Today I switched over to my 2012 planner. Yes, I still use a hand-held, paper planner. And as long as they are around, I'll still use them. I write everything in my planner. If I ever lose it, I'm screwed.

Before tossing in the trash, I flipped through it for memories sake. It reminded me of all that 2011 has brought me...and while there have definitely been some hills to climb, many blessing have also been sent my way.

So true to the nature of many blogs this week, and David Letterman, here are my Top 10 Moments of 2011.

10. Saw Brad Paisley in concert 3 times this year!
9. Second Tuesday of every month - my supper club - love those girls.
8. Took a new position at work in July...still really enjoying it.
7. My 10 year high school reunion happened and it was SO MUCH FUN!
6. Obviously went to my fair share of weddings. Even got picked up by a 65+ year old at one. No thanks.
5. In May, there were three precious babies born within 5 days of each other - Eve, and twins Lily and Jackson. They are all angels!
4. Sarah and Whitney moved back to Nashville!
3. Took a trip to the beach in March with my family.
2. Traveled to California and Washington to see Carla and Tori this summer. Saw so many things I'd only seen before in pictures.
1. More or less forced myself to meet Blake Shelton on a random street corner one Wednesday night. I had no shame...and he was awesome.

I'm off to the beach with friends to ring in 2012... Happy New Year to you all!

...these are a few of my favorite things

I know we are still a few days out from Thanksgiving, but I just can't help getting in the Christmas spirit. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love seeing my family, and I really, really love the food. No one can make dressing (Not stuffing. I'm from Tennessee, remember...) like my grandmother. And I am convinced I could live off of sweet potatoes alone if it came down to it.

But there is just something about Christmas that is so magical. The days leading up to it are busy, yes. Parties, parties and more parties. Concerts, plays, luncheons...they all seem to hit at once. Despite hectic schedules and crowded places, the Christmas season brings so many things that bring a smile to my face. Some little and mundane; and others that bring back some precious childhood memories.

Here is my list!

I love wrapped gifts - I try to wrap as many as I can, as opposed to gift bags. My grandmother always wrapped my presents in the nicest paper with the most exquisite bows and adornments. At the time, it was the last thing I cared about - I just wanted to see what was in that present! But now that she is gone, her attention to each and every gift to her family is what stands out more to than what was inside the box.



Cold weather is my favorite. I lived in my black and white polka dot Target rain boots last year and jumped at any chance to wear them during any talk of rain or snow. I love the look of these Hunter rain boots with warm sock inserts!


I watch Christmas movies year-round; yet I can not choose my favorite between Home Alone (can quote the whole thing), Christmas Vacation (You serious, Clark?), and Love Actually (Hugh Grant dancing to Jump is one of my all time favorite movie scenes).




These old time Christmas light bulbs are not something you see that much any more, but again, something insignificant that brings me back to Christmas at my grandmother's. Her tree was covered in them every year that I remember.


Christmas music starts 24/7 the day after Thanksgiving (at least on the radio), but I may or may not have already listened to a few of my favorites. "Do You Hear What I Hear" by Carrie Underwood (of course) is pretty much on my iTunes repeat; but when it's on the radio, Martina McBride's "O Holy Night" will stop you in your tracks. This particular version is a capella, and it's amazing. It's almost a religious expierence just listening to it.

How fun are these cutesy Kate Spade bow earrings? And I love emerald green as an alternative to red and/or black for a Christmas party!



Who can forget the food? A lady in my office always makes puppy chow (chocolate peanut butter Chex Mix) and I can't help but take extra helpings when she brings it in. I also love those limited edition candy cane Tootsie Roll pops that are now in stores! And sausage balls, and spice tea, and...





I hope that you can find time to appreicate all things that are important and meaningful to you and your's during the season, and in doing so, be sure to stop and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

the obits

My uncle has passed along a strange, albeit hilarious, ritual - checking the local section of the daily paper for the obituaries.

Now, before anything is said, know that this is by no means meant to disrespect those who have passed.

It started when he was searching for friends of his parents, in order to pay his respects. What followed was simply an observation - printed for all to see - of people's off-the-wall, quirky nicknames that are displayed in their death notice.

Here are some of my favorites that I have documented over the past few weeks - using only their first names.

Unless you have absolutely zero sense of humor, you will find that at least one of the following will give you a little chuckle. With nicknames like these, I'd like to think these people lived life with no shortage of laughs.

George "Big Roy"
J.L. "J-Bird"
Alan "Weasel"
Edna "Snook"
Margaret "Tooter"
Gwen "Ladybug"
Horace "Tex"
Jarney "Possum"
Phillip "King Phil"

and my personal favorite:

Joseph "Sugar-doo"

And I said, What about...

Breakfast at Tiffany's!

This year I dressed up as Audrey Hepburn/Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was a really fun & easy costume to put together. I had to find a few "props" - nothing that Party City couldn't supply.

Except for the coveted Tiffany's blue bag - a must to complete my outfit.

I debated whether or not to go to the store and ask for a bag. I have a few pieces from there that I could have taken to get cleaned and then asked for a bag - but I didn't think all of that would be necessary. And, as my friends reminded me, I am the same girl that asked Blake Shelton for not one but two pictures, so this seemed like a piece of cake.

I walked in one afternoon after work. Ann Claire was with me. As soon as I was greeted, I said, I have a favor to ask.

I explained that I was dressing up as Audrey Hepburn for Halloween and would be willing to pay for a bag for my costume. The guy looked at me, dumbfounded.

All of the sudden, an old guy from behind the counter pipes up and says, "I'm sorry, we are not permitted to do that."

Permitted to give me a bag that probably cost them 50 cents to make? When I offered to pay for it?

I said, o.k., I'll just go buy a blue bag.

But, the crisis was averted & I ended up finding a bag from a friend.

Happy Halloween!

flea market find

What do Whole Foods, Target & the Flea Market have in common?

Really, nothing. Except I could spend hours upon hours browsing around at each.

I gravitate towards anything vintage and whimsical. I like something with character, with a story or meaning, and something you won't see on everyone.

The monthly flea market is the best place to find one of a kind items that you can't find just anywhere. Or, if you can find them elsewhere, they probably aren't nearly as cheap. Granted, it takes a good eye and some patience to sort the trash from the treasures, but a day off work Friday let me do just that.

I spent several hours looking at some really great, uncommon goods. Lots of things displayed remind me of my grandmothers, which is part of the reason I love going each month.

There is one booth I frequent - a lady who sells vintage jewelry and accessories at the best prices.

It was here that I found this little treasure. I have a collection of old purses that were my great-grandmother's - and for $10, I thought it was a good find.

What made it a GREAT find was what was inside - a ticket stub from the Grand Ole Opry in 1974.

How cool is that?

tourist in my own town

Tuesday night my friend Kayla treated me to an unbelievable show at the Grand Ole Opry. I've lived in Nashville my whole life, & the only time I've ever been was for Ann Claire's high school graduation...not exactly what it was built for.

I loved the show...every second of it. Another thing I can cross off my bucket list -to see Brad Paisley at the Opry! Even better were the other big performers, Carrie Underwood and Alabama. If I could morph in to anyone, it would be Carrie Underwood. Seriously, she's perfect. And I grew up listening to nothing but country music, so seeing Alabama was a huge plus. THANK YOU KAYLA!

Side note: if you've never seen or heard Carrie Underwood sing How Great Thou Art, then stop what you are doing right now and listen to it. It's life-changing. I have her live Opry version on itunes, but this video below is even better, if that's possible. Seriously, I cry every time I listen to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLLMzr3PFgk&feature=related

unexpected surprise

Sarah's twins are 5 and a half months old. They are a huge blessing to me, and I love my weekly visits with them. They can make any mundane, sub-par work day a better one just by their sweet smiles and coos.

Yesterday morning Sarah asked me to stop by after work. She said she had a surprise for me, knowing that I hate surprises. When I got to her house, she asked me to sit down. At this point I have no clue what is going on - I thought she was about to tell me she was pregnant again, in which case I would have passed out in the floor.

Instead she asked me to be Jackson and Lily's godmother. I was floored. I didn't even know how to respond because I was shocked and honored all at the same time. What a humbling request and one I am more than willing to take on! Everyone knows my love for babies, and being the children of one of my best friends makes them all the more special.

our reunion!

Such an amazing time Saturday night with friends! We had a great turnout...even had to be asked to leave the bar since we over-stayed our 4 hour limit. It was a success for sure.

reason #103,823 i love my town

If Brad Paisley is my husband, then Blake Shelton is my boyfriend on the side.

Last night I went to eat at Tavern for my friend Jodi's birthday. I was driving down Division (talking on my phone, of course), when out of the corner of my eye I see a tall, rugged, plaid-shirt-clad vision standing on the corner. By himself. Looking somewhat lost, but approachable.

Right away, I knew it was him. Blake Shelton!

The first thing out of my mouth (while my friend was on the phone) was screaming out my window, "I hope you don't think I'm crazy, but I love you!". He smiled and said, "Well I love you too!" Heart. Melted.

I immediately hung up the phone, not even saying bye to the person on the other end.

Without thinking, without putting on a blinker, attempting to park, or using my hazard lights, I stop my car in the middle of the street. How I managed to not get rear ended is beyond me. I run around, stick out my hand and said, "Hi I'm Angie and I think you are so awesome." I go on to tell him how I love his music, his show, his wife...again, I said, I know you think I'm crazy and he said, "well I think you're crazy because your car is just sitting in the middle of the road!"

Inside his head I am sure he is thinking...omg, what a psycho. Oh well.

I asked for a picture and he obliged...not once, but twice. I didn't like the first one so I said, let's take another. He could not have been nicer.


PICTURE 1

PICTURE 2 - you can see him better!

They are both blurry because my hands were shaking so bad.

It was literally one of the biggest and best highlights of my year.

high school reunions

Our ten year high school reunion is this weekend. I loved high school and loved all the people that I graduated with. I'm really excited to see everyone, especially those that live out of town or that I don't see on a regular basis. I went to the same school for 13 years, so it was hard to leave but I am proud to say that my best friends then are my best friends now.

My dear sweet Ann Claire (college and post-college roommate) had her ten year reunion this weekend. She went to another high school in Nashville so all of her events were here, and they had a good turn out of both in and out of town people. As expected, she came back with three classic stories that I have to share. Now I wasn't there for any of it, but knowing her like I do, these stories are nothing short of hilarious. She makes me happy.

* Ann Claire asked a girl she went to school with when she was due. The girl replied with, "I had my baby in March." Personally, I couldn't think of anything worse. But the girl laughed it off and there were no hard feelings. I think if you know Ann Claire, it's easy to laugh let something like that go. This is probably the best thing I've ever heard in a very long time.

* A guy and his wife were at the football game with their new baby. They were all talking when Ann Claire leans over to peer in the stroller. "Your baby is so cute!" The guy said, "Ann Claire, my baby is over here." and points to his wife who is holding the child. I asked her what she thought was in the stroller, and she said it was just a bunch of blankets and thought the baby was underneath them.

* One of the girls that graduated in their class changed her name. She went from Faye to Kimberly because where she worked (Wal-Mart), there were too many ladies named Faye. I love it.

Here's hoping my reunion can provide me with this many laughs!

mouth guard

As I have said before, I love going to my dentist. He is awesome, I love the staff, and he just so happens to also be my next door neighbor. I recommend him to anyone... I even scored a gift card to Sperry's and 2 movie tickets because of how many patients I have sent his way!

I had my twice-yearly checkup a few weeks ago and he noticed that there was some chipping going on with my teeth from grinding them in my sleep. Next thing you know, I am making an apt. to get fitted for a mouth guard to wear at night. How very cool of me.

This resulted in me asking 20 questions of my dental hygienist. I'm the type that likes to know exactly what to expect and how things are going to go - when it comes to my health or anything along those lines, I want zero surprises.

First I am fitted with the trays. I told her I have a really small mouth, but I guess she didn't believe me...next thing I know, she starts to shove and prod and poke this gigantic plastic contraption in to my mouth. My eyes start to water, I get really hot and I feel like I am about to pass out because I am gasping for air through my mouth and choking all at the same time. It was a situation. And I hadn't even got to the actual molding yet.

I think she finally realized I really do have a small mouth, and I am fitted with a better fitting, more comfortable tray made for children. That's right.

Miss Hygienist proceeds to mix this plastic-y, purple, silly putty goo that would form to my teeth to make a mold for my mouth guard. She shoves the tray/goo in my mouth, forces me to put my head down, and starts coaching me on breathing exercises so I do not throw up all over her while during the procedure. I guess I scared her right off the bat. "Breath in and out your nose. In and out your nose. Don't let me down. In and out your nose." Her exact words, I promise. What took only 30 seconds seemed like 15 minutes.

Now I know this might all seem quit dramatic, but I've never been one to be "strong" when it comes to any out-of-the-ordinary procedures - whether it be at the real doctor, dentist, optometrist, etc. I'm kind of a baby. I was telling my mom this story, and she reminded me that it took 2 nurses to get my throat swabbed when I was little, and even more for shots.

The lady made me feel better at the end when she said I did very well, and that she actually had someone throw up on her earlier this week who went through the same thing. Granted, he was 12, but still.

The best part of this whole story is that the receptionist (who I am friends with) told me that my "ex" had been in literally the day before. Now what a great story that would have been. It's one thing to run in to them at Target or the grocery. You take things to a new level when you run in to them at the dentist getting fitted for a mouth guard at age 29.

Labor Day was awesome - I saw friends, family, and spent the actual Holiday doing practically nothing. So nice. I had been out of town on Memorial Day and July 4th this year and made it a point to stay home for once. With a few weddings, a class reunion and a family over-night trip in my future, I needed to power off for once.

Because I was a lazy Lucy on Monday, I was wide awake Tuesday evening and was channel surfing. I saw that Friends (my favorite) was on Nick @ Nite. That show can't be that old? But it made me feel old, because I remember watching Bewitched on Nick @ Nite. Anyway...it reminded me that I made this trusty list of things that I now have less than a year to do - so here is my update. Which isn't as much of an update, as I see I have a long way to go to complete my goals. And again, this is more for my sake than yours... :)

20 things i want to do before i turn 30

1. Play paintball. NOT YET.

2. Make a layer cake, that hopefully doesn't look like this. (Love you ACCB) NOT YET ON THIS EITHER, ALTHOUGH I DO KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS AGREED TO HELP ME WITH IT!

3. Go to a drive-in movie. THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AS I DROVE PAST ONE ON MY WAY TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S SUNDAY.

4. Get a physical. Easier said than done considering my total and utter fear of needles. CALLED ABOUT ONE, BUT THE OFFICE WAS CLOSED. HAVE YET TO CALL BACK. AT LEAST AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE?!

5. Go on a date with someone that isn't a friend first. DONE. IT WAS A BLIND DATE. I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF FOR DOING IT, BECAUSE IT WAS AN EXTREMLY INTEMIDATING SITUATION AND ONE THAT I MIGHT HAVE NORMALLY THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT. SUPER NICE GUY, BUT AFTER THE SECOND DATE I THINK WE BOTH MUTUALLY AGREED THAT IT JUST WASN'T GOING TO GO MUCH FURTHER.

6. Travel to the Pacific Northwest. O.k., that's cheating since I'm going in July. But it's my list and I can cheat if I want to. AND IT WAS A BLAST :)

7. See Brad Paisley at the Grand Ole Opry. I GLANCE AT THEIR SCHEDULE EVERY NOW AND THEN BUT IT HASN'T WORKED OUT THAT HE'S BEEN THERE WHEN I CAN GO. I WILL ALSO GO AHEAD AND ADD BLAKE SHELTON TO THIS AS WELL - HE'S UP THERE ON MY LIST AS WELL.

8. Pick blueberries (again) in the summer and apples in the fall. I HAVE ANOTHER SUMMER TO DO THIS, AND HOPE TO FIND TIME THIS FALL TO GO APPLE PICKING!

9. Attend my 10 year high school reunion. COMING UP IN A MATTER OF WEEKS!

10. Take a cooking class. TOTALLY FORGOT I EVEN PUT THIS ON HERE.

11. Tour the Country Music Hall of Fame - haven't been since a 4th grade field trip when it was on Demonbreun and about 1/4th the size it is now. NOPE - BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE A GOOD WINTER ACTIVITY. I LIKE TO SPEND EVERY SECOND I CAN OUTSIDE DURING THE SUMMER.

12. Dedicate lots of time to helping out my friends that will become Mom's this year. I FEEL LIKE I'VE DONE A SO-SO JOB AT THIS WITH SARAH'S TWIN'S AND LAUREN'S SWEET LITTLE EVE! STOPPING BY WHENEVER I CAN JUST TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEM, FEED, CHANGE, BURP, ETC.

13. Spend a weekend in Chattanooga - the one city in Tennessee I've never really gotten to know. NOT YET.

14. Buy my own place - a condo or a townhouse. This is a stretch, but I'm going to try. CLOSER THAN I WAS WHEN I WROTE THIS LIST 6 MONTHS AGO, BUT NOT THAT CLOSE!

15. Maintain my blog. I really enjoy journaling my life, regardless if people are really reading or not! I COULD DO BETTER, BUT THE NEW JOB HAS KINDA CONSUMED ME OVER THE PAST 8 WEEKS.

16. Buy a laptop. Between my work computer and cell phone, I don't really need one right now, but one day I will. This might take a back seat to number 14 though. IT HAS, IN FACT, TAKEN A BACK SEAT TO NUMBER 14.......

17. Take more pictures. I'm terrible at never taking my camera anywhere. I HAVE DONE WELL AT THIS! I TOOK A LOT ON MY TRIP, TOOK SOME THE NIGHT WHEN LAING AND I CELEBRATED OUR BIRTHDAY, AND PLAN TO TAKE LOTS AT OUR REUNION.

18. Learn to curl my hair with a curling iron. For some reason, I still can not master this skill, and my hair always turns out looking bent in half. Sexy. YES! YES YES YES! THANKS TO MY SWEET FRIEND KAYLA, I LEARNED HOW TO CURL MY HAIR! I JUST WISH THE CURLS WOULD STAY LONGER THAN THEY DO.

19. Finally get around to watching The Shawshank Redemption. I'm told it's a must-see. NO. AND IT WAS AT THE FRANKLIN THEATER A FEW WEEKS AGO, I JUST COUDLN'T GO.

20. Go here - I still have never been. ANOTHER THING I WANT TO DO THIS FALL!

the case of the broken plate

Our office is cleaned weekly on Saturday. On Monday morning, a co-worker came to me and asked if anything in my office appeared to be broken. We looked around, up and down and found nothing. She told me when she was working over the weekend, she heard a crash, followed by a stream of four-letter words. She swore it came from my office, but after a lot of inspecting everything seemed in tact.

Flash forward to the end of the day. Someone was in my office, sitting next to a coffee table I have in the corner. They asked if I had broken my plate. The plate was a square, ceramic plate my sister had painted for me as a gift when I graduated from Samford. It has sat on a stand in my office ever since I started my job.

Upon inspection, I find that the plate was what fell to its demise on Saturday. Never fear, however - cleaning co. to the rescue! They very, very meticulously glued my plate back to where it looked good as new. However, where the plate had chipped (it is painted yellow), they took a yellow highlighter to cover their boo-boo on the front, and even in the tiny cracks on the back. That's right, they used a marker to try to hide the accient from me. Hopefully, the following pictures will explain better.

A note saying "Sorry, my bad." would have worked just fine. Accidents happen. Their little sneaky cover up worked, though - and would have worked longer had someone else not pointed it out!

I have since received a voicemail from our cleaning company. I called them back, but have yet to actually speak to a live person. Could a formal apology be in order? Do they know that I know?

a book, a sandwich, a nun, etc.

At the urging of my aunt, co-workers and friends, I finally got a copy of The Help. If all books could be like this, I would have done a lot better in my high school and college lit classes. I'm halfway through and I am totally enthralled with this story. Kathryn Stockett does a wonderful job of weaving together three different perspectives and depicting life in the South back in the 60's. I definitely recommend this book, and I can't wait to see the movie.

Last week I had the best sandwich of my life. I couldn't help but tell everyone I know about it. It was turkey (like the pulled, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, not deli meat), brie (favorite!), green apple and honey mustard on pumpernickel. It was fantastic. If you live in Nashville, you can get your very own at A Matter of Taste on 8th Ave.

I have had a fairly stressful week at work. It started Monday and just kind of went downhill from there. Anyway, today I was needing a pick-me-up. Ask and you shall receive! I look over and pulling up next to me was a nun, in a Smart Car. Those cars make me laugh - add a nun, and you've just made me laugh out loud by myself.

I've said it before & I'll say it again. I AM SO READY FOR FALL. I am pretty much done with summer after July 4th. Give me cooler weather, football, scarves and chili any day.

O.k., that's all for my random thoughts of the day.

friendly friday

I am still alive. Ever since I got back from my trip, I have been running 90 to nothing between my new position, weddings, showers, repeat!

Background: Missy came to FRA in the 5th grade. When she came on a visit, I was her "buddy". We've been buddies ever sense, even going to the same college! She even asked me to read scripture in her wedding, which was such an honor.


Celebrating her because: By total coincidence, Missy and her husband Andrew were in San Fransisco the same time Carla, Whit and I were! We went to dinner, and also ran in to each other at a vineyard.

Five things I love about Missy:
1.She has twirled her hair the same way since I've known her. I'm glad her hair was up for her wedding, because I am sure she would have done it then too.
2. I love Missy's laugh, and I love how easy it is for her to laugh at herself.
3. I wish I could raid her closet.
4. At her wedding, she asked Carla and I to also open the doors before she walked down the aisle. Such a special moment.
5. On my 21st birthday, which was on the 1st day of my junior year of college, she posted pictures all over campus of me with Happy Birthday written all over them. You can imagine my surprise walking to class!

Five things that Missy loves/random facts:
1. Gets Chick-Fil-A breakfast every friday on the way to work
2. Loves chocolate, white wine, and asian food
3. Loves a girls lunch at Neiman Marcus with their strawberry butter, shot of chicken broth, and popover (author's note: we did this when Carla & I went to see Missy in Dallas. You could eat the strawberry butter with a spoon. I know because I did.)
4. My favorite date nights are doing progressive dinners around dallas with andrew
5. I once superglued my pinky to my eye.

i think i can, i think i can

Just one more day of this...


...until a week of this...







This week at work, I have been preparing to leave the position I have held for close to 6 years. I have a week off starting tomorrow afternoon where I am going to tackle a whirlwind of sight-seeing with dear friends in the North West part of the country. When I return, I will take on a new position within my company. While at times I have told myself the timing could not be worse, I actually think it works out kinda well.

I hope everyone has a great time celebrating the 4th of July! Be safe!

have it your way, right away

...a post guest from Laing :)

As I have mentioned before, my grandmother is CHEAP, like embarrassingly so. Her favorite place to eat is Burger King. Not because it's good, healthy food, or because the service is great; but because on the back on the receipt they give you you can call a 1-800 number, take a little survey and then get a code for a free Whopper (with purchase of drink and side item).

Well, apparently they have recently changed the system to an online survey that tracks your IP address, and you can only do it once every 30 days. This just about sent her into a tailspin as she has a stock pile of receipts at the ready for a nice BK meal 4 times a week. So, I am working in her office and she asks me to fill out the survey online. I go to the website, and can't do it as someone has already done it from that computer. She is now full on freaking out as it is lunch time, so she has me call me aunt, cousin, husband AND mother to have them fill out the surveys online from their respective computers.

The next week it got even worse when she realized all her resources were tapped and I was left to call my 80+ year old great aunt and try to walk her through getting on the computer AND the Internet all in one day!

word to your mother

I've been at the same job since college, and therefore have not had many interviews in my career. Well, just one actually. But I would think I would know what to say and not to say in an interview, a phone conversation or an email correspondence with a future employer. And I just have a silly undergrad degree.

Check out this story from my friend Carrie. Professional or not, I like this girl. She seems to not take anything too seriously.

We interviewed this young lady, a recent MBA graduate from Vanderbilt University School of Business. We sent her an email on Thursday to come in for a second interview next Friday. She responds the following day with an email that said...

"OMG...my email has been down and I didn't know I had an interview."

We reply telling her that she was not suppose to come in today, but rather that she was suppose to come a week from today. She writes back and the only thing the email says is...

"Word..."

I have a crush.

A girl crush. On her.





Have you ever been asked who you would invite to dinner, if you could ask anyone, dead or alive? Well I haven't.

But if someone did ask me, I would choose her and she would sit at the head of the table.

She is fabulous. Just fabulous.

wedding recap

I had a great time attending Beth and Robert's wedding this past weekend in Memphis. I am so glad I made the trip to see them get married! The ceremony was sentimental and the reception was so fun with some very unique, personal touches that I loved.

Here are some pictures I took. I'll start with my most favorite part...

Instead of cake, Beth had pies...they were the most amazing pies I've ever tasted. Out of all the flavors, I finally decided on two tiny slices: the Slap Yo Mamma chocolate pie and the Goober peanut butter pie. Insanely good, and a great ending to her Memphis bbq buffet spread! Her menu is definitely on my favorites list from all the weddings I've been in and attended.

Her mom just had to have a cake, so, another 1st at a wedding - a mother of the bride cake! In the shape of an apple pie...

The reception was at Central Station, a train station in downtown Memphis. For part of the place settings, Beth used vintage (ya!) postcards...very creative, and a great way to tie in the train station theme and her and Robert's love for travel.

I got to hang out with my friends Hunter and Blakeley, who I know through the same group of friends I met Beth through. We enjoyed catching up, and you can see her pictures from the wedding on her blog!

Congrats again to Beth and Robert - and I know you are having the best time in Ireland!

friendly friday

Background: Explaining how I met Beth would be the equilivant to explaining the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. To make it easy, we met through mutual friends.


Celebrating her because: I am so excited to attend Beth's wedding this Saturday in Memphis. (Shout-out to Laing, too, for making the drive with me and Whitney's aunt for letting us crash at her place!)

Five things I love about Beth:
1. She is the reason I started blogging. Of all the blogs I follow, her's is my favorite.
2. We both have a mutual affection for Tennessee football, old things, Paul Rudd and writing.
3. Beth and I always seem to have good convorsation, no matter how much time passes between our talks.
4. Instead of a traditional cake at her wedding, she is serving several different flavors of pie. Such a great idea - I always love a little twist on tradition.
5. She has a Brad Paisley hatch print from when he played at the Ryman years ago before he was as popular as he is now. I would steal it if I could. Or, my birthday is in August. Hint, hint. :)

Five things that Beth loves:
1. If I was stuck on a deserted island for the rest of my life, I could probably survive on pizza, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Crystal Light lemonade and coffee. Maybe Diet Coke too, for good measure.
2. For a pick-me-up I like to sing along with ladies with big voices, ladies like Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick.
3. If I could do anything with the talents I already have I would write novels for a living (and maybe I'll still get there). If a genie would grant me a wish, I'd like to sing and dance as well as Beyonce.
4. I love, love, love old books, music, houses, furniture, dishes and especially movies. My favorite music covers a time frame from about the mid '60s to today, and I love movies from all eras.
5. I also love to watch sports. Baseball, and specifically the St. Louis Cardinals, is my favorite. I can watch just about any football and love the Titans. In the past few years I've gotten to really love college basketball, and this year I really got into NBA (go Grizzlies!) I'm even learning to love hockey and soccer. Really, I can watch any sport as long as I understand what's happening.

if you forget your lunch at home...

Do you remember the children's book, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie? I had a similar experience yesterday.

I don't know why half my stories come from taking a lunch break, but they do. This one is neither funny (to me at least) nor random...it was just downright annoying. But ridiculous enough to write about.

I had left my lunch at home Wednesday morning so I decided I'd take my new People and head to Panera. Going to lunch alone with a book or magazine is an indulgence of mine. I love it. It's like mid-day therapy. Anyway, I also needed to go get gas because my light had been on for a day already.

I get to Panera after a few attempts at finding a spot in their shitshow parking lot (the one on 21st) only order and realize not only did I not have my debit card, but I did not have my license, either. I had gone out the night before to celebrate my friend's recent engagement and forgot to put my cards back in my wallet.

So, I leave to go cash a check. But mid-way to Suntrust, I realize I can't because I have no driver's license. I turn back around and head to work for someone to loan me $20. At this point, I'm getting nervous that I'm just going to run out of gas all together.

I grab the money (my work peeps are awesome) and fill up my tank. I go inside and stand in line for what seemed like 15 minutes to pay. As I'm finally getting gas, some really chipper girl comes over and said she'd like to clean my windshield because it is customer appreication day. Mind you, huge storm clouds are starting to form, but of course I tell her sure and it takes her longer to clean my windsheild than it did for me to pump gas.

I'm not going to give up on getting my Thai chicken salad, so back to Panera I go, almost totally defeted. I stand in line, order and eat in peace. It was the best tasting salad ever - at this point I would have eaten anything really.

Right as I am finishing up, the bottom drops out of the sky and I get soaking wet going back to my car.

Just another day in the life...but gosh that was a good salad and I had a bug-free windsheild for 30 whole minutes.

summer lovin'

here are a few things I'm loving as the days have gotten longer and (much) warmer- some because it's summer, and some, just because!

1. Bobbie's Dairy Dip has been around as long as i have. it's a short 5 minute drive from my house, which is a good and a bad thing. my tried-and-true favorite is a cherry chocolate chip milkshake (it's not on the menu - just ask for it!). yum! you can pretty much have whatever your heart desires as far as milkshakes are concerned. they also have burgers, sundae's, cones, hot dogs, and their sweet potato fries are excellent. it gets crowded sometimes, and seating can be limited, but well worth the wait if you ever find your way over to the west side!
2. It is no secret that I would rather just not wear makeup if given the choice. sometimes i don't even wear it to work. but i do love these cream eye shadows by laura mercier. they are quick and easy and the color stays on all day - and the bronzy/rosey color is perfect for summer when you have a little color on your face.
3. I really enjoy going to garage sales and estate sales bright and early on summer Saturday's! You never know what you'll find. Sometime a sale will be a complete bust, while other times you'll hit the mother load. I think I've mentioned it a time or 12 before, but I love anything old, vintage and with character and these sales are a great place to find all sorts of unique things. Side note...remember on Friends, The One With The Apothecary Table? That centers around Phoebe's issue with Pottery Barn, and Ross and Rachael buying the same table? Love that episode.

4. The Voice. just when I thought my American Idol day's were over until January, this little gem of a show comes in to save me on Tuesday nights. however, Christina needs to get a handle on cleavage.

5. Grilled anything. I would probably eat a grilled shoe if you had one. O.k. not really, but some of my favorites are grilled onion, grilled pineapple and grilled zucchini.