Name Game

How did you parents decide on your name?

I believe they watched a movie and one of the characters was named Megan. They liked the name and there you go. Mom, correct me if I'm wrong. My middle name, Lindley, is my great grandmother's maiden name.

Do your initials (first/middle/last) spell anything funny?

MLS. They don't spell anything, but always make me think of Major League Soccer.

Did you take your middle name from childhood or did you drop your middle name and take your maidenname as your middle name?  (Or if unmarried, what do you plan to do?)

I love my middle name but plan on being traditional and dropping it.

Are you or will you name your children systematically (ie, same first letter, same origin, etc?)

Haven't really thought about that. It would be smart for them to all have the same initials so their monogram would be the same. :)

Did you decide on names as a little girl?  Did you stick to them or change your mind?

I had some names that I liked, but none that have really stuck.

Does your family have any names that have been passed down through generations?

My dad is the second. Other than that just individual names, rather than whole names have been passed down. Me with my great grandmother's maiden name. My sister's middle name is my dad's first name (she HATED that growing up, but likes it now).

Do you look at the meaning of the name or just the name itself?

I would pick a name for the name, rather than the meaning, personally.



Do you name pet names with human names or dog names?

Human names I suppose. However, I didn't name Brady after anyone (not even Tom Brady). My roommate at the time (holler, Jenny!) suggested it while we were trying to think of one and I loved it! So he was named Brady. Way better than the original pick, Spanky.

Are there any names that you have an affinity or dislike for based on a childhood experience or someone you once knew?

Yes, definitely. 

What are some of your favorite names and why?

I plan on naming my little girl Lindley eventually. And I have an idea of what I would name my little boy, but I'll just keep that to myself for now. :) It will be a while before I even have to worry about that though. 

Your turn!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving the sand dollar earrings that I won in Jana's giveaway last week! I know I will get several compliments on them, especially at work. Jana's handwriting is also creepily similar to mine.

I'm loving this sunburst mirror I saw in Ross yesterday for only $50. If only I had somewhere to put it...

I'm loving this light fixture I saw on Etsy. It would be perfect for the covered area in our backyard. :)

via

I'm loving that today has flown by! Didn't have to be to work until 11 and it's already 3pm! Wish everyday would fly by this fast!

Tasty Tuesday - Shrimp & Grits!

I made this recipe two weeks ago and I've been dying to share it! I posted the pic below on FB immediately after I cooked it and I'm pretty sure I had people drooling over their keyboards. The recipe is from Tale of a GRITS blog (how fitting for the recipe!) and I even went back the next day and thanked her for posting it.

Shrimp & Grits

The grits are not runny like they look..that is the sauce / gravy on top. :)

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 can chicken broth
• 3/4 cup half-and-half (I used the fat free kind and it was still delicious)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup regular grits
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper
• Few bacon slices
• 1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Add cheeses, butter, and salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels. Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and salt; dredge in flour.

Sauté mushrooms in bacon drippings drippings in skillet for 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and sauté 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly brown. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice and cook 2 more minutes.

Serve shrimp mixture over hot cheese grits.

Redonkulous

Last night we celebrated my Grandma Anna's birthday at my aunt & uncle's new house in Summerville. It was my first time over there since they moved in a few weeks ago. As I was getting a tour of the house, I think my jaw was dragging on the floor the whole time. The house is ridiculous and by ridiculous I mean, I want to live there and I'm super jealous. :)  

Here are some pics I took during my tour:

LOVE.THIS.KITCHEN.

Is it weird to be in love with a stove?

More kitchen.

Master Bedroom.

Master Bath. Complete with his & her sinks and his & her commodes.

Favorite room in the house.

Inside closet looking out.

Shoes.

Mr. Wilson

Laundry Room Heaven.

Back porch. I would sit out there every.day.

Man Cave complete with a fire pit, kitchen and outhouse

Birthday Girl

In other news, Saturday night I went downtown for the sole purpose of meeting up with Ashley & Beth! Never did find Beth (tear), but I finally tore Cameron away from his friends  to go meet up with Ashley at Social! So fun! Her friend Kristin was super nice, too! Can't wait for Katie's wedding in May so we can hang out again and actually get a pic together!

Friday Thoughts

My thoughts are pretty scattered today and there's no real point to this post. Enjoy!

-I signed up for bootcamp! My job is offering a 6 week bootcamp for only $30! It will be Monday's & Wednesday's from 5:30pm - 6:30pm and if you go to 11 out of the 12 sessions, you get your $30 back! Unfortunately, I already know I'll be missing atleast 2 sessions due to work events. Oh well, it's time to get back in shape!

-The fridge was delivered this morning bright & early! I'm talking like 7:30am. We preferred to have them come between 7-9am so we'd be sure someone was home to let them in. I was already at work when they arrived so Cameron texted me this pic of the new and improved fridge!

Somethings you will notice in this picture:

-The Bud Light box. How embarrassing.

-No, the fridge does not stick out that far. 

-Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies - yum!

-Our 2011 fridge next to our original double ovens probably from the 60's. Still work great!

-The ugly green laminate counter tops..which leads me to my next thought..

-In other kitchen news, we ordered Giani granite counter top paint yesterday! Have you heard of this? It's basically a quick and inexpensive fix for when you can't splurge on granite counter tops. Click the website to learn more!

Counter tops now..and replace the black dishwasher with a pretty new stainless steel one!

-I'm 3 followers away from 200! I'm thinking it will be giveaway time once I hit 200 so all you stalkers out there, just go ahead and follow!

Have a great weekend!

San Fran!

Ashley's post brought back memories of my first trip to the West Coast, which was in December of 2007, so I thought I'd take a short stroll down memory lane..

I had (have? I haven't spoken to him in a really long time) a friend, no seriously, just a friend, named Justin who works for a geology firm. Although Justin worked in Augusta, GA, his company's main office was in California. Every year they have a huge Christmas party and in 2007, Justin decided to bring me along as his date. Free airfare and hotel room? Sign me up immediately! 

We flew in to San Fransisco on a Thursday and decided to do the whole tourist thing of Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39 before we checked into our hotel room. That is why I look so disgusting in these pics, FYI. :)

No idea what church this is, but I thought it was pretty.

Alcatraz

Of course we had to see the sea lions!

Group shot

This crazy guy in the dog costume (bottom left) charged us $5 to take pictures with his dogs..with our camera! Poor dogs.

Later that evening we checked into the Bodega Bay Lodge. From what I can remember, the room was amazing. Fireplace, big flat screen tv, plush king size bed, etc. I didn't realize how beautiful the view was until the next morning.

View from our room!

On Friday, we did a little more sightseeing and this time it was to see the Pacific Ocean and the Point Reyes Lighthouse! A little history for ya: "The Point Reyes Lighthouse is the windiest place on the Pacific coast and the second foggiest place on the North American continent. Weeks of fog, especially during the summer months, frequently reduce visibility to hundreds of feet. The Point Reyes Headlands, which jut 10 miles out to sea, pose a threat to each ship entering or leaving San Francisco Bay. The historic Point Reyes Lighthouse warned mariners of danger for more than a hundred years." source See, ya learn something new everyday!

308 stairs to get to the lighthouse, which is the equivalent of a 30 story building. They did have resting spots for you on the way down / up though!

Saw these little fella's (girlies?) on my way down.

Pacific Ocean - so pretty!

It was very windy & cold. Not ideal for a beach, but hey, it was December.

Sunset from our room! Would have been so romantic...if I was attracted to my date. I'm sorry, that was mean. He's a SUPER nice & fun guy!

I can't really remember what we did on Saturday during the day, but the big Christmas party & dinner was later that night. Justin and his co-worker, Greg, were appointed the oh-so-important role as the "Shot Cowboys." They would go around to every table during dinner and force hand out shots to people. I was so proud to be his date.....not.

Shot Cowboys (pretty sure the President of the company is at that table.)

Myself & Natalie. Natalie and I actually played soccer together in high school! It was so nice to know someone else that weekend!

This is Frank the Tank. He loved him some Megan.

Sunday was departure day. On our way back to the airport we checked out the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Natalie's date & I grew up in the same neighborhood.

 I had such a fun time, but I was ready to head back to the East Coast!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving our new appliances! Picked up our new dishwasher on Sunday (the one that the previous owners left never worked) and our new fridge will be delivered on Friday! 

I'm loving that my first wedding for work is this Saturday and it ends at 5pm! Yay for no late night!

I'm loving the dress I scored from Ann Taylor Loft for under $40! Perfect for work...and church if I could get my lazy butt out of bed on Sunday mornings. 

I'm loving that I'm back to blonde as of yesterday and I no longer have split ends! Thanks Kady! :)


I'm loving how Brady rides in the car! He always wants to be up front and watch where we're going.

I'm loving gchat! Especially when I see my bloggy friends pop up online! My days go by so much faster when I have someone to talk to! I persuade Jana to move to Charleston, confess to Beth, talk to Ashley about everything under the sun and let her know I'm hooking her up with a groomsman from the wedding we're both attending in May, gossip about high school peeps with Christina, and ask Linley craft advice, where she got her boots, and I get a little too excited that we share a name (Lindley is my middle name).

Tasty Tuesday - Shrimp & Artichoke Casserole

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided use

4 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup half and half

salt and pepper to taste

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts

1 1/2 to 2 pounds shrimp, cooked and deveined

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon flour

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Melt 4 1/2 tablespoons butter. Stir in 4 1/2 tablespoons flour. Add creams, stirring constantly. When thick, add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain artichokes and cut in half. Place on bottom of casserole. Place shrimp over artichokes. 

Saute mushrooms in remaining butter. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon flour over mushrooms. Stir. Scatter mushrooms over shrimp. 

Add sherry and Worcestershire to cream sauce. Pour over casserole.

Top with cheese and paprika. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Note: I'm not sure if the shrimp actually have to be cooked before hand if you're going to stick them in the oven for 20 minutes.

I found this recipe in Sunday, March 6, 2011's Post & Courier. 

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

When people (a bride in this case) schedule a meeting with you and then fail to show up, without even calling or emailing to let you know!

On the upside, this particular bride is looking to book July 23rd, which happens to be this super fun couple's wedding date. 

So it is really a blessing in disguise. But she still could have given me a heads up..

Other than that it's been a great Monday! I didn't oversleep like I did most of last week and it's beautiful outside!

For Japan With Love.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

We don't have anything planned this year for St. Pats. :( We were going to go to Savannah to visit Cameron's friend, James, but then my car decided to start acting funny and our refrigerator decided to stop working so we decided that maybe we should spend our money to fix those two pretty important items, rather than spending it on green beer. Maybe next year, James!

IF we were going to Savannah and I had $286 to shell out on a new top, I'd totally buy this one:

Tibi

And since I'm not / don't , let's look at some pics from previous St. Pat's celebrations...

2009 (Day of) at O'Malley's Downtown Charleston. Yes, that is "Jeremy" from Army Wives. They film the show in Charleston and Jenna was pretty obsessed at the time.

2009 (Weekend of) at Poe's on Sullivan's Island

2008 (Day of St. Pat's) in Summerville

2008 (Weekend of) in Columbia

What are your plans??