Men of a Certain Age

Have you seen this show yet? I think it's hilarious! This week Owen, the black car salesman, decides to be nice to customers. He feels great until he gets his paycheck! hahaha  .....you really should watch it....it's great and on demand.

Have a great day!

My most amazing day...

Last Friday I went to Joshua House to drop off my Christmas presents & I couldn't believe how small the gift pile was. My little donation didn't make a dent and I was sad because I know Joshua House shelters kids who have it really bad. Kids who don't have anyone to take care of them. They have been neglected and abused by their parents and aren't safe at home anymore and have nowhere else to go. They come to the shelter with the clothes they are wearing and that’s it. No toothbrush or teddy bear to help them through the next days and weeks.

Anyway, I left and was really sad about the whole thing. There are 40 children currently at the shelter, mostly teenagers, but the gifts were towels and sheets. Weird. I don't ever remember putting that on my Christmas list when I was a teenager.... When I got home I sent an email to my husband’s company community relations manager (she's also an owner) to see if she could send an email to everyone at the company and maybe we could get some more presents for the kids together. That was Friday night...

Saturday I had dinner with my Meet Up group and was telling everyone about what had happened the day before when one of the girls said she would love to help too...It turns out she works for Macy's. :)

As luck would have it almost everyone at my husband’s company took this week off but when he got home Monday he had a check from the community relations manager to help buy gifts for the kids at Joshua House! Yeah!

I already had a plan to go to Macy's and get clothes for the kids. I had my Macy's card and the check. I had a list of all the sizes and I was ready for action!

My Meet Up friend had all the junior clearance items on racks for me to choose from and it went so quickly! Together we were able to purchase 1 outfit for each child at Joshua House. Yep, that’s 40 outfits for $212!

Then I raced over to Joshua House to drop off the bags and the volunteers were so excited! They had just started wrapping presents but the pile was still pretty bleak and I took some of the outfits out to show and there were ooo's and ah's....it was such fun! Thank goodness I remembered to get gift boxes. It was soo fun to be together and laugh and hear stories about the kids and how excited they would be. It really was the most amazing day.

TOYSRUS

Did anyone go to toys r us Saturday?

They had the most amazing sale.

Board games for 4.99-7.99

and then Hasbro has a rebate coupon

I got battleship, chutes & ladders, twister + 10 others

for 2.99 after rebate!

I'll get through tons of birthdays next year!

I love the holidays!

Have a great day!

OMG, I have to walk a mile :)

Hey Girls...so you probably noticed my ticker on the right and I thought I would share. Scooby and I will be walking at Bark in the Park for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

Now Scooby and I aren't the best walkers. He is very easily distracted and I, well, I'm a roundy. :)

But this is such a great cause we agreed to walk for Charity and a great time.

I'll be sharing our mishaps on facebook and hopefully raising money for the Humane Society. My facebook badge is on the right so you can follow along too.

So if you have a few extra dollars you can spare I would appreciate your support!

Have a great day!

Please tell me why

Why do men leave their socks on the floor all the time?

Why, now that I have tile floors, is there hair everywhere?

Why does the dryer ring at the same time the oven timer rings?

Today hasn't been one of my better days.....   

:)

The Gap

How cute are the Gap commercials this year?

The girls outfits are so adorable.

I wish they had them in my size.

Have a great day!

A little anxiety today....

Tomorrow is the first holiday party and I am a wee bit anxious because my schedule is pretty tight.

Set up for Mistletoe Market (8am)

Assist with Marketplace (to 4pm)

*Remind the hubs to get a haircut*

Shower prep

Salon: Hair and nails

Mac: Makeup

race back home

dress

Hopefully I'll be dressed and ready to go by 6:30pm but it's more likely to be 7:30....I guess I should do my own makeup....hum maybe I can leave the volunteer market a little early...

Tagged...I'm it!

I was tagged by Jilly! This one is great. Have a great day and remember every days a blessing...

1. Have you started your Christmas shopping? Yes, I shop all year. When I see something I love, I pick it up and it goes into the gift closet.

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions. Putting up the outside lights, the tree and wreaths Thanksgiving weekend. Packing all the gifts and getting them shipped off and wrapping my hostess gifts and putting them under the tree till the party. I just love having everything done and ready so I’m not rushing around. I usually finish the Christmas cards and ship them on Wed before Thanksgiving so they are received Dec 1st.

3. When do you put up your Tree? Thanksgiving weekend

4. Are you a Black Friday shopper? Oh yeah Baby! That’s one of my favorite days of the year. The day after Christmas is my next favorite day ;)

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? The hubs and I usually stay home

6. What is your funniest Christmas memory? When I was little all my family gathered at my grans. She was an awesome cook! She had 8 children and tons of grandkids…we were all together one Christmas in her little apartment and as we kids were rallying for the front row nearest the gifts, gran came out to take her place next to the tree. She lost her balance and toppled over into the tree. It was so funny! She was laughing and everyone was trying to help her up. She sat down in her chair and she was covered with silver icicles. She clapped her hands and said let’s get this party started! Hahaha.

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time? Wow, there are so many! White Christmas is a classic, Preachers Wife, Love Actually but A Christmas Story can’t be missed!

8. Do you do your own Christmas baking, what’s your favorite treat? No, that was my grans favorite thing. She made this awesome almond cookie with a giant chocolate kiss on top.

9. Fake or Real Tree? Fake, Live ones don’t last long in the Fla heat.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done? Never. I usually have everything done and ready Thanksgiving weekend.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve? Nope

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas? Uh, around the tree part, opening gifts, seeing everyone smiling….

13. What Christmas craft do you like the best? Making the wreaths

14. Christmas music? (Yes or No) If yes, what is your favorite song? Oh, yes absolutely. Michael Buble’ has some great ones..I can’t really decide.

15. When do you plan to finish all of your shopping? Already done :)

ASPCA International: Operation Baghdad Pups

I am not from a military family so I'm not familiar with the military lifestyle but I am familiar with loss. I have a girlfriend who, at 40, decided to accept civilian employment with the military in Egypt. She is a Librarian working 25 km from the border of Iraq. We haven't seen each other in at least 10 years but this is the amazing thing about facebook, you get to peek into their lives like you never left. :)
So my friend leaves everyone she knows and loves to start this very scary adventure. I have to preface this by saying she also took the position because librarians are low on the "schools must have" totem pole and they are not being rehired.
So she gets there, she's sick the first couple weeks but eventually gets acclimated. Then a group of soldiers return to base with a dehydrated/malnourished momma dog and her 6 puppies. There is no veterinary care available and no veterinary supplies. So the team gives them water and part of their rations and eventually they get stronger. My girlfriend decides to adopt one of the puppies jointly with the base Chaplin and we thought they would live happily ever after. NOPE. The military has a strict "no pets" policy. OMG
She talks about him on every post and has boded and formed an attachment and now they are going to kill it? Yes ladies that is what the military requires. They don't want soldiers in battle to be distracted so they don't allow pets and if you have one you have to find it a home or kill it. Needless to say in a country that looks on dogs as pests rather than pets finding a home was hopeless.
Fortunately there is a caveat. If a dog is a mascot of a regiment it is a member of the team and can stay plus it gets its own rations! Yipee! Fortunately the Kansas Reserves were happy to offer the puppy a new home. He will be joining the regiment December 2. But then what you may ask.....
This is where Operation Baghdad Pups comes in. They are a division of ASPCA International and they assist soldiers in their attempts to bring home their furry friends. It's really amazing when you think about it. They help with veterinary care in the home country, assist with travel and housing then customs, post vet care and temp housing. Amazing. Then the doggie or kitty goes on the road again to the final destination and a permanent home to await their military counterpart.
COOL
So, I’m thinking to myself what can I do to help soldiers and their pets? Hum, I can send care packages…maybe I could help raise money to bring pets from other parts of the world..I’m not sure. If you have suggestions I’d appreciate it. I’m a sucker when I hear these stories. I want to reach out and love and protect these poor little animals but the reality is I’m not very good at it. I’m good at getting people together and fundraising, so maybe something in that area……..
Have a great day!

OC Housewives

I finally saw the new episodes last night. Talk about a 180...yowzwers. Everyone but Vicki is broke? Gretchen went from really nice rich guy to sneaky Slade? Lynn is making enough selling her cuffs she is able to support her family....er, get a facelift for herself and a nose job for the daughter? And Tamera, she really is a mean girl, is losing her house? hum...it all sounds fishy....  I mean really Jeanna has a 9k sq ft house filled with stuff....Tamera has tons of jewelery.... sell it ladies. I realize it's hard to part with but come on.... not that Gretchens yard sale did very well but if she had put an OC Housewives ad in the paper she would have gotten a lot more than $4 for her sweaters! Dang, thats an Ebayers dream.

BUT then we meet the new girl. OH....MY....GOD   she sure is pretty. So as mean as Tamera has been to Gretchen she going to have to turn it up a notch :) hahahaha I almost died when Lynn asked her if she used a surrogate to have her twins. Do you think she did? She is really thin but did you hear her workout schedule? No wonder she has 2 Nannies.

Anywhooie, gotta get my hair done but that was delicious.

Have a great day!

Catered Thanksgiving...

I love the holidays! Love, Love Love

But cooking and cleanup

not so much

plus there are only 2 of us this year so.....

Thanksgiving will be catered by Mimi's Cafe

We had this spread last year at my in-laws and it was delish

the cranberry relish is fab

Can't wait...plus it gives me time to get ready for the

Midnight Madness sales at Prime Outlets

I missed the Lilly Sale this weekend. I had been planning forever

but some things came up then I got sick

Hopsy's posts have me green with envy

Did you see all the adorable dresses she picked up? Ugh

I finished shopping for my Christmas Tree Kids

So now I am totally done shopping and wrapping

I finished stamping my Christmas cards

So now I can relax and enjoy the parties!

Yeah!

Have a great day!

The Blindside

Has anyone been to see this yet? It looks fab! I have a fever/bug today but as soon as it's gone I'm going to Mellow Mushroom for a steak calzone and then off to the movies!

Have a great day!

Twilight

Hey Girls. OK, Who stayed up last night to see New Moon at Midnight? Not me  :)  but when I was a teenager I would have. I love this story and the movies are amazing but I haven't been able to get on the Twilight bandwagon.  Too bad cause I think Jacob has turned from friend to super hottie/boyfriend material. I mean if I had to choose between a Vampire and a Warewolf..I think I'd go with the wolf...but thats just me.

This is too funny!

Courtesy of bobbypinsboardwalk

Click on the photo to see

Does anyone know what this is?

I love this little puppy! But I don't know what breed it is. Do you?

FACEBOOK....

I am spending way to much time on facebook. Especially now. I found my cousins wall and she has 826 friends! Yowzers and she is only 22.... I should have accumulated more than 28 friends in 40 years. Hum. I do "ignore" some requests cause i look at the pictures and think "I have no idea who they are" but is the part of the allure to see who can accumulate the most friends or to actually interact socially with people you know? I'm not sure but I'm getting a little competative and that doesn't seem right. My brother has 183 friends and errr  I just gotta do it! 

Have a great day!

Real Housewives of Atlanta

Yeeha, Tonight is the reunion! This is gonna be good. Yowzers. I missed the wig pulling show but there is a rerun on Bravo now and I am laughing so hard I think I may have...oops.

Oh My....

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

From WWD a piece from John Paul Gaultier’s Spring/Summer 2010
Hermès collection

I have never been a fan of JPG.

His designs are a little too edgy for my taste

But this little beauty is amazing.

Creep by Hiroshi Awai

if I could get my husband to wear this I would be a happy girl

word is Creep is availiable at Urban Outfitters

but I couldn't find anything on the UO website

SoCa Ponti Two-Tone Dress

Availiable Size: 0/2

come on designers......a 2, really?

Carolina Herrera Embroidered Tee

Ginny H Buckle Front Sweater &
Ginny H Hollywood Jeans

A girl can dream.....

Burberry Laser-Cut Check Pump

Michael Jackson: Is this it?

When I was a kid I loved MJ. My mom listened to the Jackson 5 and I collected all of MJ's CD's. WOW What an amazing talent. Do you remember the Thriller dance? The pictures of him together with Brooke Shields? Another of my all time favorites at the time was Tatum O'Neil. So preppy, together with MJ....

BUT THEN there were the allegations of child abuse. I was appalled. Granted, MJ was a little nutty but what great talent isn't. Look at Andy Warhol but child abuse.......I couldn't believe it but his weird behavior has always been well documented and although he was exonerated there was always that little part of me that wondered if it was true.

Still, the tour "This is It" could have been the most amazing comeback of this century and I would like to see the documentary of MJ's last days....maybe a glimpse into the life of Michael Jackson...the real Michael Jackson.

I realize there are a lot of people out there who are saying there are body doubles and he's not really singing but it is a movie after all and it is a tribute to his talent that AMG/Sony figured out a way to save their investment and bring the show to the world rather than 50 venues.

I never got to see Michael Jackson live but I have seen the tapes and that proves he had an amazing talent and for that, I will always listen...because it's human nature, right?

Target Visa: Broken Promise

Last month I made a little pact with myself that i would not buy any shoes until the Target Visa was paid off. Well, um.....  Eliza B was having this super fab sale and I could not resist. Oh, and at the outlet well Kate Spade was having a sale and i have wanted the firefly sandals for a really long time and they had my size. They never have my size. It seemed like Kizmet. So, promise broken.

On the upside I am thinking about going back to work. It's getting lonely at home by myself and I am tired of home improvements. Who knew that so many things needed to be done? I certainly never noticed that the door trim was looking drab until I retired or that the pot light surrounds in the ceiling looked grungy and I seem to be moving the furnature a lot.

So if anyone knows of an opening for a person in Florida with an MBA let me know.  :)

Have a great day!

Yeah Baby

It's Friday and although it has heated up again I am having good times in the garden today. Unfortunately the pump on the Koi pond gave out but hopefully it's just clogged..so I will prob be spending the weekend cleaning the pond and unclogging the pump. :)

Smiles all! Have a great day

McDonalds Monopoly Game

I'm not a gambler. When the hubs and I go to Vegas we go for the shows BUT I am addicted to this monopoly game. I'm not sure why. I don't play the Subway monopoly game but I love this game! So far I have won a breakfast meal, 2 small drinks & 25 coke points. I know, thats not so great..but when the online roll starts I'm like, 2 2 2 please 2.    :)

Have a great day!

Maytag Digital Washer

I have the Maytag digital washer and dryer and I love them BUT the new LG washer & dryer with the steam/wrinkle reducer looks so awsome and after spending 3 hours ironing today I wish I had them too.

Whoo Hoo it's 73 degrees!

I woke up yesterday morning and had this amazing burst of energy. When I went outside to visit with the Scoob it was 73 degrees! Yipee! No humidity and a beautiful morning so I rushed inside and woke the hubs to make a plan. I got dressed and ready in about 5 minutes flat and we went to Orlando outlet shopping! I couldn't believe he agreed to go. We stopped at McDons for fortification and 90 minutes later were in the land of OZ. Holy Moly, I thought we were in a recession. I had to park in spill over parking. I guess everyone else had the same idea. I ended up with some awsome deals. Ralph Lauren Chinos $110 for $10 so I hooked the hubs up with 3 and I got a Coach scarf and gloves for half off. SCORE. The only problem was I was in such a rush I forgot my sunscreen and now my face is pink. :)

Have a great day!

Yipee, It's FRIDAY!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...it's fri-day... but USF lost to Cincinatti last night super sad ...ok no more soda for me!

Have a great day!

NEW TAMPA WOMENS CLUB

Hi there, feels like 100 degrees and 90% humidity today & I had my first Womens Club Event (I'm a provisional member). It was called Trash to Treasure and the team got donations together from all the memebers and we participated in a giant yard sale at Hunters Green. My goodness it was hot. I'm pretty sure I wont be volunteering for anything outdoors anymore. hahaha

Have a great day!

Dave Attell: Comedy at it's best...

My husband and I are big comedy fans. In fact, we go to the Comedy Festival in Las Vegas every year. It's the best vacation we take. I usually like to see comedians like mikebrbiglea but my husband loves Dave Attell. He used to have this show that was pretty crazy so I wasn't too excited but it turned out to be super funny and we had a great time. BUT then....he walked outside! I couldn't believe it :) so I threw my camera to the hubs and asked if we could take a photo. He was so nice. I explained that my husband was his biggest fan so in the picture he's trying to wave the hubs over. We talked about the festival and he said he was doing NY instead but he would check it out. He ended up in Las Vegas last year after our little chat. Cool, eh?

My favorite Housewife

I was watching the Atlanta Housewives and I really like Kandi. The others are so show-offy. She has real accomplishments to be proud of. I look at all these women and I'm a little bit jealous. Who wouldn't want a Range Rover or a big shiny diamond or a giant donut...yeah I'd love a doughnut, which one is the right one. Who cares as long as there is dough. They prob don't eat doughnuts. OK, have a great day.

What I want for Christmas.....

Oh, my god! I got the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog today & I know what I want for Christmas now!

WOOOHOOO, look at this:

ICON A5


Who wouldn't want their own plane? The ICON A5 ($139,000; 2010) is a two-seat sport airplane aimed at the masses. Designed to be "predictable and easy-to-fly," the lightweight personal aircraft is amphibious with retractable landing gear for flying off land and water alike. The A5 features a carbon fiber airframe, a 100-hp/120-mph Rotax 912 ULS engine (that runs on both auto and aviation gas), and folding wings that allow it to be stored at home and towed on the highway with a trailer. If you don't think your weekend piloting skills are up to par, fear not — the A5 comes with a bevy of safety features. Included will be a propeller guard, wing angle of attack indicator (sounds important), and a huge, built-in parachute that helps the entire plane come down a little easier in an emergency.

Atlanta Housewives Ex Dead

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/arrest-in-housewives-ex-153300.html

Pay it Forward: Psychological Assessment Resources

This week marked the end of the United Way Campaign for the hubbys company and today they had a big celebration. PAR has about 50 employees and this year the PAR team donated 90K+ to the United Way! Yipee, go TEAM!

The theme of the celebration this year was under the big top so they have had clowns come in and a magician, those cute bags of peanuts that they have at the circus, carnival games like ring toss and they had a giant group of balloons that each employee got to pick from for a super prize. One person won 40 hours of vacation time! Awesome. They also had a speaker whose life had been changed/saved due to the services offered by United Way. The hubs said everyone was choked up and had to take a little break after....

I must say I have never known a company that took such good care of its employees and the community that supports it. Way to go PAR on another year exceeding your United Way Donations Goal!

BUT....the best part is there were tons of leftovers from the party and the hubs, in his infinite wisdom, keeps a little stack of to go boxes in his office for just such an occasion! He arrived home with 2 salads and 6 slices of pizza! :) SCORE! No cooking for me tonight!

Have a great day!

Lilly Pulitzer Fall Warehouse Sale 2009

Target: the good and the bad...

So I was buzzing through reader and Beatown Prep had this great Fall Decorating idea

photo courtesy pottery barn

This is a pottery barn lovely but she showed a similar one from Target.

While I was roaming the Target aisles I found the Green Leaf Plate

and a Thomas Obrien Charger similar to the one above

I already have the white plate so beautiful new place setting

at half the cost of pottery barn, Yipee

But then...... I went in search of the elusive pink pumpkin

Photo courtesy of Tickled Pink and Green

Thank you TP&G for the great tip!

I especially like them because they are battery operated. and I get

VERY nervous when little people and fire are in close proximity.

My Target only had orange & green, bummer.....

but I did get the little ghosty as a consolation prize :)

I'm planning to buzz over to whole foods tomorrow and there is another

Target next door..so wish me luck

The pink pumpkin will be MINE! :)

Have a great day!

LL Bean: LOVE

I got an LL Bean catalog today....no magazines....so I spent 30 whole minutes devouring and decided I needed a new trench coat...a blue one...yep it's raining a lot and the blue one will keep my pants dry too & it will match my blue hunter wellies. Yep the blue one it is with a monogram of course!

Essie: Pink Nails

I was reading Hopsys blog and she said she wears Essie & OPI polish. I had never tried Essie so I picked up a couple colors and I'm wondering if I got a bad batch or if 3 coats is normal. I have 3 coats of #544 "need a vacation" on now but they are still a little streaky. Has this happened to anyone else?

Sunshine: In or Out

I have a conundrum. Living in the sunny state of Florida has its goods & bads. The good is sunshine most of the day but the bad is heat (oh, and gigantic bugs).

When the hubby & I built our house we decided to go with block out drapes. They block sunlight & heat. That was 11 years ago. For about a year now we’ve been talking about building a pergola to shade the house instead because our HOA prohibits awnings and the house is always dark. And I’m home all day now…

The natural light is so revitalizing & I love looking at the pond but the rear of the house, where most of the windows are, faces south so it gets pretty hot.

The problem: during the day the house is cool but dark & I have lights on all day. This seems pretty nutty but my thinking is it costs more to run the AC than turn on a light. What do you think? Open the drapes or turn on the light?

My friend "blogger name" said.....

Ok, my husband & I are talking about our nephew Jensen and he says he saw a sock monkey at Target & he thought it was so funny & I chime in "my girlfriend Lisa...."



Just to clarify Lisa isn't really my girlfriend, she has this funny blog that I love to read and her commentaries are awesome and funny and her sock monkey went on a trip to visit all her bloggy friends in America. Plus, we have only exchanged 1 email.



So I'm telling my husband this funny sock monkey adventure story & he thinks it's great so he pops off and heads out to Target.



And now I'm sitting here thinking, why did I say she was my girlfriend, I barely know her but I do know her cause she shares her thoughts and feelings everyday on her blog like a girlfriend that calls at 4am Sunday morning. You get the scoop and the gravy is the photo. It's like what’s up? The cats’ tickling my feet and the picture is right there & it feels like a girlfriend thing.



Anyway, GG if your reading this I am not a stalker. Just a bloggy friend.

(names have been somewhat changed to protect the innocent)



Has anyone else had this happen?

OMG: USF BEAT Florida State! woohoo

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -South Florida fans didn't want to leave. Not even after more than three hours of sitting in 90-degree weather.

Most of the more than 12,000 sun-drenched, green-clad boosters remained in their end zone seats chanting ''USF, USF,'' for some 20 minutes after the Bulls defeated No. 18 Florida State 17-7 Saturday. It was the first meeting between the schools and came in front of Florida State's biggest home crowd in four years.

The USF team stormed to the south end zone to salute their fans as the final seconds ticked off the clock. USF President Judy Genschaft, also in green, was leaving her air-conditioned skybox looking for the quickest way to the Bulls locker room.

''Do you believe it?'' she said happily as she hurried to an elevator.

''You have to beat them to get talked about,'' South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said.

''It changes history,'' he added. ''You have to beat them to get talked about. Now I can say we should be talked about.''

It was USF's first win over the state's big three - Miami, Florida and Florida State.

''They whupped us,'' said FSU coach Bobby Bowden, who talked all week about not being eager to play South Florida for the first time. ''They're a lot better than I thought.''

Bowden and his staff are now also likely to face questions about how they could let a talent like USF quarterback B.J. Daniels get out of town.

Daniels, a redshirt freshman who grew up in Tallahassee and was largely ignored by Florida State recruiters, dismantled the Seminoles' defense with one big play after another in his first career start. He was replacing four-year starter Matt Grothe, the Big East Conference's career total offense leader, who had a season-ending injury last week.

''It feels good playing in front of your friends and your family,'' Daniels said. ''I was very familiar with the people around so I definitely felt comfortable and it wasn't anything to get me nervous.''

-EDIT-
''He's a great athlete,'' Bulls defensive end George Selvie said. ''I'm glad to have him as my quarterback.''

''He killed us,'' Bowden lamented after the game. ''Boy, they've got a great one there.''

-EDIT-

''The way we got beat up on offense, I didn't know we could get beat up like that,'' Bowden said. ''They did everything faster than I thought.''

-EDIT-

''It's a great story, a quarterback coming back home,'' Leavitt said. ''Those things don't happen all the time, but it did today. It did today.''

(I deleted the game stuff & left the story  Have a great day!)

Florida Blues

As much as I love Lilly I often wish I lived somewhere else. I can pretty much wear the beautiful prints year round. I think it gets down to 60 during the day in Feburary BUT 92 degrees today and it felt like 90% humidity. Then shocker, 3pm rolled around and thunder + lightening= rain rain rain,  please go away.

It's a weird Florida phenom. Almost everyday between 3 & 4 there is rain. Why I haven't put extra rain boots in my car I will never know...just absent minded I guess and I really have to weed the garden but I can barely stand to be outdoors for the 2 minutes it takes me to get to the car and turn on the AC. ARGH, grumble grumble

Dan Brown: Digital Fortress

I was thinking....I really didn't like the ending of the Lost Symbol at all...especially since they are looking for the lost word. So I decided to go back and reread digital fortress to see what it was about Dan Brown was so great. NOW I remember....   :)  Go back to the early reads...you'll  be glad you did.

Have a great day!

Florida Football or Tennessee Flootball?

Hello Ladies......You may remember from an earlier post that I am a University of South Florida Fan

& my husband roots for the University of Colorado.

Fortunately they never play each other! :)

but today the game is not telecast so I decided to watch the Gators vs. the Volunteers.

Holy Cow!

No matter which team your rooting for this was a great game

and the swamp looks like loads of fun!

Oh, and both coaches are super cute!

Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol

Note: I love Dan Brown & I have all of his books!

Ok, I stayed up and read this book all night long. 14 hours in all.

The opening was a little slow but once it gets started

hold on to your pants because there is a great adventure

getting ready to start. AND the twist

you won't believe the twist...I didn't see it coming!

Fantastic!

I think you will LOVE it BUT...

the ending....it wraps up but then goes on to further explain the

symbolism and the correlation between the Masons beliefs and the

Old Testament and kinda fizzles with a cool sunrise.

Don't get me wrong, I loved it...but the last few chapters seem superfluous.

It's like the best hamburger ever.

The hamburger is awesome but the bun, not so much.

Anyhoo…hope you love it too….I couldn’t put it down!

Have a great day!

Move Over Elle Woods, There's a New Girl in Town

English Bulldog Set on Fire

FROM: HER SOUTHERN CHARM

Imagine being purposely set on fire and having absolutely NOTHING to do about it.

That's the story of sweet Churchill, the bulldog, who was so viciously set on fire last week in San Antonio, Texas. I don't know anymore details other than that as I cannot bear to read the full story, which can be found here.

It will take an estimated $10,000 to get this sweet boy back on the road to recovery. I'm begging all of my readers to please, please send in your Starbucks fund for the week so that Churchill can have a joyous and happy life in a loving home. (I know it's pumpkin spice latte season, but think of the horrible injuries you're helping to heal!)

I'm working on getting together a sort of 'swag' goodie bag to those who donate to Churchill's cause. If you have anything you might be interested in donating (a small gift certificate to your shop, something you make by hand, graphic/blog design service, etc) , please contact me!

I just found this out a couple of hours ago, so give me a bit of time get some things together. I'll be updating asap! And please keep Churchill in your prayers. I know the Lord is watching over this sweet baby right now.

Thanks so much lovely readers! Bless all you animal lovers out there!

xxoo

UPDATE: So far, here are the AWESOME animal loving shops that will be featured in "Churchill's Swag Bag":


Tucker Blair

Just Simply Southern
Preppy in Pink

A Super Duper Giveaway!

http://hersoutherncharm.blogspot.com/

Her Southern Charm is having a supurb giveaway!

$100 to Cambria Cove

So run, run, run......... or you can click on the link   ;)

Have a great day!

Blue Polish

In an effort to show my support of the
Tampa Bay Rays

I painted my fingers and toes blue.

OPI Dating a Royal

love it!

Hopsys Fall Swap

I recently participated in Hopsys Fall Swap

bloggerland aka Monograms and Manicures @ kappaprep.com

Here are some photos of the amazing package I received from Jilly aka my outside voice

Isn't it adorable? I love it! I especially like the Lilly Pulitzer Shift key ring but I also love all of the monogramed items and the stationary and that little silver box is an emergency kit from urban outfitters...oh that little flip flop is a coaster

&

the upper left is a Minnesota notebook cover

and it's great, great GREAT!

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the one I sent out again. It looked so pretty in the box though :)

Hopefully she'll take a photo too

have a great day!

Forever in our hearts

I LOVE Ross

While I was wondering around Ross I found these cute preppy items. Perfect for dorm or preppy home!

Swap, Swap Swap! Love it

I just participated in a swap sponsored by Preppy, Southern Princess & below is a picture of the package I received from Kristin of Bon Bon Rose...It was a neat swap involving our favorite college teams. For example, Kristin is a Gator fan from the University of Florida & I am a fan of the Bulls at the University of South Florida...so her package was Gatorized & mine was Bulled... tee hee

I forgot to take a picture of hers, shoot....maybe she'll post it

Have a great day!

For every man & woman that protects us from evil, Thank you

Elle Woods: My Hero

Hubby is home and still alive, lucky him :)

5 1/2 hours later Hubby is home safe and sound....he was busy shopping for bargins at the new SuperTarget...he thinks I should get Life Insurance if thats all it takes to kill me.......

I am hyperventilating....

My husband left for the grocery store 4 hours ago. He forgot his cell phone on the nightstand. If he isn't dead I may just kill him. I'm going to concentrate on my breathing and pray he is fine....I'm sure he just uh....argh

Labor Day Weekend Plans...

i wish i could say i had amazing travel plans this holiday weekend. unfortunately or fortunately for me my greatest hope is that my husband finishes building the setee in front of the garden window he started last year.

oh, and finding some great labor day weekend sales of course.

have a happy holiday all. hopefully I'll have some great bargin news next week! smiles

Hello Girls

It has been pouring rain for 3 hours now & I can't get motivated to cook, so I'll order in from Chili's and watch the Rays game with the hubby. I did want to tell you about this hilarious post I read this morning. I realize it was a super scary experience for her but the way she told the story I about tipped over laughing. Please visit Grosgrain Garage and check out todays post

It Never Stops Raining in Sunny Florida

The rain is really getting me down. Combined with the 90 degree weather I'm melting. So figured I would get myself something that makes me happy when I see it and protects me from the weather.

Fortnum & Mason Ladies' Wellingtons by Hunter 

Have a great day!

Where is Jilly?

Hi everyone....has anyone seen or heard from Jilly aka My Outside Voice? I've sent several emails and there have been no posts to her blog in over 2 weeks.....Jilly if your out there I hope your ok!

10 Things...

1. I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida


2. My first love was Leif Garret

3. I love Vanilla Ice Cream

4. My favorite is Vanilla Fudge Drumsticks

5. My favorite books when I was little were Nancy Drew & the Hardy Boys

6. When I was littler it was Where the Monsters Are

7. I have been in school my whole life and I hope my next degree is in Law

8. I’m a horrible housewife

9. I love day planners, lists and all kinds of stationary products

10. If I could wear Pink & Navy every day I totally would!

Nokia Booklet 3G looks good to me....

"While Nokia might not be the first name you'd think of when shopping for a new netbook, the company is looking to change that with the Nokia Booklet 3G ($TBA). Running what looks like Windows 7, the Booklet offers solid specs, including an Intel Atom processor, a 10-inch HD display, integrated A-GPS, 3G/HSPA, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, a built-in SD card reader, HDMI output, webcam, an impressive 12-hour battery, and stylish aluminum chassis." Uncrate.com

My Funny Puppy

After 40 minutes of following Scooby with the camera to get a picture of his face rather than his booty he finally sat down for the perfect shot. Too bad I didn't realize he still had eye boogers. Oh well, it just adds to his winning personality or mystique or.....whatever they call his cuteness. Have a great day!

California Pizza Kitchen

I love CPK Frozen Pizza's! I usually bake them for lunch but I was running a little low on pennies last month so I bought the generic ones at Target. YUCK! Huge mistake, Lesson Learned.

Facebook

After several friends kept bugging me to join Facebook...I did it! Eek. It seems as though everyone I have ever known has access to me now! There were over 500 people from High School that came up first & I kept looking at the pictures thinking "The name sounds familiar but I'm not sure"...it has been 20 years after all.

But maybe Facebook is good. I thought high school was awful & I couldn't wait to go to college but there are photos posted of some really fun times that I had completely forgotten about, faces that I have missed and friends I wish I had kept in touch with.

But I'll never leave Blogger! Kisses

My High Horse: Michael Vic playing for the Eagles

I can not believe the Philadelphia Eagles had the audacity to hire Michael Vic. Re-employed at over 1 million dollars next year it doesn't seem as though his time in prison changed his behavior or impeded the National Football Leagues morals. I guess it makes sense though look at how long Daryl Strawberry stayed employed after his drug use and wife beating activities. UGH!

Therefore, I will be boycotting all Eagles games and Eagles sponsors. I'm not a big football fan anyway but I can not condone the leagues actions in this case. Major corporate sponsors are MillerCoors, Verizon Wireless, PepsiCo (nyse: PEP), Chrysler, Sovereign Bank (nyse: SOV), Anheuser-Busch (nyse: BUD). Naming rights sponsor is Lincoln National (nyse: LNC). KFC, Comcast, Sprint, Aquafina, Mastercard, Lincoln Financial (owners of the Eagles Stadium). (eek, Dunkin Donuts! Good thing the doughnuts at Publix are good!)

I hope you'll join me with your voice or actions to protest this mistake.

Jumping off my horse now.......