Quote of the Day

"Maybe common sense isn't so common"
~Scott Christensen

ADOPTED!!!!

Lil Miss Trixie May has found her "furever" (excuse the pun) HOME!!!!!
(I realize this picture says Melody. The girl is 11 months old and has had 2 different names...sweet little thing already has identity issues!)
We met her new parents at a local Petsmart last night and I swear, it was love at first sight. We spent an hour with her human Momma and Daddy and her new fur brother & sister. They got along so well that her new Daddy called me 3 times today to find out if they would get her tonight!
Her permanent home has a doggie door so she can come and go as she pleases. :o) Sweet girl ran from it when the plastic flap swung and hit her in the face but I have high hopes she'll master the technique in no time...

..and she has a yard!! She also has a basket of bones and free reign all over the house! This girl has found her perfect match. Happy Home Trixie May!!! Bugs and I love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness! Don't forget to say hi every now and then. :o)

Personal Update

I've gotten a couple questions about how I've been doing since my not so pretty rant early last month. First of all, thank you for the concern. :o) I'm doing fine! After my very public post (seriously, what was I thinking?!?) a few friends stepped forward to let me know exactly what they thought about my rant. I got a few cards, a couple text messages, a couple phone calls, an email or two and a few small lectures.
In the everyday nitty gritty of things, it's easy to feel like you get lost in the commotion of life. Those feelings are magnified about 100% when you're sad and lonely. I know better than to let my feelings get the better of me but, for whatever reason, they did. I'm not proud of my past posts, but I am still so touched by everyone who reached out to me.
All in all, things have been going well. I have been keeping busy with a very hectic work schedule, planning a few quick weekend getaways, looking for lil Miss Trixie May's new parents (we have potential adopters!!) and it also looks like I will be townhouse/condo hunting in the very near future.
Life is good! It's not perfect, but when is it ever? I still do get lonely and sad and sometimes even angry that I am where I am in my life. But at the end of the day, I'm a girl who believes that everything happens for a reason and I have a lot of faith that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I'm one of the luckiest girls on this earth and good days or bad, I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's.

I hope ya'll have a fabulous week!

Favorite Outtakes Pt 2

I will never get tired of these. :o) Enjoy!

Beauty Trend: Ombre Highlights

Ombre coloring can be seen just about anywhere these days...on clothes, bags, scarves, even shoes.
Celebs, of couse, took the look a bit futher and started using a technique called ombre highlights on their hair. That's right people. There's a word for the crazy major root-age you see a few select celebs sporting these days.
When done right (and subtely) I think it's actually a unique and fun look.
I love the color of Drew Barrymore's hair. It's a bit dramatic but still so fitting for her fun and funky personality.

For those weary of the trend, but still wanting to try it, this look would be perfect for you. Subtle highlights on the ends of your hair will give you the brightness you're craving without the harshness of too much color.

Hilary Duff looks gorgeous. I love the subtle contrast and the colors in her hair will easily take you into fall. If you want something that will last through a few seasons, go with her look!

A message from Melody/Trixie

Foster Furbaby says "HAPPY 4TH!!!"

Quote of the Day

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
~Oscar Wilde

Weekend Fun

My weekend was spent with these fabulous friends:
We celebrated our friend Elizabeth's 30th birthday Saturday night. She had a great party where we all drank too much wine, enjoyed delicious mini cupcakes and snacked on some super cute (and yummy) appetizers. Of course we made time to take some pictures:

Partake in a few shenanigans...

And after that, we called it a night. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIZABETH!!! I hope you have a fabulous year. :o)

Interior Style: Bedroom

I am moving to a new apartment in August. I think. (Things are still a bit up in the air.) But I am so ready to be somewhere new. Whether or not my checking account agress with me remains to be seen.
I cannot stop looking at Interior Design magazines. On top of wanting a new location, I want a new look. I'm about to be 30 (yikes!) and I want to start fresh. New apartment, new interior looks, maybe I'll even go nuts and dye my hair brown. (But probably not...I did that once and it just didn't look so great.)

I love this bedroom. Purple is one of my new favorite colors and I just so happen to already own gold accessories and cream colored pillows. :o) So calm and chic.

Ahem, glamorous and girly. This look is completely different than anything I thought I wanted but I seriously love it!
Picture from Elements of Style
PS-This is a picture from a real campsite in Montana. Who wants to go on a roadtrip???

Quote of the Day

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."
~Coco Chanel


*Sidenote: this pic is obviously not so classy...but it is so fabulously classic :o)

Summer Style: Rompers

There a reason why moms put their babies and kids in these things ya'll. They're easy to wear. It's a simple, fabulous outfit in one piece. In these sweltering months, what more could a girl want??

I love the print on this number. A great summer piece to wear alone or pair it with a cardigan in the fall! Find it here.


I may have to get this one myself, I love the print. Perfect for a girl's night out! Find this one here.


I'm a sucker for anything BCBG and this is no exception. :o) I love the casual military inspired look of this piece. Find it here.

Happy Father's Day

I hope all you dads out there are having a wonderful day. :o)

And of course, Happy Father's Day to my very own hero...
I love you very much Daddy!!!

Beauty Trend: Coral

This color is everywhere. And I know why. :o) For starters, it makes anyone and everyone look tan! And in the middle of summer, who doesn't want that? Secondly, it's unexpected. People expect to see pops of red, pink, yellow, even green in summer. But coral? So pretty and so surprising.
Essie in California Coral...my new pedicure staple

OPI Congo Line Coral...a quick second favorite (only b/c I found the Essie color first, ha!)

New. Favorite. Lipstick. Maybelline Coral Pop. Flattering on everyone. It looks orange here but I promise, I get so many compliments on it!

My new hobby...

I don't know that anyone has ever called fostering dogs a "hobby" but well..that's kinda what it is to me. I decided since I'm not traveling this year as much as I usually do, I'd like to do something un-selfish with my weekends and "free time" after work. I became friends with a local shelter on facebook and ya'll, I swear seeing pictures on that website is worse than the Sarah Mclachlan commercial. You see pictures of dogs in their cages, their big sad eyes, and an EU date right next to their picture because of overcrowding...I mean, if you want to rip out someone's heart, that's the way to do it. GOODNESS!!
I asked about fostering and volunteering and the next thing I know, I'm driving to meet a dog named Ali who just needs a little bit of socializing and love. Meet little Miss Ali Girl (or Ali G as I liked to call her. My neighbor heard me yelling for her one time and asked me why I named my dog "Allergy", ha!)
This precious girl has been adopted and is now thriving in her new home with her new Momma. :o)

Fast forward a couple weeks and I found myself with this cute little thing... Trixie is about 10 months old and a border collie mix. This girl is a sweetheart.
Along with Trixie and Bugaboo, I have my friend Ashley's dog while she's in Hawaii so it's incredibly safe to say there isn't a dull moment in my house. Thankfully, I'm not home most of the day and neither are my neighbors so they can bark all they want. :o)
I tried to post a video that is the lovable chaos of all 3 dogs but blogger isn't cooperating. Anyone have any ideas how I do that??

Quote of the Day

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
~Marilyn Monroe

Beauty Trend: Braids, Braids, Braids

Easy. Fun. Chic. I love that braids are making a comeback. The best part? The messier it is, the better it looks. Now what girl isn't gonna love that??
The side braid: effortlessy chic, sexy and messy. Perfect for day or night.
The ponytail braid: a grownup version of a childhood favorite.

The French Braided Bangs: a perfect solution for unruly locks in the summer humidity.

I might need to practice first but I can't wait to wear these styles all summer long. :o) I hope ya'll are having a fabulous week.

Sometimes you just need a laugh

There are a few things in the world that can make me laugh no matter what kind of day I've had. The list includes (but is not limited to) Friends' gag reels. All 10 of them.
My family loves to watch it when we're all together because they laugh at me laughing. What can I say? They're just really funny. :o)
Below is one of my most favorite bloopers...enjoy!

Not quite so ugly...

First and foremost, thank you so much for all of your support! I was incredibly nervous to post my last blog and ya'll made me realize I did the right thing for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the encouraging words and thoughts. I really do appreciate it.
I'd like to clear something up that may have been misinterpreted in my last post. (And I say this because I've gotten a few questions about it...I'm so perceptive, right??) There's really no polite way to say this so I'll just come out with it...I do not, in any way, shape or form want my ex back in this life...or any other life for that matter. I am a strong believer in the saying "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
The point of my last post was to simply tell my friends and family what I'm struggling with. I feel pathetic and guilty for feeling the way I do. And it's more than the aftermath of my breakup. I have yet to have a relationship work out and I'm beyond tired of it. I'm tired of hanging out with a guy, then he disappears but still calls and texts, and then a few weeks later he shows up with a new girlfriend. I'm sorry, I thought you didn't want a commitment?? How could I not take that personally??
I'm tired of a guy saying how much he likes me but doesn't want a gilfriend. (I'm gonna call BS on that one but what the hell do I know?)
I'm tired of the run around. Be a man. Either you like me or you don't. I love how all guys think they're men until it comes time to act like one.
I don't like asking for help. I'm used to being the one who holds things together. I'm the peacemaker, the one who likes to be strong for others, and the one who gives my friends advice. I don't like asking people to be strong for me.
Now, before ya'll think I've spent the past couple days lying in bed watching sappy movies, I assure you, my sunburned skin would beg to differ.
As blah as I feel, I'm still a big believer in the fact that life is short. And being lazy and feeling sorry for myself will not do me any good whatsoever. (Now if it was a rainy, cold weekend, it'd be a different story.)
But this girl needed to get a base tan before summer really starts so the pool and I did a lot of bonding this weekend :o). Too much bonding in fact...I definitely need to increase the SPF-age of my lotion!
I hope ya'll have a fabulous week. Again, thank you for the love and support!! XOXO

An Ugly Post...

I wrote this post over the weekend and have been debating whether it's a good idea to post it or not. At the end of the day, this is my blog, these are my feelings and I think maybe it's time to put them out there instead of bottling everything up (like I tend to do.)
Over the weekend, I woke up angry. Just irrationally and irately angry. I spent most of the day Saturday trying to figure out why when I actually already knew the reason. Have ya'll ever done that?? I'm warning you now, this is gonna be ugly and pathetic...
I have spent the past few years of my life watching my friends move on with their lives. They've grown up, fallen in love, gotten married, found great jobs, and done everything we're supposed to do at our age.
It's been almost 4 years since my ex left me. Please understand, this was not a "normal" breakup. My ex moved out in June. At the time, we had been together over 2 1/2 years. For 4 months, I believed him when he called me and texted me daily to say he loved me. I believed him when he said he wanted to be with me.
At the end of September I found out (with the help of a "mutual" friend) he had actually met a girl when I was on a business trip the previous April and moved in from our place to hers instead of into his cousin's house like he told me. They've since gotten married. I was dumb. I know that.
My life, as a whole, has been 100% better since he's been gone. My friendships are stronger, my family is much happier, and I don't regret for a second that things happened the way they did because, lets face it...I could be walking around like an idiot thinking he's a decent human being.
Back to the point...
I know why I'm angry. For starters, as happy as I am he's out of my life, I don't have closure. (Don't lie...I know ya'll thought I was pathetic when I said it's been 4 years.) I want to know what the HELL the point was of him lying to me. I want to know what the point was of him telling me he loved me for 4 months when he really didn't. I realize it doesn't seem like it, but I'm a strong girl. And I have strong friends. And anyone who is smart should be scared of my family when one of us gets hurt. Ever is the coward who looks me in the eyes and tells me he loves me when he doesn't. I may not know a lot, but I know I deserve better that.
I'm angry because I want to be happy too. I love my friends, please don't get me wrong. They each deserve every single bit of happiness they get and more.
It's a hard and lonely life being single in my world of couples. We've gone from girl's nights every Friday to phone calls and maybe a get together once a month. We've gone from e-mails every day to a text once a week. Statements have gone from "I" to "we." Instead of being the go to "go out" girl, I'm now the dog sitter. Things change. They're supposed to and I know that. Trust me, I feel like a bitch for saying what I'm about to say but I just have to say it...I'm so tired of being happy for everyone else.
Ew. I kinda even hate myself.
This is not where I thought I'd be a few months away from my 30th birthday. Please don't think I'm so pathetic that I've stayed completely single since my breakup. I've dated. I've even had my heart broken since the aforementioned breakup. And like my break-up story illustrates, I've always been the girl easy to forget about. And maybe that's my fault. But it's still a reality and unfortunately, it's my reality.
I was seeing a guy the past few months and I felt things for this guy I didn't ever even feel for my ex. He was good for me. He was smart, funny, sincere, loyal, and attentive. He made me really happy. But just as soon as it happened, it's disappeared.
I'm tired of being heart broken. And I'm tired of being easy to forget about.
I'm blogging about this because I'm at a loss. It's not my style to mention my feelings aloud, let alone write them out on a public blog for the world to see. I don't want pity. And I don't want sadness. I'm a lucky girl to have my family, my friends and my life. I know that.
But I'm in a rut. And I want to know what I can do to change that.
Thoughts???

SAG Fashion

I LOVE awards season! Mostly for the fashion of course. :o)
I don't really believe in criticizing people's choices just to be mean. Granted, some celebrities need a little "coaching" in order to make better decisions in the future. That being said, I try not to say anything bad unless it is completely necessary. I mean, I'm sure celebrities will consider my opinion as much as the next blogger's. Which means they'll be making bad choices...well, forever. :o)
Before I choose my favorites, let me preface by saying I don't care for "basic" or "simple" award season dresses. I mean this is HOLLYWOOD. Live a little!!
Please don't get me wrong...the perfect little black dress is my best friend. But I don't have Georgina Chapman knocking on my door begging me to wear her one of a kind Marchesa dress!
So without further adieu...
Let's talk about making a statement. This girl knows what she's doing! I love Mila Kunis' choice of a bold print, the long and simple (but gorgeous) hair and dark eye with a neutral lip. Everything just works. LOVE!

I love this look! Dianna Agron chose a fabulous navy, ankle length dress and wore it like she was born in it. I LOVE the color, the dramatic makeup and the simpe shoes. She let the dress speak for itself and she looked fabulous.

I know this may not be other people's favorite. But there are maybe a handful of women in the world who can wear this color and Jayma Mays is obviously one of them! Everything about this look says "fun glamour." I love the cut of the dress, the shoes, and her glamorous hair and makeup. Perfection.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Does anything say "uh-oh, busted..." better than this picture?? I think Bugaboo expected his Momma to spend a little more time out running errands tonight!

A New Necessity

One of my besties, Jana, has a set of fabulous wine glasses. They are my new obsession! We each picked the one that described us best (or made us laugh the hardest) and popped a bottle of champagne before heading to a local wine bar. A perfect Friday night. :o) This is what my glass said...


"Prefers Valentino to Valentines"

Just another night in Hollywood...

So I have to say, I wasn't super impressed with the Golden Globe fashion last night (I'm sure the stars are losing as much sleep over it as I am, ha!) Every awards show I usually have at least one celebrity I would love to be just so I could leave the house looking like them. This time I didn't...of course, everyone was still gorgeous (it is still Hollywood!) and I still enjoyed the E! Arrivals Show. :o) Here are a few of the gowns I did like:

I love it when people try something new. Anne Hathaway looked gorgeous and confident in this trend inspired gown. I feel like she usually wears pretty and traditional pieces so I'm loving this change!

Catherine Zeta Jones. This woman is the epitome of class. The color is fabulous and I absolutely love the body of the dress. Seriously, she couldn't look bad even if she tried.

Eva Longoria. I adore her. There were mixed reviews on her dress, with some saying it was too much drama. My response: Ya'll, it's the Red Carpet. Where else can you do drama (and get away with it)??

Sigh. The perfect Princess dress. I thought Olivia Wilde looked gorgeous and this may be my favorite of the night. I love the sparkle and shine and the chocolate hue makes this dress completely fabulous.

Comforts of Happiness...

A fabulous week it is not! I think it's a lot to ask to have 5 good days in a row but a girl can dream right?? To say it's been stressful and exhausting though is an understatement. (I'm such a Drama Queen, ha!)
Lucky for me, I've found a couple things that make me feel like me again, even it's for a short while. In no particular order, here are a few of my stress relieving vices...

I love the treadmill. I put this thing on a high incline, walk as fast as I can and burn the stress away. If my back feels good, I'll hop on the stairmaster too. :o)
















This should go without saying. There's nothing a large glass of wine won't cure. Add this to dinner out with friends and I am instantly a happy girl.


Okay, don't judge me. You are looking at my favorite childhood snack! I don't make this often (maybe once every 6 months??) but when I do, I love it just as much as I did when I was little. I don't remember how my sisters and I came up with this concoction but ohmygoodness it is good!! And yes, you are really looking at a bagel with cream cheese topped with doritos. While I realize there is nothing I can do to make this "healthy" I at least now make this fabulous snack/meal with a whole wheat bagel, baked doritos and low fat cream cheese. Every lil bit helps, right? :o) (Seriously, ya'll need to try it. You'll thank me later!)

PS-I didn't mention the obvious things that make me feel better like family, friends, Bugaboo, a good cry session because well...those things are obvious! So please don't think my happiness depends on a treadmill, a glass of wine or a bagel with doritos. B/c let's face it..that would just be tragic! (At least the bagel with Doritos thing would be...the treadmill and wine are arguable.)

What do ya'll do to feel better after a rough week?

Back to Normal...

Happy Sunday! I hope ya'll have had a fabulous weekend. I know I enjoyed mine!
I got to catch up with a few long lost loves...





Spend a long lunch on Saturday with an old friend, boss, mentor and her cute as a button 3 month old baby...I haven't seen Heather in years and it was like no time had passed. I am so lucky to have friends like her in my life! I'm sad I didn't get any pics but I know I'll get some next month. We have a standing lunch date from here to eternity. :o)
After lunch with Heather and her new lil man, I got my hair done (no pics of my foiled head, sorry!) and met up with a bestie to do what we do best...













After our shoppin' trip, Les and I celebrated our fab friend Rachel's 30th...







And I got to end my weekend with this lil cuddlebug :o)



I don't have many "calm" weekends and this was no exception. But it was just the right amount of fun to get my week started off on the right foot! Here's hoping for a fabulous week :o)

Oh the Joys of Car Ownership...

..and I do mean ownership since my car is now paid off thanks to a very generous Christmas gift from my very sweet parents! WOO-HOO!!!!
Thanks to my dear friend Whitey, I was informed a couple weeks ago that I needed new brake pads...like that week. (How do boys know these things??) Since I was leaving town for Christmas 2 days later, I put it off. After Christmas, I came home for 3 days then left again for NYC. So I put it off. Again. Smart, I know.
Now that I'm back for a while, I've decided to tackle the things that needed to be tackled 3 weeks ago first. Whoever said my priorities aren't straight clearly have no idea what they're talking about. :o)
I decided to go to the service station down the street from my office since I was due for an oil change and figured maybe they could throw in the brake service as well (I was hoping anyway.) So I walk in, ask for an oil change and tell the guy standing there I need new brake pads.
Wellll guess what...they don't change brake pads after 5. Okay. So I ask if I can drop my car off in the morning before work to have them done. This guy who speaks slower than I can stand says "Sure...we...open...at...9."
Seriously?? Who on earth came up with these hours?!? I don't know about ya'll but my "official" hours are 8-5. Which means at 9am I am at my desk. And at 5pm I am at my desk. So I tell him that (in a not much nicer tone I might add,) and in the same painfully slow tone he says "Uhh.. I'll... see.... what's... wrong... with... the...car." I wanted to ask him if he moved any quicker than he spoke but I held my tongue. My parents would be so proud!
30 minutes later he came up to me with a really proud look on his face. I felt a twinge of guilt for snapping at him earlier b/c maybe out of the kindness of his heart he changed my brake pads too???
Nope.
His exact words: "Ma'am...(I'm younger than you buddy)...you...need...new...brake...pads...." and was grinning at me like he discovered the cure for cancer.
Ya'll, I almost hit him. FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, I KNOW!!! I told YOU that when I walked in you moron.
Needless to say, after pointing out the grinding noise (the. same. noise. I. pointed. out. to. him.) he insisted I bring my car in at 9. DID WE NOT HAVE THIS CONVERSATION EARLIER?? It's possible I've lost my mind but I SWEAR we did.
Needless to say, I still have grinding brakes. And an appointment to take my car to a different service station.
So please be warned, if you see me on the road in the next 2 days, stay clear.

Hello 2011!

Hello friends! I realize I didn't do so well with this blogging thing in 2010. The craziness of life got to me and while I had every intention to blog every night, things either came up or it just wasn't in anyone's best interest for me to share my thoughts. (You're welcome!)
I hope 2011 finds you happy and healthy! Did you have a good New Year?? In a last minute decision (b/c what other way is there to do things??) I chose to hop on a plane and bring in the new year with my sisters in NYC! We had a fabulous time and partied like it was...well, 2011. :) Pictures to come in my next post!
The New Year, as always, brings up the subject of New Year Resolutions. I, for one, am not so fond of this lil tradition...only because I usually forget whatever resolution(s) I do have by February or so. And I'm always done trying to do whatever it is I was trying to do long before that!
So this year I decided to try something different. I'm making 2 resolutions. One personal one for me and another not so personal one.
The resolution I will share is this: I am going to make more of an effort to keep in touch with friends and family. Life always seems to get in the way and at the end of the day, that's just not a good excuse! It's important to me that loved ones know how much I love them even if I don't see or talk to them very often so this is my resolution. I want to send cards, make a phone call, send a text message or even a facebook note much more often that I do now. :) So what about ya'll? What's your promise for 2011?