Knit One -- Purl, too!

Redeemed.

2010-06-08T22:43:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the biggest disappointments come from those you love the most. Naturally, when you trust someone to deliver excellence, to cater to your every whim, or to continually provide nonstop entertainment, the bar is set high, which makes your heart break even harder when your trusted bestie doesn't deliver.

I'm talking, of course, about my love affair with "Glee".

After a breakout pilot and first six episodes, "Glee" hit... well, a bit of a rough patch. Dare I say it, there were a few weeks I even considered stopping my viewing. The storylines got weird, emotions seemed contrived, and plots were flying in out of nowhere. Song selection got sketchy and I had lukewarm feelings about some episodes.

Somewhere in the middle, the light started to shine again. Neil Patrick Harris showed up and sealed the deal -- “Glee” was back. So I hung in there and kept watching, and 30 seconds into tonight's season finale, I was assured that I made the right decision. And not only because I have an increasing and alarmingly inappropriate three way crush on Finn, Puck, and Mr. Schuester. Tonight’s finale was pure perfection, delivering on all levels and leaving me with tears of joy and pride.

As I finish this post, 6 glorious tracks of pop deliciousness have been added to my iTunes library. They will certainly be played on repeat for the remainder of the week, and a few of them may even be specially selected for my personal Glee Season One highlights mix. “Glee” ended its season on a high note, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year. Although I know at some point heartache will ensue (kids graduate and favorite shows end, I suffered minor breakdowns at the conclusions of “90210”, “Dawson’s Creek”, and “The O.C.” – saying goodbye to the Cohens was the worst of the worst) I am going to take Schuester’s advice and “make the most of the middle”, relishing every sixty minute segment I get to spend in the choir room at McKinley High. Until you return, New Directions, I will replay your recorded gems over and over again. Have a great summer, gang – see you in the fall!

I <3 Free Stuff.

2010-03-23T05:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Free Pastry Day at Starbucks! Although I don’t think anyone needs a pastry on a daily basis, today it’s free if you’re getting a drink (let me recommend a grande skinny vanilla latte with a half shot of mocha, or any one of the new teas, YUM), and even though pastries are packed with fat and calories, you have the entire day to burn it off! And, Starbucks has new recipes – they’ve bettered their goods by taking out (most of) the fake stuff like artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup.

I have taken the liberty of checking out some of the ‘Bucks pastry selections and giving you a quick rundown of your best bets.

8-Grain Roll: Anything with “8-Grain” in the name sounds good for you, but this little number packs a punch at a solid 350 calories. A lot to spend on breakfast, but the combined 10g of protein and 5g of fiber suggests that this guy will keep you full until lunch. I won’t be ordering it, however, because it has RAISINS IN IT. My number one hated food-in-a-food.

Blueberry Scone: Don’t. do. it. This small scone has been revamped, but I’m not sure what they changed, because it has half of your daily fat intake and 460 calories (that’s over one and a half Egg McMuffins). It looks completely delicious, but it is teeny tiny and almost nutritionally worthless. if you’re hitting the gym for over two hours today, though, feel free to indulge :)

Vanilla Mini Sparkle Donut: In all honesty, this will probably be what I go for this morning, since I hit Starbucks a solid two hours after breakfast. It’s 120 calories and about 4 bites, but it’s small, sweet, delicious, and adorable (and sparkly! Did I mention it’s SPARKLY?!)

Ok, who am I kidding? There are really no best bets when you’re dealing with the pastry case. That’s why these are “sometimes” treats – it’s free, and it’s only once a year! If you want to plan ahead, you can see all of the bakery offerings here – but be warned, they will probably be out of a lot of the options with all the demand. :( Apparently, cookies and/or cupcakes may be included in this offer, so you might want to snag a Red Velvet and keep it bagged til snack time. ENJOY!

Perpetually Redecorating.

2010-03-21T20:15:00.001-04:00

I am always, always, always redecorating/remodeling at least one room in our house. Today, our office underwent a major cleaning/reorganization, adding the bookshelf in (next to the bench/”reading nook” and incorporating the majority of my craft supplies. Now that I have my lovely laptop, the old desktop got the boot, and I cleared a niiiiice big space for crafting (mostly, card writing and list making). I asked Deane if we could do a built-in desk the length of the wall, using some perfect table legs from IKEA, but he said I don’t need a big huge craft/art space because I never do anything! Which is partly true, BUT… I argued that I never do anything because I don’t have any SPACE (a vicious cycle, I tell ya!). So, now there’s no computer, I have a nice clean empty desk, and if I consistently produce some artwork/really cute cards/organized and efficient bill paying, I can have a big huge new desk soon (and maybe, just maybe, my dream of ribbon spools on a pegboard – who cares if I never use ribbon?! It’s SO CUTE!).

Until then, I’m on to the next project. The master bedroom has been in need of paint since the dawn of time, and when I saw a new quilt at work last week, I was beyond inspired:

Is it wrong to demand a complete bedroom makeover based on a single piece of bedding? I didn’t think so, either.

Peter Piper.

2010-03-19T22:04:00.001-04:00

March 2010 is officially hospital month.

On Wednesday night, we went to my in-laws house to celebrate St. Patty’s Day with the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner (ever the finicky eater, I enjoyed hot dogs and macaroni and cheese with my 5 year old nephew). Deane was still battling a nagging cough that’s been around for a few weeks, so when he started cough/choking at the table, I didn’t think much of it. The cough was initiated by a bite of…pepper relish, home canned and brought to dinner by a family friend who was enjoying the festivities with us. I have a super sensitive spice palate, so I wasn’t going anywhere NEAR this stuff, but Deane downed a solid couple tablespoons. We finished dinner, hung out a bit, and headed home.

When we got home and got ready for bed, Deane’s cough was so persistent that he couldn’t catch his breath and was starting to get sick. I frantically brought him water and a cold washcloth, since he was getting super hot. I also speed dialed my mother in law, a nurse and my saving grace at times like these (also always totally helpful and the reason I am never sick for more than a day -- she has the best advice and the best meds!). While I was on the phone with her, Deane started scratching frantically and said he felt like something was biting him everywhere. I almost dropped the phone when I looked at him – bright red face, swelling, hives everywhere – not a good scene. We jumped in the truck and I high-tailed it to the ER as fast as I could (which ended up being barely over the speed limit, since it was a drinking holiday, and there were crazy drivers everywhere, and it was RAINING, and I had on my glasses that are about 3 prescriptions old…). We finally got there and got him checked in, and he was seen almost immediately. He was given a shot of epinephrine, which stopped the swelling and returned him to normal skin color almost immediately. A few IV’s and a few hours later, we were released with a handful of prescriptions and direction to get the one for an Epi-Pen filled as soon as possible – Deane is also allergic to bee stings, and after seeing him have this reaction, you can bet that I do NOT want to be speeding to the hospital EVER again.

As we talked to the doctor and tried to figure out what the reaction was to, we realized that the only thing Deane had eaten or been exposed to out of the norm was the pickled pepper relish. We determined that this must have been the culprit, and he is on a BLAND FOODS ONLY diet for as long as I can hold him to it (which probably won’t be long).

Being in the ER is terrifying and horrible, and I was so so scared when Deane was having a hard time breathing – I felt so helpless! We are going to really be focusing on taking care of ourselves and having NO MORE hospital visits in 2010.

To Your Health.

2010-03-17T07:39:00.001-04:00

First of all, thank you all so much for your thoughtful emails and comments on my last post. I am so, so, so happy to report that Mom was released from the hospital on Sunday and cleared to go back to work (half days only, and I have my spies out, Mom, so you better be following doctor’s orders!) starting today. After what seemed like thousands of tests, blood work, scans, etc., it turned out that her blood clots and her weeks of illness were actually unrelated (we think). The clotting was caused as a side effect of a clinical drug for cancer prevention that she has been taking for 2 years and is supposed to take for another 3. After weighing risks versus rewards, Mom and her oncologist decided that she will stay on that drug and add Coumadin, a blood thinner, to stop the clots. Meanwhile, another doctor discovered a blockage in her bile duct behind her liver and kidneys. Unable to perform the minor surgery that they would normally do to remove it (since her blood was so thin), they inserted a stint to allow the liver to function as normal, and Mom has not been feeling much digestive distress (my new favorite phrase, I am going to use it from now on to describe anything from tummy aches to pooping problems) since then. Her right leg is still swollen, so she got to go be fitted for a super sexy thigh-high compression stocking which I’m sure is probably driving her insane right now (but it’s for the best! Keep it on, lady!). So all in all, she is much better and hopefully has a good first day back at work.

After all of my time in the hospital, I was exhausted when I got home on Friday night. I actually ended up sleeping in our guest room because Deane has been battling a nasty hacking chest cold, and I woke up myself at about 5 am with “digestive distress” of my own (see? I used it already!) After 24 solid hours of expelling every last bit of anything that existed inside my body, I was able to stand up and even drink some water. I have been back at work all week and this morning, I even got my appetite back! I was a little sad about this last bit, because even though the 24 hour virus came after me with a vengeance and almost killed me (really!), it did produce a net weight loss of 2.6 pounds :) I am working hard to keep it off, as I have been doing pretty well in 2010, and want to be looking good in time for bathing suit season!

Which, by the way, is coming way too late this year. As I was getting dressed this morning, Deane reminded me to wear green (pinch me and die) and I was thinking about what I wore LAST St. Patrick’s Day. After I got over my awe of being able to recall outfits from 365 days prior, I remembered that I wore layered tank tops and knee length black city shorts. Today’s forecast calls for rain and a high of 62 degrees, which means I am not even rocking an open toed shoe, UGH – it’s gonna look and feel like Ireland around here :( I wish it was sunny and 76 like it was last year, but I know spring is riiiiiight around the corner. Maybe it’s the time change or the face that Easter seems super early this year, but I am SO BEYOND READY FOR SPRINGTIME! In the meantime, I’ll be gobbling up some seasonally themed candy (chocolate covered Peeps blog review to come…) in moderation, of course – and hoping for days of 70+. Happy St. Patty’s!

Get Well Soon.

2010-03-10T17:29:00.001-05:00

Remember when I vowed to not talk about running on my blog anymore? Well, in the weeks leading up to my first half marathon, dealing with a (weirdo embarrassing) injury and focusing on completing 13.1 miles pretty much took over my life. Since I was already alienating everyone in my life with intricacies of times, pace, distance, food and fluid intake, and the like, I figured I would spare the blogosphere from my boring details and return when I had something worthy to say.

Since completing the run on February 21st (fabulous and complete race recap can be found here, thank you Emily!), life has been pretty back to normal. Working, relaxing, spending quality time with my husband and dogs, and attempting to keep up some sort of fitness level. All of this has been sprinkled with a v. small amount of knitting, but it IS happening, and I am confident that I will not be arriving in Cincinnati for Lindsey’s birthday without a completed handmade gift!

I have also spent time since the race reflecting on why I set out to run it – mini explanations can be found in blog posts here and here. In a nutshell, my mom battled and beat stage 3 breast cancer, and I wanted to do something that both raised funds and awareness for treatment, research, and diagnosis, as well as take on a goal that would be difficult for me to achieve – something that could be (very slightly) representative of her struggle through surgeries, chemo, and radiation. Every day, I find more and more people are affected by this disease, and the bravery that survivors demonstrate in the face of scary treatments is beyond admirable.

Last week, I called my mom to see how she was doing, since she had been very ill with what we thought was severe flu for about a week. She sounded weak, tired, and OVER IT. The biggest and most lasting effect from my mom’s treatment is that her immune system is just about shot. Like me, she used to hardly ever get sick, and when she did, it was unavoidable (food poisoning or the occasional cold) and over quickly. Now, she has to careful around other people with the sniffles, keep a close eye on her diet, and she experiences severe drops in energy. This particular bout of sickness was really doing a number on her, and I urged her to head back to the doctor if it persisted through Monday.

On Saturday, she noticed pain and swelling in her leg and her right abdomen, in addition to still feeling completely lousy. Monday she went to the doctor and they performed an ultrasound on her leg, after which they promptly admitted her to the hospital because they found a blood clot. Further testing at the hospital revealed another clot in her lung, so she was moved to the cardiac unit where they could keep a close eye on her (and make sure the clot in the lung did not move to her heart). I drove down here first thing Tuesday morning to be with her and help out around the house – she lives with my stepdad, also a cancer survivor, who is currently undergoing treatment to raise his red blood cell counts and was recently diagnosed and severely anemic.

I immediately set up shop in Mom’s room – arranged her flowers, demanded more frequent water refills, perfected my role as a pillow fluffer, and so on. By the time I left her late last night, she was feeling a bit better – but she had had a CAT Scan and they still hadn’t figured out what had caused the clots.

This morning, she was feeling much worse. Her doctor ordered an ultrasound of her liver and kidneys, and professionally stated that her liver is “angry”, but it shows no lesions (which means NO CANCER there, always a cause for celebration). They tested her gall bladder and determined that while she has gall stones that could be contributing to her nausea and digestive problems, they don’t explain the clots. They sent her for a bone scan early this afternoon, and we will get the results for that this evening hopefully. In the meantime, I am staying OFF of google, webmd, and similar cites, choosing to completely dismiss the option of bone cancer, because I am SURE that she does not have it. They also took a ton of blood samples this morning to test for all sorts of diseases and things, so we’re waiting for results from those, as well. In the meantime, she continues her treatment of a Heparin IV drip and daily doses of Coumadin, both blood thinners which should work together to dissolve the clots. Right before I left her room late this afternoon, her roommate was moved (thank goodness, she was a crazy old woman who watched BET very loudly, completely odd) and we were told that Mom would not have a roomie, that she was being isolated for potentially having the Noro Virus. Her nurses instructed me to wash my hands well and often, and to wear a gown, gloves, and a mask if I was touching my Mom at all. I am just happy that she is finally in a peaceful room, and after making sure she was situated, I left her to get some rest.

I’m not sure how much longer she’ll be in the hospital, but it will definitely be through the end of the week. It’s definitely led me to some “deep thinking” on subjects that range from light (why is it so difficult to find healthy food options in the hospital cafeteria? why do nurses have to wake you up to put pain meds in your iv?) to way too heavy to process (when did i grow up and start taking care of my parent? how much longer will my grandmother, whose memory is deteriorating rapidly, remember my face and name?) – I’ve been doing a little writing, a little reading, and a lot of Sudoku playing, iTunes library organizing, and Mom-watching.

And so this post, which I thought would find a voice and a point somewhere along the way, has come to a rambly end with no insight whatsoever. It was a bit therapeutic, anyhow. Here’s hoping you are feeling better soon, Mom!

Just in time for the SuperBowl...

2010-01-29T21:31:00.005-05:00

...I FINALLY finished my Colts square!

This was my first project knitting intarsia, which basically means incorporating more than one yarn color within rows to create a pattern (here, the letters and horseshoe logo in blue on a background of white). The biggest problem I had with intarsia was keeping track of my yarn. I ran into a lot if twists, knots, and tangles along the way. When knitting intarsia, you carry the color not in use across the back of the work. I didn't leave enough slack when I started the letters, which is why they look slightly puckered (the blue yarn is pulled tight against the back of the work, not allowing the stitches to lay flat). About halfway through this project, I read a blog on intarsia that suggested twisting the two yarns together every 4 or 5 stitches to keep the proper tension and eliminate the pulling. It worked, but I don't really like how you can sort of see the blue through the white. But, all in all, I call this a successful first intarsia project! You be the judge...

Intarsia was slightly difficult and required quite a bit of concentration to follow the pattern, but I will definitely use this technique in the future, and this was a great first project to try it out on. Now, I'm not sure what to do with my finished "square". It measures about 16" by 16", so I'm thinking about knitting a solid blue back and turning it into a pillow. Otherwise, I could just use it as a spirit flag! :) Your suggestions are welcomed!

Cast on for the Colts!

2010-01-24T20:23:00.006-05:00

I've blogged before about how I have displaced fan syndrome, being a die-hard Colts supporter in a city of teal and spots. For the most part, I can treat my problem with shopping online (I got my new Dwight Freeney jersey in plenty of time for today's game), checking colts.com ninety times a day, and watching a lot of SportsCenter. There are some things, though, that I can't possibly know about without living in Indianapolis.

Thank God for my Aunt Brenda, Indy native and knitter extraordinaire. The email I got from her today was *almost* as exciting as the Colts victory, and I am so excited about the project that will keep me busy as I wait for this year's SuperBowl and well into next season. Check out what Indianapolis is doing in preparation for their SuperBowl host year (Febraury 2012)...

In February, 2012, Indianapolis will welcome the world as it hosts NFL Super Bowl XLVI in Lucas Oil Stadium. Staging this game – and dozens of related community events – will require the efforts of nearly 8,000 energetic volunteers. In an effort to show appreciation for each volunteer’s good work, the Indianapolis Host Committee is asking the community to hand knit a unique scarf for each of them. This personalized memento, aside from being part of the Official Volunteer Uniform, will serve as a warm “Thank You” for their service, and provide an instant connection between the scarf makers and wearers. Indianapolis has a rich tradition of volunteerism; let’s continue that history with the Super Scarf Project!

If you live in Indy, you can actually pick up scarf KITS at any Marion County Public Library (shoutout to my favorite librarian!!). There are no specific patterns, but they do give you a few samples, and designate that the scarf must be ALL blue and white. Actually, they even pre-selected the exact colors (and I am thrilled to report that my personal yarn stash is stocked in the same Red Heart blue and white that this committee deemed Colts-appropriate).

This will not be the first Colts scarf I've made...

I actually cranked out two of those bad boys (one for me, one for Em) and wear mine pretty regularly throughout the winter (which lasts about 2 weeks here). It really compliments the majority of the rest of my wardrobe...

I can't wait to cast on my first scarf, and then watch with eagle eyes during SBXLVI to see a volunteer wearing it. Blue models it so nicely! (that pic was taken at last week's playoff game!) If you are a beginning knitter and/or a Colts fan, this is an AWESOME project to be involved with. Let me know if you want to join... and in the meantime, GO HORSE!!

Hostile Takeover.

2010-01-17T20:51:00.002-05:00

It's no surprise to anyone still reading this that my blog is NOT about knitting. It should be, but it's not. Instead, it's more of a sounding board for whatever hobby is striking my fancy that day. Recently, it's been running.

I made a goal for myself to run a half marathon this year (more on why, etc. in another post). Having two very fabulous besties as marathon vets has made my training pretty easy -- they're there to answer my questions, they understand what I'm going through, and they help keep me motivated. Conquering the weekly mileage has actually been one of the easiest things about training. Let me tell you about some of the ways my body has reacted to the 15-20 miles a week I'm taking it:

-- I am TIRED. I mean, I know the "work retail during the holidays" tired. I've experienced "I just had 3 20 page papers due and I've been up for 72 straight hours" tired. I'm even familiar with the "I just slept for so long I can't possible consider getting out of bed without clocking another 8 hours" exhaustion. But this "running" tired is something I've never known. My body craves sleep -- at LEAST 7 hours a night, but easily 10-11 (especially mornings after a long run) if I'll let it. I've even NAPPED a few times this weekend after my 7 miler. It seems I just cannot get enough rest.

-- I'm STARVING. Am I the only person to actually GAIN weight while burning ridiculous amounts of calories training for a race? I can't get full. I eat all. the. time. I have been pretty good about staying with healthy (ish) foods, but my portions are insane. I swear I ate a 32 oz. container of fat free cottage cheese in 2 days. I made applesauce in the crock pot today out of EIGHT apples and it's halfway gone already. I've developed a serious peanut butter and Eggos addiction. The worst part is, I know I am eating ALL of the calories I'm burning on my runs (and then some), but I can't quit!

-- I'm getting REALLY ANNOYING. All I talk about is running, because it seems like it is all I'm doing. I know balance is important, and I do do (hehe, doodoo) other things (like eat! and sleep!), but I find myself telling people how far I ran, or did you see the new Nike headphones at Dick's, or do you know how to configure my Garmin settings? I'm trying to stop myself from commenting on my sore shins, or the blister on my right toe because I left my socks out of my gym bag and ran 4 miles without them, or bring up how much I LOVE spandex. My apologies to everyone for my irritating running rants (silly, really, because this entire blog post is one of them!).

-- Everything else I do has gone out the window. Sure, I'm keeping up on Idol ("Walkin', talkin', with your pants on the ground!"), I caught the premiere of P. Runway, and I didn't miss a second of this weekend's NFL playoff action. But TV is pretty much the extent of it.

I haven't picked up my knitting since I naively started a Christmas gift project at the beginning of December. But I know that balance is important, and you shouldn't always be about just one thing. So tonight, I'm logging in to ravelry. I'm going to pick out some cute patterns. I'm going to post them here. And this week, I AM GOING TO FINISH THAT DAMN COLTS SQUARE (sure to be part of a Super Bowl XLIV Champs blanket). I will find balance between work, running, and knitting. I will fulfill my roles as boss, wife, and dog mom. I mean, I can do this -- I'm not even planning a wedding!

In the spirit of this post, "On The Go" has been updated to reflect part of a playlist I'm working on (working title: "GO. RUNNING. NOW.").

No more posts about running this week, I PROMISE!

6 Miles - CHECK!

2010-01-03T18:10:00.003-05:00

It was cold, I was fighting the end of an upper respiratory/stuffiness ick, and I was supremely undermotivated, but I got my butt out the door today and whacked my 6 miles off my training schedule. Time doesn't matter, so I put a smiley over that area, but I am proud to say I did not walk ONCE. My feet may have slowed to a shuffle slower than my grandmother's mall walking pace, but by all definitions, I was not walking. This week I am facing 4 miles on Monday and Wednesday, 2 on Tuesday, an "easy run" on Thursday, and I am supposed to do a "5K race" on Saturday. I haven't found a race yet, so I might skip ahead and do my 7 miles this weekend. We'll see how the legs hold up!

Out With The Old!

2010-01-02T21:57:00.012-05:00

Keeping a blog is so handy. This morning, when I was thinking about the new year and if I should make any hollow resolutions, I realized that I couldn't remember what the hell I had wanted to accomplish in '09. Then I remembered my BLOG! So I went back through some past entries, and look at what I penned on 12/30/08...

I've been reading that instead of picking huge, daunting goals (i.e. "I'm going to the gym every day!" or "No more Starbucks, EVER!"), you should focus on small goals that will be easy to accomplish, yet contribute to your overall resolution. On a personal level, I'd like to be more fashionable, so I am going to accessorize more and limit my ponytails to no more than 4 days a week. For my overall wellness, I do have a weight loss goal, but my resolutions are to limit food court breakfast treats to one per paycheck (that's only one trip to Panera every two weeks!) and pack my lunch at least twice a week. I also plan to walk Lilly at least once a week, instead of just turning her loose to run all her energy out in the backyard. As far as my knitting goes, I am thinking of picking a project to work on during this season's American Idol, so that in May, instead of focusing on the countless hours I wasted watching the show, I will have some fabulous knit garment to envy!

I am happy to report that I have been VERY good about accessorizing, and in addition to wearing my hair down most days, I am even alternating between straight and curly (!). That thing about the food court is pretty hilarious... but I did pack my lunch most of the year (until holiday hysteria set in), and Lilly does get walked regularly :) The knitting goal was an epic fail, and I can't think of one single thing I produced this year. So, we'll call '09 a 50/50 for resolutions, and look to the future for more successes...

If I am going to continue with this trend of accessorizing and my new goal of elevating my personal aesthetic, I had to start at the ground level.

By that, I mean ground zero.

The pile of rubble that used to be my closet.

For the most part, I really am a fairly organized person. I am a bit of a "piler", though... I make piles and then ignore them. I have a ridiculously full junk drawer in the kitchen. I hide stuff under my bed. I put handfuls of old receipts into purses I'm not using, instead of into the trash can where they belong. You get the idea. On the outside, the picture of pulled-together-ness, but on the inside, some messy secrets. The one thing that always remains sorted, colorized, and finger spaced, however, is my closet. It is my moment of sanctuary at the start of my day. The place where the ensemble I choose could make me feel fabulous or... fat, and horrible, for the entire day. I understand that this sounds decidedly shallow, but it's true. You can't BE great if you don't FEEL great, and I can't feel great if I don't feel like I look great (whew). The closet situation in this house has never been ideal, and although I have been granted full access of the "master" closet, and given the guest room closet for my outerwear, I still struggle from season to season. I have to stay on top of editing, and if I haven't work it in 90 days, it gets the boot, for good. The tricky part about the climate here in north Florida is that you don't have a seasonal closet changeover -- I have to be ready for a sleeveless dress or a turtleneck sweater at a moment's notice! The finicky weather over the past few weeks has contributed to what I can only call the worst closet catastrophe of my time. Truth is, I never really dug my house out of the post-wedding mess, and then I rolled straight into the holiday season, which meant long(ish) hours and sheer exhaustion. It was all I could do to maintain clean dishes, washed laundry, and fed dogs. When the smoke had cleared and the holidays ended, I took in the true mess that I had let my closet become...

Look at that MESS! Hangers everywhere! Short sleeves mixed with long! A pile of jewelry on the floor that, I'm ashamed to say, had been there for WEEKS. In short, a complete disaster. I knew I couldn't start my year as a fabulous looking, feel-good working girl without gutting this thing clean.

First things first -- a nice big pile to take to consignment! I used to have a real problem letting things go. I always thought about how much it had cost, or if someone had given it to me as a gift, or if I might regret getting rid of it, or if I might actually lose 20 pounds and be able to wear it again... Since we've moved into this house, though, I've been much better. If I'm not using it, it goes. If I'm over it, it's outta here. I do have a small area to keep the question marks -- a few pieces, from each bi-annual closet gutting sesh, that I keep in that back of the spare closet. If, within 90 days, I don't go after them, they either get consigned or donated. If I go back for them, and wear them, they get to stay (they hardly EVER get to stay). I was feeling especially editorial today, and ended up with a nice pile for donation/consignment that even included a few "designer" handbags...

After the gutting, it was time to decide on an organization method. I tend to mix this up from time to time, although my go-to is usually to organize my sleeve length, then color (lightest to darkest). Today, I thought about what I wear most and how to make it accessible. I also thought about how I want to layer more, so I ultimately decided on mixing ALL sleeve lengths. I separated cardigans to the most accessible side of the closet (as I wear at least one every day), jackets and Colts gear to the back corner (I know where it is when I need it), all sleeve length tops down the middle, then my few pants and my ever-growing dress collection (currently at 34). Then I decided what needed to be folded vs. hung, and what accessories could stay in the closet vs. what should live on my dresser (costume = closet, quality = j. box). The end result is organized and most ideal for my tiny, tiny, space. I think it will lend itself toward some stellar outfit selection!

By adding VIP spaces for favorites (Betsey bag, Colts spirit beads), I know a little bit of happy will be infused into my attitude every morning when I get dressed. Now I know what I own, what I need (skinny denim), and most importantly, what I DON'T need (a v-neck tee in any color). I'm thinking of holding myself accountable for being stylish by posting some daily outfit pics to the blog. Then again, I've never been one for keeping resolutions...

Coupon QUEEN!

2009-12-07T21:14:00.001-05:00

I had a DSW Rewards certificate for $10 that expired Monday. Not one to miss out, I headed over there on my lunch break to sneak a peek at the clearance racks. Sadly, there were oodles of cutesy new styles to choose from, but nothing to write home about in sale town. I had made a vow to not spend massive dolla dollas on new kicks ('tis the season to be buying for others, after all...), but I was determined to not let this coupon go to waste.

I suddenly remembered that I needed some good new socks for running, and spied a 3 pack of ankle length Adidas moisture wicking lovlies right near the register. They were marked down to 10.94, and then another 30% off, so I knew I had to pick up another pair to make the coupon work (something about your total not being able to be below ten dollars). Luckily, there was also a pair of grey knee socks that would fit perfectly under my new booties from Target (which, if you don't already own, I HIGHLY recommend). Add those on, and my grand total came to FOUR CENTS, after tax. That's literally a penny for each pair of socks! DEEEEE-AL!

I was super excited about my purchase -- then I got a huge surprise at work and landed a holiday bonus (first time in my adult working life)! I was a little sad that I hadn't splurged on some new footwear, but there's always the after Christmas sales...

Me Against the Pavement.

2009-12-07T20:28:00.004-05:00

Last week was the first official week of half marathon* training according to both Hal Higdon and my carefully color-Sharpie'd DayTimer. If I had to describe week one in two words, they would be EPIC. FAIL. I had great intentions heading into the week, stretching for hours on Sunday in preparation of an easy 3 miler on Monday. As extra motivation, I had even ordered a new toy I had been coveting for months...

Say hello to my newest, and current favoritest, accessory -- Garmin's Forerunner 305. This little lover was on Super Sale on Black Friday, and that deal (coupled with a recently discovered Amazon gift card leftover balance) was too good to resist. It was

delivered to me at work last Monday, and I instantly waved it around in everyone's (jealous) faces. Instead of hitting the gym like I had planned for my 3 miles that day, I headed to historic downtown to knock out my 3 miles.

My first run with Garmin was so fun! I kept forgetting I was running because I was playing with my new toy. Instead of sticking to straight paths that I had previously measured with my car to assure proper distance, I kept ducking down side streets and around blocks, watching the mileage (and calories burned!) rack up. I was loving it! I knocked out 3 miles in just over 30 sporadically paced minutes, and I was happy.

I wish I could say the rest of the week was as successful, but the truth is... that was my ONLY run last week. Work got busy (post Black Friday fall-out coupled with a major Regional Manager visit) and I was tired, cranky, and working lots of extra hours. With extra work and the holiday season comes lots of sugary treats, which I LOVE, but my energy level HATES. By the time I got home at 6 or 7 at night, I was tired from being on my feet all day, but more importantly, I hadn't fueled (the closest I came to eating a leafy green was a Reese's tree...) or hydrated (apparently, a constant intake of venti caramel macchiatos and Diet Coke actually DE-hydrate you, but I'm still in denial) my body appropriately enough to be able to take on even the most manageable run.

This week, I am determined to do better. Even though February SEEMS far away, I know it will be here before I know it, and I had better be ready for 13.1. Today I was thrilled to see I had planned a 2 mile run (even though all day I was thinking it was 3) and could knock out two easy loops on my road, even after dark. I strapped on Garmin and hit the pavement, and didn't stop running until my 2 were in. I was happy to see that all this time I thought I was running a 1 mile loop, I was actually running 1 POINT OH NINE mile loops. Hah! Sadly, I am also averaging an 11 minute pace, when I thought I was closer to 10:10, which really makes NO sense mathematically, since I am running further than I thought I was... but math was never my strong suit.

Tonight's run was short (22:05) and I even did it with no music (!) as I have benevolently loaned my ipod shuffle to Deane and his no-CD-player truck (he deserves it -- after all, I have a regular ipod and a new fancy schmancy watch). I felt like 2 miles was super easy, and I fought the urge to keep going, telling myself to stick to Hal's plan. I don't think I'll have any problems working the plan this week, and I hope this means I am officially back on track. I'll keep you up to speed on my progress!

*Side note: Donna Deegan was toooootally in my store today. She was rocking the Vera Bradley 2007 "Hope" print tote, the one I use to carry my current knitting project, and the same one I gifted to my mom 2 years ago :)

Mash Ups.

2009-11-22T20:10:00.005-05:00

Good golly, I am already the biggest disappointment on blogger. Last week I was supposed to post about "Favorites on Favorites", how my favorite celebrities (I use the term loosely) Tim Gunn and Lady Gaga were showing up on my favorite shows, Biggest Loser and Gossip Girl (I'll let you guess who was on what show). I never got around to it, and the post, along with a snapshot of Gaga (I usually call her "Gags", but when I type that, it reads as "gags", which may be true for several people, but I digress...) went off into bloggy abyss. Meanwhile, I wait by my mailbox for my copy of the new Gaga (thanks Linds!) with bated breath.

Gunn and Gaga weren't the only mash-ups to hit last week. "Glee" featured a ridiculously incredible mash-up of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police and "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (I have 50% confidence in the accuracy of the band name, but am waaay too lazy to googs right now). But the most important mash up of all is the arrival of my favorite fall trend...

BOOTS. WITH. SOCKS.

I first saw this look on the cover on an Anthropologie catalog (always the cutting edge of fashion, no?). I love, love, love the knee high sock sticking out above the boot, and I tried to wear some variation of this trend every day this past week.

I failed. Miserably. There were a lot of reasons, but the number one was ill-fitting socks. I have been blessed with water skis for feet, and I have never been a petite girl, and when you roll those two things together, I can't get a knee high sock on my leg without turning my calf into an encased sausage. Seriously disgusting looking. The other problem was, even with the "cold front" in Florida, it's still reeeeally warm, and the socks can get hot during the day. With this, an idea was born!

I am going to try to knit some "sock tops" -- some short, adorable, stretchy tubes (think the top third of a leg warmer) that I can wear with my boots as a total fake-out. The pattern will stick out over the top, giving the illusion of the cutesy trend, but they won't have horrible elastic that squeezes my legs, and they won't cover my entire foot, causing horrible foot heat during the day! I'm pretty excited about this idea. Has anyone out there actually been able to master this trend? I would love to see some examples!

And since we're talking about great tastes that taste great together, I noticed a commercial this week for another favorite invading a favorite. Bravo is premiering a new show, "Launch My Line", where people in other professions (CEO, stylist event planner) get paired with a fashion designed and compete to launch their own clothing line. In one of the teasers, I saw a familiar face -- Dan Karaty, a choreographer who used to be ALL OVER "So You Think You Can Dance". He was one of my favorites, and he hasn't been on in several seasons (I know there's a lot of hate for him out there, so lay it on me in the comments if you feel so inclined). Although I don't think I've ever seen Dan rocking a look that didn't include a blazer and a screen-print tee, I will probably tune in to the premiere of this show to see what he's got.

Mash ups will continue this week as I celebrate the holiday and subsequently consume approximately 189,000 calories in one sitting. Bring on the taters!

Ignoring October.

2009-11-12T22:27:00.003-05:00

It's a sad, sad thing when you see you have landed at the bottom of a fellow blogger's blogroll. Sadder still when you see that you are nearing the "two months ago" mark on your "latest" post.

So join me, won't you?, in forgetting October, and the first half of November, because I have been busy GETTING MARRIED!

(I put a picture here just to prove it.)

Since I am quite certain anyone who cares was either a) there or b) has seen my barrage of photos on facebook, I am forgoing the wedding recap posts. It was a beautiful, glorious day that involved all of my favorite people, quite a bit of DIY love (from myself and my wonderful helper bees, who never *once* complained), and a ton of fun. Deane and I are already talking about a potential annual anniversary party. Married life is fabulous, and even though I thought nothing would change, my new husband and I are on cloud nine -- we're a little more courteous of each other, a little nicer to each other, and a lot in love. I learned a lot planning and executing this wedding, and I am sure it will come through in future writings -- just not all in one big wordy post.

That said, welcome back, readers! Join me as I embark on my next goal -- a half marathon in February! -- , get back into knitting, regale you with hilarious anecdotes of a career in retail during the holiday season, and, as always, candidly review television's latest and greatest offerings. See you back here real soon (and thanks again for hanging in there...!)

Most Important Trip to the Post Office EVER.

2009-09-24T23:08:00.007-04:00

The invitations are DONE. They have, in fact, been lovingly placed on my friends' and family's refrigerators for some time, but I just haven't gotten around to a blog post. Let me tell you, when I let these babies go at the Post Office, I suffered a minor bout of separation anxiety. I even sprung for the 61 cent stamps because I didn't believe the postal employee who assured me that a regular 44 center would do the trick (although, I may have been persuaded by the adorableness of the wedding cake on the 61 cent, and the sickness of the wedding rings on the plain 44's).

The invitations were something I wasn't always sure I was going to make on my own. I knew sort of what I wanted, so I went to a few stationary stores and websites to price them. I only needed about 50, but the price range of what I wanted (not including RSVP cards or any inserts) was anywhere from $2.75 a piece to $5 a piece! Not exactly in my budget. So, I did some prototyping and came up with an elegant looking invitation for super cheap.

First things first, I decided I did NOT want to make 50 RSVP cards, 50 RSVP envelopes, 50 maps to the venue, etc... so I created our wedding website to house all of the details and utilize a nifty RSVP tool that would help keep my guest list organized. With the website made, I just had to nail down the wording of the invite. I love my parents and future in-laws dearly, but since we are not having a huge luxurious bash being paid for by our parents, I wanted to avoid the stuffy "Mr. and Mrs. LastName invite you...". Instead, we wanted to address our close circle of family and friends and let them know that their attendance at our wedding was really important to us because they have played an important role in our lives. We went with:

"Because your love and friendship have helped us become who we are, we joyfully invite you to share in our celebration of love and commitment."

Under that, we had our names (obvs) and the date and time of the ceremony. To RSVP and get the rest of the deets, we referred our guests to the website.

Once I got the text formatted to the proper width and spacing, I was able to print it out on white cardstock (2 per page, score!) and cut them. Next, I rubber stamped a top border (the same stamp as I used on the Save the Dates). After that, I added a strip of black and white ribbon (again, the same as the Save the Date) using some serious double stick tape action. I mounted each piece onto green cardstock and cut around it to create a border. Here's a few pics of the invites in their assembly-line action:

Once they were all cut apart, I created little pseudo-envelopes for them, black with a green ribbon bow. I saw this look in a book of sample invitations and I LOVED it (but hated the fact that the outer envelope, with the adorable bow, was an extra 2 bucks per invite). I just used good old textured cardstock, a bone folder, and my new best friend, double-stick tape. Here's what the finished product looked like:

After they were all assembled, they got stuffed into their Staples clearance envelopes (I couldn't get the original green envelopes I wanted in the proper size, which resulted in what I'm embarrassed to say was a 2 day temper tantrum, but these envelopes worked just fine) and lovingly addressed by hand with my newest favorite writing utensil, the Sharpie PEN.

And then they were finished! I don't have the exact price breakdown, but I can assure you that these little lovers were finished for well under $50 (thanks in part to a 5/$1 cardstock sale at JoAnn's!) and I have plenty of materials left over to make the dessert description cards and other things we may need for the ceremony.

I have gotten some gret feedback from the invitations, and I LOVED making them. I am seriously considering an etsy shop for personalized invite or holiday cards. Think it would get any business...?

Target Demographic.

2009-09-13T18:29:00.004-04:00

Let's face it -- I could never buy EVERY product endorsed by Peyton Manning, unless maybe I won the Powerball. But when I saw this commercial featuring two of my absolute all-time top five favorites, even I couldn't believe I didn't run out and buy a Sony HDTV immediately. I rewound and watched this no less than 8 times in a row.

Dear Jillian.

2009-09-08T23:19:00.003-04:00

Dear Jillian Michaels,

I wanted to apologize for slamming you in my facebook status yesterday. If you want to market your own diet pill, that's your prerogative! I should not pass judgment on the fact that you have plastered your face all over thousands of DVDs, wii games, water filtration systems, and cereal boxes. You are still my favorite Biggest Loser trainer, and if I were on the show, I would pick you over Bob in a heartbeat (though I love you too, Harper).

All day long, I worried that, because I am a fan of yours on facebook, you would somehow see my status. I stressed that you would manifest all of your ragey workout energy into my still shrink wrapped DVD copy of 30 Day Shred, which was waiting for me at home to take on at the end of the work day. I even hit the gym for 3 miles on the treadmill on my way home, partially because I was so intimidated by your 20 minute workout.

I can proudly say that I made it through Level 1 of Shred without cheating ONCE (partly because my fiance was drinking a beer on the couch watching me, critiquing my form the entire time). I have to tell you, it was a hell of a lot easier than Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. I even got a little cocky towards the end, telling your mini-me on my tv screen that I could do jumping jacks all the live long day. I wanted to take the time to thank you for not making me do any high knees, burpees, or walking planks. It made me think you had forgiven my facebook comments.

Thirty minutes after completing your workout, I realized that you had gotten your revenge. I could hardly keep my arms up long enough to wash the shampoo out of my hair. Lifting my water glass to my mouth is becoming increasingly difficult as the night progresses. I'm not confident that this pain will lessen overnight, and although I am slightly terrified, I will face you again late tomorrow morning before work.

I can't wait for next week's premiere of "Biggest Loser: Second Chances". I hope you have a mouthful for Daniel.

Your fan forever,

Mary Ann*

2 Months/Shower Power!

2009-09-07T19:17:00.014-04:00

We are already one full week into September, which means my wedding is exactly 2 months away! I celebrated the milestone this weekend at a lovely bridal shower hosted by my fiance's mom.

I was really excited for the shower on a multitude of levels. The most important one was that my own mom was coming in to town, and I haven't seen her since... well, only June, but it feels like forever! Having her here was so great -- I got to go over wedding details with her in person, show her the ceremony and reception space, and have her generally calm my nerves. As a slight off-note, I had a horrible week last week, experiencing all sorts of anxiety, financial issues, and general distress (more on that later, or if you're lucky, never), prompting me to actually call out of work one day (this is something I cannot remember doing in the past 3 years) to try to get myself under control. Long story short, I got my act together by the time Mom got here on Saturday afternoon. I showed off the changes we've made to the house, re-introduced her to the dogs, formerly introduced her to our 9 cats, and set off to see the wedding and reception site, as well as have some dinner and pick up the hostess gift for Deane's mom Debi (which I neglected to take a picture of, fail). We also picked up the ingredients for the dishes she was bringing to the shower (and I took advantage of Mom at the grocery, college-freshman style!). Saturday night we relaxed, made some yummy snacks for the next day, and watched some cake shows on tv (typical).

Sunday morning I woke up and it was the day of my shower! I was so excited; it felt like Christmas -- only it was like a personal Christmas that no one else got to have, this one was all mine! I was really nervous in the morning -- I kind of hate having people go out of their way for me, and I felt like everyone had to travel, etc. to be here. Once we got to Debi's, though, I felt totally relaxed and comfortable. She had done SO MUCH WORK! There were pictures of me EVERYWHERE that I hadn't seen in forever (Student of the Month February 1987, anyone?) as well as pictures of me and Deane over the years. So cute! Every table was filled with my favorite delicious foods, and I was instantly glad I had worn an empire waist dress so I could feed my second trimester food baby with no worries.

The cookie, coffee, and cake table! :)

Take home cookie flowers for all of the guests!

Mom and I went to work mixing up some mimosa punch and put a lot of delicious things into pretty bowls as we waited for the guests to arrive. With each person that came through the door, I felt more and more loved! All my favorites from work were there, as well as my to-be-sister-in-law and several close friends. Once everyone had arrived, we played a Mary Ann trivia game and everyone did pretty well (Andrea took top honors, but Ashley won for best answer to "In what state did Deane and Mary Ann meet?" Her answer: "A drunken state!" Obvs true.). Then we all scooped up a refill of delicious beverage and headed outside for more games and laughter.

With Mom before all the guests arrived!

We read a little book that was put together by one of Deane's family's close friends, and it was all rhymey and pass-around-y. Hard to explain, but really cute, and of course there was a prize at the end.

Rhyme time!

Then we all settled onto the porch so everyone could make "Dough Brides". I didn't get a lot of pictures of this, but basically I had asked Debi to have some sort of activity for people to do as I was opening gifts, because I 1) hate opening presents in front of people because I fear they are dying of boredom and I will never have the appropriate thing to say about them and 2) didn't want to seem like an ungrateful bitch and not open stuff til afterwards. Everyone got some various hunks of flesh and hair colored dough, flowers, and lace, and they made mini-MA* brides and I judged them for prizes (actually, it was pretty funny in retrospect). I opened what seemed like millions of gifts, all of them so generous and fabulous, and was even more overcome with emotion when I opened several gifts from people far away who couldn't make it to the shower (Linds, I think Donna almost starting crying at the poke cake). It was really interesting because Debi had chosen a "Stock the Pantry" theme, so everyone brought a recipe along with the non-perishable ingredients to make it with. I got a lot of utensils, serving pieces, Pyrex galore (love that stuff!) and foodstuffs for my bare, bare pantry, so it worked out great! She even made a nice huge binder with pages for all of my new instructions and lots of recipes already in it.

The "wishing well" was made of a trash can with a doggie-proof lid, which we needed desperately!

Ooooh, big pile o' prezzies for ME!

Mom was great and took explicit notes on everything so I wouldn't forget anything amidst the chaos (one of my friends recently attended a mutual friend's wedding, afterwhich they received a thank you card for a clock radio that they definitely did NOT give), and of course there are pictures of every gift being opened (I'll spare you the boredom here, but you can check them out on facebook!). Once I got done being the center of attention and was 100% covered in sweat head to toe, we all went inside for some yummy yummy treats.

Nom nom nom!

Triple layer strawberry cake, yummmmm.

We all ate a ton, winded down, got to visit some more, and then everyone started to disperse. I was completely exhausted when it was over and made Deane put all the gifts in the truck while I pushed carrots and dip around my plate (read: continued to eat my way through a one pound bag of M&M's). When we got home, it was time to say bye bye to Mom and relax... only, I was so excited about new kitchenware that I stayed up until 2 a.m. cleaning and organizing all of my cabinets, as well as making an inventory list of casserole size dishes, cake pans, cookie sheets, etc. Very exciting stuff :) Today Deane finally got to chill and he went fishing all afternoon while I hit up Target to continue my beginner's foray into fulfilling a wifely duty of cooking... by purchasing the limited edition green Nintendo DSLite bundle with Personal Trainer Chef included :)

I have spent most of the day NOT finishing invitations or learning how to cook, but instead playing innumerable games of MarioKart and Sudoku (LOVE BrainAge). After this weekend, I am feeling fully refueled and refreshed. I am ready for day one of Jillian's 30 Day Shred tomorrow, ready to be back on a running schedule, ready for continued success with my fabulous staff at work, and most of all, ready to keep moving on wedding planning! I am sure these two months are going to FLY, but right now I can't wait for November 7th!

Checkmark!

2009-08-30T22:10:00.006-04:00

Back in MARCH (really, 6 months ago?) I teased a post about a still-unfinished former doggie room turned office. This weekend, we *finally* put the finishing touches on this room.

Let me go back to the beginning and touch on the dangers of procrastination. We had big plans to remodel the third bedroom once the dogs had outgrown their rage sprees (in recent news, Roach was put on steroids to combat a constant itchiness problem, and he has reverted to puppylike behavior, with lots of eating, destroying, and general hysteria). We peeled the strips on the walls (trailer, ew) and mudded them to smooth them out, then painted the room a lovely shade of muted peach. Next, we painted all of the trim work (top and bottom, I couldn't put my arms down for 2 days) a bright white. The last part was the floor -- I loved doing the floor last because it meant I could slop paint everywhere and not worry about ruining anything. We decided to use a snap together Pergo flooring we has used in our master bathroom. It looks gorgeous, withstands puppy and people foot stomps, and is easy to install. We purchased the boxes we would need to complete the project.

And let them sit in the room for about 3 months. Maybe more. Either way, when we finally got it together to lay the flooring, we ran short by 5 boards. We went to Lowe's to pick up one final box, when we found out that the color had been discontinued. Long story short, 9 trips to various home improvement and flooring stores throughout Jacksonville yielded no results. We needed a solution! At first, I thought we could leave the middle of the floor empty, and cover it with a big area rug (for obvious reasons, this was not a long-term solution). Finally, we settled on creating a storage/seating bench to compensate for the area of the room that was missing flooring. Always the handyman, Deane fashioned a boxy structure out of plywood from the half pipe that used to live in my front yard (free AND eliminated a massive eyesore? win-win!), with a lid that would be on hinges. We planned to upholster the top with a cushy foam and pretty fabric, and either paint or do a wallpaper treatment on the sides.

Other projects (mostly wedding related) came along over the months, and this one floated in and out of the priority scale. Gripped by a sudden sense of urgency with the upcoming wedding, we are in all-out finish-the-house mode. I think it's something about us wanting to start our lives together as newlyweds in a lovely cozy home that doesn't look like a construction site. Today, we set forth to put the final nail in this project, and it came out really cute! It was the ultimate exercise in creativity -- not only did we have to come up with the idea for the missing flooring, but there was a HUGE section of drywall that had been cut out to access a bathroom leak a while ago. Rather than patching the drywall, I fashioned a built-in cushion that is attached to the wall. Here are the final results:

And a close-up of the built-in cushion...

I really love the finished product! I have been super motivated the past few weeks, and I hope it continues. The invitations are almost complete, my washer and dryer have been running steadily all day, and the kitchen has undergone a complete purge of old in preparation for new. I even organized my knitting space, even though I haven't picked up the needles in waaaaay too long...

Let's hope we keep on checking things off the to-do list, so I can get some knitting done soon!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

2009-08-27T21:43:00.006-04:00

Of all of the countdowns I have going on (mostly wedding related), the most important event of the fall is a mere sixteen days away. On September 13th, a Colts crew much different than that of last year (Dungy, I miss you already!) will hit the field for 16 weeks of regular season action -- sixteen games that I will not only write my work schedule around, but also scream, jump, cry, and (hopefully) rejoice over.

Every season, I mark my excitement for the return of Colts regular season football with a mini shopping spree to bulk up my inventory of horseshoe gear. I usually hit the order a solid 10 days before the first preseason game, but the budget wasn't in my favor this year, and that tradition had to be skipped. As if they were on the same financial page as myself, this year, my NFLshop.com catalog appeared a little bit later than usual (just 2 days ago). After combing through it with a Sharpie and highlighter (marking a firm "no" on anything by Alyssa Milano or with the words "flirt", "sequin", or "glitter"), I was delighted to see the retro logos well-represented throughout. This little lover has been on my list for three years running, but for some reason is a ridiculous $49.99, and I cannot commit...

Every year I also add a jersey to the collection, and even though I know in my heart of hearts I need some defensive representation, I am a lover of the double digit (having invested in #11 Gonzalez last year), and Dallas Clark (#44) away jersey is waiting in my shopping cart (so is Bob Sanders, I just can't make the final call!). I managed to resist the new addition of the Colts bikini (and tankini!) and added two retro-inspired pieces to my online cart:

Sadly, neither of them are scheduled to leave the warehouse for 3 TO 4 WEEKS. Last year, my favoritey fave shirt purchase was backordered, backordered, and ultimately canceled. I had given up hope until a late night post-Kenny Chesney concert Colts pro shop visit came through with a Hail Mary for the W. Let's hope I don't have to head back to Indy again this season to find what I need!

Then again, I may as well check the fall concert lineup...

The Domino Effect.

2009-08-16T15:21:00.008-04:00

This whole wedding planning thing has been SO. EASY. Seriously, this week, I was thinking, "I don't know what everyone gets so stressed about!" The only thing that was really pressing on my wedding to-do list was figure out the invitations. Since I am planning on making them myself, I was going to use my time off this weekend to prototype the invites and figure out the exact amounts of supplies I needed.

Simple, right? I thought so, too. Bear with me on this rollercoaster...

Ok, invites. First thing -- location address. Only... we hadn't quite finalized that. Hm. Certainly, things were a bit backwards here. I mean, I couldn't make invitations for something that had no venue. Where would I tell the guests to go?!

We had been tossing around a ton of ideas for venues, but the favorite (and most affordable) ended up being the last one we found, a suggestion from Deane's mom after a slightly sporadic stop in a bar downtown. We found out that the bar was renovating the old upstairs so that they could start renting it out for parties and "intimate gatherings". Deane and I made an appointment and looked at the space. Once I got over all the half-painted walls, piled up kitchen equipment, and stacks of extra furniture, I knew the space would work beautifully. There will be plenty of room for all of our guests to dance and mingle, a nice area for the dessert buffet, and a beautiful outdoor deck with a view of historic downtown. I took a deep breath and asked about price. We had to wait a day to get the exact quote, and then I had to suppress my screams of delight and excitement when I found out how dirt cheap it was. We were also thrilled that the bar has an outside courtyard which we can close off privately for the ceremony (no extra charge!). We dropped off the deposit Saturday, and I managed to snap a few pictures of the (still very unfinished) space...

The courtyard in which we will be married (still a ton of work to be done here, but will be v. cute).

The stairs leading up to the upstairs space/outside deck (vice versa, the stairs I will walk down to the ceremony, hopefully gracefully...)

More of the stairs, this time showing the lovely gate.

An outside view of the upstairs, from the courtyard.

The last step I will walk down into the courtyard! And the first step we will walk up together as a married couple!

I know it's really hard to envision by just these pics (and the massive amount of work still to be done), but I think it's going to be just perfect. Right in historic downtown, walking distance to choice after party locales, and close to hotels for out-of-town guests. I scooped up the address and came home to get to work on some invites.

I started the same way I start all projects -- by making a list. This list was all of the information I needed to include on the invite. Only, by the time I was done with my list, it looked more like I would be sending my guests the equivalent of a college freshman's orientation packet. When you're handmaking invites, that was not an option. I needed to streamline my info so that I would not be left with arthritic talons for hands on my wedding day.

Enter the wedding website. I hadn't made one, because I thought it was silly for the type of affair we were planning -- my guest list was so small, I figured I could answer everyone's questions personally by email or phone. But the more I thought about it, I wouldn't have time to be repeating the same info over and over, or finding hotels for everyone, or suggesting things for them to do during their stay. The website made a lot of sense. I can just list the address on the invitation, and everyone can hop on the web for our wedding deets.

A few hours and a lot of hissy fits about formatting restrictions later, I finished our wedding website! I was pretty pleased with the information I was able to get on there, and I think our guests will find it really helpful.

I was revelling in my two HUGE accomplishments when I noticed the top banner of the website and suffered a mild stroke: "83 DAYS". I thought for sure I had at least 3 months?! Now I have an actual countdown to wedding day, and it sent me into a slightly panicked tailspin. I gathered up my Lilly Pulitzer planning notebook, a fresh Sharpie pen, and an unopened Diet Coke, and hunkered down with Deane at the kitchen table to bullet point everything that needs to happen in the next (*GULP*) 83 days. He was calm, collected, and sweet, pointing out things that he would like to accomplish around the house, as well, since a lot of our family has never seen where we live.

We made it through list-making without a single tiff, and I am feeling really good about the timeline we have set forth for ourselves. Funny how my one fun task this weekend ("prototype invites") was not completed at all, but instead I cleared two major hurdles (venue, website) and tried on my dress, to boot!

It was quite the rollercoaster weekend as my emotions ran all over the spectrum of harried bride to calm and collected recently engaged girl, but I am finishing out my Sunday night feeling pretty in control. On to the next checkmark...!

Drop Top.

2009-08-11T22:02:00.004-04:00

I couldn't resist this photo op today when Roachie woke up from his nap with a funky ear......because he looked *just* like the Drop Top neon sign we had seen at our wedding reception venue (more on that later) this past weekend.

The resemblance is uncanny!

Straight Up, Now Tell Me.

2009-08-07T14:30:00.000-04:00

I'll believe this when I see it. Or, don't see it. Then I'll do a victory dance.

And then I'll wait for Kara DioGuardi to get hit by a bus.

I'm starting a petition to bring back Dunkleman.

VitaMuffins: Take Two.

2009-08-06T21:00:00.004-04:00

I am a slave to media in all forms. I love TV, books, magazines, podcasts, blogs, social networking sites, movies, newspapers, and commercials. I will try or buy pretty much anything. I have been known to watch an entire infomercial. The phrase "Oooh, I want that" has passed over my lips more than any other 4-word combination in the span of my life.

Mix this consumer-driven mentality with a love for food, and you've got me -- a hungry, hungry girl, always looking for the next best thing to gobble up while keeping away from the 200lb. side of the scale. Enter HungryGirl. I've been receiving Lisa Lillien's daily email newsletter for well over a year now, and she is always sharing the scoop on the latest and greatest products. (She's even clever and witty enough to have earned a link on my sidebar).

Now, I adore HG, and I love her morsels of food knowledge and tips. But there's a few things HG swears by that I haven't been able to hop on board with. The first was tofu shirataki noodles. Cook 'em, dry 'em, and enjoy 'em, HG says. I have spent half an hour and half a roll of paper towels on these bad boys, and I simply cannot get them to be dry enough to be anywhere near edible. Yech.

The other major disagreement I had with HG was her endorsement of VitaMuffins and VitaTops. As soon as I read about them, I was so excited to try them! Delicious chocolatey flavors! Tons of fiber (I was on a WeightWatchers kick at the time)! Your daily vitamins and minerals! Not to mention I love a good breakfast baked good. I hightailed it to Harris Teeter and snatched a box of these little lovers.

I didn't even make it through one. I thought they were dry and required too much chewing. Plus, they were required to remain frozen, and when I followed the defrost microwave directions, the middle was steaming hot and the muffin top was still cold and gross. EW.

This past weekend, I was picking up a few things at our newly remodeled WinnDixie when I spotted my favorite attraction of all grocery stores -- the clearance freezer. And what was in there? VitaMuffins! 4 in a box for $1.99!! Normally these puppies retail (4 in a box) for well over 5 bones, so even though I knew I kind of hated them, I couldn't resist the deal (see opening paragraph of this blog post). I added a box of Deep Chocolate to my shopping basket and hurried home. I threw the muffins in my freezer and never thought twice about them.

And then this morning, it was exactly one week since we had been all-out grocery shopping, which means most of the food staples were gone, and we were left with the dregs (this is also the point of the week where Deane kindly points out that all of his delicious food purchases -- chips, KitKats, sugary cereal, etc. -- have been consumed, and we are left with my healthy intentions -- yogurt, high fiber bread and wraps, and cottage cheese). I remembered my muffins and popped one in the micro before I hit the gym.

I was skeptical, but it turns out the muffin was pretty good! Not great, but good. I still had a problem with the de-thawing not being even, and I had to eat it with a fork because of the choco-chip meltiness factor, but it was satisfying -- although I can see it as more of a nighttime snack with a glass of milk. I don't know what changed my mind, but I am glad I gave the VMs another shot. Maybe I should try it with more foods I thought I hated with a fiery passion. I might be surprised what goodies I discover!

New Duds!

2009-08-02T19:57:00.005-04:00

Life has been pretty quiet around here, and we all know my knitting had been neglected for quite some time, so I haven't had much material for new posts. A couple of mildly interesting things have happened in the past few weeks, though, so I thought I should drop in for a quick update.

On the heels of gaining Emily's commitment to co-run the 26.2 with Donna half-marathon in February, I finally made the decision to invest in some new running shoes. I had asked for new shoes for my birthday, and had gathered enough cash to be able to visit a proper running store and buy whatever footwear they prescribed without worrying about the price. On Thursday, I headed to 1st Place Sports at Jacksonville Beach with my old Nikes in hand, ready for a change. I was greeted by the very friendly Charlie, who looked at my old shoes and then asked me to walk around the store with no shoes on. He measured my foot and determined that I have a very high arch and looked at the places where my old shoes were worn down. Resisting the urge for him to search the stockroom for something green and black, I waited for Charlie to return. He came back with several shoes which I got to try on and then run on the treadmill to see what fit best. Charlie explained that feet swell when we run, so I needed a (gulp) size bigger in a running shoe than my normal size 10. He also told me I was tying my shoes too tight, resulting in blisters. I settled into a lovely pair of Sauconys, which felt one million times lighter than my old shoes.

Now, let me tell you, nothing motivates me more for a run than new gear. I have dropped many a dollar on Under Armor tees, new Nike Tempo shorts, or even new socks just to get me revved up for that day's workout. Thursday Hal only had me scheduled for 45 minutes of cross training, but I was feeling good and really excited about trying out my new footwear. I hit the treadmill and was ecstatic to bust out 2 easy miles in under 20 minutes. Saturday's "long" run of 5 miles proved just as easy, requiring only one 2-minutes walk break, and an overall finish time around 51 minutes (I do realize I am hopelessly slow). It may have been all in my head, but I am 100% obsessed with my new Sauconys, and am clearly convinced that they have unlocked the key to my running success.

As I look to train for 13.1 miles in February, I know I have to sign up for a few road races along the way to (pardon the pun) get my feet wet before the big day. I am looking at running the Turtle Trot 10K on Labor Day weekend. It will be nice to start with a race here instead of having to drive 40+ minutes into Jacksonville. Plus, my future mother-in-law is planning a bridal shower (eep!) for that weekend, so I will be able to indulge in all of the fabulous goodies without feeling guilty.

Speaking of wedding stuff, I also made a big checkmark last week and got my co-MOH dresses! I had almost thrown in the towel and hit up Old Navy for tanks and JoAnn's for green fabric, determined to go to a seamstress and demand the simple tank dress that I wanted, when a miraculous dress came into my store and answered my prayers. Black, green, casual but gorgeous, and oh-so-affordable with a generous employee discount... enter the Jacqueline dress!

Natch, we are losing that icky green ribbon belt and adding a wide black (sure to be stretchy, my fave belt feature) belt instead, but overall the dress is perfect, and there are 2 snuggled safely in the back of my closet next to my wedding dress for the big day (there's also a 3rd in my closet, sure to make its debut this week, as I could not pass up the opportunity to also purchase this little lover for myself). Em and Linds immediately went to work researching shoe options, so I'm sure a decision will be made shortly on those, as well.

I'm nearing the 90 day countdown to my wedding, and we still haven't finalized a venue, but at least some of the details are getting worked out. I'm sure insanity will ensue, but right now I'm happy to have 3 dresses and still holding on to my groom-to-be :)

On a conversational note, my ipod shuffle is really getting stale. My only recent additions have been Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" and Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling". Anyone have any suggestions for must-have running songs?

Save the Date!

2009-07-14T11:42:00.013-04:00

I sent out our Save the Dates at the end of June, and now that I have been assured by the majority of my guests that they have arrived, I can share with you the process by which they were made!

Even though our wedding is pretty much "no frills, no fuss", I still wanted to send a Save the Date: 1) so people knew when we were planning our nuptials (obvs, that is the purpose) and 2) because I was so excited about the upcoming wedding, I wanted to make *something*, but wasn't sure what. Thus, the Save the Date was born! I was super-inspired by Emily's wedding invitations that had recently hit my mailbox, but I wasn't sure about the Save the Date. I wanted it to be simple enough that it would not upstage the actual invitation, and I didn't want to go the route of magnet or photo of the two of us (ew). I really loved the idea of having it serve a purpose, and I almost went with a bookmark idea -- the Save the Date would read "You're booked!" (or something equally cheesy) and have the info on it. Logistically, I couldn't get it to quite work out, so I went with this idea instead.

I originally saw the wording/folding idea on the Martha Stewart Weddings website (the inspiration, sadly, did not come from MAD magazine, as one of my friends suggested after receiving his card). So, I set out to make a Save the Date that would incorporate our colors, some cool paper stamping, and my love of ribbon, while keeping the cost low. I went to the stationary store next to where I work to pick up a few paper samples, and quickly fashioned a prototype. It was pretty easy and not too time consuming! I finalized the guest list with Deane and figured out what I would need. Here's the cost breakdown (because I am a huge nerd and think people will actually care?):

Cardstock, pack of 25 (2 cards made from one sheet): $3.99
3 spools of ribbon, $2.99 each, used coupons to make them $2.19 each
One large rubber stamp, used over and over for the paper and the envelopes, $9.99, fancy coupon price adjustment made it $5.99
One ink pad, $6.99, coupon made it $4.99
Martha Stewart bone folder (I caved): $3.99
Brush tip pen for lettering, $2.24
Green envelopes, 30 cents each, $12.00 for 40

...for a grand total of $39.77, not including postage. Considering I made 40, that's less than a dollar per Save the Date. Normally, I would break that down into an average savings, but even as I perused wedding invite websites, I couldn't find anything like the Save the Date I wanted and ultimately sent. Plus, I think my guests are happy to have a handcrafted souvenir of our upcoming wedding. (I would also like to interject that JoAnn's has AWESOME coupons, and you should never buy anything there without one!)

I set up the process in an assembly line style. First I stamped all of the cardstock on front and back along two sides, since I would be cutting it down the middle to make two cards:

I used a Sharpie to mark the rubber stamp -- it was a large square, and I only needed to use part of it, as well as needing to make sure the pattern would line up. This stamp was clear, so it was easy to see through to what I was stamping.

Once all the cardstock was stamped and dried (and my kitchen table half covered in green ink), I measure and cut each piece in two. Then I measured, measured, measured again and folded the creases (bone folder is highly recommended!) to line up with the wording:

Next, I folded them together, penciled in lines to keep my wording straight, and hand lettered each Save the Date. It was time consuming, but I really liked doing it, and I only suffered one minor breakdown (when the green ink seemed to be smearing all over evvvvveeeeerrrrrything). The only part I didn't enjoy was erasing all the pencil lines at the end, and I actually had a hard time getting them all to go away. I hope that, in some way, the remaining lines added to the handmade charm :)

After that, I hole punched along the bottom (with a fancy schmancy small rectangle hole punch that I already owned) so I could thread the ribbon through. I laced and tied up each one and put them in an envelope, which I had stamped with the same design as the inside card. I hand addressed each one with a fine point Sharpie, and I was done! Here it is (complete with smeared out last names and addresses due to internet paranoia)...

And once you untied the ribbon and unfolded...

Overall, I think they came out super cute. I really loved making them and was so excited when I got to send them out -- now everyone better be saving the date!

Fancy Footwear.

2009-07-09T13:11:00.004-04:00

I love, love, love footwear by Coach -- partially because their stuff is always adorable, but mostly because their shoes are always a perfect match my ridiculously large, blister-prone, might as well be water skis "feet" (not to mention availability in size 11, which is sometimes needed).

Their new "Poppy" collection is completely fun and 100% fabulous. Normally when I celebrate a promotion (yay, me!), I reward myself with a new handbag, but since I've recently purchase a leather hobo gem by Joe's, I'm not really in the market. Besides, with all the money we need for the wedding, etc., I probably shouldn't be splurging on non-necessities.

I'll let you know how they fit.

Confident Craftster.

2009-07-05T20:38:00.005-04:00

Do you ever walk around craft fairs, or art shows, or see something adorable and ridiculously overpriced, and think, "Well, that's SO cute, but I mean, I could make that." I think this all the time, but the more important follow-up question ("Will I actually ever make that?") is rarely asked. I have been better about this in the past few years, and I will gladly dish out some loot for something that I may have the ability to make, but know that I do not have the time or (more often) the patience. I know that I am capable of craftiness, but I always doubt whether or not I will see the project through until the end, or my meticulous perfectionism sidelines it in the early stages.

Fueled my a surge in self-confidence that came from finally mailing my Save-the-Dates this past week, on Friday I bucked this mentality, and decided to take on a project that I'd really been hoping would work out for my wedding. I had been thoroughly inspired by a cute as pie cupcake stand I had seen at work (not availble online, so no image to show here. Boo). It was a multi-tiered stand, all one piece of white ceramic, that looked as though it had been fashioned from tea cups and saucers. Price? $148. Otherwise known as the price of my wedding dress. Considering we need several stands in several heights for my dream dessert bar, there was no way this was going to fit into my budget. So, naturally, I started thinking that I could easily make this myself.

I took it as a sign that I saw a link on Emily's blog the next day: "DIY: Vintage Wedding Cake Stands". I clicked through a few links and found some instructions on how to make these darling little creations. I skimmed through them quickly, assured myself that this could be done, and got down to it. A quick conversation with Mother-in-Law-to-be (dying to get her hands on to some part of this wedding) secured a barrage of teacups, crystal glassware, plates, and saucers, as well as the 5 Minute Epoxy I needed, which means this project has cost me ZERO dollars (although, to be fair, she did shell out 4 bucks at the consignment store). And so, I present... my first (cup)cake stand!

Ta-Da!!

It's really not crooked, I am just a horrible photographer.

It was super-easy to make -- the hardest parts were 1) getting everything centered so it wouldn't lean or break, 2) not getting my fingers stuck together for the rest of eternity, and 3) keeping the dogs away from the project area (when they hear glasses or dishes clinking, they think there is food to be had). Now that I've had a practice run, I have some really great ideas for single and multi-tiered stands for the wedding, not to mention using bowls, vases, or candlesticks to make them as well as cups, glasses, dishes, and saucers.

As with any new hobby/project, I am certain that I will quit my job in the near future as my handmade cake stands business takes off (even though there are several available on etsy already, I am convinced that mine will somehow be better). Better place your orders now...!

"Actually, I live here."

2009-07-03T21:19:00.004-04:00

This month we are celebrating 4 glorious years of home ownership. Despite the countless trips to Lowe's, innumerable nights of eating Ramen (never thought I'd go there again) to counteract new-home-needs costs, rage over doggie accidents, and general new-place-move-in breakdowns, I still love love love the home we have made here.

One of my favorite things about where I live is just that - where I live! I am gloriously lucky to be able to claim a mailing address with the word "Beach" in it, a fact of which I am also extraordinarily proud. I grew up in the midwest, and while I loved it (Go Colts), it didn't take much longer than a 48 hour visit to my relocated parents during college to thin my blood. I knew that, post-graduation, I simply could not deal with the depths of winter (unless that pain was assuaged by 50 yard line season tickets to the aforementioned sports team of choice). But south Florida was a little *too* all sun and fun for me, so when I met Deane we decided to head to a northern part of the state where we could still experience seasons (and I would be able to pick up a knitting hobby without being forced to only make tank tops and home accessories).

When we moved here, I was so thrilled to live within minutes of the beach. I was there on every single one of my days off (when the temperature was over 65 degrees) and sported an even year-round tan. I even moved beyond my "laying and reading books only" policy at the beach and started letting Deane teach me how to surf. This experience has probably been the most trying one on our relationship -- he is an excellent surfer and a patient teacher, but I throw a lot of bullshit toward him because I know he has to put up with it (he loves me, after all). I've done a lot of whining, complaining about sore arms, and complete refusal to go in the water, but he always pushes me to get in and get to work. I had been doing pretty ok, too, until an injury sidelined me early last year. I kept going to the beach, but since my first summer here, my frequency has really tapered off.

This week, I realized I hadn't been to the beach ONCE since the summer began, and it was almost July! I made a pact to hit the sand on my first day off this week, an attempt to re-discover my love for where we live and remind myself why life is so great. We have a million beach access roads, so parking and sort-of privacy is never a problem. The other great thing is, since it's only a ten minute drive, it's easy for me to keep the sunburn in check (meaning, I don't feel obligated to spend dawn to dusk parked in full sunlight, since I can always come back the next day!). This picture is where I spent this week's beach day -- one of my favorite beach access roads by Elizabeth Pointe Lodge (who lovingly provides chairs and umbrellas for their guests, which I take to mean any city residents).

Every time I talk to someone at the beach, they ask me where I'm from, and I get to say that I LIVE here. Almost everyone else there is usually on vacation or a weekend getaway, and it makes me feel guilty for not taking full advantage of the beautiful surroundings within miles of my home. I spent a few hours at the beach this week, and I tried to soak it all in. I laid, I read, I went in the water. I gazed at all of the other Elizabeth Pointe guests in their provided chairs and thought about how they chose to come here for vacation. I looked in front of me and saw sand and waves, and I looked behind me and saw the vacation rental at which we are hoping/planning to get married. I felt so much better -- calmed down about wedding prep, ok about being broke (I mean, look what we're paying for, a great place to live!), and blessed for good health (did I mention I am re-reading "My Sister's Keeper"?).

The beach definitely has healing qualities, and I am hereby making a pact to embrace its fabulousness for the remainder of the summer -- starting with a full beach day tomorrow in celebration of the 4th (and countdown to the best day of the year in one week!) Enjoy your holiday :)

One Man's Trash/Ups to Ashley!

2009-06-30T09:51:00.003-04:00

My co-worker and friend Ashley has been pretty instrumental on helping work out a lot of DIY wedding deets, as she had her own nuptials just over a year ago. Although her wedding was GORGEOUS, it was also way out of my budget range, and I appreciate having a sounding board who understands I am working with little to zero dollars.

She came through this week by providing all of the place settings I need for the reception! She had 250 guests, and at the time she was planning her wedding, had the lucky connection of working at a restaurant, so she was able to secure a lot of supplies at cost. Ashley used the flatware pictured above -- the best part, it's PLASTIC! It is really pretty and great, and even better because she had a ton left over and just supplied me with all of it (including the black dessert plates and cups for a champagne toast). I am planning on rolling each set in a green napkin and tying them with ribbon and a little card reading something along the lines of "Bon Appetit!". Mom has graciously offered to help with any crafty projects along the way, so I might be delegating this one to her :)

I am also happy to report I am making a very important trip to the post office this afternoon before work -- Save the Dates are finally finished and addressed! The final cost for all of them (39) was under $25, and I think they are really cute and (maybe too obviously) hand crafted. Keep an eye for the mailman this week!

I'll leave you with a picture of Ashley's wedding -- I love this one because it shows a few of her bridesmaid's bouquets -- she made them all individually to suit that person's personality/favorite flowers. So pretty!

Summer Must-Haves

2009-06-25T21:01:00.009-04:00

I simply cannot end this month with a measly 5 posts. I've known for a while that I need to get back in bloggy action, but nothing blog-worthy has really happened (I mean, some really great and fun things have happened, but they would be boring to read about). I've been melting away in temperatures averaging well over 100 degrees daily, and it's all I can do to muster up the energy to function as a normal human being. Anyway, I figured Ed, Farrah, or MJ news would be enough to get me going -- but all I can say is that it's a sad week for pop culture icons. So I'm going to go with something completely unrelated...

Presenting... Mary Ann*s Can't-Live-Without-Them-This-Summer Items!

Lots of mag articles and news features are telling you what you need to survive the heat this summer, so I thought it only fitting that I narrow down my needs for the next few months. Here's a few of the things that are totally on my radar for the high temps in the sunshine state...

1. Knit Dresses. It is waaaaay to warm to be dealing with full length pants, and I've made a personal vow to never don a capri again in this lifetime. With the exception of my beloved Nike Tempos (not exactly work approp), that doesn't leave a lot of options. Enter the knit dress (pictured left is my most recently purchased gem). You can wear it by itself with flip flops, or accessorize the hell out of it with a belt, gaudy jewelry, and a cardigan (if your workplace is kept as icy as an arctic tundra). Bonus points for dresses with pockets (almost all of them these days). I also love to rock my favoritey fave footwear of all time, my authentic Justin cowboy boots, with a knit dress for a super easy and adorable outfit.

2. Frosty treats. I am probably the world's biggest ice cream fan, and there's not an excuse I won't use to down a Love It of cake batter with whipped cream, yellow cake, and rainbow sprinkles mixed in. But when it's hot as hell, all that sugar can really weigh you down (literally). My best pick for an icy treat fix is these new popsicles made my Crystal Light. At only 15 calories a piece, they taste just like a frozen lemonade and are super refreshing. They have only recently been released, and they started out at a super affordable 2 bucks and change for a box of 12. Sadly, I have noticed the price creeping up over the past few times I've bought them. I hope they stay within my grocery budget for the remainder of the summer.

3. To-Go's. Whether you're hitting the trails for a run or headed to the beach for some fun, chances are you'll be needing a beverage of some sort. Since glass is illegal at pretty much every beach here, my go-to Miller Lite 6 pack is a social no-no. Instead, we'll pack cans and huggies, or Solo cups. An old favorite for beach boozing is the boxed wine. When you're done drinking the wine (actually housed within a plastic liner inside the box), you can blow up the empty plastic and make yourself a little pillow for a boozy afternoon nap (mind the potential sunburn). But my ultimate hydration tool is the Brita Filter For Good bottle. I fill this little lover up in the morning at home, and then I take full advantage of the Zephyrhills water cooler at work.

4. Seasonal Fruit and Veggies. I am a lucky ducky to have about a bazillion blackberry and blueberry bushes on our property (as well as a dedicated fiance to pick them all!), but even if you're not so fortunate, summer is a great time to hit up a Farmer's Market for some fresh deliciousness. You can always find something new!

5. Jams. A country music girl at heart, there is no better time to drop the windows and blare Chesney than during the blazing summer months. Other favorites include my OTG listed on the right column of this blog. Whether you're headed to a day of sunning, home to relax after work, or road tripping on vacation, the soundtrack is crucial.

That's my (very succinct) list of what I need to make it through this season. While we're at it, there are several other items that I've been living without, but shouldn't be... Did I mention that my birthday (obvs the best thing about summer) is only 16 days away? Click here to get started shopping.

What's your go-to must have for summer?

Hat Tip to Linds.

2009-06-10T21:04:00.005-04:00

Ooo-er, my girl and Co-MOH Lindsey sent me a link to an absolute must have for my wedding dessert bar... a GIANT cupcake pan. I love, love, love her idea of making one huge cupcake and surrounding it with smaller ones -- people can eat the smaller ones right away, and it we have a sentimental moment and decide to do the whole cake cutting thing, we'll have a sort of showpiece (although history dictates that Deane and I will most likely be cackling hysterically while trying to throw the gigantic cupcake at each other). It would be a fabulous centerpiece for other smaller desserts.

This poor lady's picture ended up on my blog because it's the only photo that showed the actual size of the cupcake.

Thanks for the faboosh idea, Linds! And for all you readers out there, dessert suggestions are more than welcome (I prefer that they are easy, pretty, and freezeable!).

Bathtub Bride.

2009-06-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

'The Notebook' is on tv right now, and I have it on in the background while I am punching holes and threading ribbons. Do you remember when Allie (Rachel McAdams) is trying on her wedding dress, and she sees the picture of Noah in the paper, and then she faints? Right after that, she is in the bathtub with her veil on and a glass of liquor (brandy? sherry?). It made me laugh maniacally for a solid ten minutes (I hope that you can recall this scene, as google images has disappointed me in my hour of need).
At some point, I am certain I will be that same hot mess (complete with smeared mascara) in a claw foot tub.
Perhaps my only chance at sanity is for Ryan Gosling to swoop in and save me?

Meet the Malones, Part 3 (AKA: The Final Installment)!

2009-06-07T19:00:00.009-04:00

Emily and Casey have been happily married for 4 weeks and one day, and I'm just now getting to recapping their actual ceremony and reception. Since it's been a while, it'll be lacking some of the details I was trying so desperately to remember, but it's finally here, and that's a pretty big accomplishment (along with the fact that I am still rocking a polish perfect pre-wedding pedi).

We last left off at the pre-ceremony preparations. After Em and the entire bridal party managed to get the tears out of our systems without destroying our makeup, we gathered our bouquets and waited to walk down the aisle.

I wasn't that nervous, but I was so overwhelmed with love and happiness for Em and Casey, along with love and happiness for several of their friends and family members that I was delighted to see, I was basically a big jittery mess. My ankles felt too weak to hold up my wobbly legs, and I was wishing I had ordered my Madden gems 3 sizes smaller, if only to guarantee that my legs would stay in place. I managed to "lock it up" (thanks Linds) and make it to the front of the church in what I can only hope was somewhat slower than a sprint.

When it was Emily's turn to meet us all up at the altar, I must have looked like I was watching a tennis match. She was stunningly gorgeous (obv), and I wanted to watch her every step, but I was so touched with emotion by Casey's expression as he waited for her. They were so perfect, and so in love, and so happy, and I couldn't decide who or what I loved the most, and I was just grinning like a moron and looking all over the place. The ceremony was beautiful and personal, and I lost it during Casey's aunt's reading ("Love is Like Owning a Dog"), and then when we prayed, I had stupid sniffle nose (which Em and Case totally called me out on at the reception). But, I made it through without falling over, dropping my flowers, or laughing at any inappropriate moments (kind of a big deal for me).

We exited the church, and I was super thankful to have my groomsman to support me (read: death grip on his arm which I later apologized for), as my tootsies were feeling... well, they weren't feeling anything, as I had lost all nervous system functions from the calves down. We all lined the steps out front, where we scooped up rose petals and waited for MR. AND MRS. MALONE to come out.

(Blogger sidenote: I'm really sad that I don't have any pictures from the most important part of the weekend, but Emily's photographer was so incredibly awesome, I am sure she captured all the prettiest and best moments. Just trust me when I say that the rose petal showers and the laughter and happiness (how many times have I said happiness in this one blog post?) on the steps of the church was one of the most joyful experiences I have ever witnessed.)

Next, it was a mad dash to the Taft Museum, where I was so excited to see the outcome of the carloads of supplies and decorations we had dropped off the day before. I was not disappointed -- the venue looked absolutely amazing:

Casey rigged up a system to hang the tissue poofs without breaking the "No Ladders" policy.

The tables were beautiful, not least in part to Lindsey's beaded table numbers.

We squeezed in a quick photo session and managed to get Em's dress bustled before the guests arrived (or rather, as they were staring at us from where they were waiting inside). The reception was so clearly a result of Em and Casey and months of their detailed planning. Everything about it had their stamp -- the table setup, the cake table, the food selection. They even had their guests sign fabric squares (to later be fashioned into a quilt) and hang them on a clothesline so everyone could admire them. I had a mini-fit (I wanted to get my square weeks earlier, so I could fabric pen a Huey/Indy portrait), but got over it quickly and wrote a fun square ("Run Fast, Live Slow", my favorite 4 words ever written on Em's blog).

The reception was so much fun. The food was delicious (although I was so busy being ridiculously happy and chatty with everyone, I barely ate, and I forgot to get cake altogether!) and the traditions Em and Casey decided to keep were fitting and fun. There was no huge tiered single cake (which was awesome because there were a bunch of cakes in a ton of flavors), so they sampled cameo cookies instead...

The bride and groom bite each other's heads off!

We did everything that I knew we would do at a DLO wedding. We danced (normally I would say we danced inappropriately, but I may have been the only one doing that), we screamed the lyrics to "Murder on the Dance Floor", we gushed with obsession about each other, and we laughed all night.

Ladies love Bo Malone.

It's important to candidly point out details about guests to the bride.

All our last names start with "M"!

I never, ever, ever wanted it to end, but I knew the newlyweds needed to get home and grab some sleep before their early Sunday departure on their dream honeymoon. Never one to call it a night, I insisted we take the after party to the Cadillac Ranch, where... I'll spare you the details. Here I can definitely say there was inappropriate dancing, followed closely by NC-17 bull riding attempts by both myself and Haley (independently and as a couple). The night culminated in binge eating (Blake and Luke, how much pizza had you actually ordered earlier in the day?) and a hotel hallway photo shoot -- the ultimate seal of approval on an excellent night.

Phewwwww! The Malone wedding recaps are complete -- appropriately enough, on the night of the season premiere of "Bridezillas" (love you, Em! Mean it!). Now, there is no excuse to get to work on my own wedding. I've definitely made some checkmarks on the list, but I'm having trouble keeping momentum. Thus far, I have officially secured a groom, a dress, and a Maid and Matron of Honor. With that, I'd say the most important decisions have been made -- the rest is just icing on the wedding cake :)

Oh, really?

2009-06-04T21:30:00.002-04:00

Anyone else notice how effing ridiculously outdated my sidebars are?

Let's talk about the last time I picked up the needles -- well before Em's wedding. Truth is, since I've been engaged (and subsequently planning the most inexpensive DIY wedding in the history of the world), all creative energy and manpower has been poured into wedding prep, research, and planning. Linds' birthday was APRIL 24TH and her gift isn't even DONE!

And how about that OTG? It's been the same for MONTHS. It disgusts me. Disgusts me no less than the fact that I haven't even created another OnTheGo since. Yeck.

So here's the story: I am 100% NOT stressed out about my wedding. And I won't be. But balance needs to happen, and it needs to happen quickly. I'm off tomorrow, and looking at a hefty to-do list, but #1 on that list is "Get your shit together". I will plan a wedding, complete knitting projects, perform well at work, train for a half marathon, and remain somewhat in tune with the music scene. There is no reason these goals cannot exist in perfect harmony.

I'm feeling ambitious. I've even added "Final Blog about Em's wedding" to Friday's to-do (although it did get a B1 ranking -- only FranklinCovey diehards might get that reference). If it's up tomorrow, you'll know I'm succeeding. If not... I'm half dead on the couch with a marathon of the last 4 eps of "Grey's".

Either way, I'll be happy. :)

Freebie Alert!

2009-06-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

Summer doesn't officially begin until you've savored your first root beer float of the season. And tonight, you can pick one up for FREE at your local Sonic Drive-In from 8pm to midnight! If you're not familiar with Sonic, you should be. They are my hands down favorite ever for best ice (the circular crumbles, not too big, not too small!) and they have thousands of drink options (diet coke with diet cherry for this one).

Summer deals continue all season long with any size soda or tea at McD's for ONE DOLLAR. And their famous "Welfare Wednesday" deal (49 cent hamburgers and 69 cent cheeseburgers) is being extended to Wednesdays AND Sundays (blogger's note: McD's does not refer to this deal as Welfare Wednesday - that's just what I, and several others, call it).

Happy Summer!

DIY Mantra.

2009-05-27T17:04:00.002-04:00

My guests will not notice if there is smeared green ink on the folded crease of their Save The Date.

They will not care if some letters are bigger than others.

They will think that my handwritten words are darling and personal, not ugly, crooked, and off center.

My guest list will remain small, as we wanted it from the beginning, because you are not invited to my wedding if I don't want to invest hours of handmade craft into you.

If a bow comes untied in the mail, who cares? It is no big deal.

I will finish these myself.

I will not cave.

I LOVE DIY.

Meet the Malones, Part 2!

2009-05-26T18:25:00.012-04:00

We'll pick up where we left off, at the rehearsal of Em and Casey's beautiful wedding ceremony. The church was gorgeous, the people there were super friendly and helpful, and we all felt (fairly) confident that we knew when to walk, what pace to stick to, and where we were supposed to be standing.

After rehearsing the ceremony, it was time to head back downtown for the rehearsal DINNER - a burrito bar, YUM! We were so thrilled to see that the rain had stopped, and Em's sister Rebecca rounded up every available towel in the suite to dry off table and chairs on the balcony overlooking downtown Cincinnati (unfortunately, this meant that we were 100% towel-less the next morning, but it was a small price to pay for dining al fresco with the pretty scenery). It was so fun to have the party in the suites, and even more fun to see some great friends and meet more of Emily and Casey's families. It was also Rebecca's birthday, so we celebrated with some ColdStone cupcakes (near and dear to my heart) and everyone had a super fun time.

My two favorites at the rehearsal dinner!

We turned in around 11:30, and I was excited that the bridal party was all staying together in the same suite (mostly, I was thrilled to be sharing a DLO bed for what I hope will not be the last time in my life). Although I have a pesky habit of falling asleep instantly, Em and Linds stayed up a little bit longer and talked (I assume) about the next day and all of its wonderfulness!

We woke up the next morning -- EMILY'S WEDDING DAY! -- and everything went pretty smoothly. Despite the aforementioned towel shortage, the getting-ready process at the hotel was fairly easy, as Em was treating us all to salon updo's! We didn't worry about hair or makeup, threw on our comfy pants and matching tanks, and headed to Emily's house.

Even in the midst of her 12 million things going on that weekend, Em managed to host a beautiful and perfect brunch on wedding day morning. I was super thankful for this on so many levels -- one, it was so nice to have a normal breakfast of fruit, yogurt, and bagels, and not be worried about having to scarf down some grease fest from a drive thru on a day when you are trying to look your best. Two, it was so personal and relaxing! We were all able to talk, unwind, and eat (of course!) without any stress at all.

The rehearsal dinner flowers were our tablescape for brunch!

Emily had gotten us all darling gifts -- initial necklaces from Etsy (I have been wearing mine every day since the wedding, and it garners at least one compliment per wear) and gorgeous little pave pearl earrings that I helped acquire from Anthro (the love!). I did my best to not sob all over the individual thank you cards she had written for us, and then we all headed to the salon.

I was pretty excited to see Emily's 'do for the big day, as I have always wanted to wear my hair down for special occasions, but can never make it work. Her style was so gorgeous and flattering to her and her dress (I wish I had a picture of the back and the beautiful little silk rosettes!). I was ALSO pretty pumped to be getting my own hair done, although I had no clue what I wanted. I watched Lindsey get a perfect style and waited patiently to intercept her stylist as soon as she was done. Tragically, I got landed with some hungover pill-popping freakazoid, but she did ok in the end (my only direction was "I want a huge poof at the crown, I want it all up, and I want it to stay through a hurricane") and my hair definitely stayed in place -- all the way through Saturday night, until Sunday morning, when Linds had to pull 58 bobby pins and a dozen braces-sized rubber bands out of my hair.

Kenji works his magic as the bride's sisters look on.

Linds and I high-tailed it out of the salon as soon as we were done, since we had dropped my bridesmaid's dress off at the cleaner's the day before (covered in dog hair and wrinkled from me trying it on 35 times pre-wedding), and I was terrified that some horrible freak thing would happen where they would close early or something. Luckily, we retrieved the dress on time, and despite the fact that it was slightly damp (a quick air-out in front of an open window solved that), it looked perfect. We reunited with the bridal party back at Emily's for the final stages of wedding prep (makeup and dresses!), and everyone's hair looked absolutely awesome.

Getting ready at Em's was one of the smartest decisions involved with this wedding. Not only was it totally relaxed, but I felt 100% normal and comfortable -- not like when you're out of town and getting ready in some random hotel or something. Even though it seemed lonely without Huey and Indy at my feet, their doggie spa vacation was also a great idea. Not to mention, between the 7 of us, we had every Bare Escentuals eye color ever made to choose from (largely in part to Emily's personal collection), along with an arsenal of mascaras, eyelash curlers, et cetera. We all felt totally ready, totally gorgeous, and totally prepared to walk the aisle.

We caravaned to the church (despite my protests of Emily DRIVING in her wedding dress, she is hard-core and a total champ) and waited for the ceremony while we all finished cutting programs, admired our flowers numerous times, and made sure we remembered where we were supposed to be standing (Sarah also took this opportunity to practice pacing herself by singing "Happy Birthday" to herself in her head).

Our bridesmaid bouquets, and Emily's bouquet!

Emily's "wedding purse" (handmade in Ireland and purchased on Etsy, natch.)

Co-bridesmaids of the year furiously cut programs.

As we were waiting for the ceremony to begin, Em decided she really wanted to see the church and hear the music, and the church wedding-planner-helper showed us where we could look in without being seen (as long as we promised to be quiet as church mice!). As we looked toward the altar, Emily's and Casey's moms were lighting the candles as Emily's requested West Side story music floated through the church. (I honestly can't remember if it was "One Hand, One Heart" or "Somewhere" -- all I know is that it was gorgeous and beautiful and perfect). We were all overcome with emotion, Em let out a few pre-wedding sobs (got it out of her system, at least!) and we were all ushered to where we waited our turn to walk down the aisle...

Check back soon for the third and final installment of the Holcombe/Malone nuptials!

Arby's Deal of the Century!!

2009-05-20T12:26:00.000-04:00

Get to your local Arby's, stat! Every Wednesday this month they are giving out freebies, and today you get a free shake (20 oz., any flavor) with any sandwich purchase. The bonus? They just released a dollar menu, featuring some great selections such as a junior roast beef, junior ham and cheddar, or junior chicken sandwich. For a mere $1.07, I just enjoyed a delicious ham and cheddar and a chocolate malt swirl shake (not the best for my waistline, but payday's tomorrow and my checking account is on life support).

So that sounds like a good deal, right? Here's what makes it a GREAT deal - on the back of your receipt, there's a number to call to take a brief survey. Complete the survey and get a free regular roast beef or beef and cheddar on your next visit.

2 sandwiches and a shake for a buck? I dare you to beat that deal! Enjoy!

Meet the Malones!

2009-05-17T14:52:00.012-04:00

Let me start by saying that this post is *long* overdue. Also, I'm sure Emily can't wait to get back from the Caribbean and recap her gorgeous wedding, so I will leave the details to her (happy eight day anniversary, lover!). I'll take this opportunity to highlight her nuptials from the view of a dutiful bridesmaid, just in case she missed any hilarious details along her way to the altar.

Last Thursday, I made my way to Jacksonville International at 4 am, planning to have about an hour and half before my flight departed at 6. After a rather hectic check-in and trip through security, I made it to my gate. The attendant came on and made an announcement that the bathroom on our aircraft would not be functioning, and everyone was urged to use the facilities in the airport before boarding. After doing a silent cheer for not stopping for a venti caramel macch, I got in line and got on the plane. After we were seated, buckled in, and told the exit strategy, the pilot comes on and tells us we are NOT allowed to fly with a broken lavatory, and we all have to get off the plane! This led to a lot of mumbling and grumbling, a quick re-route of passengers who had not checked luggage, and a long line for me to wait in while one lonely Delta clerk re-organized flights for all passengers. Now, I knew that Lindsey was waiting on me to pipe and frost some very important cookies, but I somehow felt that Delta would not understand the disparity of the situation. By the time I got to the counter, I had convinced myself and all others around me that I was the Maid of Honor in a 3 pm wedding in Cincinnati (I even worked up some tears, easily done thanks to only 3 hours of sleep). Delta Debbie tried to get me in to CVG at 7:35 pm, but a trembling lip and a protest from the girl next to me (who claimed she had her own bridal shower in Cinci at noon, a story I do NOT believe) pushed me up to 1:40. After a layover in Atlanta and a lot of impatient foot-tapping, I finally made it to Ohio!

The first of the weekend's events was a pre-wedding tea, hosted by Liz and her mom at the BonBonerie tea room. We all ate delicious cookies (though I think the sight of Royal Icing'ed sugar cutouts may have turned Lindsey's stomach) and drank yummy tea while Emily briefed me on the upcoming weekend events (I also learned the BonBonerie is seeking a full-time decorator, and almost asked to go behind the counter to show off my skills).

Ladies love tea time! (From L to R: Judy, Jan, Rebecca, Sarah, Emily, Mary Ann, Linds, Liz, Tina, and Martha)

After tea, the bridal party headed out for mani/pedis, where (almost) everyone relaxed, and Liz and I had giggle fits as people messed with our feet. We all got beautiful french manis (most of which were destroyed during 24 hours of pre-wedding prep), and a variety of beautiful colors on our piggies. Emily went home to change and get ready for that night's dinner, while Linds, Rebecca, and I hit up Party City for an appropriate bachelorette accessory. After being faced with blinking buttons, sashes, explicit necklaces, and more, we settled on a subtle and classy headband, modeled here by Emily at our Thursday night sushi dinner:

The bride's accessory garnered many honks and yells from passers-by, not to mention offers of free drinks!

It was almost surreal to wake up Friday morning and realize that it was the day of Emily's wedding REHEARSAL! Linds and I had big plans to finish the cookies before rehearsal time, so we got down to "cookie patrol", fueled by the sounds of the Hannah Montana movie soundtrack ("Hoedown Throwdown", anyone?) Basically, I was so late that my only job was to pipe bows onto Emily's cameo ponytail, as Linds and Em had handled every other aspect of the cookie prep. Here's a close up of the final couple:

Em and Case look good enough to eat!

We finished the cookies in plenty of time to help transport reception supplies to the Taft Museum, the site for the Malones' gorgeous wedding celebration. Linds and I, with the help of several Holcombe family members, loaded up several pounds of Kosher salt, a lot of beautifully formed tissue paper, and several jars and table linens, which would be transformed into beautiful tables and decorations. After a lot of swearing and intense downtown driving (damn you, one way streets!), we got the supplies to Taft, where our bride-to-be was waiting with her (I paused here to find the right adjective...) seasoned and experienced wedding planner from Taft. As an outsider who had not been present for a lot of planning, I was SUPER nervous for Em to leave all of her hard work and preparation to be pulled together by this staff. I should have known (and was relieved to see) she came prepared with typed lists, color coded set up charts, and clear concise direction. Emily, I can only hope that my own wedding planning Lilly Pulitzer notebook is as organized and stress-free as yours.

A dream-come-true reception site!

After making certain that everything needed for the reception was in place, we had a few hours before the rehearsal began. We called Em about 14 times, just to be certain that she didn't need us to take care of anything else, and then headed to the mall for a few last-minute wedding supplies (strapless bra and new underoos, of course!). Linds and I even made a pit stop to Cinci's Anthro in hopes of picking up a hoodie for the bride to wear during get-ready time on Saturday (it was impossible for either of us to stop buying stuff for Emily. We wanted everything to be perfect for the perfect girl on her perfect day!). Sadly, the beloved garment was no where in site, so we had to settle for our freshly made "Operation: Mrs. Malone" tanks for pre-wedding hair and makeup. I didn't manage to get a group pic of our adore shirts, so I'm hoping photographer Shannon came through in the clutch.

ANYWAY, after our mini shopping spree, it was time to get ready for the rehearsal! Emily had called and invited us to prepare with her in the pre-wedding suite at the Garfield, so we headed downtown again with (what we thought would be) plenty of time to spare. Basically, the entire weekend was so much fun (preparation and all), but every time I looked at the clock, I felt like hours were passing in seconds! We got downtown, withstood a minor bride breakdown (partly due to rain, mostly due to people not leaving Emily alone - I mean, she KNOWS it's raining, why did EVERYONE have to keep calling her and pointing it out?!) and got to the church in time to rehearse for the big day. I had only been in one wedding before, and I am prone to sprouting large tomato-like splotches all over my face and neck whenever people are looking at me, so I was pretty nervous that I might mess up. But we'll save the details of the rehearsal dinner celebration and wedding to a future post... until then, enjoy this pic of Em and her lovely bridesmaids on the eve of her wedding day! Congrats, lady -- love you more than anything!

STOP. SPOILING.

2009-05-05T22:11:00.003-04:00

Seriously. I am FUMING after viewing tonight's ep of Biggest Loser.

It is a rarity that I will watch ANY program in real time. Tonight I started Loser around 8:25, meaning I was up to actual time by roughly 9:30. It was at exactly this point, one hour and 30 minutes into a two hour program, that I could have stopped watching entirely.

When heading to commercial at 9:30, they show a screenshot of the BL website. Announcer says, "Who would you shield from elimination? Go to nbc.com to vote! (Brought to you by Ziploc -- designed with you in mind)".

Clear as DAY, RON and MIKE are on the website! The two finalists up for elimination (their fate lies in the hands of America's vote)! I wasn't supposed to know that for another TWENTY EIGHT MINUTES. Thanks, Ziploc, for keeping my food freshness needs in mind, but could someone at NBC please keep my entertainment and viewing needs in mind? Where's the SUSPENSE??

This is one of my most enjoyed programs on television, and it is produced by a MAJOR NETWORK. How can it air with this large of an error, one that I notice at even a 3x fast forward DVR speed?

I am outraged at this injustice! Who can I email at NBC???

How did I miss this?

2009-05-04T22:35:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I caught a glimpse of "Dancing with the Stars". I used to watch this show because my stockroom team loooooved it, and it gave us something to talk about while unloading full trailers of crap merchandise. It has long been off my radar, however, for a multitude of reasons (not least of which a hatred for Jewel and several DVR conflicts). In the brief second the TV rested on ABC, I recognized a bubbly blonde who was none other than Chelsie Hightower, one of my all-time favorite SYTYCD contestants! She is tragically paired with Jewel's husband, that Ty fella who rides rodeo and handmakes belt buckles (I think). But, her part of the routine was awesome, and I might watch again just because I adore her. Great casting of dancers, NBC - let's try for better selection of the "stars".

To Do.

2009-05-03T20:27:00.004-04:00

If you compare my number of posts about knitting to number of posts about television programming, I'm pretty sure we'll all agree that the name is this blog is beyond misleading (maryannthefatasswholovestv.blogspot.com was taken!). Knitting is a hobby that I ADORE, but I don't always have a ton of time for it. TV is something that has always been, and will always be, an integral part of my life. The fabulous things I see there sometimes need to be shared with others (namely, my blog readers). Sometimes I let you know exactly how to program your DVR for the upcoming week, and sometimes I just give little shout-outs to a new gem I think you shouldn't miss. Either way, I feel it's partly my duty as a blogger to alert you to upcoming can't miss eps and specials.

This week is a big to-do list week for me, as I am leaving on Thursday morning for Emily's wedding! I can't WAIT, and my Blackberry is full of miscellaneous tasks to accomplish before I set foot on that plane (luckily, I have finally synced my to-do and shopping lists to my PinkBerry, making my life SO much easier). When I was working through my Saturday list yesterday, I knew I had to post a quick blog (I was checking off "Set DVR for Sunday-Sunday"). I'm not going to post the entirety of my DVR to-do list, but there are some must see's for the upcoming week:

Tuesday, May 5th:

American Idol, 8pm, FOX: A lot of you have stopped watching, I know. And after last week's guest mentor (Jamie FOXX?! Most Americans don't even recognize him as a musical artist!), I almost fell off the bandwagon myself. But this show is nothing if not monumentally ridiculous, and it will be sure to hold its own in entertainment value with this week's theme: rock and roll. The guest mentor? SLASH. Credibility is slipping through the producers' fingertips.

Biggest Loser, 8pm, NBC: With only one ep between us and this season's finale, the 4 finalists learn that their final challenge is to run a MARATHON. Having tackled a half mara earlier in the season, I think they will actually all do pretty well (with the exception of poor Ron...). I'm excited to see how much more weight the contestants have lost in their 30 days at home (and to see if Helen has managed to keep her hair under control).

The Real Housewives of New York City, 10pm, Bravo: I am about done with this season, not because of its lack of entertainment, but since seeing the preview for the Housewives of JERSEY, I simply cannot wait! Talks of mafia dealings, former prostitution, and general scandal are already outshining all locations and seasons of previous Housewives. I'm already confused as to how everyone is related. A future blog post will probably break it down into some sort of twisted family tree.

Thursday, May 7th:

The Fashion Show, 10pm, Bravo: Since losing their legal battle and subsequently losing Heidi and Tim, I think this new series is Bravo's answer to the now absent Runway.

Saturday, May 9th (Emily's wedding day!):

Ace of Cakes, 9pm, Food Network: An hour-long special! Duff and the gang head to Hawaii (love) to create a special cake for the cast of "Lost" (hate). I love, love, love this show, and wanted to point out the special airing time and length!

Saturday Night Live, 11:30 pm, NBC: JUSTIN. TIMBERLAKE. HOSTS. Ciara is the musical guest, which means there is a 100% chance that they will sing that "Love, Sex, Magic" number together (speaking of, have you seen the VIDEO? Hotttttttt...) Timber is always hilarious on SNL, and I can't wait to watch this hungover with Lindsey on Sunday afternoon.

Grab your remotes, set your timers, and ENJOY!

KGC?

2009-04-26T22:07:00.003-04:00

Love free food? Me too! It's no secret that getting healthy food at a low price can be difficult (in fact, I've blogged about it before). But this Monday (April 27th), you can stop by any KFC and pick up a FREE piece of their new grilled chicken! A breast piece clocks in at 180 calories and 4 grams of fat, and it packs a whopping 35 grams of protein. You can also do what I do, and double your offer by hitting the lobby, then the drive thru. Sometimes, if you are suuuuuper nice and polite, and the person at the window isn't in too terrible of a mood, you can even claim that you are picking up the free offer for your boss at work, who simply cannot make it out of the office today. Early reviews online claim that the Colonel has not quite perfected this recipe, and most people said it was dry, bland, and even rubbery (ew!). But at least you can check it out for yourself without parting with any cash.

Normally I would suggest a side item to pair with your free chunk of poultry, but until I see a vegetable offering at KFC not smothered in cheese or butter, I'm not sure what to recommend. Personally, I don't even know if I can partake in this offer, because I cannot stay away from the coleslaw OR the dreaded biscuit. KFC's website claims that they offer green salads, but I have never seen that option on my local menu board. My advice? Pick up the free chick and pair it with a fast food side salad or leafy greens from your local grocer. Or, scarf it up all on its own!

Is this post finally enough to get me a job offer from Hungry Girl? Enjoy your free food!

Hope Springs Eternal.

2009-04-21T06:39:00.002-04:00

I don't know if showing up to Kate Hudson's birthday party sans your significant other qualifies as a breakup, but for the sake of having a good day during which I believe all things are possible, I'm choosing to believe this juicy nug of gossip.

If history has taught me anything, it's that a story on USWeekly.com confirming that "things are fine" actually means that said couple is dunzo. In this case, it's Timber and Jessica Biel. And this blogger couldn't be happier.

Call me, Justin!

Dog Years.

2009-04-20T06:47:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe how old my babies are today! Happy 5th (35th) birthday to Roach Dude and 4th (28th) birthday to Lilly!

They are both handling their midlife crises by having a small outburst of carpet destruction yesterday afternoon. I can't say I blame them. I myself am not ready for 28 this year, and I am sure that when I hit 3-5, I will most certainly want to destroy something. Plus, they have been so good for so long, I can overlook a minor misstep in behavior. Besides, I think it's time for new carpet, too.

Last night we celebrated with the pups by letting them enjoy my doggie bag of beef tips and egg noddles (yummmmm). Tonight they will get to open presents and eat lots of MilkBones.

Theses dogs are the loves of my life, and they improve my mood tenfold every single day. I can't believe how big they have gotten (in comparison to their baby pictures shown here!) and I hate every day that they get older -- but love every day I get to hang out with them.

Happy Birthday, kids!

Worst Day.

2009-04-19T13:23:00.000-04:00

It is 79 degrees, every single one of them gorgeous. The sun is blazingly beautiful. A slight breeze ensures there is great little surf.

I am at work. Officially in the worst mood imagineable. In addition to being banished from enjoying the ideal spring day, I am acutely aware of the rumbling undercurrent that is characteristic of a soon-to-come domestic dispute. Per usual, I have no idea what it may be about.

I just ate a personal pan pizza and breadsticks, otherwise known as enough fat and calories to sustain a small family for three days. My hope for the big 20 pound weight loss number at tomorrow morning's weigh-in was obliterated in a single lunch hour. I only feel worse.

Despite my attempts to combat said mood with a dress, cowboy boots, and my favoritey fave accessory (stretchy belt), I still feel as though I will most likely commit homicide before end of day. Watch out, customer who returns $800 of ugly shit you bought online... you could be the victim of my next rage-aholic outburst.

Make it Work!

2009-04-12T20:09:00.002-04:00

I think it was nearly 2 months ago when a customer in my store was shopping for an outfit to wear to the season finale of Project Runway Season 6 (at New York Fashion Week). I obviously helped her select something fabulous before pumping her for all deets on Runway (her brother was a camera guy or something). Since I had not been following the entire legal debacle that has kept this top 5 all-time favorite show off the air, I was thrilled to hear that the entire season had already been filmed. A quick trip to wiki tells me that this season will air this summer on Lifetime (not a minute too soon, TG!).

In the meantime, how am I to get my Tim Gunn fix? Lucky for me, this week is one of the greatest weeks of Biggest Loser -- MAKEOVER WEEK! Last season, Christian Siriano helped the new skinnies go from drab to fab. This time around, Tim Gunn is showing up! I love, love, love him and am so excited to see him on this week's Loser.

Writing this post reminds me of a question that crossed my mind a few weeks ago when the black team won a trip of 24 hour luxury. The contestants show up on campus with not much luggage, presumably only including various size tees in their team colors, Hanes hoodies, and Bondi Bands. When they win a trip home or a dinner away from campus, where do they procure the new clothes to fit their forever-changing body shapes? Is there a personal stylist for the show? Or do they work a quick Macy*s stop into the trip to the airport? I expect to see someone who lost 100 pounds on campus headed home in oversized sweatpants and a huge t-shirt. Who magically hooks them up with fitted button-downs and perfect makeup?

In other guest appearance news this week, Miley performs on Idol! Let's hope Billy Ray doesn't show up.

Easter Eater.

2009-04-06T13:52:00.002-04:00

As much as I was looking forward to weighing less this morning, and subsequently publishing a New York Times Bestseller on the "All Easter Candy Diet", I am here to tell you that a week-long steady consumption of Whoppers Robin Eggs and Reese's Eggs will not help your extra pounds sitch. In addition to the innumerable sugar highs and subsequent crashes I experienced over the past week, I also managed to gain a pound and basically set myself back 14 days.

I thought I was doing right by avoiding the Cadbury bunny and all-sugar Peeps (both battles were exhausting strains on my willpower), but I couldn't resist the (free 2 pound bag, thanks Wendy) candy coated Whoppers or the occasional pb and chocolate delight. No more! I have had my Easter fill, and am declaring this sugar-laden holiday over.

Until next Monday's half-off Easter candy sales...

Knitting Knews.

2009-04-05T23:36:00.007-04:00

My brother Michael sent me a link to a nationwide call for knitters this past week, and my interest was piqued. Although I had heard of CodePink, I wasn't really sure what they were about, other than being a group of women united against war. A quick trip to their website explained...

"CODEPINK emerged out of a desperate desire by a group of American women to stop the Bush administration from invading Iraq. The name CODEPINK plays on the Bush Administration's color-coded homeland security alerts — yellow, orange, red — that signal terrorist threats. While Bush's color-coded alerts are based on fear and are used to justify violence, the CODEPINK alert is a feisty call for women and men to "wage peace."

CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities. CODEPINK rejects foreign policies based on domination and aggression, and instead calls for policies based on diplomacy, compassion and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.

'We call on women around the world to rise up and oppose the war in Iraq. We call on mothers, grandmothers, sisters and daughters, on workers, students, teachers, healers, artists, writers, singers, poets, and every ordinary outraged woman willing to be outrageous for peace. Women have been the guardians of life-not because we are better or purer or more innately nurturing than men, but because the men have busied themselves making war. Because of our responsibility to the next generation, because of our own love for our families and communities and this country that we are a part of, we understand the love of a mother in Iraq for her children, and the driving desire of that child for life.'"

Although I try to keep my political activism to a minimum, I think CodePink is a great cause, and I support their message. Mostly, though, I just think that this project they are planning for Mother's Day is 100% awesome. A giant cozy on anything is the love, and this message is an important one to be heard on Mother's Day. I've been trying to figure out what to do with my fabulous pink Malabrigo, and this is the answer.

"Calling all CODEPINK knitters! We are creating a beautiful, quilted cozy to cover the fence in front of the White House to honor Mother's Day. The message will be “We will not raise our children to kill another mother’s child”-inspired by Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation. We’ll be piecing it together from individual squares knitted by YOU as part of the 24 hour Mother’s Day vigil for Women who live in War Zones. The best part is you don’t have to be an experienced knitter to help! This is perfect for knitters of all skill levels—and a great opportunity for those who want to learn! Celebrate the time honored tradition of the radical act of knitting."

Click here to learn more about CodePink's "Radical Act of Knitting in Honor of Mother's Day". Even if you are a super-beginner, you can be a part of this ground-breaking project.

On a personal level, my big accomplishment last week was mastering the picot hem. Although I cannot divulge photos of my super-secret project, I included this picture so you can see what I'm talking about. If you follow the link provided (Knit wiki, anyone? Who even knew this existed?) you will read about how involved this process really is. It takes two sets of circular needles, a lot of un-twisting, and a ridiculous amount of concentration. I am very proud of my first picot hem, and I am sure I will use the knowledge I gained on projects in the future. Meanwhile, I am knitting along furiously on my picot-edged masterpiece. I can't wait to get it off the needles and post pictures!

Weight Loss Secrets -- REVEALED!

2009-04-01T10:53:00.007-04:00

Let me start this post by saying that I am by no means a licensed dietitian or nutritionist. I am not a trainer, a doctor, or a chef. My schooling has come primarily from my mom, who taught me the principles of weight loss and how they applied to my life. From there, it's been trial and error (and a lot of google).

I have struggled with weight for as long as I can remember. In my adult life, I have learned how to lose it, but it always creeps back. I have been dealing with the same 35 - 40 pounds for the past 5 years. I have tried a lot of "diets", but they never work for me. It's the nature of my personality to want what I'm not allowed to have, so restrictive eating plans will not take. For example, I hate olives. But if you tell me I can lose 10 pounds in one week, just by not eating olives, I will want them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't live without carbs, sugar, or diet soda. I am incapable of cutting anything out completely.

On my 4th birthday, with my brothers and my 2 true loves -- Care Bears and yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

Since January, I have re-embraced some standards of healthy living. Technically, I am not on a diet. I have, however, dropped 16 pounds, and I am halfway to my goal of 32. People are noticing and asking what I'm doing. They want to know what diet I'm on, what pills I am taking, how many carbs I'm eating, and how often I work out. People will tell you there is no one secret to weight loss. Technically, that's not true. It all boils down to one thing:

Burn more calories than you take in.

You can eat all carbs and lose weight. You can eat no fruits or vegetables and lose weight. you can be a vegetarian and GAIN weight (very easily, actually). Fad diets are just that -- FADS. They don't last, and neither will your weight loss. It all comes down to burning more calories than you consume.

Calorie counting can be a tricky business, so I use fitday.com to keep me on track. I love fitday for a variety of reasons, but mostly because you can create a million custom foods and add them easily to your online food journal each day. It makes it very easy for me to know what I've eaten, and with my BlackBerry, I can access that information at any time to make smart decisions about what to eat. It also keeps me from eating a ton of junk, because sometimes I am so lazy I don't want to go to the trouble of entering nutrition information for a new custom food. Instead, I will choose a snack that I already have the info recorded for. It also has a tri-colored pie chart (I love a good graph) that breaks my daily intake into protein, carbs, and fat. Although I don't get too caught up in those numbers, as my weight goes down, I am paying more attention to having a good balance of those 3 key things (I shoot for 40% protein, 40% carbs - I looove carbs, and 20% fat). Fitday also allows you to enter your activities each day so you can know how many calories you have burned. It automatically customizes it to the most recent weight you have entered for yourself, so there's no math or question marks. I highly recommend using fitday or another calorie-tracking program (Emily loves Calorie King) to keep you on pace to your weight loss goals. If you're not tech-savvy, a good old fashioned notebook will work just as well.

A lot of people also ask me how many calories they should be eating to lose weight. One of the things I learned through a brief stint of Weight Watchers was that you should not lose more than 2 pounds per week. 3500 calories burned equals a pound of fat lost (conversely, if you consume 3500 calories, you will gain a pound). If you want to lose one pound per week, you will need to burn 500 more calories a day than what you take in (1000 calories if you are aiming for 2 pounds per week). Regardless of your current weight or activity level, you should never dip below 1200 calories per day. It sends your body into starvation mode and will ultimately have adverse effects on your weight loss.

There is a fabulously helpful calculator located here. I use it to determine my BMR, or how many calories my body burns just sustaining essential life functions (basically, if I was in bed all day and never moved). You can also select your exercise level and it will tell you your daily caloric goal for maintaining your weight, losing weight, or (my favorite) "Extreme Fat Loss". If you click on "7 Day Calorie Zig Zag", it will give you an idea of how to "cycle" your calories. This is a theory to which I subscribe wholeheartedly. Eating the same number of calories day after day can send your metabolism into a rut. By zig-zagging, or cycling, it keeps your metabolism up and your body burns fat more quickly. This basically means taking your weekly caloric needs and dividing them up into "high days" and "low days". This calculator will do it for you, and trust me, it works. I try to always make my highest day Friday or Saturday, because that's when I tend to eat a lot.

Determine your caloric needs and track what you eat. That's basically the key to it! There are also a few other tips I use that might be helpful:

Fiber is your friend. WW taught me the importance of fiber. It keeps you fuller longer and (ew warning) keeps you regular! The DRA is 25g of fiber a day, and something like 90% of Americans don't get enough. Personally, I start almost every morning with a 1/2 c. serving of Fiber One original cereal and 1/2 c. of 1% milk. 110 calories, 14g of fiber, delicious, filling, and you get some calcium! I also love Fiber One's bars (caramel is my favorite), and have discovered that Target's "Market Pantry" brand is exactly the same, at an affordable $1.75 a box (whenever you choose to buy "generic", make sure you check the nutrition facts against the brand name product. They should match up!) I am always on the lookout for high-fiber snacks!

Have a "Cheat Day". Or two. I have a cheat day almost every Monday (the morning that I weigh in). Don't go crazy and eat 23,456 calories just because it's your cheat day, but think of it more as a day to indulge in any cravings or temptations you have been feeling. Just like with a job, you need a day off to rest and relax your body into another week of weight loss. If you are able to plan your cheat day on a day where you exercise or have a lot of activity, that's an added bonus.

Weigh in weekly. You can't know where you're going without knowing where you've been. Choose a time to weigh in once a week and record your progress to your goal (either in your written or online food journal). Try your best to refrain from weighing yourself more than that one time per week -- a million different factors can make your weight fluctuate, and seeing a loss or gain mid-week may not be reflective of what's actually happening. It can subconciously trick you into eating more or less and messing up your entire week. Weigh once, and then stay off that scale (I put mine in the bathroom cabinet -- out of sight, out of mind!).

Bring your own snacks. Anyone who spends any time at all with me can tell you that I eat all day. It's called "grazing" (yes, like a cow). Having 5-6 "mini-meals" throughout the day keeps your metabolism up. I may have my bowl of F1 at 8:00, but by 10:30 or 11, I'm a little hungry. I usually grab a string cheese and a 90 cal pack of Special K crackers to hold me over until lunch (instead of giving into those yummy looking doughnuts Hungry is trying to tempt me with, shown here in a WW commercial). Listen to your body. Eating 150-300 calories when you're starting to feel slightly hungry is a lot better than downing a zillion calories when you think you're dying of starvation. Keep hunger at bay and you won't overeat. To accomplish this, have snacks handy! I live for the 100 cal pack, but I also package up 1 c. servings of cereal, bags of carrot sticks, sugar free Jello and Jello pudding, and microwave popcorn. I try to keep something sweet and something salty on hand at all times -- you never know when the craving will strike!

Knowledge is power. Learn as much as you can. There are a million books available with nutrition information for every food imaginable. I eat out allllll the time, so I rely heavily on Dotti's Weight Loss Zone's "Restaurants" Page for a lot of info. Fitday also helps with this. I am also blessed with a mother who seems to know fat and calories for everything, so a simple text message will let me know if I have enough calories left in my day to splurge on a 5 pc. chicken nugget. There's so much to learn about sauces, condiments, and beverages -- a lot of things people never think about. I am by no means an expert, but I am happy to answer any questions (my personal favorites are the, "Am I better off eating this, or that?")

Just say no! Realistically, it might not be in your lifestyle plan to cut out alcohol completely. As I said, I am NOT about deprivation. But cutting back on the alcs intake can help immensely. Not only is it a waste of empty calories, but it can v. quickly break down your defenses and lead to 2 am TBell binges. It can also put you out of commission the following day and leave you craving greasy, calorie laden foods. If you do go out, keep it moderate -- light beer (or MGD64) or rum and diet. If you know you have a special ocassion coming up (birthday, reunion, seriously fun party) try to eat light throughout the day (but make sure you eat ENOUGH to keep you from getting ill!). Remember, hydration is key to weight loss, and drinking makes you dehydrated, so amp up on the H2O intake on the days surrounding a drinking event.
Be a little active. I am lucky to have a job where I stay on my feet and moving the better part of 8 hours a day. A lot of times, it's enough to make me lack the energy to work out when I get home -- but at least I know I was moving all day. If you're stuck at a desk, find a reason to walk around, or spend your lunch hour walking. Any extra calorie burn equals extra snacks! Set realistic exercise goals for yourself and don't overdo it. It's better to do 30 minutes every day than 3 hours one day a week.

I could go on all day with the things I do to help me lose weight, but this (insanely long) post should answer the majority of the questions I have received. It's all about finding your perfect balance to be happy, healthy, and full of energy. Good luck!

An unexpected wave of motivation, and even more to come!

2009-03-29T19:33:00.004-04:00

In a startling turn of events, this weekend turned into wedding prep checklist EXTRAVAGANZA. Deane and I were both of on Friday, and we did some venue-hunting (set to the tune of my new OTG, all potential first dance songs!), in addition to a lot of conversation about wedding deets. We looked around at some places, and he had an idea to check out a yacht club that he had done some electrical work on about a year ago. I was a little skeptical as we made our way through the gated community, then through the construction, the glorified dirt road, and the Caterpillars and tractors, in addition to orange barrels. But when all of that parted and showed the club house in its glory, I was pretty excited.

Say hello to our dream venue. We checked this place out on Friday, and it has the makings of everything we love -- a ceremony and reception site all in one, a beautiful view of the marsh, an ideal space where I could envision everything I wanted right where I wanted it, and a caterer content to let me bring my own food! Add these essentials to a place that allows dogs and has a "pretty much whenever" end-time, and I was in lurve. The price is pretty reasonable, so I am really hoping to commit to a deposit by the end of next week.

Sunday I set out to browse some wedding dresses with Deane's mom (since my mom is so far away!). I wasn't planning on trying on anything, but I quickly learned that browsing bridal dresses is basically impossible. They're all in plastic, you can't tell what they look like, and you have no idea if you are looking over a complete gem. I lucked into an appointment cancellation and put a lovely David's Bridal associate through 1.5 hours of sheer hell (i.e. I say "I LOVE bows", so she brings me a dress with a bow, and I say, "I love everything except this sick BOW") and found 3 dresses that I was head over heels for. There was a LOT of picture taking (thanks Debi!), and those photos have been uploaded and shared with the esteemed panel of judges, so I am waiting on some input, as well as taking a few days to decompress before I decide anything.

A huge shout-out to Mom, who, even though she is 350 miles away, has been firing ideas at my BlackBerry all weekend. I especially like this one for favors. I missed you during the dress shopping, but appreciated our hours of conversations which viewing the same websites, and the pictures of my try-on sesh.

I also picked up some Save The Date prototype materials, and I am pretty excited about a few ideas that I have for those little gems. Pictures to come as ideas develop.

In other FABULOUS news, I weighed in this morning (a day early, I usually weigh on Mondays, but whatever), and I am thrilllllllllled to report that I am down a total of SIXTEEN pounds and halfway to my weight loss goal of 32! There are a lot of people and products (well, mostly products) to which I attribute my success, so look for future postings on that, as well.

Have a great week!

Bloggy Birthday!

2009-03-23T13:21:00.001-04:00

Today is my blog's BIRTHDAY!

For one year and 108 posts, I have been bringing bloggy goodness to the world wide web. I hope that, along the way, I may have taught someone something about pop culture, inspired someone to begin (or finish) a knitting project, alerted a reader to a can't-miss television program, or provided a much-needed chuckle on a dreary day. It has been a great outlet to have an online electronic "journal", and as I browse my entries from the past 12 months, I am happy to have a record of events upon which to reflect. Though my blog rarely speaks to knitting (which is originally why it was created), it has been a great way to share my life's current events with anyone who might sort of care.

Thanks to my (5?) readers for always coming back for more. Here's to another year of K1P1!

Results!

2009-03-22T19:52:00.007-04:00

Friday was my day off, and I managed to accomplish quite a bit. First off, I finished the washcloth (that should have only taken me 4 hours, but somehow stretched over 4 weeks...) and donated it to Deane.

Wave if you surf!

Next, we tackled some projects on our perpetual remodel list. You may remember an older post featuring a picture of the dogs' bedroom/in-house kennel...

Roach and Lil enjoy their ScoobyDoo bedroom.

Well, I never thought I would be able to say it, but now that Roach is almost 5 and Lilly almost 4, they have really settled down and can be left to roam the house unattended when we're away. We have remodeled the spare room into a charming office and future home of VillePickle Custom Surfboards. It's not finished yet, so I will refrain from posting pictures until the built -in seating/storage solution is finished and upholstered (and I will also take that opportunity to tell you what you can do when you run out of flooring).

We had finished our bathroom several months ago, but just got around to hanging some wall decor and a towel rack.

My homemade tiki artwork.

Our so-perfect-I-could've-sworn-it-was-custom towel rack.

And the most satisfying result of all, a response to my customer complaint submitted via the ChickFilA website on Thursday:

"Dear Ms. McCusty:
Thank you for taking the time to contact Chick-fil-A. You are very important to us, and we appreciate your comments regarding the service you recently received from our Amelia Island restaurant. We also regret to hear that the Unsweet Iced Tea was not available during your recent visit. We apologize for this as our aim is to provide the highest quality food in a clean restaurant with excellent service.
Because most Chick-fil-A Restaurants are independently operated, I have forwarded your comments to Lita Fannin, Operator of the Amelia Island Restaurant, so that she is aware of your dissatisfaction.
As a token of appreciation for contacting us, I'll be sending you two Chick-fil-A CARES Guest Cards which should arrive at your provided mailing address in 7 to 10 business days. Again, thank you for your time and interest in Chick-fil-A. We appreciate your loyalty, and we look forward to serving you for many years to come.
Sincerely,
Tamara"

Thank you, Tamara! I look forward to receiving my coupons. Frankly, I don't know how I would have survived if I had to swear off CFA for good.

I also am happy to report that, on my mission to replace my most raging addiction, I have discovered two new stops on the Yum Train to HydrationTown. Sobe LifeWater has come out with a 0 calorie version of their popular beverage, and I am in LOVE with FujiApple Pear. It also has citrimax, which is supposed to help you lose weight, but I really just chug it by the bottle because it tastes like yummy, delicious apple juice -- and it's ZERO calories! I have also tried the "yumberry pomegranate", which is equally refreshing.

These little beauties were on sale 10/$10 last week at Target, along with their slightly-higher-calorie counterpart, VitaminWater10. It has 10 calories per serving (25 per bottle), and comes in 4 flavors. Never a huge fan of VityWats to begin with (I never had it, because I was afraid I would love it, and I knew it packed 120+ cals per bottle), I tried the multi-v, a daily vitamin dose lemonade flavor. It is delicious and I would definitely recommend trying it.

I'm hoping these new discoveries, in conjunction with my 3 face-to-face sessions with Jillian this past week, will lead to some great results tomorrow morning on the scale. I'll let you know!

My pleasure.

2009-03-19T22:06:00.004-04:00

I was unable to locate specific email addresses for CFA executives, but I just submitted this dialogue through their website. I'll let you know if I end up with any coupons.

"I love Chick-Fil-A and frequent your restaurants in various locations throughout the Jacksonville area several times per week. I have always received exemplary service and quality food, which is why I keep coming back.

This morning was my first negative experience in several years of dining with CFA. I went to the drivethru at your Yulee, FL location at approximately 6:20 am (this location opens at 6 am). I ordered a large unsweet tea, was told my total, and waited in line to get to the window. About 5 minutes later, when I pull up, the young lady at the window says, "Oh, we don't have any unsweet tea right now." I was shocked, so I replied, "Really?". I expected to be offered another beverage, or perhaps to wait a few more minutes, but instead of an apology, the employee said, "Well, you know, we JUST opened, so...". I waited a few more moments, but she said nothing else -- just stared at me -- so I drove away. No beverage, no apology, no thank you.

I have been in the customer service industry myself for over ten years, and I value honest feedback from my customers. I attempted to contact the location; twice the phone rang with no answer, the third time I was told the GM was not available and the employee on the phone "was not quite sure" when she would be in (nor did she offer to take a message or refer me to another member of management). If I could have reached this location's manager, I would like to tell them that customers should never hear excuses. Your business opens at 6 am, and it should be ready to serve its customers at the opening hour. Not only was it twenty minutes PAST the opening time, but the employee seemed to think I was in the wrong for ordering an unsweet tea! I was also offended that I was not told upon ordering that my beverage was not available; instead, I had to wait in line to learn that fact.

This is the first negative experience I have had with your restaurant, but it is one that will stay with me for several years. In this struggling economy, patrons may be fewer and fewer, but good service is free. I still cannot believe that not a single employee attempted to resolve this situation for me. I hope that this information can be passed along as a training tool that is useful for this particular franchise location. Thank You."

A REEEEEEALLY close second.

2009-03-18T21:38:00.003-04:00

Lindsey, I love you dearly, and there is no other way I would have rather spent this past weekend.

Except, maybe, MAYBE, at Sloppy Joe's in Key West.

Where Kenny Chesney played to a full house.

Including Peyton Manning.

WHO GOT ON STAGE AND SANG.

TWICE.

This is the kind of stuff I would have told my grandkids about. I mean, if I had been there.

My favorite part is that Peyton is three feet taller than Kenny. And that article also lists Jim Sorgi as an attendee -- in case anyone cares.

SB09!!!

2009-03-18T21:00:00.018-04:00

This weekend was the afore-blogged-about trip to Orlando to visit with Lindsey and see "Legally Blonde: The Musical". Let's just say that this weekend was *so* much fun, it took me until Wednesday night to even gather the energy to blog about it (and another 45 minutes to recovery from cackling hysteria after looking at the pictures).

Friday morning I left at the crack of sunrise to drive to O-Town and pick up Linds at the airport. Lots of highway and 14 toll booths later, I found her, and our adventure began! We were having some hotel worries going in to the weekend, but everything worked out pretty well. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Friday's (where I, of course, ordered an Ultimate Recipe Showdown dish), Linds' creddy probably got charged about 300 bucks, and we found our place of residence for the weekend -- the Buena Vista Palace, right across from Downtown Disney. We lucked into an early check-in, hit the pool for a few hours, and made our way to the main event -- LB the Musical! We had been jamming the soundtrack alllll day (much to the dismay of other pool patrons), and we were soooo excited. We scored some directions from the concierge and hit the road.

Despite our concierge's apparent misunderstanding of right from left, we finally found the Bob Carr Center for the Performing Arts and the big blinking PINK sign! (We were also surrounded by 20,000 NKOTB fans, as they were having a show at the next door Amway Arena). Sadly, our slight detour had caused us to be just in time for the show, and we weren't able to get a little snack on the way as originally planned. We purchased a champpy split and a cheese and fruit tray, which ended up being 6 crackers and a 2 pound log of cheddar (which we devoured). Here's me and L at intermission in our "Elle-inspired" attire:

And did I mention that our seats were in rows L-R? Linds points out the obvious fate of our seating:

The show was absolutely phenomenal, better than I *ever* imagined -- it even made me love the songs on the soundtrack I had previously ignored and skipped over. We spent the rest of the night revelling in the positive message, singing in our heads and at the top of our lungs, and reliving every glorious moment.

Saturday was a DREAM. We woke semi-early, clocked 5 solid hours of UV exposure, and did some serious shopping. Although the Orlando traffic threatened to rob me of my sanity on more than one occasion, we managed to find our way to the greatest outlet malls and the love of my life, Mall at Millenia. Linds and I both scored some great deals and adorable pieces (you can see me sporty her new Juicy jewels in the following pics)! We got back to the hotel around 9:30 pm, armed with Miller Lite, Sparks, and chips and salsa. It was all we needed to get the pre-party rolling! We had planned on going over to CityWalk at Universal, but decided the bars across the street were a better option.

If anyone has ever had the joy of experiencing Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney, consider yourself lucky. It used to be a FABULOUS strip of bars and dance clubs, serving mixed drinks in sand pails, blaring great dance tracks, and bouncing beach balls around. We were sad to discover that almost ALL of DTown Dis has been shut down! Only Raglan Road, a cigar bar, and Planet Hollywood were still open. We made our way to all three. Let's let the photos do the talking:

Starting the night with my Irish buddy at Raglan Road...

Freezing our tails off at the "ice bar" (it wasn't ice, of course, but we couldn't resist the photo op)...

We couldn't seem to get a draft beer to save our lives, so we went with G&T's. WITH A PLASTIC SWORD.

At our last stop, PHollywood, I couldn't *believe* the drink prices (at least I think that's what I am trying to convey...)

L Money was much more at ease with the bill:

And, natch, when we got back to the hotel, a drunken photo sesh was in order. We stumbled upon some phone booths, which we promptly used to have fake conversations with our stupid, stupid concierge (the directions weren't the only thing she was wrong about):

Lindsey's favorite feature of the hotel was the "carwash"-like fountain effect in the elevator. Here she is channelling Rhianna and waiting for the lift:

And MY favorite feature was the lion sculpture in the indoor courtyard:

All in all, a beyond super-fun weekend. I was so glad to be able to see Lindsey and catch up! As much as I miss her and Em on a daily, I'm glad we have a reason to get together for mini-breaks a few times each year. Next up, Em's wedding in May, then mine in November, and hopefully a bachelorette party in-between! I better start resting up...

Ohmigod, you guys!

2009-03-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

This morning, I am hitting the road to Orlando! The plan is to pick up Lindsey at the airport, clock several hours of UV exposure, and go see the Broadway cast of "Legally Blonde: The Musical" perform tonight (as we sing along to every single number).

This weekend will surely lead to an extensive blog recap. As of this moment, I'm not exactly sure which hotel we will be staying at, or what kind of "special upgrade due to a sold out situation" we may or may not have received. All I can say is that Kelly from Royal Plaza better understand my blogging readership; I can make or break you, lady! Linds and I haven't planned much of an itinerary -- just a sprinkle of shopping, some serious sunning, and sips of Sparks (still available in Florida!).

Emily, we will miss you greatly. Everyone else, look for a recap early next week. Enjoy the weekend!

**Preparation for the trip, combined with several other events, have pinned me in a 70% full DVR sitch. Promise to remedy as soon as possible, and blog about "Idol'', "Loser", and any other worthy news.

Pardon my French...

2009-03-12T22:31:00.002-04:00

...but are you fucking kidding me with this shit?

I think I remember a girl wearing a tux to *my* high school prom, and that was -- I'll say it -- TEN YEARS AGO.

The (obviously v. worldly and understanding) principal says, "There's a longstanding policy: Men wear tuxedos and women wear formal dresses."

State of Indiana, this is the second time you've disappointed me gravely this week. Let's not make this a habit.

I Do It All For You.

2009-03-10T22:58:00.002-04:00

I was just hit with my first ever blog request. Thanks, Libby, for suggesting -- nay, demanding! -- that I blog about this week's "Biggest Loser". Sadly, that particular blog entry will have to wait, as the show is trapped in my DVR and probably will not be viewed until tomorrow night, at the earliest (no spoilers, please).

I would like to take this opportunity to open the floor for requests from all blog readers. If ever you find yourself craving my commentary on a particular topic, news story, television program, movie, album, etc., please do not hesitate to request a blog based on that subject matter. Just leave a comment anytime!

Speaking of DVRs, has anyone been hit with the fastforward spoiler? Let me explain, using last week's "Loser" as an example. When I fastforwarded the commercials during the weigh-in portion of the show, I already knew one of two things: either no one was going to be eliminated, or the results were going to be continued into the next week. How did I know this? I was already at 1 hour, 54 minutes of programming! Of course, bef0re I realized it, I was terrified that I had once again fallen victim to the horrendous DVR cutoff. I am speaking of those terrible times when a show runs past its allotted 30 or 60 minutes, and you miss the end (most recently, I missed a pivotal point of "er", and although I had watched the episode, was completely unable to understand someone telling me Carter was on dialysis. It took the recap of the next week's episode to fill in the blanks!), or even worse, scenes from the next. NBC is always a culprit, making their shows start at ridiculous times such as 9:02 or 10:58, ruining my DVR lineups and forcing me to find later showings of first-run eps. Also, producers/writers are always saving the good and juicy stuff for the bitter closing seconds (take the discovery of Carter's dialysis as an example).

Well, that was quite the little rant. And so my love/hate relationship with the DVR continues. Have I mentioned I can set it from my phone now? Insanity. And pure love.

And as long as we're being random, a big blogger shoutout to SNAIL MAIL today! I came home to two lovely little packages, one from Lindsey with a fabulous (and helpful!) game/book, "How Well Do You Know Your Groom?". V. excited to get started on that one. And then, a card and LILLY PULITZER post-its from Emily! This was a huge one, because I have been drooling all over the Lilly stationary collection since I noticed it at Swoozie's about a week ago. So exciting. Love you both more than you even know.

Let's get those requests rolling!

Why I Need a Wii.

2009-03-05T21:14:00.002-05:00

Reason #317. I am willing to shell out the cash for this "game", despite its horrendous reviews. Too bad I lack the gaming system on which to play it.

Meanwhile, I will keep waiting for the UPS man so I can start banishing fat and boosting metabolism.

Side Effects.

2009-03-05T11:54:00.001-05:00

I thought I was handling this whole Diet Coke cutback pretty well, but I think it may be affecting me more than I realized...

Exhibit A: Tuesday, I was leaving Wendy's at lunchtime, looking at my PinkBerry as I was walking to my truck. I hit the unlock button on my keyfob repeatedly, and happily climbed in the driver's side. Upon settling into my seat, I went to put my water bottle in the cup holder, when I noticed it was already occupied -- by a Diet Mountain Dew can!! I have never, ever, EVER purchased or consumed this product. I took a quick glance around, and, sure enough - NOT MY TRUCK. Same year, make, model, and color, but no little chrome surfer girl on the back. I sheepishly backed out of the truck, hoped no one would notice (2 girls at the drivethru were cackling at me), and proceeded to my own truck, 2 spaces away.

Exhibit B: Yesterday I tried to use 'warmth' as concealer and mineral veil as foundation. If you're a bareminerals fan, you understand the disparity of this situation. I had to wash my face and start all over -- twice.

Exhibit C: Last night, I was having issues setting the alarm at work. I had to go find some phone numbers to resolve the sitch, and in the meantime, I misplaced my store keys. We (thanks for being such a trooper, Seth!) looked high and low and couldn't find them. Then I realized -- I must have accidently locked them in the office (don't even ask me why this is a possibility, the lock scene at this place drives me insane). I had to call my boss to drive the 20 minute trek from her house to the store to open the office for me. She opened the door - and there were no keys. The 3 of us began a new search, and about 10 minutes in, my boss picks them up, right from atop the ottoman on which I had left them. RIGHT NEXT TO THE FRONT DOOR. I felt like a total fool, apologized profusely to all parties involved, didn't get home until after 11pm, and had to be back at work at 7 am this morning.

Exhibit D: Because I was functioning on less than 5 hours of sleep, I swung in ChikFilA this morning for a large unsweet tea (not a DC, but a source of caffeine). I stirred in my 4 splendas and took a huge sip, when I quickly realized that they had given me already sweetened tea. It was a disgusting mess and I had to throw the entire thing out.

What is going on with my brain? I have always had the random ditzy moment, but this string of atrocities leads me to believe that I have cut back too much, too fast.

What a ridiculously embarrassing week.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do.

2009-03-04T09:34:00.005-05:00

I'm Mary Ann... and I'm a Diet Coke-aholic. I will down a DC at any time, any day, any occasion. My love for this carbonated wonderland cannot be replaced or supplemented by any other diet soda (though the short-lived Diet Pomegranate 7Up gave it a run for its money). I am a connoisseur of the differences between cans, bottles, and fountain DC, and I recognize the subtleties between them. Raging hangover? A can won't cut it (I find Sonic's SonicSize DC, with best-ever ice crumbles and a splash of cherry is the best cure). Road trip? 20 oz. bottle it is. 2 liter? Never stands a chance of lasting over a day in my fridge. 12 oz. aluminum silver bullet? A staple that I reach for every morning.

I've always thought my love for DC was totally justified -- I never developed a taste for coffee (unless it's smothered in things that are horribly bad for you, like sugar, caramel, sugar, whipped cream, more sugar, and broken candy cane pieces), and (just like the rest of America) I need a caffeine fix to get me started in the morning. I think a lot of my friends "grew out" of their love for soda and embraced coffee, but I guess my tastebuds never matured. I am as reliant on DC today as I was at 3 am in Fellows, writing a ridiculously procrastinated paper on any given night at Denison.

Lately, I've come to realize the realities of my addiction. As my hatred for Diet Pepsi increases, I found myself refusing to eat at Taco Bell (despite their yummy 150 calorie fresco grilled chicken taco) unless we could go somewhere to get a DC first. I am becoming a raging b on wheels in the morning if I don't get a DC within one hour of waking up. I will give up other (necessary) grocery items, such as milk or bread, to make sure I have a 12 can surplus of my little lover on hand.

That said, I recognize that this love affair is past the point of obsession. Having "plateaued" at a 12 pound weight loss, I have to 'fess up and admit that the amount of caramely cola coursing through my bloodstream (calorie free or not) cannot be helping the battle of the bulge. I know that being hydrated is one of the number one keys to weight loss and overall health, and although I do manage to down 10 8 oz. servings a day (thanks, Brita "Filter For Good" bottle!), the dehydrating effects of DC must be counteracting that.

This week, I've limited myself to one serving of DC a day. Since I am still living a normal life, and do not want my co-workers to suffer, that one serving may be a 12 oz. can, but it may also be a 32 oz. fountain. As I work my way out of this caffeine-obsessed spiral, I'm bound to hit some roadblocks, and I figure baby steps is the way to go. Wish me luck!

A lot of emotion for one lunch hour.

2009-03-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

Enjoying my 5 piece nugget and side salad at Wendy's today, I noticed an advertisement for the concerts at 'Mardi Gras at Universal Studios', now through April 18th. I know these concerts happen every year, but hadn't been able to find a finalized schedule. When I saw Clarkson at the top of the list (on my tray liner), my thumbs went into lightning mode. After a LOT of browser frustration (f-ing flash!) and almost-very-public-tantrums, I discovered what I was looking for: the performer for Saturday, March 14th, when Linds and I rendezvous in Orlando for "Legally Blonde: The Musical". By this point, my Clarkson hopes were high, so it was a super slam back to reality when I uncovered this fact... Montgomery Gentry is the headliner for March 14th. It may be a slight bit better than some of the other possibilities (MC Hammer, Barenaked Ladies, NELLY), but still a total dis (particularly after seeing them spilling pools of sweat all over the stage before shitfaced Toby Keith played Riverbend this past fall).

Who will come to Orlando on March 28th for Kelly's show? I am going back to work with a heavy heart this afternoon.

90% Sure.

2009-03-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

After looking at paint chips, magazines, and countless websites, I'm fairly certain that we have settled on our wedding color palette...I know I was initially leaning towards yellow, charcoal, and white, but how could I abandon my love of beautiful, beautiful green? With a almost-sort-of-in-stone-kinda date set of November 7th (yes, *this* year), yellow just seemed too summery, and I love how adding a pop of deep purple (that I've claimed would be my wedding color since the age of 4, thanks for the reminder Mom) makes it winter-inspired without screaming Christmas.

Thoughts?

February: Failure.

2009-03-01T22:05:00.004-05:00

February's over. And, admittedly, a lot happened this past month. But there's also a lot that *didn't* happen: knitting.

This month, I managed to produce one birthday cupcake, another half-finished bday present, and HALF of a washcloth with a wave motif: I couldn't even get it together enough to finish a WASHCLOTH. I remember once, in high school, my crazy asthma-induced art teacher said she was going to draw a single line on a piece of paper, sign it, have it framed, and hang it in the entryway of her house in January. That way, every day that she looked at that measly little line, she would be reminded that, if she didn't get to it, it would be the only art she produced that year. Will this half-finished 8"x8" square be the only thing I manage to crank out in '09?

The answer will be a boisterous "NO!". Truth is, since I got my PinkBerry, I hardly get on the "real" computer anymore, and when I do, I no longer surf my favorite knitting blogs and check out ravelry for new fun ideas. Instead, I search potential wedding color palettes, dresses, venues, and desserts (not necessarily in that order). Don't get me wrong, I am feeling 0% stressed about the wedding, and I am really excited to get down to planning it all, but there is so much out there, I can look at budgets/table linens/bouquets for 4 hours without realizing time has passed. Between working, attempting to work out regularly, my rigorous television viewing schedule, and aforementioned Web addiction, there is little time left for knitting. Not to mention blogging about knitting.

What's the answer? I've always been most productive in my life when I am over-extending myself; conversely, if I have little to nothing going on, I do little to nothing. I'm thinking Excel spreadsheets, color coded into hourly segments, tailored to fit the needs of each week, may be the way to go. Can someone out there help me format my BlackBerry to tell me everything I need? Do I need to set task reminders to TELL me to (*Blogger's note: In the middle of this sentence, Deane stopped me to show me a table centerpiece idea he liked in a wedding magazine, which got us started on the color thing again, which led to me showing him about 197658 wedding color inspiration boards online -- do you see what I'm talking about?!) start knitting? I love this hobby, I want to make more time for it, and in March, I am resolving to do so. But first, I'm off to finish that washcloth...!

Happy Birthday!

2009-02-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

A big, rousing round of Happy Birthday goes out to fellow blogger (and esteemed member of DLO, not to mention one of my very best friends!) Emily as she turns 28 today. Emily's birthday also marks my first foray into knitting FOOD, as demonstrated by the cupcake shown here and delivered to her doorstep yesterday afternoon. Here's hoping my little knit (sugar free!) goodie can provide all the birthday hugs and love I am not able to give in person (sadly, no surprises in a big red bow on the front porch this year).

I must also throw a birthday shoutout to Tabitha, with whom I will be celebrating this evening with wings and beer (is there any other way?).

And *both* of these lovely ladies are lucky enough to share their special day with National Pancake Day. Visit your local IHOP for a free shortstack today, and donate the money you would have spent on it to the Children's Miracle Network. Fluffy buttermilk drenched in delicious syrup is totally calorie free, when it's for a good cause.

Happy birthday, Emily! Hope 28 is the best year yet!

Broken Promises.

2009-02-21T13:39:00.000-05:00

I know I SWORE to not knit any more boring, horrible scarves in '09, but I am super inspired by this gem on etsy. Clearly, the cashmere is out of my budget, but I love the look and idea of the leaves and the darling rosette. And I've never made flowers before, so it would sort of be like learning a new technique. Justified? I think so.

My iTunes Library Would Suck Without You.

2009-02-20T12:05:00.004-05:00

For the next three weeks, my music listening will be almost 100% devoted to the original Broadway cast recording of Legally Blonde, as I prepare to meet up with Lindsey in Orlando and see the show as it tours the US (sadly, the musical's last Broadway show *ever* was in October of last year). I will devote every listening opportunity (other than the socially unacceptable blaring over the sound system at work) until March 13th to full lyric (refresh) memorization.

I had been looking forward to March 17th (the Tuesday after the show) as the release date for Kelly Clarkson's third album, "All I Ever Wanted". I can shamelessly say that Clarkson is a permanent fixture on my top 5 favorite artists of all time. Though I love certain gems more than others, there is not a song of hers I *don't* like, and I have been a fan of hers since the day she auditioned for Idol (although there was a brief delusional moment in my life where I was pulling for Guarini to take season one). My fandom has led embarrassing admissions such as custom tees for the first Idol season tour (Don't Mess With Clarkson, can any of my readers produce an old school picture of this?), attending 3 concerts (one with Clay Aiken, and yes, I loved it), and downloads of every Idol performance (still on a playlist, thankyouverymuch). Clarkson is the love, and the new album looks awesome. I have been rocking the single on a running playlist since its release, and I am still not tired of it (maybe because I haven't actually been running that much lately?). I have done some snooping around for info on the new album, and today I read (and confirmed via several news sources) that the album release date has been pushed up to March 10th! Now, this presents a few problems. One, I like to do a thorough recap of her previous albums before listening to the new, and with 3 already under her belt, that means a couple solid days of all Clarkson, all the time. I can't do *that* AND devote my time to the LB sountrack. I'm not sure how everything will pan out, but I have been faced with great new music all at once before (couldn't stop listening to Gaga and get started on Dierks), and basically what happens is just a ton of musical love. I am just happy that we will be able to blare Clarkson, windows down, throughout Orlando during LB weekend. I am half excited, half terrified that 2 tracks on the new album have actually been written and already recorded by Katy Perry (with whom I have a love/hate relationship), but I am certain they will be phenomenal.

In other release date news, Keith Urban's "Defying Gravity" drops March 31st, giving me just enough time to let go of KC and move on to Urban listening. I was also happy to read today that, on a literary front, we can expect new gems from both Jane Green *and* Jennifer Weiner this year ("Dune Road" on June 16th, and "Best Friends Forever" on September 8th, respectively). Hurrah!

"It's a love story, baby just say yes..."

2009-02-15T21:35:00.002-05:00

Ahhhhh!! Deane and I are ENGAGED. I didn't know how to start this post, so there it is.

I came home after work on Saturday (Valentine's Day) to a much welcome surprise -- Deane had shaved his beard that he has been growing since the beginning of time. Basically I was super excited to see his handsome face again, and I thought that was my VDay present (never been much of a fan of this holiday, anyway). How exciting! But then I noticed that there were candles lit in our citrus trees, and he asked me to come over to the garden with him, which I did, after loving up the dogs and getting puppy slobber all over myself (in retrospect, he was probably pretty annoyed at that point. Or maybe not. He did ask me to marry him, after all). He said that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and PROPOSED. I was so excited, clearly I said yes right away, and immediately apologized for ever saying that it was cheesy when people get engaged on Valentine's Day. I surprised myself by not instantly bawling my eyes out, but, as I explained to him, I've always known Deane and I would get married -- the timing was just a technicality. (Tears came later, after celebratory drinks and a lot of friends and family phone calls). We celebrated with yummy snacks, delicious drinks, and a ColdStone cupcake (which I never even knew existed, and is now my favorite thing in the world).

And how about the biggest surprise of all? Never did I ever know there was a family diamond ring floating around? This ring belonged to Deane's Aunt Elsa (not technically an aunt, but a close family friend), and she was married for over 40 years, which makes this ring something like, 60 years old? (I hope to get more deets on it soon). I have always wanted a round cut, small solitaire (about the only thing in my life I don't want to be huge, flashy, and extravagant), but this ring has two stones snuggled into a rectangular setting (like Deane and I will be snuggled together forever!). I LOVE it and am amazed at how sparkly it is. I am also annoyed at how impossible it is to take a picture of it. And that my fingers are the size of Shaq's. Sadly, I cannot wear the ring until it is sized up to fit my embarrassingly large ring finger. Until then, I stare a lot at its glitzy beauty.

Post engagement, all I have felt is sheer joy. I have always been happy with Deane, but I have not been able to wipe the smile off of my face for the past 24 hours! There has been lots of congratulations, a few random weepy moments, and a number of afternoon phone calls about inane wedding details, but mostly I am just thrilled that now everyone will know the extent of our love.

I have also been faced with a lot of questions, so I'll set straight what I can right now. I don't know much about my wedding, but I do know a few things for CERTAIN. Those things are, in no particular order:

We will be married before the end of 2009. If left to my own devices with an open-ended wedding date, I will most likely end up retired before I am wed. I must be forced to make decisions in a short amount of time.
Stress levels will remain at an all-time low.
Yellow, dark grey (or black), and white are the front runners for colors.
Deane and I are adamant that we uphold the tradition of pre-wedding day bachelor and bachelorette parties. That means big parties after the rehearsal dinner! Look for ceremony time to become later and later as wedding date approaches (8 pm, maybe?)
I will have a dessert bar. I will design it myself.
My dogs will be there. I have always wanted Lilly as our flower girl and Roach as the ring bearer, but that might not work out. At minimum, they will be at the reception.
I will be happy for the rest of my life.

Until I get started on my wedding to-do list (yes, a notebook and binder have already been assigned), I will keep my eye on priority number one -- getting this ring on my finger! Maybe writing this blog has burned some finger fat calories. I think I'll try it on again...

"Also, I checked out your website -- did you know you have a recipe for dessert nachos?"

2009-02-10T20:09:00.003-05:00

Leave it to SNL's 'Weekend Update' to nail the commentary on the Michael Phelps-bong-photo-controversy. I have watched this roughly 18 times, and still laugh hysterically at every turn. Spot on, Seth Meyers!

Recycling rules!

2009-02-10T13:36:00.001-05:00

This past October, a trip to Ulta changed my life. For years, I had had lukewarm feelings about makeup, wavering between a commitment to Clinique and MAC. One consultation later, I threw all pearly green and solid black compacts out the window, and became a member of the 'swirl, tap, buff' brigade (that's bareminerals, for those of you who don't know).

Except I didn't *actually* pitch my old MAC stuff. I remembered a sales associate telling me to save my compacts, et al., when they are empty, because you can turn them in for free product later. I figured I would never use enough makeup to earn free anything, but a small plastic bag under my vanity began to fill over the years. Initially, I thought the recycling program only included compacts and lipsticks (which I don't even use), but somewhere along the way a kind (but tragically eyeshadowed) MAC employee told me to save EVERYTHING - mascaras, concealer tubes, even the tiny eyeshadow refills. I did, and today, I hit MAC with my bag of empties.

Here's the scoop: 6 empty containers equals one free full-size eyeshadow or lip color. I had 16 containers to recycle, which means I got to pick 2 things, and once my PlushLash is empty, I will only be one away from another free goodie.

I left MAC without spending a cent, and I picked a gloriously sparkly aqua eyeshadow ("steamy"), as well as a ProLongwear Lustre Lipcolor (in "jazz-y-razz"). All in all, $34.50 in free product. Not bad in today's economy!

Plus, I totally did my part to save the environment.

Small miracles.

2009-02-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

Despite an overindulgent lunch of chicken parm yesterday at Maggiano's (thank you, co-worker Michael!), a miraculous occurrence happened today:

I am officially 10 pounds lighter than I was on December 31st.

A small milestone, but one that I feel warrants celebration, particularly after watching Tuesday's 'Biggest Loser' last night. I mean, if I had been tempted with more time with Bob and Jillian *and* a cash prize, I could have tripled my loss, easily. I found it hard to believe the 2 and 7 pound losses in 30 days.

I'm thinking that the weight loss may easily continue as I have easily burned 600 calories today in shivering. It is high noon, and the Florida temp is a balmy 24. I think I might move to the Keys.

Better Budget Bureau.

2009-02-03T18:27:00.003-05:00

Ok, I realize that my last post involved some discussion of scrilla (or lack thereof), but it also ties into what I'm thinking about today.

Remember when I posted about how I am obsessed with making lists? I'm also slightly wacky when budgeting -- and that goes for several things besides just money. I budget my gas, calories, time, and DVR space, to name a few. A full discussion of how I budget these particular things would consume several blog posts. For now, we'll stick to the topic of my most common budget collision.

Take today, for example. I was faced with a dilemma that I struggle with more often than one may think. Free food. My wallet is empty, and so is my stomach, and Denny's was giving away free GrandSlams! But, while this meal choice would have been very helpful in my dolla dolla bills budget, it did *not* fit into my daily calorie budget. I never would have made it in my allotted one hour lunch break, anyway.

Tomorrow marks another free food milestone -- the first of 4 installments of "Free Breakfast February" at Jacksonville ChickFilAs. Tomorrow is free chicken biscuit day. At 420 calories a pop, I can make some adjustments to work this little buttered breakfast lover into my week. In fact, I'm thinking about stopping at my Fernandina CFA on my way to work, consuming my breakfast en route, then make another trip to the CFA by the store (I would save the second biscuit for lunch, natch). Yummo!

All of this discussion leads to a struggle I have faced several times in my adult life. It is So. Much. Cheaper. to eat junk! Let's think about the typical dollar menu. Double cheeseburger. Small fries. Junior Frosty. Chicken Nuggets. Want to plain baked potato or "healthy" salad? It'll cost you upwards of 6 or 7 bucks. And even if you're grocery shopping, what's more affordable? Macaroni and cheese and hot dogs, or Amy's Organic Bowls? What about the cost of produce? How come my co-workers are never bringing in fruit salads or fat free yogurts? Why, on holidays/birthdays/special occasions, am I faced with an onslaught of brownies, cookies, and cakes?

They say you can never be too rich or too thin, but it seems that more and more, you have to BE rich to BE thin. Or else eat absolutely nothing at all. I will continue to fight the good fight, and look for low calorie, affordable foods that are completely delicious. I pledge to not be tempted by a free Auntie Anne's pretzel coupon. I vow to remember: Free to my wallet does NOT equal free to my waistline!

No pattern? No problem.

2009-01-28T12:18:00.004-05:00

In general, I'm pretty broke. About 6 months ago, I gave up on plastic all together and started to live within my means, cold turkey. It was a pretty big adjustment. In the past, my "needs" were always justified, and I would grab up a new outfit when I "needed" it for work, or eat lunch out every day, because I "need" nourishment. Now, the money isn't always there, and when I am coveting a new pair of jeans, I can't throw down a creddy and call it done. I have to save for the purchase, or at least work it into the budget.

Now, you may think this rant is heading toward a discussion of my annual yarn budget, but it's not. Not having credit lines has forced me to make some difficult decisions, and when my printer ran out of ink in, I'd say, October? (I remember shaking those cartridges to death to print ONE resume), replacements were not in my financial plan. So, I have lived without a functioning printer for quite some time now.

I use the internet to find most of my inspiration for knitting projects. When I find patterns I love, I (usually) print them out and put them in my polar bear binder that an old co-worker started for me. Without INK, I can't do that. So, what do I do? I sit here, like an old scribe, and write the pattern down on resume paper, because I don't have normal copy paper, because I ran out and it's not in my budget. It's worked out pretty well to this point.

I started a "bowtie" scarf a few weeks ago, and I was using one of the patterns I had jotted down. I was knitting along happily, and about 1/3 of the way through, something seemed really wrong. The scarf was double the width than it was at the beginning, and my yarn (Malabrigio, received as gift 2 years ago, will never be able to get another hank that matched the colorway) was running out quickly. I read and re-read my pattern, but I didn't know where I'd gone wrong. I made some quick adjustments to finish the scarf without running out of yarn, and it actually turned out ok. It's a tiny bit short, and I've been working to stretch it as much as possible, but it *does* fit, and it *is* cute. Here's a few pics:

Fun, right? But the anxiety and sheer hatred I had for this piece by the time I was binding off was indescribable. Upon finding the original pattern, I realized I had left out two lines entirely, the ones in which I was supposed to decrease from the increases I had made in the previous row. Oops. All of this chaos led me to a knitting resolution:

NO. MORE. SCARVES.

The short Florida winter is nearly over (unless Phil sees his shadow on Monday -- or doesn't; I always forget), and there is simply no need. I have to challenge myself to move forward, past the world of rectangles and simple increases and decreases. By the end of 2009, I want to write a blog post where I can chronicle all my knitting achievements of the year, and I do *not* want them to all be scarves. I should move on to washcloths, at least.

I have still not decided on an American Idol season 8 project, but I am open to suggestions... as long as it is not a scarf!

Poultry Propaganda?

2009-01-26T19:19:00.005-05:00

Any reader of this blog knows I am an outrageously huge (literally, from eating so much) fan of Chick-Fil-A. I first discovered CFA in Castleton Square Mall, a shopping mecca (insert sarcasm) we would go to when visiting my grandparents/aunts/uncles in Indianapolis. I loved how they would hand out samples of their delicious, juicy, chicken nuggets, and I always, always, ALWAYS wanted to eat there. Sometimes I even picked CFA over the Lazarus Tea Room.

Because of its irresistibly delicious menu offerings, innumerable coupons and savings opportunities, and the fact that the annual "Cow Appreciation Day" is almost always observed on my birthday, I have been able to overlook a few of CFA's opportunities, first and foremost being the fact that they remain closed on Sundays. I appreciate S. Truett Cathy's commitment to observing the day of rest and worship, and although I have been the moron who sits for 3 minutes at the drive thru before realizing it is, in fact, Sunday, I've never been too bothered by this.

It was merely a few months ago that I noticed the second problem. CFA's customary closing remark of, "My pleasure!" was replaced by, "Have a blessed day!". This was not the case at *all* locations, so I was willing to let it slide.

Then I noticed something else that was slightly odd. Upon dining in at a CFA location during my lunch break, I noticed the chords of DC Talk over the Muzak. Upon further investigation, I discovered that CFA locations now play Christian "rock". Weird, right? But a few weeks ago, I heard a MercyMe song on American Idol (being played as background music, not sung as an audition piece). So maybe Christian music is really hip right now, and it doesn't bother me that much anyway. I mean, I hardly EVER eat inside at a CFA, so I could get over it. I shouldn't have been surprised, anyway -- they've been giving away Veggie Tales toys in their kids' meals for *years*.

But the other day, in a rare instance where I was "dining in", I went to use the (always clean and well-stocked, thank you crew!) restroom, and I saw *this* propped up on the sink:

FREE! Christian music! And if I take a copy, I'll be BLESSED, exclamation point with a heart at the bottom!

This really shouldn't bother me; I know. I mean, some nice, wonderful, caring Christian is just trying to spread the word. But I'm just trying to wash my hands. I can ignore the music and the "blessed" greetings, but this was staring me right in the face. If I *didn't* take the CD, was I destined to be damned to the fires of hell? Was it laced with subliminal messages to make me give money to the church? Or to make me buy more #5, 8 pack combos? I was terrified. Of course I did not take the "complimentary" album, and I left CFA so quickly I didn't even get my sweet tea free-fill.

People get their daily dose of faith or religion in many ways, but I prefer mine without a side of Polynesian sauce. Have a blessed day!

Trend Alert: Orla @ Target!

2009-01-21T10:31:00.005-05:00

One of my very first employee discount purchases at my new job this fall was a gloriously quirky handbag by London-based designer Orla Kiely. It has been my only purchase of hers so far, but I have been coveting her goods online since I discovered her bold patterns, retro-inspired prints, and generally ADORABLE designs.

When I heard from a co-worker that Orla was coming to Target in February, my excitement simply could not be contained. I immediately came home and googled my new favoritey-fave designer. Sadly, I was under the assumption that Orla would be designing clothing for Target's featured designer apparel lines. It turns out she is launching home goods only at Target. My print shift dress for $48 (I mean, I think this can be done, Orla) will have to wait, and I will instead focus my saved-up Target gift cards on cute things for the kitchen. Orla's line will focus on dinner and serveware, table linens, storage boxes, and closet organization (something near and dear to my heart). Even though I am thoroughly distraught that Orla's clothing is still exponentially out of my financial reach, I will still hit Target on February 1st to see what she has to offer. I mean, how cute are those pears?!

Dream Vacation!

2009-01-20T11:42:00.003-05:00

This time of the year, a lot of people migrate down to Florida to find a warmer place to shed their wintertime blues (although, don't both coming to the 'Dina, as it is a balmy 41 here right now), but if I had my choice of vacation destinations for February '09, I would be headed to Bloomington, MN, the Mall of America, and the 2009 KNIT-OUT!

Not only is the Knit-Out held at the greatest shopping destination in the country (did you know it also has a wedding chapel?), but it has a kick-ass schedule of classes, speakers, and product sneak-peeks. Here are some of the things at this year's Knit-Out that I would be sure to not miss (if I could tear myself away from the Snoopy theme park, the new American Apparel, or the food court):

SCARF CONTEST: The "Neck's" Best Thing! Design and create an original knit or crochet scarf. Win great prizes. Contest is open to all ages.
CELEBRITY CORNER: Meet Debbie Macomber, NY Times best-selling women's fiction and "Knit-Lit" author (also a veteran guest on Knitty Gritty!), along with your favorite knit and crochet designers.
DEMOS…DEMOS…DEMOS! There are so many exciting demos to see that it's difficult to know where to begin. Cute project ideas and technique tips abound in these 45-minute sessions held in the Court areas of the Mall. To the delight of teachers, this year we will have portable mics to ensure that everyone can hear.
To enable visitors to take advantage of as many demos as possible, many are repeated during the day or offered on both Saturday and Sunday. Plan your "demo crawl" now!

There are about a bajillion demos and classes I would love to attend -- socks! cables! variegated yarns! fair isle! intarsia! There's even a fashion show, a DOG fashion show, and a "fastest knitter" competition! You can click here for a full rundown of the weekend's activities.

I can't think of a better way to spend a Valentine's Day weekend!

Kleenex stock just went up 10 points.

2009-01-13T22:07:00.005-05:00

Anyone else sob through the *entire* final fifteen minutes of tonight's 'Biggest Loser'? Even Allison was wiping tears!

Am seriously considering starting an "I Haaaaaaate Joelle" group on facebook.

On the bright side, how can I get Bob screaming "Shut the F*#& UP!!" incorporated onto my ipod shuffle for workout routines?

By Popular Demand!

2009-01-12T17:40:00.005-05:00

A previous post garnered a lot of positive comments, many of which asked for a regular posting of what to watch week to week. I'm spending the first four days of this week off work (for working extra days during holiday), so I had a lot of time this weekend to free up some much-needed DVR space. It is, after all, the new year, and all of my favorite shows (some old, some new) are back in action.

It's already Monday, so I've missed a day, but the NFL playoffs and the premiere of 24 took over my normal Fox Sunday night lineup anyway, so you haven't missed much. Just Rock of Love Bus! Bret is back for season 3 of looking for love -- the boobs are 3 times as big, the drama 3 times as ridiculous, and his eyeliner 3 times as thick. So far, they have hit Louisville KY and Indianapolis. As Bret's "tour" continues around the country, the contestants will continue to be eliminated. My early favorite to win is Taya, the Penthouse Pet. I also remember reading a story about a fatal car accident occurring during the taping of this season, so it will be interesting to see the footage that's shown. Here's what else you should be looking for this week:

Tonight! (Monday, January 12):

Gossip Girl, 8 pm, CW: We learn "the fate of the Bass empire". If it turns out that Bart had ZERO dollars, I will officially believe that this show is written by some 4 year olds watching the entire series of the O.C. on DVD. Meanwhile, Rufus searches for the child Lily had and gave up, and I continue to get my Gossip Girl and 90210 plotlines muddled together.

One Tree Hill, 9pm, CW: Peyton's pregnant, and it's time for everyone to find out. She gets herself into some pretty sticky situations, so I'm sure we're in for 9 months of up and down storylines. I am already calling a season-ending cliffhanger where she is badly injured in some horrifying accident and we don't know if her and/or the baby will survive.

Bromance, 9pm, MTV: This show is horrible. But I can't stop. I think Brody Jenner is actually genuine in some way, and my love for him grows as his bronzer gets heavier. Tonight, LC shows up and asks the guys questions, "Dating Game" style. The crazy Femi continues to rep the 904 (Holla Jacksonville!) appropriately.

The City, 10pm, MTV: Again, horrible television. I love Whitney's roommate, Erin, but that's the only thing keeping me on board at this point. It's more horribly scripted than 'The Hills', if you can even imagine such a thing.

Tuesday, January 13:

American Idol, 8pm, Fox: If I need to give a description here, I have no idea how you are even reading this blog, as you have obviously lived under a rock or in a monastery for the past 7 years.

The Biggest Loser, 8pm, NBC: This show surprised us all last week by sending home nearly half of the contestants in the season opener. This week it continues to make history as the participants and the trainers face the dreaded week 2 weigh-in. I am tuning in *solely* to hear Bob use the F word.

Chopped, 10pm, FoodNetwork: I haven't seen, read, or heard anything about this program. All I know is the description says, "Reality. Cooking. Premiere." I am IN. Probably something along the lines of 'Next Food Network Star', without the tv show contract part (btw, did anyone notice that NFNS LOSER Adam Gertler now has his own show on FoodNetwork? Lame!)

Real Housewives of Orange County, 10pm, Bravo: My favorite season to date continues as Tamra tries to get Gretchen drunk enough to hook up with her 22 year old son (who we recently discovered has the word "nugget" tattooed inside his lower lip). Meanwhile, Vicki visits family in Michigan and we might meet her first husband!

Wednesday, January 14:

American Idol, 8pm, Fox: Auditions continue as I have now officially given up 4 hours of my life to one show this week.

90210, 9pm, CW: This show is actually on Tuesdays at 8pm, but my DVR scheduler is full at that time (T.G. 'Big Brother' isn't on right now, too!) Anyway, Adrianna's pregnant, Brenda can't have kids, and I think Brenda might end up adopting Adrianna's kid. Meanwhile, Annie and Ethan DO IT.

Real World Brooklyn, 10pm, MTV: Season 437 of this show continues, breaking barriers with its first transgendered cast member and a record (?) 8 roommates (maybe so they don't have to go about filling a vacancy when one of them turns out to be insane halfway through the season?)

Top Chef, 10pm, Bravo: Last week introduced us to British food critic Toby Young, the new judge who took Gail's place (because you apparently can't plan a wedding and have a bit part in a weekly television series at the same time). Toby is HILARIOUS (he compared Jeff's avocado sorbet to Tom Cruise's cameo in "Tropic Thunder"), and I look forward to more of his (pre-scripted or not) quips.

Thursday, January 15:

Ugly Betty, 8pm, ABC: Betty chooses between home and family, and career and YETI (I forget the acronym for this young publisher wanna be program). Justin is still the stand out favorite of this series.

Grey's Anatomy, 9pm, ABC: Did Denny actually leave this show last week? Please, God, yes. I can't take anymore of Izzie's insanity. This week, Derek's mom shows up and meets Meredith. Which should go really well, judging by the success of their relationship's major milestones thus far.

The Office, 9pm, NBC: No description needed. This shit is consistently hilarious.

Ace of Cakes, 10pm, FoodNetwork: Words cannot describe the joy in my heart when I saw the episode description said "2009". A new ep! FINALLY! Can't wait to see what Duff and the gang (particularly Geof, meooooow) have been up to.

ER, 10pm, NBC: In the least anticipated former cast member appearance of this show's final season, Alex Kingston stops by as Dr. Corday. Some other stuff happens, too, but I am really just waiting for Carter to show up.

Friday, January 16:

The Soup, 10pm, E!: Joel McHale (hilariously) recaps this week's best moments in TV and pop culture news. Be sure to watch any DVR'ed shows of the week *before* this one (last week, I found out about the 90210 pregnancy via 'The Soup' before watching the actual ep).

Best Week Ever, 11pm, VH1: Paul F. Tompkins (hilariously) recaps this week's best moments in TV and pop culture news. Sound familiar? Trust me, they are BOTH worth watching.

There you have it! That's my plan for prime time this week, and I hope to watch at least a few of these things via cardio theatre at the gym, rather than on my couch eating ice cream (Trainer Bob *totally* called me out on that last week). Enjoy your viewing!

Back to my roots.

2009-01-11T22:24:00.009-05:00

This blog was originally born to discuss my new found passion of knitting, but naturally, it has taken some turns to include a lot of my other interests (namely, television, but also the occasional bout of healthy living). I thought it was about time that I shared a little bit of what has been going on in my world of patterns, needles, and delectable yarns.

First off, here are two pics of finished projects that went out as Christmas gifts. The first one is a scarf I knit for my brother's girlfriend's daughter (whew! She is technically Anakin's sister, so maybe that is a shorter description?). I loved the yarn (one scored at my Black Friday JoAnn's binge) and I used a drop stitch pattern that was actually really fun. Sadly, this will be the last picture for some time taken in Colts gear (I finish *so* many projects on Sundays!).

Next, we have a scarf with more stitch pattern than I have ever used before. I saw this criss-cross pattern on an old DVR'ed episode of Knitty Gritty (recently returned to the airwaves! Thank the heavens!) and it looked pretty simple. I decided to make it for Deane's mom for Christmas, but it turned out to be a bit harder than I anticipated (she just got it today...!). I knit it with the disgusting old Red Heart Super Saver (a girl's gotta use her stash somehow...) but the pattern made this piece, not the yarn, so it worked out nicely. I was worried that it looked more 'grandma' than 'grandma-chic' (a new favorite term of mine), but then Deane pointed out that his mom *is* a grandma, so it was ok. She loved it, either way.

I have 2 more post-holiday projects on the needles still. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times... I can *not* knit on a deadline! Michael, you and Kimberly might get your scarfs my winter '09.

As far as a holiday recap, Deane came through with another quality crafty gift this year. His previous presents have started me on some pretty fabulous artistic journeys (one stroke painting, and of course, KNITTING!), and this year, he kept that theme. Behold, the Knifty Knitter!

I have looked at this bad little lady several times when purchasing yarn, but it really scared me. I didn't understand all the pegs, hooks, and wrapping of yarn. I finally busted it out last night, read the (super easy) instructions, and produced a nice length (wish it would have been longer, but ran out of yarn, as I thought I would just be practicing) scarf in about an hour and a half! The only downfall (I thought) was that the loom is not versatile, but then I went on ravelry and found a *ton* of patterns just for Knifty Knitter looms. I am excited to pursue this new avenue of needlework, and I especially want to pick up the circular Knifty.

So there you have it, the extent of my holiday gift-giving. What did I learn in '08? First off, MAKE A LIST. Secondly, start gift knitting for the holidays by mid-August. Third, no. more. scarves. I'm too good for this!

DFS strikes again.

2009-01-09T12:39:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm used to experiencing Displaced Fan Syndrome... I live in Jacksonville and root for the Colts. But for the most part, college football is off my radar.

Today, there's no escaping it. UF won the championship last night, for the second time in 3 years. While I appreciated the traffic-free commute this morning (apparently the day after a Gators win is some sort of corporate holiday?), there are other things I can't stand. I am surrounded by orange and blue, running commentary of last night's BCS championship game, and general screams of, "Go Gators!" How can the state that holds the highest population of relocatees have such an overwhelming collegiate following?

I never liked Ohio State, and I never understood the OSU/UF rivalry, but I *was* raised to root for the Big 10. Therefore, my annoyance level has officially reached its peak. One more Tim Tebow comment (btw, his mom shops in my store, and she is preeeeeetty thrifty for having a son about to sign in the NFL...) and you'll find me somewhere in the middle of Peterbrooke, most likely covered in chocolate popcorn. I can't take it!

Two Great Tastes...

2009-01-02T10:56:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure that my relationship with food is unhealthy, but I'm not sure that it's healthy, either. I have bounced up and down the scales for the past 27 years, and while I know *how* to lose weight, it's a love affair with food and a lack of prowess in the kitchen that have contributed extra inches to my waistline. I'm always on the lookout for low-cal (or low points, whatever program I'm loosely following at the time) sweets and treats, figuring if I make a few measly swap-outs, I'll stay on the underside of 200lb.

I have been receiving daily email updates from HungryGirl, and checking her website, pretty regularly for the past year or so. When the HungryGirl book was released, my mom sent it to me right away (thanks Donna!). I had never been much of a cook, but soon I was smothering everything in Egg Beaters and Fiber One crumbs, as well as exploring the world of baked goods using canned pumpkin. I haven't dieted, per se, but the book and the emails have helped me realize what I'm consuming, and how to make it a little bit better for myself. HG also introduces me to new delicious treats, such as 100 cal Twinkie packs (not worth it), and teaches me tips like how to take my daily espresso drink down about 250 cals. I am constantly on the lookout for new and exciting food products, thanks to HG.

HG had *not* told me about the new Diet Pomegranate 7Up, but luckily, blogger Emily was on the case. She recommended the beverage in a blog post about healthy food she loves (I am totally onboard with the plain yogurt with splenda!), and when I tried it, it was love at first sip. Once I had come to grips with the fact that my red bubbly would only be available for a limited time, I realized I had to make the most of it. I referenced a recipe I remember seeing in my HG cookbook, and modified to include my new favorite beverage. I can't post the original recipe here, as I'm sure it is copyrighted or something, but here is my take on a fab snack or dessert!

MA*s Red Jello Blob
-- Dissolve one large package Sugar Free Jello (8 serving size) into 2 c. boiling water.
-- Add one can Diet Pom 7Up. (Careful, it's FIZZY, and the red is hard to get off your kitchen counter. Use a large bowl!)
-- Let it chill in the fridge for about an hour and a half. The sides will be Jello-like, and the middle will still be pretty liquidy.
-- Using an electric mixer, add in one cup Cool Whip Free. (You may want to fold it in first, see the above note about red kitchen stains). Make sure it gets good and blended, leaving no Jello-y bits behind.
-- Put it back in the fridge and let it set up. The best is overnight, but I gave it a few hours and it was just as good (you'll want to eat it right away!)
-- ENJOY WITH NO GUILT!

The ENTIRE recipe has 200 calories and a measly 2 grams of fat, but it took me 2 days to get through the entire bowl (and that's saying a lot). The original idea called for orange Jello and diet cream soda, so you can definitely experiment with different Jello and soda flavors. But this one is awesome, trust me. When the Pom7 goes away, I'll have to try a new flavor (Mom suggested Diet Orange Crush). In the meantime, enjoy!

iTunes FTL (angry face)!

2008-12-30T14:40:00.005-05:00

As demonstrated fairly regularly on this blog, I'm pretty shameless. I admit to liking music others find atrocious, I blog regularly about what most would consider a v. unhealthy television addiction, and I often post about free food deals at fast food joints. The thing is, I see no reason to hide my guilty pleasures, and if even one person can benefit from the "information" contained in my blog, I've done my part.

That said, I have no problem telling my readers that, after last night's debut of The City, I logged onto the iTunes store to download not one, but two Pussycat Dolls songs. The first was "Top of the World", the theme song to Whitney's new gig. After the second ep of the hour premiere, there was a video clip for PCD's "I Hate this Part", so I figured I needed that, too (who doesn't love a good, healthy, choking sob-inducing breakup song?). "I Hate this Part" was not difficult to locate, but "Top of the World" (the song I even bothered logging in to the iTunes store for) was NOWHERE. I searched everything imaginable, and it is not there. This isn't the first time iTunes has done this to me, and I don't think it's an unreasonable demand to expect current songs that are featured on the radio or television shows (watched by millions of tweens, the iTunes target demo) to be available for purchase. I am not that on the cutting edge of what's new in music!

I was so upset that I didn't download a single thing. Instead, I revamped my OTG for a special occasion occurring this morning. For the first time in (honestly?) probably 18 months, I went to the GYM. I use my shuffle during any type of exercise (my out of shape ass can't take the added weight of the 80G video), so my OTG isn't technically an OTG, more like the first ten songs on my shuffle's playlist. It's posted anyway, though... that holiday stuff had to go. I'm sure I will utilize more oldie-but-goodie workout songs as I take advantage of my coupon for a 30 day free membership (let's face it, a gym contract is not in my financial future). If you'd like to download any of these gems, I would *not* recommend iTunes.

The year in review.

2008-12-29T19:40:00.003-05:00

It's almost New Year's! I have never been one to dwell on the past, so I hate to recap my year, but I am *thrilled* when my favorite tv "news" programs do it for me. The Dish highlighted this year's best moments in pop culture on this weekend's ep, but if you missed it, it is airing all over Style Network for the next week and a half. The Soup (E!) debuted their first half of the top 40 clips of 2008 countdown, and paid homage to some very remarkable pieces of footage I had forgotten about (spaghetti cat, anyone?). Best Year Ever (now anchored by my favorite commentator, Paul F. Tompkins) aired their yearly summary last Friday. Taylor Swift will host the top 50 country music videos tonight on GAC, and that special will air about 156 more times, as well. On New Year's Eve, I'm sure there will be more fabulous countdowns all over cable.

2008 was a good year overall, with lots of memorable events -- 2 DLO reunions (one with the concert of a lifetime), a new nephew, a new (fabulous!) job, and a mom officially in remission. I think 2009 might be even better. I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning, so I'm completely incapable of recapping my year months by month. Instead, here's a breakdown of the highlights I am looking forward to the first half of this year:

January -- Playoff time. Can't wait to buy my Dallas Clark and/or Bob Sanders SuperBowl jersey!

February -- New Dierks Bentley CD. Maybe his new tunes will motivate me to participate in the 26.2 with Donna half-marathon. Maybe I'll just cheer on the real athletes... (Massive SideNote: XBox is releasing a "Guitar Hero Goes Country", which will feature "Free and Easy", and undoubtedly about a thousand other fabulous country tunes. Will this be the game that breaks me and forces me to invest in a new gaming system?!)

March -- Britney in Tampa and the Legally Blond Broadway Cast in Orlando! I haven't acquired tickets to either of these events, but am looking forward to both of them.

April -- Nothing yet. No doubt lots of pre-wedding and DLO bachelorette adventures?

May -- Emily and Casey's wedding! I will spend the first third of the year looking forward to this event, and the last two thirds of the year looking at the pictures.

June -- Deane's family reunion in Gatlinburg, TN. Dollywood, here I come...!

July -- I turn 28 and officially look down the barrel of 30. I'm thinking excitement will wane as the day draws near.

It's too early to call the rest of '09. I'm sure on Thursday, I'll make a few resolutions. I've been reading that instead of picking huge, daunting goals (i.e. "I'm going to the gym every day!" or "No more Starbucks, EVER!"), you should focus on small goals that will be easy to accomplish, yet contribute to your overall resolution. On a personal level, I'd like to be more fashionable, so I am going to accessorize more and limit my ponytails to no more than 4 days a week. For my overall wellness, I do have a weight loss goal, but my resolutions are to limit food court breakfast treats to one per paycheck (that's only one trip to Panera every two weeks!) and pack my lunch at least twice a week. I also plan to walk Lilly at least once a week, instead of just turning her loose to run all her energy out in the backyard. As far as my knitting goes, I am thinking of picking a project to work on during this season's American Idol, so that in May, instead of focusing on the countless hours I wasted watching the show, I will have some fabulous knit garment to envy! I'm taking suggestions...

I'll probably revise my resolutions by January 1. I can't even remember what I wanted to do last year. I think it was "Get Lasik", which I clearly forgot about. Do you remember what you wanted to accomplish in '08? Did you do it? What do you resolve to do in '09?

"Baby, it's New Year's Eve

Time we can believe

In making wishes

Dreams come true

Just for me and you...

Kiss me at midnight

Dance into the morning light

Party into the new year...!"

Happy 2009!

R.I.P. Sparks.

2008-12-21T20:58:00.003-05:00

You can officially mourn something when wikipedia begins referring to it in the past tense. Sadly, this is the case (as of December 19, 2008) for this blogger's favoritey-fave caffeinated malt beverage.

Sparks will still be available for purchase; however, the brewer (MillerCoors) will remove all caffeine, taurine, guarana and ginseng from the product as well as making some marketing changes. Apparently, Sparks looks too much like other energy drinks (Tilt, Monster, RedBull), and kids can't tell the difference. Who cares if kids can't tell the difference?! The cashier who has to verify that the purchaser is 21 years old can tell the difference!

Fellow Sparks enthusiast Lindsey says her local Kroger is already sold out of the black top (7% alcohol versus the orange topped 6%) Sparks. On a search for what I thought was a limited time Holiday Sparks (needless to say, this was a myth), I purchased the last orange top at my local gas station last night. I am traveling to southwest Florida to spend Christmas with my mom and other family this week, and you can bet we will be buying out the remainder of Sparks across the Sunshine State.

RIP, Sparks. RedBull and vods could never touch you.

Does anyone have a calculator?

2008-12-17T10:54:00.003-05:00

**Attention: If you have not yet watched 'The Biggest Loser: Families' finale, and plan to, do *not* read from this point on.

Ok, I got home after work/shopping for a new outfit for DM visit today around 11 pm last night, but I knew I had to watch the BL finale. I was pulling for Michelle, and I had seen all the bio pieces every other 17 times they have shown them throughout the season, so I figured the 2 hours of DVRed fluff could be narrowed down to about 40 minutes with proper editing.

Here's the big question of the night: If America had voted for Heba to be a finalist, would she have beaten out Michelle (LOVE you Michelle, WTG!)? I deleted the ep before I even thought about it, but I *think* Heba had lost over 50% of her body weight, and Michelle lost 110 of her original 224 (?) pounds, which would have put Heba ahead.

That said, THANK YOU AMERICA, for not voting that big meanie into the finalists' circle. She controlled everyone (especially her husband), but she couldn't control the nationwide vote! Everyone from this season looked great, especially Jared, who really has his life back. I can't wait to start watching the next season ('Couples', AGAIN, don't *any* NBC producers read my blog? Can I getan AllStars?) on January 6th.

January will also mark the return of the Tuesday night fight for my DVR love, when Idol comes back to Fox! This season will have some changes: the addition of a 4th female judge (with someone else's quips to listen to, will the episodes be stretched to 2 1/2 hours?), a drastically reduced airing of the audition rounds (prompted by the obsessed Paula Abdul fan/rejected auditioner suicide), more footage of the Hollywood rounds, and the return of the wildcard vote (I love this round. Who can forget Clay singing, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down?").

Hey, isn't this blog supposed to be about knitting...? I promise to return to my blogging roots after my holiday gifts have been distributed!

MA Guide.

2008-12-11T16:26:00.004-05:00

Cheers to Bravo's 'The Real Housewives of Orange County' for another fine episode this week. Thank goodness we have taken it back to the OC -- New York was mildly entertaining but ultimately forgettable, and Hot-lanta was a hot mess. Only Vicki, Jeana, Lauri, Tamra, and Gretchen (the new girl!) can do it right. This week's ep included some awesome footage of downtown Indy, IMS, and the 500 in all its glory, including cameos by racing greats.

Jeers to the same network, for teasing one housewife's departure, and airing a trailer for next week's episode during the first commercial break. The teaser for next week included the introduction of the newest housewife and showed the group photo, which, even at 4x DVR fast forward, I could see did *not* include Lauri. Way to blow the suspense! Boo, Bravo!

Now, Deane and I had a bet going in to this week's 'Housewives' sesh -- my money was on Lauri to leave, choosing to deal with her son's heroine addiction in a more private setting (of course I was right). He thought newcomer Gretchen would be the one to go, leaving the limelight to take care of her ailing (and older) boyfriend, Jeff, who was recently diagnosed with acute leukemia (wikipedia spoiler alert: Jeff passed away on September 13th of this year).

I don't even know if any of my readers watch 'Housewives', but if you don't, you should start!

In other viewing this week (actually, it's all been done today, on my v. rainy, dreary day off...!), I had an idea while watching The Biggest Loser. Bob mentioned that the season one winner, Ryan, has gained back alllll the weight he lost while on the show. As I found myself pondering the fate of other contestants, I was hit with a brilliant idea! Season 7 should feature the return of previous participants in the show who have not managed to keep their weight off. Let's get them back on the ranch and find out what issues we didn't deal with the first time around. Think of the things Jillian would have to say!

In even more TV news, I was attempting to uncover the date for Oprah's annual 'Favorite Things' show, when I realized I've already missed it entirely (it aired the week of November 24th). Now worries, though -- the economy has been especially rough on this talk show host, apparently, because her show featured "Recession-Friendly Gifts that Cost Next to Nothing". 'YOU get a pinecone ornament! YOU get a pinecone ornament! You're ALL getting pinecone ornaments!!' If I had managed to get tickets to that show, I would not have left the premises without a fridge with an LCD TV in it. Bah humbug, Oprah!

DVR alert!

2008-12-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

Attention Whitney Port fans: don't miss tonight's 90 minute MTV special, 'Whitney: From The Hills to The City'. It should let us all know if Whitney, her NYC boyfriend, and her fabulous new job at DVF are entertaining enough to support her new series.

Anyone have an ETA for 'The Hills' series finale? Is the final nail in the coffin on this show, or will it be continuing?

'Whitney...' airs tonight at 10pm, and again at 11:30.

A 5 year tradition.

2008-12-07T20:04:00.008-05:00

Today was one of my favorite days for holiday tradition... the holiday photo session. I knew I could pick this Sunday, as the Colts were facing the Bungles, and I could half-watch the game pretty non-comittally. When I was thinking back about the photos we have used on previous Christmases, I realized this year will be the fifth holiday card that Deane and I send together as a family. Each year, the card features our dogs (Roach and Lilly), with the exception of the first card ever (before Lilly was even born!). Sometimes Deane and I are in them, and sometimes not, but this year we decided to go for the all-out family pic. We tried to work out some ideas to get all 12 cats into the picture, as well, but short of hiring a professional photographer, that wasn't going to happen.

Picture day always stirs up a lot of emotions for me (mostly that of a spazoid freak). I want to make sure my family looks beautiful for those near and dear to me who don't get to see us too often. I have to ensure there are no weird objects in the background of the photo. I have to be the one to hit the button that sets the timer, then position myself back into the picture with hair/makeup/gut-sucking-in all in place. I also want to make sure the dogs are well-behaved and looking in the general direction of the camera (a difficult feat, indeed...). The day never ends without a lot of bloopers and general disagreement among all parties involved, but we always end up with a precious holiday photo (in which Roach nearly always looks like a rabies-crazed wolf, but that has pretty much become the tradition, anyway).

Without giving away the final chosen pic (which my blog readers will no doubt be receiving via real mail), here is a mini-photo diary of today's events:

We start the day with general protest from the dogs about wearing their holiday bandanas/posing for a picture:

Take it outside for some chances at pictures involving one or two cats (coincidentally, only one cat made it in):And after all of our antics, the day ends in complete exhaustion...

I can't reveal the indoor bloopers without giving away the final chosen pic, but I might post those at a later date. Today's time spent snapping pictures of ourselves and the dogs in our holiday best reminded me that Christmas is only 18 days away! What's your favorite tradition?

'Tis the Season for Re-gifting.

2008-12-05T10:59:00.003-05:00

Every year, I receive a gift from someone that begs me to ask the question, "Who gave this to you in the first place?". I can't give details on the worst one ever, as a blog reader may stumble across and reveal me for the materialistic bitch that I am, but let's just say it involved a dusty, half-used bottle of something from Avon.

Usually the re-gifting would happen at work, and 2 years ago, an employee of mine gave me a scarf that ANOTHER employee of mine had MADE for her the year prior! I felt awful being in the midst of this uncomfortable predicament, and wouldn't wish it on a mortal enemy (although I'm sure there's a few exceptions).

This year, as I set forth on my craftiest (read: brokest) of holidays to date, I found myself examining my yarn stash in preparation of Christmas gift planning. I realized that I have received a lot of yarn as a gift in the past (love the gorg Malabrigo hand-picked at a yarn store, hate the cheapo WalMart clearance bin weird colors/textures). I can't remember who gave me what when, or for what occasion. I started to try to separate the yarn I had purchased for myself from the yarn I've received as a present. In the midst of doing so, I found myself struggling with a moral dilemma:

Is it ok to make a gift for someone out of yarn I received as a gift from someone else?

Don't get me wrong, blog readers. There are times where I have tiptoed along the re-gifting line myself. I mean, is it 100% wrong to use your Wachovia Rewards points on a gift card to give to someone else? I earned those points, and that gift card *would* be for me, but I am unceremoniously parting with it for the betterment of someone on my gift list. What about spending a gift card you received on a gift for someone else? Is that ok?

Please, readers, weigh in on your thoughts on this important issue facing all of us this and every holiday season. And please, in the name of everything holy, don't even thinking about re-gifting an MA* original knit piece!

Misleading punctuation.

2008-12-04T10:09:00.004-05:00

Readers, this blogger has been duped by what I believe to be a misplaced colon. Yesterday, I viewed 'Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel'. Now, I know the title of the show does include the word 'party', but I had been lead to believe that this show would actually have something to do with rehab, and, in retrospect, that was probably a pretty naive assumption. However, truTV's episode info showed no details other than 'Reality, Medical'. Medical! It *must* be about rehab. On Tuesday, I blogged, 'It looks a lot like intervention meets Dr. Drew...'. How wrong I was.

Rehab is actually a massive poolside party held every Sunday at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. Although this episode did recap a previous one where an unconscious 23 year old female had to be attended to by paramedics (which I thought would lead to a stint in actual rehab...), that was the closest truTV got to admitting the insanely high BAC floating in the overcrowded pool. This week featured security cracking down on a ring of counterfeit wristband producers, a $500 incentive to cocktail waitresses who could sell a 9 liter bottle of champagne (retail price: $20,000), and a barback who got written up for spraying a patron with water when she came behind the bar ('Do we sell WATER in this bar? Hell no, H20!' Coyote Ugs, anyone?). I would estimate that 30% of the hour long show featured gratuitous footage of bikinis, big tattooed biceps, rolls of 100 dolla bills, and screaming while holding drink cups high in the air.

All in all, the show was mildly entertaining, and something I may watch if my DVR were broken and I stumbled across a marathon when I was home sick one day from work (chance of this happening: 2%). It was pretty frustrating to watch customers spend more on one afternoon of alcohol than I spend on mortgage payments in a year. I also hated this rookie cocktail waitress (Kelly, maybe?) who was bitching about only receiving an 11% tip on a $1700 tab. She waited on this cabana for like 2 hours, and she was a horrible waitress, yet she still made $187 -- in addition to all of the other customers she served that day. Good work if you can get it.

Watch and decide for yourself; Rehab airs on truTV Tuesdays at 10pm.

Listmania!

2008-12-02T19:11:00.002-05:00

It is December 2nd, and I officially have lists EVERYWHERE. I have always been a huge lover of lists. I make lists for the store, lists of daily tasks, lists of items to pack for a trip, lists of songs I hear at work and want to download later, lists of Bare Escentuals eye shadow colors I hope to own... I even make lists of what I need to make lists of! Today I made a list of holiday lists I need to make. It looked something like this:

- Christmas card list

- Christmas gifts to be shipped list

- Christmas gifts to be hand-delivered list

- Holiday budget list

- Gifts for co-workers list

- Baking supplies list

- Recipients of homemade cookie trays list

- Holiday tasks planned for days off between now and December 23rd list

In light of all of these exciting holiday tasks to accomplish, how could I neglect my favorite list of all? The list I could *never* live without - my DVR's To-Do List.

Every Sunday, I sit down and scroll through my DirecTV guide for the upcoming 7 days. Never technology-wise, I do not trust myself with my DVR presets, and live in constant fear that a Tim Gunn's Guide to Style Marathon could potentially overlap the season finale of ER, or some other comparable fiasco. Instead, I use myself as the quality assurance DVR scheduler, checking all days and times on my top favorite channels (FOX, NBC, CW, Bravo, VH1...), ensuring no overlap, checking that shows that always run over their allotted time (I can never believe that "The Hills" editors are unable to get that shit down to 28 minutes!) are scheduled into the next hour block, and so on.

In the spirit of the season, networks and cable channels alike are running Christmas specials all over the place this week. In scrolling through, I chose to record some and skip others. Here is what my DVR is set to record this week, along with some substitutions you may want to make for yourself and your viewing preferences. I kept it to prime time only, for the sake of time (and blogger web space). Unfortunately, my post is a bit late for you to catch Monday's programming, but if you missed Gossip Girl, it replays on Friday nights usually. You also missed 'Inside the Actor's Studio: Daniel Radcliffe', but I'm sure that will be shown again when the new HP movie starts getting promoted heavily.

Tuesday 12/2:

8pm: 'Biggest Loser: Families', NBC. I am 3 weeks behind on watching this show, and disappointed in this season's vindictive and mean-spirited contestants (I wish Heba and Vicki would just eat each other!). This week is MAKEOVER WEEK, and the contestants' new looks will be revealed on the scum of daytime talk shows, Tyra. I'm sure Tyra will find some way to make this episode about her.

8pm: '90210', CW. It's a repeat, but a good one! Watch as Naomi takes the fall for Adriana's lipstick full of coke.

8pm: 'Santa Claus is Comin' to Town', ABC. I skipped this on my DVR. Is this the one with the HeatMiser?

10pm: 'The Real Housewives of Orange County', Bravo. Back to the OC wives, who do it right! Looking forward to some great drama this season. Tonight, Vicki's husband threatens to leave her when she wants to buy a yacht. Maybe he is looking for a huge alimony...?

10pm: 'Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel', truTV. I have not yet tuned in to this series, but I am going to watch the new ep tonight and might invest some weekend time in a marathon. It looks a lot like intervention meets Dr. Drew. Will report back. (Due to programming constraints, my DVR is set to record the 11pm run of this new ep).

10pm: 'Ace of Cakes', FoodNetwork. If you haven't watched this show in EIGHT MONTHS, it's new to you! When will Duff and the gang start filming again?!

10:30pm: 'Sports Soup', VS. 'The Soup' (E!) meets this week's sports highlights. Best of both worlds. I *love* this show.

Wednesday, 12/3:

7pm: 'Center Stage: Turn it Up', Oxygen. Natch, this is saved on my DVR already, but if you missed it, get it now! Peter Gallagher is back and Cooper Nielson still can't act.

8pm: 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', CBS. I watch this classic every year. Love that Abominable Snowman!

8pm: 'Christmas From Rockefeller Center', NBC. The 76th annual lighting of the biggest tree in the nation! Performances include (but are not limited to) Miley, Beyonce, Tony Bennett, Faith Hill, and Rascal Flatts. Stephen Colbert also makes an appearance! (but so does Rosie O'Donnell...)

9pm: 'Grammy Nominations Concert: Countdown to Music's Biggest Night', CBS. A concert featuring the nominees, with co-hosts Taylor Swift and... ready? Ready? LL COOL J. 2 great tastes that taste great together?

9:30pm: 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay', FoodNetwork. Bobby takes on gingerbread in this holiday-themed ep!

10pm: 'A Christmas Story', TNT. It's just not the same if you watch it on DVD. Something about the commercial breaks, maybe? Reminisce with the RedRyder, the flagpole, the snowsuits, the joy of it all!

10pm: 'Top Chef', Bravo. My favorite show on TV right now. Shout out to Denison alum Chris Homlish, Field Producer! You go, Hom!

Thursday, 12/4:

8pm: 'Ugly Betty', ABC. More laughs ensue as Betty and Amanda get into some (un?)predictable hi-jinks.

8pm: 'The Polar Express', Disney Channel. I have not yet seen this, but I think it will be a good holiday view.

8pm: 'Disney Holiday Magic with Samantha Brown', TravelChannel. Samantha shows us Mickey's Magical Christmas Parade and other fun things to do at Disney.

9pm: 'Grey's Anatomy', ABC. Cristina gets the solo surgery, and Callie is *still* a lesbian. Look for more surprising twists!

9pm: 'The Office', NBC. The Scranton branch discovers a huge cash surplus and debates the best way to spend it. I laughed just reading the ep descrip!

9pm: 'The Princess Bride', Bravo. I'm not recording, but you should, if you haven't seen this gem in a while.

10pm: 'ER', NBC. Another show I am 3 weeks behind on. I have no idea what will be happening this week, and I probably won't know until about February.

10pm: 'Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008', ABC. Cyrus! Phelps! Palin! And I hear Tina Fey talks about how she got that scar on her mouth. Number one will be announced on the show.

11:30pm: 'Larry the Cable Guy's Star-Studded Christmas Extravaganza', CMT. Deane assures me this special will be worth the 90 minutes allotted on our DVR memory. I'll report back.

Ok, there it is, folks. I'm stopping before Friday, even. This took forever! I am sure I left out quite a bit (I didn't even *touch* premium movie channels), but please feel free to share when your favorite holiday special is airing this season. Enjoy your viewing!

Holiday Cheer.

2008-11-30T16:54:00.002-05:00

In preparation of the official start of holiday tunes at work on Friday, I updated my OTG on Thanksgiving with my favorite Christmas songs. It was so difficult to narrow down to ten, particularly with the 14 tracks of pure joy on *NSync's "Home for Christmas", but I did my best. I must also interject that it has been near impossible for me to stop listening to Taylor Swift's "Fearless" since its purchase almost 3 weeks ago (insane greatness), and I am looking forward to a delivery of Sasha Fierce and Aguilera's latest, so I'm not sure how much play the jingle bells will receive between now and December 25th. I was also very disheartened by my inability to locate "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in my iTunes library. Anyway, if you don't already have my Holiday OTG downloaded, you should look into doing so. It can get you through any horrible traffic situation, long line in the grocery store, or annoying pedestrians, all of which could potentially ruin your day this time of year.

Black Friday Fallout.

2008-11-30T16:26:00.003-05:00

Typical of this time of year, I have pretty much fallen off the map the last couple of weeks. Since the beginning of my retail career (at age 18), November and December have been a mix of the most fun/crazy and stressful/crazy months of my year. This year was different from those of recent memory (my first year in many as NOT being the *one* person in charge), but it was still a little nutty.

I was floored when I got my schedule for Anthro and was actually OFF not one, but BOTH days before Thanksgiving. This quickly changed, however, when my boss realized things were starting to spiral and I volunteered my services on Tuesday (I figured I would need the comp day much more down the road, especially with no paid vacation in sight). I still had Wednesday off, though, which was downright awesome. The last few years, the day before Thanksgiving has actually been my worst. It's not so much the 'calm before the storm'... more like the 'insane tornado before the storm'. There is always a huge, ridiculous, unnecessarily horrible ad to set, massive amounts of stock that HAVE to be delivered that day and HAVE to get to the sales floor for customers to gobble up on Friday, and the normal stocking of boxes/bags/bows/etc. Plus, there are a million customers in the store trying to find out what will be on sale for Friday and if they can go ahead and put it on hold. Beall's plans were no different this year, adding a one day sale discount on Wednesday (in conjunction with a 7am opening that day) and a brutal 4am opening on Friday. The store manager mandated shifts were no less than 3am - 5pm Friday and 5am - 5pm Saturday, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

LUCKILY, I am not there anymore! As I mentioned, I was off on Wednesday, allowing time for house cleaning, holiday baking, and general relaxation. I ended up working the early shifts on both Friday (5am - 2pm) and Saturday (6am - 3pm). I love the morning hours for many reasons, not least of which part of my time at work is spent with the store closed to customers. I also love the number one parking spot and lack of traffic. Both days, I got out *on time* and felt no where near the exhaustion I am used to feeling at the end of Thanksgiving week. Friday was without a doubt the easiest, least stressful, smoothest Day After Thanks I have ever worked. I'm feeling pretty good about the career move at this point.

Since I scored the early dismissal on Friday, I popped over to JoAnn's to take advantage of some yarn sales. The new job has forced me to concentrate the majority of my knitting time on researching cute work-appropriate attire items for myself, and I have not invested the effort into Christmas gifts that I should have up to this point. So, I hit the yarn aisles with basket and coupons in hand, in search of some super bulky at insanely low prices.

A lot of the colors had been picked over, and I had to fight my way past the cut counter (over 100 people waiting for fabric to be cut!), but I was generally pleased with my stash additions. I spent a grand total of $23, and left with a good 12 skeins of yarn. There was a beautiful colorway in a bulky yarn that is normally $6.99, but was on sale for $1.00! I gathered the rest of my bargains and headed to the checkout line, readying my excuse for why I couldn't be there before noon, and would they please honor my '20% off total purchase' coupon that expired at that hour. Thankfully, I had the greatest cashier ever (shoutout aisle 7!), and all I had to say was, "Actually, I have a question..." before she responded with, "Of course you can use your coupon".

The entire ordeal took about an hour and a half, and by the time I got through the line, I was ready to head home. Deane's entire family was here for the holiday, and one of his brothers was staying at the Ritz Carlton, so we headed there for a hangout/drink session. I should have recognized that my body was weakening at this point (the unrealized stress of new job, I think), but I didn't, and when I woke for my Saturday a.m. shift, my body was wrecked with a slight hangover and a massive head cold. As the day wore on, my immune system continued to shut down, and I left work yesterday afternoon achy, sniffly, congested, and bitchy. I have been off today, so I am trying to relax (the Colts/Browns offensive struggle of the century actually made me doze off several times), hoping the cold front passes quickly and my sinuses return to normal.

I'm not sure if you're supposed to feed a cold, starve a fever, or the other way around... but I am hoping that hours of knitting help me get well soon!

Frogged.

2008-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

You may notice my "On the Needles" column has been reduced to only TWO items... a record low for this knitter! Let me explain...

I attempted to cast on Chain Chomp a total of 3 times. The first time, the circulars were too long. The second time, the stitches got twisted (a rookie knitter mistake when working with circulars). The third time worked, even though it took me over an hour to get the first row pattern knit correctly.

In between attempts one and two, I had to make a decision. I had the right size circulars, but they were holding my (Valentine's Day themed) "Ballet School Dropout" legwarmers. I could have taken the stitches off the needle and held them either on a stitch holder or scrap yarn, but I was so aggravated at my wasted time at cast on attempt #1, I wanted those needles, and I wanted them NOW. It is NOVEMBER, I started those legwarmers in FEBRUARY, and every time I think about working on them, I get light-headed and experience stomach pains.

These thoughts led to the unthinkable. This is the first time I have ever legitimately frogged a WIP. Sure, I've quit after a few rows. I've realized I'm using the wrong size needles, or I started with too many stitches, or I'm not knitting with the right tension to produce the desired gauge. But I have never, *ever*, pored hours into a project just to yank it.

The determination to start this hate (and impending deadline of brother's aforementioned holiday parties) fueled my hatred of the legwarmers, and I yanked them off those needles so fast they actually stayed in tact. The aftermath of the frogging was akin to how I feel after eating an obscene amount of food -- "Why did I just DO that? I feel horrible!" So, my legwarmers are snuggled soundly in my knitting basket, their top row of stitches still in tact -- but they are, technically, OFF the needles. I doubt I will ever go back to them, but the guilt and shame I experienced after abandoning them paralyzed me from going any further.

RIP (or in my knitting basket), legwarmers. The world wasn't ready for you, and I wasn't ready to finish you.