Monday, April 30, 2012

pool day! or best birmy staycation ever.


this weekend, blakey planned the greatest day in birmingham ever!!  we headed out to ross bridge for a day of fun at the resort's pool & spa.  our own little vacation right here in alabama.

i have the best husband ever.  but you already knew that.

 {the lovely waterfall that we laid next to all afternoon}

{our gorgeous view}

{cheers!!}

 {& what better meal by the pool than a cheeseburger?!}

 {my hunky husband}

after more sun than we had gotten in almost two years, we each headed into the spa for a massage.  love.life.


what a happy happy day.  

love love,
kjp.

Friday, April 27, 2012

blueberries & nutella.


there are a few key ingredients that, regardless of what i put them in, people will be so so excited about them.

right now, blueberries & my housemade nutella are it.

"what?!  you put blueberries in dirt?  i must have it!"

so i decided to throw them both into one item.  it was crazy.  people could almost not contain their excitement.  {ok ok. exaggeration.  but hyperbole is the essence of story telling.  right, julie byrd?}

but seriously, they were pretty darn delicious.  blueberry & housemade nutella muffins.  yummm.

happy weekend, friends!!

love love,
kjp.




Wednesday, April 25, 2012

how many different ways can they be adorable?



this is what our bed has been like the last few mornings:





seriously, could they be any more adorable?

love love,
kjp.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

coffee & a book.


on sunday morning, i sat at a coffee shop & drank a gigantic cup of coffee, ate a blueberry muffin, & read my book.  it was wonderful.  working all six of the days a week urban is open, i hadn't gotten the chance to do it in awhile.  i had almost forgotten just how much i love coffee shops.

coffee & books, one of my favorite combos.

every once in awhile, that is even better than a sermon.

love love,
kjp.


Monday, April 23, 2012

let's go to the park!


going to the park on a beautiful spring day has become one of our favorite things to do!  enjoy some sun, a nice breeze, & a day outside.  it's so wonderful!  & beautiful birmingham has no shortage of pretty parks.  we have two favorites right now.  the first is rhodes park {HERE & HERE & HERE}:

 {blakey on our blanket & tanky sniffing everything he can}

 {our view of the gorgeous huge trees from our blanket}

the railroad park is the other favorite.  {HERE & HERE & HERE}  a gigantic green space with a great view of downtown & UAB's campus.  & a good running trail too.  so we run run run & then lay down in the grass for a little bit of sun:


 {a walk to campus afterward to have a coke with blakey before call}

& the very best part of our park days:

{a tired little guy}

hope you had a beautiful weekend too!

love love,
kjp.

Friday, April 20, 2012

a happy spring friday to you!

isn't the spring beautiful?!  it is supposed to be in the 70s today with a little sun & a little cloud & a little breeze.  it is going to be a lovely day.

the spring also means the beginning of blueberries.  & i have a new gigantic-sized crush on blueberries.  blueberry scones... blueberry cookies... blueberry chocolate muffins... & blueberry cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting...


in case blueberry isn't your thing, i made hummingbird cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting too...


happy spring friday, my friends!  i hope you get to enjoy the gorgeousness of it this weekend!

love love,
kjp.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

thankful thursday - our anniversary is coming up!

blakey & my two year anniversary is in 12 days!!  can you believe that??  we've already been married for 718 days.  that's so cool.

as my husband knows, i love celebrations.  i love making any little thing a celebration.  so our anniversary = big celebration!  & he is planning it all this year!

we are going to the beale street music festival in memphis!  & staying at a picture-perfect gorgeous southern bed & breakfast just south of memphis.  it is going to be so much fun!


& he already bought the tickets, booked the room, & even scheduled tanky to stay at his favorite boarding place.  my husband is pretty darn awesome.

i am thankful for him.  today & everyday.

i hope you can think of something today for which you are thankful.

love love,
kjp.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

a lot of fun & a lot of food.


like most porter vacations, our weekend could easily be summed up in two words: fun & food!  we spent  a lot of time outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather, we walked around beautiful birmingham, & we, of course, played with tanky.  one goal of my every day life is to wear out that little guy.  & lisa is so good at it!  grandmas.  smart ladies.

two afternoons were spent playing ball with the little at our new favorite rhoades park in highland:

{step 1. throw the ball as far as you can.}

{step 2. tanky ruuuuuuun back with the ball, happy as a clam.}

{tanky loves grandma!}

{hehe.  technology.}

{blakey & his parents!}

{LOVE self timer pics}

{the porters!}

& like every good porter vacation, at least half of our time was spent eating!  we had to take lisa & dave to birmy's best restaurant, gianmarco's.  {seriously, a 90% like rating on urbanspoon with over 1200 votes.  that's impressive.}  gianmarco's opened a wine bar behind their restaurant that we now love too, possibly even more.  {birthday celebration HERE}  it was a fabulous meal!  we enjoyed some delicious wine & amazing food on the beautiful patio.  perfect meal.




{waiting at the gazebo with our glasses of wine!}

& after all of that fun & food, we were a little tired.  & full.

 {nap time day 1}

 {nap time day 2}

{seriously nap time day 3}

thank you so much for coming, lisa & dave!!!  visitors are welcome any time in sweet home alabama.

love love,
kjp.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

let's fry some fish!


the weather is getting warm in sweet home alabama & that means it is time to fry some fish!!

the mcgowans had us over for a good ole southern {or texas.  whichever.} fish fry!  ogden found some fabulous catfish from the fish market, breaded it in louisiana fish fry, & let those suckers sizzle away in the gigantic fryer.  oh my gosh.  it was so good.

& i'm from oklahoma, so i know good catfish.  this was fantastic.

 {dr og & his fish}

in addition to the fabulous meal {oh yeah, i should mention how amazing amy's potato salad & lemon bundt cake were as well.  really really amazing.  & i don't like potato salad.  but i do really really like dessert when i don't make it :) }, we love spending an evening with our wonderful friends!  fun in the sun, a cold beverage or two, a photo shoot with the two fancy schmancy cameras, a little texas washers, & a little southern cornhole.  it was a lovely evening! 

a few photos i borrowed from marybeth's new super cute blog, front porch lemonades

 {my pretty friends!
sarah, you were missed!}

 {the adorable baskets & picnic paper for our fish}


then we continue with my iphone pics...


 {how fantastic is this searsucker coozie amy got me for my birthday?!} 

{my love}

let all of the hot weather fun commence!

love love,
kjp.

Monday, April 16, 2012

a birthday duet


my in-laws were here over the weekend!!  so we got to celebrate lisa's birthday.  one of her favorite desserts is "the duet" from a fabulous little wine bar in norman called blu.  it is a slice of brownie topped with chocolate, a slice of classic cheesecake, & grapes rolled in sugar.  oh, & it is delicious.  so i recreated my version for our birthday dessert!

brownie & chocolate & cheesecake & sugary grapes for breakfast?? yes, please!  the coffee will make is sound more like breakfast, i think.


happy birthday, lisa!!  we had a fabulous time with y'all this weekend!! 

& i will tell you all about it this week.

love love,
kjp.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

fun with tanky.


blakey & i have recently discovered how awesome our super long hallway is for playing ball with our little guy.  he will chase after green man & sprint back as many times as we will him.  especially if treats are involved.  & he will get so darn tired from it.

it's pretty awesome.

 {he is very good at sitting for green man}

 {intense face before you throw it}

 {go, tanky, go!}

 {my love!]

& later things just got a little silly...




love my boys.

love love,
kjp.