Everyone maybe worth knowing

On our trip back from Kentucky, I started reading a book I had picked up a few months ago, Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger.

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Let me go ahead and throw it out there that I'm a speed reader. I had 3/4 of the book done in about 4 hours... and I LOVED it. I was totally into the book, wanted the characters to be real life best friends, you know all that good stuff. With that being said, once I got back I didn't have as much free time and didn't get to finish the book until last night.

Maybe it's just me, but honestly I was a little bit disappointed. I was hooked on the book, but the last like two chapters just kinda let me down. I feel like lots of details were left out and the end was hurried. Has anyone else read this? Did you have the same feeling?

All in all, I would totally recommend this book, it's a great chick lit beach read and that's exactly what I was looking for! I absolutely loved the author's other book, Chasing Harry Winston, and adore the movie The Devil Wears Prada (although I haven't read the book). I can definitely see the similarities between DWPrada and Everyone Worth Knowing though, they seem to have very similar main characters!

Next up I'm going to move along to something recommended by you guys!

Today I Love: Spring Shoes

It's finally warming up here in the circle city and with that brings day dreams of cute shoes! I've been scouting out some casual, spring shoes and thought I'd share some of my favorites! I'm picturing these with some well-worn jean shorts and a plain boyfriend tee...

Sperry Top-Sider Women's Biscayne - $54 
[available here]

Sperry Top-Sider Metallic Boat Shoe - $84

[available here]

TOMS Newport Slip-on - $68

[available here]

Keds Champion Dolce Vita Linen - $50

[available here]

Converse Jack Purcell Slip-on - $69

[available here]

I've got a whole slew of wedges that I'm drooling over too but I want some shoes that I can comfortably walk in for an entire day without them wearing on my heels/poor little toes! What have you been lusting after?

Top 2 Tuesday : Top 2 Favorite Things about Summer

This week's topic over at The Undomestic Momma is Top 2 Favorite Things about Summer. Hello I have like a top 242 things I love about summer, but I won't make you read all that! My lovely invisible friend, Neely, came up with this weeks topic which makes it even better!

1. Driving around with my windows down, sunroof open and good music on!

That's my papa's car and my sweet little Cammie! Yes, he is the whole reason I bought a new Camaro, and although I'd much rather be driving his, I do love my car!

2. Spending Sundays by the pool enjoying fresh, cold hoolia-ritas. 

What's that you say... you've never had a hoolia-rita before? Best drink ever, named after a family friend who introduced us to the concoction... simply take a can of frozen lemonade concentrate and pour it into a pitcher, fill that can up with vodka and poor it into the pitcher, pour in a Corona (one bottle) and a Sprite (one can). Mix and serve. Seriously the best marga-vodka-beer-arita concoction you'll ever have!

(Photo from a few years ago, but that's me and my pup Spencer lounging... and yes, he really does love to float around like that, he'll hop onto a raft without any help nowadays!)

What are some of your favorite summertime activities? Link up and play along!  I also enjoy going to baseball games, hanging out on the canal, having cookouts, enjoying drinks on the patio, running around my yard barefoot and spending lazy, sunny days relaxing with friends!

Gettin lucky in Kentucky!

I'm prefacing this post by re-stating the fact that I am a 60yr old stuck in a 22yr olds body. Just saying. If you start reading and find yourself thinking "wow, what a geek!" feel free to exit, I promise I'll try to contain my excitement! ;) Oh! But before you go, thank you for your sweet, sweet comments on my nieces photos! I digress...

So every year around this time there's a big quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky. And when I say big I mean HUGE! Just about every store in their town has fabric vendors taking it over during this weekend, the antique stores, grocery stores and even the Harley shop had been overrun by quilters! My mom and I went a few years ago and had a blast. We bought so much cute fabric and couldn't wait to go back this year!

So at noon on Thursday I left work, met mom at home (along with her friend Gina) and headed out on our 5.5 hour drive. Girls weekend, woohoo!

We did a lot of fabric shopping. Aside from food and a few vintage pieces of jewelry (which I can't wait to share in a future post) all I bought was fabric! I came home with two huge bags and I can't wait to share photos, I hope to get a few quilts made and up for sale in the next few months!

One of my favorite reasons to go to Paducah is because of Hancocks of Paducah. Every year they have huge tables set up of precut fabric that is atleast 50% off of what you'd normally pay. It's typically a madhouse (see photo) with women surrounding all the tables going through fabric.

If you can't tell, I was by far the youngest person with the exception of children in strollers that had no choice but to come. Hah I love it though! These ladies are so sweet, and are just so impressed that someone my age is into quilting! They are always asking me questions, not to mention glaring at my bright, bold fabric choices in comparison to their muted colors!

We got back in town Sunday afternoon, and of course I was sad to be back to the real world and work today! Oh how I love days when I don't have to wake up to my alarm!! To be honest, I missed ChrisChris though, so I was atleast excited to come back and see him. I had a blast spending the weekend with my mom, too. The older I get the more I appreciate the time I get to spend with her! I love that it no longer feels like we're just mother/daughter but also that we're friends!

Spring Giveaway : Winner

I've been out of town for a long weekend and in non-blogger mode since Thursday afternoon! Alas, I'm back at work and slowly catching up with all my comments, new followers and hundreds of unread blog posts (yikes!)

The first task to check off this morning is announce the winner of my Spring Giveaway sponsored by Elliven Studio!

The winner of this handmade ruffled stationary set is #5, Miss Nicole over at BusyGirl! I can't wait to hear what she's going to use them for! (Nicole, I've sent you an email with details!)

Thanks again to Julie for hosting this giveaway, if you haven't already checked out her Etsy shop go do so now! She has a ton of cute, not to mention practical, things! I'm snagging up a coupon holder this week!

Livy Loo's 8 Weeks Old!

I haven't bombarded you with photos of my adorable, snuggly niece lately, and my lucky readers, I think today is a good day for that! Olivia had her one month photos taken a few weeks ago, I like to think she takes after her aunt in the good looks department ;) (Joking! but really, this kid is a doll baby)

That last one is her on Easter. This week she rolled over from her tummy to her back all by herself! I can't believe how much she's changing already, one part of me wants her to stay tiny and snuggly, while the other part of me can't wait til she can start walking and talking and I can take her out on fun little auntie/niecey outings!

I have really fond memories of hanging out with my Aunt Pat when I was young, I always LOVED when I got to go spend the day (or if I was really lucky spend the night too!) with her, I just hope that Olivia feels that same way towards me!


And of course, don't forget to enter my giveaway! It's going to be open until Sunday, and you don't want to miss out on this ruffle stationary set!

43 degrees and a whole lotta pink

Saturday morning we woke up at 6:30 Chris woke up at 6:30 to get a shower and run to Dunkin Donuts to surprise me with coffee and a donut when I woke up at 7 7:15ish (he's kind-of adorable, I know!)

We then decked ourselves out in our pink gear and waited for Al & EP and my darlin' friend Casey to meet us at the condo. Once they arrived we piled into a car, drove down the street and got ready to kick breast cancer in the booty!

I was completely shocked by the amount of people there! I heard on the news that they had over $41,000 people sign up. Which yea, sounds like a lot until you see them all on one street - holy tata's! 

(Stole Borrowed these photos from Casey's facebook!)

EP, Allison, Casey, myself & ChrisChris

This was our first year doing Race for the Cure, and aside from the chilly temperatures we had a blast! Three miles isn't nearly as bad as I imagined it being (I might kick myself for saying this, but I almost think I could have ran it)

On our path we passed the Indianapolis Zoo, and they had one of their elephants standing on the hill with big pink ribbons painted on her ear - so cute!

We spent a large part of the 3 miles chatting and enjoying the sunshine (thank goodness it didn't rain!). We've come up with some awesome team names for next year, and we're planning on getting a larger group together to do it! I had such a sense of community and pride when we looped around back to the finish line! My least favorite part was seeing the children and teens with the "In Loving Memory of My Mom" signs on their shirts, that just broke my heart, but it gave me an even bigger push to volunteer again next year and try to raise even more money in the fight against breast cancer!

That's one more thing I get to cross off my 23 Before 23 list! (Did you notice my new button the right side, fancy huh?)

Tickling the ivories

A few weekends ago we were at the Carrie Underwood concert and her opening act, Craig Morgan was performing, he started singing Easy Like Sunday Morning...

Me: Who sings this song originally?
Mom: Lionel Richie
Me: Oh.... was he blind or just black?

Now let me just say, I get Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles confused. They were all piano-playing chocolate men and I just can't keep 'em straight! My family has been giving me crap for the past two weeks for this comment now!!

(Side note: the only reason I mention their skin color is because, well frankly, I don't get Elton John or Alicia Keys confused, just those three!)

Top 2 Tuesday : Fav Items Under $15

Here for another Tuesday with Taylor over at The Undomestic Mama.This week's topic is a fun one.... Favorite Items under $15

1.  $10 Sangria pitchers on Wednesdays at Barcelona Tapas!

I love going to this Tapas place in downtown Indy on Wednesdays after work with my ladies to indulge on some sangria and laughs! 

2. Scratch-off's and lottery tickets

I promise I don't have a gambling addiction, I just LOVE scratch-offs! Chrischris and I will sit in the gas station scratching them off and trading them in over & over again and then if we get a decent chunk of change from one we go blow it on milkshakes or something! I usually buy a Powerball ticket every week too, one of these days I'm going to be holding a gigantic check... you just wait!

Come play along with us, just visit the link above! 

And, of course, don't forget to enter my giveaway for the adorable stationary set!

Spring Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING!
Good morning lovelies!

Did Monday morning come quick or what?! I'm excited to kick off this week with a giveaway though! I have a super cute set of handmade stationary for one of my lucky readers made by Julie over at elliven studio

I think these would be so cute to send to a friend who just bought a new home (at their new address of course) or to congratulate on a new baby!

And since I love the back-story behind items, I asked Julie for a quick little bio so we all could get to know her a little better:

"My name is Julie, I'm a SAHM and the owner of the Etsy shop elliven. I focus on creating accessories using designer fabrics, and recently started offering a stationery line that combines paper with fabric. The stationery line includes sets created out of handmade paper which has been made by myself using recycled paper from my own home. I love to combine different textures to add dimension to my products. Stationery sets with ruffled fabric or fabric accessories with some vintage lace sewn onto them, this gives each item it's own one of a kind, unique look! I love to hang out with my three boys and husband when I'm not creating items for the shop, and am constantly looking for inspiration for new items."

SO, want to win this cute little set of 3 handmade ruffled cards (each with their own envelope and piece of Japanese Washi tape - I posted about my adoration for Washi tape here!)....

To enter:

*You must be a follower of my blog!*

1 entry: visit elliven and tell me what your favorite piece is

2nd entry: become a follower of Julie's blog, elliven studio 
(leave a comment here letting me know)

3rd entry: blog about this giveaway (be sure to leave a comment with a link!)

*As always, you must leave me a separate comment for each entry - it's MUCH easier that way!

Winner will be chosen at random on Sunday evening.

Mixer & Mingle Fridays : Red Stag

It's Friday already! Wow, does anyone else agree with me when I say that this week has FLOWN by!?
Today I'm featuring one of my most favorite beverages, good ol' whiskey! 

Dr. Stag

1 oz Red Stag

Dr. Pepper

Simply mix the two in a glass with ice and enjoy - if you like it strong, add more Red Stag. I love simple recipes that taste good and don't require you to purchase an entire cart worth of liquor just to make one cocktail!

Red Stag is a black cherry infused bourbon produced by Jim Beam. Don't let the fact that this is whiskey scare you away, it's a very sweet drink and tastes like cherry Dr. Pepper!

I also want to try something new with Mixer & Mingle Fridays, because I don't feel like there's much mingling goin on ;) Since I have a lot of new followers the past few months I'd love to get to know you guys! So each week I'm going to ask a question or pose a topic and hope that you decide to play along and respond in the comments...

This week I'm wondering what is your signature fashion piece? Do you ALWAYS wear red shoes? Are dangly earrings your go-to get-up? Mine is a watch. I almost ALWAYS have a watch on! And honestly, I don't even use it for telling time, but usually just as a fashion accessory.

Home Runs and Memories

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Aside from our Colts, Indianapolis doesn't really excel in sports. We have a hockey team made up of kids fresh out of high school and a baseball team that's not much older! Regardless, I still love my Indianapolis Indians!

When I was in high school my cousin, our friend Caitlin and myself  worked at Victory Field. It was one of the funnest jobs I've ever had!  We were part of the "Guest Relations" crew which translates into running the kids games (Rowdy's Water Gun Fun, Fast Pitch, etc), selling programs and hanging out with Rowdy (our mascot). 

It was the best job... being out in the sun, you got to watch the baseball games and play on the kids games you were operating! Sigh, I just needed a moment to reminisce! 

On another note, I reached surpassed my goal for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The walk is this coming Saturday, and I am so glad to know I've helped!

One more thing, do you ever get random friend requests on Facebook? I've gotten 3 this week... one Monday, one Tuesday and one today. It's people I've never met, we aren't friends with any of the same people and their names/faces aren't ringing any bells. I'm so confused by this!! Where are they coming from and why do I get one a day?!

Denim, denim & Tiffany's

Sounds like any girls favorite things right?! Haha. Believe it or not, I am actually not made of money nor do I have a never ending closet. Therefore every few months I go on a sorting rampage and end up with a large pile of clothing to either list on eBay or take to a resale store.

Said sorting rampage happened about a month ago, and with the upcoming vacation and a few other money things hanging overhead, I have spent the past few Sunday's listing my little heart out on eBay.
I'm not posting this for pity, but because I actually have quite a few steals listed and thought I'd let my invisible friends in on the action if they so find themselves interested!

I have quite a few pairs of designer jeans (True Religion, Rock & Republic, Big Star) and awesome pair of vintage Frye boots that are too small for me (sad face!) and this pretty lil blue box above (a gift from an ex-boyfriend, I can't stand to wear it anymore, I hope someone else can find joy in it without the bitter memories attached!!)

You can check out everything I'm selling here if you'd like!

PS If you like Vera Bradley, my mom has listed quite a few never-used or gently-used Vera pieces too! (Use the link above,we sell on the same eBay username!)

Top 2 Tuesday : Top 2 Beauty Secrets

I skipped T2T last week, and missed it terribly. So I'm back again! This week with my Top 2 Beauty products.

1. Baby Oil

Yep, I use baby oil in place of lotion every time I get out of the shower. It makes my skin SO much softer, and since I have crazy sensitive skin, I don't have to worry about all the scents and other junk in fancy lotion. If it's safe for a baby, my skin can usually handle it! Plus, in the summer, it gives your legs and arms a nice soft glow!

2. CHI Straightening Iron

 

Nothing too fancy here. I use my straightener all the time.... and I mean ALL the time - not only does my CHI get my hair silky smooth or curl my hair better than any curling iron, I also use my CHI to get quick wrinkles out. (I use it just like an iron! Obviously you can only reach as far as the clamp but it works great if you have some wrinkles on the bottom of your shirt or want to straighten up a wrinkled scarf!)

Once you go, you know

They say once you go, you know. I say Once you go four times, you not only know but by God, you're a Jamerican!

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Yep, you heard me right.... this coming August I'll be making my fourth trip back to my favorite little island in the world! There's a group of us going down there the end of August to celebrate the 21st anniversary of my mom's 29th birthday. (You do the math!)

Aside from the jerk chicken, patois, beautiful beaches and crazy locals, I'm most excited to be with ChrisChris since it'll be his first time there!

Oh, and I'm also looking forward to vising the Luminous Lagoon again...

If you've never heard of, or experienced bio-luminescence, let me give you my best non-scientific explanation.

In certain conditions (I believe there are only 4 spots in the world where this exists) fresh water from rivers meet salty ocean water, in this case it's in a lagoon, and with the ideal temperature, climate and vegetation surronding this area, certain teensy tiny microorganisms exist in the water. When those microorganisms are "disturbed" they emit a glow of light (seen in the photos above).... so when a boat moves through the water the water behind the boat glows the brightest blue. They are teeny tiny I promise, like the size of blood cells or something. You aren't swimming with like glowing goldfish- that I could not handle hah!

If you're brave enough to get in the water (which I have every time, because I get as excited as a 7yr old girl at a Hannah Montana meet-n-greet) you can splash and swim around and look like a human glowstick! I, however, caution against touching the bottom of the lagoon. Although it's only about 4' deep, because of all the soot carried down from the river it feels like you're standing in a vat of chocolate pudding! (The photo above with all the blue spots, those are people in the water!)

PS Did my Cruzan Mixer & Mingle Friday give you any hints that I had a vacation in the works?!