Worth the Try...

I have to believe that my little Annabelle doesn't blame me for not thinking to have her professionally groomed until she was well past 3-years old... after all, I grew up with a short-haired dachshund, and we didn't even own a brush for her! Plus, I thought I was getting another short-haired when I picked out AB some 3+ years ago... (excuses, excuses...)

That aside, Annabelle (willingly, or not) spent a lovely 3 hours with "Auntie" at the PetSmart grooming salon yesterday (while I educated myself on how to teach ele. children to read at the next-door B&N); she came out with a much more manageable coat of fur and even little bows in her ears. Though AB is decidedly not the "bow type", I let her keep them in until she'd had enough.I must say... whatever shampoo and/or conditioner they use at PetSmart - it smells a heck of a lot better than AB's usual flea-tick repellent shampoo... maybe I should investigate.

Then some unexpected but beautiful snow (about 6 inches of it!) joined us this morning...













And, Annabelle is NOT one to turn down the opportunity to "romp" in the snow... plus, if you throw it (in this case, her purple ball), she will follow. But then we end up with this... (yes, all that snow is actually STUCK to her fur!)And the 3-hour grooming session was all for naught... oh well!

She Can Pick 'Em

"It's your birthday... it's your birthday.... "

Goofy lyrics aside, today really is her birthday. And there's no better way to celebrate our little hound's 6th year than to reminisce about one of her favorite places on Earth... Penn Yan. Admission: it's one of our favorite places too - the fact that Annabelle loves it is just our (now blown) cover.

Can you blame us?

The view out almost any window of our family's house is of the huge expanse of the lake, stretched out before us. And should we tire of the water, frequent games of Kubb and wiffle ball can be found on the field just adjacent.

There are numerous vineyards (although we, of course, have our favorites long since mapped out) within a 15 minute drive; and the quick but indulgent tastings are perfect for any infrequent moments of cloud cover.

And of course, the food. Oh the food. Dining-at-its-best up at the lake for this family doesn't mean visiting a fancy restaurant - rather, it involves buying our resident chef Ben his selection of entree and any condiments he might need to prepare it and stepping back as he works his magic. A select few of the rest of us run around pretending to sous-chef, which to us, means "making sure Ben is happy". Occasionally a batch of pretzels or garden fresh tomato bruschetta shows up but it's Ben's masterpieces that keep 'em coming back.

So here's to another year, Annabelle. And to you, Penn Yan... until we meet again.

In Dog Years

How many dog years are equivalent to one human year? Is this theory possibly right?

No matter your take... today, up in Penn Yan, New York, we celebrated the birth of my cutest little pooch, Annabelle. She certainly doesn't seem to have any regard for her age, still acting like the adorable puppy she was 4 years ago... anxiously opening her birthday gifts (thanks, Mom - she loved her new toys!), fetching sticks, and swimming for hours on end.

HAPPY 4TH TO MY LITTLE ANNABELLE! (and thank goodness "people years" are one for one!)

Quack Quack

Disclaimer: It was late and I wanted to get this post up... hence the silly subject.

My first official visit to the Outer Banks of North Carolina was an absolute success. As a matter of fact, I'd like to be back there right about now.

But since another vacation (admittedly, we have had two fantastic vacations in a row so at this point we are quite spoiled) is but a pipe dream (though we do have quite the series of upcoming weddings just around the corner), for now a quick wrap-up of the extended Memorial Day weekend trip is about all I've got.

We arrived in Duck, North Carolina, this past Saturday; since we were early (a rarity in my life so I felt okay calling it out), Chris and I took a quick tour while waiting on the rest of our entourage. Mom, Dad, and Sophie arrived soon after, so the 4 of us grabbed lunch at the cute Duck Deli (highly recommend their pulled pork platter - with 3 tasty sides, it was more than enough for Chris and I to share).

Where to begin... the trip consisted of a couple of great days full of lots of walks on the beach... eating... laying, reading and digging (thanks to my 2.5 year old nephew) on the beach... more walks... lots of tennis... some ice cream and various desserts... and tons of memories with my family (including my mom's *0th birthday), whom I am more thankful for each and every day (yes, it seems that my marriage and increased age have rendered me even more sappy, if that is possible).

Charlie wasted no time and got to digging and building straight-away. He is truly a boy's boy... I teased Robyn that she wasn't going to know what to do when baby girl Wallace arrives in August!

No one was exactly sure who was chasing whom here but Sophie didn't seem to mind; we'd left Annabelle in the house to keep her sand-free for a few more hours.

I was so fortunate to be able to celebrate my birthday with my family for the first time in I don't even know how many years. Mom was sad that we had to buy my cake but having my entire family there to enjoy it with me made it taste more than homemade (Harris Teeter's carrot cake... NOT bad!!!).

New day... new hole to dig... same little boy having a ball... still digging.

After each one of Charlie's daily post-beach outdoor showers, we got to see our adorable little guy wrapped up in his new favorite bug towel.
The "young adults" (are we really adults now?) took Charlie to the town playground and then walked out onto the long system of piers out over the Sound - we had great weather the whole week and this night was no exception.

One of the main reasons I love beach towns? They always seem to have a Rita's close by! Only Chris and I knew the magic of Rita's but we introduced the rest of my clan who immediately began plotting out their next visits to their local stores - thankfully there are two new Rita's... one in the suburbs of Atlanta and one in Columbia!

Our last day at the beach Charlie got a super special treat... a real John Deere tractor up close. This is what it looks like when the 3 Wallace men have seen a tractor pull up on the beach. Note that Charlie first learned the color green by calling it "John Deere".

More beachtime... Annabelle had just darted out of the picture - I assume it was because she hadn't brushed her hair.

And on our last night, we celebrated Mom's birthday (who's counting anyway!) at Sunset Grille Restaurant - she was especially, shall we call it, "surprised" by the fun hat! (it must be said, though, that in the end, she asked if she could keep the hat and take it home... the restaurant said no)

Charlie shared in the celebration with his "special" drink (i.e. lemonade but served in a fun-for-kids-of-all-ages flamingo cup).

Before our time in Duck came to an end, Chris and I took mom and dad to Roadside Raw Bar & Grill for lunch on our way out of town. It was bittersweet - that morning had been our only day of rain, which always makes it a little easier to leave but I still hated to go.

I told my mom before we left that I could get use to this family vacation thing. It was really the perfect trip - a few ultra-relaxing days spent with everyone who I love the most!

Yes, there are more pictures... just in case that wasn't enough.

Love Saying Thanks!

If there was any question... yes, we have one of these...

And uh, here again - just in case one picture wasn't enough. Annabelle's been particularly photogenic these days. That charming look she's mastered? No wonder she pretty much has the run of the place in our house.

Mostly due to the aforementioned puppy's good looks, she's managed to win over the affection of all of our neighbors - and honestly, we couldn't live without it. Not only does our pooch have a friend on every corner, but also for the times that we (shudder) leave town without our little hairy black and tan dog in tow. So while she believes neighbors are put on this planet solely to give extra licks and throw more pine cones, we've come to know them as friends and willing helpers (who eagerly give in when faced with tasty treats).

As a matter of fact, it's one of those recent bribes that brings me here - because chances are, a couple of you are gearing up to ask for that next favor and as we all know only too well, those requests go over quite a bit smoother when there's delicious home-baked bread involved. And while any homemade goodie is usually appreciated, if you want to be sure to seal the deal, quickly throw together a batch of this (shhh... it's healthy) Oatmeal Banana Bread.

Or if it's a particularly big favor (or say you're way overdue to deliver a thank you), make said delicious bread in a cute bright colored baking dish and gift the dish, tied up with a cute ribbon and tag, as well!

**if you're anal like I am, you can bake it in the new dish and then pop the bread out when it's slightly cooled and pulled away from the sides; clean the empty baking dish so it's nice and presentable, and then put the freshly baked bread right back in there and tie 'er up

Course the fact that I almost couldn't part with the cute baking dish is merely a hazard of the job. But it makes me all that much happier to be able to give someone who's loved our little Annabelle something that I loved as well.

And while this may be my favorite bribe and/or thank you tactic to date, surely you guys have some cute and cost-effective ideas that are your go-tos. Share your favorites! Chris and I hope to go on a few more trips yet!

Happy Birthday, Annabelle!

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the birth of my dear doggie, Annabelle Liberty Wallace (yes, my dog has a middle name).

For those of you she hasn't met yet, she is my adorable miniature, black & tan, long-haired dachshund. I was told yesterday that it was quite an embarrassment to not have posted a picture of my cute pooch, so here we are... and with perfect timing if you ask me.

As you can tell, she is really big into posing for the camera (much like my nephew); and, she was also VERY excited about opening her presents.

It's been a great 3 years with my bundle of hyper-activity...

My Own Crystal Ball

Around here, being the sophisticated folks that we are... two (very important) criteria are used to predict how the new year will turn out... the state of our stomachs (i.e. the food) and Annabelle's state of mind.

After repeated hints from my husband, I finally joined the world of Oreo "truffle" makers. We'd had these a few times before at different events in Atlanta and Chris (and anyone else in the near vicinity) would line up at the tray popping them as fast as possible... so I thought as a special treat, I'd give these cute candies a try - only I dipped them in white chocolate and sprinkled some sanding sugar on them for a little new year's "glisten". And... it turns out that I have now officially had people lined up waiting to get their hands on something I made; had I only known it was this simple!

Oreo Truffles
makes approx. 50 candies

1 pkg Oreo cookies
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
about 8 oz. of your choice of dipping chocolate

In a food processor, blend all the cookies and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 1 inch *I made mine slightly smaller as these are very rich candies balls. Refrigerate the Oreo mixture balls for around 20-30 minutes so they are firmly packed.

In the meantime, melt your dipping chocolate according to the directions provided. Dip balls into the chocolate so they are completely covered and let dry on a wax paper-covered baking sheet. Top with any sprinkles you wish (suggestions are remaining Oreo cookie crumbs, sprinkles, colored sugars) and refrigerate truffles for about an hour, or until firm.

Store truffles in the refrigerator until ready to use.

And then there's our sweet Annabelle; really, we just throw her into the mix because she can pretty much make anyone smile - and we have yet to see her in a bad mood (momentary bouts of 'why are you doing this to me, I thought you loved me' when we are bathing her or brushing her teeth, but she forgives immediately and within seconds, is back to being your best friend).

I found her here today, enjoying the sunny first day of 2009. How can you think anything but good thoughts with this adorable and cuddly furry friend around?

So you might be wondering... the verdict is in and by all accounts, it looks like 2009's gonna be a good year. Oh, and while we're on the subject, I wouldn't mind if a lot (and no, I did not say "all") of this came true, too.

Never Enough Time

Surprisingly enough, this is actually not a post whining about not having enough hours in the day... I still think about that constantly but in an attempt to get over it, I'll leave it off the blog. This time, it's a simple plea for a few more hours with some of my very best friends.

This weekend marked the 7th annual summer trip for a group of my girlfriends from Wake! I'm so thankful that we've managed to keep this tradition going - even with all of the changes that life has brought throughout these recent years.

Even though in the past, this trip has always been our "beach weekend", we easily adapted that to the schedule of our favorite "BG" and dare I say a new tradition of "home visits" has begun?

Friday evening, everyone assembled in Kernersville, NC, just outside of our alma mater's town of Winston-Salem. Our weekend would end up consisting of a variety of activites between K-Vegas and Greensboro! It was so much fun to be back in Carolina!

Saturday morning, bright and early, we headed to the Old Fourth Street Filling Station to prepare to host a shower for Jayne and BG! Brunch was of course delicious and the shower was a lot of fun; I think BG and his/her parents are now adequately equipped!

At risk of sounding like I'm tooting my own horn... earlier in the week, my mom had convinced me to get into the arts and craft groove; somehow through a series of conference calls, she instructed me into making this cute "Baby Sock Corsage" that our guest of honor donned at her shower. Let's just say that I usually have way more fun in the kitchen than I do with arty projects but this might have gotten me back into the spirit! It was really simple and actually tons of fun to put together!

After the shower, the girls and I made our way to Greensboro for an afternoon of pampering at a spa! It was so much fun - the spa was nice enough to let us take over their back room so we could all be together. Everyone got at least one treatment and some of us even included their very first massage! *yup, that's me - it was a VERY relaxing experience, not sure that I'm hooked or anything but definitely worth it on a rare occasion!

Since this was a weekend of celebrating what's to come mixed with some old favorites, we couldn't skip a visit to our old stomping ground, the Village Tavern! YUM! We munched on delicious Hot Crab Dip and Spinach Tortilla Dip and then each enjoyed our entrees. How I miss this restaurant... it seems that it's sprouted offspring in just about every city except anywhere close to me! Unfair!

As a special treat, and since it seems we always have a few birthdays to celebrate when we get together, Jayne got us some delicious pink lemonade and chocolate-chocolate cake squares from none other than Dewey's! We loved the cute summery decorations (flip-flops!); plus, they were the perfect size for a little sweet treat after our yummy dinner.

Sunday morning, we sadly gathered all together for the last time. Katie fixed us a complete brunch of cinnamon rolls, hash browns, tasty English Muffin egg casserole, and fruit! Unfortunately, soon after brunch, a few of us took Allison and Anna to the airport and bid them farewell though we were so happy that they were even able to join us for a short time.

The rest of us took advantage of the tax-free shopping weekend in NC and then headed to the Greensboro Grasshoppers single-A minor league baseball game! Unbelievably, this was my first minor league game and definitely NOT my last - it was a blast!

Yes, we did actually pay attention to the game, but my favorite part, no contest, was Miss Babe Ruth. If Annabelle ever had a job, I'd want her to do this - Miss Babe Ruth is the team's bat girl and it's absolutely adorable!

And of course, no visit in Winston is complete without the requisite trip to Cook-Out and a stop at the Deacon Shop. Even though I was so sad to be leaving, you can't get much better than a send-off of lunch at the Carving Board (carved turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and a thick slick of sharp cheddar on wheat). *I think this weekend turned into a old-favorites restaurant tour!

There really is never enough time when it comes to old friends... thank goodness for major life events! The last time I'd seen them all was our wedding weekend, then this past weekend, and again in October to shower another baby! I'll admit I'm getting sappier as the years fly by, but I couldn't be more thankful for the time I have with these girls... can't wait to see you all again soon!

Dueling Dachshunds

Approximately 2 weeks after Christmas, Sophie, a black & tan, short-haired dachshund puppy, joined the Atlanta-outlet of the Wallace family (i.e. my parents). We broke the news to my Annabelle during the days surrounding Christmas and she's ready to share the spotlight... as long as that doesn't mean any less time playing fetch.

The Long and Short of It

C'mon now - you knew (or maybe you didn't - I'm a confused cookie... did someone say cookie?) that one day I'd get around to using this for the title of one of my posts... being a dachshund (and not just any dachshund!) owner and all.

Back to those cookies... Annabelle was the lucky recipient of these adorable treats yesterday.

Sadly, one of them is already decapitated but done, of course, with the most care and loving concern a hungry dog can muster.

Are cute, decorated puppy cookies the next 'thing'? Good-bye cupcakes, hello Doggy Designs? Palatial Puppy Palates? Canine Confections? (am I onto something?)

Thanks, Sophie! By the way, exceptional wrapping job... love the paw-print baggie and ribbon!

It's My Party, Right?

I think as long as you can ADMIT that you made up a reason to post an entry, that you are okay and not overly obsessed... it's not like I post everyday, and this was undeniably important.

There are a couple of things I would like to address here... first, two plugs that I should have done long ago.

www.carolynjoe.com
Carolyn is a SUPER talented friend of mine from college; she can basically make anything involving "art" beautiful - from painting to cooking and baking. She's sold a number of her paintings and has been featured in a number of art shows all over Texas.

Paige Gialanella Graphic Design - www.paigegialanella.com
Paige is another old friend from Wake Forest (yikes, friends from college are now "old" friends??); she has started her own freelance graphic design business and already has quite the portfolio.

But what REALLY provoked me to log on this crisp fall day... well, it all started last night, when my little pooch was sleeping wrapped up so snug in my red fleece blanket (thanks, Megan!). It was then that I realized: a. I don't take nearly enough pictures of little Annabelle and b. man, she just HAS to rank in the top 5 cutest dogs in the world. Take a look for yourself...

Why It's Called Labor Day...

Officially, you are not supposed to 'labor'. Annabelle had it figured out all along.