Road to #14!

Invitation to our BCS National Championship watching party!

The last time Alabama was in the BCS National Championship game, 2009, we were living in Austin, TX and I wanted SO badly to go to the game.  It was in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl and I tried so hard to get us tickets.  I actually thought I had snagged us some at one point but it turned out to be too good to be true.  We hosted some friends over at our house to watch the game and I swore up and down that the next time we were in the Championship game, I would be there.  Little did I know that it would be a short 2 years later and we would be living on the other side of the country.

Needless to say, we weren’t able to make it to the game this year either.  It was in New Orleans and I’m quite sure I was one of the ONLY ones that wasn’t there out of my college friends (that is an exaggeration but it’s almost true).  I was glad the game was so close to UA because it makes for easy traveling for the fan base.  And though I was very sad we weren’t going to be able to afford to get there, I planned a BCS National Championship watching party at our house to make up for it!

Roll Tide!

I pulled out a lot of my Alabama memorabilia for the dining room table.  I wore my jersey from the last championship and invited over all my Junior League girls (luckily they are mostly SEC fans and NONE from LSU so they were all pulling for Bama!)  We had a few other friends join us as well that are football fans though it’s hard to find SEC fans out here in Oregon!

Even my sweet husband was able to make it for the second half–he’s juggling graduate school, teaching, free lance work, etc.  He’s a busy bee!  But he came in at the beginning of half time, changed into his Bama shirt and was ready to cheer on the Tide for the second half of the game!!

So incredibly thankful for this girl and her husband!

I made two fans of Yellow Hammers out of these ladies.

Because I was no where NEAR the game, I felt I needed to bring Alabama to my friends here.  I made Yellow Hammers and they were a huge hit!  In case you don’t know, Yellow Hammers are the drink that is served at Gallettes, a bar on the Strip, on game days.  I only had one of my classic Gallettes cups here in Oregon with me but I did have a bunch of Alabama styrofoam cups for everyone’s drinking pleasure.  And if you’re curious the recipe, shoot me a message and I’ll give it to you!

Watching the game…at a commercial…

I whipped out a bunch of my Alabama memorabilia for the tables-cape!

Alabama ‘A’ cupcakes made by Ashley and her sister Jamie!

I had all sorts of treats for us to eat as well as taco soup for dinner.  AND Caitlin came through for us and made her fantastic corn bread and everyone was SO glad to see it!  (it’s amazing!)

Some fantastic ladies!

Miss Casey and I and our cups! Glad that Ole Miss grad was able to come cheer on my team! She’s so gracious!

Me and Miss Anna! (yet another wonderful JLP friend!)

Overall it was a wonderful evening filled with wonderful company and an even MORE wonderful outcome to the game (sorry to any LSU fans out there)!  I may or may not have cried at the end of the game.  And like each week, our victory was topped off with a phone call from my Mimi.  We talk after every Bama win and she and I were both in tears this year.  What a sweet victory and end to a wonderful season.  14 National titles.  You can’t beat that!  I am convinced that no one but fellow Southerners will understand how much a football victory can mean to you and your family.  And I don’t expect anyone to understand why it brings me to tears.  But it does.

Today and ALWAYS I am PROUD to be an alumna of the University of Alabama.  Even though my daddy considers it a somewhat inferior school, UA gave me 4 of the BEST years of my life.  ROLL TIDE ROLL!

–And as one more side note, if you are a Bama fan, you know THIS win was special because Nick Saban was grinning from ear to ear!

The whole gang who came to cheer on my Tide! (and Lonny who chose to wear an LSU jersey to make me mad! Ha!)

My amazing wristbands from Mr. Lonny Hurley!

Overwhelmed. In a strangely good way.

I realized this afternoon as I was plopped on the couch watching football with William how overwhelmed I am.  But not in the traditional way that you would think when someone says they are overwhelmed.  I’m overwhelmed in a strangely good way.

Today starts October.  Which starts (in my mind) fall, though here in Portland it has felt like fall for about a month now.  Keeping in mind that I’m from Texas and the weather in October there most of the time doesn’t even feel like fall, but that’s still my mindset.  Apparently it needs to be readjusted. Regardless, October enters in pumpkins, and sweaters, and boots, and my birthday, and Christmas is around the corner, AND my mind is FULL of parties and events and gatherings I want to host.  I, like every other female in America it seems, have a growing addiction to Pinterest which has just made my condition worse.

Now that we live somewhere that the weather is actually reflecting what time of year it is, I have so many things that I want to do and what feels like so little time to do it.  How much of a serious problem do I have that I am anxious about being able to host all of the get togethers that I want to before the rain sets in?  Answer: a large problem.

Not everything has a date set in stone yet, but here are the things I have planned for the next month and a half:

• Hosting my first supper club with an amazing group of girls from the Junior League of Portland (that I have recently joined)
• Making a trip, tomorrow actually, to Sauvie Island to not 1 but 2 amazing pumpkin farms.  And yes, William is thrilled this tradition has followed us to Portland
• Hosting a pumpkin carving party with our newly created little “woman’s crafting group” started by the amazingly talented lady behind Always With Honor.  (side note, I was PUMPED to be included in this group.  All of the ladies are incredibly talented and I was thrown in the mix–thank God!! They are inspiring and crafty and just plain amazing.)
• Celebrating my 25th birthday with new friends in less than 2 weeks
• Heading to the Oregon Coast for the first time since we’ve moved here with my parents to celebrate my birthday when they come in town
• Potentially hosting a Halloween party at our house!  I should rephrase.  I want to host a Fall Carnival.  I’m not kidding.  I’m really excited about this one.
• Host a weekly dinner for those who are “cashing in” their wooden nickels at Dixieland Delight.  I’m going to make posts about these…I’m pretty excited about them.
• Lastly, hosting a football/tailgating party at our place a little later in the season (might have to move into November for this one).  Our new friends up here think our passion for football is quite comical and I want to have people over for a real football party to give them a taste of what being a fan (in the South) is really about!

WHEW!  I’m telling you I could be the world’s best party planner.  Not really, but I do enjoy throwing a good party.  I am making a post about this mostly because I think getting all of my ideas out in the open will force me to see them through.  I am so thankful our new friends here in Portland are just plain fun people.  They’d totally be down for all of this.  Otherwise we’d be partyin’ alone!  Calling out to all my party people in Portland!  Get ready.  The Bryants are about to show you some fun!

I have also promised myself to post 3-4 days out of the week until the end of 2011.  Starting today October 1.  I am actually doing a little personal experiment with this.  Hoping I impress myself.  Happy Fall everyone!

Oregon, meet the SEC!

Mississippi State/Alabama garden flags for our new house

Our garden flags have arrived!  They are 11″ x 15″ and the perfect size.  Very tasteful.  (please disregard the dead plant and creepy cat stare in the picture)  I couldn’t wait to take these out of the packages and see what they looked like.  I’ll be saving them until we get to Oregon, but they’ll be one of the first things I find a spot for when we get there!

Oregon, meet the SEC!

My kind of weekend…an ALABAMA weekend!

Denny Chimes on A-Day game

I was lucky enough to have gotten to spend this past weekend in one of my favorite places on earth.  TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA!  Home of the University of Alabama (where I went to college) and some of my favorite memories.  This past weekend was our annual spring game, called the A-Day game.  My cousin, Zack is looking at UA for college and I had the privilege of showing him around campus for the weekend.  I got to see wonderful old friends, spend time with my cousin and his dad, went on an amazing tour of the best stadium in college football…and well I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

Precious, precious girls who let me sleep on their couch for the weekend! PPL!

Texarkana Represent! The one and only Lyd who hung out with me this weekend...dry sockets and all!

Wonderful friends--Hannah, Julie, and Lydia

I know most people have fond memories from college, but mine are especially precious to me.  When I was 18 I thought it was the best idea in the world to move 9 hours away from home.  Though it was difficult at times, I have to give my 18 year old self some props.  Hands down one of the best decisions I have ever made.  If nothing else, meeting these girls pictured in this post was worth every minute of homesickness I had.  They were my family for 4 years and I don’t know where I’d be without them.

SUS! Another Texarkana survivor and one of my favorite girls ever!

One of my best friends (and bridesmaid in my wedding), Hannah, now has a big fancy job with Crimson Tide Sports Marketing.  Her office is INSIDE of Bryant-Denny Stadium and she hooked us up with an amazing tour of the stadium.  My uncle even stole some Coca-Cola from Coach Saban’s fridge!

Bryant-Denny Stadium

The Walk of Champions from inside Bryant-Denny. You can see Coach Sabans statue still wrapped up and a guard sitting next to it awaiting its reveal before Saturdays game!

Here are some of the other statues of the other famous UA coaches to have brought home a National Championship.

Coach Gene Stallings, National Champions 1992. You can see the space reserved for Coach Saban in the background.

The Man, The Legend, Coach Bear Bryant (strong last name)

Coach Nick Sabans statue revealed last Saturday before the A-Day game.

Hannah and I inside the stadium

Bryant-Denny Stadium

We had to take a classic Bear Bryant picture.  They had just finished painting the “ALABAMA” in the end zone when we took this so I now have some white paint on the heel of my cowboy boots.  Ah well.

Coach Paul Bear Bryant

Look familiar?!

We think were cool. Ha!

For the rest of the weekend, I just spent time with old friends which is about the best thing you can do in Tuscaloosa.  So many things have changed so it’s a little weird being there and being unfamiliar with the local hangouts, but somethings have stayed the same just the way I like them!

Some of my dearest friends in Birmingham, Rachel, Jana, and Katie Mac.

One of my Pi Phi little sisters took a break from CPA studying to come hug my neck! Love her!

Precious sorority sisters at the NEW Innisfree!

Another favorite friend of mine!!

Mary Catherine who has the best head of hair Ive ever seen in my life!

I’ll leave you with this picture.  This is what the Alabama football players see as they walk out of their locker room heading out onto the field in Bryant-Denny stadium.  There is nothing else to say but THIS. IS. ALABAMA. FOOTBALL.

This. Is. Alabama. Football.

Roll Tide Roll!

MSU vs. Georgia

Bryant's & Whitton's MSU cowbells!

A few weeks ago, Mr. Fancy Pants and I made the trek to Mississippi to see the Mississippi State Bulldogs play the University of Georgia Bulldogs.  We got to see many old friends and had a great time!  MSU pulled out a BIG win which only made the weekend better.  William and I got our first “family” cowbell that is now proudly displayed on our living room shelves at home.

I will admit I had a great time shaking that cowbell during the game.  Every game I’ve been to in Starkville I have been cowbell-less and they annoyed the stuff out of me.  BUT now that I have my own, it’s much better!  The girls from Georgia that sat right behind us didn’t exactly feel the same way.  There is a little cowbell icon that shows up on the screen in the stadium when it is an “approved cowbell ringing” time.  We pretty much ignored that though. Ha!  The boys and the Georgia fans had some less than positive words before the game was over…didn’t stop us though!

The Bryants and the Whittons (Landon and William were roommates in college!)

Julia and I with our cowbells in Wade-Davis stadium

Wade-Davis stadium GO BULLDOGS!

Bringing in the game ball!

I am not sure why but this picture makes me laugh. Here is William and his cowbell.

The boys and their bells. Sometimes I think that William would rather be still living Landon than me!

Me and sweet Bev

William and his other favorite roommate from college, Drew!

The Bryants and Whittons say GO STATE!

We also got to see William's best friend from childhood Ryan!

All in all, it was a great weekend.  We got to see SO many people that we love dearly and miss very much.  It made it all the better that MSU won their football game!  To all our Mississippi friends, we love and miss you!  Thanks for a great weekend!

Football Season

Bryant Denny Stadium- Tuscaloosa, AL

Oh man do I love football season.  We’ve been doing a lot of football watching around the Bryant house so I thought I’d share some of it with you.  The above picture is of Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL home of The University of Alabama Crimson Tide (where I went to college).  This stadium is probably in my top 5 favorite places I’ve ever been. Call it lame, call it cool, call it whatever you want…I LOVE Alabama Football!  Our stadium was just expanded again and now holds a staggering 101,821 people making it the fifth largest stadium in the nation.  Let me tell you one thing–it is LOUD in there.

Davis-Wade Stadium- Starkville, MS

Here is another place that I love.  This is Davis-Wade Stadium in Starkville, MS home of the Mississippi State Bulldogs (where Mr. Fancy Pants went to college). Both State and Alabama are SEC schools so we have some friendly rivalry going on in our house from time to time.  Avey has become a really big football fan and demanded new game day gear for this football season.  So we bought him new collars and jerseys for both Alabama and Mississippi State.  I’d venture to say he’s the one that’s fancy now!

Avey's Alabama and Mississippi State football jerseys

Avey's Game Day collars. Yes they're engraved with his deets on the back. Just in case he gets too excited about a game and runs out the front door.

Avey dons his gear during each game which ultimately means he changes clothes a lot on Saturdays.  It’s ok though because he’s a true fan.

The Fancy Pants family in our MSU gear during the MSU/LSU game. MSU ALMOST had a win that game!

These pictures were yesterday during the Alabama/Florida game.  Avey may look upset in these pictures and you may think, “Hum, it’s probably because you put a DOG’S football jersey on a cat.”  I encourage you NOT to jump to that conclusion my friends.  He was just really into the game and was not in a picture taking mood.  But we had to capture the moment so he got over it.

Avey and his Alabama collar

Here are Avey and I during the 4th quarter when I decided to take pictures. Mr. Fancy Pants and Avey were not amused with my timing. In my defense, it was during a time out.

Man oh man do we love some football here!  A few weeks ago we flew to Mississippi to see all of William’s college buddies and went to an MSU game.  I’ll post about that soon!  In the meantime… ROLL TIDE ROLL and GO DAWGS!

I ain’t never been nothin but a winner.

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant the most legendary coach of Alabama football

I love football season.  I also love SEC football.  More than that, I love Alabama football.  Mr. Fancy Pants is a Mississippi State alum and fellow SEC football lover, but one day a year, we are enemies.  Sadly, I am not going to get to make it to a UA football game this year (unless we make it to the National Championship again–which I will NOT miss) so I’ve been watching our intro video that is played at the beginning of every home game.  Seriously, brings tears and chills to me every time I watch it.  THIS IS ALABAMA FOOTBALL!!

First Saturday of college football in the Bryant/Sarrett families. An Arkansas, Alabama, and Mississippi State fan!

Here is my dad, William, and I last weekend on the first Saturday of college football this season.  We are one big SEC family–Dad the Arkansas Razorback, me the Alabama Crimson Tide fan, and Mr. Fancy Pants the Mississippi State Bulldog.  All three of our first games of the season were on at 6 p.m. which posed quite the problem.  In the end, MSU was on in the den, Alabama in the kitchen, and Arkansas in my parent’s bedroom with the three of us running back and forth between each game.  It was a good day–all of our teams were victorious!

Soon, Mr. Fancy Pants and I will make the trek to Starkville, MS to meet up with our friends Landon and Julia for the Mississippi State vs. Georgia game.  I can’t wait to see our friends, some of William’s family, tailgate, and see some SEC football!  Such a silly problem, but I cannot find a good MSU tshirt to wear to the game.  BUT I did snag these amazing scarves from Amazon to sport for the season.  Not sure I’ll need it in September in Mississippi when it’s 400 degrees, but hey, at least I’ll look cute!

Jersey scarf- Mississippi State University

Jersey scarf- University of Alabama

Of course we can’t leave Avey cat out of all of the fun.  I wanted to make him a University of Alabama football player for Halloween this year, but it was pointed out to me that that might not be quite fair to assume that he is a UA fan.  He was after all born in the big city of Starkville, MS.  So, being a true diplomat, Avey will be sporting both MSU and UA football jerseys this fall.  I know he will hate them and they’re made for little puppies, but how great will the pictures be?!

Mississippi State football jersey

Alabama football jersey

I will post pictures of the Fancy Pants family in all of our football get up as soon as Avey’s gear comes in.  Hooray that fall (which brings football) is FINALLY here!