Snow Day!!

I woke up today to the world outside my window covered in a glistening blanket of snow. 

When it snows in Knoxville, the entire town stops so it was much to my delight that Kara + Creed were home + able to enjoy the day, too.

We bundled up Reese and headed down to the hill (pronounced "he-eel" here in the South!). 

We used a pool raft as our sled so Creed could catch "sick air" and I could lounge in the snow... 

Then the neighbour came out decked out in a lovely camo/bright orange combo with a quad, rope and an inner tube... you want me to do what??

Before I could even process what was happening (in which case I would have politely declined), I was inhaling exhaust + doing donuts...

Afterwards, he informed me that earlier that morning he had his five-year-old granddaughter going twice as fast. Extreme sports never were my thang. 
What with the weather and all, Creed + I were able to indulge in a very seasonal tasty treat! 

I'm excited to post my very first blog tutorial tomorrow on how to make the delicious snack that is in our cups!!

M.F.T. #13: Musicals, especially from the front row.

Good evening!! I thought by now, halfway through my 25 Days of Christmas, I would be searching for things to write about but really I am struggling with just the opposite - what I am going to leave out! I've been watching The Sing-Off for the past hour and I can't get over how incredible this show is!! It rivals Glee in amazing renditions of good music that make me feel all warm & silky inside!! And can we talk about how adorable Ben Folds is?! Watching any musical performance, I usually get all giddy and grin from ear-to-ear through the entire song/show... especially when I get to see them live! In the front row!!! Because I won the lottery!! Sunday, Megan got snowed in to Chicago so we had an entire extra day to see the city and we headed down to the Cadillac Palace Theatre 2 hours before the matinee show of Wicked... my new favorite musical!!... to enter in to the lottery drawing they hold before every show in which anyone can put their name in to a witch's hat (how apropos!). They give away 20 tickets for $25/each valued at $165 in the very front row! Like you could count the hairs on the conductor's head from where we were sitting... and I WON!! 2 tickets to most amazing musical ever!! Loved Wicked. Loved Chicago. Love the idea of living there in the spring... =)

 We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the theatre so that's why they're so dark...

 but this is us! In the front row!! At Wicked!! For $25!!!

venice.

Carly + I went to see a hip hop musical entitled Venice that TIME magazine (love me some TIME) named "The Best Musical of the Year!" It is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's play Othello + it! was! phenomenal! The music is amazing + the story is really moving! For the rest of the week, all my blog posts will reference this play because it just made my heart beat something incredible! It is not on Broadway yet but when it makes it to Broadway, I highly recommend you go see it! =)

phantom.

Eleven years ago, I took Carly to see Phantom of the Opera for her eleventh birthday. Eleven years later, I got to take her to Phantom again ... now for her twenty-second birthday which was the week before last! It's still just as amazing as I remember it!! The monkey musical box still sings the sweetest song and the Phantom is still incredibly sexy in his white mask! =)