Hi guys,
I hope you all had a nice weekend! Last week was crazy busy for us with tons of fun things happening. There was too much to put it all into different blog posts, and sometimes I love a full post anyway, so let's go!
On Tuesday we got VERY lucky with amazing tickets to the Dead & Co. with John Mayer. It was Jimmy's birthday week, so it seemed like a great way to celebrate. You may remember that we had a wonderful time at Fare Thee Well in Chicago this Summer.
We were not actually planning on going just because we both had fond memories of the Chicago shows (Trey) and were less familiar with John Mayer. We decided last minute to go because the tickets were such an incredible opportunity. We were 12 rows back from the stage, and the sound was perfect. To be totally honest, I liked the shows more than the Chicago shows. I thought John Mayer did an exceptional job. My show highlight was probably Uncle John's Band, which is a song that usually gets on my nerves a little. I was so in love with the show I've gone back and listened to a lot of the earlier tour, which I'm enjoying a lot as well. I could actually go on and on talking about this, but I know most people don't come here to hear my musical opinion, so we'll keep it moving :)
Oliver just turned 18 months old, and I have to confess it's my favorite age. He can do stuff now! Lindley and I took him to Fernbank last week, and he loved it! We went up to the treehouse area where he played, and then we went to the Walk Through Georgia Part so he could see some dinos. It's like he really is a person now who can communicate and enjoy things. I wasn't sure we'd ever get here, but I sure do like it!
Last Wednesday Jimmy's parents took us to Gunshow for the Hired Guns Series to celebrate Jimmy's birthday.
The "hired gun" on Wednesday was Joe Kindred of of his namesake restaurant Kindred in Davidson, NC. The food was fantastic, and it's events like this that keep Kevin Gillespie's Gunshow at the very top of my list of favorite restaurants in Atlanta. I love how it's a different experience every time I go, and it's always fantastic. We ended the night with Kevin's banana pudding, which is always a hit.
On Saturday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom and my sweet Ya, who was our housekeeper when I was younger. She came to work for us when I was 7 moths old, and she's one of my favorite people in the entire world. It was SO special to have her with us for an entire day. She even helped sing the Birthday Song to Jimmy. She calls Ben and me every year on our birthdays to sing to us, and if she leaves a voicemail we always save them. She is just the kindest person, and we both feel so lucky to have her. Below is a video of us singing to JImmy. Oliver was having a little bit of a breakdown at this point, but we wanted to include him anyway. He didn't quite grasp the idea of blowing out the candles, even though Ya kept telling him. :)
The cake is a Hummingbird, which I made from scratch because Jimmy loves it. He discovered it at Striplings and ate an entire cake in one weekend!
The recipe is from my favorite food blog "Add a Pinch," which I highly recommend.
I wish we'd gotten a group photo with Ya, but I wasn't thinking.
One additional note about Thanksgiving, we saved the Mac & Cheese I made for office Thanksgiving and reheated it with a little extra cheese on top. It was perfect reheated, and I actually liked it better because the filling was a little more cooked.
On Saturday night My dad, Missy, Kate (AKA Puppies and Brunch), Ben, Laura, Jimmy and I went to a new music venue called Venkman's to see the ATL Collective preform Pink Moon by Nick Drake. Pink Moon is one of my dad's favorite albums every, and I was psyched to see the event on Facebook. My dad gave me the full box set of Nick Drake's music when I was a senior in high school, and I became a huge fan. Unfortunately Nick Drake is no longer with us, so it was a very cool opportunity to see his music performed live.
I was so impressed with the quality of music and the different artists who performed. It was a very cool event, and I will 100% be going to see more shows by the ATL Collective. Check out their schedule here.
Another reason I was excited for the event was because of the actual venue, Venkman's.
If you're a big follower of this blog, you may know I'm a massive fan of Nick Melvin's. We learned about him through Garnish & Gather, and then fell in love when we tried his Jambalaya. He has a company called Doux South, which is always at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. WE love his products and think his food is phenomenal.
Our experience Saturday night did not disappoint! We started the night by going to my dad's college friend's house for some champagne and then went over to the venue. We were seated at a 7 person table near the stage. We'd gotten the ticket package that included a pre fixed menu, so all we had to do was pick a salad, dessert and main, and then we could enjoy the music. I got a little gem salad, veggie plate and ice cream sandwich, all of which were fantastic! If you like food and music (my two fave things) then Venkman's in the place for you. Check out the upcoming schedule here.
Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving at my dad and Missy's house. Kate, Tim, and his girlfriend Ashleigh came home. They all live out of state, and it's so nice when everyone can come home and be together. This is especially true now that we have Oliver, and it's so fun to watch them interact with him.
Missy is a fantastic cook and absolutely slayed it this year. There were so many casseroles and yummy things to eat. I especially loved the broccoli and cheese, which I'd never tasted.
Every year we deep fry a turkey, which gives it unbelievable flavor. This year was no different. Fried is for sure my favorite kind of turkey.
Kate (Puppies and Brunch) once again outdid herself on desserts, and this cheesecake was over the top.
It's time once again for me to list the things for which I'm thankful. Last year family was at the very top of my list, and it's still there this year. Nothing makes you appreciate having family more than having a young child. The unbelievable support and help we've gotten from family this year has made it possible for us to get through it. We are so thankful to our families for all the love, help and encouragement. Jimmy and I love you and appreciate you and THANK YOU.
Since it was his birthday this week and I'm in a thankful mood, I have to say Jimmy is also at the top of my list. There is no way I could have ever dreamed up someone I could love more than him. Every day I fall asleep and wake up thankful that he's my partner. He is funny and supportive and loving. He's the best part of every day, and I will never stop giving thanks that I found him. I love you my love. Happy 33rd Birthday.
I would also like to thank all of you for your support this year! All your words of encouragement mean so much to me! Thank you for reading. I appreciate it more than I can even say :)
Last November I decided to rededicate myself to this blog. I gave myself one year to give it my best effort and see if...
Posted by This Photographer's Life on Friday, November 20, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving Week Everybody!
P.S. Yesterday I invented a recipe for squash casserole made with Banner Butter. I was so pleased with how it turned out and planned on including it in this post, but it will have to wait until later this week because my hand is cramping from all the typing ;)
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