Purse Project

Here are a few pictures of my Amy Butler downtown clutch. I haven't added the straps - and am undecided whether I will or not. This was a fun project.


We've eaten outside on the back patio for the past 3 nights - it's been just beautiful here & we're enjoying more daylight after Sunday, too!

Summer Comes to Charlotte...80 degrees & sunny!

Today it is 80 degrees & sunny! What a welcome day after the snow this past Monday.
We enjoyed a picnic outside for lunch & Elise ate in her playhouse. After lunch she had to clean up, because she got the floor a little dirty.


She is such a joy. In the last couple of weeks I feel like she's just growing up so fast, and is such a little girl.
This morning we were cuddling in bed after she woke up, and she leaned over to give me a kiss on the cheek - and kept giving sweet kisses & grinning. Her vocabulary is growing everyday.
This week she talked about how the dogs "Bark" but this is not to be confused with what sometimes happens when her toy is "Broke". She loves to take the dogs for a "walk" holding the retractable leash, and will call for "Magg.....ie"
Here's a quick update on life at the Brandenburg's. Adding hours away at the office each week creates a little more need for me to be efficient, but I'm working on it. I am learning new things each week while I'm at the office with my job. The group I work with is great, however, I still have a hard time leaving Elise on Tuesday & Thursday morning. She hasn't missed a beat - life as she knows it is pretty much the same - and my mom has done a great job with her while I'm at the office. She's even started sitting on the potty chair several times each day & is showing a lot of interest. Whoa...I'm not sure I, as the mom, am ready to undertake this...but we just keep taking a day at a time.
John has been staying busy, and continues to grow his design and brand building business on the side. My parents are enjoying the warmer weather & being with family here in Charlotte. They've even started singing in the choir at Church at Charlotte. We continue to pray for wisdom and God's leading as my dad looks for a job here. Last week Friday, I took my mom & Elise to Mary Jo's - a huge fabric warehouse in Gastonia, NC. We had so much fun & I made an Amy Butler Dowtown clutch. It was such a treat. I love having my mom here to go shopping with & share in those things. We are off to enjoy more of this beautiful day! Have a great weekend!

Dog Days

For the past 2 weeks we've had my sister's dog, Bailey with us in Charlotte. Paul & Jodi went on vacation, and we took charge of their boxer, Bailey-boo.
Elise loved having 2 dogs in the house, and surprisingly, they both took to my mom. They followed her everywhere as if they couldn't let her leave their sight. We laughed about how they changed positions at her feet. If she moved from the rocking chair in the living room to the couch - they were sure to move even 4 feet to be right next to her. Too funny!

More Snow Comes to Charlotte...

This past Sunday & Monday we had approximately 4 inches of snowfall in Charlotte. It melted quickly, but Elise had fun rolling her first snowman & snowdog. John had taken the day off from work, and got to enjoy playing in the snow with her.

Valentine's Day

Our Valentine's Day was pretty low-key here in Charlotte. Elise enjoyed sporting her new sunglasses, and actually wants to wear them.
My parents were amazed that we serviced the lawnmower and cut the grass & fertilized as well. They haven't ever cut the grass in February...so this was a first.
John gave the ladies of the house chocolates & treated me to a gift certificate to get an hour long massage this week. It will be a welcome treat - who doesn't love to be pampered?
We enjoyed John's steaks on the grill, salad & sweet potatoes, along with cheesecake for dessert for a wonderful dinner.
Sweet smiles!
A new favorite at our house - ice cream malts! (Thanks, Toni for the great idea...)

Getting Older...20 months!

Here's a few shots John took of Elise...she's getting so big!

Touring Charlotte

During the last week of January, we got to host my parents, along with Reese & Rose Johnson, my aunt & uncle from Iowa. They made a special trip to Charlotte on their way to Florida.
The weather wasn't as pretty as I've seen here, but we played "tour guide" a bit to show them around the Queen City. Elise warmed up to a house-full of guests and was quite taken by uncle Reese.
We also were able to take advantage of Charlotte's Restaurant Week. Occasionally throughout the year, several fine dining restaurants offer a 3-course meal for $30/person. We went to Ruth's Chris & enjoyed wonderful filet, salad & great dessert.
I do believe that if you come through Charlotte, you really should check out the Billy Graham Library. Here's a view of the campus, and the brick home you see is Billy Graham's childhood home that they moved to this location & reassembled brick by brick. It's a wonderful look into the life of a man that God has used so powerfully for many years.
Since John works at the Association, he stopped by the Library to meet us for lunch. Elise is quite taken with Bessie, the talking cow & squeeled with delight everytime she talked. It was difficult to get her to go on the rest of the tour - she would have been content to stay right there.

During this week, we also had a fun day of looking at houses with my parents, Reese & Rose, and our realtor, Eric. The housing market has changed since John and I were looking over 5 years ago, and it was interesting to note the growth of Charlotte in such a short time.
Reese & Rose - thanks for the making the trip to see us! Hope you're having a fabulous time in Florida!