firework shot:





I love my neighbors. They really know how to throw a shindig:)

I had to work yesterday but I'm off til next week so I'm joining some friends at the beach until Saturday. I'll let you know how it was.

Enjoy your week- it's already hump day!
XO,
Dannis

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