Last Updated on February 17, 2022 by Stacy Averette
February, March, and April are fun-filled months for our family. We have five birthdays and an anniversary just in our immediate family! Since our nest is empty and our favorite adults have their own busy lives and schedules, getting everyone together to celebrate is a bit of a challenge.
I’d be a happy momma if we had five different celebrations so I could make sure each one had their own special day with lots of attention and good food and cake and presents! Instead, we’ve had to be flexible and get creative with when, where, and how we celebrate. (I’m always a little sad not to be with each of them on their actual birthday but sometimes we just can’t make it work.)
This year we ended up with two different celebrations/get-togethers and I think we made the most of our time, focusing on the important part—just being together!
Today I’m sharing the first of the two celebrations which involved a trip to the flea market! (And a sneak peek of our bedroom makeover inspiration pieces. Of course, they were thrifted!)
Caleb Turns 21
Our youngest son, Caleb, turned 21 this year on February 26.
He was going to be out of town celebrating with friends on his birthday so we drove over to visit him a few days early. We did a little shopping (he needed a new suit), lots of eating and coffee drinking (Pop’s Coffee is one of his favorites.) and really enjoyed our time with Caleb.
We made the most of our time together and did a lot of texting and calling to orchestrate a time when we could all be together to have a family celebration.
Our next celebration called for a weekend getaway for two . . .
Eric and Stacy Celebrate 34 Years
On March 6, Eric and I celebrated our 34th Anniversary with a little getaway to Chattanooga. You can click here to read about that trip.
While we were in the big city I did a little thrifting and shoe shopping to buy my early birthday present from Eric:
I’ve wanted a pair of Dr. Marten boots for as long as I can remember, probably since our New Orleans days in the late eighties. Turning 55 seemed like a great time to indulge!
Stacy Turns 55
On March 11, I turned 55 and like many people do when their birthday falls in the middle of the week, I worked all day. But Eric had a special date night planned and boy oh boy did we celebrate with a meal at The Classic on Noble!
The Classic on Noble is east Alabama’s premier fine dining restaurant and just a few blocks from our office! Their shrimp and grits, a Classic signature dish, is included on the exclusive Year of Alabama Food list, “100 Dishes To Eat in Alabama Before You Die.” We love the shrimp and grits and had decided ahead of time to order it until we saw the menu and heard the nightly specials!
For this special meal, we started with the Noble Fry–corn-dusted fried oysters with house-made tartar sauce. They were DELICIOUS!!
Our entree was a special 32 oz Bone-In Rib-Eye with cabernet sauvignon mushroom and onion demi-glace, chef’s choice of vegetables, and pomme lyonnaise potatoes. We shared the entree because it was huge and it came with a salad. The rib-eye was THE BEST I’ve ever had!
We ended the delicious meal with a decadent raspberry cheesecake and drove straight home to put on some stretchy pants!
The Classic on Noble did not disappoint. The food, atmosphere, and service were impeccable and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate turning 55—except to add another celebration with family to the weekend!
Celebrating at the Flea Market
We’ve made several trips to the Collinsville Trade Day and our kids love it as much as we do. I think they all had originally planned to drive to our house on Saturday morning but with high hopes of having them all home for one more night, I said, “If you’ll come on Friday night we’ll go to Collinsville on Saturday morning.” Hello, hand-dipped corndogs!!
They trickled in Friday afternoon and evening which gave me the opportunity to set up a little snack table in the Coffee Lounge AKA the old dining room. Pita chips, hummus, cream cheese and pepper jelly, pickles, and few sweet treats were ready for the pickin’.
When all or any of our kids come home for a visit it feels like waiting for Christmas morning! We’re just killing time until the first one arrives.
Agnes takes a nap and enjoys her last few moments of peace before the other grand-kitties arrive. She’s used to being THE Queen of Everything.
Maddie and John gave Caleb a weighted blanket for his birthday (at his request). How cute are they?!
We spent most of our time Friday evening on the deck gathered around the fire-pit, listening to music, talking, and laughing. When it was bedtime I gave instructions about the grab-and-go breakfast options in the pantry and left them by the fire.
Saturday morning we headed out to the Flea Market, but not before getting a group pic. I don’t think they were thrilled about it but I sure was!!
Also, candid shots are THE BEST! They have no clue what’s going on!
Collinsville Trade Day is in the valley between Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain so the scenery is beautiful every season of the year. And you can find just about anything!
Hand-dipped corndogs might just be our favorite part!
And you never know what you might see!
Fort Payne is just a few minutes north and I needed to go back to a thrift store to pick up a purchase I’d made the previous weekend on our way to Chattanooga. There’s a great little coffee shop downtown so we all enjoyed a quick stop for an afternoon caffeine boost.
We came home from the flea market with full bellies and hearts and a few treasures, too. Eric and I purchased a magnolia tree to plant in our backyard. I’ve always wanted a magnolia in our yard but they’re so expensive. We found a beautiful one that’s already 6 feet tall for $20!
A birthday celebration isn’t complete without cake! For years, I’ve made the birthday cakes and Maddie’s made a few of her special creations, too. But this year we decided to keep it simple and buy one at Publix. I can’t remember the exact name of the cake but it’s raspberry something and IT IS DELICIOUS!!
What a fun weekend we had and the celebration (Caleb and Stacy) felt complete this time. Two birthdays down and three more (Maddie–March 30th, John–April 4, and Jon Eric–April 16) to celebrate in March/April.
Sneak Peek Bedroom Makeover
I mentioned earlier that we had to go to Fort Payne to pick up an item I’d purchased the weekend before. This blue-velvet-tufted headboard was love at first sight! I could hardly believe it was only $15.00!! Tufted velvet gets me every time (did you notice the 4 tufted velvet chairs in the coffee lounge photo?)
I knew this headboard would be perfect for the bedroom makeover I’d been wanting to do. Later this week I hope to have the bedroom makeover post ready, complete with the thrifted vintage print that started it all! There’ll be lots of before-and-after photos.
Well, here’s a sneak peek of the large vintage print that was the inspiration for it all!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time. I hope you’ve been inspired to celebrate life’s big and small moments. One of my favorite bloggers is famous for saying, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful,” in reference to your home and decor. But I think the sentiment applies to every part of life.
Another one of my favorite quotes that I always think of when I’m with the ones I love:
Thanks again for stopping by.