Southern Champagne Wishes

Total Bliss!

2010-10-15T06:39:00.001-05:00

Hi y'all! So I didn't get a chance to re-tape my failed vlog on this. I decided to just do a regular post on it instead. This time I'm talking about one of my favorite new facial products, the Bliss At-Home Oxygen Blast Facial. It's a complete 3 step facial in a box.

This at-home facial kit is based on the #1 facial at Bliss Spas - The Triple Oxygen Treatment. This is the entire package. It has full sizes of the mask and cream and a single-use eye mask. I bought mine at Sephora and I also saw that Ulta has it.

The Triple Oxygen Energizing Mask. This is a foaming mask. It's has a fresh orange-y fragrance (but not too strong). It comes out of the bottle as a gel and you massage it all over your face. It starts foaming and keeps foaming for a few minutes (you should wash it off after 5-10 minutes). This feels amazing on your skin - like you've submerged your face in Perrier or something. Then you just rinse off. I noticed an immediate softness.

The eye mask.

The directions are on the back of the eye mask. You just press the chamber with the fluid and it flows into the part where the actual eye mask is.

Then you just apply under your eyes and leave on for about 15 minutes. This is supposed to hydrate and de-puff your eyes. I usually do this at night before bed. When you take the masks off your eyes, you just leave the excess serum on and let it absorb into your skin. The next morning my under-eye area was completely flat - no bags or puffiness. I was very impressed. And no, I do not get tons of sleep at night because I'm very much a night-owl, but have to get up at 5:45 to get ready for work (ugh!).

Finally, you finish with the Triple Oxygen + C Energizing Cream. This is also has a light orange scent. It wasn't greasy at all and you can just apply it all over your face once you're done with the facial. Again, the next morning my skin felt even better - softer and smoother. I will say that I do not use this all the time, just when I do this facial. I have face cream/moisturizer anxiety and I feel like I have to rotate mine to make sure that I'm getting all of the benefits from each different one.

Let me know if you try it or if you have a favorite face product that you love - I'm always looking to try new things! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Gucci "Nero" Flats

My Weekend (Belated)

2010-10-13T06:36:00.010-05:00

This past weekend was my mom's birthday weekend. We started the celebration by going to the opera. It was opening night of Aida and promised to be a grand production. It did not disappoint. I wish I could've taken pictures during the show, but of course that's not allowed. I did get one of the orchestra warming up.

We had great seats - front row, center section of the orchestra. This theater is quite old and happens to have very narrow aisles and the seats are very close together (just ask the rather, ahem, large man sitting next to me whose leg and arm were touching mine the entire time, we're quite well acquainted now). He wasn't overweight, just a big guy and I'm sure it was hard for him to fold himself into that little seat. Anyway, I've spent many a production craning my neck around someone's head to try to see. So, if I can, I try to get front row or aisle seats (which are at least staggered).

{via}

However, the local paper did a story about Aida and had a photo, so I've included it. The production included live animals! Two camels, two horses, a donkey, and (eek!) a couple of Burmese pythons. All I could think about when the ballerina had the snake wrapped around her body as she was dancing, was "please don't let that thing fall into the orchestra pit" (or more likely bounce off of the mesh covering the orchestra pit and into the front row - namely right on me). I realize the likelihood of this was almost nonexistent, but these are the kind of crazy scenarios I dream up when snakes are involved.

Anyway, the opera was great and I really loved it. If you've never been to one, I hope you decide to go sometime. I think people think that the opera will be boring and so they don't want to go. It's so not - and they put the English subtitles up on screens so that you always know exactly what's going on. What was not so great? The $20 plastic cup of champagne I got before it started. No, I had no idea it would be that much when I ordered it. And no, it was by no means, great champagne. I only had a couple of sips.

We took my mom to Ruth's Chris for her birthday dinner on Saturday - which is our go-to special occasion place. And our waiter pretty much made my night when he asked to see my I.D. when I ordered a glass of wine (Cabernet - Liberty School). They do not always do that there, in fact it's one of the few times it's happened to me after years of special occasion celebrations there. So maybe all of my creams and serums really are turning back the clock - ha! Of course it was pretty dark and candlelit in there, but we'll ignore that for now.

I also realize that I sound like a complete "alkie" in this post, but I actually hardly ever have a drink - only on special occasions (yes - getting all "black tie" for the opera opening night is a special occasion).

And finally, I saw Life As We Know It this past weekend. It was so great! I completely loved it. And while not a big fan of Katherine Heigl, she was amazing in this movie and I actually forgot it was her. So many things about the movie just struck me as so "real" - like many of the incidents could actually happen, if that makes sense. It was funny, it was sad, it was just an awesome movie all around.

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I hope you're all having a great week. I hope to have my vlog up later. I had some technical malfunctions last week that I need to work out, since I know just enough about all of this to be dangerous.

Christian Louboutin Simple 100's

A Blessing

2010-10-04T06:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was so excited to take Oscar to a Blessing of the Animals Service at church. They held it in their outdoor chapel. This is not my church, but I read about it in the paper and it was open to the public, which I thought was really great.

Some of the crowd gathered before the service started.

The Blessing of the Animals is in honor of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals. This was printed on the front of the program.

The Pastor delivering the message and readings.

After the readings and song, he went around to each animal and blessed them individually. Isn't the cat in the carrier adorable?

Oscar after his blessing, looking around. I wish I could've gotten a picture during his blessing, but I didn't want to miss it. The pastor touched him on the head while he blessed him and Oscar actually looked up at him during it - it was so sweet!

Here is a copy of the blessing that the pastor gave to each pet.

And the prayer. I love that more churches are having these special services because God did create all of these animals and He does love them. And I think He loves how much we love them as well. It was very special and I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of it. Has anyone been to one of these services where you live?

I did, however, get a picture of him blessing this woman's dog. After the service, there was an offering for the local humane society, which I thought was wonderful - it's one of my favorite charities. They do such great work for our community. They also had refreshments for pets and humans alike. A local dog treat bakery donated fresh-baked treats, which Oscar loved, so guess where I'll be going this week?

Here's a picture of Oscar's certificate. I don't know if I ever mentioned that he has a middle name - "Louis" (which is my Dad's middle name - so he's named after his "grandpa" haha).

I hope y'all had a great weekend. Apart from the Blessing of the Animals, I did a little shopping. I have another vlog coming this week on some facial products. I also picked up a couple of new dresses for work that I'll take outfit pictures of as I wear them (if I wind up keeping them - I still need to try them on with my tights and shoes).

Can't wait to catch up with all of you!

Juicy Couture "Adore" in Cobalt

My First Vlog!

2010-09-29T06:35:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! Here's my review of the Amazon Kindle! It does get a little loud in some places (you'll see why) - just a warning in case you're watching it at work.

Ellen Tracy "Jade" with smoky black wedge heel

Thanks for watching (sorry for the barking by you-know-who, but hopefully the next one will be better). I hope you all have a great Wednesday!

Last Night At Chateau Marmont

2010-09-27T06:30:00.001-05:00

This weekend I finished Last Night At Chateau Marmont, Lauren Weisberger's latest novel. I have read all of her books and not since The Devil Wears Prada have I loved one of them so much.

The novel is about thirty-year-old Brooke Alter, a nutritionist who works two jobs to support her husband Julian's dream of making it big as a musician. He finally gets his chance, is signed to Sony, appears on Leno, and his career takes off. Brooke is beyond thrilled for her husband - after all, this is what they've both been working for all of these years - but the sudden fame brings a plethora of changes, making her question her life and her love.

I seriously could not put this book down. With the fabulous setting of Manhattan as the back-drop and Weisberger's spot-on references to pop culture, this was completey entertaining, page-turning fun. A must-read if you enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada. Let me know what you think if you read it!

Along with that delightful read, I also saw You Again this weekend. Kristen Bell's character, Marni, is horrified to learn that her brother is about to marry the girl who made her life miserable in high school and she decides to find a way to stop the wedding. This was just a fun movie all-around and great for some laughs. Even if you had a happy high school experience (which I did), you still don't, as the movie reminds you, escape unscathed (so it's very easy to empathize with Marni's character). I can definitely recommend this movie if you want something light and funny, yet completely relatable.

Have a great Monday!

Jimmy Choo Glitter Ballet Flat in Sand

Things I Love Thursday

2010-09-23T06:35:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a good Thursday so far. Here's a few things I'm loving this week:

Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadow. I've tried several of these colors and this is my every-day go-to: Khaki. It's a great neutral and has the smallest bit of shimmer to it that doesn't really read as "sparkly", but just gives a bit of light reflection. It's also been recently discontinued in favor of a new color, Vert Khaki. This has caused me to scour the Internet and scoop up as many of my favorite shade as possible. So far, I think I've found seven. I love make-up and I have tried so many brands of eyeshadows and this is definitely one of the tops (along with Estee Lauder and Dior). These Chanel shadows blend effortlessly and last all day long. The colors are so saturated that a little bit goes a long way and one compact will last quite awhile. They have a great selection of colors as well.

I also kind of love the velvet-y pouch that the shadow comes in. I save these - they're great for putting small jewelry in and tucking into your jewelry box.

The next fabulous thing is this:

The Icy Bag! Katie from Tale of A Grits hosted a great giveaway and I was one of the lucky winners! First of all, I love this turquoise color and when you live in a place with a seemingly endless summer, this is a great little item to have.

As you can see, the interior is insulated and it comes with the blue gel pack to freeze. You just slip it inside the black cover and you're ready to go. It's the perfect size for snacks that you want to keep cold or even make-up that you don't want to melt in the heat. This is great for me for work, since I always take my lunch and snacks with me. Thank you, Katie!

And this item, because I'm apparently five years old. I love Horizon Organic Milk and these milk boxes are perfect for on the go or any time. Because of the way that they're packaged, they don't require refrigeration and have a long shelf life. Of course, you want to refrigerate them (ugh - warm milk), but the main reason that I love them is that the chocolate milk tastes great - and it's organic (yay)!

And these books - I'm currently on the third and final one of the series - and I'm having a bit of a hard time getting into it. But I'm going to push through because I loved the other two so much. So far, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is my favorite.

And finally, I don't know how I just discovered this show now that it is in its fourth season (I think)?! I need to watch the other three seasons of Flipping Out on dvd. But I'm enthralled with Jeff Lewis and all the obviously-glutton-for-punishment-souls that work for him. I think he's hilarious and I'd like to be friends with him. But never his employee. Oh, and we have the same car. Well, let's rephrase - out of the cars he owns, one of them (the SUV) is the same as mine. Obviously we were meant to be BFFs.

Today's Shoes:

Antonio Melani "Blaize"

"Baby Is Back"

2010-09-21T06:30:00.002-05:00

It feels like forever since I've blogged, but I'm finally back on track this week. So, who watched Dancing With The Stars last night? I loved it! I can already tell I'm going to have several favorites, with this couple at the top of the list:

How great was Jennifer and Derek's Viennese Waltz last night? Anyone who loves Dirty Dancing knows that These Arms of Mine is a classic from the movie and she was understandably emotional when she found out it was the song she was dancing to. The waltz was beautiful and the judges loved it, prompting Bruno to exclaim, "'Baby' is back where she belongs. I know somebody up there is going to be very proud of you." I'm pretty sure he's right. I can't wait to see more from these two! Also, does this show make anyone else want to take ballroom dance lessons? I would love to be able to dance like they do on the show!

In other news, I finally ordered the Kindle. It should be here by tomorrow and I'm so excited to try it out. I'll definitely let y'all know how I like it. I got such great recommendations for it from so many of you, I know it's going to be great!

I'm having a hard time purchasing any fall clothing because it's still in the upper (way upper) 90's here. I actually don't mind this. I'm definitely a summer person and the only time I like the cold weather is at Christmas. So, unlike many of my fellow Memphis friends, I'm still loving the weather. I see lots of pretty fall clothes and shoes that I want, but it's hard to commit right now while it's still so summery. I'm one of those people that likes to wear new things immediately and if they sit in my closet awhile, I'm afraid I'll change my mind about them. Is anyone else like this about clothes?

Although, I must admit the weather is wreaking havoc on this guy's allergies. Oscar is apparently allergic to grass and the ragweed is really bad right now according to his vet. For his sake, I do hope it cools off soon. But, he got lots of medicine yesterday and hopefully the skin spots will be feeling better soon. There was a new vet assistant and she tried to take him out of the room to clip his nails (he never leaves the room and I knew he wouldn't go) and he tried to climb up in my lap in the chair I was sitting on and hid his head behind my shoulder. My poor 130 pound baby! Needless to say, they clipped his nails in the exam room with me.

I hope everyone's week is going well so far and I'm excited to read what you've all been up to.

Today's Shoes;

Ann Taylor "Sukhee" Navy Heels

Remembering

2010-09-11T12:41:00.000-05:00

This was only aired once - at the Super Bowl XXXVI in January 2002. It made me cry then. Still does.

Remembering today.

Sweet Honey

2010-09-09T06:30:00.001-05:00

Did anyone else wear this classic? I think every girl in my high school class had Clinique's Sweet Honey lipstick in her purse or backpack (or backpack purse as was the case for awhile). We were all so crazy about Clinique back then. I still love a lot of their products and since Dillard's is now having Clinique Bonus Time (yay!) I got to try a couple of new things.

First, I had seen ads for the All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Massage roller. Such a long name. But I have long been a fan of their All About Eyes cream (and gel) so I wanted to try this one. I've only been using it for a couple of days, but I love it! There's such a great cooling sensation when you first apply it, you can layer it under other eye treatments (and make-up). And the best part? All the under-eye puffiness completely disappeared (and stayed gone) all day!

I will say that the All About Eyes creams and gels that come in the jars work the same way - whenever I use those, there is zero puffiness. I just kind of like the added cooling effect of the rollerball massage.

The other product I purchased is the Seven Day Scrub. I've been using this for quite some time.

I use it probably 2-3 times per week, although the packaging states that it's gentle enough to use every day (hence the name - I'm glad they cleared that up - when I first began using it years ago, I thought it meant to use it once every 7 days). Anyway, I love this in combination with my Clarisonic brush - it does double duty exfoliating and leave my skin so, so smooth. And, one of the best things about Clinique products to me is that they're all allergy-tested and fragrance free. I am not a huge fan of fragrance in skin care products. I put up with it from La Mer (but I'd love it so much more if it had no perfume) and from the TNS Recovery Complex, but if possible I try to find things that aren't scented.
Anyway, as you can see it's an Allure Reader's Choice Award winner (whatever weight that holds).

But, then, so is this (which is one reason I take Allure's reader recommendations with a grain of salt). I cannot begin to say how much I dislike this moisturizer. I've tried it several times over the years. When I was younger, I'm pretty sure it caused a small breakout. Now, I just don't think it does anything for my skin. Does anyone use this? Do you like it? I'm guessing it has a following because it has been around for a long time.

A sample size of the Vitamin C Lip Smoothie gloss in Goodness Grapecious came in the bonus. This was my first time to try one and I really like it. It's glossy without being sticky and just felt good on my lips. The color's pretty sheer though, so if you're looking for a more saturated color, it's probably best to wear it over lipstick.

Do y'all have any favorite Clinique products? Or ones that you've tried and don't like?

Finally (and this completely relates to a post about Clinique), I feel like every spare moment this week has been spent reading this:

I read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo over the Labor Day weekend and picked this one up on Sunday. I can't believe it's taken me so long to read these books. I can't put them down.

I hope you all are having a great week!

Today's Shoes:

Gianni Bini Black & White Striped Wedges

Friday Fashion Spotlight: Marchesa

2010-09-03T06:32:00.001-05:00

While watching the episode of The Rachel Zoe Project from Tuesday that I had DVR'd, I realized for about the millionth time, how much I love Marchesa. Rachel had her eye on this gown for the Oscars (for Cameron or Demi, of course) and they gave it to someone else! I would've been crushed. I have a thing for bows and ruffles (as do Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, who launched the line in 2004) and both abound in these gowns.

Here are some of my favorites from the Spring and Fall 2010 fashion shows (all images from New York Magazine):

I read that the Spring Collection (and this gown in particular) were inspired by Madame Butterfly.

This one is a little bit simpler, but the draping and detail is still amazing.

Bows, Bows, Bows! And black and white, one of my favorite combinations.

Okay, I have to say that this is my absolute favorite. I love how completely over-the-top it is. The color is beautiful. If I could just try this dress on for five minutes, I would be ecstatic.

Such a lovely color.

Another ruffled, frothy concoction - it just evokes pure joy, to me.

More gorgeous ruffles...and beautiful detailing.

I chose a Notte by Marchesa (their lower-priced line) dress to wear to a gala in January. It's probably the prettiest gown I've ever worn and I loved every second of it. I really need to find another event to attend so I can wear it again (and again and again).

Wow, if I'd known I was going to to do this post today, I'd have chosen some more exciting shoes to wear - these aren't quite fancy enough for a Marchesa post, but I guess they are work-appropriate (for once):

Anne Klein Patent Half d'Orsay Pumps (excuse the crazy position I had to twist into to take the pic).

I hope you all have a great (and safe) Labor Day Weekend!

Friday Randomness

2010-08-27T06:30:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday! Who's ready for the weekend? I know I am!

Before I left for Florida, I got my first OPI Axxium Gel manicure. If you haven't heard about it, it's a gel nail polish that's cured under a UV light between coats. It lasts for up to two weeks, no chips - and stays glossy (I hate when the shine wears off of a manicure).

Right after I got the manicure done.

And, two weeks later (yesterday). No chips, still shiny.

I can see the new nail growth of course, but it completely lived up to the promise. I love it! I'll probably go back on Monday for another manicure and choose a different color this time (although I love this one, which is similar to Cajun Shrimp). At my nail salon the Axxium Gel manicure was about twice the price of a regular one, but it lasts (at least) twice as long (and no chips!), so it was more than worth it to me.

In other news, I am now obsessed with Publix. I went several times while in Florida - and I love that place! We don't have one here (although there have been recent rumors that Publix is buying one of our grocery stores - both companies denied the rumors, but who knows?), so I'd never been to one before. Things I was especially crazy about: the sandwiches that they make right there on the spot for you, loaves of homemade sandwich bread (I'm so bringing some of that home when I go back in November), and their sweet tea!

Also, although I've never been a fan of waterproof mascara, I've discovered the one place I'd wear it - the beach! Now you may ask, why are you wearing make-up to the beach anyway (cue "You're So Vain")? Well, some days we'd go out in the morning and go to the beach later on. So because I'd already put on an SPF 50 make-up primer, I'd just leave my make-up on and head out. After getting in the ocean and a few waves later, I had very smeary mascara.

And that SPF 50 make-up primer? Most days I wore that plus Neutrogena Dry Touch SPF 70 - and I still wound up with some freckles on the tops of my cheeks - ugh! While I think they're cute, they're a sign of sun damage, and that's what I hate. But between the ridiculous amount of SPF, large floppy hat, giant sunglasses, and umbrella, I think I did everything I could. I guess I can always have them lasered off later - ha!

I hope you all have a great weekend! I'm leaving you with a couple of short videos of my dolphin swim (they're just a few seconds each) that were taken with my MinoHD video camera, which I posted about here. It does not have a lot of bells and whistles, but it's so small that you can take it everywhere, and that's what I love about it.

Spinning with Maya:

Taking a Ride with Largo:

And, Today's Shoes:

Nine West Printed Fabric Pumps

Best Swim Ever!

2010-08-25T06:30:00.002-05:00

On my trip to Florida I got to do something that I've always wanted to do (Well, ever since I saw Jessica do it on The Newlyweds when she and Nick were in the Bahamas with Drew and Leah Lachey. Moment of silence for Nick and Jessica - does anyone else hold out hope that they'll get back together someday?- Okay, moving on): I got to swim with dolphins!

This is my "dolphin handshake" with Maya, a bottlenose dolphin that was born at Gulf World Marine Park. She's five years old. She is also pictured above in the "dolphin kiss" picture.

And, this is Largo, a rough-toothed dolphin. The trainers are unsure of her age because she was rescued and rehabilitated at Gulf World. This is the only place in North America that has rough-toothed dolphins. They try to re-release them back into the wild, but sometimes they cannot (for various reasons - the example the trainer gave was that some are deaf and can't go back into the wild).

Touching Maya's tail fluke.

I was lucky because there's usually a larger group for each swim, but for some reason on this day and time, there were only two of us that signed up, so we got to do a lot more with the dolphins. They had professional photographers there to capture every moment.

Here we are, waving our fingers like we're conducting a choir, so that Maya would "sing" for us.

Sam, the dolphin trainer, letting me touch Maya's belly.

Then we each got to do some mimicking behaviors with Maya. I got out into the deep part of the pool (15 ft) and spun in circles. And Maya started spinning, too!

More spinning with Maya.

After the spinning, Sam told me to rock the top half of my body from side to side as big as I could in the water. Sweet Maya rocked back and forth with me.

Then we got to interact with Largo for awhile. She was a bit mischievous and kept swimming away from her trainers at the other end of the pool and swimming behind us while we were working with Maya. Here we are waving at Largo and she is waving back at us.

Sam telling us about rough-toothed dolphins and getting to see Largo up close.

I think here Largo is responding to our hand signals and making the dolphin "clicking" sound.

Largo singing for us.

I think this may have been the hand signal for her to "whistle".

Or this one could have been "whistle".

I also got to touch Largo's belly. Rough-toothed dolphins don't have the layer of blubber that bottlenose dolphins have, so I could actually feel Largo's heartbeat, which was very cool.

Then I got to take a ride with Largo! I had to stand in the shallow end, with my right hand resting on the water and look over my right shoulder. Largo swam up and I grabbed hold of her dorsal fin. I fell off the first time, so Sam sent her back around to pick me up again.

She pulled me halfway around the pool and back to the shallow end. It was amazing!

This is my "dolphin hug" from Largo. I was actually holding her up in the water! So sweet!

We twirled our fingers high up in the air and shouted "Go Largo, Go!"

And she did! Look at that jump! I had the time of my life swimming with the dolphins. There are really no words to describe how special it is to get to touch these sweet creatures and look into their eyes. I wish I could've stayed all day! If you ever have the opportunity to do this, you must!

And here's today's shoes:

Lauren Floral Heels

Where I've Been

2010-08-23T06:30:00.005-05:00

Hi Everyone! I've been on vacation this past week. I had a great time in Florida at the beach. Of course it seems like the week flew by and I didn't get nearly enough pictures, but here's a few of the ones that I did take.

Sunset at Inlet Beach

Oscar enjoying the water. It was his first trip to the beach!

Dipping our feet (paws) in.

The view from The Back Porch, one of my favorite restaurants.

Dinner at The Back Porch

Oscar and I. Pardon my hat blowing up like I'm Cap 'n' Crunch. At least my eyebrows aren't on my hat, though.

Oscar investigating the waves the first night.

And he creeps a little closer.

Relaxing on the beach with a book.

Great Southern in Seaside. Waiting on our takeout order at the outdoor bar.

Looking out over some of the shops and restaurants in Seaside.

On the way to Florida, excited about a new adventure.

On the ride home to Tennessee, so tired from all of the sun and fun!

Today's Shoes:

Juicy Couture Cleo Sandals

So that's a "few" of the pictures. Stay tuned for something very cool I did while I was there! I've missed you all and can't wait to get caught up with you!

Team Slater

2010-08-11T12:51:00.001-05:00

Thank you all for suggesting some books and for your advice on the Kindle and other e-readers. I actually went online to check on purchasing the Kindle and the small ones are sold out! I'll have to check back soon. I also think I now want an iPad. Whoops.

I had another post planned, but when I read all about this online, it struck a chord with me and I decided I had to write about it.

If you haven't read, heard, or seen the story about Steven Slater, the Jet Blue flight attendant who had a meltdown at his job yesterday (that may be the understatement of the year), then you can check out a couple of articles here and here.

I think I may be needing one of these t-shirts:

I love the 2 beer bottles in his hand as he bounces down the slide. It can be found here.

Or maybe this one. Found here.

Okay, so apparently taking a beer or two from your employer and activating the emergency slide on the airplane constitutes felony charges these days (he was charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and trespassing), but I can't help but sort of feel all elated inside when I read this story. Maybe it's because I come from an airline family, where my mom was a flight attendant for 19 years (and I've heard several stories about passengers behaving badly). When she started flying, it was back when flight attendants got to wear fashionable uniforms and flying was a privilege for those who could afford such luxuries. Unlike today, where let's face it, it's pretty much akin to boarding a Greyhound Bus. I mean, who honestly doesn't dread flying these days, if only because you know there will be people on your flight (most likely sitting next to you or reclining their seat onto your lap) who act like they've been raised in a barn.

I also think this story resonates with me because as with anyone who's ever worked in customer service, you know what it feels like when people are inexplicably rude and disrespectful, and if you want to keep your job, you just have to put up with it.

In college, I worked at Macy's for several years. I could probably count on one hand the number of really bad customers I had to deal with (this is most likely because I spent most of my time in the men's store and in general, men seem to be a lot nicer when they're shopping than women). But one time a woman flew into a rage because the leather jackets that I was unlocking for her husband to try on had marks on the shoulders from the plastic hangers. Like this was my fault. I was obviously a part-time employee at this store, but to this lady, my twenty-two year old self appeared to be the person running the behemoth that is Federated Department Stores. She even grabbed me by my name tag (which was hanging around my neck) and said, "Don't you work at Macy's? That means that you can fix this." This was after I had repeatedly told her I'd inform my manager of her complaints.

I'm honestly getting a little worked up even writing about this years later (let it go, Anna). The story basically ends with my manager coming and trying to placate this woman, even though he knew I was not at fault. This is one reason why I go out of my way to say "please" and "thank you" to anyone that's helping me. My blood boils when I'm in a store or a restaurant and I hear someone being rude to the sales associates or servers for no reason.

So I've said all of that to say this: I understand why Steven Slater did what he did. I understand how he got to that point. I'm sure we've all had that fantasy of telling someone off at work (this has been the case for at least two of my jobs, current one excluded, of course). Usually though, our reality kicks in and we realize that we probably need this job if we ever want to buy another pair of shoes again, or buy food for our 125-pound ~~small horse~~ dog, and therefore we probably shouldn't tell the offender where they can go and how fast they can get there. But he actually did speak his mind and people are loving it. Who knows what will happen with these charges in the coming weeks - but for now, he brought a smile to a lot of long-suffering employees' faces.

Just a note: One article mentioned that he could've seriously injured someone on the ground by deploying the emergency chute. Of course, if that had happened, this would be an entirely different story. I'm very glad no one was hurt. I am also, of course, not condoning breaking the law (I don't think that even crossed his mind. It seems like he'd had enough and just had to get outta there. And hey, Steve, don't forget the beer on your way out). I just think that it's refreshing to see someone do what so many of us have wanted to do at some point in our lives.

The man of the hour.

I hope you all are having a great Wednesday - and keeping it all under control at work!

Here's Today's Shoes:

BCBG Pamela Wedges in Hazelnut

Tax-Free Weekend and Some Summer Reading

2010-08-09T06:30:00.002-05:00

Well, this weekend was tax-free weekend in Tennessee. I foolishly thought it would be fun to go shopping, check out the sales, and save some money by not having to pay taxes on my purchases (the regular sales tax where I live is 9.25%). When I told him my plan, my dad pointed out that it would not do me any good to go shopping on this day. When I asked why, he said, "Because you won't buy anything under a hundred dollars." Haha. (In case you don't know, clothes are tax-free as long as each item is under $100). Actually I found a few things on sale and everything was well under the $100 limit.

So I did save some money, even if I had to fight through a crowd of people who had most likely driven in from all over the tri-state area for some back-to-school shopping. It was like Christmas shopping (which I love), but without the Christmas spirit. Not good. After that, I couldn't even face Target on Sunday for my weekly trip once I saw the parking lot.

I also spent some time reading this weekend, which I love. During the week, I read a lot at work (who knew?) and when I get home my eyes (and me) are usually too tired to read anymore. But, I have some time off work coming up, so I'm looking for some new books to add to my list.

I'm currently reading this book by James Patterson:

It's such a page-turner (like all of his books). I'm having a hard time putting it down and will probably be up late finishing it. For some reason, I always like the books he co-authors with other writers the best. That's not insulting to James Patterson at all, is it? Good thing he probably only reads my blog every once in awhile.

Here are some other books on my list to pick up at the bookstore. Have any of you read any of these?

I read another book by Carl Hiaasen in a Crime Fiction class in college, but this one is supposed to be pretty funny. The main character is a pop star named Cherry Pye. Sounds cheesy, but it's getting really good reviews.

I keep seeing this at the book store. I almost bought it at Costco this weekend, but the line was too long to wait in for just a couple of books. We are talking twelve people in each line (waiting with their carts full of five gallon drums of ketchup and twin-packs of vacuum cleaners, while munching on churros from the snack bar - I love that place, seriously) in the three lanes they had open 30 minutes before the store closed. I'm still unsure about what a churro is, exactly, but I think it's some sort of cinammon breadstick.

I keep hearing about this book everywhere - at work, in the blog world. It sounds quite interesting.

And this one. I think it's the only Shopaholic book I have not yet read.

I am now on book four of the Sookie Stackhouse series. I took a break to read some other books, but I'll be starting on this one soon.

Of course, since I've been on Amazon reading about new books, I've been reading more about the Kindle. I've considered getting one before (but I do love the feeling of holding an actual book in my hands - weird, I know). It would be so convenient though, when I read or hear about a new book to be able to download it right away. And how great would it be to be able to carry 3500 books around with me at all times (because we all need that apparently)?! Does anyone have one? What do you think?

Has anyone read any great books this summer? Do you have any recommendations for me to add to my ever-growing list?

Here's Today's Shoes:

Stuart Weitzman Brass Mordore Sandals

Hope you all have a great Monday!

This Week (So Far)

2010-08-04T06:30:00.005-05:00

I hope you're all having a good week! I thought I'd share a little of what my week has been like so far and a couple of things I'm liking this week.

This weekend I discovered these at Target:

Mountain Dew Throwback

Pepsi Throwback

These are made with real sugar (not high fructose corn syrup), just like they were back in the old days (whenever that was). I'm not sure when the drink companies all started using high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar, but I do know that I had to try them.

I love trying different drinks - different soda-type drinks, flavored water, juice drinks (hence the Jack La Lanne Juicer and an unfortunate cucumber-carrot concoction, which I don't even like to think about). So, I saw these and was immediately fascinated.

I can tell you that both of these were really delicious (okay, maybe I'm over-selling it, they are just soda - or "cokes" as we southerners call every carbonated drink - but still really good). I don't know why the real sugar makes a difference, but it does. Sometimes Mountain Dew has a bit of an aftertaste to me, but not so with the Throwback. I really liked the Pepsi Throwback, too.

These are only out for a limited time, so you should definitely pick up a bottle and see what you think. I've also heard that in honor of the anniversary of Dr. Pepper there will be a version of that drink made with real sugar - and I really love Dr. Pepper, so I can't wait (it's the small things, people)!

In other news, it has been a wee bit toasty here lately. Add to that the A/C quit working in 5 of the offices in our building yesterday - and guess who belongs to one of those un-air-conditioned offices? That's right. I can't seem to get air conditioning anywhere lately! And if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I often talk (complain) how frigid it is in my office, so much so that I had to turn my space heater on last week.

Be careful what you wish for. That's all I'm saying. Because on a day when the heat index is hovering around 118, you would give anything to be working in that frozen tundra. Luckily, I have an awesome fan and the hallway is still air-conditioned (for some reason), so it's not too bad. They're supposed to be sending someone to fix it tomorrow. I'll be holding my breath.

And, I had to take Oscar to the vet on Monday because his ears were infected (seasonal allergies). He got all fixed up with some medicine and is doing great. I asked the vet tech if she would clip his nails (he hates it when I do it) and she asked if she needed to muzzle him (what?!). Apparently there is a pop-up note in his computer file that says he does not like his nails clipped and to proceed with caution if you encounter him because he is armed and dangerous. Or something like that. Can you imagine? I found this hilarious and told him he was such a baddie that he had a demerit in his file. He was a perfect angel when they clipped his nails (even if they did put him in a headlock), so I was proud of him.

And, here's Today's Shoes:

Gucci "Babylon" flats in New Orange

Have a great Wednesday! We're halfway through the week!

My (Hot) Weekend

2010-08-02T00:37:00.001-05:00

This weekend, I went to a law school friend's wedding (she of the crazy bridesmaid dresses). I chose to wear the BCBG dress that I absolutely loved - mainly because those amazing Louboutin's did not fit. I don't understand it. I ordered the same size as my two other pair, and these felt terrible. My toes were sliding out of the peep toe and they just felt too tight around the top of my foot. So, sadly, back to Neiman's they will be going this week.

I tried to get a couple of good pictures of my dress:

Close-up of the top. I love the one-shoulder chiffon tied in a bow.

Full-length picture. The dress originally had pick-ups in the skirt, but they were just tacked down and came right out once the threads were cut. I like the skirt much better hanging straight down, and removing the pick-ups also made it a little longer, which was a plus.

I actually took this one after I got home. I was trying to get a good picture of the jewelry I wore (and then realized my earrings aren't even visible in the photo), so please don't mind how "wilted" I look.

Me and my friend Christy, who was a bridesmaid. Here it is...the infamous bridesmaid dress! I thought the way her dress was styled looked good - and a lot better than the rest, but she said it was a nightmare to re-create while they were all getting ready. And if you look closely, you can see that it was difficult to get the material evenly proportioned on each side.

I got a few pictures of the wedding and reception:

The front of the room where the wedding party stood. I'll be honest, I was kind of disappointed in the lack of flowers.

The chairs for the ceremony.

The reception, which was upstairs in the same building.

The buffet.

The centerpieces - white hydrangeas and candles.

The cake.

I did not stay very long at the reception. The building that they chose to have their wedding and reception in did not have air conditioning. Yes, there were a few ceiling fans and a couple of those giant industrial fans running, but it did little to help cool the air. An un-air-conditioned building in downtown Memphis during the hottest part of the summer was maybe not the best choice. Oh, did I mention the heat index that day was supposed to be around 110?

At first, I thought the air-conditioning had just broken, but later found out that the bride and groom chose this place knowing that it did not have air-conditioning. And they thought that people were going to stay there for four hours, until they departed in their college mascot's football-helmet-shaped golf-cart (that's a mouthful, but it was a giant football helmet that apparently had a golf cart underneath it). I, for one did not make it past one hour. (Okay, perhaps if there had been just one eligible bachelor there, I might've toughed it out a little longer, but only if he was really good-looking. And if he agreed to fan me with my wedding program).

I know I'm being a little hard on them, and except for fact that they almost cooked all of their guests, I'm glad that they had the wedding they wanted. Just because it wasn't what I would've chosen, it was perfect for the two of them and definitely incorporated their love of their college's sports teams. And that's what matters - that they had the best day they could imagine.

So, after roasting at the reception, I decided that a nice air-conditioned movie theater would be a great place to spend the rest of the night. I had been wanting to see Salt with Angelina Jolie. I'm not really an Angelina fan, but I do like her in action movies and I really think that's what she does best. In case you haven't heard about it, she plays a CIA agent named Evelyn Salt, who is accused of being a double-agent for the Russians. Salt goes on the run, trying to prove her innocence and avoid being captured by U.S. agents.

While the movie had some crazy, unbelievable action sequences (but what modern action movie doesn't?), overall it was enjoyably entertaining and suspenseful.

How was everyone's weekend? Did you have a good one?

Here's Saturday's Shoes:

Nina "Garnet" Black Luster Satin

The Journey

2010-07-30T07:38:00.000-05:00

No one knows the number of days his or her journey will last. We are unaware when we wake up in the morning what that day will hold. In one moment, our life could change completely. Therefore, we must live each day with purpose and the presence of mind that in the realm of eternity, our time here is short. Yet in this brief time, we also have the opportunity to make an impact that is much greater than what we offer through our physical life. We are not here to live our lives simply for ourselves, but rather to serve others and with the hope that our life can be used for a greater purpose.

- From The Journey by Kevin Buchanan

This past weekend I received a very special book in the mail. It was written by one of my dearest friends, Kevin. I mentioned him on my blog last summer when he visited me, and even though he lives in Nashville (about 3 hours away) and we don't get to see each other very often, every time we talk, I feel as though no time has passed at all.

We became friends a little more than 6 years ago. We met through a mutual friend and we would all hang out together on weekends when Kevin would come to Memphis from Jackson, TN where he was living (about 45 minutes away).

Kevin and I, August 2009. I think we are trying to conceal the evidence of the chocolate chip cheesecake we'd just finished.

I could talk about any number of escapades we all experienced way back when. Late nights out on the town, movies, coffee, drinks, clubs, karaoke - all the usual suspects.

Or I could talk about the time we all decided to go see one of the classic films of all time, Euro Trip, in the small city of Jackson, TN on the same night that The Passion of The Christ opened. Every church group in town was there, the line was wrapped around the building, and we had to bypass the entire line to get into our theater. We even felt the need to tell the people in line that we were not breaking in line, we weren't seeing The Passion of The Christ, and that we were seeing Euro Trip instead. I could practically feel the neon "Sinner" signs blinking above our heads. In our defense, we just wanted to see a funny movie that would make us laugh.

There's another story, which will eventually bring me to the point of this post. Once when I met up with Kevin and another friend, I was told we were going to go downtown to the New York Suit Exchange. None of us had ever been there, so we had no idea what to expect. We walked in and there was literally floor to ceiling brightly-colored suits. No navy, gray, or black in sight. Lime green, orange, violet - seriously you name it, they had it. This is one of those places that if you buy a suit, they throw in another suit, 5 shirts, 5 ties, 12 pair of socks, 3 belts, 10 pair of underwear, 4 sets of cuff links, and a Ford Focus. We all backed slowly out of the store before we were attacked by the polyesters. (Note: I just looked online and all they have is perfectly normal suits! What did they do, ship all of their experimental colors and styles to Memphis?).

Okay, I may have exaggerated, but only slightly.

At the time, I think we all thought that store was pretty funny. The reason we were even at the store in the first place was not. We were there to help Kevin find a suit to wear to his dad's funeral. During all of these crazy times that we shared, Kevin was dealing with something at home that I still can't wrap my mind around. His father had an inoperable brain tumor.

This was something that was easy for me to forget. Not because back then I was caught up in trying to get through law school without having a breakdown, and seeing cinematic masterpieces (which is true), but because Kevin was (and still is) such a fun, positive, and hilarious person to be around that I would always forget what he was going through.

I had only known Kevin for a few months when his dad went to Heaven. It's been six years since then, and Kevin has published a book about his dad's life, called The Journey.

This book is one of the good ones. I laughed (I told you he was funny) and I teared up. I didn't feel sad at the end however, because I think there is such an uplifting and inspiring message to be gleaned from his book. I know one of the reasons I loved this book is because one of my best friends wrote it. I can actually hear his voice narrating it as I read it - and when I would read childhood stories about him, I would think to myself, "Yep, that is so Kevin." But I really do think that it has a message for everyone. It is the story of a man who "lived an extraordinary life in ordinary circumstances".

Kevin published this book himself and is selling it on his own right now. The price is $15.00, with a portion of the proceeds going to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one of his dad's favorite charities (It's also one of mine and you can read more about it by clicking the link on my sidebar).

If you would like a copy, please email Kevin at thejourneybook(at)gmail.com. You can also visit his blog at Living Out My Journey (also on my sidebar).

Another reason for this book is to show how Dad was no different than anyone else...Dad was not a super human. He was not given extraordinary talents, nor did he experience great fame or wealth...Dad knew the secret to life. There is a balance between pursuing our own passions and goals and using our lives to serve others and make the world a better place. We are all capable of experiencing the good life. Dad made the choice to do so."

-From The Journey by Kevin Buchanan

...my

goals in writing this book were two-fold. One was to capture the memories and experiences of my dad to share with my family and also to give those who did not know him a glimpse into what his life was like. The second reason was simply to encourage all who read this book to truly live life to the fullest - to see the incredible things that life has to offer and understand that no matter what your place is in life, that you were created for a purpose...those who yearn for more know that an amazing life is out there and instead of waiting for it, we must choose to live it now. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future. This is God's desire for all of us. We must simply believe.

-From The Journey by Kevin Buchanan

Isn't this what we all desire? To live "the good life", whatever we envision that to be for ourselves? To live a life of purpose and experience all of the great things life has to offer? To do our best to help and uplift others at every opportunity? I guarantee you will be inspired by Kevin's book to live each day to the fullest and be grateful for each day of your own journey.

Here's Today's Shoes:

BCBG Maddox "Brite" Flip Flops

The Falsies - A Review

2010-07-28T06:35:00.004-05:00

First, you may or may not have noticed, but I now have my own domain name here at Southern Champagne Wishes! I'm crazily excited about this. It was actually a lot of fun to register my domain name and Blogger even had a video that made it super-easy for someone like me, who knows just enough about computers and the Internet to be dangerous. I had no idea it would be so simple and inexpensive to do. So welcome to my new domain!

I also want to thank everyone for weighing in on the shoe versus dress "dilemma" yesterday. I always love it when I read blogs where the author is asking for advice on such things and I love getting opinions from my readers. It seems like there was an overwhelming vote for the shoes (and as my friend Amy from Just Add Walter stated, you all do know me so well - I am a shoe girl at heart). So, I'll let y'all know (and see) the final look this weekend.

Sunday afternoon I bought some of the Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express at Target. I had seen a commercial for it and thought I'd try it. The shade I purchased is "Blackest Black". There is also "Very Black" and "Brownish Black". That night both on Twitter and in the blog world, I started seeing people talking about it. I waited to try mine until Monday morning so that I could wear it to work and see how it held up. I've worn it the past two days all day. I wear contacts and there was no irritation and no flaking.

I really like the shape of this brush and though it took a little getting used to, I think it's very effective at coating all of the lashes without clumping. You place the curved side against your lashes and sweep from side to side as you move from the root to the tip. You also cannot let this mascara dry between coats (I learned this the hard way on Monday - clumpsville). So while you have to go slow enough to sweep and cover all of the lashes, you also have to move fairly quickly in order to get 2 or 3 coats on before it dries.

I also really love the pretty purple tube with the turquoise writing, but this is not, of course, a reason to try this mascara. Or not the only reason, anyway.

Now, the real question is: Will your lashes look like this?

No, absolutely not. That is, unless your lashes have already been Latisse-d and look like this pre-mascara application. None of my coworkers asked if my lashes were fake when I wore it (and trust me, they will say anything to anyone), which I'm kind of okay with, since I try to keep my interactions with most of them to a minimum for my own sanity. However, I do think this is a great mascara for lengthening and adding volume. I have used tons of mascaras and have several favorites: DiorShow Black Out, YSL Singulier, Fiberwig (weird name, it's Japanese and can be found at Sephora), and most recently, Maybelline's Volum' Express the Colossal Mascara. Even though they're all great, I'm always on the lookout for the next new product.

I think that the Falsies is slightly better than the Colossal, so if you're a fan of the Colossal, you should definitely give the Falsies a try. The thing I love about great drugstore finds is that it's not a huge investment to try them out.

And, if any of you do go out and get some, I'd love to hear your opinion!

Here's Today's Shoes:

Juicy Couture "Adore" ballet flats in Cobalt

Someone else just had to get their foot in the picture as well!

Have a great Wednesday!

Which To Choose? The Dress Or The Shoes?

2010-07-26T06:30:00.001-05:00

I hope that you all had a great weekend! Mine seemed to fly by - I can't believe it's Monday already.

I've been thinking a lot about getting a small video camera, one that I can take in my purse whenever I want, and that I can also use to make a vlog.

So I spent some time on Friday researching and decided to get a FlipVideo MinoHD camcorder.

This camcorder is smaller than my phone and my Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot. And when you're ready to upload your videos, all you have to do is press a button and the USB drive pops out of the top. You then just plug it into your computer. It comes pre-loaded with the software you need, a wrist strap, and a soft carrying case.

I've only practiced with it a little bit, taking a couple videos of Oscar (he was not amused), so once I get the hang of it and can locate my tri-pod, I plan to do a vlog or two (oh, heaven help us). I already have a couple of possible topics in mind. Let me know if you have any ideas!

After that excitement, pretty much the rest of my weekend was spent running errands and shopping for a dress to wear to my friend's wedding coming up this Saturday.

(side note: I don't know what has become of the malls in this town, but I couldn't believe some of the sights I saw there - 4 year old twin boys with both ears pierced, wearing hoop earrings; a woman wearing a tan spaghetti strap tank top with a purple racer-back bra, most of which was visible to all in line at Sarku; and let's not forget the women in the fitting room a few doors down, who tried to come into my fitting room even though there were 10 more that were open, and spent most of their time yelling out into the main store where their friend was waiting-apparently on the edge of her seat- for them to come out and model the t-shirts they were trying on).

Anyway, I don't mind being a little over-dressed, but if you read my post about the matte-jersey-wearing bridesmaids, then you will also know that I don't exactly have to be in formal attire, either.

So, I have two different looks in mind. One has a fun, flirty dress as the centerpiece and the other a fantastic pair of shoes. What do y'all think?

The first option is this lovely BCBG dress that I found at Dillard's. I tried on tons of other things, but nothing else compared:

The little pick-ups are barely tacked down every few inches, so they will be taken out, and the dress will just hang straight from the waist.

It's much cuter in person!

So, I did a little Polyvore for this look (Don't you love the Dom?):

Wedding Guest Option 2 by Southern Champagne Wishes featuring J by Jasper Conran bags

While I love the dress, I'll still need to pick up a pair of shoes and a bag. I do think I'll wear the dress again, but the next event that comes to mind is the opera in October. Obviously the occasions for wearing this are limited.

The second option centers around these lovelies that are hopefully en route to me as you're reading this:

Christian Louboutin Tortoise Patent Pump

These shoes I would pair with a sleeveless straight black crepe dress, similar to the one below and add some accessories. The good part about this one? I already have everything I need and I can wear these shoes to work, out on the town, anywhere really. I'll get a lot of use out of them.

Here's the Polyvore for this look:

Wedding Guest by Southern Champagne Wishes featuring Chanel bags

So, what do y'all think? Do I go with the fun party dress or the shoes that make me practically purr? Whichever one I don't choose is being returned. I'd love some opinions!

I hope you have a great start to your week!

And, here's Today's Shoes:

Miss Trish for Target White Seahorse Sandals

Friday Gems

2010-07-23T06:30:00.005-05:00

Happy Friday! Is everyone ready for the weekend? I am!

In my jewelry armoire post, I had a comment by Heather from Grace 303, suggesting that I try Ross Simons. I had never heard of it before and immediately Googled the website. Well, I didn't find an armoire, but I did find a huge selection of estate jewelry.

This means one thing to me: the possibility for some fabulous antique jewelry. And I was not disappointed! Where has this place been all my life?! (Thanks, Heather!). Take a look at some of my favorites. I could have online window-shopped for hours!

1910 Edwardian Diamond Necklace in 18k white gold. Love, love, love!

1910 Edwardian Sapphire and Diamond Necklace in 18k white gold. Another beauty.

1900 Victorian Diamond, Ruby, and Pearl Necklace in platinum and 18k yellow gold. I have a necklace from Banana Republic that is a much smaller, scaled-down version of this.

1950 Diamond Necklace. It can also be switched around and worn as a bracelet.

1890 Diamond Bracelet in platinum and 14k yellow gold.

1960 Art Deco Style Emerald and Diamond Bracelet in platinum. I adore art deco style jewelry. This is one of my favorites.

1980 Mikimoto Pearl Spray Pin in 18k yellow gold. I almost scanned right past this because 1980 isn't quite "old" enough for me. But then the "Mikimoto" caught my eye. Mikimoto makes the most beautiful pearl jewelry!

1950 Diamond Spray Swirl Pin in platinum.

1950 Diamond Ribbon Pin with Sapphire in platinum. If I could have my pick of any of these pieces, it would be this one. It's true that someone may not wear it as a brooch that often. But, it could also be worn on a chain as a pendant or clipped into your hair for a special occasion, like this lovely lady has done:

Okay, so I wouldn't wear it exactly like this because I'd look like I was making a return to the '80s. But you get the idea.

Well, that's it for my Friday eye-candy. What does everyone have planned this weekend? I would love to go to a movie and shop for a dress to wear to an upcoming wedding (yes - the one with the unique bridesmaid's dresses).

Have a great weekend!

Here's Today's Shoes:

Stuart Weitzman "Bolshoi" ballet flats in Gold (These pop up on sites like BlueFly from time to time, but I can't find my size. If you see some, you should snatch them up. They are one of the most comfortable pair I own.)

10 (Random) Things You Don't Know About Me

2010-07-21T12:27:00.003-05:00

Hello all! Happy Wednesday! I want to thank Kate at Southern Belle Simple for this fabulous award. Go check out her blog. It's a new favorite of mine!

I'm supposed to list 10 things about myself. It's hard to remember all of the things I've told about myself so far, but I do have some new readers since I last did an awards post, so perhaps it won't be too boring even if I forget and repeat things.

I love, love, love last names for first names. I already have two family names picked out for my future children - one for a boy (my maternal grandmother's maiden name) and one for a girl (my paternal grandmother's maiden name).
I have a thing for German cars. In all fairness, the only other car I've owned was Japanese (a Honda) and nothing ever went wrong with it. At all. It was a great car. There's just something about the Germans, though. They really know their way around an automobile.

The G-Wagon. Loves it. Known as the "Wolf" by the German military. (This is not my car, I just have a fascination with it. Mine can be seen here).

If you've been here very long, you'll know that I. Love. Shoes. Except for the occasional wedge, I am all about extremes. I like a tall, skinny heel or a ballet flat. No in-between.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I see someone at a restaurant (especially a nice restaurant) holding their fork like it's a dagger while they're cutting their steak. Not cool, people. It's already dead, you don't have to hold it in place as though it might crawl away at any moment. It really makes me want to stab them with my own fork.

You know on Say Yes To The Dress when the sales associates always ask the client, "What do you want to look like on your wedding day?" And the woman almost always answers, "A princess." Well, I don't want to look like a princess, I want to look like the princess - Princess Grace, that is. I love her wedding dress. I also love Ivanka Trump's wedding dress, which I posted about here, that was inspired by Grace Kelly's wedding dress. Everyone always says that their style icons are people like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. But they really are mine. They always looked so elegant and tasteful. They had a classic (yet modern) style, but they weren't head-to-toe trend monsters like so many celebrities are today.

One of my friends recently saw Gone With the Wind for the first time and told me that the characters reminded her of me - that I'm a southern belle. This was a huge compliment to me, especially because we southerners want to be as southern as possible and because I dressed up like Scarlett O'Hara for Halloween in high school. (So, Karla, if you're reading this, thank you - that made my night).

I always love the somewhat "dorky" celebrity men: Adam Brody (The O.C.), John Krasinski (The Office - why'd he have to go and get married?), and...wait for it - Conan O'Brien. Yep. It's true.

I got my hair cut yesterday and my stylist wants to give me bangs. That would be okay, if they turn out like this:

Zooey Deschanel

but not okay if it looks like this (what I think he envisions):

Sorry, Mary Alice, love you on Ace of Cakes. But the hair? Not so much.

Two of my favorite stories are Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. You can imagine why I love Twilight so much - Stephenie Meyer weaves in quotes from both in Twilight. All three are about two people who never should have fallen in love. Only one has a happy ending.

I heard Garth Brooks' "Ain't Goin' Down Till The Sun Comes Up" on my way home from work yesterday, and it instantly took me back to Band Camp. That's right. The guys would haul a giant speaker down to the girl's floor every morning and blast that song as a wake-up call. At 6 AM. At our Christian school's band camp. Which, if you think about it, is a little inappropriate. But hey, we loved us some Garth back in the day. Oh, who am I kidding? Still do.

Okay, so since I'm not sure who has and hasn't gotten this award, I'd like to give it to all of my readers who would like to play along!

Hope you all have a great day!

Here's Today's Shoes:

Sigerson Morrison "Argento" Sandals

If You Want To Torture Your Bridesmaids...

2010-07-19T06:30:00.010-05:00

Then please, by all means, put them in one of these beauties. Because nothing says "wedding" like matte jersey. A friend from law school is getting married in a couple of weeks and one of my other friends is going to be a bridesmaid. She asked me to come over on Saturday and help her figure out a way to wear this dress.

I could go on and on about the horror that we experienced. My friend said that the bride thought (what else?) that they could all wear them again and that it was a pretty inexpensive dress ($150 for a skirt with two long strips of fabric attached does not seem inexpensive to me). And let's not forget this color - and this is exactly what it looks like in person.

This material is heavy, especially once it's been wound around you a few times, it only comes in one length and the sizes are small, medium, and large. My friend is petite, so she had to pull the skirt up, amost empire-style. And last but not least, there's no way to wear a bra with any of these styles (except for the version of the dress that's strapless), so it looks like she'll have to get one of those self-adhesive kind.

As you can see, there are multiple ways to wear the "twist dress", none of them good. When I first heard about it, I knew it would be bad. When I saw it in person and actually had to work with it, it was much, much worse. It took us an hour and a half just to get a couple of styles to look good (and we had to modify the ones pictured).

If you have a chance, go here and watch the "instructional video". I almost fell on the floor when the voice-over said that you could wear the dress the second way for more coverage, and then the model turns to the side and almost nothing is left to the imagination. Whoa. Is that really where you want your guests' attention focused at your wedding?! All eyes should be on the bride - not on the bridesmaids who are about to give everyone a free show.

Here's Today's Shoes (Sunday's shoes, since I'm writing this late at night):

Calvin Klein "Dellah" Black Patent Flip-Flops

I hope you all have a great Monday!

The Hunt Is On...

2010-07-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

For something to hold all of this:

As embarrassed as I am to show y'all the state of my jewelry, I'm going to for the sake of this post. All of the chunky necklaces and cuffs have taken over the entire top drawer of my bureau.

I have this small jewelry chest, but it's obviously not doing the job.

And, I still have different pieces strewn across the top of my bureau because I've run out of room:

So, I am in desperate need of a jewelry armoire, so that my clothes can reclaim their rightful place in my bureau and I'm not frantically pawing through my drawer in the morning trying to find a certain piece.

I've been looking for awhile, ever since Christmas actually, when I saw a few at JC Penney (yes, I troll all of the mall stores at Christmas time - I have no discrimination) that were possibilities. I went back a few weeks ago and they had this lovely walnut one which I really liked (mainly because of the bonus full-length mirror) except for one thing.

See the small drawers inside? The front parts of all of them were either loose or actually HANGING OFF! A majority of the necklace hooks had broken, the earring holders had come completely off - you get the picture. Basically I was afraid to stand too close to the thing for fear of it collapsing on top of me - with the mirror shattering everywhere (seven years bad luck!).

So, needless to say, I decided not to get it. I mean, if the empty display looks like a pack of wild dogs came by and ripped it to shreds, then I don't think it's going to hold up well with actual jewelry in it, especially the "statement" (heavy) costume jewelry that I can't seem to get enough of. More likely it was just "Made in China" and a customer had the nerve to actually open the door to look at the inside, breathed too hard, and things started popping off. But I digress. More on my feelings for all things "Made in China" in a later post.

So I decided to look online for an armoire. There's a place called the Armoire Superstore (or something), that gathers up armoires from different stores and sells them from one place. Here's a few armoires (I've said that word so many times in my head by now, that I'm at the point of not being able to pronounce it correctly ever again) that I found:

I like this one - the info said that it was "faux cherry" I believe, which is questionable, but it matches the color of my furniture.

Even though it's lighter than I would normally like, I love the hand painting and it's similar to a country-French bachelor's chest that I have.

Can we please discuss this? At over $1500, it was the most expensive armoire that I saw. Yes, it's handmade, no two are alike, etc, but it's just a little too rustic for me. I feel like this is what it would look like if I tried to make an armoire myself (okay, mine wouldn't even look this good because I would've given up halfway through and gone for ice cream, but still). Maybe it's just me. Do y'all like this?

And then this one. It's definitely my favorite, and though not as much as the "crafty" one above, it's on the expensive side. It's hard to tell, but it has some gold leaf on the feet and the drawer pulls are crystal knobs. Very pretty and much larger than some of the others. Which is another problem - it may take up too much space. I may have to go out this weekend to some furniture stores and look around for other possibilities.

Do any of you have a jewelry armoire that you love? Do you know any other places to look for one?

Here's Today's Shoes:

Jimmy Choo Glitter Ballet Flats in "Sand"

Hope you all have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

Ummm...how cute is Clive the mini pig in his red wellies? He's wearing boots originally made for a Paddington Bear stuffed animal. How appropriate for a wee British pig! I would love to have a mini pig - but I wonder what Oscar would think.

(Image from People Pets)

And now that you've seen Clive's shoes, here's mine for today:

Christian Louboutin Simple 100's in black

Update: The Tunica Humane Society is holding steady around number 45 in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Thank you all for voting! Voting does not end until July 31, so please click on the link on my sidebar and vote often (you can vote for this project once per day). They just need to make it into the top 10 in order to receive a $50,000 grant that will help them build their no-kill indoor shelter (right now the animals are housed outside). Thank you!

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-07-12T00:01:00.004-05:00

I hope you all had a great weekend! They go by soooo quickly! I have not really taken any vacation time yet this summer - I saved it all for August, so I'm looking forward to that.

This weekend, I read a book, saw a movie, and picked up a few things that I needed.

I read The Faculty Club by Danny Tobey. This book is a little reminiscent of The Skulls (and who didn't love that movie - Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker - two of my very favorites). Actually, I'd really like to see that movie again - it's been a long time.

But back to the book - The main character, Jeremy Davis, is a first-year law student at a super-exclusive law school in the northeast. He discovers that he is one of four students being considered for three openings in the mysterious club, the V&D. If he gets in, no door will remain closed to him - ever. He will join an elite group of former Supreme Court Justices and Presidents. I don't want to say too much more because this is a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning pages late into the night until I was finished. It has some crazy twists and turns and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good mystery and suspense novel.

I also saw Grown Ups this weekend. It was lighthearted and funny - which is sometimes exactly what you want in a movie -to be entertained and laugh for a couple of hours. This movie delivered on that front - Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider - what more could you ask for in a comedy? They are childhood friends who come back together for a weekend to remember their former basketball coach. You will laugh out loud at this movie. Has anyone seen it?

In other news, I had to get a new lunch bag this weekend and after much searching, I found this one at Dillards. I think the leopard print is pretty cute and hopefully it will be a good size for work lunches.

Also I picked up a refill of my favorite Chanel eyeshadow in Khaki and my favorite Chanel lipstick in Lipari. Chanel's Aqualumiere formula of lipstick is my absolute favorite. It's moisturizing and glossy, but will last for hours. Their eyeshadow is amazing. It has the some of the richest pigments that I've found and it also has great staying-power.

I also read online about the Yes To Carrots lip tint. I got the one in Coral Sunshine, but there were several colors to choose from. Have any of you tried this or any of the Yes To Carrots products? They're organic and most of their lip products were even certified by the USDA (since you end up consuming a lot of the lipstick you wear). Pretty cool.

And finally, for dinner on Sunday, I got a pizza from Mellow Mushroom. Our has only been open for a few months, and it is always crazy-busy and extremely loud in there, so the couple of times I've been, I've gotten food to go.

See? Very busy inside that night. I think what I really love about their pizza is the crust. The box says the crust is made with spring water - maybe that makes the difference? Do any of you like Mellow Mushroom?

Oh - I almost forgot! I finally broke down this weekend and got one! Bed, Bath and Beyond had them for 20% off - in case anyone else is looking to purchase this lovely little gadget:

The Jack LaLanne Juicer! I will let y'all know how my juicing goes this week. It came with a fab recipe book that I can't wait to try out. For now, I bought a big bag of oranges at the grocery store to start with some fresh-squeezed orange juice - my favorite!

Here's my Shoes of the Day:

Antonio Melani Candace Sandals in "Cloud"

I hope you all have a great Monday! I can't wait to catch up with your blogs and see what you've been up to this weekend.

(Five) Things I Love Thursday

2010-07-08T00:32:00.001-05:00

Here's a few things I'm obsessed with this week:

#1 The Jack LaLanne Power Juicer. Okay, my obsession with this gadget is starting to border on ridiculous. Whenever I'm in a store and spot one, I make a beeline over there and start examining it like I've never seen one before. I honestly don't know why I haven't bought one yet. I need to. I'm going to. And when I do, y'all are probably going to be sick of my posts about my latest juice concoctions.

How did this start? Well, I'm a bit of night owl and I happened to see the infomercial for this product late one night. I was fascinated. So I'm watching Jack LaLanne (he's like 90 now, I think), his wife, and the lady doing the infomercial mixing up these delicious juice blends. And they're literally dropping whole pieces of fruit and vegetables into the juicer. Just putting an entire apple in there. Or carrot. Or tomato. And fresh juice comes right out of the spout into your glass. Go ahead, watch the infomercial. I dare you to and not want one!

#2: Tori Spelling's newest book: uncharted terriTORI. Okay, so I'm guilty of also reading Tori's other two books, so why not this one? A lot of what she discusses in the book we actually saw on Tori & Dean this season (oh, yeah, I watch the show, too), but there are several incidents that were not taped for the show. I think there are some very touching moments. And, although Tori does some things that are so foreign to me - like calling in a voodoo priestess (never! - Mama Lola sounds scary) and consulting a past life worker (ummm okay), the bottom line is that a lot of her experiences and fears ring true for everyone. She kind of just puts it all out there and I love that. It's definitely worth the read and a great summer book!

#3: Prepared "lunches" from the local grocery store. I have no pictures (and y'all know how I feel like I need lots of photos in my posts), but the past 2 weeks I've been going to my local grocery store on Sunday night and stocking up for the week. I never know what will be there in the refrigerated case, but I've gotten spinach salad with cranberries, walnuts, and bleu cheese crumbles with balsamic vinaigrette dressing; corn dogs (okay - I didn't say everything was healthy, just that it was freshly prepared); and cheese manicotti. I've seen other salads and wraps there. I'm excited to try more. I work in an area where there's not a lot of food options (besides fast food - not my fave). Also, my schedule is kind of crazy, and I don't always have time to leave. So, these are perfect little lunch items and a nice change from the soup or sandwich that I usually bring from home.

#4: Jersey Couture. I am hopelessly addicted to this show. I love the way they talk, the hair, the make-up, their clothes. I love that the entire family works in the store together. Most of all, I get very excited to see them whip out all of the different gowns for customers to try on. I may not like all of them, but there's always something I've never seen before. And Kimberly, Diane, and Chrissy are so loud and bubbly with their customers - how fun would it be to make a visit to Diane & Company?

#5: If you've made it through all of the juicer/beach reading/fluffy reality tv/lunch nonsense, here's the one that really matters the most. If you've heard of the Pepsi Refresh Project, then you know that different groups across America have submitted grant requests for their organizations that are making America a better place. One of these groups is something that is very close to my heart. The Tunica Humane Society is in the running to be awarded a grant from Pepsi of $50,000 in order to build their no-kill shelter. Right now, they have an outdoor shelter housing their dogs, but it would be wonderful for them to be able to build an actual facility where these animals would be able to live comfortably rain or shine. Tunica County is in Missisippi, about a 30-45 minute drive from where I live.

Also, most cities have Humane Societies, but if you're not familiar, as far as I know, these organizations are run entirely from private donations and charitable giving. They do not receive any state funding. Humane Societies are known for being no-kill shelters. So any dog or cat they take in that doesn't get adopted, is able to live at the humane society and be cared for by loving volunteers for the rest of their life. I love that. I'm often trolling the Memphis & Shelby County Humane Society website, wondering if Oscar needs a brother or sister, and while I hate to see so many animals without homes, it makes me happy to know how many loving volunteers there are to care for them at the Humane Society. I think all the time about volunteering there, but we all know how that would end up - bringing home all of the adorable monsters I could get my hands on!

So, if you could take a few minutes out of your day and log on and vote for this idea, it would be wonderful. Right now they're fluctuating around #50-52. The top 10 ideas with the highest votes will each be awarded a $50,000 grant. I know they can make it to the top 10!

I'm going to post the widget below on my sidebar as well. You can vote up to 10 times per day and I know that so many of you out there are animal lovers and would love to help. Thank you in advance!

And finally, Today's Shoes:

Lauren Silver Shantung "Cecelia" Wedges

Hope You All Had a Great 4th of July!!

2010-07-05T09:30:00.001-05:00

My 4th of July weekend started off with a trip to the Farmer's Market. I hadn't been since last summer, and it has really grown. There were a lot more vendors there, with a huge variety of produce.

Probably one of my favorite summer treats - fresh corn. Love it!

Beautiful tomatoes! I cannot describe how great it smelled inside the "barn". All of those fresh fruits and vegetables were just mouth-watering!

There were quite a few people shopping. It was extremely hot in there!

More produce! All of the colors are so bright. Just looking at all of the fruits and vegetables makes you hungry. I think we left with tomatoes, onions, corn, purple hull peas, peaches, blackberries, and some fresh homemade salsa!

Oscar is very interested in what happens next...which is... making homemade waffle cones!

I picked up one of these at Macy's this weekend. It was only $19.99!

Here it is out of the box. It has a pre-heat light on the front and then the green light comes on when it's hot.

The inside looks much like a regular waffle iron. Just spray on some non-stick cooking spray and you're ready!

Once you lift the hot (flat) waffle cone off of the iron, you have to roll it around this cone-roller in order to form the shape.

It cools pretty quickly and you can remove the roller.

A finished cone!

Close-up of the cone.

A finished bunch!

Oh, and the blackberries from the Farmer's Market were baked into an amazing blackberry cobbler, which was the perfect complement to...

Homemade ice cream! To go along with the home-made waffle cones (and the blackberry cobbler), I had to pull out the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I love this! I bought it last summer and it came with 2 of the bowls that you freeze, which is very handy. This way, you always have one frozen and ready to use.

The ice cream - almost ready!

So light and creamy! This is a simple vanilla recipe. It only has 4 ingredients: cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. So good!

Here I am with my homemade ice cream and homemade waffle cone!

Close-up! And yes, in case you're wondering - Oscar did get his very own waffle cone with a little bit of vanilla ice cream. He loved it!

And, Shoes of the Day:

Sigerson Morisson "Argento" Sandals

I hope you all have had a lovely weekend! I'm so thankful to live in such an amazing country. I'm even more thankful for the men and women who serve to protect our freedoms every day. Today would not have been possible without all of them.

I'm Baaaaack!

2010-07-02T01:28:00.009-05:00

Hi everyone! It's been so long since I've blogged. I think that I just wasn't having much blogging inspiration, but I've really missed it - and all of you. So, I'm back and ready to rejoin the blog world again!

Here's a little bit about what I've been up to these past few months:

Cheering on my alma mater's basketball team - The University of Memphis Tigers. My t-shirt says, "Our coach is hotter than your coach". He really is pretty cute - I especially like it when he loses his temper with the refs. There may be something wrong with me.

Here I am at another basketball game with one of my law school friends (same as above), Christy. We were able to sit in the Mayor's box for all of the games I attended. Pretty nice.

To my surprise, flipping through the spring edition of the Vineyard Vines catalog, I found my picture! It was taken at the Memphis store's Father's Day cookout last year.

I saw Madame Butterfly, presented by Opera Memphis. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for the start of the next opera season.

My Carnival Memphis Krewe held it's annual Coronation Ball. It was my first time attending and it was very exciting to see all of the royalty presented. Carnival Memphis used to be known as Cotton Carnival. It celebrated the importance of the cotton industry not just in Memphis, but in the South. There are several Grand Krewes that make up Carnival, spending the year having their own social events and raising money. This leads up to the grand finale of Carnival Week in June, with several different balls and parties.

And, my birthday. Yes, I'm sure those candles almost set off the smoke detector. But I did get them all blown out on one try. And the cake - buttercream frosting, white cake, strawberry filling - delicious!

My parents' birthday gift to me - diamond and sapphire earrings. I love them, but I still haven't worn them yet - can you believe it?

Me at my birthday dinner at my very favorite Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

My birthday present to myself. I carry it almost every day. Love, love, love.

One month ago, I bought a new car. After test-driving a few, I decided on the ML350 SUV. I've never had an SUV before and I absolutely love driving it! It has the smoothest ride and I love being up that high off of the road.

And of course, I've been taking Oscar on many car rides, which is his favorite thing to do. He gets so sad when he isn't allowed to go. And of course, I cannot bear to see him sad, so he gets to go pretty often.

And it's been a long time - but here's Today's Shoes:

Gucci Black Ballet Flats (I don't have the box with me right now, so I don't know the style name).

I'm so excited to catch up with all of your blogs! What have y'all been up to?

COHEN

2010-06-30T23:29:00.003-05:00

Snow Day!

2010-02-10T07:00:00.001-06:00

Monday I woke up to a snowy wonderland! Apparently one of the local news stations predicted it, just not the one that I was watching. We got about 4-5 inches and my office was closed. I decided to take Oscar outside and play in the snow!

A giant Oscar-print.

He laid down in the snow!

Close-up.

Then some freezing rain started falling.

He decided to destroy his Christmas football.

And here he is, looking sideways at me, afraid I'll take his toy away.

We had a lot of fun playing in the rarely-seen-around-here snow! Add in an unexpected day off work and it was the perfect day!

Today's Shoes:

Tahari "Michelle" Suede Flats

Shoes & Charity: 2 of My Favorite Things!

2010-01-29T08:22:00.002-06:00

Last night I attended Wine, Women, & Shoes at Mercedes Benz here in Memphis. This event benefited LeBonheur Children's Hospital, which is a very deserving charity here in town. There were wines from several different vineyards, appetizers, and several local stores set up their shoes and accessories for sale with a percentage of proceeds benefiting LeBonheur.

Megan from Pretty in Pink Megan and I waiting for the Shoe Fashion Show to start.

One of the many creative centerpieces on the tables.

We really got some great photo ops with that centerpiece, didn't we?

The runway inside the Mercedes Benz showroom.

All of the vendors displaying their shoes and such for sale.

The models in crazy wigs and all black, to better display their footwear (which I realize is cut out of my pictures).

Still no shoes, but you can see that lovely Tory Burch tote!

We had a great time sampling wines and dessert and enjoyed some great people-watching! Attending charity events is one of my all-time favorite activities and I'm glad I found a new partner in crime who loves it as much as I do.

Shoes of the Night:

Top: Megan's Prada Pumps

Bottom: My Christian Louboutin Pumps

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Beauty From Luxe to Less

2010-01-26T07:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Tuesday! I thought I'd do a little post on a few of my favorite beauty products, one that I've been using forever and two that I've just discovered.

First, the luxe:
La Mer: Creme de la Mer

Well, we've all heard about it and I admit, I was skeptical. I mean, it's moisturizer and I've tried dozens over the years, with little difference except for the fragrance and SPF. But, after about a week of using this "miracle cream" I'm convinced. It's worth every penny of the $130 for a one ounce jar. My skin looks luminous and well-hydrated. The texture feels smoother and I'm seeing less and less fine lines.

Is it expensive? You bet. One thing about it, though - a little goes a long way. You only need the tiniest amount to cover your entire face. And, if you want to make it last even longer, you could use your regular moisturizer during the day and use the La Mer at night. I was also sent a sample of the La Mer The Moisturizing Gel Cream, which I haven't yet tried, and La Mer The Hand Treatment, which is also a great product.

And the Less:

Noxzema: The Original Deep Cleansing Cream

I swear by this. I have literally washed my face with it every day since I was thirteen. That's, well...more years than I care to count. But the point is, that it doesn't strip your skin of all moisture which is important, especially in the winter. During the summer I will wash my face with this in the morning and use foaming cleansing cloths at night. This winter, I've been using it in the morning and then at night with my Clarisonic to remove my make-up. This is a huge favorite of mine and if you have puffy eyes in the morning like I do, smoothing a little over your eyelids while you're in the shower will dramatically decrease the puffiness due to the cooling effects of the camphor, eucalyptus, and menthol. It's not for everyone, but if you've never tried it, you may want to give it a shot. At less than $5 for a large jar, it's worth a try.

Olay Thermal Pedicure: One of my new favorites.

Santa left this in my Christmas stocking and I've already used all of it. This is something you can do in just a couple of minutes in the shower or bath. It heats up as you apply it to your feet. Made with Bora Bora white sand, pumice, and shea butter it smoothes and softens feet. Plus, at around $10 it's a great way to experience the best part of a salon pedicure every day at home!

One last thing: I know that we've all been giving what we can to help the victims in Haiti. I gave to the Red Cross and there are many other charities out there doing great work to help the quake victims; however, I just wanted to mention that I received an email update from The Humane Society of the U.S. a couple of days ago. They have a team that recently arrived in Haiti trying to rescue animals that are also victims of the earthquake. I am a huge animal-lover and I actually hadn't even considered what dire straits the animals must be in, as I know we were all so focused on rescuing the men, women, and children who needed basic necessities like food, water, and medical care.

So, I thought I'd put a link on here in case anyone hadn't heard about HSUS's efforts on behalf of the animals and wanted to give. Just click here if you'd like to help.

Finally, Today's Shoes:

Stuart Weitzman "Bolshoi' Ballet Flats

Law School Grand Opening Gala Recap

2010-01-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

Saturday night was the Grand Opening for the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Well, for the new building, that is. I'm so proud of my law school and everyone who worked so hard to get this amazing new building. (Warning: this post is picture-heavy).

A picture of the program for the evening.

These are all before I left for the gala (I promise I never used to take so many pictures before I had a blog).

Full-length shot of the Marchesa dress. I'm so glad I ordered it! I love it and will definitely be wearing it again (as long as I can find another event)!

Y'all didn't think I was going to stop taking pictures in the ladies room just because I was at a formal event, did you?

Here's a picture of the crowd at the VIP reception on the top floor of the law school. The windows overlook the Mississippi River.

One of the delicious food stations, catered by local restaurants.

Me at the VIP reception (love those flowers).

Me and Christy, my best friend from law school, at the VIP reception

The VIP Formal Presentation held in one of the lecture rooms. Here's Kallen Esperian, world famous soprano, singing.

President Shirley Raines of the University of Memphis was a guest speaker (the law school is part of the U of M)

The Dean of the law school, Dr. Kevin Smith (one of my professors when I was there)

At the VIP Formal Presentation - probably the last time that classroom will ever see champagne!

And, there were a couple fellow Memphis bloggers at the gala:

Me and Lori from My Life As Mrs. M

Me with Irwin, Esq of Diminuta Ardilla En La Gran Mundo

Take Two! Sorry for the great quality iPhone pics!

On the staircase.

In the lovely new bookstore. I really do miss these books some days!

Reading Black's Law Dictionary in the bookstore. Probably should've done a little more of that in law school!

Here's me and Christy with our favorite professor of all time, Professor Brashier. The best part of our night was getting to see him again after 5 years (Wow, can't believe it's been that long).

The new law school used to belong to the U.S. Postal Service, but they were only using part of the building. The architects wanted to preserve the history and left the sign.

The front doors and entrance hall.

Me in the law library

Just hanging out in the law library right before the evening ended. My feet were killing me!

The law school from the valet garage across the street

The Mississippi River and the "New" bridge (as we call it here). Too bad there's a police car blocking the view, but it is more authentic that way!

And the night's shoes:
Style & Co. "Endora" in Pewter

Finally, you may have noticed my blog has received a face-lift and beautiful re-design thanks to Danielle at Just Dandy. Danielle did such an amazing job, I just love it and couldn't be happier. I contacted her Friday night and it was done by Sunday afternoon - and that's only because she was out of town all weekend! She works so fast and at such great prices. Please contact her if you're thinking about a blog makeover at her design blog, Dandy Designs. You won't be disappointed! Thank you, Danielle!

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Memphis Blogger Tweet-Up Take Two

2010-01-15T08:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday everyone!!

Well, we had another Tweet-Up here in Memphis Tuesday night. The first one was held at a local Mexican restaurant. For Part II we decided to go out for sushi.

Here's a couple of pictures (sorry y'all, but the one of all of us accidentally got deleted from my camera).

From L to R: The Tale of A Southern Belle, Life With The Laceys, @Love By The Cross

Me, My Life As Mrs. M, Diminuta Ardilla En La Grande Mundo, and The King of Downtown Memphis

We had a great time and delicious sushi. We did miss our friend Pretty in Pink Megan who wasn't able to make it to Part II, but hopefully Part III is right around the corner!

And Today's Shoes:

Jimmy Choo "Sand" Glitter Flats

Have a great weekend!

Champagne Wishes!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T01:40:00.012-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! I'm a bit behind, trying to get back into a regular work schedule and recover from the wonderful holidays. I'm always sad to see the Christmas season end, but already looking forward to the coming one!

One of the bubble lights on my Christmas tree. I love bubble lights!

My Christmas tree. It was so beautiful, I hated to see it go.

On Christmas Day in front of the tree.

The reflection of the tree in the entry hall mirror.

I love wrapping Christmas presents, especially with glittery ribbons that will sparkle under the tree lights.

Oscar opening his presents and playing with one of his new toys. He loves ripping the paper off and gets so excited on Christmas, so I have to wrap up quite a few toys and treats for him.

And, here's a few of my favorite gifts:

Know what this is? (Sorry for the bright flash)

David Yurman Silver Ice Cable Bracelets in lavender amethyst and prasiolite. These were at the very top of my Christmas wish list and I haven't taken them off since.

Close-ups

I love anything that's going to be inside of that little blue box!

Sterling silver "T & Co" necklace.

Waterford Lismore Sapphire Champagne Flutes. I collect crystal champagne flutes and these are a wonderful addition.

Burberry cashmere scarf. It's so warm! I've had it on all day at work today since it was 17 degrees when I got to work this morning. And I live in Tennessee.

Jimmy Choo Glitter Ballet Flats in "Sand". These are so comfortable and festive.

Waterford 12 Days of Christmas Champagne Flutes (9 Ladies Dancing and 10 Lords-A-Leaping). Next year the collection will be complete when #'s 11 and 12 are released).

Lenox Holiday Platinum China. Yes, I'm so in love with Christmas that I also collect Christmas china.

And one of my very favorite things: Waterpik! It came with a regular and travel Waterpik. I could link to about 15 posts where I discuss my obsession with my teeth. But I won't. I've been wanting one of these forever!

Me and Oscar at the end of a wonderful Christmas Day. He's tired!

And for New Year's Eve this year I decided to do something really special and bought my first bottle of Dom Perignon. I've never had any and since I actually am not crazy about NYE (it makes me sad because Christmas is over), I decided this would be a great time to try some.

Cheers! It was amazing! The best champagne I've ever had.

I hope you are all having a wonderful beginning to your New Year!

Oh and this is my Today's Shoes picture from Christmas:

Jimmy Choo "Sand" ballet flats

Champagne Wishes!

O Night Divine

2009-12-24T19:53:00.013-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that you all have a safe and happy Christmas!

Since I haven't done so yet, and it is Christmas Eve after all, I thought I'd take you on a tour of my Christmas decor. After my Christmas Eve dinner at Ruth's Chris, that is.

Cheers!

Lenox 2000 Commemorative Porcelain Nativity Set.

Me in front of my prize Christmas tree - 10 1/2 feet tall! I searched for hours for it!

Looking up at the tree from underneath it.

Two cute silver tinsel reindeer.

Reindeer, Santa, and the nutcrackers.

The staircase garland.

Entryway.

The mantle.

My Department 56 Houses.

Close-ups of the buildings:

Today's Shoes - Christmas Edition:

Christian Louboutin Black Simple 100's

Champagne Wishes!

Merry Christmas!!

Office Christmas Decorations

2009-12-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

At Christmas, our office holds a door-decorating contest. Last year I won first prize, which was $25.00. This year, it kind of crept up on me and I didn't really spend a lot of time planning it, but I think it turned out pretty well. Here's a tour of my office Christmas decorations.

My door.

These are battery-operated LED ornaments that I found at Target last year. They constantly change colors. So pretty!

Close-up of the giant stocking that I found at Costco. Once the contest is over and I'm off for Christmas, I'm going to bring it home and put Oscar's presents in it. I literally think that I could fit inside that stocking.

And, my desktop Christmas tree, toy soldier, and snowman. The snowman also has lights that change color and the glittery snow is propelled around inside as the colors change.

Well, that concludes the (short) tour. The Christmas decorations definitely cheer me up when I'm in the middle of a long work day!

And, Today's Shoes:

Stuart Weitzman "Marsala" Navy Suede Heels

Champagne Wishes!

A Christmas Carol And Some Guyliner

2009-12-15T00:45:00.005-06:00

This weekend I saw A Christmas Carol in 3D and I was so excited because it was my first 3D movie ever! I really liked it, even though it's a very familiar story, the 3D aspect added so much to the experience. I love Christmas movies anyway, so I'm very glad I went to see it. I highly recommend it if you're planning on seeing a movie over Christmas.

Before the movie, they showed previews of the new Alice In Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton which is also 3D. It comes out next year. This has always been one of my favorite stories, so I'm really looking forward to seeing this new version.

The Red Queen

Annndd...Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, once again all dolled up in guyliner and tons of make-up.

I was having a conversation via text yesterday with my friend, we'll call him "Country Boy" to preserve anonymity, who was seeing A Christmas Carol in Nashville on IMAX. I was telling him that I hoped he got to see this preview and mentioned Johnny Depp in all his guyliner glory.

I got a response saying that it always intrigued him that girls like guyliner on Johnny Depp, but if they see a guy at the mall or something, they think it looks "gay". I quickly replied saying that I do not now, nor have I ever been attracted to men wearing make-up. I personally have never been one of those people who loved Johnny Depp or even thought he was particularly hot, but I know plenty of people who do. I love some eyeliner - but not on a man!

So, my question is this: Do y'all think that guyliner is attractive on anyone? If so, is it only Johnny Depp? Or other actors or musicians? Or do you know some regular guys who can pull this look off?

Please vote in my oh-so-scientific poll!

Today's Shoes:

Banana Republic Taupe "Paris" Flats

Champagne Wishes!

I'm At A Loss For Shoes...

2009-12-11T00:34:00.003-06:00

Happy Friday everyone! I finally found a dress to wear to the black-tie gala that I'm attending in January. After scouring the stores in Memphis, resulting in extreme disappointment, I had to turn to Saks online - they never let me down. Why can't there be one here or anywhere within, say, a hundred mile radius?

Turns out I guessed wrong on the size and had to return and exchange. I breathed a sigh of relief yesterday when the new dress arrived and it fit.

Here it is, Notte by Marchesa. I posted the red version below on my original post, but the navy was added later and I really love it.

Now my only problem is shoes and a bag. I decided on silver shoes because I think it will be pretty with the navy. It has been so hard tracking down the perfect pair! Here are some of the ones that I like:

Valentino Metallic d'Orsay: On sale, loved them, had about 2 sizes left - neither of which was mine.

Christian Louboutin Archdisco T-Strap Sandals: I wasn't completely won over by these because I've never been that crazy about T-straps on my feet, but I loved the bow. No matter, they were also on sale and also not in my size.

I'd love to have these Manolo Blahnik Rhinestone Buckled d'Orsay pumps in silver. You know, like the ones SJP wore in the SATC episode, "A Woman's Right To Shoes"? I cannot seem to locate any silver ones, although there are some gorgeous purple satin and raspberry satin ones.

Update: I located the silver "Sedaraby" at Barneys.com, but again none in my size!

Jimmy Choo "Dalton" Sandal in gunmetal. I like this one and it's a possibility.

This is the top contender right now. Jimmy Choo "Jag" Sandal in silver. Simple, classic, perfect.

Does anyone have any favorite place to shop for evening shoes? I'm not completely committed to the Jag Sandal and would love any ideas or recommendations that you have! Thanks!

Today's Shoes:

Tory Burch Revas

Champagne Wishes!

Christmas Meme

2009-12-09T00:24:00.002-06:00

I've seen this floating around the blog world and thought it would be fun:

Christmas Meme

Q: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
A: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Q: What is your least favorite Christmas movie?
A: It's A Wonderful Life (don't get mad at me, I can't help it, I've just never liked it)

Q: What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?
A: I really love pretty much all Christmas music, but I do not like sad Christmas songs.

Q: What is your favorite Christmas song(s)? (I added this one)
A: O Holy Night, The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, Little Drummer Boy, and yes, I'm going to say it, Santa Baby. One of these things doesn't belong here...

Q: What is your favorite Christmas drink?
A: White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks

Q: What is your favorite Christmas memory?
A: Every year I love going Christmas shopping with my mom, the special Christmas programs at church, and all of those Christmases I've spent with family that are no longer here.

Q: What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
A: A TV when I was a child, my first cell phone, my first pair of diamond studs as a teenager, and every year recently a piece of jewelry from my parents (which I love because I know that I'll have them forever).

Q: What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
A: I'm going to say nothing because I think when someone goes to the trouble and cares enough to give you a gift, it's always appreciated and I've always loved everything. Except. Okay y'all you know I just couldn't let this go without a small story. An ex-boyfriend and I started dating in September, shortly after he had broken up with someone else. He gave me a pair of blue topaz earrings in celebration of passing the bar, even though we'd only been together a few weeks. I thought this was very nice of course, but a little unexpected. I later found out that he had ordered them as a birthday gift for his ex-girlfriend whose birthstone was blue topaz. Then, for Christmas he gave me a necklace made of several strands of freshwater pearls. (Okay, y'all can see where this is going). A stranger could not have picked out something that was less "me", but I thanked him several times and told him that I liked it and I even wore it several times. Once I found out about the earrings, I asked him about the necklace and, yes, it was something she had picked out and he had bought it, then they broke up. I think the lesson here is: don't give your current girlfriend a gift that you bought for your former girlfriend. It's always obvious.

Q: What do you LOVE about the holidays?
A: The Christmas light displays, the way the stores are decorated and play Christmas music, shopping for perfect Christmas gifts for everyone, the special Christmas program at church, going to pick out the perfect Christmas tree, decorating the house, listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. Okay, pretty much everything. I cry when I have to take the tree down!

Q: What annoys you about the holidays?
A: When I see people being rude to the sales associates at the stores. Nine times out of ten, it's not the person's fault, and last time it happened, I almost had to say something to the customer. I may be a little biased since I used to work in a department store, but there's no reason for rudeness.

Q: Do you prefer a star or an angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?
A: Angel

Q: What is your favorite family recipe at Christmas?
A: Oh so many things! But I love my mom's dressing (that's stuffing to you Northerners, but this does not go anywhere near a turkey, so it's dressing to all of us down South).

Q: Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmas?
A: A Who definitely!!!

Q: Christmas light displays - Love them or hate them?
A: Love them, the more the better!

Q: Santas at the mall - fun times or creepy?
A: Fun for the kids. Weird when grown-ups want to sit on his lap. I personally would not sit on a strange man's lap, but maybe that's just me.

Q: Christmas cards...do you send them?
A: Depends on the year. This year I didn't, but I love to do it.

Q: What is the best thing about Christmas in your opinion?
A: Spending time with my favorite people, giving to others, taking a minute in the middle of the whirlwind that is the Christmas season to just absorb it all and enjoy everything. I also love to turn all the lights off, except the Christmas tree and my Department 56 Village and watch TV or read.

Q: What is the worst thing about Christmas?
A: When it's over.

Q; When do you put the tree up and take it down?
A: As soon as I can get one without worrying about it drying out before Christmas. I wait until the last possible minute to take it down...usually January 1st or 2nd.

Q: Out of the 12 Days of Christmas, which item would you want your truelove to give to you?
A: Hmmm...that's hard, but I'd have to say 5 golden rings. Or maybe 7 Swans-a-Swimming, although I'm not sure where I'd put them. I think I read somewhere that 5 golden rings originally meant pheasants, so I'm not sure what I'd do with them either.

Q: Why do you think grandma got run over by a reindeer?
A: I guess she got in his way. I know the song says she was walking, but are we sure she wasn't driving a Buick? Those reindeer have a lot of ground to cover in one night, so they must be pretty speedy.

Q: Who is your favorite reindeer?
A: Vixen. Definitely. I also like Donner, which I recently learned was originally "Donder", which means "Thunder". Love that.

Q: Do you believe in Santa Claus?
A: Yes! Who couldn't?

Q; What is your favorite smell at Christmastime?
A: The Christmas potpourri that Macy's sells every year.

Q: What would make you happy at Christmas this year?
A: I want my friends and family to all have a great Christmas. I hope that everyone who travels has a safe journey. For myself? Well, there's a few things on my Christmas list that just can't be wrapped up in a box.

Thanks for reading my list! Here's Today's Shoes:

(I have to mention that as I was going into the hotel where my Continuing Legal Education Classes were held, an old man waiting on his car opened the door and stuck his head out to tell me he liked my shoes. I thanked him and smiled, but as I was sitting in the class, started wondering...does this mean I have old-lady shoes? Or maybe he's just like me and attracted to bright, shiny things?).

Stuart Weitzman Gold Bolshoi Ballet Flats

Champagne Wishes!

Christmas Trees & A Christmas Play

2009-12-04T00:10:00.001-06:00

If anyone is a fan of The O.C. like I am, you may remember Summer's obsession with finding the perfect Christmas tree. This is me. I walk around for-ever looking at trees. Last year, I believe I had an 11-12 foot tree and this year I would like to try for a 13!

Wish me luck on the tree-hunt. Last year the tree was so large it almost fell out of the truck on the way home. I'm thinking I may take advantage of their delivery option this time.

This weekend I am also going to see The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris. It's a one-man show featuring a disgruntled Macy's elf named Crumpet. Has anyone seen it? If it's bad, I may not want to know, as I am pretty much committed to going at this point. I'm a little nervous because my friend Christy's hair stylist is the star and he told one of her friends not to bring her grandmother because it was not that type of show. Uh-oh. I'm totally blaming her if this is beyond risque!

I also need to pick up my Angel Tree gifts so that I can return them all to the drop-off location. I have done a very minimal amount of actual Christmas shopping so far, so I may need to devote some time to that this weekend as well.

Does everyone have some fun and festive holiday-themed plans this weekend?

Today's Shoes:

Calvin Klein McKynzi Flats in "Raisin Metallic"

Champagne Wishes!

Oscar's Birthday Party

2009-12-03T00:33:00.000-06:00

Oscar's birthday party on Tuesday night was a success! As I'm typing this, he is happily snoring away, dreaming, I'm sure, of his new toys and treats.

His birthday cake - he only got a small piece and some ice cream. It's his birthday, after all.

Here's the birthday boy with the party hat I made him put on just for some pictures. I took it off right after this photo.

He ripped open his giraffe toy and immediately started trying to pull it's tail off!

Here it is before any damage was done.

I know it's blurry, but he was moving too fast to get to that cake and ice cream for me to get a clear picture.

Finishing up his treat.

Here he is in his new raincoat playing with his giraffe. Yes, I know baby blue is not the most manly, and yes on him it kind of looks like a horse blanket, but I think it's cute!

Another blurry picture with his cake plate and birthday wrapping paper in the floor, but I wanted to show the cute paw print on the side of the coat.

He really did not seem to mind his raincoat at all - he was just hoping for more cake, I think.

Today's Shoes:

Tory Burch Revas

Champagne Wishes!

Happy Birthday Oscar! (Plus Macy's Friends & Family)

2009-12-02T00:35:00.004-06:00

Today is my darling Oscar's birthday! He is 3 years old today. There will be presents and treats later on, so I will hopefully have some pictures of his birthday celebration. I love my baby boy so much and have a lot of fun throwing him a little birthday party!

On another note, Macy's Friends & Family Discount starts today and will be going on until next Monday. I received my shopping passes in a catalog this week. I am so excited because instead of the usual 20% shopping pass, this time it's 25%! It's good on almost everything (except cosmetics). Usually Macy's coupons and shopping passes have a ton of exclusions, but the Friends & Family pass is the exception.

I'm going to use mine to get my annual Waterford Crystal ornament (and maybe a couple more Christmas ornaments) and hopefully, some gifts. Last year, I bought a Kate Spade bag with it. It can be used on regular, sale, and clearance-priced merchandise.

Waterford 2009 Snow Crystals Ornament

Waterford Candy Drop Set

Waterford Rosslare Ball Ornament

Waterford Pearl Lismore Reflections Ball Ornament

Swarovski Christmas Tree Ornament

Swarovski Twinkling Mittens Ornament

Yes, I have a problem with buying too many Christmas ornaments. This may be why my Christmas tree keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. I love ornaments as keepsakes, though. Every year when I unpack them there are so many memories.

If you didn't get a shopping pass in the mail, you can always ask a sales associate. Most are happy to give you a pass or use one that they have at the register so that you can get the discount. We always did when I worked there.

Happy Christmas Shopping!

Today's Shoes:

Christian Louboutin Black Simple 100's

Champagne Wishes!