wyoming recap!

i am back from my *wonderful* trip to jackson hole!  unfortunately, my sinus infection is also back. with a vengeance.  on monday my doctor put me on a steorid nasal spray AND a two-week course of antibiotics AND she told me to take OTC sudafed.  so that should give you an idea of what we're dealing with here.  my face feels like it is about to explode, i can't really hear anything, and i have taken the art of sneezing to a whole new level.
but that's gross.  let's talk about wyoming!  here are the four crappy-BB camera pictures i took:  {i'm so bad about remembering to actually take pictures}

here's the darling new collar i bought for the puppy boy at the cutest little shop called teton tails.  the collar is made by up country, a FANTASTIC company where the products are made in the U.S.A.!  can't beat that.  i have spent way too much time on their website picking out more collars, toys, and food dishes than the puppy boy could ever need, but they are all just too darling.  please do check them out! {note: they have no clue that i exist and i am sadly not being compensated in any way to say this.  k thx.}

for myself i got....a new NARS The Multiple stick in Orgasm and a handful of the new spring colors of hanky pankys {of the ones i got, i think the steel color is my fave}.  i know those sound like the weirdest souvenirs ever.  but two things: 

first, i have major issues with purchasing things that are nonfunctional or kitschy for the sake of having a memento.  maybe it's the WASP in me or the accountant parents, but that just seems like a waste of money and a way to collect a lot of dust-catching junk.  i'd rather purchase something useful.  the last time i was in jackson hole i bought one of those cooking spider things.  to most people i'm sure that seems ridiculous.  but i got it at belle cose, my favorite store in town, and every time i use it {which is almost every day}, i smile and think of that wonderful trip.  so now when i wear my new undies or i'm putting my make-up on in the morning, i will think of this wonderful trip.  still sound ridiculous?

second, here in smalltown, va, there is ZERO access to high-end cosmetics or lingerie.  and by high-end, i mean unless it's hanes or cover girl, it ain't happening.  so if i'm going to spend money while i'm on vacay, it might as well be on things i would otherwise have to pay shipping on.  that's my story and i'm sticking to it.  it makes sense to me.  i also got a t-shirt, so there. 

and when we went to the national museum of wildlife art {which seriously...i will never get tired of visiting.  some of the most breathtaking works of art you will ever see!}, i got the most darling print of a charcoal called the moose toasting the bear done by carl rungius, one of my favorite artists.  i have searched high and low online to find a picture of the sketch, but no luck.  rest assured, it is fabulous and will look even better matted in turquoise to match my kitchen, where it will hang.  i mean, really, who doesn't love a picture of critters and martinis?!

we ate at some truly wonderful restaurants.  my favorite, of course, being the snake river grill.  i finally got another taste of my beloved srg eskimo bars.  i started with a salad of winter lettuces accompanied by a goat cheese and pistaschio souffle, followed by a delicious french-style roasted chicken with a truffled cauliflower puree and glazed baby carrots, and washed down with a french 75 and some wonderful viognier.  we were seated next to the fireplace and across from the window where we could watch it snow.  le sigh...so idyllic.

rendezvous bistro was another highlight, with a fantastic and GINORMOUS croque madam, delicious champagne, and sinful chocolate bread pudding. and of course, i started every morning at shades cafe {see above picture}, a delightful little coffee shop, with my go-to: eggs tomavo {eggs benedict, minus the canadian bacon, plus fresh tomato slices and guacamole. yum.} and a soy grand teton {read: triple espresso} latte. pure heaven.  a blueberry scone may have snuck its way into my carry-on as a treat for my sister.

the trip wasn't nearly long enough, but it was certainly long enough to confirm my absolute love of this place.  there is something very humbling about going somewhere so vast and open and beautiful...makes you realize just how tiny you are and just how big the grand scheme is.  i hope it won't be another three years before i make it back and i do hope y'all are lucky enought to get out there for a visit soon!

housekeeping

big spring swap thing ladies, i just e-mailed y'all your assignments.  check your inbox and make sure it didn't send me to spam :) so excited!!

everyone, i have been sick all week {what a lovely way to return from vacay}, but promise to be back tomorrow with a wyoming recap and the long-awaited answers to your questions.

in the meantime, HELLO FREAKING GORGEOUS SPRING WEATHER!!

hello.

devon baer designs.

obsessed.

that's all.

springs wants-its: the not-in-the-budget edition

i think these all speak pretty well for themselves.  le sigh.

to die for.

i feel we could have a very happy life together.

covet.  major.

thus concludes my week of items i have deemed spring lustworthy.  if you are feeling generous and would like to send any of these my way, i promise to love you forever and ever.  and send you a thank-you note on truly lovely stationary.

spring wants-its: the home edition

i think all of these would be the perfect breath of fresh spring air pour ma maison, don't you think?

new coffee table books for my newly lacquered coffee table!  maybe a collection of cy twombly {my favorite!} or lifestyle-lust inspiration courtesy of slim aarons?

an endless supply of williams-sonoma basil scented candles.  my obsession with these is borderline unhealthy.

a jonathan adler richard nixon throw, in either orange or blue.  aren't these just so cheery?!

the lack bookcase from ikea.  as seen in the home of darling lonny magazine editor, michelle adams.  i hope i can style mine to look half as fabulous as hers!

and a sweet little craftsman-style bungalow to put it all in.  j'adore this architecture style...hands down, my absolute favorite!

spring wants-its: the food edition

i love spring food because it signals the beginning of all that luscious fresh produce!  my parents have a massive garden in their backyard and i am just chomping at the bit waiting on fresh tomatoes, corn, zucchini, eggplant, okra, green beans, herbs, and the list goes on and on.  here are a few of my favorite spring recipes to tide me {and you!} over:

i hated peas as a child, but now i just can't get enough!  this soup is so light and refreshing and yummy! i generally make my own crostini to dip in it and goat cheese {giada suggests mozzarella, but i'm a goat girl} on top is a must.

one of my all-time favorite cupcake recipes.  my secret is that while the cupcakes are still warm, i poke a few holes in the top and spread on a little bit of the cream of coconut.  keeps them supermoist and adds a little extra coconut kick.  these are SO yummy!

i ADORE fresh strawberries and i haven't found a better strawberry shortcake than this one {rip gourmet magazine}. however, the original recipe called for cream biscuits, whereas this one now lists a buttermilk biscuit recipe.  i think the cream biscuits are the only way to go, so here's paula's recipe for them.

i. love. asparagus.  anyway you can fix it, i will eat it.  i received virginia willis's divine cookbook bon appetit y'all for christmas and i am DYING to try the asparagus salad recipe.  will let you know how it turns out!

and y'all know i can't do a post on cooking without a recipe from my latest obsession, the pioneer woman.  something about quiche {or bacon pie, as my co-worker's son calls it} just says spring to me {maybe because it's a bridal shower fixture?} and i can't wait to try her recipe!

spring wants-its: the fashion edition

so this fall i did a series of fall wants-its.  i loved doing those posts and it seems like  y'all enjoyed them too, so i thought i'd try a spring version this week.  play along!

i think the clothing department is where spring {and summer and fall and winter...}fever hits me the hardest.  maybe it's a southern thing, but the second it hits 65 degrees i start itching to put on a sundress and sandals and not change until labor day.  here's what i'm looking at for my summer 2010 uniform:

this darling dress in coral is just the ticket for upcoming weddings, bridal showers, and springtime work events.  at $98, it's quite a steal.

dying for a pair of custom bonnanos.  the emma classic monogram for me, in haze base color and white whipstich.  yes, please!

while i'm on a custom kick, i'm seriously considering purchasing a hems & hers custom hannah dress from uber-talented bloggy friend, polka dots & protein bars. 

last year i discovered the joy of shorts.  this year i will be stocking up by the truckload on the j.crew 3-inch chino shorts.  i'm starting with the basics {white, khaki [nickel?!], and navy [shadow]}, but the rosy peach and light blade are calling out to me. 

oh yes...and one of everything from tory burch please.  what's that?  i can only pick one?  le sigh....ok then the liv pump it is.  so perfect.

over and out

darling grand teton national park, how i've missed you!

hello, darlings!  i had just the most wonderful weekend.  sunshine, lacrosse, an unbelievable taylor swift concert, strong drinks and good times with old friends, and lots of sleep.  i even got a little bit of a sunburn-now-tan.  a hard combination to beat!

i am jetting off to wyoming today for a week in jackson hole with my pops, but not to worry, i'm not leaving you high and dry.  i have scheduled a week full of fun, spring posts for you to enjoy in my absence.  {insert sighs of relief here.} i am also going to extend the deadline on signing up for the big spring swap thing because i am going to have spotty internet access and won't be able to send out assignments on wednesday as originally planned.  so please sign up if you haven't and encourage others to do the same :)

have a wonderful week and catch ya on the flip-side!

happy happy, joy joy!!

{does that make anyone else think of their childhood and ren and stimpy?  just me? ok.}

lovelies, it. is. FRIDAY!! and i am just beside myself with excitement.  it is absolutely gorgeous here today.  blue skies, sunshine, and 70 degrees.  i am counting down the minutes until 4:30 when the puppy boy and i can go for a nice long run on our local nature trail, the first time this year!

isn't this picture darling?  found on flickr.

things i am thankful for this friday:

*despite the big east's colossal flop yesterday, my bracket is not completely busted. yet.  damn you, georgetown.

*mi madre is as obsessed with lands' end canvas as i am {and apparently, the rest of the blog world}, which means she'll be adding goodies for me to her order.  i've got my eye on the poplin shift dresses, the cotton lawn skirt, and um....every single color of the heritage and boyfriend v-neck cardigans!  j'adore wardrobe expansions i don't have to pay for.

*lacrosse tomorrow. taylor swift tomorrow. charlottesville restaurants and bars tomorrow.  no explanations needed.

*umm...did i mention the spring weather? makes me want to waltz around the yard whilst singing i love paris in springtime.  the more likely scenario is me belting out some britney whilst running. but you know...whatever gets the job done.

i have got ants in my pants and a big grin on my face and can't wait to frolick this weekend!  have a lovely one and oh yeah....please please please sign-up for my big spring swap thing!! we're getting a nice little group together, but it's always more fun when more people play :)

crazytown, u.s.a.

*public service announcment* please, please, pretty please sign-up for my spring swap!  i will be scarred from blog swaps forever if i only have like 5 participants {thanks to you 5 lovely participants!}

seriously....i have been the worst. blogger. EVER. recently.  apologies!!  we have entered crazytown, u.s.a. here at work as the end of our fiscal year is quickly approaching and we still have another 1.5 odd million buckaroos to raise. 

i am looking forward to my two much-needed upcoming vacays!  i leave on monday night for jackson hole with my daddy.  i'm so excited and know we're going to have the best time, but i am SOOOO not ready.  i need to take a page out of mindy's book...this girl knows how to prepare for a trip!  and exactly one month from today, i will be sunning myself in southern cali after 3 blissful days of coachella and friends and family :) jumpstart on summer tan, here i come!

taylor swift concert on saturday night with blurker friend a.  no words really necessary.  i am going to be singing my little lungs out because i HEART me some tay swizzle!  on a scale of 1 to 10, how dorky is it if i buy a concert t-shirt?  10?  yeah, i thought so.

it's my favorite time of year...MARCH MADNESS!  we got the official e-mail warning this morning that if we watch it at work, we are going to shut down the internet.  we'll see about that...  i've picked kansas to be the big winner...who did you pick?

things with the new boy are still trucking right along.  it's been a month and a half.  i met his parents and three buds from college a few weeks ago and had so much fun.  meeting his brother this weekend.  not going to go into too much detail as i have an irrational fear of jinxing things.

sorry i have been so MIA!  i'm still here reading all of your lovely posts and i promise i will do something worthy of an interesting blogpost sometime here soon :)

sign-up for the blog swap! {i know...shameless...}

the big spring swap thing!

happy monday, lovelies!  i am happy to announce that i am hosting my first-ever blog swap!  the theme is all things spring!  what better way to welcome the {hopefully} impending sunshine and daffodils than with a package full of warm weather goodies?

here are the rules:

1. comment on this post by next monday, the 22nd.  please leave an e-mail address in your comment.

2. i will post the match-ups sometime on wednesday, the 23rd. it is YOUR responsibility to get in touch with your swap partner to get her address and any other information you want or need.

3. the spending limit is $30 without shipping.  to participate, you HAVE to be willing to put together a package of at least three spring-related items for your partner.  you don't have to have a blog to participate.

4. packages must be sent by april 12 so that your partner has plenty of spring left to enjoy her treats!

please spread the love about the big spring swap thing by posting about it on your own blogs.  the more people who participate, the better!

blog swap?

oh friday, where have you been all week?  i'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the fam.  headed home tonight for a homecooked meal, laundry, and drinks with my high school bestie.  tomorrow i'm headed to the charlotte airport with my mama to drop off her mother for a two-week trip to palm springs.  i'm keeping my fingers crossed that payment for spending 7 hours of my saturday in a car will be {multiple} chick-fil-a and/or bojangles stops and a few new sundresses por moi. lots of weddings and other festivities this spring, you know.  sunday, we're attempting the cinnamon rolls i mentioned yesterday and then i'm headed to see my place of employment's student performance of chicago with some of the gals.  {i will be belting out razzle-dazzle 'em at the top of my lungs.}

back to the title of this post, i've been thinking i'd like to host a blog swap.  i've met two of my most favoritest bloggers through swaps {hi summer! hi angela!} and gotten some great loot.  i just think they're so much fun and i would love to meet some new gals and help link up some of my readers.  but i'm stumped on two things:  the theme and how to actually go about organizing this.  so i need your help.  what kind of blog swap would YOU like to do?  and those of you who have hosted these little shindigs before, how did you go about organizing the participants?  thanks ever so much.

bon weekend, my darlings!

just in time for bikini season...

...i have discovered the pioneer woman.  this is a major issue. after two straight days of being busted at work for reading recipe after recipe after recipe, i just went ahead and bought her cookbook.   my thighs now hate me.

so far, i have made the buttered rosemary rolls.  the olive cheese bread.  and the pan-friend rib-eye steak.  and i have designs on the cinnamon rolls, the chocolate sheet cake, and these little nuggets of perfection.  i'm justifying the sheet cake by making it for our monthly office birthday celebration.  the rosemary rolls and the rib-eye steak were for the boy, and as a college athletic coach, he needs to have a full tummy.  i'm working on the bullsh*t excuses for the cinnamon rolls and the jalapeno poppers, but honestly, i'll eat them anyways.

y'all, this is bad.  i have to be in a bathing suit in exactly one month.  help me overcome my addiction!

attention bargain-hunters!

friend k and i made the trek up to tar-jay yesterday in search of new sheets. jackpot. i am very picky about my sheets. they have to be white. which generally means i need at least three sets of sheets, since one pretty much always has to be in the wash. but since i upgraded to a larger bed back in september, i've been surviving on the one set of sheets i bought for it and being a slave to the washing machine every week. i finally accepted defeat and admitted i need to build my sheets collection back up. i also have a hard time going lower than 400-thread count or anything but 100% cotton. which is not cheap.

unless you shop at target! look at these babies! $49.99 for a queen set, sooooo soft, and uber luxury-hotel looking.

and then bonus! these IDENTICAL jack rogers/bonannos knock-offs for a cool twenty bucks. agreed that they are not the same quality, but when this gal's trying to dig her way out of debt while still looking preppy chic, you cut corners where you can.

ego boost....50 years from now

after the golden globes, i got an e-mail from one of my volunteers saying that she thought i was going to look exactly like dame helen mirren when i was older.

flash forward to last night. i'm watching the oscars with the new boy and some of his buddies. the camera shows ms. mirren and one of his buddies says, "dude, she's so f*cking hot for an old chick." they all nod in agreement.

so here's hoping my volunteer is right and i'll be a babe well into my seventies.

hope y'all had WONDERFUL weekends!

help, please!

can anyone recommend a good pore minimizer? mine have seriously gotten out of control and i need to take action. my eternal gratitude if the one you recommend can actually be found at wal*mart or cvs since those are the only immediate options here in small town, virginia.

how could i forget?!?

the two things i am MOST looking forward to about my upcoming vacays:

dinner at the snake river grill. i had one of the top three meals of my life there in summer 2007 and also discovered my obsession with the albarino varietal. i make sure to save room for the famous srg eskimo bars. they are not to be missed.

no words necessary. animal style cheesburger, fries light well, a large diet coke. life doesn't get much better.

you mean like on vacay? let's all go! ROAD TRIP!

{2 points and my undying admiration to the first person who can name that movie!}

howdy! it's been far too long since my last post. this week has been go, go, go and i STILL haven't found the time to answer all those questions i pestered you to ask me :) they'll be up soon, pinky swear! in the meantime, a little taste of what i'm looking forward to right now:

i will be in my most favoritest place on earth in less than 20 days! le sigh...jackson hole, here i come!

and i finally booked my plane ticket to palm springs and my festival ticket for my inaugural trip to coachella! my sister and friend k will be joining me and i am just beyond ecstatic. all of my darling socal bloggy friends, will any of you be there? yes? we are going to have to meet up again, even if only to reunite over scandalously priced corndogs and bottled water. it would be lovely to see your smiling faces again.

the invalid

answers to your questions will be answered tomorrow. i woke up this morning with a nasty head cold, courtesy of a weekend spent with my wonderful, loving, germ-infested family. all available healthy energy is being channeled into making a miraculous recovery in time for tonight's season finale of the bachelor. happy monday, my darlings!