so alaurable

Welcome 2012!

2011-12-31T16:24:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a very merry holiday season!

My mom was here visiting the last two weeks, and we had so much fun showing her Christmas in Chicago. I can't believe the end of 2011 went by so fast, and I'm looking forward to what 2012 has in store!

How are you ringing in the new year? We are headed to a house party and then plan to hit up a few bars, but won't be out too late since J has to work bright and early tomorrow morning.

Destination Unknown

2011-12-09T17:00:00.000-06:00

Hi friends, I'm off on a destination unknown weekend!

My husband has been working nights all week and booked a little getaway somewhere nearby to give him something to look forward to during call...and didn't tell me where! My only hint is that it's Wisconsin or Michigan. We had our first sticking snow in Chicago last night, so I'm hoping I'll be able to look out the window at some pretty snow while sipping hot chocolate in a quaint little B&B like this one above.

Have a wonderful weekend! Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?!

Oopsie

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

I was watching Ringer last night* and during an intense scene at the end of the episode I kind of kicked my leg up in the air (um, an act of self defense in case the bad guy wanted to jump out of the television at me?) and ripped my jeans up around the top of my inner thigh. I'm going to say it happened because they are skinny jeans and just don't have a lot of give, and not because I've been eating too much cheese lately.

They're my only pair of skinnies, and I've pretty much been living in them since it's turned to boot weather. I need to get a replacement pair (or two!) right away! The J.Crew matchstick jean is definitely on my list to try.

I also scored a $50 for $25 Groupon for American Apparel today. I've never bought anything there before, but I've heard their winter leggings are nice and warm and therefore have been on my shopping list. I used to be anti-legging, but I think they're now going to be a staple in my winter wardrobe.

* I tried explaining to a friend the plot of Ringer and I sounded ridiculous, but it's pretty addicting. What is the real Siobahn up to? How does Siobet keep from getting everything mixed up?

What about you? Any new TV shows you're loving? Any skinny legwear you want to sing the praises of?

Well I Love a Rainy Night

2011-11-08T22:00:00.000-06:00

I don't mind when it's raining outside...as long as I'm inside and cuddled up with a blanket! (Bonus if my husband and/or dog is next to me.)

The past few days have been gloomy and rainy in Chicago, and I'm counting my blessings that I work from home and haven't had to deal with it. But I know my day is coming and it's only going to get worse as we roll into winter, so I need to get some rain boots sooner rather than later so I can walk through the slushy snow in style!

A friend ordered a monogrammed pair, which I think is super adorable, but I think they took over 6 weeks to arrive!

And of course, the clear popular choice these days is the Hunter wellie, and for good reason.

Source: mainenmasonjars.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

But oh, so many colors from which to choose! I like the always classic black, and think they'd blend in well so it's not super obvious if I step into somewhere nice that I have on rain boots. (Although I hear no one cares what you are wearing come winter in Chicago.)

Doesn't Blair from Atlantic-Pacific look amazing in her red pair?

As a lover of all things blue, of course turquoise is a frontrunner.

via

The plus for the turquoise blue over basic black is that it goes with both of my main coats: a brown down parka and a navy trench-style wool coat that I love to pieces. (The brown one was purchased on crazy deep clearance last spring back in Dallas, because who needs one in Texas? If it turns out to not be warm enough, I'll probably replace it with one that is black or charcoal.) Hmm, red would also go with all of these colors...

And then these fancy Hunters would go with both black and brown:

Source: shopbop.com via Laura on Pinterest

Ah, what to do, what to do.

Scarf Me!

2011-10-06T23:18:00.001-05:00

While I'm not a colder-weather lovin' gal, the upside of my first fall in Chicago is that it's scarf time! I can't wait to try all 25 ways to a tie a scarf in this cute video:

I'm back in Dallas this week and it still feels like summer here. I was shopping with my mom last night at Charming Charlie and was looking for a burnt orange accessory to wear this weekend for TX-OU (because I will be wearing burnt orange in some form all weekend) and came across two differently adorable burnt orange scarves, and I was kind of wishing the forecast called for cold!

I found this orange necklace instead...and this bright blue scarf...and this awesome belt with triangle arrows...and this wallet clutch thingy. I was a little out of control, but I loved this place, where all of the jewelry/accessories/clothes are organized by color. I found something new I wanted every time I made a lap around the store. (As compared to Sam Moon for you TX ladies, where I get a little overwhelmed by wall after wall of earrings and necklaces crammed together, and I always have to elbow my way in to get a good look.) Charlie, I will be back!

What's your favorite way to tie a scarf? And how many colors do you own? Off the top of my head I count black, white, red, fuchsia, aqua, grey plaid, and the new bright blue, and I'm sure I'll find more than that in the coat closet!

Hook 'em!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Or, "How I No Longer Have Rug Regret".

When we moved, a living room rug was in order since we went from carpet to hardwood floors. I was immediately drawn to a geometric, navy rug:

Elle Decor

Emily A. Clark

Diane Bergeron

via Houzz

The only problem was, I couldn't find anything like this anywhere on the vast interwebs -- well, at least not anything in our price range. Overstock and Rugs USA turned up the best options in terms of modern patterns, but all the ones I loved came in every color but blue. I considered some other colors, but kept coming back to navy: a beige rug against a beige couch would be blah, a gray rug might clash, and a lot of other colors would mean changing out art and other accents that we wanted to continue to use.

Although it doesn't have a pattern, we were strongly considering this ombre rug after seeing it in person and both liking it, but we weren't ready to pull the $500 trigger yet.

Stalking rug websites again, I came across this similar rug (the positive reviews said it had several shades of vibrant blue) and decided to order it and be done with it.

While I still longed for something like my inspiration photos, we needed to get something in there, and I figured I could bring in those patterns through throw pillows. Plus, the price couldn't be beat.

And then it came, and it certainly had different shades of blue. Different shades of light blue and purplish blues, which isn't what I was going for and didn't exactly match the product photo. Whomp whomp.

I was having major rug regret. It wasn't going to be super cheap to ship back, but I really didn't want to spend that much on something I wasn't crazy about, even if it was cheap compared to most area rugs this size. I contacted customer support through a forum and they were nice enough to offer up a free shipping label, so we stuffed it in the Prius and hauled it to UPS.

Back at square one, I vowed never to buy something so big without seeing it in person first.

And then about a month later I was catching up on my Google Reader and came across a post on rugs and saw this Moroccan Trellis gorgeousness:

Hello pretty thing, you're exactly what I have been looking for over the last few months! How had I missed you?!

I looked back through some old pins and found that I had actually pinned it at the very beginning of my search because I liked the trellis pattern, but it didn't come in navy at the time.

Both of my main rug resources were selling it, but Rugs USA ended up winning out with their 40% off coupon code. (They always seem to be running at least 30% off, which is what is was at when I found the rug, but I waited a day or two and it ended up going to 40% off -- so hold out for that if you ever order from there!) It ended up being only $40 more than the original failed rug. Yes, I had vowed not to buy another one sight unseen, and I knew it was going to be around $50 to ship back if I didn't like it, but I decided to risk it.

And I love it.

J and Trixie seem to like it too, as well as this Boston Terrier we're dog-sitting. What a cutie!

The living room is almost finished! I really ought to post a house tour up here -- that will get me motivated to finish off what's left in the other rooms!

His, Hers, Yours, & Mine

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love when there's no mix up over whose is whose:

kate spade His & Hers Highballs, $50

Mine & Yours Mini Carafes $40

Madame & Monsieur Mini Carafes, $17

According to my Amazon wishlist, I've had my eye on this last set since March. Sometimes it pays to hold off, since they're now over half off. So cute for water on the nightstands!

To get free super saving shipping though, I need to throw in at least $8 more of stuff. And for someone who always has quite a wishlist going, and for a site like Amazon that sells everything imaginable, I can't really think of anything that's not practical, like hand soap or dog treats.

Then I remembered last time we were at the Art Institute that J really liked the nightlights in the museum store. (At first I thought he was kidding, but I guess he likes the idea of some Monet illuminating his path to the restroom in the middle of the night. And I suppose it would also be nice for me, since he goes to bed super early for work and when Trixie and I come up later we rely on my iPhone to make it down the hallway to the bedroom instead of risking waking him up by flipping on the light switch.) True to form, I told him I could track it down cheaper than the museum store and found them on Amazon in a few seconds. (Is that my superpower?) Too bad I can't remember which one he liked the best. (I have such a hard time coming up with Christmas gift ideas for him that it would be nice to save this for a stocking stuffer surprise.)

Van Gogh Starry Night?

Van Gogh Café Terrace at Night?

Monet Violet Lilies?

Perusing my Amazon wishlist again, maybe I should take these glass drinking straws for a spin. I'll use them to drink vin right out of my Madame carafe.

What's on your wishlist right now? Anything as random as glass drinking straws? Do you and your significant other or roommate ever have issues remembering whose glass is whose or is it just me?

On How I Became Overstock's Most Frequent Customer

2011-08-19T07:00:00.076-05:00

Isn't it funny how when you move, and you get rid of all of these things, that you then end up getting new things in your new home because the layout is different and "needs" new stuff?

A sample of some of the things we bought/are planning to buy:

Something to put our TV on in the living room - Previously, we housed Mr. Television in a beautiful Hooker (hehe) armoire that I got on deep discount at Weir's (cha-ching!). It was also ginormous and we had to hoist it over the balcony to get it into our 2nd floor old home's living area. We decided to ~~hoist it on our renter~~ leave it back at our Dallas condo for now.

Status: Purchased - After much pinning (sooo helpful for evaluating choices!), I went with the one J and my mom liked best...I like it but don't lurve it, but we needed to get something quickly so our impending visitors wouldn't have to watch TV sitting on the floor.

I had originally hoped to get a piece like the one below that didn't scream "TV stand" so we could use it for other purposes down the line, but ultimately we decided cord control would be an issue. (I wish I had thought of a solution at the time like putting beadboard on the back to help hide the cords.)

I also was drawn to this one because I am yearning for a card catalog, even though it is just a mass-produced fake that would make Phoebe mad, but I was vetoed. (I'm sure it's a sign that I will stumble across the real thing for a complete bargain soon.)

Area Rug - Had carpet before, have hardwood floors now. Returned one from Overstock already and am still on the hunt...I may follow up with a positively thrilling post on rugs, so look forward to that. ;-)

Status: Still looking - Are you there, rug? It's me, the sad girl who had to haul that reject rug back to UPS in what looked like a body bag.

Desk + Bookshelves - An old desk, basic office chair, and some bookcases were donated before the move. We never used the desk before, but I did need one in our new place because I'd now be working from home. I don't know what we were thinking on the bookshelves since we quickly found upon unpacking that we didn't have enough to hold ~~our~~ J's books. (I pretty much sold all of mine at Half Price Books before the move but only got J to part with maybe a fifth of his collection. A library is definitely on our dream house list!)

Status: Purchased - J immediately found something he liked at Crate&Barrel that solved both of these issues, and then I managed to track down a copycat for over half off from Overstock (cha-ching again!). Back later with pics of how it looks!

Chairs - We had a stainless steel work table + stools in our old kitchen and a pub table + bar stools in our old dining area. Since our new kitchen accommodated all of this (the work table against a blank wall, the stainless stools at the peninsula counter bar, and the pub table and bar stools in the kitchen's dining area), and since our living room was kinda-sorta long enough to accommodate a card table, my MIL and I threw caution to the wind and loaded a small, antique drop-leaf table that she had onto the moving truck, because why not?

A new table meant new chairs to go with it. Oh, and I also needed something to sit on at my desk, and there's also spot at the bottom of our stairs just calling for a comfy chair to curl up on with a good book.

For the new table, we were thinking about finding some mismatched chairs and painting them something fun (although probably one color), like these from BHG:

After poking around in some thrift and antique stores near our new place and not coming up with anything that would cheaply do the trick, I started chair-pinning away.

I loved these Ghost chair knockoffs for the table (also vetoed by J - doesn't he know anything about what's popular on design blogs?) - $85 at a warehouse near Chicago O'Hare if you're local!

I liked this comfy-roll-y IKEA chair for my desk:

And I lurved this ikat slipper chair for the reading nook. I also loved it for the desk but it seemed a little too short:

And then I fell in love at first sight with these that YHL spotted at HomeGoods:

A girl on a chair mission, I looked at a Chicago HG and even had my mom look at her local HG (what was my plan, have her drive them up to me?), but I never found them.

Oh, a dream deferred. It would have been so pretty in any and all of the places I needed a chair. Just look at its twin in this amazing office from BHG!

After all of that, I came to my senses and realized that we didn't have the moolah for all of these different chairs, nor would we have room for them if we end up moving to a place that doesn't have the layout to support all of these four-legged friends.

I ended up ordering these Tolix chair knockoffs. With a 10% off coupon code from Overstock (they send them out by email every once in a while, but if you need one in a hurry, sign up a new email and they'll send you one the next day), they came out to $45/chair, which ended up being a steal compared to others I was considering. Plus, they stack so we could always store them away in the future and bring them out when needed for extra seating.

They look great juxtaposed against the older wood table (which we will probably end up painting a fun color or staining), and I placed one at my desk (not super comfy for all-day sitting but it will do) and made our ottoman-turned-coffee-table into ottoman-turned-reading-nook-spot (you know, in case the HG one materializes one day).

I thought that was that and our buying spree was over.

And then my visiting MIL brought me to a consignment shop to show me a vintage lucite chair that she thought would be great for the desk that made all my love for that vetoed Ghost chair come rushing back. (Great minds think alike!)

The vintage one had wheels, which we decided was key for a desk chair, but it also came with a $295 price tag, so I started researching options again and found this roll-y beauty called the Rumor:

It's like my original Ghost chair and IKEA chair loves had a baby. Throw in a blue ikat cushion and I'd hit the trifecta.

I turned back to The O to order it (at this point running out of new emails for the 10% coupon code) and excitedly awaited its arrival. (For Chicagoans, it is cheaper at that same warehouse with the Ghost chair knockoff, but I didn't know when I'd be able to borrow the car to head out there.)

The chair arrived broken - I didn't even notice the arm was completely cracked until I had assembled the base! Note to self: inspect all items first before putting together anything. (It's a pretty thick acrylic, so even with a lack of bubble wrap in the box, I was surprised it was broken.) O.co customer service sent me a new one with the promise that they would check the packaging first.

Chair #2 wasn't broken, but did have a pretty significant scratch and some chips. The O customer service offered a $20 credit if I wanted to live with it, which I accepted because I'm impatient like that. Soon thinking better of it, I asked them to reverse the credit and we'd try Chair #3. (They sweetly ended up letting my keep the $20 credit...thanks, Overstock!)

I returned #1 and #2 and then since we were going out of town and wouldn't even be there to receive the box, I started to have second (third?) thoughts on #3. What were the chances that the third time would be the charm and this one would arrive flawless? (And if it was perfect, how quickly would I scratch it?) Once again I contacted OCS and asked if I could just cancel sending the new one and get a refund and they complied.

I have since gotten an email that they received #1 and #2 and refunded the chair, but also got an email that they shipped #3 after all...so confusing! I guess we'll see if it shows up and I'll also need to check my bank statement to see what exactly is going on.

Minus the rug, I think I'm finished with purchasing any big home items for a while! (Before this, I don't think we bought anything new furniture-wise in 4-5 years.)

What about you - have you been on the hunt for something specific lately? Ever purchased anything big online and had to return it? Anyone worry about spending money on something that works for your home now but may not work in the future? And are you as obsessed with Pinterest as I am?

Obsessed with Photo Editing

2011-07-18T07:00:00.173-05:00

I stayed up way too late the other night playing with photos. Our guest bathroom needs some black and white prints for some frames I already have, so I went looking through pictures we've taken on trips to see if anything struck me.

First, I took these taken on our trip this past Spring and converted them to black and white using Picnik:

Eiffel Tower - even though I've seen photos of it so many times, coming up from the subway and seeing how large it is took my breath away

Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame Cathedral

While pretty, they seemed a little generic. And then I played around in Picnik with this one taken from the top of Notre Dame and liked the mood:

Before

After

For the other one, J helped me decide to go with a photo I took from the Bridge of Sighs in Venice back in 2005. (Which I will always be fond of because someone found it on Flickr and short-listed it to be on an online travel guide...even though I don't think it was ultimately selected.)

I was originally thinking of blowing it up along with some other photos from that trip and putting them in large frames in our living room, but we decided it was just too much with the other things we have going on in there, so it freed it up to complete the pair of black & white prints needed in the guest bathroom. I like that they're both taken from a vantage point of a well-known place, and that it's not immediately clear where the picture was taken.

Before

The story that goes along with the Bridge of Sighs is that it was the last view of Venice a prisoner would see before being led through to the executioner (although not true by the timing of when the bridge was built)...but what a view to think of!

After

I kind of love it in color more, so I continued to play around with some other effects on it. The cross process used below is my new favorite one to slap on every photo I upload just to see how it looks.

I haven't ordered any photos in a long time, so I ordered quite a few as long as I was paying for shipping. The mats for the frames I'm going to use are a weird size (6x8), so I ordered from RitzPix since that was the only place I could find that offered 6x8s -- hopefully the quality is okay. If I do end up doing some enlargements of the other photos I was thinking of, I will most likely go with Mpix and get their metallic finish. What's your favorite place to order photos from?

And since I'm loving that cross process effect, and because I found a coupon code for 2 free 8x10s, I ordered these that I took for the gallery wall in my office area:

At the Texas State Fair a few years ago after the TX-OU game...I think my friends may be riding the swings at that moment.

Point Dume in Malibu taken during a residency interview trip...J may have taken this but I think it was probably me. (We each like to think we're the best photographer.) This is also where this fave photo of us was taken by a kind stranger, which I also finally printed out!

What do you use to edit your photos? Maybe some day I'll be fancy and own Photoshop, but for now Picnik and I are BFFs.

What We Do for Fun

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

To keep in touch since we've moved, J and I and our nieces send each other photos back and forth of what we did that day. (And if it's particularly interesting, we include the whole family.)

Often the photos are of our respective dogs, sometimes with captions.

Exhibit A:

I love my email buddies.

Greetings from Chicago!

2011-06-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Greetings from Chicago!

Let's see, when I last left off (which was a long time ago, forgive me!), we still had to: find a place to live up here, rent out our condo in Dallas, and pack up everything and get up here. We were successful on all accounts, although finding a good place proved stressful until a last-ditch browsing of Craigslist apartment postings led us to where we are today.

Hey there!

Moving went more smoothly then I had envisioned. (I attribute that to not riding in the moving van being driven by my husband - I am a horrible backseat driver and no one driving a large Penske wants to have to deal with that.) The keys did get locked in the moving van, but this was luckily after everything was unloaded, so we just ordered some deep dish pizza while waiting for the locksmith. It became a bit of an impromptu party with J's parents, two friends that came up with us to help, and some other friends that stopped by to help out and have some 'za. (Future moving note: pack a box with things like paper towels, plates, cups, and a wine opener, and label it to be unpacked first.)

Trixie got up here on her own and made a bed...I think she was just as tired as we were!

We've been here about two and a half weeks now and are doing as much exploring as we can before J's residency starts.

My first Cubs game!

Free concert in Millennium Park

All of the neighborhood kids and dogs are so adorable. We passed 2 lemonade stands and easily 10 strollers and 20 dogs on a walk this weekend. I feel silly, but everywhere I go I marvel at how many people are out -- one of the first walks we took was to a nearby park at lunch on a weekday and it was packed with people -- nothing like I would see in Dallas, even when the temps are lower. I feel like we lucked out in where we ended up - it was a little out of the zone we were originally looking, but it's still very much a part of things (with the bonus of not having the same level of traffic and noise from the bar scene) and is an even closer drive to J's hospital than anywhere else we looked.

Sorry these are all iPhone-quality photos. I couldn't for the life of me find my camera from day 2 on of being up here: it was on a table in the living room, and I moved it so nothing would happen to it as we rearranged furniture for the 18th time, and then I couldn't remember where I put it! I looked in my purse, in my bedroom, kitchen drawers, cabinets, the utility room, boxes...

Guess where I found it last week after I was convinced it was somehow thrown away with moving materials?

My purse. It must have a door to Narnia in it that my camera was hiding in. That, or I have too much junk in there.

I'll let you decide.

Beautiful Knot Necklace

2011-05-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Like I've said before, I can't resist something with a nautical knot. Sadly, this baby will not become part of my collection -- at least for now (moving in less than 3 weeks and must pare down possessions, not add to them!).

So please feel free to snag this $18 beauty for yourself...I promise not to be too jealous.

To the Second City I Go

2011-05-06T07:00:00.018-05:00

I haven't disappeared, I promise. (Tam, thanks for reminding me that I haven't blogged in forever!)

from Etsy shop Remixed Vintage

I've just been a little busy with my to do list below:
1. Pack up house

2. Rent our place out (Please, please rent...unfortunately not a good time to sell)
~~3. Find a new job in Chicago~~ Taken care of! When I talked to my boss about how we're moving for J's residency, she offered to let me work remotely up there and come back to Dallas when needed. (I foresee I will be needed in TX a lot in the winter.) I'm so excited, and I wish I had talked to her earlier -- I had already started to put in a lot of time searching job postings and talking to recruiters.

4. Find a place to live in Chicago

I am crossing my fingers that #4 will be accomplished this weekend! (I don't know what we'll do if not...eep!) J flew up Thursday morning and will be seeing 6 or so places today. I fly up this evening, and we'll see some more places tomorrow and hopefully will find the perfect place to spend the next 3 years.

I'm a little nervous, because so many that we see online and like are gone in an instant, and not a lot are dog-friendly. (But many will take cats; what's up with that? Our poodle is 12 pounds dripping wet (what is the origin of that phrase?) and stretches and pounces on her toys like a cat. We've been joking about passing her off as a feline, much like this urban legend of sheep being passed off as poodles.)

So to the Second City I go! Wish me luck...I'm going to need it! (And not just this weekend...I need a lot of luck packing and getting through the move with my nerves intact. Have I mentioned I don't like change?)

Channel Tunnel Time!

2011-03-01T07:00:00.004-06:00

...and today we take the Chunnel from London to Paris. Cannot wait to catch my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!

Oh, Olivia

2011-02-21T20:24:00.000-06:00

As I'm packing for our trip (we leave Thursday!), I can't help but wish I was taking Olivia Palermo's suitcase. She always look so amazing, no?

Now I'm off to try and figure out what to take that will be comfortable, warm, and stylish...if it's possible to have all three!

Sources: All saved to my Fashion Inspiration board on my Pinterest account...so addicting!

It's Match Day! We're moving to...

2011-02-14T21:08:00.001-06:00

Golden Sparkles

2011-02-09T18:00:00.030-06:00

Love the gold sequined skirt

Love the gold sequined star stirrer-thingy

Love the gold sequined pillow

Love this tablescape!

This would make for a lovely Valentine's Day fête, no?

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011-02-02T15:00:00.004-06:00

...and we've been holed up inside ever since the snow and ice came to Dallas Monday night! (With the exception of making a trip to the grocery store together that had me super nervous on the icy patches where you can feel the tires making absolutely no traction. You may think Texans overreact to bad weather, but it really can be like a skating rink, and I was hoping not to go out at all and risk repeating this near miss, which happened coming from the same grocery store under the same weather conditions. But when your husband is out of essentials like Ben & Jerry's, you go with him and get the essentials. If that's not love, I don't know what is.)

My office has been closed and J was luckily off yesterday and today until he goes into the ED this afternoon...which means he'll be coming home in the middle of the night. Which of course means I'll be a worrywart until he's home!

Hope you're staying nice and warm if it's cold where you are. It's hard to believe temps were in the 70s this past weekend and that we had a windchill of around 0 this morning! Now off to find some more hot cider...

Image from here via honestly...wtf

1/11/11 - I Turn 29!

2011-01-11T06:00:00.097-06:00

Well, I didn't intend for my last post of 2010 to be a Thanksgiving one...but I'm back in 2011!

And what a day to come back - I turn 29 today!

Love from Malibu, CA*

It's hard to believe that my 20s are almost over. (Although after this, aren't you supposed to celebrate the 1st anniversary of your 29th birthday, and then the 2nd, and so on, so that you never really leave your 20s?) So much still to do, so I better crackin' on making and crossing things off a 30 Before 30 list!

What have I been up to?

I mentioned that I might get laid off from my job. Well, it happened at the beginning of December. But it's okay! I had been interviewing and (so luckily) had something lined up. Whew!
I started my new job the week before Christmas, which allowed me to join James on the interview trail in St. Petersburg, FL, the LA area, and Chicago! It was so much fun, and we got to stay 3-4 days in each city. (The photo above is from Point Dume in Malibu. We had hiked up to the top and there was a group of 3 other guys up there...one a photographer, one a cinematographer, and I happened to ask the guy who was neither but just so happened to take my new favorite photo!)
Christmas and New Years were there before I knew it. I hadn't finished Christmas shopping by the time I was laid off, and I was in town only for a few days up until the week of Christmas, so I pretty much ordered everything online this year! All of our family is here in Dallas, so we spent the holidays at home and had a wonderful time.
I got rid of 100 things in December...and I'm hoping to do it again in January! As it gets closer and closer to Match Day, the idea that we are moving is slowly sinking in, and we have some major decluttering to do! The sad part is, getting rid of 100 things didn't make a noticeable dent. About 25 things were books (we still have a million left), and 60+ were items of clothing (sadly, I had not cleaned out our closets in forever, seeing as how lots of things dated back to high school, and many items had been out of site, out of mind in a box under my bed). The books we sold to Half Price Books for like $10 (probably not worth it, I should look into other sources as well since we still have a lot of medical ones that may be worth something), and the clothes that were in good shape were all donated. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has this much stuff.
We've been slowly planning our trip to Europe, and this month we're going to kick it into high gear and finalize everything! As always, we're trying to be frugal about things like our accommodations, so that always takes a lot of research. Our steal so far is that we got a 3* hotel in London on Hotwire for $70! (We used Better Bidding to help guess what the hotel was beforehand so we could scout location and read reviews before pulling the trigger, as described in this post.)

So, Happy Birthday to me! It's going to be a great year. Any ideas for my 30 Before 30 list? What is/was on yours?

P.S. I figured out where the leopard flats from this post are from: they are the Joe's Jeans Stella III

Thankful

2010-11-25T07:00:00.009-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

via

My Sweetie Comes Home Tomorrow!

2010-11-20T07:00:00.008-06:00

Excited to pick up my better half from the airport tomorrow after a month apart!

Photographed by Jonas Peterson via Once Wed

Leopard Love

2010-11-16T19:00:00.000-06:00

I am totally on the animal print bandwagon. I've been looking to add a little leopard to my life with a pair of ballet flats or heels when I saw these today.

If this were an SAT analogy quiz, it would be:
zipper : leopard ballet flat :: icing : cake

The only problem is, I have no idea where they are from. Do you know?

(Please don't tell me they're über expensive.)

Do You Really Want to Skirt Me

2010-11-10T07:00:00.006-06:00

I can't help but giggle at the name of this skirt. Modcloth, I love you.

Now I have to re-watch this scene from the Wedding Singer:

Give me time...

Eat Your Vitamins!

2010-11-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

These are like candy to me.

I had some drugstore.com credits I needed to use, and I've been meaning to start taking vitamins, so I threw these in my virtual shopping cart to get to the total for free shipping.

They arrived Saturday and I think I've already had my dosage for the week. (Remind me to call my husband tonight to see what happens if I overdose on Vitamin D3. Wikipedia is scaring me with talk of Hypervitaminosis D, although I do appreciate that this is a medical term that means exactly what it sounds like.)

I'm a total ~~pill~~ gummy popper now. I think this just means I need to buy all of the other vitamins available so I don't have to decrease my overall gummy consumption.

Because, you know, these are adult vitamins. Totally legit that I take their entire line for maximum health.

$6 is the cheapest I found this particular vitamin, which is what they're selling for at drugstore.com (and shop through Mr. Rebates for an additional 9% back).

What about you? Do you take serious adult vitamins too?

Gifted!

2010-11-08T07:00:00.102-06:00

Tis the season to start thinking about gift giving, and there are lots of great gift ideas featured on Gifted Magazine.

For the Cook

Kitchen Conversions poster ($30) from SweetFineDay's Etsy

For the Griller

Gourmet BBQ blends ($16) from Purpose Design's Etsy - you pick 8 of your favorite custom blends, so this seems like a really good deal considering I've seen canisters like these for $1.50-3 a piece.

For your Furry Friend

Personalized dog bowl ($24) from Sunshine Ceramic's Etsy

For the Little One

Dolls from Sophie and Lili ($15-38, extra for totally custom)

Choose from one of the existing dolls or choose the hair, skin color, and clothing for a totally custom doll

Personal pocket mirror ($9) from Olliegraphic

Some other cute items I found perusing the Olliegraphic site:

Plate and bowl set ($42, $20-24 each separately)

Growth chart ($49) - a little pricey, but good inspiration for a DIY version

Language print ($30) - very fun...would be a cool series to have something like this for every trip a child goes on

For your Fave Gal

Stacking Star Rings from Brilliance Found's Etsy

For the Writer

I know these are all over the blogosphere, but I adore these Archie Grand notebooks!
($10 on Amazon)

My picks
J writes me love letters in this:

I write J love letters in this:

J writes about cool attendings who compliment him on his SOAP notes in this (I spy a good graduation present!):

I like that the magazine suggests using Wishpot to organize your holiday gift list. I've used it off and on for things I come across and want to save - it's great because it will alert you if the price drops - but I should really start trying to use it for everything instead of a mix of Amazon wishlists, bookmarking, and emailing myself. (I read that you can import your Amazon wishlist into Wishpot but haven't figured that one out yet.) What kind of system do you use for things like that?

If you'd like, check out another post I did recently on free online magazines.

2 Different Halloweens

2010-11-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I scheduled this for 11/1 but then just noticed I put in 11/11* - whoops! I watched a "Young and Abducted/Murdered" special on E! this morning (really morbid, huh?) so maybe I shouldn't be posting that my husband is out of town...but as you can see, I have quite the guard dog. Sorry that you're getting a Halloween post a week late!

* As an aside, my birthday is 1/11/11 this year...ohhh yeah! And anyone who has an 11/11/11 birthday is even cooler!

My Halloween:

J's Halloween:

A little different, huh? My guy just finished his first week of a month-long away rotation in OR. I've never been and would love to visit him using the generous donation of a friend's standby passes. (We never booked a flight for me because a) we didn't know his schedule far enough in advance, and b) we're poor. Fourth year is muy caro, y'all!)

Since a) I probably won't be able to work out working remotely with my job while I'm there and he's working (and I don't want to burn vacation at the moment because I may end up needing it), and b) if I did make it up there I don't know how the airport pickup/dropoff would work with his schedule, it looks like the visit's not happening.

I'm bummed because a) it's hard not seeing your spouse for a month (although total control of the remote control is nice) and b) depending on if I could be there on the days he was interviewing at some other programs in the OR & WA areas, I'd get to check out three of the potential-cities-we-may-be-living-in-but-I've-never-been-to. I'd love to have the opportunity to actually visit said cities so I could give real input on his rank list. (Though clearly my influence may not matter since he's scouting out places to build his dream house!)

What did you do over the weekend? Anything fun? I'm hoping coworkers bring in lots of leftover candy since I didn't have any this weekend!

Happy Halloween Weekend!

2010-10-29T07:00:00.005-05:00

Have a weekend full of tricks and treats, my lovelies!

Photo from Shannon Blue Photography

The Winner Is...

2010-10-13T23:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks everyone so much for participating! Hopefully we can have more giveaway fun again soon.

Sorry for the delay in posting the winner...bathroom reno chaos + impending layoffs = craziness. Hopefully everything will be in order soon on both fronts.

Bon Weekend!

2010-10-08T17:00:00.001-05:00

I'm very much looking forward to this weekend - we are experiencing absolutely perfect sunny and mid-80s weather here in Dallas. If only it were always like this!

On tap:
- Birthday party for my FIL
- Volunteering
- State Fair of Texas
- Picking up paint for our master bath (more soon on the reno that has 1.5 of our 2.5 bathrooms out of commission)
- Making this coat mine - When I saw it the other week, I knew I had to have it for my trip. I think I'll be getting it in black. While I have a perfectly good black peacoat, this one will cover my boo-tay (important when it's cold and windy), is belted (I love me anything belted, and none of my 3 coats are), and it has tiered "ruffles" (I think that's reason enough!) On sale (thanks for the price alert, Wishpot!) and stacked with an additional $30 off coupon, I think I'm going to go for it!

Or should I get camel? Or navy?

(The three coats I already have are black, winter white, and a dark green. I guess the black, camel, and navy could all be considered neutrals, but I know the black will go with everything. Lots of the reviews seem to really favor the navy, so we'll see! I'd love to hear your thoughts!)

Have a great weekend! I hope the weather's beautiful where you are.

Oh, and don't forget to enter my $45 CSN Giveaway...it ends on 10/10/10!

Mag Love

2010-10-06T07:00:00.016-05:00

We've all been oohing and aahing over Lonny and Rue magazines lately, and with good reason in the absence of Domino and other favorites. While I will always love sitting down with a good glossy, I am loving all of the (free!) online mags available right now. Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite images from other online mags that aren't as getting as much blog love (yet).

"Created for and by young Southerners, the magazine highlights the best of the Southern lifestyle, while providing readers with enjoyable content that helps improve and enrich their lives."

I like the mix of home decor, recipes, city guides, and "day in the life" coverage...all with a Southern focus! I'm looking forward to the next issue of Southern Flourish; I think it shows a lot of promise.

I want this giant Connect Four game!

(Can you spot the typo in the green box? It's bothering me.)

I'm liking the color palette of Beth Keim's Charlotte home

"We have all worked really hard to bring you a magazine that is filled with great ideas, tasty recipes and fun people."

I love Sweet Paul's tagline: chasing the sweet things in life. I think they are definitely on the right track.

This photography is delicious. Yum.

Is anyone else craving apple butter right now?

Just me? Okay, more for me then!

Goats! I looove goat cheese! (Oh, and I'm a Capricorn.)

Brought to us by our Canadian friends, Covet Garden is an interiors mag with a twist - they're not styled by decorators! Here's what they have to say about their magazine:

"There are a lot of magazines and blogs that show cool interiors. But they always leave us feeling that we’re standing behind a rope, looking at the space like it’s a museum diorama. We started Covet Garden because we wanted to see a magazine that made us feel as though we were invited into someone’s home. And then, once they let us in, we started snooping around and got to know them a bit better."

Looks like each (short) issue is all about one home and the people who live in it. I can't wait to see more!

Dear Santa, I want a large framed print of a Penguin Books cover. I think I'm on your good list this year, so let's see what you can do.

xo, Laura

I know maps as decor is trendy, but if loving maps is wrong, I don't want to be right. (Especially if they're old school style.)

And now for the pièce de résistance from our friends Down Under, Adore Home! I'm liking that we're getting opposite seasons - since it takes me a long time to implement ideas, it gives me six months in advance!

I adore everyhing about this office.

Good mix of sweet and chic.

This room of Summer Thornton has been in my favorites for a while, but I don't think I've seen the view of the rest of the room.

How fun would it be to curl up in this window seat?

What are you reading these days? Anything I should check out?

Girl Crush: Natalie Portman

2010-10-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I think Natalie Portman is so classically beautiful. In 1995 we had the same haircut and for a while I thought I might look like her. Maybe I need to try that again in 2010, because Natalie is stunning in this photo.

Photo from Marie Claire, found via Pink Preppy Lilly Lover

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-04T07:00:00.056-05:00

Maybe it's a little early to start thinking about Halloween, but I wanted to share some things I've come across recently...

These personalized trick or treat bags are only $10 over at Walmart, with $.97 shipping. (Each photo links directly to the product page.) These are my top three picks...I need to send this link over to the parents of the little ones in my life!

I ran into these Halloween piggy banks at Target. (By the way, did anyone see the cute patterned ones they had recently? I totally want one for a future baby (or okay, myself)...I would have already purchased one if I wasn't trying to stop being such a hoarder.) You can currently see all of them here. I think the Superpig and the Skeleton are my favorites.

See the doctor one on the bottom? We should have bought this years (and years and years) ago to save for medical school!

Love this chalkboard one also - just write your savings goal on the side!

These next two items I found via Tatertots and Jello, a new-to-me treasure trove of awesome ideas.

I think this bottle display is such a great idea and could work for so many things: "baby" for a baby shower (and maybe ones with each guest's first initial for a favor?), "love" for Valentine's Day, etc. You could also always have the "candy" ones on hand and change out the colors based on the holiday.

Instructions found at Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM!

These etched glass jars could be used for different occasions as well. Start saving your empties!

Instructions found at Let Birds Fly

I don't do any seasonal decorating other than at Christmas, but I like the idea of incorporating small, inexpsensive touches like these last two. Do you do anything in your home for different seasons and holidays?

Yay for a CSN Giveaway!

2010-09-30T22:00:00.006-05:00

Let's ring in October with my very first giveaway:

45 smackaroos to spend at CSN Stores!

If you haven't already heard of CSN, they have over 200 stores that stock everything you can think of, whether it's a new bar stool for your kitchen island, a new throw pillow for your couch, or a new handbag for your arm (err, hand?)!

Here are some of my favorite items:

Prize: $45 gift certificate to use at any of the 200+ CSN Stores websites

3 Chances to Win:
1. Leave a comment on this post. Any comment will do, but I'd love to know what's on your wish list right now.

2. For a 2nd entry, follow my blog using Google Friend Connect (link is on the left sidebar) and leave another comment letting me know you've done so.

Publish Post

3. For a 3rd entry, tweet about this giveaway, then come back here and leave a comment with either a link to your tweet or your Twitter name. To make it easy, you can use this message:

Enter to win a $45 @CSNStores #giveaway from @soalaurable! http://soalaurable.blogspot.com/2010/09/yay-for-csn-giveaway.html

Prize Ships to: US & Canada

Giveaway Closes: Sunday, 10/10/10 at 10 pm Central. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced the following Monday. I will also notify the winner by email, so please include it in your comments if you don't have a blog.

Good luck and have a great weekend!

So Excited!

2010-09-28T20:30:00.003-05:00

I am so giddy right now! We just booked a trip to Europe for late February - mid March (back just in time for Match Day)...and the best part is we booked it on points! (Non-stop and only 20,000 each way because it's off-peak - just before it goes up to 60,000 points for Spring Breakers!)

I'm so looking forward to reading up on and planning the trip over the next several months, which I think is half the fun! We fly into London, will go to Paris (!!!) next, and the rest is still up in the air - we just need to end up in Frankfurt.

It will be a little colder than I prefer (this warm-weather gal dreams about jet-setting it in the summer to Saint-Tropez or Capri), but I quickly pinched my lucky self and am now dreaming about bundling up and strolling down the river Seine with my sweetheart.

I'd love to hear your suggestions if you have them. I've only been to Italy, so it will be all-new and all-amazing to me! What's the favorite place you've traveled to or have been dreaming about visiting?

I have a feeling I'm going to be singing a lot of this in the coming months:

I love Paris in the spring time
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles

I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris
Because my love is here

Stay tuned for my first giveaway in my next post! You're going to love it!

Images from the lovely Shabby Apple. I'm pretty sure this La Tour Eiffel dress is right up my alley.

Grand Taxonomy of Rap Names

2010-09-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Um, totally love this. How fun would it be to have this on your wall and debate with friends who's missing and/or should be classified in other categories?

Found at Pop Chart Lab, $20

P.S. Notice a trend here?

A flowchart of typefaces

A flowchart of getting shot by the Sartorialist

P.P.S. What would your rap name be? One of my sorority sisters used to call me "Big L". (She swore it wasn't because I always ate my weight in queso on Mexican Lunch day, but I have my doubts.) This rap star name generator says I should go by "Dutchess McDougal". (But am I allowed to spell Duchess properly, oh Rap Star Name Generator?)

P.P.P.S. I so want to create my own chart like this! What subject would you want to classify?

Thinking of You

2010-09-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't it be great to tell someone you're thinking about them...

by mailing them a monkey? (The company who will do it for you is called, crazily enough, Mail a Monkey.)

Or how about a polar bear and a hippo?

I'd love to open my mailbox and see one of these guys smiling at me. (Hint hint, J.)

Sending you a virtual monkey, friends!

Dream Big

2010-09-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

So sweet for a nursery. (And it goes with one of my current fave color combos!)

robinandmould's Etsy via 6th Street Design School

The Writing on the Wall

2010-09-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Now these are my kind of words on the wall:

Sweet

Oh, hi!

It's true

Would be cute over a bar cart

Who doesn't need that?

You can find them at Etsy seller WilliamDohman.

Gators & Whales

2010-09-16T07:00:00.002-05:00

I just added these $10 salt and pepper shakers from Wrapables to my Amazon Wishlist. It's not like we need any - for some reason we have been gifted an abundance of different S and P sets by a certain person who gave birth to my groom* - but they are adorable and I'd like to virtually pretend they're mine.

They remind me of this $44 set from Jonathan Adler:

Although I think I like the Wrapables whale better. The photo shows the whale holding the pepper and the gator (or is he a croc?) with salt, but I'd switch them. Because you know, whales live in salt water. (Oh, and the spray coming out of their blowhole would be white.) And the alligator is meaner, and well, pepper can sometimes give you a kick in the pants.

And in my same dub-dub-dub internets browsing session I ran across this bedding and thought to myself, ooh, they both have gators and whales in blue and green, I can do my own "this and that" post like Oh Joy!. (Put your baby in this crib bedding, season your now-cold food because you don't have time to eat with a fussy baby with these salt and pepper shakers.)

And then I realized that what I thought was a whale was an elephant. Oops.

Gotta go work on my animals.

* How do you nicely sell/donate items that have been gifted to you but aren't your favorite? You know, so you can replace them with objects that will help remind you of the difference between whales and elephants.

Cute Little Illustrations

2010-09-15T07:00:00.012-05:00

I just can't get over these cute illustrations from Rosy Designs found via Contented Me. It looks like you can even customize the people and add text to the prints.

Frame this poster and display it at your wedding reception for guests to sign the mat. (This Just Married one would work, too.)

Add your baby's birth stats and display in the nursery.

I don't have a specific idea for this one but I loooove it.

I like the idea of framing the boy and the girl side by side...

(Even though they're youthful, I'd love these blown up and placed over each person's side of the bed.)

...But I'd also happily take them together as one print.

I had to stop myself from posting the entire collection! See them all here.

Crazy 'Bout a Sharp-Dressed Man

2010-09-14T07:00:00.009-05:00

My dear husband is flying out today for his first residency interview.

As I helped him come up with shirt and tie options for the dinner tonight and the interview tomorrow, I was thinking how awesome it would be to have a collection organized like this:

From this cool dorm room

Previous to his 3rd year of med school, J didn't have a lot of need for ties. Last year during rotations I discovered he really likes wearing ties (and dislikes wearing scrubs, which is the whole reason I sometimes wish I was a nurse/doctor/in some kind of medical profession, so I think that's a total waste). Now whenever I'm at T.J.Maxx (which is a lot), I stop by the tie section and try to find one I think he'd like. (You can beat that most of them are around $10, compared to the $30-40 price tags still on many of them.)

J's idea of organizing his small collection is laying them out on a chair in our living room...maybe I'll come up with a new system while he's out of town. I have this crazy idea that they should be located in his closet (some training will be involved), and I just need to figure out what will be best to use where they don't slide off the hanger.

Friction Tie Rack and Scarf Hanger, $7

via Houzz

I may even go wild and organize his closet so he can actually get to the ties. I need something to feel some control during this interview process where there is pretty much no control in where we end up! (Which has definitely

Do Not Trifle With Me!

2010-09-08T23:00:00.004-05:00

I've been a little down in the dumps lately so I've been staying away from this little blog of mine, and today was an incredibly frustrating ~~addition~~ subtraction to my current attitude.

But now that I'm home, and I didn't get hit by a tornado, and I had some Cherry Garcia fro-yo*, I'm feeling much more cheerful.

From the lovely Annechovie

But still, I'm not in the mood for anyone to trifle with me.

Hoping to have a better attitude soon,
Bad Attitude Laura

* Since my husband pretty much always passes up any type of sweet, I was surprised when he fell in love with my Ben & Jerry's fro-yo. (Now we stock multiple flavors at all times.) Except he calls it frogurt. According to Urban Dictionary, he's right. What do you call it? (Besides delicious.)

The Look for Less: Numerical Plates

2010-08-25T12:00:00.016-05:00

Anna Coyle Interiors via Room Remix

$12, Target

Fontariffic

2010-08-25T07:00:00.025-05:00

So You Need a Typeface poster, found via {BLACK. WHITE. YELLOW.}

Only $22! Get yours here.

I'm wondering what decision leads to Comic Sans in the process flow...because, you know:

Found via feel so fancy

Don't Be Trapped by Dogma

2010-08-18T22:30:00.006-05:00

source

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all price, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

[...]

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

- Wise words from Steve Jobs, who I greatly admired way before it was cool, in an excerpt from his 2005 Stanford Commencement address (full text here)

Mulling some things over. Be back soon.

Put a Flower On It

2010-08-10T07:00:00.034-05:00

I'm loving these kickin' flower shoe clips!

$8 (on sale!), DaintyButton's Etsy

I really, really wanted navy heels when I got married for a shot of color underneath my gown, but I couldn't find the perfect pair in the height I needed so I wore a pretty gray satin pair instead. They would have been even cuter with rosette shoe clips like these in my color of choice!

$12, sunshineandcarousels' Etsy

Love the puffiness.

I want to wear these in my hair, too.

In the Desert You Can Remember Your Name

2010-07-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the Arizona desert!

I am here right now for work. The only time I've ever been to AZ was a layover in the Phoenix airport, so I've been having fun checking everything out.

Last night I strolled around a big-box store shopping center (not very cultural, but something to do), where I snapped the above photo. A much prettier setting for an ULTA, no?

Palm trees make everything pretty.

And then I drove around the ASU campus. Sun Devil Stadium, which is on the leftish side of the photos below, is pretty cool - constructed between two mountain buttes, so it "literally was carved from the desert". (Literally.) One of the buttes (hehe) is also in the leftish side of the photos, not that you can really tell.

Tonight, I'm going to check out some more buttes and maybe some cacti. Maybe check out downtown Phoenix. And maybe head to the outlet mall and IKEA to continue my non-cultural enrichment. (While I don't have room in my suitcase for an Expedit, I could probably fit something like these file boxes I've had my eye on.)

It's almost the weekend! Have a good one.

Aqua & Red

2010-07-26T12:00:00.001-05:00

Alexandra Rowley via Little Green Notebook

I'd love to be lounging here today instead of back at work after a fun-filled weekend!

Weekend-in-a-nutshell:
- Hanging out late into the night with friends, where a guitar was broken out and my requests for Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift were answered (I played the tambourine)
- Tailgating and singing along with friends at a Rascal Flatts concert (for as shy as I am, I did a lot of singing in front of people this weekend...)
- Attending our niece's baptism
- Looong Sunday afternoon nap before J had to go in for night call

Oh Baby!

2010-07-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

Yay, my friend just had her sweet baby girl!

source

I've been eagerly awaiting the news ever since she went to the hospital yesterday afternoon. Everyone got the official word via Baby's First Phone Call, which allows you to record a message with the good news and then it automatically calls everyone on the list you set up beforehand. I gave them a gift certificate to it as part of a shower gift, and I was just joking with another friend that I will definitely do something like that right after my surrogate delivers my future baby for me. (Just joking - I sincerely hope I can have a child someday, and if I can't biologically, I would love to explore adoption - but I am a teensy weensy bit scared of childbirth. And by teensy weensy, I mean extremely.)

I love little babies. Fortunately, there are a lot of them in my world right now.

I sooo want to cuddle one right now!

Congrats to my friends C & C! I can't wait to meet her.

Back to the Beach!

2010-07-14T17:30:00.006-05:00

We are heading back to the beach this evening for a 4-day family reunion (J's side). With the exception of Major Swimsuit Issues*, I'm excited to see this again:

And this:

My in-laws drove her down ahead of us so she didn't have to fly, and we've really missed her. There was a Big Incident where she ran out the door on them that launched a Major Chase where she ran across the busy, 5-lane South Padre Island Rd. Twice. We are so, so grateful that nothing happened to her. Now we all just need to get on the same page with the commands she learned in puppy school. (Running out on them is the whole reason we took her to training in the first place. J & I have never had her do it to us, so we still have something to work on because that cannot. happen. again.)

And here is how we carry her down to the beach because:
a) burrs get stuck all over her fur, which caused J to chop part of her freshly-groomed ear (hair) off last time
b) the sand is ridiculously hot

* Since it is a family reunion, and we are the youngest of all of the adults, and we'll be chasing after tons of kids, and we'll be going to a waterpark, I wanted something a little more active than my go-to bandeau bikinis (no tan lines!), so I bought a swim skirt and after much deliberation, a few tops with better coverage. (My problem area is my hips and thighs, so I am pretty happy with the swim skirt - it's cute but covers what I need it to!)

Asking J last night which tops I should keep and which I should return, I got concerned again that I may need something even more conservative so I ran back to Target for the third time to pick up a one-piece. I think it's the first time I've worn one since I was 12, and it's not half-bad, except it has absolutely no coverage in the bottom, so I will always have to wear it as a one-piece + skirt. (I can't find the link on the Target website, but from the back it looks like you're wearing a bikini, so I think it still looks pretty youthful. If I am indeed still youthful / semi-fit enough to wear bikinis and one-piece wannabe bikinis.)

So that's how I came to have three new swimsuits with no clue what I'm actually going to wear.

What about you? What is your go-to swim attire?

Indeed

2010-07-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

God Bless Sunday Morning print from Dear Colleen

Check out her shop for other lovely prints. (Tea towels are coming soon! I love a good tea towel.)

Crazy for the Quatrefoil!

2010-07-09T17:00:00.002-05:00

Do you love the quatrefoil?

I do! This lovely pattern has probably inched out the chevron for the top spot in my heart.

I hope to have a big ol' quatrefoil-patterned rug one day. I'm on the hunt for new bedding for our anniversary present (the second year is cotton!), and I've been searching in vain for a duvet or sheet set with a quatrefoil-esque graphic print. Last night I spied the one above on an episode of House Hunters and hunted it down - it's from Williams Sonoma Home but is no longer available, which is probably a good thing because it was a bit over my budget!

So imagine how excited I was (and what patten I picked out!) when I found out I had won Sweet Simplicity's giveaway for a set of notecards + labels from Tickled Pink Ink!

I can't wait to write some notes with these lovelies (and use the labels as bookplates in my most treasured books)! They are sooo pretty!

What patterns have you been loving lately?

Sailor Knot Headband

2010-07-07T14:00:00.001-05:00

If it's nautical, I probably love it. This sailor knot headband from marcelacamargo is no exception.

I post a lot of things on this here blog that go in my "love it but should think about it or I'd own everything" file, but I think I must buy this today in hopes I'd get it next week in time for my beachin' family reunion...the only question is, ivory, navy, ivory & navy, or ivory & black? There are some savings when getting two, and I just can't decide!

Your thoughts, please.

2 Years!

2010-07-05T17:30:00.001-05:00

Today we celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary!

As the words on the charm of my bouquet read: "Je t'aime plus qu'hier moins que demain", which means "I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow."

Have a Great 4th of July Weekend!

2010-07-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling a little down in the dumps at the moment, which I'm hoping is due to the combination of the rainy weather and being tired from not being able to sleep last night. These prints from ablaze's Etsy shop are starting to cheer me up.

What are your plans this holiday weekend? Hope it involves some sparklers!

Read in June

2010-07-01T19:00:00.003-05:00

Our cable has been out for the past two weeks, and we were at the beach this past week, so I did a fair amount of reading last month. Here is what I read (incidentally, the order I read them in is the same order I would rank them, from lowest to highest):

Best Friends Forever, by Jennifer Weiner

This is a quick read, probably best saved for the pool or beach. I did cry at some of the things the main character Addie went through in her life; however, I didn't like the character of Valerie, the ex-friend-coming-back-into-her-life-when-she-needs-help. The plot is somewhat predictable, but it has its moments. Like I said, a good one for when you're out by the pool or at the beach!

American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfield

I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of this one. It is loosely based on the life of Laura Bush, which I tried to ignore because it's not meant to actually portray here, just similar life events. I cried at the very beginning (only this time sitting on a plane in first class with only my cocktail napkin to hide the evidence - I am sure all of the businessmen around me thought I was crazy). Once Alice becomes the First Lady, I liked her character and her husband's character less. It's such a long book, that I think by the time Sittenfield got to that point, she struggled with the end and it ended up being weak. Another good one saved for the pool / beach.

Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

If you read the over-hyped book jacket, I'm not supposed to tell you anything about this "magical" story, but it is about a young refugee from Nigeria named Little Bee who experienced some horrifying things with a British couple on a Nigerian beach. She made her way to England, and after getting out of a UK immigration detention center after two years, she goes to look for them. I wish the book had been written entirely from Little Bee's perspective, whose character is a great mixture of wise and humorous, instead of trading off with the woman from the beach, Sarah, who I thought came off as selfish. (Although as a man, I don't think Cleave gets the voice of an African refugee and a modern British woman quite right.) This one is definitely worth a read for the issues it tries to address.

The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss

Another book with more than one narrator, I very much enjoyed the characters. Leo Gursky is an elderly man and writer from Poland who is separated by the love of his life, Alma, during World War II. He wrote a book called The History of Love, which he believed was lost when it was sent overseas while he remained in Poland. Alma (#2) is a young girl who was named after Leo's Alma from his book, a copy of which made it to her now-deceased father, who gave it to her mother as newlyweds. When her still-grieving mother receives a request to translate it, young Alma sets out to uncover more about this mysterious book in an effort to help her family. Things slowly come together, but not in ways I expected. Funny and sad, I'm still thinking about this one, so it has gone on my list to read again someday.

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. The day I started I couldn't put it down, and at 2 am, I finally had to make myself go to sleep because I had work the next day. The next morning, I woke up with the voices of Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter in my head. I was sad last night as I neared the end, because I didn't want it to be over, so I am eagerly awaiting the next book Stockett puts out. (Hard to believe this is her first novel!) That's all I'm going to say about The Help, because if you haven't already, I really want you to read it and come back here and let me know what you thought. (And if you have read it, did you just love it like I did?

What have you been reading lately? Any good recommendations for me for July? I think next on my list is The Art of Racing in the Rain, which I've heard is going to make me cry buckets.

Happy 27th Birthday to My Fave Guy!

2010-06-23T06:00:00.032-05:00

If our future babies look half as cute as you did

in this 1985 Olan Mills photo (does everyone remember Olan Mills?), I will be a lucky woman.

Love, Your Wife

P.S. Thanks for proposing to me on this day three years ago. Can't believe it's been so long since then!

P.P.S. Since we will be embarking on a nine-hour roadtrip when this post goes live, I guess I should drive during and let you listen to the US versus Algeria World Cup game with nary a complaint. It is your birthday, after all.

How to Tie a Knot

2010-06-18T18:00:00.020-05:00

There are many things I love about this image, but most of all is this rope knots tea towel*.

Elle Decor via Small Place Style

I must have this! I have tracked it down here**, and I may just have to splurge on it, even though navy doesn't really go in my kitchen. (However, this one and this one would. I think they would look awesome framed and hung together. Maybe I could do that with the knots one and use it in another room until I have my someday-all-white-with-blue-accents kitchen. Problem is, I actually need some tea / dish towels, and these are so much more interesting than your Plain Jane ones.)

* Curious as to the origin of the name tea towel, which I seem to see more of now as opposed to calling it a kitchen or dish towel (yes, I actually think about these things), I found this on Wikipedia:

In 18th century England, a tea towel was a special linen drying cloth used by the mistress of the house to dry her precious and expensive china tea things. Servants were considered too ham-fisted to be trusted with such a delicate job, although housemaids were charged with hand-hemming the woven linen when their main duties were completed. Mass-produced tea towels were produced during the Industrial Revolution. Today pictorial tea towels make charming and collectible souvenirs.

What pictorial tea towel do you use to dry your precious and expensive china tea things?

How Do You Display Your Photos?

2010-06-08T12:00:00.030-05:00

One Kings Lane* is offering gift certificates for gallery wrap canvas prints from Chic Canvas for quite the discount right now. I shopped around some other websites and found it to be a really good price. (I did find one site where the 20x24 wasn't that much more expensive.)

One of the problems is that I don't know which photo I'd pick, so I'm having trouble deciding the dimensions for the one I'd buy! We have our high-res digital negatives of our beautiful wedding photos, and I haven't yet had any portraits printed, partly because I don't know if we really need to have something so large of us on display. (I already feel like a 16x20 of one of our awesome engagement photos is a bit much, even though we're a smaller part of the photo, standing inside this sculpture. I ended up putting it in our bedroom.)

Now if it was just of some cute kiddos like this, or a great landscape shot from a vacation, I think it would look great as a big statement piece. But I'm just not so sure I want to see myself so large, or if our houseguests want to see us in a canoodling wedding photo. Also, I recently picked up a ton of silve frames matted to 11x14 that were on clearance at Target, and I've started to collect the ever-popular IKEA Ribba frame as well, with the idea to eventually have a gallery wall of favorite photographs, but without it being wedding or couple overload.

So I turn to you, my helpful readers. Should I buy it? (I can always save it for later, there's just that question of which size.) Are you going to buy it? What would should I have made with it, or what would you make?

Do you think once you start decorating with gallery wraps, that future portrait-worthy prints should get the same treatment as well for consistency in your home?

* Let me know if you want an invite and I'll email you the link!

Packing Success!

2010-06-02T22:00:00.010-05:00

Can you believe this is all I'm taking on a four-day trip?

Compare mutant toy poodle to tell the scale of my bags

All my life, I have not been skilled in the art of packing. (I need lots of back-up clothing options, you see, which equals a lot of stuff.)

But determined not to pay to check a bag (totally ridic), I resolved to fit it all into one carry-on and one personal item. (And I told J he better do the same!)

And I did!

We are leaving the house at 5:30 am (!) tomorrow morning for a wedding in Michigan.

I packed:

2 wrap dresses for dinners Thursday and Friday

1 cocktail dress for the wedding Saturday

1 casual dress for brunch Sunday

1 white skirt

1 pair of white jeans

4 tops (there should be 2 extra)

1 jean jacket in case it gets cold

2 pairs of heels

1 pair of ballet flats

1 pair of flip-flops

+ jewelry, toiletries, hair straightener, et al.

I am finally a packing success! (I rolled everything reallly tightly. I'm crossing my fingers I can get it all back in later!)

I'm excited - J booked his ticket on points and gets first class on the way there. Guess who gets the seat on the longer leg of the flight? Ooh ooh!

I've never been to Michigan. We'll be in a small town outside of Detroit, and I'm expecting it to be really beautiful there. They've reserved bikes at the hotel, so I think that's what I'll be doing while J golfs Friday.

Have a great weekend, blog friends!

So Tweet It, Just Tweet It

2010-05-25T07:00:00.011-05:00

So I've joined Twitter.

So I can tweet about blog giveaways for extra entries.

Because I like to win stuff.

Maybe I can manage some riveting, witty insights into this great world as well.

Such as, "What's up with all of the creepers on The Bachelorette?"

Or maybe I will solely tweet more bad puns like the title of this post.

Follow me and see!

(Once I figure out all of the Twitter @ lingo # and RT etiquette DM.)

Scenes from the Last Few Days

2010-05-24T22:30:00.009-05:00

...courtesy of my iPhone.

Dusk on Friday

~~Brunch~~ Lunch on the patio at Gloria's Saturday

We decided not to use the word brunch since we never get breakfast food.

(We usually split pupusas and the churrasco tipico here. Que rico!)

I was slowly savoring my $4 mimosa until I was told they were bottomless...managed to get 2 more in. 3 for $4 is a steal!

We went to the Byron Nelson on Sunday, but I didn't take a single picture.

It was HOT.

My favorite part was sitting in the A/C in the HP Technology Center.

I cried a little when we left.

Leaving work Monday

Speaking of hot, when I first looked at the temp in my car, it read 100 degrees and very appropriately, the song display was Usher's "OMG".

By the time I was able to slow enough to take a pic, it had cooled down to the oh-so-manageable 97 degrees.

It's going to be a looooong summer.

Dinner at my in-laws' Monday

It cooled off some more, so we ate outside in their lovely, breezy atrium.

I don't know if you can tell what it is from the photo, but we had crab sandwiches, Brussels sprouts, and champagne.

The open-faced crab sandwich is the yummiest, easiest thing to make:

Texas Toast

topped with

Sliced Avocado

topped with

Crab (canned will work)

topped with

Hollandaise sauce

with a squeeze of

Lemon

Serve with bubbly champagne.

Korbel Naturel was supposedly Jackie O's fave.

I felt fancy.

Drive home Monday

Somebody has recently discovered the feel of wind in her hair (& ears).

How was your weekend?

Sum, Sum, Summertime!

2010-05-20T21:30:00.001-05:00

As if I didn't want it to be summer already, the new lookbook from Ruche is certainly doing it! I just cannot get over how beautiful the styling and photography is.

(If you're reading in a reader, you may have to click through to see it.) Here are some of my abso favolutely favorite looks:

The Scrabble letters are too cute.

Sandals, get on my feet!

I love everything about this photo.
Note to self: Try out red lips.

If my wedding was a beach photo, this would be it.
(It had a lot of navy, with a few navy & white polka dot accents, and cheery yellow flowers)
I adore everything about this as well.

I (almost) wish my hair was long again so I could wear a braid like this.

Are you with me on summer? Have you made any new shopping discoveries lately?

Sharon Montrose on 20x200

2010-05-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

I love Sharon Montrose's work. (You've got to check out her new-to-me Dog Photo Booth if you haven't seen it!)

Today, her Baby Giraffe No. 5 is on sale at 20x200. They're almost sold out of the 8x10s, and I'm seriously considering springing for the 11x14 at $50.

Have you ever purchased anything off of 20x200?

P.S. In other animal news, tonight is a Wüf Wedding at Lee Park here in Dallas. Your dog can be joined in holy muttrimony with another pup, complete with a reception and doggy and human wedding cakes. (The canine bride and groom exchange biscuits as a sign of their affection.) Totally crazy or makes-me-wish-my-dog-had-a-significant other? Maybe in the next year or so she'll find her soulmate, she's only 5-7 dog years right now.

Navy & White

2010-05-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

...I-eeee-iiiiii will always love you. You will always be a part of my fave palette.

Victoria Hagan Interiors

Beadbaord Ceilings

2010-05-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Let's talk ceilings.

The one in my bathroom is the only one in our home with popcorn texturing (thank goodness), and as of late, it's looking very, very sad down the middle due to some repairs by the previous homeowner that weren't done properly.

So I suggested to my dad, my Ceiling Replacer Man, the beadboard ceiling:

Design Esquire

Life in the Fun Lane

He was a little skeptical at first, but is now on board with the beadboard (haha!) after I showed him these photos. I think it will look great in our bathroom, especially because the vanity cabinets have a white beadboard face.

I'm not sure exactly when we're going to tackle this project, but I'll be sure to share the before and afters!

Nashville Love

2010-05-13T19:00:00.005-05:00

I was looking through the latest issue of Southern Living last night and came across an article on Austin vs. Nashville. As a proud graduate of The University of Texas, I was a little dismayed that I hadn't enjoyed most of the places mentioned in the Austin article. (We have several friends that have recently moved there or are planning to, so I can get right on that.)

I was duly impressed by all Nashville has to offer, and I'm so wanting to visit someday and purchase a souvenir poster from Hatch Show Print, my faves of which are at the end of this post.

I'm saddened by the devastating flooding that has happened there. I was happy to read today about Lift Up Nashville, found via two ellie, which is selling these $10 posters that go toward a flood relief fund. I love these designs, and what a great way to show support.

Hmm, can't decide which is my favorite...

This measurement poster matted and framed in my future all-white kitchen? Perfection.
(Also practical, because I don't have all of my conversions down.)

Other articles in this issue I enjoyed...
Gardening 101: Basil - I just purchased my first basil plant and I am in love. I hope J doesn't get tired of my caprese salads!

The South's Best Dog Parks - I love that there's one in VA called the Bea Arthur. (Fact: We like the Golden Girls, and Bea Arthur was a factor in naming Trixie Beatrix. I wanted to call her "Bea" or "Bebe" as her primary nn, but my MIL insisted on Trixie and it stuck.) We need to try the Fort Woof in Fort Worth sometime. I'm really excited that a dog park not too far from my house is opening soon. I can't wait to go, since our pup doesn't get much off-leash time. Should I be worried about male dogs coming up to her and trying to take advantage? My poor baby.

$15 Mirror, Priceless Look - I really want to try etching glass. I think this would be fun to attempt. Surprise surprise, I think I'd try out a chevron pattern.

I Love Me a Good Before & After

2010-05-07T18:00:00.005-05:00

I really do - a sad "before" makes the lovely "after" that much better.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I came across this before and after and realized it's a kitchen that I've seen popping up on a lot of blogs lately (and has already been filed under "dream kitchens" in my digital archives). It seems slightly more attainable now.

I love the white and the dreamy pops of blue + texture of the armchairs. And I'd probably pass by them in a store, but I am so lovin' the lights over the island.

Found via Fabulessly Yours

Beatrix and Laura Say

2010-04-28T18:00:00.001-05:00

...a change will do ya good.

Big haircuts last week for the ladies of the house:

Trixie Before

Trixie After

I swear we didn't pose her for these...for some reason she gravitates toward lying on books like a little pillow.

Me Before

Me After

I miss it longer, but the layers were getting kind of mullet-y and I was always throwing it into a ponytail. I haven't had it like this since circa 2005.

Trix is not a fan of documenting the transformation.

What about you? Any new looks you've made or considered recently?

B-I-N-G-O

2010-04-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

Whenever I'm on a cruise ship and enjoying a game of Bingo for the chance to win big! money! (and because I need to digest the massive quantities of food I've eaten at the buffet before I can waddle back up to the pool), I get a hankering to change careers and become what I was destined to be: a Bingo caller.

Here's my best one:
"I wasn't born a princess, but I've always wanted to B1. B1, the square is B1."

I just need these Bingo bobby pins from Tefi's etsy, and I'm ready to go.

Happy Friday!

Paint by Numbers

2010-04-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

Some girlfriends and I have been talking about doing a girls' night at Painting with a Twist*, a BYOB (!) painting class. Lo and behold, it was today's Dallas Groupon! ($20 instead of the normal $45) I think it will be a lot of fun to see how same-but-different everyone's canvas turns out!

Here are some of my favorites that have been offered recently:

Dallas Arboretum
I love that they offer some that reflect your location!

Texas Bluebonnets

Austin Motel

Colosseum

Bike

Naked Lady

Sailboat

Beach Chair

Have you done anything creative like this with a group of friends? What did you do and how did it turn out?

* Locations in TX, LA, AL, and FL

Nerd Alert

2010-04-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

My taxes are finally finished.

Not that they haven't been (mostly) ready for a while.

Although the tuition form was jacked up with only one semester and J finally got it straightened out today. (So we have two procrastinators in our little family.)

alibubba's flickr

But I just now sent them off to my ~~frienemies~~ buddies at the IRS because I like playing around in Turbo Tax.

Am I weirdo?

Back in December, I tried some things out to see if I should do certain things in 2009 or save them for 2010, with the help of my BFF Quicken to do some estimating.

And then I read some articles about changes for 2009 and things not to forget when doing your taxes.

USC2000's flickr

And then I waited a while until I got all of the official forms and entered enough stuff to see what our refund was shaping up to be. (Wahoo.)

And then I played around with some different scenarios to see the results. You know, for next year. (Did I subvert my destiny by not becoming an accountant? Gosh, I hope not - sorry if any of you are accountants.)

And then I read some of the "Ask the Community" questions to see if people have questions as dumb as mine. And then I laughed because some were really dumb. (Hey IRS, audit this guy! He wants to save one of his W-2s for next year so he doesn't make as much this year.)

And then I waited some more, wondering if I forgot or messed up anything. So I went over every section again, even the sections that don't even apply to me, just so I could have TT reassuringly tell me they don't apply. (Okay, I probably am a weirdo.)

Joey Harrison's flickr

And then I decided that it's April 14th, and I should probably submit them.

And then I looked at TT's comparison feature of you and the average amounts for people like you, and some areas were not similar at all. And then I decided to stop worrying about it, and sent the crazy forms off. (Turbo Tax, what would I do without you?)

If I was a fun girl, I'd dream about the pretty things I'd spend the refund on.

But instead, I am ~~boring~~ practical and it's going into savings. Maybe I'll get real wild and earmark some of it to start paying interest on J's student loans. (Ooh, a possible deduction for next year!)

Crazy Cool Converted Gun Shop

2010-04-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

Did you see 9 by Design? I would be so stressed to live their lives! I can't imagine being eight and a half months pregnant with my seventh kiddo and finding and moving into a temporary apartment in a matter of days...and decorate it with cool finds in the blink of an eye.

This is the most amazing rooftop-basketball -court-with-a-dome-that-mimics-the-church-next-door ever.

Sixx Design

Glee is Back Tonight!

2010-04-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

Have you seen the blog What Would Emma Pillsbury wear? I love seeing the inspiration looks readers submit based on the episode. Totally my work style.

I'm hoping to see some lip-lockin' between Will and Emma tonight!

Any Glee fans out there?

Fender Benders, Crawfish, Implosions, and Mean Girls

2010-04-12T23:00:00.001-05:00

Friday I went to a "shopping party" at my SIL's house. (Someone brings in their merchandise, and the guests have wine and apps while browsing the wares.) Coming out of my no-shopping spell, this big spender got away with just this ring and a pair of earrings for $25. (The whole thing wasn't really my scene, which I'll explain later in this post.)

I purchased a ring just like this in New Orleans, but I can't find it...oops.

This one has different colored "petals" and is gold-toned instead of silver, so if the other one turns up at least they'll be different.

Saturday I spent the morning looking at handbags online (see? once I buy something I start dreaming about more), and then I let J drag me out for our traditional Tex Mex Saturday Lunch even though my allergies were out in full force. Perking up over chips and salsa (clears the sinuses!), we chatted about budgets and booking airfare for our Big Trip this summer, now that we've built up our travel fund and J has solidified that he has an off month in August.

After lunch, we stopped in a toy store in a tony shopping center to get something for our nephew's birthday, and in the process of leaving, this happened:

How? Before we backed out of our space, we waited for the car behind us to leave and for another car to pull into its spot. We then start backing out, and were almost completely out of the space when the car that had just pulled in also starts backing out. There are two things you can do in this situation: try and pull back into your space, or start honking your horn to get the attention of the other person to stop. Not having enough time to do the former, J started honking. Not hearing the horn, and apparently still not looking, the guy kept backing out, giving us this lovely dent.

The guy gets out of his undented BMW SUV and said, "Well, obviously we were both were backing out without paying attention."

Not finding this true, I replied, "Actually, we were almost out of the space when you started backing up. We were stopped and trying to get your attention."

He then explodes with a "BULLS#$@ LADY! If you're going to have that kind of attitude [insert rant here]..."

I spent the rest of the encounter in the car, incredibly annoyed and staying out of it. The man is at least 50, and he's going to yell like that? While I'm sitting there, two teenage boys get into their pricey SUV next to me and ding their door against mine. Seriously?! I'm right here. They didn't notice my dirty looks.

J told the BMW guy he shouldn't speak to a lady like that and the BMW guy apologized (yeah!) , and he offered to pay 50% of the repair, which I guess is something. He then went on to say that he just didn't understand why his backup sensor didn't beep to tell him he was about to hit us. (Try looking behind you and using your mirror, buddy.)

I cried the whole way home about the cost of fixing the dent - that's the cost of the plane ticket to the wedding we're going to in June! That's the cost of several nights' hotel for our Big Trip! No handbag for me, and I have been on a shopping ban months! (Er, except for some cheap skirts and sundresses from Old Navy. And the ring and earrings I bought the night before. But you know, I had to, my SIL was hosting the party.)

I am feeling better about it now; that's what emergency funds are for, right? I guess that's what I get for thinking I was finally going to splurge on a handbag! At least I got J to hold off on booking airfare for the vacay for a while. He's super excited to pick a place and book it right! now!, while I like to sit and waaaaiiiit for the best deal. (That's right, we don't even know where we're going! We're leaving it up to where we can find a good price on flights. We were originally thinking Brazil, but now maybe a Eurotrip? We're hoping to take two weeks. Suggestions welcomed.)

Saturday evening we said adios to Texas Stadium, which was being imploded at 7 the next morning. We meant to see the big event in person, but conveniently, the alarm didn't go off and we watched it on TV instead.

J having a moment

Goodbye, Texas Stadium. This is now a big, depressing pile of rubble.

And then we went to a crawfish boil. Where the nephew we had bought the toys for had already left to go to a sleepover. Anyway, crawfish are yummy. (And they clear the sinuses! My allergies were back in full force by then -- I don't think I have ever sneezed so much in my life. Unfortunately, I may have to spend the rest of Spring inside.)

So that covers the first three topics in the blog title. So what about Mean Girls? Well, the SIL that threw the shopping party the night before told us about a note she found in her closet that morning.

To give some background, most of the women at the party were moms from her sons' private school, and the conversation was very stereotypically Dallas. (Case in point: a woman with a diamond ring the size of her knuckle told a story about how for her third "section" -- it took me a minute to realize she was talking about a C-section -- she couldn't get the 1500 square foot private suite she had reserved since she went into labor early, and the woman in it wouldn't accept her husband's offer to write a check to switch rooms with her.) I used to feel more self-conscious in these situations, but now it's annoying more than anything. (Especially when I'm essentially introduced as poor because I'm putting my husband through med school.)

My SIL has an awesome home, and some of the women were trying on clothes back in her bedroom. While back there, someone ripped off the bottom of a Valentine's letter that she kept on the bathroom counter that her son had written her, and wrote something snarky along the lines of "we hate you for your closet; it really needs to be bigger."

So even when women are 40, they can still be catty and mean. Yes, she has an enviable collection of bags and shoes in a closet the size of my bedroom. (Too bad we're not the same size. Maybe I should see if she'll let me ~~have~~ borrow a bag?) So what? She also sacrificed a lot in the last twenty years to go through med school, residency, a fellowship, and then became a partner in a successful practice, so good for her to be able to enjoy what she earned how she sees fit. She's also extremely generous (I've been the recipient of her generosity many times), and it sucks that she invited people into her home that felt the need to be mean behind her back by ruining something that meant a lot to her.

How was your weekend? Hopefully it was filled with only pleasant encounters!

Stripes!

2010-04-06T19:38:00.004-05:00

Cute floormat by Alice Supply Co. (Dear Alice, I love all of your stuff. You actually make me want to clean. Did I just say that? Maybe I meant accumulate cute cleaning supplies.)

$15 today on One Kings Lane! (Normally $32)

Need an invite? Leave your email in the comments or email me at so alaurable at gmail dot com.

Tie One On

2010-04-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

I'd love to whip up a pitcher of this magic juice wearing one of these flirty aprons and sit out on my deck on a sunny day like today.

Happy 1st day of April!

Fun Way to Watch the Time Fly By

2010-03-26T17:00:00.001-05:00

Cute watches by May28th, each design with its own time of day. I especially like this Pantone-looking one. 3:28 AM: $39

Ooh, and one of these for floorplan lovers:

On the Road Again

2010-03-22T18:00:00.001-05:00

We were hoping to take a road trip this past weekend – J unexpectedly got the end of last week off, so we wanted to make the most of it – but we couldn’t settle on a destination.

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We’ve been talking about Memphis for a while, and I was pretty excited when I found on Better Bidding* that we could potentially get the Peabody relatively inexpensively. Alas, marching mallards, Graceland and BBQ were not meant to be when we realized a seven hour drive was probably a bit much for a three day weekend.

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helpful tip of the day: sunburns and 100 degree water don't mix

I’ve also been itching to soak in some hot springs since we wrapped up our Costa Rican luna de miel at the Tabacon springs, so Hot Springs, AR looked right up our alley. However, I wasn’t very excited by the lackluster hotel reviews I was finding, and I was confused by the actual use of the bathhouse, which looks like it’s a private experience. (Which means no canoodling with your spouse trying to pretend like you’re on your segunda luna de miel.) Has anyone been to Hot Springs that has any recommendations?

We went to Houston the weekend before, and have made plenty of trips down to Austin, San Antonio, and the surrounding Hill Country, so those were out, and J didn’t want to go Choctaw with me at an Oklahoma casino, even if I promised not to wear my fanny pack.

Running out of ideas, and remembering that the four hour drive to Houston the weekend before was a bit much to repeat so soon, I suggested a staycay at a local hotel, where we could lounge by the pool and sip cocktails and pretend like we didn’t have a pile of laundry to do at our house down the street.

Luckily, J nixed that idea. When I came up with this plan late last week, it was upper-70s and sunny. This is what our car looked like Saturday night leaving the bar:

Yup, it snowed in Dallas on the first day of Spring. Pool time was most definitely out. (And uh, maybe I should start checking the weather more often.)

So instead of making a weekend getaway, we:

I thought the "warm vintage" effect would be appropriate for this one. Sorry for the poor quality iPhone photos...maybe one day I will actually download photos off of my real camera.

Ate at our favorite hole-in-the-wall burger joint. The waitress has worked there for 29 years, and I don't think anything about the place has changed for at least that long. But don’t be scared, this guy has been known to park his Maserati outside and come in for a juicy burger.

Took the puppy to her first training class.

Watched some of our friends play their first gig at one of our favorite bars. They played covers for four hours, and it went really well. So well that the guys at the table next to us (already drunk when our friends went on at 8 pm, so that might explain it) spent a lot of the time singing, air guitaring, and doing jigs in front of the stage, somehow managing to not knock over any of the equipment.

Went to see our new niece for the second time. Hard to believe that I’m an aunt to NINE kiddos!

We’re still wanting to go somewhere new soon, and I now think we’ve found the perfect place! As we were catching up with one of our couple friends during the show, they told us all about…the awesome, only-two-hours-away road trip they took last weekend to Dublin, TX, home of Dublin Dr Pepper! (J was following a doctor recently named Dr. Pepper, and I can’t stop giggling every time. I want that last name so I can make people introduce us as Dr. and Mrs. Pepper! But I digress.) I think they stopped by the bottling plant, went to a winery, and saw cheese being made. They did it all in one day, so I’m now psyched to shamelessly copy their itinerary for a day trip or a whole weekend stay!

What about you, any quick trips you’ve taken or planned recently?

* Better Bidding is my secret to using opaque hotel booking sites like Priceline and Hotwire. It provides a listing, broken down by the area and star rating, of hotels you are likely to get. If you're using Hotwire, you can also match up the amenities listed, which helped me net a 4* hotel in Boston where a wedding reception we were going to was being held for half off the cheapest rate.

The site also has forums where you can see what price other people got a hotel for in the area you're interested in, which was helpful when I was booking our hotel for Houston last weekend. We got a 4* hotel in downtown for $55...never mind that it was a smoking floor and we're too chicken to ask to be moved, and never mind that when we came home late that evening that neither of our keys worked and I was stuck standing in the hallway listening to a rather loud amorous couple through what were apparently thin doors while J got a new key. I used Priceline for the first time to book it, where I recommend having a backup email and credit card if you don't want to adjust your bid or wait 24 hours to place the same bid.

For Saturday

2010-03-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry Coco, but I tried watching about your life avant Chanel and fell asleep each time, so you had to go back to Netflix...just in time to snag Twilight: New Moon the day it comes out on DVD (and my only chance befoe it goes to "very long wait" status).

Breakfast of Champions

2010-03-11T07:00:00.004-06:00

I've been on a smoothie kick for breakfast lately, and my latest twist has been to add some spinach to it. (I was channeling Missy Chase Lapine of the Sneaky Chef, who spoke at our Junior League meeting recently. The sneaky ingredient in her smoothie recipe is avocado - I wonder what that's like.)

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The spinach went great the first few days. Amazingly, you cannot taste it and wouldn't know it was there but for some tiny green bits.

However, I think I got a little heavy handed with my last attempt.

One handful? Still red.
Two handfuls? Still red

One last handful because we really need to finish off this half-used giant tub of spinach before it goes bad? Puke green (not a pretty green like this one)

I decided to ignore the color, but it also tasted bad, I think due to a lack of some sweetening agent. Sadly, I ended up throwing it out.

Any favorite smoothie recipes or tips out there? I know it isn't as healthy/cheap as making your own, but I recently tried the Yoplait frozen smoothie mix (or as this funny blog post* calls them, the "Jamba Juice Action Playsets"), and I thought they tasted good and blended real...smooth. Mmm, a smooth smoothie.

* I laughed out loud at the response to one of the comments about how buying a pre-made mix is lazy: talk to the Cheeto-filled hand