Baby Food

I mentioned before that when we lived in Birmingham our group of friends had developed an unintentional 'New Baby Routine' involving a trip to our favorite little deli, Momma Goldberg's, on our way to the hospital. The routine turned in to a tradition of sorts and is one of my favorite memories from our time in the 'magic city'.

Shortly after moving to Huntsville our sweet college friends, Tabitha and Cameron, welcomed their first little one. Though we were both thrilled for them, Chase and I had joked about breaking our 'new baby routine'.

And then, my friends, a miracle happened.

Momma Goldberg's opened in Huntsville the day before sweet Rylan arrived. (cue the Hallelujah chorus - our 'new baby routine' lives!)

Needless to say, we made a little stop at the deli before proceeding to the hospital. In case you haven't had the pleasure of enjoying Momma G's, allow me to introduce you to....

You don't want to know how many of their cups reside in our kitchen cabinets. Redneck china.

Back to the whole reason for this post, Rylan Josiah. He looks just like Cameron, red hair and all. 

Reality Check

Hi. My name is Anna, and I'm addicted to home design. Specifically anything remodeled, refurbished, upholstered, or freshly painted. It's a problem. I am confident, that if left alone in Barnes & Noble, I could spend days looking at all of the Home magazines. I'm ashamed to say I've seen every episode of Sarah's House (every season). I'm a sucker for a magazine-worthy, staged room.

My addiction has taken on other forms as well, recently involving MLS (real estate) listings. It started when we were thinking about selling our home in Birmingham. I wanted to see what else was on the market in our area......and then I discovered that I could get a sneak peek into the most adorable craftsman homes in Homewood (= expensive, highly desired neighborhood). I was hooked.

And then one day I made another discovery. The homes featured in the pages of my last issue of Southern Living starting appearing in the MLS listings. Light bulb. It makes perfect sense that a struggling magazine company headquartered in Birmingham would find local houses to showcase. I'm ashamed to admit that one of my favorite things about seeing these homes was how they looked when they were really being 'lived in' and not just photographed.

Exhibit A: The bedroom below, skillfully photographed for the pages of Southern Living.

And now, the MLS photo. This is what life really looks like. Apparently they had a baby....

 

On the bright side.....

The second time they cut it, it was free. And shorter.

And I don't have an 'after' picture from the second cut - sorry.

I smell a bargain...

There's nothing better than a bargain. Our nest is chock full of Pottery Barn floor samples and Craigslist finds. Don't even get me started on my new favorite place (Nadeau). When I saw this ad, I really wished we still lived in Birmingham.....

Layla and her husband have done an unbelievable job renovating their builder-grade house into what they lovingly call "The Lettered Cottage". Her blog, by the same name, is a must-read. She's constantly posting before/after pictures and inspiration.


Birmingham friends. Please go and buy something. I'll be there in spirit, ha.

Chick Food

I've had my eye on a recipe from Annie's Eats for a long time. Chase would classify this as 'chick food', and it's definitely perfect for a baby or bridal shower. I tried explaining it to a few friends when we were at the beach (more on that trip later). I don't think my explanation came close to describing the deliciousness, so I'll let the picture do the talking.

Fruit Bruschetta

Someone please give me a reason to make this. Or just make this and invite me over.



*Photo Credit* Annie's Eats