first edition of friendly friday (on thursday)

I like lists...I love my friends...I live for Friday's.

Now I'm combining the above to bring you friendly Friday's!

Corny title? Yes. Can't argue there.

I thought this would be a fun way to spotlight my friends and bring something new and different to my blog.

So, without further a-do

The first friend I am going introduce you to is Carla.

Background: Like a handful of my friends, Carla and I go all the way back to our Kindergarten days at FRA. After 13 years there, she attended Auburn University, a short 2 hour drive from where I was at Samford. I spent several weekends down there enjoying SEC life and Mamma Goldberg's deli. After college, our friendship continued back in Nashville and I was so sad to see her go when she recently moved to Sacramento.

Celebrating her because: Carla moved exactly 10 days ago and has been getting adjusted to living in California, starting a new job, and finally living in the same city as her boyfriend Whit. Lots of big changes that I can't wait to see unfold for her!

Five things I love about Carla:
1. she is the world's best about returning texts, emails & phone calls
2. she once received a love email from a guy that told her she had "curves more fluid than desert waves". i am not kidding, at all. i probably laughed about this for 3 solid days.
3. has a unique ability to be brutally honest, without sounding all that brutal
4. she's so thoughtful - on my 28th birthday she showed up in my office unannounced to surprise me with my favorite strawberry cupcakes from a local bakery.
5. quite possibly the most indecisive person i know. we once spent 45 minutes at a boutique for her to pick out a headband. she helps my patience (or lack thereof!)

Five things that Carla loves:
1. macaroni and cheese
2. spending time with the nieces and nephews
3. shoe shopping
4. getting a good pedicure
5. finally being able to actually have "date nights"

wednesday randoms

Better late than never. . .

1. I think I might be the only person that loves this bitter cold and snowy weather. I love it, I love it, I love it! (anyone else love Molly Shannon's character that said that on SNL?)

Now, if this were April it might be a different story. But I love being cozy warm, wearing snow boots to work, cooking comfort foods and sitting by a fire. Winter is definitely my favorite season.

2. Speaking of the weather...I am a huge weather junkie. There is something so intriguing to me about how weather is one of the few things we have absolutely no control over, and how it changes everything so drastically in such a short amount of time. I could look at pictures snow, floods, whatever on weather.com for hours. I realize I sound like a complete nerd. Why do I even have friends?

3. ...and speaking of friends, tomorrow I am launching something new on my blog! Get excited. One Friday a month, I am going to feature a friend on here, with a picture, a few random facts from me and from them. Now I am not vain, but I will say I have the greatest friends in the whole wide world and I can't wait to find a special way to showcase them on here...not that you care, but I do.

4. I refuse to admit how many cooking blogs I follow. It is getting ridiculous.

5. I'm going to viva Las Vegas soon! The only card game I can play is Uno, so this should be fun.

job duties

Grace started her new big-girl job yesterday. Today, as part of her job duties as a Family Specialists for the Knox County Head Start program, she has to learn to parallel park one of these bad boys.


Good. Lord.

wednesday randoms

1. I can not, will not and do not drive in snow. Yes, I am your typical Southern girl diva when it comes to scooting around town in the white stuff. I wrecked my car one Christmas Eve in bad road conditions and that was enough to do me in. Nashville had a beautiful white Christmas this year and I was terrified out of my mind driving in it, even though the roads were clear.

2. I took a new initiative to start removing myself from all the junk email I receive on an HOURLY basis - and it has made a world of difference. I love any kind of spring-cleaning, be it my room, closest, office, or now my gmail/outlook accounts. I strongly encourage you to do the same if you hate sorting through pertinent and junk emails. It is just a simple click on a link at the bottom of most emails, and sayonara junk mail!

3. Carla gave me a whole entire coffee-table book of Awkward Family Photos for my Christmas present, a compilation straight off their website. It is insanely hilarious.I mean, check out even just the cover?



4. I saw several movies over the Holidays, none as bad as How Do You Know. It was so terrible that it literally made me angry. I haven't seen a bad movie in a while, and I think the fact that I paid like $37 to go see it made it worse. The one saving grace was Paul Rudd, who I think is just so stinkin' cute.



5. What is more addicting, crack or Angry Birds? I recently discovered the game on my cell phone and I can't stop. Such a mindless waste of time. But totally welcomed!

I love traditions of any kind, especially those that center around Christmas. Perhaps the one nearest and dearest to my heart comes from my dad; every year since I was small, he has gone shopping & picked out on his very own, an outfit for my sister and I. For a dad, he has great taste...and I look forward to those outfits each year, even as a 28-year-old adult.

This year I decided to start a tradition of my own.

Some people have a fetish for shoes, others maybe books or jewelry. One of my fetishes has to be stationary. I have gobs of it...it's something I can never get enough of. My sweet grandmother was the same way. I think that is why I pay such close attention to Christmas cards.

So, I have decided from here on out, to choose my favorite Christmas card each year, date them & keep them for a display of some sort every Christmas.

The 1st annual winner is...

My dear friend Tori!

Tori's husband Nathan is overseas serving our country as a member of the Air Force. Instead of using an old picture, or none at all, Tori put her creative mind to work. And here is the result.

Such a fun and festive use of technology! You can easily see why it was chosen as my favorite.

Have a fun New Years Eve! And watch out for the champagne. It'll getch'a every time.

chuck norris wears garth brooks pj's

Unless you live somewhere far far away, or under a rock, you have probably heard about, read up on, or been to one of 9 concerts that Garth Brooks put on for flood victims over the past 7 days.

I was able to get tickets through my work for his second show on a Thursday night at 10:00 - more like 11:00 by the time we fought all of the crowds to get in. There was no opening act, we sat down and 5 minutes later, here comes Garth. Our seats were insanely good, and for a little over 2 hours I stood and danced and sang to every single song he played. When I left I said to myself, I have to go back.

And I did.

I found a ticket on Stub Hub. The actual price of the ticket was $3, but after fees and service charges it was a whopping $12.95. How in the world could I pass that up? My two best friends from high school, Laing and Whitney, were going so we all loaded up together and headed downtown after work for his 6:00 last night.

I bought a single ticket so I had to sit by myself. No biggie, I didn't care at all. I be-bopped around like I had Thursday...I was on my feet the whole time. Part of my row even started to sway during "The River". I almost joined in, but the guy next to me was a 50 year old dad with his son, so I opted out. I'm awkward, but I'm not that awkward.

When we left, my friend Tommy asked me which show was better. That's like asking me which I like more, a chocolate cupcake or a strawberry cupcake. While you could tell that his voice was going out a lot more on Tuesday, it was still an amazing show. I could have done without Trisha Yearwood singing "How Do I Live Without You" Tuesday night, but Garth playing an acoustic version of Piano Man (one of my favorite songs of all time) more than made up for it. Both shows were awesome and I left in total awe of his talent and energy.

It's not too late if you want to go - there are still really cheap tickets on Stub Hub for his last two concerts tonight. Take it from me, it is so worth it.

You'll thank me later.

christmas

...here are a few of my favorite things about Christmas


1. Home Alone. I could quote that movie in my sleep. So many classic lines: "When I grow up and get married, I'm living alone! Did you hear me?! I'm living alone!"


2. Tacky Christmas Sweaters. We all had teachers that use to wear them for serious during the month of December. I went to a party this past weekend where one guest came in a Christmas themed denim-on-denim ensemble. So hot.





3. Peppermint oreos at Trader Joe's and Peppermint tootsie roll pops. I also tried the Peppermint milkshake at Chick-Fil-A. Killer. See you at the gym.

4. Food brought in to the office. We have all sorts of treats coming in, from Christie Cookies to candies, fudge, etc. with the most popular one being the Honeybaked Ham. I missed it this year, because I had already gone to lunch. By the time I had returned, it looked like it had been attacked by a pack of banshees.

5. Christmas Cards. Although I have to admit, I'm a card snob. Mine have to say Merry Christmas and they have to have red or green on them somewhere. I am very particular when finding my cards!

6. Snow and cold weather even though it technically isn't winter yet? Yes please!