According to Allie

A week in the life

2009-08-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

So for no really good reason at all I decided to do a mini chronicle of a random week of my life, this week to be exact. I may be the only weirdo that loves to know what other people do as the boring day to day activities so this may not be of any interest to anyone but it's a post which is a vast step in the right direction, right? So anyway, for those interested, here's what my week looked/looks like:

Monday:
Work 8-4
Dinner at Donni’s and Sally’s Beauty Supply
Stop by the fire station with brownies as a bribe to get my brakes checked
Brakes are good, home to watch True Blood and go to sleep

Tuesday:
Work 8-4
Supposed to go to Zumba but AC is broken, wait for repair man which only took 5 minutes, woo hoo!
Made really good Buffalo Chicken Dip for dinner and watched True Blood (this is becoming an addiction)

Wednesday:
Work 8-4
Gym 5-6
Supposed to hang with a boy but said boy got stuck at work late.
No worries, I had already assumed this was the case and made plans for Girls Night with Lin (sis). We feast on a very Gilmore Girls dinner consisting of leftover spaghetti, buffalo dip and red wine and watch the new 90210 fresh out on dvd.

Thursday:
Work 9-5:30 (ahh so refreshing to sleep in)
Coastal Flats for dinner with a fine group of ladies and off to see Julie and Julia
Home around 10 but had to stay up to watch more True Blood.

Friday:
Work 8-4
*this point on is future situations so they may not go exactly as planned*
Hair appointment with Donni at 4:30 going dark and short, peace out typical summer do!
Convince Donni that dinner and drinks are in order and perhaps some last minute shopping for Brie’s 16th birthday
Possibly meet up with the fireboys for more drinks and fun also possibly with Donni

Saturday:
Sleep in! (a little)
Call Nana to go shopping for a bridal shower gift and the rest of Brie’s present
Swing by Farmers Market
Get dressed in my Hawaiian best and head to Laura’s bridal shower picnic
Get dressed in my “try not to look like a loser in front of a hundred teenagers” best and head to Brie Brie’s sweet 16
Probably go to bed early, the party doesn’t end until 11 and I’m sure there will be clean up. Maybe see a boy, we’ll see. ;)

Sunday:
Yoga at 9
Make pasta salad for bachelorette vineyard picnic
Head to vineyard
Pretend to do some form of housework
Go to the parents house for Mama’s pioneer attempt at fried chicken
Definitely watch more True Blood

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Too busy living

2009-06-20T10:25:00.002-05:00

Obviously I suck at blogging. I've always been this way. I attempted dozens of times to keep a journal or diary when I was younger but when it comes down to it, I just don't feel like recapping my adventures at the end of the day, I want to plan for my new ones. However, I do wish I had kept a diary because how fun would that be to read now.

I have new motivation to blog though because my very talented sister made me a new blog! I think she found a template that was "me" online, and then changed the colors, added birds and writing to make it even more "me" and has since been asking when I'm going to blog. So here is me blogging. And here is my pathetic little promise to blog more frequently again. I don't think I even have readers anymore, but that's okay!

I really have been pretty busy lately. I was thinking of doing a "sample schedule" kind of like one of those "sample meal plans" from the celebrities that involve nothing but grilled fish and sugar free gum but I don't know how interesting that would be since I'm not famous. Maybe I'll post that later, I know I'm nosy and like to know about random things of other people's lives so who knows.

So there you have it, I'm back!

Finally not sick!

2009-02-08T22:31:00.002-05:00

I am soooo happy because I finally feel better! Man, why is it when you're a kid you can play right through a cold and when you're an adult it knocks you out for days? I still am congested and have my man/"phone operator" voice but I'm most definitely on the mend. Which is perfect timing because I leave for Kansas on Thursday, Yay!!

I actually was pretty productive today. I returned stuff to the library, went grocery shopping, vacuumed, went to my parents for dinner and a movie, then came home and cleaned the kitchen, made lunch for tomorrow and packed for Kansas. Now that I listed all that out I'm thinking that that list sounds a little more impressive than my day actually was. I did do all of those things but what I left out was that I woke up late, watched 2 episodes of law and order svu, and a lifetime movie in between all of those other things. The blogosphere just makes everyone's life look so glamorous doesn't it? Well my last week was anything BUT glamorous. Ask the pile of tissues in my trash can and the mountain of clean clothes begging to be put away.

I do have my outfit picked out for tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday, so I'm looking forward to the snooze button. :) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and I will be sure to take lots of pictures in Kansas of the munchkins!

What's Goin On

2009-02-05T22:04:00.002-05:00

I am sick. Yuck. I have a nasty cold I can't shake that's had me out of work for the past two days and probably tomorrow too. I hate missing work! I feel so guilty! I don't know why, I am using my time alotted and I don't feel guilty when I take vacation, but I feel awful when I take off because I'm sick. I wonder why.

Anyway, nothing extraordinary has been going on. I'm super excited for my trip to Kansas next week! It will be so good to see Jess and family. The kiddos are getting so big!

I've been a city girl this month. First I went downtown to take Lindsay to Legally Blonde the Musical which was her Christmas present. Really cute! Then I was there for a Caps game (go Caps!) we won. And then we were downtown for the Dancing with the Stars tour. My mom bought tickets for my grandma's birthday for me, Lin, Mama and Nana to go to the show (Daddy was very excited that he dodged that bullet!). I decided to drive down because they've turned Gallery Place into a really nice shopping area complete with garage so parking wouldn't be a problem which is really the only reason to not drive into the district. We had a lovely dinner at La Tasca which is a tapas restaurant and shared a bunch of great dishes including Manchego cheese with tomatoes, sauteed shrimp, spicy potatoes, flank steak with peppers, and fried eggplant. It was very lovely and we shared some Spanish wines too. It was so fun to have all of us there just girl talkin and sharing stories. As we were driving down Constitution, Nana was pointing out the office buildings where she worked when she was 16 and went to work for a lawyer at the Department of the Interior and shared a bunch of stories as a wild young thing, dating and dancing during WWII. I treasure all of those stories. The show was great! We got to see a lot of our favorite dancers and stars and they were so impressive! There was an especially touching moment that I have to share, mostly for Rach and Jess. During the show I kept thinking, Hannah would love this show, it's so her! Then for the final number all of the dancers came out, each couple in their own matching sparkling colored outfit making a rainbow of shimmers out on the floor and danced to "Dancing Queen". It was just perfect. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry and I probably did a little of both but it was just a lovely number and proved my earlier thoughts entirely.

So that was the highlight of my month. I hope everyone is happy and healthy!

Lazy Lazy Weekend

2009-01-18T22:18:00.003-05:00

This may in fact be the laziest weekend I've ever had! Aside from bathing and unloading and reloading the dishwasher, I have done absolutely nothing productive! I've napped, and read (the girl bachelor series by Laura Lee Guhrke - thanks Jess!) and watched tv. I did go over to my parents house for Champagne Friday with Mama and Lin and then on Saturday for more girl bonding time but other than that...NADA! I usually feel so guilty when I feel fine and and am not being productive. I don't know why. I beat myself up over not being over productive and doing things that could stand to be done. There are 2 loads of laundry to be folded and a hamper full of dirty clothes strewn about my bedroom floor, but you know what? I don't care! They'll still be there tomorrow. Our office is closed tomorrow so I decided that I would take a full weekend to do absolutely nothing and tomorrow I will resume the usual. Return some things to the library, fill my gas tank, grocery shop, fold laundry, do more laundry, clean the fridge and make dinner. Then I'll relax watching the Bachelor with Donni and head to bed!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Amazing!

2009-01-15T22:27:00.003-05:00

I have a new favorite website. It's www.mint.com. I read about it in Real Simple I think and I heard about it on one of those "big spender" shows. You load your financial information in and it tracks your spending, shows you spending trends, let's you set a budget and keeps track of it. It's amazing! It also lets you know your credit card balances and emails you when you have a bill due, or your bank account gets low, any of those alerts. I'm not entirely sure how safe it is, I know it's reputable. Basically I think it's as safe as any internet transactions can be. I read up a bit on it and that seems to be the consensus. It's definitely holding me accountable for my money and is a huge wake up call to see what you're spending your money on. I spend WAY too much on restaurants!! My shameful admission that I was blissfully unaware of: in the past 4 months I have spent $189 at Sweetwater Tavern!! One restaurant alone!!!

Anyway, I made a budget and since I don't have to type in anything I will definitely track my spending and hopefully stick with it! I'll be in tip top financial shape if I do!

Today I was a windshield

2009-01-06T22:20:00.002-05:00

Have you ever heard the saying: "Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug"? Well today was a windshield day! Work was a bit slow but very productive. The weather was gross but I stayed nice and warm with my space heater under my desk and hot coffee. Nothing extraordinary happened but everything went according to plan. I remembered to plan and prepare my breakfast and lunch so I ate healthy ALL day! After work I went to the grocery store to pick up some fresh food before the ice set in. I came home, watched tv with Sean and Jessie, washed and dryed my hair, cooked grilled chicken on my George Forman grill (my inaugural run, I'm in LOVE) made some brown rice and a big salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, avacado and artichokes. I made an extra salad for lunch tomorrow to have with a pita pizza that I'll make in our toaster oven so that got prepared as well. Then I indulged in the new 90210 and an episode of Chelsea Lately. I have a clean kitchen, dishwasher running, empty trash can, meals prepared, blogs checked and now I'm going to crochet for 30 min, read for an hour and go to sleep! Whew! I love when I'm organized and on top of things! Oh and for 2009 I decided to write down every single purchase I make, at least that holds me accountable for my spending!

PS- Jess T: I will come decorate with you ANYTIME, I love it! :)

Updates, Gifts and Apartment, Oh My!

2008-12-28T21:14:00.005-05:00

Okay, here's the big unveiling of my new apartment! I know these pictures were a long time coming but I'm about as good at getting pictures uploaded as I am at blogging ;). Before the pics below, a quick update.

I had a fabulous Christmas! I was off the whole week because of some comp time from my conferences and I spent tons of time with the family. It was great to go home and have a delicious home cooked meal every night! We also were rich with tradition such as watching the Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. I even spent the night on Christmas Eve just to stick with the tradition on waking up Christmas morning and opening presents right away (this was a little silly because I live 7 minutes away!). My favorite present I received was my "travel package" from my parents. My mom is big into themes for our big gift and I travel a lot for work and fun so this was great! In my present I got a new Dell Inspiron Mini (its screen is 8.9 inches and weighs 2 pounds!), a Chi flat iron and blow dryer travel set (they're so cute and little without losing any heat or power), and an Anne Taintor luggage tag and medicine case/change purse. My favorite present I gave was tickets to Legally Blonde the Musical to my sister. We had been hooked on the stupid reality show on MTV over the summer where they were looking to recast the role of Elle. Through the show we got to see bits and pieces of the musical and wanted to go see it. Well I happened to find out that they were on tour and that they were coming to DC, unbeknownst to her, so I bought tickets (we went today, it was great!) and put them in a box under some tissue paper. On top of the tissue paper I had a digital voice recorder where I had rewritten a verse of one of the songs in the show telling her that we were going to see it. I sang her present, is that love or what? She was so shocked and excited and even said I sounded really good so it was a major win on the gift giving front.

The other fun news I have is that I bought a plane ticket to see Jess G and family in February! I went last year around that time and had so much fun that I really wanted to go back. So I decided I only live once, just find the money and do it, so I did! Thanks for letting me come Jess, I can't wait!

Okay now for the pics!

This is my living room decorated for Christmas, real tree and all!

Another living room shot (I made the decorations on the mantle)

Living Room again (the frames say J,O,Y I made that too)

My dining area, to the left is a built in desk and to the right is the kitchen pass through.

My bedroom, I just love all of its girly goodness, I like to call it "Antique Chic"

A closer up version, you can see my steamer trunk better and the details in the chair and headboard.

Tagged

2008-11-18T22:18:00.003-05:00

In what I believe was a clever attempt to get me to blog, Jess has tagged me for a 7 weird things about me post so here goes:

1. I LOVE hydrogen peroxide. If I find someone with an open wound who will let me pour peroxide on them, I get very excited, it's just so fun!

2. When I set my sleep timer on my television at night, I can't fall asleep unless I set it for 45 minutes. Even if I know I want to watch for an hour or 5 minutes, if i don't set it for 45 I toss and turn until I set it for 45, and I don't have OCD so it really is random.

3. I'm obsessed with all things organizing (Real Simple magazine and website, Container Store, hgtv shows) but I am so not organized. I pretend to be, but I'm always a work in progress. My dream is to be as cool as the Barefoot Contessa.

4. The only foreign language I speak is German, but it's also one of the only accents that I can't do (unless I'm speaking it).

5. At one point or another, I have had every color in the rainbow in my hair except green.

6. My favorite song in Kindergarten was "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and my parents called me Allie P. Keaton.

7. Currently in my purse (among other things) are: a copy of Pride and Predjudice, my NRA range card, and a pink cell phone. Apparently this is an odd combination, someone asked me if I was Oprah, Toby Keith, or Paris Hilton, I don't think I should have to choose :)

A little of this, a little of that

2008-11-10T21:07:00.003-05:00

Just thought I'd check in. Work is CRAZY!! We have our big conference coming up the first week of December and nothing fuels me with love for my job like crunch time before a conference! I'm also in full planning mode for Q1 of next year so there is no rest for this chica! I can't wait to be on site though in Vegas with my awesome coworkers, it's what makes everything worth it.

I'm still getting this darn apartment together. My kitchen is spotless and organized to my specifications and it's really just a matter of getting some books on the shelves, unpacking a few bags and a little clean up. But I'm so lazy and I just want to enjoy my space! My mess isn't going anywhere. It is keeping me from my video tour though! I MUST step up my game!

I finished my first crochet project!!! I made my sister Lindsay a scarf for her birthday to go with the coat I bought her. She loved it and thought it was from the store! I'd say that's progress. I'm trying to finish the first scarf I started now for myself. It's slow going, so many more fun things to do.

I'm getting my hair done on Friday, it's currently blondish with brown lowlights (well it's really brown with blonde highlights but the highlights have taken over). I'm thinking that I'm going to bring some more darkness in (poor Donni must be getting sick of me because I'm a root fanatic!) and I might add some red too. We'll see. Suggestions?

I've been better about cooking too (thanks Jess for the recipes, I want more, I'm so greedy!!). I was fairly lazy and made sloppy joes tonight which made roomie happy and wasn't paying to go out. I made my first homemade from scratch apple pie too and it's delicious! I also have vegetable soup in the crockpot as we speak, I'm about to add some mini shells to it. Something about Fall and soup.

I had a brief love affair with couponing. I was all about it after I found a blog where a single mom has a YEARLY budget of $800 for groceries, toiletries and dining out. It's craziness. She does it by cutting coupons, watching sales and only buying what's basically free with her coupons. Why I thought I could be her protege, heavens knows. I joined http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ and signed up for the Sunday paper and got on http://www.coupons.com/. I had grand visions of saving so much money and always having what I needed on hand. I'm so over it. The idea of finding coupons and getting something for free still delights me but I don't want to work for it. I also REFUSE to stockpile things, which you kinda have to do if you want to be hardcore about it. I hate extras. I love that I have cabinets with nothing in them. So I'm still committed to cutting coupons I'm going to use, but I'm not going to buy (and use) things just cause they're on sale. I would if I had to, but I don't so I'll just be regular cheap and not uber-crafty cheap.

I went with Lin to the photo studio at her school to be her model (I'll keep my day job!) for a lighting project. It was fun, there are some good pics, some funny ones and some terrible ones! I'll post some of the highlights when she gets them loaded.

Well that's about it. I better go to bed (9:30, lame) so I can get my booty into work for another day of delicious craziness!! I'm a maniac under pressure, I LOVE IT!!!

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-06T18:22:00.003-05:00

I am taking this from Tiburon because it's a great idea and a beautiful graphic. I wish my blog looked like this actually. Speaking of blog, it's a way that I might be held accountable to blog at least weekly. I always sucked at diaries when I was younger too. So on to the thanks...

-I am always the most thankful for my family and friends. I know that's a generic "thankful" but this is my first thankful post so I figured I'd put it in there. Also I REALLY REALLY like my family (and friends of course but that's obvious since you choose your friends). Most people love their family but I actually like them. Which leads me to a related thankful thing, that I live so close to my parents and sister. I can easily have Lin (sis) over for Bones on Wednesdays, go over to their house for Champagne Friday with Mama and Lin, and Sunday dinner with the whole fam followed by Forensic Files with Daddy. SO thankful for that.

-Tying in with family (can you tell I'm very family-centric?) I am so thankful that I've actively gotten to know my grandma (Nana) over the past few years. She's super healthy and a very young 81 (on Dec 6) but obviously I don't have forever with her. I've made it a huge point to spend as much time with her as possible even if it's just riding together out to Tysons for lunch at Silver Diner or going to Target. I just like enjoying her company. I've also made it a point to ask her tons of questions about her life growing up and about our family and have gotten tons of irreplacable anecdotes that I'll carry forever and pass on to my grandkids. Being the planner that I am, I always try to appreciate people and experiences and to let them know how I feel about them, not just think it. So I am thankful that I'm content that I really know her, and that we really enjoy each other, and that she really knows how much I love her. Okay enough morbid thinking!!

-My job, I don't make tons of money but I'm doing a job that people with WAY more experience don't get the opportunity to have, I feel like I'm helping people and I LOVE my coworkers.

-My apartment. It's fabulous, and way more than I need but I love it and it's beautiful and it's mine and I earn the right to live here by working hard! I swear I'll post something about it but it's not up to perfection and I am REALLY bad about wanting people to see only perfection. I'll work on that.

-My recent plummit of materialistic wants. I have been SO good! I don't even want that much stuff! I know that sounds silly but I used to just love "things". Not for any good reason. I'm definitely appreciating a more clutter free approach and a nicer bank account. And I'm siding with the philosophy that I'd rather spend money on experiences than items. Hence my Bermuda cruise I was able to take.

-My country. Even though the election didn't go the way I had hoped, I am so thankful to live in a place that I have the right to vote, and I'm so thankful for our troops who put their lives on the line every day for us to protect all the freedom that we hold dear but often take for granted.

I guess that's it for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Maybe I'll get cleaned and organized and have an apartment post for Monday!

Halloween

2008-11-02T15:20:00.003-05:00

Happy (late) Halloween everyone! I hope that you all had a lot of fun. I'll be back with more posting later but thought I'd leave my costume pic below. You know I love my history!

Random

2008-10-10T19:05:00.003-05:00

I really didn't feel like cooking (who feels like cooking on Friday?) and I didn't want to go out or order in so I ended up with a random dinner. I had a veggie burger without a bun, feta stuffed olives, an apple (ginger gold, Jess!) and pinot grigio. It was pretty good actually.

I'm currently charging my third replacement phone. I haven't bought a new one (I'm still on my thrifty refuse to buy things kick), I've just been finding our old phones and putting my sim card in them. LG should have my phone by Tuesday so we'll see if they can fix it. I'd rather put a little money into fixing an existing phone than to buy a whole new one. The LG was my first attempt at a replacement, then I tried my mom's old motorola. That phone was broken too. I didn't know that was the case until I went to the AT&T store to get a new sim card and realized that it wasn't the sim card and that both actual phones were indeed broken. SO, back to square one, well not really because I've got plans in the works. So I rounded up Lindsay's old Nokia phone and that's charging right now. Third times the charm right? I decided if this phone works and they can't fix my LG, I'm just going to keep the Nokia. I have a computer for email and a camera for a camera so I just need a phone to call.

This weekend is going to be full. I have to get packin tomorrow and I'm going to check out the apartment. Then Sunday is the pumpkin patch with Jess T and Rach and families!!! I'm so excited to catch up!!! The whole weekend is supposed to be beautiful so I'm sure it will turn out to be just wonderful. I get to start moving on Monday but won't move all the heavy stuff until next Saturday. Either way, apartment pics are on the way! Have a great weekend everyone!

Amazing!

2008-10-09T21:47:00.002-05:00

I have been a long time allergy sufferer. Basically, my nose is stuffy about 85% of the time. My friend Jessy told me about the neti pot to clear my nose. If you don't know what that is (it was on Oprah apparently so I think you might) it's a teapot looking thing that you fill with salt water and pour up your nose and it clears everything out. Gross I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Instead of buying a neti pot, I used a paper cup (so you can bend it into a spout) and regular salt in tepid water (1/4 tsp. per 8oz.). I tilted sideways over the sink and low and behold, a miracle!! My nose is completely clear and dried up!! I don't know how that worked so well or how I survived before I found this!! People do swear by it who use it and I'm a new believer. I'll be adding this to my daily routine and hopefully I'll stay clear. Sorry if I'm over sharing with the nose stuff but most of you have kids so I'm sure you've dealt with grosser. :)

Grrr Phone!

2008-10-08T19:29:00.003-05:00

I'm currently annoyed right now because my phone decided to randomly not work. Said phone is also 1 month out of warranty which means to replace it, I have to pay retail for a new one. My only hope is my old phone that has a broken speaker (I know, I'm cursed). I sent that one in to LG to hopefully be fixed for less money than a new phone would cost. We'll see. I really don't care about what kind of phone I have. I don't use fancy features but I do want to be able to call and receive calls. Picky picky right?

Beauty Find

2008-09-30T21:42:00.003-05:00

I suck at skin care. I think it's partially because I'm lazy and partially because I've never found anything that I liked enough to use daily. I'm great about sunscreen, bad at cleanser (that sounds gross)! I don't know why I'm like that, I go to sleep in makeup ALL the time and usually just let the hot water of the shower wash my face. I guess I figure I'm already washing my hair and my body, who wants to deal with another step? Anyway, the point of this post is that I've spent money on Aveda, Clinique and Mary Kay, and I've been cheap and bought Noxema, Clean and Clear etc. But guess what I found that makes my face feel baby soft and breakout free, no moisturizer needed?

I bought it on a fluke and aside from really liking the results there are two great things about it. The first is that it reminds me of my childhood because it's the soap we always had in the bath when we were little so the smell takes me back. The other is that it's .99 for 3 bars!! How's that for economical skin care?

New Look!

2008-09-30T21:24:00.003-05:00

How fun is my new blogger design? I still have no idea how to use blogger other than posting so some of the links are probably off, I'll work on that.

In other news, I'm definitely in love with my kitchenaid mixer. I went back and forth on whether or not it was worth the money and ended up justifying it because it was refurbished, therefore way cheaper and had free shipping (I love Amazon Prime). Also, I don't have a hand mixer so with moving in a few weeks I'd have to invest in that eventually anyway. I'm really glad I decided to go for it!

So far I've made banana bread, chocolate mousse for a pie, and cupcakes with homemade buttercream icing. My coworkers are really getting a good deal with this purchase since I bring them my baked goods!

I know I promised pictures, they're on the way! I'm waiting to get my Arizona pictures from Lin (sister) so that I can do an Allie's Travels post.

Fall

2008-09-26T09:13:00.001-05:00

It’s rainy, and dark, and chilly but I don’t mind. Sure I’d rather be curled up on my couch with a blanket and a good book or a Lifetime movie (one of my favorite rainy day indulgences) but I’m content to be at work. There are a whole 6 people in the office today I think so it’s a ghost town. The reason I am fine with all of this is because… it’s finally fall! I actually don’t like the cold weather, but early fall weather is great. Every morning, the air smells like the first day of school. Does that make sense? And every evening feels like a high school football game. I feel like I should be shopping for pumpkins and sweaters and I just love it.

A lot is happening this fall that I’m looking forward to as well. My mom’s birthday is tomorrow, so I’ll be shopping at lunch today looking for the perfect purse for her. She knows she’s getting that because she asked for it but I’m going to put a little something extra inside that I won’t write about on the off chance she reads this! Then on Sunday I’m off to my cousins’ (that’s right there are two) baby shower. They are both having boys about one month apart!

My parents’ 28th wedding anniversary is Saturday the 11th so I’m still trying to come up with a great present for them. I’m also very excited to see Jess T and Rach on the 12th for the pumpkin patch! (Thanks for the invite Jess!) I don’t think you can get a more fall activity than that, plus I’m excited to see the kids. Then on the 13th I get the keys to my new place!! I’m off that day so I’ll be in there hauling clothes to my closet and setting up the kitchen. Then once Sean gets off work we’ll start painting. I CANNOT wait! Some of the guys from the fire station are helping us move the heavy stuff on the 18th after which we will have beer and pizza as a thank you and the first “hang out” in our new home!

Oh! One other thing that I’m super excited about today is that I bought a Kitchenaid mixer finally and it is coming today!! I cannot wait to make banana bread tonight with the bananas I’ve been saving for its arrival. I have been very thrifty lately which if you know me you know is so unlike me. I cannot bring myself to spend money on anything now! And it’s not the economy because luckily, I really haven’t noticed a difference yet. I think I am just being more responsible which is great. I haven’t used a credit card in MONTHS and I have money in the bank so I guess it’s paying off. Anyway, I did a really good job on getting good deals for things I needed in the apartment and didn’t buy extra stuff that was unnecessary. Seriously, I’d fill a cart at Target of things I did actually need, and then put it all back because I didn’t want to buy anything. So when it came time to buy a hand mixer, I said to myself, you know what? Get that stand mixer you’ve wanted for years, now is the best time to do it. So I found a factory refurbished one on Amazon for a great deal and it’s on the way! I am determined to get tons of use out of it so that it was worth the money.

Well, I’ll post my Bermuda pictures this weekend, we had a FABULOUS time. I’ll write all about it in my next post!

Seriously?

2008-09-08T16:51:00.002-05:00

Every post I write starts with something along the lines of "Wow I'm a terrible blogger!" or "So it's been forever since I posted", and clearly this is no different. Usually I say that there just isn't anything new to report but I've waited so long to post this time that my entire life has changed! Luckily, my readership is very limited, mostly to people I talk to on the phone or in person anyway so they know all that has gone on. And here is where I say I'm going to be a more frequent blogger/commenter, and I really will try! I have been reading religiously though!

So, what's new. In April I got a big promotion at work. I'm now the Meeting and Events Manager for my company so I'm in charge of booking hotel/meeting space, negotiating contracts, arranging travel and running our conferences. I also get to travel about every other month, usually out west. I love it!

Speaking of travel, I have been a travelin' lady this year. I started with my trip to Kansas in February to see Jess and family. Then I was in Vegas in April, Savannah and Charleston at the beginning of June, Anaheim at the end of June, Scottsdale in August (I'll post a funny pic later), and I'm going to Bermuda next week and back to Vegas in December! Whew!

So on to the biggest news which wasn't good at first but ended up being the best. I was supposed to be getting married on September 20 as you may know. Well that's not happening anymore. He turned out to be someone that I wasn't willing to spend my life with. We basically ended up having a lot of problems, one of them being cheating on his part and I'm just not willing to settle. It was pretty shocking when I found out (end of May), but I made my decision that night and the next day I moved back to my parents' house and haven't looked back. I'm still dealing with him finishing out our lease that we had and all that stuff but I am so much happier and really feel relieved that I got the information when I did. I am so thankful that things happened the way they did. So, no new men to report on now but I'm in a really good place. I'm happy without a man and I'm also open to meeting a good one so all around I can't complain. My friend Donni and I decided to go on a cruise to Bermuda instead of being at my wedding so that will be wonderful as well!

The last news brings me to my latest news. I am moving out of my parents' house on October 13th! I am so excited!! My good friend Sean and I found an awesome apartment in our town that we are moving into. I can't wait to get in there and decorate! This is the best roommate situation I could've asked for, and anyone who knows this area knows you need a husband or a roommate pretty much! He might as well be my brother so we get along great (100% platonically), he has a great girlfriend who I love dearly (I call her my mini me) who will visit from Tech on many weekends, he really needs a woman to take care of him (mostly cooking really) and I really love taking care of men, he's quiet and laid back and likes the history channel, and he's a firefighter so he's gone a couple nights a week giving me my very own apartment. How perfect is that?

Well I think that is all I have to report for now. I'll really try to post more often (I know, I know). Hope everyone is doing well and loving life!

A

Brave, not beige.

2008-03-16T22:36:00.007-05:00

Have you seen that Ikea commercial with that "Be brave not beige" song? I am notoriously beige and my sister and friend Jessy thought that commercial was just hilarious and thought I should listen to that girl's message! Well I managed to "out beige" myself. My bedroom was ridiculous. EVERYTHING was some shade of brown or cream. And not in a peaceful monochromatic way. So I took a stand and decided to be brave and introduce beautiful (and spring worthy) orange and green! I have to say my mood is lighter and happier already! I also brought in bamboo for Justin, he's very zen and has been dying to get some in the house. Let me know what you think!

The new room

Below are 2 pictures I found at Tarjay that are painted silk

Here's my dresser arrangement, it's next to a big floor lamp which looks nice but I wanted to get the detail of the dried, bold flowers.

A close up look at my bamboo display

I did it!

2008-03-16T22:34:00.004-05:00

I've been credit card use free for over 2 months now and I am SO happy about it! I was able to pay off the majority of them, close and destroy. Evidence below :)

7 Random Things About Me

2008-03-13T21:40:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by Jess for this post (very clever way to get me to blog!!) so here we go. I'm sure I can come up with many more than 7 but I'll shoot for 7 semi-entertaining ones.

1) I am a compulsive list maker. I get a thrill from making lists about ANYTHING. And sometimes, I'll add things to a list that I've already done so that I have more things to cross off right away!

2) I LOVE to sing. Anything. If I'm in the car or in the shower or even laying in bed with a good song in my head, I'm singing. In fact, if I don't like what's on the radio, I'll turn it off and be my own jukebox.

3) Everything has to be symmetrical for me. If something isn't, it will drive me crazy until I fix it. I also very much prefer squares to circles. I have no idea why. Abstract art has no place with me.

4) I wish I owned a monkey but only if it wouldn't throw poop at me. :)

5) When people disrespect my country (America of course) I get filled with rage. Like actual rage where I want terrible things to happen to them (like moving to a communist country). I'm like a "love is blind" wife who would defend any and all actions to the death right or wrong. I'm just that loyal. I even well up when I hear the national anthem. I'm just so appreciative of all the sacrifices people have made so that I can be lucky enough to live here. Okay this last one is a little embarrassing!

6) 75% of the time I cannot WAIT to be a mother and feel it is what I've always been meant to do and the other 25% of the time I wonder if I really want to have kids at all because you cannot change your mind and I really love freedom and sleep. I'm assuming that when I actually have kids that I won't mind the lack of freedom and sleep, at least not enough to trade them in.

7) I would love to live in NYC for one year, and then move to a sleepy southern town near the beach and open a bookstore and live a Nora Roberts novel worthy life.

8) (thought of one more) For a silly talent one, I can do a very good Britney Spears impression, and I love to do different accents. The only one I can't do is German, which happens to be the only foreign language I speak!

There's my random facts! I am going to tag (and you may have done this already so sorry!) Ruhiyyih, Steph (if your sickness has passed, if not you can have a break) and RachD. You are all very interesting girls so I am interested to learn more!

I'm not in Kansas anymore :(

2008-02-26T23:10:00.004-05:00

I had such a wonderful time visiting Jess and her beautiful family! Ella is gorgeous and so funny and sweet and Gabriel is a living angel. Seriously, I have NEVER seen such a sweet, snuggly and content baby. And I have seen a lot of babies. Here's a pic of me and the gang, Ella is far too energetic to pause for a pic :)

All of the pictures I tried to get of Ella are blurry because she is constantly in action! I told Jess that I would vouch for her that she is NOT exaggerating on her blog, Ella has more energy than 3 toddlers combined! Luckily this is countered with extreme sweetness and hilarity. She was not shy at all and instantly became my buddy. I even got in on the rotation of the "I need..." whomever she thought she could sucker into some attention when she was supposed to be doing something else. Needless to say, I was a sucker everytime. I didn't even mind the early morning "Allie! Where are you?!" Too cute.

My favorite Ella moment of my trip was actually after I was supposed to have left. I said my goodbyes and she knew I was going on a trip on an airplane. Well, my plane ended up being really delayed so Bob brought me back to the house. When Ella saw me walk in the door she said "Allie!! I missed you!!" haha! I hadn't even been on my trip yet. :)

Gabriel is a dream baby with his cues. Within an hour I could tell what he needed when. Basically, if he's crying at all, he's either hungry or gassy. If he's just slightly fussy, you give him his pacifier and he's fine. If he gets his old man squishy face he has gas and you just switch his position to where he's upright against your chest and he's fine. If he's crying and making an "o" shape with his mouth, you hand him to mommy to eat and he's fine. Simple right??

It was so great to get to visit with my friend! We were amazed at how long we've known each other and how much our lives have changed. We were so young, I was just out of high school and she was just married and here we are now, 2 kids later for her and I'm planning my wedding! Who knew on that first day of a way too early English class that one day her daughter would be my flower girl? We did escape for a girls' night to go see a movie. It was fun to do an old time Allie and Jess activity, as she was one of my main movie buddies when she lived here. It was really a great trip overall, it just flew by too quickly.

I'm glad to be back to my normal routine, but I'm sad that I don't get to see Jess and the kids until May. I miss them all so much already!

Thanks Jess for a wonderful trip, I had so much fun enjoying your family and catching up with you!

De-Cluttering/ Limited Consumption

2008-02-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

I've said it before and it seems I'm saying it again. I'm sick of stuff!! Why oh why do I feel it necessary to bring in more and more stuff into my house? I have a lovely little home but you couldn't tell it from looking at my kitchen, bathroom or bedroom (my family room is the one saving grace, it stays pretty beautiful). I am seriously going to turn a new leaf. I don't need all of my things. I don't even overtly feel that my happiness is at all related to things, nor do I even value them that much. So here goes. I'm going to be ruthless and go through my closet and dressers and give tons of clothing to people who actually would benefit from my stuff. On the same note, I am not going to go crazy as the season changes and new beautiful colored items hit the racks. And I'll save gas by not even driving to the mall which is probably the only way that I'll be able to avoid such purchases! I am also not going to purchase any new products (house, toiletries etc.) until what I have has been used. I've already gotten better about this with hair products (when I worked at the salon it was ridiculous!). One other good step I've made is I've been buying less groceries and getting creative to use what's already in my pantry. This is a great space saver! Also, I HATE to waste so I've only been buying produce and fresh ingredients that I KNOW I'll use before they spoil.

On a different note, is anyone else really ready for spring? I was walking through the produce department tonight (buying limited things) and found myself longing for the farmers market. Oh how I cannot wait for some sweet cherries and a ripe tomato and mozzarella salad with fresh basil. I am so excited to pick out flowers and herbs to grow on my modest little patio since I managed to not kill anything last summer! I'm also on the lookout for a cute patio set so I'll be combing the yard sales once they get going.

Another nod to less consumption and a happy thing for me is that I got a new car!! It's a small Hyundai Accent, not a glamorous, high class name but I could not care less. It's brand new, runs like a dream, has really great trunk space and the best part is: I've cut my gas consumption in HALF! This means I'm saving way more money a month all while being a little nicer to the environment. Can't beat that!

Another unrelated note: I bought my dress!!!! My mom and I went looking today and the second one I tried on was simply beautiful. I initially chose it for a try on because I wanted to get an idea of all different styles and I knew my mom loved the style of the skirt. It was a little "poufier" than I thought I wanted but when I walked out, I not only felt like a bride but I felt like I was supposed to be that bride. And it made me look the skinniest :). The best part? No alterations needed! I did have to special order it to get it in ivory and to nix the train (I hate trains) but that was all for no extra cost. I'm psyched! More wedding details to come as I get them!

Updates

2008-01-24T21:40:00.000-05:00

Okay I suck at blogging, it's a fact. I am a way better blog reader than writer, I'm coming to grips with that.

Well I am well into the wedding plans! I can't wait to see all the details come together! This Sunday my mom, Donni and I are going to the Bridal Showcase. I think it will be ridiculously overwhelming, fairly educational and a lot of fun. I'll let you know what I find!

We've booked our location. We will be wed at Rust Manor House in Leesburg. It's beautiful and exactly what I wanted in a wedding location. It's a historical house, but is also part of the Audobon Society so due to nature regulations, it's not overly manicured. So lovely.

The world is all babies these days! Congrats Jess T on your new little man! I cannot wait to meet him! Congrats are also in order for Steph, whose crew is increasing from 3 to 4 (cause you aren't nearly busy enough right?)

The next big order of business is the impending arrival of Baby Boy G, Jess's baby. I left my guess on her page for the arrival stats and I went for February 4th at 9:27 pm and that he will weigh 7 lb 1 oz and be 20.5 inches long. We'll see how close I am! I think I'm almost exact as to the number of days "early" Ella came. Speaking of the crazy lady, she is going to make the most beautiful flower girl who has ever lived. I'm not just saying that, she really is. I am so excited to be visiting Jess and the fam on the 21st! I'm coming in as reinforcement as well as to catch up with my dear friend. Also, after speaking with Ella on the phone the other day, I think I'm going to get to read "No Hitting", it came highly recommended on her reading list. :) I will definitely report when I get back on all of my Ella adventures!

Until then it's just keeping up with the everyday things! Work, home and wedding. Hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful new year so far!

Susie Homemaker

2008-01-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

I will admit that Justin is a way better at chores than I am. Today though, I feel like I've done a pretty good job! So far, by 2:30 I have:
-done a load of laundry (I would have done more but we're out of detergent so J is getting some after his haircut)
-went through our pantry, cabinets, and fridge to organize and dispose of nastiness (this was a group project and I have to say it was a fun activity together)
-baked a loaf of bread
-made some dip with light stuff to make it healthier than regular
-I also currently have lunch for this week cooking in the crock pot
-other little picking up and orgainizing (mostly dirty laundry!)

Right now I'm taking a break and having lunch and watching a DVR'd episode of 30 minute meals (Love Rachael Ray). Speaking of lunch, I have been hooked on mini stoned wheat thins, with laughing cow garlic and herb light cheese and turkey pepperoni. Kinda weird but so so good!

Other than that I'm going to fold Justin's laundry (he hates doing that) and continue mine. Other fun activities may include running the dishwasher and organizing my bedroom. Am I wild and crazy or what??

I've been meaning to make a list of goals for 2008 so I'll put down a few:
-to not go crazy while planning my wedding and never forget the real reason we're doing it
-to eat healthier (I'm thinking weight watchers) so I look awesome in my dress
-to blog more often, and on that note, be better at keeping in touch with my friends
-to be a better girlfriend and wife to Justin (see above sucking at chores!)
-to be sure that everyone knows how much I appreciate them (I already do pretty well at this)
-to live a more minimalist life, I have WAY more than I need and stuff is great but can really be stressful!
-tying in with the last one, to be better with finances so that I can get a new car (mine is threatening to quit on me!) and save to buy a townhouse

I hope everyone is doing well and had a fabulous holiday!

After

A very Merry Christmas for me!

2007-12-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

After a long week away working a conference, my sweet man picked me up from the airport on Saturday. He even surprised me by coming to baggage claim (knowing that it was 64 lbs!) instead of me meeting him outside. We had plans to go to Nagoya, our favorite restaurant to celebrate my grandma, dad and Justin's birthdays, all in December. I was SO tired but was looking forward to seeing my family. We met my parents, sister, grandma, and his parents there and had a fabulous feast. After birthday wishes all around, Justin went around the room and thanked each person individually for what they meant in his life and that they were there to celebrate his birthday. He ended with my dad and said all these nice things about him, ending with "and I can't wait til I can officially call you Dad, which I hope will be soon because..." and he turned to me and got on one knee and pulled out the most beautiful ring and asked if I'd marry him! It was so sweet and he was so nervous. It was so perfect having all of our family there for the event. I'll keep everyone posted on dates, we're thinking October 11th (that's my parent's anniversary) if we can get it together in time. Ring pics below! I'll post more when I have Lindsay take them with her good camera! Love to you all!

Celebrity Morph!

2007-12-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

Check out more over at Steph's, or should I say Kelly Clarkson's? :)

Lots of rain and lots of packing!

2007-10-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

The wall in front of my desk in my office is entirely window. This is both wonderful and torturous! On beautiful days, I enjoy the sunshine but think of how I'd love to be enjoying the outdoors instead of being inside, and on gross days (like today) I'm happy to be in from the rain but am teased with the thought of comfy clothes, a blanket and a good book! All this rain is definitely good for our area and it will also help me be productive indoors this weekend as I attempt to pack 18 years worth of stuff!!! I'm going to think like Peter Walsh from "Clean Sweep" and try to get rid of TONS! This is our last weekend to get stuff together because next weekend is moving weekend! I am so excited and I will definitely post pics as soon as I get our place together. I may not be able to post this weekend but I haven't forgotten my update posts that I mentioned below. Everyone have a great, safe and dry weekend!

Major Blog Update!

2007-10-18T20:46:00.000-05:00

Below are 3 new posts about random happenings in my life. Some more important than others! :) I know I have been MIA forever so I thought I'd do some catch up. I REALLY will try to be a more frequent blogger. I have still been reading so I'm caught up with everyone else but I have been a bad commenter! Stay tuned for my last weekend recap which includes a fabulous impromptu date with my sweetie and a spooky girls' night out with Jessy. Also I may have a tribute to a sweet furry friend if I can get the pic from Lindsay.

Big News!!!

2007-10-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

Justin and I got approved for our condo!! I'm so excited! We move in on November 10th and we can't wait. We absolutely love it. It was the very first listing we saw and when I walked in the door it just felt like home. I can't wait to paint and decorate and truly make it ours. Here's some preliminary pics to get an idea. I'll post more once I get my hands on it!

This is taken from the main living area looking at the pass through to the kitchen. Peeking out from the left is the dining area.

This is the main living area with the door leading to our patio.

This is taken from the entry way looking towards our bedroom. The bathroom is the last door on the left and the spare bedrom is in the alcove on the right.

Can't wait to post pics of my "renovations"!

A fun way to go green.. and pink!

2007-10-18T20:33:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love when you can pair a good cause with a good bag? I was at the grocery store the other day and couldn't resist buying this breast cancer awareness reusable grocery bag. And at $1 each you can afford to be charitable and stylish!

The fruits of my labor

2007-10-18T20:24:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post I showed pictures of the herbs and tomatoes I planted. I am proud to say that they were a success! I've enjoyed a summer of fresh basil and rosemary etc. in all of my dishes. The tomatoes however, were slow going. I thought I wouldn't get a single red tomato out of that little plant. In the last couple of weeks though the color brightened and I was greeted by these three little guys that promptly were put on the window sill. It's not much but it's not dead which is a step in the right direction!

More Bloggy fun to follow... I've got some catching up to do!

Bargain Shopper!

2007-09-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend was spent going furniture shopping! Justin was a good sport but he's so over it. Poor guy. Prior to my shopping weekend, I had done months and months of research to ensure that I found the best deals. I wanted stuff that looked good, and that no strangers had slept etc. on :). And this is on a big budget. We ended up getting a couch, a chair and an ottoman today. Here they are:

I love them! Now on to my dilemma. I'm deciding between two kitchen tables. One I love better and one is cheaper. What do you all think? Is the first table $175 cuter than the second? I'm at odds with my inner fashionista and my bargain hunter. Help!

Justin case you were wonderin...

2007-08-29T06:50:00.000-05:00

My sweetie is wonderful! Okay I know the title is cheesy but how can you pass up that pun? :) Work has been crazy so I haven't posted in a while but I thought I'd take a moment to brag about my love! Justin is just a sweet guy by nature but he can have his "caveman" tendencies too. The other day though he was just the sweetest thing ever!

I was having a crappy Monday at work and he was home because he was starting a new job on Tuesday (he loves it). I'm used to coming home and waiting for him to come home while I cook dinner and sometimes it's almost 8 by the time we eat together (not with the new job!!!). Well on Monday I was so excited because when I walked to my room to get changed he was already there! Then he told me that the comforter was messed up and I should fix it. Being lazy I said I'd do it later. He pushed the issue so I picked it off the floor and under it was a stainless steel crock pot! Now I know that's not a glamorous present but we're trying to move soon and I am obsessed with all things kitchenware. He is not. So this was such a sweet and out of character gift. I then discovered one of the seasons of a show I watch on dvd under my pillow and some silverware that I've been wanting and wouldn't pay the money for under my bed! I couldn't believe he went shopping on his own and bought me kitchen stuff! He has always been great with cards and flowers and all of that lovely stuff but this one just melted my heart. And can I just say how proud he was of himself to think to hide the presents? :)

I know this story was about something sweet that involved material things, but he truly is wonderful with so so many things. Most importantly, I have never had a moment with him where I haven't felt 100% loved and like a super model. You can't beat that! It's a very refreshing change too because I have kissed A LOT of frogs! Right Jess? ;) So go home a kiss your honeys everyone!

Fun!

2007-08-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks Ruhiyyih!

You Should Travel to Thailand

You may enjoy getting spiritual at a Buddhist retreat...Or just feasting on a ton of cheap and amazing Thai food.

What Asian Country Should You Visit?

A little of this, a little of that

2007-08-15T18:44:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't updated in a while, these past couple weeks have been crazy! My sweet little Mama is doing fine, her second surgery went smoothly and she's now in a real cast, which is substantially better than the boot.

My new job is going well, I finally am starting to feel like a "regular" and my tasks are coming naturally to me. They're sending me on my first grown up business trip in December to work at one of our conferences which happens to be in.. Vegas baby! We're staying at the Mandalay Bay which is super nice. I'm really looking forward to meeting the clients, jewelry shopping at the expo (hello! hand-made silver and turquoise native american jewelry?) and perhaps going to see the National Finals Rodeo. Yeehaw!

I'm starting to look for condos to rent and I have already informed Justin that he will be spending labor day weekend going furniture shopping with me. Poor guy. :)

I had a sweet little Hannah moment today as I was getting my hair cut. Whenever Jess would cut her hair (in her cute little pixie-esque way) Hannah would say "I got a shortcut!" and that is just what I thought when turning to face the mirror. The funny thing is that that saying is the first thing I always think of when I get a "shortcut" but it just held such a bitter sweet resonance today.

That's all for now, hope everyone is doing well!

Update!

2007-08-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

Well, my sweet little Mama is home safe, and she has an appointment with a very good orthopedic surgeon on Monday. We'll find out more then about whether further surgery is needed. For now she has just been resting and taking it easy. Daddy has been home from work and taking care of her, such a good guy. I washed her hair for her tonight since she can't get her leg wet in the shower and then we watched part of the 6 hours of television I had taped for her. She's in good spirits and not terrible amounts of pain. Plus, I love the quality time.

The job is going well. I've caught on to all my tasks and can breeze through almost any situation I come across. So far, so good.

This weekend, my friend Jessy and I are going to PA to see Nikki for a little girls' weekend. Can't wait!

Jess- I will look in my old school stuff for that article, but I don't remember it at all! Haha I guess I wasn't the star student you are. Any idea which class? Also, I think I still have access to JSTOR and the other journals so I'll run a search there too. You can always try the LOC website too, they've gotten great about digitizing their sources.

You take the good, you take the bad

2007-07-30T19:47:00.000-05:00

So today was my first day at work. Let me start by saying everything/one is fine. Everything did not start out great though. I settled in pretty early with my clothes all picked out and my to do list made for the morning. I went to sleep only to be woken up at 1:30 by the phone ringing. I saw on the caller id that it was our friend Moira, who happens to be on a business trip with my mom in New Orleans right now. My first thought: "Oh my god, s**t". It turns out that somehow, while at dinner with their colleagues, my mom lost her footing and fell, breaking her ankle severely. She has a compound fracture of 3 bones all of which made their way to the outside of her leg, severing a main vein in the process. She was sent into emergency surgery at 2 am to repair the tissue and fix the bones as much as possible. They couldn't set the bones much because of the risk of infection from the surgery. So needless to say, I spent the whole night getting zero sleep just physically sick to my stomach. I felt so terrible for her being in a strange city with none of her family there to help her. Thank God for Moira, she was there by her side all night long. My family is so grateful for her. So anyway, she made it out of surgery fine, my dad flew in this morning to take care of her and they'll be headed home first class tomorrow. She'll have to see an orthopedic surgeon when she gets home and I'm praying she won't need more surgery. I'm hoping that she'll be able to heal relatively pain free (thanks meds!) and have no further troubles walking etc. I just can't wait to give her a hug after work tomorrow.

Speaking of work, I managed to get through the day by attaching my cell phone to myself. My boss is awesome and told me to do whatever I needed to do, be it talk on the phone all day or go home. I ended up having a good first day. I learned a lot and was able to help some of our clients work out their registrations. Everyone I work with is great and I'm looking forward to learning more. I'll update more when I learn more! Until then, I'll just be thinkin about my Mama and doin the best job I can!

Contest Alert!

2007-07-29T17:08:00.000-05:00

Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom has an awesome contest going on! It's for an Insignia 37" Flat Panel LCD HDTV! The contest is sponsored by Best Buy, so go check them out too!

New Job Starts Tomorrow!

2007-07-29T16:20:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is the first day of my new job! I will be a customer care representative/ meeting assistant for a company that does training, consulting, and publications for Native American groups. I am so excited to be starting my career and also to be working for a cause that I care so much about! Everyone is so nice and I can't wait to get to know everyone even better. I'll post tomorrow to update about how the first day went!

A Tribute to the Monkey Princess

2007-07-21T08:29:00.000-05:00

As the reality of this tragic situation sets in, I find myself to be cried out (for now) and more able to focus on the sweet little lady who has rightfully warranted all this attention. The very first time I spent time with sweet Hannah, she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and sweet little smile, and in her darling but oh so mature 2 year old voice said "Look Allie, I have clickety-clack-clack shoes!". She then proceeded to demonstrate how her shoes did indeed "clickety-clack-clack". At that moment I thought "Well surely any 2 year old with an affinity for shoes is a very cool and special little girl!"

That was the first but certainly not the last time that the little Monkey captured a piece of my heart. I am always excited to get "Fancy Hannah" stories from Jess when she would come to stay and would always laugh at the fun stories that Rach would share on her blog. I've been responsible for arming little Hannah with "big girl makeup" (for play purposes only) as I know the face is one of the most beautiful canvases, and hence responsible for her losing said makeup as she tried to wear it to school! :) (Hey, every girl needs to make a statement right?) My life has certainly had more smiles thanks to Hannah.

The Earth has lost a bit of its sparkle, but the stars are surely shining brighter now. I will always have nothing but happy memories of this sweet little angel with whom I share my favorite animal and a passion for fashion. Fly happily sweet Hannah, you finally have your beautiful wings.

Prayer Request

2007-07-19T20:02:00.000-05:00

Today is a very sad day. My friend Rachael (who is also my dear friend Jess's sister) has lost her beautiful little girl today. There are no words that can explain the grief that accompanies such tragedies. Whatever your faith or beliefs, please send your prayers and good thoughts to Jess, Rachael, Brien, Lily and the rest of their family. Rest in peace sweet "Fancy Hannah".

Fab Find!

2007-07-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Jessy, my favorite shopping guru, I found this awesome bag at CVS for $4.99! What a steal! It's great for lugging your junk to work, packing books or magazines for a trip or to/from the library, to tote toiletries for an overnight, to use as a fun purse or as a shopping bag (way prettier than plastic or paper!). Go grab one before they're gone!

Front and back have different designs! They also have a couple other colors. :)

Happy Shopping!

Bangs, Versatile Bangs

2007-07-06T14:03:00.000-05:00

It's no surprise to anyone that knows me when I show up with a new hair do. After working in a salon for years you just run out of things to do! So on a whim, I decided to make the chop and get bangs. Not swoopy side bangs, but real, "all the rage", "very now" bangs. I can't have a celebrity lifestyle but darn it, I can have celebrity hair! So here they are in their many forms! Steph- hope this helps with your decision! Jessy- here ya go since you can't see the live version this weekend! :)

Here they are normal style:

In a ponytail:

With bangs to the side for a more common look:

In my favorite "poof":

And the obligatory "I refuse to do a thing with my hair today" style:

A Green Thumb

2007-06-30T17:17:00.001-05:00

Following the theme of my previous post, this one is for my friend (and Rach's sister) Jess. This is mostly because I'm always amazed at how she can plant anything in the smallest space. Seriously, you could walk out of her townhouse door and onto her little pathway and eat herbs right out of her containers scattered along the walkway. I've hemmed and hawed over wanting to plant something so I finally decided to take a page from Nike and "just do it". So to Jess' amazement I'm sure: I planted my very own herb garden! It was pretty fun at first but I don't like dirt it turns out so about halfway through, I was done. But I stuck with it and even made cute little name signs. So here is my beautiful garden! Are you proud Jess?? I do have to say that cooking will be much more fun now that I don't have to run to the store everytime I decide to make a recipe with an herb I don't have!

Green is the new black

2007-06-30T16:55:00.000-05:00

Well the world has seemed to come full circle and it is increasingly popular to "go green". I'm a conservative girl but I can't resist a chance to do something good, especially if it means you get to buy cute bags* :). I decided that this post would be a shout out to my favorite aspiring locavore: Rach. Go check her out! So the reason this post is for her is because I started up my yearly tradition of getting my goods from our local farmers' market. I have always loved going to the farmers' market for fruits and veggies and I can't believe I waited this long this year to start! Well in my defense, I did go the very first day but there were only breads and stuff because the produce wasn't ready yet. But boy did I hit the jackpot today! I couldn't resist its beauty so here's a picture I took.

My finds were: tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, radishes, cucumbers, green beans, watermelon, canteloupe, peaches, sweet cherries, living lettuce (stays fresh so long!), jalepeno cheddar bread, tomato-garlic-chive bread, fresh feta and fresh applewood smoked mozzarella. Whew! And that's just what I bought. There was much much more to offer. So, just because it's fun, and really, you do not find food like this at the grocery store, here are a few pics I took up close of the prettiest produce. :)

*bags shown in picure are long handled EcoBags.

A bit of self discovery

2007-06-29T12:23:00.001-05:00

So it occurred me today that I'm fairly certain that I suffer from a disease that doesn't clinically exist... I think that I have Shopping Bulimia. How on earth did I acquire this, and how do you treat something that doesn't exist? Sure enough, I go through spurts of binging and purging. I'll shop because I feel like it and stock up on stuff that I don't need or even remember weeks later. I will sometimes bask in the glory of a bag full of stuff and I feel prepared for anything. Then other times, I will feel cluttered and overwhelmed by my things and I will go on a major purge, often unloading up to a dozen garbage bags of donations onto those less fortunate, or my friends who don't suffer from my affliction. I think I even love this crazy transfer of things. I get just as excited when my friends comment on how they love when I clean because they get stuff as I do from walking in the door with my arms loaded with bags. This begs the further question: If I'm not on my way to debtors' prison, is this such a problem at all? Does it really matter if I like to shop and then to minimize? Probably. I think I'll try to eliminate some of the chaos and search for a happy medium. On a supremely healthy note, I am fully aware that if I was not blessed with people in my life who make me happy and whole just by being there, my things would not have the whimsical effect that they do now. I do know that the stuff doesn't make the girl. :) Now, off to purge (just a little).

Beach Bum

2007-06-28T14:42:00.000-05:00

Well we're back from our fabulous week in the Outer Banks. I'll post later with the details and pictures but first for those who know me I thought I'd amaze you. I was a total beach bum! I lived in my bathing suit and lounge clothes with no makeup except mascara if I went out! Below is my beach bag with my beach essentials. In it you will find: Beach towel, book (of course), Coppertone Sport spf 15 spray, Alba Botanica spf 20 facial sunscreen, big floppy hat (just say no to wrinkles!) bottle of water and flip flops. That was basically my whole trip in a bag! Back later with more tales including our trouble on the high seas!

The Job Hunt

2007-06-05T16:38:00.000-05:00

Well not too much is new. I have been enjoying some time off while I'm working part time and have tried to catch up with what seems to be 2 years worth of sorting, cleaning, trashing and organizing! I'll post pics of the bedroom once I get it in order. Those who know me will understand what a difference it is. I was seriously thinking of applying for disaster relief for a while ;) I've been reading for fun and cooking almost every night which I think Justin has enjoyed the product as much as I've enjoyed the process. I actually made chocolate chip cookies from scratch yesterday!

The biggest thing (and PAIN) right now is my full time job search. I've been looking everywhere (or so it seems) and it is getting frustrating. My degree is in history, which is difficult to find a job in so I've broadened my net. Even still, I haven't had much luck with my searches. I'll keep at it, I'm sure something will surface. The sooner the better though because I'm trying to move by the end of summer. We're actually thinking about moving to Charles Town, WV. AACK!! I know I know. But we could save some SERIOUS money by commuting the extra 45 minutes. So that's that. I'll try to come up with some more interesting things to blog about but for now, it's off to cook dinner. Jess- I'm making the chicken, rice, mushroom, brocolli casserole you taught me! And some banana pudding with the 'Nilla wafers: yuck, but that part is for Justin.

Britney may not be crazy after all...

2007-05-30T18:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, well she probably is. But they say you don't know about someone until you walk a mile in their shoes. Well in my case it was more like hair. I recently had hair extensions as a fun experiment as a guinea pig for my stylist friend. They were long and fun and I enjoyed my month with them. Then, removal time came. We spent more time getting them out than in (4 hours!!) It was PAINFUL and sooo tedious. I asked numerous times if she would shave my head just to get it over with. That's when the lightbulb went off in my head that Britney wasn't crazy to shave her head, she just had hair extensions!

In other news, Steph at Adventures in Babywearing is holding a contest for a CD that my friend Scott's band made. It's a children's CD called Soundzania and it's super fun! Anyone with kids or shopping for a unique and fabulous kids present should go check them out!

Despicable!

2007-05-14T14:07:00.000-05:00

Okay, I am not a Survivor fan, I don't follow the seasons despite my sad love of reality tv. BUT, I happened to catch one episode in which Yau Man won a truck and upon winning, gave his prize to Dreamz, who did not own a car of his own. He did this on the condition that if they were both in the final four and Dreamz had immunity, he would give his immunity to Yau Man. Dreamz accepted and said he "swears to God" that he would keep his word, as if his word meant anything at all. He went on in a private interview saying that he would want his son to be a person who keeps his word so he would of course keep his own. So as you might have assumed, this exact event took place and Dreamz, being the scum that he is, did not give his immunity to Yau Man. This to me crosses a whole new line of strategical play. Can you really "survive" with no regards to your integrity? A person's integrity is one thing that you can never get back. Everyone makes good and bad choices but when you sell yourself out, on national tv no less, you show zero regard for yourself and certainly no regard for others. I wonder how Dreamz can sleep at night knowing that he has lost his most basic instrument of humanity. So congratulations Dreamz, on your truck, I hope you and your empty soul enjoy it.

The traitor himself.

Goodbyes Stink :(

2007-05-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

My good friend Jess is moving to Kansas on Saturday and I spent the afternoon with her today for the last time! I think I've taken for granted all of our times together as it has always been so easy to hang out. We met 7 years ago on our first day of college when I had just graduated and she had just gotten married. We've been through so many big times together including the birth of my favorite munchkin Ella. I'm gonna really miss them! Hopefully I'll be out to visit in the fall so I can see the new place! I'll also be blogging more regularly so that we can keep each other easily informed of our lives. So check back for frequent postings! Good Luck Jess, Bob and Ella!

Me giving Ella an airplane ride!

Giving Thanks

2006-11-23T11:28:00.000-05:00

I have recently started a Gratitude Journal. Every night before bed, I write down what it is that I am most grateful for that day. I think it's really easy to take all that we have for granted, so I felt it was important to remind myself each day. I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday today with your loved ones, enjoying good food and good memories. In the spirit of the holidays, I decided I am going to post a list of the silly things I'm thankful for, as we all know the really important things. So this is just for fun. What are some of your favorite things?

These are a few of my favorite things:
the crackle of a real fire in the fireplace, the smell of cookies baking, my sweatshirt blanket, flannel pjs, red gummy bears, when my bird presses his wing to his cage for a pet, dinner and movie with the whole family, hearing my friends' ringtones on my phone, e-cards, an overloaded bookshelf, louis legs on furniture, shimmery eyeshadow, kit kats, old photographs, cheesy American song/photo compilations that make me cry, really cold diet coke, Christmas music by the "greats", southern charm, crisp white wine, high thread count sheets, board games, chicken burritos, pink nailpolish, high heels, opening stockings last on Christmas, the fact that Disney World is still magical to me, shiny lipgloss, lunch breaks, making others smile, tv shows on dvd, fun movies where no thinking is required..only enjoying, seeing the bright side of anything, girls nights out, lists, cool pens, funky earrings, and most of all... knowing that I have a fabulous life full of fabulous people and appreciating that everyday. :)

Right and Wrong

2006-11-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

I try to make it a conscious point to always do the right thing. I know that I have very strict rules that I live by but thinking about them got me wondering... How do we know what the "right" thing is? What do you think is the difference between right and wrong? And is there a clear right and wrong for everything? I know that when you get nit-picky, some things are right for some people and wrong for others but I'm talking about the very basic code of morals and ethics. If there's a line, what is it, and where does it start to branch out?

VOTE VOTE VOTE

2006-11-07T19:08:00.000-05:00

Well I really hope everyone voted! I was at the polls at 6am sharp to cast my vote! Here is a copy of a myspace bulletin I sent out this morning around 7:

Don't forget it's election day which means everyone should be hitting the polls! It doesn't matter which way you vote, only that you do. I know a lot of people will say "I don't have time to vote", or "I don't feel like going to vote". Instead, I ask you to think of it this way: Would you ever say "I don't have time to be an American today" or "I don't feel like appreciating everyone who has died to protect my rights"? If you're abstaining for a legitimate reason, than ignore this post, but please don't let laziness or lack of interest keep you from taking 30 minutes out of your day once a year to do your duty as a citizen of the best country in the world. I know that last part was biased, but so am I. But seriously, GO VOTE!!

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”-- John Quincy Adams

The fun thing is that one of my friends copied my bulletin and reposted it so all his friends would read it too! So hopefully everyone got out there. If I got my butt out of bed at 5:45 after staying up late to study and then went to class all day then everyone else should have too. We all know I love my sleep! So SHAME on anyone who was just lazy and had no good reason not to go.

On a lighter note:
I thought I'd share a fun election related tidbit. Ever wonder how the political parties got their symbols? Well thanks to Wikipedia now you will know!

"The mascot symbol, historically, is the elephant. A political cartoon by Thomas Nast, published in Harper's Weekly on 7 November 1874, is considered the first important use of the symbol. (1874 Nast cartoon depicted GOP as an elephant demolishing the flimsy planks of the Democrats)" *cartoon is on Wikipedia if anyone is interested in seeing it.

"The jackass was born in the intense mudslinging that occurred during the presidential race of 1828 as a play on the name of Andrew Jackson, the Democratic candidate. Jackson had been called "Andrew Jackass," and the defiant Jackson adopted the nickname."

He really was a jackass, he's by far my least favorite President, mostly because of the Trail of Tears. But that's another blog.

A Random Silly Thought

2006-11-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

So this is a really silly topic but one that I bet a few of you (ahem Jess and Rach) may relate to. I've noticed on many an occasion that the women in all of our girly books have TERRIBLE fashion sense! I don't know if any of you watch Sex and the City but this reminds me of when Berger (I think it was Berger) put his main character in a scrunchie (Carrie: "a SCRUNCHIE?!?!). What is up with this? I am reading a Rachel Gibson book right now in which her leading "hot stuff" lady was wearing a navy blue turtleneck, navy blue blazer, black jeans, and black ankle boots!!!!!! Come on! How is any part of that outfit okay, much less as an ensamble? This offender was just the one that pushed me over the edge, I have read many a book with a banana clip, or other dorky mismatched outfits. Why you may ask do I care what the leading lady in my current read is wearing? Well I really shouldn't. But I like to relate to my character, I like to get lost in the book and feel like the character could be me. And just as I'm easing into the story, I'm halted abruptly by some heinous crime of fashion. I'm not trying to make this seem any less silly than it is, but it is a recurring instance. Has anyone else thought this or am I a lone nit-picker on this one? :)

By the way, I saw Marie Antoinette and really liked it, what did everyone else think? It reminded me a little of my favorite movie "Elizabeth". And I saw Poseidon tonight on dvd. Hated it. I have my reasons but it would ruin the movie to tell them. Not that there's much to ruin. Any contrary thoughts?

What?? Could it be a....POST??

2006-11-04T21:35:00.000-05:00

Okay I haven't posted in a month, I'm a slacker. I don't have tons of readers though so I'm sure it's no big deal. Anyway, not much is new. Just school and work, school and work. I'm sure some of you heard about the shooting that happened earlier in October outside of Safeway in Sterling. The guy that was killed was my friend from high school, Chris. It was so sad to read that news. He was such a great guy and I know he's in a better place but I feel just awful for his family. Things like that make you really appreciate the all the good things about life. Speaking of a great life, I had the most fabulous girl's night though last night with Jessy in Old Town Alexandria. After work, we ran to her house, got changed and hopped on the metro to King Street. Not knowing about the free "Dash" bus that takes you down to near the waterfront, we hiked the probably mile and a half in the COLD down to Ramsay House and went on the Graveyard Ghost Tour. Soooo much fun!! We were frozen and numb by this point so we were fine with the one hour outdoor walking tour. I highly recommend going on it. My goal is to be one of the tour guides so if I do, be sure to come on my tour! We then walked to Pat Troy's, a charming Irish Pub with live Irish music every night! Jess- you know I was thinking about the Gallaghers! We sat up in "President Reagan's Corner" which any who know me understands just how fabulous that was to find. We ate the best chicken pot pie ever and drank a big glass of Harp's. We clapped and sang along with the Irish songs and took our pictures which I'll post as soon as Jessy emails them to me. What a blast it was! We jumped on the Dash bus and got on the Metro back to Jessy's house. Well it wasn't that smooth going, we did pick the wrong line in our excitement to catch a warm train right away, but we quickly amended the situation and were on our way! We then got into some comfy pj's watched 2 episodes of King of Queens and finally when I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, I crawled into the freezing guest room and got all cozy under the best down comforter ever. At least it was last night. Thanks for having the best guest room bed Jessy! So that about sums it up. I will try to post more loyally. I know Graham, you lose readership if you don't post!! Hope everyone is well and lovin life! -A

Allie Post Says...

2006-10-04T12:48:00.000-05:00

Okay I am probably elevating my status to first class nit-picker but people these days have a SERIOUS lack of manners! I was inspired to write this during class yesterday when I had to strain to hear my professor's lecture. Why you ask? Because a girl decided to BLOW HER NOSE, quite audibly for at least a minute right in the middle of class! I asked myself, why on earth would anyone think that it is acceptable to do such a thing and quickly answered my own question by remembering that I am dwelling in a tactless generation. Okay maybe that's a little dramatic, but come on, why don't people care about being polite anymore? So I decided to make a list of things that one should never do in public. They include: blowing your nose, flossing your teeth, brushing your hair, re-applying makeup (not to include lip gloss or chapstick), taking out or putting in contacts, kissing with tongue, talking with you mouth full, falling asleep, and talking on speakerphone. I'm sure there are a lot more I could think of but that's a good starter list. I think a good rule of thumb is if you generally do it in a bathroom or a bedroom, it should stay there. Oh and if you sneeze, do cover your mouth and nose, that's just foul. Am I being ridiculous to feel this way? Are we living in more relaxed times or do I have a right to expect more from people's public demeanor?

Do unto others...

2006-09-21T20:42:00.000-05:00

So I try to make it a point every day to do something nice for someone else. Well during the premiere of Grey's Anatomy tonight (woo-hoo! Season 3!) I saw a commercial for Liberty Mutual that was just fabulous. I put a link to it below so go check it out. So this is my petition to everyone to consciously do 3 nice things for someone else each day. It can be someone you know really well, or it can be a complete stranger. The only rule is that it has to be nice and selfless. Remember, it doesn't have to be a big thing, a really easy and overlooked thing to do is simply give someone a compliment. We think nice things about people all the time, so from now on, tell them! I'm going to implement this starting tomorrow, who's in with me? :) --A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76h8jbjZqOI

Bad Luck Party Guest!

2006-09-20T23:43:00.000-05:00

An interesting little tidbit I thought I'd share:

Abraham Lincoln's son was invited to the assassinations of three U.S. Presidents:
The night that his father was shot, Robert Lincoln was invited to accompany his parents to the theater. He declined. When President Garfield was shot in a Washington, D.C. train station in 1881, he was present at Garfield's invitation. When President William McKinley was shot in 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, Lincoln was present at McKinley's invitation. Although Robert Lincoln was not an actual eyewitness to any of these assassinations,
after McKinley's death, Lincoln let it be known that he wanted no further invitations from any US president. Three presidents had unknowingly invited him to be present at their assassinations. Interestingly enough, Robert Lincoln would not have been able to attend these events had not the brother of John Wilkes Booth saved his life years earlier.

How crazy is that??

A little rant...

2006-09-18T12:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I know this is silly and not exactly blog worthy but hey- "it's my blog and I'll post if I want to!" :) There is a professor at Mason who teaches right before one of my classes. Everyday when we enter the room, the board is erased except for a quote that he apparently writes on the board before each of his classes. The thing that is crazy is that he spells a word wrong about 50% of the time! So far I've seen "rymes" instead of "rhymes" and "locamotive" instead of "locomotive" etc. I know this is nit-picky but it REALLY annoys me that a college professor is not only spelling words wrong on a regular basis, but that he is PURPOSELY leaving these misspelled quotes on the board for all the other classes in the room to see! Am I being silly and overly critical or is it okay that I expect more from those providing us with higher education?

Shiver me timbers...America's Beloved Villains

2006-09-14T19:47:00.000-05:00

So in my Caribbean History class, we discussed pirates today. While it only encompasses one lecture period, it turns out it is the sole reason many people enrolled in the course. This made me wonder: What is it about pirates that makes us love them? If you look at the facts it doesn't quite add up. Do we look highly upon murderers, thieves, and social deviants? Not quite. So why is it that when you throw in a black flag, a silly hat and a dark sense of humor, we swoon? Boys want to be them, girls want to be wooed by them. It's just odd. I know I may have invested more into this thought being a history major but that just leads to another question. How is it that pirates have been so interestingly portrayed throughout history? Well I am planning on doing more research on the topic, but in the meantime, if you're interested check out this article. It's a really good overview of pirates in general and begins to answer some of my posed questions. And if anyone wants to plan a trip to the museum let me know! -A http://www.examiner.com/a-218099~Museum_explores_appeal_of_pirates_in_pop_culture.html

This is some craziness!

2006-09-13T22:18:00.000-05:00

I had quite a few friends on myspace post this link in a bulletin. Apparently, the manager of Texas Roadhouse in Chantilly tried to get the Fairfax County PD to pay the restaurant $9000 after the restaurant was temporarily closed after the two officer shootings earlier this year. Check out the story if you're interested. Seems pretty shameful!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/11/AR2006091100964.html

Thank you

2006-09-13T13:47:00.001-05:00

After the 5 year anniversary of September 11th, it seems that a lot of people have forgotten how important all the things our country does to keep us safe are. This isn't meant to be a political post as all my friends know where I stand on issues. But regardless of what your personal belief is of our president, or individual practices of our country, everyone needs to respect the people who defend our freedom everyday. The second we stop fighting for what America believes in, the lives of our fore fathers have been wasted. So do your part in changing the country by your vote, not a lack of support for the brave and brilliant people who support you from the front lines. Check out this video and think of it whenever you see a soldier or a veteran.

http://grouper.com/video/MediaDetails.aspx?id=892873
(only one minute long)

Blast from the past

2006-09-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops."

So tonight I had dinner with Nikki and our 5th grade teacher. It has been 14 years since we last saw her! That makes me feel really old! We had a fabulous time though. It was in her class that Nik and I became friends and has lasted ever since. She has always held a special place in our hearts, because she was one of those rare memorable teachers that inspired you to learn. Our year was filled with projects that challenged us while having a blast. I can't even do her justice so I won't try. I guess the point of this is just that I feel so blessed to have had someone in my life that made such a difference to me and my friend. There wasn't anything huge that she did, just a ton of little things that made a huge impact. So just remember in your random acts of kindness that you may not feel that you've done much, but you just might have changed someone's life.
-A

Huh?

2006-09-08T20:58:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why this wants me to post with my pic in order to put it in my profile but that's what I'm gonna do. Another thing that will become very apparent is that I am NOT a technical gal whatsoever! So here goes nothin!

Stepping into the Blogosphere

2006-09-08T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well here is my first ever blog. Thanks to my good friend Jess, I have been sucked into a new realm of guilty pleasures! I always said I would never be interested in reading all about other people's lives, much less post information about my own. So the saying goes: "never say never". Perhaps this outlet will make me realize that my life is indeed more interesting than I currently assume. On the other hand, I very well may never post again and just comment on the acomplishments of my favorite little monster, Ella Beau. What a little beauty! So thanks for the link Jess, and to anyone else who finds this space, there may be more to come!
-A