Worst Date Ever

Linking up with Neely, Amber, and Casey for the Fabulous Valentine Challenge! 

Day #2: Worst Date Ever

I really have not had a horrid date. I guess I am pretty lucky. I do look back now and there were some laughable moments.

Like my husband and I's first date? Yeah, he picked me up from the dorms my freshman year of college. And he wasn't even driving. His friend was driving, his girlfriend in the front seat, and I jumped in with K and his little brother in the backseat. Awkward. Very far from romantic.

We went to a house warming party full of co-workers who had no idea why this freshman from their office was at the party and I ended up talking to K's brother more than I talked to him. Very odd and I laugh now.

He did make it up by picking me up from my Grandparents the very next day...The rest is history. Plus, he is still making up for that first date :-)

Sugar Queen Link-Up #4

We are wrapping up our first book of the "I'd Rather Be Reading" Book Club! We read Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen for January.

On to the questions:

• Did you expect Della Lee to be a ghost? What did you make of the supernatural element that Sarah Addison Allen included in Sugar Queen?

I did not expect this at first. Of course something was off, who hides in anothers closet? My mind started to wonder when she was sitting in the same clothes and never came out of the closet, but I didn't necessarily jump to ghost, since nothing about this book was "supernatural." I think this element was definitely a surprise, but after finishing the entire story, I appreciated that story line and did not think it was out of place. With books popping up for Chloe, it makes sense to have a supernatural element push Josey and Chloe together!

• Why do you think the affair remained such a taboo? After learning who Jake cheated with, were you shocked it was such a big deal?

To this day I still don't understand this entire affair. Okay, they partied a little hard, he ended up with the client or client's wife, whatever she was. But that was the entire story, they did not elaborate. I'm not a lawyer, so I do not know how this would have affected the case; however, to not tell Chloe when that is all she wanted? I am still really confused about all of that.

• What were your thoughts as Josey tore up the attorney’s note abroad the ship? What do you think it said? Are secrets ever useful in a family, or do they always result in pain?

I think this was a sign Josey was taking control of her own life. From there on out she was going to believe what she wanted and not have anyone else dictate her life. Whatever the attorney's note said did not matter to her anymore and she was going to believe in whatever made her happy. I do think it proved that Della Lee was her sister and that Chloe was her sister as well. I do not think secrets are useful, in some cases maybe they are necessary. But I think you get to a point where you are old enough and mature enough to make your own decisions and move on. No matter what your family has done.

• What did you think of the book? Was it what you expected?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read. It was a bit slow at first and somewhat strange. I didn't know what to think at first, but then I fell for it! I loved the Josey and Adam storyline, they were adorable and I am a sucker for a cute love story.

Best Date Ever

For the next two weeks I will be participating with Neely, Amber, and Casey for the Fabulous Valentine Challenge. I get excited for these challenges because I meet the most amazing people, I get great blogging ideas, and you may learn a thing or two about me!
 

 Day #1: Best Date Ever I've been pretty fortunate to go on some amazing dates! I can't say I've ever been on a bad date (So I have no idea what I'm going to post for tomorrow!), guys I have met have been wonderful, but I have to say the good ol' hubby takes the cake here. Maybe that is why I married him? Actually no. Poor K was never the big romantic or date planner for that matter. We always had a great time, but as far as effort/planning goes...hmmm....(love ya babe.) So...if you knew K back then, you would be SHOCKED on how good he has gotten with dates! I guess it just took a little ribbing by  me and giving him a pretty hard time. Plus I think he has started living by that whole "Happy Wife, Happy Life" mantra.  So for my choice of best date ever, I am going to go with our 1st Anniversary Trip to Charleston, SC. K planned every minute of the entire trip and it was perfect!  First he arrived at my work and picked me up with an itinerary and all!   

We shopped and ate more than you can imagine!

There was a sailboat ride that was amazing!

We adopted sea turtles, but unfortunately couldn't see them! (Again, this was K's surprise to me! Unbelievable planning!)

And we finished up the trip kayaking!

This was by far the best date I have ever been on.

My First HOT Yoga Experience

I had my very first HOT or Bikram Yoga experience yesterday. I have done yoga on and off for several years now and I really like it! Even though I am not the most flexible, I always feel good and relaxed after. So when Groupon popped up in my inbox a few weeks ago and enticed me to try Bikram Yoga at a local studio, I said why not? Bring. it. on.

My friend Kara and I decided to give it a shot. Now Kara is insanely gorgeous and hardcore work-out-aholic. For example, I'm writing you this post from my bed and she is running some Miami Marathon...as we speak. So Kara ended up going to Bikram first and she said it was kind of "boring." Now Kara and I do an intense cycling workout together, so I know the "up-beatness" she is used to and the awesome music our Cycling studio plays, so I thought okay okay I'm going to assume boring to Kara means very do-able for me. (Please excuse all the words I am making up today.)

So I plan on going at 4pm Saturday the 28th. I talk to my girlfriend Hilary she tells me to make sure to drink a ton of water, go to the bathroom before (thank you for this one!) and try not to sit under a heater (wait, what? Under a heater?!). Now I'm getting a bit nervous...

I sign in and the super nice lady at the front desk tells me since I am new she recommends placing myself in the third or fourth row, so I can see others for examples since the instructor talks you through it. Interesting. No problem.

Now I walk around the corner. Picture me: Yoga pants, long tank, and zip up sweatshirt.

Everyone else:
 
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Yes you saw that right...speedo type things. Wow. I couldn't help but notice there were several couples in the class together. Could you imagine K doing this? Oh gosh no. He would have walked before we even set up our mats.

I walk into the "Practice Room" and BAM it is hotter than a sauna in there! I knew it was going to be hot, but I guess I didn't think of a Sauna environment. So I get situated in the third row. This class was packed so we were pretty close. And then you just lay down until they are ready to start. Lights are off. The guy  next to me said for my first time, the goal should be to just breathe and stay in the room. WHAT? That is the goal? What did I just get myself into?

So I lay down.....and what do I see above me?! HEATER.

Now the only other time I have seen anything like this I am jumping up and down for joy because I am at a football game freezing my butt off and they have these wonderful creations on the concourse.....NOT in a Yoga room. I'm in trouble.

We begin and I start sweating immediately. But so is everyone else. I do have to give the ventilation system some kudos because it didn't smell in there. (Thank God.) First half of the class is standing, Second half of the class is on the floor. During that transition the instructor guy, who non-stop talks by the way, turns on the ceiling fans. Glorious. Not that it was cool, because he was just moving around super warm air, but just the thought of a fan perked me up. So we had the fans on through one pose.

Then the little instructor guy walks over and shuts them off. As I watch him, I think this guy has the evil power to do such a thing! No Fans For You.

I'm so ready for this class to be over. There is no music to keep my mind off how hot I am. I can't tell you how many songs I sang to myself in my head. I'm going to call that "My Inner Chi"

And the last straw that almost had me up and running...was we were doing some airplane pose towards the end, so the most sweat you could possible imagine surrounds me, and airplane pose? No room between people. So Mr. Instructor says "Do not worry about touching your neighbor" Um hell no. Do not touch me! And sadly enough I think the guy next to me could read my facial expression because he just laughed. ha!

That was mostly negative, sorry. I don't think Bikram Yoga is going to be my thing. The studio was super cute and chic...people were nice, but it probably won't be on my go-to exercise list.

However....that darn Groupon does have 9 more classes on it...

Last Sugar Queen Questions

Here are the last questions for Sugar Queen! The last link-up will be Monday. As always, if you do not have a blog to link-up, please feel free to leave your answers in the comment section! I really enjoyed this book, I hope you guys did too!

• Did you expect Della Lee to be a ghost? What did you make of the supernatural element that Sarah Addison Allen included in Sugar Queen?
• Why do you think the affair remained such a taboo? After learning who Jake cheated with, were you shocked it was such a big deal?
• What were your thoughts as Josey tore up the attorney’s note abroad the ship? What do you think it said? Are secrets ever useful in a family, or do they always result in pain?
• What did you think of the book? Was it what you expected?

Excited to see what you all have to say on Monday! Hope you are having a great weekend!

This dress was made for me...

So I found a dress that I have no doubt was made specifically for me... yes, that is how much is screams MIA YOU SHOULD OWN ME!

If anyone read my post yesterday, I planned an entire evening to go shopping for an iphone cover. Yes, my life is THAT exciting. But I needed a cover because after months of patiently (K might disagree) waiting, today is finally the day I get to pick it up!

Well anyway, my phone isn't the point of this post. As I'm walking around in the mall...I was stopped dead. in. my. tracks. The most beautiful dress was staring me in the face and I was speechless!

I had never spent any time in the store Cache. I've always noticed they had beautiful dresses in the store front, but I have never needed to go in there for any occasion. And even now...I have NO idea where I would wear this dress, but I am certain it was made for me and I NEED it.

So now I've "pinned" it and am desperately trying to come up with an excuse as to why I need it and where I am going to wear it. Can I get your help? What do you think?

Without further adieu....

The Dress that Screams Mia

Source: cache.com via Mia on Pinterest

I don't know what it is, I've seen gorgeous dresses before, but this was so lovely it was breathtaking to me! And if you don't know me, this dress is right up my alley style, color, inspiration wise.

Ahh how fashion does this to me...

It's OK Thursday

It's OK:

• To watch your calories all day because you want to eat that large chunk of bread with your Panera Bread salad tonight!
• To have 5 cups of coffee today because you have been up since 3am….oops!
• To be reading 5 books at the same time on your Kindle because you couldn’t wait until one was finished to start the next!
• To have puppy fever again….I need a backyard
• To already pick out your first pair of sandals you will wear on the first really warm day
• To plan an entire night of shopping….just for an iphone cover
• To have to wait to post my 100 follower giveaway NEXT week because this week is tooooo wacky! So keep an eye out!

Workout Wednesday

Who needs a little workout inspiration? I definitely do. I get restless, I get bored with what I'm doing, so I need new inspiration to keep me going quite often! Whether this is changing up my song playlist, changing up my workout, workout scenery, new workout outfit, etc...these things keep me going!

I am not one that can listen to any type of music when I run. It has to be extremely upbeat and usually something I'd like to dance to. So while I'm running I can picture myself dancing in my head....not focusing on how much I hate to run and all the body parts that are screaming at me to stop! And even when I'm in great shape I still want to quit because I think running is so darn boring. So, I need some great music. I'm always adding to my playlist! So today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite songs that keep me going right now...

1. Turn Me On -Nicki Minaj and David Guetta

2. Marry the Night - Lady Gaga

3. Thriller/Heads Will Roll - Glee Mash-Up

4. Night of Your Life - Jennifer Hudson and David Guetta

5. Bruno Mars - Runaway Baby

6. The Big Bang - Rock Mafia

7. P.Y.T. - Glee Cast

8. Give Me Everything - Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo

Those are just a few. Like I said I switch these often! I'll let you know if I find any more good ones! Do you have any songs that are a MUST have whenn you are working out?

Nicest Compliment I've Ever Received...

This is the nicest compliment I've ever received....



K: "I think I've become smarter since I've been around you"


I think that was the nicest thing my husband could have ever said to me. And I am extremely flattered. 


Thought I would share a nice gesture for the day. Now go say something nice to a significant other, it makes their day, week, and maybe even years to come! 
 

Sugar Queen Link-up #3

Chapters 8-10

• The end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8, Della Lee told Josey that she was her sister. What was your initial reaction to this news? Did you see this coming?

This was a complete shock to me. It didn't even occur to me when they kept talking about how Josey's dad was unfaithful. At first I thought Della Lee was saying that to Josey to get something out of her.

• What do you make of the Margaret/Rawley situation?

It doesn't surprise me. Women like Margaret, meaning unhappy, usually have a hidden happiness to them. I hope she turns this situation around and can find happiness again.

• Why do you suppose Jake is keeping the woman he slept with a mystery? Who do you think it is?          

I can't figure this out. Why is it such a big deal? I kind of think it could be Della Lee. Is that why she showed up, she feels guilty now?                                                

• Josey lives in a world of rules, from a neighborhood that bans snowmen to a mother who bans a snug red sweater. What is the purpose of these rules? What stifling rules in your life—at work, with your family, or in your community—do you sometimes dream of breaking?

I don't believe I have very many stifling rules in my life at this point. I do remember have a lot more rules/restrictions when I was growing up. I was the oldest child, so I believe my parents paved their way with me. I always said my sisters had things a lot easier than I did.


Link up here or leave your answers in a comment below. Thanks for participating! Jess and I can't wait for you to finish the book and hear what you have to say next week!

Joe Paterno

I mostly like to keep my personal life and my husband's work life separate. But in all reality my world is wrapped up in his. We move because of his job. Our schedules are based on football games, practice, meetings, recruiting weekends and so on. So sometimes it is very hard to keep life separate. Though, I try. And I probably try because it keeps me sane. But today I did want to spend a moment on a football coaching legend.

Today as many of you know Joe Paterno passed away. He is a legend in my husband's profession. We are deeply saddened. No, we did not know Joe, Suzanne or any of the Paterno family. But we feel for them, we pray for them and hope that with eachother they can get through this difficult time.

K and I often joke that I better not have married a Joe Paterno. Meaning I do not want to be living this crazy life until I'm 80. K usually laughs at me and changes the topic, both of us knowing all too well that he would be honored with the opportunity to coach until 85. And knowing I'll follow him anyway.

I get suckered into watching countless hours of ESPN and any football game that is on TV. Usually I read a book. But if I do pay good attention, my mind still wanders. For example, one of my favorite pieces on Joe Paterno, he shared his desire for his football team to wear black shoes. Why? He realized that on film, teams that wore white shoes looked faster. He then had his team wear black shoes, so when other teams were scouting them they appeared slower on film.

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Why did I take interest in this? Well Joe, I do the same thing! Only I wear nude heels to make my legs appear longer! Ha! I can appreciate how Coach Paterno used fashion to better his team. 

And speaking of fashion, even if you are clueless when it comes to football. You may very well know Joe Paterno as the guy who rolled his pants, wore white socks and football cleats. He didn't like getting his pant legs wet/dirty. To this day I still can't say if I think this was a fabulous trendy or travesty. I just know whenever I see him on TV, I smile at those darn white socks. 


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And lastly, I'd like to say I can't stop thinking about Suzanne today. Again, I've never met Suzanne, I have never met anyone who has known her, but as a coaches wife, even a young one at that, you can feel for her.

This profession is not easy. There is a lot of alone time. You might as well be a single mother. Those darn football games are emotional rollercoasters, sometimes resulting in a wonderful win and other times sulking at a devastating loss. The newspaper, radio, television, and chatrooms can say awful things about your husband. Do they know him? No, but they think they do. They never understand that this is somebody’s husband, father, son, uncle or cousin. But as a wife you put up with it, you remain strong because he needs you to be. In most cases you handle it all with class. You are his rock and he may not admit it, but he needs you to get through it all too. I reflect on all of this as I think of Suzanne Paterno today. K and I were able to watch Joe Paterno's 400th win and I remember being in awe. My favorite moment was seeing Suzanne hugging her husband with pure joy. No matter how crazy this profession is, she shows pure pride in her man. And he looks just as happy to have her there.

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While searching for the above photo, I came across this one. And I think it has become my favorite. I can't say this as a fact, but to an outsider looking at these photos, it appears nothing has changed. Suzanne stood by her man.

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Rest in Peace Coach Paterno.

Sugar Queen Questions #3

Here are the questions for Chapters 8-10. Link-up will be up on Monday. If you do not have a blog, please feel free to participate anyway! Just leave a comment on Monday's post with your answers. Here is the information for February's book choice.

• The end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8, Della Lee told Josey that she was her sister. What was your initial reaction to this news? Did you see this coming?
• What do you make of the Margaret/Rawley situation?
• Why do you suppose Jake is keeping the woman he slept with a mystery? Who do you think it is?                                                                                                                         
• Josey lives in a world of rules, from a neighborhood that bans snowmen to a mother who bans a snug red sweater. What is the purpose of these rules? What stifling rules in your life—at work, with your family, or in your community—do you sometimes dream of breaking?

See you Monday!

Boob Tube Babble!

Yay! I found some energy for a quick post for Boob Tube Babble! I haven’t been able to participate in weeks due to late TV watching! I’ve unfortunately been sick this week, so I definitely racked up the hours on my couch!

I’m still loving:

Grey’s Anatomy – tear jerking every time! They are really trying to pack it on this season!

Parenthood – Loving Crosby’s new girl….Jasmine is definitely jealous.

Last Man Standing – Tim Allen gets me every time

Modern Family – I didn’t think the episode was very controversial do you?

Revenge – as always! But I’m catching up on this week’s episode tonight! 

 

Fell back in love with:

Private Practice – Haven’t watched this season at all! Well I watched every single episode while sick…Cooper has a son?! Love. Mini. Cooper.

 
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New Shows I’m Hooked:

Pan Am – just recently started watching Pan Am and K and I both LOVE it! Drama plus 1960s fashion? Yes please. K probably likes the fashion a little less. Plus I love Chase (That is not his name on the show, but it is on Army Wives. Army Wives anyone? Yes yes yes) 

   
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The Firm – New show on NBC. Cute guy from Sweet Home Alabama! Fabulous. Intense and entertaining. 

 

 
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The Fishtail Pony

So I don't have time to wash and blow out my hair every single morning, do you? With that being said, I am always trying to find new ways to pull my long hair back and make it look presentable for work!

I follow Giuliana Rancic's Fab Fit Fun website. She sends wonderful every day styles and tips. She uploaded a video of her and her stylist and their take on The Fishtail Pony.

Here are other celebrities with the same inspiration:

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And then my shot at it:

Have you tried the fishtail pony?

Sugar Queen Link Up #2

Chapters 4-7

• At the end of Chapter Three, a new character, Chloe, was introduced. The author mentioned how books seem to appear to Chloe when she needs them most. What do you make of all of this?

I think it is interesting. Chloe's guilty conscience seems to come in the form of books. I think she likes that it is the form of books because it is something she can push aside. One thing I can't figure out though is why other people can see those books.

• After reading about how Jake cheated on Chloe, do you think Chloe should have forgiven him? Why or why not?

Absolutely  not. I think Chloe absolutely did the right thing. Especially since he would not give her any details. I give him credit for not keeping it hidden, but still what was done was done.

• Why do you think Adam suddenly became interested in Josey?

I think Adam lived in his own world. I think he belived nobody gave him any time of attention and he believed he didn't deserve that type of attention. Once he found out Josey was interested in him, it may have sparked something in him that said "hey maybe I'm worth something afterall?"

• In Chapter 6, Josey takes her mother, Margaret, to visit Livia. While Livia and Margaret chat, Josey has a chat with Livia's granddaughter, Amelia. Josey suggests that Amelia might want to have a life of her own, but Amelia shrugs Josey off and dismisses the idea. What enables Josey to think about freeing herself from her mother, rather than becoming like Amelia?

I think having Della Lee in her closet has done wonders for Josey. It has not allowed Josey to get into her own close for a week now. I think it has enabled Josey to begin to think for herself and realize, especially when she is around Amelia, that this is something that she absolutely doesn't want. But I think she is also starting to realize only she can change her own path.

I post this on Saturday, but here it is asgain:
We want to accommodate every book club suggestion. For February we have chosen The Postmistress by Sarah Blake.

Book Description from Amazon: In 1940, Iris James is the postmistress in coastal Franklin, Massachusetts. Iris knows more about the townspeople than she will ever say, and believes her job is to deliver secrets. Yet one day she does the unthinkable: slips a letter into her pocket, reads it, and doesn't deliver it.

Meanwhile, Frankie Bard broadcasts from overseas with Edward R. Murrow. Her dispatches beg listeners to pay heed as the Nazis bomb London nightly. Most of the townspeople of Franklin think the war can't touch them. But both Iris and Frankie know better...

The Postmistress is a tale of two worlds-one shattered by violence, the other willfully naïve-and of two women whose job is to deliver the news, yet who find themselves unable to do so. Through their eyes, and the eyes of everyday people caught in history's tide, it examines how stories are told, and how the fact of war is borne even through everyday life.

Thanks everyone for linking up and participating this week! To all that have today off, enjoy your Holiday!

Sugar Queen Questions #2

Chapters 4-7

• At the end of Chapter Three, a new character, Chloe, was introduced. The author mentioned how books seem to appear to Chloe when she needs them most. What do you make of all of this?
• After reading about how Jake cheated on Chloe, do you think Chloe should have forgiven him? Why or why not?
• Why do you think Adam suddenly became interested in Josey?
• In Chapter 6, Josey takes her mother, Margaret, to visit Livia. While Livia and Margaret chat, Josey has a chat with Livia's granddaughter, Amelia. Josey suggests that Amelia might want to have a life of her own, but Amelia shrugs Josey off and dismisses the idea. What enables Josey to think about freeing herself from her mother, rather than becoming like Amelia?

Looking forward to reading your answers on Monday! The link up will be posted Monday, but remember if you do not have a blog, you can post your answers in the comment section below Monday's post.

We want to accommodate every book club suggestion. For February we have chosen The Postmistress by Sarah Blake.

Book Description from Amazon: In 1940, Iris James is the postmistress in coastal Franklin, Massachusetts. Iris knows more about the townspeople than she will ever say, and believes her job is to deliver secrets. Yet one day she does the unthinkable: slips a letter into her pocket, reads it, and doesn't deliver it.

Meanwhile, Frankie Bard broadcasts from overseas with Edward R. Murrow. Her dispatches beg listeners to pay heed as the Nazis bomb London nightly. Most of the townspeople of Franklin think the war can't touch them. But both Iris and Frankie know better...

The Postmistress is a tale of two worlds-one shattered by violence, the other willfully naïve-and of two women whose job is to deliver the news, yet who find themselves unable to do so. Through their eyes, and the eyes of everyday people caught in history's tide, it examines how stories are told, and how the fact of war is borne even through everyday life.

It's OK Thursday

Linking up with Neely and Amber for Its OK Thursday!

It's OK:

• To tell my husband I want to do more fashion posts, so I need to go shopping more…
• To still love him when he asks me if I’m on crack.
• To not make up my mind if I want a small dog or a little dog, so now I want both. (And they will be besties)
• To already have a list of the Jason Wu items I want from Target for his February launch.
• To cancel my hot yoga class just now because I can barely lift my arms from taking a class two days ago.
• To hope it rains again soon because I enjoyed wearing my rainboots to work (And not get weird looks like I do when I wear them in dry weather)
• To have a countdown calendar on my desk…15 days until I get my iphone (for real this time!) 
• To crop photos to make it look like we were not dancing on the bar...(yes as a married woman, but who do you think was taking the picture? And laughing the whole time? AND magically disappeared when we needed help getting down? Serves us right.) 

*Sisters*

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

So I absolutely love Pasta! Love. Creamy and heavy is the best kind; however, every once in awhile you need something lite. Or wait....should that be the other way around?

I wanted to share with you my go-to Pasta recipe. Shrimp Pesto Pasta. I love shrimp, I'm crazy about Pesto, so throw it together and you have heaven.

So here are the ingredients. (Tiny shrimp, pesto, pasta, garlic, white wine and parmesan)

First make sure the shrimp are thawed and drained

Then start heating a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the stove while boiling water for the Pasta

Peel your Garlic - I like to smash the garlic with my knife to easy remove the skin

Next I grate the garlic rather than chopping. I learned this from Rachael Ray "nobody likes to chomp on a big piece of garlic" No matter how much they love garlic!

Cook out the garlic for a few minutes

Next cook the shrimp, they will turn pink and curl up a bit when done - season with salt and pepper

Next I like to add a little white wine to cook the shrimp in a little longer. Sometimes I will include juice from a lemon as well.

By now your pasta should be done and you can mix with your pesto. I really like the pesto that comes with plenty of olive oil, if it doesn't you can add your own to coat the pasta as heavy or lite as you want.

I serve it up in a pasta bowl and I put the shrimp on top and sprinkle with some parmesan! And enjoy!

Crazy Crazy Dream

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Does anyone have crazy dreams and/or nightmares? I used to have the most awful nightmares. So vivid they would freak me out and I always remembered them. Now I really don’t remember any dreams or nightmares that I have. Which is probably a good thing.

However….

I dreamed the other night that my 30-year old husband was kidnapped. Kidnapped! All the while I was going on with my normal day checking my cell phone to see if he had text that he is “back” yet. How weird is that?

What does that mean?!

Can you decipher dreams? K thinks I’m nuts…

I'd Rather Be Reading - Sugar Queen #1

Welcome to the first "I'd Rather be Reading" Book Club with Jess and Mia! We hope you are enjoying Sugar Queen so far! You will find the link up below. If you are not a blogger, go ahead and leave a comment with your answers below the link up. We'd love for everyone to join!

• What are your initial thoughts of the book so far?

           Alright I will admit. I wasn't quite sure about this book at first. Especially these first three      chapters. Kind of strange. Kind of odd. A little slow. But trust me, keep reading! I may just be a sucker for a cute love story, but I got hooked!

• Discuss and compare Josey's relationship with her mother and her father. Why do you think Josey decided to stay and take care of her mother? Do you think it was because of the fits she threw or do you think that there are other reasons?

          Josey adores her father. It may be because he no longer exists, that she wants to remember him as an honorable man. Josey caters to her mother in every sense of the word, but not out of admiration. It is almost like she feels it is her only duty in life is to serve her mother. I think Josey feels guilty if she left, but her mother adds to that guilt. She may be old enough to realize that the fits were tiresome to her mother and unnecessary and now that her mother is in pain and immobile, this is her one way to make it up to her.

• Discuss Josey's relationship with food. Why doe she hide this candy in her closet?

          I think Josey hides candy in her closet because it is the one thing that makes her happy. She doesn't want to show the outside world, especially her mother, that she is happy doing anything. I also think she believes her mother would look down upon her for eating anything not "approved" and this is one thing Josey has become good at hiding.

• Why do you think Josey's mom doesn't want Josey to feel pretty? For example, taking the red sweater off when it looks pretty on her.

           I think Josey's mom is afraid that if Josey feels pretty she will gain confidence. Then if Josey gains confidence she may be confident enought to move on and leave her mother. I think Josey's mom resents Josey and by cutting her down it is a way the mother is trying to feel better.

• Why do you suppose Josey was such a difficult child? What caused her to be that way?

           I think Josey was probably being a typical child, but when you are in the public eye like the Cirrini's were the disappointment was magnified. Finally, it was probably Josey's way of not conforming to her mother's wishes.

Thanks everyone! We will have questions for Chapters 4-7 posted this Saturday. See you next week for Sugar Queen's #2 link-up!

Sugar Queen Questions #1

Welcome to the first posted questions for "I'd Rather Be Reading" Book Club.

Jess from Jess and Jacy and I compiled a list of questions for you to answer for the first section of Sugar Queen. (okay, Jess is way better at coming up with questions than I am! AND much more qualified!)

1. What are your initial thoughts of the book so far?
2. Discuss and compare Josey's relationship with her mother and her father. Why do you think Josey decided to stay and take care of her mother? Do you think it was because of the fits she threw or do you think that there are other reasons?
3. Discuss Josey's relationship with food. Why doe she hide this candy in her closet?
4. Why do you think Josey's mom doesn't want Josey to feel pretty? For example, taking the red sweater off when it looks pretty on her.
5. Why do you suppose Josey was such a difficult child? What caused her to be that way?

And lastly: What is your book recommendation for February?

Hope you guys are having fun reading Sugar Queen! For me it was somewhat of a slow, kind of strange "I don't know what to think" start and now I'm glued. It usually works that way for me though!

We will see you Monday for the link up! Remember, you do not have to be a blogger to participate. You are more than welcome to post your thoughts/answers in a comment below the link-up. We can't wait to see what you have to say!

It's Ok Thursdays

Today I am linking up with Neely and Amber for "It's OK" Thursdays! I love this link-up and I have followed along for awhile, but have never participated! Today they are trying to reach 100 link ups so I thought it would be a perfect day to try this post out! So here goes!

 

It's Ok

•  To wake up in the morning and the first thing you think of is when you get to go back to bed
• To have to hide my phone/computer to stay away from Twitter when I don't get to watch my shows at night
• To be overly exhausted because I stay up late reading because I can't put the darn book down
• To count down the days until I can wear strappy shoes and dresses again
• To rather have my husband scrape the frost off my car in the morning than bring me flowers (he does this and it is awesome!)
• To want to live in the South forever just to never be cold again
• To be ticked that I do live in the South and it is cold right now!!
• To buy a bottle of lotion for every place I need it, desk, purse, car, living room, bedroom, bathroom...because I can't stand the feeling of dry hands and I don't one to have to search for a bottle every time!
• To wish I had the ability to tell my coffee maker to start brewing while I'm still in bed
• To still have my new sewing machine in the box because I'm somewhat scared of it! 
• To wish Starbucks delivered because this is going to be a long day...
  

Rainboot Inspiration

I was given a pair of fabulous Hunter Rain Boots for Christmas. Since the day I have opened them I have had them on my feet nonstop. That is probably because I spent a week and a half in cold, rainy/snowy weather. I found myself getting dressed to go out and considering some cute heels/stylish boots, but then chucking them aside and grabbing those good ol' rubber boots. Stylish? Hmmm....haven't made a commitment yet. I love them, I was cold, so I didn't care if they were stylish or not.


But now, since they are so easy to throw on, I am looking for some inspiration for a cute outfit that compliments the rainboots. I turned to pinterest....And thought I'd share with you, just in case you were in my same dilemma!

Source: atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com via Rianna on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: thedaybookblog.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Kathleen on Pinterest

Source: greylikesweddings.com via Jacqueline on Pinterest

The last picture is for your enjoyment! And now I officially need to own the Red Boots. But in the mean time I think I can use this inspiration to make my black boots work! 

Marionberry Style Tip

Today I want to introduce to you my Denver blogging friend Marion from Marionberry Style. Her blog gives the best style and beauty tips and some gorgeous inspiration for new outfits! A girl with style and a love for football? Match made in blog heaven. Or maybe my husband's heaven? minus the style? Anyway...here she is!

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Hi!  My name is Marion and I write a personal life, style and beauty blog called Marionberry Style.  I am so excited to be on Mia's blog today as Mia and I have so much in common.  Here is one thing we both love:

I'm of course referring to football, not Oregon specifically.  Lol!

Mia has asked me to share one style tip for Fall/Winter fashion:

In order to stretch the value of your shopping dollar, I like to look ahead this time of year!  As we inch toward warmer weather, the colors will begin to change in more ways than one.  The Spring Fashion runways were drenched with lighter hues belonging in the pastel family.  

Think less emerald and more avocado!

TIP: When you're walking the mall or browsing through racks, train your eye to look for lighter colors.  Always check the sale racks for hues that are not currently in season.  Soft pinks, champagne peaches, and butter yellows will all be on-point soon!  

Thanks so much for reading and thank you to Mia for having me!

XO - Marion

PS - Go Ducks!! :-) 

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Thank you SO much Marion for contributing to the blog today! I definitely can learn to Quack like a duck...quack quack! And I will say I believe those ducks are the most stylish with all those uniform choices (K cringes here) 

I'm so crazy about that avocado color. Yum! I just added that color to my shopping radar. Or maybe Pinterest search engine? Again, Marion thank you so much you always have the best tips! Everyone should head over and check out Marion's blog. She is so creative AND so fun to follow on twitter!