Grace

20 years ago today, Heaven got an angel. My Dad's mother passed away unexpectedly on September 30th, 1990 and I still remember it like it was yesterday.
No matter how old I get or how many years go by, I wake up every year on this day thinking of my Grandma. Her death was my first experience losing a loved one and I still tear up thinking of this day 20 years ago.
Grandma, 20 years may have passed, but there isn't a day that I don't think of you. Thank you for being my angel. I love you!

It's a Special Day..

Today my lil man is 5!!



I can't believe it's been 5 years and yet I can't imagine my life without this lil constant companion of mine. Bugaboo, thank you for keeping me constantly entertained and loving me when I need it most. Happiest Birthday to you!!!

PS- For the record, I do realize I am telling a dog Happy Birthday which may seem strange since he is obviously a dog and has no idea what a birthday even is. But this lil man has given me a lot of love and laughter over the years and he deserves at least a lil post on this itty bitty blog of mine. :o)

A Special Delivery...

I have the most fabulously sweet and generous sisters ever. I know most everyone likes to brag about their family (and righfully so.) I'm no different.
I received a very special surprise this week and I just had to share it with ya'll. (Please excuse the not so pretty background. I love my kitchen but it doesn't really photograph well!)





















My sisters sent me this gorgeous bouquet of roses to say congratulations on my new job! Seriously, how sweet are they??

Job Update :o)

It's day 3 of my new job so I think it's time for an update. I have to say, it's pretty intimidating to be the new person in the office. But, thankfully, I work in the great state of Texas where 70% of the population has never met a stranger. :o) So far, everyone has been really receptive and cautiously friendly.
I've been training for the past 3 days and the two allocators I've been shadowing are absolutely fabulous. They're both very personable and very good at explaining what exactly I'll be doing in this job. I still have questions but I'm meeting with my boss tomorrow to hash out all the fuzziness.
All in all, I'm excited! The atmosphere is so different from what I'm used to. There's no tension. No one races out the door at 5:00. There's no backstabbing. People hang out in each other's cubicles. You can hear groups talking and laughing and no one is telling anyone else to "get to work." I love that this company has a fun aspect to it. It's a very laid back, casual vibe but when there's work to do, everyone buckles down and gets it done. This is pretty much what I've been told is "normal."
I know it's only my 3rd day, but I'm thinking I could get used to normal!

The Highs and Lows of Unemployment

First of all, thank you for all the sweet notes of congratulations!! I feel very, very loved. :o)
I've gotten a couple questions about coping with unemployment and everything that goes with it. Since I now consider myself experienced in the situation, I thought I'd give some insight to the highs and lows of it all.
Let me preface by saying my situation was hardly tragic. I was laid off from a job I was very unhappy with and in all seriousness, the way everything happened was the best case scenario. That being said, I was never "happy" to be unemployed. Relieved not to be in a miserable position anymore? Yes. Happy about not having a job? Not so much. That being said, here's my insight to being unemployed and how (or how not) to handle it!
*Expect for everyone to know someone. When you're unemployed, everyone wants to help. But not everyone has the resources to do so. Appreciate people's efforts and take everything with a grain of salt. If you want something done, you're gonna have to do it yourself. It's your responsibility to find a job, not anyone else's.
*Expect frustration. Unemployment is hard position to be in, end of story. Realize that depression comes with the territory. I hated having all the time in the world to travel and no money to go. Lots of time to do projects and no money to do them. All the time in the world to shop...and no money to spend. If you wanna talk about throwing someone over the edge...
Life is a Catch 22. People who can afford to buy things get them for free, large families can only afford to live in small houses while the couple with no children can live in a mansion. It makes no sense and definitely makes me think God is a man. :o) Give yourself time to feel sorry for yourself then pick yourself up.
*Expect advice...and lots of it! Whether or not this is a bad thing will depend on your mood. Everyone means well. But the pressures of unemployment are hard to understand unless you've experienced them. If you don't want to talk about it, tell people. Friends, family and acquaintances just want to help and sometimes the best thing they can do is not ask about it.
*Accomplish something. Go to the gym, do stuff around the house you've been meaning to do forever. Use this time to get into good habits. Trust me, there were many days the only thing I accomplished was making my bed or doing the dishes. But at least I accomplished something, which on bad days, was better than nothing at all.
*Be realistic. These are hard times people. Anytime I was a Drama Queen, I was quickly reminded that a lot of people are in this position. Does that help pay your bills? No. But it may help you feel not so alone. I come from a very loving and accomplished family. It's easy for me to feel like the failure. And anytime I went there, I got a "Jennifer Madeline!!! That's ridiculous and I will not listen to you talk about yourself like that! Now knock it off." If you're not getting calls for interviews, I promise 1,000 other people aren't either. And that sucks. But realize these are tough times and even when it feels like it won't ever happen, it will. Eventually.
*"You're gonna find something. It's gonna be okay." If I had a penny for every time I heard that...I started to follow up this statement with "really? when?? Do you have a crystal ball I can look into b/c quite honestly, I don't think anything will ever be okay." To say I handled myself "ungracefully" somedays is an understatement. But again...it comes with the territory. Expect it.
*Last but not least, I'd be lying if I said I didn't take advantage of some of my many days at home. I spent a lot of time on my couch, cuddling with my dog, drinking a glass of wine at 1pm, meeting friends for a cheap lunch and laying out by my pool. Think of the things you wish you could do when you're sitting behind a desk all day...and do them. God willing, this is the only time in your life you'll get to experience this. So take advantage. Then at least you'll be able to agree with the people who say they're jealous you don't have to go to work everyday. :o)

Hell has frozen over

I feel like it's my patriotic/wordly duty to inform ya'll that hell has officially frozen over. Why? Because as shocked as I am to announce it, I am thrilled to say (I hope you're sitting down)...I GOT A JOB!!!
After a very, very long 7 months, I finally found what I think is an amazing opportunity at an amazing company. After almost a month of interviews, Tuesday Morning has offered me a job in their Allocation Department. My official title is "Allocation Analyst."
I have to be honest of my intentions here though...as much as I have missed you friends, this post is much more for me than anything else. (But to be fair, that's only because I want to write down exactly how relieved and happy I am today so I can remind myself of this alleviated feeling when I come home from my new job stressed out wishing I could lay in bed all day.)
I told my friend Ashley, my mom and my sister that this is the first week I can really and truly enjoy having my time off. And don't you worry your pretty little heads...I have a full week planned. :o) The mall and I have a date tomorrow, the sun and I have a date on Wednesday and I'm sure happy hour will see my smiling face at least once this week. :o)
I'm excited and relieved to get back into a routine, I'm excited I'll be earning a paycheck again and I'm very, very excited that in a few short days, I can finally complain about the stresses of having a job. :o) Ah, the luxury!!!!

Unexpected Blogging Break

Hi friends! I'm not sure exactly why I took this break...it definitely wasn't planned. But I'm back now so let me update you on the last month or so!
Things with me are really, really good! Life suddenly became incredibly busy and I wouldn't have it any other way. :o)
I've gone out on a couple dates, found a part time job and have been loving my crazy social life. :o) I'll fill you in on more details later but in the meantime, please help me support a bestie's new adventure in owning her own business!
Jana and her boyfriend Scott just opened a store at the Shops at Legacy in Plano called Gameday Cloth. If you haven't been yet, you must go immediately! They have the most amazing merchandise and I'm so honored to be a part of the first store. :o) If you're not in the area, you can visit their website at
Gameday Cloth. Enjoy!!

Update

I'm sorry for the blog neglect, loves. It wasn't intentional. To be perfectly honest, I just haven't really had much to say.
I was sick with bronchitis last week so I was really just as lazy as I could possibly be. No voice, no energy and no motive to do anything but sleep, lay on my couch and watch Sex and The City DVDs.
On another note, I do have a question for ya'll. Do you have any remedies for insomnia? Sleeping is definitely one thing I've never had trouble with before but for the past two weeks, I haven't been able to fall asleep before 4am. It's so frustrating and I'm absolutely exhausted but I'm at a loss for any solutions. Suggestions are welcome!
Check back later for post from last week. I'll post a few things I worked on but just didn't feel like finishing at the time.
Hope everyone is well!!

Thank you, MSN

I saw this article, "19 Things You Should Never Say To A Single Person" on msn.com today and I almost got excited. (It's been a boring couple weeks people...I got excited about an article on msn.com. This can't be good.) I'd add more to this opening but well...Erin Meanley pretty much says it all. Enjoy!

19 Things You Should Never Say to a Single Person
A Glamour dating blogger collected of 19 of the most-hated, tired and depressing clichés about being single. Read them, and swear never to use them on any of your single friends. Ever.

By Erin Meanley

As a writer, I avoid clichés like the plague … ha, ha! But seriously, clichés are old, tired, and they show absolutely no thought. I mean, do I make you read that some guy's skin was as white as snow? No. It's a major insult to your intellect. So when I have to hear a cliché or overused saying in the real world, as a response to my newly single status or some other dating dilemma, it's offensive and frustrating.

Why do we have so many sayings and maxims for dating? A single gal is likely to get slammed with them ad nauseam as soon as she expresses any unhappiness at her situation.

Since we could all use a good laugh, I asked some friends and Twitter followers to send in their most hated adages. I know you've heard them all before (obviously), but I just couldn't believe how many there were! Here's a tiny compilation. Enjoy — today, they're not directed at you!

1. It happens when you're not looking.
"This is just bull. Some people find people when they're looking; some don't. You're not doing anything wrong by going out and meeting people." —Beth

2. There are plenty of fish in the sea.
"I dated a guy whose last name was Fish. People just had a BLAST with that one." —Kelly

3. So, why are you single?
"I generally dislike this question. I mean honestly, if I knew why, I don't think I would be single right now, now would I?!" —Erica

4. You're too picky.
"This may be true, but it feels like I'm getting criticized for my taste, vision, and close-mindedness — when I'm already down." —Sarah

5. You'll find the right person for you.
—Kelly

6. He's out there.
—Kelly

7. It was just bad timing.
"Like it's so easy to dismiss a guy on such an emotionless and objective reason." —Taryn

8. Just have fun with it!
"Um, don't tell me how to date in my thirties when you got married at 24." —Maya

9. Have you tried online dating?
"Duh!" —Elisa

10. He just wasn't the right guy for you.
"I know! That's what I'm complaining about!" —Elisa

11. Well, when my boyfriend and I first got together…
"Wait, I still want to talk about me." —Elisa

12. When the time is right, you will meet someone.
—Betsy

13. Wow, I wish I were single and in your shoes!
"Really?! I'm pretty sure you CAN be single if you actually want to be. That there is an attainable dream, so if you aren't messing with me right now out of pity (which I suspect you are), please go for it!" —Kim

14. Your turn next [at weddings].
—Natlondon, via Twitter

15. It will happen when you least expect it.
—dlegas05, via Twitter

16. Some guy is going to come along and ruin your career/life plans.
"I am 32 and no one has ruined the last 10 years of plans." —frolicblog, via Twitter

17. But you're so pretty! Why don't you have a boyfriend?
"There's just no graceful way to answer that." —earnesteats, via Twitter

18. It just wasn't meant to be.
"Any of these platitudes are exponentially more annoying when coming from the mouths of smug marrieds." —Reberoodle, via Twitter

19. Sure, my guy rescues kids from abusive homes, donated my sister a kidney, and picks up fresh flowers for me daily on his way home from work, but will he QUIT IT with the sports on TV already?
"Single people just hate to be complained to about petty relationship stuff. If you do this, I'm not going to want to hang out with you. (In fact, maybe I'll call your boyfriend and ask him if he wants to grab a beer and watch the Yankees game?)" —Kim

Bottom line, if you're in a relationship or married and you don't have any specific, original advice or wisdom for your single friend—and you must use an established saying — we would prefer to hear neutral ones like, "This too shall pass" or "Take it one day at a time." They are so much more helpful and comforting — you have no idea!

Also of note: not one person I polled mentioned they were tired of hearing, "He's just not that into you." I think that's because it's not condescending. And apparently, it's not overused. So that one is still okay to say. For now.

Bethenny Getting Married?

In my next life, I want to be Bethenny Frankel. I absolutely love her. Did ya'll watch her show last night? OMG, it's hilarious. A definite must see. Program your DVR right now, I promise you'll thank me. :o)
Here's a clip from the first episode:

Bethenny Getting Married - Videos - No Straight Guys | Bravo TV Official Site

Love it!

Let's Dream a bit...

If ya'll could live in any city, where would it be? Seriously.
I am a Southern girl through and through and I love Dallas and the life I've created here with all my heart. Trust me, the thought of leaving is really hard to fathom...but, at the same time, it's not as unbearable as it used to be. And I think that's because I know all my fabulous friends here are okay. My friends are all in wonderful places in their lives right now, and I just want to be in the same place they are. It makes me really sad that I'm not.
I wish I had a job I loved. And I wish I had a guy in my life I was crazy about. I would love for both of those things to happen here. But maybe I'm just not gonna find what I'm looking for in Dallas. And I think it's only wise to consider my options, right?









Maybe my dream job is in Chicago. There aren't really any fashion companies there but I would love to work for a magazine...a lot of them have branches in Chicago. Or maybe I could do reviews of bars and nightclubs for one of the newspapers. How fun would that be??










Sigh...Pittsburgh. It feels like home. Maybe I'm destined to go back. It's a northern city with southern tendencies and I love it. Plus, I have family there AND there's no sales tax on clothing. What more does a girl need?? :o)







I fell in love with Baltimore when I visited a few of my sorority sisters. And I do mean I was ready to pack my bags and move the next week...literally. But, like my Dallas girls, my AZD girls are all in good places and have moved on from their single girl days. If ya'll ever get the chance to visit, go! And let me know so I can go too. :o)


I love, love, LOVE DC. I'm just worried it may not be "southern" enough for me. Does that make any sense at all?? I think I'm gonna have to take a trip there soon to see if I'm right...I'll let you know how it goes!

Prayers Needed

Ya'll, prayers are needed for my friend Bernie and his family. They lost Bernie's 21 year old sister last night due to injuries she received in a mugging early yesterday morning. My heart hurts so badly for them; no one should ever have to go through this kind of tragedy. Below is a link to one of the articles about her death.
Kyleigh Sousa Story
The family is starting a fund in her name, as soon as info is available, I'll pass it along.
Hug your loved ones a little harder today and please don't forget life is short. Live everyday like it's your last.

Added: the link below is Kyleigh's obituary. Fund information is at the bottom of the page.
Kyleigh Sousa Obituary

Spokeo

Hey loves,
Just wanted to give ya'll a heads up...there's a public website on the internet right now called www.spokeo.com. It's creepy but they publicly share any private info about you they can find (whether it be address, phone number, relationship info, family info, hobbies, income $$, home value, etc.) No idea how they know all this but it's very unsettling.
To remove yourself from the directory, simply go to privacy at the bottom of the page, copy/paste your URL and enter a valid email. You'll receive confirmation that your info has been removed. To my knowledge, they can't repost once you deleted your profile. (I've gone back several times and checked.)

Summer Favorites

I don't know about other parts of the country, but in Dallas, Tx, it is OFFICIALLY summer! And considering it isn't even June yet, I'd say we Texans are in for one HOT season. In honor of the recent temps, I'm posting my can't-live-without/must-needs of the season. What are ya'lls?

Fav Thing #1: Sonic Lemon Slush
OMG. For all you lemon lovers, I'm telling you, this is heaven in a cup. I allow myself one (maybe two) a week and let me tell ya'll, when I pull into that drive thru, I am a happy girl. Perfect lemony goodness.




Fav thing #2: Pool Time!!
How amazing does this place look?? I love going to pool parties in the summer. (It's great motivation to spend some quality time at the gym too, ha!) The place below is the Urban Oasis at Hotel Zaza, a very popular place to be. Great drinks, great people watching and how could you not be happy lounging on one of those comfy chairs??



Fav thing #3: April Fresh Downy Febreeze
Weird thing to be on my fav list, right? I love, love, love the scent that comes out of this bottle. Obviously, I'm super scent sensitive (uumm hello...I carry deoderant in my purse!) so I'm obviously all about lighter scents in warmer months and heavier ones in the winter. This febreeze scent is summer in a bottle. It smells like downy..fresh and clean with a slight floral scent. I spray it everywhere just because it makes everything smell so good!!




















Fav thing #4: Yoplait Delights Lemon Torte
Here we go with the lemon again, right?? I am always looking for ways to curb my lemon obsession. And by that I mean, find substitutes for my lemon jello cake cravings, lemon bar cravings, lemon cheesecake cravings, etc. This yogurt is amazing. I was skeptical at first because I have high standards for anything lemon. This passed my test. So good! And thank you Yoplait, for creating something that I can eat everyday guilt free!!



















Fav Thing #5: Flip Flops
I live in flip flops all summer. So comfy, so cute and they work with 75% of my wardrobe. What more can a girl ask for??

Some of life's most treasured moments include:

Fun little glasses filled with yummy goodness...








A guilt free classic indulgence...







A furbaby playdate...













People kind enough to entertain us (and I do mean make us laugh out loud)...



And of course, this girl!!

Food Poisoning is the Devil

So I've discovered the best diet ever. Just get food poisoning and you won't want to eat anything ever again. Not exactly a healthy diet but on the bright side, I've never felt skinnier.
Is it possible to get food poisoning from frozen food? I ate a Lean Cuisine for lunch on Thursday. And about 30 minutes later I felt weak, shaky, sweaty and nauseous. I'm anemic though and sometimes I feel like that (minus the nausea) if I haven't had enough iron. So I took an iron pill and drank some orange juice to get some sugar in my system.
Then I went to meet Jana for sushi! Ha, I couldn't have been feeling that bad, right?? I did feel better after I ate with her so I figured it was the iron thing.
Well...it wasn't. I'll spare the details but let's just say I'm never eating a lean cuisine ever again. Even if it wasn't that that made me sick, I still won't eat one. Frozen food shouldn't do that to you though, right?? Isn't that the point of freezing food??
It's Sunday and nothing sounds good...still! I've eaten more chicken soup than I care to think about and more pretzels and crackers than I care to admit. But nothing sounds good! Do ya'll have any remedies?

Catch 22

So this thing called life...kinda not so fun sometimes right? Especially this whole adult thing...I miss the young days. And even when I was young, I missed the younger days. Guess it just goes to show you need to appreciate what you have when you have it, right?
My parents taught my sisters and I a lot of things at an early age...as much I have always hated to hear it (and still do), I am very grateful my parents taught me early on that life just isn't fair. (That's not to say it isn't great at the same time.)
Amongst the other things they taught me: things happen, learn from them. Don't be a victim to anyone or anything in life. Humor goes a long way to make difficult things less difficult. Don't take yourself too seriously, no one else ever will. They also taught me life is life...it's not always and ever a field of roses. To know and appreciate the good, you have to experience and learn from the bad, right? In hindsight though, who wants to have a life of all good things? How can you really ever know the good things if you don't ever experience the bad?
That being said, I kinda had a rough day today. Not in the lazy-I-don't-wanna-get-outta-bed-kinda-way but more in the lets-think-of-everything-I-don't-like-about-myself-and-focus-on-that kinda way.
After I was done focusing on those entertaining thoughts, I decided to just go with my mood and focus on anything that has irrationally irritated me lately. (Please notice I did say these were irrational thoughts. I am well aware that you may leave this post thinking I've lost my mind. It's absolutely, 100%, completely possible.)
Let me preface by saying I am well aware that there are people who take advantage of things. I know some people are perfectly content living on unemployment and willing to take advantage of any opportunity they might benefit from. And businesses and people need to protect themselves. But I think it really stinks that everyone has to abide by these rules because of the idiots that the aformentioned people are.
Thought #1- For people who pay their bills late because they don't have the money. Who was the selfish moneyhog who thought of charging people late fees?? Granted, if you have a job and can afford to pay your bills on time, you should be charged a late fee b/c you're probably just being lazy or forgetful. But what if you're paying late because you don't have the money at the said time the bill is due?? What idiot thought it'd be smart to charge people more money when they don't even have the money to begin with?? Ever hear of a grace period?!
Thought #2- My bank is charging me a $10.00 fee because I don't have any money going into my account by direct deposit (i.e. a paycheck.) What heartless prick decided it'd be fun to kick someone while they're down? I already don't have a paycheck. But sure, go ahead and please take $10.00 of my unemployment money for maintence fees. By the way, would you mind telling me exactly what my maintence fees are paying for??
The following thought has nothing to do with unemployment.
Thought #3- The ridiculousness that is America's fat epidemic. (I told you I have a lot of time on my hands.) Let's start by realizing that healthy food is NOT CHEAP OR ACCESSIBLE...to anyone! If I didn't care what I looked like or how I felt, I'd buy the cheap fried chicken fingers in the frozen section at the store and the 2 for $3 bags of Cool Ranch Doritos and live off that while I'm on unemployment. Unfortunately, I care about my looks and health so I work with my budget to buy healthy food which by the way, doesn't come in 2 for $3 bags in any way.
Just think...in a perfect world, a healthy and yummy fast food restaurant would be on every corner, banks wouldn't charge ridiculous maintence fees, and you'd only have to pay late fees on bills because you were lazy or forgetful. A girl can dream, right??

Mother's Day Weekend with my Momma

My mom came into town on Thursday for a few celebrations, all of which convienently, and coincidentally, were this weekend!
Friday morning we went to my adopted hometown of Southlake, which is about 30 minutes away. We met up with my mom's friend Ms. Pat, ate lunch at Corner Bakery, walked around town square and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by Ms. Pat's gorgeous pool. I put this picture up on Facebook...











and promptly got a call from Jana wondering where I was with the beautiful lounge chairs and perfectly manicured lawn. :o) Little man didn't enjoy pool time as much as I did but I think he was just bitter that I gave him a bath. Poor guy...it's hard to be beautiful!
The first official celebration was my "brother" Cameron's high school graduation party on Friday night. The Brennans moved in next door to us in 1996 and the rest, they say, is history. We adopted them and they adopted us. They have 3 boys (Cameron is the oldest) and we have 3 girls so it was perfect! I love that even though we haven't lived in that house for about 8 years now, we still treat each other like family.



Me, Cameron and Mom
The party was amazing and Melanie went all out. And I do mean all out...please take note of the customized M&M's!










Saturday we drove to Houston for my cousin Nicole's Confirmation. If you're Catholic, do you remember your confirmation name? My mom couldn't remember her name, let alone mine. And I don't even remember taking one! How bad is that?? BAD!!








Us at Church before the ceremony. After a lot of food, a little bit of wine and lots of dessert, we headed back to Dallas/Southlake on Monday.
We had a delicious Mother's Day dinner at my mom's favorite restaurant on Monday night with Ms. Pat and Melanie and then had a slumber party at Melanie's. I don't care what anyone says, you're never too old for a slumber party. :o)
I had Toby with me the entire weekend and I was one proud momma. He did so good!! Little man needs a backyard. He loved runnin' around all weekend without a leash on and he could go wherever he wanted as long as I could see him. I didn't have to worry though. He always came back to me whenever I called him with an annoyed look on his face like "what mom?? I'm playing!!" It cracked me up.
It looks like I'm gonna have to start making use of friend's backyards because unfortunately I'm not getting one anytime soon!

Fashion Holiday in New York

Costume Insitute Gala 2010. Ya'll have to know I was on pins and needles patiently waiting for pictures of the fabulousness that is the Costume Institute Gala to go public this morning. If only the stupid thing was televised...I'm gonna have to talk to someone about that.
Anyway, it was. Pure fabulousness. Now I know my taste in fashion may not be everyone's cup of tea. (There are no hard feelings, I promise.) Fashion, like beauty, is an opinion. If everyone agreed with everyone else about what looked good, then well, we'd all look alike and that's just boring...not to mention creepy.
I believe in having fun with fashion choices because what's the point of fashion if you can't have fun with it?? What's the point of dressing up if you're always going to wear a black dress?!
Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now. Without further adeiu, here are my most favorite gowns of the night.


Brooke Shields. This woman just gets more and more beautiful! I LOVE this dress. The metallic color is absolutely gorgeous, the shimmer is glamorous and the modest neckline combined with the slinky cut is pure fabulousness. Absolute Perfection!




Blake Lively. If I could wear this dress, I would. The color is amazing, the ruffle floral detail is exquisite and seriously, how much more gorgeous can this girl look?? I love that she picked something so daring and bold. You can't wear dresses like this forever and I love that she's doing it while she can. Glamorously Bold.



Giuliana Rancic. We know how I feel about ruffles and floral details. I love that this dress is quiet sassiness. The color is stunning, the hemline floral detail is gorgeous and the bustline is the difference between unique and basic. If I ever get married, I want my dress to look something like this! Fabulously Chic.



Jennifer Lopez, oh how I love thee. The look of this dress was so soft but oh so stunning. I love the details on the sweetheart neckline, the silver color of the bodice and can we please mention how gorgeous the leaves were on the skirt of the dress?? So unexpected. LOVE this dress!! One of my new favorite color combos. Absolutely Glamorous.



Jessica Szohr. I gasped when I saw this dress. The color combo is absolutely fabulous, the floral detail on the bodice traveling to the skirt is perfection and this is the most perfect dramatically glamorous dress I have ever seen. The slim bodice and full skirt are a perfect balance of gorgeous, sexy glamour and who doesn't want that?? Dramatic Fabulousness.

I love my Chiropractor

So I know my last post was quite...real. Unfortunately, frustration and sadness is a part of life and we all have to deal with those feelings sometimes.
After my pity party, I woke up with my back locked up on Monday. Always a welcome surprise! (This is usually why I try to keep my feelings in check.)
I've had a bad back since I was 17 and unfortunately stress doesn't do it any good. But if back problems are the worst thing I have to deal with, then I think I'm pretty lucky. And yes, I would probably say that on even my most painful days (please notice that I did say probably.) It's really the people who have to deal with me on those days that I feel sorry for. :o)
Anyway, I made an "emergency" trip to my trusted chiro yesterday and after getting a small lecture for not seeing him for 3 months, he got my bones back where they need to be and now I'm sore, but at least on the mend with clearance to hit the treadmill tomorrow before I go see him again. YEAH!! It's seriously amazing what a trip to the chiropractor can do.
I never would've thought I'd be happy to work out but I have to admit, I actually enjoy the treadmill. I've kinda missed it this week. (No, you did not just hallucinate. I actually said I missed the treadmill.)
Anyway, I'm gonna retire for the night but I thought a slightly more "upbeat" post was necessary after my last one. I hope ya'll are having a fabulous week.

Sometimes it's okay to cry

I had pity party 2010 on Saturday. And there was nothing pretty about it. But it helped...a lot. I sat on my living room floor and cried and cried until I was exhausted. A very pathetic sight I'm sure.
It was a gorgeous day and shockingly enough, I didn't want to be on a patio. I was quite okay with being holed up in my apartment with my dog and Sex and the City DVDs. That sounds pathetic but sometimes you just need those days, you know?
I spent most of the afternoon being alone and sad. And when I had enough of that, I called a bestie, Jana and my sister, Lauren.
After both conversations I was just tired. But they each told me I needed to get out of my head and do something with myself so I met up with my friends Ashley and Price for a couple drinks. I have to say, it was nice to distract myself for a couple hours.
Sunday was better. I met my friend Tracy for brunch, rehashed my pathetic Saturday and then came home and took a very long nap.
A lot of people think crying is a useless emotion and sometimes it is. But sometimes it's exactly what you need to do to move forward. And if it makes you feel better, then what's the harm?? I was raised to focus on the good in my life, not the bad. I'm blessed and I know it. If I don't want other people to feel sorry for me, then I shouldn't feel sorry for me either. All that being said, sometimes a personal adult pity party is all it takes to get back on track. Ladies and gents, I am living proof of this.
For those wondering, nothing bad happened. This whole debacle had to do with the no job thing. I woke up on Friday with a second interview scheduled for today with an amazing company. I was picking out my outfit for the interview when they called to reschedule. As I'm on the phone with them, the company I interviewed with when I had bronchitis and coughed all over the VP called me. Why? I don't know. They have yet to return any of my calls. Extremely frustrating but my Dad tells me a phone call is a good thing. This whole process is just mean. It's emotional, it's exhausting and people tell you things you want to hear even when they're not true. It's like a bad relationship.

Why do they call them wisdom teeth??

This morning I took my friend Oliver to get his wisdom teeth out. The poor guy had to have 3 teeth removed and needless to say, was not looking forward to this procedure at all. :o(
2 hours, 3 written prescriptions in hand and a pamphlet of instructions later, the nurse helped him walk (stumble) out the door. Is it wrong if I wanted to ask the dentist for whatever was in the IV?? I'm kidding, of course...kinda. :o)
Ollie wasn't feeling much of anything when he was done so I drove him to Walgreens to get his prescriptions filled and this people, is where I almost lost him. That's right...I almost lost a 37 year old man who had an ice packed wrapped to his face. I literally went to get an ice pack for his freezer (clearly Ollie doesn't suffer from the same clumsiness I do and didn't have any ice packs on hand at his house...where as I have 4 in my freezer ready to go for whatever injury I may suffer from next.) Anyway, I was gone for 2 minutes...came back to the pharmacy area and he was gone. ????? Where on earth did a legally drugged, numb man wanna go?? Liquor aisle...not there. Medicine aisle...not there. Magazine aisle??? Maybe??? Not there.
I found him in the food isle. This is why men and women are from different planets. A woman wouldn't dream of food after getting her wisdom teeth out. Ha, in my eyes this is the best diet on the planet!! But a man? Nope...he wants food. Doesn't matter that he has a mouth so full of cotton that he can't even speak English. He still wants food!!! The doctor said only cold foods today so I promised Ollie a milkshake at McDonalds and his eyes lit up like a 5 year old child who just discovered a new favorite toy. HILARIOUS!!
Anyway, by the time I pulled up to his place, he was much more coherent so I gave him strict instructions to sleep, take his medication as directed and only eat cold foods. Hopefully he listened to me at least once! Anyway, in honor of my morning, I wanted to post this YouTube video I saw on Ellen. Downright hilarious. ENJOY!!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Whitey Nelson!!!

Lesli and Whitey are married! YEAH!!!! (This will be a picture heavy post, just fyi...)
I call Lesli my soulmate friend. She and I were born in the same hospital many years ago but met in '04 when we both interned at Nordstrom. I joke that we were destined to be friends since we were both born at Oshner and I'd never known anyone from the New Orleans area, let alone anyone born in the same vicinity! Les and I are two peas in a pod and we take great pride in the fact that people always ask us if we're sisters. :o)
Whitey is the brother I never had. He has always treated me like a friend, instead of his girlfriend's (now wife's) friend and that always meant a lot to me. He treats Les like a queen and has definitely set the bar high as to what I should look for in a relationship and how I should be treated. He's an absolutely amazing person and he and Les are perfect for each other!
Wedding weekend was absolutely perfect, despite the rain that thankfully started after the ceremony did. But rain is good luck on your wedding day and we were inside so all was good in wedding world. :o)
We had an unexpected party on Friday after the rehearsal dinner at the Westin Bar where a "couple of drinks" turned into the bride pouring shots, taking shots and well...ending the night on the elevator floor where she threw olives at people...thankfully people she knew, ha! It's always the unexpected parties that are the best ones, right??









Kristi and I at the rehearsal. Kristi is Les' sister and I swear she and I are the same person in different bodies.













The 6 pack are best friends from high school. How gorgeous are they??











Kristi and I giving our roasts, er, toasts. :o)












This is where the trouble began, ha!












It's only true love if you take shots together. :o)










We got Momma Istre behind the bar!










Nordy Intern Crew (minus Miller.)





















Gorgeous Bride in the Church's Bridal Room










My sisters came in for the Wedding :o)








Our Crew :o)








More of the Crew!

New Hobby

When I was little, I used to collect keychains and postcards whenever my family and I traveled. I loved going to a new place and getting my keepsakes...it made me feel like I was collecting a memory.
Now that I'm older (and forbidden to add any more keychains to my already huge collection), I've decided to start a new hobby.
I've gonna start collecting jewelry!! I'm always on the hunt for accessories anyway, so why not start collecting pieces from places I get to go??
One of my favorite pieces is from New York that I got last Labor Day Weekend when visiting my sisters. I couldn't get a good picture of it but I promise I'll post a picture when I finally get one!
I got the newest pieces for my collection in New Orleans during Lesli's Bachelorette Party. I was literally talking to my friend Tessa about this fabulous idea and we just happenend to stumble (literally stumble, we were exhausted) upon the cutest boutique near Bourbon Street. If that's not meant to be then I don't know what is!
Again, I don't have the greatest pictures of these pieces so I'll work on that today and try to get some uploaded. I never knew how hard it was to take good pictures of jewelry...who ever would've thought??
Do ya'll collect anything?

What I've been up to

I'm sorry ya'll! I haven't been doing very well at this blogging thing. Since I've been missing (as my sister was kind enough to point out to me today) I'll catch ya'll up on the past week or so.
Well, for starters, I've been sick...again. Someone must've coughed in Oklahoma b/c I got bronchitis again. I was hoping it was just allergies so I tried to suck it up but I went to the doctor when I got worse. She fixed me up with a steroid shot and lots of meds so I'm happy to say I'm almost back to normal.
Of course the day I decided to go to the doctor, I got a call from a company I've been interviewing with. I had been waiting to meet with the VP for about 2 weeks so of course she was available the day I had a 101 fever. Needless to say, it wasn't the best interview of my career. I actually cringe at the thought of it. I was trying to prove how important the job was to me by going in when I felt so awful but I think the plan backfired. So back to the drawing board...
Anyway, one of my bff's bachelorette party was in New Orleans the weekend I was sick. I seriously thought about not going but I'm in the wedding and I did buy a plane ticket so off to New Orleans I went!
All in all, it was a great weekend. I definitely wish I had been feeling better but oh well. You make the best of the situation you're in and deal with it. Here are some (blog approved) pics from the festivities!





















The gorgeous Bachelorette











Of course we made a point to get on stage :o)










Group Shot

After a couple days at home (literally like 3 days I think), I flew to Virginia Beach to spend Easter with my Granny, Mom, Aunt Mari, Uncle Shawn and cousins Sarah and Shane. My mom was booking her trip a while ago and invited me to go too. I absolutely love my Granny so I always jump at the chance to go see her. It was just what the doctor ordered and it was very nice to be taken care of for a bit!
But now it's back to reality with trips to the gym, applying for jobs, and keeping myself busy. It's hard to get back on track but I'm happy to be in a "normal" routine again.
Now if only I could get that awful interview outta my head....sigh. Everything happens for a reason, right??

Spring Favorites

Sigh...I love Spring. I really do love warm, patio weather. It's the it's-so-hot-I-can't-step-outside-without-breaking-into-a-sweat-weather that I really DO NOT care for. I picked the wrong place to live didn't I??
Anyway, to welcome the warmer tempatures, I've decided to list my favorite things about Spring!

Spring Favorite #1: The Romper
My new favorite piece of clothing. How much easier can looking cute get?? I'm on the hunt for a similar style to Nicole Richie's! And I just saw Catt Sadler on E!'s Daily 10 wearing a silk ruffled number and now I'm obsessed with that one too!! This is gonna be a problem, I can tell. :o)





















Spring Favorite #2: Patios
I absolutely love sitting on a patio in beautiful weather. It's always so much fun! I don't care if I'm cooking out with friends, enjoying the social scene at a restaurant or just hanging out with Toby on my balcony. I take full advantage of pretty weather whenever I can!
This is Taco Diner in Uptown's West Village, popular for fabulous restuarants and amazing stores. A great patio and shopping all in one place?! Does it get any better??














Spring Favorite #3: Color!
I am loving everything in color lately! Needless to say, I still love my neutrals (black is considered a neutral in my world) but I can't wait to wear some color, whether it be in clothing or accessories. It just instantly lifts my mood! Here are some of my favorite pieces:





Love, love, LOVE this dress on Catt Sadler!! I can't wait to copy it with a top and skirt. :o)








Spring Favorite #4: Strawberries
My favorite fruit always seems to taste better in warmer weather...maybe because they're in season?!? I always have them in my fridge and snack on them constantly. My absolute favorite treat is chocolate covered strawberries...yum!!!!







Spring Favorite #5: Tomato Mozzarella Salad
I die for this salad and practically live off it in spring and summer. I always get so excited when I start seeing it on restaurant menus!! It's little things like this in life that make me happy. :o)

To market, to market

There is nothing like spending a rainy evening in bed, listening to the thunder and absolutely loving it. Is it weird that that makes me happy??
I should point out that I'm not usually in bed by 8:00...ever. But after a sleepless night last night and a very productive day with a bestie today, I've decided to crash early. The world can wait until tomorrow.
I spent the day at market playing assistant merchandiser to a very productive and fashionable bestie Jana. She and her bf, Scott, own a company called Gameday Cloth (ya'll should check it out...absolutely fabulous, upscale collegiate wear.) They asked me to help at an event tomorrow and since one must have a complete selection of merchandise, Jana and I spent a couple hours at market today to pick out the accessories.
I might have found two pieces for myself that of course, are absolutely fabulous...well at least I think so! But ya'll be the judge.













I am obsessed with statement necklaces...seriously! Definitely a habit worth mentioning and should there come a day I need to go to meetings for it, then so be it. :o) I've been wanting a bib style for a long time and I love silver. Done and done!!















I also love layering super simple necklaces. This one says "Dream." I think we all need to dream a little now and then, right? Defenitely more of an optimistic saying and perfect for the days when I'm...not. (Which lets face it, these days I should just wear it permanently.)
I heart shopping with Jana b/c she's so confident in her fashion choices. And while I might see something and think it's fabulous, I don't always have the confidence to pick it out...meanwhile, she's already planned an entire outfit around it, ha!
Anyway, after a quick lunch, an attempted creative trip to Michael's and the quickest trip to the mall ever, I found myself going to the AT&T store to fix my thankfully-still-under-warranty blackberry.
And now here I am...happily drugged up (legally, thankyouverymuch) and ready for bed...all before 9:00.
I hope ya'll have a fabulous night! I'm gonna go fall asleep to the thunder. :o)

Something in the air...

I know how this post is gonna make me sound. And I definitely don't mean to sound the way I'm going to. But have ya'll ever met a couple and they just seem completely mismatched?!? I've noticed that a lot lately. And a lot of times I look at a couple and think "how in the world did that happen?!?"
Granted, I don't know these people. This is just going off the first impression alone. But seriously...there is something in the air lately!
Obviously, there's no protocol saying who should be with who. People are with another person for a reason, so who cares what anyone else thinks?
But I think it's funny. And usually 2 minutes after meeting them, it all makes sense. And then I end up getting a little jealous.
ANYWAY, in homage (omage??? whatever!! You know what I'm talking about!) this post is dedicated to "mismatched Hollywood Couples." In my perspective of course.




















I was surprised when Courtney Cox and David Arquette got together (I was about 17 at the time and of course I knew everything about love back then, ha!) but I love these two together. Courtney has always seemed quiet and serious to me (although she is anything but in her new show Cougar Town) and David has always struck me as the goofy and funny type. It's a great balance if you ask me. :o)














I heart Ross and Rachel. Gorgeous naive fashionista meets nerdy but lovable Paleantologist...enough said!






















I absolutely loved Carrie and Aidan together!! Unfortunately, they were kinda doomed from the start. True country boy and a true city girl...it works for a lot of people but these two were just too different. Sigh...:o(


Who are ya'lls favorite Hollywood couples??