Blackberry Farm

For almost two years now, I have dreamed of escaping everyday reality and running off to Blackberry Farm - a quaint hotel property nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Well this weekend my dreams came true.

Jerry and I met Mom and Evan and Tony and Barbara (some long-time family friends of ours) for an extraordinary getaway.


This place was like heaven. Here is the view from our room. On Friday morning we woke up to see the fog gently hovering in the mountains.


The food was incredible. We had three gourmet meals a day, and each night we would go eat dinner at The Barn (red building on the right). Next to The Barn is The Farmhouse - one of the guest quarters on the property.


Here's a shot of some of the decor inside The Barn. I love these linen slipcovers on the wingback chairs! And look at that fantastic old door set behind the chairs. They mounted a lighting sconce in the center. Love it!


The property is about 4200 acres and is filled with animals, gardens, hiking trails, treasured places to escape for picnics, and beautiful landscaping everywhere you look.







Here are a few pics of our crew.




Oh, and one other little highlight of our trip... Carrie Underwood was staying at Blackberry Farm, too, and we got to see her at dinner Saturday night and at breakfast Sunday morning. =)

Memorial Day Excursion

I admit it. I am a sucker for patriotic holidays. There's something special to me about celebrating Memorial Day and Fourth of July and giving thanks for this great country that we live in and the people who sacrifice so much so that we can have our freedoms.

This weekend, our friends Greg and Lauren came to visit us, and we decided to take a trip to visit the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. This memorial is only about half an hour from our house, and it is FANTASTIC. It was like a hidden gem. Here are a few pics we thought you might enjoy.

Three Days and Counting

If you're wondering about the progress being made on the house, you don't have much longer to wait before I begin posting the big reveals of each room's changes. In three days - count them, THREE DAYS!! - we will be finished with the major construction in our house! WOOHOO!! Jerry, Baby Correa, and I weren't sure this day was going to come, but all three of us are so excited to have our house start to become a home.

We moved into our house in November 2008, and we've been working on it since the day we moved in. We started by painting the living room, entry area, and guest bedroom while my mom was here.



And then we moved on to remodeling the first of three bathrooms.


And then there was the sheet rock work that took three months to complete. We had the dining room, office, kitchen, stairwell, hallway, and nursery walls and ceilings sheet rocked and painted. What a mess! I thought it was never going to end. This was by far the most painful part of updating our Mirabelle.




And then we began the biggest, most exciting project - the master bed and bath. Big mess. And big change! You won't even recognize this room when I reveal the final result in a few days.



And finally, there's the last bathroom. This is the room that Jerry and my dad spent a week working on new electrical, re-plumbing, new tub framing, and hanging hardibacker board.


This bathroom has come a long way. In fact, would you like a little sneak peek? Ok, ok. But first, a look back at where it started from.


And here's a little peek at the work in progress...


Whew! I'm tired just thinking about all of the work we've done. But we're on the home stretch now! Check back this weekend as I begin the reveal of the rooms in all their changed splendor! Well, maybe not in all their splendor because they won't be decorated yet, but you get the point. =)

Baby Shower Fun

On Mother's Day weekend, I got a very special treat. Not only was it my first Mother's Day weekend as a mom-to-be, but I got to spend it with some of the people who mean the most to me in the whole wide world as we celebrated the coming of Baby Correa.

Here I am with the shower hostesses - Lisa (Jerry's baby sister), Katherine (long-time friend), Dana (long-time friend), Lauri (long-time friend), and Sylvia (Jerry's older sister). Thank you girls for making this event so special.


The shower theme was sock monkeys - just like Baby Correa's nursery. I ate not one, not two, but three pieces of this cake that day. It was DELICIOUS!!


Lisa made this adorable sock monkey diaper cake (with a sock monkey she found in an antique store!). And here's sweet little Isabel, our niece, to show it off.


And just for grins, I thought I'd share a baby bump shot of me and my friend Lauri who is expecting her second baby in June - almost one month to the day before me!

Strawberry Festival

A couple of weekends ago Jerry and I went to the Roanoke Strawberry Festival. Here's Jerry enjoying a delicious strawberry shortcake.


Being there reminded me a little bit of the Strawberry Festival in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. I love that movie... If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It's a great story of what friendship is all about.

Happy Mothers Day

To My Mother
by Susan Polis Schutz

For as long as I can remember
you were always by my side
to give me support
to give me confidence
to give me help.
For as long as I can remember
you were the person
I looked up to
so strong
so sensitive
so pretty.
For as long as I can remember
and still today
you are everything
a mother should be.
For as long as I can remember
you always provided stability
full of laughter
full of tears
full of love.
Whatever I become
is because of you
and I thank you
forever for our relationship.


Always My Friend
by Susan Polis Schutz

It takes more than words
to let you know
how much it means to me
to have you as a friend.
I can depend on you for understanding
when I am confused.
I can depend on you for comfort
when I am sad.
I can depend on you for laughter
when I am happy.
I am so thankful
to know that you are
always
my friend.



When You Have a Mother
by Susan Polis Schutz

When you have a mother
who cares so much for you
that anything you want
becomes her desires
When you have a mother
who is so understanding that
no matter what is bothering you
she can make you smile
When you have a mother
who is so strong that
no matter what obstacles she faces
she is always confident in front of you
When you have a mother
who actively pursues her goals in life
but includes you in all her goals
you are very lucky indeed.
Having a mother like this
makes it easy to grow up
into a loving, strong adult.
Thank you for being this kind
of wonderful mother.

Mom, you have given me countless blessings in life. You have shown me through your words, your actions and your love how to become a strong, courageous woman. I look forward to our relationship deepening as I become a mother myself, and I am so proud that Baby Correa will have such an incredible role model in his Noni. =) I love you beyond words – higher than the highest mountain, deeper than the deepest sea. =) XOXO a.

Weekend Road Trip

Last weekend Jerry and I treated ourselves to a little visit to see our friends Lauren and Greg in Centreville, VA.


Lauren is preggers, too, and we enjoy swapping stories about our experiences. We spent a long time out on their screened in porch (which I am envious of in a serious way) just enjoying one another's company. This is our view - can you believe the size of this dogwood in their back yard?!


They've been working on their nursery, and I can't wait to see it all come together. It's going to be fabulous - they've painted the walls aqua and installed a chair rail. Below the chair rail they're painting aqua, light green and mocha stripes. On one of the walls above the chair rail they're painting a harlequin pattern with the aqua and light green. It's going to look so good with their bedding!


Thanks for the visit! We love you guys!