lmstoehr

National Champs, take #2!

2011-06-29T08:40:00.000-04:00

29 weeks

2011-06-24T15:26:00.000-04:00

My little Facebook ticker reminded me this morning... happy 29 weeks! It's crazy to think our little Stella, once the size of a sweet pea, is now the size of a squash. (Only two more fruit sizes to compare her to until she's here - LOL) She's taking advantage of having a bit of extra room - her nudges and movement are certainly getting stronger. Her sleeping habits are also a bit more in sync than before which is encouraging - when they started, she was tumbling at 2am.

According to thebump.com, her five senses are fully functional and brain development is underway. Brad and I talk to her out loud on a regular basis and she really enjoys listening (and actively responds to) to the 'Adele' station on my Pandora account... girl has great taste already!

Showered with love

2011-06-23T07:47:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was our first baby shower in Summerville, SC and we had such a great time! It's incredibly comforting to know this sweet girl has so many people that love her already. Here's a few pictures of the festivities:

"Welcome Baby Stella"

Hostessess with the mostesses! Aunt Lesia, me & mom

Guestbook!

Grandmommies-to-be! Mom, me & Kathy

BFF moment! Jeff & I

Thanks to all who made this celebration so memorable...
we are so blessed!

It's here!!!

2011-06-07T11:57:00.001-04:00

Twilight's final installment, Breaking Dawn (Part I) trailer has been officially released!

November 18th cannot come soon enough...

pink & green turtles? yes, please!

2011-06-02T12:03:00.002-04:00

It's no secret that I love eBay & Etsy but now, they are my go-to places to check for pink/green/turtle stuff for Little Miss. This could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it:

See what I mean? :)

"Did you get that memo?"

2011-05-31T13:58:00.001-04:00

This movie describes my today in more ways than I'd care to admit.

What a week!

2011-05-30T10:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day!

Some of us have today off (I'm not one of these lucky individuals but hey, it's alright) but I hope we'll pause today to remember all of our amazing soldiers who remind us every day that our freedom is far from free. It comes at the HIGHEST cost. Thank you to my mom, dad and family members that have served/continue to serve the greatest country on Earth. I love you all dearly!

This week is also very special because we are doing a LOT of celebrating:

Happy anniversary to Amanda & Lenny Mathis!

May 30

Happy birthday to a great friend and sister, Lorraine Saxon!

June 1

Happy birthday to one of my best friends, Jeff Rose!

June 2

Happy anniversary to Chris & Paige Morton!

June 2

Happy anniversary to Chris & Julie Paulson!

June 3

TGIF - coffee needed

2011-05-27T09:15:00.000-04:00

Insurance exam this (late) morning = no coffee for Leslie.

(Happy Friday!)

Happy Thursday

2011-05-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

Happy 25 weeks!

Between 25-28 weeks, baby is about the size of an eggplant!
Baby is getting her immune system ready by soaking up mom's antibodies
Her eyes are forming and will be reayd to bat those new eyelashes

photo / information credit

Crib bedding - help!

2011-05-24T13:55:00.000-04:00

We've narrowed down our crib bedding to the final two designs - yay! Both are about the same price for what we'll need, both are SUPER cute for Stella's nursery and would be easy to accent with pictures or wall art... but of course, I can't decide!

Which do YOU like? :)

BabyBedding - Lime and Pink Paisley

Land of Nod - How Does Your Garden Grow?

Exciting delivery at 24 weeks!

2011-05-19T09:27:00.000-04:00

No, no, no. Don't worry, it's not THAT delivery. We still have a couple months before Little Miss makes her debut. However, we are receiving a special delivery today - Stella's dresser and hutch is arriving after work!

This means that her crib, gliber and dresser/hutch will be here and assembled by this weekend... hooray for productivity! We're still looking at bedding but have found some awesome choices to consider:

Land of Nod: How Does Your Garden Grow?

Pottery Barn Kids: Lily Nursery

All the while, today is 24 weeks!

Baby is as big as a papaya!
She can hear you from inside the womb
Baby's face is fully formed
Baby is also starting to settle into sleep cycles

photo / info credit

It's a...

2011-05-17T09:42:00.001-04:00

Yep, Brad and I are excited that we're expecting Stella Reese in early September! Many of you already know this exciting news by now (thank you, Facebook) but it's taken me a while to get the news here for a lot of personal reasons including an ER scare, car accident and work getting extremely hectic. God never gives us more than we can handle - this I'm very certain - and the best news of all is baby Stella is doing wonderful. I hope all of the craziness is behind us... fingers crossed!

It's hard to believe but we're in our last week of the 2nd trimester - where does the time go??? I need to get Brad to take a new picture of the bump. It's certainly changed since 16 weeks! Thank you all for your continued prayers and thoughts... they are appreciated more than you know!

Less than 24 hours!

2011-04-20T15:40:00.000-04:00

This time tomorrow, we will know the gender of baby Stoehr!

Will we be saying

Happy "HP7" Friday!

2011-04-15T16:33:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I was released today! Thanks goodness for a pre-ordered copy, a pizza and a night of total vegging. :)

19 weeks!

2011-04-14T11:07:00.001-04:00

Couple fun things about baby at 19 weeks:

baby is about the size of a mango!
a protective covering is developing over the baby, shielding it from the amniotic fluid

One of the really fun things going on right now is that our nursery furniture is on its way! We found it initially at a place in Greenville, SC called Baby Furniture Plus Kids and instantly fell in love. I think I was drawn to the Ravenna collection because it has a traditional look to it that will be great to use for years to come (and not always in a nursery necessarily) Since we're working a pretty limited room, space-wise, we decided just to go with the convertible crib, dresser/hutch combo and a glider/ottoman. Little did we know, my dad and stepmom actually had plans to surprise us with the dresser/hutch and my mom and stepdad did the same for the beautiful glider/ottoman - all during the same weekend! (thank you to them - we're so lucky to have incredible parents!) To complete the package, we went ahead and decided to buy the crib, only to find out it was on sale, too. Win, win, win. Can't wait to see how this all comes together!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T12:07:00.002-04:00

(Okay, so it isn't completely wordless, but little Emerson's reactions are priceless!)

Little One update

2011-04-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

Things have been rolling right along - so much, that I missed last week's update! 18 weeks check-in, here we go:

(baby is the size of a sweet potato!)

The biggest milestone with this particular update is that baby is moving and I can feel it! I felt our little one move for the first time when we landed in Frankfurt, Germany a couple weeks ago. It was SUCH a crazy feeling: a ball of butterflies doing somersaults, much different for me than the feeling you get riding in an elevator or landing in a plane. Since then, I've felt him/her move a few times... I'm sure that will progress the further along we go!

Speaking of him or her, we're counting down the days until we find out what baby Stoehr will be... I can hardly stand the suspense! We get the big news next Thursday and while I'm not sure how we're planning to celebrate yet, it will make this Easter weekend one to remember (talk about a Good Friday!)

OH, and how could I forget? I think Brad and I have nailed down our names: Miller Patrick if it's a boy and Stella Reese is if it's a girl! Miller is my maiden name and since I'm the only child between my parents, it's our way of carrying on my dad's name; Patrick is Brad's middle name. Stella Reese has no family connection to either name, we both just really like the combination. The more I hear them, the more I love them. What a wonderful thing to mark off your mom-to-be list!

17 weeks!

2011-03-31T10:24:00.000-04:00

Here we are at 17 weeks and moving along quite nicely! I've felt wonderful lately - no sickness, my energy is continuing to return and baby is getting bigger each day. We have a doctor's appointment after we return from Germany (I'm telling you, this baby is my traveling good luck charm!) and in a couple short weeks, we'll know if we're having a boy or girl - I can hardly stand it!

Some fun facts about baby at 17 weeks:

baby is about the size of an onion
the skeleton is hardening from cartilage to bone
the umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger
baby's fingers now have fingerprints!

Blessings

2011-03-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

If there was ever a day I didn't need to worry about drying my hair, it would be this morning. It began POURING rain around midnight and hasn't shown any signs of letting up. As I was rushing around this morning trying to take care of the dogs and get ready for work, I walked by the kitchen windown and did a double take: my hydrangea plant, which I've been trying to feed/water back to greener times, had sprouted not just one new stem... but THREE! It's almost as if it was just waiting for this big downpour to happen to it could finally blossom.

Seeing my sweet plant in its new stage made me stop and thank God for the blessings in my life, no matter how little.

Simply cute!

2011-03-29T16:26:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, we just need the "awwwwww" factor.

(I miss my sweet Moxie being that teeny!)

Happy 5 months, MK!

2011-03-25T16:31:00.000-04:00

Our precious niece, Molly Kathryn, is 5 months today!

(thanks for the picture, Molly!)

16 weeks!

2011-03-24T12:45:00.002-04:00

Today is 16 weeks for baby Stoehr! It's hard to comprehend how fast time has gone by when you're waiting for your little one.

photo credit

At 16 weeks:

baby is about the size of an avacado
baby can begin to hear sounds
gender can be established by this time (come on 4/21!)
eyebrows, eyelashes & hair are filling in

Telling your fortune

2011-03-23T11:52:00.000-04:00

Have you ever received a fortune cookie fortune that actually came true? Yeah, me neither. That is until a couple months ago. Brad and I were enjoying our traditional Christmas dinner with chinese food (funny/long story I'll explain later) and this was the fortune I had waiting for me:

I know how good God is to me and as silly as it sounds, this small piece of paper gave me peace in knowing our journey of growing our family was in good hands. Brad and I had been trying for over a year to have a baby and while we knew it would take some time due to some hurdles, it did get a bit discouraging at times. Little did we know that when I opened this fortune cookie, it would prove to be more of a confirmation more than a glimpse into our future.

I'm so excited to say that Brad and I are expecting our first baby this September and we couldn't be more over-the-moon to be parents. We're looking forward to this incredible journey and how it changes our lives for the better!

Pink & Green GIVEAWAY!

2011-02-17T15:07:00.000-05:00

With spring right around the corner, who would love a splash of color in their life??? Better yet, a little pink and green to get you ready for the warm weather!

Becky at Sweet tea & Pearls is hosting a festive giveaway and it's super easy to enter: just check out her blog and ... don't forget to let her know you heard about this awesome opportunity from me! GOOD LUCK!

Birthdays galore!

2011-02-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

It's the week of birthday celebrations!

Nate Paulson

Turned the big TWO on February 16!

Jackson Derry

Turning the big TWO on February 20!

And even though it's not her "birthday", Molly Kathryn will 4 months old next Friday... this cutie pie will be driving DRIVING before we know it!

TGI...T?

2011-02-11T15:56:00.000-05:00

12/21/2012 = 30th birthday. LOL.

Super Bowl commercials, best & worst

2011-02-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

Sad to say, but this year's Super Bowl ads got a big thumbs down from me. Nothing that had me rolling in the aisles like usual. However, there were a couple ones I thought stood out and have people all a buzz this morning:

BEST

WORST

Super Bowl XLV

2011-02-04T11:36:00.000-05:00

Our Carolina Panthers couldn't be further from this year's Super Bowl *tear* but this is definitely one way to pick who I'd root for in this year's big game... she couldn't look happier with her decision!

Happy New Year! (I'm only a month late.)

2011-02-03T15:52:00.001-05:00

Well, good-ness gracious. How is it already February 3rd and I'm just updating this??? Happy New Year, folks! I won't take up a lot of time jabbering about how busy I've been because pictures are a LOT more fun. Here's a recap from my last post:

We sure did. 29-7!

This year's trip to the Grove Park Inn with Horizon Investments was probably my favorite trip yet! Brad and I stayed an extra day and roamed around Asheville - what a beautiful city - and we establish friendships that I feel will last a lifetime. We're both so blessed to be a part of a great family like Horizon!

My friend Stacy's baby turned the big ONE so we went to Columbia to help celebrate! (Little did we know Stacy was secretly celebrating about something else, too - Emmie is going to be a big sister in July!)

Our neck of the woods saw a couple days of snow and we even had a couple snow days off work! It's been fun and all but we're ready for some warmer weather... let's hope Punxsutawney Phil is right!

Christmas was incredible as always (it IS my favorite holiday after all) and we really enjoyed some time off. We caught up with family, friends and Brad and I enjoyed a little unexpected time with each other. We typically travel on Christmas Eve but this year, we decided to stay home and travel Christmas day... it was so nice! We went to Christmas Eve service at church, drove around looking at neighborhood lights and kept up with our tradition of eating Chinese food for dinner. Call me silly but I think my fortune says a lot for the upcoming year:

Cheers!

Fundraising for this year's Relay For Life event has officially kicked off! I decided to up my goal this year to $1,500 since we did so well last year ($1,250). To say that support has been outstanding would be an understatement... a little over two weeks in and we're already at $1,280 (85%)! Any and all donations, no matter the amount, are always appreciated!

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/lmstoehr

- - - - - - - -

I think that catches me up... for now.

Hope you are all enjoying the new year!

'Tis the season...

2010-11-23T14:08:00.000-05:00

Well folks, I don't know what to say. 2010 seems to be in WARP speed with no slowing down in sight. Thanksgiving is just a day away and then we'll be knee deep in jingle bells and sugar plum fairies. Hope you're ready!

As we all know, Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without some football in the mix and you know what that means... RIVALRY WEEK has returned! I'm extremely thankful to have a husband who cheers for my team the other 364 days of the year but will be proudly wearing my garnet/black on Saturday... go GAMECOCKS!

Our niece Molly Kathryn is growing and changing by the minute and her mom (my SIL Molly) keeps us updated weekly with pictures - thank goodness! This is probably my favorite so far... that smile is too cute for words. :)

We had our annual Stoehr family pictures taken a couple weeks ago, thanks to Sullivan at Carolina Starfish Photography. This is one of my favorites: Brad and I took it in front of a little cafe in Baxter Village. I will say that it isn't the one we used for our Christmas card... we're keeping that a surprise. We got some great shots and I look forward to sharing VERY soon!

Molly and I saw plain wreaths at the JLS Santa's Shoppe and figured we could make our own wreaths instead of paying double and getting half. Thanks to Michael's, a battery-powered string of lights and my hot-glue gun... we now have our very own Stoehr wreath!

Hope everyone has a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Overjoyed!

2010-10-26T11:05:00.001-04:00

Two more beauties have made their debut this week and we couldn't be happier!

Samantha Leigh Corrao

October 23, 2010 @ 6:45 p.m.

6 lbs, 9 oz. - 19 inches

Miss Samantha made her debut on GameDay and what a good luck charm she was - Clemson clutched its biggest win of the season, defeating Georgia Tech 27-13!

Molly Kathryn Moyer

October 25, 2010 @ 4:48 p.m.

6 lbs, 10 oz. - 20 inches

I don't think I have to tell any of you that this is the Little Miss the entire Derry/Stoehr/Moyer families have been waiting on for nine months... and she's every bit of perfect that we knew she'd be! Molly had what I can only describe as the ideal delivery and mom, dad and baby are all doing wonderful. Thanks to all the for love & prayers! God is so good!

More babies!

2010-10-22T09:30:00.000-04:00

Since my last post, two more little ones have made their debut!

Cecilia Anne Bromberg

October 14, 2010 @ 4:23 p.m.

7lbs, 7 oz. - 20 in.

Charles "Charlie" Butler Morton

October 19, 2010 @ 7:15 p.m.

7lbs, 4 oz. - 20.25 in.

Brad and I got to meet this special little guy in person - what a cutie pie! Chris and Paige seem to be doing great and will hopefully head home this weekend. Congratulations!

Is it Friday yet?

2010-10-12T15:18:00.001-04:00

http://www.isitfridayyet.org/

I guess if you have to ask, you already know the answer. LOL.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

2010-10-11T10:30:00.000-04:00

photo credit

What can I say about this weekend? Wow.

ESPN's GameDay rolled into the #famouslyhot city for a great time and boy, did they get it. My mother-in-law Kathy was asked to interpret for GameDay, which was a huge honor in itself but if that wasn't good enough, she got to meet Lee, Kirk, Chris and the whole crew!

Let the count begin!

2010-10-06T09:20:00.000-04:00

Well, October is finally here. It's one of my favorite months for many reasons but this year, it's has a new reason: babies! Brad and I know of (at least) seven babies due this month and we can officially begin the welcome parade:

Jean & Chris Lloyd

Baby Joel

October 1, 2010

10 lbs, 10 oz.

Meghan & Nate Harvey

Baby John

October 5, 2010

6 lbs, 2 oz.

If you haven't, GO.

2010-10-05T10:46:00.000-04:00

photo credit

It's weird, really - the first time I heard about Facebook was October 2004, my senior year at USC. One of my sorority sisters asked if I'd seen this site that could keep me connected with all my friends. It was new and I needed a sc.edu email address to participate so I logged on and never looked back. Now, a website once proud of this exclusivity, it has 500 million users, it's worth 25 billion (yes, with a b) dollars and has a new movie about its evolution. But I digress...

I don't typically listen to official movie reviews because I've loved many I've seen that received one star and vice versa; this certainly was not the case for The Social Network. Great reviews, fantastic movie. Even if you've never heard of Facebook (or any other social media network for that matter), go see this movie. You're guaranteed to be entertained.

Four stars.

Well, hello there...

2010-09-27T08:56:00.000-04:00

After what seems like months of no rain, the clouds finally opened up yesterday and brought cooler weather with it. It will be in the low to mid-70s all week which is a welcomed change from mid to upper 90s... it seems Autumn decided to finally make her appearance.

War... tide?

2010-09-23T15:30:00.001-04:00

I bet her poor parents never saw it coming.

When mascots attack!

2010-09-20T17:05:00.000-04:00

Hello again

2010-09-15T15:54:00.000-04:00

You know, it's a shame I can't keep this blog updated like I used to when I first started it... this whole "being an adult" thing is highly overrated at times. I've missed everyone and since I have a few minutes, let me try to catch up with everything:

Brad and I celebrated our three-year anniversary on August 11 (I know, I can't believe it either), which was simply wonderful. He gave a the most beautiful diamond cross that I almost never take off and we enjoyed our reservation at Bentley's on 27, overlooking uptown Charlotte. The brother-in-law of Brad's friend/co-worker (did you follow all that? LOL) is the head chef at Bentley's and made the evening extra special with a personal appearance - what a fantasic time!

The week following, the University of South Carolina began formal recruitment and Beta Delta (for all you non-Greeks, that's the chapter I was initiated) did not disappoint! Over 90 women accepted bids from Delta Zeta and I couldn't be happier for them. :)

At the end of August, Brad and I celebrated the anticipated arrival of Charlie Morton, the first baby of our good friends Chris and Paige. The Stoehrs, Mortons, Hams & Richards definitely know how to have a great time and we can't wait for this little dude's debut.

Sheri, Chris, Paige (& Charlie!) Wade, Page, Ben, Leslie, Brad

We can never get our fill of celebrations and Labor Day weekend proved just that as we celebrated with baby shower for my sister-in-law Molly! We had a great time with family and friends as we all get set to welcome Molly Kathryn Moyer with lots of Derry/Stoehr/Moyer love! Out of all the pictures I took that day, this is one of my favorites:

"Mommy's Sippy Cup" :)

Carolina football has resumed and we pulled out a BIG win over Georgia this past weekend. Marcus Lattimore single-handedly ran all over UGA and was recognized as SEC Player of the Week. Hope we can keep this momentum up... GO GAMECOCKS!!!

Lastly, this weekend marked the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. I'm not sure why this year was especially hard but I hope each of us can keep those affected by this terrible tragedy in our hearts every day, not just on this somber occasion.

God bless America.

3

2010-08-11T09:06:00.000-04:00

Happy 3rd anniversary to us!

Pledge Perfection!

2010-08-05T14:42:00.000-04:00

photo credit

Lilly Pulitzer has just released their new line of sorority patterns and I was SO excited to see Delta Zeta as one of the four chosen - hellooooo birthday wishlist!

Moving SUCKS

2010-08-03T10:38:00.000-04:00

We're moving our work office this week to the new campus center and it's completely renewed my faith in moving companies. While it will be nice to be in a brand new building, it will also present it own set of challenges... not to mention purging all this stuff makes me feel like I'm on an episode of Hoarders.

Is it Friday yet?

JAM-PACKED month

2010-07-28T09:08:00.000-04:00

So it's been a whole month since I've updated the blog... where has this summer seriously gone?! Let's see if I can play catch up...

June 29: SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS WIN CWS NATIONAL TITLE!

That same evening, Brad and I went to see the third installment of the Twilight series Eclipse. AMAZING!

June 30: (on 3ish hours of sleep) Headed to Tucson, Arizona for Delta Zeta's 49th National Convention. What a fabulous time with my sisters... thanks to all who made it a grand affair!

Currently helping plan two baby showers which has been SO much fun! Can't wait to meet these sweet babies and celebrate with our friends and family:

Charlie Butler Morton

due 10/9

Molly Kathryn Moyer

due 10/30

To save the best for last, my wonderful hubby and I will be celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary in a couple weeks. I'm so blessed to have a supportive, loving man in my life!

Crazy fun week!

2010-06-28T10:50:00.000-04:00

First, my apologies for being out of the loop for so long. We just wrapped up this year's two-week stint of freshmen orientation sessions at work. I worked plenty of extra hours and if you've ever worked for any state agency, you know all you have to barter is time (overtime? what's that?!) which is great that I can use it for my trip to Tucson, AZ for Delta Zeta's 49th National Convention this week!

photo credit

I'm excited to be back at convention, especially representing Surfing Sisters as our President and voting delegate. Not sure who thought it would be good to plan this around the July 4th weekend but regardless, it'll be good to see a lot of sisters and meet a lot I haven't met yet. Great times all around!

photo credit

As if that was exciting enough, the third installment of the Twilight saga, Eclipse, comes out at midnight Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and we're going to see it!!! It's always fun to see the die-hard Twihards come out in full force (crazy garb included) and certainly makes standing in line for over an hour a little more entertaining... :)

Have a great week everyone!

Toy Story meets Google

2010-06-09T14:57:00.001-04:00

Must. get. stronger. coffee.

2010-06-07T10:39:00.000-04:00

photo credit

Hellooooo Monday. Caffeine IV, anyone?

Home Improvement, Stoehr style!

2010-05-26T09:25:00.001-04:00

After months of debating, Brad and I are finally biting the bullet and getting hardwood floors in the house! Who knew we'd be so excited about floors?! (Mom, if you're reading this - I know, you were right.) We've had the basic manufacturer's carpet since we moved in - the original carpet installed five years ago - and to be quite honest, it's a hot mess. We're planning to replace the carpet in the entry way, dining room, living room and half the stairs; it sounds like a lot but if you've ever been to the house, you know it's basically one giant room. (LOL) These are some pictures from when we first moved in:

As you can see, the color dynamics are currently darker walls, lighter floors and since we're moving to darker floors, we'll need lighter walls! We've already narrowed down our panits choices and received a quote from a recommended company... that's next on our home improvement project. Fingers crossed we can have everything done by the 2nd week of June!

More pictures to come!

We're expecting a...

2010-05-24T07:04:00.001-04:00

... NIECE! Congratulations to Molly & Bryan!

We're SO excited to share in this incredible time...

can't wait to meet this sweet girl!

Happy birthday!

2010-05-17T12:34:00.000-04:00

Photo credit

Today, YouTube celebrates five years of changing the world.

Congratulations & best wishes for the next five years!

To help celebrate, here is my all-time favorite clip:

Life is good.

2010-05-06T21:27:00.007-04:00

I realized that I've kinda sorta sucked at keeping up with the blogosphere lately but in my defense, things have kicked into high gear all around here. Good things are happening, though...

Brad will (formally) graduate from Queens University tomorrow evening with his Masters in Business Administration. I have to laugh because he's been graduating for about five months. We threw the big party in December (woohoo!) since he was done with classes and he even received his diploma in the mail. I'm still so proud of him and will probably cry anyways. Congrats!

Photo credit

Mother's Day is this weekend and I want to give all three (yes, you read that right, THREE) moms a shout-out: Kathy (mother-in-law), Lynda (stepmom) and of course, my wonderful mom Robin! They are incredible women who inspire me to do great things and be a better person... love you all!

photo credit

My sister-in-law Molly & her hubby Bryan will find out what Baby Moyer is a little earlier than we anticipated... they're throwing a revealing party on May 23rd! Which will we have, a little niece or nephew???

This time last year, many of us were preparing to send Amanda Ingram (now Mathis) into wedded bliss... how fast a year flies by! Happy first wedding anniversary on May 30th to Amanda and Lenny!

Last but not least, I'm head over heels for my recently elected position as President for Surfing Sisters of Delta Zeta! This is a fabulous group of women who add so much to my life. I'm honored to serve this chapter and look forward at what the new year has to offer. Transitioning now and officially start on July 1... wish me luck!

Lots of love in the air and I'm lucky enough to be a part of it...

life is good.

Mazel Tov!

2010-04-26T19:16:00.002-04:00

We went to Clemson this past weekend to see our friends Tuck and Lacy get married and it proved that even some rain couldn't ruin a great time! It's always so much fun to get together with this group and this celebration was no exception... the picture says it all! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Tucker!

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

2010-04-16T08:05:00.002-04:00

Today's the day! After months of fundraising and getting the word out, the Downtown Columbia Relay For Life event is finally here! This year has been a refreshing reminder of just how amazing my family and friends are... whether they know it or not, they give me the courage and hope to march on every day and I wouldn't be the motivated woman I am without them.

THANK YOU to everyone who has donated graciously for this cause so far:

Mary-ellen Derry - $200

Tim & Cheli Derry - $100

Meredith & Neal Simpson - $75

Catherine Lengers - $75

Don & Lynda Miller - $50

Gregg & Christine Stoehr - $50

Katie Franklin - $50

Deanna McLendon - $50

Bradley Stoehr - $25

Allison Carrow - $25

The RYAN POAG group - $25

Amanda & Lenny Mathis - $25

Jane Rainey - $25

Dee Siburt - $25

Darla Miller - $25

Peggy McCarty - $25

Catherine Plein - $25

Robin Stewart - $25

Kathy Stoehr - $25

Ilana Weiserg - $25

Inez Apgar - $25

Stephanie Bishop - $25

De'Anne Lucario - $25

Misha McShane-Frankewich - $25

Cheryl Mondi - $25

Amy Zoldak - $25

Jill Kendall-Erb - $20

Lisa Logan - $20

Karen Ebmeier - $10
Carrye Jenkins - $10

Liz Baker - $10

Steph Long - $10
Deb Williams-Stiffler - $10

Jessica Almeida - $10

Nikki Hammes - $10

Angel Hjarding - $10

To those who are able to celebrate birthdays with survivors, I walk for you tonight. To those who remember loved ones we've lost, I walk for you tonight. To those who continue to fight back cancer each day, I walk for you tonight.

Baby Moyer, debuting October 2010!

2010-04-08T11:02:00.002-04:00

It's always wonderful to hear those close to you announce that great news... "we're expecting!" In the last couple months, at least four of our friends have discovered they are expecting and luckily for Brad and I, one of these little ones will be our niece or nephew! Of course, we're over the moon for Molly & Bryan and look forward to being the best aunt and uncle ever! The best part? Baby Moyer is expected to make his/her appearance on October 30th... Uncle Brad's birthday! :)

Here's to a happy and healthy pregnancy!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T15:31:00.001-04:00

Photo credit

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

- 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

Funny Friday

2010-03-26T12:06:00.001-04:00

photo credit

LOL. Happy Friday, folks.

"I get by with a little help from my friends..."

2010-03-24T11:02:00.001-04:00

Brad, the pups and I went to visit our favorite Simpsons in Virginia this past weekend and we had a blast! We got to see Aunt Mary-ellen in Olde Town Alexandria for lunch (yay!), enjoyed the beautiful weather and got some great girl time with some awesome Delta Zetas, Meredith, Inez, Tracy & Clytie! We went to dinner at Cafe Berlin on Saturday, which was delicious (seriously, if you ever get the chance - go!) and can't wait to do it again soon!

(clockwise) Inez, Clytie, Tracy, Leslie, Meredith

little + big = :)

LOVE these guys!

(Leslie, Grayson, Brad, Connor, Neal & Meredith)

:)

2010-03-22T15:46:00.003-04:00

Happy Monday, kids.

Can I start over?

2010-03-17T19:48:00.000-04:00

Photo credit

Remember this timely treasure? This was today.

Here's to tomorrow being much better.

RFL - update!

2010-03-15T09:51:00.003-04:00

"WOW" is the only word that comes to mind when I think of how grateful I am to have such great family and friends. You all have come through for me in such a special way and I cannot begin to thank you all for supporting so close to my heart! Not only have you all helped me surpass last year's goal of $750 but as of this morning, I'm only $20 away from reaching this year's goal of $1000 - and we still have 5 weeks to go! Thanks to all who have generously pledged to help this amazing cause:

Mary-ellen Derry - $200

Tim & Cheli Derry - $100

Catherine Lengers - $75

Don & Lynda Miller - $50

Gregg & Christine Stoehr - $50

Katie Franklin - $50

Meredith & Neal Simpson - $50

Bradley Stoehr - $25

Allison Carrow - $25

The RYAN POAG group - $25

Amanda & Lenny Mathis - $25

Jane Rainey - $25

Dee Siburt - $25

Darla Miller - $25

Peggy McCarty - $25
Catherine Plein - $25

Robin Stewart - $25

Kathy Stoehr - $25

Ilana Weiserg - $25

Jill Kendall-Erb - $20

Karen Ebmeier - $10

Carrye Jenkins - $10

Liz Baker - $10

Steph Long - $10

Deb Williams-Stiffler - $10
Jessica Almeida - $10

If you'd like to help our Relay for Life event, please visit my page at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/leslie.stoehr to make a donation!

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

"Once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger."

2010-03-12T13:52:00.002-05:00

Photo credit

Well, it certainly has been a week FULL of exciting releases. Wednesday was the Eclipse trailer ((swoon)) and last night was the release of Lady Gaga's new music video "Telephone" featuring Beyonce. I've been looking forward to this since I bought her album Fame Monster and she certanly did. not. disappoint. Enjoy!

112 days!

2010-03-10T11:29:00.002-05:00

It's finally here! This is the official trailer for the third installment of the Twilight series, Eclipse. Oh Bella and Edward...

(Who's exciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiited?!?!)

And the winner is...

2010-03-09T15:06:00.001-05:00

A great big THANK YOU to Silvia at The Vintage Pearl for this great blog award! She's getting things up and running with her blog so check her out.

Here are the rules:

1. Blog about your award and the person who sent it to you including their link.

2. List 7 things may or may not know about you.

- I have a sick love with stationery and anything monogrammed.

- I operate best in an organized mess.

- I think I was a member of PETA in my past life.

- One of our pups, Mimi, was also the nickname for Brad's grandmother.

- I'm in love with Savannah, Georgia.

- I bleed garnet and black (& pink and green...)

- Delta Zeta and Relay for Life are extremely close to my heart.

3. Pass the award onto 6 blogs that make you smile and give you inspiration.

Jenn's Journey

Tales of a Short Southern Momma

A Beach Bride

I Love You Days

The Fabulous Life of an Expatriate's Daughter

Connor and Grayson

Don't forget to let them know about their new award!

Well, well, well...

2010-03-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

Photo credit

My exciting find for the day:

pink & green? With turtles? Yes please!
(pssst: there's more than just the photo album...)

If you're a Delta Zeta...

2010-02-25T13:11:00.001-05:00

... and you're not a dues-paying member of Surfing Sisters,
you SHOULD be!

www.surfingsisters.com

Best & Worst

2010-02-08T11:09:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning Super Bowl XLIV! I was glad to see it wasn't a complete blow-out but since I didn't have a "dog in the fight", I was a little more intrigued with the infamous commercials than anything. While some were completely ridiculous to spend millions on their 30-second spots, some did a remarkable job and should give their marketing groups a bonus. Without further ado, here's my best & worst of XLIV:

TOP 3 BEST COMMERCIALS

Doritos: House Rules

I had flashbacks to the movie Role Models as this little boy lays down the house rules with mom's new beau. Short, sweet and to the point... you go boy. : )

Google: Parisian Love

This is an example of marketing brilliance. Using the product for everyday life occurances and at the end, makes your heart melt. Last night's super bowl was full of emotion for lots of reasons and this fit into that mold beautifully. A+, Google. Well done!

E*TRADE: Girlfriend

E*TRADE has had very few commercials that didn't give John Q. Public a good laugh and this one was certainly no exception. It highlights the great things E*TRADE can do you for while giving some humor with an adult relationship scenario, "other woman" included. I just loved that she happened to be a "milkaholic". LMAO.

TOP 3 WORST COMMERCIALS

Coca-Cola: Hard Times

I'm a HUGE Coca-Cola lover. I ::heart:: the Simpsons. Naturally, Coke + Simpsons = grand slam, right? WRONG. I found myself asking "they really just spent millions of dollars on THAT?!" I get it, guys: Coke makes everything better, even when you fall victim to the recession. Just didn't have a big punch like we expect from two big names... bummer.

Dodge: Man's Last Stand

You'd think the way the auto industry has been hit by the economic down-turn, Dodge would be able to come up with something better than this if they were spending millions. ANYTHING better than this, really. As my friend Nikki so delicately put it, "there are people with vaginas who watch football, too", although you'd never know it watching commercials like these. Bunch of whiny guys complaining about all the things the women in their lives make them do and damnit, they're going to keep the one thing that makes them happy: their Dodge. Sorry to break it to you guys, but if that's the only thing in your life making you happy, you have bigger issues to deal with...

Boost Mobile: The Boost Mobile Shuffle

As Charles Barkley would say (and who's commercial equally sucked), "That's tuuuuurrble. Just tuuuuuurrble."

2010 HONORABLE MENTIONS

Snickers: Game

I loooooooooooooooove Betty White. : )

Volkswagon: PunchDub

Because we all remember playing this on long roadtrips with our siblings, friends and for some of us, even our spouses.

Budweiser: Friends & Fences

If you like the feel-good commercials, this is the one for you.
Too sweet!

Lets keep it going!

2010-02-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

With about 11 weeks to go, great strides are being made with my Relay For Life personal goal! As of today, $415 has been raised (42% of $1000 goal) and I wouldn't be making such incredible progress without the help of these great supporters:

Tim & Cheli Derry - $100

Don & Lynda Miller - $50

Gregg & Christine Stoehr - $50

Bradley Stoehr - $25

Allison Carrow - $25

The RYAN POAG group - $25

Amanda & Lenny Mathis - $25

Jane Rainey - $25

Dee Siburt - $25

Darla Miller - $25

Jill Kendall-Erb - $20

Karen Ebmeier - $10

Carrye Jenkins - $10

Please visit my RFL page and consider making a donation, no matter how big or small. Help a new generation find a cure... thank you for your continued support!

The Power of Prayer

2010-01-31T09:12:00.001-05:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks were you know God is testing you? Maybe it's work, an illness or family troubles... it seems like when you get knocked down and are on your way back up, you get knocked down again. The beautiful thing about God is that whether you realize it or not, He gives you the the power of prayer to cope when you think nothing else will calm the storm. Last week at church, I walked in with a lot of anger in my heart, anger that I didn't realize was so strong until after the fact. Between struggling with emotions of being a cancer survivor (who knew there is more than the feeling of gratefulness?) and some family troubles, it's been an emotionally draining few days.

The best part of holding anger is the point where you can begin letting go and that happened with what our church, Church at Charlotte, deems as the sermon that "no one likes and few believe". This sermon is called Kingdom NOW and is, without a doubt, one of the most humbling I have had heard in a very long time. I was reminded that while all the anger/worry/frustration I carry weighs me down, Jesus paid the highest price and I have the ability to give Him glory by doing what? Living in His word. Let go of the little things (which feel massive at the time) that don't matter because it's what the Lord has asked of us.

Gosh, it sounds so simple as I type this.

Because of the weather here, service were cancelled this weekend so I listsened to last week's sermon and it felt good to start a new week off reminding myself to be joyful, even during the hard times. I discovered the power of prayer and it's wonderous workings a long time ago and I appreciate all that have said a prayer for Brad and I over the past couple weeks. If I can ever do the same, please let me know; it is one of the biggest and smallest things we can do for our fellow man - and woman! Now, I won't preach because Lord knows, Jim Kallam is much better at it than I am, but one verse that stuck with me as I went along my week, mainly because I found myself saying over and over "Wow, I do this more than I'd like to admit", was from Matthew 5:23-24:

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

This is the word of the Lord. Amen.

TGIF

2010-01-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

Finally!

2010-01-06T10:53:00.001-05:00

Get excited! The Hilton Head Island 2010 Wine & Food Festival has been finalized... mark your calendars for March 13, 2010!

(Happy New Year, folks!)

Most wonderful time of the year!

2009-12-25T12:32:00.002-05:00

It's no surprise that December is my always favorite month of the year, but this December had a couple extra exciting events thrown in the mix. As I've mentioned in numerous posts, Brad finished up his final class in his MBA program but it become 100% official when his grade posted last week: he got a B! That puts his overall GPA at a 3.5 and this girl is the proudest wife on the block. Way to go, honey!

Last Thursday, my DZ little sister Stacy gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Emerson Jane Edwards, at 1:03pm! She weighed 8lbs. and was 19 3/4 inches long. We're excited to hopefully see Stacy, Paul and Emmie this week - what a wonderful Christmas gift for them!

I celebrated my 27th birthday on Monday, which thanks to my incredible husband and amazing friends, is always so special. Two of my best friends Amanda (accompanied by her wonderful husband Lenny) and Twyla came up to have dinner with Brad and I, which made for a wonderful evening. Great food, great people, great birthday!

Christmas is TODAY - woohoo! - and it gives us the opportunity to visit with family. We were hoping for a white Christmas this year but we settled for sleet and rain... ahhh, the joys of living in the south. Our family/friends in Maryland & Virginia got lots of snow last week so hopefully they're enjoying it for us. :)

We're still working on New Years plans but whatever we do, we are thrilled to see what 2010 has in store for the Stoehrs!
Hope you all have a merry Christmas!

Happy... holidays?

2009-12-18T07:50:00.005-05:00

Awwwwwkward.

thisclosetobeingdone

2009-12-16T10:51:00.000-05:00

I forgot what senioritis felt like... until today. Thursday is my final day of work for 2009 (and even a little into 2010!) and I've hit "are we there yet?" mode, which doesn't bode well for productivity. Luckily, instead of finals, I have a fundatory staff holiday party and small checklist to complete before I'm free. Hooray for seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!

In other news, Brad is DONE (officially) with his MBA program! We had his party on Saturday at Towne Tavern and it went beautifully... we are so blessed with amazing friends and family!

Congrats, Brad!

Molly, Aunt Mary-ellen (best surprise EVER) & Brad

Showing the love: Robbie, Josh, Brad, Ben, Kevin

Thanks so much to everyone who has been a cheerleader for him over the past 2 1/2 years and celebrated this weekend!

A little holiday humor...

2009-12-10T09:54:00.001-05:00

Photo credit

(Because if we can't laugh during this time

of year, we may all go insane.)

Happy birthday!

2009-12-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

My baby sister, Lauren, is officially 19 years old today!

I used to change her diapers and play barbies with her and now we text each other on our blackberries... ::sigh:: where'd the time go? I'm so NOT okay with this. :)

Happy birthday to the best sister ever... love you!

It's official...

2009-12-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Happy December!

For those of us *cough*me*cough* who have been listening to holiday music waaaaaaaay before now, we can officially celebrate - it's December! The smell of cinnamon, the lights, the celebrations... there's really no hiding this is my favorite time of the year. That and I'll be toasting my birthday on the 21st (along with my favorite Anna!). I mean, really, why wouldn't you be excited??? :)

I hope this last month of 2009 is wonderful for all of you!

Thankful for catching up

2009-11-25T15:33:00.003-05:00

Wow kids, is it Thanksgiving eve already?! ::sigh:: It's insane how once we get to the 4th quarter of the year, everything jumps into warp speed. I was just putting the purple lights outside for Halloween and now we're thawing two turkeys in our upstairs bathroom. And no, I'm not joking. :)

This past week was a pretty rough one emotionally. I've really been struggling with some things internally and when it came to fruition this week, it was LIFE: 1 and LESLIE: 0. I know it's happening for a reason, I really do... it's just getting over the hump that's unnerving. Good news? Of course there is good news, silly! Relay for Life fundraising has begun and thanks to some unbelievable donors, I'm already at $275 into my goal of $1000! I can't begin to express my gratitude for everyone who has donated so far and if you're interested in donating in the future, just visit my page - we're in this until we reach our goal! In other news, Christmas cards are ordered - yay! - and should be going out first week of December. My friend Sullivan took our "family" pictures a little over a week ago and they turned out beautifully so we're excited to show everyone... coming to a mailbox near you!

We started pulling out some Christmas decor from storage last week. The ornaments have started to multiply around the house but that's a good thing: I received this fabulous ornament from one of my sorority sisters, Robin...

and we picked up a beautiful lighthouse ornament while we were in Boone in early November. Now, if we can just pick out our Christmas tree! :) Last but not least, I'd like to highlight some awesomeness that occurred this week:

New Moon, the 2nd installment of the Twilight series - WOWZA! If you like/love this series at all and haven't seen this yet, I have one question: where have you been??? Hiding under a rock?! GO SEE IT!

TweetDeck - update all your network sites at once. Brilliant! (channeling my inner Guinness guys)

Eclipse, the 3rd installment of the Twilight series - release date was announced as June 30, 2010! Mark your calendars! (do you see a pattern here? LOL)

Columbia APH - installed new committee chairmen and is now on Twitter! @ColumbiaAPH - follow us!

Good laugh! Because everybody can use one from time to time...

And most importantly: an amazing husband, incredible family, loving friends and a 2010 so bright I gotta wear shades... that's what I'm thankful for this year. Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving, peeps!

Need your help!

2009-11-17T12:59:00.003-05:00

Fundraising for the 2010 Relay for Life Downtown Columbia event has begun: visit my personal page and help me reach my goal of $1000!

Any and all donations, no matter how small, are GREATLY appreciated... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

364 days

2009-11-16T12:44:00.000-05:00

Well, we're approaching the time of year I love and hate all at the same time. As you know, my husband Brad is a die-hard Clemson fan and I'm a pretty fierce Gamecock fan. We may not get to as many games as we'd like to but we're the biggest fans you'll find in the Palmetto state. Unlike a lot of "house divided" couples, we're extremely supportive of both teams when they aren't playing each other (it's no secret: he's worn garnet and I've worn orange) because we respect the institutions where we received our education and support our state. However, on November 28, our teams will meet at Williams-Brice stadium and the bottom line is: we're rivals. We both want to win. We both want braggin' rights.

So, the time has been set for a 12pm kickoff on ESPN.

Here's to 364 days of being civil.

GO GAMECOCKS!

Geez...

2009-11-12T15:35:00.002-05:00

Ever have one of those days when all you need is a BIG one of these? Yeah, me too...

Happy Veteran's Day!

2009-11-11T10:45:00.001-05:00

Photo credit

Be sure to thank your family and friends that serve in the military today. They remind us daily that freedom isn't free at all... it comes at the highest cost. Thank you for serving our great country!

#27

2009-11-05T10:08:00.002-05:00

Photo credit

New York Yankees

2009 World Series Champions!

Only got a couple hours of sleep to watch the game but man, it was worth it. Way to make us proud, boys!

And the winner is...

2009-11-04T14:06:00.008-05:00

Thanks to Nikki for my OVER THE TOP award! Even with her One Cup of Crazy, she's pretty awesome - check her out!

Now for the details:

1. Thank the person who gave it to you - you're the BEST, Nikki!

2. Answer the questions below using only 1 word answers.

3. Pass it on to 6 other bloggers you think are Over The Top!

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Your hair? washed

3. Your mother? loving

4. Your father? proud

5. Your favorite food? noodles

6. Your dream last night? falling
7. Your favorite drink? tea

8. Your dream/goal? challenging

9. What room are you in? office

10. Your hobby? lots

11. Your fear? alone

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

13. Where were you last night? couch

14. Something you aren’t? tan

15. Muffins? Sure!

16. Wish list item? strength

17. Where did you grow up? Florence

18. Last thing you did? drove

19. What are you wearing? pants

20. Your TV? works

21. Your pets? snugglers

22. Your friends? BEST

23. Your life? good

24. Your mood? anxious

25. Missing someone? YES

26. Vehicle? silver

27. Something you’re not wearing? glasses

28. Your favorite store? Hallmark

29. Your favorite color? pink

30. When was the last time you laughed? morning

31. Last time you cried? Tuesday

32. Your best friend? comforting

33. One place that I go over and over? school

34. One person who emails me regularly? MudPie

35. Favorite place to eat? McAllister's

Here are 6 ladies I think are marvelously OVER THE TOP!

I Love You Days

K-Saf

Musings from Tumble Falls

Mrs. Grits

The Lo-Down

Sue-C

3-15-40

2009-11-03T10:04:00.001-05:00

Photo credit

3 classes...

a 15-page paper...

and 40 days...

That's all that stands between Brad and finishing graduate school. Really? Weren't we just in triple-digits days??? It's incredible how times flies and I couldn't be more proud of him!
GO TEAM STOEHR!

Wednesday humor

2009-10-28T16:07:00.003-04:00

Photo credit

New day, new job

2009-10-27T18:56:00.000-04:00

Photo credit

Today was my first day "on the job" as Winthrop University's Relay for Life staff advisor and it was pretty exciting. Our first interest meeting had a pretty good turnout (thank you guys!) and I'm already recruiting teams... if you're free April 23-24, 2010, come out and help celebrate, remember and fight back!

www.relayforlife.org/winthrop

107 years of sisterhood

2009-10-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is Delta Zeta's 107th Founders Day and I couldn't be more proud than the day I was initiated. It's been 8 years since I made one of the best decisions (besides marrying my wonderful husband, of course) and it's truly amazing at all the wonderful things we've accomplished. I wish all my sisters the happiest of Founders Days and look forward to celebrating the next 107 years!

Oooh la la

2009-10-20T08:07:00.000-04:00

Photo credit

I don't go overboard price-wise with a lot of things. In fact, it drives me crazy when I do. My kryptonite? Coach. I found this sweet little number the other day and got so excited... until I saw the price tag. Oh well, a girl can dream!

Southern and fabulous!

2009-10-18T19:02:00.001-04:00

Brad and I went to visit my mom this weekend to celebrate her birthday and I was able to have some good shopping/bonding time with her, which is ALWAYS exciting! One of the stores we were able to thoroughly enjoy was Palmetto Moon, which is every southern girl's dream. USC Gamecocks, Clemson Tigers and everything Palmetto! Lucky for me (and my bank account), there aren't any locations near me but online shopping is available... woohoo!

Check them out for birthdays, housewarming gifts, any holidays...

there's something for EVERYONE!

8 lbs., 5 oz. 20.5 inches long!

2009-10-17T07:59:00.002-04:00

Jack Benjamin Richards made his appearance yesterday afternoon and what a cutie he is! Welcome to the world!

Photo credit: Paige Morton

Baby Jack is almost here!

2009-10-16T12:29:00.000-04:00

Our good friends Sheri and Wade have been waiting on their baby Jack to finally make his appearance and we got word this morning that Sheri went into labor!

Honor a sister & support The Painted Turtle this Founders Day!

2009-10-15T10:14:00.002-04:00

With Founder's Day quickly approaching, the Columbia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Zeta is looking forward to celebrating with area alumnae and hopefully, will be able to support The Painted Turtle with this year's donation! The Painted Turtle is a national partner and philanthropy for the Delta Zeta Sorority and this year's goal of $550 will benefit area needs for this incredible part of Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall camps. This is how we're helping:

Our chapter was inspired by the Delta Zeta national convention Rose Tree, which is present each convention and encourages alumnae to donate the the Delta Zeta Foundation to support various programs within our Sorority, including scholarships (both collegiate and graduate) and even assisting with programs that will benefit alumnae chapters across the nation. At the 2008 convention, the Rose Tree, which is a snow-white tree covered in pink and green ribbon to signify the donations that have been made, raised over $13,000! What a success! On a much smaller scale, the Columbia Alumnae Chapter adopted this idea with its very own Rose Tree: a pink 2' 5'' tree that was unveiled at last year's Founders Day celebration, encouraging alumnae and collegians alike to "give graciously" as our Creed reminds us to each day. We were incredibly grateful with the amount of attention it received and raised $500 to donate to the Delta Zeta Foundation! This year, we agreed that since the Painted Turtle gives so much to families and patients in need, our goal is to help give comfort to those who need it the most.

How YOU can help!

The Columbia Alumnae Chapter has Rose Tree donation cards that sisters, family and friends can purchase for just $5 each. These cards can be purchased in honor of a Delta Zeta in their lives. If the sister you're honoring doesn't live in the same city or state as you and you'd like to have it mailed to them, just provide me with their mailing address. We had a great response from sisters that received these cards in the mail and even inspired some to reconnect with Delta Zeta. Donation cards will be available through October 31st and also at the Founders Day celebration on Sunday, October 25th; please email me at leslie.stoehr@gmail.com if you'd like to make a donation, help us reach our goal and support The Painted Turtle for this years Founders Day celebration! Thank you for your support!

Pumped!

2009-10-14T09:33:00.003-04:00

Only 37 days until the release of New Moon and I'm SO excited! The soundtrack comes out next Tuesday and the newest trailer is even better than the first! w00t!

Do you hear what I hear?

2009-10-11T17:59:00.000-04:00

It's officially ladies and gentlement: only 11 weeks to go until Christmas!

Festive holiday recipe

2009-10-10T10:22:00.003-04:00

Photo Credit

I discovered this scrumptious and festive recipe in this month's edition of Southern Living and just had to share! These mini pumpkin cakes will add some flair to your holiday baking and is sure to be a favorite even Martha Stewart would love. :) If you try this wonderful recipe, let me know how it turns out - happy baking!

Hands-On Time: 30 min.; Total Time: 1 hr., 44 min. (including Caramel-Rum Glaze).

Yield
Makes 8 pumpkins

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Caramel-Rum Glaze* (or Vanilla Glaze)
Caramel Stems, Leaves, and Vines (optional, instructions below)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla.

2. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon batter into 2 lightly greased pumpkin-shaped muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.

3. Bake at 350° for 24 to 26 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

4. Cut rounded tops off muffins to make them flat. Invert top muffins onto bottom muffins, forming pumpkins. Drizzle Caramel-Rum Glaze over pumpkins. Decorate with Caramel Stems, Leaves, and Vines, if desired.

CARAMEL STEM: Press 1 caramel between fingers, lengthening to 1 1/2 to 2 inches to form a stem. Curl stem gently.

CARAMEL LEAVES: Roll caramels into 2-inch squares on a flat surface, using a rolling pin. Cut into leaves, using a paring knife. Gently press tips of leaves to flatten, if desired. Score leaves, using a paring knife. Pinch bottoms of leaves together.

CARAMEL VINES: Cut 1 caramel into 3 equal pieces. Squeeze each piece gently to flatten, and roll between hands or on a flat surface into a long thin rope. Twist ends to curl.

New! Improved! It's the College Snuggie!

2009-10-09T17:08:00.002-04:00

My husband Brad sent me this link and I had to share it with everyone - it's the College Snuggie! Pick your favorite team and never be cold again!

As much as I want to laugh, I'll be asking Santa for a Gamecock one for Christmas. Oh yeah!

2009-10-07T14:33:00.001-04:00

A BIG thank you goes out to my best friend and fellow blogger Amanda for this exciting award! She was part of my inspiration to start a blog and now, I can't get enough! Check her out - I think you'll find yourself following her, too. : )

Here are the rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award":

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

The Crafty Law Student

From My Kitchen to Yours

This Nut Stood her Ground

Living Embellished

Expat Foodie

Polka Dots and Pirates

2009-10-06T13:25:00.002-04:00

Missing New York City today... a lot! We had such a great time in August and can't wait to go back. Perhaps sooner rather than later? :)

Cupcake cutie

2009-10-05T11:29:00.001-04:00

My friend Nikki's youngest turns the big ONE today.

Happy birthday, Addison Quinn!

Bring it.

2009-10-03T20:19:00.000-04:00

Brad and I officially started the P90X system on October 2nd and I can't help but be reminded of the quote, "Pain is weakness leaving the body". A couple people have asked if I'm nuts. I must be - it's no joke - but I can't wait to see myself in 90 days.

Bring it, Tony Horton.