Remember these?

How true is this? These ice pops were my favorite growing up!

Iced Coffee

As many of you know, I am currently reading The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels--A Love Story By Ree Drummond and as I was browsing the internet just the other night I came across the picture below which just happened to be the Pioneer Woman's recipe for iced coffee. After seeing this picture, I was immediately inspired to make my own iced coffee served in a mason jar with a colorful straw. I am not a regular coffee drinker, but nothing gives you that extra pep in your step on a hot summer afternoon like an iced coffee!

Perfect Iced Coffee from The Pioneer Woman
Servings 24

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
8 quarts Cold Water
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt to your liking!

Directions
(Adapted from Imbibe Magazine)

In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.

Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

ENJOY!

Happy 4th of July!

Please remember all the men and women who fight for our freedom and keep America safe each and every day.

I hope each of you have a Happy 4th of July and are enjoying this long weekend with family and friends!

Showering Linds!

This past weekend I was home for my cousin Lindsey's Bridal Shower. The shower was hosted by all my aunts and girls cousins and took place at my parents house! It was the perfect opportunity for our family to meet Pat's family and all the special woman on his side of the family.

Dessert!

Our Bride-to-Be!


Bride-to-Be & her Sister who is also her Maid of Honor!

The pretty cake my Mom made!

Super cute cupcakes my cousin, Kel made!

Mini Wine Bottles as favors!

I hope everyone had a wonderful time, I know I sure did!

Linds, I can't wait until the big day, you are going to be a beautiful bride!

I Scream, You Scream...

We all scream for ICE CREAM!!!

One of my favorite gadgets is my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I use it year around to make a wide variety of delicious ice cream flavors!






During the summer I tend to make more ice cream, so I always keep the freezer bowl in the freezer so I am ready to go whenever I want to make ice cream.

With your Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker comes an instruction booklet along with a booklet of recipes. Below is one of my favorite recipes!

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Ingredients

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup whole milk

1 1/3 cup heavy cream

1tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped peanut butter cups

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter and sugar with hand mixer. Add milk until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla.

Turn machine on & add mixture to frozen bowl. Leave in mixer for 20-25 minutes. Last 5 minutes add peanut butter cups and chocolate chips. Transfer to air tight container. Let "set" in freezer for about 2 hours.

ENJOY!

What's your favorite gadget?

Thirsty Thursday: Skinnygirl Sangria

How to Make Skinnygirl Sangria
By Bethenny Frankel

Ingredients

8 peaches, pitted and sliced
4 white plums, pitted and sliced
1 pound green grapes, cut in half
3 bottles Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine)
One 12oz. can Fresca or diet lemon/lime soda
One 12oz. can club soda

Directions

Combine all the ingredients and let chill for atleast one hour. Serve over ice.



ENJOY!

Happy 1st Day of Summer!

Happy 1st (offical) day of Summer! It has felt like Summer here for over a month now, so it's crazy to think that today is the first day.

Here's to a fabulous summer for each and everyone of you!

Summer Fruits

It's my favorite time of the year, especially for fruit! With the temperatures already reaching the upper 90's I spend most of my Summer months craving chilled thirst quenching fruit. My favorites include watermelon, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe & fresh cherries. I can eat a pint of blueberries in one sitting and the same goes for raspberries! I love nothing more than having a seedless watermelon cut up in a bowl in the frig to snack on whenever I want. If you couldn't already tell, Summer is by far my favorite fruit season! Time to dig in and stay hydrated.

What's your favorite Summer fruit?

WANT.

I'm in love with this car! Funny thing is, with a few changes my Mini could look just like this! Wouldn't this be the perfect beach cruiser? The wicker seats and fringe roof just top it off!

I hope your week is off to a great start!

ATX

Goodness, can you believe it is almost the end of the September? I sure can't! Let me catch you up on what I've been up too...

I spent Labor Day weekend in Austin , TX visiting my good friend from college, Ellie!

Remember this post when I mentioned I was planning on visiting her sometime soon? Well, shortly after that visit, I booked my plane ticket! I thought what better weekend then a 3 day weekend which I turned in to a 4 day weekend by taking Friday off of work to go visit Ellie and see Austin . I was lucky enough to find a reasonably priced airline ticket to fly to Austin out of Columbia . For those of you who aren’t very familiar with Columbia , it is the Capital of SC however, we have struggled attracting airlines to Columbia . Which means it’s usually very costly and takes lots of stops to get to your final destination. Well thankfully that was not the case when flying to Austin because the drive to Charlotte is very boring.

Back to my wonderful trip! I arrived in Austin Friday afternoon, Ellie picked me up at the airport after work and we headed to meet some of her friends for happy hour at Dogwood. The bar had a great a great atmosphere and it was nice to meet her friends. We had dinner reservations down the street at a Mexican restaurant, Z'Tejas. We got to eat outside and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the restaurant while sipping on some strong margaritas and delicious corn bread and of course our main entrée. I was starving, what else is new, so I devoured my entire dinner and it was tasty! After dinner we enjoyed one more very strong cocktail before heading home. You can say it, we’re lame, but really Ellie had just started a new job earlier that week and we were exhausted. By midnight we were sound asleep!

Saturday morning we slept in just for a little bit and then woke up and headed right out to start our day. Our first stop was to an amazing coffee shop not far from Ellie’s house called Caffe Medici. I told Ellie to order me whatever she was having (as I did with many of the places she took me in Austin) and can I tell you this iced coffee was amazing. In all seriousness it was probably the best I’ve ever had.


We passed a farmer’s market on our way to brunch so of course we had to stop. Experiencing the farmer’s market made me miss living in Florence , Italy . Ellie and I studied abroad in Florence for a semester in college and loved every second of it. I would do anything to go back, I know Ellie would too! After touring the market, we were starving, so we headed right for Taverna for $1 Mimosas. Don’t judge, I’m on vacation. I ordered Belgium waffles with fresh fruit, they hit the spot and the raspberries, blueberries, were so fresh and sweet, they just melted in my mouth.

After brunch we went to Whole Foods, did you know that Whole Foods corporate office is in Austin, TX . Let me just tell you this is unlike any Whole Foods I’ve ever been to and of course made me wish even more then I already do that they would open one in Columbia. The whole purpose of stopping by Whole Foods was not to look around even though we did, but to pick up some stuff to take to a friends house who was having a get together to celebrate recently being single and to watch the UT football game of course. Although it was a little overwhelming being in a house full of people you don’t know, I had so much fun talking to friends of Ellie’s and experiencing life in Austin.

We left before the game was over and before the party really got started because we had plans with Ellie’s roommate, Meg to celebrate her birthday. Meg spent her birthday sky diving with her friend Holly; they both survived of course and had an incredible experience which they say they would do again! We went to Perla’s for dinner, absolutely delicious. Ellie and I shared the Ahi Tuna which was unbelievably good. The atmosphere at Perla’s was very distinguished. After dinner we went to a bar down the street and sat at a table outside. We all enjoyed one another’s company while celebrating the last hours of Meg’s birthday.

Sunday morning we woke up earlier and went for a walk around the lake. It was so neat to see everyone out exercising with their dogs. That is one thing I noticed about Austin , it seems to be a very dog friendly city, which I of course thought was neat! After our morning workout, Ellie took me to Torchy’s Tacos an eatery in a trailer park (not a real trailer park, a trailer park full of eateries). Torchy’s is known for their tacos and of course did not disappoint. As I was eating all this amazing Mexican food all I could think about was Thomas and how he would be in heaven. To say Thomas loves Mexican food is an understatement!


After lunch we went to went in and out of the shops along South Congress Street or SoCo as the locals call it. Darling shops with so many neat things, we found Ellie two purses and two pairs of shoes and I didn’t spend a dime!

How crazy are their street lights? I've never seen any thing like them before!

How cool is this cupcake shop?

On our way home I asked Ellie if we could go to Anthropologie, one of my favorite stores, but unfortunately they don’t have a store in Columbia , so whenever I go out of town I always try and find one. Our afternoon of shopping wore us out, so we headed home and relaxed for a little before we got ready for my last night in Austin, tear.

Ellie made reservations at Justine’s a fabulous restaurant on the East side of Austin . The restaurant was so quaint and charming; I fell in love the minute we pulled up. We shared a salad and an entrée of scallops for dinner, so we could order dessert. The chocolate pear tart, or whatever it was called because I just made that up, was absolutely divine. I still wanted more after the last bite, isn’t that always the case? It is for me at least. After dinner met up with some of Ellie’s tennis friends at a fairly new bar called Clive’s, yet again great atmosphere and we were able to enjoy sitting outside. I thought it was time to head home but Ellie had a different idea. She told me we had to stop at some wild and crazy bar (that’s my description) because it was packed in everyone in there seemed wasted, but we grabbed one drink each, made a couple rounds around the place and then left. That was an Austin experience in itself!

Before I left on Monday afternoon Ellie took me to Walton’s, Sandra Bullock’s lunch restaurant. Can we talk about how darling this place is? Inside was like a breath of fresh air. It was a completely different feel then the rest of Austin , so much so it reminded me a lot of fabulous lunch spots in Columbia or Charleston . Lunch was absolutely delicious and Ellie surprised us with two amazing desserts!

My long weekend in Austin was unbelievable, I had so much fun with Ellie as I always do! I hope to plan another trip to see her again soon, may be this time we will meet in Seattle, Idaho, San Fran? The possibilities are endless!

If you are reading this Ellie thanks for making my Austin experience so special! xoxo

Home Sweet Home

In all honesty, there really is no place like home! Two weekends ago Miss T and I flew home for my cousin Kelly’s Bridal Shower and of course to spend time with family and friends.

Miss T gets so excited when we get off the plane in Baltimore, she starts frantically scratching the inside of her crate signaling she wants to be freed by my mom who is usually waiting for us at baggage claim. However, this time in order to try and save money, I didn’t check a bag. Not to mention it’s a huge time saver not having to wait for your luggage, at least at BWI.

Miss T and I met my parents outside and the lovely Molly, who we were meeting for the first time! Even though my mom and I talk daily and I ask about Molly all the time, she didn’t seem “real” until I finally got to meet her! She is one sweet girl!

Saturday morning was the Bridal Shower for Kelly; it was a brunch at my Aunt’s house! Everything was perfect and we all had a wonderful time celebrating with the bride-to-be!

Mother of the Bride & Bride to Be!

Friends, Me, & Mom

Just a few of the gifts!

The Bride

Mom & Linds

Aunts, Granny, & Me

After the shower it was off to take Miss T to get groomed. Up until 4 months ago she was just like her mom in the sense that we always got out hair cut at home. Well since I’ve found Shannon in Columbia , Miss T is the only one left getting her hair did at home…

Saturday evening we went to Mr. Bill’s, my favorite place to eat steam crabs. Honestly, this is the best place ever; no other place can even come close to Mr. Bills. Going to Mr. Bill’s is one of the things I look forward to most when coming home. I ate so many steam crabs; I thought I was going to pop!

Yummmm!

Sunday morning we went to church as a family. Afterwards, we stopped by the mall so I could return two things and look for jewelry to match my dress for Kelly’s wedding in October and of course shop! I love me some JCrew, Anthropologie, Ann Taylor and of course Nordstrom (my old stomping ground). We ate lunch at the Nordy Cafe before we hit the ground running. Dad gave us an hour in the mall-so we focused and not about to waste time. We were able to fund a necklace for my dress, make my returns, and purchase this blazer from JCrew; I’m in love and can’t wait for Fall!

On our way home from the mall I asked my Dad if we could stop for a snowball. I don’t get you Southerners not having snowball stands. What is this all about? It is hotter for longer down South then it is in Baltimore ! During the summer back home everyone lives at the snowball stand. Since I obviously haven’t had any luck in finding a snowball stand in the South and no a snowball is not a snow cone, I was craving a raspberry snowball, so a stop at the stand was a must! It was a hot Sunday temperature in the mid 90’s so needless to say it was crowded. Dad ordered a Root Beer snowball and Mom passed, she’s no fun! Just kidding, Mom!

After our afternoon treat we went home to pick up Miss T and Molly to go spend some time visiting with my Mom’s parents. By the time we were finished visiting, it was time to pack for the airport and enjoy one last family dinner before it was time to leave.

Thomas was so sweet and came and picked me and Miss T up from the airport and drove us home safely. I am so lucky to have the most wonderful family and boyfriend, I love them so much!

What a great weekend it was!

Happy Labor Day

And that's just what I am doing and I hope you are too!

45 Life Lessons

My Aunt sent me this e-mail yesterday and I enjoyed reading it so much that I thought I would share with you.

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio ."To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written."

45 Life Lessons

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Happy Wednesday!

Hotel Adventures with Miss T

So, finally here is the follow up to this post from when we were in Atlanta two weekends ago that I told you to stay tuned for....

This summer marks the first of staying in hotels with Miss T. Just to give you a background on Miss T, the world traveler, as some refer to her! She took her first flight with me when she was just 10 weeks old and just four short days after coming home to live with me. The days leading up to her first flight she was whining and crying all through the night and while I was at work during the day. Needless to say, Thomas was happy he hadn't planned to come with us while I mentally prepared myself for what I knew would be the flight from hell with all the passengers wanting to kill me for bringing this high pitched barking dog on board. And don't let her weight of 1 ½ lbs. (at the time, she now weighs a heavy 4 ¾ lbs.) fool you!

Thankfully, she proved me wrong! Miss T was an absolute angel in the airport and during the entire flight. No accidents, no barking, no whining, no nothing, not a peep! All of this was surprising to me because she had to be in a crate and stay underneath the seat in front of me for the duration of the flight. Not to mention, we were sitting in one of the last row of seats with loud roaring of the engines right outside our window. Since then she has flown over two dozen times in her two short years in this world! Oh and how could I forget all the road trips she has been on to NC, SC, GA, TN, MD, and the list goes on...

Although Miss T is petite, she is so full of energy and is very playful, she is still considered a puppy though, so what can you expect? Besides playing with all her toys, she loves her walks, chew sticks, her sister, Maggie (Thomas' black lab, who I am convinced she thinks is her mom), traveling preferably by plane as she has developed nervousness on long car rides and me, I hope!

My point for sharing such detailed history on Miss T's behavior and personality was so you could understand what her life experiences have been so far and that she travels a fair amount and seems to adapt to a new environment quite well or...... so I thought.

Since I know so many of you read my blog every single day (kidding), you probably remember this post and this post, when I told you about my birthday present from Thomas, tickets to see John Mayer in Charlotte. Most of my friends have moved away from Columbia I had no option but to find a hotel that accepted dogs in Charlotte. I don't trust kennels with a small dog like Miss T or the other dogs at the kennel. As I have heard many women say, no one loves your children like you do, well I guess the same goes for my furkid, Miss T because after one short visit at Thomas' parents she wore out her welcome.

So the researching began and I finally settled on the Charlotte Westin in Uptown because of the nightly rate for that particular weekend and they except pets at no additional charge. Sounds like a good deal to me, especially since I wasn't sure how Miss T was going to react staying in a hotel room.

Well as it turned out Miss T didn't think staying in a hotel with me and Thomas was as neat as I did. She started barking and whining just like when she first came to live with me the minute we shut the door to leave for the concert. Go figure.

You obviously can't leave a high pitched whining, barking dog in a hotel room to disrupt other guests. So now what do we do? I won't bore you with all the details, but thankfully she was able to stay at a friends house while we were at the concert, thank you, Lindsey! The next night, when we had plans to go out for my friend Lindsey's birthday, she let us leave without a problem and we thankfully never received a phone call from the hotel complaining she was making any noise. Who knows what made the difference other then she must have felt more comfortable in the hotel room.

Our second hotel experience with Miss T took place in Atlanta when we went down for the night for Hudson's 1st Birthday Party. We made reservations at the Westin since we had such a great experience at the Westin in Charlotte and knew Miss T could stay for free. Well things certainly didn't start on the right foot. During check-in I told the lady we had a pet and she immediately tells me there is a charge, I won't even go in to how much the charge was because it makes me sick just thinking about it for two reasons: 1. we are only staying for one night and 2. the events that occurred after I paid the outrageous fee. Beware: Not all hotel chains that are owned and/or managed by the same company have the same rules, regulations, and fees.

After check-in we headed to our room to freshen up before we headed to the birthday party. Of course we let Miss T sniff and run all around so she could get use to the room. I am sure you can already guess what happened next when we went to leave! Yes, she started her high pitched whining and barking just like our first night at the Charlotte Westin. Thomas and I stood quietly outside our hotel room door for several minutes and she never stopped. I went back in a gave her the pill we give her to relax her when we drive long distances in the car and that didn't work either.

To make a long story short, we had no choice but to take her with us and leave her in her crate in the blistering hot car and check on her periodically. I of course was irritated, but worried every minute we were in the party about her. Luckily we were able to find a heavily shaded parking spot underneath a huge tree to park the car.

After the party, we took her back to the hotel and tried leaving her again, so we could go across the street to the mall. She definitely wasn't going to let us do that either, so I let Thomas go to the mall while I stayed back at the hotel with Miss T and watched several episodes of Meet the Kardasians.

We had plans to meet up with Matt and Ashley to grab a drink and a bite to eat that night, but it goes without saying that wasn't going to happen either. Thankfully Matt & Ashley were content with the idea of having a hotel party in our room. Thomas and I went to the liquor store and Whole Foods to pick up beer, dinner for us, and snacks for everyone to enjoy. When the night was all said and done it was a lot of fun, but of course I was a upset that I had paid all this money and Miss T wouldn't even stay in the hotel room by herself.

Moral of the story, check with each individual hotel on their pet policy and be sure to try staying in a hotel with your pet for the first time when you are visiting somewhere or someone with other options, for example if it the pet doesn't do well in the hotel, you can take it to a friends house, etc. I guess I am going to have to see if we can work on Miss T's hotel anxiety or move closer to my parents so they can watch her when we go away!

For more information on pet friendly hotels visit this website. I have also know that Kimpton Hotels advertise heavily as a pet friendly hotel. Next time, if there is one in the city we are visiting, I think I am going to try staying there with Miss T, maybe they will be more accommodating and understanding of her antics, of course after checking ahead of time!

Would You Use Swipely?

Swipely is the new Twitter for your credit card. It's a free online service and social network where members can share their purchases with their friends. Users post and recommend purchases, see where friends are spending and what their friends are buying. Basically, Swipely syncs with your credit card so every purchase you make shows up on your profile page.

Sounds somewhat terrifying, huh? Having everyone know exactly what you buy, when you bought it and what you paid. Well luckily, Swipely figured out an approval process, so nothing appears on your page that you haven't okay it first. Also, the site does not disclose monetary information associated with the purchases, whew! However, you do have the option to add it yourself.

Probably the coolest feature about Swipely is the ability to describe and discuss your purchases. I think many retailers would be interested in this information since they would be able to dissect how, why, and what consumers are buying.

The idea of sharing your wardrobe additions with others is neat, but I think the biggest catch for Swipely would be if they had stylish celebrities sign up for it. Who wouldn't be interested in knowing exactly where someone like Reese Witherspoon shops and what she buys? I doubt I'm the only one.

I must admit I was very leery when I first started reading about Swipely and I can say after doing more research on Swipely for this post, my leeriness hasn't gone away.

What are your thoughts and opinions? Would you use Swipely?

Tomato Pie

This is another delicious recipe that was given to me by Thomas' Mom. Actually, when she first gave me this recipe she also handed me a bag full of all the ingredients needed for the recipe so I could make it right away! She is definitely one sweet and thoughtful lady. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:

9 inch deep dish pie shell

5 large tomatoes, peeled & sliced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3 tsp. dried basil

3/4 cup mayo

1 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

optional: onion and/or bell pepper

Directions:

Bake pie shell at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Layer tomatoes in pie shell (approx. 3 layers) Sprinkle each layer with salt, pepper, basil, and garlic. Combine mayo and cheese together. Spread mixture over tomatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

I Have a Love Hate Relationship...

with my hair that is! Have you ever felt the same way?

Since I can remember, I've always struggled with liking my hair. It was close to 4 years ago now that I stumbled upon my beloved hair stylist, Olga. One afternoon at work, when I had enough of looking at myself in the mirror and wanting to hide in a corner, I picked up the phone and called a reputable hair salon and asked to make an appointment the next morning. I didn't care with who, I just wanted to hear them say someone is available in the morning. That is the day I met Olga!

What you don't know is, starting in 8th grade my Mom's sister, my Aunt Joanie, a hair dresser before she had kids, started highlighting my hair. My natural hair color is a what I call "mouse-y brown" basically nothing you would ever like. To make this story short, I had my Aunt Joanie highlight my hair blonde, heavier and heavier each time. At the time I was in love with platinum blonde and in no time my entire head was that color. To say I loved the color of my hair then is an understatement, but it was time for a change.

It was that morning, 4 years ago, I met Olga and she transformed my hair from blonde to brown and I was in love yet again. It was such a dramatic change when I saw myself in the mirror I felt like I had a complete makeover. It was so drastic that some people had a hard time recognizing me!

From that day forward Olga was "my girl." I was in college at the time so I would plan my hair appointments during my visits home. I continued to schedule hair appointments with Olga up until recently due to the fact it has been harder for me to make it home exactly when my hair is acting up and I've had enough.

Finding a hair salon here was a huge task but six years later I was ready to take the leap. I did lots and lots of researched, talked to a few friends, and finally found a hair stylist here that is as talented as Olga.

Back to my hair, I have very thick straight oily hair. Sounds great, huh? I am the girl you see at the hair salon with enough hair on the ground to make 5 wigs and still plenty of hair left on her head. That might be an exaggeration, but it's pretty darn close to the truth. They have to thin out my hair a substanaul amount just so it with lay nicely otherwise it's this huge over powering hair ball for my small face.

I unfortunately have the type of hair you need to wash every day otherwise it looks like you could fry an egg on top of my head from the oil (not really, but pretty darn close) I am so envious of those of you who only wash your hair every few days and your hair looks better with every day that passes from when you last washed it. Maybe that will be me someday, I can only hope.

I've had my hair short and long, with and without bangs, several different colors, and the list goes on. Surprisingly enough, I'm really not picky when it comes to my hair! I usually tell the hair stylist to do what they think is best, afterall they're the experts, right? And we all know hair grows, so what's the big deal?

I am rarely that person that receives compliments on their hair style but rather compliments its color. Which leads me to believe I haven't found the hair style for me quite yet. Probably because I am always changing it. I am the client that every appointment wants to do something different with their hair, is that bad? I just see it as one of the few things that you can change about yourself and change quickly!

Well if you haven't guessed by now, yesterday was one of those bad hair days that lasted all day. I would catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think, "yuck!" And if you happen to get lucky like me, that really bad hair day happens the day before your scheduled appointment, thank ga! Because I know there is nothing that a hair appointment can't fix!

Hotlanta, Holla!

This past weekend we traveled to Atlanta for our dear friend's son, Hudson's 1st Birthday Party! I can't believe it has already been a year since he was born! It was a bittersweet day for me when Miss T had her first birthday over a year ago, I can't even imagine what it feels like when its your baby!

We left mid-morning on Saturday and arrived around lunch time. We were able to check in to our hotel early (woohoo!) and quickly refresh before hearing to Hudson's birthday celebration. I guess this would be a good time to mention that Matt and Ashley asked Thomas and I to be Hudson's Godparents when we were together at the beach almost three weekends ago! Thomas and I are absolutely thrilled and completely honored to be Hudson's Godparents!

The birthday party was wonderful, lots of family and many close friends were in attendance which made for a fun time for all! As we all know, every child's birthday party requires a theme so there was no better choice for Hudson then Elmo--his favorite! Everything about the party was perfect, Thomas and I are so happy were were able to take part in the celebration and are so thankful for our friendship with Matt, Ashley and Hudson! Can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays for many more years to come!

The Birthday Boy!

Singing Happy Birthday!

Hudson and Matt!

Our plan after the birthday party was to go to the Georgia Aquarium. I have a slight obsession with aquariums, they are pretty much the only "museum" I enjoy. I have been dying to the visit the Georgia Aquarium after reading so many amazing reviews. I am sad to say Miss T had other plans and we weren't able to make it to the Aquarium, more on that later in the week, so stay tuned...

I think I forgot to mention we stayed at the Westin in Buckhead which happens to be right across the parking lot from Lenox Square Mall, I didn't plan that or anything! No really, in all seriousness I had no idea. All the times I have been to Atlanta I have never stayed in a hotel always with friends.

After the party Matt, Ashley, and Hudson stopped by the Westin and look what Hudson went right for!

So Atlanta, boy are you a huge change from what I experience and am surrounded by on a daily basis living in Columbia, SC! It wasn't until I went to college and experienced a different city that I realized all that Baltimore had to offer. I felt some of that same nostalgia when I was visiting Atlanta this weekend. What I like about a larger city is the abundance of opportunities and resources career wise, the hustle and bustle of city life, premiere shopping, the use of public transportation, and the endless possibilities when it comes to restaurants, bars, and entertainment. On the other side of things I don't miss the traffic and congestion of a large city, I can't think of anything more miserable then sitting in traffic each day.

In case you don't know, I love my little city of Columbia, I am so thankful for all the opportunities it has given me, its continual growth, the ability to shop and support locally owned businesses, and believe it or not its size. Although the City of Columbia is rather small it still has the look, feel and opportunities as other cities, without some of the negatives that come along with a larger city.

What do you enjoy most about where you live? What do you wish you could change? Do you miss anything about a a city/town you previously lived in?

Just Another Manic Monday

Manic Monday by The Bangles describes exactly how I have been feeling the past few week day mornings and unfortunately not just on Monday's. Any one want to join me and sing along? Here it goes...

Manic Monday by The Bangles

Six o'clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin' Valentino
By a crystal blue Italian stream
But I can't be late
'Cause then I guess I just won't get paid
These are the days
When you wish your bed was already made

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my funday
My I don't have to runday
It's just another manic Monday

Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine
And if I had an air-o-plane
I still couldn't make it on time
'Cause it takes me so long
Just to figure out what I'm gonna wear
Blame it on the train
But the boss is already there

It's just another manic Monday
I wish it was Sunday
'Cause that's my funday
My I don't have to runday
It's just another manic Monday...

Wishing each of you a very happy Monday!

Mandarin Orange Salad

Okay so you are probably thinking a whole bunch of different things after reading the title of today’s post and you might think the picture of the recipe below seems unusual, but trust me, if you like mandarin oranges, coconut, marshmallows, and a mystery ingredient, you will enjoy this recipe!

I really don’t know the story behind this recipe other then my Mom always makes it for Thanksgiving dinner. I am sure she does this after seeing her Mom make it for so many years. In case you are wondering we have a very traditional Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, mashed potatoes (more then you could ever imagine), gravy, cranberry sauce, spinach casserole (another of my favorites), lima beans, corn, dinner rolls, green bean casserole, and the list goes on…and if you are thinking this is an interesting combination with a turkey dinner, you are right, but it works and makes for a delicious combination!

All the years I have enjoyed this recipe I have never thought to make it myself until last week. As you all know the summer heat has been extreme this year, most likely no different then years past, we just can’t seem to remember years past and like to talk about how the current summer heat is much worse then what we have experienced in summers past, but we all know that’s not the case. Summer in the South is hot and humid. Period. The End. The scorching temperatures have made me reluctant to do any kind of baking or cooking for that matter because nothing seems worse then heating up the house by turning the oven and multiple burners on the stove. So this lady has been on strike, but not for much longer (I hope).

Anyways, back to last week! I was attempting to plan a dinner menu to make for one of my girlfriends I was having over when I was racking my brain for refreshing dinner ideas. That’s when this recipe came to mind. I knew off the top of my head what all the ingredients were except for one, sour cream. Odd, right? But I will say it again; just trust me on this one because it really is delicious. I called my Mom to ask her about the ingredient I was missing, sour cream, and also for the exact recipe. She starts by saying, “well I really don’t use a recipe, I just eye ball it.” Good thing she kept talking because I was this close to saying, “I really don’t like when people say they don’t have a recipe for something that they’ve made.” Call me crazy, but I like recipes that list all the ingredients and step by step instructions. I am no Martha Stewart and I don’t like to experiment with food. I want to follow a set of directions and know the finished product will be just as delicious as I remembered it. Is that so wrong?

I am proud to say I survived the “eye ball it mandarin orange salad recipe” and it was just as delicious as when my Mom makes it. That is what I call success because my Mom truly is a Martha Stewart!

If you a wondering what pairs well with this “salad” according to my Mom chicken, pork, or turkey is best. I made pork tenderloin and string beans to go along with this recipe and both my girlfriend, who never had the mandarin orange salad before and I really enjoyed dinner!

Mandarin Orange Salad Recipe

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup mandarin orange segments (chilled)

1 ½ cup marshmallows

¾ to 1 cup shredded coconut

? tablespoons of sour cream (just eye ball it!)


Directions:

Combine the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gradually add a tablespoon of sour cream at a time until you reach your desired taste and consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I am not a big fan of any type of salad being saturated in any type of dressing or ingredient so I tend to go skinny on the sour cream in this recipe.

ENJOY!

P.S.- This recipe makes a good snack!