Happy Hump Day - The Flowers Edition

We had been enjoying some warmer weather here for the past few days, but today is supposed to be cold. Really, really cold. Tomorrow and Friday aren’t looking much better.

I pretty much hate winter, so I was really enjoying the warmer weather. Spring will be here soon! That’s what I keep telling myself anyway. I’m looking forward to going outside without having to bundle up, and of course, planting things. I love watching the yard fill with color. So here are some pictures of flowers to tide us all over in the meantime.

How is the weather for you? Is it finally starting to warm up?

Happy Hump Day - The Panda Bear Edition

I’m slowly getting back to a regular blogging schedule, so I thought this would be a good time to brig back the Happy Hump Day posts.

This week has been awful so far. It has been cold and rainy, and a week where I’ve wished I had gone to school for just about anything other than what I’m currently doing. It’s the kind of week that needs a really, really good Happy Hump Day post. So, I give you panda bears.

I’ve been obsessed with panda bears for about as long as I can remember. I’m not sure how or when it all started, but as a child my room was covered in panda bear everything. I watched any and every panda bear documentary I could find, and generally drove people insane sharing random panda bear facts. I also decided my life wouldn’t be complete until I saw panda bears live.

I finally got to see pandas live in 2012 when we went to Atlanta for our anniversary and went to Zoo Atlanta. I spent hours at the panda bear area, and Nick patiently put up with it. And now my panda bear obsession is probably a little more extreme than it was before.

I’ve also recently discovered that my dream job does actually exist; being a panda nanny is a real job. Not that it’s a job I’ll ever have, but it’s nice to know it’s out there. A girl can dream.

So what about you? What’s your dream job?

Just in case you need a little more panda bear cuteness to help you make it through the week here’s a link to Zoo Atlanta’s Panda Cam.

 

Happy Hump Day - The Thanksgiving Song Edition

Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday. By far. It’s a day that’s all about spending time with the people you love. And cooking for them. What’s not to love?

I haven’t heard very many Thanksgiving songs, but I absolutely love this one by Mary Chapin Carpenter. I hope you do too.

So what about you? Do you love Thanksgiving? Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving song?

Happy Hump Day - The All Things Butterfly Edition

The new soap dispenser.

I love butterflies; they’re just so pretty and cheerful. Butterflies are definitely a theme throughout our house, and were at our wedding too. I usually lean toward cheerful colors, so it’s easy to incorporate butterflies into just about everything; from our wedding cake to one of Emma’s Halloween costumes, and everything in between.

The latest butterfly item is this great soap dispenser my Mother-In-Law bought for us over the weekend. It matches the shower curtain and toothbrush holder. I just love how cheerful it is.

So what about you? Do you like butterflies? Is there a theme you incorporate into everything?

Emma as a butterfly!

Butterfly Wedding Cake.

Butterfly Planter

Butterfly Curtains & Dishes (butterflies were NOT on the menu).

 

Happy Hump Day - The Happy Veteran’s Day Edition: My Favorite Veteran

Happy Veteran’s Day! And most importantly, a gigantic THANK YOU to everyone who is serving or has served.

My favorite veteran is my grandfather, a.k.a. Dad Dog. I know, I know. That one needs a little bit of explaining:

I’m the first grandchild on both sides of the family, and when I was born I had three sets of grandparents (my mom’s parents were divorced and both re-married), as well as a set of great-grandparents still living. Being the long-awaited first grandchild, I spent a lot of time with grandparents.

The decision was made to come up with different names for all four sets to avoid confusion, and to help me learn who was who. At the time my paternal grandfather was caring for some puppies, and once referred to himself as their Daddy Dog.

The name mostly stuck. It became Dog, then Dad Dog for me, Daddy Dog for my sister, and Daddy Duck for my cousin (he was caring for orphaned ducks when she was little). I know it sounds odd, but it works for our family. 

In addition to caring for a wide variety of animals over the years, Dad Dog also served in the Army and Air Force (once the two became separate) until his retirement. I grew up listening to his war stories.

Once again, Happy Veteran’s Day.

Happy Hump Day - The Dressed Up Dogs Edition

Yes, I’m one of those people. The ones who dress their dogs up for just about any reason. Or no reason at all.

In my defense, I’ve been dressing Emma for so long she probably thinks dogs are really supposed to wear clothes. And I think she enjoys wearing pretty little outfits. She has had a lot of them over the 12 years I’ve had her. Duke associates being dressed up with getting a treat, so I’m pretty sure he’d dress himself if he could. And I’ve only dressed up foster dogs who seemed like they were into it. Playing dress-up is voluntary.

I don’t think it gets much cuter than dressed up dogs, so for today’s edition of Happy Hump Day, I give you dressed up dogs.

Happy Hump Day - The Jack ‘O Lantern Edition

Since Halloween is just a few days away I thought today’s Hump Day pictures should feature Jack ‘O Lanterns and other carved pumpkins. I wish I could take credit for the more interesting ones, but they’re all my friend Crystal’s handy work. She takes her pumpkin carving very seriously!

Have you carved your pumpkin yet? Do you do a traditional Jack ‘O Lantern or something else?

Points if you recognized this as being the design on the South Carolina flag!

Happy Hump Day - The Cats In Boxes Edition

There’s just something about boxes that cats can’t seem to resist. I’m not sure what it is about boxes that they love so much, but I do know they look adorable when they’re in a box.

Howard & Milo

Milo (top) & Howard (bottom) - the orange guys stick together.

Milo

Frankie

Frankie

Happy Hump Day - The Dessert Edition

It’s National Dessert Day, so I’m sharing dessert pictures today. I love the idea of a day reminding us to eat dessert.

So what about you? Will you be enjoying a dessert today? What is your favorite dessert?

Happy Hump Day - The Riverbanks Zoo Edition

I love Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, SC. We’ve been going there since I was a little kid, and Nick and I go every year around my birthday. It’s a great zoo. The animals are well cared for, and the zoo does a lot of conservation work. It’s one of my favorite places.

I’ve been worried about the zoo and the animals with all of the flooding that’s going on there right now, so I was delighted to read on their Facebook page that the animals are safe. The zoo is set to re-open today, though the garden and bridge leading to it will remain closed.

In celebration of the animals’ safety and the re-opening of the zoo, I decided to share zoo pictures for today’s hump day pictures.

Happy Hump Day - The Blue Sky Edition

In honor of Hump Day (and the work week being half over!) I’ve decided to start posting hump day pictures of things that I think are pretty, cute, cheerful, fun, interesting, or some combination thereof. I think we can all use a little of that halfway through the week.

We’ve had rain for almost a week now, and while I know we needed the rain, I’m desperately hoping for blue skies and sunshine soon. So of course today’s hump day theme has to be blue skies.

Are you getting drenched too? I hope your skies are blue and sunny. If not, hopefully the pictures can help tide you over too.

Jump Off Rock

Riverbanks Zoo

I-40

Charleston Harbor

Folly Beach

Mid-Week Cuties

Happy Hump Day!  Here are some adorable fur kids to help put a smile on your face: