rOcktoberfest

Tonight was the rOcktoberfest, and it was a lot of fun! I had a vendor booth selling my hairbows & paintings, and it went really well! I was really scared at first because I didn't know we had to bring our own table, but then Scott and Mike saved the day and found me a table to set up on! I wish I could have walked around more, but I had a constant flow of people, {which is such a blessing} so I couldn't leave my booth! I heard all about the pigs, and I wish I would have seen that... I told Mike that next year he is going in and catching one of those greased pigs!!!! I also didn't know they had funnel cakes, I would have totally sent someone out to get me one of those! Mike and the Student Ministry team were in charge of getting games together, and I think they did a fabulous job! I am already looking forward to next year! Here are some pics, mostly of my family, because I gave my mom my camera to take pics... Enjoy! Oh yeah, my little nephew was such a cute rockstar with his fohawk and everything! :)

{What a bright vendor I am!}

{the rockstar and his groupie}

aka jack & my mom

What a cute family... and soon to be family of 4!!!!!
What a handsome little stud

brittainy ann

Happy 19th Birthday Brittainy Ann Surratt!!!!!

You are such a superstar

I hope your day is great

We miss you in Charleston

I miss your cake baking

We miss you on Sundays when we have lunch

You are gorgeous

You are just too funny for words

I miss watching you play guitar

I hope you like your new car!

See you soon

& we will give you your birthday present!

Love you bunches

Have tons of crazy fun on your birthday

Love your sis,

Hilary :)

Happy Birthday Mike Surratt!

Today is Mike's 23rd Birthday! What a fun day it was! At church this weekend, Mike planned a "birthday bash" fun weekend at nitro {middle school service that he is in charge of} with some fun games and I made cupcakes for all the kids on Sunday (Mike's mom covered Saturday night). I made a total of 77 cupcakes... that was a lot of cupcakes!!!! At one point during the 10:30 service, all the students starting singing happy birthday to him, it was so cute! There was also some cute pictures that we found and scanned in for all the kids to see of when Mike was younger!!!! They were funny{especially the awkward 6th and 7th grade pictures!}

Anyways..... After church we went to Chili's and used a gift card that Mike got for his birthday, and then went and watched some football at Mike's parents house. After watching football, {and I took a nap} we went to the Faith Family Fall Festival at another local church in Ladson, it was pretty fun! Our friend's band was playing and we ran into lots of friends there who we didn't even realize were coming! Brad & Beth came with Jack, Michelle was there with Stone, and we talked with Andrew & Lindsey Page for a while { I got to love on her 5 week old baby Titus, he is so sweet} After Robert and the band played and April was painting, we hung out with them for a while, just some good FUN!

Mike & me today {I know my faced is cropped off, but it's cute of mike}

the uprising band playing today

Mike is now sleeping at 8:30pm, and will probably wake up and not be able to go to sleep! He sure did enjoy his birthday! We are going to celebrate with his family on Tuesday {they were out of town this weekend}, so that will be more celebrating Mike!

Mike,

Thanks for being an awesome husband, you make me laugh more than anyone in the entire world, and I love you so much! I'm looking forward to all the birthday celebrations we get to spend together in our lifetime!!!!

Happy 23rd Birthday!

Happy 2nd Birthday Olivia Grace!

Today was Olivia's 2nd birthday!

{For those of you who don't know, Olivia is Christina's daughter}

(best friend who recently moved to Tulsa)

This little girl is so stinking sweet! I use to spend A LOT of time with them when they lived in Charleston, and I do go through withdraws of them not living here anymore!!!


I remember the day Olivia was born, Christina texted me saying that she was on the way to the hosptial and Olivia was on the way! I immediately left right after church and waited patiently until I could visit them in the hospital room! Olivia had to stay in the little baby nursery hooked up to all kinds of tubes because she was having trouble breathing for quite a few days, I remember being able to visit her, and praying over her lungs to develop so she could breath on her own! Sure enough, before you know it, she was home, and oh so tiny!!!!


Today Olivia turned two, and I could just squeeze the cuteness out of her because she is just that!!

When mom wasn't around I would give Liv & Ella lots of sugar, and even let them lick the icing out of the tub!!!! She loved it!!!! I also was with them as Liv was able to hold her first icecream cone! Oh So Sweet!!! :)



Liv,

I hope your day is wonderful and I love you to pieces! You and Ella be good for mommy and love on her all the time! She is such a good mom to you! {She brags about you all the time}. Enjoy your Nemo birthday outfit that I made you, I know you will because your mom sent me a picture of it already! :)

1-2-3-4 gimme PINK, gimme more...

7-8-9-10 PINK will fight PINK will win!

A few months ago I twittered this picture of me in my new Pink victoria secret jacket that my mom got me. It has the number 86 on the front and back of it (the year I was born), so my mom just surprised me with it. {My mom is awesome like that}

We were on a road trip with Mike's family and Mike noticed on the back of my jacket that it said "pink will fight, pink will win" & "gimme pink gimme more" we never realized that it was a little chant until one day I was reading all of the "fake writing on the back". Mike calls it the Juno writing... like from the movie... anyways.... I finally figured out that the cheer said "1-2-3-4 gimme pink, gimme more, 7-8-9-10 pink will fight, pink will win!" The cheerleader in me came out and I got really excited, and every now and then I start saying the chant when I'm looking for my pink jacket... Mike laughs at me.

All of that to say...

So as you know I do a lot of couponing and I get all of my info at http://www.southernsavers.com/. Well, Jenny has up a coupon from Victoria Secret for you to get a free PINK panty! Just click on the link below. You have to register on their website and they give you a coupon for a free pany with your name printed out on it!

{Every girl could always use a free panty!}

https://secure.vspink.com/pink_nation/login.jsp?promo=home_10_off_bra_101309

I'm getting mine tomorrow... when will you be getting yours??

{It expires on November 9, so you better hurry soon!!!}

creeping car critters

Last weekend I took my car in for an oil change and to get my brakes looked at because they have been squeaking. I also asked them to check my windshield washer fluid to see if it was clogged or it had a leak...

so all of that to say, I have been having some creatures visiting in my car during the night! Then it hit me: 2 days before I took my car in to get fixed, I turned on my defroster and all of this foam stuff started blowing out my vents on the dashboard! I just thought that it was some stuff that had been deteriorating in my car, but no!!! There were some sort of creatures eating at my hoses and building nests under my hood!!!!! I started to FREAK out and I just tried not to think of what it could be!!!! We do live by a bunch of bushes, so..... I can't believe that I am actually saying this but it could possibly be... a rat or some sort of rodent!!! THAT TOTALLY GROSSES ME OUT!!!!! I'm just hoping that it was a squirrel because somehow in my brain I think that they are not as gross, but squirrels are pretty gross too! :/

Luckily the people at Precision Auto replaced my hoses and windshield washer fluid container for free because of getting my brakes fixed and my oil changed!

Now, to help resolve this problem, I am parking FAR away from the bushes. You might think I'm crazy, but I don't want those crazy car critters coming after my car! Mike doesn't think that it would keep the critters {or whatever it was} away from my car, but in my head I feel so much better parking on the other side of the parking lot at our apt than right beside our entrance.

The guy at Precision Auto told me to get some rat poison from WalMart and put it in my car so that whatever it is getting in there would just eat that instead {and then die, but hopefully not die while it's in my car because that would be REAL bad}. I haven't bought any yet, but I SURE WILL!

Sorry about the gross post, but I just had to share the fear of running out to my car everyday and praying that no rodents come running at my feet as I get in my car. {I'm a little overly dramatic as well}
I'm sure that nothing is going to get on me, but we can all be a little afraid, right?

Anyone else ever experience something like this and can help?!?!?

party, pork loin, electric knife... oh yea!

I was just so proud of myself for making this pork boston butt tonight for our small group! I was so nervous at first, because Mike wasn't home with me {he seems to be the meat expert} and I had never cook any other meet than ground beef or chicken! I really can't believe that we've been married for over a year and that's all the meat I've cooked!

Here is how I did it:

-I covered the butt in some Lawry's seasoning and balsamic vinegar before I put it in the oven. I added a little bit of water to the dish that I had it in, covered it in tin foil, and put in in the oven for 2 hours on 350 degrees.
-I used my instant meat thermometer {that was a wedding gift that I haven't used yet} to check the butt around 1:30 and it was 160 degrees {I wanted it to be closer around 170}. I actually cut some slits in it, flipped it over and put some more seasoning on it. {That's not necessary, but I wanted all of the sides nice and brown, and the bottom was a little mushier than the other sides}.
- I drained and uncovered the butt for the last 30-20 min in the oven and it turned out perfect!
-I then used my electric knife {another first time use of a wedding gift} to cut all the meat off, I mean, I couldn't believe how much meat was on that bone!!!! I love my knife too, it was so fun and easy to use! As I cut the meat, I put the meat on a separate pan and then put the brown sugar glaze for the final yumminess!

-Then the best part was the brown sugar glaze that I made to go on top of it!
Brown Sugar Glaze:
-2 cups of brown sugar
-2 tbsp of flour
-1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp mustard
{I did add a little bit of water too... maybe 1/4 cup}
I put this on simmer on the stove as I was slicing the meat to make it thinner for a perfect glaze.

All this preparation was for our life group halloween costume party at our apt... it was super fun! Here are all the costumes
{some people didn't dress up, so they didn't want to get in the picture.}
{notice Matt in the Gecko costume, he won the "best costume award" for the night}

Mike and I were Captain Hook & Tinkerbell
I got his "pirate set" and my "fairy wings" from the dollar store. Pretty frugal costumes. I cut the tutu I had on off a kid's costume someone let me have, and it was very stretchy to fit me.
Mike also has in his vampire teeth that we all got, April brought everyone treat bags!
{We played games & had a lot of fun}

Roman Goddess{Natalia} Catwoman{April} Tinkerbell{me}

Happy Fall Y'all!

Before I start.... I just wanted to say, I can't believe that it's already October!!!! {so close to graduation!} I'm not normally very "excited about halloween", but this year, I decided to get excited and add a few little decorations around the house! Last year Uncle Ron and Aunt Marla sent us this wall/door hanger {they said that it was Morgan and Ryan who insisted on sending us this} I was looking for it the other day, and I was so excited to find it and hang it up! I added a cute little {BOO!} ribbon to the top of it too!

My mom and I bought pumpkin soap dispensers with some yummy smelling soap from bath&body works last weekend, and she gave me these cute hand towels! Can you tell we love candycorn decorations?

I went to Target {my fav store ever} the other day and they were having a special if you buy 2 bags of M&Ms, you got a free reusable bag! so I did{I had $1 off coupon too, so I got them for a good deal} Plus, I just had to get some little pumpkin hanging lights for our halloween small group party this coming week at our house! I got the orange bucket & cups at a yard sale 2 weeks ago for $.50 when I went with April & Sarah. They were brand new still in the package too!

I also have these hairbows & headbands for sale that {I know} are absolutely adorable!!

http://www.paintbakeandcreate.blogspot.com/

These are pictures of Jack{my nephew} last year at Halloween! He was only 6 months old, {he is growing up so fast!} but these pictures are just so adorable I had to share them again!!!!! I can't wait until this year, Beth has the cutest and coolest costume for him!!!

couponing & crafting

As you probably have been following my tweets, I have been doing pretty good couponing this week! I went to Publix on Monday, and I got some really good deals! I even got some free stuff! The deals were so good that I even had to go back on Tuesday!

Notice my new 2 cute pink reusable bags that I got for free!

{I've started my own collection}

Beth and I went to see how much free stuff we could get, and we sure did! With the sales and the coupons combined, This is what I got for $.43!!!! {Before my coupons & sales my total was $14.and some change, sorry I don't have my receipt right here with me}. Thanks to http://www.southernsavers.com/, I just love being FRUGAL! :)I was in my first craft show with my friend Allison last Friday too! It was so fun! Allison sold some soaps that her & her mom made, and Alli and her friend from work made picture frames that she sold! I of course had my "Paint Bake & Create" things out for sale! I sold my jungle children painting, and I was so excited! I also sold a lot of hairbows & headbands! Here was our setup and the layout of my hairbows! {I had some candy to attract customers} I am in another craft show on November 4th downtown at Roper Hospital 7am-4pm. It's going to be a big one and I'm pretty excited!

visit my blogstore http://www.paintbakeandcreate.blogspot.com/ if you would like to see more of my products! :) Have a great weekend everyone!

Celebrate Jacoby!

Today is Jacoby's 19th birthday!!! wow, we are getting so OLD! I still feel like we are just a bunch of kids. Jacoby is such a fun little brother and I just love him so much. We became really close when I was in high school, and all my friends kept telling me that I had a cool brother, I just saw him as an annoying little middle schooler. Then he started to get cooler and cooler. Now, he's way cooler than me! :) We have had some good memories of driving to school toegther listening to hardcore music and going to shows, we were just so crazy! Jacoby is probably the funniest person I know, and anyone who knows Jacoby can tell you that he has a very FUN personality. I just wanted to write this blog to celebrate Jacoby!

I love you Jacob-baby! :)

This past weekend we had a surprise birthday party for him, and it was pretty fun, especially the part when we couldn't get him to leave the house so that everyone could come over! It was a success though, HE WAS SURPRISED!

Here's a funny video that Jacoby was in this summer when he was interning at Northwood Church. The video was for the summer camp that the youth went to in July. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCCHSheNAks