My favorite person in the world, with one of his…

.: My Memphis :.

If I remember correctly my talented and devilishly handsome husband, Derek, took this picture.  This is such a beautifully bold doorway that is down a small side street in downtown Memphis.  The reds and the greens just seem to jump out at you.

This picture was taken a few years back, and the doorway has been spruced up a bit since then.  Since the face lift, the doorway has become quite the popular location for engagement/couples photos, bridal sessions, and senior portraits.  All this writing about this charming little doorway makes me want my picture taken here.

Thought I would treat everyone to a few of my favorite songs from our wedding day.

We danced our first dance to “Waste” by Phish. It is really a wonderful song. If you are searching for a unique 1st dance song that no one is expecting try “Waste”. Our DJ said that it was the 1st time he has ever played Phish at a wedding. Ha! Yea….us!!!!

Before Derek & I tied the knot we had some wedding showers thrown in our honor, but there was one shower that I could never seem to find pictures of.  This past week I found out that my in-laws had some that a friend had sent them.  My father-in-law, Doogle (btw…coolest nickname ever!), forwarded them on to me.

Well, today is our 1st big milestone of marriage….6 months!  People keep asking “How is married life?”, as if they expected to hear the we are already separated and deciding on who gets which dog.  All I have to say is…it’s perfect.  Not a darn thing hard or trying about marriage.  The key is to pick Mr. Right, not Mr. Right-Now.  That is exactly what I did.  Derek cracks me up on a daily basis, takes care of me when I am sick or feeling down, and knows what buttons not to push.  Did I mention he is extremely handsome?  I mean just look at him!

We haven’t had it easy these 1st 6 months.  We have re-financed our house, the “when we will have kids” discussion, a sick dog, numerous car problems, Derek studying for the GMAT, and various animals living under & in our house.  You just gotta take it as it comes and lean on others when needed.  Anywho….these 1st 6 months have been magnificent, and I am looking to many, many more.

Love you, Derek!

How I wore my Mantilla veil on my wedding day.

When Derek and I were on our honeymoon in St. Martin we found a local treasure call lolos. For a downright cheap but delicious dinner, nothing can beat St. Martin’s famous lolos. ”Lolo” is a local word for an outdoor barbecue business, where the cooking is done before your eyes and seating is at picnic tables. Grand Case, St. Martin’s restaurant capital, features several lolos clustered on the waterside of the main street. This glorious street of tasty delights was just a 3-minute walk away from our resort in St. Martin.

If you have the opportunity to visit St. Martin…run, don’t walk to Grand Case (Case is pronounced Cass) and indulge in a fat kids delight! Oh, by the way…as you walk down “restaurant row” you will often times be passionately greeted & invited by the owners to come “sit”, “eat”, “relax” at that particular lolo.

I found the most interesting part of the competition between the lolos is that what may look like one or two establishments, you can find up to four lolos in operation. The lolo we had lunch at was nestled on the side of an indoor restaurant, and shared an awning with another lolo that was positioned directly behind ours.

Directly next to our lolo were two more following the same set-up as ours. It seems that the front of the two lolos has the “right at the street” advantage. People don’t know to walk 5 ft further to eat at a completely different restaurant. However, if you love the sea and take every advantage you eat seaside while in St. Martin you will obviously see out the lolo hidden behind the street side lolo, because you will get a wonderful view of the beach as you eat.