A Different Bird

My thrifty facial skin care routine

2010-08-01T16:21:00.008-04:00

On July 20, the Georgia primary elections were held and my husband was working on one of the campaigns. His candidate lost. We were extremely upset, not only because the wrong man won and my hubby is now looking for work, but because the candidate is a good friend of our's. Also, my job has been really tough for the last week, so, needless to write (though I shall!), I have not been feeling up to writing a post. Until now.

See, we had a bunch of people over yesterday for a board meeting (and today, too - though a different bunch of people for a different board - and, for the record, I am "board" with meetings. Ha ha. See what I did there? I am a GENIUS with words. OK. Moving on.), and the girls were talking about blogs and it made me miss writing. So, yay for board meetings! I now rescind my earlier pun.

And what else is there to write about on a Sunday but skin care routines. What? You can think of a million other things to write about on a Sunday? Fine. Go away.

I love learning what other people do for their skin care routines because when I turned 23 (I'm 29 now) I suddenly had adult onset acne. It was not pretty, and I was embarrassed by my skin for about a year. Thankfully, my face cleared up after using Institut Esthederm Cellular Water facial cleanser and Bio-Hydrant moisturizer for just two weeks. Ridiculously expensive, these products worked miracles on my face. I am not saying they are cure-alls for everyone but I am SO glad they worked for me.

Again, the products were ridiculously expensive so I had to find an inexpensive alternative to maintain my clear skin. And the following routine is what I found, and what I have used for the last six years because it does such a great job.

Every morning and every single night, I wash my face with Oil of Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin and apply Oil of Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin (includes sunblock - SPF 15 - very important!) all over my face AND my neck.

I have slathered my neck in moisturizer since I was about 12, when I read an article about how neck lines really show a person's age. I may be a wrinkled little prune by the time I am 65, but my neck will be smooth dadgummit! Also, when I put the moisturizer on my face, I use my index fingers to smooth around my eyes and I gently massage up, not down, when I apply moisturizer everywhere else on my face. This is extremely anal retentive, but that is just me. :)

Every other morning, in addition to washing my face with Oil of Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin and applying Oil of Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin all over my face and neck, I start by gently massaging Aveeno's Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub on my face - steering clear of the area around my eyes.

I love the way this stuff makes my face feel and look - my face actually appears more, well, radiant (hence the name) after I use it - and additionally, it smells wonderful.

The price is one of the best parts of this routine:

Oil of Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin = @$4.50 at Wal-Mart for 7 fl oz
Oil of Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin = @$8 at Wal-Mart for 6 fl oz
Aveeno's Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub = @$6.50 for 5 fl oz

Now, what skin care routine has given you the best results? I really want to know.

Proof

2010-07-20T07:43:00.001-04:00

See? I really did get married.

A travel-size life

2010-07-14T15:20:00.003-04:00

The hubby just got home from a business trip and he came back with roses, chocolates, and other romantic gifts! Actually, the only truthful part of that statement is that he just got home from a business trip. I have to give him some credit, he DID come back with:

(i) a two-serving bag o' coffee
(ii) two tea bags
(iii) three little plastic cups
(iv) a travel-size shampoo
(v) a travel-size conditioner
(vi) a travel-size lotion
(vii) a mini soap
(viii) a mini razor kit
(ix) and the kitchen sink

Whenever we stay anywhere that offers toiletries, coffee, etc in the room, we end up bringing back almost everything that isn't nailed down. I have always grabbed items from hotel rooms and other locations because we do, in fact, pay for them when we rent a room, but I learned a whole new level of - let's call it getting our money's worth - from my husband.

Do y'all do this? At what point do you say, we have enough travel-size items? I guess the main question is: do we really need them? Though if we didn't have them, I would miss pretending to be a giant as I pour shampoo on my head.

My niece can drive better than your niece

2010-07-12T17:46:00.005-04:00

A photo from about a year ago, but my goodness does this make me smile.

Thrifty Finds: Butterfly Flower Eau de Toilette

2010-07-10T22:31:00.006-04:00

I'm not actually a huge shopper. This might seem odd since I write about my favorite shopping finds on my blog pretty often. In fact, I typically dislike shopping unless I am looking for home decor, but I had a wonderful time visiting the North Georgia Premium Outlets in Dawsonville with my mom the other day. We stopped by the Bath & Body Works there and my goodness, I was glad we did.

I haven't needed to buy lotion or perfume in forever (this is due to a Bath & Body Works shopping spree a few years back and some kind gifts from family and friends), but mom and I popped into the store just to look. We came out with a few steals!

One of these steals is a delicious-smelling perfume: their Butterfly Flower Eau de Toilette.

This has to be my new favorite summer scent. Regularly $29.50, this wonderful 2.5 FL OZ perfume was on sale for $6.62! An unbelievable deal for such an incredible scent. I knew it was a keeper and that I need to go back for more when the hubby gave me a hug and told me I smelled so good today.

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent?

#12 on my 30 Before 30: Bake a cake from scratch

2010-07-08T12:55:00.004-04:00

Number 12 on my 30 Before 30 list is to bake a cake from scratch. Well, I shocked even myself by not only baking a cake from scratch, but by creating the recipe myself! Also, it was delicious!

I know. I just passed out, too.

This Lemon Cream Cake is super easy and is the result of many hours of research learning what ingredients are necessary to make a cake, well, a cake.

If you make this, please let me know what you think.

Ingredients

For Lemon Cream Cake

6 oz cream cheese (funny story: that's all I had left of an 8 oz block, so 6 ounces it was!)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, a.k.a. 1 1/2 sticks (you don't want to know how much I had to research to find out that unsalted butter is what is typically used in recipes. I am a baking idiot.)

1 cup sugar

2 whole eggs

1 tsp vanilla (though I may have "accidentally" tipped a little more in)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (this means you sift the flour into your measuring cups - I know, I didn't know there was a difference between "sifted flour" and "flour, sifted" either)

Zest from two large lemons

pinch of salt

Butter flavored cooking spray + a little all-purpose flour

Optional blueberry topping (delicious, but unnecessary)

1 cup blueberries

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar (yep, it's a lot!)

splash of vanilla

lemon zest to taste (I did about 1/2 a lemon)

2 T water

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375º F. Start the blueberry topping (if you want to use the topping). In a small bowl, coat the blueberries with the vanilla, lemon zest, cornstarch, and sugar. Put this aside so the berries can soak up the flavors.

Sample one or two while you are making the cake mix. For quality control purposes, of course.

Create the cake mix: in a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar using a hand mixer, unless you are super strong and want to do it by hand (the mixture should be very smooth). Then beat in the eggs, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth - make sure there are no random ingredients hanging onto the inside of the bowl by continually scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Then using a spatula, gently mix in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt until it is just combined, but not too lumpy. (I wish I had a photo!) Spray a 9" round metallic cake pan lightly with butter flavored cooking spray. Throw some flour on top of the cooking spray, but flip the pan over (do this over a trash can or sink!) and tap the bottom firmly to remove the excess flour. This spray+flour combo will stop the cake from sticking (I'm sure you already knew this).

Apparently cake mix is delicate, and it needs to be placed in the oven as soon as you finish mixing it. So, place the cake pan on the middle rack (important for even baking) of your oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Mine took exactly 33 minutes.

While the cake is baking, place the blueberry mixture + 2 Tablespoons of water in a small saucepan on super low heat to make the mixture syrupy without breaking down the blueberries too much. Just keep an eye on it.

Once the cake is done, place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes and turn off the blueberry syrup mixture. Then carefully remove the cake from the pan and continue to cool it on the wire rack.

Cut yourself a generous piece and spoon the blueberry topping on the cake (or not!) and enjoy.

I LOVED this cake. It was like a mix between a crumble cake and a cream cake with a super buttery exterior. Not sure what that really makes it, but I will be baking this again!

Yum!

(This post can also be found on my cooking blog: A Cooking Bird.

Oops

2010-07-06T20:46:00.005-04:00

I put myself out of commission the last few days. By kicking my desk at work last Thursday.

Seriously.

I reinjured my foot - the one that had a stress fracture from running my first half marathon in October of 2008. I knew the bones on the top of the foot are fragile, but I didn't realize they were that fragile. I have been sat up at our house during my weeklong vacation. But today I got my old Orthopedic boot from Kole's house and my little sis called to let me know she has crutches.

So, look out world. Here I come! If ever so slowly.

Thrifty Finds: bird salt & pepper shakers from Pier 1

2010-07-03T13:56:00.006-04:00

I love birds. Not so much chickens and roosters or swans and other long-legged birds, but cute, fat little birds - like birds in the Paridae family.

Because of this, ahem, mild obsession, bird decor can be found in small batches throughout our home. Cam looooooves it. Let me tell you. Um, not really. He battles back with deer heads, rifles, and portraits of dead presidents and generals on our walls. And the giant, bleached, stuffed beaver in our dining room.

I kid you not.

Anyways, I always get excited when I find fabulous bird accessories, especially if they are thrifty finds.

Slowly walking through Pier 1 yesterday without any intention of purchasing anything - I find the store very overpriced - I saw these beauties cuddled up on a shelf. They chirped, "Buy us."

True story.

Knowing that I can't spend money on every cute little item I find - adorable birds or not - I flipped the darlings over to find the price. $3. Let me repeat. $3. For both.

So, this is how they look on our formal dining room table. Actually, they were sitting on a beautiful bird tablecloth - a wedding present from my dear friend Kole - but I needed more of a contrast for the photo.

What do you think? Do you have a theme to your decor?

Living on a budget: Part 1

2010-07-01T13:40:00.005-04:00

The following conversation occurred after Cam finished setting up our new home infrastructure plan, combining our Internet and TV with my cell phone in a bundle package in order to save some money.

*Phone rings*

Cam: Hello?

Nicole: Hi, babe. I just got an email confirmation from AT&T saying you finished putting our new package together. I forwarded it to you.

Cam: Great.

Nicole: How much will the new bill be?

Cam: It will be (undisclosed amount). They are setting up everything on July 10.

Nicole: Will the (undisclosed amount) show up on my bill?

Cam: Yes... (pause) Is that OK?

Nicole: Of course it is! How much were we paying before for just cable and Internet?

Cam: About (undisclosed amount). [our previous cable and Internet bill is the same amount we will be paying for cable, Internet AND my cell phone].

Nicole: Great, honey! You are saving us about $600 a year!

(another pause)

Nicole: And no, you can't spend the extra money.

Cam: But socks! I need socks!

I think we might need to loosen the budget strings a little.

My 30 Before 30 List!

2010-06-29T23:17:00.002-04:00

Creating my "30 Before 30" list was more difficult than I imagined. While I was thinking of items to put on the list, I would feel these sudden urges to write down ridiculous goals, like "Learn how to surf" or "Climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro." But then I realized something. I don't want to learn how to surf, and I really don't want to climb to the top of the highest mountain in Africa.

I do have big goals in life, and I do want to accomplish significant things before I turn 30, but I want this to be a FUN list with a good mixture of easy and difficult things that are possible for me to finish.

Also, whether I complete the list or not, thanks for coming along for the ride.

Finish Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred (because we saw how well my attempt at Slim in 6 turned out)
Take a weekend trip
Try a new restaurant
Make homemade ice cream
Have a girls night
Throw a party
Go hiking
Print wedding photos (now putting them somewhere is a different story)
Redecorate one room in my home
Run a race
Read five New York Times Best Sellers and review them here
~~Bake a cake from scratch~~
Document a "day in my life" with photos
Spend time exploring a city in Georgia
Visit an Atlanta attraction
Try Pinkberry (they finally made it to Atlanta)
Write a short story
Decorate my work office
Plan and implement an entire date day
Volunteer for a worthy cause (besides English School, where I have volunteer taught English to foreign adults for nearly three years)
Go on a picnic
Spend a whole (non-sick) day lounging around the house with movies, books, etc.
Do 100 consecutive push-ups
Create a scrapbook
Go dancing
Visit a museum
Create an A-Z album (idea borrowed from Janet)
Make cupcakes
Create a new cocktail
Visit a foreign country

Top Five: The Comedy Movies I Never Get Sick of Watching Edition

2010-06-28T17:38:00.007-04:00

While I finish thinking up my "30 Before 30" list, I am going to take another page from Slice of Pink Janet's blogging playbook. She listed the top five movie she never gets sick of, but when I tried to think of those top five, I realized that I like way too many movies to just list my top five in whatever genre. So, I narrowed my focus to comedy. Because I watch way too many movies, and I put way too much thought into this post.

So, here are the top five COMEDIES I never get sick of watching.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Don't drive angry. Don't drive angry!

Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

Great. I was wearing a carpet.

Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

I'm so glad they still work. I haven't used them for kissing in such a long time, more like for wearing lipstick... and whistling.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Milk was a bad choice.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he's talking about.

What's on your list?

A 20-something for a little longer

2010-06-24T18:20:00.004-04:00

In Februrary, I turned 29. Woo. 29.

Can you feel the excitement?

Am I where I want to be since I turned "almost 30?" The next statement could not be truer: I am in a place I never thought I wanted or where I thought I could be, but I am so happy to be here.

I married my best friend; I finally figured myself out enough to stop worrying about becoming something and just being; and I started a new career path that I truly enjoy.

Are things perfect? Not even close. Would I trade it for anything? No.

All that to say, I feel I have some things I would like to do before I'm 30. Even though I kind of sucked at my 109 in 2009 list.

So, in the spirit of my blog friend Janet's "30 Before 30" list (on which she received an "A"), I will spend time during my family trip to Florida this weekend coming up with 30 things I would like to do over the next eight months.

Suggestions are, of course, most welcome. Encouragement (and chocolate) are also appreciated.

The WORST nail salon in Atlanta

2010-06-22T17:25:00.004-04:00

Well, the worst that I have tried.

On April 30, the day before my wedding, I really wanted to go somewhere special to have my nails done. I had purchased a Groupon coupon to be used at the Cure Nail and Body Bar in the Castleberry Hill part of Atlanta. As an aside, I shall one day declare my love for all things Groupon in a post that will most likely be long and drippy.

Anyways.

I have always gone to the $30 mani/pedi places, and for the past year or more I have done my own nails (which I highly recommend!), but I thought that an $80 Spa Tender Toe Love pedicure and Palm Passion manicure - that I got for $35 thanks to a deal I bought through Groupon - would be amazing. But Cure Nail and Body Bar was so unbelievably horrible.

The first part of the day had been wonderful. My bridesmaids and I had a great lunch and margaritas at No Mas! Cantina (a delicious, but overpriced restaurant). We were looking forward to what we thought would be a great day at a nail spa. Um, no.

The owner was INCREDIBLY RUDE from the moment I called to confirm our appointments; she didn't want to hear that my mom had been unable to join us. She made me feel extremely uncomfortable and guilty. Who wants to feel guilty about a nail appointment??

The Cure Nail Bar is fairly pretty inside, but nothing special. My nail technician was very sweet, but it was her first day EVER working at a salon and she didn't know what to do. At all. She kept asking other staff members what to do, but no one seemed to know what to tell her. She was shaking she was so nervous. One of the strangest things she did was to randomly buff the nails on just one of my hands, and when I asked why she did it, she couldn't find an answer. She seriously didn't do anything but rip up the cuticules on both my feet and hands because she actually pushed back my cuticles while they were dry!

The polish job on my feet and the shaping of my fingernails were so bad that I told her just to put clear polish on my hands. I wish I had photos. My bridesmaids also had terrible manicures and pedicures, including misshapen nails and a french manicure that was hot (HOT) pink. The staffers kept asking each other what to do next and they all looked so stinkin' confused. It was so uncomfortable to watch, and I left there feeling horrible and sad.

Thankfully, the next morning I went to Nail Trend in Marietta and they did an incredible job. So, in the end, I had pretty nails for the wedding. The girls at Nail Trend kept asking who had done my nails and even told me that my nails and cuticles were really messed up. Seriously, if you are thinking about going to Cure Nail and Body Bar, find ANYWHERE else to get your nails done.

If I can keep just ONE person from going to this horrible nail "spa," I will feel 100 percent better about my experience there.

Not THAT bad for you

2010-06-21T13:23:00.004-04:00

Ever since I started living by the South Beach Diet principles, I have actually lost a bit of my sweet tooth.

I know, shock and awe, people. Shock and awe.

Anyways. Whenever I find a dessert now that I really like, I file it away in my mental "delicious" file. And eat it very rarely. But rather than keep all the sweet goodness to myself, I thought I would share my new favorite find: frozen yogurt from Publix**.

Now, I don't know if you have Publix where you live (Hi, Kari!), but if you do, now is the time to try at least two flavors because they are having their 2 half-gallon cartons for $5 sale. I know. Be still my thrifty heart.

My frozen yogurt flavor of the month (heck, year) is their blueberry cream pie: cream cheese yogurt with pieces of pie and blueberry filling. Holy kitten crap, this stuff is THE STUFF. And it is lowfat! Though loaded with sugar and other bad things, but look, LOWFAT!!

Now that we are all wanting some frozen yogurt (and for those Atlantans reading this, have you noticed how freaking hot it is here?), what's your favorite ice cream/frozen yogurt flavor?

** Publix frozen yogurt is NOT South Beach Diet friendly.

New, New, New

2010-06-18T21:06:00.004-04:00

I ~~hate~~ highly dislike when bloggers don't blog forever and then they come back on the scene all "HEY, I'VE BEEN SUPER BUSY AND LIFE GOT IN THE WAY AND I WILL NOW WRITE EVERY SINGLE DAY."

Well, life didn't get in the way. Except that it did. I lost my job in the middle of last year and didn't find a new one until March 2010. A new job that I love. (Seriously. I'm not sucking up to anyone. None of my co-workers read this blog.)

Now, losing my job put me in a terrible, terrible place. I felt worthless and lost. Yeah, it was a really overdramatic reaction, but it was mine. It truly sucked. I'm much better now.

I also married my boyfriend, Cam. Yeah, he totally rocks. We had a wonderful, small wedding (as one guest put it, "the sweetest little wedding") and now I am trying to figure out life with him and his enormous house that I need to redo for my sanity and figure out my new(ish) job while continuing to do lots of extracurriculur activities. Phew!

So, the blog went on hiatus because I lost myself for a while. But now I'm BACK. This blog will be a little different than it was before because my husband (yeah, that is still so much fun to say) does not like me putting out too many personal details about our life. LIKE THE FACT THAT HE DOESN'T EVER MOVE THE CLOTHES FROM THE WASHER TO THE DRYER OR THE DRYER TO THE DRAWERS. There, I said it. I feel much better now.

A Different Bird will be more about Adventures in Atlanta and random crap I like. Because who doesn't want to read about that?

Ava's 9-Month Photo Shoot

2009-03-20T08:49:00.005-04:00

I can't get over how beautiful/cute/wonderful my niece looks in her 9-month photo shoot! One of my older sister's best friends (I just call her friend), Brandelyn, is a photographer, who I have mentioned on this site a number of times. And seriously, if you live anywhere near the Atlanta area you have to hire this woman. She did photos of me and my sisters and the babies for Christmas and she does all of Ava's photoshoots. Including Steph's maternity shoot, Ava's one-month shoot and now, the 9-month (actually 10-month) shoot.

Brandelyn is the best photographer I know, and she does all types of lifestyle photography, including maternity, family, children, weddings and engagements. And just let Brandelyn (she also goes by Brandy) know you heard it here first.

Check out Ava's slideshow here (make sure you have your sound on - there's a sweet song on in the background).

Nola, the Runner

2009-03-12T16:44:00.002-04:00

You have to watch this video of my niece, Nola, in the Baby Einstein my sister and I got her for Christmas. She doesn't so much bounce as she runs in place. I know I'm prejudiced, but she is one of the sweetest and prettiest babies I have ever seen.

Love the pursed lips and chubby legs!

Couldn't you just die?

2009-03-04T19:24:00.005-05:00

My little nieces make every day so much better, even if the only way I see them is through the photos my mom sends me almost every day. Thank you, mama.

Ava loving on Nola with mama (grandmama) in the background.

Nola.

Ava.

Love & Hate Tuesday

2009-03-03T11:45:00.003-05:00

As inspired by Zandria.

Love: My boyfriend, Cam. I love Cam for many reasons, but one thing I especially love is his thoughtfulness. This past Saturday was my 'Champagne Birthday' and he made it incredibly special by planning the whole day. It began with some incredible presents (I'll have to 'show' y'all later), a lunch with my family and then a huge party at his house, where he did all the cleaning, cooking, set-up, etc.

Hate: Uncertainty. With economic times the way they are and with no end in sight (hi, no optimism about this today!), my financial situation is very stressful. While money isn't everything, the inadequacy I feel right now because of my lack of funds, and my inability to create any, is a burden I feel buried under.

Love: Lindt Lindor Truffles Stracciatella. Kole received some of these for her birthday in January and I couldn't get over how good they were.

Hate: Brussel sprouts. Seriously. Why would anyone eat them?!

Love: Living with one of my best friends and loving every minute of it. Everyone needs a Kole.

Hate: When people make fun of other people. While I have been guilty of this myself, it actually makes me feel sick when I listen to other people mock individuals. And some times what we hate the most, are things we hate about ourselves.

Is Faith Delusional?

2009-02-27T11:50:00.005-05:00

Last night, I had the priviledge of listening to Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox at the Atlanta Civic Center. I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time.

As a 'life student' of religion and philosophy (doesn't that sound pretentious?), I was very intrigued by what these gentlemen had to say. I went in with no knowledge of who they are and what their messages were going to be. In fact, I didn't even know they were both Christians before I entered the auditorium. The title of the lecture 'Is Faith Delusional?' just piqued my interest.

All that to say, I highly recommend you listen to these fellows if you get a chance. I don't care if you are an atheist, agnostic, Christian, buddhist, etc. I don't talk about religion on this blog for a very good reason, but I believe that anyone who can stimulate additional thought in my head is worth mentioning. And both of these men did just that.

"Don't ever give up on something or someone that you can't go a full day without thinking about." (Author Unknown)

Martinis & IMAX

2009-02-25T14:45:00.005-05:00

Well, one of the items on my 109 in 2009 list is to have a girls' night out. I've actually enjoyed a couple now, but I finally have one with photographic evidence.

Last Friday, I went with a bunch of girls to the Fernbank Museum for Martinis & IMAX.

The dinosaur backgdrop at Martinis & IMAX.

It was a BLAST! I highly recommend going. Afterwards, a couple of us went to Amy's house for a glass of wine and a Matthew McConaughey flick.

Here are a few photos from Fernbank.

Bridget, Raegan, me and a lot of hair!

Me and Jamie Leigh.

The best roomie in the world (a.k.a. Kole) and me.

Raegan and me.

Kole looking sassy!

Kole, Jill and Robin.

Me, Ashley and Amy.

Amy looking sophisticated. It was Martinis & IMAX after all.

It was Bridget's birthday!

Ashley looking lovely.

The first photo of the evening. Eh, who said they had to be in order.

New header for Winter '09

2009-02-19T17:23:00.003-05:00

So, one of the items on my 109 in 2009 list is to create seasonal headers for this blog. Well, Winter 2009 is almost over so I got cracking. While I'm not a huge fan of the new header (totally envisioned something else in my head), it'll do.

More than alive... doing really well

2009-02-18T18:43:00.004-05:00

So, I have found that having two other blogs (A Cooking Bird and The 109 in 2009 - which I update nearly every day) takes away my desire to post regularly on this one, even though this is my online scrapbook, where I am trying to keep up with events so I remember them years from now. And A LOT has been going on. BUT (there's always a but) I'm really busy with work and just trying to enjoy as much time as possible with Cam, my family and friends, so A Different Bird is not getting as much love.

And in lieu of Valentine's Day photos (well, for the moment - maybe I'll get around to posting them after I finally download them), here is a photo of me and Cam from December last year.

We'd been dating a month at that point. And believe me, we still look that happy. Maybe even more so.

A Different Bird Interviewed: Part II

2009-02-11T14:32:00.003-05:00

My friend, Janet, blogger extraordinaire of Slice of Pink sent me the following questions (per my request). Janet is a sweet, sweet person and a great blogger - you should check her out!

1. If all the impracticalities were sorted out for you, what animal would you most like to have as a pet?

A dwarf hamster. It's not an impractical pet, but one I have wanted for many, many years. In fact, I made Cam (he was willing) go into a pet store the other day so I could go stare and squeal at the cute little hamsters. After visiting the store, I definitely want a Roborovski hamster, the smallest of all domestic hamsters.

And from what I understand, they live the longest of any type of domestic hamster. Maybe the impractical part would be that the hamster would have his own room with tons of space to run around and lots of piping and other hamster goodies. And he would have lots of dwarf hamster friends in the room with him, obviously.

2. What is your before-bedtime routine?

It's funny you ask, because I am extremely anal retentive about my before-bedtime routine. In this order, I floss, brush my teeth, wash my face (especially concentrating on getting the eye make-up off) and then slather moisturizer on. I change into my pajamas, get into bed, either text or call Cam and then read while on my back to stretch it out. Then sleep time!

3. What are you wowed by the brilliance of?

Maybe this seems like a shallow answer, but stand-up comedians who kill at improv. Cam and I went to see Rich Hall at The Funny Farm Comedy Club recently, and I was awed by how quick and funny he was on his feet as he interacted with the audience. (If you haven't seen him, you really, really should!)

4. What were you like as a six year old?

I was extremely inquisitive and a bookworm. You would sometimes even find me reading in the bathroom for hours on end because I couldn't manage to put the book down. Not even for two minutes apparently. I loved playing on the swing set with my sisters but also coming up with new games inside the house, like crock pot (weird name, I know). I had a huge imagination and I would make up episodes of Beverly Hills Teens (an 80s cartoon) and tell them to my sisters at night. I loved to draw and color and play Barbies. I remember taking the blame for some things, even though I hadn't done them, just to keep the peace and get past interrogation from my parents. I was a very loving child, always snuggling up to my parents and I remember hugging my Kindergarten teacher a lot (Mrs. Fox), but not my first grade teacher (Mrs. Christopher) because I didn't like her. I remember, even at 6, wanting to be the best in the class. After reading this back and thinking about it, I really haven't changed all that much. Life's funny like that.

5. You win $5,000, all of which you must spend in only one store. Which store do you choose and what do you buy?

I would actually choose Target, because I could get an assortment of items for reasonable prices.

Now, I want to go all out for #5, so I am actually going to fully answer that in another post. Thanks for reading!

Too much good stuff to write about!

2009-02-03T15:47:00.006-05:00

I had a wonderful weekend, and it actually began on Friday when I finally (FINALLY!) met my friend, Andrea, blogger of Forever is Tomorrow is Today, for lunch. Cam asked me how it was possible to be friends with someone I have never met, but I have felt such a kinship with Andrea since we began commenting on each other's blogs over three years ago. We are about the same age, were in very similar situations when we were in England, are both from the Atlanta area and we have both moved back to the Atlanta area recently.

I've never met a 'blogger friend' in real life, so I was just a tiny bit nervous, but I really shouldn't have been. Andrea is even better in-person than I imagined. I am so grateful for the friendship she and I share, and I look forward to many more regular visits, in addition to our regular comments and emails.

My only regret from the fabulous lunch? We didn't take a single photo. Not one. Not even of her unbelievably adorable son, Finn, who I have decided must meet my nieces, Ava & Nola. When they are all 25, of course.

Andrea's story is very compelling and she is an excellent writer, so I highly recommend you visit her blog if you haven't already. (her blog updates always show up on my 'Who's Updated Recently?' and she is on my favorite bloggers list - both to the left)

On Friday night, Cam took me to Romano's Macaroni Grill for dinner. Very tasty! I hadn't been there in quite a while.

We were posing at the corner of the table, hence the awkward-looking position of our bodies.

As if Friday wasn't enough, on Saturday Cam took me to see Cirque du Soleil!! (which I crossed off my 109 in 2009 list!) It was a special Christmas present, and we went with another couple, our good friends Allan and Amy.

We started the evening at the wonderful Six Feet Under. I highly recommend you visit this restaurant if you are in the Atlanta area: cool atmosphere, great service, delicious food and fabulous drinks!

I love how I look pregnant in this photo because of the way my left arm is positioned beside my body.

We were really excited about the upcoming show!

Newlyweds. Aren't they really, really, ridiculously good looking?

We went to see Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA show, and I can't recommend going enough. It was INCREDIBLE. The Atlanta run of the show ends on March 1st, so get your tickets soon!

Cam and me in front of the huge tent after the show.

You can't see it very well, but that's Cam, me, Amy and Allan in front of the KOOZA logo.

On Sunday, Allan, Amy and I went to brunch at The Flying Biscuit (soooo good!), Cam joined us after church, we fixed some snacks (well, Cam and I fixed snacks, Amy fixed some homemade chili and Allan grilled some hot dogs), and then we watched the Superbowl with a bunch of friends. Such a great weekend!

Tag. I'm it.

2009-01-30T18:41:00.004-05:00

My dear friend Abby tagged me for a random post. Here were the rules:

1. Go to your 4th photo album.
2. Post the 4th picture.
3. Give a little "photo history" for all to read.

My fourth album is "Ava & Nola" and here is the fourth photo:

This photo is from December 8, 2008. My sisters and nieces were visiting my parents (I was not there, my mom sent me this photo). I can only guess that Ava is telling Nola how things work around the family. Things like, since I'm the oldest, I get first pick of toys. You know. The usual.

I won't tag anyone, but let me know if you decide to do this!

A Different Bird Interviewed

2009-01-28T10:58:00.003-05:00

So, one of the bloggers I follow, Carmen from La Petite Belle, posted answers to questions she received from another blogger, and then she offered to 'interview' other bloggers in return. I said, why not, and requested some questions.

So, here are my questions from the lovely Carmen, and my answers.

1) What made you start a blog?

I was actually inspired to start my first blog several years ago by my best friend, Kari, who was living in and blogging about Africa then. The first blog was similar to A Different Bird, just a lot less stuff on the page (damn you, widgets!). I also kept a blog about my adventure in England, where I lived for 14 months to get my Master's degree.

2) If you were in a deserted island and could only bring one person with you, who would that be? (you can pick someone you do or do not know)

Honestly, it would be Cameron, my boyfriend. He is one of my best friends (we get along extremely well and I would need to really love the person since we are the only two on the island); he is an outdoor guy (so he could build us that fabulous lean-to we'll need to survive the elements and hunt us some food) and he's fun to snuggle with (got to start thinking about populating that island ;)).

3) If you were only allowed to read ONE more book before you died, which book would you pick?

I thought this would be difficult to answer, but then I realized that I really want to read 'The Last Lecture' (it's on my to-do list this year) and I think the book's content would be very fitting!

4) If you could go back in time and re-do something in your life, what would that be?

There are a number of things I can think of, but I think I would redo high school - making much better decisions and setting a much better mental path for myself.

5) What would you tell your 10 year old self if you saw her sitting in front of you right now?

"Quit stressing out about everything. It really does all work out - for the good or the bad. Really enjoy time with the family. Do more things with your parents and your sisters. Your parents really give great advice, but do travel even when they don't want you to go, and do activities that you really want to do even if they don't want you to do them. And your sisters will be your best friends some day and all that fighting will be for naught, so chill! Savor every moment of those family vacations to St. George Island. They will still be some of your best memories when you are 27. Eat - for goodness' sake, eat. Even when you don't want to and you think it gives you some sense of control to starve yourself. Exercise. Enjoy physical activity. Go for long walks. Travel more. Try different cuisines. Always stay open to new ideas and new cultures. Be understanding of everyone's differences. Enjoy learning more than making high grades. Don't worry about middle school - everyone is awkward in middle school. Don't worry about not doing what everyone else is doing in high school. There really are so many things that are better suited for life after high school. Love as much as you can, but guard your heart against those who would hurt it. Don't waste your time on losers because you have an incessant need to make things work - in friendships, in relationships and in work. Try new things! Take more pictures but don't worry about taking pictures. Allow your creative side out in everything you do. And do what you love."

I have more to tell my 10-year old self, but I think my 10-year old self would have started stressing out about having to do all this stuff. And you didn't think I had always been this anal retentive?

1. If you want to participate, leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” (And please leave your e-mail address if I don't have it)
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. (eh, only if you want)
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (again, only if you want - this blogging thing shouldn't be that stressful)

Beginning Slim in 6

2009-01-27T09:58:00.003-05:00

So, as part of my 109 in 2009 list, I am trying to be more active. And the list item I have actually dreaded the most is doing Slim in 6, a 6-week, 6-days-a-week workout program. No, I am not a glutton for punishment, but I bought the DVDs a couple of years ago and never really used them. And I can't stand the idea of wasting money.

So, all that to say, this morning I started Slim in 6. And it is boring, the music is horrible and the fitness instructor loses count a lot, but my muscles are aching and I feel much better knowing I did some physical activity today. One of my main goals this year is to get back to a size 4 and maintain it (getting a stress fracture in my foot after my half-marathon run put a damper on my activity level).

So, please wish me luck. I need it.

Progress

2009-01-26T12:46:00.003-05:00

So, I have already made progress on my 109 in 2009 list. I blog about it over there, so I won't repeat myself here.

Have I mentioned I have a recipe blog called 'A Cooking Bird'? Me? Nicole? Cooking? Hell has seriously frozen over. I am always up for recipe suggestions as I have committed to cooking at least once a week in 2009 (well, starting the week of Jan. 18). I've done it so far! Two weeks down, lots to go.

And 2009? So far an excellent year.

The 109 in 2009 is HERE!

2009-01-22T18:12:00.007-05:00

In 2008, I attempted to do 108 new things in a year. Well, I did 45. Not bad but not great, and this year I hope to accomplish even more. And I also hope to document my progress more at The 109 in 2009. I did a very poor job of taking photos as evidence of my endeavors. So, as a general rule I shall take more photos of day-to-day items/events.

Please check The 109 in 2009 often to see my progress - and there will be a permanent home for the link in the top right corner of this blog.

Some of these are items I moved over from 'The 108 in 2008' list, some are completely new and some are slightly modified versions of last year's goals. Cam suggested I organize the lists into different categories and I really like the layout. I'll cross items off the sidebars as they happen. And as always, your encouragement is most appreciated.

Just for Fun (17)
- Have a Jane Austen Day that includes watching the entire 1995 A&E version of Pride and Prejudice.
- Go on a picnic.
- Read outside.
- Watch a sunrise.
- Watch a sunset.
- Buy a cookie cake for no reason at all (and of course share with friends).
- Send an overseas friend snail mail.
- Finish a crossword puzzle.
- Finish a jigsaw puzzle.
- Send my nana a card.
- Spend a whole (non-sick) day lounging around the house with movies, books, etc.
- Go out on a boat.
- Become SCUBA certified.
- Win a radio station contest.
- Have afternoon tea with my mom and sisters.
- Beat my dad at gin rummy.
- Go shooting.

Travels & Destinations (15)
- Go on a vacation.
- Go back to my college town for a visit, see Meaghan and meet her new son.
- Visit a park I have never been to before.
- Got to a state I have never visited.
- Visit a new foreign destination.
- Go to a fair.
- Go to an art museum.
- Stay at a nice bed and breakfast.
- Take an unplanned trip.
- Visit my high school alma mater.
- Go to the beach.
- Go camping.
- Visit a historical site.
- Visit Savannah.
- Visit Washington D.C.

Food & Cooking or 'The Making of a Domestic Goddess' (16)
- Cook at least once a week (starting now!).
- Take a cooking class.
- Make homemade pizza.
- Make homemade ice cream.
- Have a fajita night.
- Have a bacon, avocado, lettuce sandwich.
- Make biscuits from scratch.
- Bake a cake from scratch.
- Make homemade bread.
- Make S’mores.
- Cook and serve a four-course meal.
- Cook mama's recipe for pulled pork.
- Contribute at least one dish to Thanksgiving dinner.
- Make homemade lasagna.
- Cook Cam his favorite meal of country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra and pecan pie.
- Fix a meal for either my family or Cam's family.

Go Out on the Town (12)
- Go see Cirque du Soleil.
- Have a girls' night out.
- Visit the New World of Coca-Cola.
- Visit the Georgia Aquarium.
- Try a new restaurant in Marietta.
- Eat at Bacchanalia - consistently considered one of Atlanta's best restaurants.
- Eat at Crepe Revolution.
- Be a tourist in my own town, including taking lots of photos.
- See Bodies: The Exhibition.
- Tour one of North Georgia's vineyards & wineries.
- See a play.
- Try a new type of cuisine.

Be a Bookworm (17)
- Read The Shack by William P. Young.
- Read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.
- Read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neiffenegger.
- Read The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer in its entirety.
- Read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel by Gregory Maguire.
-Read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
- Read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
- Read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.
- Read Persuasion by Jane Austen.
- Read Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche.
- Read Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang.
- Read The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.
- Read The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller.
- Read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.
- Read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.
- Read American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman.
- Read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Let's Get Physical! (11)
- Get back to a size 4 and maintain it.
- Stick to the BeachBody Slim in Six and post about my experience.
- Run a race.
- Learn to rollerblade
- Go bike riding.
- Go fishing.
- Participate in a team sport.
- Go skydiving (this will depend on funds).
- Go horseback riding.
- Do 100 consecutive push-ups.
- Go on a hike.

Be Creative (16)
- Create a tangible scrapbook.
- Create a handmade card and send it.
- Decorate my office.
- Write a short story.
- Knit a scarf.
- Knit an item for Nola.
- Design and create new seasonal headers for my other blog, A Different Bird.
- Draw a picture and frame it.
- Design stationary.
- Finish knitting Ava's baby blanket.
- Send out Christmas cards with a personal note in each.
- Get published under my name.
- Document a “day in my life” with photos.
- Throw a party.
- Plan & implement an entire date day.
- Create a series of graphic prints and have them framed.

Benefit Others (5)
- Baby-sit my niece, Ava.
- Baby-sit my niece, Nola.
- Leave a server a 100% tip.
- Volunteer for a worthy cause.
- Donate blood.

Ah! It's already almost two weeks into 2009!

2009-01-13T14:00:00.006-05:00

Auntie Cole. What do you mean it's Tuesday, January 13th, and you haven't posted your new To-Do list this year?

It's OK, cousin Nola. Mama tells me that Auntie Cole has been super busy. Mama also tells me that staying in this cage is for my own good. I'm starting not to believe mama.

2009 looks bright

2009-01-07T13:56:00.001-05:00

When 2008 came to a close, I had big plans of wrapping everything I have done this year in a nice, neat package. But as anyone who knows me can attest, I suck at wrapping. So, instead, I will just summarize my 108 in 2008 list.

In 2008, I attempted to do 108 new things, or things I just haven’t done in a really long time. Let's see how I did.

1- ~~Learn to knit~~ (Thank you, Sherrie!)(1/09/08)

2- ~~Hang something on my bedroom wall - a photo, a candle holder, some art, a calendar - something~~!

It was a calendar. Maybe I need to set my sights higher this year - like a photo frame.

3- ~~Volunteer for a worthy cause~~

This had to be in addition to English School, because I began volunteering there in 2007. So, during December, I helped out at Clark's Christmas Kids with Clark Howard (from AM 750 WSB). You can see more photos from the event in this post.

4- ~~Sing karaoke~~

(Me and one of my best friends, Bryan) I did this while playing Rock Band - it counts, right?

5- ~~See a play or ballet performance~~

Cam took me to see A Christmas Carol at The New American Shakespeare Tavern on Peachtree Street. The show was wonderful! I also had food there for the first time and it was very tasty (and reasonably priced!).

10- ~~Go to an opera~~ I saw a live feed from the New York Metropolitan Opera of La Fille du Régiment. It was wonderful.

11- ~~Try a new game~~

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 on Wii - hilariously fun! - and Rock Band!

13- ~~Run a half marathon~~ (10/25/08)

I couldn't believe how accomplished I felt after finishing. And how painful a stress fracture can be.

17- ~~Have a taco night~~

Cam and I made The Food Network's Turkey Tacos Picadillo one night at his place. They were very spicy and delicious. And see that guacamole? That is one of Cam's specialties. You'll have to ask him for the recipe. And just for fun, here is a photo of Cam (with his cousin, Brandon, in the foreground) fixing the infamous guac.

Handsome and he likes to cook. Or as he puts it, he likes to eat.

18- ~~Read the entire Harry Potter series~~

I bawled reading the last couple of books. I didn't want it to end. I think the Twilight series might make my 2009 list...

19- ~~Visit a state I have never been to, and not just a drive-through.~~

I went to Arizona for the first time in my life on a mini-vacation in September.

It is incredibly beautiful, I had a wonderful time and want to go back for another visit. You can read about the entire trip here.

23- ~~Throw a party~~

I helped plan the annual Christmas party thrown by a political group I am heavily involved in.

25- ~~Go on a trip with my sisters~~

I went to Florida with my beautiful sisters (L-Steph, R- Barb) to visit some family. You can read about the entire trip here.

26- ~~Take a dance lesson~~

Kole and I took a very special dance class. If you want more details, you'll have to ask me personally. Or Kole.

32- ~~Go to a concert~~ (7/12/08)

Me and Abbs hanging out while watching 7 Sharp 9 in July. They were great!

36- ~~Create a scrapbook~~

As Cam pointed out, I have referred to this blog as my online scrapbook.

41- ~~Read Son of a Witch: A Novel by Gregory Maguire~~

I didn't enjoy this book at all. Boo.

46- ~~Read Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides~~

I recommend reading Middlesex. It was very interesting and kept me engaged until the very end.

49- ~~Read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd~~

This is one of my new favorite books. I hear the movie is pretty good, too.

50- ~~Read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire~~

I LOVED the play when I saw it in London, the book, however, SUCKED.

52- ~~Watch the movie Juno~~ (10/02/08)

Over-hyped, but good.

55- ~~Watch Stardust~~

I really enjoyed this film, but I'm a huge fantasy & science fiction fan.

56- ~~Re-watch the entire British version of The Office, including the two Christmas specials~~

And I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You think Pam and Jim are cute in the American version, just wait until you see Dawn and Tim in the UK version. *sigh*

57- ~~Try a new restaurant in Marietta~~

It was Wild Wing Cafe - VERY tasty wings!

58- ~~Try a new restaurant in Atlanta~~

Cam took me to La Tavola Trattoria Restaurant in Atlanta. It was absolutely wonderful. I wish we had taken photos!

60- ~~Run three miles without stopping~~

Please see half-marathon information above, and I ran a lot of miles while training for that half-marathon. :)

64- ~~Have a facial~~

And it made me melt.

66- ~~Participate in a Texas hold ‘em tournament~~

I didn't win, but it sure was fun!

68- ~~Go to a comedy club~~(April 13, 2008)

My friend, Travis, being, erm, friendly with the comedian, Nick Guerra (who I highly recommend seeing, if you get the chance).

I LOVE live comedy and frequent the local clubs. I highly recommend you visit The Funny Farm and The Punchline to see great comedy in Atlanta.

70- ~~Go to the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern~~

Please see #5 above.

73- ~~Try a new haircut~~

Do you remember this post?

I decided on long layers, with side-sweep bangs:

Me showing my hair to Coach Bill Curry.

79- ~~Buy a new dress~~ & 80- ~~And matching shoes~~

I did, but I don't actually have a photo with me in the outfit. New Year's resolution: Take more photos.

83- ~~Eat breakfast for dinner~~

This actually happens all the time. In fact, we had breakfast for dinner with Cam's family last night that consisted of country ham, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, biscuits and grits. Man, now I'm hungry!

85- ~~Try a new fru-fru drink [a.k.a. fruity alcoholic beverage]~~

I had lots of new fru-fru drinks this year, including a peach martini (YUM!) on New Year's Eve, but I don't take a photo of any of them. Though I did have a new drink the night the above photo was taken. And I just wanted to post it again.

87- ~~Have a girls’ night~~

I have one pretty much every Wednesday.

90- ~~Help someone find a job~~

I helped a couple of my friends unsuccessfully try to find jobs. Maybe this year they will be successful in finding them!

91- ~~Watch home movies with my family~~

For some reason, my sister loves to show off the angel above. I've seen her a number of times on the TV at my parents' house.

92- ~~Cook with my mom~~

We made French toast together - yum!

96- ~~Pay off my student loans~~ (3/14/08)

The idea of debt scares me, so I was so happy to pay this off before it went into payments.

100- ~~Be at the hospital when Steph’s baby is born~~

Ava Gabrielle stole my heart the moment I touched her.

101- ~~Be at the hospital when Barb’s baby is born~~

Nola Ashlyn is my sweet little angel. I couldn't love my nieces more if I tried.

102- ~~Make a key lime pie~~

Key lime pie is my absolute favorite dessert. And this was the EASIEST recipe to make. And honestly, not to toot my own horn, but it was the best damn key lime pie I've ever had. I like to think that Cam agreed.

Groceries needed:
9-inch graham cracker pie crust (Deep-dish if you can find it)
Four eggs (you will just use the yolks)
2 (14-ounce) cans condensed milk
1 cup of key lime juice (you could probably use regular lime juice, but the key lime is what made the flavor for me! We found ours at the local Harry's Farmers Market)
Sour cream
Powdered sugar
One lime for zesting (optional)

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the condensed milk, key lime juice and egg yolks. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the pie shell. We had so much mixture left over that we put them in tiny bunt cakes (please see photo above) and sampled them later that night after cooking the little bunts with the big pie and then chilling the little bunts for a short time - yummy sampler!) Bake for 30-35 minutes and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Once chilled, combine about a cup of sour cream to three+ tablespoons powdered sugar (do it to your taste) and use to dollop on the top. Some people spread the topping over the whole thing before serving, but I like to give people the option, though I personally love the sour cream/powdered sugar mixture. Cuts the tartness of the pie. Then sprinkle lime zest as a garnish on top of the sour cream and serve chilled.

What I won't post is the video that Cam took unbeknownst to me while I whisked the key lime pie mixture. Let's just say I look like a hula dancer from behind.

107- Try a different dish at my favorite restaurants (at ~~Murphy’s Deli~~, ~~La Parilla~~ and Outback)

Well, two out of three isn't bad. Cam, you want to go to Outback this year?

108- ~~Finish a knitting project~~

My friend, Sherrie, holding the dishcloth I knitted for her.

And it is usually during these 'wrap-ups' that people talk about how thankful they are for everything in their life. And I'm not going to break that tradition. Because I am incredibly thankful.

I'm thankful for my sisters, their husbands and my incredible nieces.

A Christmas photo we had done for our parents.

I'm thankful for my parents.

At Steph's wedding rehearsal.

I'm thankful for my friends.

Some friends on New Year's Eve.

So many things happened in 2008 that weren't on the to-do list. Well, at least they weren't on my list. Items like having two nieces and falling in love. But those are the best things in my life. And I'm so glad I can add them to my life list.

Ringing in the New Year. Properly.

Happy New Year, everyone. May be it filled with as much love and hope as I feel at the moment. Which is a lot.

Christmas shopping at its finest

2008-12-16T11:44:00.005-05:00

Me and Cam at the big Christmas party we helped plan. And my hair is really misbehaving in this photo.

I love Christmas. Love, love, love it. I really enjoy buying presents and this year my budget is much tighter than normal, so I have been trying to be all thrifty. And in my search to be thrifty, I have come across a number of websites that I thought I would share:

Z Gallerie Home Furnishings: Holy crap, the stuff on this site makes me drool.

Red Envelope Try to stay on this site for just five minutes. You can't do it, can you?

Amazon A classic favorite.

Etsy Handmade gifts are so unique and personal, and my little sister recently turned me on to the artist Duy Huynh and his prints can be bought at the Etsy Lark & Key Shop.

Do you have any suggestions?

Smile, smile, smile

2008-12-10T13:06:00.005-05:00

So many things have made me smile recently, but today there are a few things in particular that have kept a grin on my face.

Couldn't you just eat her up?!

Unbelievably beautiful. Both of them.

My boyfriend is a goober and I love that.

Please turn up the volume and listen until the end. I have listened to this thing no less than five times. By 2:30 I am laughing so hard I am crying. I knew there was a reason this was my favorite Christmas tune.

My weekend in photos

2008-12-09T14:06:00.003-05:00

I just had the most wonderful weekend. Seriously, top notch. But instead of writing a diatribe about all the events, I'll post photos. With commentary, of course.

FRIDAY EVENING

Cam and I and Wendy and Brandon went to the Fulton County Development Dinner at The Ritz Carlton in Atlanta.

Doesn't my trouser/shirt combo look like a long, elegant dress?

The decor was gorgeous. And Brandon and Wendy aren't that much taller than us. It is completely the angle.

As Cam's aunt said, this looks like a Christmas card.

SATURDAY MORNING/DAY

We helped out at Clark's Christmas Kids with Clark Howard (from AM 750 WSB). So, I can cross #3 off my 108 in 2008 list - Volunteer for a worthy cause. Here we are laughing at Bridget. I like how Rick looks like he is praying.

Here's the whole gang with Clark Howard.

Cam secretly took Wendy and my photo as we shopped for the kids. It looks like I am patting an imaginary cat here.

Me and the beautiful Wendy. Notice a subtle difference between this photo and the next one?

And it's not our smiles.

Cam and I pause for a photo op between bagging presents up.

Sorry mom and dad. But you are meeting him this Sunday!

Afterwards, we all went to Hot Dog Heaven - located in Woodstock - for THE BEST hot dogs in Atlanta. And they have the best sweet potato fries and onion rings and friend green beans and... I HIGHLY recommend trying it out.

SATURDAY EVENING

Cam took me to see A Christmas Carol at The New American Shakespeare Tavern on Peachtree Street. I absolutely love this place, and the show was awesome! They still have tickets available for upcoming performances and I highly recommend you going to see this show. I also had food there for the first time and it was very tasty (and reasonably priced!). AND I was able to cross #5 (see a play) and #70 (go to the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern) off my 108 in 2008 list.

Cam and me before the show. I still look a wee bit tired from the day's activities.

SUNDAY

On Sunday, Cam and I met up with Wendy and Brandon at a political reception.

Don't they look fabulous?

I LOVE this photo of them. They look so happy!

Cam and me.

Sadly, I have no photos from Sunday evening, which I spent having dinner with one of my best friends, Julie. I hadn't seen her in quite a while, so it was a real treat to hang out.

Can you see why the weekend was so fabulous? And except for dinner on Sunday, it was all planned by Cam. He is phenomenal.

I'm in LOVE

2008-12-05T16:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Cam and I were walking around a mall because (a) I need new jeans, (b) I had no idea what size I am currently in different brands, (c) I want to shop for clothes on ebay because it is cheaper and need said sizes, and (d) I needed an excuse to hang out with Cam.

Anyways.

While we were walking around, I saw a new store: Heritage 1981. Which I just looked up and found out that they are a new concept store from Forever 21. Oh my clothes-y goodness.

And apparently I strut around when I try on new clothes. A little bird named Cam told me that last night.

But wouldn't you, if you were able to try on these items?

I'm in love with this store!

Quietly thankful

2008-12-01T18:13:00.003-05:00

So, rather than post about the hundreds of things for which I am thankful, I am just going to give you some very sage advice:

When a Lean Cuisine package says to cook something on 50% power, you should. Trust me.

Thursday night football, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist and American rapper T.I.

2008-11-21T10:07:00.007-05:00

Last night Cam invited me to go to the GA Tech vs. Miami game (where Tech kicked Miami's butt!) and I happily went even though sitting out in the cold while having a cold is not the best idea (don't worry mama and daddy, I'm fine). Highlights of the game included:

- Seeing two-time Olympic track and field gold medalist and former Yellow Jacket Angelo Taylor.

He was right in front of us, but I still couldn't manage to get a photo of his face.

- American Rapper T.I. - who was arrested on felony weapon charges last year - came out to the game. Ah, Atlanta's finest. Well, not really, but he was very kind and took photos with everyone.

The cheerleaders were way too happy to have their photo with T.I.

I think he is looking right at me.

- Hanging out with my buddy, Brandon - Cam's cousin.

Yes, he is a football coach.

- Having Cam's mom text us to say that we were on ESPN! Well, Cam and Brandon were. She said my eyes and above made it into the frame. See photo below for why that may have happened.

This was at a political event this week. Can you see why I did not totally make it into that shot? [L-R: Cam, me, Wendy (a good friend of mine and Brandon's girlfriend), Brandon] And damn, I need a new point-and-shoot camera!

- And the best part - hanging out with Cam, who made sure I had a bum pad to sit on, hot cocoa to sip on and an enormous jacket to wrap myself in.

Sick as a dog and photos!

2008-11-18T11:07:00.005-05:00

So, I spent Sunday and Monday sick. Like nausea, congestion, headache, sore throat sick. And then I came into work today. Not a good idea. I'm on antibiotics, but I'm not feeling the greatest. But rather than continuing to bitch about it, I'm going to post photos from a wonderful event that I was able to attend last Thursday through the Executive Leadership Foundation. Actually, my friend Joel (who you may remember from the event in February) asked me to be his 'date' for the event.

The dinner honored World War II veterans. Coach Bill Curry was the keynote speaker while Joel was the emcee. I can't tell you how moved I was by the video that they showed honoring the WWII veterans. In addition to being thankful for their service, I thought of my dad and how proud I am of his military service and all the sacrifices he made for this country and for my family. (I love you, daddy!)

So, now that I'm all teary-eyed, here are some photos from the evening.

Close-up of me and Coach Bill Curry.

Coach Bill Curry, me and Joel take 1.

Coach Bill Curry, me and Joel take 2.

Coach Dan Reeves and me.

My little chili pepper

2008-11-14T09:36:00.004-05:00

Y'all never saw my beautiful niece, Ava, in her official Halloween costume.

Ava, my little chili pepper, and her dad.

Isn't my little chili pepper adorable?

Speaking of spices, I still need more recipes. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the post below! Have a great weekend!

A little recipe help, please

2008-11-12T10:04:00.007-05:00

So, I am getting serious about my 108 in 2008 list thanks to a very dear person in my life and I noticed that I have a lot of food items I am supposed to make.

I don't know if you know this, but I do not cook. Give me a frozen dinner and microwave any day. It's not that I can't cook, I just don't. And so I am reaching out to the Internets (yes, I am talking to YOU), and asking for recipes for the following items:

Homemade ice cream (I can totally borrow an ice cream maker if I need to. And, um, who has one I can borrow?)
Tacos
Bacon, avocado, lettuce sandwich (now, I realize there are certain ingredients that need to be used here - yes, I'm not that bad of a cook - but does anyone have any sauce/dressing/spread that would go well on this type of sandwich??)
Biscuits from scratch
Cake
Homemade bread

Me proving I can cook - though this was taken over a year ago while I was visiting my BFF in France.

The reason I am asking for recipes rather than searching on my own (which I have done, thankyouverymuch) is because I want recipes that have been made, tested and found to be very tasty. I really appreciate any help y'all can send my way. And any readers who have never commented before, please do so if you have a good recipe. I won't bite and I would very much appreciate it.

I want to win, I want to win

2008-11-11T09:15:00.006-05:00

So, I did something this morning that I never do! No, not that. I called into the local radio station that I listen to every morning - Q100 - because they have David Cook tickets!! Natasha Bedingfield and O.A.R. are also playing (and I like both of them a lot), but oh my gosh, did I mention they have DAVID COOK tickets!

Q100's Miracle on West Peachtree Street

Kole and I watched American Idol because of David Cook. This man was a part of my guilty pleasures post. His CD is on my Amazon wish list.

Smolder, smolder, smolder

And yes, I realize I am 27 years old and I have a celebrity crush, but if you have one, shouldn't he be able to sing like this?: David Cook on YouTube. You have to click on the link because the stinkers won't let me imbed the video. It's totally worth watching, so please go see it. I'll wait.

You see what I mean?

So, this blog post would have been a lot more awesome if I had actually won, but after calling into the station NO LESS THAN 50 TIMES and only getting the busy signal, I gave up. But they are giving tickets away all week and I have this strange feeling I will be calling in every day. Because Q100 is the only one who has tickets and I would like to see a miracle this holiday season.

Laughter is the best medicine

2008-11-10T08:46:00.001-05:00

Because today, more than most, I need to laugh. And maybe you do too.

Happy Friday!

2008-11-07T13:27:00.001-05:00

Ava and Nola hope you have a good weekend!

We fry everything in the South and Rock Band

2008-11-06T16:19:00.004-05:00

So, yesterday, my best guy friend from high school, Bryan (hello, Bryan!), and I went to OK Cafe for lunch (tasty, but overpriced). And instead of taking a photo of us, I had Bryan take a photo of the menu. Because I wanted everyone to see the first appetizer.

Can you read that? Yep. Fried cheese grits with jalapeños AND cheese dip. Only in the South my friends.

And then Bryan sent along this photo from a fairly recent party, where I was, um, rocking out at Rock Band. And apparently I wear that white shirt a lot.

I love the expression on Ryan's (Bryan's twin brother) face in the background.

**All photos taken with Bryan's iPhone.

Free stuff for voting and things to do while bored in line waiting to vote

2008-11-04T10:45:00.002-05:00

After my boss texted me that he had a two-hour wait at the polls this morning, I grabbed a new book (Wild Swans by Jung Chang) and headed to my polling place ready to get a few chapters read. But I waited just five minutes to vote. Five. It took longer to get to the polling place. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. On the one hand, I got my free Starbucks coffee faster, but on the other hand, does that mean people in my precinct aren't voting? I'll just allow myself to think that they all voted early or will be meandering in later today.

My free Starbucks (Thanksgiving blend - very yummy) and my Georgia Peach voter sticker.

And speaking of free Starbucks - here is a whole slew of free items you can enjoy after voting (you don't have to prove that you voted - apparently that is illegal - thank you anonymous commenter - and some places are regional and promotions probably vary from place to place):

- Ben & Jerry's: Free scoop of ice cream between 5-8pm. (locate)
- Books-A-Million: Free cup of coffee (locate
- California Tortilla: Free taco (locate)
- Chick-fil-A: "Several hundred" of 1,400 Chick-fil-A restaurants are handing out chicken sandwiches (the kind normally $2.70) to adults (locate)
- Krispy Kreme: Free star-shaped doughnut with "patriotic sprinkles". USA Today reports that 85 of 231 Krispy Kreme locations will participate. (locate)
- Shane's Rib Shack: A free "Celebrate America Meal": 3-piece chicken tenders, fries, and 20-ounce drink—to the first 300 customers at participating locations, according to their press release. (locate)
- Starbucks: Free tall coffee at "any Starbucks." Just tell them you want your voter coffee and see their recent TV ads. (locate)
- Vote & Vax: National project by non-profits to offer free flu vaccinations on Election Day. (locate)

And even though I only waited five minutes, you may have to wait longer in line, so here is a *list of items to keep you preoccupied while you wait to vote.

1. Try to develop psychic powers, then use 'em.
2. Inflate a beachball and throw it around the area.
3. Sing show tunes.
4. Make loud animal noises then deny doing it.
5. Think of new pick-up lines. See if they work.
6. Pretend you're flying a jet fighter in the war.
7. Churn some butter.
8. Conceive a brand new language.
9. Is the ground made of bricks or tiles? Count 'em.
10. Plot revenge against someone.
11. Think of nicknames for everyone around you.
12. See how long you can hold your breath.
13. Take your pants off and give them to the next person in line.
14. Chew on your arm until someone notices.
15. Change spots every three minutes.
16. Think of ways to cheat at Trivial Pursuit.
17. Shave.
18. Run across the area, tag someone and say, "You're it."
19. Announce to the line that you are God and that you're angry.
20. Think of five new ways to use your shoes.
21. Start a wave.
22. Walk around the line begging for spare change.
23. Roast marshmallows.
24. Practice phrasing your answers in the form of a question.
25. Crawl around the line humming the music from Mission Impossible.
26. Take apart your purse.
27. Pretend to communicate with your home planet.
28. Play rock-paper-scissors with yourself. Accuse your left hand of cheating.
29. Do a quick tapdance routine.
30. Try bird-watching.
31. Walk up the line yelling, "Popcorn! Hot popcorn here!"
32. Throw your purse at someone.
33. Run to a car window, then say, "Sorry, I thought I saw the Bat-signal."
34. Ask the person in front of you to marry you.
35. Start laughing really hard and say, "Oh, now I get it."
36. Make a sundial.
37. Give yourself a new identity.
38. Write a screenplay about a diabetic Swedish girl who can't swim.
39. Dig an escape tunnel.
40. Announce your candidacy for President.

*I ripped most of this list from another website, but I don't remember where. And I altered it to make it appropriate for voting, but all in all I don't have that much time on my hands to create such an extensive list. Though you thought I was really creative there for a sec, didn't you?

Did I mention how much I love my family?

2008-11-03T12:26:00.016-05:00

Prior to showing you a million photos of my beautiful family, I wanted everyone to know that Starbuck's is treating every voter to a free 12 oz cup of coffee tomorrow. So, make sure you stop by your local store for your free cup of joe after you vote. I know I will.

Nola, my sleeping angel

"Auntie Nicole, what is that clicking sound?"

"So, I'm awake. Now what?"

What big eyes you have!

Giving her auntie a grin.

"I stick my tongue out at you, Auntie Cole."

"And now you're boring me."

Ava has so much energy now!

Nola checking out her cousin's new ride.

"You want to join me?"

"Please."

"Auntie Cole, why are you always hiding behind the big black thing that blinds me?"

Mama and Nola.

Auntie Steph with Nola.

"My fist is rather tasty, Auntie Steph."

"Who's the crazy lady with the camera?"

"This is my gang sign. Represent."

Ava loves her Auntie Barb.

This photo cracks me up!

And now, lots of photos of me and Nola!

Thank you, Steph, for taking the photos.

"Auntie Cole, you're squeezing too hard."

"That's a bit better."

"Now I shall drool on you while looking unbelievably cute!"

"I like this!"

"Auntie Cole, your hand is scaring me."

Barb looks lovely in her Halloween outfit.

Hm, do you think Steph went to UGA?

"I love looking at my grandma (not pictured because the woman won't let me take her photo!)."

Nola in her teddy bear outfit. So cute!

"I'm not sure how I feel about this, mom."

"You and me both, cuz."

I think my dad read one of my latest blog posts, because he made me delicious pancakes! Thanks, dad!

With blueberries. Mmmm.

"Mom, your hand is delicious."

"There's that light again!"

"Hee hee. Grandma is funny."

"Auntie Cole, I'm not feeling your need to take photos of my every move."

"So, I shall suck my lip at you."

"And then make the same face in every photo."

"Or maybe not."

Smushy kiss!

"You again?"

"My mom will protect me."

"I'm just showing my range of emotions here."

"This is my stoned look. Ma, I'm hungry."

She is too beautiful for words!

Mama and I about to go out for a night on the town. Doesn't she look lovely? And I'm a lot taller than mom, but this is what happens when she wears spiked heels and I wear ballet flats.

My handsome daddy.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:45:00.003-04:00

I know my nieces outfits weren't meant to be costumes, but I present to you:

Ava, the cutest New York Rangers fan (my dad is so proud!).

And Nola, the most beautiful elf.

And just because I LOVE these photos. My dad sure is one pround grandpa.

Happy Halloween!!

My knitting group and me

2008-10-30T11:31:00.006-04:00

Every Wednesday night, the Snarky Knitters, my knitting group, meet up. I go as much as I can between political meetings and other events. My friend Katey invited me to meet all the girls and join the group on January 9 of this year. We've had a couple of girls join since then, but the fabulous dynamic of the group remains the same. I love these women and how we complement each other with our diverse backgrounds.

Last night was swap night. Basically, we each knitted an item for a secret pal and then gave them the item in addition to about $20 worth of other fabulousness. It was the first time I had ever done a knitting swap, and the gifts I received were wonderful.

And, as always, the girl time was awesome!

My gift for Sherrie. I went with an ice cream sundae theme to go with the dishcloth that I knitted.

This is actually only the second project I have ever finished and I really enjoyed making it.

Sherrie looking at her presents.

I think she likes it!

Jennifer had Laurie. And Laurie had Jennifer (who needs to start a blog, by the way). Look at that hat and those fingerless mittens! And oh yeah, Jennifer is a new knitter and she made those incredible items!

Jennifer is super expressive. We love her for that and so many other reasons.

Look at the beautiful mittens Laurie made for Jennifer.

My knitted item from Katey. She handspun the yarn. It is absolutely gorgeous. This photo doesn't do it justice.

And as an aside, I am wearing a camisole in the middle of a chilly fall because I was very warm in the house. I don't usually dress like that.

What is this again? A wimple? What the hell is a wimple?

"Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match.
Find me a find, catch me a catch."

I can't tell you how much I love my gifts, Katey. Thank you so much for knowing me so well.

Amy and Nina had each other. Nina looks so Christmas-y! Aren't the pieces beautiful?

Nina is an aspiring photographer and Amy thoughtfully gave her an album to display her portfolio.

Jillybean approved of Sherrie's gift.

Amy's gift is still a works in progress, but I think she was pretty darn happy with her gift card!

The real star of the show. And one of the only photos I could get of her beautiful mama, Steph

Steph, can y'all please move back from Seattle so I can hang out with you and kiss Jillybean's cheeks as much as I want? Please?

My wimple up close and personal. So beautiful!

I'm not even sure what to say about the following photos, except we really love each other. A lot. And we were playing the ha-ha game.

I miss my family

2008-10-29T10:07:00.007-04:00

Happy Hump Day! I'm really looking forward to the weekend for many, many reasons.

(i) I get to see my parents for the first time in a month and a half

(ii) I get to see my sisters and their husbands for the first time in a long time

(iii) I get to see these two precious angels for the first time in a long time

(iv) I'm taking my mom out for a special surprise on Saturday night, just the two of us

(v) I'm going to challenge my dad to a game of Scrabble and maybe convince him (it's not difficult) to make me his infamous pancakes...

What are you looking forward to?

Georgia Tech Homecoming in Photos

2008-10-28T09:42:00.008-04:00

Saturday after the half marathon, one of my best friends, Cam, treated me to a game at Georgia Tech. And sadly, while it was Tech's homecoming, Virginia won.

As a footnote (wait, wouldn't this be a sidenote?), I actually injured my left foot (now you see why I said footnote - ha!) during the half marathon. I can't put any pressure on it and I'm really hoping it's just bruised. So, while I was extremely excited to be in the front row at the game, I was less than excited about having to walk up and down a huge flight of stairs every time I needed to, ahem, answer the call of nature. Which happened once every quarter. And once every quarter Cam would have to help me up and down the stairs while people sent pitying looks my way and asked if I was okay. And every time Cam offered to carry me up and down the stairs, but even though he is a burly 6'4" and I am a slighter 5'8", I couldn't take the idea of being a damsel in distress. Because I am just that stubborn.

So, here is the game in photos!

Me and my friend Michelle at my first tailgate! It was a wonderful first time. They did it right with a great tent, great food, great beer and great company! And three guys asked me and Michelle if we are sisters - do y'all think we look that much alike? I think it was the fact that she and I both talk with crazy hand gestures and have long hair. That and all of us Georgia Tech girl fans look the same.

Me and Cam chillin' in the sun.

Michelle and I thought this little boy was too cute, so Cam went and grabbed his photo. I hope we didn't scare his parents.

Buzz!

Buzz and I became friends.

Me looking up in awe.

If you look behind us you will see how far up I had to go to find a restroom. Man, I'm complaining a lot. I really did have a great time!

Cam posin'.

Football player bums.

The band. Did you know I marched the sousaphone in high school?

Yep, he really is that tall!

It was a gorgeous day!

I'm so street.

Notice I have put on a sweater. It got chilly!

The Ramblin' Wreck, me and Cam.

I did it!

2008-10-27T09:57:00.006-04:00

Well, WE did it! My fantastic brother-in-law and I ran the Silver Comet Trail Half Marathon on Saturday, and while he finished 20 minutes ahead of me - and with bloody ankles no less (Go Ryan!), the important thing is that I finished.

Could I be any paler?

My time came in at 2 hours and 50 minutes on the nose, which means I ran 12 minute, 58 second miles.

Running the half marathon was one of the easiest and most difficult things I have ever done. Easiest because I wanted to do it so badly and the most difficult, because hell! It's 13.1 miles! And oh my gosh, at mile 11 I became mentally defeated, which was the strangest feeling. But I still ran in the last half mile and could not have been happier that I did it.

I don't know if I'll be running another half marathon again any time soon, but now that my bro-in-law got a taste for the race (this was his first race ever and my second) I think I have found a new racing partner!

This also means I can cross #13 off the 108 in 2008 list!

The ABCs of the ideal me

2008-10-22T13:38:00.006-04:00

I aspire to be...

Admirable
Beautiful
Conscientious
Dedicated
Empathetic
Funny
Gregarious
Healthy
Involved
Just
Kind
Loved/loving
Moral
Neighborly
Optimistic
Persevering
Quirky
Roseate
Sympathetic
Thrifty
Useful
Vibrant
Well-mannered
Xenial
Youthful
Zippy

Happy Birthday Baby Sister!

2008-09-29T09:44:00.003-04:00

I won't be all mushy about my little sister's birthday, but I want her to know how much I love her and how much I think of her every day.

She's been a bit busy lately. Ahem. So, I hope she is able to relax a little on her special day.

Or, if I was there, Barb, we could be doing this:

Win a handbag!

2008-09-29T09:40:00.003-04:00

Me and most of my girl friends are purse junkies. We spend lots of time oohing and aahing over each other's beautiful bags, but lately my handbag collection has looked quite shabby. There is a solution. I just entered to win one of the 24 handbags that will be given away over 24 hours in just 16 days. The contest is by www.handbagplanet.com in order to celebrate the launch of their new website.

I won't lie. I get 25 more entries into the contest by posting about the contest (www.handbagplanet.com). But then again if all of you enter I have just voided all my additional entries. So, let's just say I'm doing this so I can ooh and aah if you win. Just visit www.handbagplanet.com. Good luck!

Me and my nieces, my nieces and me

2008-09-17T10:59:00.013-04:00

I hadn't seen my nieces for a month when I took these photos. A MONTH. Do you know how long that is in baby years??

AVA - Four Months Old

Good morning.

Ava loves this toy.

And she loves chewing on her hand. Or any hand that is...wait for it...handy.

And, oh my, does she love her mama.

She totally did this to herself.

I was so happy to see and love on my nieces.

I think my five chins scared Ava.

Look at those cheeks!

And those lips. This child is definitely one of us.

I adore this photo. I wish you could see that lower lip tremble in real life.

LATER, ON HER NEW MAT

We think she might be rabid.

She just saw her mama.

Hi, Auntie Nicole!

NOLA - Exactly One Month Old

This was Nola's preferred state. Sleeping. On my knees.

Out cold.

I can totally see Barbara in her here.

Do you know how much I kissed those cheeks?

I seriously tried waking her up.

No position seemed to work.

She started to wake up when Barbara changed her.

Can you see the absolute preciousness that is her face here?

I look ridiculous, but this is the most awake photo I have of her and me together.

Aw. This is comfortable.

So, why are you pulling me away and laying me out on your arms, Aunt Nicole?

You shall now feel my wrath.

Oh. This is better.

In fact, I think I'll go back to sleep.

And it was really great to finally see my family again, too! Funny how we don't get any photos of us together anymore. Who needs photos of adults when you have babies!

My week

2008-09-11T09:29:00.001-04:00

Ava's face perfectly describes how my week has been.

Won't somebody hold me?

Need a good laugh?

2008-09-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

From my sister:

A couple from Tennessee and a couple from the New York were seated side by side on an airplane.

The girl from Tennessee, being naturally friendly and all, asked the couple, "So where y'all from?"

The New York girl replied, "From a place where they know better than to use a preposition at the end of a sentence."

The girl from Tennessee sat quietly for a few moments... and then replied: "So, ...where y'all from, bitch?"

100 things for my 100th post

2008-09-02T15:27:00.006-04:00

This was actually easier to write than the first '100 things about me' on my old blog. Um, enjoy?

1- My favorite comedians are Mitch Hedberg (RIP), Ricky Gervais and Steve Hofstetter.

2- In the last four months I have lost 27 lbs and gone from a size 10 to a size 4.

3- I am running in a 5k this weekend.

4- I have a friend who constantly asks me when I will find him a classy girl.

5- My favorite beer is Blue Moon.

6- Though I’ve never been super keen on having a wedding, if I do have one I know who I would ask to be my bridesmaids.

7- Apparently I forgot to cash my 2006 tax refund and the IRS actually contacted me to reissue the check about a month ago. It was a great surprise bonus!

8- I have my Master’s degree in Media & Cultural Studies from the University of Sussex in England.

9- I lived in Brighton, England for 14 months.

10- I hated tomatoes for 27 years but have recently begun to like them.

11- No such luck with olives.

12- My current restaurant favorite is La Parilla’s Enchiladas de Cerdo (pork enchiladas).

13- My best friend, Kari, lives in Lyon, France with her husband, Jonathan. I miss her terribly. If you haven’t visited her blog you totally should.

14- Having nieces - Ava and Nola - has made me really want children for the first time in my life.

15- My favorite coffee flavor is German Chocolate Cake from Barnie’s Coffee & Tea Company. Thanks to Kole’s parents for the introduction!

16- Last weekend I made Roasted Chicken with Goat Cheese-Macadamia Nut Crust and Sun dried tomato and basil couscous with toasted macadamia nuts and balsamic vinegar (I highly recommend this one!).

17- Autumn is my favorite season for many, many reasons, including sweater weather, changing leaves, s’mores on an open fire and Kole’s seasonal decorations.

18- Kole and I both have a ridiculous love affair with coats/jackets.

19- I am a very optimistic person.

20- But I still can’t believe I will ever get married.

21- I bought a pink iPod almost two months ago, and I still haven’t used it.

22- I still haven’t seen Juno.

23- I’m going to Scottsdale, Arizona in 2.5 weeks.

24- It will be my first college football game and tailgate.

25- I am a Steelers fan.

26- I have only been truly hung-over once in my life.

27- I quit drinking milk four months ago and while I miss it, I feel much better physically.

28- But then again, I also quit drinking sodas four months ago, so maybe it’s the combination of the two.

29- I’m afraid I won’t finish the half-marathon that I have been training months for.

30- I average going to comedy clubs about twice a month.

31- I really enjoy knitting, but I have only completed one project since learning how to do it eight months ago.

32- I volunteer teach adults English once a week. And I love it.

33- It took me four years to learn how to roll my R’s for Spanish. I learned how to roll my R’s by saying ‘pot of tea’ as fast as I could over and over in front of the mirror. I felt like a dumbass, but it totally worked.

34- My astrological sign is Pisces, but it doesn’t mean a thing to me.

35- I never thought I would want a cat until now. After living with Kole and her two kitties for almost a year, I can’t imagine not having one. But I won’t get one because my dad and older sis are allergic and I’d much rather have them around.

36- My first boyfriend’s name was Stephen. We were 12 when we ‘went out’. When I was 22, I became friends with Stephen’s older brother and it wasn’t until I was 25 that I realized Stephen was his brother. Small world.

37- I love playing board games, especially Scrabble, Payday, Scattergories and Monopoly.

38- I’m fairly good at playing Texas hold ‘em, which is funny because I have been told I have the most expressive, easily readable face.

39- My favorite perfume is Exotic Coconut from Bath and Body Works. I’m sad because I don’t believe they make the Eau de Toilette version anymore and I wear it nearly every day.

40- I really wish I could draw well.

41- I watch Food Network way too much and want to eat my way through Italy or Spain.

42- I chew gum too much.

43- I smoked my first cigarette when I was 14.

44- I don’t smoke now and I think it is a very gross habit.

45- I am extremely affectionate with people I care about. I get it from my very loving family.

46- I cannot imagine not saying/hearing ‘I love you’ to/from my immediate family every time I talk to them or see them.

47- When I was five, my older sister convinced me that Icy Hot was toothpaste and after I used it, I told my dad that my mouth felt funny. Once he figured out why I used the Icy Hot for toothpaste, Steph got in very big trouble.

48- This is the same sister who told my parents that I said the word ‘crap’ when I was about seven because she wanted to see how much trouble I would get into. I didn’t even know what the word was back then and yes, I got into big trouble. Thanks, Steph, and Dad, are you reading this?

49- I love being surprised.

50- My favorite flowers are tulips.

51- I have a long list of TV shows that I would like to watch but don’t think I’ll ever get around to seeing. I’d rather read.

52- I don’t really like texting, though it seems to be many of my friends’ preferred method of communication.

53- I’m a heavy sleeper except when I have to be somewhere early in the morning, and then I will wake up at the drop of a pin.

54- I get so excited about events/people that I can’t sleep. This happens a lot.

55- When I yell and cheer by myself in the stands at sports' games I don’t feel foolish in the slightest.

56- I wish I had known my grandma and grandpa on my dad’s side better. They both passed away a few years ago and I think about them a lot.

57- When I was growing up, I wanted to be a nurse, a lawyer and the first female president of the United States. Not particularly in that order.

58- Instead I work in public relations.

59- My boss is one of my best friends.

60- My favorite drink is now a vodka tonic on the rocks with lime.

61- I love the sound of a rustling newspaper.

62- I really enjoy doing crossword puzzles.

63- And coloring. (Yes, at the age of 27. It’s very relaxing. You should try it.)

64- I think TV programs on eating disorders help perpetuate the problem. And I say this from the perspective of a recovering anorexic.

65- But strangely, I love buffets, and will choose Golden Corral for special occasions.

66- I love grocery shopping and will spend hours in natural food stores like Whole Foods Market.

67- I have fallen in love with wine.

68- I miss living in England but I will never move back.

69- I love musicals!

70- My favorite musical is Wicked.

71- I think Hal’s is the best steak restaurant in Atlanta.

72- My favorite piece of meat is a filet, medium rare.

73- I think bison burgers taste better than cow burgers.

74- One of my biggest food weaknesses is Cold Stone Creamery’s Peanut Butter Cup Perfection with added brownie.

75- I would like to be cremated when I pass away.

76- The closest I’ve been to a television celebrity is having Ben Savage (of ‘Boy Meets World’ fame) sit in front of me at Disney World.

77- I really want a baby grand piano and that is at the top of my ‘to-buy’ list should I ever become rich.

78- I eat oatmeal almost every day for breakfast.

79- I go to IHOP or other breakfast restaurant almost every weekend.

80- I think I make really great coffee but I’m sure many people would disagree.

81- I really want to go bungee jumping and sky diving but am afraid I never will.

82- I don’t like having my picture taken, but don’t want to miss out on having the memories ‘immortalized’.

83- I am a bad liar except when I absolutely have to be one. And don’t ask when I have to be one.

84- I cry very easily at movies. It can be ridiculous.

85- I think peanut butter and corn syrup sandwiches are amazing.

86- Even though I haven’t worn a watch in more than a year, I still look down at my wrist when I want to know the time.

87- One of my ultimate goals in life is to write and have a book published. And it will most likely be science fiction.

88- If I have a daughter, I would like to name her Lillian Grace. Lillian was the name of my dear aunt who passed away recently.

89- I really enjoy going to concerts, but I would rather sit than stand with the crowd.

90- I used to collect teddy bears, and my possible children will inherit a huge collection.

91- I named all my stuffed animals after the people who gave them to me and I still remember every single name.

92- I have been in a grand total of three car accidents; two of which I was the driver and none of which were my fault. Well, unless you blame my car hydroplaning on me.

93- I would drink coffee all day if there weren’t caffeine-related consequences.

94- I’ve had the same car since I was a senior in high school. And her name is Bessie.

95- I wash my hands incessantly and it’s typically the first thing I do when I go to a restaurant.

96- I usually sleep on my back.

97- I don’t usually move once I have fallen asleep, and I have been told that I am dead quiet.

98- I started ‘going grey’ when I was 17. My head’s version of going grey is curly, white hair. Yeesh.

99- I am not a violent person, but when I was 17 and went to see Titanic with my high school sweetheart, I punched him hard for laughing during the drowning scene. Because if I hadn’t, every girl in the theatre would have done it for me afterwards.

100- I’ve only driven a stick-shift a couple of times about eight years ago and since then I have told myself to practice driving one again in case of an emergency. It still hasn’t happened.

OK. Now I am completely sick of me.

Post 99

2008-08-29T10:23:00.004-04:00

So, long-time blog readers might remember my 100 things about me for my 100th post on my old blog. Somewhere a cricket chirps.

So, you might remember how completely narcisstic it was, but what you might not know is how much fun I had writing it. Seriously. It's very therapeutic to find out what makes me, well, me. So, I am about to reach my 100th post for this blog and I would like to know, would anyone like to know 100 more things? Especially if you go back and read the prior 100 things entry? Would that be too much for ya'?

And I leave you with the latest photo of Ava (thank you mama and Steph for always sending them to me!). Have a great Labor Day weekend!

My nieces!

2008-08-27T09:24:00.004-04:00

Here's a photo-heavy post for Wednesday. You have to make it to the bottom of the post. The best part is at the end. Happy Hump Day!

A special moment right after Nola was born.

Smiling on the light treatment table. Nola was born with Jaundice, but is doing fine now.

This is just a beautiful photo.

Pretty in pink. This was Nola's special outfit when she left the hospital.

Finally home with daddy!

She's being swallowed by my favorite color!

Look how tiny!

I think she was full.

Grandpa holding his newest grandchild.

Doesn't it look like Nola is trying to cover her ears?

"Here's the 411. You cry, they pick you up. You cry, they feed you. You cry, they change you. You scream, you get whatever you want."

Things that have bugged NiKole

2008-08-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

Things that have bugged me this week (and it's only Tuesday):

(i) After standing in line at a Subway for 30 minutes with people in front of me waiting the same amount of time, the people directly in front of me still didn't know what they wanted to order when their turn came. I understand it's a difficult decision, but come on. You had 30 minutes to decide on that foot-long tuna fish with lettuce, no mayo, just mustard;

(ii) loud co-workers; and

(iii) driving through a flood (though I am grateful for the rain).

And from the mouth of Kole (this blog's very own advice guru)

(i) not being allowed to telecommute when your physical presence is not necessary in the office;

(ii) people cutting you off in traffic; and

(iii) my Blackberry not charging properly though I think it might be because I have dropped it one too many times.

What's bugging you this week?

Ava had a good weekend

2008-08-25T10:34:00.004-04:00

My oldest niece is a photo princess. Wow. It's so cool to be able to type 'oldest niece'. Nola is also doing well I just don't have any new photos of her. But I shall soon!

And here's Ava - through night vision goggles apparently!

And here she is a wee bit sleepy.

And with her mama. :)

My girls

2008-08-21T14:54:00.002-04:00

Sweet, sweet Nola at three days old.

More chubby-cheeked goodness coming from Ava.

She now loves sucking on her thumb and fingers.

Happy Hump Day

2008-08-20T09:05:00.003-04:00

Ava has been staying with grandmama and grandpa while Steph goes back to work.

Wouldn't you want to keep her too?

Happy Hump Day!

And they named her Nola

2008-08-18T09:52:00.004-04:00

The following is a photo of my beautiful sister, Barb, on Saturday night.

Two and a half hours before her water broke. At O'Charley's.

On the baby's due date.

This is Barb and me Sunday morning. Barb was such a trooper.

Barb did so great. She waited until she was dilated 6 cm before taking an epidural and then she only pushed for six minutes - well, as Barb put it, "six, hard-ish minutes" - before my beautiful niece came into the world.

Please welcome Nola Ashlyn. Isn't that a gorgeous name?

Doesn't Barb look great? And I can't believe my baby sister has a baby!

Nola is so beautiful. And tiny. She weighed in at 6 lbs, 8 oz. And she is just 18 inches long.

I don't know if you can tell, but I am such a proud aunt. I couldn't get over how tiny she was.

I think dad was a little overwhelmed.

Ava couldn't take her eyes off Nola. Well, until we decided to take a photo.

I can't believe I have two beautiful, perfectly healthy nieces! And they will be just three and a half months apart. Maybe I will get in on the second wave of babies. Steph? Barb? What do you think?

Happy Friday from Ava

2008-08-15T09:40:00.006-04:00

Ava wants you to have a relaxing weekend.

Watching TV with grandpa is a good option.

We think she is flipping us off here.

Happy Friday!

Kole's Weekly Pearl of Wisdom

2008-08-14T10:44:00.002-04:00

"If you're battling between the person that you know you are and the person they want you to be, then of course you'll be exhausted. That's a 24-7 battle." ~Kole giving me my daily pep talk Wednesday morning

My sweet Ava

2008-08-13T09:51:00.004-04:00

It's been too long since we have seen an Ava photo.

This was taken last week, and while she is now two feet taller and speaks both English and Chinese, we can all still appreciate her adorableness.

Happy Hump Day!

Pet Peeve Tuesday

2008-08-12T09:55:00.004-04:00

This could just be a case of road rage on my part, but I have a very strong pet peeve that involves slow drivers. Namely, slow drivers who are pulling up to a red light at such a snail pace that you are unable to get into the turn lane that is just left of them. And you miss the turn light because they refuse, REFUSE!, to move their car forward six inches.

What is your biggest driving pet peeve?

Training wheels off

2008-08-11T10:39:00.007-04:00

I've been seeing a fabulous trainer at my gym for about a month now. We only have two sessions left and then I can't afford him again for, oh, another six months or so. But he is totally worth it because he totally kicks my ass.

I always thought purchasing personal training time was a pretentious expenditure. How judgmental of me, eh? But then I began using one and I have totally changed my mind. When you have a good one, it can totally motivate you to do things you didn't think possible. Like chin-ups. Or 100 crunches. Or bear walking your way across the gym floor (totally embarrassing by the way).

Bear walking example. Not me. I hope you would know that by now.

But my most embarrassing moment with the trainer? Getting into a screaming match with him. In the middle of the weight area.

How did this happen? Because I was being a wuss. And my trainer didn't like wuss.

So, at the end of one of my sessions, I am lying on a stability ball while fabulous personal trainer is holding arm bands behind me so I can do crunches while holding said arm bands. Like so:

Looks easy enough, right. Um, no. Trainer dude tells me to do 40. Cool. I think I can; I think I can, is running through my head. At about 20, I believe I am going to die. Or at least my abs are going to EXPLODE OUT OF MY STOMACH. So, I tell trainer that I can't do any more. He politely tells me I have 20 more to go. I say no. And he loudly says, Yes! I do like three more and then I tell him I'm done. He shouts at me to do 17 more. I yell back, I can't! He yells, Do it! Me: It's not possible! Him: Come on!

At this point people are stopping what they are doing and staring. So, now I have an audience of people who think I am a wuss. I can't take it.

I killed the last 17, though I seriously don't know how. It probably helped that the trainer was shouting encouragement the last 10 while I yelled, I hate you! to him. When I flopped on the ball after I finished, he smiled and said, I knew you could do it as I received some applause from around the room.

Now that's motivation.

Kole's Pearls of Wisdom

2008-08-08T09:43:00.005-04:00

Kole is one of the smartest persons I know. She is also one of the best listeners I know, and she gives the best advice.

So, I've decided to dedicate one day a week to Kole's Pearls of Wisdom. You will become a better person for checking these out. I promise.

Today's nugget, overheard last night.

"Nicole, A and B just go together." ~Kole

KEY:
A = Assholes
B = Bitches

Ain't that the truth?

Ava's road trip

2008-08-07T08:55:00.006-04:00

I know you don't come here to hear about me. It's all about Ava. And her proud mama sent me photos of her strapped in for her first road trip.

Looking a little uncertain about going to the beach.

But then she began blowing bubbles in her excitement.

And then - hooray!

Photography weekend

2008-08-04T09:52:00.006-04:00

This weekend I shot my friend Katie's wedding. Katie is the little sister of one of my best friends, Julie. I have known them for a dozen years, and I totally teared up taking the photos.

And as beautiful as Katie was, and after taking no less than 900 photos, I am not going to share a single one until I am able to hand over all the photos to the bride and groom. I am that cool.

BUT. I also visited my dear friend Michelle this weekend. And she has three GORGEOUS children. And we did an impromptu session outside. And here are a few of my faves. There are a lot.

Another FABULOUS book list

2008-07-30T09:36:00.001-04:00

Just like Jennie 'stole' this list from someone, I am going to totally do the same to her.

From Jennie's site:
"Below is a list of books printed by The Big Read, an organization that---according to their Web site---hopes to 'restore reading to the center of American culture.' They say, though, that the average American has only read six of the following hundred."

Here are the rules:
1) Bold the books you have already read
2) Italicize the books you intend to read
3) Notes in parentheses

***********************

1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2) The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
3) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4) Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling (Just finished and crossed off my 108 in 2008 list!)
5) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6) The Bible
7) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
8) Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
9) His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
10) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (Hated.)
11) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
12) Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
13) Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
14) Complete Works of Shakespeare (I haven't read EVERY single work, but Twelfth Night is my favorite)
15) Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
16) The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
17) Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
18) Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
19) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
20) Middlemarch by George Eliot
21) Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
22) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
23) Bleak House by Charles Dickens
24) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
25) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
26) Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
27) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28) Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
29) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
30) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
31) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
32) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
33) Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
34) Emma by Jane Austen
35) Persuasion by Jane Austen
36) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
37) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
38) Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
39) Memories of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
40) Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
41) Animal Farm by George Orwell
42) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
43) One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I'm currently reading his Love in the Time of Cholera...)
44) A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving
45) The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
46) Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
47) Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
48) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
49) Lord of the Flies by William Golding
50) Atonement by Ian McEwan
51) Life of Pi by Yann Martel
52) Dune by Frank Herbert (Don't remember what happened at all though)
53) Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
54) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
55) A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
56) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57) A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
58) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
59) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
60) Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
62) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
63) The Secret History by Donna Tartt
64) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
65) Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
66) On The Road by Jack Kerouac
67) Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
68) Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
69) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
70) Moby Dick by Herman Melville
71) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
72) Dracula by Bram Stoker
73) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
74) Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson
75) Ulysses by James Joyce
76) The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
77) Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
78) Germinal by Emile Zola
79) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (horrible movie!)
80) Possession by AS Byatt
81) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
82) Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
83) The Color Purple by Alice Walker
84) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
85) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
86) A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
87) Charlotte's Web by EB White
88) The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
89) Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90) The Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton
91) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
92) The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
94) Watership Down by Richard Adams (I haven't seen the movie either. Weird, right?)
95) A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
96) A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
97) The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
98) Hamlet by William Shakespeare
99) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
100) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

********************

Hm, with 41/100 crossed off, I did much better on this list than on the Entertainment Weekly list, where I had only read 5/100 books. How many have you read? Do you think this list will 'restore reading to the center of American culture' as The Big Read intends? Methinks it is a good start, but the list could definitely use some lighter reading to appeal to more people. Like, where the hell is James and the Giant Peach? :)

Randomly...

2008-07-29T09:49:00.009-04:00

So, we think Ava is going to be an avid sports fan. Here she is watching a baseball game with my dad, where, ironically, Dad was watching the Braves while wearing a Yankees shirt. Hmm...

We threw Barb a baby shower on Sunday and I didn't take a single photo. What is wrong with me? Barb is due on August 16 and my mama thinks my second niece is going to make an early appearance. I think she will be late. Wanna put some money on it, mom?

Meaghan came to visit on Saturday and it was so great to see her after a number of years. She is 4.5 months pregnant and has never looked more beautiful. While she was here we went maternity clothes shopping. It was fun! I actually started dishing out my opinion to other pregnant ladies trying on cute outfits while Meaghan was in the fitting room. I hope they didn't mind.

Kole and I played Mario Kart on Wii Friday night. I didn't realize you had to turn the remote to make the car move. I kept pushing the arrow buttons and wondering why my car was stuck against the wall. Unmoving. Yes, I am a genius. But once I figured it out, it was a lot of fun!

Happy Monday

2008-07-28T09:28:00.001-04:00

Ava hopes you had a good weekend.

Rocking out at Smyrna's Village Green

2008-07-25T10:51:00.012-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I joined Abby and Bryan, and some of my other girl friends, for Smyrna Village Green's concert series featuring 7 Sharp 9! Per usual, Abby did a great write up on it. You can see it by clicking here.

I'm being lazy so I'm just going to post a couple of photos. :)

We like each other. A lot.

Yes, I did get my hair cut to add sidesweep bangs and many layers. Do you like it?

And I just realized I can cross #32 off my 108 in 2008 list! Woo hoo!

A day of random photos

2008-07-24T09:15:00.005-04:00

So, I didn't post yesterday. Why? Because our internet (and phones!) were not working for the better part of yesterday here at the office. It was a good thing I had a FORTY FIVE page business plan (on 11x17 paper no less) to edit. Oy!

Anyways.

My mama sent me some great photos of my very pregnant little sister. She has about 25 days left until she brings my second niece into this world. And for all the family that reads my blog - can you believe BARBARA is pregnant?? I'm still freaked out a little.

Yeah, it's hard to believe that one of these girls is a mama and another is about to become one. Hint: Not the bunny.

Yep, there's definitely something in there. I like to think it is a basketball.

Barb with Maximus ("Max"), her and Matt's very sweet, but very dumb dog.

Pregnant and still hot.

And here is my niece, Ava, with my daddy.

Something must have been interesting on TV.

I can't tell you how much I love this photo. And Ava looks exactly like Steph here!

Tuesday is Ava Day!

2008-07-22T10:23:00.003-04:00

I always miss my niece. It's funny. I actually think about Ava all the time, and I get all choked up when I have to leave her because I know the next time I see her she will have changed. Whether that means getting bigger, discovering something (like fingers! glorious fingers!) or making new sounds. And while I'm not her mama - Steph is doing a wonderful job at being that - I now understand what it feels like to love someone so much that you would do anything for them.

Man, I think if I ever have children they are going to be in BIG trouble. I think suffocating love may be in the forecast.

My favorite joke

2008-07-21T10:05:00.003-04:00

Below is my favorite joke since I was a little kid. I would like to dedicate this post to my dad, who is the best joke teller I know, and who was the person to introduce me to this joke at the tender age of 8. Seriously, do you know those people who always deliver stories/jokes perfectly? Yeah. That's my dad. I think he was a comedian in another life.

It got crowded in heaven, so, for one day it was decided only to accept people who had really had a bad day on the day they died. St. Peter was standing at the pearly gates and said to the first man, "Tell me about the day you died."

The man said, "Oh, it was awful. I was sure my wife was having an affair, so I came home early to catch her with him. I searched all over the apartment but couldn't find him anywhere. So I went out onto the balcony, we live on the 25th floor, and I found this man hanging over the edge by his fingertips. I went inside, got a hammer, and started hitting his hands. He fell, but landed in some bushes. So, I got the refrigerator and pushed it over the balcony and it crushed him. The strain of the act gave me a heart attack, and I died."

St. Peter couldn't deny that this was a pretty bad day, and since it was a crime of passion, he let the man in.

He then asked the next man in line about the day he died. "Well, sir, it was awful," said the second man. "I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment when I twisted my ankle and slipped over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment below, but some maniac came out and started pounding on my fingers with a hammer. I fell, but luckily I landed in some bushes. But, then the guy dropped a refrigerator on me! And that's how I died"

St. Peter chuckled, let him into heaven and decided he could really start to enjoy this job.

"Tell me about the day you died?", he said to the third man in line.

"OK, picture this, I'm naked, hiding inside a refrigerator ..."

Happy Monday, y'all.

Me, me, me

2008-07-18T09:32:00.003-04:00

Abby did one of those fabulous questionnaire's that we have all done at one point or another, SO I decided to rip it because I'm tired. And you know you want to know random crap about me.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Well, my first name, Christine, is a family name on my dad's side. My middle name, Nicole, is French and my mom wanted all her daughters to have French middle names. It's sweet really. And I like that I go by it. And in additional news, my niece, Ava, also got a french middle name, Gabrielle. Aw.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Sunday night.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not particularly. It's gotten pretty bad since I'm on the computer all the time. Does anyone else get the random 'oh-crap-I've-been-writing-for-five-whole-minutes' cramp?

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Boar's Head Lemon Pepper Roasted Chicken. Mmmm.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No. I promise.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yeah. And I would tell me to chill out.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Nope.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope. Got them out when I was 19. And the doctor said they were the biggest tonsils he had ever seen. Yay me.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Oh my, YES!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Hm. It's in England - passion fruit clusters. Mmmm.

11. Do YOU WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO QUESTION 11? Not at all.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes! Mentally and physically. :)

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Peanut Butter. (I totally agree with Abby on that one!) Well, if we are being technical, it is Cold Stone Creamery's Peanut Butter Cup Perfection with an added brownie. Oh.my.word.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Smile or eyes.

15. RED OR PINK? Pale Pink!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOU? My tendency to overanalyze everything!

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My family.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO POST THIS TOO? Sure!

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans and brown flip flops. It's Friday!

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Mixed fruit and Boar's Head Lemon Pepper Roasted Chicken.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My typing and Black Betty by Spiderbait.

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? White.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Oooo. Too difficult. I love coffee, fresh cut grass, coconut.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Julie!

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO POSTED THIS FIRST? I love Abby!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Soccer.

27. HAIR COLOR? Honey brown.

28. EYE COLOR? Mostly green, but hazel.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I really want to get some new ones, but currently, no.

30. FAVORITE FOOD? Pork enchiladas from La Parilla.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Monsters, Inc., with Kole.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? A pale purple tee with a lace tank underneath.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter.

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs while kissing.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Key Lime Pie!

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Erm?

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Erm?

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad - laptop.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Part of Miss Congeniality.

42. FAVORITE SOUND? Laughter. (Oooo! I agree, Abby)

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles.

44. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? England or Brazil. I'm too lazy too check the mileage.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Yes. Many, I hope.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Atlanta, Georgia

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING? Everyones!

Happy Friday!

Guilty Pleasures Part I

2008-07-17T10:21:00.004-04:00

1 - Blogging

2 - Reading other blogs

3 - Cranking up Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love EVERY TIME it comes on in the car

4 - Cheese!!

5 - Watching trash TV with Kole

6 - Coffee with creamer

7 - Peanut butter M&Ms

8 - Pedicures

9 - Buying a new top just because

10 - Watching David Cook sing Billie Jean over and over again.

What are some of your 'guilty' pleasures?

Bath Time With Baby!

2008-07-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Ava loves her baths.

And she's modest, too.

Eating. Sleeping. Bathrooming (you like that one, eh?). And being bathed. It's a tough life.

Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary!

2008-07-15T10:48:00.003-04:00

Today my parents celebrate their 30th wedding annivesary. 30 years. Wow.

I am so grateful that my parents have stayed together - and not just because they felt they had to, or because they wanted to for us kids, but because they truly love each other.

Thank you for everything mama and daddy. Thank you for setting such a wonderful and realistic example of a beautiful marriage. I hope that someday I will celebrate 30 years with someone special.

I love you both. Happy anniversary.

Deep, meaningful answers

2008-07-14T09:25:00.012-04:00

Thank you to everyone who asked me questions! I had a lot of fun figuring out answers!

Andrea - who I can't wait to meet! - asked:

Q: Did you actually do shots from that shot glass hanging around your neck and were they key lime pie shots?
A: I totally did shots from that lovely shot necklace and here is some fabulous evidence.

Unfortunately, they weren't key lime pie ones, but I'm sure they were tasty.

Q: How old does Ava have to be to date? Because Finn has his eye on her :)

A: I'm sure Ava's mama would say 25, but I think once Ava and Finn meet age won't matter. I wonder if you can meet your soul mate at six months? ;)

My buddy Mark asked:

Q: What is your quest?
A: I seek the Grail.
Q: What is your favorite color?
A: Blue. No, yel-- auuuuuuuugh!
Q: What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
A: What do you mean? An African or European swallow?

(If you are scratching your head, this is a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

Fort Knocks asked two questions and gave me the choice of answering just one. I will answer the first.

Q: What's the longest you've ever held your breath?
A: Two and a half minutes. Seriously.

My sweet friend, Peggy, asked:

Q: If you could have a dinner party and invite 6 people (let's go with living only), who would you invite?
A: This question is so difficult for me to answer that I've decided to do an entire post on it at a later date. Thank you for such a great thinker, Peggy!

The beautiful Janet asked:

Q: First, do you still have that pink cowgirl hat?
A: Sadly, I left it in England. It was either the hat or being able to shut my suitcase.
Q: If you could have 100 pounds of anything, what would you get?
A: I would have to go with antimatter, which costs an estimated $300 billion per milligram. And then I would give like 99.9 percent of the sale proceeds to charity, of course.
Q: What smell can you absolutely not stand?
A: I know it's gross, but vomit. Pure and simple.
Q: Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune?
A: Jeopardy because I love trivia, though I'd probably do better at Wheel of Fortune.
Q: What is your favorite appetizer to order at a restaurant?
A: Hm, it's either queso dip and chips or spinach artichoke dip.
Q: What's in your purse right now? (No cheating and cleaning it out first!)
A: Wallet, business cards, three hair clips, two pens, two restaurant receipts, a nametag and two pairs of earrings. Wow. I'm very boring.
Q: Peppermint or cinnamon?
A: I probably use cinnamon more, but I love both!

My dear friend, Jules, asked:
Q: Since the Taco Bell on at 685 Duluth Highway has been demolished (solely by your doing?) only to have them rebuild a newer Taco Bell model, will you give the new one a chance? Or have you been scarred for life by your terrible "running for the border" experience? Inquiring minds (me) and chihuahuas (not me) want to know.
A: I will totally go, if you go with me, Jules. :)

I hope this helped you waste a little bit of time online today.

UPDATED: TGIF!

2008-07-11T09:56:00.004-04:00

Thank you to those who posted questions yesterday, but I should qualify what I meant when I said ask anything. You can ask anything, but I may not answer. :) I will most definitely stay away from politics and religion and since certain members of my family (hi Dad!) read this blog, I won't answer any questions about my sex life. Does this make me a bit boring? Meh. Maybe.

And since I haven't written answers to those who posted questions - and thank you for asking them - I'm going to leave that open through the weekend - feel free to add to the burning questions - and post answers on Monday. You are gripping the edge of your seat in anticipation, aren't you?

And I'd love to get some more feedback about the book list. Seriously, I am a bookwork and a half and LOVE to get recommendations.

UPDATED: I was able to get my beautiful, older sister on the phone to send me some photos of Ava to wish you a proper Happy Friday/Weekend.

Ava smiling at herself in the mirror.

Oh, stop.

Ava says have a great weekend... or else!

It's Question Time

2008-07-10T10:09:00.007-04:00

So, my friend Andrea randomly does these 'Ask Andrea', 'Ask Finn' (her beautiful baby boy) or 'Ask Lee' (her devilishly handsome hubby) posts. And I love asking her random stuff.

So, I thought, hm, is there anything readers of A Different Bird want to know about me? Does that sound too narcissistic? Could this be a total disaster if I don't get a single question? Is this kind of an excuse not to write a real blog entry? Maybe, Yes, Yes, Yes.

So, ask ANYTHING you want.

You can even ask about this night.

A Bookworm's Post

2008-07-09T09:08:00.009-04:00

I came across Entertainment Weekly’s Top 100 books of the past 25 years, and I thought, Well, I am a HUGE bookworm. I should have read at least half or more of these books.

Yeah, not so much. I've struck out the, um, 5/100 that I have read (including a couple that I had forgotten about, like Beloved and Lonesome Dove), put a couple of stars next to the ones I had already planned on reading before ever seeing this list and underlined the ones that I have added to my 'to-read' list after reading through all the selections. And I am actually currently reading one of the books below; it has been bolded. Man, my goodreads list is getting longer and longer.

And can you believe some of these books made their top 100 list?!

1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (2006)

~~2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)~~ (highly recommend!)

~~3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)~~ (er, don't remember how much I liked it)

4. The Liars’ Club, Mary Karr (1995)**

5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)

6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)

7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)

8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)

9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)

10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)

11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)

12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)

13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)

14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)

15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)

16. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)

17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)

18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)

19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)

20. Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)**

21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)**

22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)

23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)

~~24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)~~ (again, don't remember much, except that it was looong)

25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)

26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)

27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)

28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)

29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)

30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)

31. The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien (1990)

32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)

33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)

~~34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)~~ (highly recommend!)

35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)

~~36. Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)~~ (highly recommend!)

37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)

38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)

39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)

40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)**

41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)

42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)

43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)

44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)

45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)

46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)

47. World’s Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)

48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)

49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)

50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)

51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)

52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)

53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)

54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)

55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)**

56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)

57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)

58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)

59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)

60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)

61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)

62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)

63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)

64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)

65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)**

66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)

67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)**

68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)

69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)

70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)

71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)

72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)**

73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)

74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)

75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)

76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)

77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)

78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)

79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)

80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)

81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)

82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)

83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)

84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)

85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)

86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)

87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)

88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)

89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)

90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)

91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)

92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)

93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)

94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)

95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)

96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)

97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)

98. The Predators’ Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)

99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)

100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

How many have you read? Any that you recommend? Any that you suggest I stay away from?

Key Lime Pie Shots + Abby = Well, This Post

2008-07-08T09:37:00.007-04:00

As I said in my weekend recap, I met up with Abby and Bryan for trivia on Saturday night. What I failed to mention was that she and I enjoyed my favorite shots in the world: KEY LIME PIE ones.

I knew I just needed to wait until Abby arrived. And I wasn't disappointed.

One recipe for this lovely concoction:
3/4 oz Licor 43® liqueur
1 splash vodka
1/4 oz Rose's® lime juice
1/2 oz cream

Pre-shots.

Post-shots. I like how my thumb looks like it is about to break off.

And you know how I slept that night?

Like this.

Or maybe it was like this.

Wednesdays are the most depressing day of the week

2008-07-01T17:01:00.006-04:00

Wednesdays are the most depressing day of the week. Well, according to University of Sydney scientists.

You can read the full article about why Wednesday is the most depressing day of the week by clicking here.

Supposedly many people think that Monday should be the worst day of the week, but it's funny because I don't mind Mondays so much, but Kole and I agree that Tuesday is actually the most depressing day of the week. By Wednesdays, like today, I am quite happy to think that the week is half over.

Oh, and methinks that Ava has something she wants to say about this.

And you can't tell me this isn't one of (if not THE) cutest baby picture you have ever seen. Hopefully, it will help you make it through the 'most depressing day of the week'.

Happy Hump Day!

If you like piña coladas...

2008-07-01T09:07:00.004-04:00

There is never a dull moment when Kole and I hang out. Never. Well, unless you count the couple of times she and I have dozed off watching films. But not last night. No!

Last night we enjoyed a stimulating evening of watching trash TV while Kole enjoyed a special treat.

Piña colada granola with vanilla yogurt and Bud Light with Lime anyone?

I can't begin to tell you how happy this photo makes me. Or how much we laughed last night. And I don't think I can ever tell Kole how much moments with her - like last night - mean to me. Seriously, girl friends like her are the greatest.

Let's start the week off right

2008-06-30T09:53:00.001-04:00

Ava says, "Happy Monday!"

I have shampoo in my eye!

2008-06-27T09:13:00.005-04:00

So, what do you do when you are at the gym, in the shower, shampooing your hair when you realize the fire alarm light is flashing like mad?

(i) Accidentally poke yourself in the eye with a shampoo-laden finger

(ii) Look around in a panic after flushing shampoo out of eye

(iii) Calm down once you realize chessy 80s music is still playing in the background and no alarms are sounding

Yeah. I'm three for three.

Skinny jeans

2008-06-26T09:29:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had a pair of jeans/trousers that you refer to as your skinny jeans? Yeah, me too. And guess what??? Last night, for fun, or for pure torture as the case could have been, I tried on my skinny jeans for the first time in almost two years. And oh my goodness. They fit. Perfectly.

I knew training for a half marathon would have many benefits, but is it REALLY vain to say that fitting into those jeans has made me happier than any other benefit, like being healthier, being more alert, sleeping better, etc?

Oh, who cares. I'm doing a chair dance IN MY SKINNY JEANS.