So Long, Farewell....

I'm going to be out of town on business Wednesday through Sunday (not looking forward to it, but gotta pay the bills!), and wanted to say hello and goodbye before I leave.

Before I go, I wanted to share a couple of cute things I picked up J.Crew.....

I finally got my bateau cashmere sweater! Although I was desperate to get it in grey, I got it in black and it's so beautiful and soft!

And this pretty sweater jacket.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Auf Wiedersehen, good night!

All About Meme

Thanks to The Wife for this fun meme! (I am super bored at work today, what's new)

1. What is your occupation? Event coordinator
2. What color are your socks right now? wearing Sperry's with no socks
3. What are you listening to right now? Radio station Dave FM, playing a favorite tune "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls
4. What was the last thing you ate? A Publix sub and peanut M&M's
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Not at all.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Periwinkle Blue
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My husband.
8. How old are you today? 25
9. Favorite drink? Starbuck's Caramel Macciato
10. What is your favourite sport to watch? College football or Scotland's premier football league.
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Nope.
12. Favorite reality TV show? Rob and Big - I love that show.
13. What was the last movie you watched? 27 Dresses, it was really cute.
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas Day.
15. What do you do to vent anger? Moan to my Mum or my husband.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? A stuffed tiger named Schandar. He was named after a real tiger that we went to visit every weekend at the zoo.
17. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Spring.
18. Hugs or kisses? Hugs.
19. Cherries or blueberries? I don't like either one.
20. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yeah, I like a response.
21. Favorite dessert? Homemade chocolate chip cookies
22. Living arrangement? I live in a 3 bed/2.5 bath home with my husband and 2 dogs. It's white with black shutters.
23. When was the last time you cried? I haven't really had a good cry in a while, but I whimpered a bit when I was sick and couldn't sleep.
24. What is on the floor of your closet?Shoes, dirty laundry basket, purses, I'm sure there is more there.
25. What did you do last night? Went to my in laws for dinner.
26. What inspires you? More like who - Martha inspires me domestically, but my Mum is a true inspiration to me.
30. What are you afraid of? Heights
31. Plain, cheese, or spicy burgers? Cheeseburger
32. Favorite breed of dog? King Charles Spaniel - but I have pointers. I love them too.
33. How many years at your current job? Almost 2 years.
34. Favorite day of the week? I love Saturdays.
35. How many states have you lived in? 2, Georgia and Wisconsin
36. Celebrity crush? I really like Jake Gyllenhall (I just don't know how to spell his name).
37. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? Nope. I'm a little too freaked out to ride on a motorcyle.
38. Who is your favorite NFL team? I guess the Falcons - but we didn't have a great year to say the least.
39. Do you have a house phone that is not cordless? Yes, in my husband's office.
40. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? Hmm, tough decision. I think 100 degrees as long as there isn't humidity! Dry heat I could tolerate.

I for sure was not friends with Heath Ledger, but hearing of his death really made me sad. Sudden death like that is always a tragedy, but it especially saddens me when there are children involved, and I think about his poor daughter growing up without having known him for very long. I am one of many that I am sure are blogging about this today, but I am definitely keeping his family, close friends and his daughter in my prayers.

One more thing, my wedding photographer Laura Stone's updated website. It's beautiful and amazing, just like her photography. And that's my favorite band, Travis, playing throughout it. Also pretty amazing. :) If any one's interested, a great album to try of theirs is The Man Who.

Rest in Peace

Heath Ledger
(1979 - 2008)

What a Let Down

The meteorologists build you up for the storm of the century, and then.....nothing. Just a few hours of light accumulation but nothing on the roads. Sigh. I know that's probably a good thing - fewer accidents and such - but a few days hanging out at home, watching movies and eating popcorn, wouldn't have been a bad thing.

Since the whole state of Georgia was basing their weekend plans on "Winter Madness 2K8", my hubby and I stayed pretty low. On Friday we went to LaPaz Mexican Restaurant in Vinings for a friend's birthday. The hubby was dreading it since it was a girly dinner, but we had fun. Nothing a few margaritas couldn't cure. :)

Saturday we went SHOPPING!!! at Target. I've been looking for a slightly over sized clock for my kitchen wall, so I got this one. We also got a new duvet cover. (the picture for sure does not do it justice, it looks nice and classic on the the bed I promise). Have I mentioned that I am the dullest person ever when it comes to color? :) Well I'm exaggerating a bit of course, but I prefer a neutral palette then accent with bold colors like, pinks and greens. I am also so indecisive when it comes to bedding. I always want a change! So I thought that if I got a neutral duvet, I could change it up with pillows instead of buying new things every few months. The hubby liked that idea for sure.

So I have a favor to ask of all of you. You never know who's reading so I will be very discreet about this for now, but if you could all keep me in your thoughts and prayers on Tuesday morning, I would be so appreciative. I'll follow up on Wednesday with details. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Hey Georgia, You Ready for Round Two??

I just checked the weekend forecast for my area on the Weather Channel's website. It's calling for more snow! I know that's not a big deal to all of my northern blog friends, but down here we don't get 2 days of snow very often! I don't even want to THINK about how busy my local Publix is right now, everyone buying their bread and water! :)

Thanks to everyone for their sweet and uplifting comments. I am so very greatful! Y'all are such wonderful people. From now on, I am going to focus my time, love and energy into my family, my husband, my besties, and wait a minute, myself? That's okay, right?

I hope that everyone has a great weekend. Again, thank you. :) One more thing, my everyday dinnerware is Crate & Barrel's Staccato. Any suggestions for how to jazz it up? Accent plates? I like the idea of something like this, especially the lime green damask, but maybe not quite as bold. Thanks for your help!

The Times They Are a Changin'

These past few years have been filled with change for me - graduating from college, getting engaged, buying a house, and getting married. It was stressful, but filled with great experiences that I wouldn't change for the world.

So a question to my readers - have any of you noticed a change in some of your friendships while any changes occurred in your life?? My best friends who have been in my life since elementary school and are supportive of me no matter what, but my college girlfriends have really done nothing but create unnecessary drama in my life. I will spare you all the gory details, but it has really bummed me out. Is this a part of life that I just need to accept or is there a solution that I am unaware of?

And not to be Debbie Downer today, but is anyone else concerned about Brit Brit? She's a mess right now and it's pretty concerning. I know she's a celebrity and I don't know her, but seeing the images of her out and about with this paparazzo guy buying pregnancy tests is worrying! Why are her people not intervening?


(pic courtesy of blog: teddyandmoo.com)

My Daily Slice of Heaven

So, I've been thinking, is there a t.v. show that always brightens your day whenever you see it's on? Because I've started watching some new shows lately: Gossip Girl, Samantha Who to name a few, but none of my new shows can compare to my old faithful Sex and the City. Whenever I see that Sex and the City is on TBS (I know, it's not the same syndicated) it brings a smile to my face like seeing an old friend. The clothes, the city and my favorite part, the one-liners.

In honor of this, I have added a Sex and the City quote element to my blog, and I hope it brings a smile to your face like it does mine! In this post, I've included one of my favorite quotes from the SATC. So many of my loved ones live away (Scotland, New York, and at one time my husband in Colorado) that whenever I read this quote, it instantly made me feel better and put things in perspective for me. Oh the power of television. Maybe those writers really do deserve a raise! :)

Carrie: Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Without them, what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered off course, we wouldn't fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cities. People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away.

Birthday Summary

WHINE ALERT!! If you had asked me on Friday how my birthday was going, I'm not going to sugar coat it, I would have told you it was awful. I woke up on Friday still harboring that awful cold and had to go to work. I asked my Mum why she couldn't have waited 2 more weeks to give birth to me 25 years ago so I wouldn't need to worry about my birthday being during cold and flu season! It felt like another boring, ho hum day, with exception to my family and friends calling to wish me a happy birthday. The strange thing was, no one was asking to make any plans with me to celebrate. The kept telling me about their big Friday night plans - bar hopping with friends, dinner date with a new guy, etc. Then they casually asked, "so what are your plans for tonight?"

Typically, birthdays are a really big deal with my family and friends, but they never even mentioned seeing me. I was getting really discouraged. I started to feel like Sam Baker in 16 Candles!

The hubby and I had dinner plans at TWO Urban Licks , so I began to get excited about that. But there is something special about spending your birthday with all of the ones that you love. My boss let me leave a little early on Friday to get ready for dinner. We were on our way, and since we were running a little behind, I decided to call the restaurant and give them a heads up that we were going to be a bit late. They said reservation for 2, you mean reservation for 20? I was dumbfounded. I think that I really wanted to be surprised because I convinced myself that it had to have been a mistake. And when we walked in, there they all were! All of my favorite people, all in one room.

A little background, I am the least spontaneous person you will ever meet and it is nearly impossible to surprise me. Blame it on the public relations classes from college, but I am a planner and want to know every little last detail. But my poor husband keeps trying to get me, and he keeps getting shot down every time. In my defense, I did not mean to ruin the surprise, and I didn't let him know about the information leak until much later in the evening.

It was such a great night! I had a blast (with exception to my cold of course). And I will never underestimate my family, friends and husband ever again. :) And if you ever go to TWO Urban Licks, get the chicken it's delicious.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for all of the sweet messages. They certainly made me feel better. Although I am still choked with a cold, it is definitely subsiding, and I'm hoping I'll be feeling even better for my birthday dinner tonight! I'll post more about that later. :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

When it Rains, it Pours.....

Well, I was hoping I'd be writing this email with good news, but unfortunately that is not the case. On Monday, I auditioned to be the Georgia Lottery Spokesperson on our local TV station channel 2. 4, 600 people came to the Atlanta Civic Center to audition for this job. Round 1, we auditioned in front of a panel of 3 judges, and I was delightfully surprised when I moved on to the second round of auditions. Same story for round 2, but the numbers dropped from 4,600 to 400 people. Pretty big drop, so I was sure that I wasn't going to move on. And I was picked for round 3 for the top 250! Round 3 we did a live, taped audition in front of a panel of 5, including the CEO of Georgia Lottery, Margaret DeFransisco. I was so nervous, but I gave it my all.

Well, I went into this experience just to have fun and take chance. I have spent most of my life playing it safe in all facets of my life. Yesterday, I must have checked the Georgia Lottery website a hundred times to see who made it to the top 25 hoping to see my name. And then they posted it. I didn't get picked.

Everyone kept telling me, it's all about the experience, you took a chance - good for you. But, I had more fun auditioning those 2 days than I have had doing my current job for 2 years. So I just feel like I took 2 steps forward, and now I'm 2 steps back again. (that reminds me of that Paula Abdul. I used to love that song). And since this is my blog, I am going to be honest. I am bummed. I know it's not the end of the world, and there may be things that come out of this, but it would have been a lot of fun. And that's what I'm looking for. I want a job that I look forward to getting up in the morning to do. I for sure do not feel like that now.

Oh, and literally minutes after I read the top 25 list, I sneezed and it was the beginning of a killer cold.

And on top of that, tomorrow is my 25 birthday.

I'll take some cheese with this whine, please and thank you.

One More Thing....

How much do I need this sweater? I LOVE it, and have had my eye on it for MONTHS, but I am having a really hard time spending $175 dollars on it. It's a little too steep for me. I will spend a bit more for something that I love and know that I will wear, but I'm so torn on this one. It could be because my hubby bought me the Anna sweater jacket in antique for Christmas, but it was too similar to the sweater jacket that I wore in my post below (see Chuck Norris is my homeboy) from Issac's line at Target. For $40.



So any thoughts?

Whirlwind Week

I've been reading but not posting lately, but I am back! I've been out of work for the past few days taking "personal days" to pursue a lifelong dream of mine. I'll explain in a few days..... :)

But a quick recap of the weekend:

On Friday, my husband and I went to Rice in Roswell, Georgia for dinner with our new neighbors. It was delicious! If it were up to my husband, we would eat Thai every night of the week. But I'm a little less adventurous (he calls it boring.)

My sister got me a yoga mat and 1 free yoga class for Christmas, so on Saturday, we attended our first yoga class at Plum Tree Yoga Center. It was so much fun, and so relaxing. I'm addicted now! I unfortunately will not be able to continue going to Plum Tree since it is too far away from my house, but if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend them. They were so helpful and friendly! I was a little intimidated at first, because to be honest I was expecting to see a lot of Madonna type women there that have been practicing yoga for years. But, it was a great experience that I am going to try and incorporate into my weekly routine.

That night, I went to the High Museum with a longtime girlfriend to see the Inspiring Inpressionism exhibit. Kind of a let down. Not a lot of exciting paintings in this exhibit, but if you are looking for a bit of change from the norm, the High is always a good place to go. For a little change, we then went to Decatur for dinner and had a great time! We had dinner and drinks at a restaurant called the Brick Store Pub. The food was so good. Being Scottish, I am very picky about my fish and chips, but they were amazing! And the ambiance was great - a little packed and hot - but a lot of fun people were there.

Again, it's going to be a few days before I post about what I've been up to because it would definitely be a lifestyle change. Here's an itty, bitty hint: "Tonight's numbers are, 1! 9! and finally 6!" And if you wouldn't mind keeping my in your thoughts and prayers that everything will work out as it should, I would definitely be grateful! Thanks.

Can't wait for Gossip Girl tonight, it's going to be a good one. I'm full on addicted to that show now. Speaking of shows, did anyone catch Cashmere Mafia? Thoughts? I'm still on the fence, I need to see one more episode to make my final decision. Definitely no Sex and the City though.....For those that caught it, did it feel like they were trying too hard to be like Sex and the City?

Now, back to work.....argh.....

And the Winner Is.....

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a fun and happy new year's eve, and that your new year is off to a great start. So far so good for me, well of course, with exception to the whole returning to work thing. Yuck. I was just settling into my new life as a housewife. Maybe someday. :) The hubby and I spent our NYE at a nice relaxing dinner with a few friends at a local italian restaurant, watched the ball drop with a bottle of Dom Perignon, then called it a night! It was fantastic. Not at all reminiscent of New Years past, but was definitely refreshing!

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful suggestions for my next read! You are all amazing! All of the suggestions sounded so good and were so helpful. I have decided to start with Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic. I am really looking forward to starting then making my way through the series. Thanks again to everyone for the suggestions!

And I know that this is long overdue, but better late than never right??

Mandarin Orange Cake

1 box of Duncan Hines yellow moist deluxe cake mix
1/2 of cup sugar
3/4 of cup oil
1 - 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges, and include juice

Combine all ingredients and beat for 4 minutes.
Grease and flour (I really like baker's joy spray that includes this flour) 3 - 9" cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool thoroughly.

Icing

1 large tub of Cool Whip (16 oz.)
1 - 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple and juice
1 large package of vanilla instant pudding

Beat all icing ingredients until it is well mixed. Frost cake, then enjoy! Make sure to keep it refrigerated. I really like to cover the middle layers with mandarin orange pieces.