for this child i prayed....

So the news is out....WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!! August is a long way away, but our sweet child will be here before you know it! We went to the doctor last week and had a sonogram AND heard the little heartbeat. What a miracle!!!

give thanks with a grateful heart

We had a such a wonderful Thanksgiving! Reed and I had 16 people for Thanksgiving dinner at our house!!! I loved it! I love cooking and I love entertaining! I thought I would share a few pics of our wonderful holiday!

This is a picture of my place cards.
(When you are feeding 16 people you better know where they are ALL going sit.)

My centerpieces were "thankful trees." I love Thanksgiving and I have a lot to be thankful for! I think sometimes everyone gets really excited about the food and the football games and they forget that we are celebrating THANKSgiving. A "thankful tree" is a great way to remind everyone and to also get your guests involved. All you need is a branch out of your backyard! Cut out several different leaf shapes from brown paper bags and hole punch them. Scatter the leaves on your table and place markers around, too. Have your guests write what they are thankful for on the leaves and place them on the tree!

Steve and Christy putting their leaves on the thankful tree!

My sweet little brother was thankful for "Emily's cooking!"

I think Reed was the first one in line! He was really excited about Thanksgiving dinner!

Did anyone save room for dessert???

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too. I am thankful for all of you!

here we go....

A few posts ago, you were warned about my tendency to talk about my brother a little too much. Well, basketball season has started and here I go. I am so proud of him and I guess you can say that I like to brag on him just a little...which makes me think of a quote by Dizzy Dean, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it." Well, Andrew has started off the basketball season really well.

They have played two games and he has scored a total of 52 points....yep, in TWO games. Andrew scored 25 points in their 76-49 victory over CM&I and scored 27 points in the opener against Simpson, which they also won 84-39. Andrew was also named the week's TOP PERFORMER by the Clarion Ledger! I can't wait to get to Madison so I can watch him play. GO PATRIOTS!!!

So it's no secret......I LOVE Coach Croom. He is a great football coach AND a great man. He is just a good ole guy from the South with a genuine heart and a grounded faith. I consider it a blessing to know him and thank God each day that Reed has the opportunity to learn from such an amazing man.

Keven Scarbinky is a columnist in Birmingham that wrote a column about OUR coach after the victory this weekend. It is an article that will make you PROUD to be a BULLDOG. I hope you take a second an read this. ENJOY!

OK, class. We're only going to go over this one more time. Open your dictionaries. Now look up the word "Croom." Go ahead. I'll wait. All right, all right, we don't have all day. This isn't a play under review.
What's that? The word "Croom" isn't in the dictionary? You know why? Because it's not a verb. Or a four-letter word. Not anymore. You do not lose to Mississippi State these days and lose your job. At least Tommy Tuberville, Rich Brooks and Nick Saban hope that's the case. Tuberville, Brooks and Saban are good football coaches, but that's not all they have in common. They all coach teams that will play in bowl games this season. They all coach teams that have been ranked this season.
They all coach teams that were ranked this season when they lost to Mississippi State. And not one of them would trade rosters with Sylvester Croom for all the cowbells in Starkville.
Beat one ranked team as an underdog, and it could be a fluke. Beat a second ranked team as an underdog, and it could be an extraordinary run of good fortune.
Beat three ranked teams in the same season, two of them away from home, and there's no explanation beyond hard work against long odds.
That's why today, more than ever, "Croom" is nothing more and nothing less than a proper noun. It's the proper name of a proud head football coach in the Southeastern Conference.
In a few weeks, it'll be the name of the 2007 SEC coach of the year.
Croom has come a long way in four long years at Mississippi State. He's gone from making Alabama look bad by not hiring him to making Alabama look bad by playing him.
The Crimson Tide can't use probation and sanctions as an excuse after a second straight loss to the Bulldogs. Croom inherited probation and sanctions himself in Starkville, without a rich tradition to help overcome those problems.
Consider that his alma mater can boast of 12 national championships. His employer can boast of 12 bowl teams.
Don't laugh. Six of State's bowl teams actually won their bowl games.
Unlike its 24-16 loss to Mississippi State last year, Alabama can't blame Saturday's 17-12 defeat on Mike Shula. In some ways, this loss under Saban was worse.
Last year, Alabama lost with a first-year starter at quarterback to a State team with a second-year starter under center.
This year, Alabama lost with a second-year starter at quarterback - who's regressing under the new regime - to a true freshman at the wheel.
Not to mention, after losing to State last year, Alabama should've had all the motivation it needed to even the score, especially for a master psychologist like Saban. Instead, the Tide now has active multi-year losing streaks to three of its five SEC West rivals.
Four years of grinding across the state line have made one thing more obvious than ever. Alabama hired the wrong man in 2003.
The Bullies have lost a lot of games the last four seasons without losing their way, without losing faith and hope in their head coach.
In that way, Mississippi State is the school that got Croomed.
Lucky Dogs.

Kevin Scarbinsky's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Write him at kscarbinsky@bhamnews.com.

"Bragging Rights"

"We got bragging rights. When I go visit momma and I take her to dinner, I don't have to say anything....but if I want to, I can." Sylvester CroomWhat a day. I have never, in my 25 years of being a STATE fan, felt such an electric atmophere in Starkville. It helps that the big guy is a former BAMA lineman and our own Titus Brown was born and raised in T-town. I am so proud of our guys. They deserved every bit of glory and praise they received yesterday. Their hard work is paying off, and like Coach Croom said after the game, "We've beat three conference teams that were conseidered-the day we played them-the best in the land. If nobody believes now, then they have their heads in the sand."

So I guess Coach Stringer was taking in some serious words of wisdom on the sidelines...or who knows, maybe HE was the one doing all the talking. I would definitely not be suprised. Reed is very smart on and off the field. He works so hard and I am so proud of him and all of the BULLDOGS!




Reed looks pretty excited! That is him
with his hands up in the air!!! All I can say is..."We just beat the hell out of you! MAROON, WHITE...fight, fight fight. MISSISSIPPI STATE, woo, you're damn right!"




Next week we travel to Little Rock to play Arkansas. I cannot believe that we only have 2 more games left in the regular season. I feel like we are just getting started!!! Anyway, all is well in the Stringer house. All is REALLY REALLY well.

who is YOUR favorite celebrity?

So, I have a little brother. I am a pretty big fan of his, which you will come to learn. It is very possible that you will get tired of hearing about my brother seeing as how basketball season is
upon us. He is great. He is a senior at MRA where he leads FCA. He is involved with Young Life for Junior High Students and many other church organizations and activities. He is also a really good athlete. You will hear alot about MRA basketball in the coming months and then on to baseball in the spring. Anyway, the best thing about Andrew is his witty personality and his sense of humor. He is hilarious. From doing full out impressions of Will Ferrell (from any of his movies) to cracking a joke at the dinner table, he is a hoot! That is why I was not surprised wen I saw this picture on his facebook. During homecoming week, they had "celebrity day" where the students dressed as their favorite celebrity. Will Ferrell? Jerry Rice? A musician? Oh no. That would be too easy...and he might just fly under the radar. That would be NO fun!
As you can see from the picture, Andrew chose a much more exciting celebrity to honor on this day!!! Prison pants, a football jersy, some gold chains, and of course some DOGS
hanging around his neck!!! I cannot believe that he got away with this!!!! I little risky, but altogether clever and yet again HILLARIOUS!!! Thank, Michael Vick, for making me smile!

blowout in the bluegrass

I know I am a little behind with this post, but we have been so busy around here that I really have not had time to sit down at my computer for more than two seconds.
We had a great trip to Lexington for the Kentucky game. The trip home was even more fun!!!!
Let me just start out by saying...NEVER TRUST THE WEATHERMAN! The wives all flew with the team so I was "asked politely" by my husband to "pack light." HA. I know we were only going to be there for one night, but you never know about the weather or my mood or whatever excuse we ladies give for packing our entire wardrobe for a weekend away! So....about the weatherman. It was SUPPOSED to be 60 degrees and partly cloudy, so we were thinking....GREAT, BEAUTIFUL Kentucky weather for the game. WRONG. We woke up Saturday morning and went to get on the bus and it was DARK outside....at 9:30 in the morning....DARK and FREEZING. More like 40 than 60. Our husbands and even the equiptment staff were all running out bringing us extra sweatshirts and rain gear. (I guess they were thinking about the flight home with us and would rather us not all be wet and bitchy.)

We all bundled up but actually were a little warm throughout parts of the game because we were jumping up and down so much!!! I actually stripped down to my tank top when the refs made that terrible call against derek pushing andre woodson out of bounds. I was so fired up!!!

We were just a little excited at the end of the game....if you can't tell!!!

MINT online.....

MINT now has a blog! This blog will keep you updated on sales and special events at MINT. We will also post new exciting items so you will always know what is going on!!!! Please check us out at http://mintconsignment.blogspot.com/!!!!!

have a happy day!

Today is my friend, Mamie's birthday! I am so happy I got to spend the weekend with her! Happy Birthday, Mamie! I hope you had a FABULOUS day!!!

the perfect mountain getaway

This was the best weekend EVER!!! I went with my highschool girlfriends on a girls trip to Highlands, NC.... ME, Mamie Kosko, Meredith Martin, Erin McElroy, Katie George and Foley Bell spent a long weekend at the Bell's house in Highlands. The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful. The leaves were changing colors and falling everywhere!!!

I woke up Friday morning and decided I needed a little change...okay, a big change. I was tired of my long, boring hair! I didn't want to get it "chopped" like I normally do, so I thought I would be a little trendy and go for BANGS!!! Here are the before and afters!!!! I was a little nearvous...I don't think I have ever been so quick and spontaneous about my hair!

We drove to NC on Thursday and just stayed in Thursday night. We watched our SENIOR VIDEO, a video we made for English class our Junior year and read through old annuals!!! Friday, we spent the day shopping, eating and pampering ourselves...some with hair cuts, others with pedicures and ALL with a little "retail therapy."
We went to Sunset Rock with a couple of blankets and little wine to watch the sunet. It was such a neat place and the sunset was beautiful!!! The girls showing off their new pedis and me with my new do!

We also went on a hike. We hiked to the top of a mountain and were so excited when we got to the top.....some of us were breathing a little hard, but the view was TOTALLY worth the hike!!!

We stayed in most of the time and just relaxed. We made a fire...okay, FOLEY made a fire, we made smores, drank wine, and ate lots of food. We did go out to dinner one night and had a fabulous meal!!!
I had such a great weekend and cannot wait until our annual girls trip next fall!!!

family...

I wanted to share something with all of you and ask for your prayers for my family. My uncle was killed on a job site in Orange Beach on Wednesday. He was working on the 9th floor of a condo complex when he fell to his death. This has been really hard for my aunt and cousins (Three boys who are 25, 22, and 17.) Please keep them in your prayers as they face this hard time.

I went to Madison on Thursday and got to pick up Anne Parks from school. She was so excited and we had so much fun! I have some pics of us playing and thought I would share these with you!!!

Well, I guess she was a little sleepy from a long day at school... She was just laughing and talking to me one second and then she was OUT! It was so cute. She was asleep for about 15 seconds and then up and going again....boy what a power nap!

Then we went out to dinner to celebrate Tizzie's (my mom) birthday! We went to Sal and Mookey's and ate LOTS and LOTS of pizza!

"You've got to be kidding me. This Louis is NOT big enough!"

This is the look I got when I asked her if she would let me have some of her juice... I think that means "no."

Reed and I had another great weekend. We are so excited that the Bulldogs are 4-2 and cannot wait for the game against Tennessee on Saturday! Again, we had a busy weekend and a full house. Reed's mom came to town for the game, and Woody and Jessie came for the weekend, too. Before the game, I tailgated with Woody and Jessie and Mrs. Ann for a while before going to the DAWG WALK!

I was so excited that I got to hang out with my friends before the game. Some of my friends hosted a tailgate baby shower for our friend, Fleming! It was a great idea and we had a lot of fun visiting with each other!

After the game, Reed and I come out of the M Club and usually stop and talk to lots of friends, family and fans. This cute little boy stopped Reed and wanted him to sign his t-shirt!

We LOVE Saturdays and we LOVE having our family and friends in town!!!!

i'm back

I have been a little busy and have not had a chance to update lately. Last week I drove to Columbia, SC to visit my friends Emily and Shane. I was so excited to see them! I got there on Wednesday and Emily and I shopped all day Thursday and Friday! I had such a great time in Columbia! Emily rode back with me to Mississippi and we stopped and shopped even MORE in Atlanta! (our husbands always get a little nervous when we are together!!!)

Emily, the Gamecock! This is me and Emily posing with our Gamecock and Bulldog pompoms before the game! I can't believe that Emily and Shane are Gamecocks!!! We had a great time at the game, even though the Gamecocks came out on top!

As soon as Reed came out of the dressing room, he got attacked by the media! Reed is great at talking to the media and I am so proud of him!

She may be a Gamecock on the outside.....but this girl will always be a BULLDOG!!!

could it get any better?

This weekend was so great! The MINT grand opening was a HUGE success, the DAWGS are 3-1 and I had a house (and store) full of family and friends!

My mom and my sister came to help out with the grand opening! They have been so much help with the store from the beginning. They are so supportive of me and my new adventure!

Okay, so I am the luckiest boss in the whole world! I have the BEST employees ever! They are so talented and creative and responsible and gosh, I could go on forever! I LOVE them!

I also have a pretty cool brother! He and his girlfriend came by and hung out at the store for a little while! I was really glad to have them there, too!

My grandmother, "Ganne," came, too! She really enjoyed the grand opening and the football game. She did a little shopping herself and got a cute denim jacket!

My Daddy and alot of other family and friends came, too! We were a little too busy to get pictures with everyone! But THANKS to everyone who came by and showed their support! It was a wonderful day for me and I was proud to share it with my friends and family!

On with the weekend....GO DAWGS! We are 3-1 and we are so excited! Reed and I were happy about the game and also happy to have our friends and family in town. Reed's brother, Woody, and his girlfriend, Jessie, were here! We love getting to hang out with them and hate that we don't get to see them more often!!!


So this is my favorite picture! Sunday morning we were all going to eat and Reed and Woody (his little brother) walked into the living room....it was hilarious! They were dressed JUST alike! Not only did they both have on a blue t-shirt...it was the SAME t-shirt! ...and they had on khaki shorts...AND the SAME tennis shoes! Two peas in a pod! They are TOO cute!

Our friends, Brad and Mary Fisher, were also in town. (His wife was being a good mother and stayed home with their sweet daughter while we all went out.) Brad was happy to be in Starkville and even more excited that his DAWGS pulled off a victory!

GRAND OPENING!!!!

JOIN US for our GRAND OPENING!

Saturday, September 22

10 am to 4 pm

refreshments * BIG sales * door prizes

For those of you who may not know, I have opened a consignment boutique in Starkville. We have been open for 5 weeks and this weekend we are finally celebrating our GRAND OPENING! I have to be honest and say that I never knew how busy we would be! I mean, I knew I had a pretty good idea and thought that it would be great for Starkville, but the support and business I have had has been overwhelming! So for those of you who have consigned or shopped with me, and to those of you who have simply spread the word about my new venture, THANKS!

Just a little more about the store and some of the treasures you might find:

CLOTHES

Just some of the brands we have include: marc jacobs, banana republic, free people, kld, jcrew, ann taylor, talbots, cache, a.b.s., too the max, nine west, GAP, ralph lauren, french connection, seven jeans, bentley arbuckle, and SO much more.

We have also just received a collection of merchandise from a boutique in Birmingham which includes New London jeans and lots of great tops and dresses!

SHOES

We have a variety of shoes ranging in size from 6-12. From donald pliner, nine west and coach to puma and yellow box, we have shoes for all occasions!

PURSES

We have purses BIG and small, new and old. We have a great selection of vintage beaded bags and clutches. You can also find Nine West, Maxx New York, Dooney and Burke, DKNY, Kenneth Cole, Vera Bradley and others!

JEWELRY

MINT is Starkville's exclusive dealer of ANNIE FRALEY jewelry. ANNIE FRALEY is handmade, one-of-a-kind vintage jewelry that is to HOT to keep in stock! We also have a great selection of costume jewelry!

You never know WHAT you might find when you shop at MINT.....and you MUST check back regularly! We put out a minimum of 100 new items EVERY day!

Come see us....and bring a FRIEND!

what a weekend!

This was such a great weekend! WE BEAT AUBURN!!!! It was so awesome! The guys played so hard and they really deserved the win! I have never seen 87,000 people look so sad! To make the weekend even better...I got to see KILEY! I was so glad that she was there and was able to exprience a BULLDOG win! Here are some pics from the weekend.