Tuesday, May 31, 2011

This is Why

I heard about a frustrating situation that some friends had to experience last weekend, resulting in a large monetary setback they weren't expecting, and it immediately made me want to find a way to make it better.  (For privacy reasons, I'm going to have to leave out the details).  I hate when bad things happen to good people, and I always want to fix my loved ones' problems.  My hubby was outside repairing a broken sprinkler head in the sweltering heat when I got the news, so I walked out there to discuss it with him.  I relayed the story to him and before I even got the chance to ask if we could find a way to help, he said, "How much do you want to give them?"  He read my mind.

This is why I chose him.  He has a giving heart, and he doesn't hesitate to offer help.  I fall in love with him all over again, each time I see how generous he is.  He's incredibly unselfish and it makes me very proud to call him my husband.

    

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Guilty Pleasures

I've become a tad bit obsessed with fabulous shoes and handbags.  I decided to branch out and get a Michael Kors bag instead of sticking to my usual brand, Coach.  I heard Neiman Marcus Last Call was having a 30% off sale, so I figured this was a good time to try something new.  I saw this bag and immediately fell in love with it:

  Michael Kors Gansevoort Shoulder Satchel, Green

I tend to stick with "boring" bags that are either black, white, or brown.  Since green is my favorite color, though, it didn't take much convincing me for me to step outside my comfort zone.  I'm definitely loving this purchase, and will probably consider Michael Kors in the future as well.  My favorite parts are the pockets on the ends that are perfect for items I use often and want to get to quickly (cell phone, keys, chapstick, etc). 


What goes well with a beautiful handbag?  A killer pair of shoes!  Still taking advantage of the NM Last Call sale, I picked up these summer heels for a wedding in July.  I'm sure I'll be wearing them before then, because they're just too cute.  I usually think L.A.M.B. shoes (from Gwen Stefani) are a bit too crazy for me, but these were right up my alley.  It's gonna be a fashionably fabulous summer!

Monday, May 23, 2011

More Favorite Things

I feel like I'm starting to mimic Oprah's Favorite Things, except that I'm not going to buy each item for all my readers!  Last Christmas, my mother-in-law bought me this awesome cookware set from QVC:

It is the Temp-tations Floral Lace 11pc Oven to Table Set.  It comes in four colors, but green is my fave and that's one of the theme colors of my kitchen, so that's what I got.  These dishes are amazeballs because you can put them in the oven, the microwave, the fridge, and the dishwasher.  No transporting to other dishes is needed for any part of the process.  


They're also wonderful because they are very heavy-duty with a classy design, yet very affordable.  For under $50, you get 3 baking dishes with lids, 3 metal racks, 3 matching glass trivets, and 2 bowls with lids.  I love having a cohesive theme when setting out multiple dishes for a buffet spread.  They are great when hosting dinner parties or when bringing food to other people's get-togethers.  I have used these countless times since receiving them!  The only drawback I've seen is that these lids don't snap onto the dishes, just more so rest on top of them.  It's great for stacking them in the fridge, but not great at keeping things sealed.  My mother-in-law suggested putting foil over the dish and then putting the lid on top of that.  Even with this shortcoming, I still highly recommend them.  (I believe other designs from Temp-tations are available with better, snap-shut lids).  I have already found myself needing more than what comes in this set, so I ordered a couple of additional pieces:

  
These are the Floral Lace Oval Covered Bakers w/Racks.  Considering how substantial these pieces are, and that they come with lids, trivets, and racks, $40 is a great deal.  If you're looking for some new cookware, I suggest you go to QVC.com and search for Temp-tations.  I have been very impressed with mine!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Swimsuit Season

If you're like me, you're not exactly ready for swimsuit season.  Unfortunately, the weather isn't going to wait for me to get in shape, so I'm going to have to make do with the way my body looks right now!  I'm not really thrilled about going to the Wet Republic pool in Vegas next month, because the bodies there are going to be ridonk.  My plan is to just hide out in the bungalow and drink. Lol. I don't think I'll be buying a new swimsuit this year, but I did shop around to find a cute cover-up.  I imagine I'll be spending most of my time around the pool wearing it, so might as well find a good one!  I went to the Banana Republic Factory Store in Orlando a couple of days ago, and I found the perfect one.  Of course I can't find a picture of it online, so this similar one at Piperlime will have to do:


The one I got actually has the tie right below the part where the V-neck ends instead of at the bottom.  It is sheer and the sleeves are cinched at the end, instead of folded over like the one shown above.  You get the idea, though!  It seriously works wonders.  It's very good at hiding imperfections, while still accentuating the assets, if you know what I mean.  It was a bit pricey, at $55, but I think I'll be putting it to good use.    

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

My Favorite Travel Item

Last year I purchased some eBags packing cubes, and I have been in love with them ever since.  I bought a 3-pc set with one large, one medium, and one small bag. 

I figured they'd be helpful while traveling, but I had no idea I would end up liking them this much.  I usually have a few different categories of clothing that I take on trips.  There's my everyday clothes, my dressy clothes, my workout clothes, my undergarments, etc.  I can easily separate them in my suitcase by using a packing cube for each type, or combining two similar types into one.  You can fit a lot more items in one cube than you initially think.  Even though the material is lightweight and the top is mesh, I haven't had any problems with ripping, and the zippers are very durable, so no problems with jamming. I don't like unpacking all my clothes when I arrive at my destination, so I pretty much just dress out of the packing cubes each day.  I don't have to search around in my entire suitcase to do an inventory of what items are available to me for the needs of the particular day, I just pull out the relevant packing cube and look through it.  It makes it easy for me to see what my options are, and how many options I have left when thinking about the days left on a trip. 

I have a weird thing with not liking my clothes to touch the shoes that I have packed for a trip.  Keeping all my clothes in packing cubes eliminates this problem.  The cubes are also a great size, so they fit perfectly in my suitcase and stack well.  If you're an organization freak like I am, you get a big smile on your face when everything is in its place and looks good in the suitcase!

Lastly, the cubes can serve as a laundry bag and separator on your return trip.  I don't like my dirty clothes cavorting around with the clean ones on the trip home, because then I feel like I need to wash everything, even if I didn't wear it all.  Now, I separate the dirty and clean clothes into different packing cubes and that makes sorting super easy when I get home.  

I'm sure you think I'm crazy for raving about this simple product so much, but I promise if you get a set, you will love them too!  With all the traveling I'm doing this year, I see an additional purchase in my near future! 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Delightful Dinner Party

This is a little overdue, but I need to give mad props to my friend, Rachel, for hosting an amazing dinner party a couple of weeks ago.  A few of us ladies got together to watch the Royal Wedding at her house that Friday night.  She had taped all the festivities for us and prepared a jaw-dropping feast to enjoy while we watched.  Each of the attendees had a place card with our royal name on it.  Here's mine, with some personal details excluded!

Viscountess Janet ....... of Clintonshire

Check out the table in the background!  The place settings and the decorations were amazeballs.  And don't get me started on the menu!  Any dinner party that serves Cornish game hens is going to be a winner.  I can't believe how much work Rachel put into this.  I was incredibly impressed. She even made the cake that Prince William requested - a chocolate biscuit cake.

Here's the best part - a few of us wore our wedding dresses!  It was reminiscent of a Friends scene, but with better fare.  Rachel thought it would be a fun idea, because when do you ever get to wear your wedding dress again after the big day?  I was definitely game, but a little worried that it wouldn't fit after five years.  Much to my relief, it still did!  She provided us with some adorable fancy hats to complete each outfit.

Rachel, me, Becca

If you look closely, you can see that Rachel's had some random food stains on it, and Becca's is completely yellowed at the bottom from her beach ceremony.  Mine had a little yellowing too, but it wasn't very noticeable. Hilarious. You put so much effort into picking a dress that you can only wear once, and then it ends up getting ruined during the ceremony/reception!

There was a lot of hating going on around the day of the ceremony.  I saw many "who cares about the royal wedding?" or "when is this going to be over with?" bla-di-da comments.  I'm not sure why people were getting upset with the event.  I mean, seriously, there is bad stuff happening all day, every day around the world.  Why can't some of us take a little while to enjoy the celebration of something good?  Call me sappy, but I think the union of two people who love each other is an awesome thing.  And, how many of us wish we had gotten a fairytale wedding?  I don't get mad and resentful when other people get something I want; I try to be happy for them and celebrate it.  In other words, all the ladies in the room cheered the happy couple with our glasses of champagne and enjoyed a little girls' time.  It was a wonderful get-together, and I am so thankful to Rachel for inviting me!        

Monday, May 9, 2011

Happy birthday, BFF!

This past weekend we celebrated my best friend's birthday at Hotel Zaza.  Jenn and I have been friends for more than ten years, and even though it would be easy to hate her because she's so darn gorgeous - I love her to death!

Jenn and I 

Friends for 10+ years - me, Jenn, Rachael, Bryan

My cutie husband

As Jenn put it, we partied like rock stars and had an awesome time.  This definitely qualified as my one time a year to drink alcohol, Lol.  There was a wedding reception going on at the hotel at the same time as our party, and they just so happened to have a photo booth.  Yeah, we crashed it.  Hilarious photos ensued.

As if that night wasn't fun enough, my hubby also gave me my birthday present over the weekend.  You know that little weight loss bet we made, that I lost by the tiniest of margins?  Well, he decided to let me win as my birthday present.  Best. Husband. Ever.  New York, US Open, The Book of Mormon play...here we come!!!    

Monday, May 2, 2011

Photobooth Fun

I'm a goofball at heart and so are the people I love.  :)