***Warning: Spoiler Alert!! Do not read if you have yet to see the movie.***

OMG! OMG OMG OMG! I LOVED the movie! LOVED it! I wasn't sure as it has been getting mixed reviews. But honestly I laughed and cried so much and oh I just thought it was excellent. The fashion was amazing. The shoes- oh how I wish I could walk in some of those stunning shoes! Yummy!!


OK, so I decided that I would have a very Carrie-like date with myself Friday afternoon. I headed out to our brand spanking new movie theater for the 1-something showing. Well I got there 15 minutes before it started and it was sold out. Which honestly surprised me seeing as how schools are still in session up here in the Northern USA. But I guess every other woman had the same idea as me. Of course....seeing as how it was a totally fab idea. So I bought a ticket to the next showing at 3 something. What's a girl to do when stuck inside a mall for two hours? Shop of course! I bought three cute dresses but I think only this one has made the cut now that I am home and looking at them in real light. Those stores lie to me with their yellow lighting and mirrors that play tricks on my mind. I need it for a more formal-ish dinner event at a convention for my volunteer organization in a few weeks. Can you tell from the picture that it's gold? It is. Any shoe suggestions for me?








So finally the movie is about to start. For a reason I will never understand I got in line to buy popcorn and Diet Coke. I never eat the bucket-o-popcorn because it makes me thirsty and drinking means I have to leave for two minutes to use the ladies room. A vicious cycle. But there I found myself ordering a medium of both. Um, it was ridiculously huge. Could feed a family of six for dinner. Such a waste. And such a bummer when I did, as expected, have to run out to use the ladies room mid movie.


This showing was only 1/2 full - hopefully just a reflection of the odd time. When the movie got out there were lines out the wazu of Upstate NY ladies doing their best Carrie look. Which was great fun for my people watching but a little sad to see how this look can truly only be pulled off by a chose few. I'm sorry but "mom jeans" (a la SNL) and chunky monkey heels and an oversized pink t-shirt just don't make the SATC cut. But "A" for effort ladies!

OK, so this post is not so much a spoiler but really I didn't want to accidentally ruin anything for anyone. I LOVED the movie. I want that Penthouse apartment. And the closet with the double doors. I cried when we saw Lilly for the first time. Heck I cried a lot in this movie. But I am a crier in life so this should not surprise any of my real life friends. The scene in the street with Carrie and the bouquet and Big and Charlotte holding her....OMG. Cried. Soooo emotional! And at the end when Big calls the girls to the courthouse....I loved that!


But I laughed a lot too. The Charlotte Poughkeepsie-her-pants scene still brings a giggle. The coloring conversation was too funny. And Samantha had me laughing a mile a minute as usual.


I really loved that the characters were exactly the same as the show. It was as if the show continued but I just forgot to watch. They grew and evolved but were still the same. If that makes any sense. I could have watched another hour- it just flew by too quickly. And it came to a neat and tidy ending which makes me believe that this really and truly is the last we will get to see of these four amazing friends. Sniff! Thank goodness for DVDs! Their friendship is truly what gets me. It is so real but so open. They tell each other when they are mad or hurt but they make up and really get over things. Such an inspiration!


There were a few things though that I didn't love. I think Lilly had about three lines in the movie. Not that I at all wanted it to be about here but it was hard to believe a three year old would be so quiet. And poor kid, her lines were "sex," "sex," and "again." My other complaint is Jennifer Hudson as Carrie's new assistant. Now I didn't see Dream Girls but she actually won the Oscar, right? I thought she was a terrible actor in this film. I could have acted better than her- and that is not saying much! I liked her character and the Christmas gift scene. But having her character there at all was really for what purpose? She sort of came and left abruptly. Which I could get over but acting was just so stinky. And the last has less to do with the film and more with I guess the production company. They leaked too many scenes. I felt like I had seen (not heard about but actually seen on TV) at least half the movie. And I watch very few of the late night shows and such the promote movies. Last night as I was in bed I watched E because I just went to the movie and wanted to hear their reports. They seriously played the other half of the movie scenes. That totally ruins it for me. I know it must be a fine line between teasing the potential audience enough to come spend money and giving away the whole movie. But other than the Big question- weather or not they end up together- I knew all the plot lines.


That being said, it was still an excellent movie and I will for sure buy the DVD when it comes out in a few months.


Cheers ladies!!

I was first given this book when it came out several years ago by my sweet friend, E. I loved it immediately. Then a few years later I was given it again by another sweet friend, B. And I found it here in Upstate NY and bought it for Bestie. I re-gifted the second book too. It's fab and most of you probably already have a copy. Love it!




Then yesterday when I ran into a store to look for something, I checked out their small but surprisingly decent book section. Look what shouted to me right away! It retails for $30 and is well worth ever penny. The great photographs, endless personal stories from Lilly Pulitzer and great entertaining tips and recipes are so fantastic. But this is a discount store and I paid way way way less than retail. I LOVE that! I love an unexpected bargain. It really is all about the little things in life for me!

OK, this is not my story, rather a story from one of my best gals in Georgia. But I asked her if I could blog the tale if I left her name out of it (which I would do anyway) and she agreed. Y'all have just got to hear (er...read) this!

So first to set the scene. Georgia was the Maid Of Honor in the wedding of one of her best friends a few weeks ago. All the bridesmaids and the bride were all in the same sorority and were best friends during their college years. But as it happens sometimes, things change when you leave the safety bubble of college. Of the five best girlfriends, four are still extremely close. But there was a series of situations a number of years ago with the fifth friend. Let's call her Country. There were just a lot of things that she did and didn't do that lead to a split. It was slow and painful. But life goes on. Country moved on and so did the four best gals. But Country and the Bride do still sort of talk. Sort of. Sometimes. For whatever reason, Bride also asked Country to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Georgia and the other two maids were less than thrilled with the notion of being in a wedding with someone who is so not a good friend (or even that great of a person much of the time) but seeing as how it was not their wedding, they sucked it up like good bridesmaids. There were some uncomfortable situations at showers and bachelorette parties but for the most part, everyone was congenial and polite and was all surface nice nice. It was fine.

So fast foreword to two weeks ago at the wedding. Georgia looks hot of course in her MOH dress and her new layered hair cut. Her MOH speech rocks. She's having a ball. But just before the wedding began- like before the wedding ceremony even started- Country's Momma came over to say hello to Georgia. Georgia was understandable a bit weary of this interaction as she has not seen Country's Momma in many many years. But a simple hello never hurt anyone, right? Here is what she said (or I might be paraphrasing but I'm getting it close enough, I promise)....

Country's Momma: "Georgia, you look really very beautiful tonight!"
Georgia: "Oh, thank you. You look great too."
Country's Momma: "I guess you started out a Volkswagen and turned into a Mercedes."
Georgia: " " (who the heck knows what to say after just being told by your enemy's mother that she apparently thought you were what, ugly, at one point in your life?!)

Georgia was able to steal a quick minute to herself in a corner to compose and hold back the tears before the wedding started. Her toast brought the reception to both laughter and tears - it was a hit. She pulled it off and was the bigger person.

But can you believe an adult- stone sober- would say that to someone? Is that not the most appalling thing ever?! And for the record, Georgia has always been beautiful. She has this most adorable tom-girl/girl-girl, yin/yang to her. I just want to kick Country's Momma and Country (for good measure) for being so nasty. I wouldn't actually kick her though. Heck, I can't even stand in the same room as a bird/bat/whatever. I'm not keen on violence. But if I was, I would kick her in the shin. Ew- don't be mean to my Georgia!!

Picture it, late Saturday night (bonus points if you get that 80's reference) and I am checking email in the den before bed. Sadie is sitting by my feet. The TV is on- but I am not paying attention. I hear something.

**OK, so backtrack here to a few years ago when I lived in an English basement apt on the Hill. The house that I lived in had a rat (ew, ew, ew!!) problem in between my floor and the first floor. So while they didn't come into my apt, I could hear them all night walking in the space above my bed and under the first floor. My point is that I am familiar with this particular sound. Back to my story now....

I hit mute on the TV to listen closer. It sounded like a rat running in the duct work above me. I screamed and jumped up on the sofa. You know, because that was going to solve my problem. But then I heard something in the utility closet that is adjacent to the den. OMG the rat was coming to get me! I screamed and ran to the next room. I heard shuffling. I screamed again and ran to the foyer. What can I say? I am a very jumpy person and absolutely detest feeling scared. Why anyone would go to a scary movie is beyond me. But I digress. So I am standing in the foyer now and then I see something flying. FLYING!!! I screamed crazy high pitched sounds and ran into my bedroom and closed the door tight. But after a few minutes when I semi-calmed myself down, I realized that I didn't have any of the phones in my bedroom. Shit!! I stood next to the door and listened. I could hear fluttering for a while. So I jumped up on my bed holding my make-shift weapons, a pink umbrella and a small, flat Priority Mail box. I have no idea what I was going to do with these "weapons" but they somehow made me feel a little safer. So about an hour passes with me sitting on my bed, holding my weapons, facing the door, in total silence to listen for my winged creature. At some point I hear Sadie at the bedroom door trying to get in and I open it enough to let her enter. But finally the need to tinkle gets the best of me and I have to leave my room. I keep the door shut behind me thinking that at least I know the creature is not in my room and it will remain safe. I force my pup into the bathroom with me (she hates the bathroom because she gets bubble baths in there and therefore the whole room is a scary place for her) - she makes me feel safer for whatever reason. I get ready for bed and such and then run into the den again to get my phone. All while holding my box and umbrella weapons. I'm sure it was a sight!

We run back to the bedroom, slam the door, shove fabric under the door and hop on the bed. I call my dad. He's out of town and asleep but I force him to talk this out with me. So I tell him the story and he insists that rats do not have wings so it cannot possibly be a rat. We decide it is either a bird (I sit in the den with the door open to the back deck all the time) or a bat (insert panic!). Dad insists that a bat will not hurt me. I insist that I have seen Jeff Corwin ramble on about deadly crap one too many times to be secure in this statement. Then Dad has the audacity to say to me, well if it came in off the deck then it could be a squirrel too. "OMG Dad, squirrels fly?!!!" I screeched! He felt bad that he made me spaz out like that again. He was falling asleep and I was having a heart attack. I think I finally fell asleep around the 2-3AM mark. And I woke up ever few minutes- I was so paranoid.

So Sunday morning I woke up and Sadie and I tiptoed through the house (again, with my awesome military like weapons of a box and an umbrella!) looking for my winged attacker. Nothing. I sat in the den most of the day with the door wide open in hopes that it would leave the same way it entered. Nothing. Monday came and went. Nothing. Today, still nothing. I swear I did not imagine this. It was there. Maybe it left on Sunday when I was not looking or in the kitchen or doing laundry or something. I hope!

I live in the city. Can you imagine how jumpy I would be if I lived in the country? All those bug and animal noises scare the crap out of me. Ugh, I am getting all panicky just re-telling the story. Please pray that whatever it was has left my house, because I am not sure I am brave enough to face such a scary fly-able thing in person. Is this bad karma due to my $3 Diet Coke theft?

I think I have Lilly-itis! If I even walk into a Marshalls these days, I can smell a Lilly in the middle of a random rack. This is a new-found disease because until last year, I had no idea that one shopped for anything other than shoes at these stores. I knew there were clothes but I never attempted really to muster up the patience to rummage through them. Lately though, no rummaging needed. I can just feel where the "needed" item is living. It's a sickness and talent all in one!

OK so I ran a few errands this evening and popped into Target. Not the same Target I was at yesterday, but whatever. I went to the service desk and explained how I accidentally stole the case of Diet Coke yesterday. Do you remember that episode of Friends when Phoebe's bank kept putting more money in her account and then sent her a football phone when she tried to explain that she owed them money and not the other way around (awesome run on sentence BTW!!)? That was me today. I explained to the woman very clearly what happened. She offered for me to just go get another case. I re-explained that I am not owed a case, rather I owe the store money. She finally said that because I didn't shop at this particular store, they could not help me. Then she said, "I just wouldn't worry about it really." Um, OK. I thought I was being the better person here and trying. But it turns out, Target is not all that worried about me and my $3 worth of stolen soda pop. At least I tried....right?

Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no!! So I ran to Target yesterday for things I actually needed and not for crap that I wanted from the Whim aisle. Well I did buy one more madras tub because it was on sale, but I actually planned to do that. So it's all good. Really though, I had to re-stock my supply of boring things like paper towels, toilet paper, dog shampoo and carpet cleaner. I did pick up a few of the cutie pink and green plush dog toys for my preppy little girl. I just gave her the flip flop and she loves it. OK, I do have a point. And it is that my cart was full of a bunch of bulky stuff. So when I picked up my case of Caffeine Free Diet Coke, it had to go on the little shelf thingy under the shopping buggy. I never use that shelf. I now know why.

So I find a check-out that is all but finished with the customer ahead of me and load all of my purchases neatly (Does anyone else do that? I am so particular about how I load the conveyor belt in hopes that they will pack it in the same order. All of this is in vein of course because they never pack it in my special borderline OCD order.) on the belt. The customer checking out ahead of me has a cart containing a child about the age of 5 I would guess. Clearly she is her grandmother. So Grandma says, "Oh my daughter might bring up one more item." I think nothing of it and as the cashier tells Granny the total, she repeats it back and starts writing a check. Just then, Daughter all but knocks me over with another cart containing another child and three handfuls worth of items. But my stuff is already up on the belt and I have now been standing there for a solid 5+ minutes because Granny gave grandchild in the cart candy for her and her brother (the kid in Daughter's cart) but told her they could not eat it now. Um, I know I don't have my own kids but that's pretty much the worst, right? As if a young child can handle that pressure to only hold the package of candy. Heck, I'm 30 and not sure I have that much will-power (and have the waistline to prove it, thankyouverymuch!). So the kid is going on and on about the candy and Grandma has to tell her no every five seconds. It's great. OK, so back to Daughter. Well since you know, Granny's transaction was complete, she has to take handfuls of her stuff out of the cart and pass it over the little receipt signing counter thingy to ring it up on the same bill. Now the boy sees the girl holding the two packets of chocolate candy and is going berserk. So Daughter finally moves her cart around the other way because I cannot move myself at this point. She sort of cornered me in there. Finally the cashier, who keeps looking at me with "I'm really sorry" eyes, gets it all totaled up and in bags. But now Daughter and Granny and the kids are embattled in more discussions (read: yelling at each other) about how you can only hold the candy but not eat it (insert PPC literally cupping my mouth shut to prevent myself from screaming "take the damn candy away from the kids for the love of all things red and round!!"). This battle is so time consuming that the cashier finally walks out of her little booth area and places the bags in the carts and sort of scoots the family of four out of the way. Granny finally finishes writing that check in the time it would take one to carve it in stone. And then has to dig down in her bag to the core of the Earth to find her driver's license. During this time, three more cashier booths open up. But since all of my stuff was already up on the belt, I figured it would take more time to remove it, pack it up in the buggy and then find a new lane. So a solid 15-20+ minutes later I am finally checking out. I am frazzled and sort of in a daze. I don't even know these people but I am overwhelmed. I am not paying attention and just want to get the heck out of dodge.

The cashier lady apologizes to me a zillion times. But it's not like it was her fault. We laughed about it, I paid and left. I packed up my car and then as I was putting the Coke in the car, I thought to myself, "did I pay for that?" I was sure I had. I just forgot because I was standing in that hot mess for so long. But then on my way home I thought about it several more times. But I came home and unloaded my car. Put everything away. Took Sadie for a walk. It was still bugging me. So I double checked my receipt. And that is when I realized that on Friday May 23rd, I became a thief! I didn't pay for it. The conveyor belt was full and I was waiting to put it up last. But then Daughter came and chaos ensued. And I forgot. It was an honest mistake. But I feel terrible about it. Do you think I should offer to pay the next time I am there? It was on sale - I think it was about $3. So I don't feel like I should drive back just for that. But I seriously feel so guilty about it. Can you still be friends with me knowing my crooked ways?

I don't know about y'all but I thought Grey's was pretty great last night. Somehow I didn't see the girly kiss coming at the end but whatever. I am always the last to pick up on these things. I am not actually thrilled that Callie is going to try out for the girl's team- that seems like a stretch to me. I just can't see that happening in real life. At least not that fast. I love that George is getting a second chance to take his test. Yeah for him!! He and Lexie are my favorites so I don't want them to start to be more than friends. Those relationships always go south on this show. Plus, where would he live when that ended is a messy way? I thought the Alex story line was great- different for him to be vulnerable. I like him more when I know he is a little vulnerable. Why is that? Probably because he is such an ass otherwise. What else....? Oh Derrek and Meredith. OK so I don't really like Derrek. I haven't like him since season two. He's just so damn full of himself and can be so so mean. But I did however like that ending for those two. It was cute. Again, unrealistic. Who has 500 candles just hanging around like that? But cute. I wonder though if when he leaves her to go make a proper break from the nurse if he will get into an accident or something. I'm still waiting for Christina to smile though. She did a little half smile towards the end but come on now. Anyone who can go months without a single smile needs to be committed.

So those are some of my random thoughts on the season finale. What did y'all think?

I have stuff to be doing but instead I am playing around on your blogs. Damn you for writing cute and funny and fabulous things that suck me in for hours on end!

I am stealing this from Creative Cupcake because it is just too funny. Regardless of your political preference, funny is funny kids! What is very un-funny is how great he looks for his age. Seriously unfair how well men age compared to women.

Things younger than John McCain.

Enjoy a giggle!

Just a few things I am loving today....

1. The order taker/cashier lady at McDonald's who brought me my Diet Coke as I was paying instead of having to continue waiting in that crazy long line. I know she didn't know that I was fighting a bad headache but it seriously MADE MY DAY!

2. Augustana. I think I heard a song on One Tree Hill maybe and then finally bought their CD. Love it. I think their band name is fun too, though I have no idea what it means.

3. My new Vera Bradley bowler bag from Bestie! We are a combo of silly and lazy when it comes to mailing presents to each other. So last week she finally received a big box from me of not one but two Christmases and one birthday worth of gifts. It's so predictable to mail presents on the actual holiday. Tehetehe! And today I received my big box of Christmas and birthday presents. Soooo much more fun to open now when we are not close to any gift-giving holidays. The only down side is that two of the littles that I sent her last week were purchased more than two years ago. And apparently had an expiration date. That was long past. We are both still laughing about that oops!

4. This juice. In the Valencia/Mango flavor. It's like liquid candy. Therefore I love it!!

5. Weeping by Josh Groban. Have you heard this song? Probably not because you're not an uber goober like me. But OMG you need to listen to it. Soooo incredibly great! Beautiful and a great message and well, I just love it! He rocks - you know in that easy listening, classical sort of way!

Do y'all dream at night? A lot? When I was growing up, and really until a few years ago, I never dreamed. Or never knew about it anyway. Maybe 3-5 times each year I would remember/be conscious of a dream. Maybe. That might be a generous number. But for the last several years I have been dreaming almost every night. Sometimes several different dreams in one night. And while almost none are scary nightmares (though I have had a few of those too), none of them are super fabulous either. Most are strange. Sort of pieces of my life all mushed together and then a bunch of things that make zero sense. I have to say that I find this dreaming business rather annoying. It takes away precious sleep time. And nothing comes between this little crocodile and sleepy time. I think all the time that I should write this stuff down to analyze later. But in the middle of the night that just seems like a heck of a lot of work. And thus, I am still dreaming crazy almost every night and bothered that I can't figure out why.

I think all the prezzies from Pay It Forword and my little Earth Day giveaway should be safe with their happy owners by now. But if it has not arrived to you yet, no peeking....

Earth Day goodies....

Included: fabric drink coasters, re-usable wine gift bag, ribbon book mark, luggage tag, coffee cozy, grocery bag and jelly beans for something sweet.



Pay It Forword goodies....

My favorite goodies in the Pay It Forword packages included the Praline Mustard Spread (mmm- this is sooo yummy on a block of cream cheese!), the ribbon book marks with pom poms and the Lilly Pulitzer fabric luggage tags. They are so fun and make finding your luggage so much easier!

Both included a set of four coasters. They are these fun, crazy summer colors and reversible. Easy to find your drink and you can just toss them in the washer when spills happen.



And my latest obsession is making these fabric grocery bags. They are soft and flexible like a regular grocery bag. But are a little larger than what my grocery store has - closer in size to a Target store bag. Super duper sturdy as they are fully lined with another fun fabric on the inside. Just because you are grocery shopping doesn't mean you can't be cute! They can easily be tossed in the washer and dryer if needed. I keep a bag-o-bags in my car at all times so that I have them handy to use anywhere- not just at the grocery store. They were at hit with the ladies at Target the other day.





I hope y'all enjoy the little goodies and have fun Paying It Forword!! Smiles!

Does anyone else watch One Tree Hill after Gossip Girl? Did anyone else cry when Brooke had to give baby Angie back? No, it was just me? Great. Well I totally cried. So sad. Nice of her but sad! And if Lucas picks anyone other than Peyton I will have to stop watching. Heck, that's not true. I'll still watch. But I really want him to pick Peyton.

So my fabulously cute new Summer Swap partner has compiled a list of questions for me to answer to get to know me better.



1. Besides pink and green … what other colors do you like?

I am currently loving aqua and green together. And yellow. I love just about every color other than grape/purples.



2. What are your favorite things to do?

Other than my blog obsession? I love to sew, craft, shop, go out to coffee or eat with girlfriends, bake/cook, read magazines and play with my puppy.



3. Where do you shop and what are your favorite things to buy?

For clothes, JCrew, Lilly, Gap (when they have classics in stock), Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren. I have periods of great success (read: finding Lilly and VV for a steal) at TJMax and Marshalls- though they are hit or miss. As for what I buy, pretty much the same things over and over. Capri pants, skirts, and shoes. And of course I am a long suffering polo-shirt-a-holic who should probably start looking into 12-step programs soon.



4. Do you have any hobbies?

Sewing, crafting, and if I am in the mood, cooking. OMG I have the hobbies of an old lady. How sad! I'm going to try to think of it as "retro" though because it seems to be "in" to be retro. :)



5. What is your monogram?

KKI



6. What was the last meal you had?

Veggie lasagna.



7. If you had a free weekend and money was not an option … where would you go?

Napa- I've never been there before and would bring a group of my best girls for food and wine all weekend.



8. What is your favorite thing to wear?

Polo shirt, capri pants/skirt, flip flops, LL Bean tote bag. This is seriously like my uniform - I wear it almost every day.



9. On a scale of 1 to 10 … how preppy are you?

Hmmm....pretty high. Maybe an 8 or 9? I'd say an 8 because I definitely have my share of days wearing comfy yoga pants and a tank top.



10. On a rainy day … what do you like to do?

Snuggle on my bed with my puppy and either a girly movie or a stack of magazines.



11. Favorite preppy designers?

Lilly Pulitzer, JCrew, Ralph Lauren, Vineyard Vines, Kate Spade, Stephan Bonanno and LL Bean boat totes.



12. Favorite preppy accessories?

I wear my silver Tiffany bracelet (MOH present from Bestie) several days each week. I wear pearls a lot too. I have a bunch of pearl necklaces- most fake that I made myself. I also love fun, chunky beaded necklaces. I wear ribbon belts all the time. Or sometimes just a ribbon in lieu of a belt. I almost never wear earrings but if I do, they are very simple.



13. Any other favorite things?

Hmmm... I love lots of things. Cookbooks. I read them as if they are novels. Magazines. Trashy tabs, cooking, home decor, style and fashion. I buy ribbon and fabric like it's going out of style. And I love ultra fine point colored sharpies.



14. Do you collect anything?

Not specifically.



15. Favorite thing to do in the Summer?

Grill outside, weekend trips, eat ice cream, farmers markets, garden (and by garden I mean I grown tomatoes and herbs and peppers in pots. we're not talking major gardening here), and eat all the yummy summer fruits and veggies.



16. What most makes you think of Summer?

Tomatoes, sweet corn and ice cream stands finally opening up. Sailboats. Flip flops. Iced coffee. And weddings. Although this year I don't have another wedding scheduled until December.



17. Favorite treat/drink?

I love sweet tea. And Diet Coke. Iced coffee. Margaritas and mojitos and sangria. And I know it's not a drink but I really really love ice cream. (the Skinny Cows in my freezer are just not cutting it at the moment. I am sooo ready for the ice cream stands to finally open!)



18. Any thing else you think I should know that I completely left out?

I can't think of anything. I'm pretty simple I think. But let me know if you have any other questions!



And I think you need to answer these questions too!! Fun survey- thanks for thinking of all the great questions!!

OK, I just re-read my last quirky things post and realized that they are very lame. So to make it up to you (I'm sure y'all are just all sitting around waiting for me to post an odd story about myself!) I will finally get around to telling you the great Muffin Cake story. I have not cleared this with bestie but we tell this story to everyone so I am assuming she is OK with y'all reading it too.

Bestie and I were roomies in college. We lived in an adorable apartment off campus. We watched Dawson's Creek together (Pacey...swoon!), cooked together, shopped together, tailgated together, exercised together (to the fabulously entertaining Elle McPherson) and threw dinner parties together. That's right, we threw dinner parties in college. We did throw a keg party once. But we decided we were much better at brunches and dinner parties.

One of our favorite late night study treats was making muffins. The bag of muffin mix from the baking aisles where you just add water and stir. We were having a very studious discussion one night about the wonders of mini muffins. I mean, they really are the perfect little nibble. And then one of us said something like, "why don't they make other foods in muffin pans, too?" And another said, "like cake!!" "OMG, we should invent Muffin Cakes! People would love them. They would be like muffins, but cake!" I have no idea how much time passed before we looked at each other and both exclaimed "cupcakes!" and exploded in laughter at our utter stupidity. We were seriously going on and on about how brilliant we were to invent these muffin cakes. Holy Blonde Moment!! And she's not even blonde.

I swear we are not total airheads. It was late and we were (and still are) silly and well.... It was just a blonde moment. It was about 8 years ago and we are still laughing about it. Silly, silly us! We really did think it was a brilliant idea for a while though!

Dear Old Lady,

Yes, you with the smurf blue car. Behind me in the McDonald's drive though this afternoon. Honking your horn is not going to make the McDonald's workers speed up their process. It's called "fast food" not "instant food." I know it was a very long line, especially considering I was only there for a sweet tea fix. But I don't care how old you are. There is simply no excuse for the horn honking. It's obnoxious. No one was conspiring against you and stalling. Be patient. It's a virtue. And for the love of all things greasy and sweet, please stop the smurf blue horn madness.

Best,
Preppy Pink Crocodile

Is it OK if I just do one tag list to cover two tags? Great, thanks! I'm running out of quirky things to list. Although that seems impossible because I think I am a rather quirky soul. Hmmm...

If you want an easy and fun post, please consider yourself tagged!

1. I have never owned any sort of celebrity paraphernalia such as posters, books and pins. Even when I was in junior high (when that stuff is popular), I knew they were tacky.

2. I am always on a quest for the perfect white t-shirt. Not too thin, not too tight, not too baggy, not too short, sleeves just right, .... Lately all the stores are selling them super thin and it drives me crazy. If you find one, be sure to let me know!

3. I love LOVE lemons. Lemon flavored things. Lemonade. Lemon slice in my water, fizzy water, ice tea and Diet Coke. Lemon bars. Lemon cheesecake (I don't even really like cheesecake but add lemon and Mmmmm!). Lemonhead candy. And yet I have never had the opportunity to try a Meyer lemon. I personally think this is a travesty. Everyone raves about them on blogs. Woe is me!

4. I need to be cold when I sleep. Well, I need the room to be cold. That way I can bundle up under my fluffy duvet (hypo-allergenic that is because I am allergic to feathers).

5. I love making gifts for friends and family but I get all twitchy and squeamish when they are over the top with compliments. Like a regular "thank you" or "that is so sweet, I love it" is fine. But going on and on because they love it, I feel all awkward. I just don't enjoy being the center of attention. I feel like I am being self-centered or braggy or something.

6. I am addicted to Sharpies. Specifically Ultra Fine Point Sharpies in every possible color. Last year bestie found a humongo jumbo package of them at Costco and without a thought, automatically grabbed a package for herself and one for me too. She knew I needed them. And I so did! That's a true bestie. When she just knew that my supply was low and I needed another 50 colored Sharpies to my name, even though I live many states away!!

I've been tagged a few times over the last two weeks and I am only just now taking time to do them. But I will get to all of them- I promise! This tag is from the sweet Preppy Engineer. Six quirky things about myself....

1. I am a political junkie but James Carville scares me. Not his opinions, him. He scares me.

2. I am a polo shirt snob. Well, not really a snob. But I have very specific requirements for shirts that I will wear myself. Only two or three buttons. No fewer than two and no more than three. Therefore I won't even try on the JCrew critter polos because they have like six buttons. I am busty and don't want to deal with buttons-on-boobs. And the sleeves have to be long enough to not cut into my armpit. So again, it's a no-go for me with the Ralph Lauren slim fit polos. I just feel like I spend my entire day pulling the sleeve out of my arm. And, um, that's very un-cute.

3. I still remember and will gladly sing (in the right environment, that is) just about every song I learned as a child from church choirs, school choirs, sleep-away-camps, Indian Princesses and my college sorority. I can still do all the snaps and claps and everything else. I'm not even embarrassed by this.

4. I don't understand Bjork. I don't get the draw to the noise she calls "music" or the feathers and strings she calls "clothes." But she's popular. Other musicians love to list her in their favorite artists tally. Good golly, why?!

5. I love chairs. Hands down my favorite furniture. My favorite are wing back chairs but really, I just love chairs in general. I've been to art exhibits featuring chairs in far too many cities to mention.

6. I don't enjoy getting my hair and make-up done. I like getting it washed and colored. But beyond that, I find zero enjoyment. After I get my hair cut and styled I like to come home and take a shower and re-do it. I just feel all twitchy with tiny pieces of hair on me. Pieces so small that the normal person would not even know they are there. I am also pretty minimal on my hair product usage. And make-up, I hardly wear any. So anything more than that concealer and blush that I wear daily and I feel like a street walker. Which you know, it not the look I usually go for in life. The only time I have loved my make-up done by someone other than yours truly was at the Hawaii wedding in November. She did a great job.


I tag anyone who wants to play along...

I noticed that several of y'all are having trouble finding that cutie little tot pool in the madras print at Target. Just wanted to let y'all in the Cap Region know that they had a big stack of them in stock at the Latham Target the other day when I popped in. I didn't buy one seeing as how I have no idea what I would do with it. But it was totally cutie patootie for those of you with tots running around.




Schoolteachmom- shoot me an email sometime so we can catch up in person one of these days.

I just finished the Paris in Spring swap and it totally surprised me. I mean, I knew I would have fun. I always do. And I have been a fan of my partner's blog for quite a while now. But the colors and theme are a stretch for me. At first I was a little lost- not at all sure what to make/buy/do. But then I found the aqua Eiffel Tower fabric and the black/beige fabric at my favorite go-to fabric maven, J Caroline, and I was off to Paris (in my head anyway).



Of course I made an apron. I'm obsessed. But I think it's pretty cute and hope it will find use as it is black on one side (so it is able to match pretty much anything) and the aqua Eiffel Tower fabric on the other side. And then I made a kitchen/bathroom hand towel to coordinate. And six coasters (2 of each fabric) because everyone needs coasters.

I found this aqua/grey toile fabric and decided that she needed a few travel-ready goodies just in case she is lucky enough to make a trip over to gay Paris this spring. A coffee cup cozy, tissue case and luggage tag. And for the rest of the warm spring and summer days spent at home, a can cozy and a ribbon belt with vintage jacquard ribbon.





For so crafty fun, two little bead kids, glitter and an assortment of ribbon (including some really pretty vintage jacquard- that's my fav!) in a black and white wine gift bag. And if you sense some similarities between my swap gifts for this swap and my last swap, well I guess that's what happens when I sign up for two swaps at the same time. I don't think I repeated too many elements though. I hope not anyway.





A few other little fun items. A mini pad and an aqua glass with a fleur-de-lis. I thought it might look cute with some flowers on it or something. Or a toothbrush holder? Pencil cup?



And as it was required in the swap to include some yummy goodies too, some puffy marshmallow twisty things and some French grey salt. I love using different salts- you can really taste the difference in your food. Oh and the cookbook (first picture) has nothing to do with spring or Paris. But I found it while thrifting and just thought it looked fun and practical.



Oh but I was over-the-moon delighted when I opened my package from Leigh Ann!! She was soo soo super creative and spoiled me rotten. Let's looky-loo, shall we? First, these two sets of aqua and black mini hat boxes filled with goodies.



The first set included this adorable apron that I have already worn, Sour Patch Kids (have I mentioned on here that I LOVE these? I don't think I have. Sour, gummy, sticky, sugary, MMMM!), aqua and black rick rack and an adorable little Eiffel Tower magnet.

Guess what today is? Yup, it's my one year blogiversary!! I can't believe it's one year already. It seems like just yesterday that I discovered my first blog. I googled something about monograms. I can't remember what now but I think I was actually looking for an embroidery sewing machine maybe to do monograms (which I still have yet to decide on and purchase by the way)? I don't know. But what I do remember clearly is seeing in the list of possible websites was a website titled Monogram Momma. I clicked and it took me to all these great crafts. I was in love. What was this? Was she a professional crafter (is there such a thing?)? I had no earthly idea what I was looking at but I knew it was super fun. At the time she had a list of her favorite blog reads along the side and I found Grosgrain Garage second. Remember I was still looking for monogram information so I thought that perhaps she was a site selling grosgrain ribbon. Nope. Instead she was the super duper fun gal talking about her super duper fun life. Again I was hooked. My obsession with reading up on these girls, as well as some other fab cuties like Mel and Libby and Chloe and many more, was starting to grow. It took me a few visits to figure out what these blogs were....well...they were blogs. But I had never ever before been to a blog or even discussed a blog. That seems crazy to me now. But it's totally true. After lurking for a few months I decided to join in on the bloggy fun. I would like to say that at first I had nothing to say but really, I still have seemingly nothing to say. But I guess that's part of what makes this so much fun. We can sit and ramble on and on as much as our little heart's desire on our own blogs about a whole lot of nada and then let our blog friends decide if they want to read it that day. No hurt feelings if they don't want to read. And the welcome mat is out if they do want to read.

I have been able to make and give some really fun gifts (Pay-It-Forword and Earth Day gals I PROMISE that they are going in the mail either this afternoon or tomorrow at the latest!!) and have received even more amazing gifts. I have given a few bits of advice and some shopping tips and have received ten times that from y'all. About a month or two after I started blogging myself I finally confessed to my bestie. And like the good bestie that she is, she totally started her own blog too. Just like us, our blogs are similar yet totally different. One year later and a large number of my "real life" friends know about my blog. Several found it on their own (due to my total lack of creativeness when naming my blog one year ago) and a few I told. Either way, it's great to have a connection with my bloggy pals and my in-person-pals at the same time.

Cheers to many more years of bloggy friendship and fun!!


To celebrate this morning, I made myself a little breakfast shake (OK, I actually made this before I remembered that it was my blogiversary but whatever...). Bestie won't want this but the rest of you non-banana-fearing blog pals might.

1 cup yogurt (I like fat free vanilla but use whatever you love best)
1 banana
2 tablespoons peanut butter

Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Excuse me, Barack Obama, might I have a word with you? Now, we agree on many big and important issues. And we disagree on a few too. But I would like to discuss one specific topic this evening. You commented that the proposed gas tax summer holiday plan is a gimmick that you are unwilling to support. And to that I can only reply, "duh!" (Said with all the cadence of a nine year old!) You are aware that you are currently applying for the job as President of the USA, right? This country is all about the gimmick! It's in our roots. Macy's doesn't have a "white sale" just for giggles. We Americans LOVE sales. We love a deal. Buy three tires, get the fourth free. Buy one giant loaf of bread and get a second equally giant loaf for free. Spend $100 and get a gift card for $25 store bucks. I cannot tell you how many times I went to TJ Max and Marshalls looking for a bargain priced Lilly polo. I rarely buy from the internet without a free shipping code. In high school I only wore Clinique make-up and would ONLY buy it when they were offering a free gift with purchase. Which is dumb because I rarely liked more than one item in said free gift. But we Americans love a bonus with our purchase. We wait all season for sales. We take time off of work and our lives to go to Vera Bradley and Lilly sales. Americans love us a good gimmick, Barack! Heck, every politician should know that better than everyone else. Y'all are saying, vote for me and I will give you XYZ. But you won't. You can't. No politician ever follows through on every single promise. I don't mean that to be rude. It just is. So quit being a twit and trying to take away my gas tax summer holiday. Because I also love holidays. And any holiday that will "save" me @$28 is a holiday I love!

Oh sure, no one is going to invest that money to better their lives somehow. But let me enlighten you on what $28 buy for a regular citizen.
* A man's haircut.
* A polo shirt from a discount retailer.
* More gas.
* A large bag of puppy food.
* Half of a cell phone bill.
* A lot of Diet Coke (or insert your bubbly drug of choice).
* Pizza and a movie rental for a girl's night in.
* At least two pair of new shoes from my favorite cheap shoe obsession, Payless.
* A round of margaritas at happy hour.
* Organic produce like the yummy summer corn and strawberries that will pop up at the farmer's market shortly.
* Some new summer Cd's.
* A few pilates classes.
* Dinner and a movie ticket for Sex and the City.
* Entrance fee for a 5K charity run.
* Many bottles of wine at Trader Joes (You know- for those of you who actually have one near you. Sense my bitterness?!)
* Books and trashy magazines for the road trip one might take with their less expensive tank of gas.
* And on, and on, and on....

Welcome to America. Land of the free. Land of the brave. Land of the free gift with purchase!!

Glad we had this little chat. I feel better and am sure you do too. Best of luck on the campaign trail. Say hello to my girl, Hil! And give me my gimmick! Thanks!!

Well I returned home from the camp wedding last night and I am still exhausted. I will try to post later today the details but suffice to say the wedding weekend was awesome! Far surpassed all of my initial ideas on the weekend. It was busy yet relaxing. Very sentimental as it felt like I was re-living many of my childhood memories. And I actually knew more people there than I originally thought. But my pal, C, had a ball it was was awesome to have her there as she too is childhood friends with this family. There were four of us in our cabin, me, C, B and S. So soo fun! I promise to pop on later with pictures and details.

But in the mean time, would you like to know the two items that I own that won the greatest number of compliments this past weekend? First is my new green and pink suitcase. On the way down I brought it on board with me (I have had luggage lost on the way to weddings before- talk about panic!) so a total of three airports were able to see it in all it's preppy cuteness. I was wearing that day my aqua VV capris and a light yellow cable knit sweater. I looked like an Easter egg. I didn't care. I felt fun. And everyone on the planet felt the need to tell me that I looked so cute and spring-like. How nice! But the hit was totally the suitcase. I mean, I knew that y'all would think it looked fun but I had no earthly idea that a total of three airports worth of people would go so ga ga over it too. So funny! I want to look for the big one to match it this week. It needs a big buddy, don't you think? The second big compliment winner was my new pair silver with silver whipstich and black monogram Bonanno sandals. The is a rather preppy/WASP-y crowd from South Florida so I was surprised that no one had seen a pair before. They were perfect for the weekend as heels would have equalled misery walking in gravel, grass, dirt, hills and wood floors. Just call me a smarty-pants!!

Run, don't walk, Cap Region ladies!! I unexpectedly struck gold at TJ Max and Marshalls today. I went to get a travel size toothpaste at Target today and since TJ is right next door, I popped in just for good measure. I opened the door and and the black Lilly polo all but screamed my name from across the store. I have heard urban legend of finding these polos at such stores but have never actually witnessed it myself. Until today. $29.95 is a deal if I have ever seen one! Unfortunately they only had the black one in my size. But don't fear, Marshall's is practically across the street. And that's where the rest of this goodness in the form of VV and Lilly came from! I was like a druggie who just found a stash, kids. I about ran an old man over as I was rushing for the stand full of Vineyard Vines and Lilly!! Tons of cuteness that made me moments away from breaking out in song.

This wrap skirt did come home with me but it's going back next week. The material is super light weight and it's a wrap skirt. Just don't care for it. But I love the print. They had it in a different color combo too.


I found two or three different VV tops that were each more adorable than the next. But strapless. I rarely do strapless. But I just loved this top so much that I had to try it on. Um...have you ever had one of those moments in the dressing room where you are half in and half out of a top/dress with your arms up in the air and contorted and you can't for the life of you figure out how to get out of said garment? Yeah, that was me today with this top. I guess VV can join the ranks of every other store I love who makes tops like this to fit size B boobies. Because my DD (sometimes DDD depending on the bra maker. Did you know that every bra design- even within the same company- is a different size? So you are never a set size and should always try bras on just like pants and dresses and everything else. But I digress...) chest was beyond overflowing. And once on, I about couldn't get it off. I had visions of walking though the dressing room to ask the non-English speaking attendant to help me cut this off my body. Luckily I was able to take a deep breath, relax and squeeze my way out without any one or any garment being injured. So needless to say, it did not come home with me. I love it though.



I didn't even try these pajamas on. It was love at first sight. They are in the washing machine right now so that I can wear them tonight.



I love these capri pants. The aqua pants are just so me. Not because they are aqua blue. Rather because I tend to buy things in ever color when I find a style that works for my body. For example, the sweater I am wearing today is aqua blue and I also own it in yellow, pink and orange. So diverse, I know. So these capri pants, I also own them in regular length pants and short skirt from last year. I felt like the capris really completed my collection. The peachy/orange are not a color I usually wear but they are cute, fit really well and add a new color to my crayon box that I call my wardrobe.



Pink man's shirt, as my father calls it, is fun because it fits me up top. That is RARE in my world.


In all, I came home with three Lilly polos. Black from TJ and a white and pink from Marsh. All are also in the laundry so that I can wear a few of them this weekend on my trip to the North Carolina camp wedding.



And I have been on the lookout for many months for a new suitcase that is small enough to carry on board a flight. I have been borrowing my father's black one which is both inconvenient to borrow it all the time and hard to find as it is black. I have seen some cute pink polka dot ones around but they have all felt un-sturdy and cheap to me. But today, this little cutie was adopted by yours truly. Isn't it adorable?! Green with a pink preppy stripe. Easy to spot for sure! And small enough that I can bring on board and store overhead.



All in all, it was a fun day. I thought I was just running out for toothpaste. This was way more exciting! Happy shopping!

I went to the "spa" today for some spring time waxing and a massage. I am using quotation marks around the word spa because their website lied to me. It was not the tranquil atmosphere with zen, quiet sounds and lemon ice water that I had hoped for. And the wax job was not great. That is only half her fault though and really is half my own dang fault. I suck at asking people to correct things for me. Like if I am only 80% satisfied with a hair cut or something, I will just suck it up and then never go back rather than ask the person to fix whatever I don't love. I feel bad saying please do more or whatever. But if I was with you and something was wrong, you would think I was fighting for your life or something. I can be very assertive when it comes to helping you but when it comes to me (the hanger incident not included), I am not great at sticking up for myself. I just totally fear that I will hurt someones feelings. That's so wrong, right? Anyway, this place just didn't feel like a spa. It was more of a hair salon that expanded. Which is fine- please do not think I am a total snob here. But the website made it seem as though it was the traditional spa like atmosphere. I am trying to decide here what is too much detail. I'll sleep on that and let you know tomorrow if I am up to telling any more specific stories. Also, everyone (employees, not customers) was LOUD - so loud that I could hear them when I was upstairs in the middle of my massage. That annoyed me. But on the other hand, I don't fall asleep in massages. I love them but I am just not a napper. Unless I am really sick or something, I cannot fall asleep during daylight hours. So while I love being rubbed and such, my mind wanders.

For example, as I was lying there with my face in the donut hole cushion thingy looking down at the ground, I noticed the masseuse's shoes. "Not very cute but probably comfie which is good since she stands all day. But not like when Phoebe on friends had a pedicure and wore an ankle bracelet to "foot flirt" with her client. Why is it that friends makes me cry in hysterics now that it is off the air but I never much cared for it when it was on the air. Jennifer Anniston looked totally different in those first few seasons than she does now. Why does she get paid so much to be in movies? She's not that good. But she seems like a nice person. I wonder if it's true that she is dating John Mayer. Odd couple. Also an odd and disappointing couple is Derek Hough and Shannon Elizabeth from Dancing With The Stars. Ew. I know I claim that age is just a number but he is barely out of high school and she is in her mid 30's. Reminds me of that blond woman, Mary Jo, and that kid, Villie something, who finally got married after she was in jail twice and after having two kids with him......." And on and on and on. My mind never really stops. At one point I made the (daily) proclamation (but made it in my head since I was supposed to be relaxing and all) that I am fat and need to actually do that exercise stuff to lose weight and the whale blubber that I call my skin and body. Don't worry, these moments pass just as quickly as they come. Ironically after the massage my masseuse told me that I had awesome skin and it was a pleasure to work on me. Not really sure what she meant but hey, it's a compliment and I am old enough now in life to take those whenever they come my way.

Anyway, it was an odd afternoon but it ended on a good note so it's all peachy I guess. I just read that I Love Your Whole Face is hosting another preppy swap. Summer themed this time girls! Go to this post for details!