New Years Eve

Although most think of New Years as a time to pull out all the stops on glitz and glitter, it's possible to bring in the new year style without going "over board". Consider black jeggings with a colorful blouse and fur vest. If you are looking for a more casual look, try a riding book or wedge, for a dressier feel, slide on a black pump. Dress your outfit up with your style of jewels. Statement pieces are a personal favorite of mine! 
           ~ G 

bluffton

I <3 Bluffton!!!! Last weekend, Brian and I went up to Bluffton, South Carolina for the weekend. Brian has family that live there and ANY chance we get to visit, we enjoy the trip. His aunt and uncle hosted a wonderful Christmas party on Friday night with all their friends of Hilton Head...it was great see and meet so many wonderful people. 

Their property is absolutely fantastic...It sits right on the bluff, with beautiful salt water marsh! The tides are incredibly drastic there and this particular morning was low tide. I could sit out in the backyard all day long overlooking the beautiful natural scenery. This day it was FREEZING!!!!!! Brian and I bundled up to walk down the dock and we were able to snap a quick pic....selfie :)

up close and personal :) 

One of my very favorite parts of his aunt and uncles house is the "game" room....and by "game" I mean WILD game! B's uncle is a huge hunter and this room is a montage to his hobby. This is only half the room...wish I had my new camera to shoot some of the awesome features of this room....TRULY INCREDIBLE! That antler chandelier...I mean ReAlLy?!? 

I love a good front porch swing, so I forced Brian to take a picture out there. It was a such a beautiful day... nothing beats a relaxing morning on a front porch swing :) 

Bluffton is only about 20 minutes from Savannah, so on our way home we stopped by to do a little eating and shopping (the two do go together, right???) We were able to stop by some of very favorite shops while in Savannah. I've never been to Savannah during Christmas time. It's so awesome to see all the stores decorated so perfectly. I love The Paris Market & One Fish Two Fish...I also found this awesome antique store called the Corner Door. I could have spent all day picking up little treasures...I'll be going back, once all the Christmas decor comes down. 

The last time we were in Savannah, a local recommended the Crystal Beer Parlor for lunch...so we decided to stop by there again. They are known for their local brew and awesome burgers! My fa-in-law got this "Cheeseburger Club"...a little raw for my taste, but HEY, it still looks good :) My burger was HUGE...with grilled onions & grilled mushrooms...mmm...so good!  

Any weekend trip is a nice get away. I love getting to spend quality time with my husband and family and friends. I really do love Bluffton and Savannah and can't wait to go back and visit soon! 

Feel free to comment at the bottom....or consider "following" me by clicking the button the right hand side of the page! 

                                                                                             ~ G

dining room table

One of my very favorite hobbies is finding old pieces of furniture and updating them to fit my home. Most of the furniture we have is refurbished in some way. I have a few local antique stores that I search on a weekly basis for new finds. 

Several weeks ago, Brian and I stumbled upon this beautiful 7 piece dining room set with 2 additional leaves. Our current dining room table, if you can even call it that, was a little farmhouse table that we re-did about 18 months ago. It was really too small for our new dining room and it could hardly hold 4 people. This new piece was actually painted white and the chair seats were covered in burlap (not necessarily what I would have done...but the burlap I can live with).  I wasn't really "looking" for a new set, just yet, but when I spotted this, I couldn't let it go. The table is a beautiful oak table, with cane-backed chairs  (swooning). 

Redoing furniture always sounds like a very easy process...but honestly, it is a work of patience! This piece took me about 2 weeks to complete AND I'm still working on the leafs for the table. 

Before 

I don't usually strip paint off furniture if I am going to repaint it. Stripping paint is a VERY tedious process, so I only recommend it if you are restraining wood to its original. For this piece, I used about 4 cans total of paint stripper. I should have bought the big canister. You can find paint stripper at your local hardware/paint store. You want to use the HEAVIEST/THICKEST stripper you can find. DO NOT USE aerosol stripper! I basically pore the stripper straight onto the table, then use a foam brush to spread the paste all over the paint. This works best if you do small sections at a time. Let the paste sit for about 20-30 minutes, then begin to strip the paint. You will need a paint stripping knife to do this. If the stripper is working correctly, the paint should come off in big strips...if it's not it will come off in smaller pieces. 

This piece took about 1.5 weeks to strip ALL the paint off. It had lots of trip work on the sides that were very time consuming to strip. 

 Once you've gotten all the paint removed from the surface....and it must be ALL the paint. You will want to sand the surface. I usually use a 220 grit sandpaper for most projects. At that level, you can be sure it will not scratch the surface. You just want the surface smooth and slightly gritty in order to hold the stain. 

After, you are comfortable with the sanding, wipe the table down with a damp cloth (mineral spirits or water). 

After the table is dried, you are ready to begin staining. I always use MinWax when I stain furniture. I trust the tint of the stain and the durability on the furniture. For this piece, I actually used two different stains (a regular oil-based stain-table top and legs & a gel based stain-trim work). 

Again, I use a foam brush to coat the stain. It is important that you notice how thick you are coating the table. If the stain is too dark you can always wipe it off with a clean cloth. Let the stain dry for about 24-48 hours or until tackiness goes away. DO NOT rush this process. If you rush the drying process, you will it end up with blotchy spots on the table. 

After the first coat is dry, sand the table (again with 220 grit sandpaper). It is important to go with the grain of the table to insure that you don't get scratch marks. Again, wipe the table down with a damp cloth of mineral spirits or water. Let dry. 

Repeat staining process to desired color. 

After the stain is 100% dry (for this project it was about 3 days), you will want to coat the top surface with a Polyurethane. This keeps the surface protected and also allows you to clean the surface later on. I used a clear semi-gloss for this table, but there are several surface options. Let dry for about 48 hours or until dry to touch. 

Finished product

I am very pleased with how this piece turned out. I still need to finish the leaves, but it is the perfect table for this room. 

The key to refinishing furniture is really patience! Try not to have a set deadline and allow it to become a fun, relaxing hobby! 

sorry for the poor quality....I've asked Santa for a nice new camera :)))

Consider "following" Live In Grace, by clicking the follow button on the right hand side OR leave me a comment...I'd love to hear what you think!!!

                                                                                                 ~G

christmas decor

This is our first Christmas in our new house!!! So far, it has been wonderful! I love having a nice, cozy fireplace, a pretty mantle and a place that truly feels like "home" to decorate for the holidays. Growing up, my mom was the queen of Christmas decorating. Now it wasn't tacky christmas, it was the MOST elegant Christmas decor you could imagine...luscious garlands wrapped around staircases, a massive tree in the middle of the house and every inch in between was "done to a tee". 

This year, I wanted to create a very cozy, yet elegant feel for Christmas. I got a little lazy though and didn't get nearly has much completed as I had hoped for. Next year, I'll add more, but I think it's a good start. 

I love natural colors and textures, like burlap, jute, & linen. So the "theme" for our house was a very natural Christmas. I used lots of natural fabrics and elements like pinecones, berries, and sticks. 

                                         
I was soooooooo excited to have a mantle to decorate this year and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I found 12' long garland at Bed, Bath & Beyond believe it or not. It's very thick and hardy. I added strips of burlap fabric that I had around the house and picked up some pine cones from our yard to add too. It is amazing how much the green garland makes our white fireplace "pop". The other elements, including the blue and white urns, candle sticks and basket are there year round. I'll more elements once the garland comes down after Christmas. 

Mark Robert's "Sweetness" Fairy

Mark Robert's "Light the Night" Fairy

Some people ( my sisters) hate these little guys...but I happen to LOVE them!! They add so much character to the house this time of year. I love to hang them from chandeliers and pendant lights. I also have a miniature santa ornament that hangs on my tree.   

 I'm kind of sad at how this picture turned out...it was really difficult to get the lighting right because of the sun coming through the back doors. We bought a real tree this year about 7 feet tall. It's adorned with 800 lights and could use about 300 more. I like when I tree looks full with lights :). The bow is made of Jute Ribbon and Gold Mesh Garland. I originally planned to just use Jute, but it absorbed too much of the lights and I like that "sparkle" effect on my tree, so I over lapped them.  I also added some sticks and gold bunches throughout the tree. The majority of my house is monochromatic and my tree is not much different, so I added a few red Poinsettia flowers to add a little color. They tuck into the tree so nicely! 

 My dining room is in the midst of transition, as I'm refinishing a new table (post coming soon). However, this room always feels so elegant to me! It was actually one of my favorite rooms in the house when we were looking to buy it. I love this chandelier. It's perfectly rustic enough, but still somewhat trendy. I bought these little chandelier rings at Design Additions in Avondale (one of my very favorite home decor stores). They add a lot of charm to the chandelier and my little fairy doesn't hurt :) Again, I used a simple glass jar filled with sticks as a centerpiece to keep the natural theme continuing. 

I usually burn Frasier Fir at my house, but this year, I tried Trapp Candles and they are delightful and they burn slower than Thyme candles. 

Small berry garland adds touches of Christmas to my bookshelf decor

Cabinet in the kitchen decorated with pinecones, berries and topiaries. 

I definitely did not plan to do a RED wreath, but I made it and it stayed :) ha! Next year, I'll make the wreath that I intended on making!!  

 I love this time of year and I KNOW I will be depressed come January 1st when all the Christmas decorations come down. I always feel like everything is so complete ....can we just leave it decorated for Christmas year 'round? 

                                                                                    Merry Christmas! 
                                                                                                ~G

Stocking Stuffers for Him

If there is one thing that I love about Christmas morning, it's stuffing Brian's stocking with lots of random goodies. Obviously, exchanging presents is lots of fun too, but there is something unexpectedly awesome about stockings :). I think it started when I was younger. My mom was the queen at stocking stuffing. She always knew exactly "what you needed" and added some fun random things too. 

Last year, I tried to think of "clever" gifts to stuff Brian's stocking and I'll try to add some more items this year. Here are some thoughts if you're still looking for that little something extra.

Cigars: They are the perfect size for stuffing a stocking. I know the local boys prefer Oliva Cigars (which you can find at most fine cigar stores). You may also want to consider a cool lighter or cigar cutter. 

Old Spice Aftershave: I personally love these vintage bottles. It adds a little something "extra" to the ordinary aftershave. 

Golf Tees: Pick up something for your man's favorite hobby. You could also consider golf balls, fishing lures, a turkey or duck call etc.

David Sunflower Seeds: This is one of Brian's favorites. He loves to chew seeds while he's working in the yard. 

Boxers: I firmly believe every person (this may be an overshare) needs to get new underpinnings in their stocking! Who wants to buy those? ha! :)) 

Miniatures: Perfect size bottle to add a little "spice" to your holiday.

ITunes Gift Card: Small in size, but adds a big punch to the playlist. 

Tools: Men can never have too many hammers or screwdrivers (or so they say). Tools are always a great idea to make him feel like a "MAN" :). 

Personal Items: Axe body spray, shaving cream, deodorant and other personal items are also great stocking stuffers. 

Hopefully you have a list of great ideas for you man and maybe these few times will help make your Christmas shopping a little easier. 

                                                                                     ~G

Christmas Wishes 2012

Christmas Wishes 2012 by gracieregister featuring ballerina shoes

Taziki's Friday Special

In honor of "Throwback Thursday" and just good ol' fashioned cooking, I have to share one of my favorite meals EVERRRR!!! I spent my college years in Birmingham, Alabama. Taziki's is one of the most popular restaurants in town. They are known for their awesome Greek food. On Friday's, they have a special that includes pasta & chicken over a bed of lettuce and a side of pita (sounds kind of bland, I know, but it's sooo yummmy!!!). I (along with the other half of Samford and Birmingham residents) enjoyed most Fridays at Tazikis.

Since I've moved back to Jacksonville, I have soo desperately missed Friday Special. Each time I go back to Birmingham, I have to make my trip to get my "fix". So when I found a copycat recipe, "literally, I died" (some of you may get that inside joke)  :))) I've adapted a recipe over time to make it exactly as I like it, but I can promise you you'll love it!!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon thyme (I really don't love the flavor or thyme, so I use very little)
1 shallot, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
1.5 cups olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper
2 head of romaine lettuce
1 box of penne pasta
6 chicken tenderloins (~1 lb)
feta cheese
Roma tomatoes
fresh basil

Directions:

Marinade chicken in a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper.
After chicken marinades for a few minutes, grill chicken for about 8 minutes.
Bring water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.
Cut, waste and spin lettuce

For vinaigrette:
Mix thyme, shallot, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt & pepper & olive oil together in a small bowl.

After pasta is cooked and drained add chopped chicken to the pasta. Toss with vinaigrette. Plate a bed of lettuce and place pasta on top of lettuce. Pasta is topped with feta cheese, diced tomato and fresh basil.  

I  promise you will love this recipe! Give it a try and let me know what you think!!
                                                                                          ~ G

Brian's Cooking

Since Brian and I moved into our house, I've been much more consistent with cooking dinner at least 3 nights a week. I really do love to cook, try new recipes and most importantly, I love to eat! I really enjoy the whole process of cooking and I especially like it when I have a yummy product. 

Usually, I am the designated cook at my house. Brian doesn't really love to cook (unless it's on the grill). However, with our schedules this year, he's had to help out in the kitchen more. I'm working on my master's degree, which requires me to be at class until about 8:45pm two nights a week. I hate it!! I'd much rather be at home, running, cooking and relaxing, but "you gotta do whatcha gotta do". In an effort to not eat out as much, Brian has to cook( put food in the oven or on the grill) on my school nights. When he first started, the results were a little subpar. But let me just say...he is getting better at following directions...ha:) Each week, I try to think of recipes that are VERY simple or casseroles I can put together before work that can be put in the oven. 

Last week, he cooked some pretty awesome meals...so I promised B that I would write about his cooking in my blog...your welcome! 

Broccoli and Chicken Casserole
Ingredients: Chicken, Broccoli, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Ritz Crackers, Cheddar Cheese
Baked in the Oven for about 25 minutes

Sweet Baby Ray's Pulled Pork Sandwhich
Ingredients: Boneless Pork Roast, Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, salt and pepper
Cooked in the crock pot for about 10 hours. 

Chicken and Veggie Skewers
Ingredients: Chicken Tenderloins, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms,
Marinade: Italian Dressing  & Soy Sauce
Cooked on the Grill

Now, I know these are not "gourmet" meals, but HEY the man is cooking (and helping with dishes)!!!! I'd say thats a WIN! Seriously though, I'm grateful that my hubs cooks for us in an effort to help me! He's so supportive and for that I'm eternally grateful! :))) 

                                                                                           ~G

Thankful

I'm sorry I've been slightly MIA from my blog lately. Things have been a little crazy around here getting ready for Thanksgiving, work, school etc. I'll try and be better at posting more reguarly :))

Thanksgiving is always a time for reflection and giving thanks, each year seems to role by so quickly! I LOVE this holiday (actually, I think it may be my favorite). It's the perfect balance of spending time with family, being around the table, having fun, watching football, without all the pressure of Christmas. In our families, food is the primary focus of the day. There is more food than would feed 5 families!! I'm still not sure why we cook/eat so much...but HEY...

This year I treid to stop and think of the TOP 5 things I am thankful for, but not just things...I tried to think of the reason WHY I am thankful for it. Obviously, I am thankful for family, friends, health, but I wanted to give more specifics to these items. Here's my list:

1- Our Home: Brian bought a townhouse when he graduated from college. It was a nice, new place, but it was not exactly where we wanted to live to raise a family. We began looking for houses about a year and a half before we bought this place. It was a long, stressful journey. We put in several offers on different houses, actually had a contract on another house and it all fell through. I wasn't sure what the reason was while it was happening, but now I know it was because THIS was meant to be our home. It is perfect for us! It was exactly what we were looking/hoping for and patience paid off. This home has aloud us to entertain more and be home more. I am SO thankful that God opened the door (literally) for us to move into our new HOME. (Christmas home tour coming soon!)

2- My Job: I know this one sounds cliche, but I am really sooo thankful to be in the place that I am working. Exactly one year ago, I was hired to teach 7th grade science at Twin Lakes Middle. I really wasn't so sure what I was getting myself into...and honestly, it was a challenge at first. This year has been the MOST rewarding years of my life. I feel like I get to impact the lives of 100 students each year. I get to invest in them and show them the love of Christ...something I view as an awesome privelege!!! My job has taught me patience, understanding, acceptance and compassion and I couldn't be more grateful for that!!

3-Family Healing: This is NOT something I prefer to blog about, but I am thankful this year for family healing. My family has been through quite a bit in the last 3 years....challenges I never thought I (we) would face. Within those 3 years, relationships have been made, broken, hurt, tarnished and now healed. The saying "Time heals all wounds" may be an appropriate saying, but I believe it is the power of God doing his work in each of our lives. My family is one of the most important things to me and I pray that God continues to work in our lives daily!!!

4- My hubs: Again...I know this one is cliche too, but I think it's important that the world know how thankful I am for Brian. He has the ability to balance me and ground me in a way that no one else can. He challenges me to be better, to love grater and to care more. I cannot wait to see where our lives take us together! I'm thankful for that summer on the boats o' so many years ago!

5- New and Old Friendships: This year has been filled with making new friendships and mending old friendships. I am not one that has a TON of close friends, but one the ones I have are treasures!!! I'm so grateful for the friendships I have that challenge me! I'm also grateful for those friendships and acquaintances that make you laugh and enjoy any moment spent together. I hope that God continues to place people in our lives, that love him and challenge B and I to work harder and be better people.

OK-enough with the seriously stuff...now to the materialistic small things that I am truly thanksful for : all things J.Crew, frasier fir, essy nail polish, sweet tea, rib shack, extra fine point pens, Auburn football (not the crappy season, but...), TB Revas, burlap, bare minerals lip gloss oh the list goes on and on and on....

I hope you had a FABLUOUS thanksgiving and a great time with family and friends. May you remain in the spirit of thanksgiving as we enter the holiday season and remember those that are less fortunate.

                                                                                   Happy Thanksgiving!
                                                                                                    ~G

Pumpkin Bread

This time of year, I can never get enough pumpkin in my life! Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, you name it! A couple of weeks ago, we had a "pot luck" at work and a co-worker brought pumpkin bread. It was some of the BEST pumpkin bread, I'd ever put in my mouth...so moist, perfectly spiced and very light! I've made it a mission to figure out how to make delicious pumpkin bread like that! Pumpkin bread is perfect for thanksgiving, christmas or really anytime of year in my personal opinion. 

Below is a version of my pumpkin bread recipe. It is super easy and pretty yummy too! 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cup of sifted flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg
• 1 tsp. of baking soda 

**Note: I will add more cinnamon or clove next time** 

Directions: 

1. Blend the oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl.

2. Stir in beaten eggs and canned pumpkin

3. Mix in all dry ingredients. 

4. Grease bread pan and pour in batter (~2/3 of the pan)

5. Put the loaf pan into a casserole or cake pan

6. Pour ~2 cups of water into the casserole dish (The water should be about .5 inches up the loaf pan).

7. Bake the bread on 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Use a toothpick to make sure the bread is finished.

8. Let the bread rest and cool for 10 minutes before slicing. 

I prefer Libby's for any pumpkin baking! 

The water in the casserole dish keeps the bread moist and from drying out during the baking process. 

I got these precious little loaf pans for a wedding gift. They are perfect size for gifting or just enough for 2 :)

Do you love pumpkin as much as I do? Try this recipe...let me know what you think! 

                       

                           ~G

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween (or day after)!  I think Halloween is such a FUN holiday! As much as I LOVE Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter etc, there is just something about the casual nature of Halloween that makes it so much fun!

This is our first Halloween in our new home and I was so thrilled to have everyone over for a relaxing night of trick-or-treat and dinner. I loved seeing all of our little neighbors dressed up, some so little they were in wagons ! My sweet little cousin, Annie, is the baby of all us grandkids. She's 8...and growing up WAYYYY to fast. It has become tradition to spend Halloween with her (we jokingly admit to be her personal entourage). Annie dressed up as a "nerd" this year...and boy was she the cutest/funniest thing! My favorite Annie moment of the whole night was as she was walking up to a house in the neighborhood, she saw that it had a Romney/Ryan sign in the front yard, she confidently said, "NOW THIS IS A HOUSE I CAN TRUST!" LOL....girl after my own heart! 

Cutest nerd I ever saw! 

"Are we promoting bullying?"-Allison

The guys stayed back to pass out candy and enjoy their "adult trick-or-treat" :) After some door to door "candy begging" as Brian puts it, we all came back to the house for a nice warm bowl of chili! It was my first time making homemade chili and I think it turned out pretty good. I love how cool its been outside and to me, chili is the perfect meal for a cool night. 

 I really enjoyed this Halloween and it makes me even more excited for having our own family someday to "trick-or-treat" on our little street! Hope you had a fun day and didn't eat too much candy!

                                                                                            Hootie-Hoo
                                                                                                         G

Florida vs. Georgia 2012

What a wonderful weekend!!! Another Florida vs. Georgia weekend has come and gone! They seem to go by so quickly! We spent the weekend with great friends and celebrating the best time of the year...College Football Season :) 

Sweet Devon and I finally made it to the tailgate to after an early morning of cooking :) 

We tried to get a "good" picture before all the FUN began! 

Lots of yummy food

"Nausea Tonic" haha...found this in the bathroom. 

Monogrammed Mason Jars aka 'Spirit Cups'...but of course!

Story of my life...sister being silly in a picture! 

All the ladies of the family! (miss you Milly)

Yes we poured a special drink just for this pic!

On our trek to the top of the stadium

"At least we can watch the game unfold" -BJR

"HEEEEERRRRE Come the Gators"

Here come the dawns

Pride of the Sunshine (appropriately named based on the evening's sunset)

Love these guys! 

Glad she was there :)) 

THE most beautiful sunset I've seen in Jacksonville in years!!!!! 

This was one of the best year's yet...so much fun...easy to set up/clean up and a great turn out! Can't wait to see where the years take us!!!! Here's to another successful Florida/Georgia!!!

                                                                      ****CHEERS****
                                                                                     
                                                                                                 ~G