ringing in 2014!!

this new year celebration was one to remember!  dinner & drinks & dancing with all 10 of the porters.  fancy dresses, fancy family, & good ole fun.  we began our evening with a delicious steak dinner at an oklahoma city staple - junior's supper club.  then to beau & cara's home for champagne toasts, lots of dancing, & the big ball drop.  a beautiful evening with so many of our favorites.  

{my handsome love}

{lisa & dave}

{justin & peyon}

{cara & beau} 

{the porters!}

{a toast with the lovely porter ladies}

{& the gents}

{happy new year to you!!}

we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

love love,

kjp.

thankful thursday - here i am, Lord. send me.

{source:  god0fthiscity}

i thought & thought & thought & prayed & prayed & prayed about my new year's resolution this year.  usually, there is something tugging on my heart that is clearly going to be my resolution.  this year there just wasn't something shouting at me.

{have i mentioned my new realization that sometimes, oftentimes i need to be shouted at for me to get the picture?  it's a strange self-awareness.  but it certainly makes me understand myself better.}

during all of this thinking & praying, this verse kept coming to me:

then i heard the voice of the Lord saying,

"whom shall I send? & who will go for us?"

& i said, "here am i.  send me!"

-isaiah 6:8

honestly, i was quite scared to actually say this was my resolution.  "send me".  that's a big statement.  

we have quite the big decision/discovery this year - blakey will interview for fellowship positions & match & thus find out where we will be living for the next three years beginning june 2014.  

but alas, i knew i had to listen.  & anytime i think i know what i'm praying for, i later learn God has something else completely in mind.  so, here i am, Lord, send me.

& now that i've posted it, i have to follow through.  i'll let you know how it goes...

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

love love,
kjp.

muffins & cookies & usa today.

happy friday, friends!  blakey takes his in service exam tomorrow morning & then we get to celebrate ogden's 30th birthday!  party time.  excited to have my husband back from those books.  & excited for another friend to get old :)

it's been a busy busy week at work.  with the new year & everyone's health kicks, we've had a ton of requests for gluten free baked goods.  one was actually quite tasty - gluten free blueberry & almond muffins.  after playing with the recipe all week, i think we have a winner!

there's also been a request for more fruit in the baked goods.  fruit i can do!  my favorite treat this week was blackberry & cranberry brown sugar cookies.  coffee cake texture in cookie form with fruit & brown sugar.  yummm.

oh!  there was an article in usa today this week about birmingham & civil rights & urban was atop the list of places to eat & drink!  pretty darn cool, my friends.  pretty darn cool.

we hope you & yours have a wonderful weekend.  cheers to blake on saturday for finishing his test!

love love,

kjp.

#sparkle into 2013!!!

#sparkleinto2013, our beyond fabulous new years eve party, was a gigantic success!!  it was a blast to plan & cook & decorate & create with my dear cari.  & even more fun to dress up & celebrate the new year all night with our friends!

so, without further ado, please enjoy #sparkleinto2013:

{video courtesy of: grey stripes creative // m.press}

{the original video can be found on HERE}

{pretty much sums it up}

{let craft time begin!}

our dinner table was gorgeous!  black table cloth, gold chargers, mini champagne bottles with black & white paper straws & pink ribbon, vases with gold sparkles, name plates & coasters in the #sparkle theme...

& the food was divine!  we had a skewer theme for the evening, which made every little bite quite festive, including our mini rock candy champagne!

{savory herb-stuffed mushrooms}

{pork belly sliders & prosciutto wrapped figs}

{& pink champagne truffles!}

{mustaches!}

{it was a bow tie kind of evening}

{playin cups o' flip}

{3...2...1...}

{happy new years, y'all!}

love love,

kjp.

let's bonfire!

ogden's TWENTY-NINTH birthday was this weekend!  & what better way to celebrate than burning some stuff.

christmas trees, to be exact.

it felt very texan of us.

& it was a ton of fun!

 {the hosts & the initial building of the fire}

 {ogden's second annual ridiculously crazy tree burning moment}

{please note the awesomely giddy look on his face}

 {so, of course, matt had to have his own ridiculously crazy tree burning moment}

{i was only slightly terrified.}

{understatement}

& if i have my camera out, you know a photoshoot will ensue:

 {the newlyweds!!}

 {our fellas}

 {to the ladies}

 {apparently elyse had wanted to take "this picture" the entire time on their honeymoon...}

{sure...we'll take one too...}

{oh, goodness}

the pups had a marvelous time too!  rogers, it is now that time for y'all to get a puppy to join in tanky & lola's fun.

the second annual christmas tree burning party was a huge success!  & i think ogden quite enjoyed his birthday.  

love our friends.

love love,

kjp.