An Anniversary Toast...

My sister became Mrs. Bailey two years ago today. I was her Matron of Honor and was excited to give the toast on her big day. I thought I could just get up there, grab the microphone, and speak from the heart without a hitch. However, I was quickly proven wrong when I couldn't find all the words that I wanted so badly to say. That is why today, I am honoring them with an Anniversary Toast...

"We've known each other whole lives..."

It's a phrase we all hear often, whether it's someone introducing an old friend or sharing memories from their past. But if you ever stop to think about it, very few people can say this about someone and actually mean it.

For those of you who don't know, Danielle and I are twins. From the first moment we existed we were together, and that's when our lives began. So when I say, "we've known each other our whole lives", I mean it. It's the one thing that we share with each other that we'll never share with anyone else - and I wouldn't have it any other way.

We grew up playing outside and enjoying many of the same hobbies. We were girl scouts, we swam, we danced, and we even had our own "Mystery Club" with the other kids in the neighborhood. We built forts on the front porch to watch it rain and we rode our bikes down the gravel road we lived on. We went on secret adventures in houses that weren't completely built yet and found new hang out spots in wooded vacant lots, which are now covered in houses.

I think middle school is the time in most kids’ lives that they start figuring out who they want to be. We remained close, even though we started being interested in different things. We were sisters and we always had each other, no matter what friends came and went between us. Middle school is where Josh entered the picture and it was the last day of our eighth grade year that they officially became "boyfriend and girlfriend". (For those of you doing the math, it was June 2000.)

They got to experience a lot of life's ups and downs together, as well as a lot of teenagers' best memories. They went to Junior Prom and Senior Prom together, and all of our homecoming dances. They finished high school and graduated together in 2004. They found their careers and became adults together, and Josh proposed on Valentine's Day 2008.

Josh became part of our family long before their wedding day. We always knew they would get married, it was just a matter of time. "High School Sweethearts" never have an easy path to the finish line - most don't even finish the race. Yet here they are, as husband and wife, showing all of us that true love wins out every time.



Dani and Josh: I love you both and I am lucky to call you my sister and brother-in-law. I am so happy for you and I wish you absolutely nothing but the best because you deserve it. Happy Second Anniversary! <3

                              Junior Prom 2003                    Wedding Day 2010

My Wine Tasting Map

After an afternoon of wine tasting, I picked up this 2012 Virginia Wine Brochure at our last stop. I opened it up to find a huge Virginia map on the back with every winery in the state listed on it. I had an awesome idea to find a bulletin board, attach the map, and start pinning it for every winery we visit. We already collect the tasting glasses & display them in the kitchen, but I wanted another way to document our wine tasting adventures. My plan is to hang it up by the bar for some wall art.

I hope to visit every winery in Virginia - no time frame really, just in my lifetime :). My goal for summer/fall 2012 is to visit all of wineries in Rappahannock & Fauquier.

The Menu for Gold Cup



I've been to Gold Cup many times, but I've always worked it! Ross used to go before him & I started dating, so he wanted to go this year - & he wanted me to go with him. I explained to work why I wouldn't be working it this time around & bought my get-up. One of the most important decisions, besides what to wear, was what to make! I went to Pinterest (of course!) & found my awesome Gold Cup menu.

Sangria

 

 
I made this "sangria" with 2 bottles of white wine (Reisling), a 2 liter of Sierra Mist, & sliced strawberries, limes, & peaches. It wasn't strong at all - perhaps even a bit too "punchy". I wasn't a huge fan of this drink, but it served it's purpose. The overall taste of it was good, but it could use some tweaks. Maybe less soda? More wine? Some kind of sparkling something...if you make this & figure something out to make it awesome, let me know! :)

 

 

Alabama Fire Crackers

 

These crackers are AWESOME. The recipe calls for regular size saltines, but for tailgating I thought the mini size would be easier to manage (plus it'd make more servings!). I suggest making these the night before because the oil needs time to soak into the crackers. I did it the night before & it came out great. They're definitely spicy, but in a very good way. You can tweak the recipe to make it less spicy if you prefer it differently, but I recommend that you try it the original way first.

 

 

 

 

Skinny Shrimp Salsa

 

The shrimp salsa! I had to put it back in the cooler a couple times because direct sunlight + seafood = bad news. I did a test run of this last weekend for my father-in-law's birthday & it was a hit. I did find some ways to tweak it though so it'd be even better this weekend. First off, I doubled the recipe. Then I added 2 cans of black beans (drained & rinsed). I only used 5 tomatoes & I used extra jalepeno. Using less tomato was perfect because that means more shrimp! This time around I think was even better than before. I bought the organic blue corn tortilla chips from Target - they're awesome. My new favorite dip chips!

So there it is - my Pinterest finds for Gold Cup! With summer coming up that means more picnics & tailgates which means more opportunities to make fun stuff I've found online. Let me know if you have luck with these recipes! :)