In my Amazon basket...

So I was plugging in my lunch calories and saw an ad for a fertility yoga video. Clicked on it. Totally got sucked into researching fertility yoga for a solid 45 minutes. How does this happen? I'm such a sucker. So I've been playing on Amazon reading yoga video reviews. It gets really confusing when one review gives 5 stars claiming "THIS IS THE BEST!" and the next one shouts "WORST yoga video EVER!" What's a girl to do?

So I looked around and settled on one that looks good. It only had two reviews, but they were both rather passionate, so it sounds good to me. I love yoga so I'm looking forward to trying this out. Anyone tried this one before? Or any fertility yoga class or video for that matter?




We are going to be moving forward with IUI at some point this spring/summer and possibly (though for whatever reason I think probably) IVF. I'm starting to get really, really curious about using alternative pratices in conjunction with the doctor stuff - specifically acupuncture. I've never done acupuncture and would normally be the type to throw an eye roll at the idea of "alternative medicine," but hey... I'm willing to try anything at this point. And I've heard great things about it for fertility, and just acupuncture in general. I'm wondering if any of my blog pals have tried it for fertility? Or at all? My bestest was really the first person to put the thought in my head a while back. At first I was like yeah, yeah, whatever... but now I'm like, Hmmm...

And because I was only $0.05 away from the free shipping (I'm on to you, Amazon!) , I added this DVD that had been sitting in my "save for later" cart forever and ever...


Oh the irony.... hahahha... I totally did it without even thinking about it, so I'm just gonna say it's a sign. It's one of my all-time favorite John Hughes movies. It's freaking hilarious and has one of the sweetest, most tender moments in it that leaves me in a puddle of tears EVERY time. I've had it on VHS forever, but need the DVD. The soundtrack is also amazing. Definitely one of my top 10 movies.

Alright, back to work. Do leave me a comment if you have any insight on acupuncture. :-)

Swap till you drop!

Thanks so much for all your well wishes for my clothing swap - it was SO great! I would've logged on Sunday to dish all about it, but it was rainy outside and I was a lazy bum all day. I didn't even cross #1 off my to-do list. I did make it out of the house - amazingly - for an afternoon yoga class. But really, I was a bum!

Anyway, the swap was just all-around fabulous. I must say it was one of the few events that actually lived up to the excitement I'd built up in the planning process. The actual planning is where I really get my thrills. But this was an easy peasy process - and SO cheap to do - which made it a breeze really. I did get a bit nervous Sat a.m. when I got those usual day-of calls from a few random girls saying they weren't going to make it afterall. So already I was worried our "inventory" would suffer some. I think there ended up being 10-12 girls total - and that really was the perfect number for my first swap.

I wasn't sure if everyone would bring a lot of stuff (I had asked for a minimum of 5 pieces), but everyone came in with tons! It didn't take long at all to get everyone's stuff organized. I had several different areas set up. I didn't want everything crammed in one room so we were all stepping over each other. I did a couple of racks of tops in the den. Jewelry and small accessories were on the dining room table. In our living room (which is virtually empty), I set up a banquet table with bins for handbags and shoes. I also had a couple of racks in there for coats, suits, and more room for tops (I figured there would be a lot of tops - and I was right!). At the top of the stairs we have a spare bedroom that is empty (the someday nursery), so I put 5 racks in there for bottoms and dresses. I also had one rack out in the hallway designated for maternity, but no one ended up bringing any. I contributed the one maternity item - funny enough. It was a dress I got on clearance for $10 that I know would be too big. Well, let's just say that if I blew up enough to hold the top of the dress up, I wouldn't want to be seen in that dress. It's really cute and the one prego chick that came snatched it up and was super excited about it.

We did not arrange anything by size because (a) that would take forever, and (b) you don't want one chick snatching an entire rack of size 8 pants or something. It forces everyone to dig a little. It's very... Filene's Basement running-of-the-bride's style. So for the first 45 minutes or so, we were getting everyone's loot hung up while having a champagne cocktail and some munchies. None of us had ever hosted or even been to a swap before, so it was new territory for all. I gathered the girls and quickly explained the "rules" - though there aren't any real rules per se - and then they were off! As soon as I said go, some were hesitant, but one of my best girls made a dash for the room upstairs - it was hilarious. I too wanted pants, so I ran up there. People were a little timid at first and were just casually pulling stuff off the racks to try on, but before long we were all getting a little more aggressive. It was so fun. I told the girls if any two of them were going after the same piece, we'd have to have a walk-off. But no walk-offs needed.

The jewelry was really, really popular. There was very little left that didn't get taken. There were a good bit of clothes left - which most will be taken to Goodwill. But I think I'll hold on to some of the nicer stuff for the next swap. There was only one other girl there with my same shoe size, so a lot of my shoes were left. All of my bags were taken but one Coach bag (which I was surprised - but there were atually two Coach bags left in the end). I got a great stash of things for myself! I snagged a pair of skinny jeans that fit great. I've always wanted to have some but have never had the guts to buy them. I'm not sure I can pull off the skinny jeans and flats thing... I'm little, but I'm short and I have curves. So we'll see... but I can definitely wear them tucked into boots - which none of my other jeans do well since they are more flared at the bottom. I also got this cute BCBG top that is so fun. I have like NO "going out" clothes as I do not frequent clubs and bars. I got some cute skirts and some other pants that will be great for work. So not only was it great to purge my closet of old stuff, but I got to add a ton of fun new finds - for FREE!

Below are some pics. I'm already looking at dates for a fall swap. It was just so much fun and I can't wait to do it again! Everyone seemed over-the-moon about it. Every girl walked away with stuff and many commented on how they didn't even get a chance to go through their winter clothes yet because they'd already packed them away. So a fall swap is definitely in order!

Here's the beverage station... I did a champagne punch (well really it's a mimosa with cranberry juice added), another non-alcoholic punch, and then the usual sodas, etc.



I have all kinds of stemware and plates, etc on hand for parties, so I never have to buy this stuff. I used my champagne flutes and pulled a bunch of different ribbons to serve as wine tags. I figured people would be walking all around with their glasses and setting them down everywhere - so we needed a way to keep them straight. For the soda, I used my fabulous monogrammed stadium cups that I got from Ida Claire for my 30th birthday party. I tell ya - best $50 ever spent. We live out of those cups and I always whip 'em out for parties. Super cute, yet totally practical. And you can use them again and again!

The jewelry table was so fun to set up... I used serving dishes to display the jewelry. I wish I had gotten a pic earlier in the afternoon - it's very picked over at this point...





One of the many $5 IKEA racks... and one of my IKEA mirrors.







Here you can see everyone's stash piles. Everyone kind of designated a "spot" and stuck all of their finds there.




Here's my stash! I totally made out well. The fun was, everytime you went back through a rack you'd find more stuff. I kept finding more - I guess others were trying stuff and then would put it back. So you have to make several rounds!





Yes, so if you haven't gathered by now - it was a total A+++ success! Easy, cheap, and over-the-top fun. I plan to do these every 6 months. And I look forward to the day when I can do them for baby and kids' clothes - how fun would that be?! So in case you have thoughts of throwing a swap of your own, I'll give you the quick 1-2-3, as well as how much I spent. I think I pulled some how-to info a while back, but here's the Buford Betty version...


1. Pick a date - I think afternoon is best. 3 hours is plenty of time. Gather email addresses and use evite to send out your swap invite. I sent mine out 8 weeks in advance since the girls had to do a little work for this party! You'll want to explain the basics in your evite. I set parameters as far as what to bring. I would definitely set a minimum (I asked for 5 pieces) - most will bring way more, but it gets the point across that you gotta give a little to get a little - no freeloaders! I also laid out a timeline - making it clear that the girls needed to arrive on time so we could set up shop. And most importantly - I strongly encouraged that they leave the kids at home. It's just not a place for kids.

2. Figure out how many racks, etc you're going to need... I had 10 racks total and they were pretty full. I certainly could've gotten away with less though. The IKEA ones I used were maybe like 3.5 feet wide. But hey, at $5 each, I just got a bunch. I spent $45 on racks and I also purchased a couple of mirrors for $7 each. I already had plenty of bins on hand for shoes and handbags. So for "shop" supplies, I only spent $60. And that was a first-time only purchase. I won't have to buy any of that for future swaps! Also you'll need to have hangers and shopping bags on hand. I suggested in the evite to bring your items hanging if you can, but that I'd have hangers available. Some girls even brought more hangers, so there was no shortage of hangers at all. Use old shopping bags for girls to carry their new items home in - though many will already come with bags (used to tote their old stuff) and won't even need them.

3. I recommend an afternoon timeslot (I did 2-5pm) so you're not overlapping with any real mealtimes and feel obligated to provide heavy snacks. Including flowers and alcohol, I spent less than $100 on groceries. That's a total record for me as I tend to go overboard - always - in that area. I limited the menu to 3 items. I did cheese and crackers, brownie bites (courtesy of Costco), and the one item I made was chocolate-covered strawberries. I covered the basic girly food groups... cheese, fruit, and chocolate. Even that was more than enough. I only went through one bottle of champagne for the punch... so no outrageous alcohol bill there. Of course you don't have to have cocktails, but I wanted to!

4. As the girls arrive, help them get there stuff organized. I definitely recommend setting up different areas in your house with swap items so everyone's not crammed in one space browsing. As I mentioned, I organized by category but not by size - I definitely think that's the way to go. Also make sure there are areas for the more modest to try on things. Some of the girls there had no problem stripping down in the middle of the room, but others ran for a bathroom or spare bedroom. Allow 30min - 1hr for the setup and chit chat time. Once you've got everyone there and settled, let 'em loose!

5. There will be leftovers... I am taking most of it to Goodwill this week. Some of the nicer pieces that didn't get taken will be saved for a future swap. And some girls took back a few of their old items that didn't get taken.


So that's it! Can you tell I'm excited about this? I can't stop talking about it and I totally can't wait for the next one! :-)

'E' is for Empty.

I'm totally tired and need to go to bed, but I had to tell y'all about my wonderful morning. I had intended on getting to work extra early so I could leave at lunchtime and still get a solid 4+ hours of work in. Well of course that didn't happen. I didn't leave the house till almost 8:30. The hub and I had switched cars because he needed the SUV (he's helping my parents move some stuff this weekend). So I get in the car to go and notice the gas tank is on "E" but the warning light isn't on, so I know I'm good to go. I figured I'd fill her up when I left work to go run my errands for tomorrow's swap. Well I'm getting off at my exit and coming up over the hill toward the light and then... uh oh... oh God no... no no no.... please no.... Yeah. Outta gas.

Luckily, I was already off the interstate and had exited - so I was in about the best spot I could be in to run out of gas - OK other than a gas station. So I just kind of coasted my way down and pulled over to the right. There was plenty of room and a big shoulder, so I mean I didn't even turn my hazard lights on. If there had been a gas station right on the corner there at the exit I *maybe* could've coasted in, but there's not. You have to go up the road a good half mile - and up a hill. So as I'm pulling over I'm suddenly thinking oh gosh PLEASE tell me I have my phone. I will be fine as long as I have my phone! I did - and it was charged, thank goodness. I've been known to leave my phone behind, so it wouldn't have been totally off the wall to be without it. Phew... I called the hub to let him know. He felt SO bad. We figure the gas warning light must have burned out. Pheobe is showing her age - I've had her 10 years this month - and some of her other message lights have gone, so that's very possible. (Phoebe is the honda... not sure if I've ever had reason to mention her before.) Hubby was ready to whip around and come to my rescue, but he was already almost to work, on the other side of town. And my parents live literally like A mile from where I was stranded, so I told him I'd just have my mom pick me up.

So I call my mom. I caught her just before she was hopping in the shower. So she instead threw some clothes on and darted out the door. I give her a few mins, then I call her on her cell to tell her how to get to where I am. Even though I'm like right there, she has to go up the interstate two exits and come back down to be able to get to the access road where I am. So I'm explaining to her... "OK mom you need to go up to 317. Pass Old Peachtree and get off at 317. You can't get to this ramp from Old Peachtree so you have to go up one past." So she's repeating this back to me... "Alright I'm going to get off at 317 and pass Old Peachtree and... aw SHIT! I'm getting off at Old Peachtree! Dammit." So she gets off the phone with me to start over. She could've just hopped back on the interstate, but the ramps are way confusing and she didn't think she could go north from where she was, so she got back on going south - back to her exit, to turn around and try again.

I'm waiting... calling different people so I can talk to someone so I look "busy" and no one will bother me... waiting. OK seriously what is taking so long? I call her back. She answers, "well... I got to your exit, but then I was looking for you on the side of the road so hard that I didn't realize I was getting off at Old Peachtree again." The exit I take is confusing - it's an access road that has several exits to different streets. So she took the first actual exit, instead of mine (the 2nd one). So once again, she does a loop to try to get to me. She finally gets there. It took over 30 minutes, but she made it. I am not complaining, as she is my rescuer, but geez. My poor mom must've burned through half a tank of gas trying to get to me!

So we leave my car and head up to the nearest gas station and get one of those can thingees and fill it up. This was really challenging. There's no automatic cutoff with a plastic jug. And you can't see how full it is! I just had to do it slowly and keep checking, while trying to keep my distance so I didn't get gas all over me. I was already sweaty from sitting in my car for 30+ min with no air. It wasn't super hot yet, but I was starting to feel icky. So we get the gas and head back to my car. Keep in mind we still have to go UP two exits in order to get back to the access road. What nonsense.

We make it back to my car. We get out and I pull out the spout thingee that you attach to the jug so you can pour it in your tank. Well it has this cap on the tip of it and we could NOT get it off. Both of us tried and tried and tried. My hands were red and raw from gripping the damn thing and trying to pull off the top. Would. not. come. off.

Back in Mom's car to the gas station to have some random dude help us get the top off of the stupid spout thingee. He did struggle with it some, so we weren't completely inept. Once again... back UP two exits, down the access road to my poor car. Finally... success. Mom then followed me back to the gas station (for the 3rd time) to fill my tank up. This whole process from start to finish? 1 hour, 45 minutes.

So I strolled into work at 10:30. Smelling of gasoline and a hint of sweat. (Just a hint.) Only to leave again at noon. So I got a heck of a lot done didn't I?! I took mom out to lunch to thank her for rescuing me. We had a good laugh. My goodness what a morning... I'm thinking I'll pay closer attention to my gas tank next time. Ugh. It was an annoying hassle, but we were both dying laughing the whole time.

The rest of my day was good... just ran around getting stuff ready for the swap tomorrow. I hit Costco and the grocery. And now I'm about to hit the sack. I'm truly beat. I've got my camera all charged up and I'll be sure to take lots of pics of my swap setup. Can't wait!!!

Have a great weekend, all. And don't run out of gas.

Georgia Peaches.

You may've noticed that I added a "Georgia Peaches" section to my blogroll. I shifted my fellow peaches to that listing. If you're a local blog buddy and I didn't catch you, let me know. Or if you don't want to be identified as peachy, let me know as well and I'll move you back to my general list. I know some of us are more *vague* as to our locales, so just wanted to give you a heads up. Happy Hump Day!

Broadway.

The guest "mentor" or whatever on American Idol tonight is Andrew Lloyd Webber. So I'm thinking - Broadway night! I'm soooo excited. I wonder if it's Broadway showtunes in general or if it's solely his stuff? Probably just his stuff since pretty much every other guest appearance this season has been the same way, right? I must have Broadway on the brain because I woke up singing Don Quixote for no good reason.

Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever mentioned it to blogworld, but I LOVE Broadway musicals. A good dinner out and a night at the theatre is as good as it gets. I've always loved them. My parents took me to a few shows when I was young and they also took me to my first actual show on Broadway - Les Miserables - when I was in high school. And I remember my HS girlfriends and I were like obsessed with musical soundtracks. That's pretty darn nerdy, I suppose. But yeah we'd be cruising around belting out showtunes. OK we didn't really cruise - but you know what I mean.

So I started trying to think of all the shows I've seen and if I could list them all. It's not a huge amount at all - I mean I maybe get in one or two a year. Each one has a great memory to go along with it. I'll have to recount one inparticular involving me and my HS girls - it's a good laugh. So here's my attempt at a list - as they pop in my head, in no particular order...

Annie - I think this was my first. My parents took me and I can still remember being there. I assume this one was in Atlanta but I really don't know.

Cats - with my parents at the Fox. We had horrible seats though and couldn't see well. I don't think any of us were too excited about this one. I'm sure the bad seats didn't help.

Les Miserables - saw it first with my parents in NYC, a couple of times in Atlanta, and once with my HS girlfriends in London on our senior Europe trip (I apparently really liked this one).

Phantom of the Opera - yeah, who hasn't? I've been twice - once with the hub and once with my HS girls. It's good and blah blah blah, but I'd only go again if you gave me a free ticket.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - one of my faves. Seen several versions of this, but saw the actual Broadway touring company in Athens at the Classic Center - with the hub while we were in college I think.

Caberet - at the Fox with girls from work. Really liked it - not sure I loved it. Was nearly blinded by the final scene.

Civil War - I think this one was short-lived, but it was good. At the Fox - I think with you, bestest, right?!

Miss Saigon - also with bestest in NYC. On Roadtrip 2000!!! Oh bestest, that trip surely deserves a post all its own (note to self).

Lion King - Atlanta Civic Center - which is just not my fave venue. Too big and our seats sucked. So it was good but I'd like to see it again up close and personal.

Tarzan - this is the last one I saw I think - in NYC with the hub last year. Last minute decision. It was good but they didn't have the elephant in it - which was like my favorite character in the movie.

Beauty & the Beast - might as well get the Disney ones out. Seen this one twice in Atlanta. I think once with the hub and I really can't remember the other time... my parents maybe?

Fosse - at the Fox with girls from work. Really loved this one - a totally fun collaboration.

The Producers - we *just* missed seeing Matthew Broderick in this when we saw it in NYC (me and the hub), but we totally loved it. Still have not seen the movie yet!

Hairspray - at the Fox with the hub. He actually loves these too - don't think I'm dragging him there! I knew I'd love it - always liked the movie with Ricki Lake.

Stomp - I saw this in NYC in college with some other students (a school trip - so not my choice or my friends really. They chose it over Rent and I was pissed). This was back when it was off-Broadway. I know people rave about it. And it was good and all, but after like 15 minutes I was over it.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change - OK this one is still off-Bway as far as I know, but I had to mention it because it's FREAKING AWESOME!!! I saw it with the hub 4 or 5 years ago and we loved it. The theatre is tiny, so it's really intimate and it's just hilarious. I would not be suprised if it doesn't go Broadway if it hasn't already. We tell everyone going to NY to go see it.

OK that's all I can think of off the top of my head so I may be running back to edit this shortly. But I must mention a couple of "almosts" that still urk me. The last show I had tickets for was Westside Story at the Fox but my dumbass got sick that day and I had to give up my ticket. It was the week of Kuntry Bride's bacehlorette party and I didn't want to risk being sick for that since I was one of the ones running the show that weekend. But even worse was the time bestest and I had FRONT ROW tickets at the Fox for Chicago back in college and the whole damn tour was cancelled. Still haven't seen it live. :-(

I also STILL have not seen Wicked. Dying to see that one. Also really want to see Spamalot (Monty Python & the Holy Grail was like a weekly ritual for me and my HS girlfriends. And I even brought in a clip of the wooden rabbit scene for my Trojan Horse project in History. One of the most quoted movies around our household...). I'd love to see Mary Poppins. Still one of my favorite movies of all time - but would I still love it not being Julie Andrews?? I saw Legally Blonde on MTV of all places when the girls from The Hills "hosted" its TV debut. What was the point of that? I enjoyed it, but now I feel no need to go see it.

OK so I will wrap up with my one funny Broadway story from back in the day... as I explained, my high school girls and I loved us some showtunes. Well we all got tickets to Les Mis one summer when it was in town. We had this fabulous evening planned out (keep in mind we're all like 16 and 17 years old here). We all met at my (parents') house and then went to Grady's for dinner. We lost track of time, as gabbing girlfriends tend to do, and realized we had to book it to get down to the theatre. So we're going down 85 and I remember being in traffic and realizing we were barely going to make it. This was like 1994 or 1995 so cell phones - ahem, car phones - were coming on the scene. I think one of us may've had one of those giganto Motorola flip phones, but for whatever reason, it didn't work. So no phone. At some point, as we're inching along in traffic, it dawned on me... OMG... I DON'T have the tickets. Nooooooooo!!!! And flashes of four theatre tickets pinned to my parents' bulletin board in the laundry room appeared in my head. Visions of the perfect evening in total ruin! What in the world to do? We're almost there... but we don't have tickets! And we have no working phone. All I could do was just hope and pray that maybe - just maybe - one of my parents happened to see the tickets on the board and realized I didn't have them. So we'd just get there as fast as we could and call them. Maybe I could meet them somewhere halfway? We'd miss part of the first act, but at least we'd get in eventually. I remember turning on Peachtree and two of my girls hopped out to run down the street toward the Fox. And then a block later we caught back up with them and they got back in the car after realizing it was much farther down than it looked. We parked in the first deck we found and ran for it. I don't really know what our plan was, but I guess I just wanted to get inside and find a phone.

Well as we're turning the corner to the entrance of the Fox, I see my dad standing there with a smile on a his face and four tickets in his hand. I don't think I'd ever been so happy to see him! How sweet of him to drive all the way down there and meet us so we didn't miss the show. I gave him a huge hug, a kiss on the cheek, grabbed the tickets and ran. I think we did end up missing the first scene since we were so late, but they let us in right afterwards. So the show was great and we had a fabu time. Then we decided to hit a little cafe on the corner afterwards and share some dessert. By the time we got out of there, it was pretty late. So we're heading back to the deck where we parked and discovered that it had been locked down for the night. Because we were in such a big hurry to get in the door before the show, we missed the big red sign that said "Deck closes 1 hour after show lets out." Yeah. We were in one of my friend's cars, so she had to call her dad to drive down and pick us all up since her car was trapped in some random deck. So for about half an hour or so, the four of us are sitting in the lobby of some shady motel lounge across from the theatre, waiting on our ride. (And then of course her dad had to take her back into town the next day to retrieve her car.) It's those little moments that I think we truly remember our fathers as heroes. And they probably don't even remember this story!

So needless to say, it was a memorable evening. I had dinner with these four girls this past Sunday. I love that we all still keep up with each other - even if it's just once a month or so. That evening at the theatre was one of our favorite memories. One of many.

Do y'all have any Broadway faves or must-sees? I can't wait for American Idol tonight!

SO me, and sooooo NOT me.

I've seen a couple of these posts around and thought they were so fun to view. The hardest part is not adding any explanation to any of the pics... but anyway, enjoy!

SO me!

So NOT me.

SO me!

So NOT me.

SO me!

So NOT me.

SO me!

So NOT me.

SO me!

So NOT me.

SO me!

So NOT me.

SO me!

So NOT me.

SO me!

So NOT me.

Couch potatoes.

Look at my precious little snugglies...

Getting some late-night couch time with Daddy.

Happy Monday!

Just what you've been waiting for!

OK, now that I've got some time on my hands (and fabulous hair, btw), I'm gonna respond to bestest's recent tag on 5 unimportant things about moi. I will go ahead and tag anyone who wants to play along! So here we go...

1. I get bored of whatever outfit I have on pretty quickly and will feel the need to change into a completely different one before the day is over. Not like in the middle of the day at work, but if we're going out to dinner or I'm meeting friends, or like tonight we're going to small group... I'll totally change. Not because I need to or what I'm wearing wouldn't work, it's because I'm bored and have to mix it up. It makes packing for a trip a pain in the ass - because I'll change clothes 3 times in one day. OK I think I just figured out why our laundry is so out of control.

2. I smashed my finger in the car door back in early January. Like shut the door completely on my finger and had to OPEN the car door in order to remove my finger. Dude, if you ever want to get information out of somebody, take their finger and slam it in a door. Yeah so anyway - I'm STILL wearing a bandaid (3+ months later) to hide the ugly that is my left index finger. It's grody with a capital "Ew." I am SO tired of wearing a damn bandaid on my finger.

3. I track my calorie intake everyday online. I started doing it last fall when I turned 30 and freaked out because you know, I'm old now. I track the calories, but I also am really looking at what nutrients I'm getting and making sure I get my 5 fruits and veggies each day, etc. Especially with us trying to get preggers, it has helped me to see that I'm getting what I need. It has totally changed the way I look at food and eating. It's definitely tedious... but in a weird way, it's totally fun.

4. I visited two new Target stores in the past two days that I hadn't been to yet. OK that's not really about me, but it was super exciting. Yesterday, I got a Starbucks at the new one at Atlantic Station. And then today I got dog treats, a dog toy, and tampons at the new South Buckhead one at Piedmont and Sidney Marcus. (Yeah that's right - Flo dropped in unexpectedly and her room was not prepared.)

5. I am way too nice to a fault. I know I've mentioned this before, but here's a prime example. Yesterday I got a pedi and I had worn a blister onto my big toe from walking around all day. It wasn't horrible, but holy hell was it on fire when she poured the alcohol on my toe to remove my old polish. So most normal people would be like, "oh that hurts - try not to get anything with alcohol on it because I have a small blister there." But no. I didn't flinch at all. I just acted like it didn't hurt and let her do her thing because I wouldn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. How ridiculous is that?! Seriously.

Woo hooooooo!

Happy April 15th!!! I know I'm happy to see it. Are you?!

Table Numbers and more weekend fun...

Two more days till April 15th!!! I got a lot of work done Friday and Saturday so I'm feeling pretty good going into Monday. Should be fairly smooth workwise through Tuesday - I'm sure there will be those "emergencies" that pop up, but I think I'm in good shape. And I am SO looking forward to getting past it and enjoying the rest of the week - which I've planned out for the most part! Wednesday I've got a hair cut appointment and a brow wax (to make up for the already overdue one I missed last week). Thursday I'm meeting two girlfriends for lunch here. I also need to get my all-over color done... may try to squeeze that in somewhere this week too. I don't regularly dye my hair, but usually once a year I'll go darker. My hair's pretty dark anyway, but I like to go even darker in the summer. It'll be DEAD at the office after the 15th, so it's a great time to get all this stuff in.

Today was a great day. We went to church, then finally hit IKEA. If you gotta go on a weekend, first thing Sunday is totally the time to do it. Virtually empty at first... I went in feeling good and had a cup of coffee and was enjoying myself. But as usual, by the time we left I was completely irritated and fed up with the place. I've decided that's just inevitable. Plus the clothing racks I went to get turned out to be complete crap. They weren't sturdy at all. So I got this even cheaper $5 one that I like a lot better. The hub's going to try to round up some racks for me, but if we need more, I'll grab a few more $5 ones there. I'm sure he'll get the job done though... he has this amazing ability to get his hands on the most random things when he decides to.

While we were out, I met up with one of my brides and handed off some table numbers I did for her. She wanted something different than just a typical table number on a stand or a tent card. I suggested doing these vases and she loved the idea. It is uber cheap to do, yet totally chic. Cheap yet chic - my favorite. It makes a statement without being too overbearing or taking away from your centerpieces. These could be put to many uses, so I thought I'd share how to make them. It doesn't require too much explanation, but I'll give you the quick 1-2-3...

Stamped Vellum Vase Wraps

You'll need:

-Clear cylinder vases (I used ones 6" high with a 3.5" diameter)

-Vellum sheets (usually 1 per vase, depending on your vase size - anything larger than 3.5" diameter will require a larger sheet - i.e. bigger than 8.5x11)

-Paper cutter/scissors

-Glue dots (the teeny ones are best, but you can trim to fit)

-Number stamps (or whatever image you're using) - these are the ones I have, but you can get some anywhere.

-Pigment Ink pad (regular dye pad will not take to vellum)

-Clear Embossing powder

-Embossing tool or hairdryer

First you want to trim your vellum to fit the vases. For the particular size vase I used, I took 8.5 x 11 sheets and trimmed them to 6 x 11. After trimming, you can stamp your image directly on the vellum. This ink will stay tacky and wet to the touch until you emboss, so be careful not to smudge. If you've never done embossing with stamping, it is super easy. I only do it with these because the ink will never dry on vellum until it's embossed. It works like glitter... sprinkle it onto the stamped image and remove the excess (back into the bottle). Use an embossing tool if you have it - but a hairdryer also works fine. Apply heat to the image and you'll see it start to raise within seconds.

Once embossed, you can wrap the vellum and secure around the vases with the glue dots. I use three dots along the seam. Glue dots are freakin' awesome if you've never used them. When Hobby Lobby puts them on sale I go bonkers. Anyway, that's it! Drop a candle down in your vase and you've got a fabu table number. This 'W' one is for the bride and groom's sweetheart table...

Fun! OK so back to today's activities... Once we got home I got going on laundry (and I'm still going). I put together the $5 rack and continued to organize my swap items. I'm getting so excited about my swap. I have tons of stuff! Here's the rack I got... not so bad for $5.

And more swap goodies...

And did I mention the hub getting a razor thingee on a whim to do DIY dog grooming? Well we usually have our doggies shaved in the warmer months and he suddenly decided he wanted to get the tools and do it himself. He did Belly first. After a couple of touch-ups, she was looking pretty darn good. Charlie was a lot easier to do - his brindle coat kinda hides any mess-ups. Gertie got hers today. So we have 3 shaved puppies. This will help cut down on the tumble weeds for sure. And they are uber frisky now. I must say I have an entirely new appreciation for dog groomers though. Holy crap you should have seen the hair. I tried to get some pics of the dogs today, but of course no one wanted to be still. The golden is Bailey - my parents' dog whom we're keeping over the weekend.

This last one cracks me up - doesn't it look like Charlie's head is on some other dog's body? Hehehe...

OK and one last thing (is this the most random post or what?)... I grabbed one of the Lilly dresses at Costco today for my girlfriend who is adopting from China. I love this print. OK, yeah... I totally got one for me too. Couldn't help it.

Alright... I hear the dryer buzzing! Duty calls!

How to waste a perfectly good lunch hour.

At noon today, I was supposed to be here getting a much overdue brow wax. But instead, I was here...

As soon as I saw brake lights, I called the salon and said I was gonna be a no-show. Two miles and 45 minutes later, I got off the first exit I came to and turned around to head back to the office. Typical Atlanta. But why on the ONE day I take a lunch break to get a much needed brow wax? I seriously eat at my desk everyday and never leave the office (during tax season anyway). Oh well. Maybe next week... I grabbed me a tall nonfat cappuccino on the way back. I feel a lil better.

Lilly's back at Costco!

Yes - before I forget - little Lilly dresses are back at Costco. Looks like the shipment just came in this week because they had quite a pile yesterday when I stopped in. I resisted the temptation though! I had one in my cart but circled around and put it back on my way out. I got 8 of them last time they were there... Let's hope I can stay on the wagon here.

But yeah... they probably had 5 different styles this time (at my Costco anyway), sizes ranging from 2T to 8, and they were $23 and change. I saw all these people in there flippin' through the Carter's stuff - totally ignoring the huge pile of Lilly right in front of them. I just want to be like, what's wrong with you?!?!?! So get out to Costco right now and grab some before they're gone. And they'll go super fast too. As Gandalf said, "Run, you fools!!!" Oh dear, I really just revealed how nerdy I am.

Three Dog Night.

I hope everyone had fabu weekends! I had to work most of Saturday, so mine was cut too short, but we still had a good one. Saturday was a rainy mess, but it cleared up for a nice Sunday afternoon. After dinner, we took the sillies to the park and then we all went to Bruster's for some ice cream.

Gertie and Charlie in their preppy pink and green harnesses. The double leash never worked well for Belly and Charie together. Belly's just too independent. Plus, Gertie and Charlie are closer to the same heighth... it works much better with the two of them. They've become great little walking buddies.

Belly's always gotta be out in front. And she must pee on every spot any other dog has peed on. Including hiking her leg on fence posts. Because that's so lady like.

Oh are we in heaven, or what?!?!

Belly's got the *psycho* eyes going on. She's thinking, "OMG, OMG, OMG!"

Gertie had to brace herself. This ice cream is serious stuff.

They had a total ball and were completely pooped when we got home. I hope y'all have a great week! It's gonna be a long one work-wise for me, but it will be over before too long... :-)

Hello Friday, so good to see you!

Thanks so much for all your sweet, sweet comments and prayers for my neighbor and her family. It's so comforting to know there are prayers going out all over the country! How cool is that?! This morning we all got this last email from the ring leader and I thought I'd share it. We moved to our neighborhood about 2 1/2 years ago and we really have learned the true meaning of "neighbors." I encourage you all to reach out and get to know your neighbors because in times like these, the love and care from all of them can be priceless. I'm lucky in that I'm surrounded by many friends and family here locally since I grew up here. But many - if not most - people in this city are transplants and don't have that luxury. So it's even more important to reach out for that very reason. So I'll leave you with this email and wish you a fabulous weekend! I'll be working most of it, so no super exciting plans for me. Have a great one!

The email...

"I want to thank each and everyone of you for your e-mails concerning Sulianna and her family, for your calls asking what can you do, your offer of childcare, cards that you have dropped off to me or delivered to her, your contributions of breakfast meals,care packages for the hospital, your contributions for dinner meals and your monetary contributions. Thank you to [Jill] for coming up with a schedule for meals. I don't have an update on Sulianna today but plan on seeing her tomorrow and will update you as I know more . . . When we moved here three years ago, [Jane] and I would talk about getting "The Ladies" in the neighborhood together so that we could meet everyone, form friendships, share stories, meals, good times and tough times. It took us a couple of tries to get it started but I am so happy we kept trying. You all have exceeded my expectations of what we were hoping to accomplish when we set up to unite "The Ladies"! I know I've become really sappy during this past week but really who can help it with what's happened. We are now sharing the tough times and I'm honored to be part of a group that has come together to support one of our own. Thank you once again for everything each one of you has done in order to help Sulianna and her family. I will print out each of the e-mails I have received and give them to Sulianna to let her know that she has an extended family that really cares about her. She will be so awed to find out how much each of you cares. Ok, this is my last sappy note. As some of you head out this spring break or not, travel safely, enjoy your kids, hug your loved ones, unite with those you haven't seen or spoken to in a while and enjoy yourselves as much as possible but keep a prayer in your thoughts for Sulianna and her loved ones and may Falleen's husband recover from his injuries and may her children and grandson rest in peace."

Rounding up prayers...

Gosh, I feel like my last few posts have been so Debbie Downer! But I must take a moment to share this all with you, as it's been weighing so heavily on my mind all week. For my local blog buddies, I'm sure you all heard about the horrible hit-and-run accident that shut down 85-North Monday night. A huge collision was caused by this 20-year-old kid speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. People had actually called the police on this dumbass before the accident even occurred, because of his reckless driving. The accident that followed left 4 dead and others critically wounded. And what does the dumbass kid do? He keeps trucking up 85. The police of course found him later and he, his family, and his shady-with-a-capital-CHEESE lawyer are all saying he's not at fault. (Good luck with that defense, buddy.)

Among the dead were 3 of the same family - a 14 year old boy, his 21 year old sister and her 13 month old son. Also in the car were the kids' parents (both around 45), the 21 year old's fiance, and the driver (they were in a limo-type vehicle coming from the airport - the driver also died). The 45-year old mother had injuries, but is fine. Her husband is still in critical condition. Their daugther's fiance amazingly escaped almost untouched. This Tuesday I found out that members of this family live in my own little neighborhood. The surviving mother's sister, Sulianna, is in my Bunco group. Tuesday morning, before Sulianna's sister checked out of one hospital to go be by her husband's side in another, Sulianna had to tell her sister that she had lost her daughter, her son, her only grandchild, and that she may lose her husband too. I cannot even imagine. CANNOT imagine. Her entire family just ripped away from her in an instant...

So one of my wonderful neighbors (who I call the goodwill ambassador - she's like the ringleader of our Bunco group) spoke with Sulianna and is coordinating dinners and such for her. The hub and I are bringing them dinner Sunday. I hope a good meal will bring them a little comfort in such a horribly sad time. And if I haven't drug y'all down enough, take a second to read this wonderful article - it's really touching and just makes you want to run home and hold your family tight forever and ever. It also talks about some ways to help the family out if you're interested, but most of all, please just keep Sulianna and her family in your prayers. Please pray for her sister's husband to recover. She needs him more than ever right now. And give your loved ones an *extra* tight squeeze tonight!

Thanks, girls. I promise I'll come back with some more *happy* content soon. Alright, back to work... I got some mega number crunching to do!

Home Inventory.

I know, I'm working - for real, I am. Just need a quick break to munch on some carrot sticks and tell y'all about this cool product I read about last night while updating our Quicken stuff (evidence of my Type A half). Quicken has all kinds of different software products, but I think this one is totally cool and very useful. It's called Quicken Home Inventory Manager and you can download it or buy the software in store anywhere. It basically helps you create an inventory of all your belongings with photos, receipts, appraisals, etc, etc... so you have it all in the event of an emergency and for insurance purposes. And they let you back it all up on the web so you can access your info from anywhere, anytime.



Taking an inventory of our stuff has been an item on our to-do list forever. (Somewhere around that one about cleaning out the basement.) One of our good friends works with a major insurance company and she's always stressed how important this is. She said if nothing else, go around your house with a video camera and capture everything you own. She said to even go in your closet and make sure to get those nicer pieces on camera and quote the price as you're taping. We really saw how vital this kind of info can be when a couple very close to us lost their home in a fire a couple of years ago. It was a total freak accident... a contractor had been to the house to do some work and left. An hour later the house was on fire. Everyone was fine - the dad was the only one home, but they lost everything. They were literally left with their lives and the clothes on their backs.

Dealing with insurance was such a hassle for them. I mean nothing is easy - but y'all would not believe how they nickel and dime you! An insurance dude - an assessor I guess - that came out to the house was literally going through (what was left of) their kitchen cabinets and taking note of everything on hand. He was like "OK... bottle of soy sauce, half consumed, so that's about $0.99 to replace..." Soy sauce... are you freaking kidding me?! So if they're like that with your pantry, imagine how they are over belongings you actually care about!

I feel like this has become a public service announcement all of the sudden! But yeah, point being, everyone should set aside time to take a real solid inventory of their belongings. Furniture, clothes, jewelry, china... everything. You obviously don't need software to do that - but sometimes fun tools like that get me motivated, so I thought I'd share. At the very least, I think the video camera idea is a good start. I hope none of us ever have to face such a scare, but better to be prepared for one. I think I'll bump this one up a few notches on the list...

Two more weeks!

Happy Tuesday, all. I've been a super busy bee with work so my blog time is nearly non-existant. I'm so behind on reading and certainly haven't had time to post much... but I'm still here and will catch up on all your blogs soon! The two-week mark is here and believe me, I'm counting down the days till April 15th! Woot woot!

And just to add a little color here to my boring work talk, here's a Banana Republic skirt that appeared in a teaser shopping email this morning that I decided I definitely need...