Officially Aunt Mel

I'm officially an aunt to the cutest, sweetest, most precious baby girl I've ever laid eyes on.

Raelyn Elise arrived at 5:30pm yesterday afternoon. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. She is absolutely perfect.

A super impatient and anxious me with my sister....right before being kicked out of the room for delivery.

My sister, brother in law, and beautiful niece.

Today's the Day!

Today's the day that these two become parents.

Today's the day that my sister will give birth to a precious little girl.

Today's the day that I officially become Aunt Mel.

I couldn't be more excited to meet my niece, Raelyn Elise! :)

Thankful Thursday

If you know me well, you know that I have quite the little temper. I can get moody and emotional and I take everything to heart. Despite that, I still like to remember that I have so much to be thankful for. I'm linking up with some lovely ladies today to share those things.


I'm so thankful to have a job. Even though it's definitely not what I thought I would be doing, I'm so glad I have a job that will pay the bills. I may not have a lot of extra money to do what I want (SHOPPING!), but it does pay the bills so that I have a home to live in, heat in the winter, air in the summer, etc.

I'm thankful to have my family. Yes, we get on each other's nerves, but I know that my mom, step-dad, and sister will be there if I need them. Not everyone is that lucky.

I'm thankful for peonies. Yes, a flower. Everytime I pull into the driveway or back out of the garage, I see these beautiful flowers (that are my absolute favorite!) blooming, as of this week, and I'm reminded that it's the little things that make me smile the most.

I'm thankful for my little nutjob dog, Mia. She barks constantly, isn't potty trained, and drives me crazy most of the time, but I can't imagine coming home and she not being there. And no matter what mood I'm in, she's always there.  I love that dog.

What are you thankful for this week?

Bringing in the New Year

-- Bringing in the year 2012 --

A Fondell Family Celebration

Happy 2012 

Let the good times begin continue!!

My Christmas {in pictures}

As much as I was dreading Christmas (YES, I was a complete Grinch this year!), I had a fantastic weekend, and I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas. Instead of going into lots of details, I will just share a few pictures from Saturday and Sunday.

My sweet Nanny on Christmas Eve

Sister and B-I-L on Christmas Eve and Nannys.

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas

"Close Knit Sisters 2011" Hallmark ornament from the sis

Nanny apparently drank more than egg nog.

And then it knocked her out.

My amazing parents on Christmas morning.

"Is this how babies wear bows?" asked my brother in law.

"I (heart) my Auntie." Yep, I'm going to be an aunt!

Me and sister

Hope your Christmas was amazing!

A Riding Adventure

“Tell me what it's like. The race."

"What it's like is a battle. A mess of horses and men and blood. The fastest and strongest of what is left from two weeks of preparation on the sand. It's the surf in your face, the deadly magic of November on your skin, the Scorpio drums in the place of your heartbeat. It's speed, if you're lucky. It's life and it's death or it's both, and there's nothing like it.” 
― Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races

After reading The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Oh, you want to read it too! Want to win a copy? Enter my giveaway! Go here), I decided that I wanted to ride the horses like Puck Connelly and Sean Kendrick. Swoon worthy Sean Kendrick. I really just wanted to ride a horse with Sean Kendrick. But, he is fictional. Schucks. 

Though riding with Sean on the Island of Thisby was unattainable, riding a horse was not. Thus, I joined my family on a trip to the stable where I mounted our stallion, Dawson, and rode him like the champion I wish to be. By which I mean that I rode him slowly, really slowly, with a panicked look upon my face. Perhaps a great Scorpio Racer I am not. However, I am a Scorpio. That's got to count for something, right? 

Regardless, it was still fun to live out an adventure in real life, even if it was on a much smaller scale than that of the book world. And to spend the afternoon with my family (people who are not fictitious).

Some dreams are not destined to come true, which is why we make new dreams -- attainable dreams -- and let the others come to fruition at night while we are asleep or while we travel through the pages of a really great book.  

Poppa's Mexican Hamburgers

I always miss my Poppa, especially during the holidays. He was honestly the best man I've known; kind, giving, sweet, loving, and such an amazing example of what a Christian man should be.

Poppa Tracy- Taken about 5 weeks before he passed.

As I was looking through recipes to find something to cook to take to our family Christmas get together, I found his recipe for his mexican hamburgers. He didn't cook often, that was Granny's job of course, but when he did, it was always these mexican hamburgers. When we would walk in the back door on Sunday after church and saw the crockpot on the counter, we knew he had been cooking! I thought it would be perfect to make these for the family.

He loved my Mia, and Mia definitely loved him.

After 2 hours of thawing out frozen hamburger meat, cooking and mixing over the stove, and transporting to my crockpot, I was finally finished. I had so many compliments on these burgers, and I was so proud to say that the recipe was Poppa's.

Poppa and Mia

Even though he is no longer with us, and wasn't there Christmas night, I was happy that part of him was there...his 6 kids, 13 of the 14 grandkids, and numerous great-grandkids...and of course his mexican hamburgers. :)


Poppa's Mexican Hamburgers
2 lb. hamburger meat-- browned and drained
1 can tomato paste
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp salt

After meat is cooked and drained, mix all ingredients.

If you try these, I would love for you to come back and let me know what you thought. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful: grateful, appreciative, filled with gratitude (dictionary). 

Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday season. A season spent in chaos as people scurry to the stores to buy gifts and decorate with gaudy inflatables. However, if we remember this day--the day when the spider webs and skeletons finally come down and Christmas trees and Mangers go up, the meaning of the season cannot be lost. Today we remember all the things we are thankful for. 

Family. Life. Happiness. 

It is a day spent in a kitchen and around a table--eating good food, sipping eggnog, and watching the parade. 

A day spent with each other. 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Remember today what you are thankful for. And tomorrow, when you are fighting your way through the sales, don't forget. The holidays aren't about the presents that flood under the tree, but the people who sit around it. 

Be thankful for what you have, not what you think you need.

Birthday Recap

Have I mentioned that I had an awesome birthday? Not only did my friends and family help me celebrate all weekend long, but they got me some very thoughtful gifts too.

Saturday was the Halloween party with my girls, and they gave me such a great present. My sister works at a little gift boutique here in town, and I'm in there at least once weekly to check out the goods. I have been wanting this sweet little cake stand for months, couldn't bring myself to buy it. Whit messaged her for ideas, Trisha immediately went to this cake stand, and the girls pitched in and bought it for me. So sweet!!

I believe they got me the medium one. Won't this be adorable with some cookies or a cake on it? Loved it!

We always go eat for each family member's birthday. Since mine is on Halloween, we always go the day before, after, or whenever we can get together (due to trick or treaters). I chose Cracker Barrel since it was close to town, and I don't go there weekly (even though I had just been Friday). I love CB and could probably eat there every day. So good.

On Monday, after work, the fam (parents, sister, and brother-in-law) came over for pizza, cake, and to hand out candy. We've been doing this for years, and I love it. They surprised me with some pretty awesome gifts too. See if you can find the theme this year.

From the parentals:

You just can't beat cashy money!

Owl Oil Warmer from B&BW

From the sister (and BIL):

I've seriously been wanting one of these for months, and they got it for me! Score! (Plus, I LOVE the purple!)

Gold Blinged Owl Necklace from AEO.

They also got me some super cute owl socks from Old Navy, but I couldn't find a pic online.

I feel so lucky to have these girls and this family to celebrate with me! I hope this year brings lots of new and exciting things! :) Here's to another year older!

Don't forget to sign up for my birthday giveaway! I'm giving away one of my favorite items, in one of my favorite designs, with one of my favorite scents!

Happy Birthday, Misty!

Today would have been Misty's 22nd birthday. She was taken from us far too soon, and I miss her so much.

Misty- I know you are in heaven eating some cake and ice-cream with Poppa. Be sure to share with Toby; he likes it too! :)

Weekend Awesomeness

Happy Monday, y'all! Question of the day.....Where did that weekend go? It totally flew by, right?

I'm linking up with Carissa @lowercase letters for Miscellany Monday.

My Friday was completely laid back, which is nice sometimes. I cooked a pizza in the oven, watched The Ugly Truth, or at least part of it until I fell asleep, and read a ton in my book.

Saturday was WORK DAY. Mia woke me up at 7ish, I finished reading my book, fell back asleep for an hour or two, and then got up and got ready to do the horrible, awful, terrible, no good, very bad thing (know what this is from???) callled yard work. Blah.

Mom and I made a trip to Lowes, picked up some of that edging block stuff, came home and got it laid down. Then we went to get some gravel for it. We took about a million gazillion breaks, and actually had one of the guys to finish it. It was hot, my friends. And hard to rake/shovel/push that heavy load of rock around. A few hours later, we called it a day. (Pictures later).

I showered, changed, sat around for a bit before getting bored. I headed to UGI, a local gift shop, and picked up a Vera e-reader sleeve. LOVE it! I had a leather thing, but didn't like it as well. The top of the thing didn't secure the Nook, and it kept sliding out. Not good for this klutz!

I love this pattern!!

 I met my parents for dinner, then my sister and bil picked me up for some house/land hunting. They are moving a county over sometime within the year, so I rode along to look for some possibilities. I swear, we had a good time. I've not laughed that much in a long long time. I think it was one of those, "you had to be there" moments, but it was fun.

After stopping to feed their pets, a storm came in, so we waited it out before they took me home. Insert game time. We played Phase 10, which is fun....except it took like 2 hours, and we were all pretty tired. So glad to see that game end! I do love games, though!

Sunday, I got up and went to church. I am looking for a "home" church, if you will.  I belong to a church that I grew up in, but it's not really for me anymore. I've been visiting my sister's church, and like it, but I don't know if it's "the one." Anyway, I stopped for lunch, the stopped to rent Pride and Prejudice. If you've been reading, you know I've been trying to get through that book for about 3 years now. I'll read, then get tired and put it away for months. I just can't get through it. So after some readers commented on renting it instead of reading it, I did. The movie was hard to get through as well. I did like the whole love story thing...."You've bewitched me, body and soul." That was a pretty good line, right, Mr. Darcy?

The weather was beautiful yesterday, so I got out and ran to a few stores. Found some awesome goodies at Burkes. Do you all have one of those? I've never found anything in there, but after taking my time and digging, I bought like 6 items for under $60 bucks. Can I get a whooo-hooo?

Speaking of Vicki, did you all see the RHOOC Reunion last night? Vicki is so classy, all the time. Love her. Tamra and Gretchen get on my  nerves. Get over everything. It's annoying. Alexis is a psychopath. I mean, really? "The problem with liberal America is that women can do everything a man can do. Women can run for president and work." Ummm....hello? I'm probably one of the most conervative people I know, but c'mon Alexis. You are an idiot!!! I did like Vicki's reaction, "I could run for president. And do a better job than the current one." ....or something along those lines. I just love her! And I really like Peggy too. She seems like a genuine person. I can't wait for next weeks epi. What did you think?

So there is my random rundown of the weeknd.  How was yours?

Funday Monday

Good Monday morning, guys! I feel like I blinked and the weekend was over! Mine was fantabulous, so here is a quick rundown, and some other Miscellany Monday stuff! (Head over to lowercase letters and link up!)

Friday night, I met up with a sweet gal from Southern Bell Photography for dinner. I had to pick up some things for a cookout (who knew food for a small group could cost SO much), and she went with me so we could continue our chat. Good times.

Saturday, I woke up at 8, which is early for me on the weekends. I had found some good buys the previous weekend at some yard sales, so I decided to do it again. This time, I found nothing. zip. nada. I wasn't mad, but it was disappointing. I then called one of my besties, and we made the half hour drive to BG to shop. (There is nowhere to shop and few places to eat in my town.) I spent more money that I meant to, but got some things that I needed. Plus, some things were on sale, and I just HAD to get them. Black flats that I've been trying to get for forever. A valance for my redecorated bathroom attached to my bedroom. Movies- Easy A and the Glee Performances. Love me some Glee.

Yeah, that's me on there. They caught me off guard, hence the different background. :)

We ate at one of my favorite places, Cheddars, and then watched the Derby at Whit's sister's house. We also found some gorg heels for my friend's wedding. So happy to have those finally bought!

These are light gold with a ruffle. LOVE!

Sunday, was Momma's day, so I got up, cleaned a little bit, went to church with my parents, and rushed home to prepare for the cookout. Last year, I had my parents, sister and brother-in-law, my aunt (which is Mom's twin), her husband and grandkids, and her daughter's family. So, I decided to continue the tradition. We kept it simple, hamburgers (which looked like meatballs by the time they shrunk to half their original size), hotdogs, baked beans, chips, pasta salad, and dessert. Thanks to my sis for helping me!! We had a good time watching the babies play.

Hunter playing cornhole



Don't you just love this sweet face. He's such a cutie!



I also visited my two grandmothers, my dad, and back home for some rest...finally! I was exhausted. I had trouble sleeping, but slept so well that it was very hard to wake up this morning.

I saw these shoes in my closet this morning that I forgot I had. They still had the tags on them! So, I'm wearing them. Aren't they fun!?

The weather is perfect here in KY. A little warm, but I know this is nothing compared to the summer heat we will have. I'm just glad it's not cloudy and rainy. Today just feels like it's going to be a great day! :)