HELLO
Mom to Iris. Wife to Todd. Our little family lives at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We love it here and I love sharing little bits of our life.

© 2014 sarahfortune.

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Posts Tagged: featured

Rosemary Beach, FL – Vacation!

For the first time in years, we took a real-deal, family vacation.

Before we had Iris I loved to travel – whether for work or for fun. From road trips to flights to Mexico, I always looked forward to the next adventure. Once Iris was born, the thought of leaving her for a business trip made me tear up, but if I thought about bringing her with me, I still teared up (that’s a lot of work on top of work). When she turned two I started to get the travel itch again, but in a different way. Sure those girls trips to Vegas were a blast, but experiencing a new place through the eyes of a toddler takes travel to a new level. I knew that I wanted our first real vacation to be to the beach.

In January I started researching properties on VRBO and finally settled on this cute little carriage house in Rosemary Beach, Florida. I counted down the days and started packing about a week ahead of time. Rosemary Beach is about a 15 hour car ride away (with all the pit stops), but it was well worth it. Thank god for the Frozen on the iPad.

Rosemary is beautiful. Simply lovely. There are no chain restaurants, lots of families, tree lined streets, white sand beaches, stunning buildings and homes, hidden pathways, and amazing community pools. We rode our bikes or walked everywhere, spending our days at the ocean and pool, with lots of food and drinks in between. Iris loved – I mean LOVED – the water. Typically she’s afraid of getting her head or eyes wet, but watching her play on the beach was pure joy. I could have sat there in the sand and watched her forever.

This trip is something I’ll always look back on with such fond memories. My hope now is that we can make it a tradition.

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Rosemary Beach, FL

Rosemary Beach, FL

Rosemary Beach, FL

Rosemary Beach, FL

Rosemary Beach, FL

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Rosemary Beach, FL

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VACATION in INSTAGRAM

MADE IT.

Our little carriage house for the week. #rosemarybeach

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Represent. #arkansas #rosemarybeach #riffrafflove

All day, every day. Or at least until Friday. #rosemarybeach

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Beach ball & sunshine.

Bike ride to breakfast!

❤️

bloody mary + seashells

Chillin on our balcony after a late nap.

Trading in the beach for the pool.

Off to breakfast!

Enjoying our last day in this pretty little place.

Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Let me first get out the obligatory “I CAN’T BELIEVE MY BABY IS TWO YEARS OLD!” screech that all mothers do. Yes, I’m a little sad that every time I blink she grows an inch, but truth be told – I’m loving the toddler stage. Iris is starting to say clever things, she’s already potty trained, and there’s just so much more we can get out and experience with her.

We celebrated Iris’ big day on a Sunday afternoon. Perfect October weather, surrounded by the perfect mix of family and friends. Iris has been obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba since she was about one (or “Gah Gah” as she calls it), so there was no question about what kind of theme we would have. My plan was to keep it simple, but thanks to Pinterest and a few ideas of my own, I went a little Yo Crazy Crazy. Here’s a look the party and all the planning…

To make all the signage I found a blank Yo Gabba Gabba sign on this blog and a Gabbaland font here.

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

I made snacks or drinks for each of the characters. The Plex Mix, Dazzleberry Lemonade, and Muno cup ideas I found on Pinterest, but the Bronuts, Pink and Happy, Toodee Fruitee, and DJ Lance Rocks are courtesy of yours truly.

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

❤️

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

I used print-outs from Nick Jr. to make a coloring station and Pinterest led me to this blog to print out the boomboxes for the animal crackers.

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

To save on costs I used left over tissue paper from the tassel garland and sticks from my front yard to make matching flowers.

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

I found the cutest little Muno dress on Pinterest, which inspired me to make one for Iris (Muno is her current favorite).

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Yo Gabba Gabba favors from Party City.

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

More party details.

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Party fun!

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Iris' Yo Gabba Gabba Birthday Party

Tomorrow is Iris' actual birthday, but I'll be out of town on a work trip. The life of a working mom can be a tough one, but I know I'm doing what's best for my little family. Sooo I'll just be over here overgraming photos from her party to make myself fe

You wouldn't know it, but she's actually having a blast.

Necessary.

Happy 2nd birthday my little Iris Adella Gill!

Friends!   @taylorsutton

The aftermath.

Messy room + balloons.

To quote DJ Lance, “Thanks for coming… We’ll see you next time!”

Baby Blog: She’s here!


Iris Adella Gill

was born
at 9:12 pm Saturday, October 15th, 2011

Iris Adella Gill

9 pounds, 14 ounces
20 3/4 inches long
and an absurd amount of beautiful hair

My motherly instinct was right – she’s a biggie!
And we are so in love with every tiny chunk of her.

More pictures and details of the birth will come,
but for now we’re resting happy and healthy at home.

Thank you for following our journey…
It’s just begun.

Midtown

My last post got me thinking.
And missing.
My home city.
My home neighborhood
of Midtown
Memphis.

Memphis - Girl Trip!

I lived on 12 different streets
in my 20+ years there.
I got to know it well.
Midtowners tend to move a lot,
but never far.

Trading up
for hardwood floors
from just down the street.

Many move to Midtown,
but being raised there is something.
Something different.
For better or for worse…

I was addicted to coffee by the age of 10
thanks to the Seessel’s on Union Ave
who put their fresh brewed pots
by the free butter cookies.
With sprinkles.

Witnessed my first shooting
while I was in junior high.
Saw a drive-by
by the time I was in high school.
A woman shot a guy
in the butt.
At the Mapco on the corner of
Cooper & Central.

Speaking of school,
Mine was across the street from the
Memphis Zoo.
At the time it seemed normal to hear
monkeys while in class.

My parents were hippies
who played music at the P&H.
Tagging, dragging along
my six-year-old self stretched out in the booth
fighting sleep
staring up at the scary cartoon characatures
painted on the ceiling.

Fifteen years later,
I sat in the same booth.
Drinking beer.
Listening to my friends play
instead of my dad.
No need to fight sleep.
But still creeped out by the paintings above.

Discovered punk rock at age 15
with my best friend.
Too young, but together
we took flyers for shows
like they were golden tickets.
We’d get dropped off by our moms
outside of Barristers.
And just hang out
hoping there was a show.
Often there wasn’t.

Late night robberies.
Matched by late night runs to
Video Magic and Baskin Robbins.
There was a bullet hole in the glass
that always caught my eye
while I sat in my pink chair and
ate my sugar cone.

Piggly Wiggly parking lot.
And the graveyard ’round back.

Barefoot in the riverwalk on Mud Island.
Face painted with primary color balloons.
Stubbing little toes
on the ridges of the Mississippi replica.

Summer camp consisted of
the stage at Playhouse on the Square.
Instead of cabins and canoes.

Now-n-Laters for 10 cents
from the Barksdale 8 till Late supermarket.
Hard as a rock.

Saturday mornings spent
hiding in the record shelves at WEVL
while my mom did her storytelling radio show.
Only coming out to read PSAs
on air.

Pre-school mornings at Cooper Cottage
complete with field trips to the Midtown Mini-Mart.
Afternoons spent with my dad
at the Morris Garage by the train track
overpass on S. Barksdale.
Eating pork rinds
and drinking Coke out of glass bottles.

The cold smell of books
in the old library on Peabody.
The giant tree bench in the children’s section
kept me company after school.

There’s a dogwood tree
on Meda Street in Cooper Young.
My parents planted it there
when I was born.

There’s a parking lot
just a little further down.
Where a friend of mine was
shot and killed
years later.
While delivering pizza.

Little holes torn in the tarp of the tunnel
on the Libertyland Log Ride.
Letting way too much light in.
And letting the scariness out.
One year it caught fire
and it made the news.

In 6th grade I discovered I needed glasses
while at Lupe & Bees Mexican Restaurant.
Across the street from what would become
the Lucero Warehouse.
Of which, I saw a lot of.

Summer days at Overton Park.
40s bought by bums.
If you bought them one too.

Milkshakes at Wiles-Smith.
Grilled cheeses at Dinos.
Toothpicks at Hueys.
Homework over bad coffee at CKs.

Most of these memories have been replaced
by adult ones.
On the same streets,
in the same places.

Either way.
Midtown,
I am yours.
For better or for worse.

My grandma Dorothy
and grandfather Ransom
in Midtown.

Old Photos