Throw me something, Mister!

Mardi Gras is a HUGE deal down here, as it actually began in Mobile, AL (much to the disappointment of our New Orleans neighbors!). Parades start about 5 weeks before Fat Tuesday, and are enjoyed by all. We take our Mardi Gras revelry very seriously...schools are closed for days and businesses shut down for the holiday. We have multiple parades on Pleasure Island, including a Mardi Gras boat parade! We had a great time enjoying the Gulf Shores Parade this year. The weather was perfect and sunny and everyone turned out for the fun...from small children to our snowbird guests. It just goes to show that everyone loves a parade!

Our friend Leslie's Mardi Gras Crewe, The Pink Stilletos

Nothing says "Gulf Shores" like a big shrimp!

Bo sporting some of his beads...they look great with his madras shirt!

Cupcakes!

Thanks to Sarah Neil and Gelato Joe's, Tanner has been bitten by the "baking cupcakes" bug. Here are some pics of her first few attempts. They tasted great, but we did manage to have icing all over the house and ourselves!

Attempt #1...double chocolate with cream cheese frosting. Major mess, but quite tasty!

Attempt #2....nothing says "Super Bowl Sunday" or "football" like cupcakes with sprinkles, right?

Attempt #3.....The best result so far...although Bo mentioned that the icing looked like something Oscar would make in the yard! It sure didn't stop him from eating lots of them, though!

Maybe one day the cupcakes will look like this....but let's not hold our breath!

Port St. Joe Trip

February has gotten off to a fast-paced start. Early in the month, we headed to Port St. Joe, FL, and the scenic drive couldn't have been better! We drove through the coastal towns of Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Mexico Beach, Panama City, and more. It was a very productive trip, as we were able to meet with several of Tanner's gift stores and Bo got lots of great leads. But don't worry...we managed to "squeeze in" some fun, too, snapping pictures along the way.

The essence of the Good Life!

The view from the road was WAY better than looking at billboards!

Working hard while having lunch at Bud & Alley's in Seaside. They were so sweet to share their delicious chicken salad recipe with us....but we promised to keep the secret! Can't wait to try it at home!

Great new development in Cape San Blas. This is the clubhouse with gorgeous water views.

What's Been Going On...

Whew! It's hard to believe that January is almost over...it seems like New Year's was just yesterday! It's been awhile since we have updated the blog, but we've just been so busy this month. Time flies when you're having fun, right? Here's an update on what we've been up to...

We spent New Year's Eve at our favorite restaurant, The Tuscan Oven, where dinner was delicious as always! On the 3rd, Tanner headed to Atlanta for market. She was there for 10 days attending sales meetings and working with her accounts during the show. Don't let anyone tell you that business is bad....her showroom was up from last January! In the meantime, Bo was at home working hard at Metal Roofing Center and busy bringing in all the boxes of samples & catalogs that Tanner's manufacturers were sending!

Tanner came home on the 14th and went straight to the hospital where Bob was having surgery. He had back/neck surgery for a bulging disk that was causing him a lot of pain. It was supposed to be an outpatient surgery, but since they got started late & due to a minor complication, he ended up having to stay in the hospital for 2 days. Bob is home and resting comfortably now....although he's starting to get stir-crazy from the mandatory rest!

This week, we head to coastal town of Port St. Joe for work. Tanner will be working with accounts, while Bo schmoozes with the local builders and roofers. We've never been to the area, so we're really looking forward to the trip!

If January is any indication, 2009 is going to be a busy and exciting year!

Kudzu Kollection, one of the 62 lines that Tanner represents. It's just so cute!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you and Happy 9th Anniversary to us! We've had a wonderful 8 years together and are looking forward to many more to come. We hope everyone has an amazing 2009 with nothing but good to come!

Tina Turner Howard

Monday, December 29th, we lost our 11-year old cat Tina.

Tina was a real trooper. We got her when she was just a tiny abandoned kitten, and we had to feed her milk through a syringe. She apparently took to that, because she ended up loving food....she weighed about 20 pounds. One time, she fell in between the attic floors, and we had to bust a hole in the ceiling to pull her out! About 7 years ago, she broke her back 2 days before Thanksgiving. We thought we'd lose her then, but she was a fighter! She was in a kitty wheelchair for awhile (completely as dumb as it sounds!). But eventually, she taught herself how to walk again, although she was never able to jump. She sure did know how to get around...quickly if necessary!

In the last few weeks, though, she had begun to shut down. She'd lost several pounds, and had stopped eating. Last week, we noticed that she could no longer pull herself up to stand. She had developed a cough and we could tell that she didn't feel good at all. So we decided to take her to the vet.

The vet said that her liver and kidneys were failing, and that she'd never be able to walk or stand again. That is no life for any animal. So we had to make the difficult decision to end her suffering.

We've never had a cat as loving or sweet as Tina.....we miss her greatly.

Christmas Holiday

We spent Christmas in TN this year, and a really good time was had by all! We made it to The Howard's house fairly late on Christmas Eve, and woke up to a yummy breakfast Christmas morning. We headed to Tanner's grandparent's house for brunch and hung out with the family there until we headed to Nashville to see our friends Sam & Sarah Neil. It made for a busy and fun day!

Bo and his dad at the Howard's house. So cute in their vests!

Katie and Bo discussing world events at Grandmother's house.

Ben catching up on the latest kitchen must-haves. Grandmother is known for her massive supply of top-notch catalogs!

Randi looking happy as a clam that she got the Scrabble game she wanted!


What's the day after Christmas without shopping, right? So we headed to Franklin to shop w/ Bo's parents. The malls were overstuffed with people, but we still had a great time. After that, we headed down to Madison, AL, where we met a big group for dinner at Red Robin, the home of Gourmet Hamburgers! Tanner's parents & grandparents came, as well as Bo's parents, Sam & Sarah Neil, and Sarah Neil's parents. It was a blast! It was so great seeing everyone, and this was one of the best holidays we've had in a long time!

Jeannie & Randi having a blast catching up.

Sam & Sarah Neil

Tanner's Grandparents

The Whole Gang!