Goodbye 2009 and Random Thoughts

Well, 2009 is almost over as well as the decade will be over. So crazy...2010. What a year it will be! Marriage and who knows what else?

So - with this being an end of a decade and the last New Years Eve as Miss DeAnna Wallace - a lot of random things have been going through my head including favorites from 2009.

Here we go...

First off -- my favorite memory? Getting engaged! I still can feel the excitement and utter SHOCK that I felt that night. Can't you tell by the look in our eyes?

Favorite trip. Napa....ahh.. If only we were spending NY Eve there! Such an awesome time. Never gets old.

Okay - here's randomness. I'm totally stoked for these three bebes to be hanging together tonight. ROCK on beagles! If only Casey's canine niece Lucky could join them.

Another random thought -- when I was younger I always wanted to be in Times Square to see the big ball drop.

This is as close as I'll ever come. The ball in Macy's in NYC. Now that I'm old I would rather watch the ball drop in the comfort of a home where it's warmer and less crowded.

Another favorite from 2009. This picture. Yeppers. It's my favorite from this year.

Another random thought. I've been thinking back to the beginning of this decade. Remember the chaos of Y2K?!

I was in TV news at the time and EVERYONE.. I MEAN EVERYONE was working that New Years Eve.

That's right - we were bracing for a huge attack or crash of the computers or something! The year 2000 came and went and nothing ever happened.

BTW - don't you love this picture of me from my TV news producing days? I always had my 'producer sweater' with me because it's cold in those control rooms!

And another random thought. Boohoo! I just heard on the news that Tavern on the Green in NYC is closing tonight. WTF?! Are you serious? It's legendary!

I'm glad to say that I had dinner there twice. Super cool place if you never visited.

Well, that's it for today. As Coco would say - see you next year blogging peeps!

Artwork for Christmas

So, it's not a great picture of the painting but you get the idea.

This is the piece of artwork my future MIL bought me for Christmas. It's a painting of the winery where we had my shower/bachelorette party. Shelton Winery in Dobson, NC.

She said it's important to have memories and that's why she bought it. How nice is that? I'm so very lucky to be marrying into such an awesome family that is laid back and best of all --NO DRAMA!!!

NYE is tomorrow kids! Nothing big planned here. Just a few house parties! I've never been much for going out on the holiday because it's expensive, crowded and obnoxious. Granted I've done it -- in New Orleans, Vegas, Tahoe, Orlando, Atlanta(several times), and here Charlotte. Each time I've done it I've regretted the money I spent.

I would much rather be at someone's house hanging with friends and not having to fight my way to the bar!
CIAO for now!

My Kind of Dinner

As seen at my house last night. RIDONKULOUS!

Brad worked late(1am to be exact) and I had what I could eat and drink every night of the week.

MENU:
Brie
Crackers
Red wine

MMMM GOOD!

Botox

Soooo, after looking at my bridal portrait pictures(which I love)I'm thinking of getting Botox before the wedding. What do you guys think? The reason? I noticed I have crows feet around my eyes which I hate. Alot actually. A few bags too but I was so nervous the night before my pictures I couldn't sleep.

I figure this might help?? I've never had Botox done but have several friends that have. One whom even is a sales rep for a pharm. company who makes it.

Good idea? I figure - I have 6-weeks so it wouldn't make my face too tight by then but would it still look good?

Christmas 2009

Here it goes. My big Christmas post chalked full of pictures! We stayed here in town this year and spent Christmas with Brad's family. We went to Atlanta last year and I suppose we'll continue this trade-off thing until my parents move to NC in 2012.

This post begins on 12/23 where Brad and I decided to invite a few friends over for a last minute dinner/get-together.
Nothing fancy but something to do on Christmas Eve Eve.

Here I am in my Heavenly Hostess apron! Perfect for a dinner party!

It wasn't a big crowd since most everyone had already left to travel home for the holidays.

We ate and drank some wine and more wine. LOL!
Here me, Kelly and Dana are in front of our tree.

Bestie Dana..we'll be hanging with this same crew and a few more on NYE.

Kelly with Dana's dog Reilly. She and Buddy had a ball playing together..as usual.

Then we move on to Christmas Eve. I woke up and started baking and cooking. Two pies, a batch of cookies, and breakfast casserole for the next day.

Then we went out to my future SIL and brother in-laws house for dinner. We always bring Buddy out there and the kids love him. Maybe a bit too much actually! Check out this picture below.

Reed kept chasing Buddy that he actually jumped up in my lap for protection!

Of course, more wine. Robyn has these MONSTER glasses. Too fun!

And.. before we left to go home we were there when Reed put out cookies and milk for Santa.

We woke up Christmas morning in our own home which was so different but I LOVED every minute of it.

Normally, I would miss my parents and feel nostaglic but this year I was really excited about starting my own traditions and memories. I guess I'm an official adult now?

Yes, even Santa visited Buddy. A few toys and treats.

As I mentioned in a previous post Brad got me new UGG boots and as you can see I was flabergasted!

I kept to our $60 limit.

And got Brad a video game he mentioned to me weeks ago that he had played at a friends house.

Buddy kept looking for more gifts.. and playing with the ones he had...

Then.. got a little love from his Daddy. Christmas morning love!

Then after opening our gifts we enjoyed the breakfast casserole I made. I used ham instead of bacon and it was GREAT!

Then we went back to my SIL's house to open gifts with the family. Check out Brad's big gift! A toolbox for the garage. He spent time yesterday getting it organized.

And.. his parents got him a cooler that floats for the lake. We'll never have to get out of the water again to get a cold one!

His parents knew what I would like. I got a wine themed gifts with this flag, a bottle of wine, grape earrings, wine glass charms, a wine stopper and the best of all? A piece of artwork that Ms. Becky bought me while at one of the wineries we visited on my bachelorette party.

I'll post about it later.

Then.. we did the invitations which I've already posted about and then started on dinner.

The table all set and ready to go.

A prayer. They were trying to get Reed to say it.

And dinner time! Isn't Paige a cutie? She wasn't too into actual Christmas dinner but she had a few bites.

Reed as well. Not too into it but he had a bite of a roll.

Then we just hung out, drank wine and talked and played video games.

A GREAT Christmas indeed.

Now it's just time for a New Year's Eve celebration.

BTW - don't you just love this ornament I got? Me on the front with a dog and a glass of wine in hand.

The back says.. DOG PERSON. So me indeed!

Hope you all had a GREAT holiday!

Wedding Invite Snafu!!

My darn laptop is acting up so I can't post many pictures. More and more details of the holidays to come tomorrow.

The highlights to speak of? A new pair of UGGS, and we did the wedding invites.

NOTE TO those of you getting married and sending out a lot of invites!! Don't forget to put the stamps on the return envelopes before you seal them!!!

I soooo knew to do this and bought them but me and my future MIL got so into the process and trying to sort out those going to rehearsal dinner that I forgot!

We were 3/4 of the way through when this conversation went down:

Ms. Becky(MIL): WOW!! Just how many stamps did you guys buy??

Dee: OMG!(turning white!)We forgot to put stamps on the returns inside!!!!!

My future MIL(the gem that she is) proceeded to take a very sharp knife and open all the ones we had sealed so we could put stamps on them.

Thank GOD for Etsy and the cute mongrammed stickers I had ordered last week!

I'll post more on the holiday but this is all I could get uploaded.

Just for SASS!

BUCKHUNTER! I didn't but it for Brad but his parents bought the home version for his brother.

We had family game time up in Jeff and Robyn's bonus room that's never used except for video games. Brad says -- while it has more of a delay than the ones in the bars it still isn't bad.
IT'S HARD THOUGH!
Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and UGG boots!

Brad and I decided we were only doing a $60 gift limit for each other this year due to wedding expense. I got him a video game he wanted and what did he do? He went WAY over the limit and got me a new pair of UGG boots I've been wanting!

YAY! Merry Christmas blogging friends!

Merry Christmas from Dee and Brad!

To all you blogging peeps who I didn't get a card out to! I only sent out 25 this year due to my budget and wedding!
Love you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANNUKAH, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Not Everyone is Crazy about Santa

I laughed out loud when I saw this picture. This is my best friend and Maid of Honor with her two girls and niece at the mall in Tampa.

Brooke(the one on the left and Bek's daughter) is really into telling Santa what she wanted while her cousin Avery gave Santa her biggest smile.

Isabella? ummm..not having any part of it!

3 days until Christmas! I'm working today and tomorrow!

Holiday Fun and Family Time

We had a fun-filled weekend which included time with family and lots of cocktails! What would the holidays be without cocktails? haha!

It started out with a snowy drive up to Brad's parents house on High Rock lake. We don't get much snow here so everyone was flipping out!

We arrived to a house DECKED out with Christmas decor!

Here's the Stephen's tree. Ms. Becky was a teacher for 30-years so she has tons of ornaments kids gave her.

Pretty mantle...

Then we celebrated with a fish fry! Mr. Joe fried up scallops, oysters and shrimp and.. there were crabcakes too!
Brad was hurting the next day. Shellfish doesn't do him any good.

Here were are! Sans me.

The family in front of the fireplace. Have I told you before that I'm obsessed with fireplaces? Especially wood burning ones. They are THE BEST!

The other Stephen's clan sans Paige. She was in bed already.

Reed in front of the fire. Such a cutie!

And.. this is what we woke up to the next morning.. SNOW! The front of the Stephen's lake house.

And.. the back. I know..I know.. it's not much snow but at least it's some!

Baby Paige playing with her brother's toy bucket.

YAY!!! Such fun!

Then we ventured into Historic Salisbury for a little family outing. Here Reed is on a mechanical horse.

He wasn't so sure at first but rode it a 2nd time! He kept looking at himself in the window! They even got him to ride with just one hand!

Then.. later Saturday night we traveled back up near Charlotte for a Christmas Party. It was at the home of one of Brad and Jeff's fraternity brothers from VA Tech.

Talk about bachelor pad! He turned his formal dining area into a bar!

Here we are dolled up in our holiday attire!

Then the party really started.. Dance Party USA! Not sure why Brad wanted us to get a photo with our legs up so bad?

Even more wine later.. Me, Robyn and Stephan getting down.. haha!

oh..yeh...good times for all.

Just four days until Christmas and I haven't bought Brad one thing. We're keeping it simple this year so I will be heading to the store tonight!

Happy Monday!