womp womp

i won't go into detail right now as i am in a complete state of shock, but the beau and i have called it quits. three days before i was supposed to go and meet his family. came out of nowhere. i'm a total wreck. i'm still here reading, but i may disappear again for a little while. everything just hurts right now.

for unto us, a child is born

i know i've been mia over the past week, and honestly, it's been a really tough couple of days for me. but more on that later.

i spent today making my annual lemon-coconut cake, wrapping a few last packages, and watching white christmas with my grandmama and her demon dog. tonight is chinese take-out {a belle family tradition}, church candlelight service, my sister and i opening our one christmas eve present, and the first of many viewings of a christmas story {thank you, tbs!}.

tomorrow will be traditional christmas morning brunch, the opening of presents, and maybe a movie, but most importantly, celebrating the reason for the season!

wishing you and yours a very merry christmas, whether you were naughty or nice!

last chance...

...to win some tom ford sunglasses for your truly {and maybe gucci ones for yourself}!

hop on over to fantabulously frugal's giveaway and be sure to tell her that i sent you. today is the last day to enter!

http://www.fantabulouslyfrugal.com/2009/11/you-deserve-best-giveaway.html

sunday afternoon silliness

oh yeah.

my darling blogger friend, annabel manners, has already posted about the ridiculousness that is mtv's jersey shore. guidos and spray tans and eyeliner, oh my!

so when one of my IRL friends sent me this the other day, i knew i had to share it will y'all. i give you the jersey shore name generator. i'm "the hot spot". the beau is "the deltoid". oh yeah.

i'm spending this cold rainy afternoon making homemade cheese straws to give out as gifts at the office and jersey shoring all of my friends. stay warm!

zomgeez....so good!

ummm so life of a suburban princess posted about these a few weeks ago and i have been on the hunt for them ever since. of course in small town, virginia, they can only be found in a large canister {not the little 100-calorie packs} at kroger for like 8 bucks. and i need the 100-calorie packs. or else i will eat the whole canister.

so i was in target tonight looking for christmas cards {found! but that's another post...} and what did i spy? but a box of the 100-calorie pack cocoa dusted almonds on sale for $2 a box. and they. are. AWESOME! sooooo delicious. really, go out and buy them now! they are going to be a must-have staple in my purse.

christmas meme

this has been floating around, and i thought it would be a fun way to kill time this friday afternoon. i would love to see all of your answers! have a wonderful weekend, m'dears!

Q: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
A: home alone and home alone 2. a christmas story.

Q: What is your least favorite Christmas movie?
A: babes in toyland.

Q: What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?
A: christmas shoes {blech}

Q: What is your favorite Christmas song(s)?
A: dominick the donkey (the italian christmas song) {totally annoying, completely addictive.}

Q: What is your favorite Christmas drink?
A: double tall one pump peppermint one pump white chocolate nonfat no whip extra hot peppermint white chocolate mocha. ahem.

Q: What is your favorite Christmas memory?
A: not really one in particular, but i ache for those christmases with my granddaddy and my aunt. those were such happy times and it’s just not the same without them.

Q: What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
A: my samantha american girl doll. i will never forget that christmas morning as long as i live. i wrote santa a letter every day that year and when i saw the top of her head peeking out over the chair where santa always left our gifts, i thought i had died and gone to heaven!

Q: What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
A: a pink new york yankees beanie from my grandmama. i’m a red sox fan.

Q: What do you LOVE about the holidays?
A: oh gosh, what DON’T i love? i loooooooove shopping for presents for my loved ones. finding the perfect christmas cards and wrapping paper. making buckeyes and cheese straws with my mom and sister. christmas morning bloody marys. time spent with family. tacky christmas sweaters. and then the ultimate favorite: DECORATIONS!

Q: What annoys you about the holidays?
A: the commercialism. wal*mart, you do not have the market on Christmas! also, that they start playing christmas music after halloween now. wtf?!

Q: Do you prefer a star or an angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?
A: a bow.

Q: What is your favorite family recipe at Christmas?
A: garlic-stuffed pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and mushroom-sour cream gravy! my mom and i make it for christmas day dinner every year. and my mom’s homemade cream cheese braids for christmas morning.

Q: Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmas?
A: a who. a hoo, to be more specific.

Q: Christmas light displays - Love them or hate them?
A: i loathe colored lights. and those icicle lights are a little tired. but i love looking at them on other people’s houses. is that weird?

Q: Santas at the mall - fun times or creepy?
A: creepy. except for the macy’s thanksgiving day parade santa. he’s the real deal.

Q: Christmas cards...do you send them?
A: always. although i STILL haven’t found ones for this year. might be new year’s cards this time around…

Q: What is the best thing about Christmas in your opinion?
A: christmas trees. i am 24 years old and they are still magical.

Q: What is the worst thing about Christmas?
A: when it's over!

Q; When do you put the tree up and take it down?
A: up the saturday after thanksgiving. down whenever i get around to it.

Q: Out of the 12 Days of Christmas, which item would you want your truelove to give to you?
A: anything but the swans. swans are mean, spiteful creatures. i was attacked by one once, so i know.

Q: Why do you think grandma got run over by a reindeer?
A: she sampled too much of the punch.

Q: Who is your favorite reindeer?
A: prancer. he was just fabulous in that movie.

Q: Do you believe in Santa Claus?
A: obvs. who do they think leaves the presents under the tree?!

Q; What is your favorite smell at Christmastime?
A: fresh-cut christmas trees

Q: What would make you happy at Christmas this year?
A: knowing that everyone i love is happy and healthy. and a chanel 2.55

i love lonny!!

hi lovelies! if there is one thing i'm obsessed with {other than shoes}, it's interior design. love, love, love it! if you're not already following the blogs of erin gates, tobi fairley, eddie ross, heather clawson and ronda carman {they are my daily dose of inspiration for all things fabulous!}, then you really should.

i know most of us were super devastated when that darling of shelter mags, domino, went out of publication last year {r.i.p.} but michelle adams and patrick cline, two of the geniuses behind the dearly departed, launched a groundbreaking online shelter mag this fall called lonny {combination of their respective homes, london and new york}.

it. is. FABULOUS! although i would still love to have this in glossy, real-life form to cuddle up with under a blanket, what they are doing is truly wonderful. they're also major supporters of the blogworld. woot woot. please click on over and try not to spend the next hour drooling over the gorgeous pictures and wonderful articles {the articles on the new j.crew and kate spade stores are to die for}.

you'll thank me, i promise.

happy birthday, noodle!!

then

now

today is my sweet little puppy boy's 2nd birthday! we will be celebrating by heading to my parents' home so i can decorate for christmas {my mother doesn't have a creative bone in her body and she knows how much i like anything involving interior embellishments, so it works}. i bought pb some homemade pumpkin treats {shaped like christmas stockings!} and peanut butter treats at our local bakery. my mom has a "ginormous" {that was her exact word} soup bone waiting for him in the freezer. and he has a year's supply of heartworm medicine on the way from 1-800-petmeds {i know, i'm so generous. ha.}

i love this little dude so much. despite the fact that he has spent the past three weekends dropping deuces all over the new beau's guest bedroom. and despite the fact that he sheds all over the place and runs like hell when i come at him with the furminator {greatest invention ever}. and because he hates my obnoxious neighbors who leave cigarette butts all over my front porch and have impromptu rap sessions at 2am. and because he has the sweetest, wrinkly face ever. and because he is an awesome foot warmer. and because he always forgives me.

i love you, you little butthead!

confession time

ok ladies, i have a deep dark secret that i am coming clean with.

i am in credit card debt and i hate it. i have three credit cards, one with j.crew and two visas {one with my bank and one with the devils at capital one}. i owe a total of $5,799.42. my average interest rate is 19%.

this is incredibly embarassing for me to write about. my parents are both involved in finance and i think they did a great job of {trying} to instill in me the importance of personal financial responsibility. but like so many other things, i just didn't listen. that ends today {well, december 31, to be specific}. i'm getting a jumpstart on my new year's resolutions. this is the year i get {mostly} out of credit card debt. i say mostly because, based on the delightful plan that oprah and suze orman have devised for me, it will take approximately 16 months, give or take a few, to pay everything off.

i'm not including my car loan or my student loan in this because to be perfectly frank, i don't mind being in debt for those two things. don't get me wrong, i certainly don't enjoy it, but i need a safe, reliable mode of transportation and ummmm....education rocks!

i could give you lots of excuses as to how i got myself into this pickle , but they would still be excuses. and for every legitimate excuse {i.e. replacing the entire front end of my car after my accident in april. not cheap, even with insurance}, there are excuses in the form of shoes i "needed" to have.

i am telling you all this because i NEED, nay absolutely MUST, be held accoutable for this goal. putting this out there for the {blog}world to see is motivational to me. a few encouraging words from you lovelies wouldn't hurt either. here's how it's going to go down:

according to suze and o, the most effective way to go about this is paying off the j.crew card first {while still making the minimum payments on the two visas, natch}, then the bank visa, and then the capital one card {henceforth known as "the devil card"}. i owe $1,180.35 to j.crew and will be paying $295/month until it is paid down. By my calculations, that should be done by april 30. at this point, i will begin paying $316/month to wachovia, in attempts to pay down the $972.26 i currently owe {minus the minimum payments i'll be making in the interim}. that should take until july. and then i begin the long process of paying off the devil card. at $389/month, it should take me another 8-9 months to pay that off. so i'm just not going to think about that one just yet.

whew....it actually feels pretty good to get this all of my chest. now i'm realistic...the above plan means assuming that i have zero "emergencies" in the next year and that i never, ever slip and charge a nice meal out on the town or a pretty new dress. which ideally, i won't. but life happens. the trick is just to stay on track, even if i slip a couple of times.

bravo to those of you who made it through this incredibly unfun and long post! you will be getting monthly updates from me from now on about this decidedly dull topic, so i'm going to be brainstorming ways to make this a little more fun for me {and you}. yay for fiscal responsibility!

time to go put some plastic on ice...

what's cooking wednesdays

hi loves! hope everyone had a fantastic thanksgiving and survived black friday and cyber monday. i didn't leave the house on black friday and i'm trying to buy as many of my christmas gifts from local stores as possible, so no online shopping for me. yet. {talk to me again the week before christmas.}

so i now share with you the yummiest christmas food ever. that is not an exaggeration. i'm making these for a junior league cookie swap later this week, and i guarantee you people will be freaking out. this is the recipe for my mom's christmas crackers. they are inexpensive and simple to make and HIGHLY addictive. prepare at your own risk.

christmas crackers
club crackers {enough to cover the sheet pan}
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sliced, slivered, or chopped almonds

Lay crackers {they should be touching} on a large cookie sheet covered in foil. Make sure the cookie sheet has sides on it! Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour sugar mixture over crackers and spread to cover all the crackers. Sprinkle almonds on top of the crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. As soon as crackers come out of oven, remove them to a wire rack to cool. Break apart and store in airtight container.

holy friggin cow

wants it!

please pop on over to fantabulously frugal's INSANELYAMAZINGOMGIAMFREAKINGOUT giveaway and enter immediately. be sure to tell her that belle on heels sent you {there are extra entries in it for me AND you!}. you don't have to be a blog owner to enter {blurkers, ahem a and k, i am looking at you}, so you should enter too!

http://www.fantabulouslyfrugal.com/2009/11/you-deserve-best-giveaway.html

happy turkey day!!

wishing you a day full of family and blessings {and delicious food}! i'll be watching the parade and dog show and helping out with the turkey, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts. i made a pumpkin cheesecake this morning, so fingers crossed it turned out!

good luck on black friday!

i am thankful for...

...the fact that i do not live near a starbucks. or a target. or sonic. or chick-fil-a.

because my bank account would most certainly be depleted and i would have quite the muffin top.

seriously, i've been back in the hometown for barely 48 hours and already have been overwhelmed by all of the options. multiple double tall one pump peppermint one pump white chocolate mocha non-fat no whip extra hot peppermint white chocolate mochas have been consumed. {yes, i am that customer.} there is the CONSTANT temptation of diet cherry limeades and small tots from the sonic that i can almost see from our house. i had a #1 combo at chick-fil-a for breakfast on saturday {that's an original sandwich, waffle fries, and a diet lemonade to the uninitiated}. and then there's target....i'm pretty sure i don't need to explain that to y'all.

i don't know how y'all manage to control yourselves. i live in a town with a wal*mart, a tractor supply, one mediocre local coffee shop with questionable hours, and a handful of fast food restaurants that don't stay open past 11pm, so it's fairly easy to control the purse strings. but lord help me, put me within 5 miles of any of the aforementioned establishments and i can't get the plastic out of my wallet fast enough.

thank god i'm out of here on friday or else my christmas shopping budget will be gone!

i am thankful for...

...t.j. maxx!

today i went in looking for christmas cards and decorations. i left with shoes.

but not just any shoes, oh no.

i'm on the tory burch e-mail list, and this thanksgiving with tory e-mail came out a few days ago. not only am i dying to try reva's salmon spread {yum!}, but i have been lusting after the isabella pumps that tory will be wearing on thanksgiving day. they are just soooooo up my alley. too bad that price tag is absolutely nowhere to be found in my budget.

enter t.j. maxx. i found a pair of guess heels that are IDENTICAL to the isabella pumps {except they're suede, not satin} for $39.99. i literally squealed in the aisle. and might have pushed a few people out of the way. i can't quite remember....i was in the haze of retail victory.

run to your nearest t.j. maxx location and see if you can snag a pair yourself. they also had them in a darling holiday red and an on-trend smokey grey. happy shopping!

it's an epidemic!

i just got an e-mail at work inviting me to attend the "holiday tree" lighting on december 4th.

people.

it is a CHRISTMAS tree.

these...

the ultimate

the sentimental favorite

no words necessary.

courtesy of tobi fairley. swoon. my most favoritest interior designer!!

...are CHRISTMAS trees. good grief, i'm starting to sound like my grandmother. not necessarily a bad thing, either.

i am thankful for...

...nina at according to nina!

because i was one of the winners of a set of SIX {yes, six!} haute market bags in nina's giveaway. oooh i can't wait to have a few of these monogrammed for myself and maybe give away a few as gifts....who am i kidding? i'll probably end up keeping them all to myself. i am a total bag lady. not a bad way to wrap up this week! happy thursday, ladies!

p.s. i'm SURE all of you are already loyal readers, but if not, you really should check out nina's blog. it's a delight!

i am thankful for...

...tea!

i love tea, any and all kinds. i tend to go through phases. in college, there was a big earl grey phase, followed by the tazo awake phase {courtesy of a starbucks-employed friend who got me a major discount}. right now, i'm stuck in a jasmine green tea phase. this obsession started when my bestie introduced me to the jasmine tea at caribou coffee. an unlikely source, i know, but it is truly delicious. it smells like honeysuckle, so it's like a little bit of summer in a warm, steaming winter cup of tea. and darling summer at b is for brown sent me the nummiest citron green tea this summer in a blog swap, so that was an obsession for at least a week this summer.

i also love sweet tea {i'm from the south. duh}, but i HATE lemon in my tea. and sweet tea vodka and i already have a long and storied history together that generally involves a college football game and several hours that i can't quite remember.

and my FAVORITE is the english tradition of afternoon and/or high tea. i did my study abroad at oxford {univ college, what what!} and i just loved that every morning at 10 on the nose we took a break for tea and biscuits {and catching up on whatever shenanigans ensued the night before at the pub}. it wasn't anything fancy, but it gave a nice sense of structure and formality to the morning. and we did the fancy high tea thing several times as well, complete with scones, sandwiches, tarts, and the whole nine yards. i felt like i should be wearing a fairy princess dress and serving my samantha doll and teddy bears.

i assume all of this is part of the WASP in me, but i can't be the only person who is this obsessed with tea!? anybody else?

i am thankful for...

...my co-workers!

i know i have complained about my job before and ahem certain co-workers, but really, i am incredibly spoiled. i work a weird schedule most of the year because of the nature of my job. part of this means i finish the work week at noon on friday {yay!} but start the work week at 5:30 on sunday {boo!} i got into work last night to find a little gift from one of my colleagues.

when you search for "coke holiday ornament bottles" about a million images come up. when you search for "diet coke holiday ornament bottles" you get nothing. things i don't understand.

it is a poorly-kept secret around the office that i am a HUGE diet coke fanatic. i am completely addicted. yes, i know it's not particularly healthy, but i do not care. i found one of these adorable diet coke "ornament" bottles on top of a note that just said "merry christmas!" i'm working on finding out who left it, but the fact that it could be any number of people speaks volumes about my office. yes there are silly politics and rules and sometimes this job drives me nuts, but not only am i lucky to have a job at all, but a job that pays well, has great benefits, and surrounds me with people who leave me christmas diet cokes.

hope y'all had a great weekend!

maybe one little thing i am ungrateful for...

why is this so difficult?

ok. this is driving me bonkers. so i'm trying to select my christmas correspondence. there are so many beautiful cards out there to choose from. and then i open them up. happy holidays. BLURG!! this is one of my biggest pet peeves.


trust me, i am about as bleeding heart, loosey-goosey, liberal as they come, but seriously, people. i have friends from many different religious backgrounds. some who celebrate christmas, some who celebrate hanukkah, some who don't celebrate anything at all, other than a season of delicious peppermint-flavored drinks at starbucks. and you know what? i would not be the least bit offended if i got a card wishing me a happy hanukkah or happy kwanzaa. you know why? because that is what THEY are celebrating and they're simply sharing the joy of their personal holiday and beliefs? me? I am celebrating christmas. so I want to send cards that say merry christmas.


is this too much to ask for? you know what really kills me? the cards that have CHRISTMAS trees on them and still say happy holidays. better yet, hallmark makes a set of cards with the nativity scene on the front that STILL says happy holidays on the inside.

please, i am begging you, makers of adorable letterpress cards that i reallllllllly want to buy, MAKE SOMETHING THAT SAYS CHRISTMAS ON IT!

day ??: i am thankful for...

...my bloggy friends!

thanks to all of your sweet get-well wishes, i am doing much better! my fever has been gone for almost 48 hours, my sore throat has all but disappeared, and best of all, i am not flu-achey anymore {that's the worst}. i'm back at work for a half-day today and then i'm off for the weekend. thank y'all for being the best readers EVER!!

on a more somber note, today would have been my darling aunt's 49th birthday. i'm headed to tennessee tonight with my mom, sister, and grandmama to be with her two daughters. her oldest, a, is my age. she's the music program director at a college in tennessee and tonight is the premiere of her first play there. they're doing little women and, appropriately enough, she is starring as marmee. i'm so proud of her and i know she's going to do an amazing job, but it's going to be a rough night for all of us. especially a. i know how much she wishes her wonderful mama could be here to see this. aunt m, i hope you are celebrating in heaven! i miss you so much.

pause

this week will be a pause in the "i am grateful for" posts because i am sick, sick, sick. today has been a little bit better and i'm headed to the doctor this afternoon. hopefully i'll be back in fighting form by this weekend!

day 5: i am thankful for...

...my sister!

in many ways, my sister and i are polar opposites. i love pink and high heels and chanel and perfume and old audrey hepburn movies and anything sparkly. she would rather die than wear pink, she lives for new balance running shoes and birkenstocks, her idea of a label whore involves athletic gear {think nike vs. adidas}, the closest she gets to perfume is dove powder-fresh deoderant, she falls asleep during any movie that isn't based on a john grisham novel, and well....she had dreadlocks.

but we have pretty much the exact same outlook on everything. identical sense of humor. she is the only other person i know who truly understands why home alone and dumb and dumber are the funniest movies of all time. and the only other person who i can commiserate with about our darling mother, who happens to be the queen of a land called passiveagressiva. and the only other person who thinks our daddy's short temper is hilarious.

she has been dealing with some health issues recently {ones i won't discuss here because that's her business}, but needless to say, it's been a scary couple of months. and will continue to be, as this is something she will battle for the rest of her life. seeing what my mom went through and is continuing to deal with after her sister died this summer has made me appreciate mine that much more. so i told her that if she didn't get better, i would physically harm her.

because honestly...there's no one else i'd rather get lost in southern california looking for an in-and-out burger with. love you, sis!

day 4: i am thankful for...

....these commercials!





seriously, they both send me other the edge in fits of giggles. especially the geico one. i literally called my sister from nyc to tell her what channel it was on. it's become a bit of a family joke. maybe because that's how we all talk...

day 3: i am thankful for...

...hot cocoa {continuing the theme of this morning's post}

i'm not that much of a cold-weather person {i.e. i HATE being cold}, but i love the idea of it. i love sweaters and blankets and fireplaces and getting all snuggled up. nothing is more comforting to me than curling up on the couch in sweats, my ll bean shearling slippers, and a steaming mug of hot cocoa. i know that the "real" hot chocolate is just hot milk and chocolate shavings {a la williams sonoma}, but my sister's and my favorite is this homemade mix we call vicki hot chocolate. my mom's bestie, vicki, used to make us a huge container of this every year for christmas. it's sooooo good, and believe me, this recipe makes enough to last until the final snow melts away. Enjoy!

7 cups instant, nonfat dry milk

1 lb powdered sugar

2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder {as ina would say, use the good stuff}

2 cups powdered non-dairy creamer

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

For each serving, mix 1/3 cup cocoa mix with 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir until chocolate chips melt. Yield: 14 cups mix; 42 servings.

Soooooo yummy!

HELP!

how do i make a video from youtube actually show up in my post? i know how to just add the link, but i've seen on many of yours where you can actually click the video image in the post. how do i do this? it is of utmost importance!

day 2: i am thankful for...

...starbucks christmas drinks!

i'm a bad blogger. i forgot to post yesterday and tuesday, so you're getting two posts today and tomorrow.

judge me if you must, but corporate america is alive and well if we're measuring by starbucks. year-round, i normally stick with tall skinny cinnamon dolce lattes. in the summer, it's the tazo passion shaken iced tea lemonade. but there is a magical time of year where one drink outweighs them all:

the white chocolate peppermint mocha. complete with festive sprinkles and that darling starbucks red cup. two years ago, i was stuck at the atlanta airport the day these drinks came out. i went to every starbucks in every terminal trying to get one. their peppermint syrup had not been delivered yet. they nearly ruined my christmas.

bonus this year: my little sister has landed a part-time job at starbucks while she's home for the holidays. hellloooooooo family discount!

day 1: i am thankful for...

...my amazing friends!

i will be the first to admit that i haven't always been the best friend. in high school and middle school {and to some extent, still today}, i had terribly low self-esteem. i was a cheerleader, which meant i spent most of my formative years surrounded by terribly catty, mean girls. so i learned not to trust anyone, to assume that everyone talked about everyone behind each others' backs, and to be extrememly uncomfortable and jealous around anyone who i thought was prettier, nicer, funnier, smarter, skinnier, and/or more popular than me.

it wasn't until college that i truly started to learn how to be a friend to other women. thank god for the amazing women i met there {and have met since!} for having the patience to show me how to be a good friend. it is something i still struggle with, but i am surrounded by wonderful examples, so they help keep me on the path straight and narrow.

no better reminder of this than the halloween party. in walks this drop-dead gorgeous girl who put all of us to shame and of course my immediate internal reaction is, "bitch!". she ended up being one of the nicest people i have met in ages. we spent half the night bonding over shared childhood dance costume memories. and i felt like an idiot.

the party was a roaring success! everyone looked AMAZING, the food spread was incredible {i ate my weight in queso and red velvet tombstone cake}, and the spooky jell-o shots were gone within about 15 minutes. some of the girls ended the night with a good old-fashioned sleepover. sweatpants, scattegories, and movies. late morning brunch of french toast sticks and party reminiscence. so. much. fun.

my friends have been my cheerleaders, my grief counselors, my matchmakers, my puppy boy-sitters, my partners-in-crime, and my never-fail support system over the past 6 years in ways i could never imagine. and over the past year, i have had the joy and privilege of making even more bloggy-friends than i knew were possible.

so THANK YOU to all of you for making life even sweeter than it already is!

happy halloween + thanksgiving prep

{yes, i realize this is a day early, but i try not to post on weekends. so deal with it.}

thank you for all your sweet wishes for my recharge weekend! i'm still not back to 100%, but a weekend at home with my family was just what i needed.

i am so excited for this weekend! one of my besties is hosting a big halloween bash. it should be rather interesting, because her house is across from a park and in a neighborhood with a lot of young families. i can't wait to see what happens when kids ring the doorbell and find a bunch of tipsy people trying to relive their college glory days. hilarity will ensue.

i'm going as a ballerina. pink tights, pink tutu, pink leotard, pink ballet slippers, and pink ribbon in the hair. come on....didn't we ALL want to be ballerinas at some point? it's going to be a blast to wear a tutu with no judgement. and i am making these as my byob contribution. i thought this was just the cutest idea. although i've never actually had to chew a jell-o shot, i think after a couple of them it won't really matter.

the other reason i'm excited for this weeked is it signals the beginning of my FAVORITE time of year. the stretch between halloween and christmas is friggin awesome. i LOVE it!! i'm stealing a page from one of my favorite bloggers {and interior design obsessions} and have decided that for the month of november, i will post something every day that i am thankful for. play along! this should be fun...

recharge

hi lovelies! i'm back from a quick trip to atlanta {and an AMAZING dinner at the blue ridge grill...not sure how i've never been there before, but if you're in the area, GO!}. i know this is the umpteenth time that i have flaked out on y'all in the past two months, but i'm going to be flittering away from my blog for just a bit. it's confession-time:

i have not been taking care of myself AT ALL the past two months. i can't tell you the last time i consistently prepared anything remotely resembling a healthy meal for myself. i've been living on lean cuisines, canned soup, and fast food and i am feeling the effects. what few times i've been able to go out and have fun with my friends, i have had WAY too much to drink and stupidly indulged in a few {or more} cigarettes {a very nasty habit leftover from my college bar years}. i haven't been exercising or taking the puppy boy for his walks. my skin looks terrible, my hair is fried. i am stressed all the time. my sleep pattern is a joke. i have nightmares, i'm not sleeping through the night, i have trouble falling asleep and even more trouble waking up.

all in all, i am a mess.

i am cancelling all of my obligations this weekend and going home. i'm going to catch up on laundry and dvr and reading. i'm going to run everyday. i'm going to eat my mom's homemade veggie soup and sundry other healthy, homecooked offerings. i am not going to have ANY vino. and i'm not taking my blackberry. because i need to be nice to me and be really selfish for a little while.

i'll still be posting, just not as frequently for the next little bit. no worries. the stretch from halloween to christmas is my most favoritest time of the year, so i'll be back. and i will miss y'all terribly. stay warm, chickadees!

blog love!

it's that time again!

i've been very lucky that my follower numbers have taken a major jump in the past few weeks. i've been so busy that i really haven't had the time to check out your lovely blogs and add you to my blog roll.

so let's make this easy on me, shall we? if you would like to be added to my blog roll, please just leave a comment on this post. i look forward to popping over and seeing what you're up to soon!

happy hump day!

what's cooking wednesdays...a little early

nom nom

i ended up making these gorgonzola truffles from the 2008 southern living cookbook for our junior league social tonight. i doubled recipe as it doesn't make very many. these are INSANELY delicious. bacon + blue cheese....i mean, how could they not be?!

i'm off to atlanta for work until thursday. have a great week, lovelies!

Yield
Makes 6 appetizer servings
Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
Apple and pear slices
Grapes
Preparation
1. Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days).
2. Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in bacon. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. Serve with apple and pear slices and grapes.

bahahahaha

i needed a little heart hug today and thought y'all could use one too.

Fall Wants-Its: The Not Anytime Soon Edition

i think most of these are pretty self-explanatory.

prince harry. total fox.





despite lauren conrad's best efforts, i think this is still the pinnacle of chic style and elegance.

i adore an asscher cut diamond. i would adore it more on my finger. from a certain male in nyc. teehee. although i would be perfectly happy just to know when i'm going to see him again.

i can't look at these without squealing. they're like barbie dress-up shoes for grown-ups.

i hope y'all have enjoyed playing along with me and my greed this week. have a wonderful weekend!

Fall Wants-Its: The Food Edition

something about fall just makes me want to get in the kitchen and cook! i think it's because my townhouse isn't air-conditioned so i pretty much don't turn the oven on during the summer months for fear of sweating myself out of the kitchen. as soon as the air turns cold {more like FREEZING...low of 42 degrees this week!}, i'm ready for the warmth of the oven. here are a few recipes i am just dying to make, some new, some tried-and-true favorites, and some purchased:

mmmm...this cheesy goodness is one of my all-time favorites!! it tastes so rich, but is actually very light. another cooking light homerun!

kag {if you don't follow her, you really should!} posted this cupcake recipe yesterday morning and i will definitely be making these over the weekend. what's not to love?

this is at the top of my must-try list. kappa prep posted this recipe a few weeks back, and i'm just now finding the time to make these. dinner party, anyone?

i know it's practically blasphemous in our little blogworld to not love the pumpkin spice latte, but it's just not my thing. too sweet for my taste. but oh my goodness, if i don't ADORE a tall non-fat sugar-free cinnamon dolce latte this time of year?! it's only 90 calories without the whipped cream, so no guilt either!

and last, but DEFINITELY not least, the deliciousness that is the krispy kreme pumpkin spice cake donut. i am normally a doughnut snob, and i firmly believe that if one wants plain glazed doughnuts, one goes to krispy kreme and if one wants flavored doughnuts, one goes to dunkin donuts. but as katherine hepburn said, if you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun. i am happy to break my golden rule this time of year.

what do you crave each fall to warm you inside out?

Fall Wants-Its: The Frugalista Edition

so i could make about 2,000 posts of my current clothing wants, but in the interest of space and time, i limited myself on this one to my best fall budget finds. below are items that i WILL have in my closet by the end of november {one of them has already weaseled its way in}. enjoy!

how is this gorgeous coat only $99.50?! i am seriously addicted to coats. this will def be added to my collection.

ok, so land's end is NOT the first place i think of for chic. but this wrap sweater is adorable and only $44.99. i want the grey, which is sold out online, but i will be checking sears.

i just bought this skirt on sale for $39.99 at ann taylor LOFT and i love it. it's a fall editors fave {featured in instyle, real simple, and people stylewatch} and so flattering.

eeeeh these are so cheap and chic, i cannot even stand it!!

this gorgeous piece by boden is now sold out in my size. time for an ebay hunt! the look of chanel for a fraction of the price.

what about y'all? any fall bargains i missed?

Fall Wants-Its: The Exercise Edition

let's continue along our fall must-haves path, shall we? i am the exhausted proud mommy of an almost-2 years old redbone coonhound rescue dog. he is a shedding, slobbering, hyperenergetic mess of an animal and i couldn't love him anymore. one of the best {and unforeseen} benefits of getting him was the drastic increase in my exercise requirements. he was bred to run and run and run. i live in a tiny apartment with no fenced-in yard on the busiest street in town, so he doesn't get any a lot of running opportunities during the day.

i never understood the allure of running {or really, any form of exercise} before the puppy boy came into my life. now not only is it necessary to keep him from LITERALLY bouncing off the walls of my apartment when i come home from work, but it's become necessary for my own personal sanity. i get super antsy if i go too long without a run. such a wonderful way to clear your mind and rock out to some awesomely bad tunes with no judgement. {the running mix on my ipod is seriously made up of only britney, lady gaga, and whatever other terrible teeny-bopper songs are topping the charts.}

alas, we are fast approaching the time of year where i really need something warmer to run in that shorts and a sports bra. i just bought new nike running shoes that i love, but here are the things currently on my running wish list:

it used to be i couldn't imagine spending sixty bucks on something i'm just going to sweat in. but these are amazing. i need to get another pair or two so i don't have to do laundry as much.

super cute. super inexpensive. super functional. AND it matches my running shoes!

the puppy boy has short hair, so he needs to stay warm too! love this eco-friendly, breathable, AND reflective jacket for him.

and for those days {i know they will be plentiful} when it is just too damn cold to go outside, i think it's about time i jump on this train and let tranny-voice jillian whip my tush into shape in the privacy of my own home.

i know many of your are outdoor running fanatics as well {mrs. newlywed and prep school 101, i am looking at you!}. any suggestions on things you can't live without for cold-weather workouts?

Fall Wants-Its: The Home Edition

all this week, i'm going to post about the items topping my wish lists right now. because we all know i'm a bit of an interior design FREAK, we're going to kick things off this crisp monday morning with my {imaginary} hearth and {rented town}home wish list:

inspired by my home design guru, erin gates, this budget-friendly zebra area rug for my living room. this will look DIVINE under my new red-lacquer chinoiserie-chic coffee table.

le sigh. le creuset. i always thought that once i was on my own with a job and a paycheck, i could afford a kitchen full of beautiful cookware. i left out the part of the equation where i had enough space in said kitchen for said cookware. but with the chill in the air, i NEED a dutch oven to make delicious braises and stews.

yes, i am still lusting after this. i am struggling to justify an almost $600 vacuum. but i've used one of these suckers before, and they are worth it. and it's pretty! ahem, christmas is just around the corner...

this is the color scheme of my bedroom. i am lusting after this gorgeous quadrille brown + hot pink toile fabric for some custom euro shams and to recover my little reading chair. it would be the coup de grace for my almost-finished bedroom.

what are you currently craving to feather your nests?