Happy Tuesday

Our day

I spent the morning washing my car and cleaning out our garage refrigerator. Peyton did not but she sure had fun! We hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Weekend.

Chimney Hill Engraving

In our ongoing effort to expand our engraving business we have opened an new Etsy Shop, Chimney Hill Engraving.  We used the name of my parents place in Georgia...Chimney Hill Farm and started a shop that sells just wood products.  Mike really enjoys working with the wood much better than the all of the glass products we sell in Gracefully Southern Designs, so this was the perfect way for him to showcase some of the items he has been making for us, as well as friends and family.  When you have a free moment go checkout what he has been up to. 

 Custom Wood Letter Blocks

 Wood Barn Sign

Anti-Gravity Wine Stand

Happy Monday!

Happy Hump Day!

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all you Moms out there!

Man Pleasing Chicken

So I haven't put a recipe up in ages!  Mostly because we eat the same meals over and over and because most of you who read my blog could care less about recipes.  But this recipe was too good not to pass along to the few who may care.  It is so simple to make and everyone here loved it!  Mike liked it so much he requested it for tonight's dinner and we just had it last week.  So here is the link....Man Pleasing Chicken.  Courtesy of my sister.

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Then, mix together 1/2 cup of Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar.

Put a 1.5 pound package of chicken thighs into a foil-lined, oven-proof baking dish. I used boneless, skinless thighs. Six came in my package, which made enough to serve 3 people. Then, salt and pepper the thighs. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated.

Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through. (the recipe says to do this....I did not and they turned out just fine) Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. ( I did not do this either but my sister did and said it was delicious also).   

And there ya have it!  The easiest, tastiest chicken we have had in ages!  Enjoy!

The artist

Over the weekend Mike had some shelves to paint and as you can imagine the job is never easy with a "helper".  So rather than let her assist with the shelf painting I let her use all of her Crayola paints and make a mess.  I will let to the photos speak for themselves but needless to say she and Daddy had some fun!

Every Horse

I stumbled across this wood sign the other day and immediately knew it was meant for Peyton.  It belongs in her new "Big Girl" room, along with her new bed and horse sheets.  But more importantly it is true! 

 Peyton loves her horse Buddy more than anything!  She talks about him to everyone she sees.  Just this morning she had this exchange with our neighbor:

Dave: "Hey Peyton, How are you today?"

Peyton: "I'm fine.  My horse is named Buddy."

Dave:  "You have a horse named Buddy?"

Peyton: "Yes, I ride him with Heather.  Bye."

 The thing about Peyton and Buddy's relationship that makes it special is that the love goes both ways.  The first time she rode Buddy, Heather rode with her and said as soon as Peyton was in the saddle Buddy's demeanor changed and he was calm and very careful.  It was as if he knew he had his friend on his back.

Oh and she doesn't she ride Buddy.  She helps feed, clean and groom him. 

I picked her up from the barn earlier this week and she was a mess!  She had shavings in her hair, she was sweaty from head to toe and she smelled like horse pee.  As soon as I scooped her I up I proclaimed, "You need a bath".  Her reply, "Mom, I was workin'". 

Every time I look at photos of Peyton doing something she loves. I reminded how thankful I am that she gets to experience so much that the world has to offer at such a young age. 

So whether she is hand feeding a giraffe or tending to Buddy, she is one lucky little gal!

Evening Hot Tub Party

Lately, Peyton and Daddy have started a new ritual.  When Mike gets home from work, we eat dinner and then he and Peyton take a dip in the hot tub.  It gives me time to clean up and they have so much fun together.

 Sometimes, they play...

 Sometimes the snuggle...

 Sometimes they splash like crazy people...

 But mostly, they enjoy their party together.

With another one on the way, we are consciously making an effort to enjoy just Peyton, while she is our only little one. Because all too soon, this simple family of three is going to be a crazy family of four.  I guess we are gonna need a bigger hot tub! 

Practice makes perfect

This past weekend my sister was in town for a quick visit.  Peyton always loves when "DaDa's" shows up!  We spent the weekend playing, watching movies and relaxing. 

Our friend Michelle stopped by with her little nugget Brady, so we took the opportunity to have Peyton practice posing with a baby boy.  As soon enough she will be doing lots of this.

 Both Peyton and Brady were good sports and we got some adorable giggles out of them both!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!