Doing "Home-y" Things with my Homies

This Memorial Day weekend, I remembered my fallen brethren (and military relatives) by doing something an intelligent American would not do. Move for the 4th time in a year and a half. Note: I'm getting reallllll good at packing y'all. While most people enjoyed American flag cans of Bud heavy while floating merrily down the stream, lake, or ocean, we did not. Don't get me wrong...there was a little bit of drinking to be had. Check out my sweet coozie I ordered. You know I can't pass up a good bow opportunity.

To preface this story, my boyfriend and I found a new place. We are officially combining our life - excessive shoe collection and all. The only problem was my lease being up on May 25th and our new place not being ready until June 7th. So we decided to move my whole life into his garage for 2 weeks. Yippee!

Now comes the fun part and something I can cross off my list. We've clearly been watching too much HGTV and I need to join Pinterest Addicts Anonymous because, we decided to spend the rest of our weekend building and repurposing furniture. What experience do you have in this area, you ask? None whatsoever. I'm the creative mastermind and he's the brains of the operation. Whereas I would buy 20 2x4's and maybe some measuring tape then pray for the best, he measured and calculated (roughly 10 times) before even buying or cutting a piece of wood. Like I said...he's the brains.

On the agenda:
1. Repurpose a kitchen hutch
2. Repurpose an ugly IKEA coffee table
3. Build 2 frames for mirrors we salvaged.
4. Don't saw off any fingers or get stain in eyeballs.

The most time consuming pain in the ass project was the coffee table. We sanded, stained, glued, prayed, stained some more, reglued, and waited are still waiting patiently to see the end result. That thing will be a miracle if it turns out. Here is a before pic. Use your imagination.


Next onto the 2 mirrors. We found the mirrors stashed in his garage left from a previous owner. He would have left them...but not me. I had a vision.

Here is our work in progress..He was a master cutter and I was a master stainer. Look at us go!

Now for the big reveal....tada.


I personally LOVE it. The best part is having not one, but two of them. Total cost for the wood was $25. Steal of a deal if you ask me.

The least dramatic project was the kitchen hutch/microwave/toaster oven/food processor/juicer stand for our future kitchen (How many electronic kitchen items can fit on this little girl? We shall find out...). We turned this dull little thing into a gray beauty. All she needs now is some shiny, new knobs and she'll be perfection. Hey...I know what you're thinking...she kinda looks like she was dipped in cement. But I promise the gray is realllllllly pretty and will soon be covering our walls as well. Y'all are more than welcome to come over and see it once we're settled.

Keep your eyes peeled for more DIY projects we're doing. Spoiler alert: navy chevron print. That is all.

Until next time....KEEP ME OUT OF A HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE,

L

Hey, Big Spender!

So most of you want to know how this last week worked out for me.

Did I succeed? Did I fail? Did I fail miserably (a.k.a an online J.Crew Shopping Binge or a 3 hour power-trip to Target)? The answer to these questions and more.....I actually MADE money this week and didn't spend a dime.

To those of you who didn't believe in me, fair enough, I almost didn't believe in myself. Do you understand how difficult it is to live in MY world? I work in a building with a food court. I live next to a Wendy's, Chick-fil-A, Mellow Mushroom, Jimmy Johns, Subway, and Panera. There's a shopping complex and an Ikea less than 3 minutes away. I get roughly 50 emails from shopping websites daily. Here's a shot from this morning. 54 emails. Groupon, LivingSocial, Eversave, JCrew, JCrew Factory, Bloomingdales, Saks, Coach, Amazon, CVS, Michael's, HauteLook, RueLaLa, Ideeli...........the list goes on. Most of the time I scroll through and immediately delete. Other times, I want to buy everything in sight. Not this past week though...no browsing - strictly deleting. Aren't my icons just the cutest?

So how does one "make money"? Simple, not even counting my paycheck (which thank you honey child I got today), I was paid back for purchasing a Justin Timberlake concert ticket. Hot damn.

For those of you contemplating this assignment, heed my warnings:

Warning # 1: PREPARE. Buy groceries that will last you at least a week. This means meal-planning. Granted, I didn't quite stick to it exactly but I made it work. Get gas ahead of time so you don't beg your boyfriend to put $20 in your car to last you the whole week. Yes that's right, $20 lasts the whole week. What's up 5-10 minute commute to work?!?!

Warning #2: WEEKENDS SUCK WITHOUT MONEY. Especially in the springtime when you have baseball games, and beer festivals, and patio brunches with bottomless mimosa's. Just tell yourself you're saving money, calories, and embarrassment from any drunk social media you may or may not be doing. Do what I did this weekend. Friday - cook a delicious Boca Burger and homemade french fry meal for your man and watch movies. Saturday - Make him take you to see a movie. In 3D. With popcorn & a soda (no SourPatch Kids). Followed by a fancy schmancy dinner. *Note: I didn't make him...he's just so perfect that he offered. Sunday - Cry profusely about your dog being put to sleep, then take a longgggg walk, then lay by the pool, then cry some more, then make your bf take you to Wendy's so you can get a LARGE DIET COKE (and he can get a Frosty), then cry some more.


Let's all take a little moment to honor the best dog I have (and probably will) ever had. RIP Little Chatze.

Warning #3: DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU HAVE ANIMALS OR KIDS. Those things always have added and unforeseeable expenses.

Warning #4: If you're going to see The Great Gatsby anytime soon, do yourself a favor and see it in 3-D. Nothing is more beautiful in this world than seeing Leo up close and in 3 dimensions. Speaking of Leo, swoon over this. Yes, I know this has absolutely nothing to do with not spending money, I just find bringing Leo up is appropriate at all times.


Okay, I'm bored with the warnings. In fact, it wasn't terrible to do. Hopefully my wallet is still in my purse because I honestly haven't checked in days.  I think I'll do my "freeze week" every other month, if not monthly. It's a great way to pay down your credit card, pending you don't go into super-swipe mode the days leading up to and immediately after the Freeze Week.

I honestly can't believe I made it. I have to say...I loved the challenge. Even more, I loved proving everyone (and myself) wrong!

Until next time,

L

Living on a Prayer

Yesterday I read an article on my trusty Yahoo! homepage - the source for all breaking and not-so-important news - that inspired me to knock an item off my list. As I scrolled through the list of stories, one caught my eye. It was a blog post about how a couple survived on $3/day. I was fascinated by the headline until I read the story in its entirety and realized they were only "living this way" for 5 days and weren't including their 2 kids in the "experiment". Sure, the premise is cool...they are living "below the poverty line" for 5 whole days to see if they can "survive" living in Brooklyn.

A) Doing something for 5 days is hardly a life-changing experience, so why it was on a major site is beyond me. Do it for a year...a month...hell, just a week. I value weekends just like most people, but you aren't proving much when you live on $15 for the week then go out Friday night and order the largest rib-eye and bottle of wine you can find. B) Having been a babysitter extraordinaire I can tell you firsthand, what those kids are eating, you're most likely nibbling on. So how accurate was their representation? Oh, this handful of Goldfish doesn't really count. C) I can do ya one better.

Starting today, I will not spend any money for one whole week. You might laugh, but this is probably one of the hardest things for me to complete on my list. After a thorough breakdown of my credit cards earlier this week, I realized how much money I spend on silly things. Can someone please explain to me why I'm spending roughly $70/week at various grocery stores and then eat out for at least one meal every day. Not to mention the online shopping...er shopping, in general. It's absurd.

Now don't get me wrong...I'm not living off ramen noodles and beans all week (even though that sounds like a nice low-cal diet), I just won't be spending money. I went to the grocery store last night and got a few items (in addition to the mounds of canned soup, pasta, and other non-perishable items in my pantry that are simply collecting dust). This week is about being resourceful not wasteful.

I have food and a general meal plan for the week to keep me on track. I have things to keep me occupied, thanks to paying in advance for things like yoga, dance, etc... I have a gentleman to squire me about town, should I desire. Finally, I have my debit card *note - debit card, not credit card* for emergency situations, but I think I should be okay.

So here begins a week without spending. I'll be living on a prayer. Hence the clever title. Now click the link and enjoy some Bon Jovi.

April Showers bring Blue Lipstick

So this post was initially designed to somewhat take care of the "Go camping with Friends" item on my list, however that quickly changed when our dear friend decided to propose to his girlfriend on the Saturday we were supposed to go camping..I digress...This post will NOW be about how awesome of a girlfriend I am. Oh, dang. Already covered that in pretty much all of my previous posts. Ok, well let me give this another try.

I love birthdays. I think it's pretty much the best holiday you have all year. One day dedicated to you. Call me narcissistic or selfish, but a day where the world revolves around me....ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY. For me, I just had to make his first birthday with me amazing. It's all downhill from here, baby ;) We went to the cabin as planned, arriving in Blue Ridge, Georgia late Friday night after an excursion to Publix in the 'burbs. We almost decided to skip the cabin and just "staycation" based on the amount of dining options and activities Suburbia offers. I mean, a mini golf place next to a movie theatre next to a Chili's? Heaven. I hear the 2-for-1's practically screaming my name.

Saturday morning started off with a bang. When I finally rolled out of bed, he was cooking me breakfast and asked me to light the fireplace. I turned up the gas and grabbed a lighter. Seconds later I was on my butt across the living room with charred arm hair. I guess I turned the gas up a little too high (this is why my mom refused a gas fireplace - she knows I'm accident prone and would have burnt the house down) and there was a tiny little explosion. Oops. The rest of the weekend I was terrified the house was going to explode.

It literally rained the entire weekend so we didn't get to go hiking on the Appalachian Trail like we planned (would have crossed that off the list). We did venture into "downtown" Blue Ridge which was hustling and bustling with out-of-towners who had been confined to their rented cabin all weekend too. There was an ecclectic mix of shops...antique stores, out of place trendy clothing boutiques, junk shops, a bird and a bear store (who needs a store 100% dedicated to this??? The people of Blue Ridge apparently), and our favorite place, an olive oil company. I will happily promote Blue Ridge Olive Oil Company. They had so many bottle of homemade olive oil and vinegar, and sampling was encourage. Three bottles later (Blood Orange infused  Olive Oil, Fig Vinegar, and one of the most popular Organic Tuscan Herb Olive Oil) we left and headed into an antique shop where we found a lifetime supply of fraternity paddles. My favorites....the SAE and Sigma Chi paddle. God, I miss college. We also found a mini bar and nightstands that would be perfect for our new place, but unfortunately we took my car and the little coupe had no room for them. I'm still crying on the inside.


So now onto something I can actually cross off my list. Blue Lipstick. You read it correctly, blue lipstick. This is obviously something I would say no to (Number 78, Part 1). Any normal person would....

Well the geniuses over at Lipstick Queen have truly struck gold. Not only are they playing up on the fashionable, waspy, summer sailor trends (think navy and white yacht club attire) but its actually a great product. It feels like silk on my lips.

Let's take a trip down memory lane for a second. The time: kindergarden. The place: art class. The activity: mixing paint colors. The blue plays up the natural shade of pink your lips have and gives off a berry tint. Red + blue = purple, or as I like to call it, perfection on your pout. It also makes your smile brighter and complexion look better...hard to tell since I have flawless skin and uber white teeth already.

I tried to order it 3 weeks ago, and it only came back in stock recently. Trust me when I say, this will be a sizzling item for summer. It's sold at Barney's. Get it while it's hot and in stock. Another reason to buy....shipping was free :)

One final thing to make all of you in cyberspace jealous (and hungry). Check out this deliciously amazing Caprese Stuffed Burger we made for dinner on Monday.  I will recommend drizzling the bun with balsamic for more of a Caprese effect. I'm salivating looking at it now. Pinterest has some truly amazing things, this happens to be one of the most amazing I've yet to make. This is the 4th recipe I've made since the start of my blog and I've been thrilled with the result each time. Feel free to follow me. You know you want to.

Until next time,

L

Spring has officially sprung y'all

You can certainly tell that Spring is in the air. More people hogging the treadmills trying to get bikini ready. Easter bunnies - chocolate and real, furry ones sold in mass quantities (Eeeeeek I want one!). And pollen coating your car the second it sees daylight.

In honor of the cold weather finally going buh-bye for the next 6 months, I too say fairwell to my trusty boot collection. Thank you Pinterest for allowing me to find a way to keep my boots looking fresh, and not folded over, when I pull them out at the first signs of fall. With the assistance of a reliable and sharp pair of scissors, cut some pool noodles and insert ever-so-delicately in your boot. Wam! You're done. This will keep them nice and erect all year long. I'll add this to my list of Pinterest-Inspired Projects!

One of my favorite things to do when it's nice out is go to the zoo. Don't ask me why. I just like it. This past Saturday I babysat my sweet little godson, with the help of one very helpful boyfriend. Despite the quarter century age gap, they have a lot of similarities. The most endearing trait, other than thinking that I'm the most amazing thing since sliced bread...they both get ice cream wasted. Which is precisely what happened at the zoo. Check out my little Cookies-n-Cream Baby Bug. What a little lush.

Another Spring Time activity that I wouldn't say I love to do, but will happily do sporadically is attend a Braves game. Lucky me, I went to 2 during Opening Week. A bit too much for my liking, but what are you supposed to do if all your friends are doing it? You do it too. Unless they're getting face tattoos. Or going to an Anne Hathaway movie. Then you can count me out.

So I went to Opening Day on April 1st. No joke here...the Braves really impressed me. Plus I got a new hair bow in my Easter basket that I just had to show off (left). My Easter Honey-Bunny really knows the way to my heart. Oh and here we are again (right)...just 6 days later when the Braves sent the poor little Cubbies scrambling home in search of Mama Bear. It was a truly sad performance for Chicago. Sorry boutcha.

Notice that pink tint on my shoulders? At first glance you may say, "Hey, she ran The Color Run the day before, I bet she couldn't scrub all the color off". Yes my friends, that's what I want you to think. In reality...my skin is the color of snow and standing in the sun to tailgate for an hour gave me the grossest tan lines ever. I need the beach, or at very least a pool day...STAT.

Speaking of The Color Run...aka The Happiest 5K on Earth...it was on Saturday and in fact, a very fun run. I made a tutu (which some lady offered me $10 to take off and give to her during the race. I said "Show me the money, lady"). The race isn't timed, and wasn't actually a full 5K (it was only 2.7 miles), and there were probably between 25-50k people, and it was an hour outside the city....so the more I think about it, the less I actually liked it. Whatever, still checking that sucker off my list.

My very nice and generous boyfriend ran ahead to finish before me, then when he finally saw me dumped an entire packet of blue color on my head because I wasn't colorful enough. Such a sweet guy, I'm so lucky....blue is my favorite color :)

The next thing I get to cross off my list is Number 33 - Ride A Bike. After getting off work yesterday, the bf and I decided to take a leisurely bike ride. He rides his bike all the time. I however, haven't been on an actual bike (I like to stick to the stationary ones) since I was roughly 10 and in a very bad bicycle accident. Time to get back in the saddle...Literally.  So I hopped on his brothers bike and we went out for our ride. 7 miles later we got back home. I was tired. My butt hurt. My wrists hurt (mainly from squeezing the brakes every time I got over 8mph). I was hungry. But hey, he cooked me dinner and documented the ride, so I can't complain too much. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Until next time,

L

A Little Help From My Friends

I've spent the last 10 minutes reading my list over and over again. I have to say, I'm not sure where we go from here.

I have several projects in the works:

• I'm planning a west coast trip, which will also knock off a state I've never been to. The plan is to zip over to Seattle, Portland, and LA the first week of July. Time to start saving/booking/doing. 
• I'll be doing the Color Run 5k on April 6th. So I can check the "fun run" off my list. Sadly, I doubt I'll be running it the entire time, so that one will have to wait.
• I have t-shirts piled up in the corner of my living room. Yes, they are in the shape of quilt squares (Yay I made it that far). No, I still haven't unwrapped my sewing machine from Christmas. 
• The camping with friends is somewhat planned. If I tell you anymore, I'll have to kill you. 
• I'll be hosting a housewarming/stock the bar party in June. It's going to feel oh-so-good to play Hostess with the Mostest again. That should also add a couple Pinterest inspired recipes to the ol' list. 

Until these things start happening...I'm going to need some help from my darling friends/family/blog readers/whoever you are. 

I need suggestions for:

• Random Acts of Kindness
• Touristy Things to do in Atlanta - I can think of several things, but I want some input from y'all. Best places to eat, best things to do, what things should I NOT miss out on...
• Inspirational Quotes - obviously it's easy enough for me to use Google, but I'd prefer to get them from people whose lives the quotes actually touched. 
• If you have a goal you need help with, I'm your girl. Let me know

In other news. I tried out some pretty awesome places in the month of March. Last night I ate at a lovely little Mexican place in East Atlanta near Grant Park, Mezcalito's. I had a delicious ground beef quesadilla. The real star of the show however, was my sweet little JBug - who fell asleep eating his food 2 weeks earlier. The server immediately came to our table and said "Ahhhhh, I remember him! That sleepy little guy who wouldn't let go of his quesadilla!!!" Yes ma'am, that's the one. Note: yes that is green rice, and yes it's delicious. 

I was also lucky enough to zoom down to MIA for a wedding weekend with my man. His good friend from home was marrying one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Seriously - gorgeous. They had the rehearsal dinner at Perricone's which nailed the rustic, yet elegant, yet Miami feel perfectly. The food was yummy. The wine was flowing (as you can see, my wine glass is nearly overflowing). And I woke up with a killer hangover that only Florida sunshine would cure. Well played, Miami. Well played. 

And tonight, I finally get to go to a place I've been dying to try since I moved here. Antico Pizza. An authentic Italian pizza place, complete with wood burning oven and BYOB, it is sure to be simply delicious. And a perfect start to a perfect date night. Yay!

Ok well, feed me with suggestions and maybe I'll feed you with authentic Italian pizza. Fair trade, right? 

Until next time,

L

Brought to you by the letter...

So one of the things on my list is to take a picture for every letter of the alphabet. Well, after giving it some serious thought in addition to flipping through various pages online of photographers who specialize in this, I decided, "Eh, I'm not doing it". Instead, I'm going to list my favorite things alphabetically (with pictures - who wants to actually read something when they can just look at pictures, right?). Here we go:

A  Alice in Wonderland. By far one of the betchiest Disney characters of all time. Apple Products. Can you live without your iPhone, iPad, iPod (well yes because this isn't 2004),  MacBook Pro (ok I don't have one, but that's what my bf is for), Apple TV, iHome? It may seem a bit excessive but Apple products will change your life.

B Bows - on my clothes, on my wrist, on my fingers, dangling from my neck or earlobes. Bows in my hair, tying presents, on pillows, shoes, or purses. Put a bow on it. It will make it look a MILLION times better. I swear. Betch as a lifestyle. Not sure what I mean by that? Click for all things Betchy. Bubble Baths. Seriously. How good does that bath look? Wine, bubbles, a garden tub...what more could you possibly want in life? Oh yeah, more bows. Birthdays. My favorite holiday, by far. It's a day where literally the world revolves around you. You don't have to worry about what you eat - because calories don't exist. You don't have to worry about getting other people gifts (this ain't Christmas). You don't have to worry about being nice or thoughtful - because it's YOUR day. I was also born on Father's Day, the best present I could have possibly given my Dad. I'm also really good at giving gifts, so if it's your birthday and you're on my good side, you might get a little somethin somethin...and it will be AWESOME.


C Chicago - A place I almost went to Grad School. A place with an entire mile of shopping. A place where your pizza is as deep as the river that runs through the city. Swoon. I have a love affair with that place, if you can't tell. Chandelier Bar in Las Vegas. Champagne. Someone recently asked me: Mimosa or Bellini? I said, "neither just give me the bottle and get out of my face". And last but certainly not least: Cheese (the dairy product as well as my boyfriend's silly nickname).

D Disney. I freaking love it. Can't get enough. Growing up outside of Orlando will do that to you. Walt Disney: Genius. Disney animation: Pixar can't even come close. The Magic Kingdom: Legit the happiest place on earth. And I swear if I don't go to the brand new Fantasyland soon, I'm gonna throw a fit (like the Queen of Hearts..."All ways here are the Queens Way" - Such a wise woman). Diamonds. The really big, sparkly rocks and my sorostitutes. My parents paid good money for you...What up sisters <>!!! Drake. Love him...mainly because he gave me a shout out at his concert one time. If you don't believe me, I have witnesses..."Girl in the brown shirt, I see you right there," -Drizzy.

E Egypt. I know it's technically not the safest place in the world right now, but I want to, I need to, I HAVE to go there. I truly believe I'm Cleopatra's third cousin twice removed and about hundreds of years younger. I mean, have you seen me do cat eyes? Another fact to support this claim - I look better with dark hair than I do blonde. This proves it. I'm obviously Egyptian and I need to visit my homeland. Ellen. Homegirl can dance. She's witty. She's rich. She's famous. She's in love. Role Model. Etsy. Damn you for creating a site where people can sell cute things that I can't make...handmade jewelry, monogrammed baby crap, customized hangers...here's one of my favorite Etsy items. Not the pirate, the headband.

F Frozen bevs. I'd prefer if all drinks could come frozen. Do not, I repeat DO NOT let me loose in a place like Fat Tuesday's or Wet Willies. I will pass out with my drink clutched to my hand (probably getting frostbite). Fat Apps. One of the greatest contributions the city of Tampa made, was introducing me to a gentleman with a strong affinity to use the Fat App. A app that takes your face and stretches it in certain points to make you obese. This man showed me an entire album on his iPhone....literally 75 pictures of nothing but his friends + Fat App. Feast your eyes on my double chin. I guess I need to lay off the Kalteen Bars.

G Gossip Girl. What show can strong you along for 6 seasons, not giving you even the slightest hint about who GG actually is. When GG was actually revealed, it was like, "Oh duh. The only one who can actually write. The outsider wanting to be an insider. The one with a weird love/hate relationship with Serena. I mean, she got the brunt of the blasts. Funny enough it was all rainbows and unicorns when they were dating, but every time a new guy sprung into her life, GG was full of fire and brimstone towards SVW. Totes makes sense. Gasparilla. A weekend where it is socially acceptable for grown folks to dress like, talk like, and drink like Pirates. Arrrrrrrrgh mateys...if ye be a landlover or sea urchin, make ye way to the Shore of the Bay (Bayshore Blvd) for a swashbuckling good time. P.S. Check out the badass cooler I painted for my main man.


H Handstands. I like to show off my 4th grade gymnastics skills and will gladly go into a handstand whenever the mood arises. This was at a Florida/Georgia game. Roughly 19 beers and 1/2 a bottle of Jack in. Slight exaggeration on the alcohol consumption. Feel free to scroll down to the "P" for another mega classy handstand pic. Go ahead. I'll wait right here.................mega classy, right?

I Italian everything. Italian food, clothing, culture, architecture, history, language, and my favorite...men. They really know how to treat their ladies.


J Jackie O. She had natural beauty, style, and grace. Plus that betch knew how to dress. Justin Timberlake. Easily one of the most talented men on this planet. He needs to be a full time on SNL, go on tour immediately, and star in a RomCom with Rachel McAdams. Just sayin. My little JBug. My baby nugget of a godson that I can't believe is sooooo big and full of personality. He's such a little ladies man. And the kid loves wearing high heels. Don't tell his Dad. Juicing. Recent obsession. My juicer is by far the most fun appliance in my kitchen.


K Kristen Bell. Also known as Sarah Marshall and the voice of Gossip Girl. She's one of the most sassy and underrated actresses in Hollywood. And who knew she loves sloths so much? Kayaking. Not saying I'm a pro or anything, but look what I caught on a kayak. Yes. That's a baby Hammerhead Shark. I also caught a Manta Ray, 2 crabs, and some weird fish all while floating along on the Intercoastal in a kayak. Ahhh, the life of a Florida Girl.




L Lions. Obvious one, being an ADPi and all. One goal I have in life is to buy a dog and shave it to look like a lion. Lil Wayne. My first rap love. There will always be a special place in my heart for you, tats, and syzurppp - just calm down a bit on that ish. Leo. Why must you die in every movie you're in? As long as it's only in the movies, Mr. DiCaprio.


M Movies. Even more specifically Mean Girls. I bet you probably could have guessed that I'm the Regina George of my friends. But that's only because my hair is insured for $10,000 and I just wanna lose 3 lbs. I'm working on obtaining my silver Lexus. Instead, I'll cruise around in my silver Altima with Shane Omen.

N Never Have I Ever. You will never learn more inappropriate things about another person so quickly than by playing this little game. It's also best to play with your besties, that way you can ruin their life if they ever decide to run for public office (PTA President included).

O OpenTable. Quite possibly the best website ever. Okay, one of the best. It singlehandidly brought back exclusivity by reinventing the reservation. Instead of the typical, annoying "Oh, I'm sorry the only open seats we have available for a party of 8 are at 4:30pm and 10pm", you simply sign online, look for availability and click a button. After so many reservations, they even give you money back. The only time you really encounter a problem is when you're trying to book a table for your party, and your bestie/boyfriend/grandmother also has an account and wants the points too.

P Pretty Little Liars. I know. I know. The plot is now absolutely ridiculous. Jason survived an elevator incident only to disappear from his hospital bed? There are multiple A's taking orders from girl in the red coat who might be dead Ali? Toby and Mona might be a thing while Spencer looks like she's been hit by a lovesick semi? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? ABC Family has about 4 more weeks until you lose me forever.  Pole Dancing. Don't give me that face, we already went over it in a previous post. But look how I worked a pole, even years ago (back in the Blonde Days).  Paris. I've never been, so I'm sure you're confused as to why it's on this list. Not only do I love crepes, croque monsieurs, and speak French but I have a bit of a fascination with the city and think we would get along parfaitement.


Q Queso. I'm still trying to figure out the best place in the city to consume my little obsession...I'll tell you where I won't be going to indulge: Chili's. Your queso is gross.

R RedBull (SugarFree preferably). I recently mixed SFRB with jello and vodka and made the most delicious jello shots known to man. Try it sometime. There was an incident during a RB event where I consumed roughly 12-15 SFRB's in a 12 hour sitting. I would highly advise against this. You live. You learn. You tone it down on the SFRB for a month so your friends don't think you have a problem. 

S Shoes - at one count in recent years, I had close to 100 pairs. I've since cleaned out and donated a good chunk of those, but still I'd guess I'm around 50-60. That's a pretty sick realization, isn't it. Skiing - a recent discovery. Feel free to read all about it in my previous post. Sour Candy. Preferably Sour Patch Kids or Shockers. A lesser known Willy Wonka brand candy. Most cringe at due to the mouth-puckeringly sour taste...I just love them. It's also really hard to find them at gas stations so please, by the entire case next time you see some. I'll pay you back, I swear. Sock Buns. The easiest and classiest way to do your hair in under 2 minutes. It's easier than straightening. You can dress it up or down. It looks like you put in a lot more effort than you actually did. My kind of hair accessory.

T Target. You can never make it out without purchasing 18 unnecessary items.

U The Original and Infamous - Ugly Cry Face. Originated in what can only be assumed June 1986. The UCF (ironic those are the initials) has brought laughter and joy to many. Here, as you can see are some prime examples of the UCF. If anyone has the up-close UCF of me at Mallard Ball 2006, please let me know. I'd like to burn it. I would also respectfully have to include my alma mater, the University of Central Florida (again, UCF) on the list. Thanks for the memories. And the $40k in student loan debt.

V Vampires. By far the sexiest of all supernatural creatures. And I'm not talking about Edward Cullen. For a brief moment, let's step back in time to the 90's. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Bram Stoker's Dracula. Interview with a Vampire. These movies paved the way for Robert Pattinson to swoop in and steal all the "Hot Vampire" glory. Uhhhhh, as if! Brad...you will always be my first and fav vampire love. Wait. I take that back . True Blood. I can't even start, or else I will be fixated all day on Eric Northman. Speaking of vamps...anyone want to run this with me?

W The [wonderful] Wizard of Oz. That movie is "seriously one of my all time favorites, never gets old, will watch it every time it's on TBS...with commercials, yet I still don't own it" movies. Seriously can't wait for James Franco, Michelle Williams, and Mila Kunis in Oz.

X Nothing good begins with X. I feel like I supplied enough material to skip a letter. And if I have to pick something, The XX.


Y Yorkies. How can you not love these dogs. I have two, and then I've become the aunt to two. And I have a bit of an obsession. It's unhealthy I know. But look at that wittle puppy face! YouTube. There are FAR too many videos that I'm obsessed with...Jackie and Debra, The Sprinkles Kid, Sneezing Panda.

Z Zoo's. Sure they smell like shit and animals are in captivity, but if you ever need to shut a baby up, take them to the zoo. I have used this technique on multiple occasions. The funniest time was when little JBug decided he wanted to be an Otter and tried to get in the exhibit. Jokes on him, he couldn't crawl over the wooden fence. It was adorable though.

Now y'all know my [list of favorite's via the] ABC's...Next time won't you, ah screw it. Hope you enjoyed reading about me and my favorite things.